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The Bank of Scotland’s business barometer poll showed 73% of Scottish businesses expect to see turnover increase in 2025, up from 60% polled in 2023. Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses expect to see their revenue rise by between six and 10% over the next 12 months, with just over a fifth (21%) expecting it to grow by even more. The poll found that 70% of businesses were confident they would become more profitable in 2025, a two per cent increase when compared with the previous year. Revenue and profitability growth was firms’ top priority at 52%, though 40% said they will be targeting improved productivity, and the same proportion said they will be aiming to enhance their technology – such as automation or AI – or upskill their staff (both 29%). More than one in five (22%) want to improve their environmental sustainability. Other areas businesses are hoping to build upon AI-assisted technology (19%), and 24% will be investing in expanding into new UK markets and 23% plan to invest in staff training. The business barometer has surveyed 1,200 businesses every month since 2002, providing early signals about UK economic trends. Martyn Kendrick, Scotland director at Bank of Scotland commercial banking, said: “Scottish businesses are looking ahead to 2025 with stronger growth expectations, and setting out clear plans to drive this expansion through investments in new technology, new markets and their own teams. “As we enter the new year, we’ll continue to by their side to help them pursue their ambitions and seize all opportunities that lie ahead.”The Oukitel OT5 is a great bargain for a tablet that can serve many needs. The Oukitel OT5 Android tablet is on sale for $240 on Amazon for Black Friday. This tablet has an incredible battery life and a buttery smooth display that is sure to please any Android tablet user. The cameras don't compare to those of costlier devices. Android tablets get a bad rap -- and there's a reason for that. For the most part, Android tablet hardware simply cannot compete with Apple. Where Apple focuses on premium, flagship hardware , most Android tablets tend to lean heavily into the budget-friendly zone. And that approach is great because it makes Android tablets affordable. But for those people looking for a more advanced experience, Android tablets are a hard sell these days. Often they include underpowered CPUs, not enough RAM, or displays that do not impress. Also: The best Black Friday deals live now The Oukitel OT5 tablet This 12-inch tablet impresses in enough categories to make it a no-brainer recommendation. Every so often, however, I run into an Android tablet that punches above its weight. Don't get me wrong, I've never used a sub-$250 tablet that checked off every box. But once in a while, a tablet comes along that ticks most of the important items. To be clear, I don't need a tablet with a best-in-class camera because I don't tend to use tablets for video or photo purposes. What I do need is a tablet with enough resources to function without lag and without crumbling under the weight of multitasking. I need an Android tablet that makes it easy to work with the Google suite of tools, read news, work with my teleprompter, and watch the occasional video. I also need a tablet with a solid battery life. So, when someone from Oukitel reached out to me to review the OT5 tablet , I was more than willing to give it a go (assuming it would underwhelm). When I received the tablet, I fired it up, connected it to my wireless network, associated it with my Google account, and had a play. Also: Lenovo Tab P11 Plus review: A budget Android tablet that's surprisingly good To my surprise, this sub-$250 tablet really impressed me. No, it's not going to best Apple's flagship tablet, but the OT5 can certainly stand toe to toe with any mid-range Android tablet -- and even some flagship devices. The specs Before I dive into my experiences with the tablet, let's take a look at the specs: 12" 2K display at 2000 x 1200 resolution that is TÜV SÜD certified Corning Gorilla Grass 5 screen MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core CPU 86% screen-to-body ratio 16MP main camera Four 1217 speaker boxes 11000mAh battery 36GB of RAM (12 physical which can be increased to 36GB with virtual allocation via the Hybrid Memory section in Settings) 256GB internal storage 7.5mm thick and 560g weight OS Android 13 The OT5 comes in gray, blue, or green, and includes a soft cover that doubles as a stand My experience with the OT5 The first thing that grabbed me about the device is the display. It's quite beautiful, crisp, bright, and large. Even the Windows 11-esque default wallpaper didn't bother me. In fact, the display on the OT5 is probably the best I've seen at this price point. I'd go so far as to say it's better than other, more costly, tablets I've tested. Next, came the smoothness of the UI. Thanks to the 12+24GB of RAM (12 physical and 24 virtual), the 8-core CPU, and Android 13, the OT5 interface is great. Apps open quickly and switching between them is as smooth as butter. Also: One of the best cheap Android tablets I've tested is not made by TCL or Samsung What really struck me about the OT5 is the battery life. I've been using the device for nearly two weeks and have charged it once. Now, I'm not saying you'll get the same longevity from a single charge. If you're using the tablet for social media, watching a lot of videos, or video conferencing, I'm certain the battery life will drop dramatically. But for my general usage, the battery on the OT5 has been seriously impressive. Consider the Samsung Tab S8 Ultra (typically selling for $900-$1,300), which has an 11,200 mAh battery. The OT5 (which sells for $239.99) has an 11000mAh battery. If battery life is a high priority, you certainly cannot go wrong with this tablet. The caveat Of course, a sub-$250 tablet is going to have a caveat or two. The big issue with the OT5 is the cameras. That's not to say they are bad. They actually take serviceable photos, so long as you have good lighting. In bad lighting, the cameras can't stand up to most modern phones. But if you can always have good lighting available, you'll find the photos aren't awful. That's the case for both the front and rear-facing cameras. However, I was actually surprised that the lesser of the two cameras (the "selfie" camera) did a fairly nice job of capturing subjects, as long as the lighting was good. My best glamour shot with the OT5 selfie camera. My biggest issue with the cameras, however, is the lack of options. I've grown accustomed to the Pixel cameras (which, I know, is an unfair comparison) that include portrait, macro, and other modes to create stunning photos. Instead, the OT5 camera app is fairly generic. You get photos and videos and not much more. But this is a tablet, so you shouldn't expect the level of flexibility found on a phone, especially at the level of the Pixel 8 Pro . So, if your tablet photo needs venture toward the basic, you won't have any problem with the OT5. ZDNET's buying advice If you're looking for an inexpensive Android tablet for yourself or as a holiday gift for a friend or loved one, the Oukitel OT5 is an outstanding bargain that makes a strong case for the continuation of Android tablets. What are the best Black Friday 2024 deals? ZDNET's experts have been searching through Black Friday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. 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Luanda — The raising of the levels of bilateral cooperation between Angola and the United States emerges as the greatest trophy expected for Angolan diplomacy, with the unprecedented official visit, this month, of President Joe Biden to the country. Three decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two states are preparing to materialize, from December 2 to 4, the first visit by a US President to Angolan territory, since Independence, in 1975. It is also the first trip to the African continent by a Head of State of the world's greatest power in the last 10 years, after Barack Obama in 2013. As part of the trip, the two countries will certainly take the opportunity to strengthen political-diplomatic and commercial relations, 31 years after the recognition of the Angolan authorities by the United States. The 31 years of diplomatic relations are marked by a partnership in clear progress, which began to consolidate in 2017, particularly in key areas such as renewable energy and telecommunications. As a result of Angola's strong commitment to economic diplomacy, the United States has increasingly become involved in substantial investments aimed at its growth and development. Signs of these significant advances in massive investment projects come from examples such as the Artemis Accords, signed in November 2023, to promote a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. With this initiative, the US Treasury Department wants to support Angola in the fight to reduce its debt vulnerabilities, through technical assistance, in an action that has already allowed the Angolan Government to reprogram its domestic liabilities and reduce the costs of default interest. In May of this year, the two countries signed, as part of the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, the final agreements to finance three major projects of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), with emphasis on the emblematic Lobito Corridor. Totaling more than $1.3 billion, the agreed financing covers clean energy generation, radio connectivity, and transportation infrastructure, as a demonstration of the U.S. Government's continued commitment to supporting and accelerating Angola's economic investment priorities. The infrastructure projects represent the largest U.S.-backed PGI funding package for any country since the initiative's launch and is expected to create Angolan and American jobs. One of the strengths of the US President's initiative is the development of infrastructure throughout the Lobito Corridor, an important route that connects landlocked countries such as the DRC and Zambia to the Atlantic Ocean. The Lobito Corridor offers potential for the creation of infrastructure that will better integrate the DRC, Zambia and Angola into regional and global markets, develop green energy supply chains and investment in agriculture, telecommunications and other sectors in underdeveloped regions. In addition to this initiative, the U.S. Government is carrying out a series of other investments, such as 'Prosper Africa', which deepen its economic engagement with Angola. Under Prosper Africa, the U.S. government is facilitating billions of dollars in deals with the African private sector, in general, and Angolan, in particular. Bilateral cooperation also extends to the transport sector, which has made significant progress, with funding of US$250 million to remodel the 1,300 kilometres of the Lobito Atlantic Railway railway line. Also in this area, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2023 for the construction of the new 800-kilometre railway line between Angola and neighbouring Zambia. In the field of air transport, and as a result of the growing trade relations between Angola and the US, Boeing and Angolan carrier TAAG announced an agreement for the purchase of 10 new 787 aircraft, valued at US$3.6 billion. To build on its planned Public-Private Partnership Unit for transport infrastructure, Angola's Ministry of Transport and USAID signed an agreement for nearly $1 million in funding. The support will allow the sector to replicate the successful and transparent concession of the Lobito Railway for additional investments in Railways and Ports. On the financing side, the highlight is the provision of US$900 million by EXIM, for Sun Africa's solar projects, and US$363 million for the construction of 186 prefabricated bridges of the Acrow Bridge, whose objective is to support critical infrastructure and guarantee thousands of jobs for Angolans and Americans. Over the past two years, the Biden Administration has also prioritized global food security by increasing agricultural trade. The U.S. has partnered with Angola to increase food security and climate resilience by building capacity and expanding investment in support of Angola's agricultural development and economic diversification goals. To that end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will lead the first agribusiness trade mission with more than 60 individuals, representing agricultural businesses and organizations. This commitment led USAID to provide US$13.3 million between 2022 and 2023 in emergency assistance to three provinces in southern Angola affected by drought. The program screened more than 500,000 children with acute malnutrition and treated 121,000 others with moderate and severe malnutrition. With the deployment of $5 million from the Action Fund for Gender Equality and Equality, USAID will support agricultural development along the Lobito Corridor, focusing on connecting women smallholder farmers to value chains that will use the rail line as a critical component of the project's sustainability. With the physical infrastructure, the U.S. is also investing in Angola's digital architecture, supporting reliable telecommunications networks that will benefit the Angolan people and improve the country's digital connectivity to the global economy, according to the U.S. government. In this regard, EXIM Bank approved a final commitment worth US$42 million to support the export, by Gates Air, of FM transmitters, training towers and other equipment and services to Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), within the framework of the 'Radio Signal Expansion and Studio Modernization Project'. The EXIM Bank authorization is intended for the first phase of the project which, once completed, will increase the Angolan Government's ability to communicate by radio with about 95% of the country's population. In another regard, the United States supports Angola's efforts to fight corruption, increase accountability, promote democratic governance, and support the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, association, and religion or belief. The U.S. government continues to support Angola's commitment to democratic reforms, including expanding the role of civil society and religious organizations in democratic elections and local decision-making. To that end, the U.S. Embassy in Angola has launched a program to promote the rule of law by strengthening judicial independence, raising citizens' awareness of their legal rights, and building the capacity of the courts. The diplomatic representation also supports various grants to strengthen press freedom. Similarly, USAID and the Department of State are working with the National Bank of Angola to support the country's efforts and substantially improve its Transparency International rating. The programming will increase the transparency of public finances and strengthen the capacity of oversight institutions in support of Angola's commitments as a new implementer country of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Since 2019, the Department of the Treasury has provided technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of Angolan institutions to identify, detect, and prosecute money laundering, terrorist financing, and other crimes in support of Angola's economic reforms. FMA/ART/IZ/DOJJosh Hubbard scored 25 points and Claudell Harris Jr. scored 21 on 6-of-9 shooting as Mississippi State escaped with a 91-84 win against Prairie View A&M on Sunday in Starkville, Miss. Prairie View A&M took a 65-64 lead with 10:38 remaining, but Hubbard and Harris Jr. each scored seven points to power the ensuing 14-1 run that put Mississippi State up for good. Hubbard punctuated the rally with a 3-pointer that made it 78-66 with 5:51 to play. The Bulldogs (8-1) stretched their lead to as many as 13 points in the closing minutes to notch their second straight win. Shawn Jones Jr. added 11 points for Mississippi State, while Michael Nwoko added 10 points and 10 rebounds. RJ Melendez also netted 10 points. The Panthers (1-8) were led by the trio of Nick Anderson (21 points) Tanahj Pettway (20) and Marcel Bryant (19). Pettway drilled 4 of 5 3-pointers and Bryant grabbed seven rebounds. Prairie View A&M got off to a hot start, opening up a 27-12 lead with 10:42 left in the first half. It was a surprising haymaker from the visitors, who entered the game winless in Division I play and faced a Bulldogs team that was ranked last week. Mississippi State eventually found its stride offensively, turning things around with a 32-17 run to tie the game at 44 entering halftime. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field overall in the first half, but only made six of their 17 attempts from 3-point range (35.3 percent). Their defense remained an issue throughout the half, with the Panthers hitting 16 of their 27 shots (59.3 percent) and canning 5 of 8 3-pointers. Neither team led by more than five early in the second half until Mississippi State pulled away. The Bulldogs finished the game shooting 55.6 percent from the floor (30-of-54) and drilled 11 of 26 attempts (42.3 percent) from long range. They outrebounded Prairie View A&M 35-22 and outscored them 31-20 in bench points. The Panthers held a 34-32 advantage in points in the paint and shot 56.4 percent overall for the game, including 52.6 percent (10-of-19) on threes. --Field Level Media
India has been in one of the longest bull markets, with this phase starting in March 2020, and nearing five years now, said Prashant Khemka, founder of WhiteOak Capital Management. He thinks that we have been somewhat spoiled by the returns over the past five years. In the recent months, the stock market has come off its highs, but that’s nothing unusual or abnormal. “We’ve come to expect equity-market returns with fixed-income-like consistency, which isn’t a reasonable expectation," he said, adding, “We should temper both our return expectations—aiming for low double digits rather than mid-teens—and our expectations for consistency". Looking ahead to 2025, Khemka expects pre-tax market returns of 10-11%. To begin with, if you were to get 10 lakh, where would you invest? Assuming all living expenses are covered, my approach is always the same. Essentially, all available money is entirely invested in . These days, my wife handles these investments based on standing instructions. If there happens to be any excess money, we invest it in mutual funds or other investment vehicles of WhiteOak. Occasionally, I even say jokingly that the only times my wife and I argue are when she might slip up and leave money idle in the bank for a few days instead of deploying it into the market. We are always fully invested in equities and have never prioritized fixed deposit as investment. So, that continues to be the case. Considering what you said, how would you look at diversification, given that many have pointed out that diversification is key in a volatile market. So, how would you look at that? Diversifying across asset classes comes at a cost. Equity has been the best-performing asset class over extended periods of time. Since I entered the markets in 1985, both personal experience and historical data show that equity markets deliver the highest long-term returns for passive investors. While running a business may yield higher returns, I firmly believe equity markets will continue to lead as investments. Our team also strives to generate returns above the market average, creating a total return that is hard to match in other asset classes. From my perspective, the additional returns from equity investments more than compensate for the lost diversification benefits. I understand that you believe equity offers long-term superior returns and are quite optimistic about the asset class. However, given the past rally and current uncertainty, should investors consider tempering their return expectations? It depends on what the return expectations are. However, at any point in time, if you ask me about expected returns over the next 12 months or any specific period, I would estimate low double digits on an annualized basis. That hasn’t changed, and it remains my base case expectation at this time, too. It’s like flipping a coin ten times—my expectation would always be five heads and five tails. In reality, the outcome could be six-four, eight-two, or even ten-zero, but with enough flips, it averages out to 50-50. Similarly, Indian have consistently averaged in the low double digits if you look at the historical performance. Looking ahead, I expect similar returns of low double digit, roughly 10-11%, pre-tax. Many are worried about slowing earnings growth and the possibility of earnings downgrades. Do you share this concern? Concerns are always present in the market; there's never a time without them. People naturally look for risks, and there will always be something to focus on. These concerns aren’t new. It’s possible that, in the near term, with slightly slower economic growth last quarter, we could see this trend spill over into corporate earnings this quarter as well. However, that’s just part of the business cycle. Over the years, there have been periods of slower economic and earnings growth, followed by times of faster growth. If we experience slower growth in the coming months, it is entirely possible, but it does not necessarily mean the markets will perform poorly. Do you think these factors are already priced in? Geopolitical concerns and elections were major worries—have we moved past them? What other concerns do you see, and has the possibility of earnings downgrades or slowing growth been factored in? Yes, in my view, macro concerns are always factored in on a probabilistic basis—weighted by the likelihood of various outcomes. However, reality can sometimes turn out far worse or better than what the market has anticipated at a point in time. Also, what we think is priced in may differ significantly from what the market has actually accounted for. For example, if we look back five years to the end of 2019 and if we were told everything that would unfold during covid-19, we might have expected markets to perform very poorly. Most people, including myself, could have been tempted to stay in cash or shift to safer asset classes. Yet, March 23, 2020, marked the market's bottom, even when the total reported Covid-19 cases in India were only around 500, with approximately only 100 cases reported for that day. Despite the subsequent surge in cases, millions of deaths, and extended lockdowns, the market began rallying from March 24th onwards. Why? Because it had already factored in these outcomes and more. The market assessed the long-term impact of these developments on corporate cash flows and determined that the present value of those cash flows was not materially affected as one might have feared just a few days prior. Since you brought up holding cash, some fund managers are currently maintaining cash levels as high as 50-80%. What’s your perspective on this? Our team is always able to find opportunities. Forget about holding 50-80% cash - our team generally does not even have 50 to 80 basis points of cash in the portfolio, meaning we don’t even have 0.5% to 0.8% in cash on many of the days because we are fully invested. We don’t make market timing calls; we are typically fully invested, with cash levels of less than 1%. Our approach is that the market is fairly valued overall, but within that, some stocks will be overvalued and others undervalued. In a relative performance approach, it’s about identifying those undervalued names. To outperform the market and our peers, that's what we focus on. Has there ever been a time when you regretted being fully invested and not holding any cash? I wouldn't say regret, because I understand that market timing is not possible—this is my firm belief. Personally, or in portfolios, I was always fully invested at the peaks of 2000, during the Harshad Mehta bubble, at the 2008 peak, and just before Covid. Thankfully, I was also that followed those peaks. I've never felt I should have made a cash call, because I have resigned myself to the fact and the belief that markets cannot be timed, just like coin flips cannot be predicted. Which sectors look appealing to you in 2025? We firmly believe in the fair value of the market and maintain that it's not possible to predict which sector will outperform another at aggregate level. Our base case assumption is that all sectors will perform in line with the market over the next 12 months. While we understand that the various sectors will not give the same returns in any given year, it is still the most logical ex-ante assumption to make. That said, we may allocate more weight or less to certain sectors, either absolute or relative to the benchmark, based on where we see the most compelling bottom-up investment opportunities. For example, if most companies within a sector appear fairly valued in our assessment, we may choose to invest less in that sector, as the expected upside or downside is limited. On the other hand, if we see significant disparities in valuations within a sector—where some companies are highly overvalued and others highly undervalued—we may allocate more to that sector as we seek to capture the upside from the undervalued opportunities. Currently, we are finding more of such opportunities in healthcare, information technology services, financials, consumption, and industrials. We have higher allocations in our portfolios in these areas, both collectively and individually. So, the market is currently in a state of limbo, waiting for a clear direction. What are the key triggers that could provide that clarity and drive the market forward? It depends on how you define "limbo." If you look at it, we’re in one of s, with this bull market starting in March 2020, around March 23rd, and nearing five years now. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a limbo; I think we've been somewhat spoiled by the returns over the past five years. (like the BSE 500) has had mid-teens returns, with small and mid-caps up by mid-20s. In the past couple of months, there’s been a slight dip, but that's nothing abnormal. We’ve come to expect equity market returns with fixed-income-like consistency, which isn’t a reasonable expectation. We should temper both our return expectations—aiming for low double digits rather than mid-teens—and our expectations for consistency. We’ve mostly seen upward volatility over the past five years, otherwise occasional pullbacks of 10-20% are within the realm of usual market movements. Lastly, what are the common mistakes investors make throughout their investing journey, and how can they avoid them? The biggest mistake retail investors make is not allocating enough to equities, followed by trying to time the market. For instance, during the Covid crisis, many pulled out of the market due to fear, only to re-enter much later at substantially higher levels. based on macro developments often harms long-term returns. The key is to seek advice from financial advisers to decide on a comfortable equity allocation and stick with it over time. Avoid speculative trading or constantly changing your strategy based on short-term market movements or media headlines.
Rams' offense is struggling, but the defense has put LA on the brink of an NFC West titleHow Seahawks can shake up NFC West with Week 12 win over Cardinals
BOSTON (AP) — JB Frankel hit three of four free throws in the final six seconds to allow Northeastern to hold off Colgate 78-75 on Sunday. Nicolas Louis-Jacques hit three free throws for the Raiders with :07 left to get within two, 75-73, but Frankel hit the second of two to make it a three-point game and, after Jalen Cox hit a pair at the line to pull Colgate within one, 76-75, Frankel hit both free throws to seal the win. Rashad King had 23 points and added eight rebounds for the Huskies (7-3). Harold Woods scored 13 points and added six rebounds. Masai Troutman shot 2 of 7 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points. Brady Cummins led the way for the Raiders (2-8) with 15 points. Colgate also got 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals from Jalen Cox. Louis-Jacques finished with 14 points. King scored 10 points in the first half and Northeastern went into the break trailing 32-28. Northeastern pulled off the victory after a 15-2 second-half run erased a three-point deficit and gave them the lead at 62-52 with 5:58 remaining in the half. King scored 13 second-half points. Northeastern takes on Old Dominion on the road on Sunday, and Colgate visits Kentucky on Wednesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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