
Cloud Based Payroll Software Market Simplifying Workforce Management with Scalable Cloud Solutions
On another busy wrestling weekend, the unique format of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport returns for a 12th edition, headlined by the namesake taking on MVP. It will be the current AEW manager’s first action since July 2022 when he was still in WWE. Barnett is 2-1 in Bloodsport his year and is coming off a victory over Bad Dude Tito in July. WWE NXT will be represented as Charlie Dempsey returns for action against Akira, Myles Borne battles Royce Isaacs, and Karmen Petrovic goes one-on-one with Sumie Sakai. In a clash of former TNA champions, former World Champion Josh Alexander battles past rival and former X-Division titleholder “Speedball” Mike Bailey. TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich will battle fellow roster member Lei Ying Lee while another TNA star — Jody Threat — battles Death Riders enforcer Marina Shafir. In a clash of tag team partners, Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini of Violence is Forever. ********** According to Dave Meltzer’s Daily Update , Akira will be off today’s Bloodsport XII show with an injury that he suffered last night in Illinois. Tracy Williams has been announced as Akira’s replacement; Williams will now take on Charlie Dempsey instead. Big “BLOOD-SPORT!” chant from the crowd at the top of the show. The ring announcer ran down Bloodsport rules before each of tonight’s wrestlers walked out to the ring, one by one. And we got one more “BLOOD-SPORT!” chant after everyone on the card was announced and lined up in the ring. Lou Nixon (1–1) defeated Calvin Tankman (2–4) via TKO The crowd gave Tankman a “WELCOME BACK!” and a “TANKMAN!” chant. Right out of the gate, Tankman leveled Nixon with a massive Avalanche that sent the Brit out of the ropeless ring. Nixon was back in the ring quickly trading kicks and palm strikes with the larger Tankman. Tankman slammed Nixon to the mat before Nixon locked Tankman in an ankle lock. Tankman punched his way out of the hold. Nixon later caught Tankman with a running elbow that he followed up with a few stomps for the TKO win. Nixon picks up his first-ever win in Bloodsport. Matt Makowski (2–3) vs. David Modzmanashvili (0–0)
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s magnificent seven grand slam finalsCHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTH FOR NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETES: LG ELECTRONICS CONCLUDES 3RD SEASON OF 'TRANSPARENT CONVERSATIONS' PODCASTQuest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Free Report ) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 13,793 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $588,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TCBK. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of TriCo Bancshares by 3.5% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,502,992 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $59,471,000 after purchasing an additional 50,358 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in TriCo Bancshares by 27.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 403,712 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $15,975,000 after acquiring an additional 86,689 shares during the period. Curi RMB Capital LLC lifted its position in TriCo Bancshares by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC now owns 346,833 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $14,792,000 after acquiring an additional 5,314 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in TriCo Bancshares by 8.9% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 235,867 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,333,000 after acquiring an additional 19,224 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of TriCo Bancshares by 5.6% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 184,610 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,305,000 after purchasing an additional 9,723 shares during the last quarter. 59.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Buying and Selling at TriCo Bancshares In other TriCo Bancshares news, Director Michael W. Koehnen sold 1,400 shares of TriCo Bancshares stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.20, for a total value of $63,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $135,600. The trade was a 31.82 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Company insiders own 4.64% of the company’s stock. TriCo Bancshares Stock Up 3.2 % TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $133.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $98.65 million. TriCo Bancshares had a net margin of 21.12% and a return on equity of 9.45%. On average, analysts anticipate that TriCo Bancshares will post 3.38 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on TriCo Bancshares from $53.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens reduced their price objective on TriCo Bancshares from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Janney Montgomery Scott reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 price target (up from $42.00) on shares of TriCo Bancshares in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, DA Davidson downgraded shares of TriCo Bancshares from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $50.00 to $53.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.20. View Our Latest Stock Report on TriCo Bancshares TriCo Bancshares Profile ( Free Report ) TriCo Bancshares operates as a bank holding company for Tri Counties Bank that provides commercial banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts demand, savings, and time deposits. It also provides small business loans; real estate mortgage loans, such as residential and commercial loans; consumer loans; mortgage, auto, other vehicle, and personal loans; commercial loans, including agricultural loans; and real estate construction loans. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TCBK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TriCo Bancshares ( NASDAQ:TCBK – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for TriCo Bancshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TriCo Bancshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Wall Street Lunch: Quantum Stocks ManicSingapore registers Asia-Pacific's biggest spike in identity fraud, driven by deepfake surge
Franklin financial SVP Karen Carmack reports stock purchaseOTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking some time to reflect after Chrystia Freeland's bombshell resignation, the natural resources minister said on Tuesday. "The prime minister, as I understand it, a number of caucus colleagues have said that the prime minister has said that he will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he's heard from members of his own caucus," Jonathan Wilkinson said. "I think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he's going to take some time to reflect." Freeland quit as finance minister on Monday morning just hours before she was set to present the government's fall economic statement. That kicked off a day of turmoil on Parliament Hill that began with a morning cabinet meeting and wrapped with an evening meeting of the Liberal caucus, where some members called for Trudeau to step aside as party leader. That includes New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, one of 23 caucus members who signed a letter back in October calling for Trudeau to quit. "We certainly have more MPs than last time. So, if I had to guess how many more right now, I'd say we're probably at 40 to 50 right now," Long said. "But there's a lot more than that. I mean, this is so different than times before." The attempt to oust Trudeau earlier in the fall took up a great deal of oxygen on Parliament Hill, but ultimately failed to garner support from inside the cabinet. This time, Long said, at least five cabinet ministers believe it's time for a change at the top. "I certainly am one to say to my colleagues, to ministers in particular: 'Let's come out of the shadows,'" Long said. "Let's openly, once and for all, state how we feel and let's move forward with what we know has to happen." Before question period, cabinet ministers Anita Anand and Kamal Khera told reporters they support the prime minister. After the failed coup in October, Liberal MPs emerged from a tense caucus meeting saying they believed Trudeau was taking time to reflect. But the very next day, he publicly stated his intention to stay on as leader at a press conference. That is why P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, who called for Trudeau to resign in October, does not think the prime minister will take a walk in the snow now. "There's not a single indicator in anything that he says or does that would tell me otherwise. He seems to be absolutely committed and he has throughout the piece, he's been remarkably consistent," Casey said. "What he says, what he does, how he does it, how he says it, the energy he puts into it, I don't believe for one second it's an act. I think it's real." Whenever Trudeau has been asked if he intends to lead the Liberals in the next election, the response has been an unambiguous "Yes." The Liberals have faced three non-confidence votes in the House of Commons this fall and have struggled to advance legislation because of a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre once again called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to topple the government, criticizing him for voting against the latest non-confidence motion last week. Poilievre said Canada needs a new prime minister because U.S. president-elect Donald Trump can smell weakness from a mile away and the Trudeau government is weak. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also said a new Parliament is needed "as soon as possible," and he wants to see an election called in January. Blanchet said Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical authority to govern. He said the election should happen as soon as possible in the new year because Canadians do not want a campaign over the holiday season. On Monday, Singh called for Trudeau to step down but did not make a firm comment on whether the NDP would declare non-confidence in the Liberal government. Instead, Singh said "all options are on the table." The NDP, which ended a formal supply-and-confidence agreement to support the Liberals in September, has voted with the government on all three non-confidence motions. Singh has repeatedly said a Poilievre-led Conservative government would cut things New Democrats have fought for like dental care, pharmacare and other social programs. The Tories are also calling on the House of Commons trade committee to study the tariff threat between the week of Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, the date of Trump's inauguration. The House of Commons is expected to rise for the holiday break on Tuesday and return on Jan. 27. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she's been at odds with Trudeau in the last few weeks over the government's fiscal priorities. She said the government should do away with costly "political gimmicks" and instead set money aside to deal with a potential tariff war with the U.S. Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government's fall economic statement was released. The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year. It includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian goods. LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues. He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That's expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won't seek re-election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. — With files from Nick Murray and Michel Saba David Baxter, The Canadian Press
Brock Purdy participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers but the San Francisco starting quarterback was not on the field for the majority of the workout, casting doubt over his availability to play Sunday at Green Bay. Purdy is dealing with a right shoulder injury and the 49ers are also potentially without left tackle Trent Williams and Nick Bosa due to injuries. Bosa was listed as out of Thursday's practice with an oblique injury. Williams also didn't suit up Thursday. He played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable. Purdy's typical Thursday post-practice media session was scrapped until Friday as the 49ers did not make any quarterback available. Kyle Allen would step in for Purdy as the starter if he can't play against the Packers. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media
Selected Financial Indicators Summarized selected financial indicators of the Group for 9 months of 2024 compared to 9 months of 2023 and 30.09.2024 compared to 31.12.2023 were as follows: Financial performance The Group`s sales amounted 46 489 thousand EUR during 9 months of 2024, representing a 0.5% decrease as compared to the same period of previous year. Overall, wholesale decreased by 4.9%, measured in EUR. The Group’s gross profit during 9 months of 2024 amounted to 27 232 thousand EUR and decrease by 3.0% compared to previous year. The gross margin during 9 months of 2024 decreased by 2.5% compared to 9 months of 2023. The cost of sold goods increased by 3.2%. Consolidated operating profit for 9 months of 2024 amounted to 14 452 thousand EUR, compared to 16 267 thousand EUR for 9 months of 2023, decrease by 11.2%. The consolidated operating profit margin was 31.1% for 9 months of 2024 (34.8% for 9 months of 2023). Consolidated EBITDA for 9 months of 2024 decreased by 10.2% and amounted to 16 724 thousand EUR, which is 36.0% in margin terms (18 630 thousand EUR and 39.9% for 9 months of 2023). Reported consolidated net profit attributable to equity holders of the Parent company for 9 months of 2024 amounted 9 711 thousand EUR, compared to net profit of 7 912 thousand EUR for 9 months of 2023, net profit margin attributable to equity holders of the Parent company for 9 months of 2024 was 20.9% against net profit 16.9% for 9 months of 2023. Financial position As of 30 September 2024 consolidated assets amounted to 80 299 thousand EUR representing increase by 11.1% as compared to the position as of 31 December 2023. Trade and other receivables decreased by 16 thousand EUR as compared to 31 December 2023 and amounted to 1 338 thousand EUR as of 30 September 2024. Inventory balance increased by 647 thousand EUR and amounted to 24 587 thousand EUR as of 30 September 2024. Equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent company increased by 9 621 thousand EUR and amounted to 63 741 thousand EUR as of 30 September 2024. Current liabilities decreased by 2 483 thousand EUR during 9 months of 2024. Investments During 9 months of 2024 the Group’s investments into property, plant and equipment totalled 830 thousand EUR, in previous year same period 896 thousand EUR. Investments were made mainly into opening and renovating own stores, as well into equipment and facilities to maintain effective production for future periods. Personnel As of 30 September 2024, the Group employed 1 668 employees, including 514 people in retail operations. The rest were employed in production, wholesale, administration and support operations. In 31.12.2023 there were 1 626 employees, including 500 people in retail operations. Total salaries and related taxes during 9 months of 2024 amounted 10 612 thousand EUR ( 9 964 thousand EUR in 9 months 2023). The remuneration of key management of the Group, including the key executives of all subsidiaries, totalled 475 thousand EUR. Decisions made by governing bodies during 09 months 2024 On the 19th of March 2024, the AS Silvano Fashion Group proposed to the shareholders to adopt the resolution of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders stated below without convening the meeting. The notice of the general meeting was published on March 19, 2024, in the information system NASDAQ OMX Tallinn https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=b77cafc430f1ac23a81813069a95a15cd〈=en and Warsaw Stock Exchange, on the website of SFG https://www.silvanofashion.com/investors/company-announcements/ and in the newspaper Eesti Päevaleht. On April 9, 2024 Silvano Fashion Group Extraordinary Meeting of Shareholders adopted the following decisions: 1.1. To appoint the auditing company Ernst & Young Baltic AS (registry code 10877299, located at Rävala puiestee 4, 10143 Tallinn) as the auditor of AS Silvano Fashion Group; 1.2. To authorize the Management Board of AS Silvano Fashion Group to enter into an audit service agreement with the auditing company AS Ernst & Young Baltic for auditing the economic activities of AS Silvano Fashion Group 2023. On the 29th of May 2024, AS Silvano Fashion Group proposed to the shareholders to adopt the resolutions of the annual general meeting of shareholders without convening the meeting. The notice of the general meeting was published on May 29, 2024, in the information system NASDAQ OMX Tallinn https://view.news.eu.nasdaq.com/view?id=bc1ccceca27a9390039f730c2b2b98136〈=en&src=listed and Warsaw Stock Exchange, on the website of SFG https://www.silvanofashion.com/investors/company-announcements/ and in the daily newspaper Eesti Ekspress. On June 20, 2024 Silvano Fashion Group held its regular Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. The Meeting adopted the following decisions: To approve the 2023 Annual Report; To left the net profit undistributed and to include the net profit of the financial year 2023 in retained earnings. The decisions of the general meeting were published on the website of AS Silvano Fashion Group https://www.silvanofashion.com/investors/company-announcements/ . Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Consolidated Income Statement Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows AS Silvano Fashion Group Phone: +372 6845 000 Email: info@silvanofashion.com Attachment SFG consolidated interim financial report of Q3 and 9m of 2024 unauditedPress freedom advocates are urgin Apple to ditch an "immature" generative AI system that incorrectly summarized a BBC news notification that incorrectly related that suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione had killed himself. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said this week that Apple's AI kerfuffle, which generated a false summary as "Luigi Mangione shoots himself," is further evidence that artificial intelligence cannot reliably produce information for the public. Apple Intelligence, which launched in the UK on December 11, needed less than 48 hours to make the very public mistake. "This accident highlights the inability of AI systems to systematically publish quality information, even when it is based on journalistic sources," RSF said. "The probabilistic way in which AI systems operate automatically disqualifies them as a reliable technology for news media that can be used in solutions aimed at the general public." Because it isn't reliably accurate, RSF said AI shouldn't be allowed to be used for such purposes, and asked Apple to pull the feature from its operating systems. "Facts can't be decided by a roll of the dice," said Vincent Berthier, head of RSF's tech and journalism desk. "RSF calls on Apple to act responsibly by removing this feature. "The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet's credibility and a danger to the public's right to reliable information on current affairs," Berthier added. It's unknown if or how Apple plans to address the issue. The BBC has filed its own complaint, but Apple declined to comment to the British broadcaster publicly on the matter. According to the BBC, this doesn't even appear to be the first time Apple's AI summaries have falsely reported news. The beeb pointed to an Apple AI summary from November shared by a ProPublica reporter that attributed news of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrest (which hasn't happened) to the New York Times, suggesting Apple Intelligence might be a serial misreader of the daily headlines. Google's AI search results have also been tricked into surfacing scam links , and have also urged users to glue cheese to pizza and eat rocks . Berthier stated, "The European AI Act - despite being the most advanced legislation in the world in this area - did not classify information-generating AIs as high-risk systems, leaving a critical legal vacuum. This gap must be filled immediately." The Register has reached out to Apple to learn about what it might do to address the problem of its AI jumping to conclusions about the news, and RSF to see if it's heard from Apple, but we haven't heard back from either. ®
Uncovered: Luxury lifestyle of US lawyer set to cash in on car loan scandalNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 53-36 victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women's Battle 4 Atlantis on Sunday. The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday's first semifinal. Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers. Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Tar Heels held Villonova's leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line. Ustby had seven points and Donarski scored five to guide the Tar Heels to a 17-7 lead after one quarter. Donarski scored five more in the third quarter to help North Carolina turn a 30-18 lead at halftime into a 44-23 advantage heading to the final period. North Carolina shot 40% from the floor, made 5 of 17 from beyond the arc (29.4%) and 4 of 6 at the foul line. Villanova shot 23.5% overall but made 5 of 18 from distance (27.8%) and 7 of 10 free throws. The Tar Heels scored 15 points off of 21 Villanova turnovers. They turned it over 14 times but it led to only three points for the Wildcats. North Carolina outscored Villanova 30-14 in the paint and never trailed. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Saturday that global cooperation in technology will continue even if the incoming US administration imposes stricter export controls on advanced computing products. US President-elect Donald Trump, in his first term in office, imposed restrictions on the sale of US technology to China citing national security — a policy continued under President Joe Biden. The curbs forced Nvidia, the world's leading maker of chips used for artificial intelligence applications, to change its product lineup in China. "Open science in global collaboration, cooperation across math and science has been around for a very long time. It is the foundation of social advancement and scientific advancement," Huang told media during a visit to Hong Kong. Cooperation is "going to continue. I don't know what's going to happen in the new administration, but whatever happens, we'll balance simultaneously compliance with laws and policies, continue to advance our technology and support and serve customers all over the world." The head of the world's most valuable company was speaking in the financial hub after receiving an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. During the visit, Huang participated in a fireside chat with the university's Council Chairman Harry Sham in front of an audience of students and academics. Asked about the huge energy requirements of graphics processing units — chips behind artificial intelligence — Huang said, "If the world uses more energy to power the AI factories of the world, we are a better world when that happens". Huang said "the goal of AI is not for training, the goal of AI is for inference". He said AI can discover, for instance, new ways to store carbon dioxide in reservoirs, new wind turbine designs and new materials for storing electricity. He said people should start thinking about placing AI supercomputers slightly off the power grid and let them use sustainable energy and in places away from populations. "My hopes and dreams is that in the end, what we all see is that using energy for intelligence is the best use of energy we can imagine," Huang said. Earlier on Saturday, Huang told graduates that "the age of AI has started" in a speech after receiving the honorary degree. "A new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science." Huang, 61, also told graduates that he wished he had started his career at this time. "The whole world is reset. You're at the starting lines with everybody else. An industry is being reinvented. You now have the instruments, the instruments necessary to advance science in so many different fields," Huang said. "The greatest challenges of our time, unimaginable challenges to overcome in the past, all of a sudden seem possible to tackle."
The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.Global Blockchain Show Focuses on UPTX: Promoting Global Financial Inclusion and Trust Reconstruction
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, has issued its first sustainability-linked bond worth 1 billion baht amidst booming demand in Asia. The company said the issuance marked a milestone in its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns. The bond has a five-year maturity and was arranged by UOB, linking financing costs directly to Centara's performance on two key sustainability performance targets: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity in its hotel operations, and reducing water consumption intensity across its properties. The bond issuance reflects Centara's dedication to integrating sustainability into its business practices while actively contributing to the global push toward a low-carbon future. "Our first sustainability-linked bond [SLB] reinforces our commitment to a more sustainable hospitality industry," said Gun Srisompong, Centara's chief financial officer and vice-president for finance and administration. "By embedding ESG principles into our financing framework, we're not only accelerating our efforts to reduce our environmental impact, but also setting measurable goals that drive accountability and progress." Centara's SLB aligns with the company's broader sustainability strategy, which includes eliminating single-use plastics across all properties, achieving global sustainable tourism. The company is seeking Global Sustainable Tourism Council certification for all its properties by 2025, reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions by 40% by 2029, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The bond, issued on Dec 11, 2024, is offered to institutional investors and high net worth individuals, reflecting strong market confidence in Centara's sustainability-driven vision. Aligned with the SLB principles set by the International Capital Market Association, this issuance ensures adherence to global standards for sustainable finance. Centara's commitment to sustainability underscores its goals of becoming a leader in sustainable hospitality and a Top 100 Global Hotel Operator by 2027. Centara has 92 properties spanning all major Thai destinations as well as the Maldives, Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara's portfolio comprises six brands -- Centara Reserve, Centara Boutique Collection, Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Life and COSI Hotels -- ranging from luxury island retreats and upscale family resorts to affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology.