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Yatra.com terminates $337 Million merger pact with Ebix
BUSINESS

Yatra.com terminates $337 Million merger pact with Ebix

Online travel company Yatra Online said it is terminating pending merger agreement with the US-based software firm Ebix Inc and has filed litigation seeking substantial damages from Ebix over breaches of the agreement. Ebix Inc had signed an agreement to acquire Yatra Online Inc, the parent company of online travel firm Yatra.com, for an enterprise value of USD 337.8 million (over Rs 2,300 crore) in 2019. The company, "has provided notice of termination of its pending merger agreement with Ebix Inc and filed litigation in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware over Ebix's breaches of the merger agreement," Yatra Online Inc said in a statement. Yatra Online Inc seeks to hold Ebix accountable for breaches of its representations, warranties and covenants in the merger agreem...
Reliance Industries denies any link to $1.2b Money Laundering case in Netherlands
BUSINESS

Reliance Industries denies any link to $1.2b Money Laundering case in Netherlands

Dutch investigators last week arrested three former employees of a local firm suspected of laundering $1.2 billion through over-invoicing services and works rendered for a gas pipeline built by a unit controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, a charge vehemently denied by Reliance Industries. According to Cobouw, a Dutch publication, the three suspects were released on Friday, after three days. East West Pipeline Ltd (EWPL), which was previously known as Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL), denied that any money was laundered at any stage during the implementation of the project and that higher capital cost of a pipeline would result in higher tariff for users for receiving natural gas through the line. Ambani’s listed firm Reliance Industries, too, denied any ...
Uday Kotak to sell 2.8 pc stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank
BUSINESS

Uday Kotak to sell 2.8 pc stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank

Mumbai, Jun 1, 2020: Billionaire banker Uday Kotak, who had a long run-in with the Reserve Bank over his excess personal holding in Kotak Mahindra Bank, will sell 2.8 percent stake in the lender for at least $90 million (Rs 6,800 crore). The move would bring the curtains down on a long standoff between the regulator and the bank over the issue, which saw Kotak dragging the RBI to the Bombay High Court in December 2018, and the case is still pending. "The stake dilution will be done through a block deal and will be completed shortly at a price band of Rs 1,215 to Rs 1,240 a share," a person familiar with the development told PTI. As per the term sheet, the deal would be worth $90 million at the lower end of the price band. Currently, Kotak and his family hold a 28.8 percent stake ...
Foreign Investors pull out USD 26 billion from Asian economies
BUSINESS

Foreign Investors pull out USD 26 billion from Asian economies

Amidst global economic recession due to coronavirus, foreign investors have pulled out an estimated USD 26 billion from developing Asian economies. Foreign investors have pulled an estimated USD 26 billion out of developing Asian economies increasing concerns of a major economic recession in Asia, the latest report on global economic effects of COVID-19. In Europe, over 30 million people in Germany, France, the UK, Spain, and Italy have applied for state support, while first quarter 2020 data indicates that the eurozone economy contracted by 3.8 percent, the largest quarterly decline since the series started in 1995, it said. In the US, preliminary data indicated that the GDP fell by 4.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, the largest quarterly decline since the fourth quarter...
Thai Airways will file for bankruptcy
BUSINESS

Thai Airways will file for bankruptcy

Thailand's flag carrier Thai Airways International will file a plan for restructuring its business with the Central Bankruptcy Court, a government spokeswoman said on Monday. Narumon Pinyosinwat said the plan submitted by the State Enterprise Policy Office to salvage the airline will be submitted Tuesday to for Cabinet approval. She said she had no details of the plan. Thai Airways had been suffering financially even before the coronavirus crisis brought travel and tourism in the country to a near standstill. The airline initially sought a 54 billion baht ($1.7 billion) bailout loan from the government. There is speculation that its reorganization under bankruptcy could take the government's ownership share below 50%, effecting a form of privatisation. All rescue options were lik...
Softbank Puts $9 Billion Losses as Vision Fund Investments Plunge
BUSINESS

Softbank Puts $9 Billion Losses as Vision Fund Investments Plunge

Japanese tech company SoftBank Group racked up a loss of 961.6 billion yen (USD 9 billion) for the fiscal year through March, on red ink related to its Vision Fund investments including troubled office space-sharing venture WeWork. SoftBank, founded in 1981, said the drop in share prices around the world from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic had slammed the value of its sprawling investments. Tokyo-based SoftBank had reported a profit of 1.4 trillion yen the previous fiscal year. Its sales for the fiscal year inched up 1 per cent to 6.2 trillion yen (USD 58 billion). It did not immediately break down quarterly results or give a forecast for the fiscal year through March 2021. On top of WeWork's poor performance, the company suffered damage to the value of Uber and other ho...
BUSINESS

Uber Post USD 2.9 billion Loss in Q1 2020

Uber lost USD 2.9 billion in the first quarter as its overseas investments were hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, but the company is looking to its growing food delivery business and aggressive cost-cutting to ease the pain. The ride-hailing giant said it is offloading Jump, its bike and scooter business, to Lime, a company in which it is investing USD 85 million. Jump had been losing about USD 60 million a quarter. While our Rides business has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic, we have taken quick action to preserve the strength of our balance sheet, focus additional resources on Uber Eats, and prepare us for any recovery scenario, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a statement. Along with the surge in food delivery, we are encouraged by the early signs we are seeing in m...
Nokia profit up; Sales dip due to Covid19
BUSINESS

Nokia profit up; Sales dip due to Covid19

Nokia has reported first-quarter profit but said the COVID-19 pandemic dented sales by around USD 218 million mainly due to supply issues associated with disruptions in China. The company based in Espoo, Finland, reported a net profit of 33 million euros for the January-March period, in comparison to a loss of 116 million euros the previous year. Sales were down 2 percent at 4.9 billion euros. CEO Rajeev Suri said, Nokia didn't see a decline in demand in the first quarter but noted that as the coronavirus situation develops an increase in supply and delivery challenges in a number of countries is possible and some customers may re-assess their spending plans. Nokia is one of three main providers of the ultra-fast, new-generation 5G networks along China's Huawei and Sweden's Erics...
Facebook revenue grew 17 percent, Posted $4.9 billion profit in Q1 2020
BUSINESS

Facebook revenue grew 17 percent, Posted $4.9 billion profit in Q1 2020

World's leading social media platform Facebook reported a profit of $4.9 billion on revenue that grew 17 percent to $17.4 billion during the first quarter result of the year. Facebook also reported a sharp jump in usage as the global pandemic in a quarterly result. The shares of social media platform climbed some 10 percent. "Our work has always been about helping you stay connected with the people you care about," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. "With people relying on our services more than ever, we're focused on keeping people safe, informed and connected." Facebook Q1 2020 Result Facebook's daily active users were 1.73 billion on average for March 2020, an increase of 11% year-over-year. Facebook monthly active users were 2.60 billion as of March 31, 2020, ...
Oracle wins cloud computing deal with Zoom as video calls surge
BUSINESS

Oracle wins cloud computing deal with Zoom as video calls surge

(Reuters), 29th April 2020 - Zoom Video Communications Inc said on Tuesday it has started using Oracle Corp’s cloud computing service to help handle the surge in online video call volumes brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. As corporations and schools shift to remote work and billions of people subject to stay-at-home orders seek ways to remain connected, Zoom has seen daily meeting participants rocket from 10 million in December to 300 million. But it has also experienced a backlash as the increased use exposed privacy and security flaws. Zoom set out a 90-day plan to fix the security issues, but in the meantime, the thirty-fold jump in traffic has required more computing power. The deal is a big win for Oracle, which wants to catch up with rivals such as Amazon.com an...
Amul eyes 15 percent growth in turnover despite COVID-19, Doble its Overall revenue in 5 years
BUSINESS

Amul eyes 15 percent growth in turnover despite COVID-19, Doble its Overall revenue in 5 years

New Delhi, 27th April 2020: Indian group GCMMF, which markets dairy products under Amul brand, expects its turnover to grow 15 percent this fiscal year from Rs 38,550 crore in 2019-20 despite economic slowdown caused by the nationwide lockdown to control coronavirus outbreak. The household consumption of milk and other dairy products is expected to rise and will compensate any temporary loss of sales caused by the closure of hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias (HoReCA segment) during the ongoing lockdown period, said R S Sodhi, the managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF). As per the company's financial data, Sales of Amul Federation and its 18-member union rose 17 percent year-on-year and crossed Rs 50,000 crore in the year ended March 31, 2020...
Samsung ends Mobile Phone production in China
BUSINESS

Samsung ends Mobile Phone production in China

SEOUL (Reuters)- Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has ended mobile telephone production in China, it said on Wednesday, hurt by intensifying competition from domestic rivals in the world’s biggest smartphone market. The shutdown of Samsung’s last China phone factory comes after it cut production at the plant in the southern city of Huizhou in June and suspended another factory late last year, underscoring stiff competition in the country. The South Korean tech giant’s ceased phone production in China follows other manufacturers shifting production from China due to rising labor costs and the economic slowdown. Sony also said it was closing its Beijing smartphone plant and would only make smartphones in Thailand. But Apple still makes major products in China. Samsung’s share of th...