Thin Film Electronics ASA - Warrant Exercise

Reuters
Dell, HP say chip shortages will hit PC supplies this year
However, shares of Dell fell 1%, while those of HP dropped as much as 6%, after both companies warned the ongoing computer chip shortage could impact their ability to meet demand for laptops this year. "The component supply situation remains constrained," Dell Chief Financial Officer Thomas Sweet said in post earnings call, adding that rising costs to procure these chips would hit its operating income in the current quarter by the low to mid-single digits and lead to slightly lower revenue on a sequential basis. HP Inc, which ranks second among global PC vendors according to IDC data, said the shortages would limit its ability to supply personal computing devices and printers at least until the end of the year.
10h ago
CoinDesk
Ark’s Cathie Wood Blames Crypto Crash on ‘ESG Movement’
“A lot of institutional buying went on pause” due to concerns about mining’s environmental impact, the influential fund manager said at Consensus 2021.
7h ago
Bloomberg
Kevin Ulrich Scored a $2 Billion MGM Win. It Only Took a Decade
(Bloomberg) -- Hedge funds often measure their investments in minutes, not decades; but for Anchorage Capital Group, its long-held stake in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is proving that patience can also be profitable.The New York-based money manager stands to make roughly $2 billion on its investment in the film and TV producer, one that began almost 11 years ago with MGM in bankruptcy court. Amazon.com Inc. agreed to buy the company for $8.45 billion Wednesday, a price that includes just under $2 billion in debt.The deal is in many ways a vindication for Kevin Ulrich, the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trader who co-founded Anchorage in 2003 and was part of a group of distressed debt investors that took control of MGM as it went through the restructuring process. In recent years the stake looked to be an albatross for the fund, one that came with significant drama in its own right.Ulrich brought in and later fired a high-profile chief executive officer, resisted efforts by activist investor Carl Icahn to take control, and held out for a bigger payday after years of considering various exit strategies. By selling now, as demand for media content from entertainment and technology companies alike is booming, he’s proving his long-held faith in the investment was justified.“There was a lot of maneuvering, a lot of financial engineering,” said Steven Azarbad, chief investment officer at New York’s Maglan Capital, an MGM investor who sold his shares four years ago. “But they’ve done great.”A representative for Anchorage declined to comment.When Ulrich first invested in MGM, he was new to Hollywood. He helped pick Gary Barber, a South African-born producer of films such as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” as chief executive officer of the storied but debt-laden studio. Barber brought to the table a shrewd business sense, and connections into a world Ulrich long admired from afar.Barber shepherded MGM’s development of “The Hobbit” franchise, a co-production with Warner Bros., that became a global smash hit. He helmed the release of the James Bond film, “Skyfall,” which generated over $1 billion at the box office, and he revived the studio’s work in television. Barber also brokered a deal to bring on TV super producer Mark Burnett, which gave MGM access to reality show hits like “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” but would ultimately become personally troublesome.In 2012 the company bought back Icahn’s stock for $590 million. It also filed paperwork for a possible public offering of shares, and considered other options, such as a sale.As Barber boosted MGM’s film and TV pipeline, Ulrich was increasingly entranced by the allure of Hollywood. He became a regular at movie premieres in Los Angeles and New York, and frequented industry parties in the Hamptons and elsewhere. He became active in creative decisions after becoming chair of MGM’s board -- somewhat unusual for a non-executive lacking Hollywood experience -- even getting involved with business granularities like casting.Growing RiftBut over the following years a rift began to open up between Barber and Ulrich. When it was time to renew Barber’s contract in 2017, Ulrich conducted an extensive search for a new CEO. When it ended, he ultimately chose to sign Barber to a new five-year deal. Yet around the same time, the pair split on whether to sell the company, with Ulrich wanting to hang on to the studio and Barber saying it was time to find a buyer.The company would hold buyout talks with Apple Inc. as well as Chinese investors that would ultimately prove fruitless.Only months after renewing Barber’s deal, Ulrich fired him. The shock departure meant the company had to pay Barber for five years of salary and buy out his equity, a package totaling $260 million. In the three years since Barber left, Ulrich hasn’t replaced him, instead operating an “office of the chief executive officer,” comprised of various people that each have their personal vision for MGM.Barber declined to comment via his spokesperson.Bounce BackAfter the initial period of success following the restructuring, the gains became harder to come by, as they did in Anchorage’s overall credit-focused business. Two senior managers left the firm in January 2020, and another in November. Anchorage’s flagship strategy, with about $8.5 billion under management, returned just 0.6% in 2018, 1.5% in 2019 and 4.4% in 2020, according to people familiar with the matter.In December, MGM hired investment bankers for a potential sale.MGM only released one film in theaters in 2020. Its biggest potential hit, the latest Bond film, “No Time to Die,” was pushed from last year to this October as a result of the pandemic.Yet the value of MGM’s library rose as everyone from media companies to technology giants have sought to build video streaming platforms that can compete with industry leader Netflix Inc. Earnings jumped 48% last year, to about $307 million, even as sales declined.Anchorage holds a roughly 30% stake in MGM, worth about $2.5 billion in the sale, said people with knowledge of the matter. Anchorage invested around $500 million in the company more than a decade ago. Including the MGM stake, Anchorage’s flagship fund is up 18% this year, the people added. The fund has gained about 8% in 2021 not counting the studio.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
20h ago
Reuters
Deutsche Bank overhaul ahead of plan, CEO tells investors
Deutsche Bank's multi-year overhaul is ahead of plan and remains its primary focus, Chief Executive Christian Sewing told shareholders on Thursday, promising an era of more sustainable profit. The bank's annual shareholder meeting, held online due to the coronavirus pandemic, took place in a more relaxed atmosphere than in recent years, a reflection of the lender's return to profit and rising share price. Three years into its restructuring, Sewing said Germany's largest bank wasn't over the finish line.
21h ago
CoinDesk
Billionaire Carl Icahn Eyes Potential $1.5B Crypto Investment
The activist investor said cryptocurrency would endure but not necessarily all the current digital.
23h ago
Bloomberg
Gold at BOE Commands High Premium, Signaling Central Bank Buying
(Bloomberg) -- Gold stored at the Bank of England has been selling for unusually high premiums recently, signaling that central banks may be back in the market buying.The gold in the Bank of England’s London reserves -- one of the largest stashes of bullion in the world --- is stored and sold on behalf of other central and commercial banks as opposed to being owned by the BOE itself. It usually trades within a few cents an ounce of gold held at other London vaults run by commercial banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co.But in the past week, gold sold from the BOE has traded for as much as 50 cents above benchmark London prices, according to bullion traders. These premiums are at least in part being driven by buying from the Bank for International Settlements, which regularly trades gold on behalf of the world’s central banks, a person with direct knowledge said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public.The BIS bought as much as 1 million ounces of BOE metal from various commercial banks at a premium of 30 to 40 cents recently, one person said. The premium for gold at the BOE rose to as much as 50 cents an ounce late last week before tapering off to about 20 to 40 cents, according to bullion traders. That compares with a range of zero to 20 cents during normal circumstances, the traders said.The BIS didn’t immediately return an email and voicemail seeking comment.The buying may be a sign that one or several central banks are increasing their gold reserves, bullion traders said.Gold RallyCentral banks helped underpin gains in gold prices for most of the last decade, but flipped to net sellers in the third quarter of 2020 as some countries cashed in on surging prices. Renewed buying could help sustain a rally in gold, which on Tuesday recovered all its losses so far this year. The metal is on the way to its biggest monthly gain since July as investors fret about inflation and Federal Reserve officials signal steady monetary policy for now.Since prices dropped early this year, at least some central banks have returned as buyers. In the past, sovereign lenders have bought gold to diversify their portfolios away from the U.S. dollar to safeguard their finances amid concerns over the Fed’s ultra-loose monetary policy, massive U.S. government spending and inflationary pressures.Last month, the Bank of Thailand raised its gold holdings to 6.35 million ounces from 4.95 million ounces in March, according to data from the International Monetary Fund website. In March, Hungary tripled its gold reserves in one of the biggest purchases by a central bank in decades. Data from the World Gold Council showed global central banks were net buyers of gold in February, led by India, which bought 11.2 tons.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
11h ago
Bloomberg
Slowly But Surely, Central Banks Are Signaling Policy Shifts
(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the New Economy Daily newsletter, follow us @economics and subscribe to our podcast.Central banks are beginning to tip toe away from their emergency monetary settings, with South Korea following in the footsteps of New Zealand and Canada to flag a potential interest-rate increase.As vaccines roll-outs continue and economies reopen, traders have been slowly dialing up expectations on rate hikes or a slowing of asset purchases elsewhere too. Markets are seizing on the tightening narrative, with bond yields and currencies fluctuating as investors recalibrate their bets. The Bank of Korea became the latest on Thursday to signal a turn when Governor Lee Ju-yeol said policy makers are preparing for an “orderly” exit from its record-low interest rate at some point as the economy recovers. The shift in stance came a day after New Zealand’s. New Zealand’s outlook was much more hawkish than expected and may yet signal a global shift, according to Sharon Zollner, chief economist at ANZ Bank New Zealand in Auckland. “We can’t rule out that the tail may wag the dog, influencing global market expectations of whether other central banks may also take a more hawkish turn,” she said.Financial markets have already brought forward pricing of the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike by almost a year since early February. Over the same period, market expectations from the Bank of England have switched from rate cuts by late 2022 to a rate increase, while investors have almost abandoned bets on further European Central Bank reductions to instead price in a 10 basis-point upward move by the end of 2023.Taper Talks With major central banks embroiled in bond buying and other easing programs which traditionally get wound down first, most rate hikes remain some way off. But talk of a taper in asset purchases is catching on.Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida told Yahoo! Finance in an interview Tuesday that there may be a point in upcoming policy meetings where officials can discuss scaling back purchases. Fed Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles said on Wednesday that it will be important for the central bank to begin discussing in coming months plans to reduce its massive bond purchases if the economy continues to power ahead.The BOE has slowed bond-buying and signaled that it’s on course to end that support later this year. Australia’s central bank has set July as a deadline for deciding on whether to extend purchases.Norway is on track to start a hiking cycle, and Iceland has already begun. The Bank of Canada announced last month a reduction in debt purchases as it forecast a faster economic recovery that may pave the way for rate increases next year.Turning Point“The shift in monetary policy is starting,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, Hong Kong based chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, who used to work for the ECB and International Monetary Fund.Detailing its new outlook, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Wednesday published forecasts for its benchmark rate -- for the first time in more than a year -- that show the rate beginning to rise in mid-2022. To be sure, this shift is still conditional. RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr said the bank’s outlook is predicated on the economy recovery continuing as vaccines roll out and the pandemic is contained. In a similar vein, BOK’s Lee said the board unanimously agreed to hold rates at a record low on Thursday as pandemic uncertainties persist. The Fed’s Clarida also qualified his remarks around employment data and how inflation pressures play out, which he expects to be transitory. It’s also the case that not every central bank is signaling a policy move, not least in the euro zone, where ECB Executive Board member Fabio Panetta said on Wednesday that he hasn’t seen a shift in the economic outlook to justify a reduction in bond purchases.In emerging markets, the shift is splintering. Hungary’s central bank said this week it was ready to deliver monetary tightening, and Russia, Turkey and Brazil have already hiked. The People’s Bank of China is holding the line with relatively disciplined stimulus, while others continue to support growth as the virus continues to spread.“There is growth divergence due to a much slower vaccination process in the emerging world and renewed waves,” said Garcia-Herrero. “They will suffer from a double whammy as the Fed starts moving towards tapering.”(Updates with Bank of Korea policy announcement.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
1d ago
Bloomberg
China’s Import Scrutiny Spurs U.S. Corn Cancellations
(Bloomberg) -- China is clamping down on some corn imports amid concern that overseas purchases have spiraled out of control, prompting several feed mills to cancel their U.S. cargoes.Chinese customs authorities are restricting imports into free trade zones, which aren’t counted toward an official annual purchase quota, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Total U.S. corn cancellations are estimated to be less than 1 million tons, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified as the matter is private.The increased scrutiny by Beijing over its corn imports comes as the broader market focuses on whether the country will continue its heightened purchases of raw materials from grains to metals to fossil fuels. Prices across a variety of products have soared this year partly because of Chinese demand, raising import costs and sparking fears over inflation in the Asian nation.Corn futures in Chicago fell as much as 2% before erasing losses as traders determined the scrapped purchases aren’t big enough to alter an already tight supply situation. Some market watchers claim China, which is forecast to import a record amount of corn this year, is trying to get a better deal after prices recently surged above $7 a bushel for the first time since 2013.“China is playing a negotiating game,” said David Martin, founder of Martin Fund Management in New York.China’s crackdown on corn purchases is targeted at businesses that have set up blending facilities in the free trade zones, according to the people familiar with the matter. These facilities allow firms to mix the imported corn with other raw materials to produce livestock feed that enable them to profit from zero-tariff imports, the people said.Calls to Chinese customs outside business hours went unanswered.Illinois corn farmer Matt Bennett, a co-founder of commodities brokerage and consulting firm AgMarket.net, noted that China has a pattern of crop-import cancellations only to start “buying the daylights out of stuff.”The canceled shipments are a small amount compared to more than 20 million tons of American corn that China has purchased this season. The Asian nation has been a key source of demand for the grain to feed its recovering hog herd, helping to push prices to multiyear highs. Imports from the U.S. have soared as Beijing also seeks to fulfill its commitments for the “phase one” trade deal signed with the U.S. in January 2020.The latest move by China “is likely to have only a very small impact on China’s compliance with the overall purchase commitments on the phase one agreement,” said Chad Bown, an expert at the pro-trade Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “Corn is just too small a portion of the overall deal.”Corn QuotasChina allocates annual corn import quotas to state and private firms. State-owned Cofco Corp. may at times receive an allowance to buy an additional amount that it resells domestically to private mills or to replenish state reserves.The quotas for 2021 are set at 7.2 million tons. Imports outside the quota are possible, but may incur tariffs of up to 65% of the purchase price. Shipments into bonded zones are exempt from duties.The proliferation of businesses that are shipping corn into bonded zones and blending them for animal feed has alarmed authorities, who are seeking to control imports and maintain the quality of feed products.Last month, Shandong province shut down a feed producer located at a local bonded zone after its product was found to have fallen short of protein requirements. The plant mainly blended corn with a low amount of distillers dried grains, or DDGS, said one of the people.All the cancellations will be of old U.S. corn crop from the 2020-21 marketing year, the people said. More than 15 million tons of American corn have been purchased for state stockpiles from old and new crops, two of the people said.(Corrects spelling of Bown’s name in 10th paragraph in story published May 26.)More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
15h ago
Bloomberg
China Huarong’s Journey From Safe Bet to Bad News: A Timeline
(Bloomberg) -- It’s nearly two months since turbulence erupted around China Huarong Asset Management Co.At the end of March, its 4% perpetual dollar bond was trading at 102 cents on the dollar as investors figured the January execution of former chairman Lai Xiaomin for bribery put a line under past wayward behavior. But the failure of the company to release 2020 results by a March 31 deadline, and a subsequent report by mainland media Caixin that the firm will restructure, sparked weeks of turmoil. The same bond is now at 57 cents.The heart of the matter is whether the central government will rescue a state-owned company that’s integral to the smooth running of the financial system. While there are signs Beijing wants to ensure China Huarong can repay its debts on time, uncertainty prevails.Here’s a look at the key events for China Huarong:May 27Liang Qiang, who currently heads another bad-debt manager, is on track to become president of China Huarong, reports Bloomberg News.May 24China Huarong dollar bonds climb after the managing editor of Caixin Media wrote in an opinion piece that the asset manager is “nowhere near” defaulting on its more than $20 billion of offshore notes.May 21Some of China Huarong’s thinly traded onshore bonds slump after having held up better than the company’s dollar-denominated notes, signaling broadening concern about the firm’s financial health. May 18China Huarong has transferred funds to repay a $300 million note maturing May 20, Bloomberg News reports, the first dollar bond to come due since the delayed 2020 results. Prices for the firm’s dollar bonds slump earlier in the day after the New York Times reports China is planning an overhaul that would inflict “significant losses” on both domestic and foreign China Huarong bondholders.May 17The company has reached funding agreements with state-owned banks to ensure it can repay debt through at least the end of August, by which time China Huarong aims to have completed its 2020 financial statements, according to a Bloomberg News report. That as at least two of its onshore bonds see big price declines in recent days, worrying some investors.May 13The firm says it’s prepared to make future bond payments and has seen no change in the level of government support, seeking to ease investor concerns after a local media report that regulators balked at China Hurarong’s restructuring plan.May 6The company says it transferred funds to pay five offshore bond coupons due the following day, its latest move to meet debt obligations amid persistent doubts about its financial health.April 30China Huarong breaks its silence, with an executive telling media it is prepared to make its bond payments and state backing remains intact. The official also says the week’s rating downgrades “have no factual basis” and are “too pessimistic.”April 29Moody’s Investor Service downgrades China Huarong by one notch to Baa1, adding the firm remains on watch for further downgrade. The cut reflects the company’s weakened funding ability due to market volatility and increased uncertainty over its future, according to the statement.April 27China Huarong units repay bonds maturing that day. The S$600 million ($450 million) bond was repaid with funds provided by China’s biggest state-owned bank, according to a Bloomberg News report.April 26Fitch Ratings downgrades China Huarong by three notches to BBB while dropping the company’s perpetual bonds into junk territory. The lack of transparency over government support for the firm may hamper its ability to refinance debt in offshore markets, Fitch said.April 25China Huarong says it won’t meet an April 30 deadline to file its 2020 report with Hong Kong’s stock exchange because auditors needed more time to finalize a transaction the company first flagged on April 1. Securities and asset-management units said in the days before that they wouldn’t release 2020 results by month’s end.April 22The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission asks lenders to extend China Huarong’s upcoming loans by at least six months, according to REDD, citing two bankers from large Chinese commercial lenders.April 21China is considering a plan that would see its central bank assume more than 100 billion yuan ($15 billion) of China Huarong assets to help clean up the firm’s balance sheet, according to a Bloomberg News report. Peer China Cinda Asset Management Co. was said to be planning the sale of perpetual bonds in the second quarter.April 20China Huarong’s key offshore financing unit says it returned to profitability in the first quarter and laid a “solid” foundation for transformation. Reorg Research reports that regulators are considering options including a debt restructuring of the unit, China Huarong International Holdings Ltd.April 19Huarong Securities Co. says it wired funds to repay a 2.5 billion yuan local note.April 16The CBIRC says China Huarong’s operations are normal and that the firm has ample liquidity. These are the first official comments about the company’s troubles. Reuters reports Chinese banks have been asked not to withhold loans to Huarong.April 13Fitch and Moody’s both put the company on watch for downgrade. The finance ministry, which owns a majority of Huarong, is considering the transfer of its stake to a unit of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Bloomberg News reports. Chinese officials signal they want failing local government financing vehicles to restructure or go bust if debts can’t be repaid.April 9China Huarong says it has been making debt payments “on time” and its operations are “normal.” Bloomberg reports the company intends to keep Huarong International as part of a potential overhaul that would avoid the need of a debt restructuring or government recapitalization. S&P Global Ratings puts China Huarong’s credit ratings on watch for possible downgrade.April 8China Huarong is preparing to offload non-core and loss-making units as part of a broad plan to revive profitability that would avoid the need for a debt restructuring or government recapitalization, Bloomberg News reports.April 6Selling gains steam in China Huarong’s dollar bonds, following a holiday in China. Huarong Securities says there has been no major change to its operations, in response to a price plunge for its 3 billion yuan local bond.April 1China Huarong announces a delay in releasing 2020 results, saying its auditor is unable to finalize a transaction. Stock trading is suspended and spreads jump on the firm’s dollar bonds while China Huarong tells investors its business is running as usual. Caixin reports the company submitted restructuring and other major reform plans to government officials and shareholders.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
1d ago
Bloomberg
Carl Icahn Says He May Get Into Cryptocurrencies in a ‘Big Way’
(Bloomberg) -- Activist investor Carl Icahn is interested in getting into cryptocurrency in a “big way,” and may eventually put more than $1 billion into an alternative currency.While Icahn hasn’t bought any cryptocurrency yet, the billionaire investor said in a Bloomberg TV interview that he studies Bitcoin, Ethereum and the crypto sector as a whole to determine where the opportunities are. Alternative currencies are gaining popularity as a natural manifestation of inflation in the economy, he added.Any criticism around cryptocurrency having no underlying value is a “little wrong-headed,” Icahn said.“Well, what’s the value of a dollar? The only value of the dollar is because you can use it to pay taxes,” he said. “I’m looking at the whole business, and how I might get involved in it.”Icahn also said he believes people are looking at alternative currencies because parts of the equities market are being traded at “ridiculous prices.” He referred not only to those being driven up as so-called meme stocks, but also certain strategies being offered by money managers.“I don’t think Reddit and Robinhood and those guys are necessarily bad, I think they do serve a purpose,” Icahn said. “Money is funneling back into companies. Some of these companies might be OK, but a number of them, the risk-reward is absurd.”More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
1d ago
Reuters
Bayer hit by failure to cap risk from weedkiller cases
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Bayer shares dropped as much as 5% on Thursday after a U.S. judge rejected its plan to try and limit the cost of future class action claims that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The German group called into question the future sale of glyphosate-based products to gardeners in the U.S., and said it would review plans to settle around 30,000 legal claims, after the judge called Bayer's plan to end years of litigation "unreasonable" on Wednesday. Bayer will be spared payouts related to future cases it had outlined in its plan this year and next but will continue to set aside $2 billion for the risk of further claims, reflecting its view that there were no fundamental changes in the outlook.
23h ago
Quartz
China’s crackdown on bitcoin mining is getting real
The draft rules, which will be open for public comment until June 1, could set a precedent for other bitcoin mining hubs in China.
17h ago
Yahoo Finance
Ford says it will spend $30 billion to fuel its electric vehicle future
Ford sets some ambitious electric vehicle and financial goals at its latest investor day. Here's what we know.
2d ago
Reuters
US STOCKS-Wall St rises as Fed officials soothe inflation worries
Wall Street's main indexes rose marginally on Wednesday after remarks from the Federal Reserve helped ease worries about higher inflation, while a recent dip in bond yields supported heavyweight tech-related stocks for a third straight session. Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Alphabet Inc added between 0.2% and 0.5%, as the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note stood at more than two-week lows of 1.557%. Higher yields pressure valuations for tech and other growth stocks, whose future cash flows are discounted at higher rates.
2d ago
Reuters
Equities, yields rise as U.S. data shows economy gaining momentum
World equity markets and U.S. Treasury yields rose on Thursday as better-than-expected jobless claims data and a positive report on first-quarter gross domestic product showed that economic recovery is gathering steam. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to 406,000 for the week ended May 22, according to the U.S. Labor Department, as layoffs subsided, with companies desperate for workers to meet surging demand unleashed by a rapidly reopening economy. "This is the first time that continuing jobless claims beat expectations and it shows that more people are starting to go back to work and this is very positive for the economy," said Thomas Hayes, managing member at Great Hill Capital.
1d ago
Reuters
Gamestop, AMC short sellers lost $754 million after Tuesday's rally - Ortex
Investors shorting meme stocks GameStop and AMC Entertainment are estimated to have lost $754 million on Tuesday alone as the shares rallied, data from financial analytics firm Ortex shows. Shares in GameStop, which was at the heart of the so-called "stonks" retail trading mania earlier this year, rose 8% to nearly $225 in U.S. premarket trading on Wednesday, a day after rising 18%. Shares in cinema operator AMC soared 39%.
2d ago
FX Empire
Stocks Move Higher As Inflation Fears Subside
S&P 500 futures are trying to settle back above the 4200 level.
2d ago
Bloomberg
Crypto Slide, Gaming Slowdown Wipe Billions Off Tycoon’s Fortune
(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jung-ju, the billionaire behind Nexon Co., is having a turbulent month.Shares of the Tokyo-listed gaming company have plunged 21% since it forecast a decline in profit on May 12, suggesting its strong performance when the pandemic kept people indoors won’t be sustained as some countries reopen.That’s erased about $1.9 billion from the South Korean entrepreneur’s net worth, reducing his fortune to $8.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.On top of that, Kim’s diversification away from gaming into areas including cryptocurrency is facing obstacles. Bitcoin has dropped almost 38% since it rose to a record in April, a stark example of the swings in the prices of virtual coins that have left some mainstream investors skeptical.Kim, 53, has been an avid supporter of digital currencies, and has been acquiring cryptocurrency exchanges in recent years. Nexon also bought $100 million worth of Bitcoin last month.“It was bound to come down,” Matthew Kanterman, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said of Nexon’s earnings forecast. “Last year was a high base and they are not going to replicate that,” he said. On Bitcoin, “corporations don’t like buying stuff with too much volatility,” he said, suggesting Nexon is unlikely to add to its purchase for now.Crypto InvestmentsEven before Nexon bought Bitcoin, Kim’s holding company NXC Corp., which owns almost half of Nexon, snapped up 65% of Korbit Inc., a crypto exchange in South Korea, in 2017.The following year, NXC’s subsidiary in Europe acquired another cryptocurrency exchange: Luxembourg-based Bitstamp.Korbit’s book value plunged to about 3.1 billion won ($2.8 million) at the end of last year from about 96 billion won at the end of 2017, according to NXC’s financial statements for 2017 and 2020. A spokesman for NXC said there’s no plan to sell the exchanges that it bought.Kim was also keen to acquire Bithumb, one of South Korea’s largest virtual currency exchanges, according to local media reports earlier this year. The NXC spokesman declined to comment.Kim declined to be interviewed for this story. Owen Mahoney, Nexon’s chief executive officer, wasn’t available for comment.The company pointed to Mahoney’s Medium post in April on the Bitcoin purchase. Nexon sees Bitcoin as a form of cash that’s likely to retain its value, he said. The Bitcoin purchase represents less than 2% of the firm’s cash and equivalents.“The technology underlying BTC and other cryptocurrencies is beginning to creep into many areas of day-to-day use, such as payments, digital collectibles and other areas that are increasingly relevant for companies like ours,” Mahoney wrote.Embracing CryptoOther big names in the gaming industry have also embraced cryptocurrencies and related blockchain technologies.Kakao Games Corp., a subsidiary of South Korea’s most popular mobile-messenger operator Kakao Corp., added to its holdings in blockchain technology company Way2Bit Co. last year, becoming the largest shareholder. Mobile game publisher Gamevil Inc. invested last month in crypto exchange Coinone Inc.“As finance and payment systems are quite important in games, developers are thinking of ways to integrate blockchain technology to improve what they have now,” said Lee Seung-hoon, an analyst at IBK Securities Co. in Seoul. “Their investments are more like R&D efforts at this stage.”Square Enix Holdings Co., the Japanese publisher of popular role-playing games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, was among the investors that injected $2 million in cash and cryptocurrency into Ethereum-based game developer TSB Gaming Ltd. in 2019.‘Significant Presence’“Games using blockchain are no longer in their infancy and are gradually coming to represent a more significant presence,” Yosuke Matsuda, the Japanese firm’s president, said in a New Year’s letter last year.Kim founded Nexon in South Korea in 1994 after majoring in computer science and engineering at Seoul National University. In 2011, Nexon listed in Japan.Two years ago, he considered selling his stake in the company, held through NXC, triggering discussions with major players including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Hillhouse Capital. He scrapped the plan when he couldn’t find a suitable buyer, according to local media reports.Nexon, famous for hit titles such as MapleStory and KartRider, posted net income attributable to its parent’s owners of 69.7 billion yen ($639 million) in the first six months of 2020 as lockdowns forced people to spend more time at home. For the same period this year, it forecast a range from 55 billion yen to 58.3 billion yen. The high end of the range would represent a 16% drop from last year.Kim said in a rare interview with South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo in 2012 that worrying about keeping up with new technological trends can even disrupt his sleep.“In order to survive, I have to accept new things,” Kim said.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
14h ago
MarketWatch
I’m 49, my wife is 34, we have 4 kids and $2.3 million saved. I earn $300K a year but ‘lose a lot of sleep worrying about tomorrow’ — when can I retire?
The good news: Retirement at 58 may very well be within your reach, financial advisers said. One of the highest-priority tasks you will face if you retire at 58 (or any time before Medicare is available at 65 years old) is health insurance. There are a few options to be covered, including saving now for whatever cost it will be in the open market later on; taking on a part-time job with health benefits so that you can take advantage of the healthcare, earn a little extra income but still have more freedom than a full-time job requires; or have your wife take on a job that provides the family health insurance (if she isn’t already).
2d ago
Reuters
Airbus hikes jet output targets in bet on aviation recovery
PARIS (Reuters) -Airbus ramped up its jet production targets on Thursday, backing signs of global recovery and strengthening its hand ahead of talks with suppliers about how to share investments needed to lift aviation out of its pandemic doldrums. Airbus confirmed plans to increase single-aisle A320neo production by more than 10% from a current rate of 40 airplanes a month to 45 a month by the end of this year. Shares in Airbus rose as much as 6.8%, soaring back above 100 euros to within a whisker of their 52-week high of 104.54 euros after its projections, which used carefully calibrated language ranging from firm plans to long-term scenarios.
1d ago

Symbol	Last Price	Change	% Change
TFECF Thin Film Electronics ASA	0.1070	0.0000	0.00%
TFECY Thin Film Electronics ASA	0.3501	+0.0201	+6.09%

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Airbus hikes jet output targets in bet on aviation recovery