KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- Nomura Research Institute Ltd (NRI) has upgraded its popular I-STAR Suite to I-STAR CORE to provide enriched real-time processing, reliability and expandability ready for T+1 settlement of Japanese government bonds.
The upgrade is to support T+0 settlements of general collateral repurchase transactions, promoted by Japan Securities Clearing Corporation (JSCC), a statement said.
"NRI has been working in parallel with the JSCC's regulatory changes to ensure that financial institutions can transition their operations to the new regulations," said managing director of NRI, Masaaki Yamazaki.
I-STAR/LC, a functionality of I-STAR/CORE can now calculate and submit allocable balances stating the issues available for allocation and their balance by each netting account or fund (positive list) to JSCC in real-time.
The real-time submissions enable I-STAR users to improve the efficiency of operations as well as to increase organisational transparency that enables users to respond in a timely manner to regulatory changes in the industry and reduce the cost burden of upgrading the system each time.
NRI is a leading provider of consulting services and system solutions which providing insight-driven research, consulting and managed services. More information at https://www.nri.com/fit
Monday, May 14, 2018
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
NAM Asia Hong Kong adopts unexplored projects
KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- NAM Asia Hong Kong Co Ltd -- a healthcare information technology (IT) company specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain -- have been adopting IPA unexplored projects by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The projects represent a large number of representatives of Japanese IT companies in 2016 and 2017 and independent businesses, a statement said.
The company's initial coin offering (ICO) was started on January 28, and listed on multiple exchanges in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, Switzerland and Brazil.
The company has also developed an AI chatbot service, development of electronic medical record, genome testing service and medical clinic to the world it develops.
The projects represent a large number of representatives of Japanese IT companies in 2016 and 2017 and independent businesses, a statement said.
The company's initial coin offering (ICO) was started on January 28, and listed on multiple exchanges in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, Switzerland and Brazil.
The company has also developed an AI chatbot service, development of electronic medical record, genome testing service and medical clinic to the world it develops.
WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION REPORTS FIRST QUARTER PRETAX PROFIT OF $9.6 MILLION
NOVATO, Calif., May 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) today reported a pre-tax profit of $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2018. The Company achieved record quarterly lease rent revenue of $39.6 million in the period driven by 86% average utilization of a portfolio that grew 9.2% to $1.466 billion at quarter-end compared to $1.343 billion at December 31, 2017. Aggregate lease rent and maintenance reserve revenues were $55.1 million for the first quarter 2018. Diluted weighted average earnings per common share was $1.00 for the three months ended March 31, 2018.
“We have continued to maintain strong lease engine utilization while growing the portfolio with the purchase of modern new engines,” said Charles F. Willis, Chairman and CEO. “We plan to maintain strong utilization while growing not only the lease engine portfolio but also our surplus material, asset management and consultancy businesses.”
“The first quarter of 2018 was marked by a tremendous amount of activity across the Platform, including in leasing, acquisitions, spare parts sales and our asset management and services businesses and our people have done a tremendous job managing all of this activity,” said Brian R. Hole, President. “We, and our customers, are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented group of professionals leading this Company forward.”
First Quarter 2018 Highlights (at or for the periods ended March 31, 2018, as compared to March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2017):
“We have continued to maintain strong lease engine utilization while growing the portfolio with the purchase of modern new engines,” said Charles F. Willis, Chairman and CEO. “We plan to maintain strong utilization while growing not only the lease engine portfolio but also our surplus material, asset management and consultancy businesses.”
“The first quarter of 2018 was marked by a tremendous amount of activity across the Platform, including in leasing, acquisitions, spare parts sales and our asset management and services businesses and our people have done a tremendous job managing all of this activity,” said Brian R. Hole, President. “We, and our customers, are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented group of professionals leading this Company forward.”
First Quarter 2018 Highlights (at or for the periods ended March 31, 2018, as compared to March 31, 2017, and December 31, 2017):
- Lease rent revenue achieved a record quarterly high of $39.6 million in the first quarter of 2018; 31.1% growth from $30.2 million in the same quarter of 2017.
- Quarterly Maintenance reserve revenue decreased by $16.5 million due to fewer long-term leases expiring as compared to the prior year period.
- Spare parts and equipment sales decreased as there were no equipment sales in the current period, compared to $6.4 million in the first quarter of 2017.
- General and administrative expenses increased, primarily due to costs associated with transitioning employees to our new Coconut Creek facility.
- Average utilization in the quarter was approximately 86%, compared to 89% during the first quarter of 2017. Utilization was influenced by the Company’s acquisition of new equipment.
- Our equipment lease portfolio grew 9.2% to $1.466 billion, from $1.343 billion at December 31, 2017, net of asset sales and depreciation expense. The book value of lease assets we own directly or through our joint ventures was $1.7 billion at March 31, 2018.
- The Company purchased $154.9 million of equipment in the first quarter of 2018, compared to $40.3 million in the first quarter of 2017.
- The Company maintained $286 million of undrawn revolver capacity at March 31, 2018.
- Tangible book value per diluted weighted average common share outstanding increased 0.8% to $41.96 at March 31, 2018, compared to $41.63 at December 31, 2017.
- A total of 297,367 shares of common stock were repurchased in the first three months of 2018 for $10.2 million.
- During the first quarter of 2018, the Company entered into agreements to purchase $217.1 million of engines and related equipment for our lease portfolio.
Balance Sheet
As of March 31, 2018, the Company had a total lease portfolio consisting of 243 engines and related equipment, 15 aircraft and 9 other leased parts and equipment with a net book value of $1.466 billion. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had a total lease portfolio consisting of 225 engines and related equipment, 16 aircraft and 7 other leased parts and equipment, with a net book value of $1.343 billion.
Willis Lease Finance Corporation
Willis Lease Finance Corporation leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair and overhaul providers in 120 countries. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services supported by cutting edge technology through its subsidiary Willis Asset Management, as well as various end-of-life solutions for aircraft, engines and aviation materials provided through its subsidiary, Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc.
Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as terrorist activity, changes in oil prices and other disruptions to the world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet the changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Monday, May 7, 2018
Global apparel and footwear market expected to grow from US$1.7 trillion by 2022
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The global apparel and footwear market top US$1.7 trillion (RM6.58 trillion) in 2017 and is expected to grow by two per cent by 2022, a statement from market research company, Euromonitor International said.
It shows that the fast fashion trend has reshape the apparel industry in recent years, as frequent purchase of products that only last one season has led to the concept of disposable clothing whereby 350,000 tonnes of used clothing worth millions is disposed every year in the UK alone, according to WRAP charity.
The company's 2017 Global Consumer Trends Survey found that 65 per cent of respondents try to have a positive impact on the environment through everyday actions and over 60 per cent are influenced by friends and peer-to-peer opinions on social media, a statement said.
"In this hyper-transparency age, better informed consumers want to know how materials used in their garments and footwear are sourced and disposed of,? said senior research analyst at Euromonitor International, Marguerite LeRolland."
"They are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of human activities on the planet which has led to companies being exposed to greater reputational risks if they are found to have unfair practices," she added.
Meanwhile, executive editor at Women's Wear Daily (WWD), Arthur Zaczkiewicz said the fashion industry becoming extremely creative when working on several platforms to build a more eco-friendly and ethical brand image from the manufacturing phase to the post-sale treatment of unwanted clothes.
Further insights will be discussed in the webinar ?Ethical Fashion: How to Meet Industry Needs and Demands', hosted by Euromonitor and WWD on May 10, 2018.
Euromonitor International is the provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis with 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.
It shows that the fast fashion trend has reshape the apparel industry in recent years, as frequent purchase of products that only last one season has led to the concept of disposable clothing whereby 350,000 tonnes of used clothing worth millions is disposed every year in the UK alone, according to WRAP charity.
The company's 2017 Global Consumer Trends Survey found that 65 per cent of respondents try to have a positive impact on the environment through everyday actions and over 60 per cent are influenced by friends and peer-to-peer opinions on social media, a statement said.
"In this hyper-transparency age, better informed consumers want to know how materials used in their garments and footwear are sourced and disposed of,? said senior research analyst at Euromonitor International, Marguerite LeRolland."
"They are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of human activities on the planet which has led to companies being exposed to greater reputational risks if they are found to have unfair practices," she added.
Meanwhile, executive editor at Women's Wear Daily (WWD), Arthur Zaczkiewicz said the fashion industry becoming extremely creative when working on several platforms to build a more eco-friendly and ethical brand image from the manufacturing phase to the post-sale treatment of unwanted clothes.
Further insights will be discussed in the webinar ?Ethical Fashion: How to Meet Industry Needs and Demands', hosted by Euromonitor and WWD on May 10, 2018.
Euromonitor International is the provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis with 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Formative chatbot integrations available in workplace app directory this June
KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (Bernama) -- Formative - a cloud-based platform for productivity tools (bots) announced its chatbot integrations for Workplace by Facebook will be available on June 2018.
Chief executive officer of Formative, Geraldine Yong said the company has developed a bot that provides company information and team knowledge in seconds. It is in line with their mission to empower people with virtual assistants (chatbots) to get work done anytime and anywhere.
Formative´s first productivity tool available on the Workplace App Directory is InfoBot
a knowledge virtual assistant, answers questions in real-time on company groups within Workplace and in conversations on Work Chat, a statement said.
Employees can use InfoBot to decipher jargon and acronyms, answer FAQs, check company policies and add their knowledge upon admin approval as InfoBot also can crowd source information.
Formative bots can be integrated with any enterprise communication platform as it helps with resource management, scheduling and employee engagement, the statement said.
"Our bots are used by organisations of all sizes and industries including Tan Tock Seng Hospital, one of the largest healthcare institutions in Singapore who is using several bots to increase overall productivity, " added Yong.
Formative is the first and only technology partner that has integrated with Workplace in APAC and joining other integrations such as Atlassian and Microsoft in the Workplace App Directory. More information can be accessed at http://www.formativeai.com.
--BERNAMA
Chief executive officer of Formative, Geraldine Yong said the company has developed a bot that provides company information and team knowledge in seconds. It is in line with their mission to empower people with virtual assistants (chatbots) to get work done anytime and anywhere.
Formative´s first productivity tool available on the Workplace App Directory is InfoBot
a knowledge virtual assistant, answers questions in real-time on company groups within Workplace and in conversations on Work Chat, a statement said.
Employees can use InfoBot to decipher jargon and acronyms, answer FAQs, check company policies and add their knowledge upon admin approval as InfoBot also can crowd source information.
Formative bots can be integrated with any enterprise communication platform as it helps with resource management, scheduling and employee engagement, the statement said.
"Our bots are used by organisations of all sizes and industries including Tan Tock Seng Hospital, one of the largest healthcare institutions in Singapore who is using several bots to increase overall productivity, " added Yong.
Formative is the first and only technology partner that has integrated with Workplace in APAC and joining other integrations such as Atlassian and Microsoft in the Workplace App Directory. More information can be accessed at http://www.formativeai.com.
--BERNAMA
Friday, May 4, 2018
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