US team in NKorea raises expectations of a Trump-Kim summit A U.S. team was in North Korea to plan a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to President Donald Trump, raising expectations that the on-off-on meeting would indeed take place. Both the State Department and South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the American and North Korean officials have been engaged in talks at the Korean village of Panmunjom, which straddles the border inside the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ. One can cross the border simply by stepping across a painted line, but moving beyond several footsteps into the North at Panmunjom would be rare for U.S. officials. Trump withdrew from a planned June 12 Singapore summit with Kim last Thursday, but quickly announced it could still happen. His tweet Sunday afternoon, which offered praise for the longtime U.S. adversary, was the latest signal that his concerns about the North's stance toward the summit had been allayed. "Our … [Read more...] about US team in NKorea raises expectations of a Trump-Kim summit
Raised expectations
Walmart is raising wages and issuing bonuses after tax reform
Walmart is raising wages and issuing one time bonuses to employees. The company’s CEO said it’s a move to try and stay competitive. Watch Walmart trade in real time here. Walmart said it will raise the starting wage for its employees, and issue one time bonuses up to $1,000, as a direct result of the new US tax plan. Shares of the retailer are trading 0.36% higher at $100.03 after the announcement. Walmart is raising its starting hourly wage to $11, a move that will cost the company $300 million in addition to previously planned wage hikes. The company is also issuing bonuses based on seniority that will top out at $1,000. The bonuses are expected to cost another $400 million. Issuing one time bonuses has been a popular response after US President Donald Trump signed his party’s new tax plan into law. The new law cuts the corporate tax rate to 21%, down from 35%.“Tax reform … [Read more...] about Walmart is raising wages and issuing bonuses after tax reform
Raising funds from the rising sun
Last year saw a wave of foreign investment in the Thai property market in the form of project-by-project development joint ventures. Historically, foreign ownership restrictions and the availability of local funding meant there were limited foreign investments in the Thai property market, but tighter lending conditions and increased development costs due to rising land prices have forced Thai developers to look to overseas investors for funding.We saw major players join hands with Japan-based companies, such as Ananda Development partnering with Mitsui Fudosan, AP with Mitsubishi Estate Group, Sansiri with Tokyu Corporation and Origin Property with Nomura Real Estate Development.Other developers, like Charn Issara Development, partnered with China-based companies -- Junfa Real Estate and Tianyuan Construction Group -- for its projects in Phuket and Chiang Mai.Most of the joint ventures are with foreign developers or construction companies. Teaming up with foreign companies not … [Read more...] about Raising funds from the rising sun
Target pops after raising guidance thanks to strong holiday sales
Target shares rose by as much as 4.82% to $70.42 during pre-market trading Tuesday after the retailer beat market expectations for holiday sales. The company reported same-store sales rose 3.4% in the November to December period, easily beating the 0% to +2% range that Wall Street was expecting. Target raised its fourth-quarter adjusted earnings-per-share guidance to between $1.30 and $1.40. Previously, it expected a range of $1.05 to $1.25. For the full-year of 2017, the retailer sees an adjusted earnings-per-share of $4.64 to $4.74 from a prior guidance of $4.40 to $4.60. The good news comes on the heels of strong traffic growth and solid digital sales. Target recently acquired Alabama-based startup Shipt for $550 million as a way to fend off Amazon’s encroachment into the grocery-delivery business. … [Read more...] about Target pops after raising guidance thanks to strong holiday sales
What to expect from planned talks between North and South Korea
SEOUL—North Korea’s recent abrupt push to improve ties with South Korea wasn’t totally unexpected, as the country has a history of launching provocations and then pursuing dialogue with rivals Seoul and Washington in an attempt to win concessions.Still, Tuesday’s planned talks between the Koreas, the first in about two years, have raised hopes of at least a temporary easing of tensions over North Korea’s recent nuclear and missile tests, which have ignited fears of a possible war.A look at how the Korean talks were arranged and what to expect from them: Kim Jong Un’s olive branchIn a New Year’s Day speech, North Korea’s young leader, Kim Jong Un, said he was willing to send a delegation to next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, while also announcing he has a “nuclear button” on his desk that could launch an atomic bomb at any location in the mainland United States. … [Read more...] about What to expect from planned talks between North and South Korea