logo
Ad giant Dentsu plans to cut about 3,400 overseas jobs to trim sosts

Ad giant Dentsu plans to cut about 3,400 overseas jobs to trim sosts

Straits Times8 hours ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The move comes as the company reported an operating loss of 62 billion yen for the quarter ended June.
TOKYO - Japanese advertising company Dentsu Group said it will cut about 3,400 jobs in markets outside of Japan, equivalent to 8 per cent of its headcount in the region after reporting operating losses in the second quarter.
The reduction, focussed on headquarters and back-office functions in markets outside of Japan, are designed to streamline operation without affecting the company's growth potential or competitiveness, the company said in a statement on Aug 14, after market close.
The move comes as the company reported an operating loss of 62 billion yen (S$539 million) for the quarter ended June, after booking an 86 billion yen impairment loss due to sluggish performance in the United States and Europe. Dentsu now expects to incur an operating loss of 3.5 billion yen in 2025, compared with a previous forecast of 66 billion yen in operating profit.
The company is also mulling options for its overseas operations, including forming partnerships.
The advertising agency said it's making 'steady progress' to achieve an operating margin on 16 per cent to 17 per cent in fiscal 2027 and is expected to deliver approximately 52 billion yen in annual operating cost cuts, exceeding the target, it said.
Dentsu's stock has declined 17 per cent in 2025 year as of Aug 14, while the benchmark Topix index has risen 9.8 per cent. bloomberg
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fresh launches drive surge in new private home sales in July
Fresh launches drive surge in new private home sales in July

Straits Times

time11 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Fresh launches drive surge in new private home sales in July

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Lyndenwoods sold 96.5 per cent of its 343 units in July at a median price of $2,463 per sq ft (psf). SINGAPORE – Sales of new private residences rebounded in July after four straight months of decline, spurred by a pick-up in new condominium launches. Excluding executive condominiums (ECs), 940 new private homes were sold in July, up from 272 units in June, according to Urban Redevelopment Authority data. Developers launched 1,675 units in four projects in July, a significant increase from the 187 units over two launches in the month before. July's sales were 63.2 per cent higher than the 576 units sold in the same month in 2024. Including ECs, new private home sales surged to 1,311 units in July from 305 units in the previous month. Mr Marcus Chu, chief executive of real estate agency ERA Singapore, said the uptick in sales was led by the launch of Lyndenwoods in the Science Park district, which sold 96.5 per cent of its 343 units in July at a median price of $2,463 per sq ft (psf). 'Investors may have been attracted by the opportunity to be first movers in the Singapore Science Park area, a city fringe location,' he said, noting that two-bedroom units were popular among buyers. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident, victim suffered multiple fractures Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened In the prime district, two of the three new projects led to more home sales in central Singapore in July. The Robertson Opus, a 348-unit development in Unity Street, and the 301-unit Upperhouse in Orchard Boulevard were launched at median prices of around $3,300 psf. Buyers snapped up 53 per cent of the units at Upperhouse, while 41 per cent of The Robertson Opus units were also sold during their launch weekend on July 19 and 20. Mr Leonard Tay, research head of real estate consultancy Knight Frank Singapore, said local home buyers are expected to support sales in the prime home market segment – largely for their own stay – as the additional buyer's stamp duty rate of 60 per cent for foreigners continues to deter non-residents. 'With these launches in the core central region, there is an observable shift in buyer sentiment from previous positions of muted interest to a growing willingness to consider a reasonable premium for new product,' he said. The third project launch in the prime district, W Residences Marina View Singapore, sold only two of its 683 units in July at a median price of $3,344 psf. Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property search portal said the poor sales could be due to foreign buyers giving the Singapore property market a miss, and local buyers becoming more price-sensitive due to economic headwinds. In the EC segment, 371 units were sold, led by the launch of Otto Place, a 600-unit development in Tengah. The project sold 358 units at a median price of $1,746 psf in July. There were 253 unsold new EC units as at July 31. Ms Wong Siew Ying, head of research and content at property agency PropNex Realty, said this number is expected to decline significantly when the sales booking at Otto Place opens to more second-time buyers in August. Buyer interest in the luxury condominium market surged in July, said Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion Group. A total of 29 condo units were sold at between $5 million and $10 million in July, an increase from the 11 units moved in June, she noted. But sales of ultra-luxury condos were more subdued, with two units transacted at above $10 million each, compared with four in the previous month. 'More high-net-worth individuals may park their funds in real estate moving forward as macroeconomic uncertainties stemming from the US tariff policies persist,' she added. The most expensive non-landed home was a 10,452 sq ft unit at 21 Anderson, near Orchard Road, which transacted at $52.3 million. Property analysts expect private home sales to remain robust in August as more new projects are launched. Five condo projects are expected to be launched this month, yielding 2,472 units, said Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at real estate firm Huttons Asia. Three condo projects – River Green and Promenade Peak in River Valley, and Canberra Crescent Residences – have sold a total of 930 units to date, he noted. The other two developments are the 941-unit Springleaf Residence in Upper Thomson and Artisan 8, a freehold mixed-use development in Sin Ming with 34 units.

Japan's Nikkei ends at record high as yen weakens, economy shows resilience
Japan's Nikkei ends at record high as yen weakens, economy shows resilience

Business Times

time11 minutes ago

  • Business Times

Japan's Nikkei ends at record high as yen weakens, economy shows resilience

[TOKYO] Japan's Nikkei closed at an all-time high on Friday (Aug 15), as the yen weakened and data showed the nation's economy was surprisingly resilient. The Nikkei 225 Index accelerated gains in the afternoon session, surging 1.7 per cent to end at a record peak of 43,378.31. It touched an intraday record high of 43,451.46 earlier in the week. The broader Topix jumped 1.6 per cent to 3,107.68, also a record closing level. The overnight drop in yen provided support to exporters' shares, while data released on Friday showed Japan's economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1 per cent in the April-June quarter, beating forecasts. Analysts expect the full impact of US tariffs on growth to emerge later. Rising US Treasury yields and comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday that the Bank of Japan will likely be raising interest rates were factors behind a jump in financial shares, Nomura Securities strategist Wataru Akiyama said. 'Expectations for improved performance due to rising domestic interest rates are acting as a tailwind, leading to relatively large increases in bank and insurance company shares today,' he said. Banks were the biggest gainers in the Topix, with a sub-index of lenders climbing 4.7 per cent to its highest level since May 2006. Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rose 6 per cent, marking an eighth consecutive session of gains and hitting a record high. There were 177 advancers on the Nikkei index against 46 decliners. REUTERS

Malaysia warns of export slowdown from US tariffs after economy grows 4.4% in Q2
Malaysia warns of export slowdown from US tariffs after economy grows 4.4% in Q2

Straits Times

time41 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Malaysia warns of export slowdown from US tariffs after economy grows 4.4% in Q2

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The country is seeking further clarity from the US on a threatened 100 per cent levy. KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's growth missed official estimates in the second quarter, though the central bank said the economy is strong enough to weather an expected export slowdown due to US tariffs. Gross domestic product rose 4.4 per cent in the April-June period from a year earlier, slower than the 4.5 per cent advance estimate and the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey, but matching the pace of the first quarter. The economy expanded 2.1 per cent from the previous three months, Malaysia's central bank and statistics department said on Aug 15. Malaysia is bracing for trade turmoil from US President Donald Trump's rollout of global tariffs, with the central bank in July lowering its 2025 growth forecast range to 4 per cent to 4.8 per cent, from an earlier projection of a 4.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent expansion. Malaysia's Finance Ministry has separately said the economy will grow at a moderate pace in 2026 amid subdued external demand. 'Let me emphasize that our economy remains on a strong footing,' Bank Negara Malaysia governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said at a briefing, noting a recent interest rate cut will provide 'additional lift.' Monetary policy is now 'consistent with our outlook for growth and inflation,' he said. Global growth and trade will likely moderate this year as a 19 per cent tariff on exports to the United States takes effect and support from frontloading dissipates, according to the central bank. Malaysia's exports will slow the rest of 2025, while being partly cushioned by continued demand for technology products and higher tourism activity, Mr Rasheed said. 'We expect Malaysia's trade-reliant economy to face downward pressures from a payback in earlier exports front-loading, and weaker external demand from still-high US reciprocal tariffs of 19 per cent,' said Chua Han Teng, a senior economist at DBS Bank. 'Nonetheless, resilient domestic demand conditions should provide some buffer.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault halts trains Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line Traders are pricing in a 24 per cent chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut within the next three months, and a 76 per cent probability by mid-February, according to swaps data compiled by Bloomberg. In July, the central bank cut its overnight policy rate for the first time in five years to help address risks to the economy. It also released more funds into the banking system to encourage lending and help boost economic activity. The central bank's dovish statement at the July meeting 'leaves the door open for additional monetary policy easing in the coming months' to support growth, DBS's Mr Chua added. Consumer spending will remain resilient and continue to anchor growth, the central bank said. Investments will also remain strong, it added. Inflation is expected to average between 1.5 per cent and 2.3 per cent in 2025 given the 'more moderate demand and cost outlook,' Bank Negara said. It will 'continue to remain vigilant to ongoing developments and assess the balance of risks surrounding the outlook for domestic growth and inflation.' While the US levy on Malaysian imports is lower than the 25 per cent threatened in July, the South-east Asian country is seeking further clarity from the US on a threatened 100 per cent levy on semiconductor imports. On the fiscal side, the government has tweaked plans to cut subsidies on the nation's most popular fuel, while also providing cash handouts. Its latest five-year plan also outlines around US$100 billion (S$128 billion) of development spending, even as it seeks to reduce the deficit. BLOOMBERG

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store