Mekong Capital Plans a $200 Million Agriculture Fund Next Year
Mekong Capital Ltd., a Vietnam-focused private equity firm, plans to launch a regenerative agriculture fund in 2026 with as much as $200 in capital, according to its founder and partner Chris Freund.
'We're making progress getting that fund off the ground and currently at a stage where we're working on the pipeline' of potential companies to invest in, Freund said in an interview.
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BEAUTYEXPO & COSMOBEAUTÉ MALAYSIA 2025 RETURNS TO DAZZLE THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY WITH INFINITE POSSIBILITIES
Visitor Registration is Now Open KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Southeast Asia's beauty industry is set for a transformative experience as the 23rd edition of beautyexpo and 20th edition of Cosmobeauté Malaysia prepare to dazzle at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from 30 September – 3 October 2025. Visitor registration for this can't-miss trade show is now open! As Malaysia's largest and longest-running beauty trade shows, BECBM offers an extraordinary showcase of innovation and excellence. Over 400 visionary exhibitors from across 9 countries and regions including Malaysia, Mainland China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand and United Arab Emirates will unveil groundbreaking products, services, and technologies across eight specialised sectors: Professional Beauty, Hair & Barber, Makeup & Cosmetics, Nail, Embroidery & Lashes, OEM/ODM, Halal Beauty, Training & Certification, and Spa & Wellness. With more than 15,000 beauty professionals and buyers expected from over 60 countries and regions, this event solidifies Malaysia's position as the epicentre for Southeast Asia's beauty industry. "For over two decades, beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia have consistently driven innovation, business, and cross-border collaboration within the beauty sector. The 2025 edition will elevate this legacy – fostering strong synergies between established industry leaders and emerging innovators while unlocking new opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region," said Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat, Organising Chairman of beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia. This year's edition will spotlight immersive experiences, live competitions, and insightful knowledge sharing. Key highlights include: Industry Seminars: Deep-dive sessions led by global beauty experts unveiling next-generation trends and techniques. Bloom & Groom: Skin Management Competition 2025: The highly anticipated second edition of the Skin Care Mastery Challenge, spotlighting exceptional professional skincare expertise. The 5th Malaysia Glory Cup International Beauty Competition: Celebrating elite artistry in embroidery, eyelashes, and nails with top-tier international talent. VIP Buyer Programme with Exclusive Perks and Trade Opportunities Spend & Win Campaign to Reward Visitors "We've reimagined the 2025 editions with both business and creativity in mind. From competitive showcases to business matchmaking, the entire experience is designed to help the industry connect, learn, and grow together, while also elevating Malaysia's leadership in specialised beauty segments like halal-certified products," added Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat. A centrepiece of the exhibition is the expanded Halal Beauty pavilion, representing one of the industry's fastest-growing segments driven by ethical manufacturing, ingredient transparency, and surging consumer demand for clean, certified products. As a global authority in halal certification and industry development, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to lead this movement, and beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia 2025 will amplify that role. From halal-certified cosmetics to innovative skincare and wellness offerings, visitors will discover a comprehensive showcase responding to evolving global preferences for safer, more inclusive, and ethically produced beauty solutions. This segment also opens doors for cross-border collaborations, especially among emerging brands looking to access Muslim-majority markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. The event unites leading industry associations including the Kuching Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (KABTAC), Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA), Malaysia Cosmetology Chamber of Commerce (PAMM), and United Asian Hairdressers Association (UAHA), ensuring comprehensive industry representation and engagement. Visitor registration for BECBM 2025 is now open! Don't miss this chance to build valuable connections, gain in-depth insights, and stay at the forefront of the dynamic beauty industry. Register your visit at by 29 September to enjoy free admission! After this date, a fee of RM 20 will apply. To exhibit at beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia, please email For more information about beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia 2025, visit the official websites: and NOTES TO EDITORS:ABOUT INFORMA MARKETS ( Informa Markets on Beauty segment has an extensive network powered by B2B events across 11 cities in Asia (Bangkok, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tokyo), the world's fastest growing markets. By further expanding its strength, the Beauty Portfolio now includes a new B2B event in Miami serving the East coast and USA, South America and Caribbean Islands regions. beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia is organised by Informa Markets, a division of Informa plc. Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE beautyexpo & Cosmobeauté Malaysia Sign in to access your portfolio
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Warren Buffett Recently "Came Pretty Close" to Spending $10 Billion On an Acquisition, and I Strongly Believe One of These 2 Companies Was the Target
During Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting. Warren Buffett noted that he and his team nearly pulled the trigger on a $10 billion deal. One potential buyout target is a legal monopoly that Buffett's company already holds a 35% stake in. Meanwhile, the other possible acquisition target is a time-tested business that has the second longest consecutive annual dividend streak of any U.S. public company. 10 stocks we like better than Sirius XM › There's not a billionaire investor on Wall Street who captivates the attention of professional and everyday investors like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett. He earned his nickname, the "Oracle of Omaha," by absolutely crushing the broad-based S&P 500 in the return column over the last 60 years. No event is more special than Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting, which typically draws in the neighborhood of 40,000 people. This meeting features a question-and-answer (Q&A) session that extends hours and allows investors to pick the brain of one of Wall Street's most successful asset managers. While the headline takeaway of Berkshire Hathaway's latest annual meeting is that the 94-year-old Buffett will be stepping aside as CEO by the end of the year and handing the reins to predetermined successor Greg Abel, this was far from the only meaningful announcement. Berkshire's chief also mentioned during the Q&A session that he and his team nearly pulled the trigger on a sizable acquisition. Said Buffett: "We came pretty close to spending $10 billion, not that long ago, for example, but we'd spend $100 billion. I mean, those decisions are not tough to make when something is offered that makes sense to us and that we understand and offers good value." With Buffett being a net seller of stocks for 10 consecutive quarters and growing Berkshire Hathaway's cash pile to almost $348 billion amid a historically pricey stock market, "good value" has been tough to come by. Although Warren Buffett, ultimately, didn't pull the trigger on this teased $10 billion deal, there are two companies -- one of which is a legal monopoly -- which perfectly fit the bill as potential targets of a $10 billion acquisition. If there's one stock that makes for a logical acquisition target for Warren Buffett's company at a $10 billion price tag, its satellite-radio operator Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: SIRI). Sirius XM has a market cap of nearly $7.4 billion. There are a couple of variables that make Sirius XM a potentially logical buyout target for Berkshire Hathaway. To begin with, Berkshire is its largest shareholder. As of the end of March, Buffett's company held 35.4% of Sirius XM's outstanding shares. Completing the purchase of the remaining shares at a premium price still wouldn't cost Berkshire $10 billion out of pocket. Secondly, Sirius XM provides a sustainable competitive advantage, which is something that Warren Buffett tends to seek out in the businesses he invests in. Although it's still competing for listeners with traditional radio providers, it's the only company with a satellite-radio license. Being a legal monopoly should afford Sirius XM a level of subscription pricing power that other companies can't match. The third factor that would have made Sirius XM an ideal $10 billion acquisition target for Buffett is its diversified revenue stream. Whereas terrestrial and online radio providers almost exclusively generate their revenue from advertising, Sirius XM brings in a little north of three-quarters of its net sales from subscriptions. The value of Sirius XM's approach is that its cash flow remains more predictable and consistent during inevitable economic downturns where ad spending can quickly dry up. It's also worth mentioning that Buffett has previously demonstrated a willingness to establish large investment holdings in media/broadcasting stocks. Sirius XM is well within the wheelhouse of Buffett's investment areas of focus. Lastly, Sirius XM Holdings provides a value proposition that's incredibly difficult to find in a historically expensive stock market. While economic uncertainty has weighed on its cumulative subscriber count in recent quarters, Sirius XM's shares are currently valued at a little over 7 times forecast earnings per share in 2025. There's an attractive risk-versus-reward profile. However, Sirius XM isn't the only company which checks all the right boxes that exhibited a price dislocation in recent months. Brand-name power tools and outdoor products company Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) is the other possible stock I believe Buffett was eyeing with $10 billion in hand. As of this writing on June 5, Stanley Black & Decker is a $10 billion company. Usually, acquisitions require the buyer to pay a premium to get the nod of approval from shareholders. But during the tariff-related stock market plunge in early April, Stanley Black & Decker stock fell to around an $8.5 billion market cap. It was well within range for a $10 billion buyout at this point -- especially with tariff-related cost and margin uncertainty hovering over the company. Although Berkshire Hathaway doesn't own any shares of Stanley Black & Decker, this isn't reason enough to believe it wasn't the alluded acquisition target. For starters, Buffett's investment philosophy focuses more on consumer behaviors than it does on innovation. Stanley Black & Decker owns a laundry list of brand-name tool and outdoor brands, including DeWalt, Craftsman, Irwin, Cub Cadet, Lenox, and its namesakes Stanley and Black & Decker. These brands are easily identifiable by consumers and have helped to build trust in the company for more than a century. Additionally, Stanley Black & Decker is time-tested. This is a company founded in 1843 that's grown organically and through acquisitions of its own. It's increased its base annual dividend in each of the last 58 years, and offers the second-longest streak among U.S. public companies of paying a dividend for 149 consecutive years. Companies don't pay a dividend annually for nearly 150 years by accident. This is a testament that its operating model works. Despite tariff-related uncertainty clouding the company's near-term outlook, management has taken steps to improve margins over the long run. Its global cost reduction program has resulted in roughly $1.7 billion in pre-tax annual run-rate cost savings since being introduced in mid-2022. Further, its supply chain remains nimble enough that shifting production to Mexico and the U.S. will help it avoid potential tariffs tied to China over the next two years. Most importantly, Stanley Black & Decker offers a historically tempting valuation discount. Accounting for all the headwinds it's currently working through, shares of Stanley Black & Decker are priced at roughly 11 times forecast earnings per share in 2026. For context, this represents a 37% discount to its average forward-year earnings multiple over the trailing-five-year period. If there was a $10 billion acquisition to be made by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, either Sirius XM or Stanley Black & Decker perfectly fit the mold. Before you buy stock in Sirius XM, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Sirius XM wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 173% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Sean Williams has positions in Sirius XM. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Warren Buffett Recently "Came Pretty Close" to Spending $10 Billion On an Acquisition, and I Strongly Believe One of These 2 Companies Was the Target was originally published by The Motley Fool
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China's exports slow as trade war takes toll
Chinese exports grew at a slower pace than expected in May, according to official data on Monday, as shipments to the United States tumbled after Donald Trump's tariff blitz triggered global trade turmoil. Imports fell more dramatically than expected, the figures showed, with weak domestic consumption in the world's number two economy highlighted by data earlier in the day revealing another month of falling prices. The 4.8 percent year-on-year increase in overseas shipments last month was slower than the 8.1 percent growth recorded in April, also falling short of the six percent jump that was forecast in a survey of economists by Bloomberg. The reading included a 12.7 percent plunge in exports to the United States compared with April, when Trump unveiled his eye-watering tariffs on China. Imports from the United States tanked 17.9 percent after Beijing imposed tit-for-tat measures. Exports tumbled by a third year-on-year in May. In contrast, the data showed shipments to Vietnam increased from the previous month. Those to other Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia all declined slightly after soaring in April, the figures indicated. "The trade war between China and the US led to sharply lower exports to the US, but the damage was offset by stronger exports to other countries," Zhiwei Zhang, resident and Chief Economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note. "The trade outlook remains highly uncertain at this stage," he said, pointing to the impact of "frontloading" when overseas buyers increase shipments ahead of potentially higher tariffs. "We think export growth will slow further by year-end," wrote Zichun Huang, China Economist at Capital Economics, citing tariffs that are "likely to remain elevated". - Spending slump - Monday's data added to concerns about the Chinese economy, with a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing the consumer price index -- a key measure of inflation -- dropped 0.1 percent year-on-year in May. The reading, which was slightly better than expected but marks the fourth straight month of falling prices, comes as Beijing struggles to boost domestic consumption that has been sluggish since the end of the pandemic. The failure of leaders to kickstart demand threatens their official growth targets and complicates their ability to shield the economy from Trump's tariff blitz. While deflation suggests the cost of goods is falling, it poses a threat to the broader economy as consumers tend to postpone purchases under such conditions in the hope of further reductions. A lack of demand can then force companies to cut production, freeze hiring or lay off workers, while potentially also having to discount existing stock -- dampening profitability even as costs remain the same. Factory gate prices also dropped in May, the NBS said on Monday, deepening a slump that has now lasted more than two years. The producer price index decline of 3.3 percent -- accelerating from a 2.7 percent drop in April -- was faster than the 3.2 percent estimated in the Bloomberg survey. The "data doesn't reflect much from the (central bank's) monetary easing package last month", wrote Lynn Song, Chief Economist for Greater China at ING, referring to a series of key rate cuts introduced recently in an attempt to get consumers spending. "It's hard to envision a significant uptick, though, as domestic consumer sentiment remains soft and tariffs could cause further deflationary pressure," Song wrote. - Fresh talks - Representatives from China and the United States are expected to meet in London on Monday for another round of high-stakes trade talks that markets hope will ease tensions between the economic superpowers. A key issue in the negotiations will be Beijing's shipments of rare earths -- crucial to a range of goods including electric vehicle batteries and which have been a bone of contention for some time. Customs figures on Monday showed Chinese exports of rare earth minerals rose last month to 5,865 tonnes from 4,785 tonnes in April. However, last month's figure still represented a decline from May last year, when China exported 6,217 tonnes of rare earths. The London talks will be the second set of formal negotiations between the two since Trump launched his global trade blitz on April 2. They were announced after a phone call last week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China and the United States paused sky-high tariffs after the first round in Geneva in mid-May but failed to reach a sweeping trade deal. pfc/oho/pbt Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
