Latest news with #AEI
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UAB Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos (AEI) Public Bond Offering Closes Soon – Submit Your Orders in Time
The public bond offering by UAB Atsinaujinančios energetikos investicijos (AEI) is nearing its conclusion. Key dates: Investment and switch orders can be submitted until 11 June, 3:30 PM Tender offers can be submitted until 12 June, 3:30 PM Key bond issue details: Issue size: up to 100 mEUR Size of the first tranche: up to 65 mEUR Interest rate: 8 % Minimum investment amount: 100 000 EUR Term: 2,5 years For more information and full documentation click here. HOW TO INVEST? Contact the financial brokerage company/bank (LHV, Signet, Swedbank, SEB Bank and others) handling your securities account for the submission of an investment order. If you do not have an investment services agreement concluded with a financial intermediary, send us an email to: bonds@
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
U.S.-China truce talks are likely temporary, it will blow up, says AEI's Derek Scissors
Wolfe Research's Tobin Marcus and AEI's Derek Scissors, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the 'big beautiful bill' and the fallout between Trump and Elon Musk and what it all means from here.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chronic Absenteeism Hasn't Gone Away After Lockdowns. Research Shows Poor Kids Are Hurt Most.
Chronic absenteeism has long been cited as one of the most severe lasting impacts of COVID-era school shutdowns. New research indicates that the problem is sticking around for groups of students already facing significant disadvantages. "The income gap really was the main driver that showed up over and over again," said University of Southern California (USC) education professor Morgan Polikoff during a presentation of his research at an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) event last week. "The fact that student-level income is the main driver here seems to be really important." Chronic absenteeism—often defined as when a student is absent for more than 10 percent of the school year—skyrocketed during the pandemic. According to AEI's absenteeism tracker, by 2022, national chronic absenteeism increased by 89 percent when compared to three years prior. While absenteeism has declined from its 2022 peak in most states that report such data, 2024 figures show it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Absolute rates of absenteeism varied broadly state by state. In Alabama, students had the lowest rate, peaking at 18 percent in 2022 and falling to 15 percent in 2024. By contrast, nearly half of all students in Washington, D.C., were chronically absent in 2022, dropping to a still-staggering 40 percent in 2024. According to Polikoff's research, low-income students in particular are facing persistent increases in absenteeism when compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Polikoff looked at school absenteeism data from North Carolina and Virginia. He explained that, when comparing absenteeism from before and after the pandemic, the attendance gap between low-income and non-low-income students grew dramatically. Post-pandemic, Virginia low-income students were 12.1 percentage points more likely to be chronically absent than other students, and in North Carolina, these students were 14.4 percentage points more likely to be chronically absent. Polikoff noted that the gap between different racial groups was relatively minor after controlling for income. "When looking in absolute terms, the most disadvantaged groups are typically more likely to have seen larger increases in chronic absenteeism," he said. "Racial gaps are not overly large, controlling for income and other things. How exactly to reverse these trends has long puzzled education professionals. School districts have tried everything from home visits to free ice cream and gift cards, yet the problem remains persistent. "[Absenteeism is] what the corona did," a 21-year-old told ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis in a story co-published with The New Yorker last year. "They're sending the kids back to school, and they don't want to no more. They want to stay home and play on their computers." The post Chronic Absenteeism Hasn't Gone Away After Lockdowns. Research Shows Poor Kids Are Hurt Most. appeared first on
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chronic Absenteeism's Post-COVID ‘New Normal': Data Shows It Is More Extreme
The percentage of students with good attendance fell sharply between 2019 and 2023, while the share of chronically absent students more than doubled, offering further evidence of the pandemic's shattering effect on the nation's classrooms. A new analysis of data from three states — North Carolina, Texas and Virginia — shows that prior to COVID, 17% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year. By 2023, long after schools had to cope with new variants and hybrid schedules, that figure hit 37%. 'Absences are both more common for everybody, but they are also more extreme,' said Jacob Kirksey, an associate professor of education policy at Texas Tech University. Additional new research shows that while post-pandemic chronic absenteeism lingers across the board, rates were substantially higher for low-income students. In North Carolina, for example, the chronic absenteeism rate for students in poverty before the pandemic was 9.2 percentage points higher than for non-poor students. By 2023, the gap increased to 14.6 percentage points. 'The income gap really was the main driver that showed up over and over again,' said Morgan Polikoff, an education researcher at the University of Southern California. But it's hard for schools to make a dent in the problem, he said, if they aren't investigating the reasons for chronic absenteeism. 'There's a big difference between the kid [who] has an illness and is chronically sick versus the kid [who] is super disengaged.' Kirksey and Polikoff were among several researchers who shared their findings Friday at an American Enterprise Institute event focused on facing what Kirksey called the 'under-the-hood dynamics' of chronic absenteeism in the post-COVID era. Since 2022, when the national average peaked at 28%, the rate has dropped to 23% — still much higher than the pre-COVID level of about 15%, according to the conservative think tank's tracker. 'I have a question that keeps me up at night. That question is 'What's the new normal going to be?' ' said Nat Malkus, the deputy director of education policy at AEI. 'We see this rising tide, but I think that it's incumbent on us to say that chronic absenteeism still affects disadvantaged students more.' The research project began in September with the goal of offering guidance to districts in time for students' return to school this fall. The researchers stressed that those most likely to be chronically absent this school year — low-income, highly mobile and homeless students — are the same ones who will frequently miss school next year. 'Absenteeism should seldom come as a surprise,' said Sam Hollon, an education data analyst at AEI. 'It's hard to justify delaying interventions until absences have accumulated.' One new finding revealed Friday contradicts a theory that gained traction following the pandemic — that students were more likely to be absent if their teachers were also out. As with students, teacher absenteeism increased during the pandemic and hasn't returned to pre-COVID levels. The relationship between teacher absences and student absences, however, is 'pretty negligible,' said Arya Ansari, an associate professor of human development and family science at The Ohio State University. 'These absences among teachers don't actually contribute to the post-COVID bump that we've seen in student absences,' he said. 'Targeting teacher absences isn't going to move the needle.' Related The researchers discussed how even some well-intentioned responses to the COVID emergency have allowed chronic absenteeism to persist. States, Malkus said, made it easier to graduate despite frequent absences and missing school doesn't necessarily prevent students from turning in their work. 'In my day, you had to get a packet and do the work at home' if you were absent, Polikoff said. In interviews with 40 families after the pandemic, 39 said it was easy to make up work because of Google Classroom and other online platforms. 'How many said, 'Let's make it harder'? Zero.' In another presentation, Ethan Hutt, an associate education professor at the University of North Carolina, estimated that chronic absenteeism accounts for about 7.5% of overall pandemic learning loss and about 9.2% for Black and low-income students — a 'nontrivial, but modest' impact. He stressed that missing school also affects student engagement and relationships with teachers. While technology has made it easier for students to keep up, 'there may be other harms that we want to think about and grapple with,' he said. Related The new research comes as states are mounting new efforts to more closely track chronic absenteeism data and share it with the public. In 2010, only one state — Maryland — published absenteeism data on its state education agency website. Now, 49 states — all but New Hampshire — report rates on an annual, monthly or even daily basis, according to a new report released Tuesday by Attendance Works, an advocacy and research organization. The systems allow educators and the public to more quickly identify which students are most affected and when spikes occur. Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. post rates even before the end of the school year. Rhode Island offers real-time data, while Connecticut publishes monthly reports. The New Hampshire Department of Education doesn't monitor chronic absenteeism, but has a statewide 92.7% attendance rate, a spokesperson said. The report highlights states that have taken action to reduce chronic absenteeism. In Virginia, bus drivers ensure their routes include students who might be more likely to struggle with transportation. With state funds, Fauquier County, west of Washington, D.C., opened a center for students on short-term suspension to minimize the absences that tend to pile up when a student is removed from the classroom. Overall chronic absenteeism in the state declined from 19.3% in 2022-23 to 15.7% in 2023-24. To Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, such improvement proves 'we can still get things done in our country and in education, despite all of the culture wars and binary thinking.' Some district and school leaders have looked to their peers for ideas on how to get kids back in school. After participating in a six-month program with 16 other districts across the country organized by the nonprofit Digital Promise, Mark Brenneman, an elementary principal in New York's Hudson City Schools, started interviewing families about their challenges. He learned that Hispanic parents often keep their children home when it rains because they're worried they're going to catch a cold. Several had transportation challenges. His school, Smith Elementary, even contributed to the problem, he said, by holding concerts, award ceremonies or other family events in the morning. Parents would come to celebrate their children's accomplishments, then take them out for lunch and not return. Related Hudson, about 40 miles south of Albany, has undergone significant change since the pandemic, added Superintendent Juliette Pennyman. Some families leaving New York City have settled in Hudson, driving up the cost of housing. 'Our families are being priced out of the community,' she said. 'Housing insecurity was … affecting families' and students' ability to focus on school.' As a result of the intense focus on the issue, Smith, which had a 29% chronic absenteeism rate last year, has seen an about a 15% increase in the number of students with good attendance. 'It's not like we're down to like 10% chronically absent,' Brenneman said. 'But we've hammered away.'
New Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Sunway REIT earnings revised upwards on strong retail performance
KUALA LUMPUR: Analysts have revised upwards their earnings forecasts for Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) following its first quarter results that came in within estimates. RHB Research said the company's earnings of RM98.6 million for the first quarter of 2025 (Q1 2025), an increase of 13 per cent year-on-year (YoY), were in line with expectations at 25 per cent of the firm's and street's estimates. The growth was mainly led by the newly acquired properties, namely the six Sunway REIT Hypermarkets, Sunway 163 Mall, and Sunway Kluang Mall, alongside stronger performance from Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Carnival Mall. This helped to offset slower performance in both the hospitality and office segments. Excluding the newly acquired properties, the retail segment's revenue grew 13 per cent YoY in Q1 2025 due to the asset enhancement initiatives (AEI) on Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Carnival Mall and higher occupancy rates. The firm raised its earnings forecasts for the company by two per cent for financial year 2025 (FY25) and three per cent for FY26 and FY27 after adjusting its occupancy rate and rental rate assumptions. It added that Sunway Carnival Mall's AEI should drive higher rental rates for the mall and there is room for organic growth from Sunway Pyramid with the full-year impact of the Oasis precinct, which was only opened in November 2024. RHB Research maintained a 'Buy' call on the stock with a target price (TP) of RM2.13. In a separate note, Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) said Sunway REIT's core net profit exceeded the firm's estimates at 28 per cent of its full-year forecast as well as consensus estimates at 27 per cent. The firm raised its earnings forecasts for Sunway REIT by 8.4 per cent, 10.8 per cent and 11.4 per cent for FY25, FY26 and FY27, respectively, to account for the higher than expected rental reversion. "The retail segment performed better-than-expected and management now guides for high single-digit to low-teens reversion, supported by the full reopening of Sunway Carnival Mall in about a month. "Separately, management attributes the drop in hotel occupancy to softer demand for leisure and MICE activities during the Ramadan period. Nonetheless, we expect a recovery in the coming quarters, supported by the anticipated growth in tourist arrivals under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign and the mutual visa exemption between Malaysia and China," it said. HLIB kept its 'Buy' call on the stock with a higher TP of RM2.17. Meanwhile, CIMB Securities noted that Sunway REIT's borrowing costs grew 13 per cent YoY in the quarter under review, attributable to a higher average interest rate of 3.92 per cent and increased borrowings. On May 2, 2025, Sunway REIT announced the disposal of Sunway University and College to Sunway College (KL) Sdn Bhd for RM613 million. As of FY24, the asset accounted for 5.6 per cent of Sunway REIT's portfolio value and contributed 6.8 per cent to its net property income. "Targeted for completion in 2H25, the disposal is an opportunistic move to unlock asset value and is expected to generate a total gain of RM41 million. Proceeds will be utilised for yield-accretive investments, AEI, or debt repayment, which could lower gearing to 40 per cent," it added. It maintained 'Buy' on the stock with a TP of RM2.11.
