Latest news with #AIA
CNBC
3 hours ago
- Business
- CNBC
Architecture firms report decline in billings for commercial real estate
Architecture firms are reporting a drop in billings as concerns about the broader economy and tariffs impact commercial real estate development and spending. The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained in negative territory in June with a score of 46.8, down from 47.2 in May. Anything below 50 is considered negative sentiment. "Business conditions were soft nationwide in June, with a slight billing increase in the South for the first time since October," said Kermit Baker, chief economist at AIA, the American Institute of Architects. "Other regions saw declining billings, though at a slower pace. While all specializations experienced softer billings, the decline slowed for commercial/industrial and institutional firms. Multifamily firms faced the weakest conditions, with further declines." CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today. One bright spot was inquiries into new projects, which increased for the second consecutive month and grew at the strongest pace since last fall with a score of 53.6. This suggests that clients are starting to send out requests for proposals and will start working with architecture firms on potential projects. AIA notes that these inquiries do not necessarily translate into actual projects. The value of newly signed design contracts also fell for the 16th straight month. Billings are not likely to improve until the value of these new design contracts also sees gains. The AIA also put out its midyear forecast: The AIA forecasts that overall spending on nonresidential buildings, not adjusted for inflation, will increase only 1.7% this year and grow very modestly to just 2% next year. Spending on the construction of manufacturing facilities, which had been a bright spot in recent years, is now expected to decline 2% this year, with an additional drop of 2.6% next year. Institutional facilities are expected to be the strongest sector with projected gains of 6.1% this year and another 3.8% in 2026. In addition to a slowing economy, unclear and constantly changing tariff policy is creating growing uncertainty in the architect, engineer and construction services industry. "Not knowing what products will cost in the future, whether they will be available, how these changes might affect their supply chain, and whether they will provoke a trade war with the exporting countries are all questions that the AEC industry is asking before proceeding with planned projects," according to the report.
7NEWS
9 hours ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Hawthorn great Shane Crawford opens up to 7NEWS about death of beloved brother, Justin Crawford
'You're trying to make me cry,' AFL great Shane Crawford says to 7NEWS presenter Mike Amor. The pair are sitting down at the MCG — where the Brownlow medallist experienced the highest of highs — to discuss the lowest of lows. Crawford wants to open up about the suicide of his brother Justin — who died age 45 — three years ago this month. He's doing it to send a message. 'It's just like a wild storm that's just thrown into your face and you just don't know how to sort of move through it,' Crawford told 7NEWS. 'When I heard the news from my mother, and it took a full day for my mother to communicate with me,' he said. Justin was also an AFL player. He played first at the Sydney Swans, before joining his brother at Hawthorn. Over four seasons in the 1990s Justin played 46 games, kicking 32 goals. 'He adored his son and had such an unbelievable relationship,' Shane said. 'Just to know that he didn't feel worthy enough to be around for that ... umm, he was obviously well and truly over the cliff.' Crawford's decision to speak out coincides with the release of new data from health and life insurer AIA provided, exclusively to 7NEWS. 'We've got to try and stop it. We've got to be better at dealing with it and and trying to stop it before the worst can possibly happen,' Crawford said. The data shows a surge in mental health disability claims, up from just 15 per cent of all claims in 2012-14 to 23 per cent in 2024-25. 'It is absolutely indiscriminate and the mental health situation in Australia has been getting more and more urgent each year,' mental health expert Dr Jaime Lee told 7NEWS. AIA payments for mental health claims almost doubled from $280 million in 2023 to $557m last year. In the first five months of this year, 28 per cent of total and permanent disablement claims have been mental health related. 'That's what's really concerning is that when it's a life insurance claim, it's for disability as a result of mental health, which means that they're actually unable to work or perform their normal duties at work,' AIA CEO Damien Mu told 7NEWS. 'And so that's a real concern if we're saying one in four people are now claiming for that reason. Crawford is joining ironman Guy Leech and ultrarunner Sam Gash to raise money and awareness at the top of the famous heartbreak hill during Sydney's City to Surf fun run on Sunday, August 10. For every extra mile the trio runs on a treadmill at the iconic location, AIA will donate $300 to the Blackdog Institute. 'Mental health knows no boundaries, is indiscriminate, but it's men in particular that seem to be fairing worse,' Mu said. Since retiring from AFL at the end of 2008 (his last game was the 2008 grand final), Shane has had a successful career in television. He currently appears on Seven's House of Wellness. Crawford is also an ambassador for AIA.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Forrester To Recognize AIA Group As Its 2025 Customer-Obsessed Enterprise Award Winner At CX Summit APAC
SINGAPORE, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) today announced AIA Group as the winner of its 2025 Customer-Obsessed Enterprise Award for the Asia Pacific region. The award recognizes organizations that drive business success by putting customers at the center of their leadership, strategy, and operations. AIA Group will be honored at CX Summit APAC, being held in Sydney and digitally, on August 18, 2025. AIA Group, a leading insurance provider in Asia, has been recognized for its successful transformation across 18 markets to deliver a seamless omnichannel digital customer experience. Through cross-functional collaboration, the company standardized its feedback collection process to respond to real-time insights, enhancing customer satisfaction. By reimagining customer journeys and interactions with agents and digital platforms, AIA now offers faster, more relevant, and personalized services for its customers. "At AIA, our commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences is at the heart of everything we do," said Biswa Misra, Group Chief Technology and Life Operations Officer, AIA Group. "The EASE program — anchored in the principles of being Empathetic, Automated, Simple, and Engaged — has transformed how we operate. With strong executive sponsorship, agile governance, and customer-centric KPIs embedded at every level, we've created a culture where customer obsession drives performance. By leveraging real-time feedback, advanced analytics, and continuous training, we're not just meeting expectations — we're setting new standards for excellence in the insurance industry." "We congratulate AIA Group for winning Forrester's Customer-Obsessed Enterprise Award in APAC," said Dane Anderson, senior vice president of international research and product at Forrester. "The company is a leading example of how to embed customer centricity into every business decision, and not just isolated customer interactions, to drive tangible business success. We look forward to hearing their success story at CX Summit APAC 2025." About Forrester Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We empower leaders in technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, sales, and product functions to be bold at work and accelerate growth through customer obsession. Our unique research and continuous guidance model helps executives and their teams achieve their initiatives and outcomes faster and with confidence. To learn more, visit
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
AIA Hong Kong continues to lead the insurance industry with the most market No.1* in Q1 2025
Mr Alger Fung, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 28 July 2025 -AIA Hong Kong has once again led the industry with the most market No.1 in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Provisional Statistics of the Insurance Authority on Hong Kong Long-Term Insurance Business*., said, "The continued achievements would not have been possible without our team's daily commitment to putting our customers first. We are also deeply grateful to our customers for their long-standing trust and unwavering commitment to customer centricity is the cornerstone of our sustained leadership in the industry. We are fortunate that AIA is powered by a remarkable pool of talent driving our growth. This was recently reaffirmed by the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) rankings, where AIA Hong Kong not only secured the No. 1 position in MDRT, COT, and TOT locally, but also achieved four global No. 1 rankings—including top honours in both MDRT and TOT. We will keep going beyond for our customers and inspire communities to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives."These achievements underscore the strength of AIA Hong Kong's Premier Agency strategy and the unwavering dedication of our financial planners, who consistently go above and beyond to serve customers with professionalism and care. Moreover, they stand as a testament to AIA Hong Kong's innovative and comprehensive propositions, which provide holistic solutions across health, wealth, and MPF—supporting the diverse needs of both individual and corporate Hong Kong's customer-first mindset is also reflected in the digital experiences it delivers. The AIA+ mobile app continues to lead the trend, driving innovation in customer engagement. With millions of downloads and the highest mobile app ratings among key Hong Kong insurers, AIA+ is fostering stronger connections and deeper trust with our customers first also means caring for the broader community. As a purpose-led brand, AIA actively empowers individuals and communities to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. Programmes such as AIA Vitality and the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme are enhancing health literacy and fostering long-term wellbeing across the community continues to face rising medical inflation, AIA Hong Kong took the lead in convening cross-sector stakeholders at the inaugural Healthcare Financing Summit to explore collaborative solutions that make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and sustainable—for both the community and future Hong Kong is also finding creative ways to deepen public understanding of the insurance industry. A recent example is the sponsorship of the TVB drama 《中年好翻身》, which uses the insurance profession as a backdrop to explore themes of resilience and personal growth—highlighting the professionalism and meaningful role our financial planners play in customers' ahead, AIA will continue to bring international experiences to Hong Kong. On 31 July, AIA will lead the first-ever North London Derby at the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025, as the Global Principal Partner of Tottenham Hotspur. AIA Hong Kong is also proud to be the title sponsor of G.E.M.'s I AM GLORIA World Tour – Hong Kong stop, further enriching the city's cultural As the Insurance Authority is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the scope and criteria for collecting policyholder information for non-local policies, it will not release breakdown statistics related to Mainland visitors until this work is completed. Therefore, the Insurance Authority has not published the relevant provisional statistics for both local and non-local segments. The current set of statistics does not include figures for Number of Local New Business Policies, Number of Non-Local New Business Policies, Local Annualised New Premiums, and Non-local Annualised New Premiums."AIA Hong Kong has once again led the industry with the most market No.1" refers to its top position in the following categories: Number of Inforce Policies**, Number of New Business Policies, New Office Premiums from Agency Channel^, Annualised New Premiums from Agency Channel^, Number of New Business Policies from Agency Channel—making up the highest share among the 11 key metrics compared to other market statistics of the Insurance Authority on Hong Kong long-term insurance business from January to March 2025. The policies refer to Direct Individual New Business and Direct Inforce Business of Participating Business, Other Businesses (Excluding Group Business) and Linked Long Term (Class C). "Agency channel" refers to "Agents" as classified by the Hong Kong Insurance Authority under Distribution Channel.** Refers to AIA International Limited, AIA Company Limited and AIA Everest Life Company Limited.^ "Annualised New Premiums" represents 100% of annualised first year premium and 10% of single premium. "New Office Premiums" represents 100% of annualised first year premium and 100% of single of June #AIA #友邦 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About AIA Hong Kong & Macau AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau have about 18,000 financial planners1, as well as an extensive network of independent financial advisors, brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3.6 million customers2, offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, pension, personal lines insurance to investment-linked assurance schemes with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high-net-worth customers. 1 As at 30 June 2025 2 Including AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau's individual life, group insurance and pension customers (as at 30 June 2025)
RTHK
2 days ago
- Business
- RTHK
Insurance fillip for HK stocks amid mainland gains
Insurance fillip for HK stocks amid mainland gains The Hang Seng Index closed 173 points, or 0.68 percent, up at 25,562 on Monday. File photo: RTHK Mainland China stocks extended their five-week rally on Monday, with the rare earth sector climbing to a three-year high ahead of crucial trade talks with the United States, while insurers gained following an industry policy change that boosted sentiment. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index ended up 173 points, or 0.68 percent, at 25,562. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 0.29 percent to end at 9,17 while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.24 percent to close at 5,664. Insurers AIA, Ping An and China Life gained between 2 percent and 4.9 percent. However, the tech index lost 0.2 percent. Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.12 percent to 3,597, hovering near the highest level in three-and-a-half years while the Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.44 percent higher at 11,217. The combined turnover of these two indexes stood at about 1.74 trillion yuan, down from 1.79 trillion yuan on Friday. Stocks related to copper clad laminate and printed circuit board led gains, while stocks related to coal and antimony suffered major losses. The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, increased 0.96 percent to close at 2,362. The Sino-US trade talks will likely see the trade truce extended by three months, preventing the implementation of higher tariffs, according to analysts. The insurance sector added nearly 3 percent to rank among the best performers onshore, after the industry body cut the reference rate for life insurance products. "Investor concerns on U.S.-China trade frictions appear to have eased," Kinger Lau, chief China equity strategist at Goldman Sachs, said in a note. "A potential US-China trade deal could be a market-clearing event for Chinese stocks." (Reuters/Xinhua)
