Latest news with #AIInvestments
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Asian equities see largest monthly foreign inflow in 15 months
(Reuters) -Asian equities attracted strong foreign inflows in May as concerns over an immediate economic hit from higher U.S. tariffs eased, prompting a return by investors who had previously exited large and concentrated positions in the region. The inflows marked a sharp reversal after four consecutive months of net foreign selling. According to data from LSEG, foreign investors bought approximately $10.65 billion worth of equities across India, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, registering their largest monthly net purchase since February 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs in early April stoked concerns over the impact on Asian exports, exporter margins, and regional supply chains, but a subsequent 90-day pause for most countries later in the month helped ease investor fears and revive interest in regional assets. Goldman Sachs said it has revised its earnings growth forecast for MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan (MXAPJ) to 9% for both 2025 and 2026, raising estimates by 2 and 1 percentage points, respectively, citing stronger macro growth in China and U.S.-exposed markets. The upgrade was also supported by $600 billion in AI-related investments from Saudi Arabia to U.S. firms, which are expected to benefit Taiwan and Korea, though the impact may be partially offset by a weaker dollar, the brokerage said. Taiwan equities witnessed $7.28 billion worth of foreign inflows, the largest monthly cross-border net purchase since November 2023. Foreigners also acquired a significant $2.34 billion worth of Indian stocks in their largest monthly net purchase since September 2024. South Korean, Indonesian and Philippine stocks also saw foreign inflows worth a net $885 million, $338 million and $290 million, respectively, while Thai stocks suffered $491 million of net selling. Despite heightened market volatility in the first half of the year driven by concerns over President Trump's trade policies, the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index has risen about 8.8% year-to-date, outperforming both the MSCI World Index, which is up 5.4%, and the S&P 500 Index, which has gained 0.98%. 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
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Asian equities see largest monthly foreign inflow in 15 months
June 6 (Reuters) - Asian equities attracted strong foreign inflows in May as concerns over an immediate economic hit from higher U.S. tariffs eased, prompting a return by investors who had previously exited large and concentrated positions in the region. The inflows marked a sharp reversal after four consecutive months of net foreign selling. According to data from LSEG, foreign investors bought approximately $10.65 billion worth of equities across India, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, registering their largest monthly net purchase since February 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs in early April stoked concerns over the impact on Asian exports, exporter margins, and regional supply chains, but a subsequent 90-day pause for most countries later in the month helped ease investor fears and revive interest in regional assets. Goldman Sachs said it has revised its earnings growth forecast for MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan (MXAPJ) to 9% for both 2025 and 2026, raising estimates by 2 and 1 percentage points, respectively, citing stronger macro growth in China and U.S.-exposed markets. The upgrade was also supported by $600 billion in AI-related investments from Saudi Arabia to U.S. firms, which are expected to benefit Taiwan and Korea, though the impact may be partially offset by a weaker dollar, the brokerage said. Taiwan equities witnessed $7.28 billion worth of foreign inflows, the largest monthly cross-border net purchase since November 2023. Foreigners also acquired a significant $2.34 billion worth of Indian stocks in their largest monthly net purchase since September 2024. South Korean, Indonesian and Philippine stocks also saw foreign inflows worth a net $885 million, $338 million and $290 million, respectively, while Thai stocks suffered $491 million of net selling. Despite heightened market volatility in the first half of the year driven by concerns over President Trump's trade policies, the MSCI Asia-Pacific Index (.MIAP00000PUS), opens new tab has risen about 8.8% year-to-date, outperforming both the MSCI World Index (.MIWD00000PUS), opens new tab, which is up 5.4%, and the S&P 500 Index (.SPX), opens new tab, which has gained 0.98%.
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
5 Metrics Every Business Should Track to Maximise AI Investments
As the European AI landscape evolves, so too must the standards to measure success. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Europe, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) updates its shopping basket every year to reflect how consumers spend, adding new items like VR headsets or yoga mats as habits evolve. Businesses need to do the same with performance metrics. Artificial intelligence is now a central force in driving growth, yet many companies still measure success using outdated KPIs. With nearly half (42%) of European businesses now regularly using artificial intelligence (AI) — a 27% increase in just one year — the urgency is clear: if you don't measure what matters, you can't manage it. To truly maximise AI investments, C-suite leaders must update their own shopping baskets and rethink the benchmarks used to judge value. Here are five metrics that every business should be tracking to ensure AI success. 1. Data quality Even the most advanced AI models produce untrustworthy results if they're trained on inaccurate or irrelevant information. At best, this shortcoming is a temporary inconvenience that drains money and time. At worst, entrusting unsatisfactory data to AI systems leads to costly mistakes in user-level applications — all of which can damage an organisation's reputation and profit. With the success of AI hinging on high-quality data, it's important to perform regular data audits focused on improving accuracy. Routine reviews like this are a way to patrol data pipelines, checking that they're free of inconsistencies that could otherwise undermine AI outputs. 2. Data coverage Clean data is one priority; complete data is another. The AI models without access to every dataset are more vulnerable to blind spots, causing limitations in their ability to detect trends and identify key opportunities. For instance, insurers that automate their risk assessment processes with AI typically ingest data from operational logs, market patterns and even independent sources like weather forecasts. Accidentally neglecting just one of these could result in the misinterpretation of costly payout claims. To counter similar risks, conducting regular assessments of your data landscape to uncover overlooked data points. Eliminating visibility gaps allows businesses to paint a full picture of their digital environment, ensuring all data channels are readily available for AI usage. 3. Operational efficiency gains The clearest way to measure the success of a new initiative is to see how much time or money it saves compared to the previous approach. Put simply: a factory that installs a faster conveyor belt should see an increase in productivity. AI is no exception to that logic. From accelerating loan approvals to automating data entry, the long-term objective of AI in any industry is to reduce turnaround times and cut costs. Failure to gauge operational impact makes it difficult to justify ongoing investment. As such, it's sensible to measure process durations before and after AI integration — a benchmarking method DHL deployed to recognise that its AI-powered robots had delivered a 40% increase in sorting capacity, quantifying their investment's active contribution to business KPIs. 4. Adoption rate across teams Just because a solution successfully goes live, it doesn't mean adoption is fully guaranteed. Really, true value comes when AI is embedded into workflows across the whole company — not just the IT department. Some teams will immediately embrace the AI tools presented to them, whereas others need more support. To assess where training or change management might be necessary, it's helpful to track departmental usage data and run regular employee feedback surveys. This approach works for high-performing organisations, who are more likely to bring employees with them on their AI journey by providing extensive AI training. In this context, understanding digital behaviour is the starting point for extracting more engagement from AI. 5. Return on investment (ROI) Naturally, businesses leaders need to understand the financial return they're getting back from investment. However, the ROI generated from AI initiatives is often complex, involving both tangible and intangible benefits. Take the Berlin-based online retailer Zalando, which recently shared that it uses generative AI to produce digital imagery at a rapid rate. Not only has that directly reduced costs by 90%, but the faster turnaround in editorial campaigns also indirectly boosted the company's competitiveness in the fast fashion market. Every possible performance metric must be considered when curating a digital strategy. That's why it's important to develop a well-rounded ROI framework for AI — factoring in both the direct and indirect consequences of any planned change. Measure what matters, scale what works AI is already demonstrating its ability to reshape organisations, but the reality is that many still struggle to prove its concrete value. Without establishing the right criteria for success, businesses will lack accountability and struggle to align tech performance with financial gains. To maximise ROI on AI, you must clarify the standards that you wish your digital growth to be founded on. This will unlock the insights needed to safely course-correct, scale success, and build long-term trust in your AI strategy. As the AI landscape evolves, so too must the standards to measure success. Just like the ONS shopping basket reflects changing habits, businesses must ensure performance metrics reflect the realities of AI-driven operations. By focusing on data quality, coverage, efficiency, adoption, and ROI, leaders can ensure AI investments aren't just tracked but transformed into long-term value.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Trump announces $142bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia
The US has signed the largest arms deal in history with Saudi Arabia which Donald Trump said will make the relationship between the two countries 'more powerful than ever before'. The agreement, worth nearly $142 billion (£107 billion), includes providing Saudi Arabia with 'state-of-the-art war fighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defence firms', the White House said. Co-signed by Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince and the country's de facto ruler, the deal is also expected to include Saudi investments in American artificial intelligence companies and energy production. The US president is in Riyadh for the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East this week. Mr Trump is expected to meet with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian president, in the kingdom on Wednesday after announcing he will remove all US sanctions on Damascus, which were imposed on the government of ousted leader Bashar Assad. In the first speech of his visit at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Mr Trump hailed the transformation of cities across the Middle East, saying that 'ancient conflicts' should be left as a relic of the past. 'The biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and beyond,' said Mr Trump. 'There could be no sharper contrast with the path you have pursued on the Arabian Peninsula than the disaster unfolding right across in the Gulf of Iran.' The pomp and ceremony began in Riyadh before Mr Trump even landed with the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s providing an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom's capital — a rare occurrence. When on the ground, he was greeted by the Crown Prince before the pair retreated to a grand hall, where Mr Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun belts. Saudi officials arranged for a fully operational mobile McDonald's unit to be set up near the Saudi royal court to accompany Mr Trump during his state visit. The president is known for his love of the fast food outlet. 'I really believe we like each other a lot,' Mr Trump said later during a brief appearance with the crown prince at the start of a bilateral meeting. The pair then signed more than a dozen agreements to increase cooperation between their governments' militaries, justice departments and cultural institutions. Additional economic agreements were expected to be inked later at the US-Saudi investment conference. As he greeted business titans with Mr Trump by his side, the Crown Prince was animated and smiling. It was a stark contrast to his awkward fist bump he shared with Joe Biden, who looked to avoid being seen on camera shaking hands with the prince during a 2022 visit to the kingdom. Mr Trump's four-day tour will also see him meet leaders in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom have cash to invest in the US. The scale of investment attracted some of the United States's biggest business leaders, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI. Mr Musk, who has taken a step back from the administration, said the kingdom had approved Starlink for maritime and aviation use in the Gulf state. Speaking at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Mr Musk said: 'I'd like to thank Saudi Arabia for approving Starlink for maritime and aviation.' During his speech, Mr Trump continued: 'I want to make a deal with Iran. If I can make a deal with Iran, I'll be very happy, if we're going to make your region and the world a safer place. 'But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbours, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure (and) drive Iranian oil exports to zero like I did before.' Mr Trump also warned that this 'is an offer that will not last forever,' saying that 'the time is right now for them to choose'. 'We really want them to be a successful country. We want them to be a wonderful, safe, great country. But they cannot have a nuclear weapon,' he said, as applause rippled across the room. The latest entreaty to Tehran comes days after Mr Trump dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Iranian officials for a fourth round of talks aimed at persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear program. The three countries on Trump's itinerary — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — are places where the Trump Organisation, run by Trump's two oldest sons, is developing major real estate projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar. Mr Trump is trying to demonstrate that his transactional strategy for international politics is paying dividends as he faces criticism from Democrats who say his global tariff war is isolating the US from allies.
