Latest news with #Noto
Gulf Insider
23-05-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
8 Habits That Can Add Decades To Life
We all want to live as long and as healthily as possible. Many healthy living hacks, such as lounging in a hot sauna or taking a cold plunge, claim to increase lifespan, but how effective are they? Growing research points to a different answer, suggesting that a few simple, consistent lifestyle habits can be far more effective at boosting longevity and well-being. Referring to a 2024 study examining nearly 720,000 U.S. veterans ages 40 to 99, Dr. Damon Noto, a rehabilitation medicine specialist, stated on the Epoch TV show Vital Signs that among eight lifestyle factors found to influence a person's lifespan by more than 10 years, the most significant are whether a person has smoked, had an opioid use disorder, and their level of physical activity. We know exercise is a healthy habit, but do we consider it life-saving? Noto said the veteran's study shows exercise may add as much as a decade or more to our lives. He also examined the type of physical activity in the study. People in the study often stayed active by engaging in natural movement, such as gardening or participating in sports with their friends. He believes these lifestyle or social activities are especially beneficial because building physical activity into someone's daily life can help a person stay consistent with moving the body. Diet can also impact a person's lifespan. Those living in blue zones tend to eat homegrown and home-cooked foods and avoid overeating. Those who ate highly processed foods and sweets had shorter lifespans than those who followed a nutritious diet, according to the same study. Noto highlights a social component of longevity. Research suggests that individuals who have friends and a sense of community tend to live longer than those who are lonely or isolated. 'A lot of these studies have shown that people who have purpose, especially purpose greater than themselves, not only live longer, but they live happier lives and more successful lives,' said Noto. 'So purpose is something we found to be extremely important.' Noto points out that those in blue zones tend to place family and faith as a high priority in their culture. Noto said that all those with longer lifespans had some way to deal with stress in their regular routines, whether it was socializing with friends, taking walks, praying, or working around the house. The Longevity Project, which began in the 1920s, followed 1,500 Americans with high IQs from childhood to death. Initially, it was thought that because these children were intelligent, they would succeed and do well in life, but that was not the case. The study showed that the more conscientious a person was, the longer they lived. Character qualities such as discipline, hard work, organization, thoughtful decisions, and a sense of responsibility greatly influences success in life. Sleep impacts the length of a person's life. Getting enough REM sleep is crucial to adding years to your life. Noto recommends getting a sleep-tracking device to ensure you get the proper sleep quality. Those who suffer from chronic anxiety or sleep apnea were shown to have shorter lifespans. However, he also emphasizes the body's ability to do amazing things, even under stress. He believes that having a sense of purpose helps through times of stress or low sleep, and significantly impacts a person's health and life.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- The Independent
The little-visited region that could be the answer to Japan's overtourism problem
'I see the people of Noto standing up and taking a step forward, and I think it is my calling to be here now, in Noto, introducing people to my home town.' Kaho Shoji and I are making our way along a trail of stepping stones that hug the cliffs of Tsukumo Bay in the Japanese town of Noto, on the peninsula of the same name. In the clear water, sea slugs inch along rocky pools and anemones sway in the current. 'I have travelled to more than 30 countries and all around Japan,' Kaho continues. 'But the older I get, the more I appreciate my home: it's the most beautiful place in the world.' It's hard to disagree with her. Extending 100km northwards into the Sea of Japan in central Honshu, the Noto Peninsula is a landscape of seaside rice paddies, small-scale agriculture and fishing. Wooden homes with glossy black roof tiles dot the countryside. The coastline is home to some of Japan's last shellfish divers, and there are Buddhist pagodas and temples to see, including the revered Shinto shrine Keta Taisha, whose ancient sacred forest can only be entered by priests and Emperors. Daily life in Noto is deeply connected to the land. Noto's squid-jigging fleet is just around the headland from where we are walking, while a nearby village cultivates Japan's famously sweet strawberries. On the clifftop, our home for the night comes into view. Hyakurakusou is a ryokan inn that's home to a curious cave bath chiselled into the rock face. It's a scene of tranquillity that belies Noto's recent history: In 2024, the peninsula was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on New Year's Day. Local guide Kaho was with her elderly mother at the time, and they were thrown to the ground by the force of the quake. Just over 16 months later, the death toll stands at 581 and the impact is still very much in evidence. We pick our way over a concrete quay that was buckled and distorted by the tremors. A large Kiku cherry tree catches my eye. It's a late-blooming variety with billowing double petals like candy floss. If this were anywhere else in Japan, there would be crowds, but in Noto it's just our party of 12 – from the UK, US, Hong Kong and Australia – travelling with Kaho on Walk Japan's inaugural Noto journey. Devised by Kaho Walk Japan's CEO Paul Christie, the tour delves deep into the area's food and onsen culture, and also its recovery efforts, with opportunities to meet locals at every turn. We regroup on a woodland path carpeted with butterbur. 'We ate this yesterday,' Kaho reminds us, picking a heart-shaped leaf. It was just one highlight of a delicious lunch we enjoyed at Saryo Somamichi restaurant in Wajima City. We travelled there along Noto's west coast after our first day together in Kanazawa – exploring a gold leaf workshop and lunching on bento from two-Michelin-star chef Seiichi Nakagawa – and a night in a hot-spring hotel. After a morning spent walking the craggy path to Fukura'swooden Meiji-era lighthouse, we drove to Saryo Somamichi, pulling over where the coastline had been lifted four metres higher, and the ocean floor exposed by the raw power of the earthquake. Saryo Somamichi was a tranquil contrast. One of Noto's finest restaurants, it is located in an old minka farmhouse renovated by architect Yoshifumi Nakamura, the restaurant's former premises having been destroyed. Chef Yutaka Kitazaki has elevated the locally foraged and fished produce to an art form, and we enjoyed dishes such as koshiabura (a wild mountain shoot) tempura and steamed rock fish served on lacquerware by Akito Akagi, a master of Wajima-nuri, a craft synonymous with Wajima. That evening, at Kappo Kuwagumi restaurant, we witnessed the artistry involved in Wajima-nuri at a private demonstration by Hiroyuki Ebata, a 4th-generation artisan of maki-e – a decorative technique using metallic powder. Over the 10-course parade of seasonal cuisine that followed – including firefly squid, Noto beef, cherry blossom mochi and plenty of local sake – Ebata revealed that he is currently creating his masterpieces from a temporary workshop, his home-studio having been rendered unliveable by the quake. On foot in Wajima the next morning, we saw for ourselves the destruction, with street after street of collapsed buildings and rubble in what was once the busy central market. Next to our hotel – the only one back up and running – were scores of temporary homes; the kind Ebata was now living in. It was deeply affecting. Traces of the quake were everywhere we went, but so too were indelible moments of joy. Like meeting the elderly owner of Torii Shoyu in Nanao, who invited us into her soy sauce microbrewery to taste the first batch she had made since the earthquake. Or stopping amongst rice paddies to taste award-winning Italian gelato made with Noto's creamy cow milk. Or listening to Takamitsu Haya, the resident of Noto town, share his experience of the quake and educating us about the area's local squid, while dressed as one. 'Once you are home', Haya implored, 'take five minutes to think of Noto – to remember how it felt to be here, and to help us move towards a bright future'. Kate was a guest of Walk Japan. The company's next four-night 'Onsen Gastronomy: Noto' tours take place in October and November 2025, with four more planned for 2026. From £2,355pp, full-board. Land only.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SoFi targets 30% member growth, CEO talks guidance
-- SoFi Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFI) continues to outline a multi-pronged strategy centered on member growth, product adoption, and long-term profitability, according to CEO Anthony Noto at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference. The company has guided to over 30% annual member growth and mid-to-high 20% revenue growth, while maintaining a goal to reach 50 million members within five years. Noto reiterated an earnings guidance range of $0.55 to $0.80 in EPS for 2026, depending on reinvestment levels and revenue trajectory. Incremental EBITDA margins are targeted at 30%, with the company expecting to reinvest 70% of incremental profit while dropping the remaining 30% to the bottom line. 'We do believe we can achieve the mix of business and capital efficiency to have a 20% to 30% ROE and that has not changed,' Noto said. SoFi's focus on cross-product adoption remains critical, with flagship offerings like SoFi Money and SoFi Relay serving as entry points to the broader financial ecosystem. New features, such as AI-driven tools like 'Cash Coach' and 'ExpenseR,' are designed to give personalized spending and saving recommendations, serving both member engagement and product expansion. On the lending side, Noto highlighted a significant opportunity in the company's loan platform business, which captures demand beyond SoFi's internal credit box. The platform now facilitates loan matching with external capital providers, offering a fee-based model that diversifies revenue. 'The market for the loan platform business is deeper and wider than we ever thought it was,' he said. SoFi is also using its technology to deepen capabilities across its credit card and investing segments. Recent performance improvements have pushed SoFi Invest to variable profitability, enabling greater investment in product enhancements, including expanded asset classes and alternative offerings. Meanwhile, the credit card business is being optimized for revolvers, with Noto noting that current industry-level returns suggest room for disruption. International expansion and future tech platform partnerships were mentioned as long-term opportunities, though Noto declined to disclose specific markets. He pointed to strong momentum in new enterprise deals set to launch in 2026, following renewed demand from large financial institutions. Related articles SoFi targets 30% member growth, CEO talks guidance Foot Locker shares surge as Dick's mulls $24-a-share buyout S&P 500's recovery has legs, as market shifts to 'show me' from 'scare me': BMO Sign in to access your portfolio
NHK
09-05-2025
- NHK
People in Japan's Noto region welcome first school trip since 2024 earthquake
About 100 students from Tokyo have visited Noto in central Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture. The prefecture says it marked the first school trip to the region since a devastating earthquake there early last year. At Noto Airport, prefectural employees and other people welcomed the third-grade students from a junior high school in Tokyo's Meguro Ward on Thursday. They held a banner expressing their gratitude for the group's visit. The students later planted rice seedlings in paddies located in an area that provides accommodation facilities. Visitors can experience traditional daily life there. A facility representative said she had been looking forward to the students' arrival and wanted to create nice memories for them. She expressed her hope that the school trip will help draw more people to Noto.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
SoFi Stock Up 22% As It Beats And Raises On Growth Flywheel
SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 08: Anthony Noto, chief financial officer of Twitter, attends the Allen & ... More Company Sun Valley Conference on July 8, 2015 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Many of the world's wealthiest and most powerful business people from media, finance, and technology attend the annual week-long conference which is in its 33rd year. (Photo by) Shares of SoFi Technologies have risen 22% since Monday after reporting expectations-beating first quarter results and raising full-year guidance. (Disclosure: I am a SoFi shareholder). Despite that good news, SoFi stock trades roughly 43% below its June 2021 peak of $23. Can SoFi stock reach new all-time highs? The answer depends on whether the company creates new sources of growth to power a string of future beat-and-raise quarters – in which the company exceeds quarterly performance targets and offers guidance above what analysts expecting. To do that, SoFi must be among the small number of public companies that continues to provide upbeat forecasts – as tariff uncertainty impels many public companies to stop offering guidance. Moreover, government policy could hinder and help SoFi's growth. Tariffs could drive many employers to part ways with employees – which could make the job market more difficult and increase SoFi's loan charge-offs. On the other hand, SoFi could benefit from looser cryptocurrency regulation which could create a new source of revenue growth. And pending legislation aimed at lessening government involvement with student loans could affect demand for SoFi student loans. Ultimately, SoFi will continue to benefit from a growth flywheel – the Financial Services Productivity Loop – in which customer lifetime value rises as the company's product innovation and brand building add new products, according to StockTitan. SoFi exceeded investor expectations for the first quarter of 2025 and raised full year guidance. The company delivered our highest revenue growth rate in five quarters, driven by new records in members, products, and fee-based revenue," SoFi CEO Anthony Noto said in a statement. "We are off to a tremendous start in 2025," he added. Here are the key numbers: Since early 2018 when he became CEO, Noto said he wanted to build a 'mission-driven company,' he told Barron's. 'From day one over seven years ago, it has always been our mission to become a one-stop shop,' he added. Aiming to make SoFi one of the top 10 financial institutions in the U.S. based on market capitalization, SoFi wants to help customers 'borrow better, save better, spend better, invest better, and protect better,' Noto concluded. SoFi appears to be relatively immune for now to the public company guidance conundrum – which is forcing CEOs to choose between the desire to raise guidance to benefit their stock prices and the tariff uncertainty making realistic forecasts impossible. Business leaders are feeling anxious about the Trump administration's shifting tariff policy and other regulatory changes, according to poll conducted last week by business group Leadership Now Project and the Harris Poll, featured in a Wall Street Journal report. After surveying 'more than 300 senior corporate executives,' 84% reported In a survey of more than 300 senior corporate executives released April 29, 84% reported feeling 'somewhat concerned or very concerned about how the current political and legal climate will affect their businesses,' noted the Journal. This concern has led some public companies to pull their guidance. General Motors, JetBlue, Snap and Volvo are among the companies withdrawing their guidance because 'the trade war's unknowable course and consequences make it futile to forecast future performance,' reported the Journal. Meanwhile, Porsche's new guidance excludes any tariff impact beyond May. "If the current tariffs remain in place, Porsche would need to raise prices and adjust its guidance again, the company said, according to the Journal. Tariffs are creating a new set of winners and losers. SoFi joins the list of winners – which include Netflix and ServiceNow, as I wrote in an April 25 Forbes post. New government polices could have a mixed impact on SoFi's future. The good news is loosening policies towards banks operating in the cryptocurrency business represent an opportunity for SoFi – enabling the fintech firm 'to offer crypto investing by year-end, barring unforeseen circumstances,' Noto told CNBC. It is unclear how new legislation aiming to tighten student loans would affect SoFi's business. The tighter lending terms in the bill could reduce demand for student loan refinancing. The bill could also increase loan charge offs in the short-term while improving longer-term credit quality, noted SoFi's Q1 2025 earnings call transcript. Finally, Trump's tariffs could hurt SoFi's growth. If tariffs remain at current levels, trade tensions could hurt growth and push inflation higher, motivating Morgan Stanley analyst Jeffrey Adelson to issue a sell rating on the stock and setting a price target of $6 – implying significant downside, according to The Globe And Mail. In 2021, one analyst envisioned SoFi would grow rapidly by 2025 and forge a path to profitability. Mizuho analyst, Dan Dolev wrote that he saw SoFi enjoying 40% average annual revenue growth between 2021 and 2025 and becoming profitable in 2024, according to my September 2021 Forbes post. Dolev was pretty close in his estimate. Between 2021 and 2024, SoFi's revenues grew at a 39% average annual rate from $977 million to $2,640 million. In 2024, SoFi earned $479 million in net income – after a loss in 2023, according to a company release. To reach profitability, SoFi needed to lower its costs as it grew. To that end, SoFi would need to investment in a platform to support new services and then encourage its customers to buy more of them, I wrote. In so doing, SoFi might 'spread its costs over more products — achieving economies of scope — and through excellent customer service has the potential to add many new customers — thus spreading its costs over more customers,' according to my post. Dolev envisioned this working as SoFi encouraged 'user engagement, nurturing a flywheel effect of more users taking advantage of SoFi's multiple services driving additional growth.' He expected this flywheel to create 'operating leverage' as revenues grow — ultimately 'shrinking losses profits,' according to Nasdaq. Will Morgan Stanley's bearish view prevail or will Noto's optimism enable the company's stock to rise? Here are three bullish analyst views: Yet with first quarter gross domestic product contracting 0.3%, according to CNBC, the concerns raised by Morgan Stanley could cap SoFi's upside. Disclosure: I own shares in SoFi Technologies – starting as an angel investor in 2014.
