Latest news with #WIF
The Star
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Delay in major Uzma project remains a concern
The order book could grow by RM1bil following Uzma's latest win. PETALING JAYA: The delay in Uzma Bhd 's major project has caused analysts to be concerned about the impact on its earnings despite the substantial new contract wins of the oil and gas (O&G) company. UOB Kay Kian (UOBKH) Research stated the sailaway of the Sara water injection facility (WIF) to offshore Sabah site would likely be delayed to October this year or February next year instead of the April 2025 target due to various client-requested design changes. 'Uzma can deliver the WIF in October, but it will encounter the monsoon when it arrives at Hibiscus Petroleum's offshore site in Sabah. Under this scenario, Uzma may have to bear the high transportation and installation costs. 'Therefore, from a project cost perspective, it is better to sail away in February 2026 (but also means the startup will miss financial year 2026 (FY26) completely),' the research house stated. On the positive side, Uzma has grown its order book to RM4.1bil as of April but unfortunately many of the projects are small, UOBKH Research added. The order book could grow by RM1bil following Uzma's latest win. It has secured a two-year long-term charter contract from PETRONAS Carigali for the seismic vessel WOA, from March 14, 2025 to March 13, 2027. The contract involved comprehensive seismic data acquisition across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, in addition to providing ancillary services such as catering, according to Phillip Capital Research. It expected the charter to contribute about RM10mil in annual profit to Uzma. Uzma's order book growth was primarily O&G-driven (with O&G comprising 74% mix), and the bulk of the growth came from the production service segment, which surged from RM1.1bil to RM2bil quarter-on-quarter. Uzma will miss its five-year internal target of a recurring income mix of 60% due partly to the delay risk of Sara-WIF. 'We believe this downside risk is fully priced in, but recommend a wait-and-see approach for earnings delivery and the (environmental, social and governance) development. 'Retain 'buy' and target price (TP) of 76 sen a share,' UOBKH Research noted in its latest report on the company following a briefing with Uzma's management. The valuation is at an unchanged price earnings (PE) multiple of eight times. Phillip Capital Research also retained its 'buy' rating on Uzma with a TP of 76 sen a share, based on eight-times PE on FY26 earnings per share. The stock is currently trading at an attractive four-times forward FY26 PE, with a forward dividend yield of 5% providing additional support to the share price.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Ministries & Divs: ECC clears TSG summaries
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. The ECC took up a number of summaries from various ministries and divisions seeking Technical Supplementary Grants (TSGs) besides some other crucial matters brought to the Cabinet body. For the summaries submitted for grant of TSGs, the ECC considered and decided the following: Rs. 1.259 billion TSG for Ministry of Finance to return the amount to the Government of Sindh as un-utilized funds from wheat seed cash reimbursement programme. Rs. 5.6 billion TSG for the Ministry of Finance as rupee cover for ADB funded Women Inclusive Finance (WIF) project Rs. 231.893 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control to meet the additional funds requirement of civil armed forces Rs. 64 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control on account of staff transferred to CDA from the Pak. PWD Rs. 50 million TSG for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to support PILDAT for promotion of democracy by focusing on governance and public policy. Rs. 90 million TSG for Petroleum Division for execution of gas schemes in the province of Punjab. Rs. 100 million TSG for Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety as grant-in-aid to release the funds to SOS Children's Villages Pakistan. Rs. 1.889 billion TSG for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for clearing advertising liabilities and other expenditures Rs. 2.150 billion TSG for Ministry of Housing and Works for onward transfer to Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited for execution of development schemes of District Swabi. Rs. 1.70 billion TSG for Ministry of Defence for technological upgradation of ISPR. Rs. 400 million TSG for Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control for development expenditure under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP). Rs. 40.34 billion TSG for Economic Affairs Division on account of revised budget estimates for FY2024-25 for repayment of short-term foreign loan credits. Rs. 2.232 million TSG for Ministry of Law and Justice for reimbursement of funds to CDA in respect of project covering establishment of district courts in Islamabad. Rs. 2.750 million for Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training for the Prime Minister's Youth Skill Development Programme. Rs. 750 million TSG for Power Division for development expenditure. Rs. 1.2 billion TSG for Ministry of Interior for arrangement of 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) in Islamabad. Rs. 14 million TSG for Ministry of Kashmir Affairs &Gilgit Baltistan for employees related expenditure. Rs. 294 million TSG for Ministry of Finance for merged Ministry of KAGB and SAFRON. The ECC also took up and approved a summary by Power Division for approval of a tripartite power purchase agreement of 1145 MG Karachi Nuclear Plant Unit-2 (K-2) and Unit-3 (K-3) at Karachi. On a summary of the Petroleum Division regarding the Machike-Thallian - Tarrujabba White Oil Pipeline, the ECC accorded full backing to the project but deferred the matter until the next ECC meeting for detailed working by the Finance, Planning and Petroleum Divisions on the financial and operational modalities of the proposal. The ECC also considered a summary by the Ministry of Commerce and approved amendment in import policy order (IPO) for state-owned defence production entities and their wholly owned commercial subsidiaries. The ECC discussed and approved a proposal by the Finance Division for establishment of 'Women Inclusive Finance Support Fund' Trust under the Asian Development Bank funded women inclusive finance project. The ECC also considered a summary by the Ministry of National Food Security & Research seeking notification of minimum indicative prices of tobacco crop (2025) and revision of cess rates on tobacco for the year 2025-26. The cabinet body discussed the matter and approved the proposal with the instruction to the Ministry to come up with a plan to do away with the existing regime in future in line with the government policy of promoting deregulation in the crop sector. The ECC also considered and approved a summary by the Ministry of Housing and Works for withdrawal of directives transfer Hyderabad Package (PSDP#223) and Karachi (PSDEP#222) from the Government of Sindh to PIDCL. The Cabinet body also considered and approved a summary by the Finance Division, outlining the policy for the grant of honourarium to the government employees. The meeting was attended by Minister for Power SardarAwais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister for Investment Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Chairman SECP along with federal secretaries and senior officials from relevant ministries and divisions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Women in Their 40s: Breaking the Shadows and Embracing Change
A change in perspective is medicinal and life altering. A person, a book, an institution, a conversation, a walk, a disease, a film; can do that for you. In my case, professionally speaking, Shadowbox became the gift that kept giving. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Because Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi (the directors) were generous and open at a time when my life was very tumultuous. Being at the Berlinale was not just extraordinary creative stimulation, but also a celebration of the six-year long journey with this film. As a society, women are thrust into the shadows as they enter their forties. Our worth is directly proportional to our ability to reproduce. As women fight back against these archaic ways of thinking, it will take more than platitudes of equality to calm us down. We are asking for information, access, and education to be shared. That is power. Women in films is an aggregator that is talking to this urgent need. WIF chapters around the world have seen clear success in increasing the number of women at work and better advocacy. So it's not a shot in the dark and hope and a prayer, IT is real change. Give women access to rooms where knowledge is shared and decisions are made. We are not asking for favours. The maiden outing of the WIF India chapter, was to send three of us to attend the producers network at Cannes. Seven days of rapid information shared about the various aspects of producing, case studies of models that worked and those that failed. The collective is not a warm, fuzzy, emotional relationship (nothing wrong with any of this) that can easily devolve into yet another clique, but a professional network that gains momentum with its strength of number and its desire to share information and access. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The core focus is to skill women up and close the gap between men and women in our industry. Men who become allies will only benefit from this inclusion and those who resist it, will be resisting the very idea of change, which is inevitable. To go from the Baksho Bondi collective to the WIF collective, from Berlin to Cannes, I see a pattern emerge. I am my best, when I am learning without the fear of ridicule and when I amsharing without the fear of competition. From Feb to May of 2025 I have learnt from many lives, and I hope to continue actively nurturing this collective, while I enjoy the solitude of my own creative process. One feeds the other.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘WIF India aims to reshape not just representation, but the very framework of filmmaking'
Team WIF at Cannes This week at Cannes, Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor launched Women in Film India (WIF India), an initiative partnered with Women in Film LA to support and unite women across Indian film, TV, and digital announcement that Guneet would head the India chapter was made last year, but the official debut took place last week at Cannes. 'When I began my journey in film, resources and mentorship were limited, and the path was challenging,' Monga said. 'Women in Film India is the space I wish had existed back then.' For decades, the unofficial motto for women in Indian film has been - figure it out alone. Now, with WIF India, the plan is to upskill, fund, and mentor women across roles - not just actresses and directors, but producers, crew heads, line managers, screenwriters - the entire ecosystem. The first big move of WIF India is the Cannes Producers' Scholarship. The inaugural recipients include emerging producer Tillotama Shome (one of the producers of Berlinale's Shadowbox), studio executive Rucha Pathak, and independent producer Dimpy Agarwal, who's known for backing socially sharp stories. 'We're building a peer group of women, by women,' Guneet said. 'These global programs exist - but we're making sure they're accessible to Indian women too." 'Independent' doesn't mean alone' WIF India plans to tackle nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking - skill development, crew management, real-world mentorship. Vani Tripathi Tikoo, producer and board member says that despite of all the progress, being a woman in the Indian film industry still often means navigating boys' club. Vani says that WIF India is backed by women who've actually navigated their way through the industry. She adds,"Gender bias is real. Let's say 20 years ago, there were five women producers. Today, there are 50. But are they known? No." And she is not wrong. The names are there. But the access, visibility, and networks? Still lacking. 'Collaborations happen in silos,' Tikoo said. ' This is about creating an intentional, collective push to bring women together - not just on paper, but in action. Across states, languages, industries.' Tilotama Shome says, 'I'm a product of independent cinema, but 'independent' doesn't mean alone. It means having the freedom to make your film your way. But filmmaking is expensive, and high-risk. But making films is expensive and high risk. Hence, it is very important to have a collective that shares information and insights. Given, that the representation of women in films are so low, the up skilling endeavours of WIF, will play an important role towards equity. Education is access and it will be key in pushing the needle towards parity." Vani Tripathi Tikoo says,'In the past eight years, Nicole Kidman has collaborated with 27 female directors across her film and television projects. If our A-listers and leading actresses make it a point to work with women directors every couple of years, it could go a long way in strengthening sisterhood in cinema.' 'It's also about mentorship from people we may not have had access to otherwise' That sense of shared purpose and a long-overdue support system is what drives producer Dimpy Agarwal as well. 'Women in Film India is about to bring real change to how women are seen not just in front of the camera, but in the very structure of how films are made,' she said. 'It's about learning new and creative ways of producing, directing, and screenwriting. It's about mentorship from people we may not have had access to otherwise. This platform offers that and that's exactly the kind of change we need in today's landscape.' The days at Cannes are packed from morning to evening with expert guidance from producers, sales agents, festival programmers and distributors: Tillotama Shome For far too long, there has been a non porous wall between actors and producers, rife with feelings of not understanding each other. It's high time we worked in healthy collaboration. I was invited into the role of a producer with Baksho Bondi ( Shadowbox) by Tanushree Das and Saunyananda Sahi, that had its world premiere at Berlin this year. The learning curve was steep, but it opened my mind to the various moving pieces that go into putting a film together. So I feel very fortunate to follow up this rich experience with being a part of Women in Films, India's maiden step, to attend the producers network at Cannes. The days are packed from morning to evening with expert guidance from producers, sales agents, festival programmers and distributors. I am still reeling with all the information. It also feels amazing to share this journey with two women I admire:Rucha Pathak and Dimpy Agrawal. WIF India Producer's Network Cannes Scholarship has helped me to raise and push my talents as a Producer on a global level: Rucha Pathak "WIF India Producer's Network Cannes Scholarship has helped me to raise and push my talents as a Producer on a global level. From leading Creative and Development at big studios like UTV & UTV Spotboy; from my stint as Chief Creative Officer at Fox Star Studios; and Producing movies at Excel Entertainment — I am now exploring films as a Producer on a global level. As the world comes closer in a post-pandemic era we can tell local stories that can go global. I feel we are now perfectly poised to craft high-impact cinema that pushes creative boundaries and I want to create cinema that's exemplary in terms of being Indian but also going international." We've been going to a lot of other Women in Film chapters and everyone and it's and it's it's actually great to see that everyone's kind of facing similar issues: Dimpy Agarwal "This launch actually feels amazing and it feels like there's a support system for you and it's not a lonely journey because sometimes as women producers, it can tend to get lonely, but there is a support group, people that we can go to with like Rucha, Tillotama, Guneet Rabya, all of us being in the same room, sharing knowledge. We've been going to a lot of other Women in Film chapters and everyone and it's and it's it's actually great to see that everyone's kind of facing similar issues, similar things and how everyone's so supportive of each other and, you know, really helping everyone out, each other out in either setting up meetings for us or introducing someone that we are looking for for our projects. And the entire experience has been very informative about learning about different pre-production systems, learning about different producers, what their wins are, what their losses are." What's Women in Films India About? Women in Films India already had its first board meeting. Vani Tripathi Tikoo, board member, says,'Right before Cannes, we had a meeting where it was decided that we'd launch during the festival. As part of Women in Films India, there will be mentorship programs, collaborative events, and consistent community-building. If I had to sum up the objective in four points: -Women in Films India is more than a platform — it's here to make change. -It will unite film, TV, and digital media under one umbrella. -It will create scholarships and initiatives so women can be heard, seen, celebrated. - It's a one-stop space for women in film to come together and collaborate.' -In addition to the three main fellows, WIF India has awarded a special accreditation grant to Shefali Bhushan, an outstanding woman producer from the Marathi-language film industry, further expanding the organization's support for regional voices. Who can join? Vani says,"The platform's launched. Anyone can join. Yes, there will be some filtering - but it's not gatekeeping. It's to ensure that a real community is being built. One that's language-agnostic, medium-agnostic. Whether you're making documentaries, shorts, OTT shows, web content, feature films - you're in. The board of directors which also includes Karan Johar and Nikkhil Advani will be responsible for policy, but more than that for creating opportunities and for mentoring." Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Pepe, dogwifhat see price gains amid altcoin spike
PEPE jumped to above $0.0000092, up nearly 13% as volume spiked 46%. Meanwhile, dogwifhat hit highs of $0.64, also up 13% as altcoins mirrored Bitcoin gains. Analysts say President Donald Trump's announcement of a trade deal with the UK could spark further gains. Pepe (PEPE) and dogwifhat (WIF) are among the top gainers in the crypto market today as Bitcoin rides bullish sentiment to near $100k. The meme coins, ranked 28th and 98th by market cap on CoinMarketCap, posted double-digit gains as Bitcoin rose 3%, hitting a two-month high alongside a broader rally in risk assets. PEPE traded at around $0.000009217, up by 12.59% at the time of writing. Whale activity suggests investor confidence. This whale just bought 500B $PEPE($4.36M) again and currently holds 2T $PEPE($17.42M). — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) May 8, 2025 Meanwhile, dogwifhat hovered near $0.64, up 13% in the past 24 hours. The gains happened alongside a spike in trading volume, Pepe recording a 46% surge in daily volume to $766 million, while dogwifhat saw an increase of 44% to about $242 million. dogwifhat, Pepe surge as crypto reacts to trade deal news Bitcoin surged as investors reacted to President Donald Trump's announcement of a massive trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom. As risk-on sentiment kicked in, equities signaled a rally with futures up. Cryptocurrencies, including the memecoins PEPE and WIF, rose alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. EOS and Pudgy Penguins led the top performers. With the trade deal likely to be among many others lined up, analysts say an easing of tariff tensions could spark fresh market optimism. 'President Trump teased a major trade deal this morning, with speculation pointing to the UK. Despite a few details, the headline alone sparked a sharp risk-on reaction across global markets,' QCP Capital analysts noted. 'Crypto jumped on the news. $BTC rose 2.74% to reclaim $99K, while $ETH surged 6.89%, breaking out of a three-week range. Options flow showed strong demand for May and June calls, signalling renewed bullish sentiment,' they added. PEPE and WIF price outlook While analysts urge a cautious approach as the US markets open, they see a BTC close above $100k as potentially adding to the upside. This scenario could see meme coins soar amid capital rotation into anticipated gainers. The surge in volume and open interest (+13% to $454 million for PEPE, and +16% to $244 million for dogwifhat) suggests strong interest in the tokens. If this sentiment holds as BTC rallies, buying pressure could see PEPE and WIF rise to key levels. WIF price could return to above $1 if bulls edge higher. Meanwhile, Pepe may see a zero taken off the price range, with recent hurdles at $0.000015 and $0.000020 key.
