Author: Marie Jones

Builds up Solid Financial Reserves for Enhancing Property Portfolio HONG KONG — Emperor International Holdings Limited (“Emperor International”) (Stock code: 163) today announced the signing of a club loan facility agreement amounting to HK$2,500 million (the “Club Loan”) with nine major banks. The proceeds of the Club Loan will be used for general working capital purposes. The nine major banks are The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (“HSBC”), Hang Seng Bank Limited, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited, China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited, Bank of Communications Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, The…

Hong Kong and Tokyo — JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., has launched JCB J/Speedy in partnership with First Data Corporation (First Data) in Hong Kong. JCB J/Speedy is the JCB brand contactless payment solution. JCB J/Speedy users simply tap their card or mobile phone on a reader to pay. Now they can pay at key international restaurant chains and duty free outlets using JCB J/Speedy. First Data will continue to support the rapid expansion of JCB J/Speedy acceptance in Hong Kong throughout 2018 followed by additional countries across the Asia Pacific region. Kimihisa Imada,…

UK Firms Polled on Post-BREXIT Strategy HONG KONG — The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) expects Hong Kong exports to increase in value by six percent, while the volume of exports is anticipated to grow by four percent in 2018. HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan attributed the rise to broad-based expansion in investment, trade and consumption, coupled with strengthening consumer and business confidence. “Overall demand will remain sturdy with the expansion in both developed and emerging economies,” said Mr Kwan. “This year’s positive export trend will likely carry on to next year, though the pace of growth is…

Focuses on Commodity Trading, Financial Services and Logistics Businesses; Enters New Development Stage HONG KONG — HNA Holding Group Co. Limited (“HNA Holding” or the “Company”, stock code: 521.HK) announced that it has officially changed its name from “HNA Holding Group Co. Limited” to “CWT International Limited” on 11 December 2017, the resolution of which was 100% approved by shareholders at the General Meeting held on 29 November 2017. In addition, the Company completed today the acquisition of all equity of CWT Limited (“CWT”, together with its subsidiaries “CWT Group”, SGX: C14), and as stated in the relevant announcements, CWT…

HONG KONG — Hua Hong Semiconductor Limited (“Hua Hong Semiconductor” or the “Company”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; stock code: 1347.HK), a global leading pure-play 200mm foundry, today introduced a world-class 12-bit Successive Approximation Register Analog Digital Converter (SAR ADC) IP based on its 0.11um Ultra-Low Leakage (ULL) embedded Flash (eFlash) process platform. This ADC IP has outstanding silicon proven features, such as up to 2MSPS sampling rate, multilple channels, high precision and low power consumption, which is ideal for high-performance micro-controller units (MCUs), and can fulfill needs of various applications, including Internet of Things (IoT). Leveraging on its extensive…

– This collaboration creates the world’s first clinically reliable and robust patient-specific diagnostic and predictive platform to improve treatment of liver cancer. – The platform will provide high throughput genomics and drug screening data from a patient’s liver cancer sample, to inform timely clinical management. – The high throughput data will significantly enhance and direct drug development for liver cancer. – This multi-institutional effort brings together leading experts in translational research in liver cancer from Singapore and the Republic of Korea. SINGAPORE — Scientists and doctors from Singapore institutes are collaborating with Samsung Medical Center (SMC), a leading academic medical centre…

First Deal for JV in Cold Storage Biz in Indonesia BANGKOK — JWD InfoLogistic PCL (JWD.TB), a leading “Total Logistics Solutions Provider”, and the Samudera Indonesia shipping group have established a Joint Venture firm to provide integrated logistics solutions in Indonesia. The JV firm’s initial mission is a 67% purchase in cold storage company based in Jakarta, with additional cold storages in other cities to follow. Samudera has stated the need to grow its presence in the inland logistics business, a sector with high growth potential, while JWD seeks to create Asean’s ‘Food & Cold Supply Chain’. Mr. Charvanin Bunditkitsada, JWD…

TOKYO — Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO), together with 7 other international utilities, today announced the launch of the second edition of Free Electrons, a global startup acceleration program to recruit energy startups that will drive the next generation of ideas in clean energy, energy efficiency, e-mobility, digitization, and on-demand customer services. Startups chosen for Free Electrons participate in three separate week-long acceleration modules in San Francisco and two other locations around the world. Free Electrons was initiated by eight international utilities, AusNet Services, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), ESB (Electricity Supply Board), EDP (Energias de Portugal), innogy,…

350 world leaders gather in H.K.on Monday to exchange insights and strategies towards redefining education of the future HONG KONG — With today’s educational systems remaining essential to preparing new generations for an increasingly complex and uncertain future, the largest international prize in education, the Yidan Prize, presented the inaugural Yidan Prize Summit towards navigating ways of revolutionizing education and driving mankind into an era of human-machine interdependence. With the theme “Education Redefined: The Future is Now”, the summit brought together more than 350 global leaders including business leaders, policy makers, and senior representatives from multilaterals, NGOs and academia to discuss…

Global Offering of 100,000,000 Shares; Offer Price Ranges from HK$1.0 to HK$1.20 per Share HONG KONG — Vicon Holdings Limited (“Vicon” or the “Group”), a specialist foundation contractor focusing on design-and-build foundation projects in Hong Kong private sector, today announced the details of the proposed listing of its shares (the “Listing”) on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“SEHK”). Offering Details The Group proposes to issue a total of 100,000,000 Shares (the “Offer Shares”), of which 90% or 90,000,000 Shares (subject to reallocation and the Over-allotment Option) will be offered to professional and institutional investors under…

HONG KONG — Shenzhen Expressway Company Limited (“Shenzhen Expressway”, or the “Group”; Stock Code: 00548) announced that the Group has acquired 100% equity interest in Coastal Company from Shenzhen International Holdings Limited (SIHCL) at a consideration of RMB1.472 billion. Upon completion of the Acquisition, Coastal Company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shenzhen Expressway. Investment, construction, operation and management of toll highways and roads are within ordinary and usual course of business for Shenzhen Expressway. This acquisition of Coastal Company, subsequent to Shenzhen Expressway’s previous acquisition of 100% equity interest in Yichang Expressway, will further expand its road network layout, which,…

HONG KONG — Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA), a professional association dedicated to promoting the profession of investor relations to international standards, is pleased to announce today the launch of “Investor Relations Best Practice Guide,” its first book since the association’s establishment. The book offers a closer look at the work nature of the investor relations (IR) industry in Hong Kong with practical tips and advice based on real-life experiences from IR professionals at Hong Kong’s listed companies. Dr. Eva Chan, Founding Chairman of HKIRA, said, “HKIRA is proud to launch its first publication. Since we established the Association in…

HONG KONG — The world’s largest education prize, the Yidan Prize laureates accepted the inaugural awards and received gold medals from The Honorable Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, at the Yidan Prize Award Presentation Ceremony held Sunday (12/10) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Each of the laureates will receive HK$30 million (about US$3.87 million) to recognize their distinguished contributions to global education and to help fund their future work. Carol S. Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, received the Yidan Prize for…

SINGAPORE / TOKYO — mybitwallet, a leading digital payment services provider, now offers a JPY/USD/EUR currency exchange service on a round-the-clock basis. This newly extended service allows users anywhere, from any location or time zone around the world, to transact anytime – between JPY, USD and EUR on the digital mybitwallet platform. mybitwallet users are able to exchange funds with just 2 simple steps: 1. Select base currency and target currency from currencies (JPY/USD/EUR) on the platform. 2. Enter the amount requested for an exchange of currency and submit. The currency exchange service is free for all mybitwallet users, with no…

HONG KONG — FinEX Asia Investment Limited (“FinEX Asia”), an investment management arm of Hong Kong-based global FinTech platform, today announced it has received Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) approval for Advising on Securities and Asset Management licenses. As an international financial center, Hong Kong is best placed as the link between Asian investors and international assets, leveraging on mainland China’s FinTech landscape. “FinEX Asia is pleased to have received our SFC licenses.’ said Ms. Maggie Ng, Founder and CEO of FinEX Asia. “We appreciate the guidance we have received from the SFC during this thorough and detailed process. We believe…

HONG KONG — Shandong International Trust Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 1697.HK) commenced dealings on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange yesterday. It becomes the first Chinese trust to get listed in Hong Kong for the past two decades. Mrs. Wang Yingli, the chairperson of Shandong International Trust stated, “Listing on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited is an important milestone in the history of the Company. It is a new start for the strategic development target in the future. The Company will take it as the starting point, abide the Listing Rules of…

SEOUL, KOREA — Suprema, Inc., a leading global provider of biometrics and security technologies, today announced that the company has been recognized as one of the top 50 largest security company in A&S’s 2017 Security 50 rankings. In this year’s rankings, Suprema moved up in its ranking from 31st to 30th with its 2016 annual revenue of US$66.2 million. Since 2011, Suprema has been ranked in Security 50 for 7 consecutive years and is the only dedicated biometrics company in 2016 rankings. The Security 50 from A&S magazine is an annual rankings of publicly listed physical security manufacturers around the globe…

Masan Group is Vietnam’s largest conglomerate; holds a stake in Techcombank  SAN FRANCISCO, CA — All-Asia institutional equities broker Decker & Co. hosted Masan Group Corporation (MSN.VN) and management team members from Vietnam’s Techcombank in a U.S. non-deal roadshow concluding today. Masan Group, Vietnam’s largest conglomerate, owns 26% of Techcombank, Vietnam’s largest private bank. “Strong investor interest in Techcombank, given its status as Vietnam’s fastest-growing consumer bank and its planned initial public offering, comes as no surprise given its growth potential and the outperformance of Vietnamese consumer stocks in general,” said Mark Decker, founder and CEO of Decker & Co., which…

Japan’s TEPCO takes stake from Renewable Energy Systems Americas (RES) in an Ohio-based battery storage project to provide frequency regulation in PJM network TOKYO — TEPCO Holdings, the Tokyo-based electric power company, announced today it has acquired from Colorado-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES), 50 percent interests of Battery Utility of Ohio, LLC (BUO), that provides frequency regulation services to PJM, a regional U.S. transmission network operator. TEPCO, through the acquisition, and RES will each own 50 percent of BUO. BUO uses a battery storage system manufactured by BYD America, a large Chinese battery supplier, along with the RESolve(R) control…

HONG KONG — HKC (Holdings) Limited (“HKC” or “the Group”) (HKEx: 190) announces the opening of Shanghai Landmark Center at the beginning of December. Landmark Center has a GFA of approximately 160,000 square meters (a GFA of approximately 246,000 square meters including basement) of office and retail space. The two 147 meter tall towers offer outstanding and panoramic views of the Huangpu and Suzhou rivers, the historical buildings on the Bund and the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui. Located near the iconic Waibaidu Bridge and at the intersection of the Suzhou and Huangpu rivers, the buildings are just a few minutes walking…