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A man watches stock quotations on an electronic board outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou SINGAPORE   – Asian shares spiked on Thursday and the dollar slid after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it could pause interest rate rises following turmoil in the banking sector, though it also reiterated its commitment to fighting sticky inflation. In a widely expected move, the Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points, but it recast its outlook to a more cautious stance as a result of the banking stress. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1 percent to touch a two-week high of 515.62. The index was on track for its best week in more than two months. Focus now shifts to the Bank of England, with investors expecting a quarter-percentage-point increase in its policy rate after a surprise jump in inflation squashed hopes of the central bank pausing its tightening campaign. Asia’s rally looked unlikely to … [Read more...] about Asian shares surge, dollar slips after Fed hints at rate pause

MANILA, Philippines  – Tycoon Edgar Saavedra’s Megawide Construction Corp. is rolling out a P1.5 -billion preferred share sale next week after pricing the initial dividend rate at 7.09 percent. In a stock exchange notice, the construction and engineering group said the offer period will run from March 28 to April 4 this year. The shares will be listed on April 17. Megawide is selling up to 15 million preferred shares at P100 per share. It tapped RCBC Capital Corp. as sole issue manager, lead underwriter and book runner for the offer. The company earlier said the offer proceeds would be used to fully redeem its series 2A preferred shares that were issued in 2020, according to the deal prospectus dated Jan. 5, 2023. These were being redeemed before the dividend rate increases due to a step-up feature that kicks in on May 27 this year. The company retains the option to redeem the series 5 shares in 2026 or three years from the listing date, an earlier prospectus showed. … [Read more...] about Megawide to start P1.5-B preferred share offering on March 28

One of my favorite lines in a song comes from—wait for it—Katy Perry’s Roar : “I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything,” which is a cue for my youngest daughter to sprint to her costume pile, and the rest of my family to start dancing like crazy around our house. Anytime I am in a situation where I feel like keeping my hand down instead of raising it or swallowing a comment because I felt like my voice wasn’t the most important one in the room, I remember that line. If you don’t stand up for yourself, you are allowing someone else to choose your path. It’s only when you find your voice and stand your ground that you realize you always had the ability to do it, you just had to stand up for yourself. As often happens in my life, I learned this lesson the hard way, as a charity auctioneer. Tell me if this sounds familiar. You walk into a meeting filled with people of all ages and genders. This scenario doesn’t have to be in an office, it could be a classroom, a … [Read more...] about The mindset shift you need in order to stop your inner voice from sabotaging you

Each year, Frank Weishaupt, CEO of the AI-powered video conferencing solution provider Owl Labs, reviews last year’s calendar to see how he spent his time. The exercise can uncover areas that need improvement so you can be proactive with your priorities, he says. “Planning your weeks is incredibly important,” says Weishaupt. “Look at your activities and determine whether those activities match your goals. It’s a constant evaluation and optimization. If you’re not taking the time to do that, you know, you’re probably not using your time wisely.” Going into 2023, he decided to dramatically change how he schedules meetings. His first step was to make sure he was holding the right meetings. For example, some meetings had become routine, but they didn’t make sense anymore. If you’re not sure whether a meeting is worth holding or not, Weishaupt suggests flushing your calendar and starting over. “Then think about everything that’s coming your way,” he says. “I purged the … [Read more...] about It’s time to get intentional about what day of the week you hold meetings

Goal setting is one of those things that seems like it would be fundamental to success. If you’ve read any books or articles about getting ahead in your career or life, you’ve probably come across tips on setting goals (like SMART goal setting) so that you can successfully meet them. But setting goals may not be as relevant anymore, and there may be better alternatives to managing your career–and your life. Part of the reason goal setting may be becoming irrelevant is because of the speed of change and the volatility of the world. When everything is moving so fast and changing, the goals you set for yourself can become redundant. That said, it’s very powerful to imagine yourself succeeding in the future and focus on your preferred version of tomorrow. The key is to seek to be directionally accurate , knowing that things are constantly changing in a way you can’t always predict. Here are five effective ways to take charge of your career when you’re operating in … [Read more...] about Forget about goal setting. Try these 5 strategies instead

As children, most of us were raised to not talk to strangers. The rule is meant to keep us safe, but carrying the idea into adulthood can cause us to miss out on enriching conversations. A new study published in the Psychological and Cognitive Sciences journal reveals that people actually enjoy talking to strangers more than they expect and the exchange can provide benefits. “We already know from previous research that people think they’ll enjoy spending their commute in silence, but it turns out that talking to a fellow passenger is more pleasant,” says Stav Atir, assistant professor of management at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead author of the study. “People underestimate the informational value of conversations. Yet, it’s an asset we are underutilizing.” Atir teamed up with University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business colleagues Nicholas Epley, who is a professor of behavioral science, and graduate student … [Read more...] about How (and why) you should get better at talking to strangers

There’s a common complaint in the workplace today: Employees’ schedules are often so packed with meetings that they have no time to do their actual jobs. Back in 2017, 71% of senior managers said that meetings were unproductive and inefficient; 65% reported that they got in the way of completing tasks. Since 2020, the problem has gotten worse. Research shows that with the rise of remote work, employees are spending more time in meetings and the workday has been extended by more than 45 minutes. This is unnecessary, and the good news is, it doesn’t have to be your team’s reality. I know this from experience. Running a $4-billion company with employees all around the world has forced me to rethink my approach to communication, and I encourage our leaders to do the same. By ensuring that every team has a deliberate, pared-down approach to meetings, we’ve increased productivity and boosted morale. Here are five strategies to help your team make the most of their … [Read more...] about 5 ways to cut down on meetings and make them more productive

Whether it’s what to order for lunch or what to do next in your career, being a more efficient decision-maker can improve your productivity and your quality of life. Getting caught up in “analysis paralysis” wastes time, but making quick decisions can, too. “What happens when someone is faced with an issue or given a project is that they typically jump in; they confuse activity with impact,” says Christopher Frank, coauthor of Decisions Over Decimals: Striking the Balance Between Intuition and Information . “They start scheduling meetings, and emails start to fly. People chase the perfect decision, and that perfect decision doesn’t exist. You may get a good decision, a poor decision, or no decision at all.” Instead, Frank, who is vice president of global marketplace insights at American Express and an adjunct professor at Columbia University, says individuals and teams should approach the decision by asking one question first: What do I wish I knew? Determine the … [Read more...] about This simple question will help you make better decisions

TRANSPARENCY POLICY President Duterte signs an executive order laying down his administration’s policy of full public disclosure and transparency in public service, but it does not cover the legislature, judiciary and even local governments. —MALACAÑANG PHOTO President Rodrigo Duterte’s issuance of an executive order on freedom of information (FOI) was a much-lauded move and a step in the right direction, but it has had “unintended consequences” that have not always led to greater transparency. Executive Order No. 2, signed on July 23, 2016, and implemented for about seven months now, has laid down a policy of full public disclosure and transparency in public service to promote accountability, and sets the guidelines for requesting and releasing information from offices under the executive branch. Subsequent issuances laid down exceptions to transparency and the administrative penalties for government officers who would not abide by these. Congress, LGUs not covered The … [Read more...] about Duterte’s FOI order leads to ‘unintended consequences’

The Evergrande Center of China Evergrande Group is seen in Shanghai, China Sept 24, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song HONG KONG  -China Evergrande Group’s debt restructuring proposal, a test of investor sentiment toward the battered property sector, failed to impress because of its long repayment period and lack of enough sweeteners, creditors and analysts said. Evergrande is the world’s most indebted developer with about $300 billion in liabilities. Its debt restructuring, the country’s biggest such exercise, is aimed at saving it from a disorderly collapse. The developer has $22.7 billion of offshore debt, all of which is deemed to be in default. The plan provided two main options to its dollar bondholders to recoup their investments. Creditors can either swap all of their holdings into new notes with maturities of 10 to 12 years, or convert them into different combinations of new notes with tenors of five to nine years and equity-linked instruments. Bondholders of notes issued by … [Read more...] about Evergrande debt revamp plan fails to cheer investors, property stocks fall