Why rate hikes

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin C how Shing Yuk, a former professional poker player who studied economics at Stanford University, has joined the billionaire ranks, but not because he drew a lucky hand. Over the past decade, Chow, 44, has steadily built Lalamove into a logistics and delivery giant from a base in Hong Kong, backed by the likes of Neil Shen’s Sequoia China and Lei Zhang’s Hillhouse Capital. On Tuesday, Chow’s company, whose formal name is Lalatech Holdings, filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong that revealed he owns a 25% stake through a family trust. Based on Chow’s stake and proceeds of earlier share sales, Forbes estimates, his net worth to be $2.2 billion, making him a rare startup billionaire in Hong Kong. Lalatech’s last private fundraising was a $230 million Series G round in November 2021, during the startup bubble. According to a report by technology website the Information, that round valued Lalatech at a … [Read more...] about Former Pro Poker Player, Who Founded Asian Delivery Giant Lalamove With His Winnings, Becomes A Billionaire

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Succession is off to an awesome start on HBO, breaking viewership records for the show with its Season 1 premiere. Things may be grim for the Roy family, but they’re looking brighter than ever for the show itself. The Season 4 premiere brought in 2.3 million viewers Sunday, up 33% from the Season 3 finale, which drew 1.7 million viewers and held the previous record. The Season 4 premiere was up 62% compared to the Season 3 premiere. The numbers are still well below HBO’s other big 2023 hit, The Last Of Us, which topped out at 8.2 million viewers for the Season 1 finale. Season 4 picks up right after the dramatic conclusion to Season 3 when Logan Roy (Brian Cox) decided to sell Waystar RoyCo without consulting his children, all of whom were desperate to succeed him as boss. Now, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) are doing whatever it takes to get back at their father. After … [Read more...] about ‘Succession’ Season 4 Premiere Breaks Ratings Record On HBO

Inflation concerns among small business owners remained at record highs this quarter, according to a quarterly poll conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife released on Wednesday. The first quarter of 2023 was the fifth in a row where inflation was considered the biggest challenge for small business owners, according to the Small Business Index. A record high of 54% reported that, which is a 31-point increase from Q4 2021. “This quarter, small businesses’ concerns over inflation are soaring and their view of the broader economy is darkening, though they still report that their own businesses are in good health,” said Tom Sullivan, Vice President of Small Business Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In San Francisco, minimum wage increases are based on the yearly rise in the Consumer Price Index every July 1. “That means my rate jumps from $16.99 to $18.07 or 6.36%,” said Hrag Kalebijan, owner of Henry’s House of Coffee, according to the Index. “The … [Read more...] about Inflation Continues To Plague Small Businesses For Fifth Consecutive Quarter: REPORT

Daqo New Energy Corp., a maker of silicon and polysilicon products used primarily in solar energy applications, tops the list of stocks offering the best value in the tech sector heading into April. In the growth category, 3D printing firm Nano Dimension Ltd. leads the way, while chip testing provider Aehr Test Systems is the tech stock with the most momentum. In March, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the ninth time in a year. The latest increase comes in the midst of a banking crisis triggered by the collapse of tech-friendly Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Since tech companies are sensitive to higher interest rates, stocks in the sector have struggled throughout the Fed's anti-inflation campaign. Tech stocks, represented by the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLK ), lost a tenth of their value in the past year, compared with a 14% drop in the Russell 1000 Index. Despite the challenging environment, the companies listed here are leading the … [Read more...] about Top Tech Stocks for April 2023

What Is Form W-2G: Certain Gambling Winnings? Form W-2G is an Internal Revenue Service document that a casino or other gambling establishment sends to customers who had winnings during the prior year that must be reported as income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Its full title is Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings. The form contains information that the taxpayer needs to file taxes for the year. It includes the total amount of winnings, the date or dates they were won, the type of wager, and how much federal and state income tax has already been withheld. All gambling winnings are taxable but only some gambling winnings are recorded with a Form W-2G. Key Takeaways The IRS requires U.S. citizens to report all gambling winnings as income, whether or not they receive a W2-G. Winnings from gambling, lotteries, and contests all must be reported as "Other Income" on Form 1040. Cash and the cash value of prizes are taxable. State and local taxes may be due on … [Read more...] about Form W-2G: Certain Gambling Winnings, Guide, and Filing How-to’s

Key Takeaways Tesla lowered the prices of its most expensive models for the second time this year. The price cuts come just days after investors expressed disappointment the company didn't unveil a new model at last week's investor day. The average price for a new Tesla has fallen by half in the past five years; the least expensive models now account for 95% of sales. Other automakers could follow amid gloomy profit forecasts. Shares of Tesla fell as much as 2% today after the company reduced U.S. prices of its most expensive models. Tesla cut the prices of its Model S sedan by 5% to $89,990 from $94,990 and its Model X SUV by 9% to $99,990 from $109,990. The company also reduced the upscale Plaid versions of each model to $109,990, down $5,000 and $10,000, respectively. The price reductions came days after investors expressed disappointment that Tesla didn't unveil a lower-priced model at its first-ever investor day . They also follow cuts of up to 20% on … [Read more...] about Tesla Cuts US Prices on Most Expensive Models

The U.S. President Joe Biden signs the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on August 9, 2022. [AFP/YONHAP] The United States is pushing foreign chip makers to disclose sensitive business data, including yield rates, to receive subsidies under the CHIPS and Science Act. Onerous is the requirement that some companies might decide not to apply for funding. The yield rate, the amount of a silicon wafer that is successfully made into dies, is considered a key indicator to determine a chip producer's manufacturing capabilities. It is often confidential. Other required information includes production capacity for each wafer, operation rates, estimated production yields, semiconductor prices on first-year production, annual production figures and the increase or decrease rate of the cost. All of the information need to be submitted as Excel files. It can be used to verify the final numbers and the calculation process, the U.S. … [Read more...] about Korean companies may walk away from CHIPS Act money

Ajay Banga, the former CEO of Mastercard that President Joe Biden has nominated to head the World Bank, told Axios Wednesday that both the bank and the private sector needed to spend “trillions” to combat both climate change and poverty. Banga has been aggressively campaigning for the job, meeting with officials from 37 different governments in the past three weeks, Axios reported . The World Bank faces competing pressure from wealthy and developing countries over whether to focus on combating climate change or poverty mitigation, but Banga said he does not view the two goals as inherently opposed to one another. (RELATED: Major Banks Bend The Knee To Climate Activists, Accelerate Plans To Cut Coal Investments) “I think it’s a fallacious argument that says, either-or,” Banga said to Axios. “I have every intention of focusing the bank and its people on the idea that this is an intertwined challenge.” The efforts to combat both climate change and poverty would cost … [Read more...] about Biden’s World Bank Pick Calls For ‘Trillions’ In Climate Spending

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There's a famous Mark Twain quote that often captures how I feel when I'm talking with sales colleagues. "What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know," Twain once observed. "It's what we know for sure that just ain't so." Social scientists have given this quote a more formal definition: the Dunning-Kruger effect. It's the phenomenon where those with the least expertise assume they'll excel at something, while those with the most make the opposite assumption. This phenomenon came to mind most recently when talking to a potential client. The client's company is growing rapidly. When I asked about the sales force, he said, "We have two ends and no middle." By that he meant that the team was composed only of older salespeople at the peak of their careers and much younger employees just getting started in the business. This seemed like a potential recipe for success – experienced veterans mentoring a new … [Read more...] about Hey, Salespeople: You’re Probably Wrong A Lot

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Here is the published version of this week’s Forbes Careers newsletter, which brings the latest news, commentary and ideas about the workplace, leadership and the future of work straight to your inbox every Wednesday. Click here to get on the newsletter list ! I t started in tech. But could it be spreading beyond Silicon Valley and startup world to other major mainstream firms? I’m speaking of the “ rolling layoff ”—the name one former human resources executive gave to describe companies making job cuts in a series of rounds, rather than executing them all at one time. Disney said Monday it plans to cut 7,000 employees starting this week, my colleague Brian Bushard reported . “A second, larger round of notifications will happen in April with several thousand more staff reductions, and we expect to commence the final round of notifications before the beginning of the summer to reach our 7,000-job target,” … [Read more...] about The New Reality Of ‘Rolling Layoffs,’ AI’s Impact On Jobs And The Worst Email Sign-Offs