By Matt Phillips In Australia, after hauling hundreds of thousands of tons of iron ore to China, returning freighters can face a 14-day quarantine before being able to reload. BHP, which has headquarters in London and Melbourne and is one of the world’s largest copper mining companies, has been in talks to possibly delay shipments […]
Archives for 2020
WhatsApp announces it now has 2 billion users globally
Facebook owned messaging giant WhatsApp announced on Wednesday that it now has two billion users globally. Reiterating its stance on encryption in the global announcement, WhatsApp said strong encryption is a necessity in modern life and that it will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe. WhatsApp did not share market […]
Automakers not getting many cab rides now
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi A slowdown in the app-based cab aggregator space has hurt the sales of cars and utility vehicles to the segment, which fell to their lowest level in five years in 2019. Several automakers have arrangements with car aggregators such as Ola and Uber to sell vehicles to drivers who join their platforms. […]
Prolonged slide in financial health of Indian firms comes to end
By Rahul Satija The lingering effects of India’s shadow banking crisis and slowing economy have left companies’ financial health around the worst levels in years, but one gauge shows the prolonged deterioration has at least halted for now. Care Ratings Debt Quality Index, which tracks credit metrics of 1,604 rated firms on a scale of […]
China factory closures may leave online retailers’ shelves empty
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Amazon and Flipkart, the country’s two largest web retailers, are likely to see an impact on overall sales due to the prolonged closure of factories in China on account of the coronavirus outbreak, analysts and industry insiders told ET. A supply crunch in smartphones, televisions, large appliances and consumer electronics, which comprise […]
FASB to propose private company expedient for share-based payment accounting
Accounting for employee share-based compensation could become less complex for private companies after FASB on Wednesday endorsed the decision by the Private Company Council (PCC) to propose a practical expedient for nonpublic entities. Share-based payment accounting has been discussed by the PCC on several occasions since 2013 because of two concerns: The permitted methods for […]
IRS proposes rules to update income tax withholding, revises Form W-4
The IRS proposed new regulations (REG-132741-17) for withholding on individuals’ wages to reflect the statutory changes in the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, P.L. 115-97, including the elimination of the personal exemption. The proposed rules and the new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate (formerly titled Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) no longer […]
SoftBank profit wiped out by Vision Fund losses, second fund scaled back
Quarterly profit at SoftBank Group Corp was almost wiped out as the Japanese technology giant was hit for a second straight quarter by losses at its $100 billion Vision Fund. Wednesday’s dismal results could further dampen investor enthusiasm for founder Masayoshi Son‘s big bets on untested start-ups. While Son told a news conference SoftBank had […]
Facebook’s WhatsApp hits 2 billion user milestone
Facebook-owned WhatsApp is being censored in China as the Communist Party congress gets underway. Jaap Arriens | NurPhoto | Getty Images Facebook’s WhatsApp now has more than 2 billion users, CEO Will Cathcart told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday, revealing its user numbers for the first time in two years. The […]
What’s going to stop the 5G rollout?
Although 5G has many potential benefits, there are some barriers that will inhibit these services, particularly outside the private settings on a public network. High set-up costs To provide 5G services, of course, you need a network, says Pod Group’s Alistair Elliott. Unless an operator has deep pockets and they’re happy to wait for customers […]