2019 A Thrilling Year For Pinot Noir: Robert Parker Wine Advocate Releases Burgundy Côte d’Or Wine Report

Media Outreach
-
0

Burgundy lovers will be guided on the best picks with over 1,700 tasting notes for the 2019 vintage and reappraisals of 2018 in bottle

 

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 February 2021 – Top-end Burgundy wines remain one of the most
sought-after wines around the world, with appreciation and investment value at
an all-time high. The Robert Parker
Wine Advocate Côte d’Or Wine 2019 Report is a timely guide to navigating the domaines, from aspiring to
venerable, in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, where the highest
concentration of Grand Crus in the region can be found. Reviewer William Kelley says, “In short, 2019 is a superb
vintage, and these are wines that all Burgundy lovers are going to want to
secure for their cellars.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate
reviewer William Kelley and Madam Lalou Bize-Leroy, one of Burgundy’s greatest
winemakers. (Photo credit: Gretchen M. Greer)

 

Highlights of the report:

  • Insights into
    the 2019 vintage of the top rated Burgundian domaines: Domaine Dugat-Py, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine
    Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
  • In
    depth 2019 white and red Burgundy report and reviews
  • Reviewer’s 10 favourites

The
Robert Parker Wine Advocate report format includes an in-depth introduction and
vintage reports that are the reviewer’s expert opinions on the vintage, based
predominately on their tastings and taking into consideration their regional
visits and interviews with winemakers / viticulturalists. The annual Burgundy Côte d’Or
report is helmed by William Kelley since 2017, who also reports
on the Mâconnais, Chablis and Beaujolais in separate dispatches. Although
tasting events were cancelled and international travel became difficult due to
COVID-19, RPWA’s global base of reviewers still enabled physical visits and continuous
coverage of this important region without interruption.

 

What you need to know:
Burgundy Côte d’Or 2019

Where: Côte d’Or comprises of Côte de Nuits and Côte
de Beaune, the two most important regions in Burgundy. Translated as golden
slope, it gets its name from the east-facing slopes that are bathed in
sunlight during the growing season.

 

Vintage conditions: 2019 was, on paper, a rather
extreme vintage, yet the vines proved remarkably resilient while the wines are
remarkably classical in profile. “We are convinced that the vines are adapting
to warmer, drier years, and we find this very reassuring,” observed Aubert de
Villaine of Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti in
speaking to Kelley, a sentiment shared by
Burgundy lovers. 

 

Kelley summarises the 2019 vintage:
“A mild and dry winter set the stage for drought conditions later in the
season. Budbreak came early, and spring was comparatively cool. Summer was warm
and sunny, with heat waves in June and July compounding with hydric stress to
slow ripening. August and early September were cooler and sometimes cloudy,
though sunny conditions returned for harvest; but it was a dry north wind,
rather than excessive temperatures, that concentrated both sugars and acidities
alike in the final weeks before picking began.”

 

Grape performance: Says Kelley, “This is a
thrilling year for Pinot Noir, delivering wines bursting with head-turning
perfume and fresh, succulent fruit. Supple and enveloping, they are
simultaneously serious and immensely charming. In Chardonnay, 2019 is more heterogenous. The small crop ripened
rapidly, and the results are invariably muscular and concentrated; but the
year’s best white Burgundies are as incisive as they are powerful, with bright
acidity to balance their undeniable weight, and attentive producers excelled.”

 

Ten favourites that show the 2019 vintage at its best:

2019 Domaine
Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru (RP 97-99 points)

“One of the wines of the
vintage, Lachaux’s 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru soars from the glass
with a kaleidoscopic bouquet of raspberries, blood orange zest, peonies,
violets and exotic spices, complemented by subtle hints of coniferous forest
floor and raw cocoa.”

 

2019 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes (RP 95-97 points)

“The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru
Clos des Chênes is a magical bottle in the making…. Medium to full-bodied,
layered and complete, it’s elegantly powerful, with lively acids, powdery
tannins and a long, perfumed finish.”

 

2019 Domaine Guffens-Heynen Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Jus des Hautes des Vignes (RP 94-96+ points)

“A cuvée composed of the
free run and first press juice from Guffens’s best parcels in the appellation,
the 2019 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Jus des Hautes des Vignes is showing beautifully.”

 

2019 Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Blanchot-Dessus (RP 94-96 points)

“Full-bodied, layered and
concentrated, with chalky structuring extract and racy acids, it’s long and
resonant.”

 

2019 Domaine Jean et J L Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur (RP 92-94 points)

“Fleshier and more
enveloping than the Petite Chapelle, the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos
Prieur exhibits notes of plums, sweet wild berries, rich soil tones, mandarin
orange and raw cocoa.”

 

2019 Domaine Simon Bize et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses (RP 93-95 points)

“The 2019
Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses is a striking wine…. Medium to
full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s vibrant and velvety, with
lively acids and a long, perfumed finish.”

 

2019 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Village (RP 91-93 points)

“The 2019
Chambolle-Musigny Village is superb, mingling aromas of cherries and
raspberries with hints of dark chocolate, potpourri and spices.”

 

2019 Domaine Henri Germain Meursault Le Limozin (RP 91-93 points)

Medium to full-bodied,
textural and precise, it combines impressive mid-palate volume with terrific
cut.

 

2019 Domaine Duroché Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Etelois (RP 91-93 points)

“It’s a terrific cuvée
from this optimally situated parcel that borders Griotte-Chambertin on one side
and Charmes-Chambertin on the other.”

 

2019 Domaine
Dureuil-Janthial Rully Blanc (RP 89-91 points)

“Medium-bodied, chiseled
and concentrated, with tangy acids and a mouthwateringly saline finish, this
will be delicious out of the gates–though don’t discount its capacity to age.”

 

The full report is available
on http://bit.ly/RPWA2019BurgundyReport

Full press kit with images is available on: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ght5waom3bbj0cc/AACvlpgRXBmZWr-eHKWGunida?dl=0

About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker Wine
Advocate is the world’s premier independent wine buyer’s guide and website with
more than 450,000 tasting notes, scores and reviews from professional critics
around-the-world. For over 40
years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate (a part of the MICHELIN Group of companies) has
been the global leader and independent consumer’s guide to fine wine with its
100-point rating system and in-depth coverage of major wine regions.

 

For more information,
visit www.RobertParker.com.

Kenanga Acquires ValueCAP ETF Business

Media Outreach
-
0
Kenanga Acquires ValueCAP ETF Business
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 2 February 2021 – Kenanga
Investment Bank Berhad today announced its acquisition of i-VCAP Management Sdn Bhd (“i-VCAP”) via Kenanga Investors Bhd (“KIB”), its fully owned subsidiary, following approval by the Securities Commission of Malaysia. i-VCAP is an award-winning, Shariah-compliant investment management services provider primarily focused on Islamic exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).
Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director of Kenanga Investment Bank.
Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director of Kenanga Investment Bank.

“We are constantly exploring ways to deliver new investment solutions for our clients. This is a natural step in our strategy to develop products for a wider audience.

The ETFs market is one of the fastest-growing segments in asset management. A number of long-term macro trends, including the increasing use of passive vehicles and the driving force of digitalisation, will lead to a growing demand for ETF products,” says Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director of Kenanga Investment Bank.

“The acquisition further expands our ability to build better, more diversified portfolios through our product capabilities across the Group, and enhances the range of solutions available. This addition strengthens our competitive edge in addressing client needs, which will further accelerate the growth of our business.”

The deal represents the financial group’s second bolt-on purchase of an asset management business within the last 14 months, following the acquisition of Libra Invest Berhad at end 2019. In recent months and years, the group has been actively participating in joint ventures, acquisition exercises as well as strategic stakes within synergistic businesses.

These are expected to complement its various business lines with recent results positively reflected in the group’s strong financial performance in 2020.

The acquisition represents swift progression one year after Kenanga Group’s first foray into the ETF space where OneETF by Kenanga, Malaysia’s first KLCI-linked leveraged and inverse ETFs was introduced together with its strategic partner Yuanta Securities, the largest ETFs provider in Taiwan and a leading ETFs provider in Asia.

The Chief Executive Officer of KIB, Ismitz Matthew De Alwis says, “i-VCAP’s ETFs business is highly complementary to OneETF by Kenanga as we foresee that it will broaden our geographical reach, product suite and investment expertise, enabling us to provide more solutions to help clients achieve their investment objectives. The exercise adds depth to the company’s ETFs and Islamic product offerings as well as accessibility to the US market.

Simultaneously, KIB is set to leverage upon this opportunity to further build on its existing ETFs business with a higher degree of economic scale for a more diverse range of ETFs by working with its partners, regulators and other service providers to drive the ETFs and Islamic capital market.

As the asset and wealth management arm of Kenanga Investment Bank, Kenanga Investors provides investment solutions ranging from collective investment schemes, portfolio management services, ETFs, financial planning and alternative investments for retail, high net worth, corporate and institutional clients. It is a repeat recipient of distinguished industry accolades such as Refinitiv Lipper, Morningstar, FSMOne Recommended Unit Trusts Awards and Asia Asset Management’s Best of the Best Awards.

For more information about Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad and Kenanga Investors Berhad, please visit both www.kenanga.com.my & www.kenangainvestors.com.my.

About Kenanga Investors Berhad 199501024358 (353563-P)

We provide investment solutions ranging from collective investment schemes, portfolio management services and alternative investments for retail, corporate, institutional and high net worth clients via a multi-distribution network.

Most recently, the Hong Kong-based Asia Asset Management’s 2021 Best of the Best Awards awarded KIB under the following categories, Malaysia – Best Equity Manager, Malaysia CIO of the Year, Malaysia — Best Islamic Fund (Equity) and Malaysia Best House for Alternatives.

The Kenanga Growth Fund (“KGF”) won Core Equity — Malaysia while the Kenanga Syariah Growth Fund (“KSGF”) won Core Equity — Malaysia (Islamic) at the FSMOne Recommended Unit Trusts Awards 2020/2021. The Kenanga Balanced Fund was recognised under the Balanced — Malaysia category.

At the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards 2020, KIB won the “Best Mixed Asset Award — Malaysia Pension” and “Best Equity Award — Malaysia Islamic” titles. KSGF was awarded “Equity Malaysia — Malaysia Islamic” for 10-years while the Kenanga Diversified Fund was named “Mixed Asset MYR Flexible — Malaysia Pension” for 3-years and 5-years. KSGF was also named “Malaysia Best Equity over 10-years” at the Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards 2020 for Global Islamic Markets.

For the fourth consecutive year, KIB was affirmed an investment manager rating of IMR-2 by Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad since first rated in 2017. The IMR rating reflects the fund management company’s well-established investment processes and sound risk management practices. For 2020, the average one-year, three-year and five-year annualised returns for its top 20 largest unit trust funds outperformed its benchmarks.

About Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad 197301002193 (15678-H)

Established for more than 45 years, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad is a financial group in Malaysia with extensive experience in equity broking, investment banking, treasury, Islamic banking, listed derivatives, investment management, wealth management, structured lending, and trade financing.

The Group has garnered a host of awards and accolades reflecting its strong market position. It was awarded under the categories of Best Overall Equities Participating Organisation by Bursa Malaysia, Best Retail Equities Participating Organisation, Best Institutional Equities Participating Organisation; along with Best Trading Participant Equity and Financial Derivatives for 17 consecutive years. The Group was also accorded the title of Best Institutional Derivatives Trading category by Bursa Malaysia.

The Group continues to be a regular and repeat recipient of distinguished industry accolades, such as the Lipper, Fundsupermart and Morningstar awards. For its continued efforts towards community outreach and employee volunteerism, the Group was awarded the coveted company of the year award for environmental awareness and sustainability at the Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2020.

Today, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad is an award-winning leading independent investment bank in the country with a continuous commitment towards driving collaboration, innovation, and digitalisation in the marketplace.

This Press Release was issued by Kenanga Group’s Marketing & Communications department.

<imgsrc=”” width=”1″ height=”1″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”>

Arrow Electronics and Jorjin to Offer Integrated High- Precision and Low-Power Millimeter-wave Radar-Sensing Solution for Detecting and Tracking Micro Motions

Media Outreach
-
0

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 2 February 2021 – Global technology-solutions provider Arrow
Electronics, Inc. today announced the launch of an integrated millimeter-wave (mmWave)
radar-sensing solution, based on Infineon’s XENSIV™ mmWave
radar chip.  This integrated module solution, manufactured
by Jorjin Technologies, enables engineers to rapidly
deploy detecting and tracking capability of micro and macro motions with high
sensitivity and accuracy for developing next-generation smart
home and building and healthcare applications.

Arrow Electronics launches an integrated high- precision and low-power millimeter-wave radar-sensing solution for detecting and tracking Micro Motions

 

According to a recent research report, the
radar sensors market is expected to reach USD 22 billion by 2025, registering a
CAGR of around 18 percent in the next five years1. The proliferation
of radar-sensing technology has been driven by technological advancements and increasing
demand for more intuitive presence and motion-detection features to enhance user
experience, security, and safety.

Comparing to traditional passive infrared and ultrasonic sensors, mmWave radar-sensing
technology offers many performance benefits. 
Radar sensors do not require operating with a direct line of sight,
making it possible to be concealed or disguised underneath plywood or plastic
enclosures for addressing privacy and security considerations.  Radar sensing is also highly adaptable to
environmental conditions such as darkness, sunshine, smoke, fog, or haze, thus reducing
detection errors and improving accuracy.  

 

This all-in-one integrated solution enables
the detection of human presence within a configurable range.  Micro-movement detection like typing in front
of a notebook and macro-movement detection like walking inside a room can be
detected. Powered by
Infineon’s XENSIV™ mmWave radar
chip and its proprietary radar presence detection
algorithms, the solution incorporates a processor system based on Infineon’s ARM
Cortex-M4F, an integrated 1Tx/3Rx antenna, and an on-board power regulator.  The unique antenna in package
(AIP) with built-in detector feature makes it easier for engineers to integrate
mmWave radar sensing capability, without prior technical know-how in radio
frequency, antenna design or radar signal processing.  Low power consumption and small-form-factor offer
cost-effective benefits.  The
solution is FCC pre-test ready.

 

“Arrow’s extensive sensing technology
portfolio, engineering services, and industry expertise help engineers and
innovators acquire the kind of technological capabilities it takes to create,
make, and manage smart and connected devices. 
Infineon’s mmWave radar technology is a great addition to our IoT
portfolio.  Our technical collaboration with
Jorjin Technologies enables us to bring to market this integrated and ready-to-use
module for quick adoption of mmWave radar technology,” said Esmond Wong,
Arrow’s vice president of supplier management for the Asia-Pacific region.

Jorjin Technologies is a leading module
solution provider in Taiwan specializing in AR and IoT.  “We are excited to work with Infineon and
Arrow to facilitate the diffusion of mmWave radar technology into new fields
such as smart home, security and even healthcare applications.  With more than 10
years of industry experience, our module design and production expertise help simplify
the implementation of mmWave sensor solutions,” said Tom Liang, Chairman of
Jorjin Technologies.

 

To help engineers designing mmWave radar-sensing
technology, Arrow now offers the integrated module solution MM5D91-00
and evaluation kit MM5D91E00
from Jorjin Technologies.  For more information, visit https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/millimeter-wave-radar.

__________

1 https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/the-radar-sensors-market-was-valued-at-usd-10-32-billion-in-2019-and-it-is-expected-to-reach-usd-22-billion-by-2025-registering-a-cagr-of-18-36-during-2020-2025-1029260856

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 175,000
leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2019 sales of $29
billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily
life.  Learn more at www.arrow.com.

S&P Global Market Intelligence Launches Renewable Energy Credit Pricing Forecasts

Esan Bolaji
-
0
S&P Global Market Intelligence Launches Renewable Energy Credit Pricing Forecasts

S&P Global Market Intelligence today introduces its Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Price Forecast dataset as part of its Power Forecast series. This new dataset enables market participants to analyze and assess the value of wholesale renewable electricity in the U.S.

Renewable Energy Credits are often used to offset carbon emissions of a company or as a way for organizations to reach 100% renewable sources. S&P Global Market Intelligence’s new REC price forecast will provide insight into new revenue streams for energy facilities that are looking to be compensated for the value of their renewable energy.

S&P Global Market Intelligence Launches Renewable Energy Credit Pricing Forecasts

“As global energy markets continue to shift their reliance on fossil fuels to alternative sources, organizations may look to RECs to help comply with increasing green energy mandates,” said Steve Piper, Research Director for Energy at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

“With more RECs are being purchased, the demand and production of renewable energy increase. This new pricing forecast will provide differentiated insights into the value of renewable energy and give investors participating in this market the ability to forecast the green premium for the energy transition, helping them make informed decisions.”

While REC pricing today is currently strong across several New England states, developer interest in the region has grown as have commitments to offshore wind in multiple states. S&P Global Market Intelligence projects that increasingly favourable wholesale power economics and expanding contributions from offshore wind may pressure New England REC prices lower in the years ahead.

A REC is created for every one-megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated and delivered it to the grid. The green benefits of generating electricity using renewable sources can then be sold to other entities via RECs on the open market. RECs are often used to offset carbon emissions of a company and as a path to achieving 100% renewable electricity use.

This newly introduced S&P Global Market Intelligence forecast complements the Market Intelligence platform’s current REC index prices providing information on unbundled RECs and the current price of these instruments.

The REC Pricing Forecast will also allow market participants to:

  • Estimate environmental compliance costs to utilities that rely heavily on fossil fuels;
  • Identify which market each green asset sells into and tie that identification to a REC projection;
  • Project financial impacts of regulatory changes and renewable power generation mandates.

CardinalStone Asset Management Launches Its Premier Mutual Fund

CardinalStone Research
-
0
CardinalStone Asset Management Launches Its Premier Mutual Fund

CardinalStone Asset Management Limited launches its first-ever Mutual Fund, the “CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund”, following approval by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The Offer opens today, Monday, February 1, 2021.

The Portfolio Manager, Ida Dublin-Green, is quoted as saying that the Fund will allow investors to have a diversified portfolio of quality assets that are managed by a team of experienced professionals.

CardinalStone Asset Management Launches Its Premier Mutual Fund Brandspurng1

The Fund’s objective is to provide investors with a steady return on capital, liquidity, and capital preservation. The Fund will offer a safe, reliable, suitable, and attractive investment vehicle to retail, high-net-worth and institutional investors, and welcomes participation from both resident and foreigners.

 In addition, Mohammed Garuba, Co-Founder/Director at CardinalStone, also opined that the Fund Manager’s expertise and capacity, together with the proposed investment mix and fund structure, will ensure that we deliver value to investors.

The CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund is coming at a time when fixed-income yields are at all-time lows. It provides an opportunity for investors to seek competitive returns while preserving the value of their investment.

With an initial fund size of N1billion, the Fund will be offering 1,000,000,000 units at N1 each with a minimum subscription of 10,000 Units (N10,000). The Fund is open-ended so investors can continuously add new subscriptions.

The CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund is part of CardinalStone’s commitment to expanding into the retail market while strengthening its position as an experienced investment manager, who will continuously offer investors a wide array of sound investment solutions.

2022 MDX Asserts its Role as the Flagship of the Acura Brand in New Launch Campaign

Esan Bolaji
-
0
2022 MDX Asserts its Role as the Flagship of the Acura Brand in New Launch Campaign

In advance of arriving at dealerships Feb. 2, Acura’s all-new 2022 MDX launch campaign demonstrates how Acura’s long-time racing and sports car success is powering the fourth-generation SUV to its new role as the flagship of the brand.

Set to the soundtrack of Queen’s “Tear It Up,” the new Acura campaign highlights key components of the all-new MDX, including its bold and athletic exterior design along with a new, sophisticated and elegant interior featuring the most high-tech and advanced cockpit in the brand’s history.

HERO-2022-MDX
2022 MDX Asserts its Role as the Flagship of the Acura Brand in New Launch Campaign

MDX performance is underpinned by a first-ever double-wishbone front suspension applied to its all-new, ultra-rigid platform, featured in an accompanying spot that also demonstrates MDX’s towing capability. 

The integrated campaign takes viewers on an exciting trip through Acura’s pinnacle vehicles and racecars to highlight that MDX shares the “same DNA” as the original 1991 NSX, 2001 Integra Type R and the 2021 NSX.

Acura’s racing heritage is reflected with the Comptech Spice Acura GTP Lights racecar that Parker Johnstone drove to three consecutive IMSA Camel Lights Driver’s Championships from 1991 to 1993, along with an appearance by the back-to-back IMSA Championship-winning NSX GT3 Evo.

The campaign was developed in collaboration with agency of record MullenLowe LA and will be featured across broadcast, digital and social media. Key national broadcast highlights include cable and live sports – NBA, NCAA and March Madness match-ups.

The 2022 MDX campaign will also be featured on streaming platforms with: 30 and: 15 versions of the TV creative, along with 06 versions featured across social media. Acura’s MDX spots will also run in Spanish and Chinese-language.

Other key campaign components include:

  • “Origin Story,” a social media activation launching next month on Acura’s social channels with a series of videos that dive further into the “same DNA” performance and innovation story that led to MDX.
  • “Working Mom,” a dedicated Spanish-language: 30 TV spot, that will run across national Hispanic networks including Telemundo and Univision, showcasing the duality of the 2022 MDX as a high-performance and ultramodern family SUV to reach Hispanic audiences.
  • High-impact digital editorial partnerships with Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast, Martini, as well as Hispanic outlets such as People en Español and Mama’s Latina.
  • Integration of high-impact digital media to reach key Chinese audiences, working with niche publishers such as Asian Media Group.

Acura is a leading automotive nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to expressive styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability.

The Acura lineup features five distinctive models – the ILX and TLX sport sedans, the RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles and the next-generation, electrified NSX supercar. All Acura models sold in North America for the 2021 model year are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Hollandia Yoghurt Signs On Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu As Brand Ambassador

Esan Bolaji
-
0
Hollandia Yoghurt Signs On Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu As Brand Ambassador
Hollandia Yoghurt, Nigeria’s leading drinking yoghurt brand, has announced a new partnership with Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu, a multiple award-winning actress, entrepreneur and influencer. This move is part of the brand’s plan to appeal to a wider consumer audience and reinforce its market leadership.

The partnership recognizes the values which the brand and the actress have in common and celebrates the recognition and leadership both parties have achieved.

Hollandia Yoghurt Signs On Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu As Brand Ambassador Brandspurng

Driven by passion, boundless energy, and creativity, Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu personifies the Hollandia Yoghurt brand’s proposition and character. As the ambassador for Hollandia Yoghurt, Zainab will inspire consumers to unlock their potential for success and high achievement with the delicious taste and wholesome nourishment that Hollandia Yoghurt provides its consumers.

Hollandia Yoghurt transformed the Yoghurt landscape in Nigeria over 15years ago. In 2005, Hollandia created a new drinking yoghurt category and launched Hollandia Yoghurt into the market.

It is a healthy, tasty, and nourishing yoghurt drink that is produced under very hygienic conditions and contains essential nutrients which replenish consumers and enables them to stay healthy, thus supporting them to be at their best.

Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu expressed appreciation to the brand for the honour.

“I am very proud of this partnership with Hollandia Yoghurt. The brand has a unique proposition, is the most popular drinking yoghurt product in Nigeria, and occupies the leadership status of its category. Like me, the Hollandia Yoghurt brand is driven by the passion to consistently innovate for success. These points were key considerations in my accepting this partnership,” she stated.

Speaking on the partnership, CHI Limited Marketing Director, Mrs. Toyin Nnodi, expressed delight on the new strategic relationship with Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu as the new brand ambassador.

“We are thrilled to have Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu as our Hollandia Yoghurt ambassador. As an accomplished actress and TV personality, she is known for her high level of creativity, confidence, and professionalism, thereby making her a suitable fit for what the Hollandia Yoghurt brand represents.

“We plan to work together over the next few years to communicate the wholesome nourishment proposition of Hollandia Yoghurt to the brand’s consumers and Zainab’s fan base. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding relationship for both parties, Hollandia Yoghurt and Zainab Balogun-Nwachukwu,” she noted.

Hollandia Yoghurt is available in two variants of Plain Sweetened and Strawberry, and it comes in five different pack sizes, 1litre, 500ml, 315ml, 180ml and 100ml pack sizes.

Tony Momoh is dead

Esan Bolaji
-
0
Tony Momoh is dead
Tony Momoh has died at the age of 81.

Prince Tony Momoh (born 27 April 1939), died February 1, 2021, was a Nigerian veteran journalist, politician and a former Minister of Information and Culture (1986–1990) during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Tony Momoh is dead Brandspurng
Late Tony Momoh | www.brandspurng.com

He was also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Jos.

More details shortly…

Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience

Brand Spur
-
0
Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience

Feb. 1, 2021 – Ford and Google today announced a unique strategic partnership to accelerate Ford’s transformation and reinvent the connected vehicle experience. Ford has also named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML).

As part of this new, six-year partnership—and beginning in 2023—millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will be powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in.

Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience Brandspurng

To drive ongoing innovation, Ford and Google are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift. Leveraging the talent and assets of both companies, Team Upshift will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities.

This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data and more.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establish an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” said Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford.

“From the first moving assembly line to the latest driver-assist technology, Ford has set the pace of innovation for the automotive industry for nearly 120 years,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet.

“We’re proud to partner to apply the best of Google’s AI, data analytics, compute and cloud platforms to help transform Ford’s business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe and connected on the road.”

As its preferred cloud provider and starting later this year, Google will help Ford leverage Google Cloud’s AI, ML and data analytics technologies to accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation, modernize operations, and power connected vehicle technologies with Google’s trusted secure and reliable cloud.

With Google Cloud, Ford plans to:

  • Further, improve customer experiences for customers with differentiated technology and personalized services;
  • Accelerate modernization of product development, manufacturing and supply chain management, including exploration of using vision AI for manufacturing employee training and even more reliable plant equipment performance;
  • Fast track the implementation of data-driven business models resulting in customers receiving real-time notices such as maintenance requests or trade-in alerts.

Ford and Google have a shared vision to bring enjoyable, safer and more efficient connected vehicle experiences built to minimize driver distraction and keep customers at the forefront of technology with over-the-air updates.

Beginning in 2023, Ford and Lincoln customers globally will start to benefit from unique digital experiences built on top of the Android operating system and with Google apps and services built-in, which include a world-class map and voice technology:

  • With Google Assistant, drivers can keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, by getting things done with just their voice.
  • With Google Maps as the vehicles’ primary navigation, drivers can reach their destination faster with information on real-time traffic, automatic rerouting, lane guidance and more.
  • With Google Play, drivers will have access to their favourite apps for listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks and more. These apps are optimized and integrated for in-vehicle use.

Android in the car also enables Ford and third-party developers to build apps that provide a constantly improving and ever-more-personalized ownership experience.

“We are obsessed with creating must-have, distinctively Ford products and services,” said Farley. “This integration will unleash our teams to innovate for Ford and Lincoln customers while seamlessly providing access to Google’s world-class apps and services.”

Tilting towards Value by Steve Brice; Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management

Brand Spur
-
0
Tilting towards Value by Steve Brice; Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management

We maintain a bullish outlook for global equities in general for 2021. However, we are switching our bias from a preference for the so-called Quality and Growth stocks to an increasingly optimistic outlook for Value equities. 

At a high level, Growth stocks are companies with a high expected earnings growth rate. Value stocks are companies that are cheap relative to the rest of the market. While valuations for all areas of the market look expensive relative to their own history, Growth equities appear to have discounted a lot more good news and, therefore, there is scope for their Value counterparts to play catch up.

Tilting towards Value by Steve Brice; Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management Brandspurng
Steve Brice; Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management | www.brandspurng.com

It might sound strange, but Growth stocks did extraordinarily well in 2020, despite the unprecedented recession. There are two main reasons for this. First, the sector composition of the Growth universe of equities could hardly have been better suited for the pandemic year, with almost three-quarters of the index coming from 4 sectors – Technology, Consumer Discretionary, Healthcare and Communication Services – which were the main beneficiaries of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Second, the collapse in interest rates and bond yields reduced the discount rate feeding into equity valuation models. This had a much larger impact when it came to valuing Growth companies where the future earnings are expected to rise sharply and sustainably. Therefore, much lower yields meant sharply higher valuations could be justified.

On the other side of the equation, the Value style was hurt by its sector composition – with the two largest sectors being Financials and Industrials, while the weight of the Energy sector is 16 times that of its weight in the rival Growth index.

These sectors were amongst the worst hit by the sharpest recession on record (remember there was a bizarre day in 2020 when owners of crude oil were paying people to take it off their hands).

So why do we think that Value may outperform in 2021? We believe there are three key factors to watch when it comes to a potential pivot towards Value – economic growth, inflation expectations and bond yields.

Stronger economic growth (above 3% in the US and globally) and rising inflation expectations and bond yields would be seen as supportive to Value equities and detrimental to the Growth style. This may sound counter-intuitive, but in an environment of stronger global economic activity, the so-called Growth equities lose their “growth” advantage.

We believe economic growth will rebound strongly in 2021 as coronavirus cases peak and vaccine distribution allow for significant economic reopening. The exact timeline for this is clearly uncertain, as shown by early disappointment in vaccination deployment and further spikes in COVID cases in Europe and the US, and to some extent in Asia.

However, we believe a tipping point will be reached over the coming months, resulting in much stronger growth. Potential further upside surprises on the economic growth front could come from fiscal policy in Europe and the US.

We are a bit more sceptical about sharp rises in either inflation expectations (given large excess capacity in the global economy) and bond yields (as central banks appear keen to intervene in bond markets to cap any increase in funding costs).

Subdued inflation and bond yields should not preclude the potential outperformance of Value stocks in 2021 for three main reasons. First, the sharp underperformance of Value equities in 2020 means that even if they were just to return to the trend seen since the Global Financial Crisis of 2007/8, this would lead to a sharp outperformance in the coming months.

Second, while Value stocks look expensive on traditional metrics relative to their  own history, this could easily change if the fortunes of companies were to improve from the depressed earnings outlook that most analysts and investors hold. Meanwhile, relative to their Growth counterparts, they are extremely cheap.

Finally, Value stocks, after underperforming Growth for the past two decades, are unloved and under-owned. Therefore, there are likely more potential buyers out there than sellers, should the situation improve. This situation reminds me of George Soros’ adage that the worse a situation becomes, the less it takes to turn it around and the bigger the upside.

Of course, it is possible that we could be wrong and that Value continues to underperform, especially if COVID is not eradicated, economic growth disappoints and bond yields go to fresh lows. This could continue to lead investors to favour Growth stocks. Therefore, it would be prudent to maintain some exposure to Growth style, even as we tilt towards Value.

Since the March 2020 lows, Value stocks have underperformed, but they still rose 50% to close the year largely unchanged. Therefore, adding more exposure to this still-unloved area of the market and diversifying away slightly from the area that has risen over 80% in the same period (and over 30% in 2020) probably makes a lot of sense.

Steve Brice is Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management.
1...2,2642,2652,266...4,318Page 2,265 of 4,318