Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Suzy DiMont Works at the Intersection of Research and Action

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Distinguished Member of Operations Staff Is Busy Making the World a Better Place


    Suzy DiMont is a force to be reckoned with.

    Suzy DiMont. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL 

    Since she was hired at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 2014, the Energy and Sustainability manager has evolved from an intern to a program manager and integral member of the Women’s Network Employee Resource Group (ERG). On the Intelligent Campus team, she is involved with all things sustainability, including the annual commuter survey, Site Sustainability Plan, and climate resilience planning and was also a key contributor to the NREL Smart Labs initiative, which NREL uses to meet sustainability goals.

    DiMont is actively engaged in her community and is always looking for ways to give back. Annually, she participates in the Bike MS NREL team ride to raise funds for multiple sclerosis (MS) research. As a member of the Women’s Network, she regularly mentors NREL peers and helps enable pathways for the professional advancement of women.

    Earlier this year, DiMont was named a Distinguished Member of Operations Staff for her “dedication to advancing NREL’s mission and making meaningful strides toward a sustainable and clean energy future.” As a member of the Intelligent Campus Program, she is the primary point of contact with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Golden Field Office and manages NREL’s electric vehicle supply equipment rollout and cost recovery program and NREL’s energy and water utility billing.

    When asked if she ever gets time to rest amid numerous projects, leadership roles, and community engagement activities, DiMont responded, “I do rest, I do rest. Well, I have a toddler now, so I don’t rest.”

    Then, always finding a way to make others shine, DiMont said, “It’s not just me doing it. I couldn’t do it by myself. I work with a lot of really great people all over the lab.”

    During her decade at the laboratory, DiMont has collaborated with diverse groups across NREL and is constantly getting involved with new projects related to sustainability. Although this line of work may seem custom fit, her path from student to educator to engineer to Sustainability manager was far from linear.

    Suzy DiMont, husband Neil, and Kosol Kiatreungwattana on their first Bike MS Ride. Photo by Suzy DiMont, NREL 

    A Lifelong Love for Learning

    As a child, DiMont did not long to settle into a perfect career. Instead, her innate curiosity sparked a desire to learn and participate in as many activities as possible.  

    “I don’t know if I ever really had a dream that I wanted to work,” DiMont said. “I always had a dream that I wanted to learn. I really liked school, I liked all topics, I liked everything. Math, reading, art, history, science—I wanted to do all of it.”

    DiMont’s desire to be a well-rounded learner drew her to a liberal arts education at Hamilton College in New York.

    At Hamilton, she explored a variety of majors—psychology, art, French, and archeology—before landing on anthropology and mathematics.

    Her first job after college was teaching math at the Solebury Boarding School in Pennsylvania. The role was intimidating because, although DiMont was a lifelong learner, she had no practice developing formal lesson plans for grade schoolers. She learned how to write tests that were appropriately challenging for students and experienced the joys of being a dorm mom for the girls on campus. DiMont also realized teaching was not her calling.

    After leaving Solebury, DiMont joined AmeriCorps, an independent U.S. government agency focused on service and volunteerism, and began working for the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. DiMont worked with students at under-resourced schools on dropout prevention and helped the students, known as “dreamers,” realize their aspirations and connected them with support.

    One of DiMont’s former dreamers, Anakary Valenzuela, is now a business support administrative associate for NREL’s Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences (MTES) directorate. She remembers meeting DiMont as a sophomore at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado.

    Valenzuela had been a dreamer since second grade and was all too familiar with the influx of AmeriCorps members who served for a year then moved onto the next opportunity. DiMont was different. She stayed with the program for three years—long enough to see the cohort of students graduate high school—and she took a genuine interest in the lives of students she mentored.

    When Anakary Valenzuela was a student, the “I Have a Dream” Foundation hosted an event to celebrate high school graduation. Photo from Casie Zalud Photography

    “She was the best AmeriCorp we ever had,” Valenzuela said. “I would go to her for advice. She would mentor me. [She was] my counselor, my friend. She would always stay extra hours to talk to us if it had to do with homework or college prep or advising us on what type of college we should go to or major [we should declare]. And then she would drive us home.”

    Their friendship extended well beyond Valenzuela’s high school graduation as DiMont informally mentored Valenzuela throughout college and encouraged her to apply at NREL. After Valenzuela was hired, DiMont encouraged her to get involved with the Women’s Network and Hispanic and Latinx Alliance and invited her to ERG meetings and dinners to make friends and build her network.

    “She inspires me to do more. I feel like I am part of her family,” Valenzuela said. “I can always count on her, she’s always been there. I don’t know how she does everything, but I’m so grateful that we crossed paths in this lifetime.”

    From Educator to Engineer

    During her three years with AmeriCorps, DiMont realized she could pursue her dual loves for mathematics and community engagement with a career in engineering. Working with low-income students exposed disparities in the lack of access to civil infrastructure. She saw engineering as a way to make infrastructure and transportation equitable for all.

    DiMont enrolled in the Engineering and Developing Communities graduate program at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder. DiMont got involved in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, known as the RASEI program, now a joint program between NREL and CU Boulder.

    The university was DiMont’s introduction to NREL, via one of the laboratory’s vocal supporters: former NREL research technician Marc Landry.

    “What an incredible human,” DiMont said. “He would not stop talking about NREL and what a wonderful place it was … an unbelievable mind.”

    During one of the first events DiMont attended as an intern in 2014, Xcel Energy awarded NREL the Self-Direct Achievement Award. Photo from Suzy DiMont, NREL 

    During graduate school, DiMont pondered a career in international development work. She and her then boyfriend, now husband, traveled to Bolivia with a South Dakota Engineers Without Borders program to participate in a water development project. Although the work was important, she felt it was better to stay in Boulder.

    “To do international development work well, you have to be part of that community, and you have to invest in that community and spend time there and be there,” DiMont said. “You can’t just swoop in with technology. It’s not kind; it’s not effective.”

    After hearing Landry sing NREL’s praises for so many years, DiMont decided to apply for a sustainability internship at NREL.

    ‘Sustainability Is a Marathon, not a Sprint’

    As DiMont evolved from an intern into her current role, much of her work folded into the Intelligent Campus program, which leverages NREL campuses to advance research and achieve operational excellence by deploying cutting-edge control and analytics technology. Or in DiMont’s words, her job “sits at the intersection of research and making things happen.”

    She focuses on creating programs and strategies to implement changes regarding energy efficiency, the kind of energy NREL uses, and getting to net zero. However, DiMont acknowledged that “sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint.” For NREL to achieve its sustainability goals, the right folks—including researchers, subject matter experts, communicators, and technicians—need to come together and stay excited about work ahead.

    “A lot of what we do won’t have an impact for a while. That’s why it’s important to keep a generational lens,” DiMont said. “It’s not always easy, but having a great team makes it possible. They can commiserate with you, they support you, they back you up.”

    The NREL Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention Team was recognized for a DOE Sustainability Award in 2016. Right to left: Ali Mohagheghi, Kenneth Proc, Kevin Donovan, Ellen Fortier, Laura Justice, Nancy Stovall, Laurie Snyder, Suzy DiMont and Susan Chadwick. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

    Making the World a Better Place for All

    When it comes to making the world a better place, for DiMont, that starts with making NREL a better place. As an early member of the Women’s Network, Suzy advocates for diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The Women’s Network is one of NREL’s 11 ERGs and provides a platform for promoting women in leadership and the workforce.

    “I think the Women’s Network is so important, because there is still, especially in research in STEM, so much discrimination against women, people of color, women with intersectional identities, folks that are marginalized in some way,” DiMont said.

    For many, the biggest hurdle is staying in a career field if you see few people who look like you or share your experiences.

    “It’s a huge loss, because these are the fields where we need a diversity of thought, people that don’t see the world the same way, that think about problems differently, people that lead differently,” DiMont said. “You need that diversity in a field where you’re looking for innovation and new things. To reach everyone on the planet, you must have that diversity to be successful.”

    During her tenure at NREL, DiMont has witnessed major changes in the ways NREL promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion and credits much of this change to NREL’s women in leadership, such as Bobi Garrett, NREL’s former chief operating officer, and Julie Baker, deputy laboratory director for Laboratory Operations.

    Suzy DiMont and her child Sebastian. Photo from Suzy DiMont, NREL

    “It’s incredible to be around these powerful women,” DiMont said. “It’s very inspiring.”

    As a mother, DiMont wants to make the world a better place for her child. Living in a world impacted by climate change causes many to feel anxious and depressed about the future. For DiMont, knowing that humans caused climate change means humans are also part of the solution. She hopes to impart this optimism onto the next generation.

    “I want my child to live in a world where he sees engineers and expects them to be women,” DiMont said. “I want him to feel like he has agency and can be part of these solutions.”

    It is a lot of work and the job is not easy, but for DiMont, making the world better for the next generation is what it is all about.

    “When do I rest?” DiMont asked. “I’ve got this time to do what I can do with it. I put in my energy when I can, then I unplug. I unplug and put my energy in other places. It’s just about being present for the things you are doing in that moment.”  

    Learn more about NREL’s commitments to sustainability and resilience.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Enhancing the customer-centricity of GSA websites

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Designing an evaluation process

    The public evaluates our mission and services primarily through online interactions. In 2021, GSA’s Service Design program in the Office of Customer Experience launched a strategy to enhance our customers’ digital experience. Building upon our case study on composite indicators, we asked ourselves: How do we define compliance? How do we measure it in a consistent way? This led us to a critical prompt: How do we get these wildly different websites to behave in ways customers expect, while aligning to federal policy and law?

    Our objective was clear. We needed to design an evaluation process that captured qualitative and quantitative data to help us determine which websites needed improvement.

    Over the next three years, we launched a series of digital analytics tools, successfully inventoried over 180 public-facing websites, and interviewed close to 90 website managers to gain a clear understanding of our agency’s digital portfolio. We also produced over 160 recommendations reports (one for each website we evaluated), to help each web team improve digital experience and increase compliance with federal web policies. We learned strategies to integrate both qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring our transformation process remains tightly aligned with our customers’ needs.

    Customer-centricity, also known as the understanding of customer needs and expectations, became the central theme of our website evaluation project. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, we created a holistic view of each website’s performance and compliance. Furthermore, our team designed the Enterprise Digital Experience Index to improve the customer-centricity of GSA’s websites, and ground our work in GSA strategic goals and federal web policy, including the requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience.

    The index uses qualitative and quantitative measures to determine whether sites are well-managed, and meet customer needs and agency mission. Our team leveraged a series of free, accessible digital analytics tools to evaluate the quantitative side. We also met with every website team in GSA to gather qualitative customer-centricity data.

    Whale Design/iStock via Getty Images

    The qualitative component of the index uses human-centered design interviews that have been compiled into evaluation documents. These evaluations identify such things as opportunities for additional coaching, sites that are not properly resourced to meet customer needs, and candidates for website modernization or decommissioning. We assessed each web team’s ability to identify their primary audience, site purpose, whether they used repeatable customer feedback mechanisms, and whether they took action based on customer feedback. Additionally, we evaluated whether teams possessed the necessary skills to improve their websites, and whether they used robust methodologies (in addition to Digital Analytics Program data) to measure the impact of these improvements.

    The quantitative component analyzed the website’s accessibility, performance and search engine optimization, user behavior, U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) usage, and presence of required links. We designed a Google Chrome extension for our agency, curated from free and accessible analytics tools such as:

    • Site Scanner and custom crawlers: These tools help us evaluate compliance with agency-determined performance indicators, including the presence of certain USWDS components, and required links (FOIA, accessibility statement, privacy policy, etc.).
    • Digital Analytics Program (DAP): Integrated with Google Analytics, DAP offers a broad view of how users interact with the website, identifying such things as the top referring and outbound sites, page load times, and bounce rates.
    • Google Lighthouse: Assesses performance, search engine optimization, accessibility, and mobile optimization, and provides actionable insights to enhance site performance.
    • Accessibility testing: GSA has acquired and adopted a standard accessibility testing tool to help our web teams assess conformance with Section 508 standards. We scan for accessibility issues, focusing on critical metrics such as keyboard accessibility and alt text for images.

    Tightening up digital experience

    Sharing the data generated by these tools, along with appropriate context to help our teams understand the meaning of the data, led to significant improvements in website management and user experience.

    In the first year of the project, we implemented a digital registry that streamlined the data collection process. Within one month, 100% of our teams had participated and registered their sites — a stark improvement from the previous year’s 70% input rate.

    In the second year, we identified a responsible manager for 100% of our websites and partnered with GSA’s Office of Human Resources to develop a 3-part training series to orient people to the expectations and requirements of this role. This effort was based largely on what we learned through our qualitative analysis and has proven transformative for our agency. The management chain for each digital property is now visible at the enterprise level, and each website manager has a strong foundation in digital property management, in alignment with federal requirements and agency best practices. This project also inspired us to contribute to the design and launch of a new enterprise tool to display critical information about each GSA website, including linking each website to common service categories or themes. This helps our web teams gain a holistic perspective of their website and its role in the broader digital experience we offer GSA customers.

    In year three, we piloted annual website self-assessments via our Digital Lifecycle Program which provides a framework for website management at GSA. This program provides implementation guidance to comply with over 100+ federal requirements and is a roadmap launching and managing websites, and assessing how we invest in our digital portfolio.

    Over the course of this work, we discovered teams that hadn’t assessed the impact of their website on business operations and customer experience, and we identified several outdated products. These teams needed guidance on how to decommission websites that no longer served the public or supported agency mission. In 2024, we developed and published a decommissioning guide.

    Through the Digital Lifecycle Program, our agency has reduced our digital portfolio by over 35%, resulting in huge cost savings for the agency, and a better digital experience for our customers. This demonstrates that our collaborative approach to advancing information technology strategies and continually improving our customers’ digital experience is working.

    Embracing digital transformation

    As GSA leadership continues to refine our agency vision for customer-centric digital service delivery, we can all demonstrate commitment through actions and resource allocation. Integrating both qualitative and quantitative data ensures our transformation process is tightly aligned with our customers’ needs, and positions GSA as a leader in customer centricity and digital excellence.

    What can I do next?

    Review an introduction to analytics to learn how metrics and data can improve understanding of how people use your website.

    You can also join the Digital.gov Web Analytics Community of Practice to connect with government web practitioners who are working to share and make better, data-informed decisions using web analytics and other optimization strategies.

    If you work at a U.S. federal government agency, and would like to learn more about this work, reach out to GSA’s Service Design team at customerexperience@gsa.gov.

    Disclaimer: All references to specific brands, products, and/or companies are used only for illustrative purposes and do not imply endorsement by the U.S. federal government or any federal government agency.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: M&G ENT USA’s Photo Booth “Momentura” Begins Full-Scale Entry into the North American Photo Booth Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — M&G ENT USA, the U.S. branch of M&G ENT Co., Ltd., a specialized manufacturer of smart education and ICT equipment for business use, will officially enter the North American market, starting with the 2024 photo booth business presentation to be held at The One event hall in LA on Tuesday, November 5, at 5 PM.

    M&G ENT Co., Ltd. manufactures and supplies projectors and electronic whiteboards to major Korean video equipment companies and educational institutions. To enter the North American market, the company established branches on the East Coast (Boston) and West Coast (LA) of the U.S., a first for the industry, during the second half of last year.

    M&G ENT’s Momentura is a brand that is derived from the Latin word meaning “moment.” the Momentura photo booth is equipped with a high-performance DSLR and a dedicated photo printer, producing high-quality photos in a short time compared to photo booths currently available in the North American market. It has the ability to move the camera vertically to accommodate diverse user audiences, as well as the ability to freely apply filters and stickers to the images taken. The photo booth also is equipped with AR features such as caricatures, as well as regular frame cuts, ID photo features, and the function to print images saved on your phone. Moreover, it incorporates Korean-style designs based on K-culture that resonate with younger generations. Momentura also provides a customizable service for the exterior and frames to fit various installation settings, which has been gaining traction amongst users.

    Notably, at the ISTE Live 2024 International Education Exhibition held in Denver, Colorado, in June, M&G ENT unveiled a modular photo booth, specialized for rental services. The particular model is convenient for transportation and storage and ideal for use at events hosted by schools and public institutions. This received enthusiastic responses from education institution representatives.

    Sungju An, CEO of M&G ENT, announced that through the Los Angeles business presentation, they plan to recruit dealers and agents across the U.S., while showcasing the actual products. They aim to provide differentiated services such as sales, delivery, and after-sales support through local branches and distribution networks. By introducing various products into the market, they hope to create new business opportunities that offer a win-win situation for both partners, and expand the photo booth business to the global market.

    The 2024 photo booth business presentation schedule is as follows:

    • Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    • Venue: The One Event Hall 5F, 3680 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
    • Inquiries (English): 949) 351-7194
    • Inquiries (Korean): 949) 351-7055
    • Email: contact@momentura.us

    Media Contact

    Brand: M&G ENT USA

    Contact: Somin An

    Email: contact@momentura.us

    Phone: +1 949 351 7194(English) / +1 949 351 7055(Korean)

    Website: https://www.momentura.us

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 29th, 2024 N.M. Delegation Welcomes Over $4 Million From the Infrastructure Law to Enhance Safety, Reduce Delays at Railway Crossings, and Grow Local Economies in Clovis and San Juan County

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) welcomed a combined $4,570,920 for two projects in New Mexico from the U.S. Department of Transportation to strengthen the nation’s supply chain, reduce costs, and grow New Mexico’s economy. 

    $4,000,000 will help San Juan County and the Navajo Nation complete the planning for a proposed freight rail line connecting Farmington and Gallup. 

    $570,920 will help the City of Clovis enhance safety and reduce traffic delays at two railway crossings.

    “Thanks to our Infrastructure Law, we’re delivering the funds needed to kick-start planning for a freight rail line from Farmington to Gallup and improve railway crossings in Clovis. Combined, these investments will strengthen our nation’s supply chain, grow local economies, lower transportation costs, create high-quality jobs New Mexicans can build their families around, and improve safety for our communities,” said Heinrich. “I’m pleased to welcome these federal investments, and I remain committed to securing more investments to connect rural communities to the abundant opportunities ahead.”

    “Across our state, New Mexicans rely daily on our railways for travel and to keep our economy running,” said Luján. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this $4.5+ million in federal funding will deliver much-needed railway safety enhancements in Clovis and help construct a new rail line within the Navajo Nation to expand regional rail service in Northwestern New Mexico. I’m proud to welcome these two grants that will both boost railway service and drive economic development for Clovis, the Navajo Nation, and their surrounding communities. I will continue to fight to bring federal dollars home to New Mexico to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger and freight rail.”

    “Every time I go to the Four Corners, local leaders emphasize the importance of connecting the region with rail. The Four Corners area is a major economic center of our state, and the funding we’re announcing today is the beginning of our work to make sure our rail infrastructure is ready to meet that potential across San Juan and McKinley Counties,” said Leger Fernández. “I am happy that this funding also includes improvements to safety and efficiency of freight in Clovis. With the support of the CRISI program, we can begin the critical work needed to build stronger connections and drive growth in rural New Mexico.”

    “I am thrilled about the recent allocation of two significant federal grants from the Federal Railroad Administration’s CRISI program, which will greatly enhance rail safety and connectivity in New Mexico,” said Stansbury. “These two grants reflect our commitment to investing in infrastructure prioritizing safety and economic growth. I am grateful for the support from the Federal Railroad Administration and look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition as we work together to build a safer New Mexico!”

    “Federal investments like this bring vital safety and economic benefits to communities across New Mexico. With this funding, we’re improving railway safety, cutting down delays, and connecting New Mexicans to opportunities that drive economic growth and quality jobs,” said Vasquez. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are building a stronger, safer transportation network. I’m proud to welcome this funding to bring more jobs and opportunities to our rural communities.”

    “The award of grant funding takes a prospective freight rail line study further than any study in the past and is further proof of the importance of collaboration between tribal, local, state, and federal partners to open doors to economic opportunities. We are appreciative of assistance from New Mexico’s federal delegation and excited for future economic growth opportunities in San Juan County and the Four Corners region,” said John T. Beckstead, San Juan County Commission Chairman.

    “The Federal CRISI Grant brings San Juan County and the City of Farmington one step closer to having competitive transportation and economic development. This is an important step in growing our regional economy,” said Tim Gibbs, Four Corner Economic Development CEO.

    The grants are awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, which provides funding for projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. The CRISI Program received significant, additional investments from the Infrastructure Law legislation passed by Democrats in the N.M. Congressional Delegation. 

    The N.M. Delegation sent a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation supporting the grant for San Juan County that is being announced today. This grant will prepare the Four Corners Rail Project for final design proposals and planning.

    In May 2020, Heinrich and Luján wrote a letter of support for San Juan County’s application for a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant, which applicants of the CRISI Program are required to be approved for.  

    Members of the N.M. Delegation sent a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation urging the support of the grant for the City of Clovis that is being announced today. This grant will enhance safety and reduce traffic delays at two railway crossings including modifications to the Norris Street railroad crossing and construction of a new grade-separated crossing at MLK Jr. Boulevard.

    Below is a breakdown of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration funding:  

    Project Name

    Recipient

    Award Amount

    Project Description

    Clovis, N.M. Corridor Improvement Project

    City of Clovis

    $ 570,920

    The proposed project was selected for Project Development and includes activities for one grade crossing separation and improvements to a second at-grade crossing along the BNSF Railway line in Clovis, New Mexico. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance as the project will reduce blocked crossings. The City of Clovis and BNSF Railway will contribute the 53 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

    Four Corners Freight Rail Project

    San Juan County

    $ 4,000,000

    The proposed project was selected for Project Development and includes activities to develop a new rail line to connect the Farmington, New Mexico Area to the BNSF Railway corridor near Gallup across San Juan County and McKinley County, New Mexico. The proposed project is a partnership between San Juan County, the Navajo Nation, and the New Mexico Department of Transportation, and most of the project is located within the Navajo Nation. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing resilience and improving system and service performance as the project will provide a viable freight transportation modal alternative to highway trucking, opportunities to simplify the supply chain, and enable new, rail-dependent economic development opportunities thereby imparting benefits to the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities. San Juan County will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

    For more information from San Juan County on the proposed Four Corners Rail Project, please click here. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 29th, 2024 Heinrich, Leger Fernández Highlight Over $22 Million to Build a New Terminal at Clovis Regional Airport, Participate in Terminal Groundbreaking Ceremony

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    PHOTOS/VIDEOS

    CLOVIS, N.M. — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) participated in a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on a new 21,000 square foot terminal at Clovis Regional Airport (CVN). The new terminal at Clovis Regional Airport is fully funded by a $15.7 million grant and a $3.5 million grant from the Infrastructure Law — legislation passed by Democrats in the N.M. Congressional Delegation — and a Heinrich-led $3.5 million Congressionally Directed Spending award that is advancing in the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill that passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee in July.

    These three investments, totaling $22,700,000, are making it possible for Clovis to complete the new terminal. 

    The terminal at Clovis Regional Airport will better connect the community, improve travelers’ experiences, create high-quality jobs, and grow local economies across New Mexico.

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on a new terminal at Clovis Regional Airport (CVN), October 29, 2024.

    “When we invest in New Mexico’s airports, we invest in the people who rely on these facilities to do business in our state, create jobs, and contribute to our economy,” said Heinrich. “I am proud to have secured funding from the Infrastructure Law to fully construct Clovis Regional Airport’s new terminal and I will keep fighting to secure more investments to improve airports all across New Mexico — improving travelers’ experiences, creating high quality jobs New Mexicans can build their families around, and driving our state’s economic growth for the future.”

    “Thanks to our work on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this $22 million investment will create good jobs, connect families across the region, and drive economic vitality for communities across eastern New Mexico,” said Leger Fernández. “Today’s groundbreaking at the Clovis Regional Airport gets us closer to connecting eastern New Mexico to new economic opportunities and supporting the region’s growth. This new terminal isn’t just about creating a strong foundation for the future of Clovis — it’s about creating a strong foundation for the future of eastern New Mexico. I also want to thank Senator Heinrich for his leadership as he champions rural projects like this one in the Senate Appropriations Committee.”

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) participate in a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on a new terminal at Clovis Regional Airport (CVN), October 29, 2024.

    The Infrastructure Law is delivering billions of dollars in historic infrastructure investments to New Mexico.    

    The Infrastructure Law is set to invest $4.3 billion in formula funding alone for at least 337 vital projects in New Mexico. Some of the projects and priorities that have already received federal funding from the Infrastructure Law include:   

    • $1.8 billion for New Mexico’s roads and bridges.   
    • $379 million over five years, based on formula funding, for New Mexico’s public transit. To date, New Mexico has been allocated $147.2 million to improve public transportation options across the state in Fiscal Year 2022.    
    • $710 million for clean drinking water in New Mexico.   
    • $362.3 million for infrastructure resilience, including $23.4 million through the Army Corps of Engineers for flood mitigation in New Mexico.   
    • $160 million, the first installment of funding from the Infrastructure Law, to support the completion of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System pipeline in Eastern New Mexico. 
    • $3 billion across Indian Country to help Tribes deploy broadband infrastructure.  
    • $52.4 million for capping orphaned oil and gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mine lands and $20.7 million has been allocated to cleaning up Superfund and Brownfield sites across New Mexico.   
    • $38 million over five years, based on formula funding, to support the expansion of an EV charging network in the state.   
    • $74.9 million for clean energy, energy efficiency, and power in New Mexico.   
    • $50 million for airports across New Mexico.   
    • $33 million for clean and low emission buses in New Mexico.   

    The Infrastructure Law is also helping 173,000 New Mexico households save on broadband. For eligibility on internet programs, visit GetInternet.gov. 

    For more information, click here to see a map of funding and announced projects in New Mexico through the Infrastructure Law.  

    Find a fact sheet of the investments New Mexico has received through the Infrastructure Law here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Kid Witness News (KWN) Global Summit 2024—Announcement of Award Results

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Kid Witness News (KWN) Global Summit 2024—Announcement of Award Results

    Participating countries (11 countries)
    Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vietnam
    * Presented in alphabetical order* Participants will be able to view a live stream of the summit on the day of the summit.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI: Amundi: Third quarter and nine-month 2024 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amundi: Third quarter and nine-month 2024 results

    Net income1,2up +16% Q3/Q3 and record assets under management at €2.2 trillion

    Strong growth in earnings and revenues   Q3 – adjusted net income1,2 at €337m, fast-growing: +16.1% Q3/Q3

    • Thanks to revenue growth (+10.5%) and positive jaws effect
    • Q3/Q3 cost/income ratio improvement at 52.9%3

    9 months – adjusted net income1,2 at €1,005m, up +10.4% 9M/9M

    Earnings per share2: €1.65 for Q3, €4.91 for 9M

         
    Record AuM
    & dynamic MLT inflows5
      Record assets under management3: €2,192bn at 30 September 2024, up +11% year-on-year

    Q3 net inflows3 of +€2.9bn, or +€14.5bn excluding the exit from a large, low-income institutional mandate4

    • +€9.1bn in MLT assets4,5,6
    • Solid commercial momentum of Asian JVs: +€5.3bn
         
    Continued strategic progress   ETFs6: +€8bn in Q3 net inflows, now more than €250bn in assets under management
    Third-party distribution: +€7bn Q3 net inflows, with contribution from all regions and asset classes

    Asia: +€7bn in Q3 net inflows, from JVs and direct distribution in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China

    Technology: revenues +42% Q3/Q3

    Victory Capital: approval7 of the partnership with Amundi secured at EGM, transaction expected to close in Q1 2025

    Paris, 30 October 2024

    Amundi’s Board of Directors met on 29 October 2024 under the chairmanship of Philippe Brassac, and reviewed the financial statements for the third quarter and the first 9 months of 2024.

    Valérie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer, said:
    « Amundi’s results in the third quarter of 2024 demonstrate our ongoing strategic progress and continued growth potential. Our Q3 net profit1,2of €337m, increased by +16% compared to the same period in 2023 and exceeded one billion euros over 9 months. Assets under management reached a record level of €2.2 trillion.

    We have been able to support our clients whatever their profile and needs, which has resulted in a high level of net inflows in our strategic development areas, namely Asia, Third-Party Distributors, and ETFs.

    By putting clients at the heart of our strategy and by continuing to develop the areas of expertise that primarily seek to meet their needs, we are ideally positioned to seize growth opportunities in the savings industry. »

    * * * * *

    Further progress in achieving our 2025 Ambitions plan

    Q3 2024 saw key areas of focus under the “2025 Strategic Ambitions” plan contribute to activity and earnings growth.

    • ETFs exceeded €250bn in assets under management at the end of September, up +31% year-on-year, thanks in particular to very dynamic net inflows reaching +€17bn over 9 months, including +€8bn in Q3. This places Amundi in second place in the European market in terms of net inflows this quarter8. these inflows are well diversified across equity and fixed income products, with a high share of products classified as responsible investment9 in net inflows (+€3bn, or 34% market share in flows in this market segment). Amundi has had many commercial successes this quarter: for example, the Amundi ETF Stoxx Europe 600 is the best-selling (+€0.85bn) European equity ETFs in Q3, the Amundi ETF Euro Government Tilted Green Bond, launched last year, saw its assets under management exceed €3bn after gathering +€1.1bn since the beginning of the year, and the Amundi ETF Prime ACWI exceeded €1bn in assets under management 8 months after its launch.
    • Third-Party Distribution reached €377bn in assets under management at the end of September, up +24% year-on-year, with net inflows +€19bn for 9 months 2024, and +€7bn in Q3, thanks to contributions from all regions and asset classes, from ETFs, treasury products and active management;
    • Asia assets under management increased by +17% year-on-year to €458bn; net inflows for 9 months 2024 stood at +€30bn with a significant contribution from Amundi’s Indian JV SBI MF, which now has €278bn in assets, up +19% year-on-year (+€18bn in net inflows); €103bn of total Asian assets under management come from direct distribution excluding JVs (+20% year-on-year), with net inflows for 9 months 2024 standing at +€3bn in Japan, +€2.4bn Singapore, +€1.4bn Hong Kong and also +€1.7bn in China outside the two JVs, mainly with institutional clients;
    • The Technology & Services offering is also experiencing strong growth, with technology revenues of €54m over 9 months, up +28% compared to the same period in 2023, and even +42% Q3/Q3; the Fund Channel fund distribution platform exceeded €490bn in assets at the end of September 2024; during the quarter it signed a distribution agreement with ING Germany and integrated the fintech AirFund into its ecosystem to digitise access to private markets; Fund Channel was also ranked “Best Distribution Platform” for the third consecutive year by the consulting and research firm Platforum;
    • In fixed income expertise, Amundi now manages €1,160bn in assets10 across a wide range of solutions, from treasury products to target maturity funds, offering attractive returns and capital protection; fixed income net inflows stood at +€46bn10 over 9 months and +€14bn10 in Q3 thanks to sustained activity in active bond strategies (+€11bn excluding JV) and ETFs (+€2.5bn);
    • The partnership project with Victory Capital reached an important milestone with shareholder approval of resolutions7 necessary to finalise the transactions, expected in Q1 2025. As a reminder, this partnership aims at creating a larger US investment platform, via the contribution of Amundi US to Victory Capital in return for Amundi taking a 26%-stake of the combined entity as well as 15-year distribution agreements, to serve the clients of both companies; Amundi would thus have a greater number of US and global management expertise to offer its clients. The transaction, which involves no disbursement of cash, is expected to bring a low single-digit accretion for Amundi shareholders, with an increase in the contribution of our US operations to the adjusted net income and EPS.

    Activity

    Market environment

    In the third quarter of 2024, equity markets11 increased by +1.1% in average compared to the previous quarter and by +15.6% compared to Q3 2023. The European bond markets12 also rose, reflecting the shift in monetary policy and the ECB’s decision to cut rates. Year-on-year, our benchmark index12 increased by +6.3% in Q3 2024 compared to Q3 2023 and by +2.1% compared to Q2 2024. The market effect is therefore positive on the evolution of Amundi’s revenues and net income.

    When compared to the 2021 averages used as a reference for the 2025 Ambitions plan, the market effect is only slightly positive.

    The European asset management market continues its gradual recovery. Open-ended fund volumes13, at +€213bn in the third quarter, continued to be driven by treasury products (+€93bn) and passive management (+€75bn). Nevertheless, the third quarter recorded positive flows in medium- to long-term active management for the second quarter in a row (+€45bn), driven by fixed income strategies (+€69bn).

    High level of activity over the quarter in MLT assets5, assets under management at a record level of €2.2tn

    Activity this quarter continues to be marked, like the rest of the European market, by risk aversion among retail clients. However, Amundi performed well, driven in particular by ETFs, bond solutions, third-party distributors and Asia. Excluding the exceptional exit from a low-income insurance mandate4, net inflows were positive in all major medium- to long-term areas of expertise (passive, active, structured products and real assets), in all client segments (Retail, Institutional and JV), and in all major markets (France, Italy, Germany, Asia and the United States).

    Amundi’s assets under management at 30 September 2024 increased by +11.1% year-on-year (compared to the end of September 2023) and by +1.6% quarter-on-quarter (compared to the end of June 2024), to €2,192bn, an all-time high.

    In the third quarter of 2024, the market and currency effect amounted to +€32.5bn (+€175.9bn over a year) and Amundi generated positive net inflows of +€2.9bn. As announced at the time of the second quarter results publication, this amount includes the exit of a low-income multi-asset mandate4 with a European insurer, of €11.6bn.

    Adjusted for this exit4, net inflows for the quarter were +€14.4bn of which +€9.1bn in MLT Assets5. It was positive in active management (+€4.3bn) and ETFs (+€7.8bn), partially offset by outflows from index strategies. Structured products and real and alternative assets also recorded positive net inflows (+€0.8bn), while treasury products were flat (+€0.1bn).

    Finally, the JVs14continued their solid commercial momentum, with net inflows of +€5.3bn, reflecting a positive contribution from India (SBI MF, +€6.0bn) and South Korea (NH-Amundi, +€0.4bn), partially offset this quarter by slight net outflows in China (ABC-CA) despite continued open-ended net inflows.

    By Client Segment, Retail recorded net inflows of +€6.3bn, of which +€1.3bn in MLT assets5, with contrasting developments according to the sub-segments:

    • Third-Party Distributors had another very good quarter in terms of total net inflows (+€6.8bn); all regions contributed to these inflows, which were highly diversified across asset classes, with positive contributions from ETFs, treasury products but also active management (+€1.5bn);
    • Risk aversion has a larger impact on the activity of partner network clients in France (+€1.1bn) and outside France excluding Amundi BOC WM (-€0.9bn), despite the good performance of structured and treasury products as well as bond strategies; Sabadell’s network in Spain continues its sales momentum (+€0.4bn);
    • In China, Amundi BOC WM posted net outflows this quarter (-€0.7bn), as the maturities of fixed-term funds were not offset by open-ended fund subscriptions.

    Excluding the loss of the low-income insurance mandate already mentioned4, the Institutional segment recorded very positive inflows in MLT Assets5(+€7.8bn), in all sub-segments: Institutional & Sovereigns with +€4.4bn, CA & SG insurance mandates with +€2.4bn thanks to the continued recovery of the traditional life insurance Euro contracts this quarter, Corporates and Employee Savings (+€1.0bn) thanks to net inflows in short-term bond products from corporates. Net outflows in Treasury Products (-€4.9bn) are to a large extent seasonal.

    Results

    Sustained growth in net income, +16% Q3/Q3 to €337m, and more than €1bn in the 9 months of 2024

    Adjusted data2

    In the third quarter of 2024, adjusted net income2reached €337m, up +16.1% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Since the second quarter, it includes Alpha Associates, whose acquisition was finalised in early April.

    The growth in net income was mainly due to organic revenue growth, amplified by operating efficiency, which led to a positive jaws effect, and by the very strong momentum of Asian JVs. These results were achieved against the backdrop of continued client risk aversion, and inflation.

    Adjusted net revenues2 reached €862m, up +10.5% compared to the third quarter of 2023.

    • The sustained growth in net management fees, up +9.2% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €805m, reflects the good level of activity and the increase in average assets under management excluding JVs (+8.6% over the same period);
    • Performance fees (€20m) doubled compared to the third quarter of 2023 (€10m), a low basis of comparison; however, they were down compared to the second quarter of 2024 (€50m) due to the lower level of crystallisation15 in the third quarter than in the second and fourth quarters, as it does every year; however, the performance of Amundi’s management is at a good level, with more than 71% of assets under management ranked in the first or second quartiles according to Morningstar16 over 1, 3 or 5 years and 257 Amundi funds rated 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar as of 30 September;
    • Amundi Technology’s revenues, at €20m, continued to grow steadily (+41.8% compared to the third quarter of 2023; +13.0% compared to the second quarter of 2024), confirming the development of this business;
    • Finally, the Financial and other income2 amounted to €17m, down slightly compared to the third quarter of 2023 and previous quarters.

    The increase in operating expenses2, by +7.4% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €456m, remains lower than the increase in revenues (+10.5%) over the same period, thus generating a positive jaws effect which reflects the Group’s operational efficiency.

    The increase is mainly due to:

    • the first consolidation of Alpha Associates;
    • the provision for individual variable remuneration in line with the increase in results;
    • and finally the acceleration of investments in development initiatives according to the axes of the 2025 Ambitions Plan, particularly in technology.

    The Cost income ratio improved to 52.9% in adjusted data2 compared to the same quarter last year, and remains in line with the 2025 target and at the best level in the industry.

    The Adjusted gross operating income2(EBIT) amounted to €406m, up +14.2% compared to the third quarter of 2023, reflecting double-digit revenue growth amplified by operational efficiency.

    Income from equity-accounted companies, which reflects Amundi’s share of the net income of minority JVs in India (SBI MF), China (ABC-CA), South Korea (NH-Amundi) and Morocco (Wafa Gestion), was up +36.5% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €33m, representing 10% of adjusted net income, reflecting the good level of activity in India and Korea.

    Adjusted earnings per share2in the third quarter of 2024 reached €1.65, up +16.0%.

    Accounting data in the third quarter of 2024

    Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €320m and includes non-cash charges related to acquisitions, in particular the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution and client contracts (-€24m before tax in the quarter including the corresponding new charges related to Alpha Associates, see details in p. 11), representing a total of -€17m after tax.

    Accounting earnings per share in the third quarter of 2024 reached €1.56.

    In the first 9 months of 2024, adjusted net income2amounted to €1,005m, up +10.4%, reflecting the same trends as in the third quarter:

    • Adjusted net revenues2 grew by +7.3% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, to €2,573m, reflecting as in the quarter the sustained growth in management fees (+6.6%) and the strong increase in Amundi Technology’s revenues (€54m, +28.2%) and financial and other income2 (€67m, +38.2%); performance fees, on the other hand, were down by -2.0% to €88m;
    • Adjusted operating expenses2 are well controlled with an increase of +5.9% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, at €1,356m, resulting in a positive jaws effect;
    • Adjusted cost income ratio2 stands at 52.7%.

    Adjusted gross operating income2 was €1,217m, up +8,9% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, showing a higher growth rate than revenue growth thanks to operating efficiency.

    Income from equity-accounted companies increased by +28.6% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, to €94m.

    Adjusted earnings per share2for the first 9 months of 2024 reached €4.91, up +10.1% compared to the first 9 months of 2023.

    Accounting data for the first 9 months of 2024

    Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €956m and includes non-cash charges related to acquisitions, in particular the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution and client contracts (-€68m before tax in the 9 months including the corresponding new charges related to Alpha Associates, see details on p. 11), representing a total of -€49m after tax in the first 9 months of 2024.

    Accounting earnings per share for the first 9 months of 2024 reached €4.67.

    To be noted for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024

    Success of the capital increase reserved for employees – The capital increase reserved for employees “We Share Amundi”, announced on 23 September 2024, is expected to be completed tomorrow, 31 October 2024. This operation offered for the seventh consecutive year a subscription of shares at a discount.

    It was once again a great success this year: more than 2,000 employees in 15 countries subscribed to this capital increase, for a total amount of €36.3m. This represents nearly two out of three employees in France and more than two out of five worldwide.        
    This transaction, which is in line with the existing legal authorisations voted by the Shareholders’ Meeting on 12 May 2023, reflects Amundi’s desire to involve its employees not only in the development of the Company but also in the creation of economic value.

    The impact of this transaction on earnings per share will be very limited: the number of shares to be created will be 771,628 (i.e. ~0.4% of the share capital before the transaction).        
    This issue will bring the number of shares making up Amundi’s share capital to 205,419,262 as of 31 October 2024, i.e. a share capital increased to €513,548,155.        
    Employees will now hold around 1.7% of Amundi’s capital, compared to 1.3% before the transaction. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Amundi Group will record in its consolidated financial statements a charge relating to the subscription discount of €12.3m before tax.

    On the basis of the Finance Bill presented by the French government, an exceptional tax contribution on the profits of large companies would apply to Amundi, whose turnover in France for tax purposes is more than €3bn.

    * * * * *

    APPENDICES

    Adjusted income statement2of the first 9 months of 2024 and 2023

    (€m)   9M 2024 9M 2023 % chg.
    9M/9M
             
    Net revenue – Adjusted   2,573 2,397 +7.3%
    Management fees   2,364 2,217 +6.6%
    Performance fees   88 89 -2.0%
    Technology   54 42 +28.2%
    Net financial & other net income   67 49 +38.2%
    Operating expenses – Adjusted   (1,356) (1,280) +5.9%
    Cost income ratio – Adjusted (%)   52.7% 53.4% -0.7pp
    Gross operating income – Adjusted   1,217, 1,117, +8.9%
    Cost of risk & other   (7) (5) +24.5%
    Equity-accounted companies   94 73 +28.6%
    Income before tax – Adjusted   1,305 1,185 +10.1%
    Corporate tax   (302) (277) +8.8%
    Non-controlling interests   2 3 -25.2%
    Net income, Group share – Adjusted   1,005 910 +10.4%
    Depreciation of intangible assets after tax   (49) (44) +11.6%
    Integration costs net of tax   0 0 NS
    Net income, Group share   956 866 +10.3%
    Earnings per share (€)   4.67 4.25 +10.0%
    Earnings per share – Adjusted (€)   4.91 4.46 +10.1%

    Adjusted income statement2of the third quarter of 2024

    (€m)   Q3 2024 Q3 2023 % chg.
    Q3/Q3
      Q2 2024 % chg.
    Q3/Q2
                   
    Net revenue – Adjusted   862 780 +10.5%   887 -2.9%
    Management fees   805 737 +9.2%   794 +1.3%
    Performance fees   20 10 +97.3%   50 -58.9%
    Technology   20 14 +41.8%   17 +13.0%
    Net financial & other net income   17 19 -10.6%   26 -34.0%
    Operating expenses – Adjusted   (456) (424) +7.4%   (461) -1.1%
    Cost income ratio – Adjusted (%)   52.9% 54.4% -1.5pp   51.9% +1.0pp
    Gross operating income – Adjusted   406 356 +14.2%   426 -4.8%
    Cost of risk & other   (2) (3) -36.0%   (5) -63.4%
    Equity-accounted companies   33 24 +36.5%   33 -0.1%
    Income before tax – Adjusted   437 377 +15.9%   454 -3.9%
    Corporate tax   (101) (88) +14.9%   (105) -3.8%
    Non-controlling interests   1 1 -23.5%   0 NS
    Net income, Group share – Adjusted   337 290 +16.1%   350 -3.7%
    Depreciation of intangible assets after tax   (17) (15) +17.9%   (17) +1.2%
    Integration costs net of tax   0 0 NS   0 NS
    Net income, Group share   320 276 +16.0%   333 -4.0%
    Earnings per share (€)   1.56 1.35 +15.9%   1.63 -4.0%
    Earnings per share – Adjusted (€)   1.65 1.42 +16.0%   1.71 -3.7%

    Evolution of assets under management from the end of 2020 to the end of September 202417

    (€bn) Assets under management Net

    inflows

    Market &

    Forex Effect

    Scope effect   Change in AuM
    vs. previous quarter
    As of 31/12/2020 1,729       / +4.0%
    Q1 2021   -12.7 +39.3   /  
    As of 31/03/2021 1,755       / +1.5%
    Q2 2021   +7.2 +31.4   /  
    As of 30/06/2021 1,794       / +2.2%
    Q3 2021   +0.2 +17.0   /  
    As of 30/09/2021 1,811       / +1.0%
    Q4 2021   +65.6 +39.1   +14818  
    As of 31/12/2021 2,064       / +14%
    Q1 2022   +3.2 -46.4   /  
    As of 31/03/2022 2,021       / -2.1%
    Q2 2022   +1.8 -97.75   /  
    As of 30/06/2022 1,925       / -4.8%
    Q3 2022   -12.9 -16.3   /  
    As of 30/09/2022 1,895       / -1.6%
    Q4 2022   +15.0 -6.2   /  
    As of 31/12/2022 1,904       / +0.5%
    Q1 2023   -11.1 +40.9   /  
    As of 31/03/2023 1,934       / +1.6%
    Q2 2023   +3.7 +23.8   /  
    As of 31/06/2023 1,961       / +1.4%
    Q3 2023   +13.7 -1.7   /  
    As of 30/09/2023 1,973       / +0.6%
    Q4 2023   +19.5 +63.8   -20  
    As of 31/12/2023 2,037       / +3.2%
    Q1 2024   +16.6 +63.0   /  
    As of 31/03/2024 2,116       / +3.9%
    Q2 2024   +15.5 +16.6   +8  
    30/06/2024 2,156         +1.9%
    Q3 2024   +2.9 +32.5   /  
    30/09/2024 2,192         +1.6%

    Total over one year between September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2024: +11.1%

    • Net inflows          +€54.5bn
    • Market & exchange rate effects        +€175.9bn
    • Scope effects        -€12.2bn
      (disposal of Lyxor Inc. in Q4 2023, first consolidation of Alpha Associates in Q2 2024)

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by client segments19

    (€bn) AuM

    30.09.2024

    AuM

    30.09.2023

    % change /30.09.2023 Net flows

    Q3 2024

    Net flows

    Q3 2023

    Net flows

    9M 2024

    Net flows

    9M 2023

    French networks 138 126 +9.1% +1.1 +0.9 +0.3 +4.6
    International networks 167 156 +7.1% -1.6 -1.0 -4.4 -3.2
    o/w Amundi BOC WM 3 4 -26.9% -0.7 -0.5 -0.5 -3.3
    Third-party distributors 377 305 +23.5% +6.8 +2.1 +19.2 +4.1
    Retail 681 587 +16.1% +6.3 +2.0 +15.1 +5.6
    Institutional & Sovereigns (*) 518 489 +6.0% -9.3 +17.9 +1.4 +14.4
    Corporates 113 97 +16.0% +2.3 -3.8 -5.8 -7.4
    Employee savings plans 92 84 +9.8% -0.5 -0.9 +2.5 +2.6
    CA & SG insurers 428 406 +5.3% -1.2 -3.9 +0.5 -9.6
    Institutional 1,151 1,076 +6.9% -8.7 +9.3 -1.4 +0.0
    JVs 360 310 +16.0% +5.3 +2.4 +21.3 +0.7
    Total 2,192 1,973 +11.1% +2.9 +13.7 +35.0 +6.3

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by asset classes19

    (€bn) AuM

    30.09.2024

    AuM

    30.09.2023

    % change /30.09.2023 Net flows

    Q3 2024

    Net flows

    Q3 2023

    Net flows

    9M 2024

    Net flows

    9M 2023

    Equity 527 443 +18.9% -0.7 +7.0 +0.0 +2.0
    Multi-assets 274 274 -0.0% -15.4 -5.9 -22.3 -17.0
    Bonds 732 624 +17.3% +12.8 +7.7 +36.8 +10.1
    Real, alternative & structured assets 114 124 -8.3% +0.8 -1.1 +1.5 +2.4
    MLT ASSETS excl. JVs 1,647 1,465 +12.4% -2.5 +7.8 +16.1 -2.4
    Treasury products excl. JVs 185 198 -6.5% +0.1 +3.5 -2.4 +8.0
    Assets excl. JVs 1,832 1,663 +10.1% -2.4 +11.3 +13.6 +5.6
    JVs 360 310 +16.0% +5.3 +2.4 +21.3 +0.7
    TOTAL 2,192 1,973 +11.1% +2.9 +13.7 +35.0 +6.3
    o/w MLT assets 1,973 1,745 +13.1% +3.4 +11.3 +34.9 -0.7
    o/w Treasury products 219 229 -4.2% -0.5 +2.5 +0.1 +7.1

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by management type and asset classes19

    (€bn) AuM

    30.09.2024

    AuM

    30.09.2023

    % change /30.09.2023 Net flows

    Q3 2024

    Net flows

    Q3 2023

    Net flows

    9M 2024

    Net flows

    9M 2023

    Active management 1,136 1,022 +11.1% -7.1 -1.9 +2.2 -15.6
    Equity 208 187 +11.4% -2.3 -1.6 -5.4 -2.5
    Multi-assets 263 265 -0.9% -15.7 -6.3 -23.4 -18.2
    Bonds 665 570 +16.6% +10.8 +6.1 +31.0 +5.1
    Structured products 43 35 +22.3% +0.8 -0.2 +2.7 +2.9
    Passive management 397 319 +24.5% +3.8 +10.8 +12.4 +10.8
    ETFs & ETC 251 192 +31.1% +7.8 +3.6 +17.3 +8.0
    Index & Smart Beta 146 127 +14.5% -4.0 +7.2 -5.0 +2.8
    Real & alternative assets 71 89 -20.5% +0.0 -0.9 -1.2 -0.5
    Real assets 67 63 +4.8% +0.2 -0.3 -0.1 +0.2
    Alternative assets 4 25 -83.8% -0.2 -0.6 -1.1 -0.7
    MLT ASSETS excl. JVs 1,647 1,465 +12.4% -2.5 +7.8 +16.1 -2.4
    Treasury products excl. JVs 185 198 -6.5% +0.1 +3.5 -2.4 +8.0
    TOTAL ASSETS excl. JVs 1,832 1,663 +10.1% -2.4 +11.3 +13.6 +5.6
    JVs 360 310 +16.0% +5.3 +2.4 +21.3 +0.7
    TOTAL 2,192 1,973 +11.1% +2.9 +13.7 +35.0 +6.3

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by geographical areas19

    (€bn) AuM

    30.09.2024

    AuM

    30.09.2023

    % change /30.09.2023 Net flows

    Q3 2024

    Net flows

    Q3 2023

    Net flows

    9M 2024

    Net flows

    9M 2023

    France 987 903 +9.3% +2.8 +4.1 +12.8 -1.2
    Italy 202 197 +2.7% -10.8 -1.5 -13.8 -2.2
    Europe excl. France & Italy 421 353 +19.2% +1.9 -0.8 +6.0 +6.0
    Asia 458 392 +17.0% +7.4 +3.4 +29.6 -0.3
    Rest of the world 124 129 -4.3% +1.7 +8.4 +0.4 +4.0
    TOTAL 2,192 1,973 +11.1% +2.9 +13.7 +35.0 +6.3
    TOTAL outside France 1,204 1,070 +12.5% +0.1 +9.6 +22.2 +7.5

    Methodology Appendix

    Accounting & adjusted data

    Accounting data – These include the amortization of intangible assets, recorded as other income, and since Q2 2024, other non-cash expenses spread according to the schedule of payments of the earn-out until the end of 2029; these expenses are recognized as deductions from net income, in finance costs.

    The aggregate amounts of these items are as follows for the different periods under review:

    • Q1 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
    • Q2 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
    • Q3 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
    • 9M 2023: -€61m before tax and -€44m after tax
    • 2023: -€82m before tax and -€59m after tax
    • Q1 2024: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
    • Q2 2024: -€24m before tax and -€17m after tax
    • Q3 2024: -€24m pre-tax and -€17m after tax
    • 9M 2024: -€68m before tax and -€49m after tax

    There were no significant integration costs recorded in the third quarter as a result of the acquisition of Alpha Associates

    Adjusted data – in order to present an income statement closer to economic reality, the following adjustments are made: restatement of the amortization of distribution contracts with Bawag, UniCredit and Banco Sabadell, intangible assets representing the client contracts of Lyxor and, since the second quarter of 2024, Alpha Associates, as well as other non-cash charges related to the acquisition of Alpha Associates; such depreciation and amortization and non-cash expenses are recorded as a deduction from net revenues.

    Acquisition of Alpha Associates

    In accordance with IFRS 3, recognition of Amundi’s balance sheet as at 01/04/2024:

    • goodwill of €290m;
    • an intangible asset of €50m representing client contracts, depreciable on a straight-line basis until the end of 2030;
    • a liability representing the conditional earn-out not yet paid, for €160m, including an actuarial discount of -€30m, which will be amortized over 6 years.

    In the Group’s income statement, the following is recorded:

    • amortization of intangible assets for a full-year expense of -€7.6m (-€6.1m after tax)
    • other non-cash expenses spread according to the schedule of payments of the earn-out until the end of 2029; These expenses are recorded as deductions from net income, as finance costs.

    In Q3 2024, the amortization of intangible assets was -€1.9m before tax (-€1.5m after tax) and non-cash expenses were -€1.4m before tax (i.e. -€1.1m after tax). Over the first 9 months of 2024, these expenses are respectively -€3.8m and -€2.9m (-€6.6m in total), since they only started in Q2.

    Alternative Performance Measures20

    In order to present an income statement that is closer to economic reality, Amundi publishes adjusted data that excludes the depreciation of intangible assets and, since the second quarter of 2024, Alpha Associates, as well as other non-cash charges related to the acquisition of Alpha Associates.
    Adjusted, normalized data are reconciled with accounting data as follows:

    = accounting data
    = adjusted data
    (m€)   9M 2024 9M 2023   Q3 2024 Q3 2023   Q2 2024
                     
    Net operating income   2,452 2,307   825 747   844
    Technology   54 42   20 14   17
    Net financial income and other income   (1) (13)   (6) (1)   3
    Adjusted net financial income and other income   67 49   17 19   26
                     
    Net revenues (a)   2,505 2,336   838 760,   864,
    – Depreciation of intangible assets before tax   (65) (61)   (22) (20)   (22)
    – other non-cash charges relating to Alpha Associates   (3) 0   (1) 0   (1)
    Net revenues – Adjusted (b)   2,573 2,397   862, 780,   887
                     
    Operating expenses (c)   (1,356) (1,280)   (456) (424)   (461)
    – Integration costs before tax   0 0   0 0   0
    Operating expenses – Adjusted (d)   (1,356) (1,280)   (456) (424)   (461)
                     
    Gross operating income (e) = (a) + (c)   1,149 1,056   382 335   403
    Gross operating income – Adjusted (f) = (b) + (d)   1,217 1,117   406 356   426
    Cost-income ratio (%) -(c)/(a)   54.1% 54.8%   54.4% 55.9%   53.4%
    Cost-income ratio – Adjusted (%) -(d)/(b)   52.7% 53.4%   52.9% 54.4%   51.9%
    Cost of risk & other (g)   (7) (5)   (2) (3)   (5)
    Equity-accounted companies (h)   94 73   33 24   33
    Income before tax (i) = (e) + (g) + (h)   1,237 1,124   413 356   431
    Income before tax – Adjusted (j) = (f) + (g) + (h)   1,305 1,185   437 377   454
    Income tax (k)   (283) (260)   (94) (82)   (98)
    Income tax – Adjusted (l)   (302) (277)   (101) (88)   (105)
    Non-controlling interests (m)   2 3   1 1   0
    Net income, Group share (o) = (i)+(k)+(m)   956 866   320 276   333
    Net income, Group share – Adjusted (p) = (j)+(l)+(m)   1,005 910   337 290   350
                     
    Earnings per share (€)   4.67 4.25   1.56 1.35   1.63
    Adjusted earnings per share (€)   4.91 4.46   1.65 1.42   1.71

    Shareholding

        30 September 2023   31 December 2023   30 September 2024
    (units)   Number

    of shares

    % of share capital   Number

    of shares

    % of share capital   Number

    of shares

    % of share capital
    Crédit Agricole Group   141,057,399 68.93%   141,057,399 68.93%   141,057,399 68.93%
    Employees   3,042,292 1.49%   2,918,391 1.43%   2,751,891 1.34%
    Treasury shares   1,297,231 0.63%   1,247,998 0.61%   958,031 0.47%
    Free float   59,250,712 28.95%   59,423,846 29.04%   59,880,313 29.26%
                       
    Number of shares at end of period   204,647,634 100.0%   204,647,634 100.0%   204,647,634 100.0%
    Average number of shares year-to-date   204,050,516   204,201,023   204,647,634
    Average number of shares quarter-to-date   204,425,079   204,647,634   204,647,634

    Average number of shares on a pro rata basis.

    • The average number of shares is unchanged between Q2 and Q3 2024, it increased by +0.1% between Q3 2023 and Q3 2024 and by +0.3% between the first 9 months of 2023 and the same period of 2024;
    • A capital increase reserved for employees will be carried out on October 31, 2024. 771,628 shares were created (approximately 0.4% of the share capital before the transaction), bringing the share of employees to about 1.7% of the capital, compared to 1.34% at September 30, 2024, before the transaction.                                        

    Financial communication calendar

    • Q4 and Full Year 2024 Results: February 4, 2025
    • Q1 2025 earnings release: April 29, 2025
    • Annual General Meeting: May 27, 2025
    • Q2 and H1 2025 earnings release: July 29, 2025
    • Q3 and 9-month 2025 results: October 28, 2025

    About Amundi

    Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players21, offers its 100 million clients – retail, institutional and corporate – a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages close to €2.2 trillion of assets22.

    With its six international investment hubs23, financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape.

    Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,500 employees in 35 countries.

    Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society.

    www.amundi.com  

    Press contacts:        
    Natacha Andermahr 
    Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05
    natacha.andermahr@amundi.com 

    Corentin Henry
    Tel. +33 1 76 36 26 96
    corentin.henry@amundi.com

    Investor contacts:
    Cyril Meilland, CFA
    Tel. +33 1 76 32 62 67
    cyril.meilland@amundi.com 

    Thomas Lapeyre
    Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54
    thomas.lapeyre@amundi.com 

    Annabelle Wiriath

    Tel. + 33 1 76 32 43 92

    annabelle.wiriath@amundi.com

    WARNING

    This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Amundi in the United States of America or in France. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Amundi have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Amundi does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America or in France.

    This document may contain forward looking statements concerning Amundi’s financial position and results. The data provided do not constitute a profit “forecast” or “estimate” as defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/980.

    These forward looking statements include projections and financial estimates based on scenarios that employ a number of economic assumptions in a given competitive and regulatory context, assumptions regarding plans, objectives and expectations in connection with future events, transactions, products and services, and assumptions in terms of future performance and synergies. By their very nature, they are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could lead to their non-fulfilment. Consequently, no assurance can be given that these forward looking statement will come to fruition, and Amundi’s actual financial position and results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward looking statements. [In particular, conditions to completion of the announced transaction between Amundi and Victory Capital, may not be satisfied and such transaction may not be completed on schedule, or at all; risks relating to the expected benefits or impact of the transaction on Victory Capital’s and Amundi’s respective businesses are contained in their respective public filings.]

    Amundi undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward looking statements provided as at the date of this document. Risks that may affect Amundi’s financial position and results are further detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The reader should take all these uncertainties and risks into consideration before forming their own opinion.

    The figures presented were prepared in accordance with applicable prudential regulations and IFRS guidelines, as adopted by the European Union and applicable at that date. The financial information set out herein do not constitute a set of financial statements for an interim period as defined by IAS 34 “Interim Financial Reporting” and has not been audited.

    Unless otherwise specified, sources for rankings and market positions are internal. The information contained in this document, to the extent that it relates to parties other than Amundi or comes from external sources, has not been verified by a supervisory authority or, more generally, subject to independent verification, and no representation or warranty has been expressed as to, nor should any reliance be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, correctness or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Neither Amundi nor its representatives can be held liable for any decision made, negligence or loss that may result from the use of this document or its contents, or anything related to them, or any document or information to which this document may refer.

    The sum of values set out in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding.


    1        Net income Group share
    2        Adjusted data: excluding amortisation of intangible assets relating to distribution and client contracts as well as other non-cash charges relating to the acquisition of Alpha Associates recorded in net financial income (see note p. 11)
    3        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
    4        As announced at the time of the publication of the Q2 results, exit in Q3 from a large low-income mandate (€11.6 billion) with a European insurer, in multi-asset; including this exit, net inflows were positive by +€2.9bn in Q3 and +€35bn over 9 months
    5        Medium-Long Term Assets
    6        Excluding JVs
    7        Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Victory Capital, held on 11 October 2024
    8        Source: TrackInsight Q3 2024
    9        Classified as article 8 or 9 of the SFDR regulation of the European Union
    10        Including JV: €234bn in assets, +€12bn net inflows over 9 months and +€1bn in Q3
    11        50% MSCI World + 50% Eurostoxx 600 composite index for equity markets, average values over each period considered
    12        Bloomberg Euro Aggregate for bond markets, average values over each reporting period
    13        Source: Morningstar FundFile, ETFGI. European & cross-border open-ended funds (excluding mandates and dedicated funds). Data as of the end of June 2024.
    14        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
    15        Anniversary dates of the funds triggering the recognition of these fees
    16        Source: Morningstar Direct, Broadridge FundFile – Open-ended funds and ETFs, global fund scope, September 2024; as a percentage of the assets under management of the funds in question; the number of Amundi open-ended funds rated by Morningstar was 1063 at the end of September 2024. © 2024 Morningstar, all rights reserved
    17        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
    18        Lyxor, integrated as of 31/12/2021
    19        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV; as of 01/01/2024, reclassification of short-term bond strategies (€30 billion in outstandings) as Bonds previously classified as Treasury until that date; Outstanding amounts up to that date have not been reclassified in these tables
    20        See also the section 4.3 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on April 18, 2024
    21Source: IPE “Top 500 Asset Managers” published in June 2024, based on assets under management as at 31/12/2023
    22Amundi data at 30/09/2024
    23Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI China: ​Foreign secondary school students compete in 17th ‘Chinese Bridge’ contest

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    On the evening of Oct. 28, the global finals and awarding ceremony for the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students and the 4th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Show for Foreign Primary School Students took place in Tianjin. The event was attended by officials from the Tianjin Municipal Government, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the MOE, along with the Kenyan Ambassador to China and representatives from the UAE’s Chinese Language Teaching “100 Schools Project.”

    The global finals of the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Bridge]

    The finals opened with a visually stunning show titled “Jin·Cai Hua Zhang,” featuring outstanding primary and secondary school students from around the world, who gathered to communicate in Chinese and share their understanding of Chinese culture. After a series of rigorous selections during the overseas preliminary rounds, Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos, Irina Mei Li from Madagascar, Kuchinskaia Anastasiia from Russia, Rothschild Shiraz Palestrant from the U.S. and Blaom Oliver Garion from New Zealand emerged as continental champions to advance to the global finals. 

    Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos wins the global champion of the 17th Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. [Photo courtesy of Chinese Bridge]

    During the finals, the five contestants competed in five rounds: “History of the Spring and Autumn Period,” “Books of the Qin and Han Dynasties,” “The Lasting Appeal of the Tang and Song Dynasties,” “Window to Modernity,” and “The Final Showdown.” Chitpasong Souvanhxay from Laos showcased exceptional skills and won the global championship. Guests at the event presented awards to the participants who received individual awards in the 4th Chinese Bridge–Chinese Show for Foreign Primary School Students, as well as to those who won individual awards and the first, second, and third prizes in the 17th Chinese Bridge–Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students, along with the continental champions and the global champion.

    In the finals, contestants including Kiri Meier Werner from the U.S., Solo Uniacke from the U.K., Frida Quetzalli Garcia Lins from Mexico, Tessa Mir from Georgia and her mother shared personal stories about their experiences with the Chinese Bridge competition and the growth and benefits they gained from participating in the competition.

    This year, 181 primary and secondary school contestants from 102 countries gathered in Beijing and Tianjin for a grand celebration of Chinese language learning and cultural exchange. Over a period of 15 days filled with competitions and cultural activities, contestants explored iconic landmarks in China, including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. They also experienced intangible cultural heritage such as Clay Figurine Zhang, Yangliuqing New Year paintings, shadow puppetry and traditional opera, allowing them to appreciate the development and heritage of Chinese culture and history. Additionally, contestants toured Tianjin, visiting attractions like the Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel, Haihe River, the historic Wudadao area (Five Great Avenues), Jingwu Town, the National Maritime Museum, and Tianjin Port, witnessing the city’s inclusiveness and application of intelligent technologies.

    At the award ceremony, primary and secondary school contestants from around the world, together with previous champions, sang the “Chinese Bridge” theme song. Through the medium of Chinese, they connected cultures, fostered lasting friendships, and strengthened global understanding of China.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Applaud More Than $47 Million to Upgrade Nevada Water Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) applauded that the State of Nevada will receive more than $47 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to upgrade Nevada’s water infrastructure. The grants will fund projects in Nevada that manage wastewater, protect freshwater resources, and deliver safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses.

    “All Nevadans deserve access to clean, safe drinking water, and I’m proud to see these funds coming to Nevada to make critical improvements to our water infrastructure,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll continue working in the Senate to deliver essential resources to protect our water supply for generations to come.”

    “All Nevadans deserve access to clean water, which is why I’ve been working across party lines to make historic investments to improve our water infrastructure,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to announce millions of dollars to protect our water supply and deliver safe drinking water for families, communities, and Tribes in Nevada.” 

    The funding comes from two EPA grants. Nearly $26 million will support updates to Nevada’s water infrastructure secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen helped pass. More than $21 million comes through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to ensure communities across the country have access to clean water and updated water infrastructure.

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen worked to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create good-paying jobs and upgrade Nevada’s infrastructure, including the state’s water infrastructure. They recently announced $10 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enhance the safety and functionality of the Marlette Lake Dam. They secured $30 million from the Bureau of Reclamation for the Truckee Meadow Water Authority to make Northern Nevada’s water supply more drought resilient. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen also fought for the passage of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act, which will improve water infrastructure in the Tahoe Basin.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. – Results of Special Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FALCON OIL & GAS LTD.

    (“Falcon)

    Results of Special Meeting of Shareholders

    30 October 2024 – Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) held its special meeting of shareholders in Dublin, Ireland yesterday.

    All resolutions considered and voted upon by the shareholders were approved. The full text of each resolution was included in the Management Information Circular communicated in advance of the meeting to shareholders.

    Ends.

    CONTACT DETAILS:

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.          +353 1 676 8702
    Philip O’Quigley, CEO +353 87 814 7042
    Anne Flynn, CFO +353 1 676 9162
     
    Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (NOMAD & Broker)
    Neil McDonald / Adam Rae +44 131 220 9771

    About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.

    Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia, South Africa and Hungary. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with a technical team based in Budapest, Hungary.

    For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. please visit www.falconoilandgas.com

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: Key AI Accomplishments in the Year Since the Biden-⁠ Harris Administration’s Landmark Executive  Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    One year ago, President Biden issued a landmark Executive Order to ensure that America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). The Executive Order directed sweeping actions to manage AI’s safety and security risks, protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, advance American leadership around the world, and more.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that Federal agencies have completed on schedule each action that the Executive Order tasked for this past year—more than one hundred in all. Below are some of the Administration’s most significant accomplishments on managing AI’s risks and seizing its promise in the year since President Biden signed his Executive Order.
    Managing Risks to Safety and Security:The Executive Order directed the boldest actions ever taken to protect Americans from a broad range of AI’s safety and security risks, including risks related to dangerous biological materials, software vulnerabilities, and foreign actors’ efforts to develop AI for harmful purposes. Over the last year, to protect safety and security, agencies have:
    Used Defense Production Act authorities to require developers of the most powerful AI systems to report vital information, including results of safety and security testing, to the U.S. government. These companies have notified the Department of Commerce about the results of their red-team safety tests, their plans to train powerful models, and large computing clusters they possess capable of such training. Last month, the Department of Commerce proposed a rule to require the reporting of this information on a quarterly basis.
    Led the way on AI safety testing and evaluations to advance the science of AI safety. The U.S. AI Safety Institute (US AISI) at the Department of Commerce has begun pre-deployment testing of major new AI models through recently signed agreements with two leading AI developers. The Department of Energy (DOE) developed and expanded its AI testbeds and evaluation tools, which it has already used to test models’ risk to nuclear security.
    Developed guidance and tools for managing AI risk. The US AISI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce published frameworks for managing risks related to generative AI and dual-use foundation models, and earlier this month, AISI released a Request for Information on the responsible development and use of AI models for chemical and biological sciences. The Department of Defense (DoD) released its Responsible AI toolkit to align AI projects with the Department’s Ethical Principles.
    Issued a first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on AI. The NSM directs concrete steps by Federal agencies to ensure the United States leads the world’s development of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI; to enable agencies to harness cutting-edge AI for national security objectives, including by protecting human rights and democratic values; and to advance international consensus and governance on AI. This essential document serves as a formal charter for the AI Safety Institute, designating it as the center of the whole-of-government approach to advanced AI model testing, and will guide rapid and responsible AI adoption by the DoD and Intelligence Community. The NSM also directs the creation of a Framework to Advance AI Governance and Risk Management in National Security, which provides agile guidance to implement the NSM in accordance with democratic values, including mechanisms for risk management, evaluations, accountability, and transparency. 
    Finalized a framework for nucleic acid synthesis screening to help prevent the misuse of AI for engineering dangerous biological materials. The framework, developed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), encourages nucleic acid synthesis providers to identify gene sequences that could be used to pose national security risks, and to implement customer screening to mitigate the risks of misuse. Federal agencies will require that funding recipients obtain synthetic nucleic acids from vendors that adhere to the framework, starting in 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has developed an initial framework with principles for evaluating the effectiveness of screening mechanisms going forward.
    Launched a new Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure. The Task Force provides streamlined coordination on policies to advance datacenter development operations in line with economic, national security, and environmental goals.
    Identified measures—including approaches for labeling content and improving transparency—to reduce the risks posed by AI-generated content. The Department of Commerce submitted to the White House a final report on science-backed standards and techniques for addressing these risks, while NIST has launched a challenge to develop methods for detecting AI-generated content. President Biden has emphasized that the public has a right to know when content is AI-generated, and agencies are working to use these tools to help Americans to know that communications they receive from their government are authentic.
    Combatted AI-generated image-based sexual abuse. Image-based sexual abuse—both non-consensual intimate images of adults and child sexual abuse material—is one of the fastest growing harmful uses of AI to date and disproportionately targets women, children, and LGBTQI+ people. This year, following the Vice President’s leadership in underscoring the urgent need to address deepfake image-based sexual abuse and a White House Call to Action to reduce these risks, leading AI developers and data providers made voluntary commitments to curb the creation of AI-generated image-based sexual abuse material. Additionally, the Department of Justice (DOJ) funded the first-ever helpline to provide 24/7 support and specialized services for victims of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, including deepfakes. The Department of Education also clarified that school responsibilities under Title IX may extend to conduct that takes place online, including AI-generated abuse.
    Established the AI Safety and Security Board (AISSB) to advise the Secretary of Homeland Security on the safe and secure use of AI in critical infrastructure. The AISSB has met thrice this year to develop a set of recommendations for entities that develop, deploy, and promote accountability for AI systems that assist in delivering essential services to millions of Americans. The work of the AISSB complements DHS’s first-ever AI safety and security guidelines for critical infrastructure owners and operators, which were informed by agencies’ assessments of AI risks across all critical infrastructure sectors. To help protect critical infrastructure further, the Department of Treasury released a report on managing security risks of AI use in the financial sector, and the Department of Energy released an assessment of potential risks to the power grid, as well as ways in which AI could potentially strengthen grid resilience and our ability to respond to threats.
    Piloted AI for protecting vital government software systems. The Department of Defense and DHS conducted AI pilots to address vulnerabilities in government networks used, respectively, for national security purposes and for civilian governmental organizations.
    Standing up for Workers, Consumers, Privacy, and Civil RightsAI is changing the products and services Americans buy, affecting jobs and workplaces, and introducing or exacerbating risks to privacy, equity, and civil rights. President Biden’s Executive Order stands up for Americans in each of these domains, and over the last year, agencies have:
    Developed bedrock principles and practices, along with guidance, to help protect and empower workers as AI is built for and used in the workplace. The Department of Labor (DOL) released AI Principles and Best Practices for employers and developers to build and use AI in ways that center the wellbeing of workers and improve the quality of jobs. DOL also published two guidance documents to assist federal contractors and employers in complying with worker protection laws as they deploy AI in the workplace. In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released resources for job seekers and workers to understand how AI use could violate employment discrimination laws.
    Protected patients’ rights and safety, while encouraging innovation, as AI is developed and deployed for healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established an AI Safety Program to track harmful incidents involving AI’s use in healthcare settings and to evaluate mitigations for those harms. HHS has also developed objectives, goals, and high-level principles for the use of AI or AI-enabled tools in drug development processes and AI-enabled devices. Additionally, HHS finalized a rule that established first-of-its-kind transparency requirements for AI and other predictive algorithms that are part of certified health information technology. HHS also finalized a civil rights regulation, implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, that requires covered health care entities to take steps to identify and mitigate discrimination when they use AI and other forms of decision support tools for care.
    Published guidance and resources for the safe, secure, and trustworthy design and use of AI in education. In July, the Department of Education released guidance calling up on educational technology developers to design AI in ways that protect rights, improve transparency, and center teaching and learning. This month, the Department of Education released a toolkit to support schools and educational leaders in responsibly adopting valuable AI use cases.
    Issued guidance on AI’s nondiscriminatory use in the housing sector, which affirms that existing prohibitions against discrimination apply to AI’s use for tenant screening and housing advertisements, while explaining how to comply with these obligations. Additionally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau approved a rule requiring that algorithms and AI used for home valuations are fair, nondiscriminatory, and free of conflicts of interest.
    Set guardrails on the responsible and equitable use of AI and algorithmic systems in administering public benefits programs. The Department of Agriculture’s guidance provides a framework for how State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments should manage risks for uses of AI and automated systems in critical benefits programs such as SNAP, while HHS released a plan with guidelines on similar topics for benefits programs it oversees.
    Affirmed commitments to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms resulting from AI. DOJ’s Civil Rights Division convenes federal agency civil rights offices and senior government officials to foster AI and civil rights coordination. Five new agencies also joined a 2023 pledge to uphold America’s commitment to fairness, equality, and justice as new technologies like AI become more common in daily life.
    Advanced privacy protections to safeguard Americans from privacy risks that AI creates or exacerbates. In particular, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and DOE established a research network dedicated to advancing the development, deployment, and scaling of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), while NSF launched the $23 million initiative Privacy-preserving Data Sharing in Practice program to apply, mature, and scale PETs for specific use cases and establish testbeds to accelerate their adoption. Simultaneously, DOE launched a $68 million effort on AI for Science research, which includes efforts at multiple DOE National Laboratories and other institutions to advance PETs for scientific AI. The Department of Commerce also developed guidelines on evaluating differential privacy guarantees. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a Request for Information (RFI) on issues related to federal agency collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, and disposition of commercially available information containing personally identifiable information. OMB also released an RFI on how federal agencies’ privacy impact assessments may be more effective at mitigating privacy risks, including those that are further exacerbated by AI and other advances in technology and data capabilities.
    Harnessing AI for GoodOver the last year, agencies have worked to seize AI’s enormous promise, including by collaborating with the private sector, promoting development and use of valuable AI use cases, and deepening the U.S. lead in AI innovation. To harness AI for good, agencies have:
    Launched the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot and awarded over 150 research teams access to computational and other AI resources. The NAIRR pilot—a national infrastructure led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with DOE and other governmental and nongovernmental partners—makes available resources to support the nation’s AI research and education community. Supported research teams span 34 states and tackle projects covering deepfake detection, AI safety, next-generation medical diagnoses, environmental protection, and materials engineering.
    Promoted AI education and training across the United States. DOE is leveraging its network of national laboratories to train 500 new researchers by 2025 to meet demand for AI talent, while NSF has invested millions of dollars in programs to train future AI leaders and innovators. These programs include the EducateAI initiative, which helps fund educators creating high-quality, inclusive AI educational opportunities at the K-12 through undergraduate levels that support experiential learning in fields such as AI and build capacity in AI research at minority-serving institutions.
    Expanded the ability of top AI scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to come to the United States, including by clarifying O-1 and H-1B visa rules and working to streamline visa processing.
    Released a report on the potential benefits, risks, and implications of dual-use foundation models for which the model weights are widely available, including related policy recommendations. The Department of Commerce’s report draws on extensive outreach to experts and stakeholders, including hundreds of public comments submitted on this topic.
    Announced a competition for up to $100 million to support the application of AI-enabled autonomous experimentation to accelerate research into—and delivery of—targeted, industry-relevant, sustainable semiconductor materials and processes.
    Established two new National AI Research Institutes for building AI tools to advance progress across economic sectors, science, and engineering. The NSF-led AI Research Institutes launched in September will develop AI tools for astronomical sciences, with broader applications across scientific disciplines. Earlier this year, NSF also funded 10 inaugural Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines), seven of which include a focus on advancing AI.
    Announced millions of dollars in further investments to advance responsible AI development and use throughout our society. These include $13 million invested by DOE in the VoltAIc initiative for using AI to streamline permitting and accelerate clean energy deployment, as well as $68M from DOE to fund AI for scientific research to accelerate scientific programming and develop energy efficient AI models and hardware. DOE has also launched the Frontiers in AI for Science, Security, and Technology (FASST) initiative roadmap and request for information to harness AI for scientific discovery, national security, energy and electric grid resilience, and other national challenges, building on AI tools, models, and partnerships. NSF, in partnership with philanthropy, announced an inaugural investment of more than $18 million to 44 multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams across the U.S. to advance the responsible design, development, and deployment of technologies including AI, ensuring ethical, legal, community, and societal considerations are embedded in the lifecycle of technology’s creation.
    Issued a first-ever report analyzing AI’s near-term potential to support the growth of America’s clean energy economy. DOE’s National Laboratories also issued a long-term grand challenges report identifying opportunities in AI for energy over the next decade. 
    Released a vision for how AI can help us achieve our nation’s greatest aspirations. AI Aspirations sets forth goals to create a future of better health and opportunity for all, mitigate climate change and boost resilience, build robust infrastructure and manufacturing, ensure the government works for every American, and more. In furtherance of these goals, HHS launched CATALYST, a research and development program focused on the potential use of AI to better predict drug safety and efficacy before clinical trials start. In complement, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology also authored a report outlining AI’s potential to revolutionize and accelerate scientific discovery.
    Published guidance addressing vital questions at the intersection of AI and intellectual property. To advance innovation the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released guidance documents addressing the patentability of AI-assisted inventions, on the subject matter eligibility of patent claims involving inventions related to AI technology, and on the use of AI tools in proceedings before USPTO.
    Bringing AI and AI Talent into GovernmentAI can help government deliver better results for the American people, though its use by Federal agencies can also pose risks, such as discrimination and unsafe decisions. Bringing AI and AI-enabling professionals into government, moreover, is vital for managing these risks and opportunities and advancing other critical AI missions. Over the last year, agencies have:
    Issued the first-ever government-wide policy to strengthen governance, mitigate risks, and advance innovation in federal use of AI. OMB’s historic policy, M-24-10, requires agencies to implement concrete safeguards when using AI in a way that could impact Americans’ rights or safety. These safeguards include a series of mandatory risk management practices to reliably assess, test, and monitor AI’s impacts on the public and provide greater transparency into how the government uses AI. OMB’s policy also directs agencies to designate Chief AI Officers to coordinate the use of AI across their agency, while expanding and upskilling their AI workforce and removing barriers to adopting AI for all manner of purposes—from addressing climate change to advancing public health and safety.
    Released a government-wide policy to advance responsible acquisition of AI by Federal agencies. M-24-18, published this month by OMB, helps ensure that when Federal agencies acquire AI, they have the information and tools necessary to manage risks, promote a competitive marketplace, and collaborate on strategic planning. This work directs the Federal government—the largest buyer in the U.S. economy—to advance AI innovation and risk management through responsibly exercising its purchasing power.
    Hired over 250 AI practitioners into the Federal government through the AI Talent Surge. Tech talent programs ramped up hiring for AI talent, with the Presidential Innovation Fellows bringing on their first-ever AI cohort, DHS establishing their AI Corps with over 30 members onboarded to date, and the U.S. Digital Corps providing pathways for early-career technologists to join Federal service. AI talent has been instrumental in delivering on critical AI priorities, from using AI to deliver top-tier government services, to protecting the public’s rights and safety in the use of AI.
    Established the Chief AI Officers Council to harmonize best practices and sharing of resources across the interagency to implement OMB’s guidance and coordinate the development and use of AI in agencies’ programs and operations.
    Introduced expanded reporting instructions for the federal AI use case inventory to include identifying use cases that impact rights or safety and how the agency is addressing the relevant risks in line with OMB’s policies. 
    Bolstered the public interest technology ecosystem. Building on the AI Talent Surge, the White House announced funding across government, academia, and civil society to support education and career pathways that will help ensure government has access to diverse, mission-oriented technology talent.
    Activated new hiring authorities to bring AI and AI-enabling talent into agencies. As part of the AI Talent Surge, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) granted new hiring authorities, including direct hire authorities and excepted service authorities, for agencies to rapidly bring on top-tier AI and AI-enabling talent, and released guidance on skills-based hiring and pay and leave flexibilities to best position agencies to hire and retain AI and AI-enabling talent. Additionally, OPM collaborated with partners to run three National Tech to Gov career fairs to connect the public with AI and tech jobs in government, surfacing roles from over 64 Federal, state, and local government employers to over 3,000 job seekers.
    Advancing U.S. Leadership AbroadPresident Biden’s Executive Order directed work to lead global efforts to capture AI’s promise, mitigate AI’s risks, and ensure AI’s responsible governance. To advance these goals, the Administration has:
    Sponsored and passed a landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution. The unanimously adopted resolution, with more than 100 co-sponsors (including the People’s Republic of China), lays out a common vision for countries around the world to promote the safe and secure use of AI to address global challenges.
    Engaged foreign leaders on strengthening international rules and norms for AI, including at the 2023 UK AI Safety Summit and the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, where Vice President Harris represented the United States. In the United Kingdom, Vice President Harris unveiled a series of U.S. initiatives to advance the safe and responsible use of AI, including the establishment of AISI at the Department of Commerce.
    Announced a global network of AI Safety Institutes and other government-backed scientific offices to advance AI safety at a technical level. This network, which will formally launch in November at the inaugural network convening in San Francisco, will accelerate critical information exchange and drive toward common or compatible safety evaluations and policies.
    Expanded global support for the U.S.-led Political Declaration on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy. Fifty-six nations now endorse the political declaration, which outlines a set of norms for the responsible development, deployment, and use of military AI capabilities. DoD has expanded the scope of its international AI Partnership for Defense to align global Responsible AI practices with the Political Declaration’s norms.
    Developed comprehensive plans for U.S. engagement on global AI standards and AI-related critical infrastructure topics. NIST and DHS, respectively, will report on priority actions taken per these plans in 90 days.
    Signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law. This first multilateral treaty on AI represents a powerful affirmation of the relevance of existing human rights obligations to AI activities and establishes a strong baseline in international law for responsible government use of AI. The United States’ signature reflects its commitment to ensuring that AI technologies are designed, developed, used, and governed in ways that promote respect for human rights and democratic values. 
    Led the development of a Joint Statement on Responsible Government Practices for AI Technologies. The Joint Statement, to which the 41 countries of the Freedom Online Coalition committed, calls on governments to develop, use, and procure AI responsibly, including by respecting international obligations and commitments, assessing impacts of AI systems, conducting ongoing monitoring, ensuring adequate human training and assessment, communicating and responding to the public, and providing effective access to remedy. 
    Launched the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse.  The 15-country Global Partnership has advanced international policies to address online safety, and spurred new programs to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including through AI.
    The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development published resources to advance global AI research and use of AI for economic development. The AI in Global Development Playbook incorporates principles and practices from NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework to guide AI’s responsible development and deployment across international contexts, while the Global AI Research Agenda outlines priorities for advancing AI’s safe, responsible, and sustainable global development and adoption.
    The table below summarizes many of the activities that federal agencies have completed in response to the Executive Order.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: President  Biden and Vice President Harris Announce New Actions and Investments to Advance Educational and Economic Opportunity for Latino Communities Across the  Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign Executive Order (EO) 14124, establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), alongside nearly two dozen champions for these institutions and Latino communities. President Biden and Vice President Harris will also announce nearly $19 million in transformational investments for five HSIs in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Puerto Rico to build research infrastructure. These efforts build on the Administration’s historic investment of over $16 billion in more than 500 HSIs across 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that educate more than 4.7 million students annually.
    Over the past three years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken historic actions to expand opportunity for Latino families and communities, including: creating more than 15 million jobs – with 5 million created for Latinos, helping Latino entrepreneurs start new businesses at the fastest rate in over 10 years, addressing our broken immigration system, and working to ensure equitable educational opportunity for students.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to advance educational opportunities for students at HSIs and giving them a fair shot at achieving the American dream. 
    Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HSIs
    With student enrollment that is at least one-quarter Latino, HSIs are engines of economic mobility, propelling high numbers of students from low-income backgrounds and first-generation college students into good jobs and brighter futures. Today, President Biden will ceremonially sign EO 14124 to strengthen the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing opportunity for HSIs and the students they serve.
    The EO creates a new Initiative and first-ever President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs to:
    Increase awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in Federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students.
    Identify best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students.
    Improve the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the Nation and their local economies, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and teaching.
    Coordinate efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions.
    Foster cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations.
    Strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into Federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
    Provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.
    Investing Additional $19 Million in Research Infrastructure at HSIs
    To remain the most competitive economy in the world, the Nation’s most inclusive institutions of higher education must continue to lead in research and development. Yet too many HSIs report having unmet infrastructure needs that hold back their ability to engage in research that will propel forward these institutions, their students, and the nation as a whole.
    To help address these needs, the Biden-Harris Administration established the Department of Education’s Research and Development Infrastructure Program (RDI) for the colleges and universities that play a central role in educating students from diverse backgrounds. The program provides funds to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)—including HSIs— to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced nearly $19 million in new grants to five HSIs to build their research and physical infrastructure including—
    Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida received $1.1 million.
    National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois received $3 million.
    Sam Houston State University in Houston, Texas received $5 million.
    Texas A&M University Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas received $4.7 million.
    University of Puerto Rico on the Rio Piedras Campus received $5 million.
    The $19 million in grants to HSIs was a part of $49 million in RDI grants to 13 HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs.
    Building on Historic Investments in HSIs
    Today’s announcements build on President Biden and Vice President Harris’ historic investments of over $16 billion in direct funding to HSIs, including through COVID relief funds and the Department of Education’s federal grant program funds.
     The chart below provides a state-by-state breakdown of funding to date.
    State 
    Total Funds Received by HSIs in the State 
    AR 
    $11,356,918
    AZ 
    $739,602,657
    CA 
    $6,389,050,269
    CO 
    $290,670,467
    CT 
    $81,522,902
    DC 
    $10,396,350
    FL 
    $1,524,890,025
    GA 
    $96,526,460
    ID 
    $12,477,969
    IL 
    $664,298,648
    IN 
    $20,049,711
    KS 
    $20,869,761
    MA 
    $110,295,475
    MD 
    $68,836,836
    MN 
    $12,999,876
    NC 
    $10,750,057
    NE 
    $1,211,270
    NJ 
    $582,987,076
    NM 
    $399,198,109
    NV 
    $336,899,054
    NY 
    $327,800,182
    OH 
    $875,529
    OK 
    $9,372,922
    OR 
    $58,864,009
    PA 
    $66,357,824
    PR 
    $1,135,872,342
    RI 
    $48,066,707
    TN 
    $7,383,933
    TX 
    $3,433,719,411
    VA 
    $14,730,892
    WA 
    $124,035,244
    WI 
    $23,119,648
    Grand Total 
    $16,635,088,533

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments of Canada and Quebec to Announce Investments in Forest Industry Transformation

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Media advisory

    TROIS-RIVIÈRES — The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, on behalf of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, joined by Quebec Minister of Labour, Minister responsible for the Mauricie region, the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region and the Nord-du-Québec region and Member of Parliament for Trois-Rivières, Jean Boulet, will announce investments in forest industry transformation. A media availability will follow.

    Date: November 1, 2024

    Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

    All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

    Contacts

    Media Relations
    Natural Resources Canada
    Ottawa
    343-292-6096 
    media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

    Cindy Caturao
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
    Cindy.Caturao@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

    Follow us on LinkedIn

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: BLOG: Sound Connections – How Liverpool and New York are Striking the Right Chord for Music Tourism

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Following a trade and investment mission to the United States, Liverpool’s Head of UNESCO City of Music, Kevin McManus spent some time in New York looking at ways in which to boost music tourism to Liverpool. He writes about how the trip explored how more meaningful links can be developed between the two great music cities.

    You can make a good argument that the two greatest music cities in the world are Liverpool and New York.  ( Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans may try and force themselves into the reckoning as well but let’s ignore them for now…!)

    I was fortunate enough to recently spend a couple of days in New York as part of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority mission to the US and was keen to look at what opportunities there are to link the two cities’ music sectors to our mutual advantage.

    There are no two ways about it, New York is an amazing city with an incredible music heritage which is why almost every musician wants to play there. New York is still a hugely important centre for the music industry and I was there to see what meaningful links we could begin to develop between the two cities. Historically of course The Beatles led the British music invasion of the US in the ‘60s and the Strawberry Fields corner of Central Park is a memorial to the life of John Lennon.

    There are more recent success stories such as that of Sentric Music, the Liverpool founded music publisher which still has its HQ in our city, but has its North American base in New York. I caught up with the Sentric team who are steadily building the company’s US profile which is great advertisement for the fact that you can grow a global music business from Liverpool.

    We had a really useful, practical session with Visit Britain and we were able to talk to them about the strength of the Liverpool music brand and how we could work together to grow music tourism to the city.

    We tried to make the most of our visit by meeting with key people from the sector and a big thanks to a former colleague Vanessa Reed, now President of New Music USA, for introducing me to Shira Gans (from the New York Mayor’s Office) and Erika Elliott from Summer Stage.  

    It was a joy to meet Shira and Erika as well as catching up with Vanessa and they gave us so much food for thought as well as being receptive to developing a meaningful relationship with us. Hopefully these links will lead to opportunities for our artists and music businesses in the US.

    Of course it wasn’t all one way.

    We wanted to find out more about what was happening in New York, but at the same time we wanted the chance to share our exciting plans. We have an awful lot to be proud of at the moment in terms of our music sector and the ambition we are demonstrating through initiatives such as Accelerator City and our plans for a Music Hub and an immersive music attraction.
    Supported by the City Region Music Board Liverpool, music is going places and part of the mission is to say to music businesses in the US that if they are looking for a UK or a European base then they should look to Liverpool first.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI China: Mexican president says no upcoming trade war with US

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that there is no trade war on the horizon with the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump’s conciliatory remarks on trade with Mexico the day before.

    “I do not see a trade war. The U.S. president spoke differently about Mexico yesterday,” Sheinbaum told a daily press conference.

    Responding to questions at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Trump said: “We’re dealing with Mexico, I think, very well. We just want to be treated fairly.”

    Trump has threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on Mexican imports starting Feb. 1.

    Sheinbaum also expressed willingness to strengthen collaboration with Washington and work with Trump on some priority issues, such as the distribution of fentanyl and migration.

    Trump has signed various executive orders to strengthen anti-immigrant measures through mass deportations since taking office. In response, the Mexican government set up migrant care centers along the border and launched the “Mexico Embraces You” program to provide comprehensive care for deportees.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Construction update on new 45-unit residence in downtown Whitehorse

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    This news release has been updated to correct a mathematical error. 

    The Government of Yukon is investing in a new 45-unit residence at 6095 6th Avenue in downtown Whitehorse in response to the community’s housing needs. The building’s 45 units will comprise studios and units ranging from one to three bedrooms, with 12 designated accessible units.

    This development will give people a place to call home once completed and help reduce the housing waitlist.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Premier Pillai on Saskatchewan election

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:

    “On behalf of the Government of Yukon, I would like to congratulate Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party on their success in yesterday’s provincial election.

    “I also want to congratulate the Saskatchewan NDP on their historic surge in support as they continue as Saskatchewan’s official opposition.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Premier Pillai on British Columbia election

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement:

    “On behalf of the Government of Yukon, I would like to congratulate Premier David Eby and the British Columbia New Democratic Party on their success in the B.C. provincial election.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Video: Biodiversity: No country is immune to devastation inflicted by climate change – UN Chief at COP16

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the opening of the High-Level Segment of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) in Cali, Colombia.

    “President Petro,

    Thank you for hosting this important session, here in Cali – a microcosm of our planet’s rich biodiversity.

    Excellencies, dear friends,

    Nature is life.

    And yet we are waging a war against it.

    A war where there can be no winner.

    Every year, we see temperatures climbing higher.

    Every day, we lose more species.

    Every minute, we dump a garbage truck of plastic waste into our oceans, rivers and lakes.

    Make no mistake.

    This is what an existential crisis looks like.

    No country, rich or poor, is immune to the devastation inflicted by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution.

    These environmental crises are intertwined. They know no borders.

    And they are devastating ecosystems and livelihoods, threatening human health and undermining sustainable development.

    The drivers of this destruction are embedded in outdated economic models, fueling unsustainable production and consumption patterns.

    They are multiplied by inequalities – in wealth and power.

    And with each passing day, we are edging closer to tipping points that could fuel further hunger, displacement, and armed conflicts.

    We have already altered 75% of the Earth’s land surface and 66% of its ocean environments.

    Dear friends,

    Biodiversity is humanity’s ally.

    We must move from plundering it to preserving it.

    As I have said time and again, making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century.

    That is the spirit of today’s Declaration of the World Coalition for Peace with Nature:

    A call for action to enhance national and international efforts towards a balanced and harmonious relationship with nature – protecting nature and conserving, restoring and sustainably using and sharing our global biodiversity.

    A call to recognize the vital knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous people, people of African descent, farmers and local communities.

    A call for life.

    Excellencies,

    Last month, UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future.

    The Pact recognizes the need to accelerate efforts to restore, protect, conserve and sustainably use the environment.

    It emphasizes the importance of halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and other terrestrial and marine ecosystems that act as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases.

    This means conserving biodiversity, while ensuring social and environmental safeguards – in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    When the Framework was adopted two years ago in Montreal, the world made bold commitments to living in harmony with nature by mid-century.

    Its goals and targets require robust monitoring, reporting, and review arrangements to track progress, as well as a resource mobilisation package to increase finance for biodiversity from all sources – mobilizing at least USD 200 billion per year by 2030.

    But we must now turn these promises into action in four vital ways.

    First – at the national level, all countries must finally present clear, ambitious and detailed plans to align with the Framework’s targets.

    These national plans should be developed in coordination with Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans – with positive outcomes in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    We must shift to nature-positive business models and production: renewable energies and sustainable supply chains… zero-waste policies and circular economies… regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices…

    These must become the default for governments and businesses alike.

    Second – we must agree on a strengthened monitoring and transparency framework.

    This is not only vital for accountability but also about enabling course corrections and driving ambition.

    Third – finance promises must be kept and support to developing countries accelerated.

    We cannot afford to leave Cali without new pledges to adequately capitalize the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, and without commitments to mobilize other sources of public and private finance to deliver the Framework – in full.

    And we must bring the private sector on board.

    Those profiting from nature cannot treat it like a free, infinite resource.

    They must step up and contribute to its protection and restoration.

    By operationalizing the mechanism on the sharing of benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources, we will give them one clear avenue to do so, bringing more equity and inclusivity…”

    Full remarks: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2024-10-29/secretary-generals-remarks-the-high-level-segment-of-cop16-biodiversity-trilingual-delivered-scroll-down-for-all-english

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiM2kUkGPOU

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Video: House Calls | Ada Limón: How Can Poetry Help Us Make Sense Of The World?

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    For Ada Limón, the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate, poetry is her way of connecting — to others, to ourselves, to our natural world. Ada’s work is deeply personal, inspired by gratitude for loved ones, awe and nature, and her struggles with scoliosis and infertility. In this conversation with the Surgeon General, she reflects on her process for writing, which she says often starts with the simple act of seeing what’s around her. When Ada shares her poems, she finds joy in other people seeing their own feelings and life experiences in her writing. In the course of this conversation she beautifully recites two of her poems. “The Raincoat” was written for her mother. The other, “In Praise of Mystery,” is shooting through outer space right now on a NASA aircraft bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa.

    (07:36) Can poetry help keep us grounded?
    (10:33) How does poetry help when language fails us?
    (12:35) Ada shares her poem “The Raincoat”
    (17:50) What are some unexpected ways poetry opens people up?
    (22:40) What if we don’t “get” poetry?
    (26:42) What is it like to live the life of a poet?
    (31:38) How Ada gets herself in the mindset to write
    (38:08) On staying present
    (44:02) How life challenges shaped her creativity
    (52:14) How does Ada define success at this point in her life?
    (59:36) A reading of her poem “In Praise of Mystery.”
    (01:03:08) What gives Ada Limón hope?

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAfZ5R8g7fU

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Minister of State Sh. Kirti Vardhan Singh Highlights India’s Commitment to Global Biodiversity Conservation at COP16 in Colombia

    Source: Government of India

    Minister of State Sh. Kirti Vardhan Singh Highlights India’s Commitment to Global Biodiversity Conservation at COP16 in Colombia

    India Advocates for Global Conservation with ‘Plant4Mother’ Campaign at COP16 in Colombia

    Posted On: 30 OCT 2024 4:30PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh delivered the national statement regarding the conservation of biological resources in the High Level Segment of the ongoing 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Cali, Colombia on 29th October 2024.

    MoS Shri Singh congratulated Ms. Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment of Colombia on taking over the COP Presidency from the longest serving COP President Mr. Huang Runqiu of China.

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Singh said that India has a rich culture and tradition of worshipping Mother Earth and of living in harmony with Nature. India is one of the world’s 17 Mega-diverse rich Nations housing four out of the 36 globally recognised biodiversity Hotspots. He said, “To honour Mother Earth as we honour our own Mothers, our Prime Minister this year launched a nation-wide tree plantation campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ or ‘Plant4Mother’ on the occasion of World Environment Day in our collective efforts to restore and protect our biodiversity.”

    The Minister highlighted that ‘Peace with Nature’ has been part of India’s rich cultural heritage since ancient the Vedic age. The theme resonates with India’s mission of ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)” an India led Global mass movement for adopting environment friendly lifestyles.

    India has taken significant step in global wildlife conservation by establishing the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) aimed at protecting the world’s seven major big cat species, as their presence is indicative of a healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity, Shri Singh informed.

    The Minister said that India’s efforts in rejuvenating our sacred river Ganga through ‘Namami Gange’ Mission was duly recognized by United Nations as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships to revive the riverine ecosystem. He informed that India’s Ramsar sites has risen from 26 to 85 since 2014 and this number is shortly going to reach 100.

    Shri Singh reiterated that India adopted a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach while updating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) with its targets aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). He said that the Ministry would be releasing updated NBSAP on 30.10.2024 at Cali.

    The Minister said that it is necessary to provide means of implementation including financial resources, as laid down in target 19 of the KMGBF as well as from DSI, for implementation of the NBSAP. Lot of ground needs to be covered in providing easily accessible means of implementation i.e. financial resources, technology and capacity building needs with the requisite Speed, Scope and Scale.  

    Shri Singh concluded by re-iterating India’s commitment towards protecting its own as well as global biodiversity for the present and future generations, in the true spirit of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutubakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Labor finds construction contractors failed to protect rigger from fatal 30-story fall at Fort Lauderdale high-rise

    Source: US Department of Labor

    FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found two contractors could have prevented a crane collapse at a Fort Lauderdale residential construction site in April 2024, which caused a 27-year-old rigger to suffer fatal injuries after falling approximately 30 stories.

    Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned that two workers employed by Phoenix Rigging & Erecting LLC were installing a section on a tower crane to increase its height when a support cable failed and the platform on which they stood became displaced. One worker, who was wearing the required fall protection and tied off, was rescued. Another worker, whose lanyard was not connected to an anchor point was fatally injured.

    OSHA cited Phoenix Rigging & Erecting in Mableton, Georgia, for three serious violations for failing to do the following: 

    The agency also cited a Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, crane rental company, Maxim Crane Works LP, for two serious violations for failing to do the following:

    • Observing deficiencies to significantly corroded and cracked pins and bolts, and improperly applying end connections.
    • Allowing employees to start work without conducting pre-inspections of crane components, including but not limited to U-bolt clamps, bolts, pins, thimbles and wire ropes, to ensure those were inspected adequately by a qualified person for damage or excessive wear.

    “Neglecting workplace safety requirements can be a matter of life or death,” said OSHA Area Director Condell Eastmond in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “If these companies had made safety a priority, a young man’s family, friends, and co-workers wouldn’t be facing this preventable loss. Construction employers are responsible for ensuring that workers use fall protection in hazardous situations, and we will hold all employers accountable for failing to provide safe working conditions.”

    OSHA cited the construction contractors for five serious violations and proposed $61,299 in penalties, the maximum amount that OSHA can legally recommend. 

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,056 construction workers were fatally injured on the job in 2022, with 423 of those fatalities related to falls from elevation, slips or trips.  

    Phoenix Rigging & Erecting LLC conducts crane assembly and dismantling. Maxim Crane Works LP rents heavy-lift equipment, including hydraulic truck cranes, rough terrain cranes, crawler cranes, tower cranes, conventional truck cranes and boom trucks at more than 50 locations nationwide.

    The contractors have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

    Visit OSHA’s website for information on developing a workplace safety and health program. Employers can also contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards

    Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit OSHA’s website to learn more

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Campaign gains Global Momentum with Plantation Drive in Colombia

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Campaign gains Global Momentum with Plantation Drive in Colombia

    Minister of State Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh leads Plantation Drive in Colombia to promote ‘#Plant4Mother’ Initiative

    Posted On: 30 OCT 2024 1:02PM by PIB Delhi

    On the side lines of the 16th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, led a plantation drive under the framework of ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (#Plant4Mother)’ Campaign in University of Valle, Cali, Colombia on 29th October 2024. The plantation drive was graced by His Excellency Mr. Vanlalhuma, Ambassador of India to Colombia; Ms. Mónica García Solarte, Vice Rector, University of Valle; and Mr. Guillermo Murillo Vargas, Rector, University of Valle, along with the participation of faculty members and students. A sapling was also planted in the University on the name of mother of Shri Tanmay Kumar, Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
    During the plantation drive, the Rector; Vice Rector and Director of International Cooperation of the University of Valle, also planted saplings on the name of their mother. 

    On the occasion, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh interacted with the faculty members and students of the University and encouraged them to embrace sustainable practices in their daily lives and emphasized on involvement of youth in environmental conservation. More than 30 students and faculty members enthusiastically participated the plantation drive.

    The campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (#Plant4Mother)’ was launched on Word Environment Day this year, by Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. It is a unique initiative combining environmental responsibility with a heartfelt tribute to mothers. This campaign was inaugurated with the planting of a Peepal tree by the Prime Minister. 

    During the launch of this Campaign, Shri Modi emphasized on the involvement of citizens worldwide and importance of collective efforts to improve the environment and spoke of India’s strides in increasing forest cover over the past decade. This campaign aligns with the Nation’s quest for sustainable development.

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – STATEWIDE CELEBRATIONS FOR ARBOR DAY THIS WEEKEND, Oct. 29, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – STATEWIDE CELEBRATIONS FOR ARBOR DAY THIS WEEKEND, Oct. 29, 2024

    Posted on Oct 29, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

     

    NEWS RELEASE 

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    October 29, 2024

     

    STATEWIDE CELEBRATIONS FOR ARBOR DAY THIS WEEKEND

     

    (HONOLULU) – Arbor Day in Hawaiʻi is Nov. 2, a day to honor and celebrate trees where we live, work, learn and play. Communities across the state are hosting a variety of tree-focused events this Saturday with tree giveaways, educational booths, and volunteer tree plantings.

     

    Kaulunani, the urban and community forestry program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), supports various Arbor Day events annually. This year promises a range of opportunities for participants to connect with trees, from learning about those that provide food to native trees that thrive in Hawaiʻi and support unique ecosystems.

     

    In South Kona on Hawaiʻi Island, the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative and Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden are partnering to host an Arbor Day celebration that focuses on food security and building community. The event will take place at the Greenwell Garden on Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature a native plant sale, food trucks, hula, music, keiki activities, garden tours and more.

     

    “Growing ʻulu enhances community wellbeing and culture by providing connection to place, local history and nourishment,” said Dana Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative. “The West Hawaiʻi community historically supported Kaluʻulu, one of the largest ʻulu agroforests of Hawaiʻi, and we want to educate residents about this historic region and its past agricultural abundance.”

     

    Community members are encouraged to bring family and friends. At many events, local experts will be on hand to share their experience and insights.

     

    “We invite all residents to come together to plant trees and grow our shared community forests in Hawaiʻi,” said Dr. Heather McMillen, DOFAW urban and community forester. “Every tree we plant and care for contributes to the health of our islands and creates a hopeful future for our keiki.”

     

    Events across the state on Nov. 2 include:

     

    • Kauaʻi: Garden Island Resource Conservation & Development will host its annual tree giveaway and education event at Kukui Grove Shopping Center in Līhuʻe.
    • Oʻahu: The Urban Garden Center in Pearl City will give away grafted fruit trees.
    • Molokaʻi: Molokaʻi Land Trust in Kualapuʻu will host its second annual native tree giveaway.
    • Maui: Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului will host its annual Arbor Day Garden Expo & tree giveaway.

     

    For additional information and to find an event near you, visit Kaulunani.org to view a list of celebrations by island and location.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

    Photographs – Arbor Day 2024 (various):

    https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/j6cpflo99mbbkpdg5bbjq/AFT3-aUA1hqYhhK8gLYkZJ4?rlkey=2qbl9bg9dgogrb6cep6nc5zsw&st=cyiggymo&dl=0

     

    Arbor Day Hawaiʻi Kaulunani Website: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/arbor-day-in-hawaii/

     

    Benefits of Trees: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/why-trees/ https://vibrantcitieslab.com/

     

    Sign up to receive an ʻulu tree at the South Kona Arbor Day event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvYOWhL7zuaG6SQcUD8jwJE0stErcU2AQXKlp_vIw_rGLOfA/viewform?usp=sf_link

     

     

    Media Contact: 

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – COMMUNITY CLIMATE FAIR COMING TO KAUAʻI, Oct. 29, 2024

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – COMMUNITY CLIMATE FAIR COMING TO KAUAʻI, Oct. 29, 2024

    Posted on Oct 29, 2024 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR 

     

    DAWN CHANG 
    CHAIRPERSON 

     

    NEWS RELEASE 

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

    October 29, 2024

     

    COMMUNITY CLIMATE FAIR COMING TO KAUAʻI NOV. 2

    (LĪHUʻE) – Kauaʻi residents are encouraged to attend the Community Climate Fair on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kukui Grove Shopping Center in Līhuʻe. The Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (CCMAC) and several partners are hosting the free, family friendly event that’s a first for the island.

    Interactive booths will display the many ways the state, counties and community organizations are working to address climate change across Hawaiʻi.

    The fair will provide networking opportunities for participation at future beach cleanups, native reforestation efforts, and other volunteer initiatives. Attendees can become champions for the environment by giving feedback on the state’s Climate Action Pathways (CAP) planning process and take part in prize drawings.

    “It is important to incorporate the voices of all communities in the co-development of our CAP, so we’re excited to bring the fair to Kauaʻi.” said Leah Laramee, CCMAC coordinator. “We look forward to talking and sharing ideas with all attendees!”

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES 

    Photographs – see attached

    For more information, please contact Bill Unruh, Climate Outreach Leader at:  [email protected]

     

    Media Contact: 

    Ryan Aguilar

    Communications Specialist

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Dayforce Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results¹

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Dayforce® recurring revenue of $333.2 million, up 19%

    Total revenue of $440.0 million, up 17%

    Year-to-date net cash provided by operating activities of $200.1 million, up 54%

    MINNEAPOLIS and TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dayforce, Inc. (“Dayforce” or the “Company”) (NYSE:DAY) (TSX:DAY), a global leader in human capital management (“HCM”) technology, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    “Our dedicated team achieved excellent results in the third quarter, positioning us to finish 2024 with strength,” said David Ossip, Chair and CEO of Dayforce. “Dayforce recurring revenue grew 19% year-over-year, and year-to-date cash flows from operating activities were up 54%, underscoring our ability to both grow and generate profits at scale. We continue to see organizations across the globe realize greater value as they simplify their people operations with the all-in-one Dayforce platform.”

    “In the third quarter, we repurchased approximately $30 million worth of shares under our $500 million share repurchase program that we launched last quarter highlighting our progress in enhancing our overall profit profile and the flexibility of our cash-generative business model,” said Jeremy Johnson, CFO of Dayforce. “Looking forward, we are excited to meet many of our investors in-person at our inaugural Investor Day alongside our Dayforce Discover conference in Las Vegas where we will outline our strategy for future growth.” 

    Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter 20241

    • Total revenue was $440.0 million, an increase of 16.6%, or 16.7% on a constant currency basis.
    • Dayforce recurring revenue was $333.2 million, an increase of 19.2%, or 19.3% on a constant currency basis. Excluding float revenue, Dayforce recurring revenue was $292.0 million, an increase of 18.9%, or 19.0% on a constant currency basis.
    • Cloud recurring gross margin was 79.0%, compared to 77.0%. Adjusted cloud recurring gross margin was 79.9%, compared to 78.3%.
    • Operating profit was $20.8 million compared to $26.5 million. Adjusted operating profit was $103.2 million compared to $89.4 million.
    • Net income was $2.0 million, compared to net loss of $3.8 million. Adjusted net income was $74.5 million, compared to $58.3 million.
    • Adjusted EBITDA was $126.1 million, compared to $107.2 million.
    • Diluted net income per share was $0.01, compared to diluted net loss per share of $0.02. Adjusted diluted net income per share was $0.47, compared to $0.37.
    • Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $200.1 million, compared to $129.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Free cash flow for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $117.3 million, compared to $41.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

    Supplemental Detail

    • 6,730 customers were live on the Dayforce platform as of September 30, 2024, an increase of 73 customers since June 30, 2024 and an increase of 384 customers since September 30, 2023, or 6.1% year-over-year.2
    • Dayforce recurring revenue per customer was $159,496 for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2024, an increase of 14.9%.3
    • The average float balance for Dayforce’s customer funds during the quarter was $4.48 billion and the average yield on Dayforce’s float balance was 4.0%, an increase of 20 basis points year-over-year. Float revenue from invested customer funds was $45.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024.
    • The average U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate was $1.36 for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $1.34 for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Dayforce presents percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis in order to exclude the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations, which it believes is useful to management and investors. Percentage change in revenue was calculated on a constant currency basis by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period.

    1 The financial highlights are on a year-over-year basis, unless otherwise stated. All financial results are reported in United States (“U.S.”) dollars and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”), unless otherwise stated.
    2 Excluding Ascender, ADAM HCM, and eloomi.
    3 Excluding float revenue, Ascender, ADAM HCM, and eloomi revenue, and on a constant currency basis. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for discussion of percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis.

    Business Highlights

    • Dayforce was named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud HCM Suites for 1,000+ Employee Enterprises for the fifth consecutive year in October 2024. The Company also scored highest in both North American Compliance Suite 1,000-2,500 and North American Compliance Suite 2,500+ in the 2024 Critical Capabilities report for Cloud HCM Suites for Enterprises with 1000+ Employees.
    • The Company earned a 2024 Top HR Products of the Year Award from Human Resources Executive Magazine for Dayforce Career Explorer and placed on the Constellation ShortList™ within four categories: Workforce Management Suites, HCM Suites with a North American Focus, Global HCM Suites, and Payroll for North American SMBs.
    • Dayforce attained a five-star rating for the second year in a row on Newsweek’s list of America’s Greenest Companies 2025, recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2024, named a Top 10 company for workers by JUST Capital, placed on the Most Loved Workplaces list for young professionals, and awarded a TrustRadius Tech Cares award for the company’s efforts in social responsibility and volunteerism.

    Sales Highlights

    • A North American hospitality company that specializes in managing and developing luxury hotels and resorts selected the full Dayforce suite to support 22,000 employees across U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
    • A major multi-brand Australian retailer has selected Dayforce as its unified HCM solution to support their 12,000 employees across Australia and New Zealand.
    • A global manufacturing and distribution leader, operating in over 12 countries, selected the full Dayforce suite to enhance the experience of 8,500 employees across the United States and Canada.
    • A wholesale distributor of food service and janitorial supplies, with 7,200 employees in the U.S. and Canada chose Dayforce as its comprehensive human capital management solution, opting for the full Dayforce suite of products with Managed Benefits.
    • A world-leading manufacturer and retailer of footwear chose the full Dayforce suite to support its 5,300 employees globally.
    • A U.S.-based online gaming and sports entertainment company chose Dayforce Managed Payroll Services to support its 4,100 employees across the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”).
    • A U.K.-based clothing retailer chose the full Dayforce Talent suite and Global Payroll to effectively manage its workforce of 3,800 employees across 12 countries.
    • A U.S. construction company selected the full Dayforce suite for consolidating and modernizing its systems across 48 states and 32 unique FEINs for its 3,500 employees.
    • A regional commuter railroad corporation in the U.S. has chosen Dayforce as its unified HCM solution, including the full Talent Suite, to effectively manage its workforce of 3,300 employees.
    • A global manufacturer and distributor of medical devices operating in 33 countries, chose Dayforce for Global Pay, Time, and Managed Benefits in the U.S. to support 2,300 employees.

    New Customer Highlights

    • A British multinational hotel and restaurant company with 38,000 employees went live across the U.K. with Dayforce Managed Payroll, HR, Workforce Management, and Talent.
    • A prominent U.S. manufacturer recently went live with Dayforce HR, Payroll, Time, Wallet, Document Management for its 10,000 employees.
    • A U.K. fashion retailer with 400 stores and 10,000 employees has recently implemented Dayforce HR, Workforce Management, Payroll, and Dayforce Wallet.
    • A leading senior living organization recently deployed the full Dayforce suite, supporting 6,300 active employees across the U.S.
    • A well-established U.S. logistics company has gone live with the full Dayforce suite to support its 5,200 employees.
    • A well-established U.S.-based insurance company has gone live with the full Dayforce suite supporting its 4,800 employees across North America.
    • A North American technology company migrated to Dayforce Managed Payroll to support nearly 4,700 U.S. employees.
    • A global office furniture manufacturer has implemented Dayforce HR, Payroll, Time, Analytics, and Dayforce Wallet for almost 4,000 U.S. employees.
    • A U.S.-based energy services company with 1,200 employees has implemented Dayforce Payroll, Benefits, Time, Core HR, Onboarding, and Recruiting.
    • A nonprofit organization dedicated to the governance and promotion of golf in America recently undertook a full-suite implementation of Dayforce to support its 400 employees.

    Product Roadmap Highlights

    In the third quarter, Dayforce launched new product capabilities to help Dayforce customers realize quantifiable value through enriched workforce engagement, enhanced analytics, and improved employee financial wellness, and to update their compliance capabilities.

    • The new Dayforce Learning was announced, with enhancements that will better equip organizations with the advanced learning and development capabilities needed to grow, engage, and enrich their workforces.
    • Dayforce People Analytics enhancements include:
      • Measures, a new KPI and performance management tool, that surfaces performance across 28+ metrics, allowing organizations to configure intelligent nudges that can surface changes requiring their attention
      • Data Cards display Measures in the Advanced Experience Hub, embedding awareness of performance metrics across the organization
      • Machine learning enhanced prediction gives organizations a view into future performance
    • Dayforce Wallet updates include a new Savings feature, which allows users to route some of their earnings into a saving plan, a new Cashless Tips feature, which allows employers to pay out pre-tax or net tips by automating their distribution at the end of a shift, and a new Dayforce Wallet widget that integrates on-demand pay into Dayforce Hub, allowing employees to view and request available pay directly. As of September 30, 2024, over 1,290 customers were live on Dayforce Wallet.
    • Dayforce Payroll enhancements include a reimagined payroll experience that offers real-time insight into pay variances, helping users detect anomalies by highlighting areas needing attention.
    • 240+ compliance updates up to the end of the third quarter, will bolster the Company’s industry-leading position in compliance by addressing changes in regional taxes, workers’ compensation, garnishments, and multiple state and city rate changes.

    Business Outlook

    Based on information available as of October 30, 2024, Dayforce is issuing the following guidance for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 as indicated below. Comparisons are on a year-over-year basis, unless stated otherwise.

    Guided Metrics   Full Year 2024   Fourth Quarter 2024
    Total revenue   $1,747 million to $1,752 million, an increase of 15% to 16% on a GAAP basis or 16% on a constant currency basis.   $452 million to $457 million, an increase of 13% to 14% on a GAAP basis or 13% to 15% on a constant currency basis.
    Dayforce recurring revenue, excluding float   $1,163 million to $1,168 million, an increase of 21% on a GAAP and on a constant currency basis.   $311 million to $316 million, an increase of 21% to 23% on a GAAP and on a constant currency basis.
    Float revenue   $192 million   $37 million
    Adjusted EBITDA   $492 million to $507 million   $120 million to $135 million

    Dayforce is also providing an initial outlook for full year 2025 as follows:

    • Total revenue growth, excluding float, between 14% and 15%, on a constant currency basis
    • Adjusted EBITDA margin above 31%
    • Free cash flow as a percentage of total revenue above 12%

    Dayforce has not reconciled the Adjusted EBITDA ranges, Adjusted EBITDA margin, or free cash flow for the fourth quarter or full years of 2024 or 2025 to the directly comparable GAAP financial measures because applicable information for the future period, on which these reconciliations would be based, is not available without unreasonable efforts due to uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, and other items.

    Foreign Exchange

    For the fourth quarter of 2024, Dayforce’s guidance assumes an average U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate of $1.38, which results in an average rate of $1.37 for the full year of 2024, compared to an average rate of $1.36 and $1.35 for the fourth quarter and full year of 2023, respectively.

    Conference Call Details

    Dayforce will host a live webcast and conference call to discuss the third quarter 2024 earnings at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on October 30, 2024. Those wishing to participate via the webcast should access the call through the Investor Relations section of the Dayforce website. Those wishing to participate via the telephone may dial in at 877-497-9071 (USA) or 201-689-8727 (International). The webcast replay will be available through the Investor Relations section of the Dayforce website.

    About Dayforce

    Dayforce makes work life better. Everything we do as a global leader in HCM technology is focused on improving work for thousands of customers and millions of employees around the world. Our single, global people platform for HR, Pay, Time, Talent, and Analytics equips Dayforce customers to unlock their full workforce potential and operate with confidence. To learn how Dayforce helps create quantifiable value for organizations of all sizes and industries, visit dayforce.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give Dayforce’s current expectations and projections relating to its financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance, and business. Users can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements relating to the fourth quarter and full fiscal years of 2024 and 2025, as well as those relating to future growth initiatives. These statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “assume”, “project,” “seek,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “continue,” “likely,” “should,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events, but not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that Dayforce has made in light of its industry experience and its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors that it believes are appropriate under the circumstances. As users consider this press release, it should be understood that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. These assumptions and Dayforce’s future performance or results involve risks and uncertainties (many of which are beyond its control). In particular:

    • its inability to maintain its high Cloud solutions growth rate, manage its domestic and international growth effectively, or execute on its growth strategy;
    • the impact of disruptions to the movement of funds to initiate payroll-related transactions on behalf of  customers;
    • its failure to manage its aging technical operations infrastructure;
    • system breaches, interruptions or failures, including cyber-security breaches, identity theft, or other disruptions that could compromise customer information or sensitive company information, including its ongoing consent order with the Federal Trade Commission regarding data protection;
    • its failure to comply with applicable privacy, data protection, information security, and financial services laws, regulations and standards;
    • its inability to successfully compete in the markets in which Dayforce operates and expand its current offerings into new markets or further penetrate existing markets due to competition;
    • its failure to properly update its solutions to enable its customers to comply with applicable laws;
    • its failure to provide new or enhanced functionality and features, including those that may involve artificial intelligence or machine learning;
    • its inability to maintain necessary third-party relationships, and third-party software licenses, and identify errors in the software it licenses;
    • its inability to offer and deliver high-quality technical support, implementation, and professional services;
    • its inability to attract and retain senior management employees and highly skilled employees;
    • the impact of its outstanding debt obligations on its financial condition, results of operations, and value of its common stock;
    • its ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, and the effect of the existing material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting on its business, financial condition, and results of operations; or
    • the impact of adverse economic and market conditions on its business, operating results, or financial condition.

    Although Dayforce has attempted to identify important risk factors, additional factors or events that could cause Dayforce’s actual performance to differ from these forward-looking statements may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Dayforce to predict all of them. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of Dayforce’s assumptions prove incorrect, its actual financial condition, results of operations, future performance, and business may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. In addition to any factors and assumptions set forth above in this press release, the material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the general economy remains stable; the competitive environment in the HCM market remains stable; the demand environment for HCM solutions remains stable; Dayforce’s implementation capabilities and cycle times remain stable; foreign exchange rates, both current and those used in developing forward-looking statements, specifically U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar, remain stable at, or near, current rates; Dayforce will be able to maintain its relationships with its employees, customers, and partners; Dayforce will continue to attract qualified personnel to support its development requirements and the support of its new and existing customers; and that the risk factors noted above, individually or collectively, do not have a material impact on Dayforce. Any forward-looking statement made by Dayforce in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Dayforce undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        September 30,     December 31,  
        2024     2023  
    (In millions, except per share data)            
    Assets            
    Current assets:            
    Cash and equivalents   $ 494.1     $ 570.3  
    Restricted cash           0.8  
    Trade and other receivables, net     255.8       228.8  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     153.3       126.7  
    Total current assets before customer funds     903.2       926.6  
    Customer funds     4,000.7       5,028.6  
    Total current assets     4,903.9       5,955.2  
    Right of use lease assets, net     14.7       19.1  
    Property, plant, and equipment, net     228.3       210.1  
    Goodwill     2,394.5       2,293.9  
    Other intangible assets, net     228.3       230.2  
    Deferred sales commissions     215.6       192.1  
    Other assets     131.7       110.3  
    Total assets   $ 8,117.0     $ 9,010.9  
                 
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity            
    Current liabilities:            
    Current portion of long-term debt   $ 7.3     $ 7.6  
    Current portion of long-term lease liabilities     6.0       7.0  
    Accounts payable     73.1       66.7  
    Deferred revenue     42.7       40.2  
    Employee compensation and benefits     77.9       92.9  
    Other accrued expenses     66.3       30.4  
    Total current liabilities before customer funds obligations     273.3       244.8  
    Customer funds obligations     4,004.6       5,090.1  
    Total current liabilities     4,277.9       5,334.9  
    Long-term debt, less current portion     1,209.9       1,210.1  
    Employee benefit plans     25.0       27.7  
    Long-term lease liabilities, less current portion     14.0       18.9  
    Other liabilities     34.2       21.1  
    Total liabilities     5,561.0       6,612.7  
    Commitments and contingencies            
    Stockholders’ equity:            
    Common stock, $0.01 par, 500.0 shares authorized, 157.8 and 156.3 shares issued and outstanding, respectively     1.6       1.6  
    Additional paid in capital     3,291.5       3,151.1  
    Accumulated deficit     (340.5 )     (317.8 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (396.6 )     (436.7 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     2,556.0       2,398.2  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 8,117.0     $ 9,010.9  
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        Three Months Ended
    September 30,
        Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
     
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
    (In millions, except per share data)                        
    Revenue:                        
    Recurring   $ 375.9     $ 325.4     $ 1,123.6     $ 958.2  
    Professional services and other     64.1       52.1       171.2       155.8  
    Total revenue     440.0       377.5       1,294.8       1,114.0  
    Cost of revenue:                        
    Recurring     87.4       80.5       265.1       239.4  
    Professional services and other     75.1       66.1       210.8       197.0  
    Product development and management     55.4       53.3       166.8       153.5  
    Depreciation and amortization     20.8       17.1       58.6       47.4  
    Total cost of revenue     238.7       217.0       701.3       637.3  
    Gross profit     201.3       160.5       593.5       476.7  
    Selling and marketing     86.4       61.8       248.5       177.5  
    General and administrative     94.1       72.2       269.4       204.9  
    Operating profit     20.8       26.5       75.6       94.3  
    Interest expense, net     8.8       8.9       33.2       27.2  
    Other (income) expense, net     (6.3 )     5.1       5.7       6.6  
    Income before income taxes     18.3       12.5       36.7       60.5  
    Income tax expense     16.3       16.3       29.4       51.3  
    Net income (loss)   $ 2.0     $ (3.8 )   $ 7.3     $ 9.2  
    Net income (loss) per share:                        
    Basic   $ 0.01     $ (0.02 )   $ 0.05     $ 0.06  
    Diluted   $ 0.01     $ (0.02 )   $ 0.05     $ 0.06  
    Weighted average shares outstanding:                        
    Basic     158.1       155.7       157.6       155.0  
    Diluted     159.7       155.7       159.9       158.2  
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
     
        2024     2023  
    (In millions)            
    Cash flows from operating activities            
    Net income   $ 7.3     $ 9.2  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:            
    Deferred income tax (benefit) expense     (27.5 )     13.9  
    Depreciation and amortization     151.5       84.1  
    Amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount     3.2       3.3  
    Loss on debt extinguishment     4.3        
    Provision for doubtful accounts     4.7       4.2  
    Net periodic pension and postretirement cost     7.6       0.9  
    Share-based compensation expense     118.4       118.0  
    Change in fair value of contingent consideration     9.0       11.8  
    Other     (1.2 )     0.3  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding effects of acquisitions:            
    Trade and other receivables     (26.2 )     (62.0 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (4.5 )     (20.1 )
    Deferred sales commissions     (22.9 )     (25.9 )
    Accounts payable and other accrued expenses     5.9       8.5  
    Deferred revenue     (6.5 )     7.5  
    Employee compensation and benefits     (16.1 )     (23.2 )
    Accrued taxes     22.5       11.0  
    Payment of contingent consideration     (20.9 )      
    Other assets and liabilities     (8.5 )     (11.9 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities     200.1       129.6  
                 
    Cash flows from investing activities            
    Purchases of customer funds marketable securities     (483.2 )     (252.0 )
    Proceeds from sale and maturity of customer funds marketable securities     283.4       326.4  
    Purchases of marketable securities     (10.0 )      
    Proceeds from sale and maturity of marketable securities     7.6        
    Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment     (8.7 )     (15.4 )
    Expenditures for software and technology     (74.1 )     (72.9 )
    Acquisition costs, net of cash acquired     (173.1 )      
    Other           (1.0 )
    Net cash used in investing activities     (458.1 )     (14.9 )
                 
    Cash flows from financing activities            
    (Decrease) increase in customer funds obligations, net     (1,049.9 )     311.0  
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock under share-based compensation plans     22.0       40.3  
    Repurchases of common stock     (28.8 )      
    Proceeds from debt issuance     650.0        
    Repayment of long-term debt obligations     (646.5 )     (6.0 )
    Payment of debt refinancing costs     (11.4 )      
    Payment of contingent consideration     (3.0 )      
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities     (1,067.6 )     345.3  
                 
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, restricted cash, and equivalents     (18.2 )     5.1  
    Net (decrease) increase in cash, restricted cash, and equivalents     (1,343.8 )     465.1  
    Cash, restricted cash, and equivalents at beginning of period     3,421.4       3,151.2  
    Cash, restricted cash, and equivalents at end of period   $ 2,077.6     $ 3,616.3  
                 
    Reconciliation of cash, restricted cash, and equivalents to the condensed consolidated balance sheets            
    Cash and equivalents   $ 494.1     $ 510.3  
    Restricted cash           0.8  
    Restricted cash and equivalents included in customer funds     1,583.5       3,105.2  
    Total cash, restricted cash, and equivalents   $ 2,077.6     $ 3,616.3  
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Revenue Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        Three Months Ended September 30,     Percentage change in revenue     Impact of
    changes in
    foreign
    currency (a)
        Percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis (a)  
        2024     2023     2024 vs. 2023           2024 vs. 2023  
        (In millions)                    
    Revenue:                              
    Recurring revenue:                              
    Dayforce recurring, excluding float   $ 292.0     $ 245.6       18.9 %     (0.1 )%     19.0 %
    Dayforce float     41.2       34.0       21.2 %     (0.3 )%     21.5 %
    Total Dayforce recurring     333.2       279.6       19.2 %     (0.1 )%     19.3 %
    Powerpay recurring, excluding float     20.2       19.6       3.1 %     (2.0 )%     5.1 %
    Powerpay float     4.2       4.4       (4.5 )%     (2.2 )%     (2.3 )%
    Total Powerpay recurring     24.4       24.0       1.7 %     (2.0 )%     3.7 %
    Total Cloud recurring     357.6       303.6       17.8 %     (0.3 )%     18.1 %
    Other recurring (b)     18.3       21.8       (16.1 )%     0.9 %     (17.0 )%
    Total recurring revenue     375.9       325.4       15.5 %     (0.2 )%     15.7 %
    Professional services and other (c)     64.1       52.1       23.0 %     (— )%     23.0 %
    Total revenue   $ 440.0     $ 377.5       16.6 %     (0.1 )%     16.7 %
    a) Dayforce has calculated percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for discussion of percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis.
    b) Float attributable to Other recurring was $0.2 million and $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
    c) For the three months ended September 30, 2024, Professional services and other consisted of $61.8 million and $2.3 million associated with Dayforce and Other, respectively. For the three months ended September 30, 2023, Professional services and other consisted of $48.2 million, $3.8 million, and $0.1 million associated with Dayforce, Other, and Powerpay, respectively.
        Nine Months Ended September 30,     Percentage change in revenue    
    Impact of

    changes in
    foreign
    currency (a)
        Percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis (a)  
        2024     2023     2024 vs. 2023           2024 vs. 2023  
        (In millions)                    
    Revenue:                              
    Recurring revenue:                              
    Dayforce recurring, excluding float   $ 852.1     $ 706.5       20.6 %     (0.2 )%     20.8 %
    Dayforce float     139.9       112.5       24.4 %     (0.2 )%     24.6 %
    Total Dayforce recurring     992.0       819.0       21.1 %     (0.2 )%     21.3 %
    Powerpay recurring, excluding float     60.6       58.8       3.1 %     (1.2 )%     4.3 %
    Powerpay float     14.4       13.4       7.5 %     (0.7 )%     8.2 %
    Total Powerpay recurring     75.0       72.2       3.9 %     (1.1 )%     5.0 %
    Total Cloud recurring     1,067.0       891.2       19.7 %     (0.3 )%     20.0 %
    Other recurring (b)     56.6       67.0       (15.5 )%     (1.0 )%     (14.5 )%
    Total recurring revenue     1,123.6       958.2       17.3 %     (0.3 )%     17.6 %
    Professional services and other (c)     171.2       155.8       9.9 %     (0.2 )%     10.1 %
    Total revenue   $ 1,294.8     $ 1,114.0       16.2 %     (0.3 )%     16.5 %
    a) Dayforce has calculated percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for discussion of percentage change in revenue on a constant currency basis.
    b) Float attributable to Other recurring was $0.9 million and $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
    c) For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, Professional services and other consisted of $164.4 million, $6.6 million, and $0.2 million associated with Dayforce, Other, and Powerpay, respectively. For the three months ended September 30, 2023, Professional services and other consisted of $144.6 million, $11.1 million, and $0.1 million associated with Dayforce, Other, and Powerpay, respectively.
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Share-Based Compensation Expense and Related Employer Taxes
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        Three Months Ended
    September 30,
        Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
     
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
        (in millions)  
    Cost of revenue – Cloud   $ 3.0     $ 3.9     $ 9.6     $ 11.9  
    Cost of revenue – Other     0.6       0.5       1.7       1.2  
    Professional services and other     4.0       4.4       11.7       13.5  
    Product development and management     8.1       7.8       25.0       25.7  
    Sales and marketing     9.4       6.4       27.2       19.0  
    General and administrative     14.5       13.4       43.2       47.0  
    Total   $ 39.6     $ 36.4     $ 118.4     $ 118.3  
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)
     
       
    The following tables reconcile Dayforce’s reported results to its non-GAAP financial measures:  
       
        Three Months Ended September 30, 2024  
        As reported     As reported margins (a)     Share-based
    compensation
        Amortization     Other (b)     As adjusted (b)     As adjusted margins (a)  
        (Dollars in millions, except per share data)  
    Cost of Cloud recurring revenue   $ 75.1       79.0 %   $ 3.0     $     $ 0.1     $ 72.0       79.9 %
                                               
    Operating profit   $ 20.8       4.7 %   $ 39.6     $ 29.6     $ 13.2     $ 103.2       23.5 %
                                               
    Net income   $ 2.0       0.5 %   $ 39.6     $ 29.6     $ 3.3     $ 74.5       16.9 %
    Interest expense, net     8.8                               8.8        
    Income tax expense (c)     16.3                         (4.0 )     20.3        
    Depreciation and amortization     52.1                   29.6             22.5        
    EBITDA   $ 79.2           $ 39.6     $     $ 7.3     $ 126.1       28.7 %
                                               
    Net income per share – diluted (d)   $ 0.01           $ 0.25     $ 0.19     $ 0.02     $ 0.47        
    a) Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as total Cloud recurring revenue less cost of Cloud recurring revenue as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue. Operating profit margin and net profit margin are determined by calculating the percentage operating profit and net (loss) income are of total revenue. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted margins.
    b) The as adjusted column is a non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items including $9.0 million related to the fair value adjustment for the DataFuzion contingent consideration, $3.2 million of restructuring expenses, $3.2 million of costs associated with the planned termination of its frozen U.S. pension plan, $1.0 million of fees associated with initiating the receivables securitization program, and $9.1 million of foreign exchange gain, along with a $4.0 million net adjustment for the effect of income taxes related to these items. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted metrics.
    c) Income tax effects have been calculated based on the statutory tax rates in effect in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions during the period.
    d) GAAP and Adjusted diluted net income per share are calculated based upon 159.7 million weighted average shares of common stock.
        Three Months Ended September 30, 2023  
        As reported     As reported margins (a)     Share-based
    compensation
        Amortization     Other (b)     As adjusted (b)     As adjusted margins (a)  
        (Dollars in millions, except per share data)  
    Cost of Cloud recurring revenue   $ 69.9       77.0 %   $ 3.9     $     $     $ 66.0       78.3 %
                                               
    Operating profit   $ 26.5       7.0 %   $ 36.4     $ 20.5     $ 6.0     $ 89.4       23.7 %
                                               
    Net (loss) income   $ (3.8 )     (1.0 )%   $ 36.4     $ 20.5     $ 5.2     $ 58.3       15.4 %
    Interest expense, net     8.9                               8.9        
    Income tax expense (c)     16.3                         (5.5 )     21.8        
    Depreciation and amortization     38.7                   20.5             18.2        
    EBITDA   $ 60.1           $ 36.4     $     $ 10.7     $ 107.2       28.4 %
                                               
    Net (loss) income per share – diluted (d)   $ (0.02 )         $ 0.23     $ 0.13     $ 0.03     $ 0.37        
    a) Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as total Cloud recurring revenue less cost of Cloud recurring revenue as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue. Operating profit margin and net profit margin are determined by calculating the percentage operating profit and net income are of total revenue. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted margins.
    b) The as adjusted column is a non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items including $4.7 million of foreign exchange loss, $4.6 million related to the impact of the fair value adjustment for the DataFuzion contingent consideration, $1.2 million of restructuring expenses, and $0.2 million related to the abandonment of certain leased facilities, along with a $5.5 million net adjustment for the effect of income taxes related to these items. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted metrics.
    c) Income tax effects have been calculated based on the statutory tax rates in effect in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions during the period.
    d) GAAP diluted net loss per share is calculated based upon 155.7 weighted average shares of common stock, and Adjusted diluted net income per share is calculated based upon 158.8 million weighted average shares of common stock.
        Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024  
        As reported     As reported margins (a)     Share-based
    compensation
        Amortization     Other (b)     As adjusted (b)     As adjusted margins (a)  
        (Dollars in millions, except per share data)  
    Cost of Cloud recurring revenue   $ 228.5       78.6 %   $ 9.6     $     $ 0.9     $ 218.0       79.6 %
                                               
    Operating profit   $ 75.6       5.8 %   $ 118.4     $ 87.5     $ 25.7     $ 307.2       23.7 %
                                               
    Net income   $ 7.3       0.6 %   $ 118.4     $ 87.5     $ 5.5     $ 218.7       16.9 %
    Interest expense, net     33.2                               33.2        
    Income tax expense (c)     29.4                         (27.0 )     56.4        
    Depreciation and amortization     151.5                   87.5             64.0        
    EBITDA   $ 221.4           $ 118.4     $     $ 32.5     $ 372.3       28.8 %
                                               
    Net income per share – diluted (d)   $ 0.05           $ 0.74     $ 0.55     $ 0.03     $ 1.37        
    a) Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as total Cloud recurring revenue less cost of Cloud recurring revenue as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue. Operating profit margin and net profit margin are determined by calculating the percentage operating profit and net income are of total revenue. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted margins.
    b) The as adjusted column is a non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items including $15.7 million of restructuring expenses, $9.7 million of costs associated with the planned termination of its frozen U.S. pension plan, $9.0 million related to the fair value adjustment for the DataFuzion contingent consideration, $1.0 million of fees associated with initiating the receivables securitization program, and $2.9 million of foreign exchange gain, along with a $27.0 million net adjustment for the effect of income taxes related to these items. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted metrics.
    c) Income tax effects have been calculated based on the statutory tax rates in effect in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions during the period.
    d) GAAP and Adjusted diluted net income per share are calculated based upon 159.9 million weighted average shares of common stock.
        Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023  
        As reported     As reported margins (a)     Share-based
    compensation
        Amortization     Other (b)     As adjusted (b)     As adjusted margins (a)  
        (Dollars in millions, except per share data)  
    Cost of Cloud recurring revenue   $ 204.8       77.0 %   $ 11.9     $     $     $ 192.9       78.4 %
                                               
    Operating profit   $ 94.3       8.5 %   $ 118.3     $ 32.7     $ 15.6     $ 260.9       23.4 %
                                               
    Net income   $ 9.2       0.8 %   $ 118.3     $ 32.7     $ (1.8 )   $ 158.4       14.2 %
    Interest expense, net     27.2                               27.2        
    Income tax expense (c)     51.3                         (22.7 )     74.0        
    Depreciation and amortization     84.1                   32.7             51.4        
    EBITDA   $ 171.8           $ 118.3     $     $ 20.9     $ 311.0       27.9 %
                                               
    Net income per share – diluted (d)   $ 0.06           $ 0.75     $ 0.21     $ (0.01 )   $ 1.00        
    a) Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as total Cloud recurring revenue less cost of Cloud recurring revenue as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue. Operating profit margin and net profit margin are determined by calculating the percentage operating profit and net income are of total revenue. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted margins.
    b) The as adjusted column is a non-GAAP financial measure, adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items including $11.8 million related to the impact of the fair value adjustment for the DataFuzion contingent consideration, $5.3 million of foreign exchange loss, $3.4 million of restructuring expenses, and $0.4 million related to the abandonment of certain leased facilities, along with a $22.7 million net adjustment for the effect of income taxes related to these items. Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information on the as adjusted metrics.
    c) Income tax effects have been calculated based on the statutory tax rates in effect in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions during the period.
    d) GAAP and Adjusted diluted net income per share are calculated based upon 158.2 million weighted average shares of common stock.
       
    Dayforce, Inc.
    Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow
    (Unaudited)
     
       
        Three Months Ended
    September 30,
        Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
     
        2024     2023     2024     2023  
        (In millions)  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   $ 91.8     $ 36.6     $ 200.1     $ 129.6  
    Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment     (2.0 )     (5.3 )     (8.7 )     (15.4 )
    Expenditures for software and technology     (26.4 )     (26.5 )     (74.1 )     (72.9 )
    Free cash flow   $ 63.4     $ 4.8     $ 117.3     $ 41.3  


    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Dayforce uses certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release including:

    Non-GAAP Financial Measure   GAAP Financial Measure
    EBITDA   Net (loss) income
    Adjusted EBITDA   Net (loss) income
    Adjusted EBITDA margin   Net profit margin
    Adjusted Cloud recurring gross margin   Cloud recurring gross margin
    Adjusted operating profit   Operating profit
    Adjusted operating profit margin   Operating profit margin
    Adjusted net income   Net (loss) income
    Adjusted net profit margin   Net profit margin
    Adjusted diluted net income per share   Diluted net (loss) income per share
    Free cash flow   Net cash provided by operating activities
    Percentage change in revenue, including total revenue and revenue by solution, on a constant currency basis   Percentage change in revenue, including total revenue and revenue by solution
    Dayforce recurring revenue per customer   No directly comparable GAAP measure

    Dayforce believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to management and investors as supplemental measures to evaluate its overall operating performance including comparison across periods and with competitors. Dayforce’s management team uses these non-GAAP financial measures to assess operating performance because these financial measures exclude the results of decisions that are outside the normal course of its business operations, and are used for internal budgeting and forecasting purposes both for short- and long-term operating plans. Additionally, Adjusted EBITDA is a component of its management incentive plan and Adjusted Cloud recurring gross margin and Adjusted operating profit are components of certain performance based equity awards for its named executive officers. Additionally, Dayforce believes that the non-GAAP financial measure free cash flow is meaningful to investors because it is a measure of liquidity that provides useful information in understanding and evaluating the strength of Dayforce’s liquidity and future ability to generate cash that can be used for strategic opportunities or investing in its business. The exclusion of capital expenditures facilitates comparisons of Dayforce’s liquidity on a period-to-period basis and excludes items that management does not consider to be indicative of Dayforce’s liquidity.

    These non-GAAP financial measures are not required by, defined under, or presented in accordance with, GAAP, and should not be considered as alternatives to Dayforce’s results as reported under GAAP, have important limitations as analytical tools, and its use of these terms may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies in its industry. Dayforce’s presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed to imply that its future results will be unaffected by similar items to those eliminated in this presentation. Please refer to Dayforce’s full financial results, including further discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, on the Investor Relations portion of its website at investors.dayforce.com.

    Dayforce defines its non-GAAP financial measures as follows:

    • EBITDA is defined as net (loss) income before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, and Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA, as adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, and certain other items.
    • Adjusted EBITDA margin is determined by calculating the percentage Adjusted EBITDA is of total revenue.
    • Adjusted Cloud recurring gross margin is defined as Cloud recurring gross margin, as adjusted to exclude share-based compensation and related employer taxes, and certain other items, as a percentage of total Cloud recurring revenue.
    • Adjusted operating profit is defined as operating profit, as adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items.
    • Adjusted net income is defined as net (loss) income, as adjusted to exclude share-based compensation expense and related employer taxes, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and certain other items, all of which are adjusted for the effect of income taxes.
    • Adjusted net profit margin is determined by calculating the percentage Adjusted net income is of total revenue.
    • Adjusted diluted net income per share is calculated by dividing adjusted net income by diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. When adjusted diluted net income per share is positive, diluted weighted average common shares outstanding incorporate the effect of dilutive equity instruments.
    • Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities, as adjusted to exclude capital expenditures.
    • Percentage change in revenue, including total revenue and revenue by solution, on a constant currency basis is calculated by applying the average foreign exchange rate in effect during the comparable prior period.
    • Dayforce recurring revenue per customer is an indicator of the average size of Dayforce recurring revenue customers. To calculate Dayforce recurring revenue per customer, the Company starts with Dayforce recurring revenue on a constant currency basis by applying the same exchange rate to all comparable periods for the trailing twelve months and excludes float revenue and Ascender, ADAM HCM, and eloomi revenue. This amount is divided by the number of live Dayforce customers at the end of the trailing twelve month period, excluding Ascender, ADAM HCM, and eloomi. The Company has not reconciled the Dayforce recurring revenue per customer because there is no directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Source: Dayforce, Inc.

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    1-844-829-9499
    investors@dayforce.com

    Public Relations
    1-647-417-2117
    teri.murphy@dayforce.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Banco Santander-Chile Announces Third Quarter 2024 Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Banco Santander Chile (NYSE: BSAC; SSE: Bsantander) announced today its results1 for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024, and third quarter 2024 (3Q24).

    ROAE2of 23.1% in 3Q243and 18.2% in 9M244.

    In the third quarter of 2024 (3Q24), the Bank’s net income attributable to shareholders totaled $243,133 million ($1.29 per share and US$ 0.58 per ADR), reflecting an increase of 11.7% compared to the previous quarter (2Q24), with an ROAE of 23.1%.

    As of September 30, 2024, the Bank’s net income attributable to shareholders totaled $581.109 billion ($3.08 per share and US$1.37 per ADR), reflecting an increase of 81.9% compared to the same period of the previous year and with an ROAE of 18.2%.

    The increase in results in the quarter is explained by an increase in the Bank’s main income lines, with operating income increasing by 6.3% in the quarter, driven by a better interest margin and readjustments.

    Strong recovery of NIM5to 3.9% in 3Q24 and 3.4% in 9M24.

    Net interest and readjustment income (NII) accumulated as of September 30, 2024 increased by 74.8% compared to the same period in 2023. This increase in NII was due to higher interest income due to improvements in the cost of funds resulting from a lower monetary policy rate, partially offset by lower readjustment income due to lower inflation in the period.

    In 3Q24, total net interest and readjustment income increased by 4.2% compared to 2Q24. This is explained by higher net interest income due to lower funding costs and better investment portfolio performance, offset by lower net readjustment income due to lower UF variation in the quarter.

    Net fees increase 8.3% in the quarter, reaching recurrence6levels of 63.4%.

    Net fees increased 8.3% QoQ due to increased customer numbers and greater use of products such as mutual funds, cards and current accounts. With this, the recurrence ratio (total net fees divided by total core expenses) is 63.4% in 3Q24, demonstrating that more than half of the Bank’s expenses are financed by fees generated by our customers.

    In the nine months to September 30, 2024, fees increased by 5.4% compared to the same period in 2023, mainly due to higher fees from current accounts, mutual fund brokerage and Getnet. This was partially offset by the impact of interchange fee regulation.

    Getnet’s customer base continues to grow and its expansion continues

    As a result of our strategy to strengthen digital products, the Bank’s market share in current accounts remains strong. According to the latest publicly available information, which is as of July 2024, our market share reaches 23.8% in current accounts, which includes products such as Santander Life and PYME Life, while our US$ current account solution is already attracting 41.2% of customers in this market. In total, our digital customers total around 2.2 million and represent 86% of our active customers, with the products with the greatest traction being deposits, credit cards, investment funds and general insurance brokerage.

    Getnet’s entry into the Chilean acquiring market continues to surprise with good results, with net commissions of $54 billion in 9M24 (not including operating expenses). Customer reception has been high, with more than 182 thousand affiliated merchants and more than 243 thousand operational POSs, with a strong demand from SME clients and an expansion towards larger clients that require a Host to Host solution, offering an integrated payment system for more sophisticated clients. Thanks to Getnet and other initiatives such as the Cuenta Pyme Life, we are seeing significant growth in current accounts for SMEs and companies, growing 26.7% YoY by July 2024, and with a market share of 39.3% according to the CMF.

    For the fifth consecutive year we are Top 1 in NPS among our Chilean peers

    As a result of all our efforts, our customers are the most satisfied with us. As of September 2024, our NPS is 59 points, top 1 among our peers. We also rank first in net satisfaction in the evaluation of our account executives and contact center with 66 and 72 points respectively. Regarding digital channels, they also continue to be a strength, with the website standing out with a net satisfaction of 72 and the App with 74 points.

    Efficiency ratio of 36.3% in the quarter as income improves and costs remain under control

    The Bank’s efficiency ratio reached 40.0% as of September 30, 2024, better than the 48.0% of the same period last year, with a quarterly efficiency ratio of 36.3%, explained by the recovery of revenues in the quarter and solid cost control.

    Core support expenses (salaries, administration and amortization) grew 4.4% in 9M24 compared to 9M23 and 0.4% compared to 2Q24, in line with the growth of inflation, as we mentioned in our previous guidance. Total operating expenses (which includes other expenses) increased 13.1% in 9M24 compared to the same period in 2023 driven by higher other operating expenses, related to a provision for the restructuring of our branch network and the transformation to Work/Café and also the progress in Digital Banking.

    Cost of credit of 1.28% in 9M24, in line with the evolution of asset quality given the economic scenario.

    During the Covid-19 pandemic, asset quality benefited from state aid and pension fund withdrawals, which led to a positive performance in assets during that period, before normalizing in line with the performance of the economy and the drainage of excess liquidity from households. Currently, our clients’ performance is reflecting the state of the economy and the labor market, where delinquency is higher than the levels we saw before the pandemic with the non-performing loans (NPL) ratio increasing to 3.1% and the impaired portfolio to 6.7% at September 2024. Overall the cost of credit remained stable at 1.28% in the quarter.

    Solid capital levels with a BIS7ratio of 17.2% and a CET18of 10.7%.

    Our total BIS ratio reached 17.2% as of September 30, 2024 and the CET1 ratio remains solid at 10.7%, even considering that we increased the dividend provision for the 2024 income from 30% to 60% in June 2024 and then to 70% in September 2024. Risk-weighted assets (RWA) increased 0.8% since December 31, 2023 and 0.3% QoQ, explained by a growth in market risk-weighted assets offset by a decrease in credit risk-weighted assets. Additionally, in January 2024, the CMF announced the Pillar II charges for six banks in the Chilean system, and we highlight that, on this occasion, they did not assign a charge to the Bank.

    Upgrading guidance for 2024 and soft guidance for 2025

    Given the strong recovery in our results and our current economic estimates for the fourth quarter, we are improving our ROAE guidance for 2024 to 18%-19%. We have upgraded our medium term guidance for ROAEs to 18%-20% and our soft guidance for 2025 indicates a ROAE within this range.

    Banco Santander Chile is one of the companies with the highest risk classifications in Latin America with an A2 rating from Moody’s, A- from Standard and Poor’s, A+ from Japan Credit Rating Agency, AA- from HR Ratings and A from KBRA. All our ratings as of the date of this report have a Stable Outlook.

    As of September 30, 2024, the Bank has total assets of $65,890,254 million (US$73,419 million), total gross loans (including loans to banks) at amortized cost of $40,362,740 million (US$44,975 million), total deposits of $29,617,085 million (US$33,001 million) and shareholders’ equity of $4,218,883 million (US$4,701 million). The BIS capital ratio was 17.2%, with a core capital ratio of 10.7%. As of September 30, 2024, Santander Chile employed 8,861 people and has 234 branches throughout Chile.

    CONTACT INFORMATION
    Cristian Vicuña
    Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Investor Relations
    Banco Santander Chile
    Bandera 140, Floor 20
    Santiago, Chile
    Email: irelations@santander.cl Website: www.santander.cl


    1 The information contained in this report is presented in accordance with Chilean Bank GAAP as defined by the Financial Markets Commission (FMC).
    2 Annualized net income attributable to shareholders of the Bank divided by the average equity attributable to equity holders
    3 The third quarter of 2024
    4 The nine months accumulated as of September 30, 2024
    5 NIM: Net interest margin. Annualized net interest income and annualized readjustments divided by interest-earning assets
    6Recurrence: Net commissions divided by structural operating expenses (excludes other operating expenses).
    7 Regulatory capital divided by risk-weighted assets, according to CMF BIS III definitions
    8 Core capital divided by risk-weighted assets, according to CMF BIS III definitions.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Labeling and designation of non-animal origin products – E-002194/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    21.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002194/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Esther Herranz García (PPE), Dolors Montserrat (PPE), Herbert Dorfmann (PPE), Céline Imart (PPE), Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral (PPE), Daniel Buda (PPE), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE), Susana Solís Pérez (PPE), Antonio López-Istúriz White (PPE), Adrián Vázquez Lázara (PPE), Salvatore De Meo (PPE), Gabriel Mato (PPE), Isabel Benjumea Benjumea (PPE), Nicolás Pascual De La Parte (PPE), Raúl de la Hoz Quintano (PPE), Elena Nevado del Campo (PPE), Maravillas Abadía Jover (PPE), Pablo Arias Echeverría (PPE), Carmen Crespo Díaz (PPE), Pilar del Castillo Vera (PPE), Borja Giménez Larraz (PPE)

    The Court of Justice of the European Union recently ruled in case C-438/23[1] that the criteria established by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011[2] sufficiently protect consumers against misleading information even in cases of total substitution of the only component or ingredient that a consumer may expect to find in a food product referred to by a common or descriptive name that contains certain customary terms.

    Problems have arisen from the use of customary terms typically associated with meat products, such as ‘burger’, ‘steak’ or ‘sausage’, to refer to vegetarian or vegan foods.

    This judgment could lead to the fragmentation of the single market as it may allow Member States to establish differing legal definitions for such terms.

    • 1.Is the Commission considering drafting a legislative proposal to harmonise the use of these terms at EU level?
    • 2.Given that we are awaiting the proposal on front-of-pack food labeling, is the Commission considering including this issue in that proposal?

    Submitted: 21.10.2024

    • [1] Judgment of 4 October 2024 – Protéines France and Others, C-438/23, ECLI:EU:C:2024:826.
    • [2] Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 18, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj).
    Last updated: 30 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore Announces Timing of Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore Announces Timing of Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    HOUSTON, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (the “Company”) today announced the timing of its third quarter 2024 earnings release and conference call.

    The Company said it will issue its third quarter 2024 earnings release on Thursday, November 7, 2024, after the close of trading on the NYSE and host a conference call to discuss financial and operational results on Friday morning, November 8, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.)

    Interested parties may participate by dialing (844) 739-3797. International parties may dial (412) 317-5713. Participants should request to be joined to the “W&T Offshore, Inc. Conference Call.” This call will also be webcast and available on W&T Offshore’s website at www.wtoffshore.com under “Investors.” An audio replay will be available on the Company’s website following the call.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had working interests in 63 fields in federal and state waters (which include 55 fields in federal waters and eight in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 678,100 gross acres (520,400 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 519,000 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 153,500 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,600 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

         
    CONTACTS: Al Petrie Sameer Parasnis
      Investor Relations Coordinator Executive VP and CFO
      investorrelations@wtoffshore.com sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
      713-297-8024 713-513-8654
         

    This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn, EPA Launch Regional Environmental Justice Center

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    A multi-disciplinary team of researchers at UConn has received a five-year $10 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead a New England regional center focused on environmental justice.

    On Wednesday, Oct. 30, UConn launched the Environmental Justice Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ-TCTAC). In close partnership with the EPA, the University will provide critical support to communities throughout New England.

    The center will benefit cities, towns, and recognized Tribes throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, offering assistance with navigating the federal grant process, engagement efforts, and identifying funding opportunities as the region embraces evolving environmental challenges.

    “As Connecticut’s flagship university, UConn takes pride in service to our communities and helping to prepare them for the environmental challenges they face in the present and the future,” says Pamir Alpay, UConn Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. “With the EPA’s generous support, we are proud to extend our expertise and resourcefulness to support environmental justice throughout the cities, towns, and Tribes of New England.”

    UConn won the grant through a competitive process among other universities in the region. UConn is well-positioned to lead the Center thanks to the expertise of faculty working in various areas related to environmental justice and existing connections with community organizations.

    “Too often, communities with the most pressing environmental justice concerns have been left behind due to barriers in accessing federal funding,” says EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “UConn’s technical assistance center is a game-changer for New England and will provide greater access to services to ensure overburdened and underserved communities and our Tribal nations can access historic investments to address generational environmental and health disparities.”

    The center became operational with the launch of its website, environmental-justice.program.uconn.edu.

    Carolyn A. Lin, professor in the Department of Communication, leads the team as the director of the EJ-TCTAC. The team includes associate directors Rupal Parekh, assistant professor in the School of Social Work; David Chacon-Hurtado, assistant research professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Diego Cerrai, assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; and Chris Newell, the director of Native American Cultural Programs as the tribal liaison.

    “We have a very large group of talented faculty and researchers who have been working on environment-related projects and a lot of them have an environmental justice focus as well,” Lin says. “We hope to excel and do even more than is anticipated successfully.”

    Environmental justice highlights that certain communities, typically lower-income and communities of color, are more likely to be at risk of suffering from environmental harms like pollution and vulnerability to climate change-related impacts like flooding.

    “The need for environmental justice work is very high,” Lin says. “Climate change does not wait for us. The problems are here, and the consequences are obvious. They may not all manifest all at once, but people who live in those communities understand those consequences and they have suffered from them.”

    The Center will support urban, rural, and Tribal communities throughout New England, helping organizations access funding from federal and state agencies to complete environmental justice projects.

    Community organizations will be able to submit requests for free support with tasks like needs assessment, identifying funding sources, grant preparation, grant applications, and grant management. The team will engage partners directly and create digital informational resources, including webinars, podcasts and videos.

    Through this technical assistance, the Center will support projects aimed at improving the quality of life and economic development of communities most affected by environmental injustices.

    “My hope for the Center is that we can use our combined talent and resources, not to mention our passion for this line of work, to truly make a difference in the New England region across urban, rural, and tribal communities,” Lin says.

    The Center is partnering with the EPA; the Institute for New England Native American Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston; the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine; the New England Rural Health Association; Groundwork USA, and the Environmental Protection Network. These partnerships will help the team strengthen its connection with communities and better understand their needs.

    “The only purpose of our Center is to serve the needs of communities across New England,” Lin says. “We have a very strong commitment to pulling together any kind of resources we can and building coalitions with communities and state governments and tribal nations. Because if you unite you are much bigger and much stronger in what you can do.”

    For example, one environmental justice concern in Connecticut is transportation equity. Expanding public transit networks is not only good for the environment, as it cuts carbon emissions by reducing dependence on cars, but it also increases mobility for people who do not own a car.

    “How do we improve our transportation system so that disadvantaged communities who don’t have good access to public transportation will be able to travel more efficiently in terms of time and cost to actually have better educational and economic opportunities,” asks Lin.

    Other initiatives may tackle health disparities related to pollution exposure and toxic infrastructures, helping community organizations combat sources of pollution, develop educational resources, or connect community residents to healthcare services.

    “Environmental issues are directly relevant to our health,” Lin says. “The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil beneath us all affect our well-being.”

    MIL OSI USA News