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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Competitiveness of the European coking industry – E-000264/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000264/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Mirosława Nykiel (PPE)

    One of the Commission’s main priorities, as set out in its political guidelines, is ensuring the competitiveness of European industry.

    Many sectors, including the coking sector, are facing unfair competition from global players, as is the case with Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa. In 2023 alone, Indonesia’s coking coal exports increased by over 400%, seriously disrupting the European market.

    In light of the above:

    • 1.How will the Commission learn from its mistake in relying too heavily on Russian gas and prevent Europe from becoming reliant on imports of a strategic raw material that is essential for steel production, including in the context of industrial security and defence?
    • 2.What specific measures will the Commission take to protect the European market and local jobs in the context of the dire situation of European coking factories caused, among other things, by unfair competition from Indonesia and China?
    • 3.Considering that European coking factories, including Polish factories, adhere to strict environmental standards, in stark contrast to the very different approach to environmental protection in the Far East, what action will the Commission take to ensure the competitiveness of the European market, while also protecting the environment and ensuring high ecological standards?

    Submitted: 22.1.2025

    Last updated: 4 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: US startups secure over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during 2024, finds GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    US startups secure over half of high-value VC deals announced globally during 2024, finds GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The US maintained its dominance in the global venture capital (VC) landscape in 2024, securing over half of all high value* deals. With a commanding 56.6% share by high-value VC deal volume and 64.5% by value, the US significantly outpaced other markets, underscoring strong investor confidence in its startup ecosystem amid the evolving economic conditions and shifting global investment trends, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The US-based startups attracting big-ticket deals showcases the solid confidence VC investors have in the country’s startup ecosystem. It is also noteworthy that the US was distantly followed by China, which accounted for 12.3% and 14.4% share of high-value VC deal volume and value, respectively, during 2024.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that the US saw the announcement of 291 high-value VC deals during 2024 while the total value of these deals stood at $92 billion. Meanwhile, a total of 63 high-value VC deals worth $20.6 billion were announced in China during the same period.

    Bose adds: “Of the top 10 countries by high-value VC deals volume in 2024, two were from North America while Europe and the Asia-Pacific region had four countries each.”

    The UK occupied the third position by high-value VC deals volume in 2024, followed by Germany, India, Canada, Singapore, France, Japan and Switzerland.

    Bose concludes: “The concentration of high-value VC deals in a few key markets highlights the evolving dynamics of global venture funding. While the US continues to dominate, the presence of multiple European and Asia-Pacific countries in the top rankings signals a broader diversification of investor interest, driven by innovation and emerging growth opportunities worldwide.”

    * ≥ $100 million

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Opening of He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal

    Source: New Zealand Governor General

    Toitū Kāhui tangata

    Ka Haea te ata,

    ka Hāpara te ata

    Ka korokī te manu

    Ka wairori te kutu

    Ko te ata nui, ka horaina

    Ka Taki te umere,

    He po, he po, he ao

    ka awatea.

    E koro, ….Matiu,

    Kua tatū mai ō rahi ki te whakanui i te kaupapa o te rā, arā , Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi rima te kau tau ki muri, whakaara mai ai.

    Hoki wairua mai!, Hoki wairua mai!

    Hoki wairua mai!

    Koutou, tātou kua tatū mai i runga i te reo karanga o te rā,

    Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa

    [Be alert for this is a gathering of great significance. As the dawn breaks, and we hear the birds call, we move from the time of darkness to the new era of enlightenment. Each new dawn enables us to embrace new knowledge, to be inspired by the possibilities that rise in front of us.

    Matiu(Rata) We have arrived to celebrate 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal, which was begun under your watch. Return in spirit to embrace your people, as we celebrate its journey.]

    To one and all gathered here today, greetings.

    I specifically acknowledge:

    Distinguished members of the judiciary, including the Honourable Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann, Chief Justice of New Zealand, and

    The Honourable Chief Justice Debra Mortimer, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia,

    Ministers of the Crown,

    Members of Parliament,

    Ngati Kawa, Ngati Rahiri, Ngati Hine and Ngati Kuri representatives,

    Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu and Dame Claudia Orange.

    I am truly honoured to take part in the opening of this exhibition commemorating the first 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal.

    How fitting that He Kura Toi Tangata begin its tour of Aotearoa here in Waitangi – te pito te whenua – where Te Tiriti, the foundational document for the Tribunal’s work, was conceived in its English and te reo Māori iterations – and was signed by rangatira, as well as my earliest antecedent in this role, Captain William Hobson.

    Kō ngā tahu ā ō tapuwai inanahi, hei tauira mō āpōpō. The footsteps laid down by our ancestors create the paving stones upon which we stand today.

    Retrospectives challenge us to consider and compare how we were in the past, with how we are today. This exhibition will prompt us to reflect on the impacts and achievements of the Waitangi Tribunal over the past 50 years, and the ways they are woven through our story as a nation.

    From its small beginnings; to the gradual additions to its powers, Members and support staff; to its ground-breaking reports – the Tribunal has become a vital forum for the airing of concerns about a wide range of issues; for the seeking of redress for past wrongs; and for exploring the meaning of Te Tiriti as it pertains to the contemporary world.

    The Tribunal has achieved so much, whether it be in greater public awareness of Te Tiriti and te ao Māori, in contributions to legislative development and new institutions, and of course, in the Treaty Settlement process.

    Tonight, I particularly want to pay homage to those claimants who spent many decades of their lives toiling on behalf of their hapu or iwi – often at great personal cost – and sometimes not living long enough to see the resolution of those claims.

    In addition, I want to acknowledge all who have been involved in working with the Tribunal, including those behind the scenes. Sir Doug Graham observed that the Treaty Settlements in the 1990s would not have been possible without the Tribunal’s research and deliberations – which, incidentally, included research undertaken by our current Minister of Justice, the Honourable Paul Goldsmith, during his time with the Tribunal. The research done by, and presented to the Tribunal over its 50 years is an immensely valuable resource for all New Zealanders.

    On behalf of the people of New Zealand, I thank Members – past and present – for their willingness to grapple with complex histories and contentious issues, and to make recommendations that have often been at the leading edge of the practical application of te Tiriti.  As Sir Doug said: “They have done their country proud”.

    I hope the more difficult moments were balanced by moments of intense satisfaction – whether it be enabling histories to be heard and recorded for posterity – or providing a forum for debate about emerging societal, cultural or environmental issues.

    There is so much to learn from the lessons of history uncovered during the Tribunal process. The Tribunal’s recommendations have, in turn, become part of the historical record.

    If Matiu Rata could have been with us tonight, how proud he would have been to celebrate his legacy with you all – and to honour the people who played their part in taking the Waitangi Tribunal forward on its journey.

    Congratulations to everyone here tonight who has been involved in the Tribunal process to date, as well as all those involved in the making of this powerful and timely exhibition. I am delighted to now formally open He Kura Toi Tangata: 50 years of the Waitangi Tribunal, 1975-2025. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: January dry, sunny

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    With the dominance of a dry northeast monsoon over southern China, January was marked by dry and sunny weather, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) said today.

    The monthly total sunshine duration amounted to 222.3 hours, about 52% above the norm.

    Only 4.2mm of rainfall was recorded in the month, about 13% of the norm.

    The month was also slightly warmer than usual with a mean temperature of 17.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees above the norm, the HKO added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE to visit Harbin

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    At the invitation of the Heilongjiang Provincial Government, Chief Executive John Lee and his wife, Janet Lee, will visit Harbin on Thursday to attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 the following day.

    During the visit, Mr Lee will meet the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the Asian Winter Games and attend some of events at the games to cheer for Hong Kong’s athletes. He will also visit cultural and tourism facilities there to learn more about the development of those sectors in Harbin.

    The Chief Executive will return to Hong Kong on February 11. During his absence, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki will be Acting Chief Executive.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOEA Establishes Real-Time Consultation Hotline to Assist Taiwanese Businesses in Responding to U.S. Tariff Measures

    Source: Republic Of China Taiwan 2

    To address the impact of U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese companies operating overseas, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has commissioned the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to implement various support measures, thereby enabling businesses to make adjustments to supply chains and investment strategies. These support measures include:

    1. Establishing a Task Force and Consultation Hotline for Immediate Assistance
    TAITRA has set up task forces in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and South Asia to provide real-time support. A consultation hotline is available at +886-2-27577190.

    2. Providing Customized Services for Businesses to Expand Overseas Deployments
    The MOEA offers market insights for businesses relocating to the U.S. or other regions, which include investment locations, regulations, and partnership opportunities. Companies shifting production to supply local domestic markets receive regulatory guidance and networking support.

    3. Establishing a Service Center for Investment and Trade in the U.S. to Support Supply Chain Relocation
    Under the policy of “Connecting Taiwan to the World”, the MOEA will establish a Taiwan Investment and Trade Center in the U.S. It will help businesses assess investment environments, shift supply chains, and link with local partners.

    4. Strengthening Taiwan-U.S. Industrial Collaboration and Assisting Taiwanese Businesses with Innovation and Upgrading
    ITRI’s North America office will actively promote R&D and manufacturing collaborations, assist businesses in finding local partners, facilitate technological advancement, and boost competitiveness.

    The MOEA will remain committed to monitoring global trade trends and supporting Taiwanese businesses in adapting to market changes.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Empowering women in business: Bangladeshi female entrepreneurs embark on a landmark trade mission to the UK

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses are set to lead a trade mission to the UK.

    A group of diverse and inspirational Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs representing eight businesses are set to lead a trade mission to the United Kingdom in February 2025, with support from the UK Government SheTrades Programme. During the visit, they will be showcasing their businesses, meeting investors and exploring new opportunities.

    Their visit will involve high-level discussions with investors, legislators and corporate executives in the UK and promote cross-border trade between the two countries including under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). The DCTS is the UK’s generous preferential trading scheme which provides duty-free, quota-free trade to Bangladesh on everything but arms. The DCTS gives Bangladesh the opportunity to potentially save £317m in tariffs annually on the country’s exports to the UK, the highest among all countries eligible for DCTS.

    British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke hosted a send-off reception at her residence on 3 February to congratulate the entrepreneurs ahead of their departure to the UK.

    The International Trade Centre is implementing this initiative to bring 50 women-led businesses from four Asian countries (Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Mongolia) and six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) to Manchester on 11 February to hold business-to-business (B2B) meetings with UK companies. Women-led companies in the fresh and processed food, textiles and clothing, handicrafts, beauty, information technology and business process outsourcing sectors will have one-on-one meetings with British buyers who want to diversify their supply chains and increase the competitiveness of their products.

    The businesses chosen from Bangladesh are TMSS ICT and Handicrafts, SuperTel, Opus Technology, Tarango Bangladesh, Parijat Bangladesh, TANIS Bangladesh and Leatherina. Five of these companies already possess the certification needed to enter the UK market and the remaining three are currently being supported by the British Standard Institute (BSI) with necessary accreditation.

    This Mission is hosted in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and financed by UK International Development as part of the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme. The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce are also supporting the event.

    British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said:

    The UK government is incredibly proud to support this remarkable group of Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs to develop new markets in the UK. Their inventiveness, tenacity and spirit of entrepreneurship serve as evidence of the enormous potential of Bangladeshi women-led enterprises.

    As Bangladesh and the UK continue to expand our bilateral trade through the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), the UK will remain a steadfast partner. This trade mission will further solidify our trade and investment relationship.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 4 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Property sales dip 10.4%

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Land Registry logged 4,938 sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in January, down 10.4% compared with December 2024 and up 12.2% year-on-year.

    The total consideration for such agreements in January dropped 14.2% from the previous month to $36.7 billion, representing a 9.1% year-on-year growth.

    Of the agreements, 3,626 were for residential units, amounting to an 11.6% decrease from last December and a 4.3% rise from a year ago.

    The total consideration for residential units was $26.7 billion, down 17.9% compared with December 2024 and 3.8% lower year-on-year.

    There were 334,421 land register searches last month.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and all other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Trump Administration nominees and acting officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters, and they are now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol. The Senators wrote to Pam Bondi, President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of DOJ; Kash Patel, nominee to be the Director of the FBI; Todd Blanche, nominee to be Deputy Attorney General; Acting Attorney General James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll regarding the mass purging.

    “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” wrote the Senators. “The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.”

    “As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism,” continued the Senators. “As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure.’ Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”

    As many as 20 senior DOJ officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.

    Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3 p.m. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.

    The purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has recently expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six executive assistant directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. It also includes the assistant Directors and the Special Agents in charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, “I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    Additionally, over a dozen senior DOJ prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry, stating “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    The Senators emphasized that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they requested information to be returned to the committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also requested answers from these individuals about their involvement. 

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, and Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    Full text of the letter to Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is available here.

    Full text of the letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Deputy Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Acting Attorney General McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: 30-2025: New import permit requirements for Brassicaceous and Cucurbitaceous seed for sowing from 1 July 2025

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    4 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    This notice is of interest to importers (and their customs brokers) of the following Brassicaceous seed for sowing requiring treatment and Cucurbitaceous seed for sowing requiring testing and/or treatment (including synonyms and subordinate taxa) imported from all countries.

    • Brassicaceous seed
      • Brassica rapa (turnip, bok choy)
      • Eruca vesicaria (rocket)
      • Raphanus sativus (…

    MIL OSI News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons’ resolution reaffirming USAID’s role in safeguarding U.S. national security blocked on the Senate floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) went to the Senate floor to introduce and ask for unanimous consent on a resolution reaffirming the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s independence is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.

    The resolution is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s potential elimination of USAID and pause to the vast majority of U.S. foreign assistance programs, including reports that President Trump would sign an executive order folding the agency into the State Department— moves that are illegal without congressional approval. 

    “We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security,” Senator Coons said on the Senate floor. “Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades.”

    Senator Coons spoke on the unlawful efforts to defund and destroy USAID by President Trump and Musk and demanded clarity amid purges of USAID’s top personnel, aid freezes, and chaos. He highlighted USAID’s vital humanitarian assistance work during global conflicts and other crises, including efforts to counter terrorism recruitment in the Philippines and to reduce the number of children pulled into gangs supporting organized crime and human trafficking. He also pointed out that while Republicans claim to be concerned about cutting costs, our entire foreign aid budget accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget.

    U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) objected.

    The resolution introduced by Senator Coons expressed “the sense of the Senate that [USAID] is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.” The resolution has 42 cosponsors. The full text of the resolution is available here. 

    Earlier today, the Washington Post published an op-ed from Senator Coons highlighting the dangers posed but the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID.

    A video and partial transcript of Senator Coons’ comments are available below.

    WATCH HERE.

    SENATOR COONS: “Mr. President, if I might further expound on the resolution and respond to the comments by my colleague, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee on which I serve. The resolution I sought to advance today is a simple statement of fact. It reviews the history of USAID, its creation as an independent agency, and its recognition in a law I helped write just last year—that to reorganize it explicitly requires congressional consultation and notification in advance.

    The statement of the resolution, the core point, is that USAID is essential to the national security of the United States, because it mitigates threats abroad before they reach us here, it promotes global stability, it addresses the root causes of migration and extremism, and secures the leadership and influence of the United States in an era of strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. 

    Let me speak to a few points, if I might: the power of the purse, process matters, one percent, and who wins. Rolling back the decades of work and relationships that the nonprofits and AID do around the world is creating a vacuum – a vacuum that will be filled by bad actors. So in a country where we’ve long-funded the PEPFAR program, started by President Bush, long-supported on a bipartisan basis, that provides anti-retrovirals and testing and nurses and support and clinics; to abandon that, to defund that, to shut that down, simply creates an opening for a bad actor to come in and say ‘The Americans abandoned you. Sorry for your luck. Here we are. We want to help.’ The Chinese have invested hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars advancing their interests through investing in infrastructure, building partnerships in critical minerals, becoming the leads on port operations, and delivering humanitarian aid. We should not shut down our assistance to the world in a way that creates this vacuum. Who wins is the first question. My concern is our adversaries.

    Second, process matters. As those of us who are lawyers know, it’s backwards to start with an executive order that shuts down the funding for an organization and entity, to invade and occupy its headquarters, to have an unelected department get into its systems, to lay off and furlough its senior leadership, and then notify Congress of the intent to begin a conversation about reorganization. I welcome a chance to have a conversation about the future of our development assistance around the world, and my hope is that it will continue, because I have case after case to review here about the good work it does. But to shut down the funding and to cause lots of our partners to lay off their key staff, then begin a conversation about reorganization, is to get it backwards in terms of process and the law.

    I’m an appropriator. Why should we bother coming to an agreement on appropriations here in the Senate, pass a law, send it to the president, he signs it – and then in the next Congress and the next president, they can shut it down and claw it back? It gets to the very question of the power of the purse, which in Article 1 of the Constitution is the power of this body. Going forward, of course, as my colleague said, elections have consequences. It is true that President Trump and the new majority here will put their imprimatur on the policy priorities across a wide range of agencies and programs, absolutely. I expect that discussion and that fight – but this is reaching back and shutting down. 

    One percent – one percent, actually, less than one percent of the total federal budget goes to these vital humanitarian programs around the world. I’ll give you a few examples of what has been stopped in its tracks: a U.S. organization funded through AID has stopped its counterterrorism work in the Philippines that was reducing recruitment and radicalization. We walked away from that work. In Mexico, an organization that reduces the number of children recruited by gangs to help move drugs and migrants across our border has had its funding cut off. I remember trips I took, bipartisan delegations I was a part of, that went and visited AID-funded work where folks were delivering critical care. St. Mary’s clinic in Kibera – in Nairobi, in Kenya: one of the worst informal settlements – slums – I’ve ever been in in my life, and these dedicated, caring, capable folks delivering vital life assistance. In Liberia during Ebola, I will never forget meeting with the nurses, doctors, volunteers, the Liberians who were helping save lives. Why does this matter? Today there is an Ebola outbreak in Kampala, Uganda, and it’s the disease monitoring and testing, it’s the clinics and the nurses that keep these diseases controlled and managed on the other side of the world before they come here.

    Failing to sustain this work in an efficient and effective way is to fail to show the values of the United States, to show we’re not a reliable partner, it’s to show that the decades of bipartisan support for critical initiatives like PEPFAR have been abandoned because they’re no longer considered a smarter strategic investment by one party, while the other party will fight for it.

    My fondest hope is that we will yet find there is bipartisan support for continuing and sustaining these investments, but it’s unclear, because the unelected leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, is even now tweeting, ‘shut it down, close it off.’ My hope is that Secretary Rubio’s comments today on television about sustaining many of the critical functions of AID will win out, but I’m not confident – because it’s unclear to me who’s really driving this initiative. 

    Let me close: We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security. President Trump’s first defense secretary, General James Mattis, said to us in a hearing that if foreign aid were to get cut, he would need to buy more bullets, because foreign aid around the world helps us build relationships of support, combat terrorism and extremism, advance our values and priorities, and make us safer and more secure. I cannot think of a more troubling development than this long-trusted, capable, bipartisan effort at helping bring our values to the world and helping secure our nation would be cut off, abruptly, roughly, in a way that violates the law and the spirit of our long bipartisan compromise.

    Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades. My hope is that even though this resolution was opposed and thus defeated tonight, that the determination to support this great work will survive and thrive and prevail.”

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He is the former Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Remains located, identified as woman missing since March

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Waikato Western Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin:

    Police can confirm the remains of a woman missing since March 2024 have been found in the Pureroa Forest in Waikato.

    Police were alerted to the discovery by a local hunter on Monday evening, 27 January.

    Police can now confirm the remains are those of 79-year-old Judy Donovan.

    Judy was laying bait with a group in the forest on 23 March last year when she became separated.

    That afternoon, Search and Rescue teams, including Land Search and Rescue, Police Search and Rescue, and dog units, were deployed to the area.

    The search for Judy was suspended in April last year after a large-scale, weeks-long search. The choice to suspend a search is always a tough one. It involves the assessment of a number of factors, including consultation with survivability experts.

    In May, Police and a cadaver dog deployed to the area again, however, they were unable to locate her. 

    Judy’s family has been advised of the discovery, and they are being offered support at this incredibly emotional time.

    A post-mortem examination has been completed along with the formal identification process.

    As the matter is with the Coroner, we are unable to provide further comment.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Is this 2025, or 1965? Grammy wins for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones keep the rock canon in the past

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlotte Markowitsch, PhD Candidate in Popular Music Studies, RMIT University

    History has repeated in the rock category at this week’s 67th Grammy Awards. Best rock performance was awarded to the Beatles for their song Now and Then, while the Rolling Stones took home best rock album for Hackney Diamonds.

    The Beatles’ track, finished and released by the fab four’s remaining members with the assistance of artificial intelligence, has been recognised by the Recording Academy 55 years after the band broke up. This comes as their eighth Grammy win and 27th nomination since their 1962 debut.

    The Beatles’ long time rivals, the Rolling Stones, have received many accolades over their six decade career, including five Grammys. Their 24th studio album includes cameos from other legacy artists like Elton John and Stevie Wonder.

    These victories are historic – but they also reveal a broader truth about rock music’s biggest institutions. The same artists who defined the genre decades ago continue to dominate its highest honours, leaving little space for contemporary acts to break through.

    The new wave

    The past year has seen a resurgence in rock. Streaming services and radio have reflected a rise in the popularity of the genre and reunions of rock’s most popular bands are making headlines.

    This renewed enthusiasm toward rock has brought newcomers to the genre, including an emergence of new popular talent.

    Newer rock talent was present at the Grammys, with St Vincent (who broke out in 2006) winning Best rock song and Fontaines D.C. receiving their first best rock album nomination since their debut in 2014.

    Both of these artists have been recognised for breathing new life into the rock genre. With a willingness to confront discomfort and vulnerability coupled with distinctive guitar work and production choices, St. Vincent has been positioned as a trailblazer in modern rock.

    Fontaines D.C’s nominated album Romance has been praised by critics for its energetic embrace of a diverse musical palette with compelling lyrics, a sound which has grabbed the attention of those outside and within the rock audience.

    But they were up against a nominee pool largely composed of long career legacy acts such as Green Day, Pearl Jam, Jack White and the Black Crowes, who all broke out in the last millennium.

    Along with the Beatles’ and the Rolling Stones’ wins, this reflects a trend in rock’s institutional recognition, where industry awards, hall of fame inductions, and media retrospectives continue to reaffirm the same monumental figures – often to the exclusion of artists shaping rock today. This phenomenon is a symptom of the rock canon, otherwise known as “the best of all time”.

    The old canon

    The rock canon is a set of artists, albums and songs that have been collectively deemed as the genre’s greatest.

    This canon was solidified by the late 1960s and 1970s and is sustained predominantly by media outlets and awards organisations like the Grammys. Publications that rank “the best” also help shape the rock canon by repeatedly spotlighting the same classic albums and artists.

    To be considered “the best” in rock, artists typically need to meet an (often unwritten) criteria of long-term critical acclaim, commercial success and influence on future generations. Artists like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones meet this criteria, frequently appearing in the top ranks of “best of” lists and maintaining their position at the top of the rock hierarchy.

    But the Grammy wins for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones raise concerns about how rigid this canon remains. Artists who enter the rock canon rarely leave it, making it difficult for newcomers to garner the same levels of critical and commercial success. It has also been criticised for its preferential treatment towards whiteness and masculinity.

    If the canon represents the highest levels of artistic quality in rock, its inability to change poses concerns for the future of the genre.

    Australia has not remained untouched by these issues. While the Grammys are an American institution, the rock canon’s influence extends globally.

    Australian institutions such as Triple J’s Hottest 100 of All Time have demonstrated this influence, showing us that the canon plays a role in shaping Australian music culture. Artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin often appear on these lists, voted on by Australian listeners. Local audiences overwhelmingly favour a more standard, mainstream canon of older international rock acts over our own Australian talent.

    The preference towards artists who have long been in the canon in today’s “best of” lists makes it harder for local artists – particularly those from marginalised backgrounds – to gain widespread recognition.

    Crafting a vital genre

    The Grammy success of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones reflects both the strength and the stagnation of rock’s institutional gate-keeping.

    On one hand, these wins celebrate artists whose influence has endured for generations. On the other, they reveal how difficult it is for new acts to gain recognition when institutions continue looking backward rather than forward.

    As rock continues its resurgence, the vitality of the genre may rely on expanding a more inclusive definition of greatness: one that makes room for innovation and diversity, not just nostalgia.

    Will future Grammy ceremonies still be awarding the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, or will we finally see rock’s institutions evolve?

    Charlotte Markowitsch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Is this 2025, or 1965? Grammy wins for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones keep the rock canon in the past – https://theconversation.com/is-this-2025-or-1965-grammy-wins-for-the-beatles-and-the-rolling-stones-keep-the-rock-canon-in-the-past-249009

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: BNP PARIBAS ANNOUNCES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SEMI-ANNNUAL INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT STARTING IN 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BNP PARIBAS ANNOUNCES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SEMI-ANNNUAL INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT STARTING IN 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Paris, 4 February 2025

    On 3 February 2025, BNP Paribas’ Board of Directors, chaired by Jean Lemierre, approved the principle of a semi-annual interim dividend starting in the 2025 financial year, which would be paid out in late September.

    Each interim dividend will amount to 50% of the net earnings per share of the first
    half-year, in accordance with BNP Paribas’ cash payout distribution policy.

    The first interim dividend related to the 2025 financial statements would be paid on 30 September 2025 and calculated on the basis of 50% of the net earnings per share of the first half of 2025.

    As a result of the introduction of a semi-annual interim dividend payment, the return to the shareholder in 2025 will comprise:

    (i)      the full dividend paid out in cash on 2024 earnings, subject to approval by the General Meeting of shareholders planned on 13 May 2025;

    (ii)      the share buyback programme set out in the Group distribution policy for the 2024 financial year subject to the usual conditions, including European Central Bank authorisation; and

    (iii)      the interim dividend on 2025 financial year, which would be decided by the Board of Directors in an amount calculated and paid based on the aforementioned description.

    Press contact
    Hacina HABCHI – hacina.habchi@bnpparibas.com – +33 (0)7 61 97 65 20
    Sandrine Romano – sandrine.romano@bnpparibas.com – +33 (0)6 71 18 23 05

    About BNP Paribas
    BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 63 countries and has nearly 183,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability.

    Attachment

    • Acompte sur dividende_CP_EN_FV

    The MIL Network –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Dassault Systèmes and Volkswagen Group Implement the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Optimize Vehicle Development

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Dassault Systèmes and Volkswagen Group Implement the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Optimize Vehicle Development

    • Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud becomes a foundational technology solution at Volkswagen Group to advance vehicle development
      • Virtual twin experiences reduce engineering and manufacturing cycles of complex automotive systems, streamline workflows, optimize resources and accelerate time-to-market

    VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — February 4, 2025 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) and Volkswagen Group today announced a long-term partnership to advance Volkswagen Group’s digital infrastructure for state-of-the-art vehicle development by implementing Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

    Volkswagen Group has chosen the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud as a main engineering and manufacturing platform. Engineers, designers and other professionals across the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche brands will use virtual twins to streamline the development of vehicles. This will enable teams to simulate, test and refine every aspect of vehicle development in a collaborative virtual environment before physical production begins, while ensuring compliance with global regulations and sustainability standards.

    “We are advancing the development of our next-generation IT system landscape, and the decision to partner with Dassault Systèmes marks an important milestone,” said Hauke Stars, Board Member at Volkswagen Group for IT. “With consistent data streams and AI solutions built on them, we are creating a true technological leap for our teams in development and factory planning. At the same time, we are sustainably reducing IT costs and accelerating processes by streamlining our system complexity and utilizing virtual twins.”

    “Industry evolutions in the context of the Generative Economy are compelling automotive companies to make transformative decisions that will propel the vehicle experience to new heights,” said Pascal Daloz, CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “After four decades of partnership rooted in innovation and trust, we’re now embarking on the next chapter with Volkswagen Group with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform at its core. Our AI-powered virtual twins and the strength and resilience of the cloud will unify Volkswagen Group’s hardware and software innovation and unleash the knowledge and know-how to accelerate its software-driven transformation.”

    Volkswagen Group will rely on four Dassault Systèmes industry solution experiences based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform: “Global Modular Architecture,” “Smart, Safe and Connected,” “Efficient Multi-Energy Platform,” and “On-Target Vehicle Launch.”

    Social media:

    Connect with Dassault Systèmes on Facebook LinkedIn YouTube

    For more information:

    Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com

    ###

    About Dassault Systèmes
    Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress.  Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens.  With Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact.  For more information, visit:  www.3ds.com

    About Volkswagen Group
    The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s leading car makers, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. It operates globally, with 114 production facilities in 17 European countries and 10 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. With around 684,000 employees worldwide. The Group’s vehicles are sold in over 150 countries.
    With an unrivalled portfolio of strong global brands, leading technologies at scale, innovative ideas to tap into future profit pools and an entrepreneurial leadership team, the Volkswagen Group is committed to shaping the future of mobility through investments in electric and autonomous driving vehicles, digitalization and sustainability.
    In 2023, the total number of vehicles delivered to customers by the Group globally was 9.2 million (2022: 8.3 million). Group sales revenue in 2023 totaled EUR 322.3 billion (2022: EUR 279.1 billion). The operating result before special items in 2023 amounted to EUR 22.6 billion (2022: EUR 22.5 billion).

    Dassault Systèmes Press Contacts
    Corporate / France        Arnaud MALHERBE        arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com        +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73
    North America        Natasha LEVANTI        natasha.levanti@3ds.com        +1 (508) 449 8097
    EMEA        Virginie BLINDENBERG        virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com        +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21
    China        Grace MU        grace.mu@3ds.com        +86 10 6536 2288
    Japan        Reina YAMAGUCHI        reina.yamaguchi@3ds.com        +81 90 9325 2545
    Korea        Jeemin JEONG        jeemin.jeong@3ds.com        +82 2 3271 6653
    India        Priyanka PANDEY        priyanka.pandey@3ds.com        +91 9886302179

    Volkswagen Group Press Contact
    Global        Jonas KULAWIK        jonas.alexander.kulawik@volkswagen.de        

    Attachment

    • Dassault Systèmes and Volkswagen Group Implement the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Optimize Vehicle Development

    The MIL Network –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Dassault Systèmes Reveals “3D UNIV+RSES” and Related AI-Based Services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — February 4, 2025

    Dassault Systèmes Reveals “3D UNIV+RSES” and Related AI-Based Services

    • “3D UNIV+RSES” embed multiple generative AI technologies at the core of global IP Lifecycle Management, “POWER’by” the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
    • Next generation Dassault Systèmes technology offers environment for combining virtual twins, training AI engines and protecting customer IP
    • Customers in all sectors can take advantage of the AI era to improve the daily lives of consumers, patients and citizens

    Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today opened up its new horizon as part of the Generative Economy by introducing “3D UNIV+RSES” that embed multiple generative AI technologies at the core of global IP Lifecycle Management (IPLM) for the benefit of its clients.

    This evolving architecture will permit its large client base to fully exploit their rich, high-quality patrimony of 3D design, virtual twins and PLM data in a new space of representation, the premier digital environment to train new categories of Experience as a Service (XaaS) ─ namely: Generative Experiences (GenXp), Virtual Companions, as well as intelligent Virtual Twin Experience as a Service (VTaaS). Dassault Systèmes’ “POWER’byAI” approach and its multi-AI, industry-aware platforms ─ 3DEXPERIENCE (manufacturing), MEDIDATA (life sciences and health care) and CENTRIC (consumer goods and food) ─ provide customers with world-class secured environments to reveal and generate their own knowledge and know-how with rapid deployment.

    Tomorrow’s game-changers will be those with the best-developed knowledge and know-how assets, who take inspiration from the living world to generate rather than consume, giving back to the planet as much as they take from it. This is what Dassault Systèmes calls the Generative Economy. It results from the convergence of the Experience Economy and the Circular Economy; it’s an economy of virtual assets in which intellectual property (IP), the critical factor for differentiation, will serve as a currency. 

    It will be catalyzed and enabled by “3D UNIV+RSES” and accelerated by the learning possibilities offered by AI. “3D UNIV+RSES” represent a new class of representation of the world: virtual-plus-real representations that holistically combine modeling, simulation, real-world evidence and AI-generated content. They offer a unique and secured industry environment for combining and cross-simulating virtual twins and for training multi-AI engines while protecting customers’ IP.

    “All our longtime loyal clients are expecting us to protect their ‘gold mine’ of virtual assets and reveal the invisible. In order to generate and protect the most valuable intellectual property, it is of critical importance to create Virtual Twin Experiences of everything for everyone that harmonize product, nature and life. Dassault Systèmes is committed to becoming the most trusted partner to provide ‘3D UNIV+RSES,’ as the ultimate source of knowledge and know-how, for our mutual benefit and human progress,” said Bernard Charlès, Executive Chairman, Dassault Systèmes. 

    “3D UNIV+RSES” are the seventh generation of representation of the world introduced by Dassault Systèmes over the past 44 years. These generations have ushered in new ways of imagining, creating and producing. 

    Today, in the Manufacturing Industries and Infrastructure and Cities sectors, the most advanced companies that create airplanes, vehicles, machines, robots, or high-tech and med-tech equipment use Dassault Systèmes’ sophisticated virtual twins to ensure the quality, performance and safety of their products and services, and to comply with regulations and standards. Dassault Systèmes has developed the same approach for innovators in the Life Sciences and Healthcare sector and pioneered virtual twins of the living world, from cells to organs to patients.

    “The extensive work done by Bernard Charlès and our Strategy and Research and Development teams over the past three years to define and create game-changer solutions based on the deep and wide adoption of generative AI is impressive. This will enable our clients in all sectors to take advantage of the AI era at every stage of the cycle of life of the products and services they invent and create to make them more sustainable. This will ultimately improve the daily lives of consumers, patients and citizens,” said Pascal Daloz, CEO, Dassault Systèmes.

    “3D UNIV+RSES” make it possible for customers to create the virtual twin of everything for everyone and virtualize their entire ecosystem. Experience will be at the core of them since “3D UNIV+RSES” are environments for experimentation integrating motion, transformation and time. Embedded AI technology serves as an accelerator to invent game-changing generative experiences, empower everyone with their virtual companion, and upskill the workforce of the future.

    ###

    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com

    ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress.  Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens.  With Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact.  For more information, visit:  www.3ds.com

    Dassault Systèmes Press Contacts
    Corporate / France        Arnaud MALHERBE        arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com        +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73
    North America        Natasha LEVANTI        natasha.levanti@3ds.com        +1 (508) 449 8097
    EMEA        Virginie BLINDENBERG        virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com        +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21
    China        Grace MU        grace.mu@3ds.com        +86 10 6536 2288
    Japan        Reina YAMAGUCHI        reina.yamaguchi@3ds.com        +81 90 9325 2545
    Korea        Jeemin JEONG        jeemin.jeong@3ds.com        +82 2 3271 6653
    India        Priyanka PANDEY        priyanka.pandey@3ds.com        +91 9886302179

    Attachment

    • Dassault Systèmes Reveals “3D UNIV+RSES” and Related AI-Based Services

    The MIL Network –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Dassault Systèmes: Strong Q4 results driven by new business acceleration and expanded 3DEXPERIENCE footprint

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France — February 4, 2025

    Dassault Systèmes: Strong Q4 results driven by new business acceleration and expanded 3DEXPERIENCE footprint

    Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today reports its IFRS unaudited estimated financial results for the fourth quarter 2024 and full year ended December 31, 2024. The Group’s Board of Directors approved these estimated results on February 3, 2025. This press release also includes financial information on a non-IFRS basis and reconciliations with IFRS figures in the Appendix.

    Summary Highlights1  

    (unaudited, non-IFRS unless otherwise noted,
    all growth rates in constant currencies)

    • 4Q24: Software revenue accelerated to 9% growth;
    • 4Q24: Top line acceleration driven by new business growth of 13% and 3DEXPERIENCE software revenue up 22%;
    • 4Q24: Operating margin stood at 36.3%, an increase of 70 basis points, with diluted EPS of €0.40, up 11%;
    • FY24: Total revenue grew to €6.21 billion with software revenue up 6%, operating margin of 31.9% and diluted EPS of €1.28, up 9%;
    • Initiating guidance for FY25: total revenue growth expected between 6% and 8%, operating margin between 32.6% and 32.9%, up 70-100 basis points, and diluted EPS of €1.36-€1.39;
    • Revealing 3D UNIV+RSES and their AI-based services.

    Dassault Systèmes’ Chief Executive Officer Commentary

    Pascal Daloz, Dassault Systèmes’ Chief Executive Officer, commented:

    “2024 has been a year of competitive success, driven by the expansion of 3DEXPERIENCE across industries, domains and geographies, and redefining our strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Volkswagen, Lockheed Martin, Mahindra & Mahindra, Airbus, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

    Key to this success is the relevance of 3DEXPERIENCE combining deep industry knowledge and know-how to help customers enhance their value propositions and empower their teams. This will nurture our future growth and build the foundation for broad cloud adoption.

    Building on this strong foundation, we are excited to announce a new era for Dassault Systèmes. We are fully committed to creating UNIV+RSES, a combination of multiple virtual twins, integrating artificial intelligence to connect virtual and real, across all industry solutions. This will unlock new opportunities for our clients and position us as the trusted Global IP Generation and Management Company.”

    Dassault Systèmes’ Chief Financial Officer Commentary

    (revenue, operating margin and diluted EPS (‘EPS’) growth rates in constant currencies,
    data on a non-IFRS basis)

    Rouven Bergmann, Dassault Systèmes’ Chief Financial Officer, commented:

    “We delivered a strong Q4 in the context of a challenging year, with total revenue up 7%, driven by new business growth of 13% in the quarter. From a product line perspective, this performance was led by Industrial Innovation, up 8%, as a result of the wider adoption of 3DEXPERIENCE, with a focus on manufacturing. At the same time, we saw continued excellent performance in Mainstream Innovation while in Life Sciences, MEDIDATA returned to growth.

    Turning to the bottom line, profitability improved in the quarter with an operating margin of 36.3%, up 70 basis points driven by productivity gains, and EPS increased by a strong 11%.

    For 2024, software revenue growth was 6% and EPS grew by 9%. Operating cash flow came in at €1.66 billion resulting in a net cash position of €1.46 billion, highlighting our capacity for future investments.

    Looking ahead, we are confident in our growth outlook and competitive positioning.

    As such, for 2025 we anticipate total revenue growth between 6% and 8%, operating margin expansion of 70-100 basis points and EPS up 7% to 10%.

    Lastly, we are delighted to hold our Capital Markets Day this coming June, at our headquarters in Paris where it will be the opportunity to discuss our vision for the next horizon.”

    Financial Summary

    In millions of Euros,
    except per share data and percentages
      IFRS   IFRS
      Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Change Change in constant currencies   YTD 2024 YTD 2023 Change Change in constant currencies
    Total Revenue   1,754.2 1,643.4 7% 7%   6,213.6 5,951.4 4% 5%
    Software Revenue   1,601.5 1,476.1 8% 9%   5,613.3 5,360.0 5% 6%
    Operating Margin   27.6% 23.2% +4.3pts     21.9% 20.9% +1.0pt  
    Diluted EPS   0.30 0.25 20%     0.90 0.79 14%  
    In millions of Euros,
    except per share data and percentages
      Non-IFRS   Non-IFRS
      Q4 2024 Q4 2023 Change Change in constant currencies   YTD 2024 YTD 2023 Change Change in constant currencies
    Total Revenue   1,754.2 1,643.4 7% 7%   6,213.6 5,951.4 4% 5%
    Software Revenue   1,601.5 1,476.1 8% 9%   5,613.3 5,360.0 5% 6%
    Operating Margin   36.3% 35.9% +0.4pt     31.9% 32.4% (0.4)pt  
    Diluted EPS   0.40 0.36 9% 11%   1.28 1.20 7% 9%

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Versus 2023 Financial Comparisons

    (unaudited, IFRS and non-IFRS unless otherwise noted,
    all revenue growth rates in constant currencies)

    • Total Revenue: Total revenue in the fourth quarter grew by 7% to €1.75 billion, and software revenue increased by 9% to €1.60 billion. Subscription & support revenue rose 7%; recurring revenue represented 75% of software revenue. Licenses and other software revenue increased by 15% to €405 million. Services revenue was down 9% to €153 million, during the quarter.
    • Software Revenue by Geography: Revenue in the Americas increased by 5% to represent 37% of software revenue, led by Aerospace & Defense. Europe (43% of software revenue) grew by 14%, thanks to large deals closed in Aerospace & Defense and Home & Lifestyle. In Asia, revenue increased by 7%, led by Japan and India, while China remained volatile. Asia represented 20% of software revenue at the end of the fourth quarter.
    • Software Revenue by Product Line:
      • Industrial Innovation software revenue increased by 8% to €902 million, driven by strong momentum with 3DEXPERIENCE wins and many strategic competitive displacements, led by DELMIA in manufacturing. Industrial Innovation software represented 56% of software revenue.
      • Life Sciences software revenue was flat, at €298 million, accounting for 19% of software revenue. MEDIDATA returned to growth, up 1% in the quarter, highlighting progressive improvement.
      • Mainstream Innovation software revenue increased by 17% to €402 million, with SOLIDWORKS achieving its best quarter since 2022 and CENTRIC PLM maintaining strong momentum. Mainstream Innovation represented 25% of software revenue, during the period.
    • Software Revenue by Industry: Aerospace & Defense, Home & Lifestyle and Industrial Equipment were among the best performers during the quarter.
    • Key Strategic Drivers: 3DEXPERIENCE software revenue increased by 22% thanks to major deals signings in Aerospace & Defense and Transport & Mobility. 3DEXPERIENCE software revenue represented 46% of 3DEXPERIENCE eligible software revenue. Cloud software revenue grew by 6% and represented 22% of software revenue during the period. Excluding MEDIDATA, Cloud software revenue increased by 19%.
    • Operating Income and Margin: IFRS operating income rose by 27% at €483 million, as reported. Non-IFRS operating income increased by 9% in constant currencies at €637 million (up 8% as reported). The IFRS operating margin stood at 27.6% compared to 23.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The non-IFRS operating margin totaled 36.3% versus 35.9% during the same period last year, up 70 basis points in constant currencies.
    • Earnings per Share: IFRS diluted EPS was €0.30, up 20% as reported. Non-IFRS diluted EPS grew to €0.40, up 9% as reported, or 11% in constant currencies.

    Fiscal 2024 Versus 2023 Financial Comparisons

    (unaudited, IFRS and non-IFRS unless otherwise noted,
    all revenue growth rates in constant currencies)

    • Total Revenue: Total revenue grew by 5% to €6.21 billion. Software revenue increased by 6% to €5.61 billion. Subscription and support revenue rose to €4.49 billion up 6%; recurring revenue represented 80% of total software revenue. Licenses and other software revenue grew by 4% to €1.13 billion. Services revenue came at €600 million, up 2%.
    • Software Revenue by Geography: The Americas increased by 4% and represented 39% of software revenue. Europe rose by 6% and represented 38% of software revenue. Asia grew by 9%, representing 22% of software revenue.
    • Software Revenue by Product Line:
      • Industrial Innovation software revenue was up 5% to €3.02 billion and represented 54% of software revenue. DELMIA, ENOVIA and SIMULIA exhibited the strongest performance.
    • Life Sciences software revenue decreased by 1% to €1.14 billion, representing 20% of software revenue.
    • Mainstream Innovation software revenue increased by 13% to €1.45 billion. Mainstream Innovation represented 26% of software revenue.
    • Software Revenue by Industry: Home & Lifestyle, Aerospace and Defense, High-Tech and Industrial equipment displayed some of the strongest performance.
    • Key Strategic Drivers: 3DEXPERIENCE software revenue increased by 14%, representing 39% of 3DEXPERIENCE eligible software revenue. Cloud software revenue grew by 7% and represented 24% of software revenue. Excluding MEDIDATA, Cloud software revenue increased by more than 40% versus last year.
    • Operating Income and Margin: IFRS operating income increased by 9% to €1.36 billion, as reported. Non-IFRS operating income increased by 3% as reported, up 4% in constant currencies, to €1.98 billion. IFRS operating margin totaled 21.9% compared to 20.9% in 2023. The non-IFRS operating margin stood at 31.9% in 2024 compared to 32.4% last year.
    • Earnings per Share: IFRS diluted EPS was up 14% as reported, to €0.90. Non-IFRS diluted EPS grew by 7% to €1.28, as reported, up 9% in constant currencies.
    • Cash Flow from Operations (IFRS): Cash flow from operations totaled €1.66 billion, up 6% year over year at reported rate with strong cash conversion and good cash collection, offset by receivables up on higher business activity in the fourth quarter.
    • Balance Sheet (IFRS): Dassault Systèmes had a net cash position of €1.46 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of €0.88 billion, compared to €0.58 billion for the year ending December 31, 2023. Cash and cash equivalents totaled €3.95 billion at the end of December 2024. The movements of the year on cash and cash equivalents include the reimbursement for €700 million of the second tranche of the bond issued by the company in 2019.

    Financial Objectives for 2025

    Dassault Systèmes’ first quarter and 2025 financial objectives presented below are given on a non-IFRS basis and reflect the principal 2025 currency exchange rate assumptions for the US dollar and Japanese yen as well as the potential impact from additional non-Euro currencies:

               
          Q1 2025 FY 2025  
      Total Revenue (billion) €1.535 – €1.601 €6.550 – €6.650  
      Growth 2 – 7% 5 – 7%  
      Growth ex FX 3 – 8% 6 – 8%  
               
      Software revenue growth * 3 – 8% 6 – 8%  
        Of which licenses and other software revenue growth * 0 – 9% 3 – 5%  
        Of which recurring revenue growth * 4 – 8% 7 – 9%  
     

    Services revenue growth *

    0 – 4%

    3 – 6%  
               
      Operating Margin 31.0% – 31.1% 32.6% – 32.9%  
               
      EPS Diluted €0.30 – €0.32 €1.36 – €1.39  
      Growth 2 – 6% 6 – 8%  
      Growth ex FX 3 – 7% 7 – 10%  
               
      US dollar $1.10 per Euro $1.10 per Euro  
      Japanese yen (before hedging) JPY 155.0 per Euro JPY 155.0 per Euro  
      * Growth in Constant Currencies      

    These objectives are prepared and communicated only on a non-IFRS basis and are subject to the cautionary statement set forth below.

    The 2025 non-IFRS financial objectives set forth above do not take into account the following accounting elements below and are estimated based upon the 2025 principal currency exchange rates above: no significant contract liabilities write-downs; share-based compensation expenses, including related social charges, estimated at approximately €161 million (these estimates do not include any new stock option or share grants issued after December 31, 2024); amortization of acquired intangibles and of tangibles reevaluation, estimated at approximately €336 million, largely impacted by the acquisition of MEDIDATA; and lease incentives of acquired companies at approximately €2 million.

    The above objectives also do not include any impact from other operating income and expenses, a net principally comprised of acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets; from one-time items included in financial revenue; from one-time tax effects; and from the income tax effects of these non-IFRS adjustments. Finally, these estimates do not include any new acquisitions or restructuring completed after December 31, 2024.

    Corporate Announcements

    • February 4, 2025: Dassault Systèmes and Volkswagen Group Implement the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Optimize Vehicle Development
    • December 18, 2024: ClinChoice Extends 13-Year MEDIDATA Partnership with the Addition of Clinical Data Studio to Improve Data Management and Strengthen Clinical Trial Capabilities
    • December 11, 2024: Red Eléctrica Transforms Its Design Process and Collaboration with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
    • November 14, 2024: Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Be Used for Electric Vehicle Development at Volvo Cars
    • November 13, 2024: MEDIDATA Unveils Transformative Solutions and Collaborations at NEXT New York, Driving Paradigm Shift in Life Sciences and Healthcare
    • October 30, 2024: Dassault Systèmes Collaboration Yields Breakthrough Guide for Using Virtual Twins in Clinical Trials
    • October 29, 2024: MEDIDATA and Cogstate Strike Strategic Partnership Transforming Clinical Trials in Neurology with Clinical Outcome Assessment and Clinician Solutions Powered by AI and Advanced Analytics
    • October 24, 2024: European Energy Infrastructure Company Snam Embarks on Strategic Sustainable Project with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
    • October 17, 2024: MEDIDATA Announces Rave Lite to Support Growth in Early and Late-Stage Clinical Trials

    Today’s Webcast and Conference Call Information

    Today, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Dassault Systèmes will host, from Paris, a webcasted presentation at 9:00 AM London Time / 10:00 AM Paris time, and will then host a conference call at 8:30 AM New York time / 1:30 PM London time / 2:30 PM Paris time. The webcasted presentation and conference calls will be available online by accessing investor.3ds.com.

    Additional investor information is available at investor.3ds.com or by calling Dassault Systèmes’ Investor Relations at +33.1.61.62.69.24.

    Investor Relations Events

    • First Quarter 2025 Earnings Release: April 24, 2025
    • Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release: July 24, 2025
    • Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Release: October 23, 2025

    Forward-looking Information

    Statements herein that are not historical facts but express expectations or objectives for the future, including but not limited to statements regarding the Group’s non-IFRS financial performance objectives are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on Dassault Systèmes management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or performances may differ materially from those in such statements due to a range of factors.

    The Group’s actual results or performance may be materially negatively affected by numerous risks and uncertainties, as described in the “Risk Factors” section 1.9 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document (‘Document d’enregistrement universel’) filed with the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) on March 18, 2024, available on the Group’s website www.3ds.com.

    In particular, please refer to the risk factor “Uncertain Global Economic Environment” in section 1.9.1.1 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document set out below for ease of reference:

    “In light of the uncertainties regarding economic, business, social, health and geopolitical conditions at the global level, Dassault Systèmes’ revenue, net earnings and cash flows may grow more slowly, whether on an annual or quarterly basis, mainly due to the following factors:

    • the deployment of Dassault Systèmes’ solutions may represent a large portion of a customer’s investments in software technology. Decisions to make such an investment are impacted by the economic environment in which the customers operate. Uncertain global geopolitical, economic and health conditions and the lack of visibility or the lack of financial resources may cause some customers, e.g. within the automotive, aerospace, energy or natural resources industries, to reduce, postpone or terminate their investments, or to reduce or not renew ongoing paid maintenance for their installed base, which impact larger customers’ revenue with their respective sub-contractors;
    • the political, economic and monetary situation in certain geographic regions where Dassault Systèmes operates could become more volatile and impact Dassault Systèmes’ business, for example, due to stricter export compliance rules or the introduction of new customs tariffs;
    • continued pressure or volatility on raw materials and energy prices could also slow down Dassault Systèmes’ diversification efforts in new industries;
    • uncertainties regarding the extent and duration of inflation could adversely affect the financial position of Dassault Systèmes; and
    • the sales cycle of Dassault Systèmes’ products – already relatively long due to the strategic nature of such investments for customers – could further lengthen.

    The occurrence of crises – health and political in particular – could have consequences both for the health and safety of Dassault Systèmes’ employees and for the Company. It could also adversely impact the financial situation or financing and supply capabilities of Dassault Systèmes’ existing and potential customers, commercial and technology partners, some of whom may be forced to temporarily close sites or cease operations. A deteriorating economic environment could generate increased price pressure and affect the collection of receivables, which would negatively impact Dassault Systèmes’ revenue, financial performance and market position.

    Dassault Systèmes makes every effort to take into consideration this uncertain macroeconomic outlook. Dassault Systèmes’ business results, however, may not develop as anticipated. Furthermore, due to factors affecting sales of Dassault Systèmes’ products and services, there may be a substantial time lag between an improvement in global economic and business conditions and an upswing in the Company’s business results.

    In preparing such forward-looking statements, the Group has in particular assumed an average US dollar to euro exchange rate of US$1.10 per €1.00 as well as an average Japanese yen to euro exchange rate of JPY155.0 to €1.00, before hedging for the first quarter 2025. The Group has assumed an average US dollar to euro exchange rate of US$1.10 per €1.00 as well as an average Japanese yen to euro exchange rate of JPY155.0 to €1.00, before hedging for the full year 2025. However, currency values fluctuate, and the Group’s results may be significantly affected by changes in exchange rates.   

    Non-IFRS Financial Information

    Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS financial information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered in isolation from or as a substitute for IFRS measurements. The supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read only in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. Furthermore, the Group’s supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled “non-IFRS” measures used by other companies. Specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures are set forth in the Company’s 2024 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on March 18, 2024.

    In the tables accompanying this press release the Group sets forth its supplemental non-IFRS figures for revenue, operating income, operating margin, net income and diluted earnings per share, which exclude the effect of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies’ deferred revenue, share-based compensation expense and related social charges, the amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangibles reevaluation, certain other operating income and expense, net, including impairment of goodwill and acquired intangibles, the effect of adjusting lease incentives of acquired companies, certain one-time items included in financial revenue and other, net, and the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments and certain one-time tax effects. The tables also set forth the most comparable IFRS financial measure and reconciliations of this information with non-IFRS information.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com

    ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens. With Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 350,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact. For more information, visit www.3ds.com

    Dassault Systèmes Investor Relations Team                        FTI Consulting

    Beatrix Martinez: +33 1 61 62 40 73                                Arnaud de Cheffontaines: +33 1 47 03 69 48

                                                                    Jamie Ricketts : +44 20 3727 1600

    investors@3ds.com

    Dassault Systèmes Press Contacts

    Corporate / France        Arnaud MALHERBE        

    arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com        

    +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73

    © Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Use of any Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries trademarks is subject to their express written approval.

    APPENDIX TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this and other documents may not add up precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures.    

    Glossary of Definitions

    Non-IFRS Financial Information

    Acquisitions and Foreign Exchange Impact

    Condensed consolidated statements of income

    Condensed consolidated balance sheet

    Condensed consolidated cash flow statement

    IFRS – non-IFRS reconciliation

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES – Glossary of Definitions

    Information in Constant Currencies

    Dassault Systèmes has followed a long-standing policy of measuring its revenue performance and setting its revenue objectives exclusive of currency in order to measure in a transparent manner the underlying level of improvement in its total revenue and software revenue by activity, industry, geography and product lines. The Group believes it is helpful to evaluate its growth exclusive of currency impacts, particularly to help understand revenue trends in its business. Therefore, the Group provides percentage increases or decreases in its revenue and expenses (in both IFRS as well as non-IFRS) to eliminate the effect of changes in currency values, particularly the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, relative to the euro. When trend information is expressed “in constant currencies”, the results of the “prior” period have first been recalculated using the average exchange rates of the comparable period in the current year, and then compared with the results of the comparable period in the current year.

    While constant currency calculations are not considered to be an IFRS measure, the Group believes these measures are critical to understanding its global revenue results and to compare with many of its competitors who report their financial results in U.S. dollars. Therefore, Dassault Systèmes includes this calculation for comparing IFRS revenue figures as well non-IFRS revenue figures for comparable periods. All information at constant exchange rates is expressed as a rounded percentage and therefore may not precisely reflect the absolute figures.

    Information on Growth excluding acquisitions (“organic growth”)

    In addition to financial indicators on the entire Group’s scope, Dassault Systèmes provides growth excluding acquisitions effect, also named organic growth. In order to do so, the data relating to the scope is restated excluding acquisitions, from the date of the transaction, over a period of 12 months.

    Information on Industrial Sectors

    The Group provides broad end-to-end software solutions and services: its platform-based virtual twin experiences combine modeling, simulation, data science and collaborative innovation to support companies in the three sectors it serves, namely Manufacturing Industries, Life Sciences & Healthcare, and Infrastructure & Cities.

    These three sectors comprise twelve industries:

    • Manufacturing Industries: Transportation & Mobility; Aerospace & Defense; Marine & Offshore; Industrial Equipment; High-Tech; Home & Lifestyle; Consumer Packaged Goods – Retail. In Manufacturing Industries, Dassault Systèmes helps customers virtualize their operations, improve data sharing and collaboration across their organization, reduce costs and time-to-market, and become more sustainable;
    • Life Sciences & Healthcare: Life Sciences & Healthcare. In this sector, the Group aims to address the entire cycle of the patient journey to lead the way toward precision medicine. To reach the broader healthcare ecosystem from research to commercial, the Group’s solutions connect all elements from molecule development to prevention to care, and combine new therapeutics, med practices, and Medtech;
    • Infrastructure & Cities: Infrastructure, Energy & Materials; Architecture, Engineering & Construction; Business Services; Cities & Public Services. In Infrastructure & Cities, the Group supports the virtualization of the sector in making its industries more efficient and sustainable, and creating desirable living environments.

    Information on Product Lines

    The Group’s product lines financial reporting include the following financial information:

    • Industrial Innovation software revenue, which includes CATIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, GEOVIA, NETVIBES, and 3DEXCITE brands;
    • Life Sciences software revenue, which includes MEDIDATA and BIOVIA brands;
    • Mainstream Innovation software revenue which includes its CENTRIC PLM and 3DVIA brands, as well as its 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS family which includes the SOLIDWORKS brand.

    Starting from 2022, OUTSCALE became a brand of the Group, extending the portfolio of software applications. As the first sovereign and sustainable operator on the cloud, OUTSCALE enables governments and corporations from all sectors to achieve digital autonomy through a Cloud experience and with a world-class cyber governance.

    GEOs

    Eleven GEOs are responsible for driving development of the Company’s business and implementing its customer‑centric engagement model. Teams leverage strong networks of local customers, users, partners, and influencers.

    These GEOs are structured into three groups:

    • the “Americas” group, made of two GEO’s;
    • the “Europe” group, comprising Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and made of four GEO’s;
    • the “Asia” group, comprising Asia and Oceania and made of five GEO’s.

    3DEXPERIENCE Software Contribution

    To measure the relative share of 3DEXPERIENCE software in its revenues, Dassault Systèmes uses the following ratio: for software revenue, the Group calculates the percentage contribution by comparing total 3DEXPERIENCE software revenue to software revenue for all product lines except SOLIDWORKS, MEDIDATA, CENTRIC PLM and other acquisitions (defined as “3DEXPERIENCE Eligible software revenue”).

    Cloud revenue

    Cloud revenues correspond to revenue generated through a catalog of cloud-based solutions, infrastructure as a service, cloud solution development and cloud managed services. They are delivered by Dassault Systèmes via a cloud infrastructure hosted by Dassault Systèmes, or by third party providers of cloud computing infrastructure services. These offerings are available through different deployment methods: Dedicated cloud, Sovereign cloud and International cloud. Cloud solutions are generally offered through subscriptions models or perpetual licenses with support and hosting services.

    New business

    New business is the combination of subscription revenue and licenses & other software revenue.

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    NON-IFRS FINANCIAL INFORMATION

    (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data, percentages, headcount and exchange rates)

    Non-IFRS key figures exclude the effects of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies’ contract liabilities (deferred revenue), share-based compensation expense, including related social charges, amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation, lease incentives of acquired companies, other operating income and expense, net, including the acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets, certain one-time items included in financial loss, net, certain one-time tax effects and the income tax effects of these non-IFRS adjustments.

    Comparable IFRS financial information and a reconciliation of the IFRS and non-IFRS measures are set forth in the separate tables within this Attachment.

    In millions of Euros, except per share data, percentages, headcount and exchange rates Non-IFRS reported
    Three months ended Twelve months ended
    December 31,

    2024

    December 31,

    2023

    Change Change in constant currencies December 31,

    2024

    December 31,

    2023

    Change Change in constant currencies
    Total Revenue € 1,754.2 € 1,643.4 7% 7% € 6,213.6 € 5,951.4 4% 5%
                     
    Revenue breakdown by activity                
    Software revenue 1,601.5 1,476.1 8% 9% 5,613.3 5,360.0 5% 6%
    Of which licenses and other software revenue 405.4 351.9 15% 15% 1,125.2 1,087.6 3% 4%
    Of which subscription and support revenue 1,196.1 1,124.3 6% 7% 4,488.1 4,272.4 5% 6%
    Services revenue 152.8 167.3 (9)% (9)% 600.3 591.4 2% 2%
                     
    Software revenue breakdown by product line                
    Industrial Innovation 901.8 837.3 8% 8% 3,019.6 2,908.0 4% 5%
    Life Sciences 297.7 295.1 1% 0% 1,144.2 1,158.9 (1)% (1)%
    Mainstream Innovation 402.0 343.7 17% 17% 1,449.4 1,293.2 12% 13%
                     
    Software Revenue breakdown by geography                
    Americas 595.0 566.7 5% 5% 2,214.7 2,141.9 3% 4%
    Europe 685.0 601.1 14% 14% 2,150.4 2,027.3 6% 6%
    Asia 321.4 308.4 4% 7% 1,248.1 1,190.8 5% 9%
                     
    Operating income € 636.8 € 589.8 8%   € 1,983.7 € 1,925.6 3%  
    Operating margin 36.3% 35.9%     31.9% 32.4%    
                     
    Net income attributable to shareholders € 530.7 € 487.2 9%   € 1,705.1 € 1,597.9 7%  
    Diluted earnings per share € 0.40 € 0.36 9% 11% € 1.28 € 1.20 7% 9%
                     
    Closing headcount 26,026 25,573 2%   26,026 25,573 2%  
                     
    Average Rate USD per Euro 1.07 1.08 (1)%   1.08 1.08 0%  
    Average Rate JPY per Euro 162.55 159.12 2%   163.85 151.99 8%  

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    ACQUISITIONS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE IMPACT

    (unaudited; in millions of Euros)

    In millions of Euros Non-IFRS reported o/w growth at constant rate and scope o/w change of scope impact at current year rate o/w FX impact on previous year figures
    December 31,

    2024

    December 31,

    2023

    Change
    Revenue QTD 1,754.2 1,643.4 110.9 111.8 0.6 (1.6)
    Revenue YTD 6,213.6 5,951.4 262.2 302.0 2.2 (42.0)

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

    (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages)

    In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages IFRS reported
    Three months ended Twelve months ended
    December 31, December 31, December 31, December 31,
    2024 2023 2024 2023
    Licenses and other software revenue 405.4 351.9 1,125.2 1,087.6
    Subscription and Support revenue 1,196.1 1,124.3 4,488.1 4,272.4
    Software revenue 1,601.5 1,476.1 5,613.3 5,360.0
    Services revenue 152.8 167.3 600.3 591.4
    Total Revenue € 1,754.2 € 1,643.4 € 6,213.6 € 5,951.4
    Cost of software revenue (1) (134.1) (124.9) (498.5) (453.9)
    Cost of services revenue (132.7) (131.0) (517.8) (517.1)
    Research and development expenses (327.7) (317.5) (1,286.2) (1,228.3)
    Marketing and sales expenses (456.6) (429.3) (1,704.3) (1,624.5)
    General and administrative expenses (136.4) (124.8) (470.5) (450.6)
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation (87.5) (94.9) (361.6) (378.9)
    Other operating income and expense, net 4.2 (39.5) (15.0) (56.2)
    Total Operating Expenses (1,270.9) (1,261.8) (4,854.0) (4,709.5)
    Operating Income € 483.4 € 381.6 € 1,359.6 € 1,241.9
    Financial income (loss), net 22.9 27.8 118.4 59.0
    Income before income taxes € 506.3 € 409.4 € 1,478.0 € 1,300.9
    Income tax expense (95.4) (79.1) (279.9) (250.7)
    Net Income € 410.9 € 330.3 € 1,198.1 € 1,050.2
    Non-controlling interest 1.1 (0.3) 2.1 0.7
    Net Income attributable to equity holders of the parent € 412.0 € 330.0 € 1,200.2 € 1,050.9
    Basic earnings per share 0.31 0.25 0.91 0.80
    Diluted earnings per share € 0.30 € 0.25 € 0.90 € 0.79
    Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in millions) 1,312.7 1,314.1 1,313.3 1,315.1
    Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in millions) 1,330.0 1,336.6 1,333.4 1,336.8

    (1) Excluding amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation.

    IFRS reported

     

    Three months ended December 31, 2024 Twelve months ended December 31, 2024
    Change (2) Change in constant currencies Change (2) Change in constant currencies
    Total Revenue 7% 7% 4% 5%
    Revenue by activity        
    Software revenue 8% 9% 5% 6%
    Services revenue (9)% (9)% 2% 2%
    Software Revenue by product line        
    Industrial Innovation 8% 8% 4% 5%
    Life Sciences 1% 0% (1)% (1)%
    Mainstream Innovation 17% 17% 12% 13%
    Software Revenue by geography        
    Americas 5% 5% 3% 4%
    Europe 14% 14% 6% 6%
    Asia 4% 7% 5% 9%

    (2) Variation compared to the same period in the prior year.

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

    (unaudited; in millions of Euros)

    In millions of Euros IFRS reported
    December 31, December 31,
    2024 2023
    ASSETS    
    Cash and cash equivalents 3,952.6 3,568.3
    Trade accounts receivable, net 2,120.9 1,707.9
    Contract assets 30.1 26.8
    Other current assets 464.0 477.1
    Total current assets 6,567.6 5,780.1
    Property and equipment, net 945.8 882.8
    Goodwill and Intangible assets, net 7,687.1 7,647.0
    Other non-current assets 345.5 312.5
    Total non-current assets 8,978.3 8,842.3
    Total Assets € 15,545.9 € 14,622.5
    LIABILITIES    
    Trade accounts payable 259.9 230.5
    Contract liabilities 1,663.4 1,479.3
    Borrowings, current 450.8 950.1
    Other current liabilities 1,147.4 901.0
    Total current liabilities 3,521.5 3,561.0
    Borrowings, non-current 2,042.8 2,040.6
    Other non-current liabilities 900.9 1,174.8
    Total non-current liabilities 2,943.7 3,215.4
    Non-controlling interests 14.1 11.9
    Parent shareholders’ equity 9,066.6 7,834.1
    Total Liabilities € 15,545.9 € 14,622.5

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT

    (unaudited; in millions of Euros)

    In millions of Euros IFRS reported
    Three months ended Twelve months ended
    December 31, December 31, Change December 31, December 31, Change
    2024 2023 2024 2023
    Net income attributable to equity holders of the parent 412.0 330.0 82.0 1,200.2 1,050.9 149.3
    Non-controlling interest (1.1) 0.3 (1.4) (2.1) (0.7) (1.4)
    Net income 410.9 330.3 80.6 1,198.1 1,050.2 147.9
    Depreciation of property and equipment 49.7 44.0 5.7 191.9 182.4 9.4
    Amortization of intangible assets 89.4 96.8 (7.4) 369.1 387.1 (18.0)
    Adjustments for other non-cash items (75.9) (48.8) (27.0) 37.7 74.7 (37.0)
    Changes in working capital (162.1) (128.8) (33.3) (137.0) (129.2) (7.7)
    Net Cash From Operating Activities € 312.0 € 293.4 € 18.6 € 1,659.8 € 1,565.2 € 94.6
                 
    Additions to property, equipment and intangibles assets (49.1) (42.5) (6.6) (193.4) (145.3) (48.1)
    Payment for acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (4.2) (0.5) (3.8) (22.5) (16.1) (6.4)
    Other 0.3 0.1 0.1 24.1 (0.3) 24.4
    Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities € (53.1) € (42.9) € (10.2) € (191.7) € (161.6) € (30.1)
                 
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options 4.4 28.5 (24.1) 48.4 67.0 (18.6)
    Cash dividends paid – 0.0 (0.0) (302.7) (276.2) (26.4)
    Repurchase and sale of treasury stock (0.5) 10.6 (11.1) (374.0) (375.4) 1.4
    Capital increase – (0.0) 0.0 – 146.1 (146.1)
    Acquisition of non-controlling interests (0.0) (0.1) 0.1 (3.3) (0.9) (2.4)
    Proceeds from borrowings – 0.0 (0.0) 200.2 20.3 179.9
    Repayment of borrowings (100.0) 0.1 (100.0) (700.9) (28.1) (672.7)
    Repayment of lease liabilities (18.7) (26.3) 7.7 (79.7) (89.4) 9.7
    Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities € (114.8) € 12.7 € (127.5) € (1,211.9) € (536.7) € (675.2)
                 
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 150.8 (63.2) 213.9 128.2 (67.5) 195.7
                 
    Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents € 294.9 € 200.1 € 94.8 € 384.3 € 799.3 € (415.0)
                 
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period € 3,657.7 € 3,368.1   € 3,568.3 € 2,769.0  
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period € 3,952.6 € 3,568.3   € 3,952.6 € 3,568.3  

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES
    SUPPLEMENTAL NON-IFRS FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    IFRS – NON-IFRS RECONCILIATION
    (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages)

    Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measurements. Also, the Group’s supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled “non-IFRS” measures used by other companies. Further specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures, and the reasons for presenting non-IFRS financial information, are set forth in the Group’s Document d’Enregistrement Universel for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the AMF on March 18, 2024. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read not in isolation, but only in conjunction with the Group’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Three months ended December 31, Change
    2024 Adjustment(1) 2024 2023 Adjustment(1) 2023 IFRS Non-IFRS(2)
    IFRS Non-IFRS IFRS Non-IFRS
    Total Revenue € 1,754.2 – € 1,754.2 € 1,643.4 – € 1,643.4 7% 7%
    Revenue breakdown by activity                
    Software revenue 1,601.5 – 1,601.5 1,476.1 – 1,476.1 8% 8%
    Licenses and other software revenue 405.4 – 405.4 351.9 – 351.9 15% 15%
    Subscription and Support revenue 1,196.1 – 1,196.1 1,124.3 – 1,124.3 6% 6%
    Recurring portion of Software revenue 75%   75% 76%   76%    
    Services revenue 152.8 – 152.8 167.3 – 167.3 (9)% (9)%
    Software Revenue breakdown by product line                
    Industrial Innovation 901.8 – 901.8 837.3 – 837.3 8% 8%
    Life Sciences 297.7 – 297.7 295.1 – 295.1 1% 1%
    Mainstream Innovation 402.0 – 402.0 343.7 – 343.7 17% 17%
    Software Revenue breakdown by geography                
    Americas 595.0 – 595.0 566.7 – 566.7 5% 5%
    Europe 685.0 – 685.0 601.1 – 601.1 14% 14%
    Asia 321.4 – 321.4 308.4 – 308.4 4% 4%
    Total Operating Expenses € (1,270.9) € 153.4 € (1,117.5) € (1,261.8) € 208.2 € (1,053.6) 1% 6%
    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges (69.7) 69.7 – (73.2) 73.2 –    
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation (87.5) 87.5 – (94.9) 94.9 –    
    Lease incentives of acquired companies (0.4) 0.4 – (0.7) 0.7 –    
    Other operating income and expense, net 4.2 (4.2) – (39.5) 39.5 –    
    Operating Income € 483.4 € 153.4 € 636.8 € 381.6 € 208.2 € 589.8 27% 8%
    Operating Margin 27.6%   36.3% 23.2%   35.9%    
    Financial income (loss), net 22.9 1.1 24.0 27.8 1.0 28.8 (18)% (17)%
    Income tax expense (95.4) (33.2) (128.6) (79.1) (51.3) (130.4) 21% (1)%
    Non-controlling interest 1.1 (2.6) (1.5) (0.3) (0.7) (1.0) N/A 53%
    Net Income attributable to shareholders € 412.0 € 118.7 € 530.7 € 330.0 € 157.2 € 487.2 25% 9%
    Diluted Earnings Per Share (3) € 0.30 € 0.10 € 0.40 € 0.25 € 0.12 € 0.36 20% 9%

    (1) In the reconciliation schedule above, (i) all adjustments to IFRS revenue data reflect the exclusion of the effect of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies’ contract liabilities (deferred revenue); (ii) adjustments to IFRS operating expense data reflect the exclusion of the amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation, share-based compensation expense, including related social charges, lease incentives of acquired companies, as detailed below, and other operating income and expense, net including acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets; (iii) adjustments to IFRS financial loss, net reflect the exclusion of certain one-time items included in financial loss, net, and; (iv) all adjustments to IFRS income data reflect the combined effect of these adjustments, plus with respect to net income and diluted earnings per share, certain one-time tax effects and the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments.

    In millions of Euros, except percentages Three months ended December 31, Change
    2024

    IFRS

    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges Lease incentives of acquired companies 2024

    Non-IFRS

    2023

    IFRS

    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges Lease incentives of acquired companies 2023

    Non-IFRS

    IFRS Non-

    IFRS

    Cost of revenue (266.9) 5.0 0.1 (261.8) (255.9) 3.6 0.2 (252.1) 4% 4%
    Research and development expenses (327.7) 18.2 0.2 (309.3) (317.5) 28.5 0.3 (288.7) 3% 7%
    Marketing and sales expenses (456.6) 25.1 0.1 (431.4) (429.3) 20.9 0.1 (408.3) 6% 6%
    General and administrative expenses (136.4) 21.4 0.0 (115.0) (124.8) 20.2 0.0 (104.5) 9% 10%
    Total   € 69.7 € 0.4     € 73.2 € 0.7      

    (2) The non-IFRS percentage increase (decrease) compares non-IFRS measures for the two different periods. In the event there is non-IFRS adjustment to the relevant measure for only one of the periods under comparison, the non-IFRS increase (decrease) compares the non-IFRS measure to the relevant IFRS measure.
    (3) Based on a weighted average 1,330.0 million diluted shares for Q4 2024 and 1,336.6 million diluted shares for Q4 2023, and, for IFRS only, a diluted net income attributable to the sharehorlders of € 394.7 million for Q4 2024 (€ 330.0 million for Q4 2023). The Diluted net income attributable to equity holders of the Group corresponds to the Net Income attributable to equity holders of the Group adjusted by the impact of the share-based compensation plans to be settled either in cash or in shares at the option of the Group.

    DASSAULT SYSTÈMES
    SUPPLEMENTAL NON-IFRS FINANCIAL INFORMATION
    IFRS – NON-IFRS RECONCILIATION
    (unaudited; in millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages)

    Readers are cautioned that the supplemental non-IFRS information presented in this press release is subject to inherent limitations. It is not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and should not be considered as a substitute for IFRS measurements. Also, the Group’s supplemental non-IFRS financial information may not be comparable to similarly titled “non-IFRS” measures used by other companies. Further specific limitations for individual non-IFRS measures, and the reasons for presenting non-IFRS financial information, are set forth in the Group’s Document d’Enregistrement Universel for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the AMF on March 18, 2024. To compensate for these limitations, the supplemental non-IFRS financial information should be read not in isolation, but only in conjunction with the Group’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS.

    In millions of Euros, except per share data and percentages Twelve months ended December 31, Change
    2024 Adjustment(1) 2024 2023 Adjustment(1) 2023 IFRS Non-IFRS(2)
    IFRS Non-IFRS IFRS Non-IFRS
    Total Revenue € 6,213.6   € 6,213.6 € 5,951.4 – € 5,951.4 4% 4%
    Revenue breakdown by activity                
    Software revenue 5,613.3   5,613.3 5,360.0 – 5,360.0 5% 5%
    Licenses and other software revenue 1,125.2 – 1,125.2 1,087.6 – 1,087.6 3% 3%
    Subscription and Support revenue 4,488.1   4,488.1 4,272.4 – 4,272.4 5% 5%
    Recurring portion of Software revenue 80%   80% 80%   80%    
    Services revenue 600.3 – 600.3 591.4 – 591.4 2% 2%
    Software Revenue breakdown by product line                
    Industrial Innovation 3,019.6 – 3,019.6 2,908.0 – 2,908.0 4% 4%
    Life Sciences 1,144.2 – 1,144.2 1,158.9 – 1,158.9 (1)% (1)%
    Mainstream Innovation 1,449.4 – 1,449.4 1,293.2 – 1,293.2 12% 12%
    Software Revenue breakdown by geography                
    Americas 2,214.7   2,214.7 2,141.9 – 2,141.9 3% 3%
    Europe 2,150.4 – 2,150.4 2,027.3 – 2,027.3 6% 6%
    Asia 1,248.1 – 1,248.1 1,190.8 – 1,190.8 5% 5%
    Total Operating Expenses € (4,854.0) € 624.2 € (4,229.8) € (4,709.5) € 683.7 € (4,025.8) 3% 5%
    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges (245.6) 245.6 – (245.8) 245.8 –    
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation (361.6) 361.6 – (378.9) 378.9 –    
    Lease incentives of acquired companies (1.9) 1.9 – (2.8) 2.8 –    
    Other operating income and expense, net (15.0) 15.0 – (56.2) 56.2 –    
    Operating Income € 1,359.6 € 624.2 € 1,983.7 € 1,241.9 € 683.7 € 1,925.6 9% 3%
    Operating Margin 21.9%   31.9% 20.9%   32.4%    
    Financial income (loss), net 118.4 3.2 121.6 59.0 29.3 88.2 101% 38%
    Income tax expense (279.9) (117.0) (396.8) (250.7) (164.1) (414.8) 12% (4)%
    Non-controlling interest 2.1 (5.5) (3.4) 0.7 (1.9) (1.2) 190% 187%
    Net Income attributable to shareholders € 1,200.2 € 504.9 € 1,705.1 € 1,050.9 € 546.9 € 1,597.9 14% 7%
    Diluted Earnings Per Share (3) € 0.90 € 0.38 € 1.28 € 0.79 € 0.41 € 1.20 14% 7%

    (1) In the reconciliation schedule above, (i) all adjustments to IFRS revenue data reflect the exclusion of the effect of adjusting the carrying value of acquired companies’ contract liabilities (deferred revenue); (ii) adjustments to IFRS operating expense data reflect the exclusion of the amortization of acquired intangible assets and of tangible assets revaluation, share-based compensation expense, including related social charges, lease incentives of acquired companies, as detailed below, and other operating income and expense, net including acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, and impairment of goodwill and acquired intangible assets; (iii) adjustments to IFRS financial loss, net reflect the exclusion of certain one-time items included in financial loss, net, and; (iv) all adjustments to IFRS income data reflect the combined effect of these adjustments, plus with respect to net income and diluted earnings per share, certain one-time tax effects and the income tax effect of the non-IFRS adjustments.

    In millions of Euros, except percentages Twelve months ended December 31, Change
    2024

    IFRS

    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges Lease incentives of acquired companies 2024

    Non-IFRS

    2023

    IFRS

    Share-based compensation expense and related social charges Lease incentives of acquired companies 2023

    Non-IFRS

    IFRS Non-

    IFRS

    Cost of revenue (1,016.3) 16.2 0.5 (999.5) (971.0) 15.7 0.8 (954.4) 5% 5%
    Research and development expenses (1,286.2) 76.9 0.9 (1,208.4) (1,228.3) 94.4 1.3 (1,132.6) 5% 7%
    Marketing and sales expenses (1,704.3) 80.8 0.3 (1,623.3) (1,624.5) 73.6 0.5 (1,550.4) 5% 5%
    General and administrative expenses (470.5) 71.7 0.2 (398.7) (450.6) 62.2 0.2 (388.3) 4% 3%
    Total   € 245.6 € 1.9     € 245.8 € 2.8      

    (2) The non-IFRS percentage increase (decrease) compares non-IFRS measures for the two different periods. In the event there is non-IFRS adjustment to the relevant measure for only one of the periods under comparison, the non-IFRS increase (decrease) compares the non-IFRS measure to the relevant IFRS measure.
    (3) Based on a weighted average 1,333.4 million diluted shares for YTD 2024 and 1,336.8 million diluted shares for YTD 2023.


    1 IFRS figures for 4Q24: total revenue at €1.75 billion, operating margin of 27.6% and diluted EPS at €0.30; IFRS figures for FY24: total revenue at €6.21 billion, operating margin of 21.9% and diluted EPS at €0.90.  

    Attachment

    • Dassault Systèmes: Strong Q4 results driven by new business acceleration and expanded 3DEXPERIENCE footprint

    The MIL Network –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Amundi: Fourth quarter & Full-year 2024 results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                    

    Amundi: Fourth quarter & Full-year 2024 results

    Record 2024 net income1,2at €1.4 billion

    Results
    at the highest historical level
      2024 adjusted net income1,2 of €1,382m, up sharply: +13% vs. 2023

    • Thanks to Revenue growth (+9%) and improvement of the Cost-to-income ratio to 52.5%2
    • Earnings per share2: €6.75

    Q4 2024 – adjusted net income1,2€377m, up +20% Q4/Q4

    Dividend proposed to the Annual General Meeting of 27 May 2025 at €4.25 per share

         
    2024 net inflows multiplied by 2 compared to 2023   Assets under management3at a new record of €2,240bn at end-2024, +10% year-on-year

    Net inflows3+€55bn over the year, of which +€34bn in medium to long term assets excl. JVs

    Q4 net inflows +€20bn, incl. +€18bn in medium to long term assets, record ETF inflows: +€11bn

    Amundi Technology: strong revenue growth and acquisition of aixigo

         
    Major advances
    of the plan
    Ambitions 2025
      AuM targets achieved one year ahead of schedule for Third-Party Distribution and Passive Management
    Net income2: +6.1% average annual growth 2021-24, above the Ambitions 2025 target
    2024 Cost/income ratio2 already on 2025 target

    3 value-creating external growth operations, in line with strategic and financial objectives

    ESG Ambitions 2025 plan on track

    Paris, 4 February 2025
    Amundi’s Board of Directors met on 3 February 2025 under the chairmanship of Philippe Brassac, and approved the financial statements for the fourth quarter and full year 2024.

    Valérie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer, said:
    “2024 was a record year for Amundi, both in terms of results and activity. Our net income has reached €1.4bn and our net inflows have doubled compared to 2023.
    Our assets under management are at an all-time high, at more than €2.2tn, thanks to very dynamic inflows in several strategic areas, such as third-party distributors, ETFs and Asia. We have also confirmed and expanded our leading position in fixed income strategies. The success of our technological services offer was also strengthened.
    Finally, we carried out three external growth operations. They accelerate our development and create value for our clients and shareholders.
    This commercial performance translated into record results, both for the year and in the fourth quarter. Our cost/income ratio, at the best level in the industry, is already in line with our 2025 target. This strong financial performance allows us to propose an increased dividend, offering an attractive return for our shareholders.
    2024 marks an acceleration of the diversification that was initiated with the plan Ambitions 2025, several objectives of which have already been achieved, one year ahead of schedule.
    Close to our clients and attentive to their needs, we are very well positioned on the mega-trends of the savings industry. This makes us confident about our future growth. »

    * * * * *

    Accelerating diversification on industry mega-trends

    In 2024, the strategic priorities of the plan Ambitions 2025 contributed significantly to the growth of activity and results. They ideally position Amundi on the key growth drivers of the savings industry.

    • Third-Party Distribution delivered strong growth in its assets under management, +27% year-on-year to €401bn at the end of December and at the objective of the plan Ambitions 2025, one year ahead of schedule; Third-Party Distribution now represents 57% of Retail segment’s assets under management; 2024 net inflows of +€32bn were at an all-time high, highly diversified across all regions and asset classes: +€5bn in active management, +€18bn in ETFs and +€9bn in treasury products; Q4 was the strongest quarter for inflows in history, at +€13bn, with the same dominance as for the year; 12 new partnerships with digital players were signed in 2024 (BourseDirect, Scalable, Moneyfarm, etc.), bringing to 45 the number of partnerships with this type of player, in Europe and Asia;
    • ETFs4 reached €268bn in assets under management at the end of December, up +30% year-on-year, driven by record net inflows of +€27.8bn for the year, including +€10.5bn in Q4, diversified by client segments and between equity and fixed income products; these inflows were driven by the success of the US and global equity ranges, in particular the S&P500 ETF, innovative products such as the Amundi MSCI US Mega Cap and ex Mega Cap, as well as the Amundi Prime All Country World UCIT ETF, which has gathered more than +€2bn in 9 months;
    • Asia saw its assets under management increase by +17% year-on-year, to €469bn, thanks to +€28bn in inflows in 2024, positive in the 9 countries where Amundi operates; the Indian JV SBI MF continued to grow (€292bn in assets under management, +23% year-on-year with +€20.6bn in net inflows), as well as direct distribution excluding JVs (€103bn in assets under management, +16% year-on-year, with 2024 net inflows of +€5bn); 2024 was marked by the success of the partnership with Standard Chartered and the launch of a range of “CIO Signature Funds”, with assets under management reaching $2bn managed on behalf of the bank’s clients in 11 countries, in Asia, the Middle East and Africa; finally, the contribution to net income from Asian JVs, at €123m, increased by +20.9%, particularly the Indian JV (+31.5%, at €104m);
    • Fixed income expertise now manages €1,190bn in assets under management5 via a very wide range of solutions, which we have adapted in the face of the variations in long-term rates over the year; these solutions gathered +€57.5bn5 in 2024, of which +€11.7bn5 in Q4, thanks to a wider range of strategies: Amundi remains, as in 2023, the leader in Europe for maturity funds and fixed income ETFs, and the success of the inflows extended in 2024 to short-term fixed income solutions, securitisation, euro credit or stable duration strategies;
    • technology revenues recorded a strong increase by +33.8% compared to 2023, to €80m, and +47.1% Q4/Q4; Amundi Technology completed in Q4 the acquisition of the European leader in Wealth Tech, aixigo, complementing the ALTO6 Wealth and Distribution platform with a modular offering recognised in the industry.

    Objectives of the plan Ambitions 2025 achieved one year ahead of schedule

    Major objectives were achieved by 2024 and Amundi’s financial results are higher than planned in the trajectory of the Plan Ambitions 2025:

    • assets under management targets have been or are close to being reached at the end of 2024, a year ahead of schedule, for third-party distributors (€401bn vs. the €400bn target), passive management (€418bn vs. €420bn) and even Asia (€469bn, at 6% of the €500bn target);
    • 2024 cost income ratio2 at 52,5%, is already on target for 2025 (less than 53%);
    • 2024 net income2, at €1,382m, shows an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of +6.1% compared to the reference 2021 net income7 of the Plan, above the target of +5%; even restated for the slight positive market effect between 2021 and 2024, it is above the target, at +5.5%;
    • for 2024, the proposed dividend of €4.25 per share corresponds to a payout ratio8of 67%, above the minimum target of the Medium-Term Plan (65%), as in 2022 and 2023;
    • the average dividend payout ratio over 2022-24, at 72%, corresponds to a distribution surplus of +€0.24bn over the period, to which are added three external transactions that also consumed the capital generated over the period to the tune of +€0.5bn; the surplus capital remaining available for acquisitions at the end of 2024 is above €1bn;
    • Amundi has achieved three external growth operations: the acquisition of the private assets multi-management specialist Alpha Associates, closed in April 2024, the partnership with the US asset manager Victory Capital, signed in July and expected to be completed towards the end of the first quarter of 2025, and finally the acquisition of the Wealth Tech aixigo, closed in November 2024; these three operations are in line with the strategic and financial objectives of the plan Ambitions 2025; they will generate by 2027E9 a combined accretion of earnings per share2 of about +5% and a return on investment of around 12%;
    • finally, the extra-financial and climate commitments of the plan ESG Ambitions 2025 have been achieved or are on their way to being achieved:
      • the share of ETFs (in number) meeting the ESG criteria10 of the SFDR regulation reached 37% at the end of 2024, compared to a target of 40% at the end of 2025;
      • the number of companies with which we have engaged in shareholder dialogue on their climate transition plans has increased by +1,478 since 2021, compared to a target of +1,000 over 2021-25;
      • Greenhouse gas emissions per employee fell by -62% compared to 2018 on scopes 1, 2, and 3, against a target of a -30% reduction.

    Activity

    A favourable market environment in the quarter as well as over the year

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, the average level of equity markets11 increased by +2.8% compared to the previous quarter and by +19.5% compared to the same quarter of 2023. European bond markets12were also up, by +1.6% compared to the previous quarter and by +6.7% compared to the same quarter of 2023, reflecting the ECB’s rate cut decisions and the tightening of credit spreads. The market effect is therefore positive on the evolution of Amundi’s revenues over these two periods.

    Compared to the 2021 averages reference for the Plan Ambitions 2025, the market effect is only very slightly positive.

    The asset management market in Europe continued its recovery in the fourth quarter. Net inflows in open-ended funds13, at +€232bn, were driven by passive management (+€111bn) and by treasury products (+€74bn). For the third consecutive quarter, medium- to long-term active management recorded positive flows (+€46bn) driven by fixed income strategies (+€61bn).

    Inflows at the highest level since 2021, more than double the 2023 net inflows, and new record for assets

    Net inflows in the quarter amounted to +€20.5bn. For the year, net inflows reached +€55.4bn, twice the level of 2023.

    Amundi’s assets under management3as of 31 December 2024 grew by +2.2% over the quarter and +10.0% over the year to reach a new record of €2,240bn. They benefited from market appreciation and from a high level of inflows, the highest since 2021. The market and currency effect amounted to +€28.1bn in the fourth quarter of 2024, and +€140.1bn in 2024. The increase in assets under management also benefited from the integration of Alpha Associates since the second quarter of 2024 (+€7.9bn in April).

    Net inflows for the year amount to +€55.4bn, of which +€34bn in MLT assets14,15. The last quarter is particularly dynamic, +€17.9bn, thus representing more than half of the MLT inflows14 of the year.

    These MLT14 inflows continued this quarter to be driven by ETFs (+€10.5bn) and active management (+€5.5bn), notably through the active fixed income strategies (+€9.1bn). Also of note was a good performance in structured products, at +€0.9bn.

    The rest of net inflows for the quarter came from treasury products (+€0.7bn) and JVs (+€1.9bn)

    All client segments contributed to the positive net inflows:

    • the Retail segment, at +€11.5bn, recorded its highest level of inflows since 2021, thanks to Third-Party Distributors (+€12.7bn); Partner networks in France experienced net positive flows (+€0.8bn), compared to net outflows from International networks (-€1.4bn) and at Amundi BOC WM;
    • The Institutional segment, at +€7.1bn, of which +€10.8bn in MLT assets14, benefited from a strong contribution from Institutionals and Sovereigns (+€7.4bn) as well as CA & SG Insurers (+3,7€bn) in MLT assets14, and from Corporates (+€9.1bn) in treasury products;
    • JVs (+€1.9bn) continued to benefit from dynamic inflows from SBI MF in India (+€2.3bn).

    It should be noted regarding SBI MF that the request for proposal, for the redeployment of the mandate of the Indian pension fund EPFO16 has been launched. A significant outflow is therefore likely to be expected in the second or third quarter of 2025, with a completely negligible effect on the revenues of the JV.

    Fourth quarter and full-year 2024 results

    Q4 2024: strong growth in net income2, +20% Q4/Q4, highest quarter ever

    Adjusted data2

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, adjusted net income2reached €377m, up +20.5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

    It includes Alpha Associates, whose acquisition was finalised in early April, as well as aixigo for two months in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    The growth in net income is mainly due to revenue growth and the very strong momentum of Asian JVs.

    Adjusted net revenues2 reached €924m, up +14.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, mainly driven by management and technology revenues:

    • the sustained growth in net management fees, of +13.5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, to €820m, reflects the good level of activity and the increase in average assets under management excluding JVs (+10.5% over the same period);
    • performance fees (€57m) increased by +67.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 (€34m), benefiting from the good performance of Amundi’s management teams, with more than 69% of assets under management ranked in the first or second quartiles according to Morningstar17 over 1, 3 or 5 years, and 247 Amundi funds rated 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar as of 31 December; fixed income strategies accounted for half of total performance fees, coming from very much diversified strategies;
    • Amundi Technology’s revenues, at €26m, continued to grow strongly (+47.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023), amplified this quarter by the first consolidation of aixigo for two months in the fourth quarter (+€5m);
    • finally, financial and other income2 amounted to €21m, down from the fourth quarter of 2023 due to the impact of lower short-term rates in the euro area.

    The increase in Operating expenses2, by +13.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, to €482m, remains lower than the increase in revenues (+14.6%) thus generating a positive jaws effect which reflects the Group’s operational efficiency.

    This increase is explained by:

    • the first consolidation of Alpha Associates and aixigo;
    • investments in development initiatives of the plan Ambitions 2025, including technology, third-party distribution, Asia;
    • provisioning for individual variable remuneration, in line with the growth in results
    • non-recurring items, including the charge related to the discount proposed in the context of the capital increases of the Amundi and Crédit Agricole S.A. groups, which was reserved for Amundi’s employees;

    Excluding these elements, the increase is in line with inflation (2.5%).

    The Cost income ratio at 52,1% in adjusted data2, improved from the same quarter last year.

    The Adjusted gross operating income2(GOI) amounted to €443m, up +16,4% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, reflecting revenue growth.

    Income from equity-accounted companies18, at €29m, was up +1.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Growth was slowed by the impact of the decline in Indian equity markets on the financial income of our JV, SBI MF, which though continues to benefit from the strong growth of its business along the year.

    Adjusted earnings per share2in the fourth quarter of 2024 reached €1.84, up +20,2%.

    Accounting data in the fourth quarter of 2024

    Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €349m, including non-cash expenses related to the acquisitions of Alpha Associates and aixigo, and the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution contracts and client contracts, for a total of -€17m after tax. Integration costs related to aixigo and the partnership with Victory Capital, whose closing is expected towards the end of the first quarter 2025, were also recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024, for a total of -€10m after tax. In addition, depreciation and amortisation on adjustments to the value of intangible assets after the integration of aixigo were also recorded in operating expenses for -€1m after tax (see p. 12 for a detail of all these items).

    Accounting earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2024 reached €1.70.

    2024: record net income

    For the year 2024, the adjusted net income2 amounts to €1,382m, up +13.0%.

    This strong growth reflects the high level of activity:

    • Adjusted net revenues2 have increased by +9,2% compared to 2023, to €3,497m, mainly driven by management revenues; net management fees increased by +8.3%, in line with the growth in average assets under management; the increase in performance fees (+17.3%) is explained by a very good performance of the management teams, particularly for active bond strategies; Amundi Technology’s revenues also grew strongly, by +33.8% to €80m with the ramp-up of revenues gained from the acquisition of 8 clients in 2024, and reinforced with the acquisition of aixigo for two months in 2024 (+€5m);
    • Net management fee margins were stable compared to 2023 at 17.7 basis points, as the positive effects of market appreciation and the client mix offset the unfavourable effect of the product mix;
    • Adjusted operating expenses2 grew less than revenues, by +7.7% to €1,837m, generating a positive jaws effect; almost half of this increase was due to the consolidation of Alpha Associates and aixigo, investments in growth areas (technology, ETFs, third-party distribution, Asia, etc.) and higher provisions for variable compensation, in line with the increase in revenues;
    • the Adjusted cost income ratio2 reached 52.5%, compared to 53.2% in 2023, at the best level and at the 2025 target.

    The Adjusted gross operating income2 (GOI) amounted to €1,660m, up +10,8% compared to 2023.

    Income from equity-accounted companies18 accentuates this growth. At €123m, +20.9% compared to the full year of 2023, it grew faster than operating profit, mainly driven by India, whose contribution exceeded €100m (€104m) for the first time.

    Adjusted earnings per share2 reached €6.75 in 2024.

    Accounting data for the year 2024

    Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €1,305m, including non-cash expenses related to the acquisitions of Alpha Associates and aixigo and the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution contracts and client contracts, for a total of -€67m after tax. Integration costs related to aixigo and the partnership with Victory Capital, whose closing is expected towards the end of the first quarter 2025, were also recorded in 2024, for a total of -€10m after tax. In addition, depreciation and amortisation on adjustments to the value of intangible assets after the integration of aixigo were also recorded in operating expenses for -€1m after tax (see p. 12 for a detail of all these items).

    Accounting earnings per share for the year 2024 reached €6.37.

    A solid financial structure and a dividend of €4.25 per share

    Tangible net assets19 amounted to €4.5bn at 31 December 2024, up +€0.2bn or +4.5% compared to the end of 2023. This increase is in particular the result of the accounting net income for the year 2024 (+€1.4bn20) the payment of dividends (-€0.8bn) for the 2023 financial year and the recognition of goodwill and intangible assets in respect of the two acquisitions finalised in 2024, Alpha Associates and aixigo (-€0.5bn).

    On 5 September 2024, the FitchRatings rating agency confirmed Amundi’s long-term rating at A+ with a stable outlook, the best in the sector.

    The Board of Directors will propose to the Annual General Meeting on 27 May 2025, a dividend of €4.25 per share, in cash, an increase compared to the dividend paid for the 2023 financial year.

    This dividend corresponds to a payout ratio of 67% of net income Group share, and a yield of more than 6% based on the share price as of 31 January 2025 (closing price of €68).

    The ex-dividend date will be Tuesday 10 June 2025 and will be paid as of Thursday 12 June 2025.

    Since the listing in November 2015, the TSR21 (total shareholder return) has been +126%, i.e. +9.2% per year on average.

    * * * * *

    ANNEXES

    Adjusted income statement22024 and 2023

    (€m)   2024 2023 % var.
    2024/2023
             
    Net revenuee – adjusted   3,497 3,204 +9.2%
    Management fees   3,184 2,940 +8.3%
    Performance fees   145 123 +17.3%
    Technology   80 60 +33.8%
    Financial income and other net income   88 80 +9.7%
    Operating expenses – adjusted   (1,837) ( 1,706) +7.7%
    Cost income ratio – adjusted (%)   52.5% 53.2% -0.7pp
    Gross operating income – adjusted   1,660 1,498 +10.8%
    Cost of risk & others   (10) (8) +28.7%
    Equity-accounted companies   123 102 +20.9%
    Income before tax – adjusted   1,774 1,592 +11.4%
    Corporate taxes   (394) (374) +5.5%
    Non-controlling interests   3 5 -43.5%
    Net income, Group share – adjusted   1,382 1,224 +13.0%
    Amortisation of intangible assets, after tax   (67) (59) +13.2%
    Amortisation related to aixigo PPA, after tax   (1) – –
    Integration costs, after tax   (10) – NS
    Net income Group share   1,305 1,165 +12.0%
    Earnings per share (€)   6.37 5.70 +11.7%
    Earnings per share – adjusted(€)   6.75 5.99 +12.6%

    Adjusted income statement2of the fourth quarter of 2024

    (€m)   Q4 2024 Q4 2023 % var.
    Q4/Q4
      Q3 2024 % var.
    Q4/Q3
                   
    Net revenue – adjusted   924 806 +14.6%   862 +7.3%
    Management fees   820 723 +13.5%   805 +1.9%
    Performance fees   57 34 +67.6%   20 NS
    Technology   26 18 +47.1%   20 +32.6%
    Financial income and other net income   21 32 -33.4%   17 +22.7%
    Operating expenses – adjusted   (482) (426) +13.1%   (456) +5.6%
    Cost income ratio – adjusted (%)   52.1% 52,8% -0.7pp   52.9% -0.8pp
    Gross operating income – adjusted   443 381 +16.4%   406 +9.1%
    Cost of risk & others   (3) (2) +40.0%   (2) +62.8%
    Equity-accounted companies   29 29 +1.6%   33 -10.4%
    Income before tax – adjusted   469 407 +15.2%   437 +7.4%
    Corporate taxes   (93) (96) -3.9%   (101) -7.8%
    Non-controlling interests   1 2 -64.6%   1 -4.4%
    Net income Group share – adjusted   377 313 +20.5%   337 +11.9%
    Amortization of intangible assets after tax   (17) (15) +17.9%   (17) -0.3%
    Amortisation related to aixigo PPA after tax   (1) – –   – –
    Integration costs after tax   (10) 0 NS   0 NS
    Net income, Group share   349 299 +17.0%   320 +9.3%
    Earnings per share (€)   1.70 1.46 +16.7%   1.56 +9.0%
    Earnings per share – adjusted (€)   1.84 1.53 +20.2%   1.65 +11.7%

    Evolution of assets under management from the end of 2021 to the end of December 202422

    (€bn) Assets

    under management

    Net
    Inflows
    Market &
    forex effect
    Scope
    effect
      Change in AuM
    vs. previous quarter
    As of 31/12/2021 2,064         +14%23
    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%
    Q4 2024   +20.5 +28.1   –  
    31/12/2024 2,240         +2.2%

    Total year-on-year from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2024: +10.0%

    • Net inflows                     +€55.4bn
    • Market & foreign exchange rate effects        +€140.1bn
    • Scope effects                +€7.9bn
      (First consolidation of Alpha Associates in Q2 2024, the acquisition of aixigo has no effect on assets under management)

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by client segments24

    (€bn) AuM
    31.12.2024
    AuM
    31.12.2023
    % change /31.12.2023 Inflows Q4 2024 Inflows Q4 2023 Inflows 2024 Inflows 2023
    French networks 138 132 +4.7% +0.8 +1.1 +1.1 +5.7
    International networks 167 162 +3.0% -2.1 -0.4 -6.5 -3.6
    Of which Amundi BOC WM 2 3 -32.7% -0.6 -0.4 -1.2 -3.7
    Third-Party Distributors 401 317 +26.6% +12.7 +0.5 +31.9 +4.6
    Retail 706 611 +15.6% +11.5 +1.1 +26.6 +6.8
    Institutional & Sovereigns (*) 521 486 +7.2% -0.7 -1.6 +0.7 +12.9
    Corporates 122 111 +9.9% +8.6 +10.1 +2.8 +2.7
    Employee savings plan 90 86 +3.8% +0.7 -0.7 +3.1 +1.9
    CA & SG Insurers 429 427 +0.6% -1.5 +4.3 -1.0 -5.4
    Institutional 1,162 1,110 +4.7% +7.1 +12.0 +5.6 +12.0
    JVs 372 316 +17.7% +1.9 +6.3 +23.3 +7.0
    Total 2,240 2,037 +10.0% +20.5 +19.5 +55.4 +25.8

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by asset classes24

    (€bn) AuM
    31.12.2024
    AuM
    31.12.2023
    % change /31.12.2023 Inflows Q4 2024 Inflows Q4 2023 Inflows 2024 Inflows 2023
    Equity 544 467 +16.6% +7.3 +0.1 +7.3 +2.2
    Multi-assets 274 279 -1.8% -0.9 -7.5 -23.2 -24.5
    Bonds 747 656 +13.9% +10.6 +7.4 +47.4 +17.6
    Real, alternative & structured assets 114 107 +6.2% +0.9 +1.9 +2.4 +4.3
    MLT ASSETS excl. JVs 1,680 1,510 +11.3% +17.9 +1.9 +34.0 -0.5
    Treasury products excl. JVs 188 211 -10.9% +0.7 +11.2 -1.8 +19.3
    TOTAL excluding JVs 1,868 1,721 +8.6% +18.5 +13.2 +32.2 +18.8
    JVs 372 316 +17.7% +1.9 +6.3 +23.3 +7.0
    TOTAL 2,240 2,037 +10.0% +20.5 +19.5 +55.4 +25.8
    Of which MLT assets 2,018 1,794 +12.5% +21.1 +6.9 +56.0 +6.2
    Of which treasury products 222 242 -8.6% -0.6 +12.6 -0.5 +19.7

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by management types and asset classes24

    (€bn) AuM
    31.12.2024
    AuM
    31.12.2023
    % change /31.12.2023 Inflows Q4 2024 Inflows Q4 2023 Inflows 2024 Inflows 2023
    Active management 1,148 1,062 +8.1% +5.5 -5.7 +7.6 -21.3
    Equity 206 195 +5.6% -2.5 -2.1 -7.9 -4.6
    Multi-assets 263 270 -2.7% -1.2 -7.8 -24.5 -26.0
    Bonds 679 597 +13.8% +9.1 +4.2 +40.1 +9.3
    Structured products 44 39 +10.9% +0.9 +2.8 +3.6 +5.6
    Passive management 418 340 +22.9% +11.5 +5.8 +23.9 +16.6
    ETFs & ETC 268 207 +29.5% +10.5 +5.0 +27.8 +13.0
    Index & Smart beta 150 133 +12.7% +1.0 +0.7 -3.9 +3.6
    Real and Alternative Assets 70 68 +3.5% -0.0 -0.9 -1.2 -1.3
    Real assets 66 63 +5.4% +0.1 -0.2 +0.0 -0.0
    Alternative assets 4 5 -20.1% -0.1 -0.7 -1.2 -1.3
    TOTAL MLT assets excl. JVs 1,680 1,510 +11.3% +17.9 +1.9 +34.0 -0.5
    Treasury products excl. JVs 188 211 -10.9% +0.7 +11.2 -1.8 +19.3
    TOTAL excl. JVs 1,868 1,721 +8.6% +18.5 +13.2 +32.2 +18.8
    JVs 372 316 +17.7% +1.9 +6.3 +23.3 +7.0
    TOTAL 2,240 2,037 +10.0% +20.5 +19.5 +55.4 +25.8

    Details of assets under management and net inflows by geographic areas24

    (€bn) AuM
    31.12.2024
    AuM
    31.12.2023
    % change /31.12.2023 Inflows Q4 2024 Inflows Q4 2023 Inflows 2024 Inflows 2023
    France 994 950 +4.6% +5.9 +11.6 +18.7 +10.4
    Italy 202 203 -0.3% -0.8 -2.1 -14.5 -4.3
    Europe excl. France & Italy 440 372 +18.4% +11.1 +2.9 +17.1 +8.9
    Asia 469 400 +17.3% -1.5 +7.5 +28.1 +7.2
    Rest of the world 135 113 +20.0% +5.7 -0.5 +6.1 +3.5
    TOTAL 2,240 2,037 +10.0% +20.5 +19.5 +55.4 +25.8
    TOTAL outside France 1,246 1,087 +14.7% +14.6 +7.9 +36.8 +15.4

    Methodology appendix

    Accounting & adjusted data

    Accounting data – They include the amortisation of intangible assets, recorded as other income; 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 booked as deductions from revenues, in financial costs, and since Q4, the amortisation charge of the technology asset related to the acquisition of aixigo, booked as amortisation of intangible assets in operating expenses.

    Integration costs related to the transaction with Victory Capital and amortisation of the aixigo related PPA were recorded in the fourth quarter, in operating expenses, for a combined amount of -€14m pre-tax and -€11m after-tax. No costs of that nature were recorded in the first nine months of 2024 or in the 2023 financial year.

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

    • Q4 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
    • 2023: -€82m before tax and -€59m after tax
    • Q3 2024: -€24m pre-tax and -€17m after tax
    • Q4 2024: -€38m before tax and -€28m after tax
    • 2024: -€106m before tax and -€77m after tax

    Adjusted data – In order to present an income statement that is closer to economic reality, the following adjustments are made: restatement of the amortisation of distribution contracts with Bawag, UniCredit and Banco Sabadell, intangible assets representing 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 amortisation and non-cash expenses. are recorded as a deduction from net revenues; ; restatement of the amortisation of a technological asset related ot the acquisition of aixigo, recorded in operating expenses.

    Acquisition of Alpha Associates

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

    • goodwill of €288m;
    • 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 amortised over 6 years.

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

    • amortisation of intangible assets for a full-year expense of -€7.6m (-€6.1m after tax); in 2024 (9 months of integration) this corresponds to -€5.7m (-€4.6m 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 financial expenses; in 2024 (9 months) they represent -€4.3m (-€3.2m after tax).

    Over twelve months 2024, these expenses and depreciation and amortisation are therefore -€10m before tax for 9 months. They only started in Q2.

    In Q4 2024, the amortisation 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).

    Acquisition of aixigo

    In accordance with IFRS 3, recognition on Amundi’s balance sheet at the date of acquisition:

    • goodwill of €121m;
    • a technology asset of €36m, representative of the goodwill attributed to aixigo’s software solutions, depreciable on a straight-line basis over 5 years;

    The full-year amortisation charge of the technology asset was -€7.2m (-€4.8m after tax); in Q4 2024, the amortisation charge was -€1.2m (-€0.8m after tax), it is recognised in operating expenses.

    Alternative Performance Measures25

    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, from Alpha Associates, as well as other non-cash charges related to the acquisition of Alpha Associates.
    • Since the fourth quarter of 2024, the amortisation of intangible assets as operating expenses under aixigo.
    • In the fourth quarter of 2024, the integration costs on Victory Capital and aixigo.

    Adjusted, normalised data are reconciled with accounting data as follows :

    = accounting data
    = adjusted data
    (€M)   2024 2023   Q4 2024 Q4 2023   Q3 2024
                     
    Net management revenue   3,329 3,063   877 757   825
    Technology   80 60   26 18   20
    Net financial income and other net income   (3) (1)   (2) 12   (6)
    Adjusted net financial income and other income   88 80   21 32   17
                     
    Net revenue (a)   3,406 3,122   901 786   838
    – Depreciation of intangible assets before tax   (87) (82)   (22) (20)   (22)
    – Other non-cash expenses related to Alpha Associates   (4) 0   (1) 0   (1)
    Net revenue – adjusted (b)   3,497 3,204   924 806   862
                     
    Operating expenses (c)   (1,852) (1,706)   (496) (426)   (456)
    – Integration costs before tax   (13) 0   (13) 0   0
    – Amortisation of the aixigo related PPA before tax   (1) 0   (1) 0   0
    Operating expenses – adjusted (d)   (1,837) (1,706)   (482) (426)   (456)
                     
    Gross Operating Income (e)=(a)+(c)   1,554 1,416   405 360   382
    Gross operating income – adjusted (f)=(b)+(d)   1,660 1,498   443 381   406
    Cost income ratio (%) -(c)/(a)   54.4% 54.6%   55.1% 54.2%   54.4%
    Cost income ratio – adjusted (%) -(d)/(b)   52.5% 53.2%   52.1% 52.8%   52.9%
    Cost of risk & other (g)   (10) (8)   (3) (2)   (2)
    Equity-accounted companies (h)   123 102   29 29   33
    Income before tax (i)=(e)+(g)+(h)   1,668 1,511   431 387   413
    Income before tax – adjusted (j)=(f)+(g)+(h)   1,774 1,592   469 407   437
    Income tax (k)   (366) (351)   (83) (91)   (94)
    Income tax – adjusted (l)   (394) (374)   (93) (96)   (101)
    Non controlling interests (m)   3 5   1 2   1
    Net income, Group share (n)=(i)+(k)+(m)   1,305 1,165   349 299   320
    Net income, Group share – adjusted (o)=(j)+(l)+(m)   1,382 1,224   377 313   337
                     
    Earnings per share (€)   6.37 5.70   1.70 1.46   1.56
    Adjusted earnings per share (€)   6.75 5.99   1.84 1.53   1.65

    Shareholding

        31 December 2024   30 September 2024   31 December 2023
    (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 68.67%   141,057,399 68.93%   141,057,399 68.93%
    Employees   4,272,132 2.08%   2,751,891 1.34%   2,918,391 1.43%
    Treasury shares   1,992,485 0.97%   958,031 0.47%   1,247,998 0.61%
    Free Float   58,097,246 28.28%   59,880,313 29.26%   59,423,846 29.04%
                       
    Number of shares at the end of the period   205,419,262 100.0%   204,647,634 100.0%   204,647,634 100.0%
    Average number of shares year-to-date   204,776,239 –   204,647,634 –   204,201,023 –
    Average number of shares quarter-to-date   205,159,257 –   204,647,634 –   204,647,634 –

    Average number of shares on a pro rata basis.

    • The average number of shares increased by +0.3% between Q3 2024 and Q4 2024, +0.3% between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024, and again +0.3% between 2023 and 2024.
    • A capital increase reserved for employees was recorded on 31 October 2024. 771,628 shares were created (approximately 0.4% of the share capital before the transaction).
    • Amundi announced on 7 October 2024 a buyback program of up to 1m shares (i.e. ~0.5% of the share capital before the transaction) to cover performance share plans, It was finalised on 27 November 2024.                                                                                                        

    Financial communication calendar

    • Q1 2025 earnings release: Tuesday 29 April 2025
    • Annual General Meeting: Tuesday 27 May 2025
    • Q2 and H1 2025 earnings release: Tuesday 29 July 2025
    • Q3 and 9-month 2025 results: Tuesday 28 October 2025

    Dividend schedule

    • Ex-dividend day: Monday 10 June 2025
    • Payment: from Wednesday 12 June 2025

    About Amundi

    As Europe’s leading asset manager among the world’s top 10 players26, Amundi offers its 100m clients – individuals, institutions and corporates – a full range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional and real assets. This offer is enriched with services and technological tools that cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole group, Amundi is listed on the stock exchange and currently manages more than €2.2tn in assets under management27.

    Its six international management platforms28, its financial and extra-financial research capacity, as well as its long-standing commitment to responsible investment make it a leading player in the asset management landscape.

    Amundi’s clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,700 professionals in 35 countries.

    Amundi, a trusted partner that acts 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

    DISCLAIMER

    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 set out in this document were approved by Amundi’s Board of Directors and have been prepared in accordance with applicable prudential regulations and IFRS guidelines, as adopted by the European Union and applicable at that date, but remain subject to ongoing review by the statutory auditors.

    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: see p. 12
    3        Assets under management (AuM) 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        Excluding JVs
    5        Including JV: €247bn in assets under management, +€12.2bn inflows in 2024 and +€0.6bn in Q4
    6        ALTO: Amundi Leading Technologies & Operations, Amundi’s suite of 5 technology applications, including ALTO Investment, Wealth and Distribution, Sustainability, Asset Servicing and Employee Savings and Retirement
    7        Adjusted net income Group share, normalised for the exceptionally high level of performance fees in the year: €1,158m
    8        Calculated on accounting net income Group share
    9        Compared to consensus estimates prior to these transactions
    10        According to SFDR Articles 8 and 9
    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 at the end of December 2024.
    14        Medium-Long Term Assets excluding JV
    15        However, 2024 net inflows include, for -€11.6bn, the exit in the third quarter of a multi-asset mandate with a European insurer, which brought low revenues
    16        EPFO: Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, India’s leading pension fund with total assets of €250bn at the end of December 2024. In Q4 2019, SBI MF had won a bond mandate granted by EPFO, for an amount of €60bn, which totaled €110bn in assets under management as of 31 December 2024; it is this mandate that would be shared with other managers according to the request for proposal
    17        Source: Morningstar Direct, Broadridge FundFile – Open-ended funds and ETFs, global fund scope, December 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 1071 at the end of December 2024. © 2024 Morningstar, all rights reserved
    18        Reflecting 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),
    19        Shareholders’ equity less goodwill and intangible assets
    20        Excluding the amortisation of intangible assets
    21        The TSR (Total Shareholder Return) includes the total return for a shareholder: increase in the share price + dividends paid from 2016 to 2024 + Preferential Subscription Rights detached in May 2017. Calculation made on the basis of the closing price of 31 January 2025, €68 per share.
    22        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
    23        Lyxor, integrated as of 31/12/2021
    24        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 (€30bn in AuM) as Bonds previously classified as Treasury until that date; the assets and net flows up to that date have not been reclassified in these tables
    25        See also the section 4.3 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on 18 April 2024
    26Source: IPE “Top 500 Asset Managers” published in June 2024 based on assets under management as of 31/12/2023
    27Amundi data as of 31/12/2024
    28Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo

    Attachment

    • Amundi_PR Results_Q4&FY2024_EN

    The MIL Network –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Development Blog: From Roads to Riches: Economic Corridors Can Supercharge South Asia

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Economic corridor development in South Asia enhances trade, industrialization, and connectivity while addressing infrastructure gaps and business constraints. By creating jobs, promoting regional integration, and improving manufacturing competitiveness, corridors contribute to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

    Economic corridors are drivers of economic growth and structural transformation and are integral to the pursuit of regional development and economic integration. They not only enhance connectivity and trade but also foster industrialization, job creation, and balanced regional growth. 

    In South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka the development of economic corridors presents a promising pathway to unlock economic potential, strengthen regional ties, and promote sustainable development. 

    Economic corridor development efforts aim to improve a country’s manufacturing potential by addressing key constraints such as cumbersome business processes, infrastructure bottlenecks, and low competitiveness of domestic manufacturing leading to low manufacturing jobs and less integration with global value chains.

    An economic corridor is a network of infrastructure projects designed to stimulate economic development across and between regions. These corridors typically include transportation routes, such as highways, railways, and ports, as well as industrial hubs and trade facilitation zones. The aim is to enhance connectivity, reduce trade barriers, and promote investment, ultimately spurring economic activities and job creation.

    India, with its vast and diverse economy, plays a crucial role in the development of economic corridors in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The country’s strategic initiatives, such as the NICDP and the Prime Minister Gati Shakti (PM-GS) National Master Plan, aim to enhance connectivity and promote economic integration.

    In Bangladesh, the development of economic corridors is focused on enhancing infrastructure and trade logistics. Notable examples include the South West Economic Corridor, spanning from Khulna and Jessore to Dhaka, and the North East Economic Corridor, connecting Dhaka to Sylhet. These corridors are designed to improve the country’s trade infrastructure, diversify production networks, and integrate with regional and global value chains, all the while stimulating economic activities in less developed areas.

    Bhutan has planned to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City which will be the biggest economic hub of Bhutan attracting foreign investment and integrating with the rest of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Multimodal connectivity of Gelephu with India and Bangladesh will be a critical factor of its success in future. 

    Economic corridors drive regional integration, boost industrialization, and create jobs by enhancing infrastructure, reducing trade barriers, and fostering economic growth across South Asia.
     

    India’s efforts in industrial corridor development aim to boost the manufacturing sector by addressing key constraints like cumbersome business processes and infrastructure bottlenecks. 

    The National Industrial Corridor Development Program, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, focuses on creating a conducive environment for manufacturing, thereby enhancing sectoral growth. The Prime Minister Gati Shakti (PM-GS) National Master Plan further aims to enhance connectivity and promote economic integration across the country.

    Nepal, a landlocked country with challenging terrain, faces unique obstacles in its quest for economic development. The development of economic corridors, such as the East-West Highway and the North-South Corridors, is crucial for improving connectivity, reducing trade barriers, and fostering regional integration. These corridors aim to link Nepal more effectively with its neighbors, promoting economic activities and development in the region.

    Sri Lanka’s Colombo-Trincomalee Economic Corridor (CTEC) connects the Western Region including Colombo Port with the East Coast to Trincomalee Port, aims to facilitate economic growth through a network of export zones and free trade zones. This infrastructure is expected to boost trade, attract investments, and promote balanced regional growth.

    Economic corridor development involves a building block approach of construction and enhancement of transport networks, energy grids, and trade facilitation measures that connect key economic hubs within and across borders. 

    The transport and trade corridors are designed to streamline the movement of goods, services, and people, thereby reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and boosting competitiveness. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of aligning national policies and regulations to ensure seamless operations and to maximize the benefits of regional integration.

    Gradually these corridors will be transformed into economic corridors by addressing both hardware and software aspects of development. Effective corridor development also entails creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive and for economies to grow.

    One of the key objectives of economic corridor development is job creation. This is a critical development objective for the countries in South Asia.  The creation of formal jobs through the expansion of the manufacturing sector directly contributes to poverty alleviation. 

    By facilitating the formalization of labor and incentivizing firms to adopt modern technology, corridor development helps to increase productivity and wages, thereby improving the standard of living for workers. Government actions to provide gender-inclusive housing, upgrade the skills of female workers, and appoint female board members in industrial node boards, further enhance economic corridors’ impact on poverty reduction and gender equality. 

    Economic corridors are pivotal in shaping South Asia’s economic future by enhancing trade, industrialization, and regional cooperation. Continued investment, policy alignment, and inclusive development strategies will be essential in maximizing their benefits and ensuring sustainable, equitable growth.
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: Government response to the independent Review of the Meetings and Documents Amendments

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Today, the Government tabled in Parliament its response to the independent review of legislative amendments made in 2021 and 2022 to provide for virtual company meetings and the electronic distribution, signing and execution of company documents.

    The Government has accepted or accepted in principle all recommendations of the independent panel.

    This includes accepting the key recommendation of the panel to maintain the current requirement for listed companies and registered schemes to obtain constitutional permission from their members before they can hold a wholly virtual meeting.

    The Government has also accepted the recommendation of the panel to conduct another review in 5 years’ time of the effectiveness of the virtual meeting laws, to allow time for companies and members to become adept to the use of virtual meetings and for bodies such as ASIC, ASX and industry associations to issue guidance on appropriate conduct and use of technology at members’ meetings.

    The Government encourages these bodies to provide guidance well before the commencement of the further review in 5 years.

    The Government is committed to ensuring the efficient and effective operation of Australian capital markets, recognising the importance of good corporate governance and the rights of members.

    I thank the panel, the Hon Dr Robert Austin AM (as Chair), Ms Helen Bird and Ms Judith Fox for their considered review and extend my thanks to all stakeholders for their contributions during the consultation process.

    The tabling of the Government response satisfies the requirements in subsection 1687J(6) of the Corporations Act for the Government to table a response to the review in Parliament.

    A copy of the Government response is on the Treasury website.

    MIL OSI News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Launches Evolved GR Corolla in Japan

    Source: Toyota

    Headline: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Launches Evolved GR Corolla in Japan

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has started accepting orders for its evolved GR Corolla, a model that leverages insights gained by competing in motorsports. Orders will be accepted through Toyota dealerships across Japan from today, February 4, and actual launch is planned for March 3. This is the same model announced on August 2, 2024, in the USA, but with Japanese market specifications. The following news release provides detailed information on the features of this evolved GR Corolla.

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on February 04, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Tenor 1-day
    Notified Amount (in ₹ crore) 25,000
    Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore) 25,524
    Amount allotted (in ₹ crore) 25,001
    Cut off Rate (%) 6.51
    Weighted Average Rate (%) 6.52
    Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%) 80.25

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2072

    MIL OSI Economics –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCSD to host Australian puppet show

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Australia’s Windmill Theatre Company will return to Hong Kong from February 28 to March 2, following a 10-year hiatus, with the celebrated picture-book character Grug.

    The puppetry show Grug and the Rainbow will make up the finale of the Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s “Cheers!” Series.

    Grug is a character from the much-loved picture books of Australian writer Ted Prior. He began life as a burrawang treetop before falling to the ground, and is fascinated by the world around him.

    In Grug and the Rainbow, Grug is amazed by the vibrant colours of a rainbow and wants to have a rainbow of his own.

    The show, which will be staged at Sha Tin Town Hall, is best suited for children aged 2 to 6.

    Performances in English, with simple Cantonese interpretation, will be held at 5pm and 7.30pm on February 28, at 11.30am on March 1, and at 2.30pm on March 2. Performances exclusively in English will be held at 2.30pm on March 1 and at 11.30am on March 2.

    Each performance will run for about 35 minutes without intermission, and will be followed by an interactive session.

    Tickets are now available at URBTIX.

    Click here for details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Yes, energy prices are hurting the food sector. But burning more fossil fuels is not the answer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivienne Reiner, PhD Candidate, Integrated Sustainability Analysis group, University of Sydney

    Months out from a federal election, the industry lobby is gearing up in opposition to the Albanese government’s renewable energy targets. In a salvo on Monday, food distributors urged the government to increase fossil fuel production, as a way to purportedly tackle high energy prices.

    It was followed by comments on Tuesday by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which also called for fast-tracking of gas expansion to avoid price spikes and blackouts.

    Unfortunately, however, these approaches miss the point. They are a short-sighted response to what is, in large part, a climate-induced problem.

    In fact, evidence suggests burning more coal and gas will only make things worse for many industries, including the food sector.

    More fossil fuels = more industry disruption

    The industry group Independent Food Distributors Australia claims Labor’s energy policies are driving up costs for businesses and, in turn, consumers.

    In comments published in The Australian, the group’s chief executive Richard Forbes said the phase-out of coal-fired energy was too fast and the government’s renewable energy target was too ambitious. The newspaper claimed business owners instead want Labor to support new gas plants and support upgrades to existing coal plants.

    The group represents food manufacturers, suppliers and distributors supporting the food service industry. Its members largely comprise food distribution warehouses operating large refrigerators and freezers.

    First, it’s important to ask whether a focus on renewable energy can be blamed for Australia’s high energy prices. The answer is largely no.

    That aside, would expanding fossil fuel production ultimately be a boon to food distributors? Evidence suggests it would not.

    A study published in 2022, led by my colleagues at the University of Sydney, found that almost one-fifth of total emissions from global food systems were produced by transport and supporting services, such as distribution warehouses. This was equivalent to about 6% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

    Of course, greenhouse gas emissions are warming the climate and leading to worse and more frequent natural disasters. And, as another University of Sydney study showed, these disasters have extensive repercussions for the food industry.

    It found the disruptions would be hardest felt by the fruit, vegetable and livestock sectors, however effects flowed to other sectors such as transport services. Overall, people in rural areas and those from a low-socioeconomic background were most vulnerable, both to food and nutrition impacts, as well as losses in employment and income.

    What’s more, research I led into the economic impact of Australia’s 2019–20 bushfires also reveals the vulnerability of the food ecosystem. The 2024 study, which focused on tourism, found employment and income losses were greatest in the hospitality and transport sectors respectively. Restaurants, cafes and accommodation providers were disproportionately hit by job losses resulting from reduced consumption, including less food being consumed out of home.

    So what does all this mean? Clearly, expanding polluting energy generation to reduce food distribution costs in the short term will not, ultimately, secure the sector’s future.

    Making food distribution more sustainable

    Having said all this, Australia’s high energy prices are undoubtedly a stress point for many Australian businesses. So how can the food sector tackle the problem?

    Energy requirements (and therefore costs and emissions) differ according to the type of food. Fruits and vegetables, for example, are likely to require a temperature-controlled environment. This generates about double the emissions produced by growing the crops themselves.

    Growing and distributing crops that can be transported at ambient temperatures would reduce energy use. This is particularly important given refrigeration needs are likely to increase as the planet warms.

    In terms of broader food movements, 94% of domestic transport happens by road. So, there is a strong case for investing in electric trucks to help guard against energy price hikes.

    The weight of food freight has also been correlated with energy use. Cereals – along with fruit and vegetables, flour and sugar beet/cane – are among the food types transported at high tonnages.

    As my colleagues have noted, there are huge energy savings to be gained if the global population ate more locally produced food, and if food businesses used cleaner production and distribution methods, such as natural refrigerants.

    Energy requirements differ according to the type of food.
    BK Awangga/Shutterstock

    Looking ahead

    Global food systems are crucial to human wellbeing. It’s in everyone’s interests to keep them functioning well and protected from climate-fuelled hazards.

    The choices now facing the food-distribution sector represent one of many tradeoffs Australia must make during its transition to a low-carbon future.

    Will we continue the polluting, business-as-usual approach or will we embrace Australia’s natural advantages in renewable energy, and protect the planet that supports us?

    When it comes to food distribution, will Australia expand gas and coal production as a purported answer to lower energy costs in the short term – or will we move swiftly to decarbonise the sector and buy more local, sustainable food?

    Vivienne Reiner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Yes, energy prices are hurting the food sector. But burning more fossil fuels is not the answer – https://theconversation.com/yes-energy-prices-are-hurting-the-food-sector-but-burning-more-fossil-fuels-is-not-the-answer-248996

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: President’s message | February 2025

    Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

    UN decisions confirm Australia’s human rights obligations to refugees and people seeking asylum sent offshore

    The Refugee Convention is the international community’s commitment to work together to protect people fleeing violence and persecution. When Australia agreed to be bound by the Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, we agreed to protect refugees who came to our country seeking safety.

    Australia has provided safety and a new life in peace and freedom for hundreds of thousands of refugees and their families. They have contributed richly to our society. But over the years, key parts of our refugee policies have hardened. Instead of protecting people seeking safety who arrive by boat, successive Australian governments have harmed them, detaining them indefinitely and transferring them to remote offshore islands.

    The Commission has long held concerns about these policies and two important recent UN Human Rights Committee decisions confirm that Australia has breached the human rights of people transferred offshore.

    The two cases involved 25 people who came to Australia by boat in 2013 and 2014 seeking safety. They were first detained in Australia and then forcibly removed to Nauru, a tiny island nation some 3,000 kilometres off the Australian coast. They were detained there under arrangements agreed between Australia and Nauru and funded by Australia. In the group, 24 were children at the time. All but one of the group were found to be refugees.

    The UN Committee’s decisions documented the harm experienced by the group and the degree of control exercised by Australia over the arrangements in Nauru. The Committee concluded that their human rights were breached, and that Australia was responsible for the breaches on Nauru. As Committee member Mahjoub El Haiba said: “Where there is power or effective control, there is responsibility. The outsourcing of operations does not absolve States of accountability.”

    The decision is an important vindication for the affected people. The UN Committee called on Australia to compensate the victims, prevent similar violations and align its laws and policies with its human rights obligations. The Australian Government should implement the ruling. The decision is timely as Australia is still transferring people to Nauru. Around 100 people who came to our country seeking safety are currently on Nauru after being transferred there by Australia.

    The UN decision, which drew on the Commission’s work, is also internationally significant as other countries look to copy aspects of Australia’s harmful policies.

    Instead of prompting a race to the bottom, Australia should be taking the lead on protecting people fleeing violence and persecution and encouraging others to follow our example.   
     

    Hugh de Kretser

    MIL OSI News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) Growing ESG complexity in the year ahead: what companies can expect

    Source: Allens Insights

    ESG continues to evolve 10 min read

    As stakeholder expectations on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) issues continue to evolve, we are seeing a movement build from voluntary standards to domestic regulation. Concurrently, the opposition to ESG-related action is adding to uncertainty and complexity when it comes to legal compliance and alignment with global high watermarks.

    In this Insight, we take stock of the ESG journey and reflect on the trends to look out for in 2025 and beyond.

    Key takeaways

    • Growing uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is expected to raise complexity and costs for companies in achieving regulatory compliance. The shift from a more global consensus on climate and environmental commitments, ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions, presenting new challenges for companies navigating competing pro- and anti-ESG regulatory trends.
    • Companies that are revisiting their sustainability and ESG-related claims and commitments amid heightened reputational and legal exposures over ‘greenwashing’ risk will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of public commitments with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders, including scrutiny of perceived ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’.
    • Litigation risk remains a key challenge for businesses navigating ESG obligations and evolving stakeholder expectations. Potential claims are expanding to include directors’ duties and emerging intersectional ESG issues, including nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. Non-judicial forums such as complaints to OECD National Contact Points are likely to remain attractive for stakeholders seeking behavioural change.
    • Regardless of whether companies and their directors elect to recalibrate their ESG policies, companies should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and retain evidence to support that view and regarding the reasonable grounds for key decisions.

    Who in your organisation needs to know about this?

    Boards; general counsel and legal; sustainability; regulatory and compliance; cultural heritage and communities teams; external affairs.

    A recap of 2024

    New ESG legislation, an uptick in regulatory enforcement and the rising expectations of investors and other stakeholders are elevating ESG issues to the top of boardroom agendas.

    In 2024, we saw the multi-jurisdictional trend of new ESG due diligence and reporting laws continue in places like the EU and California, adding to recent regulatory developments in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada and elsewhere. Australian companies have been responding, even if not directly in scope, as these new legal requirements flow through from customers and clients.

    Combating alleged ‘greenwashing’ and ‘bluewashing’—being claims that environmental and social disclosures are false, misleading or have no reasonable basis—has become an enforcement priority for Australia’s corporate regulators. In November 2024, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) confirmed greenwashing and misleading conduct involving ESG claims would remain an enforcement priority in 2025.

    Activists and strategic litigants have deployed strategies in and out of the courtroom seeking to influence corporate behaviour. While the majority of cases have commenced in the US, Australia consistently comes a close second, with cases increasingly focusing on the intersection between the environment and human rights, including the rights of First Nations peoples.

    Alongside these developments, the backlash against ESG action increased in 2024 and was a key issue during elections in the US and across the EU. In the US, laws have been passed restricting ESG-related investment decisions, which have impacted investment flows, while legal challenges have delayed the implementation of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate-related financial disclosure rules. Some financial institutions and asset managers are moving away from membership of voluntary ESG commitments, such as the Net Zero Asset Managers and Net Zero Banking Alliance initiatives.1 

    Looking ahead to 2025

    Deregulation may increase uncertainty and complexity for companies

    The conversation around deregulation is already becoming more pronounced in 2025, in light of recent political developments and as ESG regulatory changes take effect.

    Upon commencing his second term in office on 20 January 2025, President Trump’s executive orders have so far included:

    • withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement (for a second time); and
    • revoking the country’s financial commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the US International Climate Finance Plan.

    His nominations to environmental protection and corporate regulatory agencies may foreshadow a further rollback of measures on:

    • anti-pollution;
    • emissions reduction; and
    • climate-related financial disclosures.

    The wave of new executive orders has already sought to wind back the Biden Administration’s ESG policies (including those encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles).

    In the EU, the outcome of a new omnibus proposal aiming to streamline various Green Deal sustainability regulations is due to be released by 26 February 2025. It is possible the proposal will include delays in implementation, while a recently leaked European Commission strategy paper for streamlining the Commission’s regulatory processes suggests there may be a greater focus on reducing the regulatory burden for small and medium-sized companies.

    This uncertainty around upcoming ESG legislation is likely to mean increased complexity and costs for companies associated with achieving regulatory compliance. A move away from a more global consensus on ESG due diligence and reporting requirements may result in deeper fragmentation of laws across jurisdictions. Companies will continue to face challenges in navigating these pro- and anti-ESG regulations across different jurisdictions.

    At the same time, disasters such as the Los Angeles fires will keep ESG issues in the public consciousness, and deregulation is unlikely to be aligned with the evolving high watermark to which stakeholders are holding companies to account. We anticipate an increase in ESG litigation as activists continue to pursue behavioural change by governments and companies in the courts.

    ESG as a ‘dirty word’: greenhushing and greywashing

    While many companies continue to take voluntary action on ESG issues, some are revisiting their ESG commitments in light of the increasingly contested and politicised environment, as well as the heightened reputational and legal exposures associated with sustainability and ESG-related public claims and commitments.

    The paring back of existing commitments will continue to be scrutinised by regulators and civil society, and we anticipate that allegations of ‘greenhushing’ or ‘greywashing’ may develop.

    ‘Greenhushing’ refers to deliberately withholding information about sustainability goals and achievements.

    ‘Greywashing’ refers to setting strategies and policies that are too watered down, unambitious, qualified or ambiguous to result in meaningful change. 

    ASIC Chair Joe Longo has described greenhushing as ‘just another form of greenwashing’, which ‘risks misleading by omission’, referring to the annual Net Zero Report issued by South Pole which highlighted a substantial decrease in climate communications across a number of sectors.

    Companies will need to continue to balance accuracy and appropriateness of commitments while maintaining flexibility in the changing political environment, with the risk of being perceived as laggards by their stakeholders.

    The ESG litigation field expands

    Despite the mixed successes of recent ESG claims, we expect activists will continue to pursue strategic litigation to extract concessions from governments and companies and effect behavioural change.

    ESG claims have expanded beyond the traditional higher-emitting sectors. Stakeholders are looking more widely at targets and potential claims with the objective of disrupting capital flows, including scrutinising companies’ exposure through their financing activities and broader value chains. We expect that financial institutions will remain a target of stakeholder scrutiny, and that claims and complaints will continue to explore the intersection between climate change and issues such as nature and biodiversity, human rights and plastics. The use of new technologies such as AI and carbon capture and storage (or CCS) is also attracting activist scrutiny.

    In 2025, decisions from the International Court of Justice and Australian courts may clarify legal obligations related to climate change, particularly in tort law, potentially impacting future corporate liability for alleged climate change impacts.

    Non-curial avenues such as the OECD National Contact Points and UN Special Procedures are already a well-tested forum on ESG issues. Complainants are likely to be interested in exploring the recent updates to the OECD Guidelines on matters such as climate change and biodiversity. The Australian National Contact point may also be utilised by stakeholders in response to the three-year modified liability regime under the new mandatory climate-related financial reporting regime introduced from 1 January 2025, which prevents private litigation in respect of certain ‘protected statements’ for a period of time.

    International discussions will continue to influence private actors

    Despite failures by state parties to reach agreement at 2024’s UN biodiversity and plastic forums, discourse surrounding the negotiations appears to be sharpening corporate and civil society focus, including through an uptick in plastics-related litigation and campaigns. The next UN biodiversity COP taking place in Rome in February this year, and international negotiations will continue on a treaty to address the full lifecycle of plastic—from production to design and disposal.

    Another emerging focus area for companies is Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), particularly in the life sciences and mining sectors. A new treaty on genetic resources and traditional knowledge was concluded at the international level in 2024 under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will require inventors to disclose the source of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in patent applications. After many years of diplomatic efforts by countries including Australia, this is the first multilateral treaty specifically relating to traditional knowledge, and efforts continue to protect traditional cultural expressions at the international level. It remains to be seen how this significant step at the international level will affect the discourse concerning the need for sui generis ICIP legislation in Australia.

    Subject matter trends 

    Implications of US exit from international climate change commitments and shift in domestic energy policy

    The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement introduces a new element of uncertainty for global efforts to address climate change. It remains to be seen whether the Trump Administration’s decision will leave the US as an outlier in international climate and energy policy, or if it may have a broader chilling effect on global cooperation on climate change and other emerging environmental issues.

    President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, has already reaffirmed that ‘Europe will stay the course’ and reaffirmed the EU’s commitments to the Paris Agreement. A net zero-focused bipartisan alliance of 24 State Governors has also vowed to sustain and advance climate action in the US.  

    The new US administration has also embarked on a significant gear change in US domestic energy policy.

    • Executive orders have been effected to declare a ‘national energy emergency’.
    • This expedites the permitting of oil and gas projects (specifically in Alaska) and temporarily suspends new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review.
    • The US Federal Reserve has also withdrawn from the Network for Greening the Financial System—an international group of central banks, including the Reserve Bank of Australia, that analyses the economic fallout from climate change.
    • The Office of Management and Budget also ordered a temporary pause on grant funding by federal agencies for activities implicated by the new executive orders, including renewable energy and climate and atmospheric research programs. The order was subsequently rescinded after an urgent legal challenge by non-profits successfully sought an injunction.

    These changes are likely to lead to legal challenges, further adding to the uncertainties faced by businesses navigating the new energy policy environment. As the Trump Administration seeks to encourage investment in the oil and gas sectors, we also expect stakeholders to intensify their scrutiny of companies’ exposure to higher-emitting projects.

    Methane emissions

    International initiatives to reduce methane emissions have been gaining industry and national support:

    • the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is now active in over a dozen countries and has been endorsed by 57 companies.
    • the Global Methane Pledge launched at COP26 in 2021 by the EU and US has received 159 country endorsements as of 2024, including Australia’s.

    Several countries have moved to impose stricter regulations on methane emissions. In May 2024, the EU introduced its Methane Regulation requiring increased monitoring, detection and reduction of methane emissions. Additional import restrictions will extend to gas imported into the Eurozone from 2027. In November 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced new regulations on the emission of methane from crude-oil and natural gas facilities.

    New and expanded gas projects (and related infrastructure and supply chains) remain a focus of campaigning and shareholder activism on fugitive methane emissions by organisations such as Market Forces.

    Biodiversity and nature

    Countries are moving to implement their national commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

    • Australia’s Nature Repair Market is set to open for business in 2025, operating in a similar fashion to the existing carbon market, to incentivise projects to protect and restore the environment through biodiversity credits.
    • The EU’s Regulation on Nature Restoration entered into force in August 2024, and the Canadian Government has moved to legislate a Nature Accountability Bill as part of its 2030 Nature Strategy released in June 2024.
    • However, the future of the Canadian bill is now uncertain due to the suspension of all parliamentary business after Parliament was prorogued on 6 January 2025 following the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. While Canada’s next general election is scheduled for 20 October 2025, opposition parties have foreshadowed a no-confidence motion when the next parliamentary session resumes on 24 March which, if successful, may trigger an early vote.

    Several jurisdictions are also moving to address deforestation in supply chains, with measures including import restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    • The EU’s Regulation on Deforestation-free Products will enter into effect from 30 December 2025 and require certain commodities and derived products to be ‘deforestation-free’ if placed, made available on or exported through the EU common market.

    The UK is also developing its own Forest Risk Commodity Regulation,2 which would also impose commodity-based restrictions and due diligence requirements.

    Plastics pollution and the circular economy

    A growing number of jurisdictions are introducing restrictions on plastic products, including single-use and microplastics.

    • The EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive came into force in 2024, and the European Commission has proposed additional measures to prevent the unintentional release of plastic pellets.
    • In the US, the State of California has commenced proceedings against Exxon Mobil and PepsiCo Inc in relation to allegedly misleading the public regarding plastics pollution.
    • In Australia, the ACCC commenced enforcement proceedings against Clorox Australia Pty Ltd in April 2024 for alleged greenwashing over claims relating to its ‘GLAD’ plastic bag products.
    The right to water

    From the Murray-Darling Basin to the Great Barrier Reef and beyond, we expect to see preservation of, and access to, water resources increase in priority for stakeholders as an issue that crosses geographical and jurisdictional boundaries.

    Access to water and sanitation is recognised as a fundamental human right by the UN General Assembly, and stakeholders are raising issues around water security, water quality, contamination by microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals, access to water resources for agriculture, and ensuring First Nations peoples’ interests and connection to water are taken into account.

    Modern slavery reporting reforms

    In December 2024, the federal Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) published the Government’s response to the 2023 statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (MSA). The response follows the appointment of Australia’s first national Anti-Slavery Commissioner, who is expected to lead in the implementation of modern slavery reporting reforms.

    The Government has agreed (in full, in part, or in principle) to 25 of the 30 recommendations from the review, including the need to strengthen the compliance and enforcement framework under the MSA. The Government agreed in principle to the introduction of a penalty regime—details are not yet available, but the Government is expected to consult with stakeholders in 2025.

    One issue that remains unresolved is the status of proposals for mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) by reporting entities under the MSA. The Government has ‘noted’ the recommendation to introduce HRDD; however, it has indicated that the AGD will engage with stakeholders on HRDD as part of the next stage of implementation.

    The introduction of mandatory HRDD would align Australia with a number of jurisdictions that have introduced supply chain due diligence requirements, most notably the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive adopted by the European Parliament in 2024. The Canadian Government has proposed new supply chain due diligence legislation, while a parliamentary review of the UK’s modern slavery legislation has recommended the introduction of due diligence obligations.

    The timeline for legislative amendments to the MSA may be complicated by the federal election, which is due to occur before 17 May 2025.

    Navigating AI in the employment context

    As AI technologies advance, companies will need to navigate the social issues raised due to the use of AI in the workplace.

    Already, we are seeing increasing use of AI in hiring practices such as the screening of job applications. Based on how the algorithm was trained, AI can perpetuate biases, potentially leading to harmful or discriminatory outputs for individuals, groups or communities and arguably resulting in adverse human rights impacts.

    In the US, we are seeing court cases alleging unlawful discrimination where AI tools have been used for hiring, insurance claims and rental applications.3 We anticipate Australian businesses may face similar claims if AI is used without accounting for the risk of inherent bias.

    The rate of change brought by advancements in AI technology is not only front of mind for employers, but also for employees concerned about its implications. In October 2024, it was reported that Cbus and its employees had agreed to a first-of-its-kind enterprise agreement dealing with protections for employees if or when the super fund introduces AI technologies. The agreement contains an agreed definition of AI, and provides that Cbus must consult with staff on any changes that impact them in relation to AI.

    Rights of First Nations peoples

    In 2025, the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is set to continue its inquiry into the Truth and Justice Commission Bill 2024. The Bill seeks to establish a Commission to make recommendations to Parliament on historic and ongoing injustices against First Nations Australians. The Australian Law Reform Commission is also taking submissions as part of its review of the ‘future acts’ regime in the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), with a final report to be delivered by December 2025. For more, see our Insight.

    There are increasing demands on industry to consult First Nations stakeholders in their decision-making and operations, and to engage in benefit-sharing with Traditional Owners, with an emerging focus on the clean energy sector. The First Nations Clean Energy Network has published Best Practices Principles to help First Nations communities in Australia to share in the benefits of renewable energy projects, including calling for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) standards to apply throughout the lifecycle of projects.

    We expect that international, ‘soft law’ standards will continue to evolve. For example, the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) recently updated its Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement to emphasise the responsibility of mining companies to achieve FPIC through meaningful engagement and good faith negotiation with Traditional Owners. Although the new standard goes beyond the current position in the Native Title Act and many cultural heritage laws in Australia, it is possible it will become a benchmark for mining companies in Australia—see our Insight.

    Addressing misconduct impacting First Nations peoples also remains an enforcement priority for ASIC.

    Diversity and inclusion

    Diversity, equity and inclusion policies and initiatives have also become the subject of backlash in the United States through three executive orders signed by President Trump, with one executive order foreshadowing regulatory action to ‘encourage’ private sector employers to dismantle diversity programs that have been based on federal anti-discrimination law.

    This backlash has already placed diversity on the political agenda in Australia, and the discussion around diversity policies and initiatives is likely to increase in the lead-up to the federal election this year.

    Company culture and governance issues in the spotlight

    Corporate culture is an ongoing boardroom issue and recent examples underscore the importance of accountability, transparency and strong and ethical corporate governance.

    • Cultural concerns: in the wake of federal Respect@Work reforms, a number of prominent Australian brands have been in the spotlight regarding whistleblower complaints on cultural issues. Widespread media reporting has led some companies to launch internal investigations to respond to shareholder concern and address reputational damage in the community.
    • Regulatory scrutiny: in addition to reputational damage, there is also now a real prospect of scrutiny from regulators in relation to corporate cultural issues. In its updated enforcement priorities announced on 14 November 2024, ASIC reaffirmed its commitment to addressing governance and directors’ duties failures as an enduring enforcement priority for 2025. As an example, ASIC commenced proceedings against Regional Express Holdings Limited and several of its directors for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and for contraventions of continuous disclosure obligations in relation to ASX announcements about the company’s financial position prior to entering into voluntary administration in July 2024.
    Navigating complexities in AI and ESG reporting

    As ESG reporting obligations expand in Australia and overseas, AI will become an increasingly attractive tool for companies seeking to reduce the time needed for data gathering and drafting.

    However, the use of AI may also present legal, regulatory and reputational risk:

    • Environmental impacts associated with the training and use of AI models. This includes increased demand for electricity consumption; the water footprint associated with training and maintaining AI models; and electronic waste generation.
    • Susceptibility to bias, which may result in errors that could lead to misleading statements or discriminatory outputs.
    • Privacy concerns from the use of sensitive or personal information without consent. Privacy law reforms introduced in late 2024 require companies to disclose when they will be using AI automated decision-making (see our Insight).
    • Human rights implications such as discrimination or potential harm to vulnerable groups such as children or workers in the AI supply chain.
    • Regulatory scrutiny on the use of AI, as indicated by the increased regulatory guidance available to companies, including Australia’s new Voluntary AI Safety Standard, the European Parliament’s AI regulations, and ASIC’s report on ‘Governance arrangements in the face of AI innovation’.

    Actions you can take now

    • Regardless of whether ESG policies are recalibrated in light of growing uncertainty around legislative frameworks and the anti-ESG backlash, companies and directors should ensure they are satisfied that their chosen course of action is in the best interests of the company, and gather evidence to support that view.
    • The influence of new legislation is being felt on companies even where not directly in scope. Consider adopting a higher water mark approach appropriate to the company’s risk profile and appetite to future proof against evolving stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements.
    • Understand the scope of the company’s voluntary commitments and what these entail, including in international law.
    • When refreshing policies and procedures, look at these through the lens of emerging areas of focus. Consider if your policies fit for purpose and reflect emerging risk areas.
    • Consider the role of legal—privilege can be a useful tool where appropriate, given the regulatory and risk environment.

    MIL OSI News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Around 3% of us will develop a brain aneurysm in our lives. So what is it and how do you treat it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

    Elif Bayraktar/Shutterstock

    Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands announced on air yesterday that he has a brain aneurysm and needs urgent brain surgery.

    Typically an aneurysm occurs when a part of the wall of an artery (a type of blood vessel) becomes stretched and bulges out.

    You can get an aneurysm in any blood vessel, but they are most common in the brain’s arteries and the aorta, the large artery that leaves the heart.

    Many people can have a brain aneurysm and never know. But a brain (or aortic) aneurysm that ruptures and bursts can be fatal.

    So, what causes a brain aneurysm? And what’s the risk of rupture?

    Weakness in the artery wall

    Our arteries need strong walls because blood is constantly pumped through them and pushed against the walls.

    An aneurysm can develop if there is a weak part of an artery wall.

    The walls of arteries are made of three layers: an inner lining of cells, a middle layer of muscle and elastic fibres, and a tough outer layer of mostly collagen (a type of protein). Damage to any of these layers causes the wall to become thin and stretched. It can then balloon outward, leading to an aneurysm.

    Genetics and certain inherited disorders can cause weak artery walls and brain aneurysms in some people.

    For all of us, our artery walls become weaker as we age, and brain aneurysms are more common as we get older. The average age for a brain aneurysm to be detected is 50 (Sandilands is 53).

    Females have a higher risk of brain aneurysm than males after about age 50. Declining oestrogen around menopause reduces the collagen in the artery wall, causing it to become weaker.

    An illustration showing a brain aneurysm.
    A brain aneurysm occurs when a part of the wall of an artery balloons out.
    Alfmaler/Shutterstock

    High blood pressure can increase the risk of a brain aneurysm. In someone with high blood pressure, blood inside the arteries is pushed against the walls with greater force. This can stretch and weaken the artery walls.

    Another common condition called atherosclerosis can also cause brain aneurysms. In atherosclerosis, plaques made mostly of fat build up in arteries and stick to the artery walls. This directly damages the cell lining, and weakens the muscle and elastic fibres in the middle layer of the artery wall.

    Several lifestyle factors increase risk

    Anything that increases inflammation or causes atherosclerosis or high blood pressure in turn increases your risk of a brain aneurysm.

    Smoking and heavy drinking affect all of these, and nicotine directly damages the artery wall.

    Sandilands mentioned his cocaine use in discussing his diagnosis. He said:

    The facts are, a life of cocaine abuse and partying are not the way to go.

    Indeed, cocaine abuse increases the risk of a brain aneurysm. It causes very high blood pressure because it causes arteries to spasm and constrict. Cocaine use is also linked to worse outcomes if a brain aneurysm ruptures.

    Stress and a high-fat diet also increase inflammation. High cholesterol can also cause atherosclerosis. And being overweight increases your blood pressure.

    A study of more than 60,000 people found smoking and high blood pressure were the strongest risk factors for a brain aneurysm.

    Is it always a medical emergency?

    About three in 100 people will have a brain aneurysm, varying in size from less than 5mm to more than 25mm in diameter. The majority are only discovered while undergoing imaging for something else (for example, head trauma), because small aneurysms may not cause any symptoms.

    Larger aneurysms can cause symptoms because they can press against brain tissues and nerves.

    Sandilands described “a lot of headache problems” leading up to his diagnosis. Headaches can be due to minor leaks of blood from the aneurysm. They indicate a risk of the aneurysm rupturing in subsequent days or weeks.

    Less than one in 100 brain aneurysms will rupture, often called a “brain bleed”. This causes a subarachnoid haemorrhage, which is a type of stroke.

    If it does occur, rupture of a brain aneurysm is life-threatening: nearly one in four people will die within 24 hours, and one in two within three months.

    If someone’s brain aneurysm ruptures, they usually experience a sudden, severe headache, often described as a “thunderclap headache”. They may also have other symptoms of a stroke such as changes in vision, loss of movement, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

    Surgeons performing brain surgery under lights.
    Surgery can repair a brain aneurysm, and stop it from rupturing.
    Roman Zaiets/Shutterstock

    Surgery can prevent a rupture

    Whether surgery will be used to treat a brain aneurysm depends on its size and location, as well as the age and health of the patient. The medical team will balance the potential benefits with the risks of the surgery.

    A small aneurysm with low risk of rupture will usually just be monitored.

    However, once a brain aneurysm reaches 7mm or more, surgery is generally needed.

    In surgery to repair a brain aneurysm, the surgeon will temporarily remove a small part of the skull, then cut through the coverings of the brain to place a tiny metal clip to close off the bulging part of the aneurysm.

    Another option is endovascular (meaning within the vessel) coiling. A surgeon can pass a catheter into the femoral artery in the thigh, through the aorta to the brain. They can then place a coil inside the aneurysm which forms a clot to close off the aneurysm sac.

    After either surgery, usually the person will stay in hospital for up to a week. It can take 6–8 weeks for full recovery, though doctors may continue monitoring with annual imaging tests for a few years afterwards.

    You can lower your risk of a brain aneurysm by not smoking, moderating alcohol intake, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight.

    The Conversation

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Around 3% of us will develop a brain aneurysm in our lives. So what is it and how do you treat it? – https://theconversation.com/around-3-of-us-will-develop-a-brain-aneurysm-in-our-lives-so-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-treat-it-248882

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Parliament condemns antisemitism, but can’t avoid the blame game

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Independent Allegra Spender spearheaded a condemnation of antisemitism by federal parliament – but the debate was mired in partisanship.

    The opposition tried to prevent the government bringing on the Spender motion in the House of Representatives, because it said it wanted something stronger and would not be able to amend the motion.  

    Coalition speakers repeatedly used the debate to attack the government for not, in its view, doing enough to combat antisemitism, particularly after the pro-Palestine demonstration at the Opera House in the wake of the Hamas atrocities of October 7 2023.

    Eventually the Spender motion was passed without dissent. It said the House:

    • deplores the appalling and unacceptable rise in antisemitism across Australia – including violent attacks on synagogues, schools, homes, and childcare centres

    • unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms and

    • resolves that all parliamentarians will work constructively together to combat the scourge of antisemitism in Australia.

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Spender had agreed to delete words in an earlier version that would have condemned “all similar hatred directed to any groups in our community”.

    “The member agreed to that form of words being struck out because we don’t think that was necessary. And we also think it is inexplicable to try and mount the argument that this sort of hatred and this sort of racism and this sort of antisemitism is being conveyed against any other pocket of the Australian community.”

    Dutton said the opposition had voted against the government bringing on the motion “because it stopped us from moving amendments […] which would have strengthened the motion and provided stronger support to the community.”

    Spender said combating antisemitism was not just a matter of laws but also of culture.

    “We must lead by example. The message from our parliament today must be unambiguous. We will not stand for hate. We will not stand for abuse.

    “We will not abide intimidation. We will not tolerate the terrorising of any part of our community. We are united against antisemitism. Words must be backed by action, but words matter, particularly those of the parliament.”

    Spender will seek to strengthen the anti-hate bill currently being considered by the parliament.

    The motion was seconded by Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns, who said: “the last six months have been like no other I’ve experienced in this country. And my grandparents came to this country looking for a safe haven for the Jewish people. And over the last six months, we’ve seen cars set alight. We’ve seen synagogues burnt down. We’ve seen Jewish homes and businesses marked. And we have seen childcare centres being burnt down.”

    Anthony Albanese said: “We know that antisemitism has given dark shadows across generations. I say to Jewish Australians, live proudly, stand tall, you belong here and Australia stands with you.”

    Former Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, accused a previous Coalition speaker, Andrew Wallace, who criticised the government, of being “corrosive” on “an issue where we should be coming together”.

    In the Senate, crossbencher Jacqui Lambie moved the same motion as Spender. The opposition unsuccessfully tried to amend it to embrace mandatory sentencing. A member from independent Lidia Thorpe was also defeated and the motion was passed on the voices.

    The Conversation

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Parliament condemns antisemitism, but can’t avoid the blame game – https://theconversation.com/parliament-condemns-antisemitism-but-cant-avoid-the-blame-game-249015

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI China: Thai PM to visit China

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra will pay an official visit to China from Feb. 5 to 8, a foreign ministry spokesperson announced here on Tuesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

    February 4, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Australia: Report of the Online Safety Act Review released

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, today tabled the Report of the Statutory Review of the Online Safety Act 2021.
     
    The independent review examined the operation and effectiveness of the Act and considered whether additional protections are needed to combat online harms, including those posed by emerging technologies.
     
    The report makes 67 recommendations to strengthen Australia’s online safety laws, including changes to existing complaints schemes for those experiencing online harms, stronger penalties for non-compliance by online services, increased transparency requirements for online services, and changes to governance arrangements for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
     
    In line with a key recommendation of the review, the Government has already committed to legislate a Digital Duty of Care. This will put the legal onus on platforms to keep users safe and help prevent online harms.
     
    The Albanese Government announced the independent review in November 2023, bringing forward its commencement by a year.
     
    Completed by Ms Delia Rickard PSM, the review was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, including 72 meetings with industry, civil society, academia, law enforcement, and domestic and international government bodies. The review also considered over 2,200 responses submitted through public consultation.
     
    The Government is continuing to carefully consider all recommendations put forward in the report and will respond in due course.
     
    Read the final report: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Tabled_Documents/9184

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
     
    “The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring the online world is a safe experience for all.
     
    “Our Government has been proactive in ensuring our legislative framework remains fit-for-purpose. That’s why we’ve wasted no time in committing to legislate a Digital Duty of Care to place the onus on online services to keep their users safe.
     
    “We are committed to strengthening our online safety laws to protect Australians – particularly young Australians.”
     

    MIL OSI News –

    February 4, 2025
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