September, 2018

• 15 September

  Blackstone seeks $18bn for biggest realty fund

  Bloomberg Blackstone Group LP expects to raise $18 billion for its biggest real estate fund ever. The firm, already the private equity industry’s largest real estate investor, will have a strategy similar to its last fund, investing in distressed properties globally, according to people with knowledge of the plans. Blackstone’s prior fund gathered $15.8 billion in 2015. Blackstone is seeking ...

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• 15 September

  Equity Residential seeks buyers for two NYC buildings

  

  Bloomberg Publicly traded landlord Equity Residential is marketing two Manhattan apartment buildings, and just completed the sale of a third, as it seeks to reduce its holdings in a rental market that’s softening. The Chicago-based real estate investment trust is looking to sell 800 Sixth Ave., a high-rise tower in Chelsea, and 505 W. 54th St. in Hell’s Kitchen, according ...

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• 15 September

  New iPhone: largest screens, cheaper models

  

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. debuted a trio of iPhones, holding fast to what’s now a familiar strategy: getting new buyers to pay higher prices and gobble up more services, like storage and entertainment, as smartphone market growth slows. The iPhone Xs, starting at $999, succeeds last year’s flagship model with a faster A12 processor and updated cameras. The iPhone Xs Max ...

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• 15 September

  Uber to invest over $150mn in Toronto driverless car hub

  

  Bloomberg Uber Technologies Inc. said it will spend more than $150 million in Toronto to support driverless car research. The five-year investment includes opening an engineering hub in Canada’s biggest city in early 2019 and an expansion of its Advanced Technologies Group, the unit that’s developing much of the company’s autonomous vehicle technology. Last year, Uber began building an artificial ...

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• 15 September

  Toyota ready to share hybrid-car secrets with China

  

  Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing to divulge details of the hybrid-car engine technology it pioneered with the Prius to China in an attempt to catch up with rivals in the world’s biggest auto market. Chinese officials asked Toyota to share its gasoline-electric technology to help local companies meet stricter emissions targets, people familiar with the matter said, asking not ...

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• 15 September

  Airlines’ biofuel-powered flights might soon take off

  

  Bloomberg For years, airlines have experimented with biofuels, aiming to reduce both carbon emissions and their reliance on fossil fuels. It’s been a turbulent journey buffeted by inconsistent investment and the periodic lure of cheap oil. But several major carriers are planning larger-scale usage of biofuel in 2019 and 2020, including JetBlue Airways Corp. and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. United ...

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• 15 September

  Metro weighing its stake sale, partner for China operations

  

  Bloomberg As Metro AG moves towards selling its retail unit to focus on wholesaling, one of its first steps is to weigh the fate of those operations in China. The company said that it’s putting Real, the struggling domestic big-box chain, up for sale. Dusseldorf, Germany-based Metro is also reviewing options for its Chinese Cash & Carry operations, people familiar ...

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• 15 September

  Cathay cancels 400 flights ahead of super typhoon

  

  Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. cancelled more than 400 flights over the next three days and warned of “serious disruptions” for air travellers as Super Typhoon Mangkhut approaches Hong Kong. Other airlines across the region halted flights on Saturday as Mangkhut slammed into the Philippines and was set to disrupt travel from Hong Kong to Japan. Cathay Pacific said earlier ...

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• 15 September

  Sports Direct ‘stabbed in back’ by shareholders

  Bloomberg Billionaire Mike Ashley said he and his Sports Direct International Plc were “stabbed in the back by shareholders” who failed to support former Chairman Keith Hellawell. Hellawell resigned this week at the company’s annual meeting after proxy firm Glass Lewis accused the board of “poor governance” and urged shareholders to vote against his re-election. The company has long been ...

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• 15 September

  Drone army ready to swoop in for Florence power recovery

  

  Bloomberg As Hurricane Florence batters the southeastern US, a small army of drones is being assembled to quickly help identify and even fix damage caused by the storm. At least 53 drone teams have been recruited to help with damage assessment, said Brian Reil, a spokesman for Edison Electric Institute, the Washington-based industry group coordinating utility recovery efforts. Each team ...

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