The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Mindful Money

KiwiSaver Investment in “Companies of Concern” Climbs to $11.1 Billion, even as Kiwis invest for positive outcomes at home

New analysis of KiwiSaver portfolio holdings to March 2026 shows New Zealanders’ retirement savings are increasingly split between rapidly growing investment in clean energy leaders and rising exposure to fossil fuel expansion, human rights violations, environmental harm and nuclear weapons production.

The best way to verify ethical claims made by KiwiSaver funds is not to take fund managers at their word, since most claim to invest responsibly,  but to track where the money actually goes. Mindful Money’s latest analysis, covering portfolio holdings across 417 funds to the end of March 2026, does exactly that, tracing $143 billion of KiwiSaver investment down to the specific companies.

Barry Coates, co-CEO of Mindful Money explained: “The public have little trust in the claims of ethical, ESG or responsible investment practices by their KiwiSaver providers. This report adds up investments across all of the KiwiSaver funds and finds the public are justified in being sceptical about the claims.” 

“KiwiSaver members can find out the real story of where their money goes by visiting Mindful Money. We are a charity that provides that information for free.”

The good and the bad

The results of the data analysis show a mixed picture. On one hand, New Zealanders’ KiwiSaver funds are increasingly backing the companies driving the country’s shift to clean energy and climate resilience.

Five of the six companies receiving the largest KiwiSaver investment are New Zealand businesses delivering positive outcomes: Contact Energy, Meridian Energy, Mercury Energy, Kāinga Ora and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. That is a strong endorsement, by our KiwiSaver providers, of the companies building the infrastructure the country needs.

Barry Coates said: “Our retirement savings can make a huge contribution towards responding to our urgent challenges. After years of ignoring this agenda, some of the leading KiwiSaver fund managers are at last investing for the common good.”

On the other hand, total KiwiSaver investment in the issues that New Zealanders consistently say they want their investments to avoid has now reached $11.1 billion. This is equivalent to 7.8% of the total KiwiSaver fund pool. That is a significant sum of Kiwis’ hard-earned retirement savings invested in companies whose practices most New Zealanders want to avoid.

Where the money is going

Fossil fuel production remains the largest single category of concern, with $5.18 billion invested (3.62% of total KiwiSaver funds), a rise of 30% over the past six months. This includes growing investment in major oil, gas and coal producers still expanding production rather than transitioning away from fossil fuels, including BHP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Santos and Woodside. Increases in this category over the period were driven particularly by Milford, ANZ and Fisher Funds increasing their holdings, while Aurora reduced its exposure. War in Ukraine and Iran has spiked oil and gas prices, but the long term future is for rapid declines in fossil fuel production.

Investment in companies linked to human rights violations sits close behind, at $3.76 billion (2.63%). A significant driver has been increased investment in Rio Tinto, a company with a long record of harm to local communities, indigenous peoples and the environment through its mining operations, and in Thermo Fisher Scientific, which faces ongoing concerns over the use of its products to support surveillance by the Chinese state. Milford, Fisher Funds and ANZ increased their holdings in companies flagged for human rights concerns over the period, while Simplicity and BNZ reduced theirs.

Environmental harm accounted for $1.78 billion (1.25%) of KiwiSaver investment, with notable increases in holdings of Corteva and UPL Ltd, both agrichemical companies whose products, including highly hazardous chemicals and PFAS (“forever chemicals”), pose risks to human health and the environment. ANZ, Mercer and Sharesies increased their exposure to this category, while Milford and MAS reduced theirs.

Animal cruelty investment reached $1.52 billion (1.06%), with increases linked to factory farming giants JBS and Tyson. JBS in particular has drawn international criticism not only for animal welfare practices but for its role in driving deforestation through its supply chains.

Weapons investment totalled $612 million (0.43%) an increase of 15% over the six months to March 2026. After years of declining investment in nuclear, there has been a rise in investments in nuclear weapons production through RTX (formerly Raytheon), Honeywell and Lockheed Martin. Sharesies, InvestNow and Generate increased their holdings of nuclear weapons producers over the period, while AMP, Goalsgetter and MAS reduced theirs.

Social harm, the traditional ethical categories of tobacco, gambling, alcohol and pornography,  remains the smallest category of concern, at $444 million (0.31%). This reflects the fact that these issues are relatively easy for fund managers to define and screen out, and many major KiwiSaver providers have had long-standing policies to exclude them. Surprisingly, there were increases in tobacco producers such as Philip Morris and BAT by Sharesies, Kernel and ANZ. 

Cashing in on global disruption

Taken together, these figures show a widening gap between the outcomes New Zealanders say they want from their KiwiSaver savings and where a meaningful slice of that money is actually invested. Surveys consistently show that human rights violations are the single issue New Zealanders are most concerned about avoiding in their investments, followed closely by weapons and animal cruelty. Yet these are precisely the categories where KiwiSaver providers have made the least progress, and in several cases have gone backwards.

Barry Coates explained: “The latest KiwiSaver investment data shows funds chasing investments in companies profiting from war, environmental damage and harmful company practices. Some Kiwis are fine with making money from the misery of others. But many others aren’t. Now they have the information to make informed choices.” 

The sharp increase in nuclear weapons investment is particularly striking. While most KiwiSaver providers have policies excluding investment in landmines or cluster munitions, far fewer exclude the catastrophic category of nuclear weapons production, despite New Zealand’s long-standing national identity as a nuclear-free country and strong public opposition to nuclear weapons.

Similarly, the increases in fossil fuel investment come at a time when the economic case for renewable energy continues to strengthen. Renewable energy is now the cheapest and most efficient source of new energy generation in most markets, and fossil fuel companies face growing risks of stranded assets as production peaks and then declines globally. 

Barry Coates added: “KiwiSaver providers chasing short-term returns from fossil fuel expansion are taking on financial and climate risks that a genuine transition strategy would avoid.”

A tale of two portfolios

The strong flows into Contact, Meridian, Mercury, Kāinga Ora and Fisher & Paykel show that KiwiSaver providers are capable of directing significant capital toward companies delivering positive impact for New Zealand. Later this year, Mindful Money will launch a major new project, providing free information to the New Zealand public on investments by KiwiSaver funds into companies that generate positive outcomes. 

This investment in supporting the transition to renewable energy, providing affordable housing and supporting healthcare sits uneasily alongside the desperate drive for short term profits at any cost. Mindful Money believes that responsible funds should not sacrifice their principles in the sugar hit from short term profits, driven by policies largely influenced by President Trump – war and conflict, nuclear weapons, fossil fuel disruption and unregulated toxic chemicals.

Individual fund managers show real divergence in their approach. Some, such as Simplicity, BNZ, Aurora and MAS, have reduced their exposure to one or more categories of concern over the period. Others, including Milford, ANZ, Fisher Funds, Mercer, Sharesies, InvestNow and Generate, increased their holdings in at least one category flagged as a concern to the New Zealand public.  

Finding an ethical fund

KiwiSaver members do not have to accept this gap between their values and their investments. A small group of “Mindful Funds” meet Mindful Money’s ethical criteria, combining strong ethical standards with solid financial performance, including funds from Pathfinder Asset Management, Generate, Simplicity, Booster SRI Funds, Harbour Asset Management, MAS and Always Ethical.

Members of the public can check exactly what their own KiwiSaver fund is invested in, and find a fund that better aligns with their values, for free, at mindfulmoney.nz.

About Mindful Money

Mindful Money is an independent New Zealand charity that empowers Kiwis to align their investments with their values, by tracking where KiwiSaver and managed fund money actually goes, and helping members of the public find funds that meet their ethical standards.

Notes: Full data tables and methodology are available on request. Figures are based on Mindful Money’s analysis of reported portfolio holdings for 417 KiwiSaver funds as at March 2026.

MIL OSI

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Outlook Summary

Regional predictions for the next three months:

• Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty
• Central North Island, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Wellington
• Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa
• Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Buller
• West Coast, Alps and foothills, inland Otago and Southland Coastal Canterbury, east Otago.

Outlook Summary

• El Niño conditions persist in the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean, and by all measures the event has strengthened over the last month – including the strongest atmospheric measurements on record for July. We remain in its early stages; impacts on New Zealand’s weather patterns are yet to be fully felt, but are anticipated during this outlook period.

• Air flow patterns are expected to eventually favour a prevailing westerly direction, characteristic of El Niño conditions, as the season progresses. This is expected to be more apparent from mid-spring onwards.

• Seasonal air temperatures for August – October 2026 are most likely to be near average for the east of the North Island. They are about equally likely to be near average or above average for all other New Zealand regions. This does not preclude occasional cold outbreaks, for example in early August, which are a typical aspect of late winter and spring weather patterns.

• Rainfall totals for August – October 2026 are about equally likely to be near normal or below normal for the north and east of the South Island, and the east of the North Island. Rainfall is most likely to be below normal for the remainder of the North Island. Meanwhile, rainfall is most likely to be above normal for the west of the South Island.

• New Zealand has experienced several heavy rain events from the north over the past year.

These northerly rain events have already reduced in frequency in recent months, and this trend is expected to continue. The main heavy rain threat instead is expected to shift toward the western and lower South Island.

• The likelihood of below normal rainfall in several regions is likely to translate to below normal groundwater recharge, creating challenges for water-reliant sectors.

• During August – October 2026, soil moisture levels and river flows are expected to be near normal or below normal for the east and north of both islands, the west of the North Island, and the north of the South Island. In the west of the South Island, they are expected to be near normal or above normal.

• Warmer-than-average subsurface ocean temperature anomalies have continued to strengthen and expand across the tropical Pacific, providing clear support for El Niño to intensify further and reach the very strong category in the coming months. Dynamical and statistical forecast guidance concurs, with approximately a 90% likelihood that the event will reach or exceed very strong intensity during the outlook period.

• Peak El Niño conditions are most likely to occur during the austral summer of 2026–27, with the potential for this event to have significant impacts. It is likely to develop into one of the strongest in recent history, as anticipated over the last few months (see El Niño declared, expected to intensify into one of the strongest on record).

• El Niño-related influences on regional weather patterns are expected to become more apparent later during spring as ENSO signals continue to strengthen. In New Zealand, this is expected to favour periods of active westerlies, bringing an increased risk of unusually windy conditions and notable temperature variability. How widespread and persistent these conditions become will depend on the location and strength of nearby high-pressure systems.

• Other climate drivers and intraseasonal oscillations, for example, the Indian Ocean Dipole, the Southern Annular Mode and the Madden Julian Oscillation will still contribute to New Zealand weather patterns, though El Niño is expected to be most dominant. In general, these other drivers are moving into phases which support El Niño-like impacts.

• Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW) are historically rare in the Southern Hemisphere, but in recent years have become more common. Predictability is limited, but there is justification for enhanced monitoring over the coming weeks. If an SSW does occur, its impacts on New Zealand weather patterns can be delayed by a month or more.

• Out-of-season Southwest Pacific tropical cyclones (July–October) are extremely rare. When they do occur, it is almost always under El Niño conditions. This remote risk does not currently factor into New Zealand’s current Seasonal Climate Outlook, although active monitoring remains in place.

Regional predictions for August – October 2026

The tables below show the probabilities (or percent chances) for each of three categories: above average, near average, and below average. In the absence of any forecast guidance there would be an equal likelihood (33% chance) of the outcome for any of the three categories. Forecast information from local and global guidance models is used to indicate the deviation from equal chance that is expected for the coming three-month period. All outlooks are for the three months averaged as a whole. During these three months, there will inevitably be relatively wet and dry periods, as well as hot and cold periods. The exact range in temperature and rainfall within each of the three categories varies with location and season. However, as a guide, the “near average” or middle category for the temperature predictions includes deviations up to ±0.5°C relative to the long-term mean, whereas for rainfall the “near normal” category lies between 80 percent and 120 percent of the long-term (1991-2020) mean.

Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are about equally likely to be above average (40% chance) or near average (45% chance).

• Rainfall totals are most likely to be below normal (50% chance).

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (40% chance) or below normal (45% chance).

Central North Island, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Wellington

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are about equally likely to be near average (40% chance) or above average (45% chance).

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be below normal (40% chance) or near normal (35% chance).

• Soil moisture levels are equally likely to be near normal (45% chance) or below normal (45% chance).

• River flows are about equally likely to be near normal (45% chance) or below normal (40 – 45% chance).

Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are most likely to be near average (45% chance).

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be below normal (45% chance) or near normal (40% chance) for the outlook period as a whole.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (45% chance) or below normal (40% chance).

Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Buller

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are equally likely to be near average (40% chance) or above average (40% chance). The likelihood of increased temperature variability, including larger swings between warm and cool conditions, as well as periods of unusually windy weather, is expected to increase during spring.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be below normal (40% chance) or near normal (35% chance).

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are equally likely to be near normal (45% chance) or below normal (45% chance).

West Coast, Southern Alps and foothills, inland Otago, Southland

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are equally likely to be near average (40% chance) or above average (40% chance).

• Rainfall totals are most likely to be above normal (50% chance). The risk of active weather events, including heavy rainfall and strong winds, is forecast to increase during spring.

• Soil moisture levels are most likely to be near normal (50% chance).

• River flows are equally likely to be near normal (40% chance) or above normal (40% chance).

Coastal Canterbury and the nearby plains, east Otago

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average.

• Temperatures are about equally likely to be above average (45% chance) or near average (40% chance). The likelihood of increased temperature variability, including larger swings between warm and cool conditions, as well as periods of unusually windy weather, is expected to increase during spring.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be below normal (40% chance) or near normal (35% chance).

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (45% chance) or below normal (40% chance).

The full probability breakdown is:

Graphical representation of the regional probabilities

Background

During July 2026, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) trended strongly negative, reaching its most negative July value on record since 1951, consistent with El Niño conditions. Based on daily observations through 29 July, the monthly SOI value was -3.4.

Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific continued to strengthen during July 2026, with positive anomalies now extending along the entire Equator east of the International Date Line. The Relative Niño 3.4 Index (RONI) averaged +1.4°C over the 30 days ending 29 July, well above the El Niño threshold. During August, the RONI is forecast to exceed +1.5°C, the threshold for a strong El Niño event. The current pattern of equatorial SST anomalies is consistent with the rapid development of a canonical El Niño event, similar to those of 1997/98 and 1982/83, in which the strongest warming is concentrated in the eastern rather than central Pacific.

During July, subsurface ocean temperatures across the equatorial Pacific were markedly above average and intensified further, particularly in the eastern Pacific (east of ~160°W). Temperature anomalies locally exceeded +8°C, occurring between depths of around 150 m (centred near 150°W) and 50 m (close to the South American coast). These subsurface anomalies are also continuing to be expressed at the surface, hence the continuing increases in the Relative Niño 3.4 Index.

Positive upper-ocean heat content anomalies (0-300 m) remain firmly established along the Equator east of the International Date Line. The magnitude of this subsurface heat reservoir is consistent with other observed indicators and with dynamical and statistical forecast guidance which together suggest that the ongoing El Niño is likely to reach very strong thresholds during the outlook period, and most likely continuing to strengthen further later in spring.

Rainfall and Convection: During July, enhanced convection and rainfall – indicated by negative outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies – was focused around the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) through the equatorial Pacific. Suppressed convection and rainfall – indicated by positive OLR anomalies – persisted across the Indian subcontinent and the maritime continent. This pattern of tropical rainfall anomalies was strongly consistent with an El Niño state and closely resembled a canonical El Niño configuration.

Trade winds remained dramatically weakened across the Pacific, and reversed entirely at times, characteristic of El Niño.

In summary, oceanic conditions are in an El Niño configuration, and setting the stage for further development during the outlook period, with particularly significant warmth (positive heat content anomalies) stored in the ocean along the Equator in the Pacific. These signals are only growing ever-stronger with time. Meanwhile, the atmosphere is also increasingly resembling El Niño. A fully-coupled El Niño has therefore emerged, although stronger ocean and atmospheric responses are anticipated as the event develops further.

The Relative Oceanic Niño Index forecasts indicate a 100% chance for El Niño conditions over the next three-month period (August – October 2026). The IRI/CPC forecasts also support this outlook. Further strengthening of the event is likely beyond the outlook period, and it is increasingly probable that the event will peak as one of the strongest on record.

The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) decreased from near record high values late in June, and showed a mixture of negative and positive modes throughout July. During August, the negative SAM mode is expected to be more common than it has been over the last two months, though occasional positive spells may still occur.

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) value for July is neutral (+0.2°C). Forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology indicate that the IOD is likely to become positive over the next three month period, and is forecast to reach thresholds (+0.4°C) required to declare a positive IOD event during the spring season.

In the first week of July, the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) moved into the western Pacific, likely contributing to the low-pressure systems experienced in New Zealand. It then moved slowly eastwards, acting in concert with the El Niño. After making minimal impact in the Indian Ocean, it should emerge into the western Pacific again early in August, likely having some influence again on New Zealand weather patterns.

With the MJO in the western Pacific, it can also contribute to both oceanic and atmospheric components of El Niño strengthening further.

Local Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) are near average or above average around the majority of the country, and marine heatwave (MHW) conditions are continuing around much of the South Island and Tasman Sea. Forecasts from coupled ocean-atmosphere models for the next three-month period (see Sea Surface Temperature Update | Earth Sciences New Zealand | NIWA) indicate SSTs should continue to warm around the coastal waters of the country, especially around the South Island.

North NI +0.55°C

West NI +0.38°C

East NI +0.09°C

North SI +0.61°C

West SI +0.89°C

East SI +0.83°C

NZ 30-day coastal SST anomalies

(to 29 Jul 2026)

Figure 1: Latest 30 days SST anomalies to the 29 th July 2026, calculated with respect to the 1991-2020 climatological period.

* The Relative Oceanic Niño 3.4 Index (RONI) is a modern way of measuring oceanic El Niño and La Niña that is complementary to traditional oceanic indices. While traditional oceanic indices like the Niño 3.4 Index monitor SSTs in one region, the RONI compares the average SST in the central equatorial Pacific with the average SST across the global tropics. Since tropical rainfall patterns respond to changes in ocean temperatures, this new relative index can help forecasters better determine if the equatorial Pacific is warmer or cooler than the rest of the global tropics, which has become more challenging to discern as seas warm because of climate change.

Forecast Confidence

Temperature

Forecast confidence for temperatures is Medium. Cold weather in early August should then trend steadily towards milder conditions, ultimately influenced by the developing westerly conditions and warm seas

surrounding the country. Periodic cold outbreaks will still occur, as is normal for spring.

Rainfall Forecast confidence for rainfall is Medium-High. El Niño influenced rainfall patterns are expected to dominate the latter parts of the outlook period. Compared with previous outlooks, confidence is higher that any uncharacteristic rain events, such as in mid-August, will not upset the overall rainfall pattern over the three month period.

Notes

1. Earth Sciences New Zealand outlooks indicate the likelihood of climate conditions being at, above, or below average for the season as a whole, relative to the 1991-2020 average. They are not ‘weather forecasts’ as it is not possible to forecast precise weather conditions three months in advance.

2. The outlooks are the result of the expert judgment of scientists and forecasters. They take into account observations of atmospheric and ocean conditions and output from global and local climate models. The presence of El Niño or La Niña conditions and the sea surface temperatures around New Zealand can be useful indicators of likely overall climate conditions for a season.

3. The outlooks state the probability for above average conditions, near average conditions, and below average conditions for rainfall, temperature, soil moisture, and river flows. When a particular probability reaches or exceeds 60%, we conclude it is “very likely”.

4. This three-way probability means that a random choice would be correct only 33 per cent (or one-third) of the time. It would be like randomly throwing a dart at a board divided into three equal parts, or casting a dice with three numbers on it.

5. Where probabilities are within 5% of one another, the term “about equally” is used.

6. All outlooks are for the three months as a whole. There will inevitably be relatively wet and dry days, and hot and cold days, within a season. The exact range in temperature and rainfall within each of the three categories varies with location and season. However, as a guide, the “near average” or middle category for the temperature predictions includes deviations up to ±0.5°C for the long-term mean, whereas for rainfall the “near normal” category lies between 80 per cent and 120 per cent of the long-term mean.

7. The seasonal climate outlooks are an output of Predicting climate variability and change, a scientific research programme supported through Earth Sciences New Zealand’s Strategic Science Investment

Fund.

8. The forecast confidence meter for temperature and rainfall represents the expert judgement of Earth Sciences New Zealand climate scientists. It aims to synthesize various forecast elements, such as global and local climate drivers, in order to clearly communicate forecaster confidence in how all the evidence has aligned for the seasonal outlook.

MIL OSI

Source: Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission

New research from Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission reveals 55% of New Zealanders who have set up an emergency fund in the last three months can easily find money to cover an unexpected expense.

However, only 22% of New Zealanders who feel unlikely to set up an emergency fund can do the same.

The new research has been released as the Retirement Commission’s annual Sorted Money Month campaign kicks off on 1 August.

The theme for Money Month this year is emergency savings and coincides with the release of the new, free Sorted Buffer builder app, which helps New Zealanders automatically grow a cash cushion to cope with unexpected costs.

The new research from the Retirement Commission’s Financial Sentiment Tracker reveals the positive difference keeping emergency savings can make.

Retirement Commissioner David Boyle says having an emergency fund helps build financial resilience and creates a safety net to help absorb life’s unexpected expenses.

“Having an emergency fund reduces financial stress and helps you handle unexpected life events. Knowing you have money set aside specifically for unexpected expenses brings a sense of confidence and control.”

He says an emergency fund can help people avoid crisis borrowing and expensive debt when things go wrong, especially in the current challenging economic conditions.

“It also prevents people having to touch their KiwiSaver or withdraw from their long-term investments, so financial resilience ends up helping their future self to enjoy a better retirement outcome when they stop work.”

The new research found that in the year to June 2026, 62% of Kiwis have an emergency fund (compared to 58% the previous year).

“Whether it’s losing your job, needing a new car tyre or having to buy a new washing machine, an emergency fund provides peace of mind knowing you have money set aside to deal with life’s curveballs,” David says.

“Financial resilience is not about being wealthy, it’s about being prepared and it also reduces your financial stress which positively impacts your greater wellbeing.”

The new research also found that just having an emergency fund set up was associated with more positive financial sentiment.

It found that 59% of New Zealanders with a growing or sufficiently sized emergency fund feel very optimistic and confident about their future.

And 54% of New Zealanders who have set up an emergency fund within the last three months feel the same.

However, only 25% of New Zealanders who feel unlikely to set one up feel very optimistic or confident about their future.

This shows that people who have recently set up an emergency fund feel quite similarly to those who have an established emergency fund, so just setting one up is a great first step to make them feel more positive about their financial future.

The Sorted Buffer builder app was developed by Christians Against Poverty NZ (CAP) in partnership with the Retirement Commission, with some funding from Simplicity Foundation. The app connects to a user’s bank through Akahu, New Zealand’s open banking service.

CAP CEO Sam Garaway says an emergency fund helps people weather life’s storms and prevents them from tipping into financial hardship.

“We all know how challenging forming a habit can be. The Buffer builder app takes the friction out of saving by combining secure open banking technology with insights from CAP and Sorted to make savings automatic and easy.”

Sam says the number of people receiving CAP Debt Help is at a seven-year high.

“We’re hearing just how tough things are right now. With rising living costs and existing debt, it only takes a fall in income or a costly life event to send them into chaos,” Sam says.

Sorted Personal Finance Lead Tom Hartmann says even a modest emergency fund can provide breathing room.

“That’s why this Money Month we’re introducing Sorted’s Buffer builder app, so that people can more easily grow their emergency savings by paying themselves first, rounding up their spending, and topping up when they can. The app uses open banking data and AI to adapt to spending patterns and sets targets that make sense, wherever someone is at on their emergency savings journey.”

Simplicity Head of Education Jennie O’Donovan says Simplicity supported the creation of the Buffer builder app as it’s alarming to see how many New Zealanders struggle with an unexpected financial event.

“One of the big takeaways with the app is that your emergency fund doesn’t need to be built overnight. We know that having a clear goal and seeing progress makes saving feel much more achievable which ultimately buys you time and choices when the unexpected happens. We want that for all New Zealanders, which is why the Simplicity Foundation has supported this project.”

The financial sector and local grassroots communities are supporting Money Month with events and programmes across the country. These events can be found on the Sorted event calendar, allowing people to find out what is happening locally and get involved.

Notes to Editors

This research comes from the Retirement Commission’s Financial Sentiment Tracker, which surveyed approximately 4,000 New Zealanders aged 18+ across the year to June 2026.

About Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission

Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission aims to help New Zealanders to retire with confidence. Retiring with confidence means New Zealanders feel secure they’ll have resources to live and the know-how to make ends meet. We focus on three areas: Retirement Income Policies, Retirement Villages and Financial Capability. Te Ara Ahunga Ora runs Sorted, Sorted at Work, Sorted in Communities and Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools and is responsible for the National Strategy for Financial Capability.

About Sorted

Sorted is a free service run by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, the government-funded, independent agency dedicated to helping New Zealanders get ahead financially. As New Zealand’s trusted personal finance site, Sorted has the information needed to tackle debt, plan and budget, save and invest, optimise KiwiSaver, plan for retirement, protect wealth, and manage a mortgage. Providing tools, guides and blogs, Sorted serves 1.5 million Kiwi each year.

About Christians Against Poverty NZ (CAP)

CAP is a charity that offers free, confidential Debt Help and Financial Mentoring services for whānau in unmanageable debt. CAP Debt Help operates in 40+ locations across the motu, in partnership with local churches. Since launching in Aotearoa in 2007, over 4,700 households have been supported from money chaos to thriving. And 20,000+ New Zealanders have taken a free CAP Money course helping them to spend, budget and save well.

MIL OSI

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 July 2026 – Green SM today officially launched its fully electric taxi service in Copenhagen, marking the company’s first entry into the European market. The launch represents an important milestone in Green SM’s international expansion, following the successful rollout and operation of its services across Vietnam and several Asian markets.

The launch ceremony was attended by Mr. Do Quang Thai, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Kingdom of Denmark, together with representatives from leading Danish organizations, including 3F, Dansk Erhverv, DPT and Carnegie Investment Bank, alongside strategic partners and industry stakeholders from the transport, technology, energy, finance and infrastructure sectors.

As one of the world’s leading cities in sustainable urban mobility, Copenhagen was chosen as Green SM’s first European market. Here, the company aims to complement the city’s existing transport network by offering another reliable, fully electric mobility option for residents and visitors alike.

In Denmark, the company operates a fully electric fleet of VinFast VF 6 and VF 8 vehicles, serving a wide range of everyday urban travel needs. Unlike many ride-hailing platforms that primarily connect passengers with independent drivers, Green SM directly owns and manages its fleet and oversees driver operations to help ensure consistent service quality and customer experience. During the initial phase of operations, Green SM will focus on establishing a reliable local operation, ensuring full compliance with Danish regulations, and continuously improving its service based on feedback from customers, drivers, and other stakeholders.

Delivering a safe, professional, and consistent customer experience begins with Green SM’s drivers. Before serving customers, every driver completes comprehensive training in road safety, customer service, operating procedures, and electric vehicle operation. Together with ongoing training and a robust local operations system, this helps ensure every journey reflects the high standards Green SM is committed to delivering.

Customers can book rides through the Green SM app, available on the App Store and Google Play. Fares are displayed before each trip is confirmed, and electronic receipts are issued automatically at the end of every journey. To mark its launch in Copenhagen, Green SM is offering new customers five (5) vouchers worth 25% off each trip, up to a maximum discount of 100 DKK per ride throughout the Grand Launch period from July 30 to September 30, 2026.

Richard Nabil Chahine, CEO of Green SM Europe, said: “Cities shape the future of mobility long before companies do. Copenhagen is one of those cities. That is why beginning our European journey here carries special meaning for Green SM. We come with deep respect for the standards already established here, drawing on what we have learned from serving millions of journeys across Asia. Our ambition is simple: to become a trusted mobility partner by delivering safe, professional and fully electric journeys that people can rely on every day. If we earn that trust, growth will naturally follow.”

Green SM’s expansion into Europe reflects the company’s long-term approach to international growth. Rather than prioritising rapid expansion, Green SM focuses on building well-structured local operations, adapting its services to local market needs, and earning trust through consistently reliable service.

With its fully electric fleet and low-emission operating model, Green SM hopes to contribute to Denmark’s long-standing ambitions for more sustainable mobility while providing another practical transport choice for everyday journeys.

Founded in Vietnam in 2023, Green SM currently operates in Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Kazakhstan. Through its fully electric fleet, technology platform and consistent operating standards, the company is steadily expanding internationally while adapting its services to local market needs.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Board committed to a NASDAQ listing and is evaluating pathways, including a NASDAQ compliance listing, in parallel with PCAOB audit work led by BDO, conversion of Halleck Creek resources to SEC S-K 1300, and the engagement of a leading North American financial advisor.

HIGHLIGHTS

• American Rare Earths is committed to a NASDAQ listing and is examining pathways to achieve it including a compliance listing as well as other transaction structures
• The Company is working with a leading North American financial advisor on listing options and transaction structuring
• PCAOB audit process is progressing under BDO, previously appointed to lead the Company’s PCAOB audit workstream
• Halleck Creek resources are being converted to SEC S-K 1300 reporting standards to support U.S. disclosure requirements
• Strategy remains aligned with the scale and strategic importance of the Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project as a future domestic source of rare earths for defense, energy and advanced manufacturing supply chains
• Recently signed Executive Order 14415 “Securing America’s Defense Supply Chains and Ensuring Domestic Acquisition of Critical Materials” restricts waivers of the 10 U.S.C. § 4872 covered-materials prohibition from January 1, 2027, requires prime defense contractors to qualify domestic alternative sources, and expressly protects acquisitions from U.S. Government–supported critical minerals projects; materially strengthening the demand backdrop for Halleck Creek and reinforcing the strategic rationale for a U.S. listing

DENVER, July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — – American Rare Earths Limited – (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF | ADR: AMRRY) (“ARR” or “the Company”) is pleased to provide an update on the advancement of its NASDAQ listing strategy. The Board has reaffirmed its commitment to listing on NASDAQ and, together with its advisors, is examining all viable pathways to achieve that objective on terms that best serve shareholders.

COMMITMENT TO A NASDAQ LISTING

The Board of American Rare Earths is committed to a NASDAQ listing and is evaluating a range of pathways to achieve it. Consistent with previous disclosure, a NASDAQ compliance listing remains one option under consideration. The Company is examining that pathway alongside other structures that may be available to a U.S.-focused rare earths developer, with the objective of selecting the route that delivers the strongest access to U.S. institutional and retail capital, the most efficient execution timetable, and the greatest long-term flexibility for the Company and its shareholders.

The Company has retained a leading North American financial advisor to support the Board and management in assessing potential U.S. listing transaction structures, market timing, and investor-positioning considerations across each of the pathways under review.

PATHWAYS UNDER REVIEW

The Board and management are working with the Company’s advisors to assess pathways to a NASDAQ listing, including but not limited to:

• a NASDAQ compliance listing, as previously announced¹;
• a U.S. initial public offering and concurrent NASDAQ listing;
• alternative U.S. listing structures available to a company with U.S.-based critical minerals assets.

No decision has been made on the specific pathway, and there is no assurance that any particular transaction will proceed. The Company will update the market as and when material decisions are made.

PCAOB AUDIT WORKSTREAM

The Company continues to progress its Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) audit workstream, a prerequisite for a U.S. listing on NASDAQ. As previously announced, BDO Audit Pty Ltd (BDO) has been appointed to lead the PCAOB audit process. Work under BDO’s direction is advancing in parallel with the pathway assessment described above so that the Company is positioned to move promptly once a preferred structure has been selected.

CONVERSION OF RESOURCES TO SEC S-K 1300

In support of a NASDAQ listing, American Rare Earths is converting its Halleck Creek mineral resource and reserve reporting to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation S-K subpart 1300 (S-K 1300) standard. S-K 1300 is the mineral property disclosure framework required for SEC registrants and is the U.S. counterpart to the JORC Code used for ARR’s existing ASX disclosures. Preparing S-K 1300 compliant technical reporting for Halleck Creek gives U.S. investors, analysts and regulators a disclosure package prepared to the standards they expect and supports the Company’s readiness for a NASDAQ listing under any of the pathways under review.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 14415: A STRATEGIC TAILWIND FOR HALLECK CREEK

On July 20, 2026, the President signed Executive Order 14415, “Securing America’s Defense Supply Chains and Ensuring Domestic Acquisition of Critical Materials”, published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2026. The Order directs the Secretary of War and the military departments to cease issuing waivers of the 10 U.S.C. § 4872 covered-materials prohibition from January 1, 2027, except under a formal, accepted mitigation plan supported by exhaustive evidence that compliant material was unavailable. Section 4 of the Order further directs defense prime contractors and subcontractors to qualify and utilize alternative domestic sources for material or components currently supplied by unreliable foreign suppliers, with failure to do so providing grounds for the Secretary to suspend or terminate contracts.

The Company believes Executive Order 14415 is highly significant for American Rare Earths and Halleck Creek, for four reasons:

• Closes the waiver loophole. Section 232 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, codified at 10 U.S.C. § 4872, has long restricted defense acquisition of rare earth magnets, samarium-cobalt and neodymium–iron–boron magnets, and specialty metals sourced from covered nations (China, Russia, Iran and North Korea), but broad waiver practice has allowed continued reliance on non-compliant supply. EO 14415 restricts that waiver authority and forces prime defense contractors to move to compliant, domestic sources.
• Creates enforceable demand for U.S.-mined and U.S.-processed rare earths. Halleck Creek is being developed as an integrated U.S. mine-to-oxide platform in Wyoming, positioned to supply exactly the domestic, allied-friendly material the Order requires prime defense contractors to qualify. Section 4’s domestic-source qualification requirement, backed by contract-termination remedies, converts long-standing policy preference into an enforceable procurement obligation.
• Recognizes U.S. Government–supported projects as a preferred pathway. Section 6 of the Order expressly protects the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve (“Project Vault”) and acquisitions from projects receiving support from the Departments of State, War, Commerce or Energy, and from the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This creates a clear line of sight for Halleck Creek to participate in the defense-linked supply chain as it advances its U.S. Government engagement, Wyoming State support and permitting workstreams.
• Reinforces the strategic case for a NASDAQ listing. The Order sharpens the profile of U.S.-listed critical minerals developers with a qualifiable domestic supply. A NASDAQ listing positions American Rare Earths alongside the U.S. peer group most likely to benefit from EO 14415, and improves the Company’s ability to be assessed, followed and owned by the U.S. institutional investor base focused on the defense industrial base and critical minerals security of supply.

The Company will continue to engage with U.S. Government stakeholders on the implementation of Executive Order 14415, including the supply-chain mapping regulations required under Section 3 and the domestic-source qualification strategy required under Section 4, both of which are expected to be developed over the next 90 to 180 days.

WHY THE STRATEGY MATTERS

The Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project is a U.S.-based, U.S.-strategic asset. Listing on NASDAQ is intended to align the Company’s primary trading venue with the market in which its flagship asset is located and where the deepest pool of relevant long-term capital for U.S. critical minerals developers resides. A NASDAQ listing is also expected to broaden access for U.S. institutional investors, index funds and sector analysts, and to support the Company’s ongoing engagement with U.S. government stakeholders in defense, energy and advanced manufacturing supply chains; a channel made materially more consequential by Executive Order 14415.

“NASDAQ is the right home for American Rare Earths. Our flagship Halleck Creek project is a U.S. asset of strategic national significance, and our listing platform should reflect that. The Company is committed to a NASDAQ listing and, with a leading North American financial advisor, we are actively examining all viable pathways to identify the structure that best serves shareholders. In parallel, BDO is leading our PCAOB audit workstream and we are advancing the conversion of our Halleck Creek resources to SEC S-K 1300 so that we are ready to move promptly once a pathway is selected. The recent signing of Executive Order 14415 sharpens the strategic case for that work: by restricting waivers of the 10 U.S.C. § 4872 covered-materials prohibition and requiring prime defense contractors to qualify domestic sources, the Order reinforces the demand outlook for U.S.-based rare earths projects like Halleck Creek and the value of being listed and followed in the U.S. market.”

– Mark Wall, Chief Executive Officer, American Rare Earths

The Company remains focused on advancing Halleck Creek through feasibility studies, permitting and development activities, recognizing that project execution remains fundamental to long-term shareholder value creation.

This announcement has been authorized for release by the Board of American Rare Earths Limited.

ABOUT THE HALLECK CREEK RARE EARTHS PROJECT

The Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project, located in Wyoming, hosts the largest known rare earth deposit in the United States on a total rare earth oxide (TREO) basis². The Cowboy State Mine area within Halleck Creek offers cost-efficient open-pit mining methods on Wyoming State land, benefiting from a mature permitting framework in Wyoming. The project is currently progressing feasibility-stage drilling alongside a Whole of Property Development Assessment awarded to a leading U.S. engineering firm.

Halleck Creek is strategically positioned to reduce U.S. reliance on rare earth imports, predominantly from China, while meeting growing domestic demand from defense, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, wind energy, and semiconductor industries. The project includes plans for onsite mineral processing and separation facilities, and the Company is engaged with U.S. Government-supported R&D programs to develop innovative extraction and processing technologies.

ABOUT AMERICAN RARE EARTHS LIMITED

American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF | ADR: AMRRY) is a critical minerals company at the forefront of reshaping the U.S. rare earths industry. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Wyoming Rare (USA) Inc. (WRI), the Company is advancing the Halleck Creek Project in Wyoming, a world-class rare earth deposit with the potential to secure America’s critical mineral independence for generations.

American Rare Earths is committed to environmentally responsible mining practices and continues to collaborate with U.S. Government-supported R&D programs to develop innovative extraction and processing technologies for rare earth elements. The Company is progressing toward a NASDAQ listing in 2026. Further information is available at www.americanree.com.

INVESTOR CONTACT

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Company’s intention to list on NASDAQ; the pathways under review to achieve that listing, including a NASDAQ compliance listing, a U.S. initial public offering and other structures; the Company’s engagement of an advisor on listing options; the PCAOB audit workstream led by BDO; the conversion of Halleck Creek mineral resource and reserve reporting to SEC Regulation S-K subpart 1300; and the advancement of the Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project through PFS, feasibility studies, permitting and toward construction. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including without limitation: the Board’s ultimate selection among the pathways under review; failure to complete a NASDAQ listing on the timelines described or at all; changes in market conditions or investor demand; delays or adverse findings in the PCAOB audit process; delays or changes in the S-K 1300 technical reporting process; the scope, timing, interpretation and implementation of Executive Order 14415 and its implementing regulations, including the availability of domestic-source qualification pathways for the Company’s products and the treatment of U.S. Government–supported projects; delays in permitting or regulatory approvals; changes in commodity prices; capital cost variances; changes in technology or processing pathways; and general economic conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

________________

¹ ASX Announcement dated May 13, 2026
² Refer ASX announcement dated February 4, 2025

– Published by The MIL Network

• Signs four new projects with longstanding partner Sun Group and five with owners new to Ascott, adding over 3,200 units
• Deepens presence in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong, expands along the coast in Da Nang and Phu Quoc, and enters Quy Nhon for the first time
• Debuts The Crest Collection in Vietnam, with signings spanning seven brands
• Expects signing momentum to continue in 2H 2026

Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Ascott, said: “Vietnam is one of the most exciting hospitality growth stories in Asia. Demand is rising in the cities, along the coast and across traveller segments, and our flex-hybrid model gives us the versatility to capture it through asset-light growth. Property owners value that our platform can serve both long and short stays, and operate formats as diverse as serviced residences, hotels, resorts and social living properties. With these new signings, we are reinforcing our leadership in serviced residences and extended stay while extending into the leisure destinations and luxury segments where new demand is taking shape.”

Ms Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott, said: “Vietnam’s hotel development pipeline is moving quickly into construction, particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and owners are selecting their operating partners now. In these conversations, Ascott’s operating track record in extended stay is a clear differentiator, offering owners resilient returns through market cycles, while our multi-typology brand strategy allows us to deploy the right brand and format for each opportunity. The depth of owner confidence underscores the opportunity in Vietnam, and with active discussions underway across several markets, we expect the signing momentum to continue into the second half of the year.”

https://www.discoverasr.com/en
https://sg.linkedin.com/company/the-ascott-limited
https://www.facebook.com/discoverasr/
https://www.instagram.com/discoverasr/

Hashtag: #TheAscottLimited #Hospitality #Growth #NewSignings

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

WRISE’s initial HKD30 million investment accelerates WRISE AI Labs while the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Wu as Group Chief Scientist and a strategic collaboration with Panorama reinforces the Group’s long-term AI-native wealth management strategy

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 July 2026 – The Dialogue for Innovative and Sustainable Growth (DISG), a bilateral public-private economic cooperation platform between ASEAN and Japan chaired by Masuo Kuremura, convened the “18th DISG Task Force Meeting” on July 8, 2026, at the Carlton Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit in Bangkok, Thailand.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing international economic landscape, participants reaffirmed the critical need to further advance cooperation between Japan and ASEAN. Highlighting this shared commitment, the meeting culminated in the official adoption of the “DISG Task Force Joint Declaration” (hereinafter referred to as the “Joint Declaration”), which outlines collaborative actions across five priority fields through public-private partnerships.

Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentation

At the commencement of the meeting, Chairman Masuo Kuremura delivered opening remarks, followed by a comprehensive presentation outlining the four strategic pillars of ASEAN-Japan cooperation:

1. Supply Chain Resilience
2. Co-creation of Innovation
3. AI and Digital Investment
4. Energy Transition

Amid growing uncertainty in the international arena regarding supply chain resilience, Chairman Masuo Kuremura addressed the possibility of supporting industrial self-reliance through consultations with major ASEAN nations. To promote the co-creation of innovation, he showcased the achievements of the “Fast Track Pitch” events—which attracted 410 applications and 776 participants across four neighboring nations—as well as the “Young Leaders Summit.”

In the field of AI and digital investment, he discussed the need for cooperation in data centers and semiconductors. For energy transition, he proposed the “AZEC+” (Asia Zero Emission Community Plus) initiative, which enhances the existing decarbonization framework by integrating a broader security perspective. In conclusion, he stressed the importance of translating these frameworks into more concrete projects and discussions.

Following the opening session, the first segment of keynote speeches featured Prof. Dr. Pavida Pananond, Professor of International Business at Thammasat Business School, who spoke on “Challenges and Expectations of ASEAN-Japan Cooperation.” She highlighted the structural shift in global supply chains from “efficiency-first” to “security and resilience-first” models. Noting that resilience holds different meanings depending on national perspectives and corporate strategies, she presented three crucial implications for businesses:

1. Understanding the specific strengths of each country and region.
2. Identifying critical areas along the value chain.
3. Creating resilience across regions, industries, and companies that transcends mere cost-efficiency.

Next, Mr. Yuta Okuyama, Chief of Staff of the President’s Office at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), delivered a presentation titled “From Shock to Strategy: Towards a New Generation of ASEAN-Japan Cooperation and Regional Economic Resilience.” He detailed ERIA’s efforts to strengthen regional platforms through supply chain analysis and Track 1.5 public-private dialogues. He also introduced an ongoing initiative to formulate a regional oil stockpiling strategy for ASEAN, affirming ERIA’s commitment to reinforcing economic resilience and security in the region through cooperative approaches.

Presentations: Updates from the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines and Thailand

The second session opened with a presentation by Mr. Perry Ferrer, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). He outlined the structural challenges facing the Philippines, including infrastructure quality constraints, income disparities, and the economic toll of frequent typhoons. However, he also spotlighted the country’s emerging strategic assets, such as its robust semiconductor and electronics industries, its young demographic profile, the trilateral “Luzon Economic Corridor” initiative involving Japan, the US, and the Philippines, and its high-purity silica resources. Mr. Ferrer emphasized the complementary nature of the bilateral relationship, with Japan providing capital and technology while the Philippines contributes a dynamic workforce and critical minerals.

Subsequently, Mr. Voratat Tantimongkolsuk, Deputy Secretary General of the Board of Trade of Thailand (representing the Thai Chamber of Commerce – TCC), pointed out that global supply chains are at a turning point due to geopolitical risks and maritime logistics disruptions. Leveraging the strategic location of the Mekong region connecting East Asia and ASEAN, he proposed enhancing land-sea connectivity and trucking efficiency through the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) framework. He identified digital logistics and green logistics as top priorities for ASEAN-Japan cooperation, concluding that mutual trust among stakeholders is indispensable to realizing a resilient and sustainable supply chain.

Discussion and Exchange of Views

A lively panel discussion ensued, focusing on supply chain resilience and workforce development:

• Mr. Perry Ferrer (PCCI, Philippines) proposed the implementation of supply chain visualization tools and the necessity of establishing a mutual recognition framework for skilled labor.
• Mr. Hans Lukiman (KADIN, Indonesia) emphasized the importance of creating pathways that allow returning workers to contribute their acquired skills back to domestic industries.
• Mr. Nguyen Vu Kien (VCCI, Vietnam) advocated for the development of supply chain traceability systems.
• Mr. Musa Adnin (ASEAN-BAC, Brunei) brought up a practical case where no Japanese firms participated in recent domestic data center tenders, pointing out that “while Japan possesses superior technology, it lags behind Western and Chinese competitors in terms of business execution and deployment speed.”

In response to these recommendations, Ms. Yumiko Hata (Director, Asia and Pacific Division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, METI, of Japan) expressed her gratitude for the proposals and stated, “We will promote measures toward energy security and supply chain resilience in close cooperation with the chambers of commerce of each country.”

To consolidate the rich insights from this dialogue, Chairman Masuo Kuremura presented the “DISG Task Force Joint Declaration” at the conclusion of the meeting, which was officially adopted.

Background of the Joint Declaration

While ASEAN continues to enjoy robust economic growth, geopolitical tensions, energy supply chain risks originating from the Strait of Hormuz, and structural shifts in industries driven by AI and digitalization are impacting the regional economy. Under these circumstances, Japan and ASEAN have compiled the Joint Declaration to co-create a sustainable and resilient economic foundation.

Key Points of the Joint Declaration

The Joint Declaration aims to strengthen public-private partnership and regional cooperation across the following five priority areas:

1. Building Resilient Supply Chains

Acknowledge that securing the stability and diversity of supply chains, including critical materials and technologies, is essential for regional economic growth. Japan and ASEAN will upgrade production, logistics, and procurement networks through deeper industrial cooperation, enhancing resilience and mitigating concentration risks.

2. Cooperation in Economic Security Fields

Strengthen mutually beneficial, complementary partnerships in a highly volatile international environment. Cooperation will focus on information sharing, human resource development, and investment promotion in strategically critical sectors, including semiconductors, automobiles, AI/digital infrastructure, and energy.

3. Cooperation in Energy Transition and Next-Generation Energy Fields

Pursue the dual goals of energy security and carbon neutrality by establishing supply infrastructure and technical collaboration in next-generation fields, such as biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and small modular reactors (SMRs). Regional energy resilience will be enhanced by leveraging the ASEAN Power Grid (APG), the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), and the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia (POWERR Asia) frameworks.

4. Promoting Innovation and Industrial Upgrading

Position digital transformation (DX) and green transformation (GX) as keys to economic growth and industrial competitiveness, and promote inter-enterprise collaboration and open innovation in areas such as AI, data utilization, and next-generation mobility. The goal is to generate ASEAN-originated innovation through cooperation among large enterprises, SMEs, startups, and academia.

5. Next-Generation Human Resource Development and Contribution to Local Communities

Recognize that talent cultivation and active personnel exchanges are indispensable for sustainable development. Japan and ASEAN will promote exchanges among next-generation leaders, specialists, and young entrepreneurs, contributing to a diverse, inclusive, and resilient society.

https://ameicc.org/disg/
https://www.facebook.com/AMEICC

Hashtag: #DISG

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: The Treasury

The Treasury has published two Analytical Notes, the latest in a series of background papers to support the Treasury’s 2025 Long-term Fiscal Statement. These papers contribute to the evidence base underpinning public discussion of New Zealand’s long-term fiscal sustainability.

Investigating parametric pension reform in New Zealand using an OLG model (AN 26/05) (Andrew Binning, Murat Özbilgin, Christie Smith and Hanna Vu)

In this paper the authors use the Treasury’s OLG model to describe the macroeconomic, fiscal, and distributional effects that arise when New Zealand’s superannuation scheme is amended to moderate increases in superannuation expenditure. This Analytical Note focuses specifically on changing the age of eligibility from 65 years of age to higher ages. It also considers automatic rules for adjusting the age at which people become eligible for superannuation, in line with life expectancy or to stabilise public expenditure on NZ Superannuation.

Investigating pension indexation in an OLG model for New Zealand (AN 26/06) (Andrew Binning, Christie Smith and Hanna Vu)

In this Analytical Note the authors use the Treasury’s overlapping generations (OLG) model to describe the macroeconomic, fiscal, and distributional effects of three policy reforms that reduce New Zealand Superannuation (NZS) expenditure pressures:

• changing NZS indexation methods
• adjusting the pension replacement rate, and
• combining changes to indexation with an increase in the age of eligibility.

The scenarios presented are hypothetical analytical exercises designed to illustrate the mechanisms at play within the model rather than represent specific policy proposals.

The views, opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these papers are strictly those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the New Zealand Treasury or the New Zealand Government. The New Zealand Treasury and the New Zealand Government take no responsibility for any errors or omissions in, or for the correctness of, the information contained in these papers. The papers are presented not as policy, but with a view to inform and stimulate wider debate.

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Joins a limited group of 30 EU banking institutions to offer Crypto-Asset Services under the new legal framework, bridging traditional finance with the digital asset economy.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 July 2026 – iWOW Technology Limited is pleased to announce it has completed the placement of 66,667,000 new ordinary shares at a placement price of S$0.225 per Placement Share raising gross proceeds of approximately S$15.0 million.

The Placement strengthens the Group’s balance sheet following the acquisition of The Gentle Group and provides capital for the Group to accelerate its next phase of growth. Broadening the Institutional Shareholder Base

Participants include fund managers under Singapore’s EQDP, Institutional investors include (in alphabetical order) Amova Asset Management, Areca Capital Sdn Bhd, Asdew Acquisitions, Avanda Investment Management Pte. Ltd. (on behalf of certain investment funds and/or managed accounts), Azure Capital, Ginko-AGT Global Growth Fund, ICH Synergrowth Fund, Lion Global Investors Ltd (as investment manager for and on behalf of its clients), Tokio Marine Life Insurance Singapore Pte. Ltd., UOB Asset Management Ltd and Value Partners Hong Kong Limited. Alongside strategic healthcare investors, notably Dr. Lim Cheok Peng, a renowned cardiologist who was Managing Director of IHH Healthcare from 2011 to 2013, who led IHH through its early growth, including its landmark 2012 dual listing on Bursa Malaysia and the Singapore Exchange, which at the time was one of the world’s largest healthcare IPOs.

The strong interest from institutional and strategic investors underscores their confidence in the Group’s growth strategy, and validates its plans to accelerate expansion across its AgeTech, Clinical Nutrition and IoT businesses. Participation by EQDP fund managers will broaden and deepen the Company’s institutional shareholder base and is expected to support greater market visibility, trading liquidity and market depth over time.

As populations age across Asia and other developed markets, iWOW is building an integrated longevity platform centred on three complementary pillars:

* Safety – Buddy of Parents (“BOP”) provides AI-powered monitoring, emergency response and fall detection, enabling seniors to live independently with greater confidence;

* Sustenance – Following the acquisition of The Gentle Group (“TGG”), iWOW offers clinically formulated therapeutic nutrition for seniors managing dysphagia, diabetes, kidney disease and other age-related conditions; and

* Social Connection – Through its collaboration with GetSetUp, iWOW helps older adults stay socially connected, digitally engaged and lifelong learners.

Together, these businesses form a differentiated ecosystem addressing the physical, nutritional and social needs of ageing populations, while strengthening long-term customer engagement.

Hashtag: #agingpopulation #investorrelations

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: deVere Group

July 29 2026

The oil spike is a warning shot for portfolios, not just markets, affirms the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

Nigel Green of deVere Group’s comments come as Brent crude jumped 3.42% to $86.97 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate rose 3.58% to $82.09, after Iran fired ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East and US and Saudi jets struck Iran-backed sites in Iraq in response.

“Markets had started to relax. A pause in the fighting had investors pricing in de-escalation, and today that assumption got torn up in a single session,” says Nigel Green.

“This is exactly why treating any Middle East ceasefire as durable was always a mistake dressed up as optimism.”

Both benchmarks moved sharply within hours of the strikes, reversing weeks of calmer trading that had followed an earlier lull in hostilities.

“A near 3.5% jump in both benchmarks inside hours is no rounding error, rather the market repricing risk that never actually went away. Investors who sold their hedges during the lull are now buying them back at a worse price.”

The renewed strikes centre on waterways that carry a significant share of the world’s energy supply, which is why the deVere CEO says the market reaction has outpaced the physical disruption so far.

The concern goes well beyond energy markets themselves because oil shocks have a well-worn path into interest rate decisions.

“Energy shocks move straight into the inflation numbers, and from there straight into central bank decisions,” says Nigel Green.

“During the last flare-up in this same conflict, market pricing for a September rate hike jumped enormously in the space of a week. This is the kind of swing that reprices every asset class, not just oil.”

He also points to a pattern that has caught many investors off guard during this conflict, one that runs against the conventional strategy for a geopolitical shock.

“Most retail investors fall into the same trap here. They assume gold automatically protects them when a war like this escalates,” says Nigel Green.

“It hasn’t worked that way this year. Gold has actually fallen during periods of this conflict, because rising oil pushed inflation expectations higher, which pushed rate expectations higher, which made a non-yielding asset like gold less attractive to hold.

“The obvious hedge has repeatedly failed to behave like one.”

Independent economic modelling underscores the scale of what is at stake if prices hold at current levels.

“A sustained Brent price near $80 a barrel could shave more than half a percentage point off global growth while adding over a full percentage point to global inflation on an annualized basis,” says Nigel Green.

“Today’s prices are already above that line, and the fighting just restarted.”

Despite the warning, Nigel Green is careful to state this as a case for preparation rather than panic.

“None of this means investors should panic.

“It means they should stop assuming any single asset will save them and start building a portfolio that can absorb a shock like this without relying on one instrument to do all the work.”

He says the real risk lies less in the conflict itself, rather than in how quickly markets forget it.

“Complacency should worry investors here far more than conflict itself. Wars in this region have flared and paused for months now, and each pause has tempted markets back into assuming the risk has passed,” says Nigel Green.

“It hasn’t passed. It’s simply been waiting for the next spark, and today supplied one.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “Investors should treat this spike as confirmation, not surprise.

“The risk premium in energy was always going to return the moment this conflict resumed, and portfolios built on the assumption of lasting peace in this region need to be stress-tested against the reality that peace here has proven fragile every single time.”

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

MIL OSI

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 July 2026 – GROW with Singlife (“GROW”), an integrated investment platform under leading financial services company Singlife, today announces the launch of the GROW Alpha Series, a suite of three professionally constructed model portfolios to help Singaporeans grow their Central Provident Fund (CPF) Ordinary Account (OA) savings for retirement.

Singapore is now a “super-aged” society, with one in five residents aged 65 and above, a ratio that is expected to rise to nearly one in four by 2030. Life expectancy continues to climb: a baby born in 2023 can expect to live to 83, up from 79 just two decades earlier. Singaporeans can now expect to spend well over 20 years or more in retirement, and will need to fund their lifestyle, including healthcare and other expenses. A financially worry-free retirement requires careful planning.

The GROW Alpha Series is built on open architecture, which means the portfolios are not tied to any single asset manager. Funds are selected on investment merit, and any fund from any manager can be added or removed as markets evolve.

Each of the three models – Balanced, Growth and Aggressive – is designed to pursue long-term capital growth through a globally diversified portfolio that seeks growth, manages risk and adapts to changing market conditions. GROW’s investment specialists draw on macro and asset allocation insights from leading asset managers to develop these model portfolio strategies. Investors pay no additional portfolio fees.

Tim Wong, Head of Products at GROW with Singlife said: “We are entering a new era of retirement planning. As Singaporeans live longer and retirement needs evolve, advisers need solutions that are both disciplined and scalable. The GROW Alpha Series reflects our commitment to help advisers optimise clients’ CPF savings through professionally-curated portfolios, empowering more Singaporeans to achieve better retirement outcomes and greater wealth longevity.”

All three model portfolios will include the Fullerton Lux Funds – Global Absolute Alpha (“LGAA”) by Fullerton Fund Management (“Fullerton”), a growth-focused global equity strategy with a carefully selected portfolio of approximately 40 global stocks. The Fund seeks to invest in the best available growth opportunities worldwide, free from the constraints of pre-determined sectors or regions. GROW first introduced an exclusive share class of the LGAA on its platform in September 2024. The inclusion of the fund across all three GROW Alpha Series portfolios reflects GROW’s continued conviction in its partnership with Fullerton.

Roslin Zhu, Deputy Head of Equities and Portfolio Manager at Fullerton Fund Management, said: “The Fullerton Lux Funds – Global Absolute Alpha – stands out for its top-decile peer rankings across multiple periods, underpinned by a disciplined process that keeps us focused on our best global ideas while managing risk actively. The combination of return potential and active downside protection means clients can pursue long-term growth with greater confidence through different market cycles. Making this strategy available under the CPFIS-OA is an important step to help investors put their CPF savings to work in a globally diversified, actively managed strategy as part of their retirement planning.”

Over the years, GROW has forged partnerships with over 50 leading asset managers in the region to provide customers with access to an extensive product shelf of more than 1,500 funds. These include exclusive funds – available only on GROW’s platforms – designed and curated to meet the diverse objectives of its advisers and clients. This breadth of access has enabled GROW’s multi-manager approach in the Alpha Series model portfolios.

Apart from Fullerton’s LGAA, the current allocations in the GROW Alpha Series include funds selected from Schroders, Eastspring Investments, Amova Asset Management, and UOB Asset Management.

The minimum investment amount for the GROW Alpha Series is S$200. Investors can learn more by contacting their Financial Adviser Representatives. Alternatively, they can contact GROW’s customer service team at +65 6827 7555 or cs_navigator@singlife.com.

https://grow.singlife.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-with-singlife

Hashtag: #GROWwithSinglife

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: OFX

Currency markets are set for another volatile month as resilient US economic data, diverging central bank policies and geopolitical uncertainty continue to weigh on investor confidence, according to OFX’s latest Monthly Currency Outlook.

The report highlights renewed US dollar strength and central banks each exploring different policy options as the key themes shaping foreign exchange markets, with investors closely monitoring economic data and monetary policy signals for further direction.

OFX Director, Luke Czirok, said currency markets are likely to remain highly sensitive to interest rate expectations and economic data.

“While inflation has eased in many economies, central banks are taking very different approaches to monetary policy, creating ongoing volatility across major currency pairs.

“The key challenge for businesses and individuals is navigating uncertainty. Currency markets can move quickly when expectations around interest rates or economic growth change, which is why staying informed and having a strategy in place can be critical when managing international payments,” he said.

The OFX Monthly Currency Outlook reports the US dollar remains well supported after stronger-than-expected economic data reinforced expectations that US interest rates will remain higher for longer. This has strengthened demand for the greenback while placing pressure on many major currencies, including the euro, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar and Japanese yen.

At the same time, differing approaches from the world’s major central banks – particularly the US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England – are creating greater uncertainty for investors and businesses exposed to international markets.

The euro weakened throughout June as markets increasingly anticipated the European Central Bank (ECB) would leave interest rates unchanged while the US Federal Reserve maintained a more hawkish outlook. Investors will closely watch the ECB’s July meeting, along with fresh Eurozone economic data, for signs of improving growth.

In the United Kingdom, political developments are also expected to remain in focus following the appointment of Andy Burnham’s as Prime Minister and the formation of his cabinet, including the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor. While uncertainty initially weighed on sterling, expectations of a smooth leadership transition have helped the pound recover some recent losses.

The Australian dollar recorded mixed performance in June, weakening against the US dollar while remaining resilient against several trading partners thanks to stronger commodity prices and improving global risk sentiment. China’s economic outlook, commodity markets and global interest rate expectations are expected to remain the key drivers for the currency.

Similarly, the New Zealand dollar came under pressure from broad US dollar strength, softer commodity prices and reduced expectations for further domestic interest rate increases.

Meanwhile, the Japanese yen remains near multi-decade lows against the US dollar as investors continue to favour higher-yielding US assets despite the Bank of Japan’s gradual policy normalisation. Markets are watching closely for any signs of further policy tightening or potential government intervention to support the currency.

The Canadian dollar, Singapore dollar and Hong Kong dollar also remain heavily influenced by US dollar strength, with investors closely monitoring upcoming central bank decisions and economic data releases for further direction.

With central banks entering another critical policy period and global economic uncertainty persisting, OFX expects foreign exchange markets to remain highly responsive to incoming economic data throughout July.

For further information and access to the full OFX Currency Outlook see OFX websiteen-au/blog/currency-outlook/”>OFX Monthly Currency Outlook

Notes to editors:

OFX expected trading ranges, July 2026

• EUR/USD: 1.1200-1.1620
• EURGBP 0.8510-0.8730
• GBP/USD: 1.3100-1.3515
• GBPEUR 1.1455-1.1750
• AUDEUR 0.6036-0.6082
• AUDGBP 0.51648-0.52194
• AUDNZD 1.2132-1.2213
• AUD/USD: 0.6883-0.6960
• NZDEUR 0.4964-0.4998
• NZDGBP 0.4248-0.4289
• NZDAUD 0.8188-0.8243
• NZD/USD: 0.5658-0.5727
• USD/JPY: ¥158-¥164
• DXY: 100.300-101.200
• CADUSD 0.7000-0.7350
• USDSGD 1.2850-1.3020
• USDHKD 7.8350-7.8480

About OFX:

OFX is a leading financial operations company providing businesses and accounting firms with real-time financial control and visibility to do business anywhere in the world. With an innovative platform and 24/7 human support, OFX automates and simplifies doing business across borders, reducing risk and eliminating routine operational tasks. Offering global business accounts, payments to 180 countries in 30+ currencies and currency risk management solutions to simplify global payments. OFX further enhances business operations by providing corporate cards with spend management, bill payments, vendor management, and integrations with popular accounting and HRIS software, to help achieve better business solutions so accounting firms and businesses thrive.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices globally, in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified globally, 700+ employees, listed on the ASX since 2013, licensed in 50 jurisdictions and regulated by over 50 regulators globally. OFX has been a trusted innovator in global money movement for over 25 years.

For more information about OFX and its financial automation solutions, visit OFX website

MIL OSI

The following announcement was issued today to a Regulatory Information Service approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom.

DFI RETAIL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED

HALF-YEAR RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2026

Highlights

• Underlying profit from continuing businesses¹ grew 44% to US$117 million
• Reported profit was US$118 million, compared to a US$38 million loss in the prior year period
• Like-for-like (LFL) subsidiary sales growth from continuing businesses² improved to 3%
• Health & Beauty sustained strong LFL sales; Convenience and Home Furnishings returned to growth
• E-commerce and DFIQ Media contributed to approximately 35% of sales growth
• Return on capital employed improved to 12%, up from 9% as of December 2025
• Interim dividend of US¢6.20 per share, up 77% year-on-year. Maintain full-year dividend payout of 70%
• Raised full-year organic revenue³ growth guidance to be between 3.0% and 4.0%, and underlying profit to be between US$285 million and US$305 million
• Announced 100% interest acquisition of Cody Hong Kong (Cody HK), one of the leading outdoor advertising solution providers in Hong Kong

Scott Price

OVERVIEW

The Group delivered strong performance in an evolving macroeconomic climate, underpinned by disciplined execution and a focus on driving higher returns. A portfolio built on everyday essentials, combined with a strong value proposition with convenience, continues to resonate with customers against the backdrop of oil price volatility. For the first half of 2026, subsidiary LFL sales growth from continuing businesses⁴ further improved to 3%. This was driven by sustained strong momentum in the Health & Beauty segment, as well as a return to growth in both the Convenience and Home Furnishings businesses. Price reinvestment, supported by a reset in sourcing strategy, drove Food volume growth with Wellcome’s basket price now trading at a discount relative to the Greater Bay Area⁵, compared to a premium in the prior year.

The Group’s commitment to retail excellence, a lean overhead structure and expanded omnichannel touchpoints enables us to serve our customers with better pricing and better experience. The DFI Omni Platform further strengthens this by seamlessly integrating our extensive store network with digital capabilities, delivering greater convenience and personalisation while unlocking new value pools through rich, cross-format data insights. Developing and scaling high-margin revenue streams, including retail media (DFIQ Media) and insights monetisation (DFIQ Insights), will diversify our profit base and support long-term value creation.

To enhance operational efficiency and improve productivity of team members, the Group introduced GenAI-powered tools in the first half of 2026, with plans to scale deployment across operating markets in the coming months. In parallel, AI capabilities are increasingly embedded across core retail functions, including assortment optimisation, promotion planning and demand forecasting, to drive better, more data-driven decisions.

The Group undertook a thorough review of the cost structure with the aim of driving sustainable savings and improving long-term cost efficiency. This has led to a reallocation of resources and costs toward format-level operations, driving greater agility and responsiveness to evolving market conditions, while continuing to reduce central selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs through overhead optimisation. Combined with improving digital economics, underlying operating profit from continuing businesses⁶ grew 14% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. Improved operating performance and lower financing costs contributed to an 11% increase in underlying profit attributable to shareholders, or 44% from continuing businesses⁷ only.

The Group maintained a healthy balance sheet with a net debt position of US$22 million as of 30 June 2026. Return on capital employed further improved to 12%, up from 9% as of December 2025.

The Group declared an interim dividend of US¢6.20 per share, representing a significant increase of 77% compared to the same period last year. This enhanced interim dividend distribution underscored the Board’s confidence in the Group’s underlying business momentum and strong cash flow generation, while ensuring sufficient capital for future growth in line with our 70% payout policy.

OPERATING PERFORMANCE

Overall
For the first half of 2026, underlying subsidiary revenue from continuing businesses⁶ was US$4.1 billion, up 4% year-on-year and 3% on a LFL basis. The growth was driven by strong performance in the Health & Beauty division, as well as a return to growth in the Convenience and Home Furnishings segments. Total revenue, including Maxim’s, was US$5.6 billion. Excluding divestments⁷, total revenue increased by approximately 4%.

Overall underlying profit attributable to shareholders from continuing businesses⁷ grew 44% year-on-year to US$117 million, primarily driven by improved operating profit and lower financing costs.

Underlying subsidiary profit from continuing businesses⁶ was US$101 million, reflecting a 49% year-on-year increase, primarily driven by earnings recovery in the Home Furnishings and Food segment with lower SG&A expenses as a result of overhead reduction.

Underlying profit from associates was US$16 million, down from US$30 million in the prior comparable period, which included share of profits from Robinsons Retail ahead of its disposal. Excluding this, profit contribution from associates was up 22% year-on-year due to robust sales growth and effective cost optimisation at Maxim’s.

The Group reported operating cash flow after lease payments of US$178 million, 16% higher than the prior year period, driven by underlying operating profit growth. Free cash flow for the period was a net inflow of US$85 million, down 5% year-on-year, due to increased capex investment in priorities that will further strengthen the Group’s competitive position while driving long-term value for shareholders.

Digital
Capturing a significant share of daily essential customer missions in Hong Kong, the DFI Omni Platform – powered by yuu – enables deeper customer engagement across offline and online touchpoints, maximises data capture and unlocks incremental margin opportunities beyond core retail through DFIQ Media and DFIQ Insights. Overall digital turned profitable, with e-commerce and DFIQ Media contributing to approximately 35% of total revenue growth in the first half of 2026. This was supported by improved underlying e-commerce economics, a rising online sales penetration⁸ to 6.9% and 3 times in DFIQ Media revenue compared to first half of 2025. As of June 2026, more than 10,000 digital media-ready screens were available across DFI outlets.

Subsidiaries
Sales for the Health & Beauty division were US$1.4 billion, up 8% year-on-year from continuing businesses⁹, 7% in constant currency, or 6% on a LFL basis, with continued market share gains across key operating markets. Mannings and Guardian deepened their leadership as the trusted advisors for wellness through an enhanced, wellness-focused assortment and continued roll-out of skin and scalp assessment services across a wider store network. The recently announced exclusive distribution partnership with Holland & Barrett, a leading UK health and wellness retailer, will further expand customer access to trusted wellness solutions in Hong Kong and Singapore, followed by a broader rollout across selected Asia markets in the coming years. In Hong Kong and Macau, Mannings delivered 5% LFL sales growth, driven by increased basket size and robust tourist store sales amid higher visitor arrivals. In Southeast Asia, Guardian achieved strong LFL sales growth of 9%, supported by higher basket sizes and improved promotional efficiency, with Indonesia and Vietnam delivering close to 20% LFL growth. Excluding the impact of cost reallocation and closure of Mannings China offline stores, divisional profit increased moderately by 2% to US$109 million. Margin declined primarily due to increased strategic promotions to drive stronger sales and market share in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia where health & beauty retailers did not benefit from the SARA Cash Aid Programme.

Total Convenience sales were US$1.2 billion, up 4% year-on-year or 2% on a LFL basis, as continued growth in higher-margin categories, including ready-to-eat (RTE) and exclusive collectibles, more than offset the decline in lower-margin cigarette volumes. Hong Kong LFL sales returned to growth in the second quarter following ten consecutive quarters of decline, supported by RTE and an expanded non-food assortment, including limited-edition collectibles and K-pop merchandise. Excluding cigarettes, LFL sales were up 3% for the period. In Singapore, effective promotional campaigns and collectible product launches drove strong LFL sales growth of 8%. In South China, continued store network expansion through a capex-light franchise model – including a net addition of 112 stores since June 2025 to nearly 1,980 locations – contributed to 12% sales growth year-on-year or 6% on constant currency basis. LFL sales were 1% higher compared to the prior year period, driven by the successful launch of Own Brand in key categories of frozen products and packaged drinks. The team remains focused on driving footfall and sales through further expansion of the RTE offering across both offline and online channels. This includes a broader rollout of the Food Bar to 453 stores as of June 2026, up from 325 at year-end 2025, and strong overall online sales growth of more than 35%. Excluding cost reallocation impact, profit for the division increased by 2% to reach US$37 million.

Reported sales for the Food division from continuing businesses¹⁰ were US$1.1 billion, up 1% year-on-year. LFL sales returned to positive growth of 0.5% in the second quarter of 2026. In Hong Kong, investment in reduced pricing on core basket items, a stronger fresh proposition, and Own Brand offering drove 2% increase in total volume and 0.5% LFL sales growth in the first half of 2026. As of June 2026, Wellcome’s “Everyday Value” range has expanded to nearly 500 items, offering savings of up to 40%, bringing its basket price down from a premium to a discount relative to the Greater Bay Area. The team also accelerated omnichannel growth with more than 35% growth in online order volume. In Cambodia, Lucky reported strong double-digit sales growth, with profit more than doubling year-on-year. The plan to open 50 new stores over the next few years remains on track. Macau Food sales remained challenging as a result of cross-border grocery shopping. Excluding the impact of cost reallocation and the divestment of Singapore Food, overall divisional profit increased by 27% year-on-year to US$17 million.

The Home Furnishings division delivered strong recovery in performance during the first half of 2026, with LFL sales growth of 4%, compared to a decline of 6% in the prior year period. Price reinvestment in core value SKUs, a stronger focus on locally relevant ranges and IKEA Food innovation drove increased footfall and items per baskets, resulting in a 3% LFL sales growth in Hong Kong and 5% in Taiwan. IKEA Food remains a critical traffic and revenue driver, accounting for 15% of total sales. In Indonesia, while offline sales momentum remained soft, LFL sales trend improved on a strengthening IKEA’s omnichannel proposition with online sales penetration reaching 24%. Sales recovery and effective cost optimisation measures contributed to 85% growth in overall divisional profit, excluding cost reallocation impact.

Associates
The Group’s share of Maxim’s underlying profits was US$16 million for the first half of 2026, up 15% year-on-year, underpinned by continued cost optimisation and operational efficiency measures. Sales for the period increased by 4%, driven by strong restaurant performance in Southeast Asia and a return to growth in the Chinese mainland, partially offset by weaker sales in Hong Kong.

RECENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

On 30 June 2026, the Group announced the acquisition of 100% interest in Cody Hong Kong (Cody HK), one of the leading outdoor advertising solution providers in Hong Kong, for a cash consideration of HK$30.2 million (approximately US$3.8 million) from ARN Media Network Limited (ASX: A1N), subject to customary adjustments.

The acquisition advances DFI’s strategy to build a full-funnel advertising solution in Hong Kong through DFIQ Media. By integrating Cody HK’s strategic assets – including multi-year exclusive advertising rights with Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) and Hong Kong Tramways (HKT) – with DFI’s extensive store network, growing online user base, and closed-loop measurement capabilities, DFIQ Media strengthens its ability to deliver high-impact advertising solutions to a broader advertiser base across online, in-store, and outdoor channels.

Subject to satisfaction of third-party consents, the transaction is expected to complete in the second half of 2026.

PEOPLE

On 6 July 2026, the Group announced four senior leadership appointments effective from 1 August 2026. These moves reflect the Group’s continued focus on strengthening its leadership pipeline and driving the next phase of growth with experienced, proven leaders.

Andrew Wong will be appointed Chief Executive Officer, DFI IKEA. Formerly CEO of Health & Beauty, Andrew brings extensive experience in driving customer-led growth, operational discipline and in-store digitalisation across multiple markets. His earlier leadership of franchise operations at Jardine Restaurant Group positions him well to lead the IKEA business into its next phase of development.

Curtis Liu, having most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Food, will be appointed Chief Executive Officer, Health & Beauty. His proven leadership in driving customer value repositioning in Hong Kong, combined with deep operational retail knowledge and digital experience at JD.com, positions him well to drive continued momentum and omnichannel growth in Health & Beauty.

Tom van der Lee will be appointed Chief Executive Officer, Food. Tom has played an instrumental role as Group Chief Financial Officer, driving financial discipline and supporting key strategic decisions across the Group. His prior experience at FrieslandCampina, a global food company, and his broad financial leadership across DFI banners in Southeast Asia supported his strong commercial grounding to lead the Food business.

Kaizhi Wu will succeed Tom as Group Chief Financial Officer. Kaizhi currently serves as Group Finance Director, Planning & Reporting, based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining DFI, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Yonghui Superstores Co., and earlier held senior roles at Jardine Matheson, Fosun Group and PwC in London. Kaizhi will join the Group’s Management Committee upon assuming his new role.

OUTLOOK

The Group remains confident in our ability to navigate the evolving trading environment, supported by sharpened business priorities, a strong balance sheet and low-cost operating model. Financial outlook outlined at the Investor Day in December 2025 remains intact as DFI continues to execute our multi-year strategic initiatives that are critical to driving sustainable revenue and earnings growth. These initiatives include strengthening our value proposition, strategically expanding store network, enhancing omnichannel capabilities and accelerating digital asset monetisation through data-driven insights. In particular, the growing DFI Omni Platform will deepen our customer engagement, further reinforce our core retail strength and enhance overall earnings resilience in the long term.

Despite an elevated oil price outlook for the remainder of the year, the Group expects to deliver stronger profitability supported by enhanced operational efficiency. As a result, the Group revises up its full-year organic revenue growth¹¹ outlook to be between 3.0% and 4.0% (up from previously 2.0% to 3.0%), and underlying profit attributable to shareholders to be between US$285 million and US$305 million (up from previously US$270 million and US$300 million).

Scott Price
Group Chief Executive

—————–
¹ Excluding impacts of divestment of Singapore Food business, closure of Mannings China and disposal of minority stake of Robinsons Retail
² Excluding impacts of divestment of Singapore Food business and closure of Mannings China
³ Excluding Singapore Food and Mannings China
⁴ Excluding impacts of divestment of Singapore Food business and closure of Mannings China
⁵ Based on a third-party assured price comparison of a 200-item comparable basket between DFI and Shenzhen
⁶ Excluding impacts of divestment of Singapore Food business and closure of Mannings China
⁷ Excluding impacts of divestment of Singapore Food business, closure of Mannings China and disposal of minority stake of Robinsons Retail
⁸ Excluding cigarettes under Convenience and IKEA Food
⁹ Excluding Mannings China
¹⁰ Excluding Singapore Food business
¹¹ Excluding Singapore Food and Mannings China

Hashtag: #DFIRetailGroup #Mannings #Guardian #7-Eleven #Wellcome #MarketPlace #IKEA #yuu #Maxim’s

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: deVere Group

July 28 2026

Investors chasing the AI trade need to look past the trillion-dollar figures and ask a much harder question, warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations.

Nigel Green of deVere Group’s comments come as a global sell-off in semiconductor stocks deepened on Tuesday, with investors growing increasingly uneasy about whether the AI boom can sustain itself. South Korea’s Kospi index dropped as much as 8.1%, its lowest level since April 20, as memory giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each slumped more than 9%. Japan’s chip-heavy Nikkei 225 fell 4%.

New mapping of the AI industry’s biggest players shows chipmakers, cloud giants, and AI labs increasingly investing in one another and buying from one another in the same closed loop, while Chinese rivals close the technology gap at a fraction of the cost.

“Today’s rout in Seoul and Tokyo is no random wobble. The market is finally pricing the circularity risk it has been ignoring for months,” notes the CEO of deVere.

“When Samsung and SK Hynix can lose close to a tenth of their value in a single session, that tells you how fragile the confidence underpinning this entire sector has become.”

He continues: “Nvidia funds OpenAI. OpenAI pays Oracle and Microsoft for cloud capacity. Oracle and Microsoft turn around and buy Nvidia chips with the proceeds.

“The same dollar gets counted as revenue three times on its way around the loop. This is not demand. It’s an accounting trick wearing a growth story as a costume.

“Nvidia is valued at $4.5 trillion and has committed up to $100 billion to a company, OpenAI, that is on track to lose roughly $14 billion this year,” says Nigel Green.

“Would any bank underwrite that loan on those terms? Of course not. But dress it up as an AI investment and Wall Street applauds.

“Oracle is sitting on a backlog north of $500 billion, built heavily on commitments from a customer that has already admitted, in public, it may not be able to pay for the computing power it has ordered,” says Nigel Green.

“This isn’t a rounding error. It’s the fault line running under the entire AI infrastructure trade.”

Nigel Green says the bigger danger for Western portfolios is not inside the loop, it is outside it.

“While Silicon Valley recycles the same capital between five companies, Chinese labs are shipping frontier open-source models trained on domestic chips, at a fraction of the cost, and developers are already voting with their traffic,” explains the deVere CEO.

“China is not playing catch-up anymore. In several places, it’s setting the price and the pace, and Silicon Valley is reacting to it.”

“China is going to win parts of this race. Say it plainly, because pretending otherwise does investors no favours,” says Nigel Green.

“Every major technology shift in history has produced winners, losers, and brutal new competitors. Electricity did it, the internet did it, and AI will be no different.”

Nigel Green stresses: “None of this means investors should run from AI.

“It means they should stop investing in the story and start investing in the balance sheet.

“The companies that win will be the ones with real customers paying real money, margins that don’t depend on their own supplier lending them the cash to buy the product, and tech that still works if the financing dries up.”

“Periods exactly like this one, loud, leveraged, circular, are what separate durable companies from fragile ones.

“History rewards the investors who spot the difference early and punishes the ones who mistake the noise for the signal,” says Nigel Green.

He concludes: “The test for any AI holding right now is simple: run three checks. Where does the revenue actually originate?

“Would the customer still be a customer if the supplier stopped funding them?

“And how much of that company’s edge survives a Chinese competitor delivering 80% of the performance at a fraction of the cost?

“The reward goes to the investors doing the work now, not to the ones still cheering the circularity as though it were growth.”

deVere Group is one of the world’s largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

MIL OSI

Source: Island Innovation

27 July, 2026: The Virtual Island Summit (VIS), the premier free online conference for island communities worldwide, will return on 15-17 September 2026.

Now in its eighth year, VIS marks a significant shift from previous editions. The three-day event will follow a narrative arc, with each day building on the last and programming spanning time zones from the Pacific to the Caribbean so audiences everywhere can join live at times that work for them.

• Day 1, Adapt to Change, looks at how island communities are responding to conditions that have already shifted, from decarbonising marine transport and adapting to coastal erosion, to the generational knowledge and ocean governance practices that have sustained island communities for decades.
• Day 2, Transform Systems, examines the models and mechanisms already reshaping island futures: rethinking tourism before pressures become irreversible, turning waste into a circular local economy, reviving indigenous languages, and building food sovereignty in the face of import dependence.
• Day 3, Mobilise Action, turns to what moves people, capital and political will: the funding structures, coalitions and leadership approaches that turn plans into results.

The event is free to attend and open to the public, continuing the Summit’s commitment to accessible, Zero-Carbon knowledge sharing between islanders and global partners alike.

“The Virtual Island Summit is our flagship online event and we are proud to deliver a high-level knowledge-sharing platform that puts islands at the heart of global discussions,” said James Ellsmoor, Chief Executive Officer of Island Innovation. “The Summit highlights islands not simply as places facing shared challenges, but as places developing practical solutions with relevance far beyond their own shores. This year we are evolving the format to reflect how island communities actually work through challenges: understanding the problem, finding what works, and mobilising the resources to scale it. We want attendees to leave VIS 2026 with a clearer sense of where islands stand and what comes next.”

The first confirmed speakers for VIS 2026 include heads of government and senior policy leaders such as:

• Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam;
• Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister, Government of Tuvalu;
• Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of the Government of Anguilla;
• Albert Bryan, Governor of the US Virgin Islands
• Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and the Environment, Government of Bermuda;
• Hannah Mary Goodlad, MSP for Shetland Islands & Minister for Public Finance, Scottish Government;
• Chris Lee, Senator, Hawaii State
• Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Chief Executive Officer, Hawai’i Green Growth
• Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate;
• Chris Elmore, MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Multilateral, Human Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, President of the Corsican Assembly & President of the Islands Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR)

They are joined by researchers, educators and sector experts including:

• Dr Dai-Yeun Jeong, Director of the Asia Climate Change Education Center;
• Maria Ackrén, Director of the Stefansson Arctic Institute;
• Laurie Brinklow, Chair, Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Prince Edward Island;
• Peter Van Aert, Researcher and Teacher at the Institute of Culture, Society and State, National University of Tierra del Fuego;
• Chalapan Kaluwin, Director of Momis Ocean and Climate Research institute & Dean of School of Sustainable Resources Management & Business Studies, PNG University of Natural Resources and Environment;
• Olly Newton, Executive Director of The Edge Foundation.

Additional speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Previous editions have brought together heads of state, ministers, and senior practitioners from over 500 island communities across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and beyond, drawing more than 10,000 attendees.

All sessions will be available free of charge. Registration is now open at islandinnovation.co/events/virtual-island-summit-2026.

MIL OSI

The round brings HiDream.ai’s total financing over the past three months to more than RMB 2.1 billion and marks its entry into unicorn status

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IREN Limited (NASDAQ: IREN) (“IREN”) today announced that it will release its financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2025, on Thursday, November 6, 2025 and host a conference call beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The webcast will be recorded, and the replay will be accessible shortly after the event at https://iren.com/investor/events-and-presentations

Participants joining the conference call via the phone dial-in option will receive their dial-in number, passcode and PIN following registration using the link above. It would be appreciated if all callers could dial in approximately 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

There will be a Q&A session after IREN delivers its financial results. Those dialling in via phone can elect to ask a question via the moderator. Participants on the live webcast have the ability to pre-submit a question upon registering to join the webcast or can submit a question during the live webcast.

About IREN

IREN is a vertically integrated data center business powering the future of Bitcoin, AI and beyond utilizing 100% renewable energy including through the purchase of RECs. Strategically located in renewable-rich, fiber-connected regions across the U.S. and Canada, IREN’s large-scale, grid-connected facilities are purpose-built for the next generation of power-dense computing applications.

• Power & Land Portfolio: 2,910MW of grid-connected power secured across >2,000 acres in the U.S. and Canada, with an additional multi-gigawatt development pipeline.
• Next-Generation Data Centers: 810MW of operating data centers underpinning three verticals: Bitcoin Mining, AI Cloud Services and AI Data Centers.
• Bitcoin Mining: one of the world’s largest and lowest-cost Bitcoin producers with 50 EH/s of installed self-mining capacity.
• AI Cloud Services: delivering high performance cloud compute to AI customers with next-generation GPUs.
• AI Data Centers: end-to-end design, construction and operation of data center infrastructure tailored for AI workloads.

Contacts

To keep updated on IREN’s news releases and SEC filings, please subscribe to email alerts at https://iren.com/investor/ir-resources/email-alerts.

– Published by The MIL Network

Transaction expected to close in fourth quarter with combined company to begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker “FUEL”

Vertically Integrated business model combines state-of-the-art power generation with oil & gas production to power Bitcoin mining operations

Post-Transaction combined entity expected to have an equity valuation range between US$220M-$343M

SYDNEY, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Innovation Beverage Group Ltd (“IBG” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: IBG), an innovative developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a growing beverage portfolio of 60 formulations across 13 alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a reverse triangular merger transaction with BlockFuel Energy Inc., a Texas corporation (“BlockFuel” or “BFE”) engaged in oil and gas exploration and state-of-the-art power generation to support Bitcoin mining operations and high-performance data centers across North America. IBG and BFE expect to close the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and will trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “FUEL”.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, IBG will merge with BlockFuel through a reverse triangular merger, with a newly formed subsidiary of IBG formed for the transaction merging with and into BFE, with BFE as the surviving entity and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. When the transaction closes, the owners of BFE are expected to own ordinary shares in IBG representing 90% of the total number of issued and outstanding ordinary shares of IBG on a post-transaction basis, subject to certain equitable adjustments for interim financings. As previously announced, Marshall & Stevens Transaction Advisory Services conducted an independent fairness analysis which concluded that the post-transaction combined company resulting from the merger of IBG and BFE is expected to have an equity valuation range between US$220 million to US$343 million. Shareholders of IBG will own 10% of the combined entity upon closing, equaling an implied post-transaction equity value for IBG in the range of US$22 million to US$34.3 million, compared to a pre-transaction valuation of US$2.9 million to US$6.3 million.

Upon closing of the agreed transaction, Daniel Lanskey, currently President and CEO of BlockFuel and a Director of IBG, will be appointed Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the new combined entity. Sahil Beri, currently Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of IBG, will resign from both positions and will be appointed as President of a newly formed beverage subsidiary.

Sahil Beri, Chief Executive Officer of IBG commented, “The agreement for our reverse merger transaction with BlockFuel Energy marks a pivotal milestone in the IBG story as we work to maximize shareholder value. BlockFuel is uniquely positioned at the forefront of energy innovation and digital asset mining, and we are pleased to provide a public vehicle for BFE to introduce itself to the capital markets. We are separately optimistic about what the future holds for the IBG business as a subsidiary of BlockFuel as we continue to build and grow our award-winning alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage portfolio.”

Daniel Lanskey, Executive Chairman of BlockFuel added, “With today’s announcement finalizing BlockFuel’s entry into the U.S. capital markets via our reverse merger with IBG, we are well placed to capitalize on significant opportunities across the digital asset, energy capture and oil & gas sectors. Integrating IBG’s public market presence with our advanced energy harnessing and Bitcoin mining technologies creates a powerful foundation for long-term value creation. This transaction strengthens our ability to scale, expand market reach, and build a sustainable growth trajectory at the intersection of cleaner energy and blockchain infrastructure.”

If you have a question or would like to schedule a meeting with IBG or BFE management, please contact BFE@KCSA.com.

About Innovation Beverage Group
Innovation Beverage Group is a developer, manufacturer, marketer, exporter, and retailer of a growing beverage portfolio of 60 formulations across 13 alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands for which it owns exclusive manufacturing rights. Focused on premium and super premium brands and market categories where it can disrupt age old brands, IBG’s brands include Australian Bitters, BITTERTALES, Drummerboy Spirits, Twisted Shaker, and more. IBG’s most successful brand to date is Australian Bitters, which is a well-established and favored bitters brand in Australia. Established in 2018, IBG’s headquarters, manufacturing and flavor innovation center are located in Sydney, Australia with a U.S. sales office located in California. For more information visit: https://www.innovationbev.com/

About BlockFuel Energy
BlockFuel Energy is involved in the acquisition, exploration and development of proven oil fields onshore in North America. By turning natural gas at the source, including stranded and flared gas, into a potent resource for the digital era, BlockFuel Energy intends to redefine the energy industry. BlockFuel Energy combines state-of-the-art power generation with oil and gas exploration to power bitcoin mining operations and high-performance data centers. Our vertically integrated concept allows us to use co-location and modular power generation techniques to optimize efficiency and investment returns. Our cutting-edge solutions for energy optimization and extraction will enable us to transform underdeveloped resources into high-margin, scalable, and sustainable revenue streams. For more information visit: https://blockfuelenergy.com/

Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information.” These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the final terms of the potential merger transaction, the structure of such transaction, benefits of the contemplated transaction between IBG and BlockFuel Energy, expected closing conditions and the parties’ ability to complete the transaction, should definitive documentation be reached as well as other statements that are not historical facts. This information and these statements, which can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts, are made as of the date of this press release or as of the date of the effective date of information described in this press release, as applicable.

The forward-looking statements herein relate to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “projects,” “estimates,” “envisages,” “assumes,” “intends,” “strategy,” “goals,” “objectives” or variations thereof or stating that certain action events or results “may,” “can,” “could,” “would,” “might,” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) and include, without limitation, statements with respect to projected financial targets that the Company is looking to achieve.

All forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company’s management team. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Such factors include, among others, (1) delays in finalizing definitive documentation for the contemplated transaction, (2) the risk that definitive documentation will reflect different terms than the non-binding terms described herein, (3) the risk of delays in consummating the contemplated transaction, including as a result of required regulatory and stockholder approvals, which may not be obtained on the expected timeline, or at all, (4) the risk of any event, change or other circumstance that could cause the parties to terminate the transaction prior to closing , (5) disruption to the parties’ businesses as a result of the announcement and pendency of the transaction, including potential distraction of management from current plans and operations of IBG or BlockFuel Energy and the ability of IBG and BlockFuel Energy to retain and hire key personnel, (6) reputational risk and the reaction of each company’s customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners to the transaction, (7) the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, (8) the outcome of any legal or regulatory proceedings that may be instituted against IBG or BlockFuel Energy related to the transaction or merger agreement, should definitive documentation be executed, (9) the risks associated with third party contracts containing consent and/or other provisions that may be triggered by the contemplated transaction, (10) legislative, regulatory, political, market, economic and other conditions, developments and uncertainties affecting IBG’s or BlockFuel Energy’s businesses; (11) the evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes under which IBG or BlockFuel Energy operate; (12) any restrictions during the pendency of the contemplated transaction that may impact the parties’ ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; and (13) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, extreme weather, natural disasters, acts of terrorism or outbreak of war or hostilities. We caution any person reviewing this press release not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as several important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions, and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur.

The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Company or on behalf of the Company except as may be required by law.

Contact:
Innovation Beverage Group Limited
Sahil Beri
CEO
sahil@innovationbev.com
www.innovationbev.com

BlockFuelEnergy Inc.
Daniel Lanskey
President and CEO
dan.lanskey@blockfuelenergy.com
www.blockfuelenergy.com

Investor Relations:
KCSA Strategic Communications
Phil Carlson, Managing Director
BFE@KCSA.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6543343-3458-4a0b-84b2-aa163fe3f272

– Published by The MIL Network

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 July 2026 – Market research consultancy Alylytiq LLP today announced the launch of Automytiq, a suite of AI-powered research solutions designed to make professional-grade market insights accessible to Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises.

For decades, professional market research has been the preserve of large corporates — the only players who could justify studies routinely costing tens of thousands of dollars. SMEs, who arguably have the least room for error, have been left to make market decisions on instinct. AI has now broken that equation. A commissioned study that would typically cost SGD 30,000 can be delivered through Automytiq for around SGD 6,000 — an 80 per cent reduction. The savings come from using AI to automate the most labour-intensive stages of the research process, while Alylytiq’s senior researchers remain in the loop at every stage for interpretation and quality control.

Automytiq is a distinct, productised offering, separate from Alylytiq’s core consulting practice. An Automytiq engagement runs to a standardised scope — sharply defined questions, streamlined fieldwork, and a focused report — which is what makes the lower price point possible. Alylytiq’s bespoke engagements for corporate clients are a different service: fully custom-designed, senior-led from research design through to analysis and strategic recommendation, often spanning multiple markets and methodologies, and priced to reflect that depth. The firm positions Automytiq as extending professional research to businesses that could never access it, not as a repricing of its consulting work.

Automytiq covers the full research cycle through four connected solutions:

Market Intelligence. AI-assisted secondary research that maps an SME’s target market — market size, competitor landscape, and customer trends — drawing on licensed and publicly available data sources.

Guided Brief-to-Proposal. A simple structured questionnaire captures what the business owner wants to learn. Automytiq transforms those answers into a full research proposal, giving SMEs a professionally scoped study without needing in-house research expertise.

Automated Research Design. Approved proposals are converted directly into fieldwork-ready research instruments — discussion guides, screeners, and questionnaires — cutting design time from weeks to days.

Bespoke Story Reporting. Once data is collected, Automytiq translates the raw results into fully customised reports built around a narrative that tells the business what the numbers mean and what to do next — not a template dashboard.

Automytiq has already been deployed in live client work. For SME payments fintech Handshake Finance, Alylytiq used Automytiq to map the company’s target market and competitive landscape, sharpening the focus of its go-to-market efforts. For business consultancy Anton Solutions Group, the platform supported a larger client engagement by delivering insights into financial risk management opportunities across new markets.

Anton Solutions Group, which engaged Alylytiq on a client project, said it was “genuinely impressed” by the firm’s approach. Using AI, a short discovery call, and a focused questionnaire, Alylytiq delivered a comprehensive primary research report within a day, enabling a faster transition into in-depth market analysis. The consultancy added that it looks forward to referring suitable projects to Alylytiq.

“As an early-stage company, every dollar and every week counts. Alylytiq gave us a clear, evidence-based picture of our market, our competition, and the customers we should lead with — and just as importantly, told us which questions still needed real fieldwork to answer. It sharpened decisions we would otherwise have made on instinct, at a price a company our size could actually justify,” said Christopher Chan, Co-Founder of Handshake Finance.

“SMEs make the same high-stakes decisions large corporates do — which market to enter, which customers to serve, where to spend a limited marketing dollar — but they’ve been asked to make them on gut feel because proper research was priced for someone else,” said Wei Shen, Founder and Principal Strategist of Alylytiq.

The launch lands in the middle of a wider debate about whether AI is making professional research obsolete. Alylytiq’s position is that the barrier for SMEs was never just cost — it was expertise: knowing what to ask, how to structure a research question, and how to tell when an answer is wrong.

“Any business owner can ask a chatbot for a market estimate today. The problem is they have no way of telling whether that answer is grounded in real data or invented — and acting on a confident wrong answer costs far more than a study ever would,” said Wei Shen. “That’s why Automytiq isn’t a tool we hand over. Our senior researchers design the questions and validate every output before it reaches the client. The AI changes the economics; the humans protect the answer.”

Automytiq is available to Singapore SMEs now. Businesses can learn more at www.alylytiq.com.

https://www.alylytiq.com/

Hashtag: #Alylytiq

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.