Tue, Aug 21, 2018 page10

• World Business Quick Take

  • Agencies
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  MINING

  AngloGold back into black

  AngloGold Ashanti Ltd swung to a first-half profit after costs declined and output rose as the world’s third-largest gold producer prepares for a change in leadership. AngloGold reported adjusted headline earnings, which exclude some one-time items, of US$85 million for the six months through June, compared with a loss of US$93 million in the same period last year. Net debt dropped 17 percent year-on-year, to US$1.79 billion, the company said. So-called all-in sustaining costs fell 5 percent to US$1,020 per ounce and production from retained operations rose 4 percent. For the full year, AngloGold has forecast all-in sustaining costs of US$990 to US$1,060 an ounce and production of 3.33 million to 3.45 million ounces.

  CLOUD COMPUTING

  AirTrunk raises US$621m

  Goldman Sachs Group Inc-backed AirTrunk has raised A$850 million (US$621 million) to fund the expansion of its two Australian datacenters and a move into Asia to take advantage of a growing cloud computing market. AirTrunk is taking advantage of a surge in cloud computing as companies that once ran in-house servers shift storage and processing off-site. AirTrunk provides its clients with the physical space, Internet connections, power and cooling for their own servers. The bulk of the money raised in loans, about A$750 million, is to be spent expanding its current facilities in Sydney and Melbourne, AirTrunk founder Robin Khuda said.

  E-COMMERCE

  Rocket CFO leaving firm

  Rocket Internet SE CEO Oliver Samwer will take on chief financial officer (CFO) duties from October, with Peter Kimpel, the CFO who oversaw the German Internet company’s 2014 initial public offering, departing the business. Kimpel is to leave that month to pursue a new management challenge, the Berlin-based company said in a statement yesterday, without giving further details. The former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker joined Rocket Internet four years ago ahead of its initial listing and has helped it become known as one of Germany’s few successful Internet companies. His departure puts more responsibility in the hands of Samwer, who started the company with his brothers Marc and Alexander.

  ELECTRONIC SPORTS

  Dota 2 pool nears US$25m

  Multiplayer online battle game Dota 2’s marquee event has broken its own record for the biggest prize pool in e-sports history with a purse approaching US$25 million. “The International” surpassed last year’s total of US$24,787,916 on Sunday night, marking the sixth straight year of increasing prize pools since the tournament moved to a crowd-funded format in 2013. Fans boost the tournament pot via in-game microtransactions, with Dota 2 developer Valve Corp also supplying US$1.6 million in prize money.

  BEVERAGES

  PepsiCo to buy SodaStream

  PepsiCo yesterday said that it plans to buy SodaStream, an Israeli maker of carbonation products, for US$3.2 billion as the beverage and snacks giant makes further inroads with in-home goods. The cash deal would see PepsiCo pay US$144 per share for SodaStream’s outstanding stock, a 32 percent premium over its average price of the past 30 days. While the boards of directors of both companies have approved the deal, it is still subject to a SodaStream shareholder vote, regulatory approvals and other conditions, PepsiCo said. PepsiCo last year had US$63 billion in revenue.
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