Author: Newsdesk

SHANGHAI, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Yum China“, NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987) has been named the Industry Leader for the Restaurant & Leisure Facilities Industry in the 2020 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). Yum China has also been selected as the member of 2020 DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Markets.

Yum China earned an impressive total score of 73 out of 100 points, compared with an industry average of 22 points. This reflects the Company’s strong performance across economic, environmental and social dimensions, receiving industry best scores in a number of criteria, including supply chain management, risk & crisis management, brand management, packaging as well as labor practice indicators.

“It is an honor to be named as an Industry Leader in this prestigious list of global sustainability leaders,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. “As China’s leading restaurant company, this latest recognition is testament to our on-going commitment to working with stakeholders across the value chain to promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability.”

Launched in 1999, the DJSI is one of the world’s foremost sustainability indices, analyzing more than 7,300 companies representing approximately 95% of global market capitalization. The DJSI World recognizes the top 10 percent of companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index for performance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, while the DJSI Emerging Markets rewards the top 10% of the largest 800 companies in 20 emerging markets based on long-term ESG criteria.

“We congratulate Yum China for being included in the DJSI World & Emerging Markets. A DJSI distinction is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry. With a record number of companies participating in the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment and more stringent rules for inclusion this year, this sets your company apart and rewards your continued commitment to people and planet,” said Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research and Data, S&P Global.

As China’s largest restaurant company in terms of system sales, Yum China has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. Yum China’s sustainability strategy, “Creating a Responsible Ecosystem” (CARE), is fully integrated with the Company’s long-term business growth strategy and has for many years driven the continuous improvement of the Company’s ESG performance. By making sustainable development an integral part of business operations, Yum China is committed to providing safe and nutritious food for customers, while promoting mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships, thereby enhancing the Company’s long-term value.

For more information on Yum China’s corporate sustainability and CSR initiatives, please visit http://www.yumchina.com/respIndex 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as “expect,” “expectation,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “may,” “could,” “intend,” “belief,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “predict,” “likely,” “will,” “should,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “look forward to” or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.

About Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China’s leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, a California-based restaurant chain serving innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang, East Dawning and COFFii & JOY concepts outright. Yum China also partners with Lavazza to explore and develop the Lavazza coffee shop concept in China. The Company had 10,150 restaurants in over 1,400 cities at the end of September 2020. Yum China ranked # 361 on the Fortune 500 list for 2020. In 2020, Yum China was named to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and was certified as a Top Employer 2020 in China by the Top Employers Institute, both for the second consecutive year. For more information, please visit http://ir.yumchina.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yum-china-named-industry-leader-in-2020-dow-jones-sustainability-index-301174508.html

SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc.

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — With the advancement of new financial infrastructure, the integration of online and offline financial institutions will be a key driver of revenue growth. OneConnect Financial Technology Co., Ltd. (“OneConnect” or the “Company”) (NYSE: OCFT), a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions and an associate of the Ping An Group, is leading the way in China.

At a recent technology industry roundtable discussion in Shenzhen, Mr. Ricky Ou, CEO of Gamma of OneConnect, said the new digital infrastructure will have four impacts on traditional finance: creating new drivers for consumption; promoting the digital transformation of financial institutions; improving industry efficiency; and assisting in the restructure of the financial sector.

COVID-19 Created Urgency for Contact-Free Banking

Within the trend of digital transformation, the COVID-19 pandemic has created urgency for traditional banks to increase online capabilities. For example, during the epidemic, OneConnect used artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies to help many banks build “contact-free banks” to fight the epidemic while maintaining business.

Digitized Operations Improves Lending for SMEs

As an important builder of new fintech infrastructure, OneConnect has actively seized opportunities in recent years and continuously improved its own capacity.

At the beginning of this year, OneConnect provided technical support for a financing platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that was launched in Guangdong Province to address the issues of “difficult, expensive and slow financing” of SMEs. By September 2020, the platform had access to a total of 250 government data from 34 government units, and collected comprehensive information for more than 13 million SMEs in the province. More than 350 financial institutions have launched more than 1,000 financing products on the platform, more than 500,000 enterprises registered, and the total amount of financing has exceeded RMB30 billion.

New Regulatory Framework Needed

While the new infrastructure will facilitate the digital transformation of the traditional financial sector, it will also create some new challenges. Fintech innovation itself requires a deep integration of technology and finance to promote two-way interaction and improvement of financial and technological capabilities. However, at the same time, the innovation of financial infrastructure also needs a new regulation framework for digital supervision and compliance.

In order to avoid a bottleneck in implementing new financial infrastructure, the financial sector needs to enhance the autonomous control of fintech and engage industry associations and regulators to build a robust financial technology ecosystem.

Gamma Platform Accelerates Digital Transformation

The OneConnect Gamma platform and its business line product portfolio is a solution that covers banking, insurance and investment. Built on more than 30 years of financial experience of the Ping An Group, Gamma integrates advanced Ping An technologies in core system, data service, open platform, artificial intelligence and cloud services. It empowers financial institutions and financial regulators by lowering technology barriers and building an efficient financial and technology innovation ecosystem to accelerate digital transformation.

About OneConnect

OneConnect is a leading technology-as-a-service platform for financial institutions in China. The Company’s platform provides cloud-native technology solutions that integrate extensive financial services industry expertise with market-leading technology. The Company’s solutions provide technology applications and technology-enabled business services to financial institutions. Together they enable the Company’s customers’ digital transformations, which help them increase revenue, manage risks, improve efficiency, enhance service quality and reduce costs.

Our technology-as-a-service platform strategically covers multiple verticals in the financial services industry, including banking, insurance and asset management, across the full scope of their businesses – from sales and marketing and risk management to customer services, as well as technology infrastructure such as data management, program development, and cloud services.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oneconnect-technology-will-drive-restructure-of-financial-services-301174498.html

SOURCE OneConnect

BEIJING, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Puxin Limited (NYSE: NEW) (“Puxin” or the “Company”), a successful consolidator of the after-school education industry in China, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders (the “AGM”) at Floor 16, Chuangfu Mansion, No. 18 Danling Street, Haidian District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China on December 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Beijing Time).

No proposal will be submitted for shareholder approval at the AGM. Instead, the AGM will serve as an open forum for shareholders and beneficial owners of the Company’s American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) to discuss Company affairs with management.

The record date (the “Record Date”) for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of the AGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof has been set as the close of business on November 23, 2020.

Holders of record of the Company’s ordinary shares at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to attend the AGM and any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Beneficial owners of the Company’s ADSs are also welcome to attend the AGM in person.

About Puxin Limited

Puxin Limited (NYSE: NEW) (“Puxin” or the “Company”) is a successful consolidator of the after-school education industry in China. Puxin has a strong acquisition and integration expertise to effectively improve education quality and operational performance of acquired schools. Puxin offers a full spectrum of K-12 and study-abroad tutoring programs designed to help students achieve academic excellence, as well as prepare for admission tests and applications for top schools, universities and graduate programs in China and other countries. The Company has developed a business model effectively combining strategic acquisitions and organic growth achieved through successful post-acquisition integration, which has differentiated the Company from other after-school education service providers in China.

For more information, please contact:

Puxin Limited

Phone: +86-10-6269-8930
E-mail: [email protected]

Institutional Capital Advisory (ICA)

Mr. Kevin Yang

Phone: +86-021-8028-6033
E-mail: [email protected]

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puxin-limited-to-hold-annual-general-meeting-on-december-18-2020-301174462.html

SOURCE Puxin Limited

GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company”), a leading home equity loan service provider in China, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the third quarter and 9 months ended September 30, 2020, after U.S. markets close on Monday, November 23, 2020.

CNFinance’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, November 23, 2020 (9:00 AM Beijing/ Hong Kong Time on Tuesday, November 24, 2020).

Dial-in numbers for the live conference call are as follows:

A telephone replay of the call will be available after the conclusion of the conference call until 11:59 PM ET on November 30, 2020.

Dial-in numbers for the replay are as follows:

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of CNFinance’s website at http://ir.cashchina.cn/.

About CNFinance Holdings Limited

CNFinance Holdings Limited (NYSE: CNF) (“CNFinance” or the “Company) is a leading home equity loan service provider in China. CNFinance facilitates loans by connecting micro- and small-enterprise (“MSE”) owners with its funding partners. The Company’s primary target borrower segment is MSE owners who own real properties in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in China. The loans CNFinance facilitates are primarily funded through a trust lending model with its trust company partners who are well-established with sufficient funding sources and have licenses to engage in lending business nationwide. The Company’s risk mitigation mechanism is embedded in the design of its loan products, supported by an integrated online and offline process focusing on risks of both borrowers and collateral and further enhanced by effective post-loan management procedures. 

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cnfinance-to-report-third-quarter-and-9-months-2020-financial-results-on-monday-november-23-2020-301174393.html

SOURCE CNFinance Holdings Limited

Many consumers are adjusting holiday shopping, travel and vacation plans due to heightened concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic globally

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — While the holiday shopping season will be different in many ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability is still top of mind for many global consumers, according to the latest findings of a global IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value study.

54% of global consumers surveyed reported they are willing to change their holiday purchasing habits to help reduce environmental impact. This perspective was even more prevalent in some countries around the world, notably India (74%), Mexico (74%) and Brazil (66%). That is only slightly fewer than the 57% who reported similarly in a January 2020IBM/NRF study of almost 19,000 consumers.

Despite the disruption to many consumers’ budgets and employment caused by COVID-19, shoppers are looking for more than just a good deal. 44% of consumers surveyed reported they will be considering sustainability to a great extent when shopping or choosing a brand this year.

The study “Home for the Holidays” includes insights from more than 12,500 consumers in October across Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. It revealed how consumer outlook and shopping, travel and vacation plans are shifting globally amid COVID-19.

“The research shows more consumers have started their holiday shopping earlier than in prior years, and many plan to shop online instead of in-store given rising cases of COVID-19. While last year 60% of shopping was done in-store and almost 30% online, this year those numbers may be nearly reversed,” said Jesus Mantas, senior managing partner, IBM Services. “Businesses should be prepared to provide a personalized digital-first platform to engage customers, and use technologies such as Cloud and Artificial Intelligence to help them handle fluctuations in demand, manage their supply chains in near real time, and create a better experience to serve holiday shoppers’ needs.”

Online shopping will continue to reign supreme

IBM’s latest holiday forecast is projecting a 1.8% increase in November-December retail sales compared to 2019. And IBV survey research suggests 2020 will be a digital-first shopping holiday season.

More than 60% of global consumers surveyed indicated that they plan to buy online, ship to home or other destinations, or buy online and pick-up in-store or curbside, with the highest growth in usage for buy online, ship to home or other destinations among Baby Boomers (ages 55-70+) — +116% compared to last year. According to the report, while 62% of consumers surveyed shopped in-store last year for the holidays, only 28% plan to do so this year.

When choosing gifts, consumers surveyed reported they are leaning towards products over experiences. Many survey respondents said they will spend more on digital/streaming entertainment (+39% over last year), furniture (+33% over last year), electronic goods (+13% over last year) and toys and games (+9% over last year).

Consumer concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic will impact travel and vacation plans

Concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic remain high, according to the study. In the US, 72% of consumers surveyed are concerned about a second wave of COVID-19 in 2020 (65% in September), and 74% say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more concerned about the health and safety of their family (67% in September). 

With these concerns top of mind, many consumers report changes to their typical travel and time off plans this holiday season.

• Over half of consumers surveyed who usually travel during the holidays say they plan to travel less this season, and 22% surveyed are still undecided about their plans
• 67% of consumers surveyed who will travel indicate they will use a personal car or rental car as their primary method of transportation. 
• Surveyed employees report they have taken slightly more days off this year than they did by this time last year, and indicated COVID-19 was a major reason for taking time off this year, including caring for family and self.
• Globally, a third of employees surveyed reported they face work constraints that limit their ability to take their remaining paid time off this year – either too much work or schedule restrictions at work – indicating employers could play a role in easing employee burnout.

The IBV has conducted ongoing research surveying more than 80,000 global consumers since April about how COVID-19 has impacted their outlook and preferences.

About IBM Institute for Business Value
 
The IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) delivers trusted business insights from our position at the intersection of technology and business, combining expertise from industry thinkers, leading academics, and subject matter experts with global research and performance data. The IBV thought leadership portfolio includes research deep dives, benchmarking and performance comparisons, and data visualizations that support business decision making across regions, industries and technologies. Follow @IBMIBV on Twitter, and to receive the latest insights by email, visit: www.ibm.com/ibv.

Media Contact:

Michelle Mattelson

IBM External Relations
[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-study-majority-of-global-consumers-embrace-e-commerce-sustainability-for-the-holidays-amid-covid-19-301174261.html

SOURCE IBM