Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine 
Gold and Silver Prices Slide as Dollar Strength and Easing Tensions Weigh on Metals 
Dollar Near Two-Week High as Stock Rout, AI Concerns and Global Events Drive Market Volatility 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Ford and Geely Explore Strategic Manufacturing Partnership in Europe 
CK Hutchison Launches Arbitration After Panama Court Revokes Canal Port Licences 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Steps Down After Layoffs 
Global Markets Slide as AI, Crypto, and Precious Metals Face Heightened Volatility 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users 
Lotte Group has teamed up with Meritz Securities Co. to address the debt mess which Lotte E&C is facing. The two set up a KRW1.5 trillion joint fund to support the struggling engineering and construction company, which is an affiliate of the Lotte Group.
Lotte Group and Meritz Securities will work together to bring in liquidity amid the credit crunch in South Korea. As per Pulse News, business insiders said that the companies agreed to the creation of a $1.18 billion support fund for Lotte Engineering and Construction firm. The companies are scheduled to sign the agreement on Jan. 9, Monday.
The money will help Lotte’s construction arm in its multi-million dollar real estate project financing (PF), including the repayment of debt at maturity. Some of the Lotte Group’s major affiliates, such as the Hotel Lotte Co., Lotte Corp., and Lotte Fine Chemical Co., will also help after they were listed as those that will be responsible for part of the funding requirement,
The companies will have to give KRW600 billion in total as subordinated creditors. On the other hand, Meritz Financial Group’s affiliates, including Meritz Securities, Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance, and Meritz Capital, will handle the remaining KRW900 billion as a senior creditor.
The money is set to be used to buy some maturing asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) guaranteed by Lotte E&C. Help pours in for the construction firm after its parent company, the Lotte Group, implemented self-rescue measures by calling up its group affiliates to ask them to provide financial support for Lotte E&C.
The construction firm plunged into a liquidity crisis after the developer of the Legoland theme park in Korea defaulted and caused a huge problem in the local public debt market.
“We believe that Lotte E&C currently has enough liquidity to calm concerns caused by a temporary financial market crunch in 2022,” Business Korea quoted an official at Meritz Securities as saying in a statement. “We look forward to seeing our partnership with Lotte E&C further solidified.”
