Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crisis Deepens as Traffic Plunges Amid Iran-U.S. Tensions 
Chinese Chip Stocks Surge on AI Boom and Domestic Tech Push 
Brazil Pension Fund Crackdown After Banco Master Collapse Raises Investment Concerns 
SMC Corp Stock Surges as Palliser Capital Pushes for Major Share Buyback 
Organon Stock Surges After Reports of $13 Billion Buyout Bid by Sun Pharma 
Asian Currencies Rise Ahead of BOJ and Fed Meetings as Dollar Softens 
ECB Rate Outlook: Ceasefire Eases Pressure but Hikes Still Expected in 2026 
Canadian Dollar Outlook: Resilient Performance Driven by Oil Prices and Market Dynamics 
Asian Stock Markets Rally as Japan and South Korea Hit Record Highs Amid Oil Price Concerns 
DeepSeek Launches V4 AI Models with Enhanced Reasoning and 1M Token Context Window 
Trump Urges Iran to Call for Talks as War Stalemate Disrupts Oil Markets 
Dollar Weakens Amid Middle East Tensions and Anticipated Central Bank Decisions 
US Dollar Weakens as Iran Talks Boost Risk Appetite in Forex Market 
U.S.-Iran Conflict Stalls as Diplomatic Efforts Collapse and Global Oil Tensions Rise 
Chip Stocks Rally on AI Optimism as Oil Price Surge Adds Market Tension 
Nomura Shares Drop After Profit Miss Despite Strong Revenue Growth 
Bank of England Set to Hold Interest Rates as Inflation Risks and Iran War Impact Loom 
Affinity Equity Partners, a Hong Kong private equity firm, has appointed Goldman Sachs to sell its Burger King fast-food businesses in South Korea and Japan in a deal that could fetch over US$1 billion.
Goldman Sachs is targeting both private equity investors and strategic buyers.
Affinity acquired Burger King South Korea in 2016 for about $170 million and the American fast-food brand's Japan franchise in 2017.
Last year, Burger King South Korea reported $572 million in revenue, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) at $67 million.
The adjusted EBITDA in 2022 is expected to reach $83.8 million.
Meanwhile, Burger King Japan's adjusted EBITDA in 2021 was $6 million.
The decision to sell the Burger King businesses comes as the Omicron variant rocked the consumer and retail sectors.
In South Korea, businesses have been relying more on deliveries, causing the number of monthly active users on Burger King Korea’s mobile app to exceed 1.4 million, the highest since the app's launching in May 2016.
Burger King runs 440 outlets in South Korea, more than its rival McDonald's, while the Japan franchise would open three new outlets in January to bring the total there to 149.
