Latest news with #Sora
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
DBS, OCBC, UOB Q2 results likely to be weighed down by lower interest rates
[SINGAPORE] The trio of local banks will likely post weaker results for the second quarter of 2025, weighed down by lower net interest income from falling interest rates, analysts said. They are expected to post their Q2 financials next month, beginning with OCBC on Aug 1 and followed by DBS and UOB on Aug 7. Net interest margins (NIMs) will probably be 'materially lower' in Q2, said Thilan Wickramasinghe, head of research and regional financials at Maybank Securities Singapore. He noted that the Singapore Overnight Rate Average (Sora) was down 50 basis points – due to 'massive' domestic liquidity, partly because of safe haven inflows – while the Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate (Hibor) was at its lowest since 2022. The Sora decline provided only partial relief in funding costs, as banks 'weigh off preserving market share', he said. DBS Group Research analyst Lim Rui Wen also expects NIMs to fall quarter on quarter by a high single digit, due to the lower Sora and Hibor. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The rates' impact will likely be more pronounced as more loans get repriced against reduced benchmark rates throughout Q2, she added. However, she noted that OCBC's and UOB's repricing of their fixed-deposit and flagship deposit account interest rates should buffer falling asset yields in subsequent quarters. Wickramasinghe also pointed out that loan growth was better than expected in Q2, probably due to front-loading demand ahead of the expiry of US President Donald Trump's tariff moratorium. While this may partially offset downsides in net interest income, it is unlikely to arrest sequential decline, the researcher said. Trump impact Analysts also said that Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April likely weighed on market sentiment, impacting wealth management fees in turn. Tay Wee Kuang, an analyst at CGS International, said that macroeconomic uncertainty could continue to dampen fee income in the second half of the year, despite equity market sentiment having slowly recovered. Nevertheless, Lim of DBS expects wealth management income to remain a tailwind for Singapore banks in the medium term, as wealth management activity began recovering in May. This is also supported by ongoing growth in assets under management (AUM), she said. 'The investible portion of AUM is expected, as clients reallocated funds from fixed-deposit rates and (treasury-bill) rates, which continue to see declining rates through Q2.' Wickramasinghe likewise expects sequential improvements in wealth management fees, given falling domestic benchmark rates and risk-on market conditions. He added that significant volatility around foreign exchange, trade and interest rates would likely have supported trading income in Q2, which could surprise on the upside, especially for DBS and UOB. Higher credit costs Meanwhile, the three banks' credit costs could trend towards the higher end of their respective 2025 guidance, due to weakness across Asean economies such as Thailand and Indonesia , said Tay. 'However, we do not expect total credit costs to change drastically quarter on quarter, as we believe the pre-emptive general provisions recognised by the Singapore banks in Q1 should remain sufficient amid the current credit cycle,' he added. Ongoing reviews of second-order impacts from the US tariffs may also lead the banks to maintain or increase their general provision buffers, said Lim. Therefore, general provisions write-backs are unlikely this year, she noted. CGS International and Maybank Securities kept their 'neutral' call on the Singapore banking sector, with Tay noting that the lenders lack growth catalysts in an uncertain economic outlook. The analysts expect UOB to restore its guidance for 2025, which it had suspended in Q1. They are also awaiting more clarity from OCBC on its strategy, following its failed bid to privatise its insurance arm, Great Eastern . Clarity around returns may also take longer to resolve due to the lender's 'unexpected leadership change ', Wickramasinghe said. But Lim, who has 'hold' calls on OCBC and UOB, expects the banks' dividend yields of up to 6.5 per cent to continue supporting share prices. 'As asset quality remains largely benign, and dividend yields stay attractive, comparable to Singapore real estate investment trusts, we expect share prices to remain well-supported in a low interest-rate environment and due to the safe haven appeal of the Singapore dollar,' she said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Watch out for videos of ginormous anacondas in Amazon River
Claim: A series of videos shows massive, real-life anacondas swimming through the Amazon River. Rating: In July 2025, several videos began circulating across social media platforms, allegedly showing aerial footage of gigantic anacondas slithering through the Amazon River. These videos, some of which received millions of views, appeared to show unnaturally large snakes moving through dense jungle waterways. One TikTok post (archived) with the footage gained over 36 million views on TikTok. Similar videos spread across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, X and Reddit. However, these videos did not depict real-life events. They were created using AI video generation tools, most likely Sora, a text-to-video model developed by OpenAI. Many of the clips included a subtle watermark in the bottom-right corner indicating the use of such a tool. Additionally, no reputable news agencies or wildlife organizations reported any recent sightings of extraordinarily large anacondas in the Amazon River. While green anacondas (Eunectes murinus) are indeed among the largest snakes in the world and inhabit the region, the ones shown in these videos are far larger than any known specimen, and clearly fabricated. As such, we have rated these videos as fake. Wave of AI anaconda videos spreads online The TikTok profile (archived) @ which had over 387,300 followers as of this writing, featured dozens of AI-generated videos, many of which depicted surreal wildlife scenes, such as giant anacondas in the Amazon rain forest (see screenshot below). (TikTok user @ One of the user's TikTok videos (archived) reached over 12 million views, with a caption reading: During a routine surveillance mission over the Amazon River, a military helicopter crew spotted something unbelievable — a massive black anaconda gliding through the jungle waters. The size and speed of the serpent stunned the crew, and the footage is sending chills across the internet!Was this just a freak encounter… or is something colossal lurking in the Amazon depths? The description further stated 📍Location: Amazon River Basin 🎥 Type: AI-generated concept" and featured "#AIConcept" hashtag, among other ones. While this video at least included the disclosure that it was AI-generated, many viewers seemed to take it at face value, expressing shock and belief in the video's authenticity. Most other viral versions of the footage, however, lacked any disclaimer or context indicating they were AI-generated. Additionally, the clips featured a subtle OpenAI Blossom logo watermark in the bottom-right corner, indicating they were created using the AI video generator Sora (see image below). (TikTok use @ Illustration) The TikTok user confirmed personally creating all the videos using the AI tool Sora, consistent with the watermarks visible in the clips. The videos also displayed several telltale signs of being artificially created. For example, the massive snakes appeared to float on the surface of the water without interacting realistically with their surroundings. What's more, the textures of the snakes' skin and the water looked unnatural and overly smooth, lacking the detail and complexity seen in real footage. Finally, no reputable media outlets reported any verified sightings of such creatures, and the snakes depicted in the videos were of a size far beyond anything known to science. While real green anacondas are among the biggest snakes on Earth, the exaggerated scale shown in these AI-generated clips indicated they were entirely fabricated. (Don't) do it yourself To test how easily such viral snake videos could be created, we used Sora. With just a simple prompt, reading: " "generate a video, a view from above, pretty high, showing multiple anacondas in amazon river," we were able to produce a video that closely resembled the viral videos circulating online. (Sora) The videos were created in under a minute, with no need for editing software or wildlife knowledge. Notably, this was done with a very basic, first-try prompt. With just a little more effort, such as specifying camera movement, lighting, environmental effects, or more natural snake behavior, the results could be made even more realistic and harder to distinguish from genuine footage. For reference, here's a video of a real anaconda: We regularly debunk AI-generated content, including a recent rumor claiming that "The Simpsons" predicted a July 2025 scandal in which a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert allegedly caught a tech CEO cheating with the company's chief people officer. - YouTube. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. AI Generated Content Articles | Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. Esposito, Joey. "Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal?" Snopes, 21 Jul. 2025, "Green Anaconda, Facts and Information." Animals, 13 Jun. 2025, OpenAI. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025. Sora: Creating Video from Text. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Business Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
S-Reits earnings season kicks off, with 37 trusts scheduled to report their results in coming weeks
THE latest earnings season for Singapore-listed real estate investment trusts (S-Reits) has commenced, with seven trusts reporting their latest financial results or business updates last week. Another 30 S-Reits have also announced that their latest earnings will be scheduled for release between Jul 28 and Aug 14. Among the 37 S-Reits, 31 are reporting quarterly or half-year financial results, four will provide quarterly business updates, and two will provide full-year financial results. Sabana Industrial Reit , Digital Core Reit , Mapletree Logistics Trust (MLT) and OUE Reit kicked off the current earnings season last Wednesday (Jul 23), followed by Suntec Reit and Frasers Centrepoint Trust (FCT) on Thursday (Jul 24), as well as Keppel DC Reit on Friday. Of the Reits that have announced their earnings so far, most have reported stable operating performances, with some improvements in distributions per unit (DPU) observed in the latest reporting period. Reit managers, however, remain watchful over the impact of trade tensions and tariffs going forward and are focused on portfolio and capital management efforts while eyeing opportunities. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Sabana Reit's DPU rose 26.9 per cent year on year to S$0.017 in H1 2025, on the back of higher gross revenue and net property income (NPI). The manager said that the strong performance was supported by improved occupancy at certain properties and positive rental reversions across the portfolio. However, it noted that rising geopolitical tensions, the uncertain trade outlook, and cost pressures are headwinds, and its priority is to optimise portfolio occupancy rate while mitigating operational costs to attract and retain cost conscious tenants. Elsewhere, Digital Core Reit reported stable DPU of US$0.018 in the first half of 2025, amid higher gross revenue and NPI. The Reit manager noted that data centre fundamentals continue to tighten across core global markets, and it remains focused on capitalising on the favourable industry backdrop to create durable value for unitholders. In the first half of 2025, Digital Core Reit repurchased a total of 1.8 million units at an average price of US$0.565, generating DPU accretion of approximately 0.1 per cent. The units were held as treasury units and were subsequently cancelled. OUE Reit reported a 5.4 per cent improvement in DPU for the first half of 2025, following a significant decline in finance costs, which fell 17.3 per cent on year. The Reit's revenue and NPI fell slightly during the period on a like-for-like basis as its resilient Singapore commercial portfolio partially offset lower hospitality contributions. OUE Reit's manager noted that its disciplined capital management, coupled with the decline in the Singapore Overnight Rate Average (Sora), has enabled the lower financing costs, supporting DPU growth. Other S-Reits with Singapore assets have also noted improvements in their financing costs. Suntec Reit reported a 3.7 per cent improvement in DPU for H1, with its Singapore office, retail and convention portfolios continuing to deliver strong operating performances. The manager also noted that financing costs for Suntec Reit declined amid refinancing efforts, as well as the paring down of debt with divestment proceeds from Suntec strata office units. Similarly, FCT said that its cost of debt was improving, declining to 3.7 per cent in Q3 2025, down from 4.1 per cent a year earlier. The Reit's committed occupancy remained stable and high, at 99.9 per cent, with shopper traffic and tenants' sales improving 2.1 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively, compared to the prior-year period. Its manager also noted that limited supply and healthy demand continue to underpin the Singapore suburban retail market. Elsewhere, MLT reported stable operating metrics with 95.7 per cent occupancy and 2.1 per cent positive rental reversions. Revenue and NPI fell 2.4 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively, on year, mainly due to foreign exchange impact and loss of contribution from 12 divested properties. On a constant currency basis, the portfolio's operational performance was stable. Excluding divestment gains, DPU from operations rose 0.5 per cent quarter on quarter, reflecting stable operational performance. However, its DPU was lower year on year, amid weaker regional currencies and the absence of a one-off divestment gain. SGX RESEARCH The writer is a research analyst at SGX. For more research and information on Singapore's Reit sector, visit for the monthly S-Reits & Property Trusts Chartbook.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Bots Before Bros? Not Quite—We're in This Together.
Live Events For a while, artificial intelligence (AI) felt like a sci-fi fantasy appearing in headlines and presentations. The excitement was clear, but so was the doubt. People worried about job losses, ethical issues, and systems going out of control. But here's the fact: the AI hype isn't over; it's just changing we see now is a shift from unrealistic expectations to real actions. In 2023 and early 2024, AI dominated the news cycle. ChatGPT , Midjourney, Claude , and Sora were everywhere; everyone wanted a piece of the action. Today, that buzz has calmed down a bit. However, beneath the surface, AI is growing into something much more stable: a key business tool and an everyday productivity healthcare. AI is not replacing doctors; it is enhancing their work. It speeds up diagnostics, highlights issues in scans, and even predicts patient outcomes. In education, tools like Khanmigo and AI tutors are making learning more personalized and accessible. In journalism, AI helps editors organize research and sort through vast amounts of data without losing editorial is the build phase of AI. It isn't loud, but it is impactful. Companies are investing, governments are regulating, and developers are improving their tools. Importantly, individuals are learning to work with AI rather than against it. We have moved beyond the time when AI was just a novelty; it is now a new era is not about humans versus machines; it's about humans plus AI. When people learn how to create effective prompts, check outputs, and think critically with AI as a partner, the results can be transformative. In creative fields, AI serves as a partner for writing, designing, coding, and filmmaking. In operations, it handles routine tasks so humans can focus on strategy and there are risks. We must discuss ethical issues, reduce biases, and enforce guidelines. But dismissing AI as a passing fad or viewing it as a threat is not only outdated; it is short-sighted. The winners of this decade will be those who embrace AI with responsibility, openness, and narrative has shifted from 'AI is coming' to 'AI is already here.' It is quietly changing how we work, live, and create. This is not the end of AI hype. This marks the start of real AI don't step back; step up. Learn, grow, and partner with the technology that is shaping our future. The best move now is to join forces with AI and build something better together.
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
ChatGPT with GPT 5 tipped for Sora 2 upgrade — here's everything we know
ChatGPT's GPT-5 upgrade is lurking right around the corner. OpenAI is hinting at it, and predictions are flooding in, both for the release day and what new features will come with it. And one new prediction could be the most exciting yet. Tibor Blaho, known for his AI predictions and insights on X, hinted at a possible update to OpenAI's Sora. He posted a screenshot of host names on which shows files with the names 'Sora 2'. Sora is OpenAI's video generator. It was originally launched back in December 2024 and, at the time, was one of the biggest jumps forward for AI video we'd seen. However, things have moved on since then, and Sora hasn't changed all that much. In fact, it has steadily been pushed to the back of the line by the likes of Google's Veo 3, as well as lesser-known competitors including Kling 2, Runway, and Moonvalley. Including an update to Sora alongside GPT-5 would seem logical. AI video is moving fast, and OpenAI won't want to get left behind. While it isn't yet confirmed, there are some features that we would expect to see from a new version of Sora. Sora 2? 21, 2025 Sora does not understand human movement. Lots of clips that you'll see from the current version depict people melting into each other, arms disappearing and bodies warping through the ground. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the big one is that AI models don't completely understand physics. They've been trained on video clips, but not the underlying explanations of those clips. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. For example, footage of a man surfing makes sense in theory, but it can be hard to replicate this if you don't understand the way humans interact with water. Equally, training on video is a lot more complicated than images. Movement can be different every time you see it, and this can cause confusion for recreating the complexities of human movement. This doesn't mean it is impossible to fix. More advanced AI video models are getting close to nailing this problem, and Sora 2 could, in theory, do that too. One of the biggest factors that gave Veo 3 a lead in the market is its addition of audio with video clips. The earlier AI video generators (like Sora) were designed to just replicate video. However, more recent alternatives have begun to bring AI-generated audio into the fold as well. To make Sora 2 more competitive, OpenAI is likely to bring a feature like this into the mix. They have experimented with creating AI audio in the past but have been somewhat silent on this venture since. Where OpenAI could stand out with Sora 2 is in the length of its generated clips. Most generators are only able to produce videos between four and eight seconds at a time. However, some competitors are slowly starting to nudge this number upwards. OpenAI could be one of the companies to do this first. If they were able to do this, it would almost definitely be locked behind OpenAI's most expensive plan, considering how expensive longer video generation is and the energy costs it requires. A more recent change that is being noted in the world of AI video is an increase in the quality of the footage. Moonvalley, a company offering copyright-free AI video generation, is making waves with the quality of its footage. By training exclusively on high-quality videos, it can offer footage of only a certain resolution and above. While OpenAI is unlikely to go as far as this, improvements in both training and the technology powering the tool could see Sora 2 offering much higher quality in its video. Of course, this is tricky to blend with the longer length video mentioned above and would most likely end up being separate features.
