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Fair Park First suspends fundraising until audit findings clarify park’s finances
Fair Park First, the nonprofit manager of the 277-acre South Dallas site, has paused fundraising, at least until some questions are answered, according to board president Veletta Forsythe Lill.
The non-profit organization commissioned a forensic audit in April to assess whether the park’s operator, Oak View Group, mismanaged donor funds. The results are expected in August. While they wait, Lill and other board members have been in touch with donors, keeping them informed about the project’s progress and the audit.
“We’re not going to go out and ask for new grants until we can give good answers,” Lill said. The Dallas Morning News.
The city has tasked the nonprofit with the enormous responsibility of repairing its relationship with black residents in South Dallas, who have suffered a long history of inequality and neglect in area. The audit has worried longtime residents like Anna Hill, who has attended community meetings related to a master plan for the park. Delays could make the promise of revitalization seem like a distant dream, Hill said in May.
The non-profit organization provided The news with a breakdown of the funds that have been committed and raised for capital improvements on July 5 at the park. Lill said the numbers are estimates and could change, but they are the best numbers they have.
So far, the group has raised approximately $44 million in donations, pledges, partnerships and government grants, based on the data. The goal is to reach $85 million.
Of the $44 million, Fair Park First raised $29.27 million from pledges and donations for capital improvements and construction, including the construction of the long-awaited community park. About 59 percent of that donor money — $17.3 million — was raised directly by Fair Park First and held in a bank account overseen by Oak View Group, according to a contract.
That’s the money that is largely at the heart of the audit, Lill said.
Fair Park First is investigating allegations that Oak View Group may have used restricted philanthropic funds earmarked for capital improvements on day-to-day operating expenses.
A former board member and a familiar face in the city’s arts and history circles, Lill began leading the nonprofit’s board amid lingering questions about the park’s finances. Many public officials, including Dallas Park Board Chairman Arun Agarwal, have said they are waiting for the audit and warned that a delay could test public trust.
The nonprofit asks for patience. Auditors from Malnory, McNeal and Company, P.C. are reviewing every donation and receipt, Lill said.
She said Fair Park is a complex organism, as is its accounting. Each project is supported by a mix of funds, some raised by Fair Park First and some administered by the city.
Planners, architects and engineers were paid. Money was also used for signage or web designers. Did all of these expenses meet the donor’s terms? Was some of it appropriate to be an operating expense? Lill said that’s what Fair Park First hopes the audit will reveal.
OVG360, the hospitality division of Oak View Group that operates the site, has denied any wrongdoing.
“We are confident — and have documentation to prove it — that all uses of the donated funds were with the full knowledge and approval of (Fair Park First CEO Brian Luallen), acting on behalf of Fair Park First,” Brian Rothenberg, an attorney for Oak View Group, wrote in an April letter to city officials.
What funds are supporting Fair Park?
Most of the money flowing to Fair Park for improvements comes from the 2017 bond and Proposition A, which passed in 2022. Proposition A designates hotel occupancy tax to pay off debt the city is taking on to renovate Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Christina Turner-Noteware, assistant director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, said the city was managing the $140 million earmarked for the stadium. Dallas also oversees bond funds, she said.
Dallas set aside $50 million for 12 projects in the 2017 bond program. The funds would pay for repairs to the Food and Fiber Building, Centennial Building and the Coliseum, among others.
City data shows that about $44.8 million has been allocated.
The 2024 bond proposal would add $5 million to Fair Park, and that money has not yet arrived. The city also pays an average of $3.4 million to Fair Park First and Oak View Group in annual administrative grants.
Direct federal or state funding from entities like the Texas Historical Commission is also on the table. Fair Park First estimates it has used $300,000 in grants to upgrade HVAC systems in Fair Park buildings and build a site for the new cultural district.
Fair Park officials also spent $600,000 on initial designs for the Cotton Bowl and concepts for other buildings, but that money has been repaid, Lill said.
Grants from federal and state agencies, which the city would have to match, totaled $2.4 million. One example of those expenses includes the park’s plan to put a new cooler in the visitor center. Lill said half of that would be paid for using a grant from the state of Texas, and the other half would come from the city.
Another level of funding to support development in and around Fair Park will come from the Texas Trees Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to develop greening initiatives in North Texas. Fair Park First estimated that the foundation could invest $12 million in the area to support development.
Elissa Izmailyan, the foundation’s director of strategy and operations, said the organization was partnering with Fair Park First to plant 500 trees in the park. But the plan isn’t limited to Fair Park. The foundation secured a $15 million grant from the Inflation Reduction Act through the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry program.
The donation will support the South Dallas Greening Initiative, which aims to plant thousands of trees in Fair Park, Mill City, Queen City, Wheatley Place and surrounding neighborhoods.
The foundation will manage the funds and the project, Izmailyan said.
Why is the audit process complicated?
When Dallas brought Spectra, later acquired by Oak View Group, and Fair Park First on board, the spirit of the deal was to make the nonprofit the authority in overseeing Fair Park. However, the contract between the nonprofit and Spectra gave the for-profit company more financial power.
OVG360 is responsible for the park’s overall maintenance, according to the agreement. Maintaining the lawn, attracting acts like the Rolling Stones and Coldplay and keeping the lights on in several buildings throughout the complex are all part of OVG’s job description.
The way the agreement was worded also allowed the venue management company to manage bank accounts and oversee accounting, meaning that even though checks were made out to Fair Park First, OVG had the power to make deposits and withdrawals, according to the contract.
The mechanism OVG and Fair Park First used to authorize the money that could be withdrawn is unclear. Emails obtained by The news Through an open records request, John Jenkins, director of the Dallas Department of Parks and Recreation, asked Luallen to create a new bank account for donor funds shortly before the audit became public.
Lill said the nonprofit wants to amend the contract with Oak View Group and the city to gain more oversight and financial control over the donated funds the nonprofit raises. More than anything, “we want greater oversight over the future of Fair Park,” she said.
RENO, Nev., August 1, 2024–(BUSINESS THREAD)–Modiv Industrial, Inc. (“Modiv” or the “Company”) (NYSE:MDV), the only public REIT focused exclusively on the acquisition of industrial real estate properties, today announced that it will release second quarter 2024 financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 before the market opens on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Management will host a conference call the same day at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time (10:30 a.m. Eastern Time) to discuss the results.
Live conference call: 1-877-407-0789 or 1-201-689-8562 at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time Tuesday, August 6.
Internet broadcast: To listen to the webcast, live or archived, use this link https://callme.viavid.com/viavid/?callme=true&passcode=13740174&h=true&info=company&r=true&B=6 or visit the investor relations page of the Modiv website at www.modiv.com.
About Modiv Industrial
Modiv Industrial, Inc. is an internally managed REIT focused on single-tenant net-leased industrial manufacturing real estate. The company actively acquires critical industrial manufacturing properties with long-term leases to tenants that fuel the national economy and strengthen the nation’s supply chains. For more information, visit: www.modiv.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240731628803/en/
Contacts
Investor Inquiries:
management@modiv.com
Volta Finance Limited
Volta Finance Limited (VTA/VTAS)
Notification of transactions by directors, persons exercising managerial functions
responsibilities and people closely associated with them
NOT FOR DISCLOSURE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN THE UNITED STATES
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Guernsey, 1 August 2024
Pursuant to announcements made on 5 April 2019 and 26 June 2020 relating to changes to the payment of directors’ fees, Volta Finance Limited (the “Company” or “Volta”) purchased 3,380 no par value ordinary shares of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) at an average price of €5.2 per share.
Each director receives 30% of his or her director’s fee for any year in the form of shares, which he or she is required to hold for a period of not less than one year from the respective date of issue.
The shares will be issued to the Directors, who for the purposes of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on Market Abuse (“March“) are “people who exercise managerial responsibilities” (a “PDMR“).
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Dagmar Kershaw, Chairman and MDMR for purposes of MAR, has acquired an additional 1,040 Common Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Kershaw will have an interest in 12,838 Common Shares, representing 0.03% of the Company’s issued shares;
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Stephen Le Page, a Director and a PDMR for MAR purposes, has acquired an additional 728 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Mr. Le Page will have an interest in 50,562 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.14% of the issued shares of the Company;
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Yedau Ogoundele, Director and a PDMR for the purposes of MAR has acquired an additional 728 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Ogoundele will have an interest in 6,862 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.02% of the issued shares of the Company; and
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Joanne Peacegood, Director and PDMR for MAR purposes has acquired an additional 884 Ordinary Shares in the Company. Following the settlement of this transaction, Ms. Peacegood will have an interest in 3,505 Ordinary Shares, representing 0.01% of the issued shares of the Company;
The notifications below, made in accordance with the requirements of the MAR, provide further details in relation to the above transactions:
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a) Dagmar Kershaw |
b) Stephen LePage |
c) Yedau Ogoundele |
e) Joanne Pazgood |
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Director |
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b. Initial Notification/Amendment |
Initial notification |
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a name |
Volta Finance Limited |
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b. LAW |
2138004N6QDNAZ2V3W80 |
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a. Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument |
Ordinary actions |
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b. Identification code |
GG00B1GHHH78 |
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c. Nature of the transaction |
Acquisition and Allocation of Common Shares in Relation to Partial Payment of Directors’ Fees for the Quarter Ended July 31, 2024 |
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d. Price(s) |
€5.2 per share |
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Total: 3380 |
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August 1, 2024 |
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g. Location of transaction |
At the Market – London |
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CONTACTS
For the investment manager
AXA Investment Managers Paris
Francois Touati
francois.touati@axa-im.com
+33 (0) 1 44 45 80 22
Olivier Pons
Olivier.pons@axa-im.com
+33 (0) 1 44 45 87 30
Company Secretary and Administrator
BNP Paribas SA, Guernsey branch
guernsey.bp2s.volta.cosec@bnpparibas.com
+44 (0) 1481 750 853
Corporate Broker
Cavendish Securities plc
Andre Worn Out
Daniel Balabanoff
+44 (0) 20 7397 8900
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ABOUT VOLTA FINANCE LIMITED
Volta Finance Limited is incorporated in Guernsey under the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended) and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange for listed securities. Volta’s home member state for the purposes of the EU Transparency Directive is the Netherlands. As such, Volta is subject to the regulation and supervision of the AFM, which is the regulator of the financial markets in the Netherlands.
Volta’s investment objectives are to preserve its capital throughout the credit cycle and to provide a stable income stream to its shareholders through dividends that it expects to distribute quarterly. The company currently seeks to achieve its investment objectives by seeking exposure predominantly to CLOs and similar asset classes. A more diversified investment strategy in structured finance assets may be pursued opportunistically. The company has appointed AXA Investment Managers Paris, an investment management firm with a division specializing in structured credit, to manage the investment portfolio of all of its assets.
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ABOUT AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS
AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-specialist asset management firm within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with 2,700 professionals and €844 billion in assets under management at the end of December 2023.
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This press release is issued by AXA Investment Managers Paris (“AXA IM”) in its capacity as alternative investment fund manager (within the meaning of Directive 2011/61/EU, the “AIFM Directive”) of Volta Finance Limited (“Volta Finance”), the portfolio of which is managed by AXA IM.
This press release is for information only and does not constitute an invitation or inducement to purchase shares of Volta Finance. Its circulation may be prohibited in certain jurisdictions and no recipient may circulate copies of this document in violation of such limitations or restrictions. This document is not an offer to sell the securities referred to herein in the United States or to persons who are “U.S. persons” for purposes of Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or otherwise in circumstances where such an offering would be restricted by applicable law. Such securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Volta Finance does not intend to register any part of the offering of such securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of such securities in the United States.
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This communication is being distributed to, and is directed only at, (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The securities referred to herein are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be made only to, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act on or rely on this document or any of its contents. Past performance should not be relied upon as a guide to future performance.
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This press release contains statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “is/are expected”, “may”, “will” or “should”. They include statements about the level of the dividend, the current market environment and its impact on the long-term return on Volta Finance’s investments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results, portfolio composition and performance of Volta Finance may differ materially from the impression created by the forward-looking statements. AXA IM undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements.
Any target information is based on certain assumptions as to future events that may not materialize. Due to the uncertainty surrounding these future events, targets are not intended to be and should not be considered to be profits or earnings or any other type of forecast. There can be no assurance that any of these targets will be achieved. Furthermore, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved.
Figures provided which relate to past months or years and past performance cannot be considered as a guide to future performance or construed as a reliable indicator as to future performance. Throughout this review, the citation of specific trades or strategies is intended to illustrate some of Volta Finance’s investment methodologies and philosophies as implemented by AXA IM. The historical success or AXA IM’s belief in the future success of any such trade or strategy is not indicative of, and has no bearing on, future results.
The valuation of financial assets may vary significantly from the prices that AXA IM could obtain if it sought to liquidate the positions on Volta Finance’s behalf due to market conditions and the general economic environment. Such valuations do not constitute a fairness or similar opinion and should not be relied upon as such.
Publisher: AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS PARIS, a company incorporated under the laws of France, with registered office at Tour Majunga, 6, Place de la Pyramide – 92800 Puteaux. AXA IMP is authorized by Autorité des Marchés Financiers under registration number GP92008 as an alternative investment fund manager within the meaning of the AIFM Directive.
*****
Litter (AAPL) is set to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings after the market closes on Thursday, and unlike the rest of its tech peers, the main story won’t be about the rise of AI.
Instead, analysts and investors will be keeping a close eye on iPhone sales in China and whether Apple has managed to stem the tide of users switching to domestic rivals including Huawei.
For the quarter, analysts expect Apple to report earnings per share (EPS) of $1.35 on revenue of $84.4 billion, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Apple saw EPS of $1.26 on revenue of $81.7 billion in the same period last year.
Apple shares are up about 18.6% year to date despite a rocky start to the year, thanks in part to the impact of the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in May, where showed off its Apple Intelligence software.
But the big question on investors’ minds is whether iPhone sales have risen or fallen in China. Apple has struggled with slowing phone sales in the region, with the company noting an 8% decline in sales in the second quarter as local rivals including Huawei and Xiaomi gain market share.
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
And while some analysts, such as JPMorgan’s Samik Chatterjee, believe sales in Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, rose in the third quarter, others, including David Vogt of UBS Global Research, say sales likely fell about 6%.
Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg say Apple will report revenue of $15.2 billion in Greater China, down 3.1% from the same quarter last year, when Apple reported revenue of $15.7 billion in China. Overall iPhone sales are expected to reach $38.9 billion, down 1.8% year over year from the $39.6 billion Apple saw in the third quarter of 2023.
But Apple is expected to make up for those declines in other areas, including Services and iPad sales. Services revenue is expected to reach $23.9 billion in the quarter, up from $21.2 billion in the third quarter of 2023, while iPad sales are expected to reach $6.6 billion, up from the $5.7 billion the segment brought in in the same period last year. Those iPad sales projections come after Apple launched its latest iPad models this year, including a new iPad Pro lineup powered by the company’s M4 chip.
Mac revenue is also expected to grow modestly in the quarter, versus a 7.3% decline last year. Sales of wearables, which include the Apple Watch and AirPods, however, are expected to decline 5.9% year over year.
In addition to Apple’s revenue numbers, analysts and investors will be listening closely for any commentary on the company’s software launches. Apple Intelligence beta for developers earlier this week.
The story continues
The software, which is powered by Apple’s generative AI technology, is expected to arrive on iPhones, iPads and Macs later this fall, though according to Bloomberg’s Marc GurmanIt won’t arrive alongside the new iPhone in September. Instead, it’s expected to arrive on Apple devices sometime in October.
Analysts are divided on the potential impact of Apple Intelligence on iPhone sales next year, with some saying the software will kick off a new iPhone sales supercycle and others offering more pessimistic expectations about the technology’s effect on Apple’s profits.
It’s important to note that Apple Intelligence is only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro and newer phones, ensuring that all users desperate to get their hands on the tech will have to upgrade to a newer, more powerful phone as soon as it is available.
Either way, if Apple wants to make Apple Intelligence a success, it will need to ensure it has the features that will make customers excited to take advantage of the offering.
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Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits hit its highest level in a year last week, even as the job market remains surprisingly healthy in an era of high interest rates.
Jobless claims for the week ending July 27 rose 14,000 to 249,000 from 235,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. It’s the highest number since the first week of August last year and the 10th straight week that claims have been above 220,000. Before that period, claims had remained below that level in all but three weeks this year.
Weekly jobless claims are widely considered representative of layoffs, and while they have been slightly higher in recent months, they remain at historically healthy levels.
Strong consumer demand and a resilient labor market helped avert a recession that many economists predicted during the Federal Reserve’s prolonged wave of rate hikes that began in March 2022.
As inflation continues to declinethe Fed’s goal of a soft landing — reducing inflation without causing a recession and mass layoffs — appears to be within reach.
On Wednesday, the Fed left your reference rate aloneBut officials have strongly suggested a cut could come in September if the data stays on its recent trajectory. And recent labor market data suggests some weakening.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.1% in June, despite the fact that American employers added 206,000 jobs. U.S. job openings also fell slightly last month. Add that to the rise in layoffs, and the Fed could be poised to cut interest rates next month, as most analysts expect.
The four-week average of claims, which smooths out some of the weekly ups and downs, rose by 2,500 to 238,000.
The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits in the week of July 20 jumped by 33,000 to 1.88 million. The four-week average for continuing claims rose to 1,857,000, the highest since December 2021.
Continuing claims have been rising in recent months, suggesting that some Americans receiving unemployment benefits are finding it harder to get jobs.
There have been job cuts across a range of sectors this year, from agricultural manufacturing Deerefor media such as CNNIt is in another place.
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