Category: 3. Business

It’s the corporate gamble of the moment: Can you run a company, increasing sales and juicing profits, without adding people? 

American employers are increasingly making the calculation that they can keep the size of their teams flat—or shrink through layoffs—without harming their businesses. Part of that thinking is the belief that artificial intelligence will be used to pick up some of the slack and automate more processes. Companies are also hesitant to make any moves in an economy many still describe as uncertain.

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When we invest, we’re generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. For example, the Hotel Properties Limited (SGX:H15) share price is up 68% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market return of around 55% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven’t been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 36% in the last year, including dividends.

Let’s take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they’ve been consistent with shareholders returns.

We’ve found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it’s a weighing machine. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company’s share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During the last half decade, Hotel Properties became profitable. That’s generally thought to be a genuine positive, so investors may expect to see an increasing share price. Since the company was unprofitable five years ago, but not three years ago, it’s worth taking a look at the returns in the last three years, too. We can see that the Hotel Properties share price is up 43% in the last three years. Meanwhile, EPS is up 143% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 13% average annual increase in the share price over the same three years. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. Of course, with a P/E ratio of 69.97, the market remains optimistic.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

This free interactive report on Hotel Properties’ earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Hotel Properties, it has a TSR of 79% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

We’re pleased to report that Hotel Properties shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 36% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 12% per year), it would seem that the stock’s performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we’ve spotted with Hotel Properties (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of undervalued companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Singaporean exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

The trade-reliant country’s growth print comes as investors watch for Trump’s meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the sidelines of APEC in Gyeongju. The two sides have yet to finalize a trade deal, with officials looking to fine-tune terms after South Korea pledged up to $350 billion in U.S. investment commitments.

  Taiwan 

  Taiwan is due to release its third-quarter advanced GDP print on Friday, which will likely show slower but still-robust growth after a strong showing the prior quarter. 

  Frontloading of shipments to get ahead of U.S. tariffs and booming demand for the island's chips and electronics have fueled exports and propped up economic growth. ANZ economists estimate that every 1% increase in exports is associated with 0.2% increase in Taiwan's GDP. 

  Economists' estimates for the third-quarter GDP growth range from 5.9% to 6.7% after the second quarter's 8.01% expansion. 

  Although AI-related demand remains strong, there are signs that the momentum may be peaking as Taiwan's September exports growth missed expectations. 

  DBS economist Ma Tieying expects to see a gradual slowdown in both AI-related exports and investment starting from the fourth quarter into 2026 as the AI frenzy cools and tariff impacts materialize. 

  But in light of stronger-than-expected exports in the third quarter, DBS has lifted its full-year GDP growth forecast for the island to 5.6%. 

  Hong Kong 

  Data on Friday gives a snapshot of Hong Kong's economic health: Retail sales for September offer a glimpse into consumer demand and GDP estimates will show how growth held up in the third quarter. 

  Economists at DBS expect growth to have edged down a touch to 3.0% on the year, amid weaker exports. Imports are projected to have stayed resilient. 

  After a long run of contraction, retail sales have returned to growth recently, and markets will look to see if the momentum held up last month. 

  Hong Kong officials have said they expect stabilizing consumer sentiment and tourism tailwinds to help support retail businesses. 

  Looking ahead, DBS's economics team expects the U.S. rate-cut cycle to bolster consumption and investment sentiment in Hong Kong, supported by a softer Hong Kong dollar and lower borrowing costs. 

  Any references to days are in local times. 

  Write to Jessica Fleetham at jessica.fleetham@wsj.com and Jihye Lee at jihye.lee@wsj.com 

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires

  October 26, 2025 20:14 ET (00:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

In a recent interview with Dermatology Times, Lindsay Ackerman, MD, FAAD, a medical dermatologist in Phoenix, Arizona, discussed evolving standards in the management of vitiligo and the clinical integration of topical therapy. Ackerman, who serves as medical director of clinical research at Medical Dermatology Specialists (now part of US Dermatology Partners), emphasized the importance of anticipatory guidance and individualized patient expectations in achieving successful treatment outcomes.

Vitiligo, an autoimmune depigmenting disorder, has historically lacked FDA-approved topical therapies, leaving clinicians to rely on off-label options such as topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors. With the approval of topical ruxolitinib, Ackerman described a shift in both clinical practice and patient communication.

“Ruxolitinib has been a really great game changing option,” she said. it’s our first FDA-approved treatment, but it’s a treatment that allows us to treat vitiligo over a protracted time course and to do so with expectations that it will be safe for patients to have that ongoing topical exposure, which is very different than how we feel about some of the alternative choices we’ve been using off label to treat this chronic autoimmune disease.”

She underscored that this medication’s long-term safety supports ongoing, site-specific use, unlike older off-label agents that often required intermittent treatment or carried risks of cutaneous atrophy or irritation. Ackerman highlighted the necessity of setting realistic expectations, noting that pigmentation restoration is a gradual process. “Giving good anticipatory guidance for patients that are using topical therapy to treat vitiligo is immensely important,” she said. “Patients are going to have to understand at the beginning to embark on this journey of executing treatment for vitiligo means that we’re going to be on this journey for the foreseeable future.”

Beyond pharmacologic therapy, Ackerman encouraged a holistic approach that considers disease impact on quality of life, psychosocial well-being, and patient confidence. She also pointed to emerging research examining combination strategies that may enhance outcomes, such as phototherapy alongside ruxolitinib.

Ultimately, Ackerman’s remarks reinforce a broader dermatologic shift toward evidence-based, sustained, and patient-centered care. As more targeted therapies become available, the dermatologist’s role in education and expectation management remains central to optimizing both safety and satisfaction in vitiligo treatment.

For more than 18 years, Wei Khjan Chan has worked as an accountant, a profession often flagged as being at risk of automation. Each time he saw headlines warning that AI could replace jobs like his, he said he felt the pressure mounting.

“It’ll be great if I get to know AI earlier. At least I replace myself rather than let other people replace me,” the 39-year-old told Business Insider.

To stay ahead of the curve, Chan picked up vibe coding, using AI tools to write code and build apps. The audit partner at an accounting and advisory firm in Malaysia said he stumbled on vibe coding in June after attending weekend coding workshops in Singapore and Malaysia.

Despite having no technical background, Chan built a web app to solve a pain point in his professional life: filing expense claims after business trips.

The app uses AI-powered optical character recognition to scan and process receipts, automatically exporting them into files for his company’s finance teams. He’s also using AI to automate his workflow, such as generating invoices.

“This code is a bunch of JavaScript, which obviously I don’t understand,” he said, showing Business Insider his web app. “Without the vibe coding tools and the skill set, an accountant is unable to do this,” he added.

AI isn’t a ticket out of accounting — it’s how to save it

The accountant said he didn’t learn vibe coding to make a career switch. Instead, he sees “AI know-how” as a fundamental skill for any office profession, like Excel.

Building his own apps showed him just how powerful the tools can be: what once required weeks and an entire team to build as a proof of concept can now be prototyped in a single weekend, he said.

Chan also told Business Insider he’s advocating for broader adoption. As a committee member in his local accounting institute in Malaysia, he’s lobbying for more AI training at scale.

Fewer people are pursuing accountancy even as demand for accounting services rises. With manpower falling short, AI could help fill the gap, Chan said.

Lessons learned from vibe coding

Chan said that when he first started experimenting with AI, he was advised to write long, detailed prompts with “full context length.” But experience taught him that smaller, iterative steps work better.

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“The initial prompt is very important to set everything right,” he said. After that, when changes are needed, it’s more effective to adjust one small part at a time instead of piling on an entire wish list.

He approaches it like managing an intern: Break tasks into smaller, precise instructions. The more specific you are, the better the outcome, he said.

Not every lesson came easily. In one project, Chan built his database based on a single organization. When someone later asked for multi-company support, he realized he had to rebuild the entire structure.

“It’s a very fundamental change,” he said. “I messed up everything.”

The experience taught him that getting the architecture right at the start is critical because features and functions can always be layered on later.

As for debugging, it’s basically like “complaining to the AI,” Chan said with a laugh. If the error message changes, that’s usually a good sign — the AI is working through the problem. If the same error keeps coming back, he said he’ll reset the conversation and reframe the request with new examples.

And he said that, despite occasional debugging, vibe coding doesn’t require endless hours of grinding.

Chan usually tinkers after his kids go to bed, adding a feature here or refining a function there. “It’s like playing a game,” he said.

Over time, it builds up, and with a little guidance, the pieces eventually come together.

Do you have a story to share about vibe coding? Contact this reporter at cmlee@businessinsider.com.

News Highlights

Seoul, October 27, 2025

SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it presented its next-generation NAND storage product strategy at the ‘2025 OCP (Open Compute Project) Global Summit’, held in San Jose, California, from October 13 to 16.

SK hynix said that, with the rapid growth of the AI inference market, the demand for NAND storage products capable of process large volume data quickly and efficiently is increasing dramatically. The company will fulfill customer needs by establishing the ‘AIN (AI-NAND) Family’ lineup of solution products, optimized for the AI era.

Chun Sung Kim, Head of eSSD Product Development at SK hynix, presented the AIN Family during the Executive Session on the second day of the event.

The AIN Family consists of NAND solution products optimized for performance, bandwidth, and density respectively which is designed to enhanced data processing speed and storage capacity. 

AIN P (Performance) is a solution to efficiently process large volume data generated under large-scale AI inference workloads. The product significantly boosts processing speed and energy efficiency by minimizing the bottleneck between storage and AI operations. SK hynix is designing NAND and controllers with new structures and plans to release samples by the end of 2026.

AIN D (Density) is a high density solution designed to store large amount of data with low power consumption and cost suitable for storing AI data. The company targets to increase density to petabyte (PB) level from terabyte (TB) of current QLC¹-based SSDs, and to aim for mid-end storage solution which implements both the speed of SSD and the cost efficiency of HDD.

¹QLC: NAND flash is categorized as single-level cell (SLC), multi-level cell (MLC), triple-level cell (TLC), QLC, and penta-level cell (PLC) depending on how many data bits can be stored in one cell. As the amount of information storage increases, more data can be stored in the same volume.

AIN B (Bandwidth) is SK hynix’s solution leveraging HBF^TM2 technology. This product expands bandwidth by vertically stacking multiple NANDs.

²HBF (High Bandwidth Flash): Similar to HBM which stacks DRAM dies, HBF is a product which is made by vertically stacking multiple NAND flash.

With global top level HBM development and production capabilities, SK hynix has been conducting researches on AIN B from early stage to address the memory capacity gap driven by the expansion of AI inference and scaling up of LLMs³. The key is to combine HBM’s stacking structure with high density and cost efficient NAND flash. The company is taking various strategies for AIN B into consideration, such as placing together with HBM to enhance overall system capacity.

³LLM (Large Language Model): An AI model trained on massive datasets that understands and generates natural language processing tasks.

SK hynix jointly hosted ‘HBF Night’ with Sandisk, after both parties entered an MOU for HBF standardization in August, to expand the technology ecosystem. The event was held at The Tech Interactive, near the OCP Global Summit venue, on the 14^th.

At the event, a panel discussion featuring Korean and foreign faculty members was held, with the participation of numerous industry architects⁴ and engineers participated. During the event, a collaborative effort across the industry was proposed to accelerate innovation in NAND storage products.

⁴Architect: Semiconductor, system design experts

“Through OCP Global Summit and HBF Night, we were able to showcase SK hynix’s present and future as a global AI memory solution provider, thriving in a rapidly evolving AI market,” Ahn Hyun, President and Chief Development Officer said. “In the next generation NAND storage market, SK hynix will collaborate closely with customers and partners to become a key player.”

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”) and flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

Media Contact

SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations

Technical Leaders
Minseok Jang, Sooyeon Lee, Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_pr@skhynix.com