Business
Saks Global announces new CEO as it reportedly prepares for bankruptcy
A pedestrian passes in front of the Saks Fifth Avenue at Brookfield Place in New York.
Allison Joyce | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Saks Global named a new CEO on Friday as the retailer is reportedly on the cusp of filing for bankruptcy protection.
The parent of high-end department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue, which is privately held, will now be led by Richard Baker, the company’s executive chairman, Saks said in a news release. He will continue to hold the executive chairman role.
With the shake-up, three-decade long Saks executive Marc Metrick will leave the company. The news release said Metrick’s is departing “to pursue new opportunities.”
In a statement, Baker said he will work “to secure a strong and stable future for our company.”
“Across Saks Global, with our deep industry expertise, well-established relationships within the luxury sector, and talented employees, we will strengthen our position so that we can capitalize on the many opportunities we see for our company in the luxury market,” he said.
Saks is preparing to file for bankruptcy after missing a debt payment related to its 2024 acquisition of department store chain Neiman Marcus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
It’s the latest twist in the luxury department store operator’s effort to regain its financial footing. Saks Global was created in 2024 after Saks Fifth Avenue parent company Hudson’s Bay Co. acquired Neiman Marcus for $2.65 billion. By marrying the two luxury chains, it sought to better compete with other retailers and department stores including Nordstrom and Macy’s-owned Bloomingdale’s.
The deal turned Saks Global into a larger player, which included Saks Fifth Avenue, its off-price chain Saks Off 5th, Neiman Marcus’ namesake department store chain and Bergdorf Goodman.
Yet the company has taken clear steps to raise cash and shore up its finances, including the recent sale of Neiman Marcus’ Beverly Hills flagship and Saks Global’s debt restructuring in August 2025.
In his biography on Saks Global’s website, the company credited Baker for leading the acquisition of Neiman Marcus and described his strong real estate background. Baker is an owner of National Realty & Development Corp., one of the largest real estate development companies in the United States, and he previously served as the chairman of the board of directors for Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., which he also converted into a real estate investment trust listed on the Nasdaq.
Business
Your SBI YONO App Will Be Blocked If You Don’t Update Your Aadhaar? Details You Need To Know
New Delhi: A viral message is circulating in the social media regarding SBI, claiming that users must download and install an APK file to update their Aadhaar. The viral message has further claimed that if Aadhaar is not updated, the SBI YONO app will be blocked.
Fact-checking agency PIB has refuted the social media claim. PIB has stated that the claim being made in this post is misleading and FAKE.
PIB has further cautioned users to not fall prey to such fake messages. It tweeted, “Do NOT download any APKs or share personal, banking, or Aadhaar details. SBI does NOT ask for such information.”
It has also advised consumers to report suspicious messages to report.phishing@sbi.co.in for necessary action.
How to get messages fact-checked by PIB
If you get any such suspicious message, you can always know its authenticity and check if the news is for real or it is a fake news. For that, you need to send the message to https://factcheck.pib.gov.in. Alternatively you can send a WhatsApp message to +918799711259 for fact check. You can also send your message to pibfactcheck@gmail.com. The fact check information is also available on https://pib.gov.in.
Business
Stock market today: Nifty50 opens below 26,150; BSE Sensex down over 100 points – The Times of India
Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in red on Wednesday. While Nifty50 went below 26,150, BSE Sensex was down over 100 points. At 9:18 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 26,132.00, down 47 points or 0.18%. BSE Sensex was at 84,953.09, down 110 points or 0.13%.Analysts believe that equity markets are expected to move in a narrow range in the near term, as optimism from encouraging third-quarter business updates is offset by lingering geopolitical risks.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The recent market movements have been devoid of any trend and clear direction. Actions in a few mega stocks are influencing the overall market disproportionately. For instance, yesterday despite positive institutional buying Nifty drifted down by 71 points, mainly due to sharp declines in two stocks- Reliance and HDFC Bank. The large volumes in these two stocks in the derivative and cash market indicate activity associated with settlement day. In other words, the sharp dips in these stocks have nothing to do with their fundamentals; it is more technical in nature.” “Going forward, there is scope for high volatility caused by events and news. Trump tweets and actions can always influence the market. Another important event which investors should closely watch is a possible Supreme Court verdict on Trump tariffs very soon. If the verdict goes against the reciprocal tariffs it will create huge volatility in stock markets.”Global cues were mixed. Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday, supported by a strong rally in semiconductor stocks driven by renewed enthusiasm around artificial intelligence. Shares of Moderna also advanced, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to a fresh record high.Asian markets paused on Wednesday after a strong start to the year. Japanese equities declined amid rising tensions with China, prompting some investors to turn cautious despite the broader strength seen in global stocks so far this year.On the institutional front, foreign portfolio investors were net sellers of Indian equities worth Rs 107 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data. Domestic institutional investors, however, continued to provide support to the market, recording net purchases of Rs 1749 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
Kayla Epsteinand
Osmond Chia
Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump has said Venezuela “will be turning over” up to 50m barrels of oil to the US, after a surprise military operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.
The oil will be sold at its market price, Trump posted on social media, adding that the money would be controlled by himself and used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the US.
His comments come after he said the US oil industry would be “up and running” in Venezuela within 18 months and that he expected huge investments to pour into the country.
Analysts previously told the BBC it could take tens of billions of dollars, and potentially a decade, to restore Venezuela’s former output.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday: “I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!”
His comment came a day after Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice-president, was sworn in as its interim president. Maduro has been brought to the US to face drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
On Monday the US president told NBC News: “Having a Venezuela that’s an oil producer is good for the United States because it keeps the price of oil down.”
Representatives from major US petroleum companies planned to meet the Trump administration this week, the BBC’s US partner CBS reported.
Analysts who previously spoke to the BBC were sceptical that Trump’s plans would have a major impact on the global supply – and therefore price – of oil.
They suggested that firms would look for reassurance that a stable government was in place, and even when they did invest, their projects would not deliver for years.
Trump has argued in recent days that American oil companies can fix Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
The country has an estimated 303bn barrels – the world’s largest proven reserve – but its oil production has been in decline since the early 2000s.
The Trump administration sees significant potential for its own energy prospects in Venezuela’s reserves.
Increasing the country’s production of oil would be expensive for US firms.
Venezuelan oil is also heavy and more difficult to refine. There is only one US firm, Chevron, currently operating in the country.
Asked for comment about Trump’s plans for US oil production in Venezuela, Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne said the company “remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets”.
“We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations,” Turenne added.
ConocoPhillips, a major US oil company that no longer has a presence in Venezuela, “is monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability”, said spokesman Dennis Nuss.
“It would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments,” Nuss said.
A third company, Exxon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While justifying the seizure of Maduro from Caracas, Trump also claimed that Venezuela “unilaterally seized and stole American oil”.
Vice-President JD Vance echoed those claims on X after Maduro was taken, writing that “Venezuela expropriated American oil property and until recently used that stolen property to get rich and fund their narcoterrorist activities”.
The reality is more complex.
US oil companies have a long history in Venezuela, extracting oil under licence agreements.
Venezuela nationalised its oil industry in 1976 and in 2007, President Hugo Chavez exerted more state control over the remaining foreign-owned assets of US oil firms operating in the country.
In 2019, a World Bank tribunal ordered Venezuela to pay $8.7 billion to ConocoPhillips in compensation for this 2007 move.
That sum has not been paid by Venezuela, so at least one US oil company has outstanding compensation which is owed to it.
But BBC Verify’s Ben Chu said the claim Venezuela has “stolen” American oil is too simplistic, as experts said the oil itself was never actually owned by anyone except Venezuela.
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