Company briefs: Thai Beverage

Thai Beverage is planning to lodge a filing to list its brewery unit on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said, paving the way for what could be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) in the city-state in a decade.

The drinks maker plans to seek a valuation of about US$10 billion (S$13.3 billion) for the unit, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. A listing could happen as soon as the second quarter, one of the people said. The IPO could be the SGX's biggest since Hutchison Port Holdings Trust raised US$5.5 billion in 2011.

BLOOMBERG

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Samsung

Samsung Electronics yesterday announced plans for a huge one-off dividend payment for shareholders.

Chairman Lee Kun-hee left his children a monumental fortune when he died in October, along with a tax tab reported to be more than US$10 billion.

But the group's flagship subsidiary Samsung Electronics said it would give a "one-time special cash dividend" to shareholders on top of the regular payment - and more than four times higher - as part of its full-year results.

It also announced a new, increased three-year shareholder return programme.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Tesla

Tesla's fourth-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street expectations on Wednesday and the company failed to provide a clear target for vehicle deliveries this year, sending shares down 4.4 per cent in extended trade.

The disappointing results come after shares of the electric carmaker led by chief executive Elon Musk surged nearly 700 per cent over the past 12 months, a valuation rooted in expectations that Tesla will quickly and profitably expand. Investors had hoped for a significant increase over Tesla's delivery goal last year of half a million vehicles.

REUTERS