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According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the majority of solar projects in Western interconnection queues are hybrid facilities co-located with energy storage. In the California Independent System Operator footprint, over 98% of proposed solar capacity is hybrid, while in the non-ISO portions of the West, the figure is around 87%. Developers are recognizing the need for co-locating solar with battery storage due to rising curtailment, distorted duck curves, and decreasing peak demand contribution levels. Hybrid solar projects are also gaining traction in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas region. Solar capacity in the U.S. has been expanding rapidly, aided by tax credits and lower upfront costs compared to wind projects. California is currently the nation's solar leader, but ERCOT is expected to surpass it this year in terms of growth rates. [Extracted from the article]

Constellation, a software-as-a-service platform for advertising, has partnered with S&P Global Mobility to provide consumers with personalized ad experiences. By combining S&P's expertise in media execution with Constellation's platform, the collaboration aims to deliver relevant ads to target audiences. Constellation's proprietary Modular Content Assembler tool allows for the creation of compliant templatized creative at scale, catering to diverse subsets of audiences. This partnership comes at a time when advertisers are seeking innovative ways to appeal to automotive consumers. [Extracted from the article]

According to a survey conducted by Bain & Company, only 24% of companies feel prepared to meet upcoming sustainability reporting requirements. This statistic is concerning as it can take years to build the necessary capabilities, such as technology for collecting, analyzing, and reporting sustainability data. The survey also found that while nearly 90% of executives agree that improvements in digital technology are crucial for advancing sustainability goals, most companies are not taking the necessary actions to make this happen. With the global regulatory landscape rapidly changing and expanding, companies are under pressure to anticipate additional reporting requirements. [Extracted from the article]

Michaels, the arts and crafts specialty retailer, has received an upgrade in its corporate credit rating from S&P Global Ratings. The upgrade is due to Michaels' improved operating margin and cash generation in fiscal 2023, which exceeded expectations. Despite ongoing sales pressures, S&P predicts that Michaels will continue to generate steady adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2024 through cost savings. Michaels has implemented initiatives to improve store-level operations, such as self-checkout kiosks, and has seen growth in high-margin private brand products. However, S&P expects that consumer demand for arts and crafts will remain muted in 2024, leading to soft topline trends. Michaels' main rival, Joann, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but S&P believes this will have minimal impact on Michaels. Michaels' credit rating could rise further with sustained improvement in operating performance, while weakening performance or liquidity could lead to a downgrade. [Extracted from the article]

Ocean Network Express (ONE) plans to reveal a new network solution and products for 2025 next month, according to CEO Jeremy Nixon. Among the new offerings, ONE will bring back its PN3 service from Asia to North America, which was suspended in October 2023. The carrier will also continue to run several existing service loops and expand coverage in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Indian subcontinent. The announcement comes as shipping lines reconsider their service networks due to changes in maritime alliance structures. THE Alliance, which includes ONE, is expected to reveal its future plans soon. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents brief profile of several distress companies. Aleris International Inc.'s corporate credit rating has been lowered by S&P Global Ratings on December 15, 2017. On December 15, 2017, S&P Global Ratings lowered the corporate credit rating on Charlotte Russe Inc. On December 21, 2017, S&P Global Ratings lowered its corporate credit rating on BKH Acquisition Corp.

(Bloomberg) -- S&P Global Inc.'s surprise decision to stop providing ESG scores alongside bond-issuer assessments has created a divide at the top of the credit-ratings market, as Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings say they won't follow suit. Daniel Klier, CEO of sustainability data provider ESG Book, said he was "surprised" S&P backed away because the credit rating process is anyway so numerical. [Extracted from the article]

However, S&P's efforts to introduce an ESG scale to inform its debt ratings weren't universally understood by investors, the person familiar with the process said. (Bloomberg) -- S&P Global Inc. will no longer publish ESG scores along with its credit ratings, as the company adjusts its approach in response to investor feedback. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd. said it has no plans to sell Three Exchange Square, a tower in Hong Kong's Central district, following a media report that it was exploring a sale. Three Exchange Square is a 33-story Grade-A office tower with tenants including S&P Global Inc. and China Merchants Bank Co. Hongkong Land is Central's biggest commercial property landlord. [Extracted from the article]

Mastering Communication at Work: How To Lead, Manage, And Influence. By Ethan F. Becker and Jon Wortmann. McGraw-Hill. $26. Good leadership--as well as good corporate governance--cannot be effective without effective [...]

The article focuses on S&P Global's decision to cut South Africa's outlook to 'stable' from 'positive' for its debt, citing the slow progress of stabilizing state-owned enterprises and the impact of ongoing power outages on the economy. The topics include the effects of power outages and infrastructure constraints on economic growth; the reduction of economic growth forecast; and the government's response to the situation.

Investor confidence in First Republic had waned after the lender was downgraded again Sunday by S&P Global Inc., days after the ratings firm cut the lender to junk. First Republic extended its rally to a session high, gaining as much as 60%, following a Reuters report that the lender is looking at how it could downsize if attempts to raise new capital fail. (Bloomberg) -- First Republic Bank surged by a record, leading a broad-based rally in US lenders, amid discussions aimed at offering further support for the beleaguered lender. [Extracted from the article]

The rally follows a broad recovery in the banking sector across Europe and the US, as contagion concerns ease following UBS Group AG's rescue deal for Swiss lender Credit Suisse Group AG. Still, investor confidence in First Republic has waned after the lender was downgraded again Sunday by S&P Global Inc., days after the ratings firm cut the lender to junk. (Bloomberg) -- First Republic Bank shares rallied in US premarket trading after closing at a record low Monday, as JPMorgan Chase & Co. charts out a new plan to help the firm. [Extracted from the article]

S&P lowered First Republic's long-term issuer credit rating to B+ from BB+, having already downgraded the lender to sub-investment grade, or junk, territory last Wednesday. (Bloomberg) -- First Republic Bank plunged after S&P Global Inc. cut its credit rating for the second time in a week, missing out on a strong rebound by its regional bank peers led by New York Community Bancorp. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- First Republic Bank plunged in premarket trading Monday, missing out on a strong rebound by its regional bank peers, after S&P Global Inc. cut its credit rating for the second time in a week, warning that a $30 billion rescue deal had not resolved the lender's challenges. S&P lowered First Republic's long-term issuer credit rating to B+ from BB+, having already downgraded the lender to sub-investment grade, or junk, territory last Wednesday. [Extracted from the article]