Finance
Ant Group Unveils AI Financial Manager at Shanghai’s INCLUSION Conference
SHANGHAI, September 06, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ant Group today unveiled its AI financial manager, Maxiaocai, at the 2024 INCLUSION·Conference on the Bund in Shanghai. The AI personal financial manager can be accessed via the Alipay app and the Ant Fortune app. The launch of Maxiaocai follows the introduction of the company’s AI life assistant, Zhixiaobao, and AI Healthcare Manager at the event, highlighting Ant Group’s latest progress in applying AI technology in consumer-facing use cases.
Maxiaocai leverages Ant Group’s self-developed foundation model capabilities and partners with financial institutions to deliver expert-level, customized financial services for users. It offers tailored market insights, simplifies complex financial concepts, and provides personalized investment advice. For instance, Maxiaocai can swiftly generate visual summaries of company financial reports, highlighting key details for users, and breaking down intricate financial terms into easy-to-understand language.
“Financial products and services have traditionally demanded a high level of expertise, often making them costly and difficult to access. Today, AI can help make these services more accessible for everyone,” said Wang Jun, President of Ant Fortune. “The successful delivery of AI-driven financial services depends on a robust ecosystem involving financial institutions, service providers, and content creators. Moving forward, closer collaboration across the industry will be crucial in enhancing the accessibility of financial services.”
Ant Group has been public-testing the AI financial manager since early 2024. As of August 2024, it has attracted 70 million monthly active users, with 45% of them living in cities below the third tier. Over 200 financial institutions, including asset management companies, securities firms, financial media, and more than 15,000 financial content creators, are now connected to the platform.
“By putting users at the center, AI helps investors organize the information they need and delivers personalized services,” said Wang Xiaohang, Vice President of Ant Group, CTO of Ant Fortune and Ant Insurance. “Generative AI technology not only enhances how investors interact with financial management services but also transforms the services themselves. By leveraging AI models tailored to professional service sectors, and with the model’s powerful capabilities in general knowledge, understanding, and communication, Maxiaocai can seamlessly integrate financial products, market information, and other services on the Ant Fortune platform, making digital professional financial services accessible to all.”
About Ant Group
Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive.
For more information, please visit our website at www.antgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @AntGroup.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240905719583/en/
Contacts
Media Inquiries
Yinan Duan
duanyinan.dyn@antgroup.com
Finance
BofA revises Harley-Davidson stock price after latest announcement
Harley-Davidson’s new CEO wants to transform how people think about the iconic motorcycle brand, so the company is trying something different.
This week, Harley announced a new strategy that focuses on lower-priced bikes, rather than relying on older, more affluent customers to buy its higher-margin touring models.
“Back to the Bricks builds on our core strengths and competitive advantages, harnessing the passion of our riders to deliver profitable growth for the Company and both our dealers and shareholders,” Harley CEO Artie Starrs said this week. “As we drive towards this new phase of growth, we remain committed to the craftsmanship and dedication that define our brand.”
Entry-level Harley-Davidsons cost about $13,000, while the higher-end Adventure Touring models average about $23,250, and the Premium Range &CVO models cost about $38,500, according to Reuters.
Harley’s new strategy targets a core profit of over $350 million from its motorcycle business by 2027 and over $150 million in cost reductions.
To kick off the new strategy, Harley is introducing Sprint, a new entry-level model powered by a smaller 440cc engine, later in the year.
What is Harley-Davidson’s “Back to the Bricks” strategy?
Harley’s new strategy relies on more than just pushing buyers toward cheaper vehicles to increase volume. The 123-year-old company has a set of five pillars on which it is building its future.
Harley-Davidson “Back to the Bricks” 5-point plan
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Deep appreciation of Harley-Davidson’s competitive advantages and legacy: The Company’s iconic brand, diversified and powerful revenue channels, and best-in-class dealer network provide a powerful foundation for growth.
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Renewed commitment to exclusive dealer network to drive enterprise profitability: Harley-Davidson’s dealers are a competitive advantage. The Company is planning actions to enable dealers to double profitability in 2026 and then double it again by 2029.
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Immediate actions to recapture share in areas where Harley-Davidson has right to win: Harley-Davidson has strong legacy equity in existing markets including new motorcycles, used motorcycles, Parts & Accessories, and Apparel & Licensing. The Company’s new strategy is focused on positioning the Company to regain share and drive meaningful volume growth in categories where it benefits from credibility, scale, and deep rider connection.
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Strong financial position with a path to stronger free cash flow and EBITDA margin: Cost and restructuring actions already underway support a path to stronger free cash flow and EBITDA margin over time.
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Bolstered management team with balance of fresh perspectives and institutional knowledge: Harley-Davidson has made a number of leadership appointments that support the Company as it leverages its innate strengths.
Finance
What is Considered a Good Dividend Stock? 2 Financial Stocks That Fit the Bill
Written by Jitendra Parashar at The Motley Fool Canada
Dividend investing can be one of the simplest ways to build long-term wealth while creating a steady stream of passive income. But in my opinion, a good dividend stock is about much more than just a high yield. Beyond dividend yield, investors should also look for companies with durable businesses, reliable cash flows, and a history of rewarding shareholders consistently over time.
That’s exactly why many investors turn to financial stocks. Banks and asset managers often generate recurring earnings through lending, investing, and wealth management activities, allowing them to support stable dividend payments even during uncertain market conditions.
Two Canadian financial stocks that stand out right now are AGF Management (TSX:AGF.B) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD). Both companies offer attractive dividends backed by solid financial performance and long-term growth strategies. In this article, I’ll explain why these two financial stocks could be worth considering for income-focused investors right now.
AGF Management stock continues to reward shareholders
AGF Management is a Toronto-based asset manager with businesses across investments, private markets, and wealth management. Through these divisions, the company offers equity, fixed income, alternative, and multi-asset investment strategies to retail, institutional, and private wealth clients.
Following a 59% rally over the last 12 months, AGF stock currently trades at $16.67 per share with a market cap of roughly $1.1 billion. At current levels, the stock offers a quarterly dividend yield of 3.3%.
One reason behind AGF’s strong recent performance is its increasingly diversified business model. The company has expanded its investment capabilities and broadened its geographic reach, helping it perform well across varying market environments.
In the first quarter of its fiscal 2026 (ended in February), AGF posted free cash flow of $36 million, up 14% year over year (YoY), driven mainly by higher management, advisory, and administration fees. These fees climbed to $92.5 million as demand for the company’s investment offerings strengthened.
AGF has also been focusing on expanding its alternative investment business and introducing new investment products. With strong cash generation and growing demand for alternative investments, AGF Management looks well-positioned to continue rewarding investors over the long term.
TD Bank stock remains a dependable dividend giant
Toronto-Dominion Bank, or TD Bank, is one of North America’s largest banks, serving millions of customers through its Canadian banking, U.S. retail banking, wealth management and insurance, and wholesale banking operations.
Finance
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