Business
Asda partners with Ocado to overhaul online grocery in Allan Leighton turnaround push
Asda has turned to Ocado Group in an attempt to rescue an online grocery operation that has lagged the competition for the best part of a decade, signing a long-term deal that will see the Hatfield-based technology firm rebuild the supermarket’s digital shop window, in-store picking and last-mile delivery network.
Under the agreement, announced this week, Asda will deploy Ocado’s Smart Platform, the same end-to-end fulfilment stack used by more than 1,000 grocery stores in 11 countries, across its consumer-facing website and app, its in-store order assembly, and the planning systems that route vans to roughly 1,100 UK stores. The roll-out is scheduled to begin in 2027 with a refreshed online shopping experience, before progressing to picking and delivery improvements.
The tie-up is the boldest move yet by executive chairman Allan Leighton, who returned to the Leeds-based grocer in late 2024 after a quarter of a century away, and is being positioned as a central plank of his turnaround plan. Leighton, who built his reputation in British retail during Asda’s Walmart-era heyday, has spent the past 18 months pumping money into price, availability and store standards while attempting to halt years of market-share slippage.
“We know that continued success in this highly competitive market is dependent on providing a positive experience for customers every time they shop,” Leighton said. “Partnering with Ocado will strengthen our online offer and provide a consistent and high-quality experience for millions of shoppers, from order through to delivery, while supporting our formula for growth.”
The decision reflects a hard commercial reality. According to Kantar Worldpanel, Asda’s share of the British grocery market has drifted below 14 per cent, leaving it firmly third behind Tesco and Sainsbury’s and within touching distance of Aldi. Online, where Tesco and Sainsbury’s have long dominated and Ocado Retail has set the benchmark for service, the gap has been even more pronounced. Industry analysts have repeatedly cited a clunky digital experience, limited delivery slots and inconsistent in-store picking as drags on Asda’s growth.
Why Ocado, and why now
For Ocado, the deal is a much-needed vote of confidence in a Solutions division that has had a turbulent few years, with US partner Kroger scaling back its commitments to robotic warehouses. Adding a top-five British grocer to the client roster is significant, not least because it suggests the company’s lower-cost in-store fulfilment software, rather than the capital-intensive automated warehouses that made its name, is becoming the commercial workhorse.
Tim Steiner, Ocado Group’s chief executive, said the UK remained “one of the world’s most competitive and fast-evolving online grocery markets, where technology, scale and continuous innovation are increasingly important for retailers looking to maintain leadership positions”. He added that the platform now processes more than 70 million orders annually worldwide.
For Asda, the rationale is equally clear. Building a modern e-commerce stack in-house would have taken years and tied up scarce capital at a moment when the business is already grappling with substantial debt inherited from the 2021 Issa brothers and TDR Capital buyout. Buying capability off the shelf from a proven specialist allows the supermarket to focus management attention on the basics, price, range and store experience, while pushing its online proposition forward in parallel. As Ocado has repeatedly argued, the structural shift to online grocery shopping since the pandemic has not unwound, and the cost of falling behind is rising.
What customers should expect
In practical terms, shoppers should notice a slicker website and app from 2027, with improved search, more relevant product recommendations and a simpler checkout. Behind the scenes, Ocado’s in-store fulfilment software is designed to help pickers work faster and more accurately, while route-planning tools should squeeze more deliveries out of each van, translating, Asda hopes, into more available slots, fewer substitutions and better on-time performance.
Asda has confirmed it will retain full control of pricing, range and the wider customer proposition. The partnership is technology-led rather than a wholesale outsourcing arrangement, closer in spirit to a software licence than to the deep Ocado Retail joint venture model the group operates with Marks & Spencer.
The move also dovetails with Asda’s longer-running pivot towards online shopping, which has already prompted significant operational changes inside the business and put pressure on parts of its store estate. Leighton’s bet is that a credible online proposition, married to renewed price competitiveness in-store, is the only viable route back to growth for a chain that built its reputation on value but has, by its own admission, drifted in recent years.
Whether Ocado’s technology can deliver that turnaround is a different question. Implementations of this scale rarely run to schedule, and the 2027 start date gives rivals plenty of time to widen their lead. But after years of incremental fixes, Leighton has finally placed a strategic bet — and tied Asda’s online future to one of the few British technology firms that genuinely operates at supermarket scale.
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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: Bolt-On Acquisitions Fuel Growth
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Strong Buy Momentum Amid AI Infrastructure Boom and Nasdaq-100 Inclusion
Nebius Group N.V., the Amsterdam-based AI cloud infrastructure provider trading under NASDAQ: NBIS, has emerged as a standout performer in the artificial intelligence sector in 2026, driven by explosive revenue growth, major hyperscaler partnerships and expanding global capacity. Analysts largely recommend buying the stock, citing robust demand for its NVIDIA-powered platforms despite valuation concerns in a high-growth market.
The company, which focuses on full-stack AI infrastructure for training, tuning and deploying models, reported remarkable first-quarter 2026 results with revenue surging 684% year-over-year. Its AI cloud segment, now dominating operations, posted even steeper gains, underscoring the shift toward specialized compute resources as AI adoption accelerates across industries.
Nebius benefits from deep collaborations with tech giants. Partnerships with NVIDIA, Microsoft and Meta have secured substantial contracted backlog, providing long-term visibility. A landmark multi-billion-dollar agreement with Microsoft and a significant NVIDIA equity investment highlight its strategic positioning in the AI ecosystem.
Company Background and Business Model
Originally a carve-out from the Russian tech firm Yandex amid geopolitical shifts, Nebius has repositioned itself as a pure-play AI cloud company headquartered in Amsterdam with operations spanning Europe, the United States and beyond. It offers vertically integrated platforms optimized for high-performance computing, serving AI builders, enterprises and developers in sectors including healthcare, robotics, financial services and media.
The company’s platform encompasses data handling, model training, inference and production deployment. It operates GPU clusters and data centers, emphasizing owned infrastructure to meet surging demand that often exceeds available capacity. Management has highlighted multiple customers competing for each new GPU brought online.
Recent expansions include a £1.7 billion investment in the UK for NVIDIA infrastructure, a new Physical AI Living Lab for robotics startups in partnership with NVIDIA, and plans for gigawatt-scale AI factories in the United States, such as sites in Pennsylvania and Alabama. These moves aim to address power and land constraints critical for scaling AI workloads.
Financial Performance and Growth Trajectory
Nebius delivered exceptional metrics in Q1 2026. Revenue reached approximately $399 million, with the AI cloud business accounting for 98% of total sales. Adjusted EBITDA margins nearly doubled sequentially to 45%, signaling improving profitability as the company scales. Annual recurring revenue also jumped dramatically.
A contracted backlog approaching $46 billion, including major deals with Meta and Microsoft, provides a strong foundation. Analysts project continued hyper-growth, with some forecasting revenue in the billions for 2026 as capacity ramps up in the back half of the year.
The stock has been volatile but rewarding for investors. Shares have posted substantial year-to-date gains amid the AI rally, recently trading around $232. Recent inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index, effective June 22, 2026, is expected to boost visibility and institutional inflows.
Analyst Views and Price Targets
Wall Street sentiment leans bullish. Consensus ratings from multiple firms hover around Moderate Buy to Buy, with approximately 12-17 analysts covering the stock. Average price targets range from about $204 to $255, implying modest upside from recent levels, though individual forecasts vary widely from $120 low to $380 high.
Recent actions include BofA Securities raising its target to $280 from $240, citing strengthening compute demand. Other firms like Citigroup have maintained Buy ratings with targets up to $287. Some voices note execution risks in capacity buildout but emphasize favorable long-term risk-reward.
Positive factors include Nebius’s leadership in AI-native cloud, high barriers to entry in GPU infrastructure and partnerships that validate its technology. Risks encompass high capital intensity, potential insider selling, valuation multiples and competition from other hyperscalers and specialized providers.
Investment Considerations for 2026
For investors evaluating buy or sell decisions, Nebius represents a high-conviction AI infrastructure play. The company’s ability to secure power contracts exceeding 3.5 GW and its focus on owned assets position it to capture market share as AI moves from experimentation to production scale.
Bullish arguments center on secular tailwinds: insatiable demand for compute, improving margins and a clear path to profitability. Nasdaq-100 inclusion could catalyze further momentum through passive fund buying. Long-term projections from optimistic analysts point to significant upside if growth targets are met.
Cautious perspectives highlight the stock’s premium valuation and execution challenges in delivering on ambitious capacity timelines. Broader market corrections in AI-related names could pressure shares in the near term. Diversification and monitoring quarterly progress on deployments remain advisable.
Market Context and Outlook
The AI infrastructure boom continues to reshape technology investing in 2026. Nebius joins peers like CoreWeave in benefiting from hyperscaler demand and NVIDIA ecosystem strength. Its full-stack approach differentiates it by offering end-to-end solutions beyond raw compute.
As the year progresses, key catalysts include additional capacity online, potential new customer wins and further financial improvements. Management has expressed confidence in back-end weighted growth for 2026.
Broader economic factors, interest rates and AI adoption rates will influence performance. However, structural demand for GPU cloud services appears durable, supported by applications in generative AI, agentic systems and enterprise transformation.
Risks and Considerations
Potential headwinds include supply chain constraints for hardware, regulatory scrutiny on energy usage for data centers, and competition. Insider transactions have drawn attention, though they occur in growth companies. Investors should review the latest SEC filings and earnings transcripts for detailed risk factors.
This is not investment advice. Stock prices can fluctuate significantly, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Individuals should consult financial advisors and conduct thorough due diligence.
Nebius Group exemplifies the opportunities and challenges in the AI infrastructure space. With strong analyst support, strategic partnerships and proven execution in a high-demand market, many view it as a compelling long-term holding for those bullish on artificial intelligence’s expansion. The coming quarters will test the company’s ability to scale efficiently while maintaining momentum.
As global AI investment surges, Nebius’s infrastructure plays a critical role in enabling innovation. Whether adding to positions or initiating new ones, the stock warrants close attention from growth-oriented investors navigating the evolving tech landscape in 2026 and beyond.
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TAT and Agoda Partner to Boost Thailand Tourism With Digital Intelligence
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Agoda held a strategic meeting to enhance cooperation in travel intelligence and digital technology, promoting Thailand’s tourism globally and supporting sustainable practices and emerging destinations.
Strategic Tourism Partnership
Bangkok, 11 June 2026 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Agoda have united to enhance Thailand’s destination marketing and global competitiveness through travel intelligence and digital tools. TAT Governor Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool and Agoda CEO Mr. Omri Morgenshtern, along with their teams, met at Agoda’s One Bangkok office to discuss future strategies.
Leveraging Technology and Insights
The collaboration merges Agoda’s digital expertise with TAT’s marketing capabilities to generate demand from international markets and boost domestic travel. Their focus includes promoting wellness tourism and lesser-known destinations. This partnership also aims to foster sustainable industry practices as part of the Trusted Thailand initiative, using insights to develop targeted campaigns that highlight Thailand’s cultural heritage and diverse experiences.
Commitment to Thai Tourism Growth
Agoda, founded in Phuket, remains committed to supporting Thailand’s tourism through its extensive digital travel platform, offering access to millions of accommodations and travel activities worldwide. Mr. Morgenshtern emphasized opportunities in wellness travel and safety communications, aiming to showcase Thailand’s rich offerings to a global audience.
Source : TAT and Agoda harness travel intelligence for quality tourism growth in Thailand
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Thai Baht Weakens as April Trade Deficit Hits Record USD 10 Billion
Thailand’s Baht is weakening due to a record USD 10.0 billion April trade deficit, driven by strong imports. Despite portfolio inflows and AI export growth, authorities warn of continued Baht pressure if imports remain high.
Key Points
Record Trade Deficit Exacerbates Baht Weakness
Thailand’s economy is currently facing a significant challenge as its currency, the Baht, weakens despite the presence of portfolio inflows. A record USD 10.0 billion trade deficit in April, primarily driven by robust import activity, is exerting considerable downward pressure on the Baht. This widening gap between exports and imports has surpassed expectations, marking the seventh consecutive monthly deficit and representing the largest on record. The concerning trade imbalance is a central factor influencing the Baht’s stability in the near future, overshadowing other economic indicators.
Persistent Imports Undermine Baht Stability
Authorities have issued a clear warning regarding the continued pressure on the Thai Baht (THB) if import levels remain elevated. This strong import demand is directly contributing to the widening trade deficit, presenting a significant headwind for the currency. While the government anticipates a base-case export growth of 3%, with a potential range of -3% to +8%, the current import dynamics are proving to be a substantial impediment. The Baht has already experienced a 3.2% year-to-date depreciation against the US Dollar, even amidst growth in AI-related exports.
Global Economic Forces Intensify Baht Depreciation
In addition to domestic trade imbalances, external economic factors are further contributing to the Baht’s depreciation. Since mid-April, the currency has exhibited a consistent weakening trend, influenced by rising global oil prices and a strong demand for the US Dollar. This confluence of domestic and international pressures, including the record trade deficit and global economic trends, highlights the multifaceted challenges confronting the Thai Baht. Despite pockets of export growth, the overall economic landscape suggests persistent vulnerability for the currency.
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