Saudi Aramco’s annual net profit fell by almost half, to $49bn, because of last year’s plunge in demand and tumbling oil prices. The oil company still intends to pay a dividend, much of which will go to the Saudi government, its biggest shareholder. Oil prices, meanwhile, had another wobbly week on concerns that supplies would be disrupted by the blocked Suez canal. this follows the biggest weekly drop in prices since October.
由于去年需求暴跌和油价波动，沙特阿美(Saudi Aramco)的年度净利润下降近一半，至490亿美元。该石油公司仍打算支付股息，其中大部分将流向其最大股东沙特政府。与此同时，由于担心苏伊士运河(Suez canal)堵塞会影响石油供应，油价又经历了动荡的一周。这是自去年10月以来最大的单周跌幅。
According to reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission has told ConocoPhillips and Occidental to allow their shareholders a vote on targets for cutting emissions from products used by their customers, rejecting claims that this amounts to micromanagement. Meanwhile a study by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a British organisation, warned that a lack of transparency about net zero-carbon objectives will lead to companies being accused of greenwashing. A fifth of the world’s 2,000 biggest companies now have such goals.
据报道，美国证券交易委员会(SEC)已要求康菲石油公司(ConocoPhillips)和西方石油公司(Occidental)允许其股东就客户使用产品的减排目标进行投票，并拒绝接受了其微观管理的说法。与此同时，英国能源和气候情报部门的一项研究警告称，净零碳目标缺乏透明度将导致公司被指责存在“漂绿”行为。目前，在全球2000家最大的公司中，有五分之一都有这样的目标。
Cineworld said it would re-open some of its American picture houses in April, as states ease covid-19 restrictions. “Godzilla vs Kong” will be the first feature it shows. Underscoring how lockdowns have changed viewing habits, the world’s second-biggest cinema chain has had to secure an agreement from Warner Brothers, the film’s distributor, for movies to be screened in cinemas first before they are released on streaming services.
电影世界表示，随着美国各州放松对新冠肺炎病毒的限制措施，它将于今年4月重新开放部分美国影院。《哥斯拉大战金刚》将是它的首部故事片。全球第二大电影院线不得不与电影发行商华纳兄弟(Warner Brothers)达成协议，要求电影先在影院上映，然后再上线流媒体服务，这显示出了封禁措施如何改变了观众的观影习惯。
A survey of chief executives by kpmg shone a light on future work practices. A quarter think the pandemic has changed their company for ever; 90% intend to ask employees if they have been vaccinated; and cyber-security has emerged as their number one threat. But only 17% now think they will reduce their company’s physical space, down from 69% in August.
毕马威(kpmg)对首席执行官（CEO）的一项调查揭示了未来的工作实践。四分之一的老板认为，疫情永远地改变了他们的公司；90%的人打算询问员工是否接种过疫苗；网络安全已经成为他们的头号威胁。但是现在只有17%的人认为他们会削减办公室空间，而这一比例在8月份是69%。
Remote working was said to be a factor behind complaints from junior bankers at Goldman Sachs about their 95-hour work week. Grizzled veterans grouched that there was nothing new about long hours. David Solomon, the bank’s boss, said they should take Saturdays off. Capturing the zeitgeist, Jane Fraser, the new ceo of Citigroup, called for a “reset” between working from home and the office. In a move that would delight staff everywhere, she has instated Zoom-free Fridays.
据称，远程工作成为高盛(Goldman Sachs)初级银行家抱怨每周工作95小时的原因之一。头发花白的老兵抱怨说，长时间工作并不是什么新鲜事。银行老板大卫·所罗门(David Solomon)称，他们周六应该休息。花旗集团(Citigroup)新任首席执行官简·弗雷泽(Jane Fraser)抓住了这一时代精神，呼吁在居家办公和公司办公之间进行“重置”。她设立了无Zoom（手机云视频会议软件）周五，此举将使各地的员工感到高兴。
