Petrobras’ dividend strategy is the target of criticism, game streaming and what matters in the market

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The record distribution of dividends announced by Petrobras pleased the market and will help the government pay for the aid, but it also generated criticism from analysts, unions and even a counselor.

What explains: the common concern is that these resources could be used to expand the company’s investments.

• One of the minority shareholder representatives on the board, Francisco Petros says the money could go towards reducing emissions, satisfying energy users and reducing energy costs.

• Petrobras defended the distribution of dividends in a earnings conference call and said that it does not impact the investment decision.

it’s not from today: the company’s strategy of prioritizing investment in the pre-salt, an area in which it has low cost and high productivity, dates back to 2019, under the Roberto Castello Branco administration.

• At that time, the current dividend policy was also approved. It provides for the distribution of 60% of the company’s cash generation, less investment expenses, for each quarter in which gross debt is below US$ 65 billion.

More about financial markets:

TikTok beyond the dances

The TikTok boom in recent years has brought professionals from different areas to the platform who are betting on the production of content on the network – without having to resort to the app’s dancing features – to promote their image and increase their income.

What explains: the ability to make the content produced in the Chinese app go viral, which was the most downloaded in the world in 2020 and has already overtaken Instagram and YouTube among young people.

• It is this audience profile that professionals such as teachers, lawyers and dentists try to reach with short and dynamic videos, the appropriate model for the app.

• The strategy to expand the clientele is similar to that of other networks: show that you have knowledge in the area, gain followers and become a reference on the subject. The difference, in the case of TikTok, is in the way the content is shared.

THE Sheet talked to a criminal lawyer, a psychiatrist, a chemistry professor and a pediatric dentist who are all on TikTok to understand their strategies.

• See here for other tips on how to use tiktok for professional promotion.

More on TikTok and social media:

game streaming

After revolutionizing the film and music industries, the streaming wave should reach games.

Understand: it’s about cloud gaming, or games in the cloud. The idea is that users can play on any device, without having to purchase specific devices, such as PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox consoles.

• “Game streaming” works with remote servers, which stream the game to the user’s device.

• Industry players see the model as an alternative that can become more accessible than consoles, but that won’t necessarily replace them.

In numbers: still in the process of evolution, in 2021 the cloud gaming market moved US$ 1.5 billion (R$ 7.7 billion) in the world and $47 million (R$ 247 million) in Latin America. The data are from the Newzoo consultancy.

What’s available: in Brazil, the main service is Xbox Cloud Gaming, which integrates the Game Pass platform. It contains about one hundred titles, including multi-million-dollar, independent and even Brazilian productions.

• The plan with cloud gaming costs BRL 44.99 per month and the tool still demands a control.

What can get in the way of novelty: the internet connection has to be stable and fast, because it sends commands from the user’s device to the cloud and from there to return to the screen.

• Even with the best internet available, playing online via the cloud is still not ideal, but the alternative has evolved a lot in recent years.

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Startup of the Week: FinanZero

The “Startup of the Week” board brings on Mondays the x-ray of a startup that recently received funding.

The startup: Founded in 2015 by Swedes, fintech works as an aggregator for online loan applications, which promises to make it easier for individuals to search for credit.

In numbers: the startup announced last week that it had received a US$4.1 million (R$ 21.2 million). The investment comes just over a year after FinanZero raised US$ 7.1 million (R$ 36.8 million).

Investors: the contribution was made by VEF, Webrock Ventures, Dunross & Co and Atlant Fonder.

What problem does it solve: the company operates in the loan comparison service, connecting more than 60 registered financial institutions to users in search of a loan.

• After registering, interested parties receive up to ten pre-approved credit offers within five minutes. After the order is approved, the money is deposited in the account within 48 hours.

Why it’s featured: at a time when credit is more expensive due to high interest rates, FinanZero’s services facilitate the comparison of different rates and can be a helping hand for those who need a loan – an alternative that must be carefully evaluated.

More about the startup: fintech accounts for 31 million loan requests made and around 1.5 million new requests per month.

• The Swedish Olle Widén, CEO and co-founder of FinanZero, told the website Startups that the plan is to reach breakeven (balance between revenues and costs) next year.

The week at a glance

There were 14 fundraising rounds carried out in Latin America, with $93 million (R$ 482.5 million) in investments. Brazil concentrated 13 of them – the other one was in Chile.

Data is provided by the Sling Hub platform.