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Shares of Installed Building Products Inc (NYSE:IBP) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $47.33.
IBP has been the topic of a number of research reports. SunTrust Banks boosted their target price on shares of Installed Building Products from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Installed Building Products from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Nomura boosted their target price on shares of Installed Building Products from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Installed Building Products from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th.
In other news, insider William Jeffrey Hire sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.08, for a total transaction of $118,160.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 34,516 shares in the company, valued at $2,039,205.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Vikas Verma sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.00, for a total transaction of $620,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 131,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,179,970. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 30,000 shares of company stock worth $1,786,160 in the last 90 days. 25.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Shares of NYSE IBP traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $65.39. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 149,001 shares, compared to its average volume of 280,995. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.27. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $58.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.96. Installed Building Products has a one year low of $29.24 and a one year high of $65.83. The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.15.
Installed Building Products (NYSE:IBP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The construction company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.03. Installed Building Products had a net margin of 4.22% and a return on equity of 43.03%. The business had revenue of $371.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $367.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Installed Building Products will post 2.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
About Installed Building Products
Installed Building Products, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the installation of insulation, waterproofing, fire-stopping, fireproofing, garage doors, rain gutters, window blinds, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors, and other products in the continental United States. It offers a range of insulation materials, such as fiberglass and cellulose, and spray foam insulation materials.
See Also: Trading on Margin
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Unconsciously, the Apple Watch has been released for four years. As early as April 24, 2015, Apple officially released the first Apple Watch in nine countries. Apple said at the time that the Apple Watch is a truly personal device and a new generation of innovations in the Apple ecosystem, offering a whole new way of communicating from the wrist.
This year, Apple's smart watch product line has ushered in the fourth generation, Apple Watch Series 4. Looking back over the past year, Apple has been insisting on upgrading and upgrading Apple Watch to provide more health and fitness features, better waterproof performance, better, larger display, and more independent use.
Like most Apple products, rumors about Apple's wearable devices began to heat up a few years before the official release of Apple Watch. For example, in 2013, Apple applied for a trademark for “iWatch,” but the device was eventually named Apple Watch. The official naming of Apple products is usually relatively clear at the last minute. For example, before the iPad was released, Apple did the same thing and applied for the "iSlate" trademark protection, but also secretly applied for trademark rights for the official name of "iPad". Perhaps this is a strategy that is difficult to cover.
Apple Watch debuted at a press conference in September 2014. Although Apple said it will be listed in early 2015, it was not until another press conference in March 2015 that the wearable device was officially confirmed. The date is April 24th and the pre-order is April 10th. The price of the original Apple Watch is 2,588 yuan, and the Apple Watch Edition series made of 18K rose gold or gold is priced from 74,800 yuan and topped up to 12,680 yuan. The listing includes Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany and Hong Kong. , Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Apple's Apple Watch also has a number of co-branded collections along the way, including the Apple Watch Herm è s series (the most common version starts at 8688 yuan) as a fashion accessory and Herm è s. There are also Apple Watch Nike series that encourage users to focus their smartwatches on fitness (starting at $2888). Apple has also halted production of certain versions, most notably the Apple Watch Edition version, which originally competed mainly with traditional expensive luxury watches.
To be honest, with the discontinuation of the Apple Watch Edition version, not only the average price of Apple Watch has dropped, but Apple has also defined the key target market for Apple Watch.
However, the Apple Watch was officially launched in 2015 to the current Apple Watch Series 4. During this time, although the device has improved a lot, there are always some unresolved issues that plague users. First of all, there is no question of battery life. According to reports, when Apple first developed the Apple Watch, the internal setting should be at least 4 to 5 days. However, this has never been achieved. Even the latest Apple Watch Series 4, in most cases, needs to be recharged every day. Only some light users can support it for about two days.
In any case, Apple's Apple Watch has grown to become the global leader in smart watches. According to data released by market research firm Strategy Analytics in February, in the fourth quarter of 2018, Apple Watch accounted for half of the global smart watch market, reaching 51%. Of course, this figure has fallen slightly, down from 67% in the same period in 2017, due to the strength of competitors such as Samsung and Fitbit.
Yet, Apple Watch is still the brightest leader in the smartphone market. In a conference call following Apple's results for the first quarter of fiscal 2019, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple's wearable device revenues, including products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods, were "close to the size of Fortune 200 companies."
There are rumors that this year's next-generation Apple Watch, the fifth-generation Apple Watch Series 5, which may be released in September 2019, will feature a new ceramic case design. By next year, Apple will add more new features to Apple Watch, including an integrated sleep tracking app that encourages users to wear Apple Watch while sleeping to monitor sleep quality and other metrics.
It is said that Apple's sleep tracking function developed for Apple Watch has been tested in the company's internal staff. If the project proves to be viable, it will appear on the sixth generation Apple Watch Series 6, and will also be equipped with low Power mode, so as not to affect the battery life.
As early as June last year, there were rumors that Apple plans to cancel any pushable buttons or buttons on the Apple Watch smartwatch. Instead, it will be the integration of solid-state buttons, and these solid-state buttons are provided by Taptic Engine technology. The tactile feedback simulates the effects of real physical buttons, which not only support touch and swipe gestures, but also built-in capacitive components for advanced health monitoring.
According to the source, the future Apple Watch with solid-state button solution will improve the hardware life and eliminate the seamless appearance of the physical button opening, which will help to provide better waterproof performance. At the same time, because it is a solid-state button, the controller is much smaller than the traditional physical button, and can further release more valuable internal space, which is also conducive to plugging a larger capacity battery to improve battery life.
Of course, Apple's main focus is still a new advanced health monitoring function. Therefore, there are rumors that Apple Watch will bring new features such as blood glucose monitoring in the future, and its strap accessories will also be improved, adding more sensors for health monitoring. There are also rumors that Apple's long-established microLED screen will be the first to appear on Apple Watch, but this technology may take several years to enter the consumer market.
Finally, everyone said that the Apple Watch has been on the market for four years. Are you a user of Apple Watch now? Which generation are you using? What is the reason for your purchase of Apple Watch? Which feature of Apple Watch is most useful for you? Where do you expect Apple Watch to improve in the future, or what new features will be added?

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Lattice Semiconductor Corporation has announced its award-winning Lattice CrossLink™-NX FPGAs and AI-optimized software power Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad X1 portfolio. The new Lenovo ThinkPad portfolio leverages a fully integrated client hardware and software solution from Lattice to deliver advanced user experiences including immersive engagement, privacy, and collaboration without sacrificing performance or battery life.
“Our portfolio of AI optimized software is designed to meet the growing demand for more intelligence across a variety of Edge applications,” said Matt Dobrodziej, Vice President of Segment Marketing and Business Development at Lattice Semiconductor. “This collaboration with Lenovo has resulted in user experiences offering smarter human-computer engagement, privacy, collaboration, and better energy management.”
“At Lenovo, an integral part of ThinkPad DNA is to expand the boundaries of what is possible to deliver best-in-class user experiences with innovative technologies,” said Luis Hernandez, vice president, PC and Smart Solutions Development, Commercial Business, Lenovo IDG. “By enabling new computer vision capabilities with Lattice, our ThinkPad X1 users will experience exceptionally intelligent, interactive, and elevated computing capabilities.”
The end-to-end Lattice solution powering the latest Lenovo ThinkPad X1 portfolio announced at CES® 2022 is made up of a combination of:
- Lattice CrossLink-NX FPGAs: Built on the award-winning Lattice Nexus™ platform, CrossLink-NX FPGAs deliver the best-in-class low power consumption, small form factor, reliability, and performance that developers need to create innovative embedded vision and AI solutions for Compute, Industrial, Automotive, and Consumer applications.
- Lattice sensAI™ stack: The Lattice sensAI stack, a 2022 CES Innovation Awards Honoree, provides ready-to-use AI/ML tools, IP cores, hardware platforms, reference designs and demos, custom design services, and access to Glance by Mirametrix®, which design teams need to develop and bring new edge devices to market quickly. Glance by Mirametrix attention-sensing software is an application layer technology enabling added functionality for security and privacy, digital well-being, intelligent collaboration, and productivity, leading a new generation of natural human-computer interaction innovations in consumer and automotive markets.


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KUALA LUMPUR (BLOOMBERG) - Malaysia has adequate supplies of government-subsidised cooking oil to meet local demand and help blunt the impact of food inflation on lower income groups, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.
"The rising costs in Malaysia and elsewhere is something we have expected, given the effect of the pandemic where price rises ripple through economies worldwide," Ms Zuraida said in reply to e-mailed questions.
The war in Ukraine and sweeping sanctions on Russia have bolstered edible oil prices, which were already climbing after drought and labour shortages squeezed supplies.
The rally is putting a strain on Malaysia, where food inflation in January accelerated at the fastest pace in four years.
"There is a concern about the inflation and its impact on consumers, especially for those under B40," she said, referring to the poorest 40 per cent of the population.
Still, the supply of subsidised cooking oil is sufficient to meet the needs of the low-income and 75 per cent of the middle-income groups, Ms Zuraida said.
Palm oil, used in a plethora of consumer goods from cooking oil to instant noodles, has smashed through records.
Benchmark futures in Kuala Lumpur blasted past 7,000 ringgit (S$2,253.65) a tonne on Wednesday (March 2), extending a rally that's seen prices double since mid-June.
Palm oil's supply woes began in early 2020 after Malaysia shut its borders and froze hiring of migrant workers to stem the surge in Covid-19 cases, resulting in a historic labour shortage across plantations in the second-biggest grower.
The decision in January by top grower Indonesia to curb shipments to expand local supply tightened the market further.
Ms Zuraida said that the ministry is planning a "comprehensive review" of federal, states and local taxes that increase planters' operating costs and affect Malaysia's competitiveness versus Indonesia.
The study, planned to begin in mid-2022, "will result in a more efficient taxation scheme that not only contributes to economic development but enhances the competitiveness" of the Malaysian palm oil industry, she said.
The review does not include the country's export duty structure, which will be maintained between 3 per cent and 8 per cent based on the level of crude palm oil prices.


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July 17th 2017
By Mike Flaminio
The Wall Street Journal has a piece comparing Apple and Samsung's design trends.
Some design experts wonder if the Galaxy S8's visual leap says more about Apple and its chief executive, Tim Cook, whose operational skills contrast with the visionary talents of his predecessor, Steve Jobs. "It's not so much that Samsung has gotten better, but Apple has fundamentally changed," said Hugh Dubberly, a former Apple creative director and former member of Samsung's global design advisory board. "The pipeline that Steve [Jobs] started is over."
This is an easy and popular narrative, especially given the iPhone physical appearance is near the end its third year. What might be missed though is that Jobs may have not been as engaged leading up to his resignation. Cook like has been in his role for multiple major cycles. On the flip side, major product cycles span years, so it could be argued Cook is now fully owning the current cycle for its products.
Either way, beyond physical appearances, there are platform considerations. Each company represents different platforms, Apple with its iOS and Samsung Android.


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Port congestion in Southern California is driving cargo to third-party logistics providers that have access to capacity from ocean and overland carriers, and the information technology systems to link these services together in an end-to-end supply chain solution, according to a 3PL executive.
FedEx said it has plans in place to handle expected record volume of holiday shipments this year and avoid a repeat of 2013’s late-shipments debacle.
Third-party logistics provider CEVA Logistics said it will spend $20 million to expand and update its United Kingdom truck fleet.
A key indicator of trucking activity was flat in September compared to August, reflecting decreased demand in hauling for retailers but increased business from factories.
Equipment financing activity skyrocketed in September, rising 31 percent from August and 21 percent year-over-y
British freight forwarders and shippers are struggling with a trans-Atlantic problem: a shortage of skilled truck drivers.
Federal regulators will spend $1 million to help U.S. military veterans train for careers behind the wheel and alleviate what trucking companies say is a growing shortage of skilled drivers.
Hamburg Süd said it has taken steps to combat significant delays in vessel arrivals and departures at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as severe congestion at the largest port complex in the Americas has reached a new level of intensity.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka assured footwear importers meeting in Long Beach Tuesday that the Southern California ports have proposals that could provide some immediate relief to the worsening congestion problem in the harbor.
A summer of strong freight demand drove revenue up 8 percent at Werner Enterprises, which won "sustainable" rate increases from shippers and raised driver pay.


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Reports of ZigBee on handsets would be a big deal for the connected home (and ZigBee)
Could ZigBee gain some real ground when it comes to the connected home? Pocket-lint is reporting that Samsung and HTC are both thinking about adding a ZigBee chip to their handsets. If true, that would give consumers more control over their existing home automation products such as certain motorized window shades and ZigBee switches, as well as provide a big boost to the ZigBee standard.
Currently, Z-Wave, which is an alternative low-energy, mesh networking standard, is more prevalent in home automation devices — the CEO of Securifi, the maker of the Almond + router estimated Z-wave products outnumbered ZigBee products by a factor of 10 to 1. And with Bluetooth Low Energy gaining ground in newly launched connected devices and adding more support for those gadgets, ZigBee is looking a little lame.
Both Qualcomm and Broadcom are forging ahead with the belief that ZigBee isn’t going to be a player — stances that might change if big device makers want to put the radio technology in their handsets. One reason companies are betting so heavily on Bluetooth Low Energy for connected devices in the home is because most handsets already have it. That means a person can buy a Bluetooth lock for example and have it work seamlessly with their iOS or Android device (or it will soon).
Given the importance the smartphone has played so far in the adoption of connected devices, getting a ZigBee chip inside a mass market handset is not a small thing. Of course, putting the chip inside the handset isn’t enough. The ZigBee Alliance must beef up its profiles and features to support easy discoverability and security. On the OS side, Apple and Google must write native support for ZigBee in their OSes– something Android recently did for Bluetooth LE.
Source: GigaOM. Read more here.


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BROOKLYN - Electronic cigarettes are grabbing the attention of many public health groups who want them better regulated.
The FDA says it wants to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and require health warning labels, along with approval for any new products. The battery-powered devices have grown very popular over the last couple of years, and officials say they want to slow down the pace of the industry.
News 12 asked residents how they feel about the possibility of new regulations on e-cigarettes, which would make them tougher to get. Most agreed that minors should not so easily be able to buy e-cigarettes since they are harmful to one's health.
Others say it's a tough decision because e-cigarettes should be encouraged as a substitute for real cigarettes, and putting restrictions on them might deter potential smokers.


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I was annoyed to read a wishy-washy, touchy-feely article about the forthcoming cuts in the food stamp program. Here's an excerpt.
Food stamp benefits to 47 million Americans were cut starting Friday as a temporary boost to the federal program comes to an end without new funding from a deadlocked Congress.
Under the program, known formally as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, a family of four that gets $668 per month in benefits will find that amount cut by $36.
"It may not sound like a lot but to a person like me, it is," says Annie Crisp, 30, a single mother of two girls in Lancaster, Ohio. "It's not just a number."
She says she received a little less than $550 a month in food stamps and now will receive $497. Crisp, a babysitter who brings home about $830 a month, says the food stamps help her buy her family fresh fruits, vegetables and meat.
Crisp worries now she may end up trying to supplement her family's groceries by going to a food bank or cutting into her electric or gas money for the month. The cut, she says, also means she will have to buy more canned fruits and vegetables, foregoing her daughters' favorite fruit, kiwi, and buying packaged meat.
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SNAP, which benefits one in seven Americans, is administered by the Department of Agriculture and is authorized in a five-year omnibus farm bill covering all agricultural programs. Congress is currently debating the bill, which has additional cuts to the program totaling up to $40 billion. A cut that size, say advocates ... would be devastating.
There's more at the link.
This whingeing and whining about the cuts is simply nonsense. The SNAP program has more than doubled in size since 2007, which is completely unsupportable. It's done so largely because it's been actively promoted to the poorer sections of society by the Obama administration. This was done as a political ploy, not out of hardship and necessity. I have no moral qualms whatsoever about reining in such wasteful and unnecessary expenditure - particularly when there's so much fraud and abuse of the system.
Furthermore, much of the food assistance provided is wasted on luxuries. I witness people buying steak, frozen pizza, soda and candy using their EBT cards almost every time I go to a supermarket. Many of my friends can say the same. I'd love to know who authorized the waste of public funds on such frivolous expenditures. If you can't afford to feed your family out of your own pocket, why should you be allowed to buy luxuries at taxpayer expense? The mother quoted in the article whose daughter's favorite fruit was kiwi - too bad! If you're poor, you don't buy kiwi fruit. Period. It's as simple as that.
If SNAP were limited to buying staple foods only - no fast food, no candy, no sodas, no pre-prepared or pre-packaged food like frozen meals - I have little doubt that its cost could be cut substantially without impacting the quality or quantity of decent nutrition available to families. I think I could provide a nutritious, tasty diet for less than one dollar per person per meal. Three meals per day for a family of four would probably cost no more than $10; and over a month, that would come to about $300. Throw in a third extra for emergencies, and I reckon that family could feed itself for $400. According to the article above, it's currently getting $668. There's your waste, right there! $400 per month will provide an adequately nutritious diet for a family. There wouldn't be many desserts or treats, but there'd be more than enough food, and good-quality food at that. Sure, it would take more time to prepare it; but that's part of the penalty for taking money out of taxpayers' pockets. Why should taxpayers pay for convenience as well as the food itself?
If you cut out the fraud and abuse, and limit SNAP benefits to staple foods only, that would probably cut the program's cost in half . . . or by the same amount as the $40 billion Congress might cut from it. That works for me.


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Pupils across the kingdom marked Saudi National Day with massive parties in schools as part of a long weekend of celebrations.
School buildings were decorated with green and white balloons, as well as banners with official artwork for the occasion, and held interactive activities for pupils and parents.
From dressing up in National Day costume to celebrating the occasion with traditional dance, singing the national anthem and holding class parties, primary pupils were accompanied by their parents for the festivities.
Sana Fakih, who lives in Jeddah, said: “It is wonderful to see such a festive mood across the city of Jeddah, my 4-year-old son was very excited about this year’s National Day celebrations at his school.
“My entire family is looking forward to fireworks and events scheduled over the weekend.”
Parades and musical performances by the Saudi Royal Guard Command were taking place in Jeddah and Riyadh on Friday.
The Royal Saudi Air Force is performing shows in 14 cities for 10 days, using Typhoon, F-15 and Tornado fighter jets.
Salma Ahmed, a Saudi living in Jeddah, said: “My family and I are going early to get a spot on the corniche to watch the fireworks and air shows near Faisaliyah today.
“My brother and his friends painted the Saudi flag on their cars.”
Saudi citizen Razan Amoudi said she was looking forward to seeing some of the events marking this year's National Day.
“I can’t wait for the Cirque du Soleil show today and of course so excited to shop all the offers, from Amazon, to local jewellery stores — there are amazing discounts for National Day,” she said.
Most retail outlets, selling local and international brands, are offering up to 30 per cent up off across food, cosmetics, perfumes, furniture, electronics, fashion and footwear.
Inspired by Saudi heritage, shopping centres across the kingdom have been adorned with flyers, white and green balloons, digital depictions of the national flag and new artwork released by the entertainment authority to celebrate the occasion.
“I love the creative desserts and packaging by young Saudis this year,” said Asiya Kuraishi, a Jeddah resident. She said she bought abayas, sweets and souvenirs, some as gifts and some to share with her friends on National Day.
The UAE is marking the kingdom’s 92nd National Day from 23 to 26 September under the theme ‘Together Forever KSA-UAE’.
Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and the Museum of the Future will display the colours and images of the Saudi flag in a show of solidarity.


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Ever since eBay announced changes to its feedback rules and fee structure last week, sellers have been irate, exploding onto message boards and blogs with discussions about how the new policies will affect their businesses. But when the idea of a strike was floated, some sellers and buyers decided to get more organized about expressing their displeasure.
A discussion thread on eBay's own forums with the title "Sign the pledge - no sales Feb 18-25!" has received 4,000 posts in nine days, many expressing members' intentions to join the boycott. The strike is scheduled to overlap eBay's planned Feb. 20 launch date for its new policies, which include fee hikes, a 21-day hold on some funds sent through its PayPal payment service, and disallowing sellers from leaving negative feedback for their buyers.
Facebook and MySpace pages dedicated to the strike are circulating, along with an online petition, and a mailing list called the Online Seller Cyber Union has gathered more than 700 emails in a week. A YouTube video on Google entitled "Feb 18-25th 2008: Worldwide Ebay Strike" has racked up more than 16,000 views since Saturday.


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Over the last 12 months the question on most keen phone buyer’s lips has been Samsung Galaxy S III or iPhone (5)? In 2013 that question has become a whole lot more complex with some of the best looking and performing smartphones about to hit our local stores.
Post Tagged with: "apple"
Apple has a knack for releasing staggering numbers to demonstrate the brute force they bring to the new mobile and tablet world. The App Store has now had over 40 billion downloads since its launch, two billion of those were in December 2012 alone.
To promote its range of Air Multipler “bladeless fans” this summer, Dyson has released a new iOS game to convince you its fans blow.
EFTM had a quick hands on with the iPad mini at the launch event in San Jose, but what’s it like to actually use? EFTM’s Trevor Long takes a deeper look.
When Apple first hit the market with the iPhone 4 everyone had to scramble to get themselves a MicroSIM. The iPhone 5 took it a step further with an even smaller NanoSIM. So, with your iPad, iPhone or iPad mini, which SIM size is for you? EFTM has you covered.
Apple last week broadened its new iPad offering and EFTM has been putting the iPad mini through its paces before it goes on sale later this week.
No time to read lengthy reviews? Just want a quick look at the iPad mini? EFTM has you covered.
The pre-event rumours around today’s Apple event in San Jose may have focussed on the iPad mini, however the smart money was on other product updates as well, including the iMac. Apple certainly didn’t disappoint.
Apple didn’t just announce the iPad mini in San Jose today, they have also announced a 4th generation iPad, just a little over six months since announcing the “new iPad”.
This morning in San Jose, California Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the long rumoured iPad mini. While Apple have long been renowned for their secrecy, the iPad mini has been rumoured and leaked online for many months now. The iPad mini is a smaller tablet with a 7.9-inch screen aimed squarely at the lower priced [...]


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L-R: Ndubueze Onyekachi of Aba Sales Region, overall winner, 2017 FBNInsurance Retail Awards, receiving the keys to a brand new car from Val Ojumah, MD/CEO, FBNInsurance at the firm’s annual retail awards in Aba.
PRESS RELEASE–-The management of FBNInsurance, in line with the company’s corporate strategy and continued commitment to growing the insurance retail market, has rewarded top retail agents at the firm’s annual Retail Awards in Aba, Abia State.
At the event, Ndubueze Onyekachi of the Aba Sales Region, won a brand new car as the overall winner in the financial advisor category; Ikenhi Wisdom got an all-expense paid trip to Dubai as first runner-up while Iyogwoya Roseline, last year’s winner, won a 55” OLED TV as the second runner-up.
Speaking at the event, Head, Retail Distribution, FBNInsurance, Odinakachi Umekwe, acknowledged the support of the Board and Management of the company while encouraging the winners not to relent in their sales drive. “Winning is not the end of it, there is always more work to be done. Congratulations for winning this time, but remember, many others want to win too; so, work harder,” he said.
Headquartered in Marina, Lagos, FBNInsurance is widely acknowledged as the fastest growing insurance company in Nigeria and indeed Africa as evidenced by her announcement as the Insurance Company of the Year at the recently held AIO/Africa-Re Insurance Awards. Incorporated eight years ago, the company has relied on a robust retail strategy to grow its business over the years.


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Cobalt is with nickel and lithium is one of the essential elements in electric vehicle batteries. It is used with nickel in the cathode of batteries and represents about a quarter of the total cost of a battery. Cobalt is also the subject of serious human rights discomfort. Two-thirds of all the cobalt is found in mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a civil war has been going on for decades, which are financed by the big mines for access to the rights to the precious lands which contain the cobalt. Young children are forced to work in unacceptable conditions to get cobalt in cars and smart phones.
Until recently, small electronics were driving the demand for cobalt because many small batteries still need a cathode and an anode in each one. A phone battery doesn’t need as many materials as an electric or hybrid car battery, but on the other hand, a lot more phones are made, so the difference is a matter of volume. There are around 15 billion mobile devices in the world, compared to 7.2 million electric cars.
Shortage already underway
The Financial Times reports that 176,370 tons of cobalt were produced in 2021. However, global demand last year was 192,904 tons, already exceeding what can be mined. The automotive industry alone demanded 65,036 tonnes of cobalt last year, more than a third of total demand; comparatively, smart phones accounted for only 28,660 tonnes of cobalt.
An environmental disaster
While some manufacturers, like Tesla, are trying to disassociate themselves from Cobalt with nickel-only cathodes. Russia, the world’s third-largest nickel producer, has been in complete shutdown since the start of the war with Ukraine and the price of nickel has increased sixfold over the past three months. All this without forgetting the environmental damage caused by the extraction of these minerals. If you believe the tar sands pollute, the cobalt and nickel mines are no better.
Cleaner solutions will have to be found
Right now, a huge amount of good quality cobalt is found in outdated electronic devices. From old tablet computers to laptop computers, the human race has treated lithium-ion batteries as an infinite resource when they really aren’t, or at the very least, disposable. Currently, metal recovery from smart devices is incredibly underdeveloped and involves the use of toxic acid to extract the precious metals. We may have to turn to the trash cans to recover what we have carelessly thrown there and we could build packaging that is easier to recycle, but that may not be enough to solve our problem. It will be necessary to find solutions that are less harmful to the environment and also to find a cleaner process from extraction to recovery of the product.


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Mike Thomas has made it clear that he wants to give Illinois a bigger presence in Chicago, and one of the ways the school hopes to do that is by playing Washington at Soldier Field in September. Well, simply playing a game isn't enough to grab the city's attention, but the school is taking steps to make sure everybody knows the game is happening.
Crain's Chicago Business reports that the Illini have launched an all out advertising assault for the game.
Six weeks ahead of its second football game at Soldier Field, the University of Illinois is launching a wide-ranging promotional campaign to spur ticket sales that will include the debut of an online marketing strategy from California-based Live Nation Entertainment.
During the broadcast of this week's first Chicago Bears preseason football game, TV and radio ads will promote Illinois' "Chicago Homecoming" game against Washington on Sept. 14.
That effort will complement digital, print and online ads as well as out-of-home advertising that will include a large "Paint Chicago Orange" billboard at the Ogilvie Transportation Center.
And that's just part of the campaign.
Aside from the television commercials and the ad campaign they will be broadcasting this video in elevators throughout 94 office buildings in the city. They'll also be doing something that I've never seen or heard of being done before.
You know how when you buy something online you're forced to enter a series of letters or words -- called a CAPTCHA -- to prove that you're not a spammer? Well any time somebody buys tickets on Ticketmaster online for any event, the CAPTCHA will be Illini themed.
You might have to type "Our State, Our Team" or "Illinois Homecoming In Chicago." No word on whether or not INDIANATEARS made the cut.
The school will also be hosting a luncheon with former Illini and Chicago Bears legend at Wildfire in Chicago the Thursday before the game. You can find out more about that on the school's website.
In other words, Illinois is doing just about every thing it can to make sure people are not only aware that the team is playing at Soldier Field this September, but to put more butts in the seats. As for how effective it will be, I cannot say, but I'm certainly not going to knock the hustle.


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Today a great deal was announced that will likely mean free credit for a large number of gamers. Atlus USA and Nintendo of America announced that they are teaming up for a special promotion that will be held through Club Nintendo. This promotion gives gamers who register Fire Emblem: Awakening and also pick-up and register Shin Megami Tensei IV $30 in 3DS eShop credit.
This means that if you have already picked up Fire Emblem: Awakening, which a large number of those interested in SMTIV probably have done, only need to pick up SMTIV when it is released next week on July 16th. The promotion begins on July 16th and will run until August 31st and the full details about the promo can be found here.


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The CDC has today announced that the No-Sail-Order will no longer be in effect from November 1, 2020. Instead, the CDC has announced a framework for a Conditional Sailing Order.
While the Industry anticipated the favorable decision, the move can still be described as surprising. Dr. Redfield, the Centres of disease control director, had stated last month he would prefer a No-Sail Order to be in effect until February at the least.
This decision comes after months of intense deliberations between the cruise lines, White House, and CDC. It will be a welcome message for the thousands of guests eagerly anticipating a return on board and the millions of people involved in the cruise industry.
New Conditional Order
A careful approach to resuming cruises is needed and the CDC and cruise lines will work on a phased-in return of operations. So yes, the No-Sail Order has ended. So here are the details from the CDC on the Conditional Sailing Order and the full order details can be read through here.
- The expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency,
- The CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations, or
- November 1, 2021.
The CDC has detailed what will need to be done on the safe return of operations to make sure not just guests and crew remain safe but also those in local areas on land. In it’s new update the CDC stated:
The initial phases will consist of testing and additional safeguards for crew members. CDC will ensure cruise ship operators have adequate health and safety protections for crew members while these cruise ship operators build the laboratory capacity needed to test future passengers.
Subsequent phases will include simulated voyages to test cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk, certification for ships that meet specific requirements, and a phased return to cruise ship passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers, crew members, and U.S. communities.
These phases are subject to change based on public health considerations and cruise ship operators’ demonstrated ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk. CDC will issue additional orders as needed that will be published in the Federal Register
and technical instructions that will be subsequently posted on CDC’s website.
Cruise Lines Pressure Pays Off
The cruise lines, amongst which Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Lines, have been putting significant pressure on government officials and the CDC to allow sailing from U.S. ports as soon as possible.
This went as far as the White House when the cruise lines had a conference with Vice President Pence a few weeks ago.
No matter the circumstances, the cruise lines return will be a happy moment for thousands of guests as cruise bookings remain at the same level as last year for many lines, and in some cases, even higher. It looks like the public’s confidence in the cruise industry has been at a high level throughout the pandemic as most cruises scheduled for the end of the year and beyond are sold out.
Not only will the guests be happy to see cruising return. Crew members from various companies have been at home for some time, some up to six or seven months. These will now finally be able to return to their workplaces.
Crew members in various nations have been called up to be ready on a moment’s notice—a show of confidence from the cruise lines in their efforts to convince the CDC.
What Will Cruising Be Like?
A return to cruising in the U.S. does not mean that everything is back to normal. The cruise lines have implemented extensive protocols and regulations which have, presumably, played a significant role in the decision from the CDC on the resumption of cruising.
Not only will the cruise lines be able to draw from the experience of cruising in Europe, but there is also the 74-step plan from the Healthy Sail Panel to implement.
Cruising in Europe has been reasonably successful for several months now. Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Hapag Lloyd, Seadream, TUI, and AIDA have all done cruises so far. These range from sea-escapes where the cruises consist of sea days only, to full-on port day voyages.
These voyages have been successful in avoiding any COVID outbreaks on-board by strictly implementing testing and sanitation protocols. Ships sailing from the U.S. will surely draw from this experience while also implementing the strict 74-steps the healthy sail panel recommends.
It remains to be seen what restrictions the CDC will require. However, it seems inevitable that the CDC will require additional measures on top of what the cruise lines have planned.
Past CDC No Sail Orders
The first No-Sail order was issued on March 14, 2020, which followed the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) voluntary suspension of operations. The CDC order was then extended for the first time on April 15, 2020, which was announced on April 9.
With no end to the global pandemic, the order was extended for the second time on July 16 through September 30, 2020. The finally on September 30 it was extended once again through October 31, 2020, which has lead to today’s announcement.
Photos Credit: EQRoy / mariakray / Shutterstock.com


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Business News›rotographics india ltd q2 results
ROTOGRAPHICS INDIA LTD Q2 RESULTS
Airtel Q1 Results: Net profit jumps 467% YoY, down nearly 20% vs Q4; ARPU at Rs 183
India’s second largest telco, however, missed estimates while posting a net profit of Rs 1,606.9 crore, which slumped almost 20% from the fourth quarter of FY22, when it reported a one-time gain of Rs 984.7 crore. Sequential profit also fell as subscriber additions slowed on-quarter and on the back of higher costs, including operational and finance expenses.
Power Grid Q1 Results: Profit falls 37% YoY to Rs 3,801 crore; revenue rises 7%
The earnings per share or EPS dipped from Rs 7.86 in Q1 of FY22 to Rs 5.34 in the June quarter of the ongoing fiscal year. While the operating margin remained at 90 per cent, the net profit margin decline to 35 per cent during the quarter.
Adani APSEZ Q1 Results: Net profit falls on lower revenue
“With APSEZ set to commission two new terminals in the coming months, this growth story will gain more momentum. The container terminal at Gangavaram Port will become operational next month, while the 5 MMT LNG terminal at Dhamra will be ready by December end. This LNG terminal has a take-or-pay
Bharti Airtel Q1 Results: Profit zooms 467% YoY to Rs 1,607 crore; ARPU improves to Rs 183
The company's consolidated revenue was up 22.2 per cent YoY to Rs 32,805 crore.
Buy, sell or hold: What should investors do with SBI post June quarter results?
Long-term investors can consider buying the stock now or on dips for a possible target of over Rs 600-650 in the next 12 months which translates into an upside of over 13-22 per cent from Rs 530 recorded on 5 August, suggested experts.
MapMyIndia Q1 Results: Profit rises 18 per cent YoY to Rs 24.2 croreMapMyIndia chairman and managing director Rakesh Verma in a statement said that the company's first quarter of financial year (FY) 2022-23 results demonstrated extremely strong revenue growth of 50 per cent and high profitability margins of 46 per cent EBITDA and 34 per cent profit after tax in the quarter.
UCO Bank Q1 Results: Profit rises 11% YoY to Rs 224 croreBank managing director Soma Sankara Prasad said the management does not expect more provisioning requirements in the September quarter against treasury operations as bond yields are likely to stay at the current levels or may come down with the Reserve Bank of India frontloading repo rate cuts.
REC Q1 Results: Net rises 8% to Rs 2,454 croreTotal expenses of the company also got reduced to Rs 6,556.09 crore in the first quarter of this financial year, from Rs 6,769.62 crore a year ago.In a separate statement, REC said its loan book has increased to Rs 3.88 lakh crore as on June 30, 2022.REC Ltd, under the Power Ministry, is a non-banking financial company (NBFC), focusing on power sector financing and development across India.
Titan Q1 Results: Profit jumps 13 times YoY to Rs 793 croreThe Tata Group firm said its quarterly revenues were the second-best, buoyed by a strong festive demand in a near normal Ql that came after a gap of two Covid disrupted periods.
This smallcap logistics firm zooms 17% after strong show in June quarterThe company had reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 2.93 crore with a revenue from operations at Rs 85.65 crore in the preceding quarter (Q4FY22). The Raipur-headquartered firm has more than 112 fleets and 40 branches across India. The company provides industry focused solutions integrated with an asset light business model.
Lupin posts Rs 89 crore loss in Q1FY23 due to US price erosion, raw material inflation“Our numbers are muted this quarter, but we expect a strong bounce back Q2 onwards. Our US sales took a significant dip as we took several strategic decisions to pave the way for building a sustainable and profitable business," said Nilesh Gupta, managing director of Lupin.
Berger Paints Q1 net profit rises 81 pc to Rs 254 cr; revenue up 53 pc to Rs 2,760 crThe company had posted a net profit of Rs 140.48 crore in the April-June period a year ago, Berger Paints said in a regulatory filing.Its revenue from operations rose 53.44 per cent to Rs 2,759.70 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 1,798.49 crore in the year-ago period.
GAIL Q1 Results: Net profit jumps 51% on marketing marginsThe firm reported a pre-tax profit of Rs 2,317.91 crore from natural gas marketing in the first quarter of the current fiscal, as compared to Rs 449.84 crore pre-tax profit a year back and Rs 1,976.23 crore in the preceding quarter.The margin on gas marketing made up for a 12.5 per cent decline in earnings from the gas transportation business and a 74 per cent drop in petrochemicals earnings.
Kalyan Jewellers Q1 Results: Profit doubles to Rs 108 cr; revenue up 104%Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) was recorded at Rs 264 crore, a growth of 283% as compared to Rs 69 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. Aided by industry tailwinds and strong execution, Kalyan’s business has seen a significant acceleration in scale, growth and profitability.
DBS India profit falls as LVB acquisition cost bites, trading income weakensThe bank put the "annual pre-tax" drag from the LVB acquisition at Rs 669 crore in the fiscal ended, up from Rs 341 crore, as the majority of the impact was felt in fiscal 2022. DBS acquired the ailing LVB on Reserve Bank of India's direction in November 2020.
Freshworks pares annual revenue guidance; Q2 revenue jumps 40%Revenue for the April-June quarter was $121.4 million on constant currency terms, or excluding the effect of exchange rate fluctuations. Loss on a non-GAAP basis — or not under the generally accepted accounting principles in the US — widened nearly three times to $15.8 million, but came in below its May forecast of $16.5-18.5 million.
BoI Q1 Results: Profit falls 22% YoY to Rs 561 croreThe bank's net interest income rose about 30% at Rs 4,072 crore the the reporting quarter against Rs 3,145 crore a year ago but the 50% dip in non-interest income which includes earnings from sale of investment led to the fall in profit, bank managing director AK Das said.
Adani Green Q1 Results: Profit drops 2% to Rs 214 crore; revenue surges 67%Adani Green's revenue from operations shot up 67 per cent YoY to Rs 1,635 crore during the quarter.
Bank of India Q1 Results: Profit falls 22% to Rs 561 croreTotal income during April-June 2022-23 fell to Rs 11,124.36 crore from Rs 11,641.37 crore in the year-ago period as income from other sources was down, Bank of India said in a regulatory filing.The core interest income grew 7 per cent in the quarter at Rs 9,972.64 crore, while other income declined by over 50 per cent to Rs 1,152 crore
Sensex, Nifty open lower on US-China tensions; ITC rises 2% post Q1 resultsInvestors globally were concerned about an escalation in China-US tensions as China has objected to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, given it regards the self-governed island as a breakaway province.
Sun Pharma Q1 Results: Profit surges 43% YoY to Rs 2,061 crore, beats estimatesTotal revenue for the quarter grew 10.73 per cent YoY to Rs 10,761.76 crore compared with Rs 9,718.74 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The revenue also beat the ET NOW poll projection of Rs 10,425 crore.
Nestle India Q2 Results: Profit drops 4% YoY to Rs 515 crore; revenue rises 16%The profit figure missed the Rs 571 crore figure that analysts anticipated in an ET NOW poll.
Cloud and search contributed the most to Alphabet’s Q2 growthThough Alphabet’s revenues grew 13% from the year-ago period to $69.7 billion, the figures were significantly lower than the 62% YoY growth from last year.
Infosys Q1 Results: Profit up 3.2% YoY to Rs 5,360 crore; FY23 revenue guidance increasedIndia's second largest IT company reported a consolidated revenue of Rs 34,470 crore in Q1, which was higher than the analyst estimate of Rs 34,150 crore. On a YoY basis, the revenue jumped 23.6 per cent.
Hitachi Energy India Q1 Results: Net profit dips nearly 92% to Rs 1.34 croreThe company explained that the quarter witnessed the rising cost of commodities and supply chain bottlenecks, creating a drag on margins.
Havells Q1 Results: Net profit rises to Rs 243 croreIts revenue from operations was up 62.62 per cent to Rs 4,244.46 crore during the period under review as against Rs 2,609.97 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal.Load More
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Indian outsourcing company Wipro reports 24% profit rise, beats forecast
November 3, 2012, 12:03 am TWN
MUMBAI -- Wipro, India's third-largest outsourcing firm, reported Friday quarterly net profit jumped by a surprise 24 percent on stronger demand as clients sought to pare costs in a weak global economy.
Net profit for the second financial quarter to September climbed to 16.11 billion rupees (US$301 million) from 13.01 billion rupees a year earlier.
The figure outpaced market expectations of profit of around 15 billion rupees.
"The pipeline and business environment is looking up. We saw a pickup in demand in banking and financial services," said Wipro's Chief Financial Officer Suresh Senapaty.
The firm said it won a string of orders, including multiyear deals with a U.S.-based health care firm and a large North America-based department store chain.
Quarterly revenue rose 17 percent year-on-year to 106.20 billion rupees.


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Last fall it was reported Tesla was looking for a location for a new service center in Victoria, British Columbia, on Canada’s west coast.
Tesla had its eyes set on a former Volvo dealership at the intersection of Douglas and Hillside, but now that appears to have changed.
According to the Victoria EV Association recently (via Tesla Owners Club Vancouver Island on Facebook), “Tesla has cancelled their announced purchase of the former Volvo dealership at the corner of Douglas and Hillside as their Vancouver Island sales and service location. A search for a new location is underway. No reason was provided for the change.”
Tesla’s President of Automotive, Jerome Guillen, posted on LinkedIn last September, indicating the company was searching for a service center in Victoria, B.C.
Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, B.C.’s capital city is also home to a large EV community, especially Teslas. Owners on the island need to travel by ferry to Vancouver to pick up new vehicle purchases. Once a new service center arrives, that will most likely change and save owners a day’s trip to the mainland. The same case rings true for Tesla repairs that cannot be done locally at Ferny’s Auto Body or by mobile rangers.
Tesla has been posting jobs seeking Mobile Service Technicians in Victoria in the new year, signalling a launch was in the works.
For now, many speculate Tesla would be better off trying to build its own service center in development-friendly Langford, or head up to an industrial park in Central Saanich. Nonetheless, a Tesla service center is coming to Victoria, but it won’t be at the site of the former Volvo dealership, owned by B.C. billionaire, Jimmy Pattison.
Senior Editor at TeslaNorth.com. Electric vehicle enthusiast, lover of dogs and all things Elon Musk. Click here to buy me a coffee 🙂 Email tips: email@example.com. Click here to get 1,000 Tesla Supercharger miles free with your next Tesla purchase.


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For seventy years, Mr. Potato Head has been whatever you wanted him to be, but that’s not going to work anymore. The #woke folk have convinced several ‘someones’ up or down the corporate food-chain that the brand needs a makeover. They are neutering the spud.
Hasbro is converting him into a gender-neutral potato head.
“Culture has evolved,” Kimberly Boyd, Hasbro’s senior vice president of global brands, told Fast Company. “Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists — with the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ — is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure.”
So, Mystery Potato Head?
“While we’re renaming the MR. POTATO HEAD brand to POTATO HEAD to better reflect the full line, the iconic MR. and MRS. POTATO HEAD characters aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. AND MRS. POTATO HEAD. The new product we announced today, CREATE YOUR POTATO HEAD FAMILY, is a kit that includes enough potatoes and accessories for kids to create all types of families,” Hasbro said in a statement.
The plastic potato in the box was always on the spectrum of imagination. Only recently have people begun to openly confuse themselves with the toy. Docs and governments got on board to embrace the chemical or surgical alteration kids the way kids could change up the plastic potato.
Thankfully, being a toy of color, we won’t have to worry about people insisting the thing is a systemic expression of white supremacy.
Cultural Appropriation could be a different story, but it has been on the shelves for 70 years and I have yet to hear of any #woke Irish complaining about famine-related PTSD because of the potato toy.
Maybe we need to give that a little more time.


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Salesforce.com profits plunge, commits to investment splurge
Builds own sales army
Marc Benioff delivered a spirited defense of Salesforce.com's growth and spending plans today, after announcing income plunged on surging sales.
The Salesforce.com chief executive told Wall Street he is investing in R&D and building an international sales army to winkle Oracle and SAP out of major corporate accounts like Dell and Cisco, and to position his company for growth in online CRM.
Benioff delivered the basic "speculate to accumulate" sermon after his company announced a 91 per cent drop in fourth-quarter net income to $516,000 and break-even earnings per diluted share of $0.00, down from $0.05, despite a 58 per cent increase in revenue to $144m. Annual income slumped 98 per cent to $481,000 with EPS hitting break even, from $0.24, on a 60 per cent increase in revenue to $497m.
Salesforce.com anticipates either a possible loss of one penny per share or a potential gain of a penny per share during the first quarter.
The strain was starting to show on Wall Street, which has pushed up Salesforce.com' stock in the wake of previous quarterly declines. Not this time, though, and Salesforce.com was down almost five per cent in after-hours trading to $45.84.
The results and future outlook prompted analysts' questions over scale of investment, potential payback, and size of discounts being awarded to enterprise customers - questions Benioff declined to answer for competitive reasons.
"We are focused on growth and revenue and market share in a new company. We are organized and architected around those principles. If at sometime we decide to maximize our efficiencies like you see these large players do, then that will be a sign the market is maturing or shrinking. Au contraire. We have found this is the time for on demand computing, but to do that we have to have growth in sales, service, support and development to take advantage of the opportunity. That's the company we have created and we will continue to create," he said.
Announcing Salesforce.com's largest single enterprise deployment of 25,000 subscribers, Benioff asked rhetorically the last time analysts had heard of an Oracle, SAP or even a Microsoft 25,000 customer CRM win. "To compete against them [Oracle and SAP] you need similar armies of sales people," he said.
For the full quarter, Salesforce.com signed 90,000 subscribers at 2,700 customers, taking total subscriber numbers to 646,000. ®


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How many industries can survive with 50% success, even if success is merely performing as advertised?
Talking to the Wall Street Journal earlier this month Symantec’s senior VP, Brian Dye, whose antivirus software is one of the market’s most popular, admitted Norton catches only 45% of cyber-attacks.
Such failure to deliver would not be acceptable in other industries, but digital security has long been failing to halt its adversaries. Speaking at a summit in Amsterdam this week on enterprise security, Eddie Schwartz, VP of global security at Verizon, said: "We’ve created what looks like the semblance of security and the bad guys pretty much drive around the perimeter and do whatever they want."
For the end user, security remains unaccountable. In an interview with CBR last week Hugh Thompson, security strategist at Blue Coat, said: "To the average consumer it’s very tough for them to evaluate the type of companies they do business with." Unlike physical theft, most people have no idea whether they have been breached, and the same is true of businesses.
Internal discovery of breaches has hovered between 15-25% for the last decade, says Verizon’s research, figures outstripped by both police and third party notifications. The motivation is chiefly financial, with point-of-sales systems and the payment details of customers common targets. This means both customers and businesses have much to be worried about.
Legislation playing catch up
At best, the rule of law applies sporadically online. Legislation inevitably has to play catch up with technology, but for more than a decade criminals have operated with an ease that would be unthinkable offline. Piracy is not merely common, but appears to be increasing, as the piracy figures for series such as Game of Thrones demonstrate, and barely a week passes without another data breach report being released warning of danger.
In response, governments are digging their claws further into the web, wrapping business tighter in compliance and, in the case of the EU ruling on the right to be forgotten, demanding more privacy controls for citizens. After Snowden, ministers are more sensitive to data leakage, and will force businesses to straighten themselves out.
Dye and his peers’ lack of concern at the amount of breaches is not mere complacency that the other antivirus software is not faring much better. Digital security has now accepted that prevention is futile. What matters now is recovering fast once you have taken the hit.
What businesses will see is security firms scooping more and more data while breaches are taking place. "When attacker exposes themselves and they start doing things it becomes more visible if you know what to look for," Schwartz said. "There’s this sweetspot where there’s a high detection potential and an opportunity for our industry to get better with things."
Both customers and businesses are likely to be critical of what appears to be a forfeit, but right now, this is all the industry can do. Verizon’s research even indicates that criminals are improving their tactics faster than the opposition. That process will have to be reversed if the digital economy is to retain any credibility.
For now the internet is leaking like a sieve, and everybody’s information is at risk. Businesses must take steps to reassure its customers, and better collaboration across industries is needed, at least if you believe Schwartz.


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DIGITIMES Research, a market analysis organization, announced the shipments of smartphones in 2021. It is understood that in the second half of 2021, global smartphone shipments did not show the growth momentum of the first half of the year.
The total shipments were less than 700 million units, and the annual shipments were about 1.32 billion units, an annual increase of only 6.1%.
In terms of brands, the top manufacturers have achieved good results in 2021. The top six smartphone brands shipped in the second half of 2021 and throughout the year are Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Transsion. Among them, domestic brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Transsion have achieved annual growth rates of shipments in double digits.
At present, 5G mobile phones have become the mainstream, and consumers will also give priority to products that support 5G networks when buying mobile phones.
According to DIGITIMES Research, global shipments of 5G mobile phones are estimated to be approximately 530 million in 2021, an annual increase. Among them, Apple leaped to the top with more than 30% of the market share.


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- 3 min read
'Connected automotive multimedia to influence consumer’s buying decision'
With this idea, slowly the need to have connected vehicles with smart infotainment system will take over.
New Delhi: Gone are the days when radio was king in a car. Consumers need much more to keep themselves engaged while on road, as growing traffic conditions in big cities has increased the number of hours spent by an individual on the road.
With this idea, slowly the need to have connected vehicles with smart infotainment system will take over, with features such as ability to set up days schedule, ordering food by the time one reaches a particular place, read mails and automatically playing preferred music, among others.
Going forward, there will be a huge influence of automotive multimedia on the consumer's buying decision, according to Naga Santhosh, Engineering & Program Manager, Bosch SoftTec India.
In certain metro cities today, the average driving speed has reduced to less than 10 kmph and since technology wouldn't reduce the hours spent on the road, the concept of connected will make it less tiresome.
The recent advances of technology and the shift of power into the hands of the customer, has caused the evolution of automotive multimedia from the basic radio to WiFi, TVs, navigation systems, among others.
Speaking to ETAuto, Santhosh said traffic is unavoidable so rather than stressing out, accept it.
"One of the effective way to address the problem using Bosch technology is by making people's time spent in the car more productive," he added.
Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Private Ltd is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, global supplier of technology and services, offering end-to-end Engineering, IT and Business Solutions.
Connected vehicles allow customers to dictate to-do lists and shopping lists, make plans and schedule meetings and appoints with ease," Santhosh said adding that it also helps people order food or groceries on the go.
There will a huge requirement of an infotainment system which understands the consumers' needs, personal preferences based on the need of the hour and which is beyond smartphones, which is not safe to use while driving.
In this direction, Bosch has developed In-car Smartphone connectivity solutions with built in personalization engine.
Its products include Bosch mySPIN & iero, which allows for the seamless integration of smartphones with the car's head unit with Connected Apps (content) and powered with AI based recommendation engine (context), which caters to the needs of the end user on the go both today and in the future.
The company's Infotainment Systems which has features such as Navigation, Music, News, POI, safety & social categories.
"Bosch has collaborated with Indian and Global App providers in these categories and each of these applications is aimed at improving the comfort, convenience and safety of both drivers and passengers," Santhosh said.
"Apart from music, applications such as Youtube, SoundCloud, ports to connect storage devices, and assorted multimedia available today also engages
users with news and navigation systems POIs," he added.
The company had also built a 3D map engine application, which provides real time data including weather and traffic updates that enhance safety and reduce stress while driving.
(To get more insights on this subject, join ETAuto Retail Forum in September, 2018.) (https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/autoretailforum)


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News & insights
Are you wondering how Upp’s machine learning solution for Google Shopping differs from Bidnamics? Well, Bidnamic wondered the same, so we thought it’d be a good idea to compare what our similarities and differences are. For retailers new to Google Shopping, it can be hard to know where to begin, and hard even for the…
For the latest news and insights from Upp.


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Philadelphia-based Rite Aid Corp. recently announced that it is realigning its management team and streamlining its operations.
“The changes we announced today are part of our ongoing efforts to reduce costs and eliminate diapers,” said Heyward Donigan, President and CEO of Rite Aid.
The Chief Operating Officer position has been eliminated. Chief Operating Officer Jim Peters left the company, as did Executive Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer Jocelyn Konrad.
Donigan wished Peters and Konrad well and thanked them for their contributions.
Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Clinical Services, Karen Staniforth, will now also carry the title of Chief Pharmacy Officer. The Pharmacy Manager position will focus on centralized pharmacy operations. Staniforth will assume these duties in addition to his current responsibilities.
Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer, André Persaud, will support field operations for the pharmacy and oversee front-end operations.
Executive Vice President and CIO Justin Mennen’s new title is Chief Digital and Technology Officer. His responsibilities will now include directing all digital and e-commerce.
Rite Aid has more than 2,450 retail pharmacies in 17 states. It provides pharmaceutical benefits and services to millions of members across the country through Elixir.


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At the Eurocucina show of this year’s Salone del Mobile, Milanese fashion house Dolce & Gabbana just unveiled the latest additions to its collaboration with Italian appliance manufacturer Smeg.
The series, called “Sicily Is My Love,” now includes two versions of the Victoria Range and Hood, a “fiery red and orange” one inspired by Silician puppet theater, and a blue-and-white one inspired by a majolica print.
This week’s unveil also extended the collection’s line of small appliances, which already comprises a toaster, kettle, and citrus juicer, all adorned with decorations that reference Sicilian traditions and motifs (think golden lemons, purple figs, and Sicily’s Mount Etna). The new small appliances are a coffee machine, hand blender, and four-slice toaster; next to come will be a blender, espresso machine, stand mixer, and slow juicer.
Earlier this year, the line finally went on sale on Neiman Marcus’s website, where the small appliances are asking $600 a piece and the fanciful fridges that started it all can be had for $50,000 each.


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As Trump supporters are learning, on a continuing basis, is that most of his campaign promises were, as he has freely admitted, to win the election, which practice is now validated by that win, so no further action is required.
Some of those promises would have been impossible to fulfill anyway. Take Trump's promises to have companies bring back jobs that were taken overseas, or to keep U.S. plants from moving overseas to begin with so unemployment would be curtailed. The first case was that presented by the Carrier company wanting to move a plant from Indiana.
The solution was to give the company State Government money to keep part of the plant operating in Indiana, The company pocketed the money and kept the part of the plant that they had intended to keep anyway and applied the money towards the automation of the plant which only postpones the firing of the employees for a few years until installation of machinery is completed.
The "Carrier solution" only demonstrates a much deeper problem for the U.S. One which could bring this nation to it's knees. While Carrier, by using automation to produce consumer goods, very cheaply, in large quantities, they are reducing the pool of consumers able to purchase the output of these machines.
Multiply the Carrier situation by thousands of companies, in the U.S., that, similarly, are investing in robotics to increase production at the same time the reduce personnel and one can see the problem of overproduction we may be facing. In the past we expected this particular problem would be solved through a combination of wealth distribution through Public Works and a social net, which, however, today's corporations are reluctant to help finance through taxes even though the tax base is being eroded by increasing unemployment owing to work force reductions.
Mr. Trump may fail in his quest to bring back jobs because the jobs are being eliminated everywhere,


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Beauty devotees, rejoice!
2020 is going to be all about embracing individuality and taking care of our skin, according to makeup artist Daniel Martin.
The celebrated professional, who famously did Meghan Markle's wedding-day makeup in May 2018 and has an A-list clientele, spoke to E! News about the beauty trends he foresees happening this year, what he's most excited to do during awards season, and the newly released product his famous friends already love.
In fact, some of his clients have already worn this unique product on the red carpet: Tatcha's Serum Stick.
"I honestly feel like the Serum Stick is gonna be really good," Martin told E! News during the product's launch party in Los Angeles. "It's gonna be a game-changer because not only is it reconditioning your skin but you're gonna see the benefits, it's just gonna be that one product in your bag that's gonna complement the rest of your makeup."


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AN UPPER TRIBUNAL VAT ruling against BAA could affect any businesses involved in mergers or acquisitions, advisors have said.
BAA had been successful in the first-tier tribunal when it sought to recover VAT incurred following its acquisition by Airport Development Investments Limited (ADIL). However, the Upper Tribunal accepted HMRC’s appeal.
The case centred on negotiations between ADIL and third parties to secure financing, which began before the takeover and continued after it. ADIL joined the BAA VAT group, the group claiming the VAT incurred on various costs associated with the takeover.
VAT charged by lawyers, accountants and financiers can usually be claimed back later by companies. However, HMRC argued that ADIL – which is owned by Ferrovial – was never really in business. It said the recovery of the VAT related to investment costs incurred by ADIL in raising finance to acquire BAA and that there was no immediate link between the supplies on which the VAT was incurred and any supplies that could qualify for VAT made by the BAA VAT group.
Lorraine Parkin, head of indirect tax at Grant Thornton said: “This is an important decision for any business involved in an acquisition or merger. The tribunal did not accept that ADIL was carrying on an economic activity that spanned the completion of the acquisition of the BAA group of companies.
“As such, the VAT on services that ADIL started to incur prior to joining the VAT group could not be reclaimed under its subsequent VAT group registration with BAA.”
Parkin added that ADIL had “no evidence” to support its intention to join the BAA VAT group or to make any taxable supplies. “My advice to clients is that a formal company record should be kept about any intention to register a bidco for VAT and the role that it will play in the management of the new corporate group,” she added.
Tom Cartwright, a tax lawyer at law firm McGrigors, told the This is Money website: “The Revenue may not have won all its arguments, but it will not be disheartened from pursuing other cases.”
A HMRC spokesman said: “We are pleased that the Upper Tier Tribunal has confirmed HMRC’s policy that a business can only recover input VAT if it makes taxable output supplies.”
The application of robotics in finance functions is moving faster than predicted. Although, companies are cautious in how they are applying artificial intelligence to ensure results first, many are stepping up their investigations
EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has defended the decision to order technology giant Apple to pay €13bn (£11bn) in back taxes to the Irish government
Carillion has announced the appointment of a new finance director as it reported a rise in first half profits and sales led by strong growth in its support services business
The UK inflation rate hit its highest level in almost two years in July, suggesting that the sharp fall in sterling following the UK referendum to leave the European Union is forcing prices up


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Apple Temporarily Closed An Apple Store In Texas Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Tech giant Apple has close one of its Southlake, Texas retail stores Wednesday after many staff members contracted COVID-19, according to NBC News’ Zoe Schiffer.
A manager told employees Wednesday that 22 staffers “have shared that they’re positive for COVID-19,” NBC News reported, and four of the store’s 151 employees reported positive cases right after Black Friday. The store will be closed through Sunday.
NBC News report highlights a few worrying trends about the Southlake location. One employee said they had previously raised concerns about being unable to keep social distancing. He and another employee said the store was packed “shoulder to shoulder” on Black Friday. And a manager at the Southlake store apparently had asked employees to come even if they had called in sick:
NBC spoke with four current and former employees at the Southlake store who said they’ve received calls from their manager encouraging them to come to work, even when they called out sick. In two of these cases, the employee had taken the Covid-19 survey and the results said not to come in. The manager did not respond to requests for comment from NBC.
Apple’s official policy requires retail staffers to wear masks and to take a COVID-19 survey before they go to work.
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Banks can counter fintech-friendly EU rules by embracing third party innovators
As we move toward the mandated adoption date for the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2), we can expect to see significant shifts within the payments industry.
Banks leading the pack and taking risks with early adoption may win big or lose big depending on how and what they implement. Increases in security requirements will inevitably force payment providers and merchants alike to re-think their user experiences.
But it will be third-party providers and fintech start-ups who will drive innovation as the PSD2 throws open the doors to an industry that previously provided limited opportunities for innovation outside of banks and payment processors.
In August of 2015, the European Parliament adopted the expanded rules for the Payment Services Directive (PSD), known as the PSD2. The original Payment Services Directive (PSD) laid the groundwork for payment rules that would apply to transactions within an EU country as well as cross-border EU payments. The PSD2 expanded that scope while leveling the playing field with required standardization, better consumer protections and increased potential for new players in the industry.
But while PSD2 brings a number of required changes, which must be implemented into national laws by all 28 EU member states by 2018, it also paves the way for an open banking environment. Some see this as an opportunity. Others see it as a detriment to the industry. Either way, everyone recognizes the security complications that need to be addressed as part of the new rules.
One of the most important changes that PSD2 brings with it is the requirement that banks open access to their data and infrastructure to third parties. Essentially, this decentralizes payment functions, dispersing the focus from only banks and adding fintech start-ups and other third-party providers into the mix.
European banks are reacting in three fairly predictable ways to these changes. Some banks see the move to open banking as a threat to their business and an exercise in compliance with little benefit to them. A second group is taking the risk-adverse approach of compliance but no action, preferring to wait and see what comes of the changes.
But a third group of banks are embracing the changes resulting from the PSD2 and seizing the opportunity to take the next evolutionary step toward open banking. These institutions have already begun to make changes and are adopting a philosophy that includes third-party providers in their plans.
The directive itself, and the acceptance by some banks, is great news for fintech companies formerly hamstrung by their ability to access a consumer’s account information. The potential service offerings are limitless, from building new standalone applications that utilize the data to offer previously unavailable functionality to creating product enhancements for banks and other financial institution’s own applications and services.
However, as is correctly pointed out by those concerned about the idea of open banking, the new levels of access available outside of banks means an increased level of security risk.
Security concerns under the PSD2 are multi-faceted. The required introduction of third-party providers into the mix has created a greater need for increased security measures. However these measures are likely to make the process more difficult for the end user, namely, the consumer.
Financial institutions are required to provide information to an authorized third-party, unless they have a substantiated reason why they object. In other words, if there has been a formal complaint lodged against a third-party provider, a bank can refuse to work with them. Otherwise, as long as the providers have met the criteria, including the connection being initiated by the consumer, the bank must agree.
To govern this, the PSD2 also outlines rules for increasing security for transactions between third-parties and banks. Strong customer authentication is required for most transactions and with very few exceptions. During the development of the PSD2, the payments industry had actually recommended that 2-factor authentication not be required in low risk situations, but that recommendation was not incorporated into the final directive.
However, the resulting complication from 2-factor authentication is increased friction at the checkout – the critical point in time when consumers demand a more streamlined purchase process. While this will certainly be a sticking point for brick-and-mortar retailers, it could mean serious problems for e-commerce merchants, where abandoned carts due to poor user experience is already a major issue.
However, the directive does leave flexibility as to the mechanisms of the 2-factor authentication. This provides opportunities for innovation in areas like biometrics to offer security solutions.
First appeared at PS


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Speaking of solar buzz, this week a couple of the big solar players from China released their second-quarter financials, with mixed results.
Shares of China Sunergy (CSUN) tumbled more than 20% Friday after the solar cell manufacturer, which went public in May, said it swung to net loss of $3.54 million in the latest quarter. In the same period a year earlier, the company posted a profit of $1.84 million. China Sunergy blamed tight polysilicon supply, which it expects to continue throughout 2008, for the loss. Despite higher revenues, the cost of goods sold more than doubled to $53.5 million, compared with $24.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Separately, China Sunergy said CFO James Shaofeng Qi has resigned from the company for “personal reasons.”
But Trina Solar (TSL), a Chinese solar panel maker, did well this quarter. The company took in $7.2 million in net income compared with $1.13 million in the prior year, thanks in part to strong sales in Europe. When it comes to polysilicon supply, Trina says they’ve entered into contracts covering some 90 percent and 60 percent of their 2007 and 2008 feedstock requirements, respectively.
Earlier this month, Suntech Power (STP), another Chinese solar cell manufacturer, reported second-quarter net income of $41.3 million, up from $26.5 million a year ago. JA Solar (JASO) of Hebei, China, reported second-quarter net earnings of $9.99 million vs. $2.33 million in the comparable period in 2006.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on Solar EnerTech (SOENE) to release its latest results. The Shanghai-based company, whose shares are Bulletin Board traded, said today that it’s going to be late filing its financial report with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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Apple should consider acquiring Sonos if it wants to lead in the home audio networking market, a small niche with big potential, according to an analyst.
William Blair analyst Ralph Schackart suggested Apple make the move in a research note.
- Apple should enter the home audio networking market to extend iTunes and provide subscription services;
- Sonos would round out Apple’s lineup;
- There’s a lot of headroom in the home audio networking market.
The home audio market is just 1.6% of the $170 billion-plus consumer electronics (CE) end-market. In our view, the market is underdeveloped and existing products are too focused on the audiophile and aficionado market to become mainstream, Blair wrote.
We believe Apple has the potential to transform this market the same way it transformed the portable mp3 player market, growing it from nascent niche to a new product category, he added.
Sonos is privately held and the company’s wireless networking gear distributes iTunes and other services like Pandora and Sirius XM throughout your home, according to Zdnet report.
If Apple bought Sonos, Schackart estimates that the market is worth an additional $2 a share in earnings to the company.


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New Galaxy Style Nintendo 3DS XL Coming to Stores This Week!
Nintendo is releasing a new Galaxy style Nintendo 3DS XL, which will be available in stores starting this week, for $199.99.
The Nintendo 3DS XL has the same features as all other 3DS XLs, but with a Galaxy cover. Nintendo shared the news via Twitter and you can see the video below:
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 29, 2016


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The merger of Deerfield, IL-based Walgreen Co. and UK drugstore chain Alliance Boots Monday was handily approved by 97% of Walgreen shareholders.
The merger already enjoys regulatory approval and should be finalized by Dec. 31.
Last week in its earnings call the drugstore retailer said it will be making significant cost cutting moves after the deal was final, including possibly closing stores or shifting its approach to location and real estate.
Once this deal is final, America’s largest drugstore retailer will be even bigger. Walgreen itself will be a wholly owned subsidiary of what is to be Walgreens Boots Alliance. While the company is to remain headquartered in the Chicago area, there has been renewed talk of possibly shifting that overseas, which could save the company significant taxes. The merger deal was approved handily, but questions remain about how it will cut costs, among other issues.


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Cray has announced its XC30 supercomputer, offering an impressive 100 petaflops of computing power to academics and researchers who might need it. No prizes for making a "that speed cray" joke.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organisation and convention and visitors bureau, has launched the NYC Hotel Week, with reservations available on its website. The second edition of the NYC Hotel Week will begin on January 3 and run through to February 12, offering an attractive 23 pc savings off standard room rates at more than 140 hotels across all five boroughs, with additional properties expected to join.
According to a press statement, the NYC Hotel Week 2023 has been presented by preferred payment partner Mastercard and participating hotels include Hard Rock Hotel, Lotte New York Palace, The Beekman, The Hoxton, The Langham, New York Marriott Marquis; The William Vale, and many others.
“I am thrilled to announce the return of NYC Hotel Week, offering deals of a lifetime to an array of hotels across the City,” says New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “NYC Hotel Week kicks off the start of NYC & Company’s NYC Winter Outing Program, combining NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and NYC Hotel Week. Whether you want to catch one of our world-class attractions, dine at the finest restaurants or unwind at our luxurious hotels, New York City has it all right here in our backyard, across all five boroughs. Our city is open for reservations, so book yours today!” adds Adams.
“NYC Hotel Week offers the best values of the year for travellers looking to visit the five boroughs or for New Yorkers treating themselves to staycations,” says Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. “When combined with other offers in our broader NYC Winter Outing promotion—like NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week—tremendous values are to be had on virtually every aspect of a visit to New York City in January and February, making the winter season incredibly attractive. Hotel reservations are available now, and we invite everyone to plan a visit or give the gift of a stay in NYC to a loved one this holiday season,” adds Dixon.
Hotel performance has held steady across New York City that continues to generate the highest weekly occupancy levels and average daily rates (ADR) among the top 25 markets, with the current demand recovering to around 90 pc of the 2019 benchmark each week. New York City has more than 124,000 hotel rooms in active inventory and another 11,000 rooms are expected to come online in the next three years.
The start of NYC Hotel Week reservations marks the countdown to the return of NYC Winter Outing, NYC & Company’s annual citywide value program. NYC Winter Outing, now in its fourth year, celebrates the City’s winter season with offers from NYC & Company’s signature programmes, notably NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and for the second year, NYC Hotel Week. NYC Winter Outing, which will run from January 17 through February 12, 2023, will combine deals across all five boroughs on dining, Broadway shows, attractions, museums, tours, performing arts and hotels. Bookings for NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week will open to the general public on January 10 on NYCGO website.
As part of NYC & Company’s partnership with Mastercard, Mastercard cardholders will have exclusive access to an early booking presale period for NYC Winter Outing programs including NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week from January 4–9.
This year’s anticipated vibrant holiday season comes amid NYC’s continued tourism rebound, with 6.5 million people expected to visit between Thanksgiving and New Year’s alone. Overall, 56.4 million people are projected to visit NYC by the end of 2022, or roughly 85 pc of record 2019 tourism levels. The City remains on track to return to or surpass 2019 visitation totals by 2024, says the statement.


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10 December 2019
Update to full year 2019 expectations, 2020 outlook unchanged
XP Power, one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of critical power control components to the electronics industry, is today issuing a trading update for the period 1 October 2019 to date.
During the period the Group has experienced some short-term disruption to shipments from the implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) system, which will result in revenues and adjusted profit before tax for 2019 being below current market consensus1. The outlook for 2020 is unchanged against a backdrop of robust order intake in the fourth quarter to date.
New ERP System
In our 2018 Annual Report, we announced a project to implement the latest version of SAP's ERP software across our entire global supply chain. Implementation of this new internal system is an essential step in improving our ability to manage an international business and supply chain with a highly diverse customer base.
We planned to transition to the new SAP ERP system with effect from mid-October. However, during the system migration and in the first few weeks of operation, we experienced some disruption to the implementation which led to shipments temporarily falling behind expected run rates.
Whilst the Group has been shipping at or above normal run rates from mid-November, it is now expected that the lost revenues will not be recovered in full by the year end. Depending on our production and shipment rates during December we estimate that Group revenues for 2019 could be approximately £6 million below our previous internal expectations, with our high operational gearing meaning that adjusted profit before tax for the current year will also be below existing expectations.
Despite these difficulties experienced in the migration, we are confident that the new SAP ERP system will deliver significant long-term benefits to the Group's ability to run its global business and supply chain.
Order intake in the first two months of the fourth quarter has been robust and more than 20% higher than achieved in the same two months of the prior year. The improvement has been seen across all of our sectors.
As a result of current shipment run-rates now tracking at least in-line with our expectations, we expect to recover the fourth quarter revenue shortfall resulting from the ERP system implementation during the first quarter of 2020. Notwithstanding this shortterm issue, we are encouraged by a robust order intake during the first two months of the fourth quarter of 2019 and our expectations for 2020 are unchanged. Given the recent investments we have made in our supply chain, in engineering resources to drive new products and the expansion of our addressable market through acquisition, we remain confident regarding our long-term strategy for growth.
XP Power will issue a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2019 on 13 January 2020.
1 Company compiled consensus expectations for revenue and adjusted profit before tax for the year ended 31 December 2019 are £201.4m and £35.9m, respectively.
|Duncan Penny, Chief Executive Officer||+44 (0)118 984 5515|
|Gavin Griggs, Chief Financial Officer||+44 (0)118 984 5515|
|Citigate Dewe Rogerson||+44(0)20 7638 9571|
|Kevin Smith/Jos Bieneman|
Note to editors
XP Power designs and manufactures power controllers, the essential hardware component in every piece of electrical equipment that converts power from the electricity grid into the right form for equipment to function.
XP Power typically designs power control solutions into the end products of major blue-chip OEMs, with a focus on the Industrial (circa 47% of sales), Healthcare (circa 24% of sales), Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing (circa 18% of sales) and Technology (circa 11% of sales) sectors. Once designed into a programme, XP Power has a revenue annuity over the life cycle of the customer's product which is typically 5 to 7 years depending on the industry sector.
XP Power has invested in research and development and its own manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam, to develop a range of tailored products based on its own intellectual property that provide its customers with significantly improved functionality and efficiency.
Headquartered in Singapore and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange since 2000, XP Power serves a global blue-chip customer base from 29 locations in Europe, North America and Asia.
For further information, please visit xppower.com


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Last week, Kentucky thanked the bourdon industry for putting the Bluegrass State on the map by giving them the highest distilled spirits tax in the country. And why not double the cigarette tax while you’re at it?
That’s right. Last week the House and Senate passed House Bill 144 to apply the state’s 6% sales tax to beer, liquor and wine sales (in addition to the current 11% gross receipts tax) and to raise the cigarette tax by another 30-cents per pack. Governor Steve Beshear (D) quickly and cheerfully signed the bill, even though he was seeking a much higher 70-cent per pack cigarette tax hike. The measure was part of a plan to eliminate the state’s $459 million overspending problem.
As two-dozen alcohol beverage delivery trucks circled the Capital and hundreds gathered on the Capital steps to pour out liquor in a Whiskey Rebellion protest, lawmakers in each chamber called the tax hike a measure of last resort – then narrowly passed it. They apparently neglected to account for the fact that the state’s budget has ballooned by 21% since 2006 alone. The other option was simple: trim excessive spending.
Consumers across the country already spend 79.6% of the cost of distilled spirits and 56.2% of the cost of beer paying for government taxes and fees. Even worse, 81.3% of the price of cigarettes goes toward state and federal taxes.
Click the following links for PDF letters submitted to legislators throughout the week:


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Why Password Management is So Important
6 months ago, Tue, Nov 28, 2017, 03:44:47
From identity theft to cyber crimes, attacks and other forms of cyber theft, it goes without saying how important protection and security controls are today. In fact, identity theft and cyber crimes have been known to ruin businesses and lives—all because of a lack of property security measures. We are overwhelmed with passwords… Doesn’t it seem like passwords dominate our lives? This is pretty close to the truth. Even if you are one of the few who instills good password management practices and techniques, the fact is people are still using weak and potentially damaging passwords.