text:
|Bid||253.70 x 800|
|Ask||253.72 x 900|
|Day's Range||252.88 - 254.67|
|52 Week Range||220.42 - 263.37|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Expense Ratio (net)||0.04%|
E*TRADE Financial Corporation today announced it has surpassed 250 commission-free ETFs with the addition of 46 ETFs from six providers to its Commission-Free ETF Pr
Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens of Belgium put pressure on Armando Cooper of Panama during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Belgium and Panama at Fisht Stadium on June 18, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. With the World Cup in full swing there are some important lessons for investors from this global soccer tournament. In the last World Cup, few expected Costa Rica to achieve much.
The markets responded negatively to the latest news of U.S. President Donald trump imposing a 25 percent tariff on up to $50 billion in Chinese goods by plunging over 200 points at the open. The measures by the Trump administration will affect Chinese goods "that contain industrially significant technologies" and that the action comes "in light of China's theft of intellectual property and technology and its other unfair trade practices," said Trump in a statement. In addition, Trump announced that the imposition of further tariffs could be on the horizon should China retaliate with tariffs of their own on American products, such as crops.
The United States Census Bureau releases a monthly report on retail sales in the United States. As per the notes on the bureau’s website, it conducts an advance monthly survey of retail trade and food services companies. According to the latest report, which was released on June 14, advance estimates of US retail (XRT) and food services sales for May were $502.0 billion, an increase of 0.8% from the revised April reading of $497.9 billion.
As expected, the Federal Reserve increased the interest rate by 25 basis points after its June meeting, which concluded on June 13. The committee increased the target range of the federal funds rate to 1.75%–2.00%, and the surprisingly hawkish tone of its statement was a far cry from the cautionary tone it struck in its previous policy statements. The decision to increase the US interest rate (AGG) was unanimous with an 8-0 vote.
Bonds can lose money, and having too much money in bonds can be a mistake. Owning bond funds isn't exactly the same as owning bonds.
There are clearly reasons to continue giving this bull market the benefit of doubt, but the risks are rising and that means a defensive approach is warranted. While we won’t rule out new bull market highs as the year progresses, one should be cautious in committing new or additional money to stocks, particularly over the near-term. Over the 58 years since 1960, the S&P 500 has averaged a gain of 6.8% for the winter period, while the summer average is only 1.0%.
For the week ending June 1, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,734.62 and appreciated 0.49%. Among the S&P 500 sectors, the energy (XLE), IT (XLK), and real estate sectors drove the index higher, while the financial (XLF), telecom, and industrial sectors were a drag on the index in the previous week. The S&P 500 Index’s large speculators, including hedge funds, have reduced the number of net bullish positions to a ten-week low for the week ending June 1.
US markets (VOO) were surprisingly resilient for the week ending June 1 despite increased political uncertainty, Italy’s political drama, and renewed anxiety about trade tensions. US equity markets had a positive close in May. Tech and small caps leading the charge and this week’s price action will likely depend on how markets react to renewed trade tensions. Last week, the Trump Administration slapped tariffs on Europe, Canada, and China.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (or BEA) released its second estimate for the first-quarter real GDP on May 30. The report indicated that all four major components had a positive contribution to GDP growth in the first quarter. The service sector (IYC) was the second-highest contributor to US economic growth.
The Conference Board website explains that the consumer confidence index (or CCI) is a barometer of the health of the US economy (VOO) from the perspective of the consumer. The consumer confidence survey compiles consumer perceptions of employment and business conditions and their expectations for the next six months. The latest report indicated that the consumer confidence index has increased to 128.0 in May as compared to a downward revised April reading of 125.6.
Last week (ended May 25), the S&P 500 appreciated by 0.31% and closed at 2,721.3, helped primarily by reduced odds of a fourth rate hike this year. The US-North Korea summit took a new turn when Donald Trump canceled the summit, leading to some risk-off trading. However, the losses were limited for the S&P 500.
Global markets mostly fell last week (ended May 25) as political uncertainty kept investors at bay. Donald Trump calling off the North Korea summit and later saying that the summit could still happen, political disturbances in Spain and Italy, and volatile crude oil prices all dragged down equity indexes. US indexes (VOO), however, showed a reduction in concerns about higher rates after the Fed indicated at its May meeting that it is alright with inflation overshooting its 2% target in the short term.
Payment giant Visa (V) benefits from higher consumer spending due to lower unemployment, positive economic momentum, digital technology expansion, and higher prices. Higher oil prices and inflation help payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard (MA), boosting their financials.
This came as a surprise to the markets, as the president’s comments stood in stark contrast to those made by the US Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, who is heading the negotiations from the US side. Mnuchin said that the United States and China (MCHI) were close to a deal after a joint statement from both the sides was released on May 19, and the stock markets (VOO) rallied at the beginning of this week as US-China trade tensions seemed to be cooling off. Why was Trump unhappy?
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (or LEI) has ten constituent indicators, and all but one of these forward-looking indicators is based on expectations. This economic indicator used in the construction of the LEI is based on consumer expectations. This economic indicator is based on two different consumer surveys.
The S&P 500 Index (SPY) continued its negative run with another lower close in April. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (or LEI) uses the performance of the S&P 500 Index (VOO) as one of the constituents of the LEI. The inclusion of the S&P 500 performance in the Conference Board Leading Economic Index (or LEI) is supported by econometric evidence, as some economists would argue that the stock markets are not a true reflection of the state of the economy.
In the week that ended on May 18, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,712.97, a fall of 0.54% compared to the previous week’s close of 2,727.72. With trade wars, geopolitical tensions, and most companies’ first-quarter earnings behind us, we can expect markets to start focusing on the threat from higher rates.
US equity indexes finished the week that ended on May 18 on a negative note despite reports indicating that US-China trade negotiations had resulted in China agreeing to reduce its trade surplus with the United States by $200 billion. In a joint statement released on May 19, the United States and China revealed that China would increase its imports of US products and that both sides would work to resolve their economic and trade concerns. Volatility in the equity markets (VOO) in the week, however, was influenced by higher bond yields and an appreciating US dollar, which were pushed higher by the increased economic divergence between the United States and other developed economies.
As per the latest Bank of America Merrill Lynch (or BofAML) Global Fund Manager survey released on May 15, growth expectations have slipped to the lowest level in the last two years. The report indicated that global fund managers expect a slowdown in global growth with only 1% of the respondents thinking that the global economy would strengthen in the next 12 months. Only 2% of respondents were expecting a recession in 2018, while most of the respondents expect the next recession by the first quarter of 2020.
The BofA Merrill Lynch global fund manager survey is a monthly survey conducted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (or BofAML) that collects responses from approximately 200 institutional, mutual, and hedge fund managers around the world. The survey collects the views of global managers on equity markets (SPY), the most crowded trades for that month, and what managers consider to be risks to the global markets (VOO).
The April retail sales report was released on May 15, and the surprise reaction to this report was an increase in bond (BND) yields across the board. There are numerous ways to explain the spike in yields, and the retail (XRT) sales data only acted as a catalyst to the Treasury (GOVT) sell-off, which began a few hours before the retail sales data was released. With the US economy showing signs of continued improvements and other developed economies slowing down, chances are that the US could lead the tightening cycle, which could have led to an increase in bond yields on Tuesday.
US equity indexes finished the week that ended May 11 on a positive note as equity market bulls took control of the proceedings. Given the muted response to the Iran nuclear deal pullout, we can expect a further fall in volatility this week.


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The Chinese government has introduced a new five-step drug pricing procedure which aims to standardise pricing, beat corruption and make the system in the country more transparent.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has introduced an interim regulation which requires the following steps to be followed before a drug’s price can be determined:
– at least two official drug price regulators must visit the manufacturer to check the costs of the product’s raw materials;
– the proposed price is then evaluated by members of the new official expert group on drug pricing, who are chosen for these projects at random and work under the supervision of the Commission’s disciplinary unit;
– a public hearing will be held, to enable consumers to present their views of the proposed price:
– group discussions; and
– group examinations.
At least two drug price regulators must be present during the cost investigations, and the final pricing decision has to be signed off by all members of the investigation group, the regulation states. There is an express ban on regulators accepting any gifts or overseas travel, and they will work to a five-year rotation system to prevent them from developing close relationships with particular manufacturers.
This new procedure follows the anti-corruption measures introduced in January which resulted from the investigations into allegations that Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), had abused his position by taking bribes. Under these new procedures, any company found attempting to bribe officials can be prohibited from doing business with medical institutions in China, and all meetings with overseas firms must be conducted through the auspices of the NDRC.
The Commission has also capped the consumer prices of many medicines and reduced them for thousands of others, although local reports say that this has resulted in some manufacturers removing the drugs from the market and then introducing new versions with similar ingredients but at higher prices.
Meantime, the SFDA has also announced that it is strengthening its pharmaceutical manufacturing site investigations in order to improve safety and tackle counterfeiting. Specifically, by the end of March, SFDA investigators will be sent to examine the facilities of companies manufacturing “high-risk” medicines such as blood products and vaccines, to ensure their compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification system.
On February 27, SFDA deputy director Wu Zhen said that, since last August, the agency has rejected some 3,049 applications for the manufacture of new drugs because they failed to meet the required standards, and has also revoked the licences of 353 medicines. The agency is also re-examining companies which received GMP certification for the manufacture of new drugs in 2004 and 2005. By Lynne Taylor

domain: news


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Kansas City, MO – The economy may be bad, but that apparently doesn't tame the urge to snack. So when Brent Voepel had trouble finding a new job in Kansas City's advertising industry, he went back to his college gig of selling kettle corn and funnel cakes. He's even brought on a friend, an out-of-work commodities trader. We caught up with Voepel outside the Walmart in Roeland Park, where he was setting up his homemade kettle.
Brent Voepel's story is the latest in KCUR's on-going series called My Two Cents, about how the economy is affecting people in Kansas City.


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On the eve of the new iPad release, Apple’s share price has briefly hit $600 apiece, further propelling the company ahead of its computing, smartphone and tablet rivals. The new milestone comes just over a month after Apple’s stock hit $500, meaning you could now buy not a 16GB but a 32GB new iPad for less than the price of a single share in the Cupertino firm.
This new financial success is the latest in a string of achievements for Apple. Pre-orders for the new iPad – our review of which went live just a few hours ago – are expected to set new records for the company; while no official sales figures have been released so far, Apple did say that the simultaneous ten country launch for the third-generation tablet was its biggest for an iOS device to-date.
Meanwhile, Apple’s grip on mobile software has also increased, with the App Store recently blasting through 25bn downloads. The milestone app was downloaded by a user in China – earning him a $10,000 iTunes gift card – somewhat fitting given the market is expected to be Apple’s next significant earner. Demand for the iPhone 4S in China has been huge, with Apple adding a second carrier partner earlier this month.
Analyst opinion as to when, exactly, the Apple stock juggernaut will stop varies, but most expect the share price to keep on climbing. The company is yet to announce any dividends for shareholders, instead pumping money into R&D – including $304m earlier this month into mobile chip research in Texas – and securing supplies of components necessary for its product lines.


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Net Entertainment powered online casino players were in for a treat this week with the launch of several new games.
While much of the hype of these releases centered around the new slot game, South Park: Reel Chaos, table game fans were also thrilled to discover that they had not been forgotten by the Swedish listed casino software provider.
Net Entertainment announced the addition of no less than five new table games at partner sites - four video poker games and a mobile blackjack game.
"NetEnt's casino games are second-to-none and our portfolio is being added to all the time," noted the chief product officer of Net Entertainment, Simon Hammon. "These five superb additions will help us continue to drive the online casino market forward."
New Net Ent Table Games
The four new video poker games released by Net Entertainment this week were as follows:
Jacks or Better Double Up, Deuces Wild Double Up, Joker Wild Double Up and All American Double Up.
The games are single-player variants of video poker and boast high payouts and a fast, heart-stopping pace.
Net Entertainment created the games in four versions - one hand, five hand, ten hand and 25 hand.
The highlight feature of the new video poker games is the double up feature which offers players the chance to pick the color of the next card, and double up their wagers up to five times.
Blackjack Classic Touch, a new three-hand, six-deck game, was added to Net Ent's mobile Touch platform, allowing players to take their blackjack gambling on the go.
1,400 Free Slot Spins
In the meantime, top Net Ent powered online casino, EuroCasino.com is offering players the chance to collect up to 1,400 free spins by playing the brand new South Park: Reel Chaos slot.
The promo runs between now and November 9th and awards players free spins depending on how much they wager on the new branded slot.


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October 10, 2016 by stvitusdancern
Games Workshop has released a new set of paints that allow you to put some nice textures on your miniatures. They currently offer evelen different paints to add weathering and atmosphere to your finished miniatures.
They will also have several earth tones and metallics. It is reported that several of paints will come in different consistencies for layering.
These paints are set to be released in just about a week and it will be interesting to see how well they work.
Are you a fan of Citadel paints?
"We all know that finding the right mix for realistic snow can be a challenge ..."


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In his Chicago-specific, "Michael Jordan Visionary Stream of Consciousness," Kanye West said in 2013:
"Every single night,
I believed I could fly,
And I wanted to be just like Mike."
"Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy just jumped over Jumpman."
I'm sorry Michael Jordan I love and respect you. My beef was with Mark Parker. I respect you so much!
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 9, 2016
On Wednesday, West actually showed he is treading on MJ's fashion territory. West and Adidas announced what they are calling "the most significant partnership ever created between an athletic brand and a non-athlete." Adidas is launching an "adidas + KANYE WEST" YEEZY-branded line, "creating footwear, apparel and accessories for all genders across street and sport."
Just like Nike has its Jordan Brand, Kanye is getting his own Adidas imprint. Adidas will have a team at its headquarters in Portland devoted to YEEZY, and will soon roll out YEEZY retail stores.
While West felt like a side project at Nike from 2009-2013 (his last shoe was released in early 2014), Adidas has made West its poster boy. The three Yeezy seasons, which have released variations of the Yeezy Boost 750, Yeezy Boost 350 and Yeezy 950 Boots, have each gained a cult following, and the test run earned West a promotion.
Nike has released 30 Air Jordan models and the Jordan Brand has essentially been in existence for 32 years. YEEZY is starting from scratch. But if West has his sights set on jumping the Jumpman, YEEZY is headed in the right direction.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.


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Wednesday, September 19, 2012
A ceremony takes place Thursday morning with events through the weekend.
Fireworks, a dove release, Dora the Explorer and handprint tiles are all part of a 10-year anniversary ceremony Thursday to commemorate West County Center in Des Peres. The ceremony is from 9-9:25 a.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a commemorative gift package, including a $10 dining gift card. Fans can meet Dora the Explorer and Diego from 9 a.m. to noon and 3-6 p.m., and children can create commemorative handprint tiles that will be permanently displayed at the mall. Chic-fil-A will provide free food during regular mall hours. More events are scheduled through Sunday including live music. To learn more, visit the West County Center website. RELATED CONTENT:
Lifelong Kirkwood resident Dr. Paul Hueseman will open Greentree Health Mart Pharmacy Nov. 5. Learn about his passion for patients and the community.
Born and raised in Kirkwood, Dr. Paul Hueseman couldn't be more excited to open a locally owned and operated pharmacy in Downtown Kirkwood. Greentree Health Mart Pharmacy, located at 301 South Kirkwood Road, will open its doors Nov. 5 at the retail space formerly occupied by Hobby Station. For Hueseman, the location is perfect. "I wanted to open a pharmacy in Kirkwood because I love this community, and I grew up here," said Hueseman who graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1992. Kirkwood has not had a local pharmacy for several years, and Hueseman feels its critical to rectify what he calls a shame. "We have so many people in this community that need a pharmacist and need that personal relationship that's more than what you get by going …
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Business and city leaders are exploring the idea to enhance shoppers' experience in Downtown Kirkwood.
The idea of having shopping directories and map kiosks in Downtown Kirkwood met with the favor of city and business leaders during a meeting last week. Fun in the Sun Sports owner Nancy McGee sat down with Kirkwood Mayor Art McDonnell and Donna Poe, director of the Downtown Kirkwood Special Business District, to discuss the possibility. At the meting, Poe presented examples of kiosks that ranged in price. "Both Donna and the Mayor were very receptive to the idea of offering downtown visitors with a more clear way of discovering the shops and restaurants (and parking)," McGee told Patch in an email. The price of the type of kiosks would dictate the functionality and flexibility of the signage on the directories, according to McGee. "…
Friday, September 14, 2012
With less than a month under its belt, Kirkwood's Sparkle is seeing success.
The location of Sparkle Boutique near the intersection of South Kirkwood Road and Monroe Avenue puts owner Diana Slay exactly where she wants to be. Slay opened Sparkle Aug. 22, and already she is seeing success in Downtown Kirkwood at 217 South Kirkwood Rd. "The foot traffic's been great. We've had a lot of activity," she said, adding the location is a perfect spot to catch the eye of drivers. Sparkle is a boutique store that sells accessories and gifts. The business carries fashion items like purses, hats, sunglasses and jewelry but also gift items like candles and soap. Many of the products are locally made. "With so many little boutiques around, it seems like Kirkwood's become the destination for specialty shops," Slay said. "I figured…
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
How creativity and good times come together at Downtown Kirkwood's painting and party studio.
You don’t need an art degree to enjoy one of Downtown Kirkwood’s newest businesses, just a desire to have a good time. That is the concept of Art on the Vines which opened at 121 Suite B North Kirkwood Rd. in July. The “painting/party studio” hosts events where groups can rent out the space for a variety of functions. Participants bring their own drinks and snacks and Art on the Vines provides the supplies and instruction to create paintings. “It’s a little bit about art and a lot about fun,” owner Robert Schrader said. (Get Kirkwood news delivered to your inbox by signing up for our free newsletter) The studio provides a 16 by 20 inch canvas, aprons, brushes and qualified instructors to guide participants in their creations. “Even novice …
Friday, August 31, 2012
The first Kirkwood Farmers' Market Apple Festival will celebrate the fruit with cooking demonstrations, music and tons of samples. Fun kicks off at 8 a.m.
Friday, August 17, 2012
How Kirkwood's newest fashion boutique aims to deliver St. Louis men a unique shopping experience.
Emerging men's designers on the East and West coasts don't have a lot of exposure in St. Louis, according to Brian Simpson, owner of East + West. The 28 year old who grew up in the Kirkwood area is on a mission to change that. Formerly a financial planner, Simpson recently opened East + West in the heart of Downtown Kirkwood with his wife Lauren. The boutique is one of the few in St. Louis catered toward men's fashion. "I wanted to create an atmosphere and culture that’s comfortable for guys to come into," Simpson said. "What I’ve tried to do is have a very antique Americana feel to the store with a lot of industrial metal and antique wood. It's designed in a setting that feels like a guy’s store." East + West will focus on delivering …
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Where will you find the best savings, during this weekend's sales tax holiday or during a store's regular sale? Tell us in our 'Patch' poll.
The Missouri sales tax holiday is underway and runs until midnight, Sunday. From Aug. 3 - 5, Missouri is waiving the state 4.225 percent sales tax and St. Louis County is waiving its 2.7 percent sales tax. Shoppers can save at least close to 7 percent of some purchases as a result. (Read Previous Story: Sales Tax Holiday Now Underway) Sales tax in waived on select items this weekend. Click here for a complete list of qualified items. Many cities opt out of the holiday and are not waiving the sales tax this weekend. The Missouri Department of Revenue lists all cities opting out on its website. Although the weekend offers welcome discounts, St. Louis Better Business Bureau Director Chris Thetford reminders shoppers that although the sales …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Kirkwood will not participate in an upcoming back-to-school, tax-free holiday due to the need for money and visits from non-residents to big box retailers.
Cities across Missouri are not collecting taxes on back-to-school purchases as part of an upcoming sales tax holiday. Kirkwood is not one of them. The tax-free holiday is from Aug. 3-5. Participating cities will not tax shoppers on clothing, school supplies and computers, as well as other items defined by a state statute, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Kirkwood city councils have not participated in the program since its inception, according to Kirkwood Chief Administrative Officer Mike Brown. "The City really does need the money and that is the reason past city councils and voters approved the tax," Brown said. In Kirkwood, the large retailers that sell school supplies are in the Kirkwood Commons shopping area. "Not all…
Friday, July 6, 2012
This week, we take a look at some of the season's hottest new trends in clothing, shoes and accessories from one of the area's newest boutiques.
Looking for some of the hottest trends in summer fashions, shoes and accessories? Chances are you'll find them at one of the area's newest shops — Toulon Boutique in Webster Groves. The new shop recently opened in the same location that was formerly Jennie Annie’s. It's a women’s clothing boutique named after a small, port city in France known for its affordability, relaxed atmosphere and fun. Although there are still a few novelty gift items in the store left over from the purchase of the boutique, Toulon sells a variety of unique, fashions appropriate for all ages. Brands the new store carries include Angie, Radzoli, Nikibiki, OOFOS, Lindsay Phillips Switch Flops and yoga wear by Omala and Twist. Toulon also carries locally owned Before …


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Exclusive: Sonos (sort of) raises $25 million
FORTUNE — Sonos, a maker of high-end wireless home audio systems, has raised approximately $25 million in new funding, Fortune has learned. But none of the money is actually going into the company.
Instead, existing investors like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Index Ventures are buying up shares from early employees.
This is at least the third time that Sonos investors have provided employees with liquidity, including as part of a $135 million round that KKR led back in July 2012. At the time, All Things D reported that only around $45 million of that deal was primary capital.
A Sonos spokesman declined to comment.
Sign up for Dan’s daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com


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It has only been a few days since a new build of Android 2.2 Froyo became available for Nexus One users, but now we can confirm that Google has released a new build of Froyo, which is available to download manually as well as OTA on your handset.
As reported from Engadget, Google has made the new build, FRF91 available to download now. According to Engadget, the new update is a minor affair and was only released due to security measures.
The update should also be available OTA so if you are using a Nexus One now, look out for the notification over the weekend. If you find any hidden features after installing FRF91, be sure to leave us a comment below.
Download the new update here, let us know how you get on.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Johnson Controls changes tack in A123 Systems bankruptcy after Wanxiang opposition
Battery maker A123 Systems has had a rough year of battery pack failures that affected customers such as Fisker Automotive. That led to an expensive recall campaign, derailing the company's financial position, and subsequently a bankruptcy filing two weeks ago. On Friday, Fisker Automotive filed a motion seeking to delay the bankruptcy of A123 Systems, and the assets auction. Following that filing, according to the Associated Press, Johnson Controls has agreed to step away from its position as debtor-in-possession of A123 Systems.
In August, A123 Systems agreed to a buyout deal with Chinese autoparts maker Wanxiang. This followed a warning from A123 that it might be unable to continue as a going concern, a warning that became reality when A123 Systems filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. However that buyout deal led to political backlash over the worry that technology developments that received funding from Federal grants and loans would end up owned by a Chinese-owned business. A123's bankruptcy announcement was accompanied by an announced deal with Johnson Controls where that company, rather than Wanxiang, would be buying A123. But then Wanxiang countered that they were still interested in buying the parts of A123 Systems which Johnson Controls was not buying.


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A few days ago, the National Payments Corporation of India ordered Paytm Payments Bank to cease operations after March 15 due to non-compliance with certain norms. However, on Thursday, Paytm was granted a third party app provider license for UPI payments, meaning that Paytm, like other UPI apps in India, will now be able to offer UPI services.
According to NPCI, Paytm has already signed agreements with four major banks like State Bank of India, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and Yes Bank. And each of them will continue to work as a payment service provider for One97 Communications i.e. Paytm.
Earlier Paytm’s UPI ID used @Paytm at the end, but now users have to use @Yesbank instead. And through this, Paytm’s existing customers and merchants will be able to make financial transactions using the UPI service as before. It may be noted that the Reserve Bank of India tasked NPCI to review the matter after Paytm requested a third-party application provider license in February.
Currently, NPCI has advised Paytm to hand over all necessary information to the banks offering the new payment system. Also, NCPI reported that Paytm had monthly transactions of Rs 1.41 billion in February. This is much less than January’s 157 billion monthly transactions.
Earlier Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) held the third party application provider license. As a result, Paytm did not require a TPAP license like rival apps like Google Pay, Phone Pay, Cred and Amazon Pay. But now that Paytm has stopped all business activities with Paytm Payments Bank, they now need a third party application provider license like the rest.


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VALLETTA (Reuters) - The government of Malta, under international pressure, said on Friday it would make a public, independent inquiry into the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The US-based Internet giant increased its wind and solar energy portfolio by more than 40% with deals for 1,600MW of electricity.
Facebook teamed up with the London police as to thwart livestreams of terror attacks such as the NZ mosque massacre.
HONG KONG: As the protests in Hong Kong drive away visitors, the city’s hotel workers are in the firing line.
The oversight panel is intended to rule on thorny content issues, such as when Facebook or Instagram posts constitute hate speech.
Just as 2017 breakout action game Nioh took note of player feedback in the lead up to release, 2020 sequel Nioh 2 will continue the tradition with a November public beta on the PlayStation 4.
Several dozen Hong Kong retailers likely to fold as protests hit sales, leaving thousands unemployed
Hong Kong’s retailers are likely to miss out on the five-day golden week holiday sales bonanza in early October as mainland tourists stay away
FACEBOOK Inc. is once again defending Libra -- this time against fears that the envisioned cryptocurrency could replace sovereign currencies from the U.S. dollar to the Euro and threaten central banks’ control over money creation.
NEW YORK: Adam Neumann showed he can capitalize on troubled times a decade ago, tapping into demand for workspace by those forced out of jobs in the aftermath of the financial crisis to grow WeWork into a global brand commanding a $47 billion valuation.
As the race heats up within Malaysia’s crowded e-wallet environment, some technology firms are taking a different approach to remain relevant - by white labelling their e-wallet solutions.


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Virgin Galactic Invites the Public to a Space Visit Trip…The Virgin Galactic general tourism company announced the ability to purchase tickets for the trips it will organize to space, and citizens can now book tickets for the trip, which is scheduled to take a few minutes and cost 450 thousand dollars.
Virgin Galactic Invites the Public to a Space Visit Trip only for 450 thousand dollars
And the French Press Agency announced that the first of these flights is expected to depart at the end of 2022, according to what was announced by the company that was founded by British billionaire Richard Branson.
Virgin Galactic has also been offering tickets for sale since last August, but they have only been made available to people who have registered on the waiting list before, confirming that it completed sales last November of up to 100 tickets at a price of 450 thousand dollars each.
These tickets were added to 600 other tickets that were sold at prices ranging between 2005 and 2014 at prices below $200,000 and $250,000.
Virgin Galactic has issued a statement confirming that registration will be open to everyone starting today, and registrants will have to deposit a down payment of $150,000.
The flight will last 90 minutes, including boarding, as it will take off from the US Spaceport base in the New Mexico desert after several days of training.
A large carrier aircraft will be used, which will take off from a traditional runway, and the process of separation from it will take place in the air. The vehicle is more like a large private plane, and the engine will run until it exceeds 80 kilometres. Then it will land while hovering, and passengers in space will be able to undo their seat belts to swim for a few minutes in zero gravity.
This is while Virgin Galactic has recently made changes to the plane that will carry passengers in order to improve the plane’s ability to fly more often.
It is scheduled to organize a test flight and then carry passengers from the Italian Air Force, and scientific experiments will be conducted on it. As for the actual commercial activities, it is expected that they will start in the last quarter of 2022, as announced by the company.
British businessman Richard Branson went into space and tried to fly for a few minutes at the beginning of last July with the Virgin Galactic spacecraft, accompanied by three employees from the company.
Also read : The ‘Baby Shark’ movie is coming in 2023


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Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) reported total revenue of $34.5 billion for the first quarter of 2022, down 5% from the same period a year ago.
GAAP net loss amounted to $3.1 billion, or $0.78 per share, compared to a net income of $3.3 billion, or $0.81 per share, last year. Adjusted EPS amounted to $0.38.
For FY2022, Ford expects adjusted EBIT to range between $11.5-12.5 billion.
Looking for more insights on the earnings results? Click here to access the full transcripts of the latest earnings conference calls!
Shares of KB Home (NYSE: KBH) were up slightly on Friday. The stock has dropped 40% year-to-date and 35% over the past 12 months. The company delivered mixed results for
Warehouse behemoth Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) has reported a 15% increase in fourth-quarter 2022 revenues, which translated into double-digit growth in net income. Fourth-quarter revenues increased sharply to $72.09 billion.
Cargo giant FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) Thursday reported a decline in first-quarter adjusted earnings, despite an increase in revenues. The company also provided guidance for fiscal 2023. Net income, adjusted


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American Telephone & Telegraph Co., Time Inc., Bank of America and Chemical Bank of New York disclosed Monday a joint venture to develop, produce and market electronic banking, brokerage and other services to consumers and small businesses.
Initially, the service will be aimed at the 37,000 home-banking customers who subscribe to Chemical Bank`s ``Pronto`` service in New York and Bank of America`s ``Homebanking`` service in California. Both services offer banking and brokerage functions through personal computers.
But the joint-venture partners envision a nationwide service in concert with financial institutions throughout the country that would act as providers of information and distributors of the service. Markets in addition to New York and California should be opened by the end of the year, the group said.
Terms of the joint venture, including details of the level of participation by each of the four partners, were not disclosed. Francis Heffron, an executive vice president of AT&T, was named chairman and chief executive officer of the venture.
Numerous financial service, communications and publishing firms have explored providing information and transactional services to homes and small businesses through personal computers. But so far, public interest in the technology has not matched the expectations of some who have invested in the idea.
``The research shows that people who subscribe to and use the service like it,`` said a spokesman for AT&T. ``We`re building on an established customer base.
`` The service is not for everyone. For people who either as consumers or small-business persons need the efficiency and quick response you get from having this type of online system, there are certain benefits.``
For example, the system permits a user to pay bills, check account balances and transfer funds among various accounts.
AT&T`s role in the venture will be to provide technology, the spokesman for the firm said, noting that AT&T is prohibited by court order from transmitting data over its lines.
Michael McCrudden, vice president for corporate development at Time, said his firm views its role as ``an opportunity to better understand consumer interest in electronic information services. We don`t have a new service to announce at this time.``
McCrudden said Time`s interest would focus on distributing business and financial information developed by the editorial departments of Time, Fortune and Money magazines. Moreover, Time Inc. could help market the service, he said.
There are no plans to offer catalogue shopping through the service, although that may be a feature added later, said a spokesman for Chemical Bank.
Two other joint ventures for home and small-business electronic information and transaction services have been organized, one by International Business Machines Corp., CBS Inc. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the other by RCA and Citicorp.


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Northern FOODS said it was “taking it day by day” after a massive blaze ripped through Fletchers Bakeries in Sheffield last Sunday. Around 150 workers of the Northern Foods-owned bakery’s 650 staff were on site when the fire started at 10.30am on 16 July. All were evacuated safely.
The heat from the fire led to a series of explosions, prolonging the blaze and causing parts of the bakery to collapse. The fire was brought under control by 80 firefighters by 7pm on Sunday night, but was still smouldering into the week.
The inferno is believed to have started in a processing plant, where a cooler may have exploded. It was blamed by firefighters on a “catastrophic technical failure” and is not being treated as suspicious.
Head of communications Hilary Baker said Northern Foods had been unable to get onto the site to assess the damage, but initial reports suggested some production units had been untouched. Fletchers’ customers have been contacted following the fire, she added.
Fletchers is a large supplier of speciality breads to customers including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco. Production of its range may be moved to Northern Foods’ other bakeries, including Kara in Manchester, Grain D’Or in London and La Baguette Doree in Barnsley
Baker told British Baker: “We are looking at what production we can move and what we can’t. It is too early to estimate the impact of the damage. We are taking it day by day.”
She said the bakery is insured under Northern Foods’ group insurance for property damage and business interruption. However, there is a £4m excess on the policy. Staff are on full pay, she added.
Fletchers supplies about 300 customers. Around 85% of its business comes from 15 clients, its largest being Tesco.
It makes a range of fresh and frozen bread, rolls and speciality products, including burger buns, doughnuts and scones.
Northern Foods’ bakery division, which includes Park Cakes and Smith Flour Mills, was put up for sale on 31 May. The division’s total turnover is £106m a year.


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Toyota and Mazda have entered into a business and capital partnership that will see the two establish joint venture vehicle production in the US and work on connectivity and electrification technologies, among others.
The agreement is a result of two years of discussions, and will also include the expansion of complementary products and collaboration on advanced safety technologies. The two will also acquire equal capital in the other company.
“The greatest fruit of our partnership with Mazda is that we have found a new partner who truly loves cars. It has also sparked Toyota’s competitive spirit, increasing our sense of not wanting to be bested by Mazda,” stated Toyota President Akio Toyoda. “This is a partnership in which those who are passionate about cars will work together to make ever-better cars. It is also the realization of our desire to never let cars become commodities.”
“Nothing would please me more than if, through this alliance, we can help to energize the auto industry and create more car fans by bringing together two competitive spirits to spur each other on, leading to innovations and fostering talent and leaders,” added Mazda President and CEO Masamichi Kogai.
The companies entered into an agreement of partnership in May 2017, and have spent the past three months discussing the areas to explore that would be beneficial to both companies.
Under the collaboration, the two will create a joint-venture plant in the US that would have an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles and create 4,000 jobs to produce Toyota Corollas and Mazda crossovers. The two will enter into discussions with various government agencies with the aim of beginning production in 2021. It is expected the plant will require roughly $1.6 billion (shared equally by the two companies).
The two will also jointly develop technologies for the basic structures of electric vehicles (to allow both to respond more quickly to market-specific regulations and trends), technologies for onboard multimedia infotainment systems. Toyota will also share its vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technologies as both companies prepare for a future of autonomous vehicles.
The two will also work on complementary products, with Toyota to supply a compact commercial van to Mazda in Japan. Mazda currently supplies the Mazda2 that’s sold as the Toyota Yaris sedan in Canada and Mexico.
For the capital part of the partnership, Toyota will acquire 31,928,500 shares of common stock newly issued by Mazda through a third-party allotment (valued at 50 billion yen). Mazda will acquire the equivalent in Toyota shares, through a disposition of treasury stock through a third-party allotment.
The acquisition of shares is expected to be finalized in October 2017.


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Children aged between one and five should be given Vitamin D supplements in winter and red meat at least three days a week, according to new guidelines from Ireland’s food safety watchdog.
It has also said plant-based “milks”, sugar-coated cereals and drinks other than milk and water should be avoided.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on Monday published dietary recommendations for very young children for the first time.
The authority said the guidelines would cover a gap in Irish scientific dietary recommendations for the post-infancy period - which starts on a child’s 1st birthday until they are five - after which general population healthy eating recommendations apply.
The report described milk as “a key food” with a daily intake of 550ml of cow’s milk or equivalent amounts of yoghurt or cheese, recommended.
It says water and milk are the only drinks recommended while sugary and acidic drinks should be limited and, if consumed at all, confined to mealtimes.
Parents and guardians are warned against using almond ‘milk’, coconut ‘milk’ and rice ‘milk’, as milk substitutes as these are nutritionally inadequate.
The report says if plant-based beverages are needed to replace cow’s milk, a soya ‘milk’, can be used, provided it is fortified with nutrients, particularly calcium.
A portion of vegetables should always be included at the main meal, together with the number of small portions of salad, vegetables or fruit that match the age of the child, for example two small portions for a two-year-old, four small portions for a four-year-old.
Portion sizes given should fit into the child’s hand so that smaller children are given less and bigger children more. Around 30g of lean red meat is recommended three days a week for iron and other essential minerals in addition to protein.
On other days, red meat can be replaced with poultry, fish, eggs, beans or lentils which also provide iron, as well protein and minerals.
Smooth nut butters also provide protein, the FSAI said.
A combination of white and wholemeal breads, cereals, potatoes, pastas and rice provide adequate fibre and are important sources of calories.
Foods high in fat, high in sugar or salt such as cakes, crisps, biscuits and sugar-coated breakfast cereals are not recommended. Fats, spreads and oils should be used minimally.
During the extended winter months - from Hallowe’en to St Patrick’s Day, all children aged 1 to 5 years need to be given a low-dose vitamin D-only supplement to make up for lack of skin synthesis of this vitamin from sunlight.
Encouraging acceptance of the wide range of flavours and textures naturally found in the food people need for healthy eating throughout life is important and the guidelines suggest fostering a tolerance to try an expanding variety of vegetables, salads, fruits, meat, fish and wholemeal cereals helps children develop a taste for nutritious foods.
"We know that dietary habits which can last for a lifetime are formed during this critical phase," said the chief executive of the FSAI Dr Pamela Byrne. "Children in this age group are at a development stage, where their increasing wish is to make their own decisions about what they eat, and this can be challenging."
Dr Byrne said the recommendations were "the scientific evidence-base provided to the Department of Health, to inform the future national food-based dietary guidelines that will empower parents, guardians and health professionals in Ireland to best support this essential stage in a child's development."


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Form new large luxury sedan Cadillac can own price to U.S. $ 100,000 and competes with the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
In 2012, General Motors Corporation has revealed plans to develop a new facility called Omega platforms intended for large vehicles. According to MotorAuthority, the new platforms will share many components with the current type of GM Alpha. Alpha is also the base platforms are used to develop the Cadillac ATS and XTS, aimed at saving development cost as well as weight reduction.
At that time, GM confirmed Omega platforms are the basis for the development of two new sedans. A sedan launched to replace the Cadillac XTS. Remaining large-size sedan will be in the higher segments of the Cadillac line.
First sedan expected to be sold on the parallel market with the Cadillac XTS. In addition, Cadillac will probably develop a sample-size coupe and convertible others.
Meanwhile, a large luxury sedan, the new GM of the group will be priced around U.S. $ 100,000 and compete with rivals such as the BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, Lexus LS ... However, GM is considering carefully the potential of this segment.
New large sedan Cadillac will likely be designed in the style of each Ciel Concept unveiled in 2011. Itself later models such as Cadillac's ATS and CTS also influenced many new styles set Ciel's design.


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From April 3 the cost of annual subscription to iTunes Match will be increased by 16.3%, to 929 RUB., said in a letter Apple sent to Russian users (have RBC). The Corporation explained this measure by 1 January 2017 in Russia introduced VAT at the rate of 18% for the provision of information services by foreign companies (the so-called “tax on Google”).
iTunes Match is a service from Apple that allows you to save music in the cloud iCloud and access it from any of your devices. The service stores up to 100 thousand songs that were imported from CDs and other sources.
Since the beginning of this year, foreign companies have to pay VAT for the provision of any content (games, music, ebooks, movies, and videos) on the territory of Russia. The government hoped “at first” obtain from the law, not less than 10 billion rubles, said the Deputy Minister of Finance Ilya Trunin. In late January, the head of Federal tax service Michael Mishustin has declared readiness of more than 40 companies to pay tax on Google, among which Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung Electronics.
Apple from the beginning of the year indicates in the score, what was the VAT. However, until now the company has not changed the cost of services to users.


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Exclusive: Pritesh Patel, previously the Managing Director at Komli Media for India & Middle East has joined Facebook India as its Vertical Head for FMCG, Facebook has confirmed to MediaNama. Patel had been made MD for India and Middle East at Komli around a year ago. Prior to this promotion, Patel was Sr. Director & General Manager at Komli Media. He has previously worked with Yahoo and BCCL. Facebook had told in December that it was looking to expand its sales team, hiring heads for e-commerce, FMCG & Retail business, and Managers for Agency Partnerships and Marketing Communications. Director of Online Operations and Head of Office India at Facebook, Kirthiga Reddy has also re-located to Mumbai to focus on ad agencies and big clients.
MediaNama is still awaiting a response from Komli Media founder Amar Goel regarding Patel’s move. We’ll update in case we hear about who has taken on Patel’s role for India. Komli did announce the launch of a retargeting solution last week, as well as some leadership changes, but none specific to Patel’s role.
Komli CEO Prashant Mehta had quit the company in December, and Patel’s is the second big exit in recent times. Strangely, this comes on the back of what is claimed to be a $30 million fund raising by the company from Peepul Capital and its existing investors.


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Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Second DLC Out Today
Nintendo and Ubisoft released a new trailer for the upcoming second DLC to Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, which releases today. The Last Spark Hunter sees Mario and his allies travel to a musical planet where they will explore new areas and battle new foes. It is the second of three planned DLC for the strategy title, with the final DLC to feature Rayman.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope released for Nintendo Switch in October 2022. The game sees Mario and his friends teaming up with the Rabbids to stop an entity called Cursa, which is consuming energy from the Sparks — fusions of Lumas and Rabbids — and plunging the galaxy into chaos. Players control a team of three members selected from nine playable characters, travelling from planet to planet to free them from Cursa’s influence. Those looking to read more about Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope can check out Andron Smith’s review.


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While the stock market is still under pressure, a potential rebound is expected in 2023. Pia Haak, chief investment officer at Swedbank Robur, Sweden's biggest fund manager, said, "We will have better visibility coming into 2023, and this will hopefully help markets." Moreover, according to Refinitiv IBES, consensus estimates project S&P 500 earnings to rise 4.4% in 2023.
On the other hand, value stocks have significantly outperformed growth stocks in 2022, and the momentum is slated to persist in 2023. Investors' interest in value stocks is evident from the Vanguard Russell 1000 Value ETF's (VONV) 10.1% returns over the past three months.
Given the backdrop, it could be wise to buy and hold fundamentally strong stocks Stellantis N.V. (STLA), Celestica Inc. (CLS), LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS), and Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated (BSET), which seem to be trading at a discount, ahead of 2023. These stocks are trading under $20.
Stellantis N.V. (STLA)
STLA designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes, and sells automobiles and light commercial vehicles, engines, transmission systems, metallurgical products, and production systems worldwide.
On December 23, 2022, STLA announced its plans to acquire a stake in Symbio, a Faurecia Michelin hydrogen company and leader in fuel cell technologies for the mobility industry.
Also, on December 22, 2022, STLA acquired aiMotive, a leading developer of advanced artificial intelligence and autonomous driving software. Such lucrative acquisitions are expected to bolster the company's future productivity.
STLA's consolidated shipments came in at 1,281,000 units for the 2022 third quarter, up 13.3% year-over-year. Its net revenues came in at €42.10 billion ($44.70 billion), up 29.1% year-over-year, while its North American net revenues came in at €21.07 billion ($22.37 billion), up 35.7% year-over-year.
STLA's forward EV/Sales of 0.13x is 88% lower than the industry average of 1.11x. Its forward Price/Sales of 0.24x is 71.2% lower than the industry average of 0.83x.
For fiscal 2022, STLA's revenue and EPS are expected to rise 9.3% and 2.5% year-over-year to $187.95 billion and $5.77, respectively. The stock has gained 13.7% over the past three months to close the last trading session at $14.00.
STLA's POWR Ratings reflect this promising outlook. The stock has an overall A rating, which equates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.
Also, the stock has an A grade for Value and a B for Stability and Sentiment. Within the Auto & Vehicle Manufacturers industry, it is ranked #8 out of 62 stocks. Click here for the additional POWR Ratings for Growth, Momentum, and Quality for STLA.
Celestica Inc. (CLS)
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, CLS provides hardware platform and supply chain solutions in North America, Europe, and Asia. It operates through two segments, Advanced Technology Solutions; and Connectivity & Cloud Solutions.
On October 24, 2022, Rob Mionis, CLS' President and CEO, said, "The strong performance in recent quarters continues to be driven by new project ramps in our ATS segment and strong demand with market share gains in our Hardware Platform Solutions business."
CLS' revenue came in at $1.92 billion for the third quarter that ended September 30, 2022, up 31.1% year-over-year. Its net earnings came in at $45.70 million, up 29.8% year-over-year, while its EPS came in at $0.37, up 32.1% year-over-year.
CLS' forward EV/Sales of 0.25x is 89.7% lower than the industry average of 2.39x. Its forward Price/Sales of 0.19x is 92.2% lower than the industry average of 2.37x.
Analysts expect CLS' revenue to be $7.17 billion in 2022, representing a 27.2% year-over-year rise. The company's EPS is expected to increase 44.6% year-over-year to $1.88 in 2022. It surpassed EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters. The stock has gained 29.7% over the past three months to close the last trading session at $10.84.
CLS’ strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. It has an overall A rating, which indicates a Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. It also has an A grade for Growth and a B for Value, Momentum, and Sentiment.
LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS)
LYTS produces and sells non-residential lighting and retail display solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Lighting and Display Solutions.
On October 18, 2022, LYTS announced the official launch of REDiMount, a new lighting solution with a revolutionary mounting and installation system for refueling station canopies. This marks a solid addition to the company's portfolio.
For its fiscal 2023 first quarter that ended September 30, 2022, LYTS' net sales came in at $127.07 million, up 19.4% year-over-year. Its adjusted net income came in at $7.08 million, up 99.9% year-over-year, while its adjusted EPS came in at $0.25, up 92.3% year-over-year.
LYTS' forward EV/Sales of 0.82x is 48.4% lower than the industry average of 1.60x. Its forward Price/Sales of 0.66x is 46.1% lower than the industry average of 1.23x.
Street expects LYTS' revenue to increase 7.5% year-over-year to $489.05 million in 2023. Its EPS is expected to increase 28.1% year-over-year to $0.82 in 2023. It surpassed EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters. The stock has gained 74.7% over the past year to close the last trading session at $12.07.
It's no surprise that LYTS has an overall A (Strong Buy) rating in our POWR Ratings system. It has an A grade for Sentiment and a B for Growth, Value, and Quality.
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated (BSET)
BSET engages in manufacturing, marketing, and retail home furnishings in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Wholesale; Retail company-owned Stores; and Logistical Services.
On September 29, 2022, Robert H. Spilman, Jr., BSET's Chairman, and CEO, said, "Bassett has the financial strength to weather a downturn and an integrated strategy designed to provide multiple paths for growth in the future."
For the quarter that ended August 27, 2022, BSET's net sales of furniture and accessories came in at $118.01 million, up 12.5% year-over-year. Its net income came in at $7.63 million, up 152.9% year-over-year. Also, its EPS came in at $0.82, up 164.5% year-over-year.
BSET's forward EV/Sales of 0.37x is 66.6% lower than the industry average of 1.11x, while its forward Price/Sales of 0.33x is 60.5% lower than the industry average of 0.83x.
BSET's revenue is expected to be $476.18 million in 2022. In addition, the company's EPS is expected to increase by 263.4% year-over-year to $6.65 in 2022. It surpassed EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters. Over the past year, the stock has gained 11% to close the last trading session at $17.07.
BSET's overall A rating equates to a Strong Buy in our proprietary POWR Ratings system. It has an A grade for Sentiment and Quality and a B grade for Value.
STLA shares rose $0.08 (+0.57%) in premarket trading Wednesday. Year-to-date, STLA has declined -25.37%, versus a -18.40% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Riddhima Chakraborty
Riddhima is a financial journalist with a passion for analyzing financial instruments. With a master's degree in economics, she helps investors make informed investment decisions through her insightful commentaries.4 Stocks Under $20 to Buy This Week and Hold in 2023 appeared first on StockNews.com


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A thirst in Europe for Heineken shows no sign of abating, after world's second-biggest brewer reported the best growth in more than a decade of its flagship beer.
Annual Heineken volumes swelled by 7.7pc, in part boosted by the popularity of its alcohol-free version that is now available in 38 countries.
Shares in the Amsterdam-listed company jumped almost 5pc as 2018 profits beat expectations.
Heineken, which also owns Amstel, Tiger and Sol lagers as well as Strongbow cider, is second-only to Belgian-based Budweiser owner AB InBev in size.
It employs more than 80,000 globally and owns 165 breweries across 70 countries. Like many of its peers, the Dutch brewing giant has developed its alcohol-free beers, with them increasingly popular among younger drinkers.
Sales were boosted by last year's hot summer in Europe and the football World Cup. Underlying profits rose 6.4pc to €3.9bn and the company's full-year dividend was increased by 8.8pc to €1.60 a share.
Away from its eponymous brand, "premium portfolio" sales grew by double-digit percentages.
RBC Capital Markets analyst James Edwardes Jones concluded: "We can find little to complain about. There were no regional blow-ups and no significant surprises."
Geographically, Heineken's fortunes varied widely. In Europe it crushed expectations, with beer volumes up 3.5pc in the final quarter of 2018 rather than broadly stagnating as City analysts had expected.
The US continues to be a thorn in Heineken's side, however, with younger consumers increasingly choosing spirits over beers. More broadly across the Americas, volumes swelled 1.8pc, missing expectations of 2.6pc. Asia Pacific sales also were below expectations.
Nico von Stackelberg, a Liberum analyst, said that despite Heineken's strong performance AB InBev remains better placed but added: "Heineken, the namesake brand, is iconic. The group has a broad portfolio to work with, many strong positions in attractive emerging markets, a strong management team, a long-term focused family shareholder and a solid balance sheet."
Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Nicholas Hyett said: "Europe’s delivered a surprisingly positive set of results thanks to Heineken’s more premium offering – through the likes of Desperados and Affligem – which has boosted both revenues and margins.
"Meanwhile, global cider growth was also strong, no surprise to those of us in the West Country, with notable successes for Strongbow in South Africa and Vietnam – although the UK continues to account for 64pc of Heineken’s total cider sales."
While Heineken warned barley, aluminium and transport costs would rise in the coming year, foreign exchange movements would finally move in the brewer's favour.
Chief executive Jean-François van Boxmeer said: "Going into 2019, we expect the environment to remain uncertain and volatile."


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MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Sberbank and MasterCard launched Apple Pay system (Apple Corporation payment system) on the Russian market, according to Sberbank statement published on Tuesday on its official website.
"Sberbank clients - MasterCard cardholders - can now use Apple Pay, which will allow them to make contactless payments online safely and comfortably," the press release said.
"Apple Pay is driving the popularization of contactless payments in Russia and globally. Many of Sberbank clients actively use new technologies, and an increasing number of them will prefer cash-free and contactless payment using their smartphones," Alexander Torbakhov, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank, commented on the news.
According to Sberbank, Apple Pay can be easily set up in the Sberbank Online mobile application, which is familiar to all Sberbank cardholders. Users can enjoy contactless payment service while continuing to receive all the benefits from using their credit and debit cards.
Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, and Apple Watch.
Apple Pay system was introduced by Apple Inc. in September 2014. The payment system allows purchases using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology on smartphones, which can be used for payment in actual stores by holding an iPhone near the reader or within apps.
In the fall 2015, Apple’s South Korean competitor - Samsung - also announced the launch of its own NFC payment system called Samsung Pay.


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In a recent demonstration of a working model of the integrated Canesta keyboard, a red laser projected an image of a standard qwerty keyboard onto the surface of a conference table. The slightest touch of a key's image quickly registered the appropriate character on a nearby liquid crystal display with an audible click, mimicking the sound of a conventional mechanical keyboard.
Canesta executives said they could not disclose what companies were licensing its technology, but that hand-held digital organizers using the Canesta projection keyboards were likely to reach the market in the first quarter of next year.
"The initial importance of this is that it is going to give you a virtual keyboard in a cellphone or P.D.A. without having to carry an extra piece of hardware," said Van Baker, an analyst for Gartner G2, an e-commerce research group. "It has the potential to make both cellphones and P.D.A.'s much more usable."
Canesta's founders, Nazim Kareemi and Cyrus Bamji, said in interviews that their electronic perception technology, which might be described as machine vision, would have a broad range of applications, including better security devices and airbag deployment sensors for cars.
For decades, scientists have searched for a way to give machines reliable three-dimensional vision, or a way to see well enough to navigate and interact in a human world. But such technologies have largely depended on video cameras wired to elaborate, expensive and often unwieldy hardware.
Canesta, founded in 1999, has taken a different approach by using light waves in much the way radar and sonar use sound waves to detect objects. Advanced sensor technology measures the time it takes light, which travels at 186,000 miles a second, to strike and return to the sensor. Software embedded directly into the sensor decodes and interprets the data and locates in three-dimensional space what the sensor is "seeing" in real time.
In the case of the projected keyboard, a tiny module projects infrared light over the user's fingertips. Then a sensor that is no larger than a pea tracks the movements of the fingertips. These minute and discrete motions are processed as keystrokes and sent along to the device. The actual keyboard projection is created by a small pattern projector.
In all, Canesta executives said, the technology is contained within a relatively inexpensive set of chips. The system has no moving parts and should not add much to battery demands, they added.
Dr. Bamji, who is Canesta's chief technology officer, said his work on developing electronic perception technology grew out of a sense that people want to interact with their computers in a more natural way than using a mechanical keyboard. "We thought it was really cool technology," he said.


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MEDIA RELEASE: 21 November 2018 – R00205
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday and Giving Tuesday. You will be given many options for parting with your money over the coming days.
What used to be an American-only tradition, Black Friday is now firmly engrained in Canadian culture and is an important kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
“It has become a time for Canadians to shop and look for deep discounts,” says Eric Dolansky, Associate Professor of Marketing in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business. “It wasn’t always that way. It’s a fairly recent phenomenon in Canada.”
Dolansky says because it has now been around for a few years, the novelty has worn off, leading to an expectation of big sales among consumers.
“Now, retailers who don’t offer great deals are at a disadvantage,” he says.
However, the marketing expert says it’s important for consumers to do their homework.
“The fact that people expect the deals can be exploited by retailers. There are people who value the deal more than the savings and that can be dangerous,” he says. “Sometimes people spend more than they intend to or they can afford to because they feel they’re saving so much it would be foolish not to take advantage of it.”
But there are more options for spending than just buying discount electronics.
Todd Green, Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Goodman School of Business, points out that the Giving Tuesday trend is growing every year. It takes place on the Tuesday after Black Friday, and encourages consumers to donate money to charity.
“Giving Tuesday is a way to absolve your guilt after spending a ton of money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” Green says. “Wash away your unnecessary purchases that you made because they were 50 per cent doorcrashers.”
Green points out that Buy Nothing Day is also a growing international movement, encouraging people to abstain from making purchases on Black Friday.
“For people who view it as an ethical approach, it’s almost a protest against the consumer movement,” he says, adding there has been backlash against the movement by retailers and others who believe spending is good for the economy.
“Some people aren’t happy about Buy Nothing Day and I think it has been way more difficult to have that movement break through.”
Associate Professor of Marketing Eric Dolansky and Assistant Professor of Marketing Todd Green are both available to speak with the media about the trends and movements around this weekend.
For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
* Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University email@example.com, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970
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Tag - Google Music
Google appears to be preparing to add an HBO Go app to its Chromecast HDMI dongle. The addition has already surfaced on Google's support page, which was spotted by Droid-Life. The app, which is already available for other Android and iOS devices, enables HBO subscribers to stream shows and movies.
Google is reportedly preparing to launch a native iOS app for its Google Music service, unnamed sources have told Engadget. iPhone and iPad users are currently forced to listen via a web-based app, however a native player would presumable enable offline playback and other features.
Google wants to submit an All Access app for iOS, but is still working to find something Apple will accept at the App Store, say 9to5Mac sources. What disputes the companies might have are unmentioned, but they could conceivably involve things like the revenue split from in-app purchases, and/or features that may violate App Store guidelines.
We live in a world positively soaked in data nowadays. Fortunately, the capacity to store that data has gotten bigger in volume, smaller in physical size, and cheaper per gigabyte as time progresses. Gone are the days where you'd have to lug a Zip disk around (remember those?) or stick your iPod into disk mode. At worst, you're carrying a USB drive with you -- though really, you should be relying on the cloud for by now. The issue is figuring out just what you're going to be keeping up there.
Google is said to be testing a new feature for its mobile search product that allows users to view the contents of a search result's page without having to click through to the full page. The Quick Peek feature, similar to Apple's QuickLook, currently shows up next to results linking to Wikipedia. The preview page loads in an overlay that appears atop the regular results. There is no word on how widely the feature may be rolled out or if Google will change it before wider release.
Google has expanded its Google Music offering in the US to include a scan and match feature. Added to the service when it was launched in Europe, the US version of the service will now scan through an existing music collection stored on a computer, and add matching tracks to the digital locker for streaming to other devices.
Google Music [Google Play] has gone live on Android handsets in Europe, following a previous announcement that Google Play Movies and Music would be launched on the continent from November 13th. Users in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain now have the option of buying music from the service, as well as storing tracks already in their possession in a digital locker for future streaming.
Google is now known to have an unpublished limit on the volume of music listeners can stream from their Google Play Music accounts. The company has acknowledged that it does impose a daily limit on how many songs can be streamed by an individual using Google Play. Google, however, has declined to reveal the cap, but does claim that it has been set at a very high threshold so that most listeners will never encounter it.
Google's difficulty competing with Apple in media may be a virtue of problems with its own internal culture based on investigations brought to light on Tuesday. CNET understood that executives behind Google's VP of global content, Robert Kyncl, complained that the content strategy was "fragmented" and working in separate directions. Content partners have complained both that Google's actual content lagged Apple's and that the Android and YouTube teams didn't appear to be coordinating with each other.
Google Music isn't generating the sales Google wanted, contacts uncovered Thursday. Although still in its first quarter, the Android-focused music store's sales were enough below estimates that CNET's music industry insiders had reason to be "concerned." There wasn't an immediate alarm as Google was hoping to "correct certain issues" and market Google Music more heavily, but it was undercutting low expectations.
Now AAPL Stock: The symbol you provided ("AAPL") doesn't appear to be registered
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE


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Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
Amaten, the largest gift card exchange in Japan, announced today it will start using the Aelf (ELF) blockchain for its gift card exchange system. It says using digital ledger technologies will streamline the issuance, purchase, and exchange of gift cards.
Aelf is a decentralized cloud computing platform that operates a multi-chain network. Businesses can use its systems, either on Aelf’s public chain domain or its own private chains, without having to build their own.
“[Aelf offers] the scalability, dedicated sidechains and smart contract modules that we very much need to build our service rapidly and most cost effectively,” says Tom Kanazawa, the chairman of Amaten.
In a press release, Amaten explained that it’s difficult to make, issue, track and redeem physical gift cards. Worse, gift cards with digital codes “lack verification and security against malicious attacks”.
But with blockchain, Amaten promises to introduce “transparency and traceability to the original issuer and any exchanges that occur between the end users”.
The blockchain service will launch in Japan first, but Amaten says it has plans to expand to Korea and China.
“Through the partnership with Amaten, we are hoping to pioneer the adoption of blockchain solutions within the traditional industries,” says Aelf’s Co-Founder and COO, Zhuling Chen.
But while the token’s price pumped 5 percent on this recent news, it has largely flatlined since August last year.
For Amaten however, it sees the move as a key step to bolstering its bottom line. The gift card company—that lets you swap one gift card for another—made over $110 million last year, processing over one million transactions for its 130,000 active users.
And there’s more money to be made here: Amaten values the gift card industry at $340 billion, seeing $21 billion just in Japan, where, $1.2 billion worth of gift cards went unused in 2018. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.


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Travel, education and trade companies are falling dramatically.
The Australian share market has closed down 3.25 per cent for the day, wiping $65 billion and ending the ASX 200's worst five-day stretch of trading since the Global Financial Crisis.
Shortly before 3pm the S&P/ASX 200 Index's total market capitalisation dipped below $2 trillion as the weekly cost of the coronavirus losses surpass $200 billion.
Today's drop was the worst since a 3.8 per cent, 195-point dive on September 29, 2015.
READ MORE: How to spot the symptoms of coronavirus
The Aussie Dollar, which is also heavily reliant on global trade, slipped to a fresh ten-year low of US65.28 cents.
The local currency has not been at that level since March 2009.
AMP Capital Portfolio Manager Dermot Ryan said we are closer to a "market bottom" those most likely to suffer will come from the travel and education sectors.
PANDEMICS THROUGH HISTORY: How disease has rocked humanity throughout the ages
"Loss of occupancy in sectors like childcare will be a problem with the new government payment regime where they get nothing for absent days," says Mr Ryan.
"Ultimately in these panics it's the companies that are weak that suffer most – those with too much debt, weak cash flows, tentative business models and overdone valuation will suffer the worst of the share market drops.
READ MORE: Supermarkets, chemists sell out of sanitisers as coronavirus fears intensify
WHY ARE MARKETS FALLING?
* COVID-19 is spreading in South Korea, Iran, Italy and in numerous other countries
* It is difficult to quantify the impact on demand for goods, services and global growth given no one is sure how long it will last and if it can be cured
* There will be disruption to supply chains if countries close borders to contain outbreaks that could see global trade grind to a halt
* Markets at record highs, such as the Australian Securities Exchange, are down in line with other markets, like commodities, that have already dropped
READ MORE: Coronavirus could combine with flu to create mega Australian winter health crisis
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON LOCAL SHARES?
* Since late January, a raft of Australian publicly listed companies have issued warnings the coronavirus will hurt their earnings in the short term
* Travel companies, education businesses, food stocks and oil and gas producers are among those whose revenue will be affected in the next few months
Source: 9News https://www.9news.com.au/national/asx-200-coronavirus-aussie-market-suffers-second-worst-week-on-record/1cf6fb83-ff40-4547-b7f5-d1e9c9fab66f


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The Xbox giant has created a brand new division for Bethesda's parent.
If Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax is approved by the European Commission (EC), it will be merged into a new subsidiary called Vault.
That's according to a notification from the EC, in which the organisation says that the Xbox firm intends to merge this newly-created Vault subsidiary "with and into" ZeniMax.
In short, it sounds like this means that the Bethesda parent will be its own company – Vault – under the control of Microsoft.
No doubt the choice of "Vault" is a reference to Bethesda's blockbuster Fallout series of RPGs.
Microsoft announced its intention to buy ZeniMax in September 2020 for a whopping $7.5 billion, making it the second-largest games deal after Tencent's purchase of a majority stake in mobile giant Supercell.
The Xbox maker has had to ask the European Commission for approval of the deal to make sure that it isn't in violation of antitrust law. The EC has until March 5 to clear the acquisition – with or without concessions – or launch a full investigation if there are antitrust concerns.
It's still unclear what Microsoft snapping up ZeniMax means for that company's games on other platforms. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that the firm could recoup its $7.5 billion investment without launching Bethesda's games on other platforms. Meanwhile, Microsoft CFO Tim Stuart has said that the company's games simply need to be "first or best" in the Xbox ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Bethesda Studios' Todd Howard has said that it would be "hard to imagine" titles like the upcoming The Elder Scrolls being exclusive to Microsoft's hardware and services.


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London’s largest independent brewery is hosting a socially-distanced weekend-long celebration of UK lagers with DJs and Bavarian-inspired pizza specials!
With the real Oktoberfest unable to take place this year, the team at The Five Points Brewing Company have decided to throw their very own socially-distanced celebration in its honour. Taking place at the company’s Mare Street Taproom on what would have been the famous Munich festival’s opening weekend (18th – 19th September), Five Points Does Oktoberfest will feature lagers from some of the UK’s best craft breweries, including Donzoko, Lost & Grounded, Braybrooke, North Brewing Co, The Kernel, Unity Brewing Co, Burning Sky, Anspach & Hobday and – of course – Five Points! The event will also feature DJs and the delicious ACE PIZZA, who’ll be on-site serving up Bavarian-inspired pizza specials (think sausage, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut!) plus hot dogs and pretzels from their wood-fired oven. Veggie-friendly seitan alternatives available too. For more information, visit Fivepointsbrewing.co.uk
Offering the perfect space for socially-distanced get togethers, The Mare Street Taproom launched back in July in the yard and arches of Five Points’ Hackney warehouse. Designed to follow the best current safety measures, the venue has room for 154 guests to drink safely, promising an atmosphere worthy of the real Oktoberfest.
Commenting on the event, Five Points Events Manager, Tom Powell said: “Oktoberfest is one of the highlights of the beer calendar, and we always love trying the one-off specials brewed by our friends across the UK beer scene at this time of the year. We’re really excited to be able to pour some of the UK’s finest lagers in a safe environment. It’ll be a fitting tribute to the festival in Munich, and a celebration of great independent beer too.”
Guests at Five Points Does Oktoberfest are encouraged to book tables in advance via Design My Night here.
61 Mare St, Hackney, London E8 4RG
Summer opening hours: 4-9pm Fri, 1-9pm Sat
Bookings made here
Five Points On Tap app – download here
About The Five Points Brewing Co.
The Five Points Brewing Company is London’s largest independent brewery, based in Hackney, East London. They have been brewing with a commitment to great beer and the local community since 2013. Their beers have won numerous awards and have become a staple of pubs and bars both in their East London heartland and across London and beyond. Recent additions to their range include Micro Pale and Five Points Best, which join established classics like Five Points Pale and JUPA.
Five Points have worked hard to adjust to the challenges of the Coronavirus epidemic – their online business has exploded, they’ve launched new mobile app Five Points On Tap, and are now offering a home delivery service from their pub The Pembury Tavern.
Five Points are offering all NHS staff 20% off its web store as well as pledging £1 for every web store purchase to a community charity. July’s donations are going to Black Minds Matter, a new fund that helps provide Black individuals and families with free, professional, culturally competent mental health resources and services.


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Smartphone company Oppo is working on a new device in its A-series. The new smartphone will be the Oppo A74, which will come in both 4G and 5G variants. Details of both the phones have been published many times before the launch. Now the Oppo A74 5G has appeared in an online store, which reveals most of the design and details of the phone.
A punch-hole cutout has been given to the phone’s display before talking about the design. At the same time, the vertical camera module is found on its rear panel. The power button on the right will also act as a fingerprint sensor. According to the website list, the Oppo A74 5GT will have a 6.5-inch display. It will be an AMOLED panel with a 90MHz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate.
Read more: Buy Great Smart TV for 14 14,999, TV Day Sale on Flipkart
48MP quad rear camera
According to the report, the quad rear camera setup will be available on the phone. It will have a 48-megapixel primary sensor, two 2-megapixel sensors and an 8-megapixel sensor. The phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G processor. In addition, 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage can be given. Phone storage can be expanded with a microSD card. The phone can be given a 5000mAh battery and it will work on Android 11 based ColorOS 11.1.
ALSO READ: Android or iPhone smartphone, records calls on WhatsApp
This will be the 4G version
According to the report, the 4G version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 663 processor will be offered with 6GB of RAM. It can get a triple rear camera setup, with a primary sensor of up to 48 megapixels. The phone will have a 6.43 full HD + LCD panel and an in-display fingerprint sensor.


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Super Street Fighter IV Yoshinori Ono will be present at the official 3DS launch at HMV Oxford Street tomorrow night, according to this MCV report.
The developer is to take place in stage battles of the handheld, 3D edition of his game, which goes on sale alongside 3DS at midnight.
“I’ll be visiting HMV’s flagship shop in London at 11pm 24th,” Ono said on Twitter.
“I'll ride on plane to London. I’m looking forward to meet European Street Fighter fans," he added.
3DS releases this week in both Europe and the US, following a launch last month in Japan.
Get everything you need to know on the events surrounding the launch here.
We'll be bringing you a full report on the London opening and party later this week.


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While the COVID-19 pandemic has upended human lives virtually in all aspects, some changes like wearing masks, social distancing and lockdowns have been unexpected and involuntary.
At the same time, for a vast majority, it has accelerated the adoption of behaviours that were already gaining traction, such as digitalisation of shopping as traditional ways of buying essentials are fractured now.
If consumers shopped online just for clothing, airline tickets, beauty care products, and hotel reservations before the pandemic, now they buy many goods online.
Reports and surveys drive home the fact that the pandemic has triggered changes that will have lasting effects in the shopping behaviours of both citizens and residents in Oman.
According to a research by ReportLinker, the e-commerce market in Oman is rapidly increasing thanks to various reasons including increasing consumption rate, different initiatives of the Sultanate government and higher sales of smartphones.
“The different initiatives of the Oman government are fuelling the growth of this market”, points out the report, which analyses the latest trend in the Sultanate’s e-commerce market.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, since the breakout of the coronavirus, has approved a number of laws and legislation to facilitate e-commerce, in addition to setting up a section to follow up and support the areas in this regard.
“Different government initiatives and regulations are supporting the growth of this market. The ministry is continuously influencing people to adopt e-commerce for shopping, import, and other activities”, says the report.
The ministry, during the height of the pandemic, launched ‘Shop from Your Home’ initiative to prevent transmission of coronavirus.
The Sultanate government is encouraging home business owners and small and medium enterprises to promote their products and use modern methods and technologies to market different products internationally, says the report.
According to the report, technological awareness among customers is expected to have a significant impact on market growth.
In this regard, points out the report, the implementation of 4G and 5G technology for connectivity purpose is increasing the exposure of online shopping for customers.
Social media penetration that has touched 43 per cent in the recent past is another reason for the e-commerce growth in the country. The growing Internet consumption rate is fuelling the growth of this market.
According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), Oman’s Internet subscribers have surged to 473,487 in 2019, which increased by 11.4 per cent from the previous year.
Moreover, when it comes to online shopping, the smartphone has now surpassed desktops. The number of active mobile broadband subscribers rose to 4.739 million compared to 4.113 million in 2018.
Studies suggest the most frequently accessed search engine after Google is YouTube. Omani Twitter users generate 500,000-600,000 tweets a day, according to an Arab social media report.
Businesses, especially Omani owned SMEs, and entrepreneurs increasingly promote and sell their merchandise through social media. Companies are increasingly using “social media influencers” for store and product promotions.
Several retailers, which earlier started selling essential items — like food and grocery only — via online and app-based channels, have now started offering several items in general merchandise such as apparels, appliances, and electronics through these platforms.
“The overall economic growth of this country is expected to drive the e-commerce market. Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation are infusing, increasing the consumer spending power for this country”, adds the survey report by ReportLinker.


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Staff at Specsavers in Llanelli have supported World Book Day by dressing up as their favourite literary characters.
Members of the team, led by Gill Phillips, store manager of Specsavers in Llanelli, got into the spirit of the day by dressing up as popular literary characters from books such as Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter.
World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and reading.
Organised by UNESCO, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind and marked in more than 100 countries across the world.
The overall aim of the day is to encourage children to explore the pleasure of reading.
Importance of reading
Matthew Harvey, director of Specsavers in Llanelli, said: ‘World Book Day is a fantastic way to engage with children to encourage them to read. We were really excited to get behind the initiative this year with staff welcoming children and members of the community in their best fancy dress characters to mark the occasion.’


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iPad Sales Are Hot!
If shipping 4.2 million iPads in Q3 had that huge of an effect, consider this: In the company’s 2011 Q1 earnings released today, Apple reported sales of 7.33 million tablets. This is getting out of hand…
Let’s face it, the iPads were hot right out of the gates. (Sure, there were some security snafus last summer, but those hackers just got busted. A couple of tricksters from Arkansas. Go Hogs!) Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Dell‘s Streak seem to be the biggest competitors in the media tablet category, which is to say, there’s not much competition — though I’m excited to watch those (and other) brands grow.
Sorry, e-Readers, You Don’t Count
iPad Sales Are Helping Drive Apple’s Total Value
Apple, now worth an estimated eleventy zillion dollars, shows no signs of slowing down. Analysts suspect that IDC’s official size requirement (5 to 14 inches) for “media tablet” is intended to shut out the iPod Touch since including it in the category would effectively blow every other brand out of the water.
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Caroline Walker is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor. She has worked in both the entertainment and the nonprofit sector. Walker holds a BA from the University of Southern California and an MA from New York University’s Gallatin School.


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U.S. Customs and Border Protection received permission from the State Department to add representatives in nine locations to build and strengthen partnerships with foreign governments.
Alaska Air Group was not required to divest any assets in order to get clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice for its acquisition of Virgin America.
Supply chain innovation teams, created by the Federal Maritime Commission, say a national portal could improve port performance and increase American economic competitiveness.
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
Following Hanjin Shipping filing for receivership, Hyundai Merchant Marine will start up two new services, one between Korea and the U.S. and one between Korea and Europe.
The Federal Maritime Commission said Friday it concluded its review of the proposed OCEAN Alliance, allowing the new ocean carrier alliance to take effect Monday, although it is not expected to commence operations until around April 2017.
Ocean carrier CMA CGM of France, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg Sud, and MOL of Japan issued general rate increases on various trades.