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The head of supermarket chain Woolworths has lashed out at Australian retailers, saying they should not be in the business if they cannot recognise the opportunities presented by online shopping.
In a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, Woolworths chief executive Grant O'Brien said many retailers were "terrified of the online monster lurking under their beds", which they blame for stealing sales, staff and profits.
Mr O'Brien has urged them instead to embrace internet sales and give consumers what they want.
"Such recalcitrance hardly inspires confidence, and it certainly does nothing to suggest that some retailers are putting their customers at the centre of their growth strategies," Mr O'Brien said.
"In my view, giving customers multiple options isn't a threat; it's a huge opportunity, probably the biggest opportunity in retail for many years.
"And if you can't recognise that then you need to question your future in retail."
Many bricks-and-mortar retailers have called for the goods and services tax (GST) to be levied on imported goods worth less than $1,000, but Mr O'Brien insisted the exemption on the 10 per cent sales tax was not killing their business.
"The savings available to customers online are often way more than the GST that's applicable here, so I think this point's rather irrelevant," he said.
"Maybe the solution isn't to fix the GST on imported goods. Maybe the solution is to ensure that we continue to be able to provide to consumers in this country the right retail prices.
"The last thing Australians need are retailers calling for more taxes."


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Grupo Modelo, Corona, and the We Believers agency received the first Titanium Lion for Mexico, in recognition of the creative excellence of their campaign “The classic in history.”
Corona is not only the leading beer in the country, it also stands out for the creativity of its advertising and marketing campaigns. This work made the Mexican brand, belonging to Grupo Modelo, the first to make history during the most recent edition of the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity.
For more than 66 years, the recognized and coveted “Cannes Lions” have distinguished creative excellence that promotes the development of people, companies and society, as a way of honoring the marketing strategies that are marking a point of reference in their respective industries.
Thus, the success to obtain the coveted Titanium Lion came from “The classic in history”, the initiative with which Grupo Modelo and Corona revived the passion of Mexican fans for soccer, after more than 60 days without sporting events at root of the health emergency due to COVID-19.
Together with the creative agency We Believers, the idea was to create a completely new soccer game, derived from 70 hours of audiovisual material from the two most representative teams with the largest number of followers in the country: América and Chivas.
Thanks to the teamwork of more than 20 editors, these recordings became the most-watched Mexican game of all time.
Regarding the triumph, Fabio Baracho, Grupo Modelo’s vice president of marketing, assured that iconic brands are those that take charge in the most difficult moments and commit themselves by showing that they are more than a product or service, they really are the ones who provide support to your consumers.
For his part, Alejandro Gershberg, Marketing Director of the brewery, explained that in the industry they are used to talking about results based on impressions, conversation, or scope of the campaigns that they present, however, with “The classic of history” a more comprehensive goal was set.
And he added that, as a result of this increase in sales and the donations of brands such as Aeroméxico, Carl’s Jr., Jumex, and Nescafé, the initiative “The classic of history” broke the barriers of confinement and time to become an example of union, reactivation of the economy and technological innovation.
This was due to the fact that the technical team made the logos of the allies of this strategy appear on the fences of the stadiums, during the historic match.
After winning at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity, Gustavo Lauria, co-founder and creative general director of the agency We Believers, expressed that this project marked the “genesis of a new entertainment platform” with potential in various markets and, for example, in other sports disciplines.
“This initiative was not only a perfect solution to give football back to the people and generate sales during difficult times due to COVID, we are already working to make it grow even in other disciplines such as cinema. The possibilities are endless ”, concluded Lauria.
Mexico Daily Post

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In The Style founder to return as CEO as it conducts strategic review
In The Style has said its founder Adam Frisby is to return to his chief executive role on a interim basis as it considers a potential sale as part of a strategic review.
It also said its current chief executive Sam Perkins will be leaving the business on 31 December. Frisby previously headed up the company until January this year when he moved to the position of chief brand officer.
Jim Sharp, chair of In The Style, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to place on record my thanks to Sam for his contributions during his time as the group’s CEO. Adam is excited to return to the role of CEO at this important time. As the group’s founder and major shareholder, Adam is well placed to lead the business and ensure it delivers its considerable potential.”
Regarding the potential sale, In The Style said in a statement: “The board believes that there has been limited liquidity for In The Style’s shareholders for some time and that the current market capitalisation of the company does not properly reflect the underlying growth potential of the group which may be better realised under an alternative ownership structure.”
The company is not in talks with any potential buyers and has not received any approaches regarding a possible offer.
The news comes as In The Style announced that it had slipped to a pre-tax loss of £3.1 million in the six months to 30 September from a profit of £0.9 million a year earlier.
In addition, group revenue declined by 11% year-on-year to £26.6 million, but was up 208% on the first half of its 2020 financial year.


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Matebook X Pro
As a laptop vendor, Huawei is entering its fourth year. Relying on x86 silicon and a GPU here and there, one thing Huawei does well is the quality of the design. The company has transferred the knowhow developed over a decade of smartphones into something bigger, with a keyboard, running Windows. The latest MateBook X Pro 2021 edition we’re testing today equips an Intel 11th Gen Core i7 with one of the physically largest displays you can fit into a 14-inch device, and a brushed aluminium chassis that’s very smooth to the touch and an Emerald Green finish that really stands out.
Back in February this year, we published an announcement that Huawei was planning on refreshing its Matebook X Pro for 2020. Following on from this, Huawei has announced that...39 by Gavin Bonshor on 5/18/2020
Huawei has not been in the PC game very long, but in just a short couple of years they certainly raised the bar for the competition in the Ultrabook...77 by Brett Howse on 6/27/2018
BARCELONA, ESP – The headline of Huawei’s launch program at Mobile World Congress is not a smartphone, but a laptop. Over the last two years Huawei has introduced itself...16 by Ian Cutress on 2/25/2018


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2nd April, 2019
With a number of measures to stimulate consumer spending and ease the burden of cost for small businesses, the surplus may ease concerns regarding the global economy.
Federal Budget 2019 has arrived, and it couldn’t be at a more precarious time for the Australian Government.
With a Federal Election expected to be announced any day, it’s no surprise that Minister Josh Frydenberg came in strong by introducing this Budget as putting Australia ‘back in black’ with a surplus of $7.1 billion.
And that is likely to be positively received by business owners as, according to MYOB CEO Tim Reed, healthy business practices can also apply to government spending.
“Business, particularly small business, does well when the economy does well,” said Reed.
“We are reassured by the health of economy today and going forward.
“As every small business owner needs to balance their budget, so too should the Government.”
In fact, Frydenberg announced the Government’s aim to achieve $45 billion in surpluses from now until 2023.
“Surpluses will continue to build toward one percent of GDP within a decade,” Frydenberg said.
While Frydenberg outlined a budget that would assist in building Australia’s infrastructure and supporting the job market, he was clear to highlight that it would do so without raising taxes.
In fact, one of the first of the key measures outlined by Federal Budget 2019 was to increase tax relief for low to middle income earners.
“The Government is more than doubling the low and middle income tax offset from 2018-19.”
This means a single income household would now expect to receive up to $1,080 per year (or $2,160 for dual income households).
“The personal income tax cuts are welcomed as not only do personal income tax cuts provide much needed relief to household budgets, they stimulate the economy with small businesses right across the country benefiting from renewed consumer confidence to spend,” said Reed.
“We know that the type of measures introduced in the Budget tonight will encourage more people to start a business and for those already in business, to invest and create more jobs.”
A popular and supposedly temporary initiative, the Instant Asset Write-Off has been a popular way for small business to deduct against large business purchases such as machinery or other key assets.
Originally, that write-off could be applied to purchases up to $20,000 and was only to be used by businesses with a turnover of up to $10 million.
Now the Government has announced it will be extended once more, applicable to purchases up to $30,000 and businesses turning over up to $50 million will now be able to apply it.
“This will cover an additional 22,000 businesses, employing 1.7 million Australians,” said Frydenberg.
“Already more than 350,000 businesses have taken up the instant asset write-off… now, even more will have the chance to do so.”
Reed applauded the Government’s announcement, but questioned why such a worthy small business benefit has not yet been made permanent.
“The increase in the instant asset write off to $30,000 is welcomed as it provides a significant opportunity for small businesses to grow and stimulate the economy,” Reed said.
“It would be a welcome commitment to see the Government make this a permanent feature of the small business tax system.”
In all, Federal Budget 2019 is dressed up to give the Government a glowing financial report card.
And while the fiscal policy of reducing a nation’s debt is a sound one in a time of economic instability, it’s unclear whether this Budget will deliver the fuel to drive consumer spending as intended.
For small business owners and the workers of Australia, that means Labor’s Budget Response (stay tuned, Thursday night) will likely be followed more closely than in non-election years.


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Five fast-food stocks have crushed the broader market this year despite a slowing economy, and could be poised for further gains, including Shake Shack Inc. (SHAK), The Wendy's Co. (WEN), Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM), Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) and McDonald's Corp. (MCD). These stocks already have risen by between 25% to nearly 100% since the start of January. Their outperformance was detailed in a story in the Wall Street Journal.
What It Means for Investors
Stocks of fast food chains are often thought of as defensive because they continue to draw cost-conscious customers in times of economic trouble. But these restaurants have broadened their appeal by diversifying their menus to attract health-conscious customers as well. And they've also made it easier and faster for customers to order through new technologies. “The earning growth rates could slow, but [these chains] could do better than full food service,” said Eric Gonzalez, a senior restaurant analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets.
That's reflected in their stocks. Shake Shack has climbed by 97.8% so far this year; Wendy's by 26.1%; Yum Brands (which operates KFC, Taco Bell and other chains) by 28.4%; Chipotle by 81.9%; and McDonald's by 23.5%. Wendy's and Shake Shack jumped sharply this week on positive earnings reports.
McDonald's has been a leader in offering healthier items to consumers and in using new technologies. It shifted to the use of all white-meat chicken this year, and also upgraded its technology with touch-screen kiosks that allow customers to make their own orders, per the Journal. Chipotle is another leader in leveraging technology. It has used third-party delivery services like DoorDash as well as a mobile app to make ordering as easy as possible. Its digital sales nearly doubled year-over-year for Q2 to 18.2%, up from 10.3% in Q2 2018.
Despite fast food chains' giant stock gains, some analysts are predicting a shift in fortunes. Another report in the Wall Street Journal highlights high sales expectations for these chains as the reason for a major valuation gap between fast food restaurants and other casual dining outfits. In order to continue to attract investor dollars, these fast food leaders will need to meet, or exceed, investors' high expectations when they report their next quarterly results.


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4D, the next-generation Context Outcomes Engine built by Silverbullet, announces an industry-first contextual marketplace. By bringing together the most advanced technology and a brand-new Dimensions Marketplace, 4D enables businesses to accurately connect with consumers in a privacy-compliant way for marketers, the absence of the cookie opens up the need to find innovative ways to tap into buying moments, such as the ability to unlock data to provide a holistic view of the end consumer, which will be key for success in the new marketing age.
As Richard Hartell, Former Publicis media global president & chief strategy officer, says, “innovation has always been the stimulus for growth” and the wave of new solutions will not only ensure data compliance and privacy, but will be tremendous for understanding consumer purchase behaviour. Now more than ever it is important for marketers to understand how to take advantage of innovation from the new dataset’s technology players are bringing to market in the post-cookie world.
As a result, 4D announces its Dimensions Marketplace, allowing businesses to stay at the forefront of innovation, empowering them to layer additional data to enhance the relevance and suitability of environments. The 4D Dimensions Marketplace is fully integrated into the 4D Outcomes Engine, allowing marketers to leverage innovative data signals to not only create context targeting strategies, but continually optimise on learnings to drive outcomes.
“4D is the first platform to offer the ability to filter DeepSee’s risk metrics at the push of a button, and so it couldn’t be easier to protect brands from association with high-risk publishers,” says Rocky Moss, CEO of DeepSee. “4D’s offering of DeepSee’s data as a dimension on their platform speaks to their ability to look forward at the changing digital media landscape and recognise the gaps that will be left by the deprecation of third-party cookies. ”
“As hundreds of new data signals entered the ad tech landscape, the days of optimising media using simple datasets like viewability and attention are not sufficient since they relied on the cookie to do the heavy lifting by identifying the person. As we usher in the next era of digital advertising, marketers must turn to new datasets that convert complex data points into privacy friendly, consumer signals. The 4D Dimensions Marketplace empowers programmatic advertisers to build in-the-moment targeting, which is fully integrated with the 4D Context Outcomes Engine” states Mark Pearlstein, CRO of 4D.
With access to new data at scale from leading data and technology providers such as DeepSee, White Bullet, Open Weather, and Factmata, and several new partners onboarding imminently, marketers can customise and enhance targeting and brand safe contextual strategies across all Demand Side Platforms using 4D. Moreover, the Dimensions Marketplace, makes activating data accessible within the 4D Outcomes Engine which provides optimisation recommendations across all data points such as targeting specific keywords, and dimensions included in targeting to drive holistic outcomes at scale for a brand just like this one.


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The latest roll out from Twitter will see retargeted ads which would be aided by browser cookies. Sources confirm that it might happen as soon as tomorrow as it has already passed the experimental phase of this new introduction. A cross-device identity layer would allow Twitter to target the ads on mobile based on where you’ve been on the internet. This would enable consumers to see ads which they actually would want to see.
For an in-depth look at this new update, click on the link below. And, for a tailored social media marketing strategy for your business, give us call on 1300 430 949.
How safe do you think you are on online? The latest hacking spree has seen more than 2 million Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts been compromised. The reason has been identified not as a fault of any of of these companies’ weaknesses, but the users having the malware installed on the machines and had their passwords stolen.
For more details on this story, click on the below link.
Just as we thought that drones were the next best thing, Amazon comes with a more advanced product. Forget about the drone delivering their products in 30 minutes, this new gadget would enable Amazon to get the job done in 5 minutes. Currently it is faced with obstacle such as weather, regulations and other drones that hack and take over their drones.


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European markets closed higher, but off session highs on Tuesday, as worse-than-expected factory data for the euro zone dented investor sentiment.
The FTSEurofirst 300 Index provisionally closed 0.3 percent higher at 1,211.07 points, after trade volumes of only two-thirds the 90-day average. The pan-European index is down 4 percent since the U.S. Federal Reserve discussed tapering off its bond purchases in its policy meeting notes last month.
On Tuesday, European shares pared gains after producer price data for the euro zone missed expectations, showing a 0.6 percent month-on-month drop in April. It marked the biggest monthly decline since July 2009, according to the EU's statistics office.
Earlier in the day, stocks got off to a positive start after Spanish jobless numbers showed a 2 percent decline for May. The country's labor ministry said that the number of job seekers had fallen by 98,265, the largest drop in the month of May ever. The Spanish IBEX 35 closed provisionally 0.8 percent higher.
In the U.K., retail sales rose 1.8 percent last month, year-on-year, the British Retail Consortium reported on Tuesday.
In other news, the European Commission is to propose a powerful new authority charged with winding down struggling euro zone banks, according to a draft proposal reported by The Wall Street Journal.
In stocks news, shares of chipmaker STMicro closed aroun 4.5 percent higher after reports that CEO Carlo Bozotti said he expects orders to grow by 5-to-10 percent this year. Rival Infineon also close higher.
Societe Generale received an upgrade from Goldman Sachs to a "buy" from a "neutral"; shares in the French bank closed around 1.4 percent up.
Dutch grocery chain Ahold quadrupled a share buyback to 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) on Tuesday, in order to redistribute excess cash following the sale of a stake in Swedish retailer ICA.
(Read More: Grocer Ahold Ups Share Buyback as Recovery Beckons)


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Did you hear the one about the Hollywood producer who hangs out with Ringo and learnt about Bitcoin from Brock Pierce? He’s behind the Akoin cryptocurrency.
Jon Karas is a Hollywood film producer (Shadows and Bitter/Sweet) who has worked with stars including William Hurt, Cary Elwes, James Broling and Peter Falk.
And now he’s hooked up with Grammy nominated recording star Akon to launch the Akoin cryptocurrency in Africa. Akoin has just announced it will launch on the Stellar network and is due to release its white paper soon.
The coin aims to bank the unbanked and to provide financial services across 54 countries in Africa. It includes a multi currency wallet and a Dapp marketplace. The currency will also power a $2 billion futuristic ‘Akon crypto city’ being built in Senegal.
Akon is MASSIVE in Africa
Karas said Akoin was ‘bigger than Michael Jackson’ in Africa.
“We need a huge security team when we got to Africa, not because we’re worried about anyone wanting to harm him but just because of the number of people that just want to touch him, take a picture with him, want to shake his hand and thank him for the things that he’s done for the continent,” Karas told Blockchain Journeys podcast.
While most of us first heard about Bitcoin in the media, Karas was introduced to cryptocurrency by another celeb mate, Brock Pierce.
“Brock isn’t much of a salesman. He’s mercurial, he’s enthusiastic and he’s brilliant. And, you know, his genuine excitement about things is compelling. And you’re like, ‘well, if he’s this excited about something, I should take a look at it. He’s fortunately brought us into some different ventures that that are world changing and exciting.”
Karas started his career as an attorney, but for the past thirty years he’s worked in the entertainment business and founded Infinity Management back in 1991.
He’s spent a lot of time around musicians – he notes in passing that one of his colleagues at Akoin is actually the cousin of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. And Karas even hangs out with former Beatle Ringo Starr.
“Ringo’s more fun than he seems,” Karas tells Blockchain Journeys. “He’s one of the great happy go lucky guys of the world. We’re both car guys so we end up talking about cars. I’ve got some vintage cars, and he’s got a lot more vintage cars. So we have some good fun that way.
Crypto peeps be like showbiz folk
Karas says there are similarities between people in showbiz and people in crypto.
“The similarity to me is a sense of wanting to wanting to do something special, wanting to do something lasting,” he said. ‘There’s a real sense of wanting to do something good for the world to give back.”
Karas said he’d got involved with global superstar Akon through an endorsement deal a friend had set up and the two had just clicked.
“We spent some time during that and started having deeper conversations about what we were each working on and where we were in our respective careers. I was kind of drawn into the swirl by, frankly, his intelligence, his vision for what he wanted… we started working on a number of ventures and and and they range from social impact to tech to crypto all kinds of things.”
Becoming a minutetaire
Karas is officially the co-founder and president of Akoin. One of Akoin’s big use cases will be to help African users convert mobile phone minutes into other currencies. At present pre-paid mobile phone minutes are used like digital currencies in countries where inflation is rampant. There are even ‘minuteaires’ who are independently wealthy with mobile phone minutes.
“It is a huge store of value. And it’s something that they trust. They know they’re going to keep using that, they know they can trade them they know they can pay for things with them,” he said.
A week ago Akoin signed a partnership with BitMinutes which will provide free money transfers to 1.2 billion accounts across Africa and free mobile top ups four four billion mobile phones. It will also provide micro lending.
While Akon has done charity projects before, including installing solar lighting in 18 countries, Akoin is a for profit venture.
“Our belief is that all social impact ventures if they’re for profit, they will grow bigger faster better,” he said adding that profitablity was good for users too.
“The token is intended to be something that will increase in value both by a limited circulating supply and by more and more and more utility,” he said.


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Dwight Adams and Friends is playing a free weekly show at Cliff Bell’s beginning Tues., Sept 2.
See the restaurants open for dine-in service in Detroit.
Citizen Yoga is holding free yoga classes in Detroit’s Grand Circus Park every Sunday through Aug. 30 from 7-8 p.m.
Detroit’s Campus Martius Park hosts Movie Nights in the D on the big screen every Saturday through August 29.
Detroit’s Eastern Market is open on Saturdays and providing online ordering of food boxes and bulk orders for pick-up on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
On May 9, many of your favorite Detroit area musicians will be performing via Facebook Live, bringing the show right to you during these crazy times.
The 62nd Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade was supposed to be held on Sun., March 15 but is cancelled due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The inaugural Detroit Bourbon Fest will take place on Sat., April 4 at the Boat House on Belle Isle, featuring over 100 whiskeys, food trucks, live music, art vendors, and more.
Detroit Vineyards is hosting a Wine Down event on Sat., March 28 featuring wines, ciders, and meads curated in Detroit plus an all-you-can-eat Sushi ar catered by Geisha Girls Sushi.
Kick off St. Patrick’s Day festivities with a St. Patrick’s Bar Crawl on Sat., March 14 in Greektown with food and drink specials.


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Reading Time: 2 minutes
Greta Thunberg has become the icon of Gen Z and saving the environment. While she is usually in the news protesting for environmentally friendly products and laws, in a seemingly crazy turn of events, she protested against wind turbines, a clean energy source replacing harmful fossil fuels. Thunberg and protestors from the indigenous Sámi people stood outside Norwegian government buildings in Oslo because the wind farms in the Fosen region in Central Norway threaten their centuries-old tradition of reindeer herding. This places the relationship between corporate interests and human rights under a new lens. These companies do not establish wind farms for the betterment of the world; it’s all about the money.
Consumerism disproportionately affects the environment’s impact on marginalized people, such as the Sámi. Peter Wenz, a professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois, details that the capitalist market fuels the use of desirable land for profit, leaving undesirable land uses—such as factories, landfills, incinerators, refineries, and chemical plants that harm the health of citizens—for lower-income communities.
The Norwegian government has attempted to protect people from this, such as after the Industrial Revolution, when peasants were living and working in horrible conditions. An October 2021 Norwegian Supreme Court ruling was supposed to protect them, but it has since been violated and only recently acknowledged by the Norwegian Prime Minister.
The effects of consumerism-fueled markets impact our modern-day lifestyle as well as greenwashing, which is the use of advertising or marketing to deceptively persuade the public that an organization’s products (such as H&M’s claim that its clothes were made with “at least 50 percent sustainable materials” when they were actually made of unsustainable polyester), aims, and policies are environmentally friendly. Some other infamous examples include Volkswagen completely fabricating their cars’ fuel efficiency and Walmart and Kohl’s taking a page from H&M’s book by claiming their rayon textiles were made of environmentally-friendly bamboo. This is one of the most prominent effects of the rise of environmental consciousness, and companies profit from that. When 1,000 U.S. adults were interviewed this year, it revealed that two-thirds are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Not only is greenwashing another attempt to exploit consumerism to favor the political and social climate, but it is also hard to discern which companies are truthful.
Though the Federal Trade Commission has taken action against 21 companies in the U.S. for using misleading environmental marketing, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed two new regulations to regulate greenwashing in investment banking, these types of regulations need to be efficient and discourage companies from greenwashing. Consumers can try to cut down on their environmentally harmful habits by reducing water usage, and transferring to clean energy. As Ellis Jones, a sociologist who studies greenwashing at the College of the Holy Cross, says, “When in doubt, go smaller, local, and independent.” However, it should not be up to the consumers to protect themselves from exploitative companies and marketing—that should be the government’s moral responsibility. Specifically, a great example is the European Union’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which legally requires companies to back up any and all sustainability claims with true data. This can make companies reevaluate the pros and cons of making misleading marketing decisions. After all, if it’s cutting into their profits, stakeholders get angry, and the companies are forced to stop.


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According to the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS), the Consumer Price Index (CPI), representing the evolution of goods and services’ prices consumed by households, revealed that Lebanon’s monthly inflation rate eased from a 201.07% in November 2021 to register softer levels of 142.37% in November 2022, though it remains at a historical elevated level. Note that we expect rates to fall due to lower base effects.
In details, the cost of “Housing and utilities”, inclusive of water, electricity, gas and other fuels (grasping 28.4% of the CPI) added a yearly 74% by November 2022. Also, “Owner-occupied” rental costs increased by 10.99% year-on-year (YOY) and the prices of “water, electricity, gas, and other fuels” followed a significant increase by 234.69% YOY as subsidies were removed by the Central Bank and prices went up sharply on the global market due to the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, prices are expected to surge further in the coming period once the customs would be collected at the rate of 15,000 LBP/USD instead of 1507.5 LBP/USD.
Looking at the prices of “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” (20% of CPI), it surged by 171.24% yearly. In turn, the average prices of “Transportation” (13.1% of the CPI) and “Health” (7.7% of the CPI) recorded hikes of an annual 181.64% and 171.75% respectively by November 2022. Also, “Restaurant and Hotels” (2.8% of CPI) increased yearly by 176.3% by November 2022 as the hospitality sector had been authorized to adopt prices listed in dollars.
In the same token, costs of “Clothing and Footwear” (5.2% of CPI) surged by 138.96% by November 2022, and the prices of “Communication” (4.5% of the CPI) increased by 226.27%, the second highest after fuels.
Finally, prices of “Furnishings and household equipment” (3.8% of CPI), “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” (1.4% of CPI), and “Recreation, amusement, and culture” (2.4% of the CPI) increased by 113.32%, 147.61%, and 140.86%, respectively, by November 2022.
As Lebanon started to implement a new exchange rate of LBP15,000 per USD on customs in December, we expect that it will lead to a further increase in prices on all products and services. Poverty rate has reached alarming levels and food insecurity is more and more apparent in Lebanon, due to a decline in economic activity, political instability and rising costs of living. Unfortunately, the response of the authorities is failing to ensure everyone’s right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to food.
Inflation rate by November 2022
Source: CAS, BLOMINVEST


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TrendForce: Global TV Shipments To Grow 3.4% To 217M Units In 2022
Driven by more advanced new TV features/technologies, and predicted lower average prices on more mainstream models, global TV set shipments should reach 217 million units for full-year 2022, up 3.4% over 2021, market analyst TrendForce forecast this week.
The market research firm estimated full-year 2021 TV unit sales dropped to its previous forecast of 210 million global unit sales, down 3.2% from 2020 volumes, but predicted the category will return to 2020 levels.
TrendForce said the market was under pressure in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic started to normalize for a time and stimulus actions dried up. At the same time, LCD panel supplies were low throughout portions of the year, driving up costs of components and, in turn, TV sets for the first time in years in some regions. This served to stifle purchases during the critical fourth quarter selling season.
Limited panel production further forced producers to scale back production of screen sizes that afford less margin, namely the under 46-inch TV segment where popular 32-inch models reside and traditionally drive a large chunk of the overall business.
“The shipment performance of TV brands in 1H21 benefited from COVID-19 economic relief funds in the U.S., driving a continuing boom in North American shipments, according to TrendForce’s investigations. At the same time, TV brands continued to replenish panel inventories, pushing up panel prices,” TrendForce’s statement said. “As the pandemic slowed down in Europe and the United States in [the second half of 2021], life returned to normal and pandemic stimulus no longer applied, challenging demand levels. In addition, rising raw material and freight prices pushed up whole device cost, forcing TV brands to pass costs onto retail pricing.”
TrendForce said TV sales over Black Friday and in China Singles Day, were poor due to high costs leading to a slump in end-user demand and eventually causing TV shipments to decline.
On a positive note, TrendForce said that TV panel supplies and overall production capacity should be ample in 2022. This should counter the severe TV panel price fluctuations of 2021, “while ushering in steady and moderate fluctuations as a replacement.”
“After a sharp revision in TV panel prices in the [second half], this year’s panel pricing is more advantageous to the planning of TV brands,” TrendForce said, adding that “in 2022, the pricing of small-sized panels will be close to panel manufacturers’ cash cost which will help TV brands recapture a larger proportion of small-sized panel shipments.”
TrendForce predicts the proportion of shipments by screen size below 39-inches will remain at 25%, medium-sized 40-59-inch panels will remain at 55%, and large-sized panels above 60-inch will remain the focus of international brands with market share expected to rise to 20%.
Meanwhile, TrendForce said manufacturers will continue to heavily push their upscale 2022 products, although it predicts OLED TV growth to actually slow down in the year, with an annual growth rate of 27%.
“In 2021, OLED TVs benefited from soaring LCD prices in the previous two years… The price difference between the two has narrowed from a multiple of 4.7 in early 2020 to 1.8 in mid-2021, thereby incentivizing more TV brands to switch to producing OLED TVs when LCD panel supply is limited and driving OLED TV shipments to 6.7 million units in 2021, or 70% growth YoY,” TrendForce said.
The analyst added that “although Samsung Electronics intends to join the white OLED camp and simultaneously launch QD OLED TVs this year, the continuing falling pricing of LCD panels and the price of OLED TV panels (subject to LG Display’s strategy of increasing pricing as opposed to dropping them) may disrupt Samsung Electronics’ rollout of OLED TVs.”
TrendForce predicts that if Samsung Electronics fails to launch spring OLED TV models, its original shipment target of 1.5 million units will inevitably be affected.
“Whether it launches OLED TV models in spring or summer, Samsung Electronics will take advantage of its brand and channel advantages irrespective of other considerations to take the OLED TV market by storm and aim for a market share of 15%,” TrendForce believes.
As for premium LCD TV models, TrendForce said the annual growth rate of Mini LED TVs doubled, and shipments pushed towards 4.5 million units.
Following the launch of TCL’s Mini LCD TVs in 2020, “Samsung launched a series of 50-85-inch mid/high-end 4K and flagship 55-85-inch 8K Mini LED models, with shipments exceeding one million units in the first year, reaching 1.5 million units, and boosting overall Mini LED TV shipments in 2021 to 2.1 million units.”
For 2022, more brands are entering the Mini LED TV space, which should drive overall global Mini LED TV shipments towards 4.5 million units, TrendForce said.
In 2022 Sony will be adding 4K and 8K Mini LED models, joining Samsung, TCL, LG and others in the technology as competition in the premium end of the market intensifies.
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By Greg Tarr
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The ecommerce industry in Spain achieved a total value of 2.8 billion Euros during the first quarter of this year. It’s remarkable that 43.2 per cent of transactions are cross-border online purchases and only 40 per cent of the total volume relates to purchases from Spanish local sites.
Here in Europe it´s not all about credit cards. There are actually many, many different online payment methods. Let´s have a look at what customers in certain European regions and countries tend to use if they order goods online. You´ll notice common names like Paypal, but also some very local ones, like Dankort.
Rakuten is really kicking it up a notch in Europe. Last week it was known that the Japanese ecommerce company is opening its fifth e-marketplace in Europa by launching Rakuten.at, now we’ve heard news about Rakuten opening an office in Barcelona, Spain. In five years the company wants to become the leader in the Spanish ecommerce market.
Spain is an upcoming market in the European ecommerce sector. When we look at the current state of ecommerce in Spain, one might think that for such a big country (for European standards) there is still a lot to achieve. But nonetheless, let’s look at an infographic which shows how Spain is doing with online shopping.


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Last updated June 5, 2020
The gaming industry is currently estimated to be worth about $152 billion, and a large portion of that (45%) comes from mobile games. According to figures from NewZoo, the smartphone gaming industry is growing at a 10% year-on-year rate and now stands at a total worth of $68.5 billion. Interestingly, the in-app purchases bring in the majority of the revenue for mobile games as they maintain the free-to-play status on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Freemium games have proved to be a thriving business model for game developers, and it is said to have brought in more than $88 billion in 2018 across all platforms. Although only a small percentage of users spend money on in-app purchases, reports suggest that they constitute more than half of the total revenue of mobile games. And now a new survey by SellCell reveals a good chunk of that may have come from the pockets of naive parents.
SellCell surveyed more than 2000 parents in the US with children between the ages of 6 and 15 to understand their thoughts on freemium mobile games and in-app purchases. The survey was conducted between February 20-29, 2020.
- Three in 10 parents (31.1%) approve kids spending on in-app purchases.
- More than two-thirds of American parents (67.1%) worry their kids are overspending on smartphone games.
- Among those who approve, a majority of parents (40.3%) wouldn’t let their kids spend more than $10 on games in a month.
- However, 23% of respondents seem fine with kids spending more than $50 on IAPs each month, with 8.2% of them admitting their little ones spend more than $100 monthly on mobile games.
- Top-grossing kids mobile games include Fortnite, Candy Crush Saga, Pokemon Go, Roblox, Clash of Clans, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, and PUBG Mobile.
- Four in 10 parents (40.8%) admit that their child made in-app purchases without their knowledge.
- Educating the kid (50.7%) is the best solution to stop accidental purchases, followed by Fingerprint/password locking (34.8%), parental control apps (23.4%), and unlinking credit card (7.2%).
- Shockingly six in 10 parents (60.6%) don’t bother requesting a refund in case of accidental purchases, while a 30.4% reveal to have got back their money.
- Notifying the Play Store or App Store seems to be the right way to ask for a refund according to more than half of parents (53.6%), followed by alerting the bank (34.9%), contacting the developer (21.4%), and filing legal action (7%).
TWO-THIRDS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR KIDS’ SPENDING ON MOBILE GAMES:
SellCell’s survey reveals that a whopping 67% of US parents are worried their kids are overspending on Android and iOS games.
While three in 10 parents (31.1%) approve kids to spend money on in-app purchases, a majority of them (40.3%) wouldn’t let the spending exceed $10 in a month.
However, as many as 23% reveal that their kids spend more than $50 on optional IAPs each month, with about 8.2% of them admitting the spending to be more than $100.
In the past few years, there have been numerous cases reported in the US and across the world of kids accidentally buying premium in-app items in smartphone games and racking up credit card bills when left unsupervised. Back in 2014, as the number of such incidents got out of hand, FTC asked Apple to change its billing practices and provide refunds worth over $32.5 million to clueless parents.
However, the situation appears to be no different now, as more than forty percent of parents (40.8%) claim their kids buy in-app additions without their consent. Educating the kid is the best way to stop accidental purchases, according to a majority of parents (50.7%). While fingerprint or password locking is the right way to go for more than one-third (34.8%), 23.4% rely on one or the other parental control apps to prevent unwarranted purchases. Only a small minority — 7.2 percent — would go as far as to unlinking credit cards to avoid unauthorized charges.
HAVE THE PARENTS BEEN REFUNDED IN CASE OF ACCIDENTAL PURCHASES?
Shockingly, more than six in 10 parents (60.6%) reveal that they’ve not requested a refund in case of unauthorized billings on in-app purchases. More than thirty percent (30.4%) admit getting a refund swiftly after filing a request. Meanwhile, nearly one in 10 parents (9%) have still not received their money back.
Reporting the problem on Google Play or App Store is the best bet to get your money back, according to a majority of parents (53.6%). While 34.9% think it is better to deal with the bank directly, 21.4% of parents prefer contacting the developer(s) of the game to ask for refunds. On the other hand, a small minority of 7% wouldn’t mind going as far as to file a lawsuit to reverse the charges.
WHAT ARE THE TOP-EARNING MOBILE GAMES FOR KIDS?
Among the highest-grossing kids’ mobile games are Fortnite, Candy Crush Saga, Pokemon Go, Roblox, Clash of Clans, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, and PUBG Mobile.
Among the parents that polled in favor of in-app purchases, 31% of them admit their kids spent money on popular battle royale game Fortnite, for buying the game’s virtual currency V-Bucks. For the uninitiated, the V-Bucks in Fortnite can buy you new outfits, weapons, emotes, and more.
One of the most popular puzzle game of all time, Candy Crush Saga is still going strong and takes the second spot on the list at 25.7% and is followed by Pokemon Go (20.5%), Roblox (17.5%), Clash of Clans (14.9%), Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (12.4%), and PUBG Mobile (10.6%).
The report is based on a survey, conducted between February 20-29, 2020, involving 2000 parents in the US with children between the ages of 6 and 15. The objective of the survey was to understand what parents think about freemium mobile games and the in-app purchase system that come along with it. The responses to the survey were collected without storing any personally identifiable information of the involved respondents.


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The cybercriminals that stole the details of 40 million payment cards and the contact information of 70 million Target customers are said to have breached the retailer’s systems after stealing credentials from a vendor.
What we have known so far is that the attackers gained access to information on point-of-sale registers by planting a piece of malware. However, it hasn’t been known how the malware got there in the first place.
Target representatives have told The Wall Street Journal that the attackers had stolen credentials from a vendor and used the information to access the company’s systems.
The vendor has not been named and it’s uncertain how the hackers obtained the data. It’s also uncertain which of Target’s portals allowed them to gain access to payment systems.
WSJ has also reported that the retailer shut down a couple of its portals: a supplier’s database and a human resources website (eHR).


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Yamaha might be looking to make inroads into the Indian electric two-wheeler in India. According to a PTI report, a top executive in Yamaha India said that they are looking to invest in power units for batteries and electric vehicles. The outcome of this study will determine whether it is in Yamaha’s best interest to completely replace combustion engines in their lineup with electric motors. "We are at present conducting a feasibility study in this area (electric two-wheelers). Yamaha has an edge in this segment as we already have such products in other countries. Transferring such products to India, it is not so difficult," Yamaha Motor Research and Development India MD Yasuo Ishihara told PTI."I believe that the EV products cannot be the complete replacement for the current internal combustion engines. This is one of the biggest study points," Ishihara said.
However, despite this, Yamaha also said that in order to safeguard their position, Yamaha will also continue their development of the more tradition gas pluggers in the country. "We have already started our feasibility study in order to achieve this target set by the government of India but at the same time we will continue to develop more highly efficient engines in order to cater to the demands of Indian customers," Ishihara said.
When asked about company's investment plans in the EV space, he said: "Investment shall mainly be for power units and batteries. Infrastructure development in collaboration with some partners may be another area where we would look forward to making our investments".
The push for EVs as preached by the present government comes on the back of rising pollution levels in the country, forcing the government to push for all EV production in India by 2032.


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The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) wishes to thank the military and their families for their service through sales promotions in November that highlight Military Family Appreciation Month, Warrior Care Month and Veterans Day events.
This November, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) wants to be the holiday food headquarters for their customers, offering everything they need for their festive meals.
The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) recently announced the winners of the 2020 Best Commissary Awards in virtual ceremonies.
Keeler Family Farms is voluntarily recalling red, yellow and white onions shipped between July 1 and Aug. 25, imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 22.
ProSource Produce LLC is voluntarily recalling whole raw red, yellow and white onions shipped between July 1 and Aug. 31, from Chihuahua, Mexico, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 21.
Simone Blythe, store director at the Fort Eustis Commissary on Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, and Dawn Ballestracci, store manager at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, have been chosen by Progressive Grocer as “Top Women in Grocery for 2021.”
The Defense Commissary Agency is implementing a voluntary internal recall on specific lots of 7up Zero Sugar 12 pack can products because they may contain levels of sulfites above labeling limits, according to a recall notice from the Defense Commissary Agency’s food safety office sent Oct.
Commissary customers can save much for Halloween, whether it’s on candy for the legions of young, costumed visitors yelling “trick-or-treat;” for their party food and drink or by entering a costume contest for a chance to win a turkey.
“Coffee and the military go together like the commissary and patron savings,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “And our customers can shop their commissary to get whatever coffee they want at significant savings.”
John Turner III, assistant commissary officer at the Fort Bragg North Commissary in North Carolina, was honored as one of 21 recipients of the 2021 Secretary of Defense Awards for Outstanding Department of Defense Employees and Service Members with Disabilities on Oct. 7.
Simple Mills is voluntarily recalling some lot codes of their Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers because they may contain milk, an undeclared allergen, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 7.
On Oct. 13, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) salutes the U.S. Navy on the 246th anniversary of their establishment by the Continental Congress in 1775. Throughout its history, the commissary benefit has gained the admiration and gratitude of sailors and their families, said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director.
Commissaries are on a mission to help active troops avoid unhealthy fast food. To do that, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has rolled out Dietitian-Approved Fueling Stations, offering nutritious and cost-effective alternatives at many of its stores.
Bayer is voluntarily recalling specific Lotrimin® and Tinactin® products due to the presence of benzene, according to a Department of Defense All Food and Drug Activity message sent Oct. 1.


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|Image source: Jerrard Wayne|
A new survey conducted by ReachLocal in the UK has revealed that 55% of small businesses, believe that not enough is being done to market their business online.
The survey polls UK SMEs from a wide range of industries and it explores how they feel about online marketing and managing the enquiries they receive.
54% stated that they are not sure which marketing tactics are delivering a return for their business and 23% spend their money on the marketing initiatives that they think are successful, even if there is little evidence to back up their success.
The survey also reveals that 31-35% of email or website enquiries are not responded to in less than an hour, a staggering figure that could cost small businesses a lot of money.
Paul Liascos, UK managing director for ReachLocal, said: “Online marketing can be highly effective, but it’s wasted money if you can't respond quickly to the enquiries generated. The whole marketing and buying cycle has to work well to ensure that companies do not leak leads.”
A Harvard Business Review study found that 50% of customers choose to do business with the company that responds to them first, and according to a researcher from Portsmouth Business School, small businesses are also lacking in social media marketing, even though they are more likely to be striking the right personal tone in comparison to big corporations.
360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.


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Lenovo seizes record share amid global PC market slowdown
Strong quarterly earnings numbers could be in the cards for Lenovo after it grew market share to remain the world's top supplier of personal computers in the three months to September, despite total industry shipments dropping to a five-year low.
In separate preliminary market estimates released yesterday, technology research firms IDC and Gartner said Lenovo's personal computer shipments rose about 2 per cent year on year in the quarter to 14.1 million units.
Lenovo, which operates in more than 160 countries, expanded faster than the overall personal computer market for the 18th consecutive quarter. The company also seized its highest ever quarterly market share, which IDC put at 17.3 per cent and Gartner at 17.6 per cent.
That was in contrast to the sixth consecutive quarter of declining shipments for the whole industry. IDC said the global market contracted 7.6 per cent year on year to 81.6 million units, while Gartner estimated an 8.6 per cent drop to 80.3 million.
But Angela Lee, a spokeswoman for Lenovo, said yesterday: "The PC industry still represents a US$200 billion opportunity and offers Lenovo substantial room for profitable growth."
In its fiscal first quarter ended June, Lenovo beat analysts' estimates when it reported a 23 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit to US$174 million on the back of growth in all its geographic markets.
Revenue climbed 10 per cent to US$8.7 billion, as it cornered a 16.7 per cent share of the global personal computer market that quarter.
In the quarter to September, Gartner said Lenovo's "strong growth in the Americas, as well as in Europe, Middle East and Africa, offset declining personal computer shipments in the Asia-Pacific market".
A report by Barclays predicted Lenovo would "continue growing sales year on year even amid a slow global PC demand environment".
It said the company's margins could keep "improving for the next several quarters".
Lenovo, which has its headquarters in Beijing and in North Carolina in the United States, is also the second-biggest smartphone supplier and No 3 media tablet brand on the mainland.
Its share price advanced 1.35 per cent to close at HK$8.23 yesterday.


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Vysya Bank's debit card
14 November 2003
Vysya Bank, the Karur-headquartered old-generation private
bank, is the latest to offer an international debit card
to its customers under its brand, Smart Cash.
bank has entered into a three-way tie-up for this purpose
with Visa International to power the cards, with
UTI Bank to share its ATM network and Financial Software
Services and Systems for the switch.
long ago the debit card used to be a niche product, but
today it is a standard offering from private sector banks.
Says Santanu Mukherjee, country manager, South Asia, Visa
International: "Earlier ATM cards could be used only
at the bank branch's machine. But today most of the banks
share their ATM network with other banks. The number of
Visa Electron cards in India today stands at 10 million."
a senior UTI Bank official: "We were the first to
propagate the concept of sharing the ATM network."
Queried about the demand for the debit card as the bank's
branches are mostly located in non-metro smaller cities
and towns, Karur Vysya Bank chairman P T Kuppuswamy says:
"The usage and demand in the smaller towns for ATMs
is good. Our ATMs are located in urban and semi-urban
bank has so far installed 84 ATMs with interconnectivity
at various strategic locations across the country and
plans to increase the same to 100 by the end of this year.
The debit cardholders of Karur Vysya Bank can use 1,500
Visa ATMs and 6.7 lakh ATMs worldwide.
of reports on Karur Vysya Bank


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We recently heard about the new Tecno Spark 10 Pro smartphone, a range of other devices in the lineup were also unveiled, these included the Tecno Spark 10 and the 10C.
Now Tecno has revealed some more details about their handsets and we have some specifications for the new Tecno Spark 10, the handset will feature a 6.6-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate and an HD+ resolution of 1612 x 720 pixels.
The device will be powered by an octa-core processor and it will come with 8GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM in total using the 8GB Extended RAM feature and 128GB of included storage, it will also come with a 5,000 mAh battery and it will feature 18W fast charging.
The new Tecno Spark 10 smartphone will come with a range of cameras there will be a single camera on the front and two cameras on the rear of the handset.
On the front of the device, there will be an 8-megapixel ‘Glowing Selfie’ camera with a dual flash that is designed for making video calls and taking selfies, on the back, there will be a 50-megapixel main camera and a secondary camera, as yet there ate no details on how many megapixels it will have.
The handset will come in a choice of three colors Meta Black, Meta Blue, and Meta White, as there are no details on how much it will retail for.
Source Tecno Mobile, GSM Arena
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Electric Vehicles - The Norwegian way
Will only autonomous electric vehicles be available in the future? DNV talks to Christina Bu, Secretary General of Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association about the incredible advancements made by the electric vehicle (‘EVs’) industry and considers the impact that this is having on the car industry today.
In this forward thinking episode, Christina shares with us her incredible experience and knowledge of the EV industry. She explains how Norway became the leading country in the adoption of electric vehicles, and in doing so, how it has tackled the myths surrounding EVs. Christina also highlights the changes in the EV consumer market; reveals how this market has matured over recent years and which brands are likely to become the driving forces in EV manufacturing. Finally, Christina looks to the future and explains which new technologies and countries are likely to make a significant impact as the EV market continues to grow.


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TiVo’s new TiVoToGo feature – a facility which allows users to transfer content from their TiVo PVR to another device such as a laptop, is under threat from films studios and the NFL. They filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission to have the new feature blocked.
Many see this as another attack on consumer rights – severely limiting what people can do with content. However, the Motion Picture Association of America and NFL cite concerns over TiVo’s anti-copying safeguards, stating that they don’t think they’re adequate to prevent people sharing content outside their households – on the internet for example.
TiVo developed the feature to add more flexibility to subscribers’ viewing, so that they can watch content that they have recorded whilst on holiday for example, and that it plans to introduce proper copy protection measures.
So far, TiVo has only said this on the matter: “We are hopeful (the FCC) rules in favour of technology innovation that respects the rights of both consumers and artists.”
Fritz Attaway, executive vice president and legal counsel for the MPAA described his fears: “We don’t have a problem if you want to move the content to your summer home, or your boat, but the TiVo application does not require any kind of relationship with the sender. It could be to a nightclub in Singapore.”
There are many that are questioning whether content providers like the MPAA will stop there? If the system does become secure and content can only be transferred to authorised devices, will this be freely allowed, or will the public be further restricted to buying a license for every playback device they own? We feel a threat of ‘authorised only’ platforms raises the major problem of stifling the market in competing playback platforms, which in turn is bad for the consumer.


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May 3 Silver Standard Resources Inc
* Silver Standard reports first quarter 2017 results
* Q1 adjusted earnings per share $0.17
* Q1 earnings per share $0.13
* Q1 revenue $117.9 million versus i/b/e/s view $112.8 million
* Q1 earnings per share view $0.12 -- Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S
* Silver Standard Resources Inc - a total of 52,528 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of $1,214 per ounce during Q1 of 2017
* Says produced 97,851 gold equivalent ounces at cash costs of $646 in Q1 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
ChargePoint secures $43 million in funding led by Siemens
SAN FRANCISCO, June 28 Electric vehicle charging station maker ChargePoint Inc said on Wednesday it had secured $43 million in financing led by German engineering group Siemens AG, bringing to a close the U.S. company's latest funding round at $125 million.
UK car output falls 10 pct in May ahead of new models
LONDON, June 29 British car production fell 9.7 percent in May as some major manufacturers reached the end of older product lines and prepared to begin building newer models, an industry body said on Thursday.


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Nationwide media and a delegation of the Marshal's Office with a visit to LUG
24 April 2018
Last Thursday, on 19 April 2018, we hosted journalists from nationwide media and representatives of the Marshal's Office of the Lubusz Voivodeship at our company.
The visit was organized as part of a project run by the Marshal's Office, aimed at promoting our region.
During the visit, we presented guests to the headquarters of our company at Gorzowska Street in Zielona Góra and the Research and Development Center in Nowy Kisielin. Visitors could see our laboratories and become familiar with the process of designing, developing, researching and producing modern LED lighting solutions. We have also gladly told them about the company's history, profile of our operations and the strategy adopted for the coming years.
We are pleased that our company once again was an economic showcase of the Lubusz Voivodeship, being a testimony to its large economic potential and development opportunities.
Last year, at the initiative of the Marshal's Office of the Lubusz Voivodeship, we took part in an event promoting our region organized in the European Parliament in Brussels, which we wrote about here.
We invite you to watch a short photorelation of the visit.


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Yes, what you read just now is true. Since humans are tied up to technology these days, along with them the products used by them are also given high priority. This headline describes the extent to which they are prioritised. Till date, we have come across various news regarding people fighting for equality in several norms of life. But this sounds amusing. Even before emojis started screaming for their rights, Google came up with its new proposal. They aimed at promoting gender equality among emoji characters. Google team presented 13 new designs for female emojis at Unicode Consortium. Out of which 11 got approved by Unicode.
People changed their gaze towards keyboards having cute emojis in them rather than settling with plain keyboard. Some keyboards also come with an option to download favourite emoji characters. This shows how emojis have become part of present day communication and how they gained popularity among smartphone users.
As women kept leaping in almost every area of work, the proposal made by Google seems fairer. “No matter where you look, women are gaining visibility and recognition as never before,” the four Google workers wrote in their proposal. At present female emojis are focused mainly in beauty sector.
First lady Michelle Obama tweeted last month saying she would love to see a girl studying emoji. It has been noted in Google’s proposal. Now Google team selected few professions in their new female emoji proposal. List consisted of female farmer, manufacturer, nurse, teacher, chef etc., of different skin tone.
It is said that new set of emojis will be released by the end of this year. Hope this will be a new way of empowering women and respecting the different roles played by them in real life.


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It has been a decade since Satoshi Nakamoto conceptualised blockchain technology. At the time, Satoshi – a person (or people) who to this day remains anonymous – was specifically interested in developing technology for the now infamous cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Since then, companies have risen and fallen trying to copy, amend, or altogether find different use cases for the technology. Private investors from around the world have been speculating whether one of these companies using blockchain technology can establish themselves as the next tech giant. Yet, as of right now, the mainstream use case by the general public for blockchain technology has been digital currency – and even that has arguably not had significant take-up outside of the wider tech and investment community.
This aside, there has been growing anticipation in 2018 that the technology which was initially created for Bitcoin can be put to wider use. We have been approached by a number of companies seeking to use blockchain technology for new and exciting purposes. And on 3 October 2018, the EU Parliament adopted a non-legislative Resolution on distributed ledger technologies and blockchain, considering alternative use cases for blockchain technology. Amongst others, the EU Parliament noted that such technologies can assist with:
• The monitoring of origin of goods, improving transparency, and providing assurances that sustainability and human rights protocols are respected in the place of origin of a product;
• The tracking and management of intellectual property and facilitating copyright and patent protection; and
• The transformation of the energy market, by allowing households to produce environment-friendly energy and exchange it on a peer-to-peer basis.
A main challenge that we are seeing in the development of new use cases is scepticism that blockchain technology can be utilised outside of the digital world. The technology was created for a strictly digital mechanism – so the question has to be asked “how will developers take this technology and apply it to the physical world, in a way that maintains the same status of trust and confidence?”. This will be one of the biggest challenges over the next few years if use of blockchain technology is to expand outside of the digital world.
Another big challenge will likely be around data protection and data security. Blockchain technology requires a lot of data to be readily available to anyone wishing to inspect it. In its 3 October Resolution, the EU Parliament noted that “it is of the utmost importance that digital ledger technology uses are compliant with the EU legislation on data protection” such as the GDPR. As a result, the EU Parliament has called on the Commission and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) to provide further guidance on this point. We hope to see further guidance on this point in the near future.
For now, we eagerly wait as developers attempt to overcome these challenges and develop innovative use cases for blockchain technology.


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06/10/2011 // Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom // AndrewAdams // Les Yates
Leading UK online parcel delivery service Parcel2Go has called on businesses in Britain to think ahead and make sure they are covered in the event of widespread postal strikes.
While no decisions have been taken as yet, rhetoric coming from union leaders is quite clear, said Richard Mercer, Head of Marketing at Parcel2Go.
Towards the end of last month, the Communication Workers Union announced that up to 3,500 Royal Mail workers in London could start industrial action due to fears over job security. Members backed the opportunity to go on strike four-to-one.
For businesses and individuals in the UK that rely on getting packages to addresses in Britain and abroad, it is vital they have a service they can trust. Customers and clients may understand if industrial action prevents deliveries from being made, but they will be inconvenienced all the same.
Richard Mercer said: “There remains a lot of uncertainty with regard to whether postal services will be disrupted as a result of strike action, so we’re advising individuals and companies with important consignments, that normally rely on these international parcel services, to make contingency plans and ensure they are covered either way.”
Parcel2Go helps its customers send in excess of 750,000 parcels every year to destinations across the world, from Argentina to Azerbaijan. Leading courier firms such as FedEx, City Link and UPS assist in getting packages of all shapes and sizes to their destination safely and on time.
“By organising for a professional and reliable courier company to handle a delivery, people will have the peace of mind of knowing their goods will be delivered whatever happens,” added Richard.
– ENDS –
Parcel2Go Ltd has been offering its customers a comprehensive range of UK delivery services and international shipping options through companies such as Parcelforce for the past 21 years. Based in Bolton, the company operates a cost effective collection and delivery service throughout the UK, Europe, and countries across the world.
Social Media Tags:royal mail, postal strikes, postal worker strikes, parcel delivery, Parcel2Go, courier services
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Petroleos Mexicanos expects its gasoline sales won’t fully recover to pre-pandemic levels this year as lockdown measures hurt demand and competitors win market share. While the state-owned company’s gasoline sales are expected to rise this year when compared to 2020, they’ll still lag 2019 levels by about 16%, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. Pemex didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pemex, which had a monopoly until 2014, has also been losing market share since landmark energy reforms opened the industry to private-sector gasoline retailers that have invested heavily in service stations and storage infrastructure. The number of Pemex’s franchise service stations fell 13% last year to 7,468, representing 57% of the country’s total. An additional 883 service stations are registered under the Pemex brand sub-licensing scheme.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador swept into power promising to strengthen Pemex and roll back his predecessor’s liberalizing measures in order to make Mexico self-sufficient in gasoline production. A bill that’s expected to be approved soon by congress aims to tweak the hydrocarbons law in order to give Pemex more control over the fuel market, and it could potentially help the state company recover market share. On Wednesday, the bill was being voted on in the lower house of congress.
Pemex’s gasoline sales fell 21% last year to 571,200 barrels a day, according to data from the company. In the first two months of this year, average gasoline sales were 513,500 barrels a day, Pemex data showed.


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In 2016, Miami Hurricanes do not want you to ‘go to fewer games’
Remember this ad? In June 2014, the Hurricanes ticket sales department tried to catch attention with a curious headline that blared, “GO TO FEWER GAMES.” UM was trying to pitch its two-game ticket package, but it was seen nationally as a misguided bit of reverse psychology. Fans had no trouble complying with the big, bold message, as the Hurricanes finished 6-7.
Anyway, Miami appears to have wiped the slate clean on that one. Here’s the newest ad, released Friday:
The game missing from that package is Florida State, which usually sells out or comes close to it.
Also worth noting: though the involved parties have expressed a collective belief that under-construction New Miami Stadium will be ready for Sept. 1, UM will announce alternate plans if it isn’t.


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Independent cruise shore excursion seller ShoreFox.com has ceased operations due to economic uncertainties, according to a statement posted to the company’s website.
“Cruise vacations have always been joyful travel experiences, and it is an unprecedented time now when cruise ships are not sailing. ShoreFox has been especially hard hit, as we exclusively sell shore excursions for travelers on cruises and unfortunately are not able to continue operations,” the statement reads in part.
The site, part of Triptelligent, LLC, has been in business since 2013. It sold excursions online and via partners.
According to the statement posted on the site, customers with booked excursions from March 2020 forward who have not received a refund can fill out a form by April 20, 2020 to request a “prorated refund check,” to be issued no later than May. It is unclear why refunds would be “prorated” and not issued for the full amount due.
The company’s Facebook page lists (305) 851-2747 and [email protected] as contact options, but it’s unclear if phone calls and emails are being answered due to the shutdown.


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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global economy. Although many countries still remain in lockdown, the global tourism market, however, seems optimistic in the post-pandemic world. Because of the amazing job on containing the outbreak, Taiwan is expecting to become an important Asia destination with the help of its high quality medical system, which enhances travel safety for visitors.
However, affected by the current global epidemic, MICE events that gather a large number of people have to seek alternative solutions. The international convention and exhibition industry believes that future MICE events will be transformed into “hybrid events.” Thus, the Tourism Bureau plans to not only participate in the "IT&CM China 2020 virtual event" to prepare for the trend, but also communicate with the important relevant industry institutions as well.
"Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings China, IT&CM China“ has been held in Shanghai since 2007 every year. This exhibition is one of the most important incentive travel shows in China, advocating "Promoting China to the World and the World to China", by TTG Events, a business group of TTG Asia Media, the CITS International Convention and Exhibition Co., Ltd., and the international exhibition planning group (MPI). Due to the epidemic this year, the event will be transformed into a virtual gathering expected to explore new business opportunities, and strengthen cooperation opportunities.
Although the global tourism industry and international MICE business face serious challenge this year, it also represents an evolution of the MICE industry with a new type of business model. While the situation is still intense worldwide, the Tourism Bureau sees the virtual event as a new start to promote Taiwan and attract MICE groups to come here in the near future.


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New Zealand launches new regulatory regime to promote fuel competition
New Zealand has implemented new regulation to stimulate competition in the country’s fuel market, after a market study in 2019 found that the sector should be more competitive.
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The Pro "jump ticket" or being released in March next year
Sales of apple's tablet device has four quarters in a row, on apple's earnings performance also can use the poor to describe. Market statistics institutions IDC believes that in apple before the product line "radical change", the market still will continue to present a weakening trend.
So, what is "disruptive change"? The Pro is most of the current view, but according to south Korean media reports, the original issued by the "set" this year the Pro is likely to be delayed until next year. According to the news of the exposure of apple's supply chain, the Pro will be delayed until next year, but the release time is not in October, but the spring conference in March.
Apple to restart the spring conference this year, and in the meeting issued a new design of Retina MacBook, also announced Apple Watch on sale for more information.
While the sales continue to decline, but cook in earnings conference call once again expressed his confidence in the device, he said, and simplicity, compared to the sales data of other "basic data" let us see the side, conducive to the development of the he predicted that the future will continue to grow.
In fact, since it first tablet on the market in 2010 up to now, the apple has been the fastest selling products. "The first year of shipments to break through 10 million, three years after the shipments to 100 million, five years is 250 million units.


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A collection of news and information related to Saks Inc. published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-11 of 11 » View ktuu.com items only
Earnings: Autozone Inc., Best Buy Co., Burberry Group Plc, Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., Home Depot Inc., Intuit Inc., Medtronic Inc., Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc., Saks Inc., TJX Cos. Annual meetings: Allstate Corp., Mondelez International Inc., Old...
The Saks Fifth Avenue in Highland Park will close after the holiday season, displacing roughly 60 workers, the company recently announced. The 12-year-old, 49,000-square-foot store will close Dec. 31. "We routinely assess the productivity,...
Money & CompanyShoppers appeared to be more cautious last month in spending for clothing and other items as rising gas and food prices took up a bigger chunk of their disposable income. Major retail chains reported a modest 4.9% gain in sales......
The 33 NewsNeiman Marcus Inc. has agreed to pay a $25,000 judgment after a court found the luxury retailer falsely advertising two coats as being "faux fur" trimmed when the items had Asian raccoon dog fur. The U.S. Humane Society in 2008 filed suit in Washington...
Money & CompanyThe Commerce Department said retail sales fell last month, a surprising development given that many major retailers have been reporting relatively healthy holiday results. Retail sales in December totaled $353 billion, a 0.3% decline from November, the...
Money & CompanyWhen Macy's Inc. announced last month that it would open a Bloomingdale's outlet concept, many California shoppers were disappointed to learn that none of the initial four stores would be in the state. But in an interview with the Times......
Of The Morning CallIn 110 years, the Bon-Ton Stores has grown from its humble beginnings as a single shop in York to become a national chain with 280 stores and more than 33,000 employees. But today the retailer that sells everything from housewares to clothing to home...
Chicago TribuneMonday: -- Earnings: Campbell Soup Co.; Lowe's Cos.; Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.; Perry Ellis International Inc.; Saks Inc.; Westell Technologies Inc. Tuesday: -- Earnings: American Eagle Outfitters Inc.; Analog Devices Inc.; AutoZone Inc.; BJ's...
Retailers reported dismal sales figures for December on Thursday as even Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy. As merchants reported their sales figures,...
Tags: Health, Real Estate Sales, Family, Macy's, Earnings Forecasts
Experiencing weakness in every department of its traditional mall stores, Sears, Roebuck and Co. was one of the few major retailers to post disappointing May sales, and the Hoffman Estates merchant on Thursday provided a more somber assessment of its...
May 21, 2013 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Sep 13, 2012 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Jun 2, 2011 | Los Angeles Times
Feb 2, 2010 |Story| KDAF-LTV
Jan 14, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Feb 16, 2010 | Los Angeles Times
Mar 6, 2008 |Story| Allentown Morning Call
May 20, 2007 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Apr 15, 2007 |Story| Tribune Media Services
Jan 8, 2009 |Story| WXIN-LTV
Jun 4, 2004 |Story| Chicago Tribune
Original site for Saks Inc. topic gallery.


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The most recent generation of Porsche diesel engines may be the last one, going by comments recently made by company CEO Oliver Blume in an interview with Reuters.
In other words, the company may be backing away from further development of diesel vehicles … or maybe the comments are simply meant as a PR stunt. Who knows as of yet?
As a reminder here, Porsche is essentially just a division of VW … with all that that entails. So, the possible implications of the statement by Porsche CEO Oliver Blume are worth considering. We may have to wait a while to find out how serious Blume is, though.
As he stated, “Of course we are looking into this issue. We have not made a decision on it.”
Diesel models currently make up around 15% of Porsche’s global sales, so if there was to be a shift away from diesel, it would be significant.
Reuters provides more: “Blume said Porsche would offer a mix of combustion engines, plug-in hybrid vehicles and purely battery-powered cars over the next 10–15 years and would decide at the end of the decade whether diesel had a future at Porsche.
“German prosecutors last month started investigating Porsche staff to see whether they were involved in designing illicit engine-control software and regulators are examining whether the Cayenne was fitted with such a device. A redesign of the Cayenne will be launched in September and it will still offer a diesel version, Blume said, just like the Panamera saloon that hit dealerships last November.
“… Battery-only vehicles could account for a quarter of Porsche’s sales by 2025, give or take 5 to 10 percentage points, Blume said, contradicting a media report that said up to half of its output by 2023–24 could be electric.”
Notably, Blume also revealed that an electric version of the Macan SUV may be developed at some point in the coming years.
The CEO’s comments about future sales trends in Asia were interesting as well: “We expect the metropolises in China and Asia will switch to pure electric mobility very fast. I believe there will be few pure combustion engines to be seen in the large cities there in five years time. The development in rural areas will, however, proceed much more slowly.”
Related: BYD Turns On Warp Speed (China Electric Car Sales Report)
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Over the weekend, Playstation revealed that Travis Scott had been appointed as a “strategic creative partner,” much to the delight of gamers around the world. The news was a big shock for many but it makes perfect sense. As one of the biggest names in popular culture, Scott has had a string of big collaborations this year, from Nike to McDonald’s. However, it wasn’t Scott’s new role that caught many people’s eye, but more what was on his feet.
The 37-second clip didn’t give much away, but there was enough to get sneakerheads around the world excited. A mockup rendering shows a potential Travis Scott x Playstation x Nike Dunk Low is in the works. Although the black and white video doesn’t give us much of an idea colourwise, the potential collaboration alone is pretty huge. Of course, sneakerheads will know that this is not the first time that Nike x Playstation shoes have dropped. However, this could arguably be one of the biggest in the relationships history.
Upon the announcement, Travis Scott revealed: “I’m super thankful and excited to be able to bring my strategic and creative vision to the rollout of such an iconic product. I’ve always been a fan of PlayStation and the brand they’ve built, and this is another example of finding a partner who believes in and trusts Cactus Jack to execute for their brand. This is just the beginning of an incredible partnership.”
For now, we’ll have to wait and see whether this collab does come to fruition. Check out the first mockup below and let us know if you’d cop.
Image Source: Sony Playstation


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Versus Evil will publish Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, and not Paradox [UPDATE: THQ Nordic Distributing, Release Date revealed soon]
Obsidian's next RPG will be published by Versus Evil, but why not Paradox Interactive who published their last two RPGs, Tyranny and Pillars of Eternity?
If you bought a game during Paradox's misguided price increase earlier this year you should be getting details on how to claim a free game as compensation.
Paradox Interactive has announced that the next expansion for Tyranny, The Bastard’s Wound, will be released on 7th September for PC priced at $14.99.
The Bastard’s Wound features new quests, a whole new region with new characters to interact with. The expansion will allow you to delve deeper into the mysteries of Terratus, and learn more about your party by completing companion quests featuring Lantry, Verse, and Barik.
Obsidian have released the first of many patches for Tyranny which looks to address some issues faced by players since its launch.
With Tyranny not seeing much in the way of additional content since its release late last year, its abscence from PDXCON 2017 was likely a tough pill for players to swallow. Apparently saving the news for the E3 onslaught, however, comes the Tyranny's first expansion - Bastard's Wound.


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KUALA LUMPUR (May 18): JobStreet Corp Bhd is set to widen its portfolio in Southeast Asia with Vietnam as its latest addition.
In a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Thursday, the online recruitment outfit said it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Vietnamese entrepreneur, Nguyen Hoang Bao, to set up an 80:20 joint-venture company in Singapore, which in turn will hold a 100% stake in the proposed venture in Vietnam.
The announcement also said the initial capital contribution from JobStreet for the Vietnam venture will amount to US$800,000 (RM2.48 million), to be funded by internal sources, while Nguyen will be contributing US$200,000.
"We feel comfortable to enter Vietnam now. We have a good partner and the market prospects are good. The economic slowdown makes it relatively cheaper to advertise the JobStreet brand there," said JobStreet Corp CFO Greg Poarch after the company AGM on Thursday.
Poarch believes the venture into Vietnam is timely despite the global economic slowdown as the cost of entry will be lower than during an economic boom.
"During the first two to three years, we will be focusing on getting as many jobseekers as possible on our website to build brand awareness as well as to build a good local team instead of focusing on revenue," Poarch added.
With the growing trend of Malaysian and Singaporean companies venturing into Vietnam and setting up manufacturing operations there, Poarch said it is a natural move for JobStreet to set up its online recruitment operations in the country.
In 1Q, JobStreet's net profit dropped slightly to RM10.36 million or 3.24 sen a share from RM11.29 million a year earlier. Revenue, however, increased to RM37.86 million from RM33.63 million in the previous year.
The significant increase in operating expenses in 1Q to RM24.44 million from RM19.39 million previously had weighed down on earnings.
"It is difficult for us to tell how much the economic slowdown impacted our results because the competitive environment is quite intense as well, but we do sense some slowdown. The number of jobs on our website, while it remains high, is not growing as much as last year," Poarch admitted.
JobsDB.com is currently JobStreet's main competitor. Poarch told the media he does not think JobStreet has lost any market share to JobsDB.com so far and that it has done a good job defending its market share.
Moving forward, with the eurozone debt crisis and the sentiment on the upcoming general election, Poarch said the company is conservative about growth prospects for the remaining quarters of the year.


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This is the forum to discuss all of those video games you love playing or that are coming out. From Transformers video games to Fighting games to Sports games ... whatever makes you a happy Seibertronian. Just keep it the topics and conversations game and console related.
A new interview with Activison's Daniel Suarez has been posted online. Daniel Suarez is the Executive Producer at Activison for the Transformers video games. The interview has been posted by Allspark.com. Click here to read it.
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Almost 23 percent of mobile-phone owners--around 30 million people--have downloadedto their mobile phones, while 5 percent did so in the previous year, a study by Ipsos Insight found.
Ring tone purchases differ from online-music buying in a few ways, the study found. Though it is not the case with PC-based music downloads, older customers are attracted to ring tone services, the research firm said. People are also paying more to download a ring tone of a song than they would pay for the song through a service such as Apple Computer's. Almost 78 percent of mobile phone users paid to download a ring tone, while 50 percent of PC user report having paid for standard song downloads, the study said.
"This represents yet another opportunity for industries looking to monetize U.S.-based digital-music distribution. Through a combination of increased ring tone availability and the desire to personalize one's mobile phone with their favorite or the most popular rings, the growth in this already burgeoning industry will likely continue unabated," Matt Kleinschmit, vice president at Ipsos Insight, said in a statement.
The study said 6 percent of mobile phone owners have reported having downloaded full songs to their mobile phones, though that type of service is not available widely yet. And a small number of mobile users are also trying out ring backs, short video clips and music videos.
This, Kleinschmit said, suggests that users may be seeking mobile content options beyond music-related offerings and points to the potential for success with broader multimedia-related services that could be offered with distribution partners. Mobile-service providers already have a billing relationship with the consumer, which gives them an advantage over PC-based content delivery methods, where cumbersome registration and payment processes can discourage impulse purchases.
The ring tone realm is not impervious to piracy, however. Another recent study found that cell phone users may beand illegally converting them into full-length ring tones for free. Ring tone previews on Web sites of some service providers, it turns out, are not fully secure.


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Short selling has been a hot topic on Wall Street so far this year after groups of online retail traders on Reddit and other social media platforms launched targeted buying campaigns in some of the most heavily shorted stocks in the market. As a result, short squeezes in GameStop (ticker: GME) and other so-called “meme” stocks have sent share prices skyrocketing and even prompted controversial buying restrictions by Robinhood and other trading platforms.
Investors typically buy stock in the hopes its share price will rise over time, but short sellers take the opposite side of the trade. Short sellers identify stocks they believe are overpriced and bet on share prices to fall. Sometimes they target companies they believe have flawed business models. Other times, short sellers simply bet against momentum stocks that may have become overpriced.
Rising short interest can be a red flag for investors, but it can also be a recipe for a short squeeze. A short squeeze is a large spike in share price that occurs when short sellers are forced to exit their positions all at once by buying shares of stock.
S3 Partners analyst Ihor Dusaniwsky says these five stocks are the most heavily shorted stocks of the past 30 days heading into March:
— International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)
— DuPont de Nemours (DD)
— Amazon (AMZN)
— AstraZeneca (AZN)
— Carnival (CCL)
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)
Following a February merger with DuPont de Nemours Nutrition & Biosciences business, International Flavors & Fragrances is expected to be either the largest or second-largest global supplier in the taste, scent, nutrition, cultures, enzymes, probiotics and soy protein categories. Following the merger’s completion on Feb. 1, International Flavors shares initially jumped 16%.
Analysts say the merger will help International Flavors expand its dominant market share lead in key international categories, and deal synergies could help reduce costs. Short sellers appear to be extremely skeptical of the positive impact of the merger deal for both parties. Both DuPont and International Flavors were among the most shorted stocks in the market in January and February of 2021, according to S3.
International Flavors’ short interest increased by $698 million in the past 30 days, more than any other stock in the U.S. market. The stock’s short percentage of float, the ratio of its short interest to its total free-trading shares, now stands at 16.2%, the highest among the five stocks mentioned.
DuPont de Nemours (DD)
DuPont de Nemours is a global chemical company that produces materials used in electronics, transportation, construction, health care and other industries. DuPont investors had the option to convert some or all of their shares in the Nutrition & Biosciences spinoff business to shares of DuPont before the completion of the International Flavors merger.
As part of the deal, DuPont received $7.3 billion in cash, $5 billion of which it will use to pay down debt and improve its balance sheet. Management is also reportedly pursuing a pair of small acquisitions and is willing to spend up to $2.5 billion on the deals. The market appears to see DuPont as the loser in the unconventional Nutrition & Biosciences spinoff deal given the stock dipped significantly since the deal finished.
S3 reports DuPont’s short interest has increased by $593 million in the past 30 days. The stock’s short interest has skyrocketed in the past two months from $1.9 billion to $4.3 billion.
While many companies struggled in 2020, Amazon has been one of the top performers throughout the health crisis. Thanks to the company’s dominant share of the e-commerce and cloud services markets, Amazon shares are up more than 50% from a year ago. In the most recent quarter, Amazon’s revenue topped $100 billion for the first time, up 44% from a year ago.
Short sellers may believe an end to the health crisis will put Amazon in a difficult position in 2021 given it will be facing extremely difficult year-over-year comparisons. They may also believe the stock is due for a breather after such a strong run. Also, short sellers often use short positions in mega-cap tech stocks such as Amazon as a hedge against long positions in other tech stocks as well.
Whatever the reason, Amazon has an outstanding short position of $10.9 billion, nearly twice as large as any other stock on this list. Amazon’s short interest has increased by $587 million in the past 30 days, according to S3.
Like most other large-cap pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca made headlines throughout 2020 for its work developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, while the world works to roll out FDA-authorized vaccines produced by competitors such as Pfizer ( PFE) and Moderna ( MRNA), AstraZeneca’s rollout hasn’t gone quite as smoothly.
South Africa recently halted the distribution of AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate after data suggested it wasn’t very effective against the South African B.1.351 variant of the virus.
AstraZeneca shares have gone nowhere so far in 2021, dropping slightly year to date. Even if it eventually gets its vaccine to market, AstraZeneca has said it does not intend to turn a profit on it and has committed to selling it for $4 or less compared to the $19.50-per-dose cost of the Pfizer vaccine.
Short sellers may be using AstraZeneca to hedge against long positions in other vaccine stocks. AstraZeneca’s short interest has increased by $520 million in the past 30 days.
The cruise industry was among the businesses that were hardest hit by the health crisis. While most industries are finally beginning to claw their way back to normal in early 2021, Carnival just announced that it is extending its shutdown of all cruises until at least June 1.
At this point, Carnival has not been doing business for nearly a year now, as evidenced by its 99.3% drop in revenue in the fourth quarter. Yet incredibly, Carnival’s stock price is up more than 200% from its March 2020 lows.
Short sellers likely believe Carnival shares are simply pricing in too much optimism after gaining more than 40% year to date in 2021. With business completely shut down until summer, there’s no chance Carnival’s business will be back to anything approaching normal until at least 2022. Even then, there’s no guarantee Carnival’s customers will return in 2022 or beyond.
Carnival’s short interest increased by $517 million in the last 30 days and now stands at $2.1 billion, according to S3.
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