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|By Kevin Benedict||
|August 27, 2014 09:10 AM EDT||
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Mobile commerce grew 48 percent year-over-year to about $8 billion in the second quarter, according to data released by comScore and the U.S. Census Bureau. That's the fastest increase in mobile commerce since the first quarter of 2012. Read Original Content
According to a study by research firm Ericsson ConsumerLab, Indonesians are the most frequent users of money transfer services when compared to Bangladesh and Vietnam. The study found over half of respondents in Indonesia have used money transfer services compared with 45 percent in Vietnam and 34 percent in Bangladesh. Read Original Content
St George bank is set to utilize fingerprint recognition software on the iPhone S5 to bring quick and secure banking to mobile customers. Known as Touch ID, the biometric login will be the first of its kind for mobile banking in Australia, and will be rolled out for use on the iPhone 5S from September. Read Original Content
The cost and time to mobilize enterprise applications can actually meet or exceed the original cost and time to implement those systems. In their new report, “StarMobile Transforms Enterprise Apps into Mobile Apps”, 451 Research details the advantages of StarMobile’s app development tool and how it can drastically reduce the cost and time to mobilize enterprise applications. Download report here: http://starmobileinc.com/report-451research-starmobile-transforms-mobile-apps-into-enterprise-apps/
Of 1000 US adults polled for the American Bankers Association by Ipsos Public Affairs, 31 percent say the Web is their preferred banking method, making it the most popular channel. However, this represents a sharp fall off from the 39 percent recorded in 2013. Read Original Content
In June 2014 a BankChoice Monitor survey of people shopping for new banking relationships found 63 percent of females want their new bank to provide mobile banking compared to 58 percent of males. Read Original Content
Many U.S. merchants that place mobile at the core of their e-commerce strategy are reaping big rewards. The 366 U.S. retailers in the 2015 Mobile 500, released by Internet Retailer, will reach m-commerce sales of $59 billion in 2014, up 74 percent from $34 billion in 2013. Read Original Content
The number of Brazilians using mobile devices for purchase of products and services has skyrocketed with an 84.2 percent increase over the last 12 months, according to recent research by consultancy firm e-Bit. Read Original Content
As mobile commerce becomes more popular, security is becoming a greater priority. Zumingo Corporation, a leading provider of security solutions, has announced it has become the first member of the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator. Read Original Content
According to data from ReportsnReports, the global near field communication market is anticipated to reach US $16.25 billion by 2022, growing at an 8.83 percent compound annual growth rate. Furthermore, it is suggested America has the greatest market potential for the near field communication ecosystem. Read Original Content
Last year Gartner said transaction value of NFC had dropped 40 percent, citing “disappointing adoption of NFC technology in all markets in 2012,” especially with high-profile e-wallet services, such as Google Wallet and Isis, a credit card e-payment venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile U.S. Inc. and Verizon Wireless. Read Original Content
Provider of payment solutions, Oxygen, has announced the launch of its mobile wallet service, called the Oxygen Wallet, which provides users the ability to transfer money and buy gifts for family and friends with whom they are connected over social networks. Read Original Content
A recent report from mobile advertising, analytics and monetization firm, Flurry, revealed female mobile consumers dominate the mobile gaming scene. Read Original Content
A report by management consultant McKinsey and the Gates Foundation has forecasted mobile payments in sub-Saharan African could reach up to $16 billion in the coming years if current trends continue across the continent. Read Original Content
Facebook announced it will start telling advertisers on what device people saw an ad and on what device they took an action, such as buying a product or signing up for a test drive, as a result of seeing that ad. That means Facebook will be able to credit mobile ads that lead to desktop sales and desktop ads that result in mobile purchases. Read Original Content
Mobile advertising revenue jumped to $19.3 billion in 2013, nearly doubling its total from the year prior, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB Europe, and research firm IHS. North America made up the largest share of the mobile ad pie at 41.9 percent, while Asia-Pacific was not far behind at 38.9 percent. Read Original Content
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Extracting business value from Internet of Things (IoT) data doesn’t happen overnight. There are several requirements that must be satisfied, including IoT device enablement, data analysis, real-time detection of complex events and automated orchestration of actions. Unfortunately, too many companies fall short in achieving their business goals by implementing incomplete solutions or not focusing on tangible use cases. In his general session at @ThingsExpo, Dave McCarthy, Director of Products...
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Data is the fuel that drives the machine learning algorithmic engines and ultimately provides the business value. In his session at Cloud Expo, Ed Featherston, a director and senior enterprise architect at Collaborative Consulting, discussed the key considerations around quality, volume, timeliness, and pedigree that must be dealt with in order to properly fuel that engine.
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Almost all UK SME retailers have permanently transformed the way they interact with their customers, with 9 out of 10 introducing new digital services. Additionally, four out of five (82%) businesses say that retailers without an online presence are unlikely to survive in the future.
Research by Opayo and its partner Discover Global Network, shows that UK SMEs are offering new services such as: establishing an online shop (67%); home delivery options (62%); or click and collect capabilities (35%). Additionally, 77% of SMEs now sell directly to consumers via social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok or Instagram, compared to just 41% before the pandemic.
Additionally, 82% of SMEs believe that online is where the majority of sales will come from in the future.
Meanwhile, payment company Elavon’s consumer survey of more than 1100 respondents in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, conducted by Ipsos MORI, underscores that offering a convenient ecommerce experience is crucial to attracting customers and generating loyalty.
According to its data, UK consumers prioritise a number of factors when deciding where to spend online, with 96% demanding a clear and accurate product description and 95% looking to easily find what they are looking for, clear and accurate photography and a competitive price. A further 94% want the ability to pay without filling in forms and fast and convenient delivery.
However, the shift to ecommerce doesn’t mean the end of the High Street. Nine out of ten UK consumers indicate they want to support their local businesses. Additionally, three quarters of businesses (73%) say they will continue to have a physical location to service customers.
Commenting on the findings of the group’s three-pronged research push, Sean Wilson, Managing Director, at Opayo says: “Our research highlights that it’s not solely larger companies focusing on digital growth. SMEs pivoted during the pandemic by shifting their focus to eCommerce, social media channels and home delivery services to generate sales and loyalty. While a physical presence remains important for many retailers, SMEs are successfully combining in-store and online sales channels and payment options to be more customer centric and for long-term resilience.”
Isaac Scott, the Brand & Marketing Director of Seven Districts Coffee, based in Leeds, illustrated how he innovated and adapted his business to best focus on the customer experience: “Having an online presence is as important as having a physical presence. We want both parts of the business to feel like an experience. Seeing a roaster roasting coffee is an experience. Online, part of the subscription model that we are launching involves sending books with our coffee. Enjoying coffee takes loads of different experiences, not just one.”

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Cruise operator Carnival enjoys revenue rise
The world's largest cruise operator Carnival has raised hopes of a more buoyant year for the industry, as it reported rising first-quarter revenue on the back of growing passenger numbers.
The owner of P&O Cruises said it was able to charge higher prices on its cruise packages, while bookings were also up worldwide, helping revenue up to £2.1bn from £1.93m.
Pre-tax profit of £116.4m came in well below last year's first-quarter figure of £173m, largely due to higher fuel costs on the back of spiking oil prices, but earnings were still ahead of forecasts.
Buoyant: Cruise ship operator Carnival has seen passenger numbers rise
The company delivered an optimistic assessment of its prospects for 2010, saying that a continuing upward trend in bookings would help it beat expectations for second-quarter profit.
Carnival said it would also launch two new cruise liners, the 3,100 passenger liner Azura and a 450-passenger yacht called the Seabourn Sojourn.
The upbeat assessment sent shares in the group soaring 57p to 2,700p, their highest price since February 2007, thanks to the upbeat assessment.
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Arturo Estrella has a message for recession naysayers: It could hit sooner than you think.Marketsread more
It is a rare scenario where long-term interest rates suddenly fall below short-term interest rates.Real Estateread more
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell faces the tough challenge of presenting a unified voice on Fed policy from the most divided Fed in years.Market Insiderread more
Salesforce released its first earnings report since its $15.3 billion acquisition of Tableau Software, the company's largest deal ever.Technologyread more
VMware is following through on its proposal to buy Pivotal, a fellow Dell subsidiary, and expanding into cybersecurity with the acquisition of Carbon Black.Technologyread more
Google says it shut down hundreds of YouTube channels tied to misinformation around the Hong Kong protests.Technologyread more
Investors are rushing to get a piece of its privately held rival Impossible Foods before it goes public, according to the Wall Street Journal.Food & Beverageread more
Weisler has been CEO at the company since 2015 when it split from HPE.Technologyread more
Gap Inc.'s fiscal second-quarter earnings topped analysts' estimates but sales missed. Same-store sales dropped 4% during the period, worse than expected.Retailread more
Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan would like to avoid additional stimulus but is keeping an "open mind."The Fedread more
Overstock CEO Partick Byrne has resigned from the e-commerce company after making comments about his role in the "deep state."Technologyread more
Manufacturing conditions in the region improved slightly in July, but were well below economists' expectations, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said Thursday.
The broadest measure of manufacturing conditions dropped from 15.2 in June to 5.7 in July. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the Philly Fed business index to come in at 12. (Tweet This)
Any reading above zero indicates expansion in the region's manufacturing, which consists of eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.
It is seen as one of the first monthly indicators of the health of U.S. manufacturing, leading up to the national report by the Institute for Supply Management.
"The survey's indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments all remained positive but moderated from their readings in June," the bank said.
The employment index also fell from 3.8 in June to -0.4.
The six-month capex outlook slipped to 7.7 from 8.1 the previous month.
"Bottom line, as seen with the NY survey, manufacturing activity in the Philly region rose modestly. The big jump in June was an anomaly and the July figures gave it back. For US manufacturing as a whole, modest growth also seems like the proper description," Peter Boockvar, chief marker analyst at The Lindsey Group, said in a note.
—Reuters contributed to this report.


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The Oysters – the leading collection of over 20 international tourist boards and convention bureaux – has formed an exclusive marketing partnership with
The partnership will see the two organisations working together on mutually beneficial business development activity within the UK throughout the coming year.
Marie Anne Barthet Brown, Senior Manager M.I.C.E. UK & Ireland, Malta Tourism Authority said: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Meetings Show UK and see the partnership as a very effective way for us to reach senior buyers. We strongly believe that the UK needs a fully hosted show and we are thrilled to be whole heartedly supporting this initiative. We are excited by the prospect of working closely with The Meetings Show UK team for our mutual benefit.”
Steve Knight, Exhibition Director, The Meetings Show UK said: “Both our organisations are focused on attracting and helping the UK meeting, incentive and conference buyer, so the synergy was obvious to both us and their members. The Oysters represent over 20 of the most popular overseas destinations and the partnership reflects our philosophy of supporting our exhibitors and partners on a year round basis.”
As part of the marketing partnership, The Meetings Show UK will be the main sponsor of The Oysters Summer Party being held on 5 July 2012 at One Marylebone, London; The Oyster Networking Event 2012 being held on 18 October 2012 in Macdonald Manchester Hotel and Spa, Manchester and The Oysters Association luncheon taking place on 21 November 2012 in London (venue TBC).
The Meetings Show UK will be a meeting place, market place and education resource for the UK meetings industry when the inaugural show takes place in July 2013. The show was launched as the result of extensive feedback and research throughout the industry and will have 1,500 fully hosted buyers and a total buyer attendance of over 5,000.
#PressReleases #PoweringReputations #PRAgenciesInTheUK #CommunicationsAgency #EventAgency #PR #ProductLaunch #SwindonPR #exhibitionpr #Sustainability #MarketingAgency #PrAgency #TelecomsPR #ScriptWriting #Reputation #ManagingDirector #EventManagement #WiltshirePR #PublicRelations #Baggs #SecurityPR #Marketing #SoaringWorldwide #NewBusiness #video #Exhibitions #PressLaunch #ReputationManagement #media #EventPR #Conferences #MediaRelations #meetings #B2BPR #CopyCreation #SocialMedia #Blogs #conferencePR #branding #Swindon


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KSU helps create pawpaw beer
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The pawpaw fruit has become largely forgotten but Kentucky State University is hoping to change that and it is getting some help from beer-lovers.
A pawpaw is a tropical fruit in the custard apple family but it can be grown in colder climates. In Kentucky, it grows in the wild.
“Pawpaws are native to most of the eastern us,” said Sheri Crabtree with KSU’s land grant program.
KSU has the only, full-time pawpaw research program in the world. It’s part of KSU’s land grand program.
“If you’re familiar with pawpaws in the wild, a lot of times they’re smaller,” said Crabtree. “We’re developing new varieties that have larger fruit, better tasting fruit.”
Some of the new varieties will be used to make a new Kentucky Proud Beer.
Crabtree explains the Kentucky Department of Agriculture contacted her about finding pawpaws to flavor the beer. Crabtree got the KDA connected with a commercial grower and supplied some additional fruit. Monnik Beer Co. of Louisville is brewing the beer.
“It will expose some people to pawpaw who may not have heard of it.”


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Confusion around what sort of borrower checking is required to meet obligations under the Credit Act remains widespread, say lending experts who are calling for the law to be clarified before the buy now, pay later sector is brought under those rules for the first time.
Several submissions to Treasury’s review of buy now, pay later regulation published last week, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s, urged the strictest model for regulation. This would include subjecting those operators to full responsible lending checks under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act.
However, what checks would be required in practice – and what data might be used to satisfy the law – remains uncertain. This is despite the corporate regulator taking Westpac to court in 2017 in the now infamous “wagyu and shiraz” case, which was fought over what were appropriate checks on borrowers’ expenses.
This case, however, did not end up setting a legal precedent that other lenders could rely on.
Several submissions to an inquiry being run by Treasury note that the Albanese government’s desire to regulate the buy now, pay later industry present an opportunity to reset expectations on what sort of checking is appropriate for various types and sizes of loans.
“The existing responsible lending obligations in the Credit Act are sufficient to apply to all lenders – provided the definition of scalability is made clear,” says Kadre, a group of former major bank chief risk officers, in a submission to the Treasury review.
Zip, Humm and Block – which owns Afterpay – will report earnings later this week, as regulatory risk remains a concern for investors.
The credit law, together with regulatory guidance issued by ASIC, is supposed to let lenders determine the inquiries and steps needed to check a customer’s financial situation based on what is reasonable – a concept known as scalability.
Threat to taking on new customers
However, ASIC’s regulatory action against Westpac – which sought to apply a risk measurement algorithm that simplified the process for borrowers with good credit scores – has made Afterpay anxious that it will be required to conduct prescriptive affordability assessments. This would slow down its ability to take on new customers, reducing growth rates, and involve a costly redesign of its technology systems.
Buy now, pay later providers argue a $500 loan paid back in six weeks requires a less detailed check than a $5000 revolving credit card limit – which should be less than a $500,000 mortgage.
Afterpay is wondering whether it could confirm a digital credit score is above a threshold to allow a customer onto the platform; if fuller income and expense checks are required, it is keen for the “open banking” customer data sharing regime to be used to enable ultra-fast checking.
Afterpay, which exported buy now, pay later to the world and is one of Australia’s biggest start-up successes, says its low loss rates and high levels of repeat customers displaying positive repayment behaviour makes credit card-style credit checking unnecessary.
Afterpay told Treasury it was concerned about a “blanket application” of the National Consumer Credit Protection Act for buy now, pay later, saying it “represents a disproportionate and damaging response that is not reflective of the evidence of consumer harm in the BNPL sector”.
“Although some commentators have suggested that the [law] already takes a principles-based approach and applies the concept of scalability in relation to affordability assessments, the application of the NCCP Act would inevitably increase the costs of compliance,” it said.
“Any evolution of the current affordability assessment framework should be carefully calibrated to avoid unintended consequences. We do not believe credit-checking requirements should be mandated for low-cost and low-risk BNPL products that include product-design safeguards.”
An unintended consequence of the hardline model would be reducing the incentive for buy now, pay later providers to use or offer low limits, forcing providers to lift their limits and offer interest-bearing products given the affordability assessment work required, it added.
As Treasury considers the appropriate model for regulating the sector, ASIC is also recognising that responsible lending requirements could be modified for buy now, pay later.
“More thought will be needed on whether there should be different modifications for different types of buy now, pay later models, according to the bespoke model and relative levels of harm that they do or may cause,” the regulator wrote in its submission.
The Australian Banking Association said options for buy now, pay later regulation lacked clarity on how responsible lending obligations would be applied. The banks are also concerned “the inclusion of BNPL in the mandatory comprehensive credit reporting regime has not been adequately considered in the options paper”.
Call to capture all sectors in credit reporting
The reporting regime involves details of credit limits and missed payments being sent by lenders to credit bureaus, which can be used by others to assess credit risk. But because buy now, pay later providers do not participate, banks cannot see whether prospective customers have those debts.
Kadre is also calling for the sector to be brought under comprehensive credit reporting as part of the government’s regulatory response. The group says buy now, pay later regulation cannot be looked at independently of a planned review of the credit reporting framework scheduled for 2024.
In an attempt to codify how the credit laws applied to it, the sector developed its own industry code in 2021. The code allowed buy now, pay later lenders with small initial limits and no revolving credit – like Afterpay – to take on a new customer without checking their financial situation.
Larger players, such as Brighte, which provide large interest-free loans for solar panels, have to conduct a more comprehensive check, similar to a credit card or personal loan. Afterpay, and the Australian Retailers Association, want the government to adopt a strengthened code as the regulatory model.
But if the credit act is applied, Afterpay has called for a “safe harbour” that reflects differences in its model compared to credit cards, and has warned “additional requirements should avoid creating unnecessary regulatory uncertainty”.
Kadre says clarifying the concept of scalability could create a regime that recognises the lower risk of harm to consumers from innovative products, and it warned the cost of credit may increase if confusion remains.
”The perceived compliance requirements and threat of regulator action meant that many lenders took a conservative approach to credit assessment resulting in more complex processes, greater customer friction and higher costs,” Kadre says.
“While these findings from the [ASIC v Westpac] case led to changes to the regulatory guidance, the issue of scalability remains open to interpretation.”
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McDonald's said it will get its pork suppliers to phase out the use of immobilizing cages for pregnant pigs, a move that was applauded by the Humane Society of the United States, but not the pork industry.
McDonald's extreme-green shamrock shake is going nationwide for the first time, the fast food franchise revealed on Wednesday.
They say that food, water, clothing and shelter are the most basic of human needs.
A consumer stock with big exposure to Europe sounds like the worst possible investment imaginable, right? Guess again.
Most job search advice is offered by so-called 'experts' who aren't actually responsible for hiring anyone. But hiring managers at major employers are on the front lines of the job market crisis. They screen thousands of applicants a week and are in a unique position to reveal what job seekers are doing wrong, and what candidates can do to get hired now, even in an ultra-competitive job market.
One woman died and at least eight other people were hospitalized after being exposed to an odor at a McDonald's restaurant in eastern Georgia, a police chief said Thursday.
A new consumer survey has crowned In-N-Out Burger as the nation's fast food favorite, while giving low marks to iconic chains such as McDonald's, Burger King and KFC.
Ronald McDonald, the orange and white face of the popular fast-food chain that bears his name, is under attack by nutrition advocates who want him to be retired.
Two female suspects are facing hate crime charges in the case of an attack on a transgender woman at a Maryland McDonald's last month, the office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore County said Monday.
Forget Atkins, South Beach and Weight Watchers. If you want to lose weight, just follow my patented technique: I call it the cheapskate diet.
We are starved for signs that the economy is picking up. So when McDonald's threw its doors open to hire 50,000 workers nationwide, media networks scrambled to film applicants lining up across the country for that increasingly elusive piece of the American dream -- a job.
Prosecutors in Maryland are weighing whether to bring additional charges against the two suspects who appear to be attacking a transgender woman at a McDonald's in a videotape made by one of the restaurant's employees, officials said Monday.
McDonald's hiring spree is underway. The fast-food chain plans to hire 50,000 workers -- or roughly four people per restaurant -- in a one-day jobs blitz that spans all 50 states.
The contestant is immersing herself in American culture before performing a Brazilian dance
Zipcar shares soared in their market debut Thursday, after the car sharing company's initial public offering raised more money than it had expected.
McDonald's said Monday that it is planning a one-day hiring spree of 50,000 new workers on April 19 for its U.S. restaurants.
Move over, Mickey D's, and bring Ronald McDonald with you -- there's a new fast food king in town.
The worst storm in the history of modern yacht racing was the monster gale that struck the Fastnet race in the summer of 1979. The Fastnet (named after its turnaround point, Ireland's southernmost spot) is one of racing's most prestigious events, and it had attracted more than 300 competitors, including several of the world's most famous and successful boats. Conditions were fine at the starting gun, and while a storm was predicted, not even the best forecasters had imagined how ferocious it would be. At its worst, waves were 50 feet high and winds were 70 mph, devastating many of the boats and terrifying many skippers. Of the 306 yachts in the race, 69 didn't finish, including some of the most exalted competitors; 23 sank or were abandoned. The winner was the brashest of yachting's young disrupters, 40-year-old Ted Turner. His strategy? "We kept going at full speed during the height of the storm," he told an interviewer. But wasn't he afraid? After all, 15 people died. Yes, he said,
Used to be, when you grabbed breakfast on the go, it was a diet disaster: nothing but fat-and-calorie bombs like butter-soaked croissants and jumbo muffins. Now, it's much easier to do right by your body: Fast-food legends like McDonald's and IHOP, as well as newbies like Cosi and Panera Bread, offer surprisingly healthy options that are filling, light, and much easier on your arteries.
U.S. stocks were headed for a flat open Monday, as investors mulled earnings results from McDonald's and Halliburton, with no market-moving economic reports on tap.
McDonald's has long been the darling of Wall Street, posting increases in same-store sales for 30 consecutive quarters since early 2003. Even during the depths of the recession in 2008, same-store sales rose by 6.1%.
As a strong proponent of parental responsibility, it both amuses and angers me to see some parents lining up behind an initiative to sue McDonald's over the inclusion of toys in their Happy Meals.
In November, Dr. Phil McGraw took on the controversy regarding a ban targeting McDonald's Happy Meals in San Francisco.
McDonald's is being sued by a group of consumers and nutrition advocates who want to force the fast food chain to stop using toys to entice children to buy meals they say are unhealthy.
San Francisco, California, Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed Friday the city's ban on most McDonald's Happy Meals with toys.
A new study is revealing just how unhealthy most kids' meals are. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports.
The San Francisco, California, Board of Supervisors on Tuesday banned most McDonald's Happy Meals with toys, as they're now served.
San Francisco city officials are readying to ban most of McDonald's Happy Meals in current form because they offer toys to entice kids to buy meals not meeting nutritional criteria.
U.S. stocks were poised to open slightly lower Monday as investors shift their focus to the global economic picture.
McDonald's Corp.'s third-quarter profit soared 10% to trounce expectations, and shareholders are lovin' it. The fast-food behemoth's stock continued to surge in record territory Thursday, nearing $80 a share.
Last week McDonald's insisted that it wasn't planning to drop the bare-bones health insurance that it offers its hourly employees. But maybe it should -- this is some pretty terrible insurance coverage.
It's not yet clear what Burger King's new owner, the Brazilian-backed private equity firm 3G Capital, has in mind for the troubled No. 2 fast-food chain. But a total strategic revamp is in order.
If you needed any more proof that the economy is slowing down, look no further than how well McDonald's stock is doing.
McDonald's performance over the past couple of years is often characterized as a classic recession success story: Strapped or worried consumers always flock to fast-food joints during hard times, hunting bargains, the theory goes, so of course McDonald's has done well. But while it's certainly true that the company has benefited from the downturn, that's only part of the story, and a relatively small part at that.
A nutrition watchdog group is threatening to sue McDonald's if the fast-food giant won't stop using toys to to lure children to its Happy Meals .
In Shrek Forever After, America's favorite green ogre gives up a day to get one, and then regrets his choice. Perhaps McDonald's -- now facing a $15 million recall of Shrek drinking glasses tainted with a toxic metal -- wishes it had that option as well.
McDonald's is recalling 12 million drinking glasses featuring characters from the "Shrek" movie series because the paint used contains cadmium, which can pose health risks.
In the popular television series "Sex and the City," brunch was often the war room in which the saucy foursome would debrief about their exploits on the battleground of New York's dating scene.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then fast food giant Burger King is paying its longtime industry rival a royal compliment.
It might not be your local diner, or your mom's kitchen, but Subway is making a big bet that it can entice the morning crowd to see egg yolks in the color scheme of its bright yellow sandwich shops.
After thousands of years of civilization, finally India has Crunchwraps.
It was a Tuesday afternoon in late March 2007, and precocious Huntington (W.Va.) High senior O.J. Mayo was sitting in the upper deck of Louisville's Freedom Hall. The McDonald's All-American game was the next night and, while the girls were practicing on the court, Mayo was covering a wide range of topics, including the key reason for his surprise college choice of USC:
McDonald's plans to open 1,000 new restaurants next year and renovate 2,300 existing locations.
Shortly after McDonald's celebrated its 30-year presence in France, the fast-food chain is conquering one of the country's most valued cultural institutions --the Louvre.
Archival video from 1984 shows chaos around a California McDonald's where a man gunned down 21 people.
While the latest headlines from McDonald's may be distinctly American -- its $4 Angus Burger recently debuted with much fanfare -- it's abroad and not at home that McDonald's has been doing its best business during this recession.
For years, hospitals have embodied a paradox.
• After dazzling in an Oscar de la Renta gown on the red carpet at the Berlin International Film Festival, Blake Lively skipped off for a bite to eat with equally dressed-up boyfriend Penn Badgley. The duo left Lively's Private Lives of Pippa Lee premiere to grab a burger at McDonald's in all their finery!
The Venezuelan government's tax body has closed more than 100 McDonald's restaurants in the South American country for two days because of alleged inconsistencies in the fast-food chain's financial books.
Overseas consumers spent more at McDonald's Corp. in August, leading the nation's No. 1 hamburger chain to surprise investors by posting a big rise in global same-store sales
Despite a tough U.S. economy, McDonald's Corp. posted an 8 percent gain in July same-store sales on Friday as hungry consumers worldwide lined up for breakfast items and the classic Big Mac sandwich
The next time you're in Brazil, say, or Italy or Portugal, and feeling like a taste of Americana, stop off at a local McDonald's restaurant and order a Big Tasty burger. As the name suggests, it's a giant sandwich consisting of a 5.5-ounce beef patty slathered in smoky barbecue sauce. Once you include the square-chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and three slices of cheese, it all adds up to a whopping 840 calories.
Don't assume that McDonald's is recession proof simply because it's a cheap place to eat.
McDonald's has begun serving up lattes and chai at its new McCafÉ, while Starbucks is now selling sausage, egg and cheese breakfasts. Is this a turf war?
Stocks inched higher Monday morning, as investors crept back into select areas of the market after last week's rough start to 2008.
Stocks rallied Monday afternoon, led by the financial and housing sectors, as investors welcomed a stronger-than-expected pending home sales report and geared up for Tuesday's expected interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve.
Stock gains accelerated Monday morning, as investors scooped up a variety of issues ahead of Tuesday's expected interest-rate cut from the Federal Reserve.
CNN's Mallika Kapur reports on the impact of high wheat prices which have doubled worldwide in the past two years.
Say what you want about their French fries, McDonald's, the world's largest fast-food chain, is one appetizing investment.
McDonald's Corp. posted a third-quarter profit Friday that met Wall Street estimates, helped by a sales boost in its overseas markets and new menu items, including breakfast offerings and sandwiches.
The Danish furniture maker Fritz Hansen is angry with the fast-food giant for using cheap copies of its chairs
It wasn't so long ago that the McDonald's fast-food empire looked as stale as a burger left under a heat lamp too long.
Blue chips led a broad advance Thursday, as investors eyed upbeat news on GM, McDonald's and Countrywide Financial - and continued to bet that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week.
McDonald's Corp. stock surged to an all-time high Thursday after the fast-food chain announced the largest dividend increase in its history and pledged to return more money to shareholders than Wall Street expected.
Blue chips lead a broader stock advance early Thursday afternoon, as an upgrade of GM and McDonald's improved dividend-tempered concerns about record-high oil prices and a plunging U.S. dollar.
The term "urban farming" may conjure up a community garden where locals grow a few heads of lettuce. But some academics envision something quite different for the increasingly hungry world of the 21st century: a vertical farm that will do for agriculture what the skyscraper did for office space.
Fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. said Tuesday its global same-store sales rose 8.1 percent in August.
There are certain companies everyone expects to top lists of environmentally friendly firms: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Starbucks.
McDonald's Corp. said Wednesday that sales at restaurants open at least 13 months rose 6.5 percent in July, helped by breakfast items in both the United States and Asia.
Given a choice, toddlers say the same food tastes better if it comes out of a McDonald's bag. Nutritionists don't find that such a Happy Meal
McDonald's Corp. said June sales at outlets open at least 13 months rose 8.4 percent, helped by strong breakfast sales in America.
Lasting lessons from business leaders who've gone to the great corner office in the sky.
The burger giant declares war on the definition of 'McJob' as low-paid, dead-end employment. Its first target: the OED
McDonald's is messing with the sacred french fry -- and doing it for our own good.
Fast-food chain McDonald's is testing a bigger high-end Angus burger that costs a little bit more for the extra weight, according to a published report Wednesday.
In a couple of weeks a movie about the evils of fast food will open across the United States. "Fast Food Nation" -- based on the bestseller of the same title by Eric Schlosser -- has an all-star cast and horror tales aplenty about contaminated meat and the tribulations of illegal Mexican slaughterhouse workers.
An NFL coach, his wife and the family's nanny are suing a McDonald's franchisee, alleging they found a dead rat in a salad purchased at his Southlake, Texas, restaurant, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Planning to over-indulge this weekend? Here's how to avoid the worst of it.
McDonald's ranks no. 318 on FORTUNE's Global 500 this year, with $20.5 billion in revenues, up 7.3% from the previous year. The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company was ranked no. 314 on the 2005 list. Its 2005 profits were $2.6 billion, up 14.2% from a year earlier.
Imagine Ronald McDonald munching on soybeans or teaching yoga.
Fast-food companies are experimenting with call center technology in an order to increase speed and sales volume, according to a report published Tuesday.
McDonald's french fries contain one third more trans fat than previously reported, according to a published report.
In a move away from its iconic burgers, McDonald's is looking to new chicken products, coffee and fresh foods such as salads and fruits to help spur sales in 2006 and beyond, the president of McDonald's North America, told a gathering Monday in New York.
If Hollywood wants its films to burn up box offices overseas, it may want to keep the hamburger house McDonald's in mind, according to a study released Monday.
Activist hedge fund manager and McDonald's shareholder Bill Ackman laid out a proposal Tuesday that the fast-food chain restructure its operations and spin off a stake in its restaurants.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would block lawsuits by people who blame fast-food chains for their obesity.
Nintendo game enthusiasts now have a new hangout.
McDonald's may be ordering up a designer makeover for all of its hamburger helpers, a news report said Tuesday.
It was tradition in Russell Rich's family that every Friday night his dad would take the kids to McDonald's.
McDonald's isn't just for burger lovers anymore.
'Would you like a ring tone with that?'
An additional tax on fast-food may be a distasteful idea for whopper-lovers but at least one major city in the Midwest is seriously considering such a proposal.
Watch out Starbucks -- McDonald's could be brewing some trouble with plans to introduce its own specialty coffee.
The Golden Arches hit a golden milestone this week.
It's the American way. Trip and fall, find a fast-talking lawyer and a gullible jury, and you too can sue somebody and get rich. Kind of like that grandma who spilled scalding-hot coffee on herself...
Remember the McDonald's "French fry" shaped like Abraham Lincoln -- the prop for those humorous ads the restaurant chain ran recently?
The British government violated the rights of two vegetarian activists convicted of libeling the U.S. fast food chain McDonald's, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.
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Media headlines about MCBC (NASDAQ:MCFT) have trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment. The research group identifies negative and positive press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. MCBC earned a media sentiment score of 0.24 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the company an impact score of 45.8174714587625 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.
Shares of MCBC (NASDAQ:MCFT) opened at $23.28 on Friday. MCBC has a 12 month low of $13.67 and a 12 month high of $23.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The firm has a market cap of $433.90 and a PE ratio of 20.77.
MCBC (NASDAQ:MCFT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 10th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.40. MCBC had a net margin of 8.43% and a return on equity of 213.34%. The business had revenue of $65.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $62.84 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. equities analysts expect that MCBC will post 1.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
MCBC Holdings, Inc (MCBC) is a holding company. The Company is a designer and manufacturer of inboard tournament ski boats and V-drive runabouts under the MasterCraft brand. The Company operates through two segments: MasterCraft and Hydra-Sports. The MasterCraft product brand consists of recreational performance boats primarily used for water skiing, wakeboarding and wake surfing, and general recreational boating.
Receive News & Ratings for MCBC Holdings Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MCBC Holdings Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


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Lehi, Utah—Logistics technology and consulting firm iDrive Logistics has earned a spot on the Inc. 500/5000 list for the fifth consecutive year. This year, iDrive ranked #739 in the nation for growth and is the top-ranked firm for supply chain analytics and carrier agreement procurement.
“We’re thrilled to be receiving this award for the fifth straight year,” says Founder and CEO Shaun Rothwell. “It’s a great testament to the unity of our team behind a common goal and to our value commitment to our customers and partners.”
iDrive Logistics helps shippers put in place best-in-class small parcel supply chains, which includes deploying supply chain technology tools and procuring stronger carrier agreements with FedEx, UPS and other carriers.
Despite an increasingly saturated market for logistics technology—namely parcel audit and supply chain intelligence software—Rothwell attributes iDrive’s growth to its disruptive approach to carrier agreement procurement.
“We don’t subscribe to the benchmarking standards as our competitors do,” says Rothwell. “Our approach to cost reduction is based on carrier cost model methodology and how each shipper aligns itself with carrier networks, carrier sensitivities and carrier costs. This is really what separates us and shippers have really caught onto these more advanced methods over the past few years.”
In addition to being ranked #739 in the nation on the Inc. 5000, iDrive also ranked as the 16th fastest growing company in the State of Utah, an accolade that Rothwell says he is particularly proud of.
“Utah has earned the moniker ‘Silicon Slopes’ for a reason,” Rothwell noted. “The Salt Lake City-Provo corridor has become the new tech hub, and we’re seeing capital investments and explosive growth that has really out-paced other prominent business geographies,” said Rothwell. “To be ranked 16th in Utah is a proud accomplishment and asserts me some bragging rights over a few of my tech buddies,” Rothwell quipped.
Rothwell believes the key to successful growth lies in long-term value commitment to clients and the resulting retention rates. Rothwell noted that iDrive’s 95% retention rate is perhaps the largest contributor to its sustained growth. He explained that—due to the evolving small parcel landscape—iDrive consistently arms clients with the data, resources and support they need to operate most efficiently over longer periods of time.
“Our relationships are very important to us but not just from a revenue growth standpoint,” said Rothwell. “There’s something to be said about the fulfilling nature of relationships and helping each other accomplish the other’s business objectives. It’s ‘smiles’ all around the conference room and something that provides us with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and personal fulfillment.”
Shippers will have the opportunity to hear from iDrive’s executive team as it hosts the “Advanced Pricing” pod at this month’s Parcel Forum in Nashville, TN. Attendees will hear from peers in B2B and B2C shipping environments and will be provided with a hands-on formula for successful transportation procurement.
To view Shaun Rothwell’s interview with Utah Business Magazine, click here.
For more information, contact Matt Simmons at (385) 336-6132 or firstname.lastname@example.org


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The level of Australian manufacturing activity slowed in March, dropping back after a slight increase in February, according to an industry survey that suggests producers are pinning their hopes on measures in the federal budget to spur consumer spending.
"Some respondents attributed this to a general slowing in the economy while others said their customers are delaying orders until after the federal election," the Ai Group said after releasing its Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index release on Monday.
The survey indicated demand for building-related materials continued to contract last month but manufacturers in the paper, packaging and printed goods sector noted higher than usual demand for this time of year - something that they attributed to forward orders for Easter.
"Metal product manufacturers and businesses in the machinery and equipment and building products sub-sectors fell deeper into the red as drought and the slump in the construction sector continued to flow through supply chains," Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said.
The sector trend reading for building materials, which includes products such as glass, bricks, cement, tiles, timber and furniture, fell 2.5 points to 44.7 points in March - below the 50-point mark separating expansion and contraction in activity.
"With new orders flat, manufacturers will be looking to tomorrow's budget for a boost in business and consumer confidence," Mr Willox said.


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Thanks to a browser add-on, Firefox users can now see how their information is sent to Google severs when they visit a web page. Called Google Alarm, the add-on displays a red warning message in the top-right corner of the browser window while blaring an extremely annoying siren.
"Even outside Gmail and YouTube you are constantly sending information to Google through their vast network of tracking bugs: Google Analytics, Google AdSense, YouTube embeds, API calls.. all of this data [can] be used to monitor & track your personal web browsing habits," said the add-on's developer, Jamie Wilkinson.
When visiting a web page, the add-on will present various data depending on the amount of Google-linked code. After installation, one particular website statistic indicated that (currently) 53 of 71 websites visited (74.6-percent) have used Google tracking tools. Separate notifications indicated that the current hardware website in question was shown to use both Google Analytics and Google AdSense (as seen in the screenshot to the right).
Additional testing with other related websites yielded similar results.
In addition to Analytics and AdSense, the add-on will also reveal if the website is actually hosted by Google or features an embedded YouTube video. For Firefox users who can't deal with the noise, Wilkinson also provides a siren-free version--ideal for a work environment.
Don't use Firefox? Chrome and Safari extensions are also available to install.


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August 11th 2014
ICSA president Patrick Kent has warned processors that the Russian ban on imports cannot justify any price cuts for beef.
“The reality is that the export ban will have minimal impact on Irish exports. To a large extent, the ban impacts most on east European countries and primarily affects pigmeat and dairy products. Farmers need to take a tougher line on beef price as the beef throughput remains under 30,000 a week and the reality is that beef supplies are likely to tighten in the medium term.”


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Websites that feature too much text and slow-to-load large files can hurt a company’s online reputation, according to a leading New York website design firm.
Online PR News – 29-September-2009 – New York, New York – According to Peter Crisafi, Vice President of dzine it, Inc., (www.dzineit.net) a Manhattan website design firm that specializes in website development and search engine optimization, excessive text, large image files, and static website content can really take a toll on a website, as well as on the reputation of the business it represents.
“By its very nature, the Internet is a place of rapid change and growth,” says Crisafi, “and savvy users recognize that. So, it is imperative that a company’s website is designed to meet the expectation of the customers it hopes to serve.”
One of the biggest problems that Crisafi says that he and the professional staff at dzine it see as more business owners turn to the Internet to boost business, is that they have the common misconception that more text means better visibility.
“When it comes to using text on a website, less is more,” says Crisafi. “Having more text will not increase your search engine rank but having too much will certainly hurt your business because users want answers and results immediately, without having to sift through a lot of information.”
Another mistake that some businesses and their designers will make, Crisafi says, is the overuse of large files, including image files that take too long to load.
“Pictures are great,” says Crisafi, “and so are dynamic components such as Flash. In fact, dynamic components are essential to avoid pages that are too static. The key, however, is to be sure that the website loads quickly because if it doesn’t, potential customers won’t stick around for very long. A good balance is necessary.”
Established in 2003, dzine it, inc. is a New York website development, web programming and design solutions for small and large business, agencies. The company offers a wide range of business-centered visual communication solutions, including web-based content management, web design, graphic design, custom web software applications, ethical white hat search engine optimization (Organic SEO), Video Encoding, and print media solutions. For more information, call 718.336.2660 or visit www.dzineit.net.
Custom web programming, software application development award winning website design [dzine it]


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Fundstrat projects $36K bitcoin by the end of 2019
Based on the cost to mine bitcoin, Fundstrat predicts the original cryptocurrency will rise to at least $20,000 apiece and as much as $64,000 by year’s end in 2019.
The market research firm recently highlighted an analysis of the relationship between the price of bitcoin and the breakeven cost for bitcoin miners, and the results produce a middle-of-the-road estimate of $36,000 for the year-end 2019 bitcoin price. Furthermore, the range determined by Fundstrat Global Advisors puts a floor on bitcoin at $20,000 – more than twice its current price – and a ceiling of $64,000 – which provides a potential upside of seven times the current price.
“We believe that the bitcoin price to mining breakeven cost metric (P/BE) provides an important support level,” the white paper’s executive summary reads.
To date, the price has averaged 1.8 times the P/BE multiple, though Fundstrat acknowledged that “a material shift in the trajectory of hash power could change the P/BE support level of BTC price”.
This isn’t the first analysis and bitcoin price prediction put forth by Fundstrat, either. In February, Fundstrat Co-Founder Thomas J. Lee promoted a valuation based on bitcoin’s potential share of the alternative money supply that supported a 2022 value of $125,000 per coin.
The company has also kept its finger on the pulse of institutional investors, and a recent survey of them found that most (82%) believe the four-month bitcoin price crash has bottomed, with the vast majority thinking bitcoin will grow its value to $20,000 or $30,000 this year. Notably, a sizeable proportion (40%) thinks bitcoin could reach John McAfee’s $1 million mark by the end of 2020.
Learn more about the many factors that could influence the price of bitcoin this year and beyond in our bitcoin price prediction guide. And to get a better grasp on how bitcoin mining works, check out that guide too.
Disclosure: At the time of writing, the author holds DRGN.
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UK To Enter Into Free Trade Agreement With India Soon
Despite the mayhem that the second wave has created for India, the UK is serious about doing business with the country. According to an official statement made by the UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss, Britain wants a trade deal with India that pushes new frontiers and welcomes wide input from consumers and businesses across all sectors. There is going to be more focus on “future-focused industries”. These include science, technology and services, creating high-value jobs across the country.
The Free Trade Agreement deal is on for India with the UK. The 10 Downing Street is already working towards launching a 14-week consultation to seek the views of the public and business before formal negotiations begin later this year.
In her statement to the media, Ms. Truss accepted the mammoth population and possibilities of profitable business that India brings to the UK and vice-versa. After the Brexit came through, the UK has been carefully making its investments and expanding its trade horizons. Australia and India are its most promising alliances since 2020.
The UK sees India has a formidable market for its cars, whiskey and services. UK is also seeking to build business models with its green initiative closely in mind. As a part of its Free Trade Agreement, the UK government is going to offer India attractive waivers of on tariffs like up to 150 per cent on whisky and 125 per cent on British-made cars.
The 14 day consultation is being done in tandem with India’s Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Baroness Usha Prashar, Chair of the FICCI UK Council has accepted that there is urgency in the heart of British movement; and this is good news for India.
The UK market is clearly focusing its attention towards the growing middle-class market of India where the youth has the purchasing power and desire for the best to be owned. The public consultation, which runs through to August 31 will include a questionnaire to gather information from participants about their experiences and priorities when doing business with India.
The consultation follows the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) agreed at the virtual meeting between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 4, where they launched a “2030 Roadmap” as a framework for UK-India relations over the next decade.


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The team behind building set company Click-A-Brick says they are pleased to see Amazon has started Amazon Launchpad, a storefront that focuses on products from startup companies and products that got their start on crowdfunding platforms.
Amazon Launchpad, which the online retailer began in late July, makes it simple for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to Amazon shoppers. Companies that participate in Amazon Launchpad benefit from an onboarding process that has been streamlined for them to get started as quickly and effortlessly as possible, customized product pages, a comprehensive marketing package, access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network and branding support.
Products on Amazon Launchpad include toys, health, beauty, food, home care and electronic gadgets.
“As the pace of innovation continues to increase within the startup community, we want to help customers discover these unique products and learn the inspiration behind them,” Amazon vice president Jim Adkins said in a news release. “We also know from talking to startups that bringing a new product to market successfully can be just as challenging as building it.
Amazon Launchpad gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of innovative new products from emerging brands.”
This is welcome news to the team at Click-A-Brick. While its building set toys are selling well now, it wasn’t long ago that the young company was just trying to establish itself on Amazon and get its products to a wider audience. Co-Founders Jason Smith and Georg de Gorostiza say they expect Amazon Launchpad to lead to more innovative products, as the cost of developing and launching new products continues to drop.
“We are happy to see anything that facilitates innovation, particularly when it comes to toys,” Smith said. “As a young company ourselves, it’s nice to see this kind of aid being offered by a powerhouse like Amazon to help new startups get their products to customers. It’s not always easy getting a new product off the ground. Even if a company has strong backing on a crowdfunding site and its products are really great, actually putting them in the hands of customers is not always an easy task. Amazon is making this process easier for startups and anything that makes this process easier and allows companies to concentrate more on innovation and coming up with new, amazing products is a good thing.”
Amazon has dedicated itself to helping startup companies prior to starting Amazon Launchpad. In March of this year, Amazon started Amazon Exclusives for what it described as up-and-coming companies to sell products exclusively on Amazon or on their own websites.
For more information about us, please visit http://www.clickabricktoys.net


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Tags: chief financial officer (cfo)
DSV announces plans for Panalpina headquarters and continued presence in Basel, as integration progresses
The DSV Panalpina Group has informed employees at the former Panalpina headquarters in Basel about its plans for the location. As part of the integration, overlapping corporate functions and positions will either be cut or relocated to the headquarters in Denmark, which could result in up to 165 job losses. At the same time, the company intends to expand its logistical footprint in the Basel area.
Another hat-trick for DSV: Best CEO, CFO and Chairman for the second year in a row
Kurt Larsen, Chairman of DSV’s Board of Directors, is the best Chairman in Denmark according to a new rating. He joins CEO Jens Bjørn Andersen and CFO Jens Lund as best in class, making it yet another triple win for DSV.
Annual General Meeting 2019
Malou Aamund was elected new member of the Board of Directors at DSV’s Annual General Meeting.
Panalpina successfully issues a CHF 150 million bond
Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd today successfully placed a CHF 150 million debut bond in the Swiss capital market.
Panalpina increases group profitability
In the first nine months of 2018, Panalpina increased group profitability compared to the same period of last year. From January to September, gross profit increased from CHF 1,024.8 million to CHF 1,116.2 million. Year-on-year, Panalpina’s EBIT increased from CHF 72.1 million to CHF 83.2 million and the consolidated profit increased from CHF 48.4 million to CHF 51.0 million.
Double-digit profitability growth for Panalpina
Panalpina recorded a sound first half-year 2018 with sustained margins and double-digit profitability growth across the board. From January to June 2018, Panalpina increased EBIT from CHF 42.0 million to CHF 54.7 million and consolidated profit from CHF 29.9 million to CHF 36.1 million.
Panalpina improves profitability
In the first three months of 2018, international freight forwarding and logistics company Panalpina improved profitability compared to the same period of last year. Panalpina reported an EBIT of CHF 24.4 million (YTD 2017: CHF 16.4 million) and a consolidated profit of CHF 16.6 million (YTD 2017: CHF 12.4 million).
Group profitability continues to increase in 2017
In the first nine months of 2017, Panalpina grew volumes in both Air and Ocean Freight compared to the same period of last year. As the year progressed, group gross profit as well as EBIT increased with every quarter. Year-on-year, Panalpina’s reported EBIT increased from CHF 67.5 million to CHF 72.1 million and the reported consolidated profit increased from CHF 46.5 million to CHF 48.4 million.
Increased volumes and higher reported profits
Panalpina recorded robust volume growth in both Air and Ocean Freight in the first half-year of 2017. As higher freight rates and margin pressure persisted, Panalpina increased its reported EBIT from 34.7 million (adjusted half-year 2016: CHF 60.8 million) to CHF 42.0 million and the reported consolidated profit from CHF 21.8 million (adjusted HY 2016: 47.9 million) to CHF 29.9 million.
Panalpina reports higher volumes as margins remained under pressure
Financial results for the first quarter 2017 came in below the previous-year period for Panalpina. The company reported an EBIT of CHF 16.4 million (Q1 2016: CHF 24.0 million) and a consolidated profit of CHF 12.4 million (Q1 2016: CHF 17.3 million). Panalpina outperformed the air and ocean freight markets in terms of volume growth as margins remained under pressure.
Panalpina reports higher volumes and reduced profit for 2016
While Panalpina recorded the highest Air Freight volumes since 2007, gross profit margins in both Air and Ocean Freight came under pressure in 2016. This resulted in lower full-year earnings for the international freight forwarding and logistics company. Adjusted for restructuring expenses of CHF 28 million, EBIT reached CHF 109.9 million and consolidated profit CHF 80.2 million in 2016.
Stable profits in a challenging market environment
In the first nine months of 2016, Panalpina recorded a slight increase of EBIT and consolidated profit (adjusted for one-offs). EBIT reached CHF 93.6 million and the consolidated profit CHF 72.6 million. Against the backdrop of receding markets in air and ocean freight, volumes increased by 9% in Air Freight but decreased by 9% in Ocean Freight. Logistics continued positively on the EBIT level.
Switching to growth
At the Capital Markets Day 2016 in Amsterdam, the company's senior management demonstrated how Panalpina has taken risk out of the business and laid the foundations for future growth. Growth was the main theme of the afternoon presentations. Four deep-dive sessions focused on “Ocean Freight and Productivity”, “Sales Growth”, “Air Freight and Perishables” as well as “Logistics and Innovation”.
Organic growth offsets contracting oil and gas business
In the first half of 2016, Panalpina demonstrated that it can compensate for contracting oil and gas business with organic growth in other sectors even as air and ocean freight markets declined. Adjusted for an oil and gas related restructuring provision, EBIT remained stable at CHF 60.8 million and consolidated profit increased slightly to CHF 47.9 million for the first six months of the year.
Panalpina counters contracting oil and gas business
Panalpina preserved profitability in the first quarter of 2016 despite the continued contraction of the global oil and gas business. The company reported an EBIT of CHF 24.0 million and a consolidated profit of CHF 17.3 million. In a continuously soft market, transport volumes grew in Air Freight but decreased in Ocean Freight. Logistics reported the fifth positive quarter on EBIT level.
Panalpina demonstrates high resilience in 2015
In the year 2015, Panalpina's EBIT reached CHF 117.2 million (currency adjusted: CHF 134.2 million or +15.0%) and consolidated profit CHF 88.2 million (currency adjusted: CHF 100.6 million or +16.3%). While volumes in Air Freight and Ocean Freight dropped slightly below previous year levels, Logistics achieved the first positive EBIT result for the full year.


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Golf clubs and horse saddles are set for tax breaks in Indonesia as the government revises the definition of luxury goods to boost consumer spending.
Other items previously classed as luxuries, including branded bags and fishing rods as well as more everyday items such as microwaves and washing machines, will also be exempt from a luxury sales tax starting next week, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.
The measures are aimed at boosting the household spending that makes up more than half of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. President Joko Widodo has pledged to spur growth from its slowest in five years and reduce inequality, with policy makers having announced plans to halve some micro lending rates, loosen loan rules for mortgages and cut corporate tax.
“The downgrade of still typically elitist items such as riding saddles and golf clubs might be deemed premature,” said Wellian Wiranto, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore. “Overall this move alone is not going to present the government with a hole in one in their quest to support consumption growth.”
The economy expanded 4.71 percent in the first quarter, the least since 2009. A government growth target of 5.7 percent for this year might be difficult to achieve, Brodjonegoro said this week.
The change in luxury tax could end up costing the government up to 900 billion rupiah in lost revenue, said Sigit Priadi Pramudito, the finance ministry’s tax director general. Luxury goods are taxed between 10 percent and 200 percent, with saddles at 40 percent and golf clubs at 50 percent.
The government wants to lift tax revenue by about 30 percent this year, yet as of May it had achieved 29 percent of its full-year target, according to the finance ministry.
The government will also expand tax allowances for companies in priority industries in some provinces, especially outside Java, and for companies making large investments, Brodjonegoro said.
Policy makers are over-emphasizing supply-side measures as domestic demand slows, and need to be more realistic about setting targets instead of making policies that are not well prepared and jeopardize credibility, said Eric Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered Plc. in Jakarta.
“If the government only provides tax incentives for the rich, this will only have limited impact on the aggregate demand,” said Sugandi. “The government should do a combo strategy: supply-side incentives and demand-side stimulus.”


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Global digital media consultancy US Web/ CKS is launching a new name and identity following its merger with technology group Whittman Hart. The group has been renamed March First.com, and appointed Rachel Clare from CKS to head its expanding creative team in London. The group is still pursuing its plan of acquiring a UK Web design group to aid expansion, according to US Web/ CKS managing partner Andrew Jurczynski (DW 4 February).
Pentagram partner Marina Willer’s team has created an overarching visual system for literary event, Hay Festival, and its many global offshoots and projects, in a bid to bring clarity to
No, No, No, No, Yes editor, David Dunn, tells us what he has learned about creating a winning book cover.
The Welsh political party has suggested it may be changing its name to the New Wales Party, in a bid to be more “inclusive”, particularly towards non-Welsh speakers. We look
The online streaming service will work on a range of screens, from TVs to tablets, and will let players switch from watching games on YouTube to playing them instantly.


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Venture Capital: The Futuristic Call That Strapped the TSLA Stock To A Booster Rocket
TSLA’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) chart below is now the stuff of Tesla and Musk folklore.
Stock market aficionados describe the Tesla chart in various degrees of hyperbole:
“Insane. Parabolic. Bubble-Bubble. It’s freaking off-the-charts.
Shades of BTC in 2017.”
Whatever the description for the chart and TSLA’s price action, it’s worthwhile to look at the catalyst that sent the stock soaring over 40% higher in the last two trading sessions.
The $7,000 price target on Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) by ARK Invest
Over its 40 years of experience investment manager ARK Invest has focused on “disruptive innovation.”
“We aim to identify large-scale investment opportunities in the public markets resulting from technological innovations centered around genome sequencing, robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and energy storage,” ARK says on its website.
ARK’s “disruptive innovation” is the introduction of a technologically enabled product or service that transforms economic activity by creating simplicity and accessibility while driving down costs.
ARK weighed in with a call on Tesla earlier this week. It said the EV maker would disrupt and transform global transport and that its shares would skyrocket to a “base case” scenario of $7,000 by 2024. That translates to a market value of $1.3 trillion.
However, at either end of the base case is a “best case” target of $15,000 and a “worst-case” of $1,500.
ARK Invest says TSLA is a no-brainer
Catherine Wood, the chief investment officer of ARK Invest, says buying Tesla shares is a “no-brainer,” as she expects the price of an electric vehicle will fall below that of like-for-like gas-powered vehicles within two years and continue to decline after that.
Therefore, EVs would end up commanding a third of total car sales within the next five years with Tesla dominating the market.
The extraordinarily bullish call from ARK ignited the stock price. It pushed short sellers to cover at higher and higher levels. Therefore, there was likely capitulation when it went north of $900.
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ORLANDO, Fla. – (June 16, 2020) Technisch Creative is pleased to announce our Premier Partnership on the Together Again Expo on July 24, 2020, an event organized by Alliance Nationwide Exposition at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). This industry event is designed to provide a forum on how live events can safely move forward and get back to business as Florida enters Phase 2 of the COVID-19 recovery.
Together Again Expo will offer attendees and suppliers the opportunity to learn about new industry best practices and will provide strategies and tools on how safely and responsibly to re-open live events, conventions, and trade shows. This event is open to all event professionals and suppliers. A live stream by Technisch Creative including an educational component will also be offered in conjunction with the Together Again Expo.
The expo will include presentations from a Main Stage that will be live streamed to virtual attendees. A product showcase will also be featured with select exhibitors to showcase new innovative health and safety products and services for the industry. Attendees will be able to explore a Restaurant Row Pavilion, Hotel Pavilion, Safety Services Pavilion and General Event Services Pavilion.
“As leaders in the exposition industry, it is our responsibility to provide our customers and stakeholders a vision for the future,” said Alliance Nationwide Exposition CEO Mark Yuska. “Expositions are vital to the business community and the U.S. economy at large. Together Again Expo seeks to advance these interests while promoting hope and safety.”
All 10×10 booths are available complimentary for exhibitors and enhanced sponsorship opportunities are available for 20×20 booths and larger. Event industry professionals will receive complimentary registration and are encouraged to participate in any capacity.
The live event and expo hopes to bring event professionals to the OCCC in-person and virtually. Meeting and event professionals and suppliers can register at www.togetheragainexpo.com.


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During a recent interview with Autocar, Jean-Philippe Imparato, head of Alfa Romeo, spoke about how the next-gen Giulia and how the demand for sedans is changing. While premium sedans, such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A4, are still successful, customers are beginning to desire alternatives more and more. Cars like BMW’s Gran Coupe models and Audi’s Sportback models are becoming increasingly popular, which is why Imparato is considering an additional body style for the upcoming Giulia.
“I don’t want to give up on the sedan [saloon] market,” Imparato told Autocar. “It’s in Alfa’s DNA to have a sporty sedan. But I also acknowledge that there were many suggestions that there should be a station wagon version of the Giulia. Maybe there’s a tipping point between the sedan and the station wagon. With a new Giulia, maybe we can have the best of both worlds.”
That certainly sounds like he’s considering either a wagon or some sort of Gran Coupe-like hatchback. However, it’s said Imparato has already given head designer Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos a proposal for a car similar to the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake.
Then there’s the knowledge that Alfa is looking to massively increase its electric vehicles efforts by 2025 and will likely offer a fully-electric Giulia variant. Can you imagine an all-electric Alfa Romeo Giulia wagon with similarly gorgeous styling as the current car and, hopefully, similar driving dynamics?


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Despite the fact that its release is fairly imminent, Microsoft is now encouraging inside users to uninstall Windows 11 and reinstall Windows 10.
Windows 11 should be with us by October 5, after which you will be able to buy new systems with Windows 11 pre-installed, or install it yourself if your PC can support it.
However, it was recently revealed on Twitter that some messages have been sent by testers showing that Windows 11 wouldn’t run on hardware that doesn’t meet the new requirements for the OS, on both the Dev and Beta channels.
The Inside Program was a way to get Windows 11 on top PCs that do not have supported hardware. However, Microsoft did say that users will no longer receive preview builds once Windows 11 is officially launched.
It also seems that if you were to ignore the update messages, your PC will stop receiving further updates for the operating system, which is what happened to users who had non-compatible PCs and chose to upgrade to Windows 11 via the Windows Media Creation Tool.
The hardware requirements for Windows 11 is a little convoluted, with the recent update to the Windows 11 minimum requirements including 7th-gen Intel Core X-Series and Xeon W-Series processors.
This does limit the number of users who will be able to install and use Windows 11 however, and Microsoft is now in the process of rolling out an updated Health Check app that will allow users to check if their PC will be able to run Windows 11.
There is still confusion about the October rollout, though Microsoft is now saying that anyone who owns a PC that can’t upgrade should stick with Windows 10, which will continue to be supported until 14 October 2025 so people have four years to upgrade to a newer PC if they need to.
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The post Microsoft is telling some Windows 11 Insiders to reinstall Windows 10 appeared first on Trusted Reviews.


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Honda was fifth in automobile production in Japan and many auto executives in Japan thought Honda would stumble in America. But it established a beachhead that grew to include suppliers and engine, transmission and car plants in Ohio, Indiana, Alabama and Canada.
Jeff LaRoche, a 29-year veteran at Marysville, remembers pre-shift calisthenics and a lot more Japanese colleagues.
"We came in thinking we had a lot to prove. 'Could a bunch of farmers do it and prove we were as good as the Big Three, who had second and third generations of workers?' " LaRoche said.
They exercised to the theme of the "Magnum P.I." TV series.
"It looked pretty cool, like an army ready to build cars," LaRoche said.
The automaking aerobics are long gone and there are few Japanese colleagues today, but the melding of cultures remains.
"We view this as our company," said Rob Lee, a welding manager at Marysville with 29 years' experience. "We feel like we're separate. We're Americans, but there is a sense of pride being Honda."
John Spoltman, manager of the Anna Engine Plant, said the population of Marysville has more than doubled to 22,000 since 1982.
"We didn't want to overwhelm the area," Spoltman said. "We took pains to change truck routes out of courtesy to neighbors, who would have had headlights in their windows at all hours."
Nearby Highway 33 has gone from a two-lane road to what locals call the "Hondabahn."
"We don't look at whether we are a Japanese or American company," said Marysville plant manager Jeff Tomko. "The combination of Japanese culture, U.S. aggressive style, rural manufacturing and a hard work ethic has made it a success."
Honda was able to launch new models seamlessly back when Big Three plants had to be idled for months to retool.
"The Japanese couldn't build a plant for every model like GM. They had to build it all under one roof," Cole said.
The quick changeovers took stress off dealers who could sell down the outgoing models without deep discounts, and they received new models in quantities that allowed the sticker price to be close to the selling price.
"It was a game changer," said Tomko. "Folks wondered how we could do it and how we could do multiple models on one line. But in Japan, the mind-set is small is smart."
Employees grew with the plant.
Lee was 22 when he left a machine shop job in 1983 for Honda and an extra 15 cents an hour.
"The rumor was it was a good place to work. I was scared to death. I had never been exposed to an assembly line before and was worried about keeping up with the line speed." He lost almost 15 pounds and was sore the first few weeks, but he's still there 29 years later.
Monte Dyke is an engineer in the paint shop with 29 years of service.
"I was a snot-nosed kid from a local farm. It was a bit scary," Dyke said, especially the manual spot welding. "I got used to the manufacturing flow and routine and gained confidence. I was proud of what we did."
After 30 years, Marysville started building the ninth-generation 2013 Accord on Aug. 20, with new engines and transmissions from nearby factories.
The East Liberty plant makes the Honda CR-V and Acura RDX.
Marysville represents a$4-billion investment to date. About 4,800 workers make 1,760 Accords and Acura TLs a day.
Anna is Honda's largest engine plant with 2,600 workers and 80 assembly lines snaking across 2 million square feet, which insiders nicknamed "Disneyland for engineers." Within this mini industrial city, Honda workers melt scrap material in foundries and do stamping, casting, machining and engine assembly. Anna will make the engine for the new NSX due about 2015. It will be almost a hand-built engine on a separate, showcase line, Spoltman said. Working on it will be a reward for the workers who get the assignment. More details, including the location of the plant to make the NSX in Ohio, are expected to be revealed later in November.
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There are some industries where sitting in front of a computer can be more of a hinderance, than a help. The catering industry is one of them. Everything from bookings, orderings, stocktaking, website management, employee management, property management, equipment maintenance and more can now, largely, be done with greater ease thanks to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Payments have been transformed, especially for mobile caterers, thanks to new services and hardware from companies like Square, iZettle and PayPal. These services are able to lower the cost of enabling card and mobile payments, whilst also speeding up the time it takes to process. Other solutions have also helped to turn devices like the iPad into smart tills for the front of house, which in many cases are cheaper than traditional systems.
Elsewhere, the delivery industry has undergone an Uber like transformation thanks to the rise of apps like Just Eat, Hungry House and Deliveroo, the latter of which has just earned $100 million to help it expand, indicating the potential for such services. These apps led to the UK take-away industry contributing an estimated £9 billion to the UK economy in 2014, according to Just Eat and economic analysts at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).
It’s not just the takeaway industry. For a number of years, services which started off as websites and then became highly popular apps like OpenTable, FourSquare, Tripadvisor and mapping apps have also contributed to increases in restaurant bookings and takings. According to Bookatable, 40% of online bookings are made on a phone or tablet
For customers, it’s never been easier to find, order or pay for food.
Key to the success of apps and mobile within the catering industry has been the impact it has on improving the process for both businesses and end customers; yet much of the industry is still underserved by mobile. At the front end, apps are revolutionising the way in which catering and hospitality is done, yet at the backend with operations, traditional providers of software for caterers are dragging their heals.
Chief among them is the corporate catering industry, which still largely relies on PCs, paper and pen. As these companies continue to diversify to offer more property management services, and meet demands for fresh, healthy food without increasing costs dramatically, they need to work more efficiently and intelligently.
Corporate catering companies often run a vast array of sites for different corporate clients. Delivering enhanced productivity and efficiencies across their sites, ensuring that health and safety checks are carried out properly and operations run smoothly is a key challenge that mobile can solve.
There is a huge opportunity in this space for companies to drive improvements to their operations and deliver their customers with a better overall service. We are already seeing a rise of challengers to this space, though services which are already delivering fresh food into businesses, which are driven by mobile.
Outside of core operations, ensuring that food remains fresh and that orders can be processed quickly, mobile has the potential to further lower costs and wastage by delivering important intelligence where it’s needed.
Whilst it’s promising that so much of the industry has seen the benefit that mobile can bring, there’s still a large part of it that will benefit from mobilisation.
In addition to the corporate catering industry, back of house operations could also benefit from their ‘Just Eat’ moment. By focusing on operations and what is happening at the backend, across the entire catering industry food chain, improvements can help to deliver lower overall costs through improved customer service, improved operational efficiencies and less waste.
Mobilisation is really about helping to solve some of the challenges that end users have. For customers, many of these challenges have been solved, so now is the time to focus on internal operations and focus on other sides of the catering industry. The technology is now at the point where it is relatively cheap and easy to drive innovation into this space.
Apps are key to this, but it requires companies to try to see where the bottlenecks are in their operations and be the leaders in innovation and transformation to deliver benefits.


text: EDWARDSVILLE \u2014 St. Andrew\u2019s Book Fair will hold a Summer Outdoor Clearance Sale Friday and Saturday, July 2-3, on the grounds behind the church and in Pearson Hall. July 2 hours are 4-8 p.m. July 3 hours are 8 a.m. to noon. St. Andrew\u2019s Episcopal Church is at 406 Hillsboro in Edwardsville. In case of rain, it will be held in the Pearson Hall, the church\u2019s parish hall. All books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, and games at the clearance sale are priced at 50\u00a2 each. Payment is by cash or check. During the past year, St. Andrew\u2019s Book Fair had to limit the number of patrons allowed at each sale, but the number of donations increased as people spent more time at home and did some serious house cleaning. This sale will have many new books as well as titles previously offered for sale \u2014 good books that just haven\u2019t found the right owner yet. The church currently has thousands of books that do not fit on the regular sales floor. For more details call 618-656-1294.