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Mughal Iron & Steel Industries Limited (Mughal Steel), principal activity is manufacturing and trading of mild steel products. The management announced its financial results for the half year closed December 31, 2017, where the financial experts of the company recorded that the sales revenue of the company grew from Rs. 8,683.993 million to Rs. 11,184.902 million as against to the same period previous year.
Rise in sales revenue was chiefly because of significant rise in sale of Mughal Supreme along with rise in sale of steel bars (Grade-60) also. Increase in sale was also complimented by increase in sale prices. It is also said that Mughal Steel has been building the foundations of Pakistan since its inception and has a depth of technical and managerial expertise carefully nurtured.
Mughal Steel works with passion and expertise to develop high-quality products and intelligent industrial processes that create maintainable infrastructures and promote efficient use of resources. The financial experts also recorded that consequently gross margin also grew from Rs. 870.767 million to Rs. 1,426.900 million in the period under review. As a percentage gross margin grew from 10.03 to 12.76 percent. Gross margin chiefly grew because of rise in sales rates, consumption of low cost scrap inventory and rise in production of self-manufactured billets. Distribution & marketing costs grew by 116.08 percent, which is directly attributable with marketing and promotional expenses incurred in respect of Mughal Supreme and freight expenses incurred in respect of sale of steel bars. In the financial report of the company, it is also calculated that administrative expenses also grew by 33.89 percent as against to the same period previous year. Increase was primarily because of rise in salaries. Finance costs grew by 127.51 percent, which is directly attributable with grow in short-term borrowings as against to the same period under review.
Mughal Steel has also managed to obtain sanction and technical clearance for extension of existing grid station load from 19.99 to 59.99MW from LESCO. The extension of grid station is predicted to be completely operational by the 3rd quarter of calendar year 2018. Although, the company recorded an after tax profit of Rs. 620.427 million as against to Rs. 474.226 million in the corresponding period previous year. Furthermore, earnings per share (EPS) for the period reached at Rs 2.47 as against to EPS of Rs. 2.02 in the same period. In awake of the upcoming tremendous growth predicted in steel sector because of demand from retail and infrastructural side, sustainability of the Mughal Iron & Steel Industries’ operations are precisely dependent on growing in-house melting production and eventually operating as a vertically integrated unit.
The financial experts have also recorded that the balance sheet footing reached at Rs. 15,777.930 million as of December 31, 2017, against to Rs. 16,023.727 million as of June 30, 2017. Breakup value per share rose to Rs. 28.25 as of December 31, 2017 from Rs. 26.38 as at June 30, 2017. Stock-in-trade comprised of raw material and finished goods. Raw material in hand amounted to Rs. 4,897.900 million and included Rs. 1,231.215 million on account of Raw material in transit. Trade debts amounted to Rs. 1,282.106 million as against to Rs. 1,347.038 in same period previous year. However, all the balances are considered good.
The company urged that the short-term investments grew from Rs. 305.664 million to Rs. 611.612 million and mainly explained unutilized funds grew from right issue. Cash and Bank Balances amounted to Rs. 1,115.109 million as against to Rs. 2,033.228 the same period previous year. The fall is mainly because of utilization of right issue proceeds.
World Steel Association stated that the world crude steel production stood 1,691.2 million ton for the year 2017, up by 5.3 percent as against to 2016. Crude steel production grew in all regions in 2017 except in the CIS. In Pakistan, steel sector is constantly expanding, with the current demand exceeding the available production, and it is predicted to rise more due to inauguration of mega development schemes and power projects under CPEC. No doubt, Mughal Steel makes a wide range of steel products mostly catering the construction industry both in retail & infrastructure market.


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Apple has just made its rivals disappear – at least in its own retail store. As reported by Bloomberg, the company has abruptly ceased sales of audio products from Bose, Logitech and Sonos, including Bose's popular noise-canceling headphones, which would almost certainly be a direct competitor to the headphones Apple has repeatedly claimed to be ready to announce sometime this year.
If you're looking for a product like the Logtech Ultimate Ears Megaboom speaker or these Bose headphones, you get the following messages instead:
However, Google's cache shows that these products were only on sale in mid-September, if not more recently. Here are some examples from September 15th:
As a result of the move, the “Headphones and Speakers” product page of the Apple Store now consists exclusively of Apple-owned devices, with no competing manufacturers to be found. And Bloomberg reports that Apple employees have been instructed to remove these products from store shelves as well.
Bose and Logitech confirmed to Bloomberg that Apple will no longer sell their audio products.
It's not the first time Bose products have disappeared from the Apple Store, and the last time was pretty short, but it's now a bigger blow to Bose – the company no longer has its own competing stores in malls around the world have relied, at least in part, on Apple's stores to fill that role. Logitech still sells all kinds of other accessories, including keyboards and cameras, in the Apple Store, but Bose and Sonos don't have any other categories.
So far, Apple seemed mostly happy to have competing accessories in its stores and let the best product win. I wonder what has changed?
Apple is widely expected to host a hardware event later this month. Rumor has it that this could happen on October 13th.

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Gameloft's Asphalt 8: Airbone hasn't even cooled down from its launch marketing blitz, but the developer has already moved on to its next racing game. That would be GT Racing 2, a sequel to the original GT Racing from 2011 and a more simulation-style affair, very much in line with EA's Real Racing and games like Gran Turismo. GT Racing 2 has no firm release date and few details, but Gameloft says it will come out this fall.
|Jeremiah Rice||Jeremiah is a US-based blogger who bought a Nexus One the day it came out and never looked back. In his spare time he watches Star Trek, cooks eggs, and completely fails to write novels.|
We've known that something's up at CyanogenMod for a while, and now the cat is formally out of the bag. Today Steve Kondik and other prominent contributors to the CyanogenMod family of ROMs, along with investors and new hires, announced the formation of Cyanogen Inc. The new company first aims to make the CyanogenMod ROM more stable, more widely available, and easier to install on more devices. Investor Mitch Lasky is reporting that the company has secured $7 million in startup capital, and has at least one hardware partnership in the works.
Monster gets a bad rap from the technology community, but in all fairness, they absolutely deserve it. Between ridiculously overpriced home theater components and insanely malicious trademark lawsuits, the company is probably the most-hated technology corp this side of Electronic Arts. Having said all that, Monster announced its first Android tablet today, the 7", $149 M7. The combination of branding and price is incongruous to say the least.
The tablet fits pretty well into the budget 7-inch mold - you could probably guess the specs, which include a 1280x800 screen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear camera, and 16GB of storage plus a MicroSD card slot.
Those of you looking for a cheap, small phone running Android will have one more option on AT&T starting later this month. The company issued a press release this morning finally announcing the release date for the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini. That's Samsung's cheaper, smaller version of the GSIII which actually has very little in common with the GSIII in terms of hardware. It will launch on AT&T on September 27th for $.99 on a two-year contract.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a game version of a popular and hilarious music video, an interesting take on the vertical platformer, and a reversal of the old Donkey Kong standard.
Earlier today we reported that Verizon is currently denying owners of the Nexus 7 2013 LTE model the ability to access new data lines on the company's network. We reached out to a Verizon representative for comment, and here's what we got back:
This is not yet a device that is Verizon 4G LTE certified. We’ll let folks know when its certified.
Since that's a little on the vague side we requested some clarification, and received the following additional response.
Update: Verizon has responded to our inquiry about the Nexus 7 LTE registration issues. A company representative said that the Nexus 7 LTE would be certified for the Verizon network at some point.
That isn't much to go on, but it's certainly promising - it implies that Verizon is at least aware of the problem and taking steps towards upgrading the company's infrastructure to compensate. Of course, it could take any amount of time for Verizon to certify a new, unlocked device for their network (and Verizon isn't exactly known for speedy response when it comes to devices and software).
NAD’s findings are a validation of our marketing approach. In fact, today's NAD findings won't result in any substantial changes to our marketing claims. We will continue to spread the word about our coast to coast 4G coverage, superfast 4G network, and superior call clarity, along with our message of simple, no annual service contract plans, unlimited data and the best upgrade program, JUMP!
This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon.
Looking for the previous roundup editions?
The LTE version of the Nexus 7 2013 just started shipping to the US last week. If a week of running on a stock ROM is entirely too long for you, take heart: even while you read these words, modders and ROM developers are hard at work building all kinds of aftermarket goodies for your unlocked tablet. That's because Google just posted the first full factory image plus binaries for the new model.


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Yesterday, the Massachusetts Attorney-General’s office announced a $24 million dollar settlement resulting from an investigation of pricing fraud in state programs by fourteen different drug makers. This settlement follows a ground-breaking lawsuits filed by members of the Prescription Access Litigation project at Community Catalyst in 2001, including Health Care For All, Mass Senior Action, MassPIRG, and eleven other consumer groups nationwide representing the interests of consumers.
Drug industry pricing fraud became widespread in the mid-1990s, when high but fictitious list prices were used as an incentive to sell products. Doctors or pharmacies made more money using a drug whose actual cost was far less than the amount they were paid by Medicare and Medicaid. This fraud led to the PAL member class action lawsuit and a ground-breaking 2007 trial on behalf of Massachusetts consumers and private sector insurers. It was found that AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Warrick (a subsidiary of Schering-Plough, which was bought by Merck in 2009) had violated consumer protection laws through their deceptive pricing tactics. This victory ultimately convinced 28 different drugmakers to pay over $360 million to settle claims with the private sector health plans and consumers. (See more here.)
And now, on behalf of public programs here in Massachusetts, the Attorney-General has recovered funds from a number of these companies for the same kind of unfair and deceptive pricing. For example, manufacturer Warrick sold an albuterol drug from 1995 to 2003, all the while reporting a list price that was nearly seven-times the actual sales price. The State’s trial in 2010 found that Warrick had cost Massachusetts $4,563,328, and had made 28 false statements in violation of the state’s False Claims Act. After treble damages, 12 percent interest, and legal fees, a $24 million settlement looked like a good deal to Warwick’s new owner, Merck.
How can Massachusetts better protect its public programs from deceptive pricing in the future?
Currently, Massachusetts uses industry-published list prices as a basis to reimburse pharmacies. One option is to adopt the Average Acquisition Cost (AAC) method of paying pharmacies for the drugs MassHealth purchases for its members. The AAC method does not use easily manipulated manufacturer “list” prices (at issue in the court case). Instead, pharmacies are paid based on their actual cost of acquiring the drug from the manufacturer, plus a dispensing fee, thereby reducing overpayment and saving money for MassHealth. This evidence-based pricing method has been adopted by Alabama and Oregon, and it has been recommended by Medicaid headquarters in Washington D.C. And like Alabama and Oregon, Massachusetts could make these regularly-audited drug prices available to the public, so that private insurance plans could also adopt this method and save money, hopefully reducing premium costs. Community Catalyst describes more about AAC in its new Medicaid Report Card.
– Wells Wilkinson, Director, Prescription Access Litigaton, and Marcia Hams, Director of Prescription Access and Quality, Community Catalyst


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While Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and Elon Musk are at the top of our minds in the electric vehicle (EV) market, there are many other players worth watching out for. While investors are watching the race to make combustion engines obsolete, now is the right time to snap up the EV battery stocks that have the power to change your financial future. Battery companies are an integral part of the EV ecosystem and without them, it is hard to imagine a higher EV adoption. If you are not ready to buy an EV yet or invest in an EV stock, you might want to consider investing in the best battery stocks to become rich.
Lithium Americas (LAC)
As we move towards a greener future, we will require more lithium. Yet, even by today’s needs, it is a mineral that has a higher demand than supply. One company that owns some of the biggest assets of lithium is Lithium Americas (NYSE:LAC). It plays a significant role in EV charging infrastructure and has multiple catalysts working in its favor.
One of its top assets, the Thacker Pass mining site is expected to commence in 2026 and it could unlock value worth $5.7 billion. It owns one of the hottest commodities today and even the government is in talks to lend $1 billion to the company to help fund the project. It could be the largest ever loan given to a mining company through the loan program of the U.S. Energy Department.
Besides the Thacker Pass project, it has two other projects that are in development, Sal de la Puna and Pastos Grandes. These are in the pre-feasibility and feasibility stages respectively. LAC stock has dropped 14% in the past month and this drop is a solid chance to buy. Keep in mind you will have to hold on to the stock until the Thacker Pass begins cash flow generation. That is when I believe you will be able to see solid gains.
BYD Co. (BYDDF)
Next up on my list is BYD (OTCMKTS:BYDDF). A Chinese company, it is the biggest Tesla competitor and the second-largest battery maker in the world. In the recent quarter, it was very close to Tesla in delivery numbers. It saw a 75% rise in retail sales year-over-year and a 28.6% rise in revenue in the first six months of the year.
The battery maker makes batteries which are highly efficient and have several advantages over lithium-ion batteries. They can be produced at a lower cost and even Tesla is using some of these batteries in its cars. Already ruling the EV industry, BYD is ready with a sub-brand that aims to offer SUVs, off-road vehicles and sports cars. Its delivery numbers show that the company is offering exactly what the consumers need and the demand for its cars is only rising. It is one of the best battery stocks to invest in right now.
BYD Co. has a global presence and is expanding into France, Japan and Australia this year. What makes this stock a must-buy is the fact that despite being a Chinese EV maker, the company already has a stronghold across multiple countries. Hence, it will not suffer as much as the other EV companies because of strict Chinese regulations. BYD Co. is firing on all cylinders and if it continues with the same momentum, 2024 could be an even bigger year.
Battery maker QuantumScape (NYSE:QS) is working on lithium technology that can replace the existing lithium-ion batteries. These batteries will certainly rely on lithium but they come with a faster charge time and a higher efficiency.
If all goes well, this is one technology that can change the industry. While the technology is innovative, it is not on the market yet. This is what makes the business risky. QuantumScape has no revenue currently and it is using money to develop the batteries which has led to continuous losses. The company did deliver prototypes in December 2022 but commercial production is yet to begin. This is also an opportunity for you to be an early-stage investor in the business.
The stock is up 15% year-to-date. If you can hold the stock for the next few years, I think it will show significant gains. Several macroeconomic factors like high interest rates, and low consumer spending are working against the company right now. It is likely that we could see this reflected in the quarterly numbers. However, if you have the ability to handle some risk in your portfolio, now is the time to buy into QS stock. It is going to be a bumpy road ahead but it could be worthwhile long-term.
On the date of publication, Vandita Jadeja did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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Nintendo wants to permanently mark Kirby's 20th birthday with a special edition collection and a Guinness World Record attempt.
Nintendo announced they would hold their world record attempt for "the most people blowing a chewing gum bubble simultaneously" at the PAX Prime conference in Seattle, Washington.
The attempt will take place on Sept. 1 and requires more than 304 people to break the current record. Several students, volleyball players and teachers from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa hold the current record, according to the Guinness World Records organization.
Nintendo will also give away prizes such as the new Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition that includes six classic Kirby games, a commemorative booklet, a soundtrack CD and other Kirby goodies. The special edition goes on sale on Sept. 16.
Image: Mieke Dalle, Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Nintendo's press release:
Fans at PAX Prime Conference in Seattle Aim to Honor Pink Video Game Icon with New Record for Most People Blowing a Chewing Gum Bubble Simultaneously
Fans of Nintendo’s classic Kirby character will come together for a new Guinness World Records attempt for the most people blowing a chewing gum bubble simultaneously. At the PAX Prime conference on Sept. 1, these consumers will not only attempt to break the standing record of 304 participants but will also get the chance to win fun prizes, including Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition. The event will help to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Kirby franchise and celebrate the upcoming Sept. 16 launch of Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition for Wii.
For two decades, the unique-looking pink hero known as Kirby has been inhaling his way through Dream Land and into the hearts of video game fans everywhere. While he may be pink, round and adorable, he’s also a ferocious warrior who defeats his enemies by inhaling objects and spitting them back out with incredible force, making him one of the most recognizable and beloved game characters in the world.
Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition features six fan-favorite games from the Kirby franchise on one disc, plus additional challenge stages, a commemorative booklet, a music CD and an interactive timeline that gives players a fun way to explore Kirby's colorful history. For more information about this special edition, visit http://kirby.nintendo.com/


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The latest news, analysis, services and systems regarding logistics and freight and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are transporting and delivering perishables and manufactured goods in a more timely and efficient manner than ever before through logistics solutions. New technologies that provide information during local and global shipments are transforming the way companies do business - and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As transportation and distribution services continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies are using logistics and cargo solutions to power their supply chains.
Artificial intelligence promises to have a profound impact on the way in which shippers and carriers do business together. Assuming, of course, that they're able to make use of the wealth of data that the technology offers. Read More


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Amazon is taking legal action against the administrators of over 10,000 Facebook groups over alleged attempts to orchestrate fake reviews on Amazon in exchange for free products or money.
Amazon Suing Social Media Group Admins Over Alleged Fake Reviews
A statement, issued by Amazon on how it is targeting review fraudsters on social media, says the groups are set up to recruit individuals willing to post misleading and incentivized reviews on Amazon stores.
According to the statement, groups set up to manage fake reviews are present in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan.
Amazon Constantly Monitors Reviews
The online retail giant constantly monitors reviews and says it will use information identified in the legal action to remove fake reviews that have been commissioned by fraudsters who have not already been detected by its advanced technology and expert investigators.
The rise in online shopping means that consumers no longer just rely on word-of-mouth recommendations. Instead, shoppers use online reviews to gain valuable information about a product that will help them make purchasing decisions.
For businesses selling on the likes of Amazon, it is important that reviews posted about products are honest and trustworthy. Fake reviews could mean they lose out on sales to competitors unfairly. Negative, dishonest reviews can also damage a seller’s reputation, potentially proving detrimental to a small business.
Weeding Out Review Fraudsters
Referring to the importance of the lawsuit in weeding out the perpetrators of fake reviews, Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of Selling Partner Services, said: “Our teams stop millions of suspicious reviews before they’re ever seen by customers, and this lawsuit goes a step further to uncover perpetrators operating on social media.”
“Proactive legal action targeting bad actors is one of many ways we protect customers by holding bad actors accountable.”
One of the groups behind the fake reviews and identified in the lawsuit is known as ‘Amazon Product Review.’ The group had over 43,000 members until Meta took it down earlier in 2022.
Amazon Prohibits Fake Reviews
Amazon strictly prohibits fake reviews. The retailer employs over 12,000 individuals around the world to help protect Amazon sellers online, including shielding them from fake reviews.
Since 2020, Amazon has reported more than 10,000 fake review groups to Meta. More than half of these groups have been taken down by Meta for policy violations. The company notes how previous legal action it has taken has been effective in the shutting down of major review brokers.
While many small businesses can tend to have a love-hate relationship with reviews, few can deny that reviews need to be honest and trustworthy to work. Amazon’s suing of groups involved in the monetization of fake reviews highlights the importance of review culture in today’s consumer environment, and the value of honest reviews.
This article, “Amazon Suing Social Media Group Admins Over Alleged Fake Reviews” was first published on Small Business Trends


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It has just been announced that Google and View-Master have collaborated and built a new product.
A set of old school looking View-Master goggles that gives you a 3D view of sights around the world.
On the surface, seems strange right.
The most hi-tech brand in the world partnering with the most lo-fi kids toy.
I think it’s a stroke of genius.
Because teens love to smash together stuff.
They blur the boundaries between old and new...cool and uncool.
It’s a generation of experimentation and exclusivity.
Could be some vintage clothes and an H&M t-shirt
A 70’s Stars Wars logo on the latest Adidas trainers.
Bob Marley’s face on some hi-tech headphones.
Let’s never stop experimenting.


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It is rare to see products go on sale right after their release, especially if it is a highly anticipated sequel in the form of Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
While addressing investors in a recent earnings call for the second quarter, chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen was asked if Electronic Arts (EA) has any plans to capitalize on the upcoming busy shopping seasons.
Since Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is coming out just before Black Friday, the company will not be offering any official discounts and any lowering of the price tag will have to be done by the retailers. However, EA is fairly interested in discounting the game a few weeks prior to the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi to take advantage of excited and hyped fans.
“We will most likely discount the game like we did last time around the movie launch, and maybe you’ll even see some selected discounts around the holidays, either Thanksgiving or Christmas,” Jorgensen stated. “That’s the way the games business always has worked.”
In that light, those interested in getting Star Wars: Battlefront 2 this year may want to wait at least a month for the potential price cut. The ones who have already pre-ordered may be disappointed in this regard, especially if the discount comes around to $20 like with the first installment in the series.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is scheduled to release worldwide on November 17 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. DICE recently assured that it has made a number of changes to the loot box system, following a pay-to-win controversy.


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Schultz Transforming Starbucks Into Supermarket Supplier: Retail
Since returning as chief executive officer in 2008, Howard Schultz has revived the company and is now guiding Starbucks well beyond its cafe roots. Increasingly, the Seattle-based chain is playing in an arena staked out decades ago by Big Food: the grocery aisle. While Schultz still presides over about 10,800 macchiato- and scone-selling cafes in the U.S., grocery revenue is rising almost three times as fast as store sales.
“We’re in the nascent stage of what we believe is our capability to do a number of things within food and beverage,” Schultz said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Starbucks rose 2.6 percent to $55.21 at the close in New York, after earlier advancing to a record high of $55.25. The shares have gained 20 percent this year.
While researcher IBISWorld Inc. expects grocery industry sales to stagnate in the coming years as more shoppers eat out, the Starbucks brand may give it an edge against niche rivals such as Naked Juice and Bolthouse Farms as well as big players like Kraft and Nestle SA (NESN), which both sell coffee and tea. In fiscal 2011, operating income for Starbucks’s global packaged- goods unit was 32 percent of revenue, compared with 19 percent for the U.S. business.
“You’re seeing investors recalibrating how they view this company,” Phillip Juhan, an Atlanta-based analyst at BMO Capital Markets, said in an interview. Starbucks is “no longer just a retail store business,” said Juhan, who rates the shares the equivalent of a buy.
Starbucks has slowly yet steadily been moving into grocery stores since 1995, when it began selling ice cream in such flavors as java chip frappuccino and caramel macchiato. It has since added packaged coffee, bottled drinks and Tazo brand tea.
Last year, Starbucks cut a deal with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR) to sell capsules for Green Mountain’s Keurig single-serve coffee makers. It then paid $30 million for juicemaker Evolution Fresh Inc. and has plans to sell the flash- pasteurized juice in grocery stores.
In 2009, Schultz introduced Via, a single-serve instant coffee that took 20 years to develop. At the time, some analysts said Via, which sells for about $10 for a 12-pack, was too expensive and might dilute the Starbucks brand. Now many consider it a driver of overseas growth, especially in Asia where instant coffee is widely drunk. Schultz has said Via eventually will become a billion-dollar brand.
In Schultz’s boldest move yet to become a player in groceries, he last year wrested control of packaged coffee distribution from Kraft. The foodmaker sued Starbucks for breach of contract. The dispute has since gone to arbitration and probably will be resolved this year. Even if Starbucks winds up paying a large settlement, Schultz now has the power to demand the best shelf space for Starbucks products.
“We think we can build a business that can be as a large as our retail business,” Jeff Hansberry, president of channel development, said in a telephone interview yesterday. The consumer-goods segment will continue to expand both organically and through acquisitions, he said.
This month, Starbucks upped the ante by announcing its own single-serve espresso brewer. Called Verismo, it will be sold in stores, online and at some Starbucks cafes by the holidays. The real money will come from selling the coffee capsules. Single- serve beverages are the coffee industry’s fastest-growing segment, according to Mitch Pinheiro, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia.
While the shares rose as much as 4.2 percent on the day after the Verismo announcement, the machine probably won’t generate profit until Starbucks’ fiscal 2013. Sales from the Verismo machine and capsules won’t surpass that of Starbucks’s K-Cups for three to five years, David Palmer, an analyst at UBS Securities LLC, wrote in a research note dated March 20.
Later this year, Starbucks will start selling 60-calorie energy drinks in U.S. stores. Called Refreshers, they are made with fruit juice and green-coffee extract. The energy beverage category is worth about $8 billion, according to the company.
The idea is to translate Starbucks’s 40 years of experience in coffee to juice and Refreshers, Schultz said. “We’ve done our homework, we understand how to execute that.”
As a percentage of revenue, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization for the company’s packaged-goods segment will rival that of the stores in five to 10 years, according to Juhan.
By then, it will be “more of a conglomerate and they’ll have a more diversified revenue stream,” says Peter Saleh, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group in New York. “The biggest opportunity for them is on the packaged-goods side -- selling K- Cups and selling Via,” he said.
Still, 91 percent of revenue comes from Starbucks cafes, and management should be careful not to “lose sight of what’s important,” Saleh said. “My concern would be that they get distracted from the real revenue and profit driver.”
Packaged coffees are also more affected by commodity costs than its cafe business; margin for that segment will narrow to about 25 percent this year primarily because of higher coffee bean prices, Chief Financial Officer Troy Alstead said at an investor conference on March 14. By fiscal 2013, that figure should be back to the upper 20 percent range and approach 30 percent in the next two years, which is what Starbucks is targeting in the long run, he said.
Ultimately, Schultz’s move into groceries is necessary, according to Bill Smead, portfolio manager at Seattle-based Smead Capital Management Inc., which holds about $3.6 million of Starbucks in its Smead Value Fund. The company’s real value and growth potential lies in its brand, he said.
“They sell water, milk and coffee beans at boiling temperatures,” Smead said in an interview. “Warren Buffett says the best companies buy a commodity and sell a brand.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Leslie Patton in Chicago at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Robin Ajello at email@example.com


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It's the end of an era. The one-time phone king Nokia is to concede its branding spot on the back of smartphones, with part-owners Microsoft slapping its own name onto the back of all forthcoming Lumia handsets.
“We want to simplify and unify our smartphone branding”, Microsoft phone unit marketing chief Tuula Rytila said in an interview. “We are really using Lumia as connective tissue.”
That's not to say that Nokia as a phone brand dies completely -- Microsoft will still be using the name on its "dumbphones" for the foreseeable, and has a licence to do so for the next ten years. By the end of a decade though, smartphones will probably look so drastically different as defining what isn't a smartphone is likely to prove problematic.
Naming problems aside, Microsoft still has the larger issue of boosting Lumia sales. While its latest earnings call show Lumia sales up slightly to 9.3 million compared to a year prior, a declining feature phone market (making up a good chunk of Microsoft's phone business) means it really needs to make more of a dent in the iOS and Android market shares. [Recode]


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June 19, 2008
Consumers to Benefit From Vehix, Scripps Partnership
A partnership between Vehix and The E.W. Scripps Company will benefit consumers looking to buy a new or used car or truck. The deal is the result of efforts by both companies to provide better automotive content to local Scripps television affiliates while providing a better marketplace for those living in the nine Scripps markets.
The partnership will allow Scripps and Vehix's member dealers to tap into local online spending habits. As more consumers are turning to the Internet for purchases, Vehix and Scripps believe this partnership will provide multi-platform campaigns designed to inform the consumer, provide more choice in local markets and improve the overall car buying experience."In today's business climate, it's vital that auto dealers be able to reach customers in both traditional and online media," said Derek Mattson, CEO of Vehix. "This partnership benefits everyone by increasing visitors to Vehix.com, increasing sales for local television affiliates and local auto dealers and providing customers with the information they need to make a wise choice when buying a new or used car."
"Automotive has historically been one of the top-spending categories for local advertising at television stations, and Scripps is always searching for ways to help our advertisers realize better results from their marketing dollars," said Adam Symson, the vice president of interactive for the Scripps Television Station Group. "Vehix is a technology partner that will allow us to deliver unique digital solutions to help our local automotive clients."
The relationship between Vehix and Scripps allows Vehix to provide media companies with the technology to implement a targeted online advertising solution to their automotive clients. Scripps will allow automotive dealers to link their local affiliate advertising to a co-branded site featuring Vehix's new and used car-buying services. That site will include pricing, rebates and specifications, information on automobiles and trucks as well as expert and user reviews. It also will provide user-friendly tools to compare vehicles across brands according to pricing, ratings and specs. Once customers have chosen the vehicle they want, they can submit a secure online request to purchase their desired vehicle and receive a no-haggle price quote from a local Vehix member dealer.
Vehix is a multi-platform digital automotive network designed to provide consumers with a truly one-stop automotive shopping experience. Vehix, through its unique content, inventory and advertising network, offers superior written and video content, objective third-party information and best-in-class research tools. All of Vehix's car research and purchase tools are available on multiple platforms, including the Internet, cable television, video-on-demand, and on mobile devices. Vehix launched in 1996 as an online automotive portal designed to facilitate the research and purchase processes for consumers. Vehix is owned by Comcast Spotlight, a division of Comcast Cable. For more information visit www.vehix.com.
The E. W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) is a diverse and growing media enterprise with interests in national cable networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television stations, interactive media, and licensing and syndication.
The company's portfolio of media properties includes: Scripps Networks, with such brands as HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living and Great American Country; daily and community newspapers in 15 markets and the Washington-based Scripps Media Center, home to the Scripps Howard News Service; 10 broadcast TV stations, including six ABC-affiliated stations, three NBC affiliates and one independent; Scripps Interactive Media, including leading online search and comparison shopping services, Shopzilla and uSwitch; and United Media, a leading worldwide licensing and syndication company that is the home of PEANUTS, DILBERT and approximately 150 other features and comics.


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It’s known as The Most Famous Car in the World – and now this Aston Martin DB5 is also the most expensive ever piece of Bond memorabilia and the most expensive DB5.
Chassis DB5/2008/R sold for $6.385m (£5.267m) last night (15 August) at RM Sotheby’s An Evening with Aston Martin auction in Monterey, California.
That might sound like a lot for any car – but then again, this one is a genuine Bond car fitted out with a raft of working 007 gadgets.
Nor was it the only Aston to set a record at the single-marque sale: a rare DB5 Shooting Brake also broke new ground when it changed hands for $1.765m (£1.456m).
DB5/2008/R was one of two models bought by Eon Productions for the launch of the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball.
Both were equipped with the full complement of 007 gadgets, as seen in the previous year’s Goldfinger – but whereas the ones in the previous models had only been intended to function for a few takes, those in this vehicle and its sister car were designed to be far more robust and to function repeatedly, on demand.
The 13 modifications present in the car were all dreamt up by Academy Award-winning special effects guru John Stears and all are in full working order following a comprehensive restoration by Roos Engineering in Switzerland.
Among the toys are front and rear hydraulic over-rider rams on the bumpers and a Browning .30-calibre machine gun in each bumper. You also get wheel-hub-mounted tyre slashers, a retractable rear bulletproof screen, and an in-dash radar-tracking scope.
Want more? There are oil-slick, caltrop and smoke-screen dispensers, those famous revolving numberplates, and even a passenger-seat ejection system.
After fulfilling its promotional activities, this car was sold to Lord Bamford and then spent 35 years in a Tennessee museum, before going to auction for the first time in 2006.
Put up for sale again yesterday in Monterey it was the subject of a four-and-a-half-minute bidding competition between six interested parties in the room and on the phone.
It eventually sold to an enthusiastic bidder present in the auction room, for a whopping $6,385,000 (£5,267,593) – in the process setting records for the most expensive ever DB5 and the most expensive piece of Bond memorabilia.
Barney Ruprecht, Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s, said, “We are beyond thrilled with tonight’s fantastic result and proud to have set a new record for the most valuable DB5 sold at auction.
“Beyond this new auction record, the enormous amount of interest in the car and excitement surrounding it ahead of the auction solidifies its status as the ‘most famous car in the world’, along with the hobby’s great respect for the Aston Martin brand.”
As if one record-breaking DB5 wasn’t enough, a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake also made history when it sold for a final $1.765m (£1.456m) – comfortably exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $1m (£1.4m).
One of just 12 factory DB5 Shooting Brakes built, the DB5 is now the most valuable Shooting Brake bodied-car of any marque sold at auction.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction continues today, with highlights likely to include a 1994 McLaren F1 in LM-spec, which could fetch as much as $23m (£19m).


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Manila is the top city destination in the world in 2023, according to the World Travel Awards.
The Philippine spot beat out 22 other cities across the globe, including Dubai, UAE; Las Vegas, USA; London, England; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; New York, USA; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Sydney, Australia.
The Manila Public Information Office celebrated the recognition in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dec. 6, noting that it’s the first time the country has clinched the major award.
Aside from the prestigious feat, the Philippines also won other titles this year: the World’s Leading Dive Destination, the World’s Leading Beach Destination, and Global Tourism Resilience.
According to Department of Tourism secretary Christina Frasco, the country is able to "reinforce its position as an unparalleled destination" with such notable recognitions. "We express our profound gratitude to all who have contributed to this success and we continue to dedicate our wholehearted support to all our tourism stakeholders," she said in a statement.
Since 1993, the World Travel Awards has been putting the spotlight on the excellence of worldwide destinations "across all key sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries." Its 2023 edition took place at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates early this month.


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Marisol International, a Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (NYSE: RRTS) company, is pleased to announce the opening of its newest office in El Paso, Texas! The El Paso office was opened on March 1, 2016 in close partnership with Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution, LLC, another Roadrunner Transportation Systems company.
“We are extremely excited about beginning our expansion of Marisol International along the U.S./Mexican border in El Paso. El Paso has a highly skilled workforce and its strategic location provides connectivity to best-in-class companies in manufacturing, automotive, defense/homeland security, biomedical and consumer electronics,” said William Goodgion, President of Roadrunner Transportation System’s Global Solutions segment.
The newest office - and our first on the U.S.-Mexico border - will expand our geographic footprint, improve existing service levels, and increase supply chain visibility. Marisol's bilingual staff will also be able to provide the necessary support to effectively manage cross-border business.
Micah Holst, President of Marisol International, stated, “We are extremely proud to continue to expand our national footprint with the El Paso office opening. The additional Marisol office location will allow us to further enhance our international logistics services and strengthen the Roadrunner Transportation Systems network of supply chain services.”
“The Stagecoach-Marisol partnership in El Paso will allow our companies to continue to provide reliable and efficient logistics services for our customers. Stagecoach’s cross-border transportation expertise, combined with Marisol’s customs brokerage competency, will provide a unified solution for clients not only at the border but throughout North America,” said Scott McLaughlin, President of Stagecoach Cartage and Distribution, LLC.
As U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) streamlines cross-border trade, commercial relationships strengthen, and near-shoring trends continue, Marisol International will be equipped to handle increases in trade volumes. Contact us today for more information!


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AAPL reported 4Q11 results after the close of trading in New York yesterday. The company earned $6.6 billion ($7.05 per share) over the three months, on revenue of $28.2 billion. This is an advance of 52% in eps, year on year, on sales growth of 39%. Although the company exceeded its guidance of $5.50 per share handily, it failed to beat the Wall Street analysts’ consensus, $7.39 a share, or the first time in a long while. (The StarMine consensus of analysts who have historically been the most accurate forecasters–which in this case may simply have been the most aggressive–had been $7.51.)
EPS for the full fiscal year 2011 (ended September 24th) were $27.68, or 82% better than results for fiscal 2010.
AAPL also gave guidance for the holiday quarter we’re in now. APPL’s 1Q12 will have 14 weeks in it instead of the normal 13. This is an adjustment companies who organize themselves on a “weeks” basis rather than a “months” basis must make every six years or so to make sure their fiscal year remains aligned with the calendar year. Anyway, AAPL’s guidance for 1Q12 is eps of $9.30. My rough guess is that this equates to a “normal” quarter of $8.50, which would be a gain of about a third over the $6.43 AAPL reported in 1Q11.
As a result of its earnings “miss,” AAPL shares are down about 6% in pre-market trading as I’m writing this.
Let’s get straight to the heart of the earnings “shortfall,” if that’s the right word to describe a quarter that’s up more than 50% year on year. It comes in the iPhone.
AAPL sold 17.1 million iPhone units in 4Q11. That’s up 21% year on year, and an all-time record for a September quarter, but down 16% from the record 20.4 million the company sold in 3Q11. There were two reasons sales weren’t higher, both related to the introduction of the new iPhone 4s.
–AAPL decided not to add any new carriers to its iPhone network in the September quarter; and
–consumers slowed down purchases of the iPhone 4 in anticipation of the new model they expected to debut during 4Q11. As demand waned toward quarter end, carriers slowed down purchases of iPhones from AAPL. Apple Store sales of iPhones were particularly weak.
APPL has since reported that the iPhone 4s has sold over 4 million units during the first three days of its launch in early October, more than double the rate at which the original iPhone 4 left the warehouses when it first came to market. At $645 each, those sales amount to $2.6 billion, or about $.85 a share. They could just as easily have occurred in 3Q11 if AAPL had moved the launch date of the 4s back to late September rather than early October.
How good is the iPhone business today? “In our wildest dreams we couldn’t have gotten off to a start as great as we have on the 4s,” says CEO Tim Cook. Cook also noted that AAPL had anticipated a much larger reduction in telecom purchases of the original iPhone during the quarter than what actually occurred.
AAPL sold 11.1 million units during the quarter, an all-time record. That’s up 20% quarter on quarter and 166% year on year. AAPL finally seems to have obtained enough manufacturing capacity to keep up with demand.
Unit sales were up 37% year on year and 30% quarter on quarter. That’s also an all-time record. AAPL sees some cannibalization of the Mac business by iPads, but is still producing growth much greater than the PC industry.
Once half the company, iPods are now less than 10% of AAPL’s revenue. Unit sales were 6.6 million during the quarter, down 27% year on year and 12% sequentially.
Even with an extra week to work with, I don’t think AAPL’s profits can be up 82% again this fiscal year. Suppose they “only” reach $35, with (to make the arithmetic easy) $1 of that coming from the 53rd week. Organic growth would then be in the low 20% range, which I think is easily doable. It could be very much higher.
At a $400 stock price, AAPL would be trading at a forward multiple of under 12x on my low-ball figure. Subtract out the $86 a share in cash (remember, AAPL has no debt) on the balance sheet from the stock price and the multiple shrinks to about 9x. Even factoring in a substantial maturing of AAPL’s businesses, of which there’s no credible evidence yet, AAPL shares seem very cheap to me.


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A Denver brewery is offering a new beer with a kick.
The Wynkoop Brewing Co. on Monday will begin offering customers a Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, but it doesn’t contain shellfish. Rocky Mountain oysters are a delicate delicacy made from bull testicles.
The beer started as an April Fools’ Day joke, but when customers came calling, the company began brewing.
More breaking news
- Fresh Market closing in Woodbury
- Current, former restaurant owners charged with tax fraud
- On Our Island: Nonprofit highlights of the week
- Trump eyes changes to Obama’s tax and Wall Street rules
- Henry Schein expands credit
- Culinary legend Jacques Pepin to visit Lola in Great Neck
- Volkswagen to pay $2.8 billion in US diesel emission scandal
- Priciest home sales in Northport
- Medical marijuana home deliveries expand to NYC, Long Island
- Homestretch for Heartland?


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Although the director of Overwatch 2 does not confirm a Battle Pass for the sequel, it discusses Blizzard's values and intentions for in-game content.
Despite having all the hallmarks of a live service game, there is one thing missing from Overwatch compared to its contemporaries: a Battle Pass.
Almost every other game of its kind has one, where each “season” adds swathes of new content that must be unlocked through regular, constant play sessions.
Overwatch never did that, so naturally the sequel's new director, Overwatch 2 , was asked about the possibility of receiving a Battle Pass.
Speaking to GameSpot, director Aaron Keller (who took over after the departure of Jeff Kaplan ) could not confirm or deny whether or not Overwatch 2 will follow other examples and incorporate a Battle Pass.Read also
Roblox code list
All Star Tower Defense codes
King Legacy code list
Instead, he chose to explain the values of the Blizzard, which affect the design process, and stated that the team's goal is to ensure there is a constant stream of updates.
There's still a lot more fans are in the dark about Overwatch 2. Despite being announced in 2019 with a cinematic story trailer and gameplay trailer, there have been very few updates on it, with the most urgent being the release date.
Considering the little presence it had in the BlizzCon this year , there are suspicions that at least it will not be released this year.
What is known is that it will feature all new PvE co-op modes, including a story-based mission mode. The first game lacks anything resembling a single-player campaign, so the sequel will finally flesh out the world and characters within the game rather than through other media.
It will also run concurrently with the first Overwatch , allowing players from both games to interact and play against each other.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One.


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Goodwill in the News
Tuesday, Dec 22, 2015 | Skagit Valley Herald
MOUNT VERNON — The Goodwill store in Mount Vernon is set to relocate, and officials hope the move will give the business park in the 200 block of East College Way a boost in the process. The nonprofit secondhand goods store will relocate in May to the former Rite Aid location, which has been vacant for about two years.
Monday, Nov 16, 2015 | Q13 Fox
Check out Goodwill's Glitter sale Nov. 14 and 15 at the Seattle Goodwill store at 1400 S. Lane Street. You'll find designer pieces at affordable prices.
Saturday, Nov 14, 2015 | Seattle Refined
View Seattle Refined's photo gallery from the 2015 Glitter Sale.
Thursday, Nov 12, 2015 | Signature Magazine
The 8th annual Seattle Goodwill Glitter Gala & Fashion Show was held on Friday, November 6th at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. KOMO News Anchor Denise Whitaker, was on hand to emcee the event wearing couture dresses from Goodwill. The event opened with cocktails for guests while three judges were busy selecting the winners of the Goodwill Design Challenge. Read more about the design challenge here.
Thursday, Nov 17, 2016
Shop Goodwill online this year to find vintage and unique pieces of jewelry that benefit Goodwill’s free job training and education programs.
Friday, Nov 11, 2016
“We really want to thank the community for supporting both the sale and gala and making them such a huge success,” said Goodwill President & CEO Daryl Campbell.
Monday, Oct 17, 2016
On October 15, Seattle Goodwill’s community of support raised over $435,000 to support high school completion programs at the annual Goodwill Glitter Gala.


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Core issue: Apple crop bounces back in Connecticut after disappointing 2016 yield
If you’re in the mood for an apple-picking excursion on a crisp autumn afternoon, you’re in luck.
After a drought and an untimely spring frost eliminated nearly half of the apple harvest statewide last year, growers say the 2017 crop has bounced back by the bushel in yield, color and flavor.
“It was a very poor crop last year, but this year we have a strong bloom, lots of flowers we call, ‘snowball blooms’ on the trees, great pollinating weather and plenty of rain in the springtime, so we have a large crop of apples this year,” said Brian Kelliher, president of the Connecticut Apple Marketing Board.
That fact wasn’t lost on Sue Christiano of Prospect, who visited Lyman Orchards in Middlefield with her daughters Kaela and Summer. She remembered the 2016 crop.
“There definitely seems to be an abundance of apples compared to last year,” she said.
Her girls were more interested in the taste.
“They’re really sweet and they’re all different,” said Kaela, 10. “They’re juicy and good,” said Summer, 8.
Indeed, as always, there was variety.
“We picked Empire, Cortland, McCowan and Red Delicious,” said Prospect resident Carrie Zimmitti. “I personally like the Cortland.”
Kelliher said 2016 was a challenging year. He said Easy Pickin’s Orchard in Enfield, which he runs, only had about 20 percent of its usual apple crop. And the low yield affected the trickle-down economics that sustain any orchard.
“That kind of limits everything you do in your orchard because there’s a lot of other activities that go on, residual sales from the other things that you’re doing,” Kelliher said. “When you don’t have the big crowds coming in for the apples, it limits the amount of income that you get from that, too, so it’s kind of a double whammy because you’re not able to do all of that tourism stuff that you usually do.”
State Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky said in a press release that apples are one of the state’s largest and most important agricultural crops, with an average yearly harvest of about a half-million bushels worth $12 million. However, apple season in Connecticut has evolved beyond just picking fruit.
Many of the orchards have diversified their operations into tourist destinations that offer customers a rewarding agricultural experience, which includes a variety of activities, according to Reviczky’s statement.
John Bishop, one of the owners of Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford, said he remembers when people just bought “bags and bags and bags of apples” to make pies and sauces, but now, people are doing it more for what he described as the “total fall experience.”
Bishop said oftentimes when people are out, they’re looking to spend a day doing stuff at the farm. That includes the Little Red Barn and Pumpkin Patch, a sprawling corn maze and a kids’ maze made out of hay bales; and sampling cider, fresh pies, ice cream, breads, croissants, muffins, scones and, of course, apple cider doughnuts.
Lyman Orchards in Middlefield has a corn maze during September along with horse-drawn wagon rides and pony rides on weekends, according to John Lyman III, the orchard’s executive vice president.
“It’s a time of the year where people love to come out with their families,” he said. “It’s a beautiful time of the year with cooler temperatures and the foliage starts to turn. You kind of make it an annual outing.”
While the apple season goes from late August through the end of November, Lyman said now is “peak” picking time.
“September and October are usually the prime harvest for Connecticut apples, so we’re right in the middle of it right now and will be strong for the next four to five weeks,” he said.
email@example.com; @jesslerner on Twitter


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MVNO: Mobile Virtual Network Operator
Google Inc. (GOOGL) announced yesterday that it plans to unveil a new wireless service within the next few months. The service would be small and available within the U.S, and it is intended to integrate with Android products. Google’s already-strained relationship with the telecom industry could widen if the product is perceived as a threat to wireless carriers like Verizon (VZ), Sprint (S) and AT&T (T).
Google to Big Telecom: Work with us or perish


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Monday, February 27, 2012
HomeGirl Chronicles #6: MASH Mag Launches 2nd Edition!!
Ladies, ladies, ladies and Divas! This one is for you...my homegirls!
Detroit-based MASH Magazine launched its second edition this week and we are all excited about the new things super luxe pages.
Everyone is invited to check out my article on bike culture in Detroit...and editor-in-chief, Mashawnta Armstrong, has put together one of the most dynamic fashion/beauty spreads to come out of the midwest in years.
Below is the press release I did to promote the launch of the new edition of MASH ...
The publication is available on iPad, iPod, Android and tablet devices via download with the Zinio app.


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Yesterday’s mega-merger of two of the world’ largest computer hardware manufacturers, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer [WAMN: 04-Sep-01], left the usual marketing questionmarks hanging over the deal.
But in an unusually early comment on marketing policy, HP ceo Carly Fiorina made it crystal clear that HP is in the driving seat and that its name will be the “surviving brand”. She added, however, that the enlarged company will deploy the “sub-brands of Compaq smartly”.
Although side-stepping specific issues such as marketing structure or interregnum plans, Fiorina admitted that marketing is seen as an area for potential cost-saving. But HP did not think it would be spending less, she said. “We have to position the combination effectively. We will be spending at least as much as the two companies spent individually.”
According to New York media monitoring specialist CMR, HP last year spent $160 million in measured media in the US alone, and $55.5m in the first five months of 2001. During the same periods, Compaq adspend was $149m and $50m.
News source: Advertising Age - Daily Deadline


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Expect defaults of junk-rated retail debt to peak in March, before easing for the rest of the year, according to a new Moody’s Investors Service report.
The credit ratings agency said the retail and apparel sector saw 11 defaults in 2017, compared with seven in 2009 at the peak of the recession. It also said downgrades in credit ratings shot up 87 percent last year from 2016. And while the number of distressed firms — at “Caa1” and lower — are up, paving the way for more possible defaults ahead, the ratings agency said it expects speculative retail defaults to peak at 11 percent in March before dropping sharply to 5 percent in October. Moody’s also attributed the easing in defaults to retailers building out the required infrastructure to meet the shift to online, while reducing overall costs.
Moody’s said it believes the retail and apparel sector reached a “tipping point” last year, noting that those with leveraged balance sheets will find it difficult to compete in 2018. Price transparency, cutthroat pricing and a more demanding consumer translate into the need for strong balance sheets for retail and apparel firms that want to stay competitive. The ratings agency also noted that many retailers saw pronounced deterioration in margin because they spent heavily before the recession on building out their store base — resulting in a high fixed-cost structure. Many have shifted their dollars to invest in digital due to online growth, although the exceptions seem to be off-pricers and dollar stores, which still rely almost exclusively on brick-and-mortar customers.
The ratings firm estimated that apparel and footwear retailers would see square footage stay the same this year, compared with a 2.6 percent decline in 2017 and a 2.1 percent increase between 2007 and 2010. Specialty retailers are forecasted to cut their square footage in 2018 by 0.9 percent, compared with 1 percent growth last year and 3.9 percent growth between 2007 and 2010. Moody’s projected department stores will shrink their square footage the most, cutting 3.6 percent for the year, but also less than the 6.2 percent decline in 2017. Department stores as a group grew their square footage by 1.5 percent between 2007 and 2010. Off-price retailers are expected to increase their footprint by 3.7 percent, down from the 4.2 percent growth in 2017 and the 4.7 percent growth between 2007 and 2010. Further, Moody’s expects mall square footage to decline 3.7 percent as off-mall square footage growth rises by 0.8 percent.
Moody’s also said it expects retailers will be expensing their technology spend upfront, instead of capitalizing the costs and depreciating them in the future. It also noted that continued price wars and online competition will mean lower margins, and companies will need to ensure they have healthy balance sheets in order to continue to invest in growth and innovation.
For more on WWD, see:


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BY ONOME AMUGE
Arabica coffee futures gained for a third consecutive session on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), rising to their highest in over a week on supply concerns from top producer Brazil and dwindling ICE stocks.
September arabica coffee was up 2.3 percent to $2.3555 per pound (lb), having hit its highest since June 23 at $2.3575, while September robusta coffee stood 0.3 percent higher at $2,038 a tonne.
Market dealers said some 35 percent of Brazil’s coffee for the current season had been harvested by June 21, but were at a below-average pace due to an uneven maturation of fruits and labour shortages in some regions of the South American country.
In another development, ICE-certified coffee stocks continued on a downward trend to fresh 22-year lows.
On a similar note, August raw sugar declined 0.3 percent to 18.45 cents per pound, drawing close to a recent four-month low of 18.20 cents. August white sugar also stumbled 0.3 percent to $555 a tonne.
Dealers observed that while the expiry for sugar was slightly bullish with the July contract closing 15 percent higher at 18.20 cents per pound, the sweet commodity is being battered by outside influences amidst the macro negative global recession fears.
On the supply side, deliveries at the July expiry were seen at around 502,000 tonnes, historically not very large, but at a little above average level, according to preliminary information from traders.
Meanwhile, New York cocoa hit its lowest in nearly a year as September New York cocoa tumbled 0.9 percent to $2,320 a tonne.
September London cocoa, however, stuck to a bullish terrain, rising 0.4 percent to 1,720 pounds per tonne, having hit a 3-1/2-month low of 1,704 in the previous session.
Cocoa was seen to be under demand pressure over concerns that soaring inflation could slow global growth and dent demand for luxury items like chocolate.
Supply of the soft commodity also suffered a knock as Belgian-Swiss cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut suspended production at its Wieze plant in Belgium, the world’s biggest chocolate factory, after discovering salmonella in a production lot earlier in the week.
On a positive note, rain in top producer Ivory Coast has led to projections of a bumper harvest for the upcoming main crop in the West African region.


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Facebook tests ‘buy’ button
Facebook Inc. said it’s testing a feature that will let users shop directly from its website.
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SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook Inc., owner of the world’s largest social network, said it’s testing a feature that will let users shop directly from its website.
People on desktop computers or mobile devices can click a “Buy” button to make purchases through advertisements or other posts on Facebook’s site, the Menlo Park, California-based company said today in a blog post. The service is being tested with a few small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S.
“With this feature, people on desktop or mobile can click the ‘Buy’ call-to-action button … to purchase a product directly from a business, without leaving Facebook,” the company said in a statement on its website.
Facebook, which has more than 1.2 billion users, has been pushing into new businesses to bolster advertising revenue. The company is trying to keep pace with rivals Twitter Inc. and Google Inc. by adding tools for marketers.
“We’ve built this feature with privacy in mind, and have taken steps to help make the payment experience safe and secure,” Facebook said in the blog post. Users’ credit- or debit-card information won’t be shared with other advertisers, Facebook said.
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This isn’t Yorkville or The Danforth. Emery Village is home to 2,500 businesses employing 25,000 people. That fact is key to its plans.


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It’s Business as Usual for This American Billionaire’s Russian Ops
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
In response to Vladimir Putin’s calamitous invasion of Ukraine, companies from Chanel to McDonald’s to Netflix have shuttered, at least for now, their Russian operations. But there has been one particular holdout raising eyebrows, Judd Legum reports in his Popular Information newsletter: Koch Industries. The sprawling conglomerate, which is run by billionaire and right-wing darling Charles Koch of Koch Brothers notoriety, owns at least three companies that continue to hum along, such as it were, in the virtual pariah state. One company owned by Koch, Guardian Glass, operates two plants in Russia. As of March 4, a spokesperson said Guardian’s employees in Russia remained on the job. Two others, Molex Connectors, a manufacturer of electronic components sold throughout Russia, and Koch-Glitsch, which supplies the chemical and petroleum industries with industrial products, have also kept the lights on as others flee, if not for economic or moral reasons, then so as to maintain their reputations.


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The great outdoors has really received a boost of appreciation, especially within the last year due to the pandemic. For example, Millennials and Gen-X’rs are really taking a new admiration for attractive outdoor spaces, particularly within their homes. There has been a huge boost in interest and sales of outdoor furniture and other accessories in recent months among this younger generation. There are several factors involved that link to these younger generations desiring nice outdoor areas, from health benefits to just wanting homier spaces to entertain in.
There has been ample research done in the last few months that has concluded that the majority of Millennials, GenX and their Baby Boomer parents and grandparents asked about their desire for nicer or new outdoor furniture reported substantially higher numbers than those asked in older generations. Millennials especially see an immense value in having comfortable and inviting outdoor patio spaces available at their homes, both for relaxing at and enjoying for themselves regularly as well as entertaining guests when that becomes more common again.
There is no question that getting outside and being surrounded by nature and getting ample sunlight is incredible for our immune systems and overall health. This fact is a massive benefit of investing in a quality outdoor furniture setup. Since so many individuals around the world have been working and attending school from home, many have taken up the chance to get outside for some fresh air as much as possible. Comfortable patio areas are also ideal for these times when social distancing is still our reality, because they allow for a safe, open-air space.
There are several fads that we will see in the year of 2021, especially within the millennial age group and having days with pleasant weather just ahead of us. Some of these trends will include:
- Outdoor Entertainment
According to Wakefield Research, more than half of the Millennials questioned said that they were planning to buy new pieces of outdoor furniture for entertainment purposes. And it wouldn’t be entertaining without some food and drink so outdoor kitchens are on the rise too.
- Outdoor Furniture Upgrades
Most of the individuals asked claimed that they were unhappy with their current outdoor living situation and would like to take the steps necessary to improve it, whether that is by purchasing new furniture or making renovations. This stat goes across all generations looking to spend more time outdoors.
- Non-Traditional Outdoor Living Pieces
More Millennials stated that they were interested in buying more nontraditional pieces for their outdoor quarters, such as sectional sofas and throw pillows, pergola’s and plunge pools to create a more inviting and cozy space to entertain their friends at.
- Increasing Home Value
It was shown that 43% of Millennials and 31% of Boomers are not only more apt to update their outdoor areas solely for the appeal, but also for the supplemental value that a nicer, more attractive space will add to the value of their home.
- Big Makeovers
When it comes to having a pleasant outdoor patio space, most have a great idea of what will enhance the space the most. Additions such as new patio areas, firepits, outdoor lighting, and dining are now all commonly desired items for an optimal outdoor section.
- Utilization over Appearance
While we all want outdoor areas that are attractive, the functionality of the space has shown to be of the utmost importance among Americans. Having a patio that can be fully utilized as well as practical allows for people to relish in this space at a much higher level. And there’s a boom in outdoor office space…it looks like it’s here to stay too, as more and more Americans are working from home, and enjoy it.
- Somewhere to Unwind
Since it has become the norm to spend so much time at home, the large majority of American citizens wish for their outdoor areas to be as comfortable and relaxing as possible. Having a welcoming patio makes it much more likely for people to actually take advantage of the region and do things like cook and entertain.
A pleasant, tranquil, and inviting outdoor living space is such a phenomenal thing to have and enjoy, especially in today’s environment. People are seeing the value more than ever in enhancing and making the most out of any available space they may have, especially outdoors. Not much can beat a quiet morning with coffee on the patio or an evening of unwinding in front of a firepit with your favorite beverage and people.


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Goyal Aluminiums informed the exchanges that it received a land allotment from the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority or GNIDA to establish a new plant for electric vehicles.
According to the company, the land allotment will help it expand its ambitious expansion plans and maintain strong growth rates. The company stated in a regulatory filing that plot No. 283 that measures around 4000 sq m and is available for lease for a period of up to 90 years.
The company has been allotted the land at Rs 14,917.50 per sq m. The plot’s provisional premium is Rs 59, 670,000. As registration money, the company has already deposited Rs. 58,50,000. According to the company, the balance of 90% without interest will be paid in 90 days.
Earlier this month, Goyal Aluminiums announced that it will enter the electric vehicle market through a newly formed venture called Wroley E India. The company will only manufacture electric scooters and low-speed vehicles for the domestic market.
Already, the Central Institute of Road Transport has granted clearance to the company to launch the first high-speed electric scooter in April of the current year.
Wroley E India also received financing approval from Shri Ram Finance. This will allow customers to finance their electric scooter purchases in monthly installments. The company also employed 25 dealers in northern India and expects to hire 150 dealers across the country before March 2024.


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CliffTop Cleaners Inc and Fine Foods Inc, partner product and service to give aid in the fight against the Zika virus. This timely endeavor between the two companies aims to equip everyone who wants to be prepared.
On Tuesday March 15th 2016, Fine Foods Inc local distributors for Bop insecticide Spray and Go insect repellantcontributed over $2000 worth of BOP and GO insect repellant to CliffTop Cleaners. This partnership will provide customers who sign up for fogging services from CliffTop Cleaners, to receive the products complimentary in an effort to maintain a safe environment, and being.
Fine Foods Inc, Marketing Officer, Nardine Benjamin stated that, “This partnership addresses a very pertinent national issue right now. We anticipate that once their fogging services are utilized, and maintenance is done with the use of Bop and GO insect repellent;we can help in the prevention the spread of the Zika Virus. It’s an on-going process; we must be vigilant.”
CliffTop cleaning inc. combines today’s technology with more than 11 years of innovative experience. They offer a full range of solutions based on specific needs – at one site or multiple locations.Marketing officer for CliffTop Inc, JevoneFabien , thanks Fine Foods Inc and said “CliffTop believes that cleanliness should be initiated at home, school, society, community, organizational and country level to bring a clean revolution all over the Dominica. Today CliffTop and Fine Foods Inc take the time to understand the importance and necessity of cleanliness and urges all to apply it in their daily lives.”
The two companies plan to conduct product demonstrations in the near future where customers will get the opportunity to interact and ask questions.
For more information on Fine foods Inc, go to www.finefoodsinc.com or call 4493663. For more information in CliffTop Cleaners call 4403278.


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M6-owned SND has risen swiftly to be one of France’s most powerful film distributors. The company’s president, Thierry Desmichelle, tells Nancy Tartaglione why he won’t release more than 16 movies a year
‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’ is perhaps the most apt mantra for Thierry Desmichelle. The SND president is rarely heard in public forums yet his imposing presence is felt. That is not to say the very private executive is fearsome, merely that the company he heads has become one of France’s most aggressive buyers, boasting relationships with both Twilight producer Summit Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment.
During an interview at the SND headquarters outside Paris, Desmichelle’s 52-strong team seems to buzz along under his watchful eye. Though it is not all seriousness, as the executive takes the time to joke about his age (he is 46 but looks younger) and talk excitedly about Sundance.
Desmichelle joined M6 Video in 1996, and purchased all rights and distributed the films in France with screen bookings outsourced. After selling nearly 1 million tickets to Autumn In New York, which Desmichelle released through SND in 2000, he decided to branch out and book screens himself, and M6 took over SND with M6 Video’s activities being folded in. Desmichelle was named president of SND in 2001.
“The job of a distributor is not to just keep rolling out films. We are attached to quality.”
Following its buyout by M6 ― in which no money changed hands ― SND became an aggressive purchaser of US titles including early pickups such as The Wedding Planner (pictured), The Mothman Prophecies and Gangs Of New York. The company also released local hits such as Fabien Onteniente’s People.
Among the company’s biggest successes have been Summit titles: Mr & Mrs Smith (3 million admissions), the Twilight films (2.8 million and 4.2 million respectively) and, although it may not be a box-office cracker, The Hurt Locker (pictured) (200,340).
When Summit created its distribution venture and started looking for financial partners, Desmichelle was happy to oblige. SND now owns roughly 10% of Summit. The French company has no obligation to buy Summit-produced films, though it will come in on Summit pictures via a distribution deal or a straight acquisition, depending on budget size. Nor does SND become involved in the decision-making process other than as a consultant. “They test us,” Desmichelle offers with a wry smile.
SND has another fruitful relationship with Marvel having released Ghost Rider, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man (pictured) over the past few years. Desmichelle calls the set-up one of “very good rapport” and a relationship which is constantly being nurtured but, he says, SND “does not have the vocation of being a service company”. He adds: “I am very careful.”
The company releases about 16 films per year. Though there is no limit on what it can invest in or how much, Desmichelle believes working with more than 20 titles a year becomes problematic. “The job of a distributor is not to just keep rolling out films. We are attached to quality,” he says. “Size matters little. The amount of investment is what makes the difference.”
Bucking the trend
As for DVD, Desmichelle says that so far SND has not been hit too hard by the market decline. “DVD is healthy for us,” he notes, adding that SND has seen strong increases with DVD now representing about 40% of the group’s revenues. Video-on-demand takings have multiplied fourfold in the past year.
He contends that one of the advantages of SND’s business for M6 is that it is building assets and earning money. SND sold 12.5 million tickets to its films in 2009 and he says he plans to aim higher in the future. “I’m happy with what I’ve done at SND. I would even dare to say I’m proud of my success for the group. But every year we set the meter back to zero. It’s a constant quest.”
■ Studied finance and law in Paris and opened a production company while still a student in 1983.
■ Joined Warner Video in 1987, followed by stints at production services group Tectis and home-video outfit Cinram.
■ Joined Groupe M6 in 1996 to oversee the development and monetisation of the rights catalogue.
■ M6 took over SND in 2001, with Desmichelle named president.
■ Desmichelle loves a good popcorn flick and hates films that take themselves too seriously.


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Lloyd said Cisco will continue selling one-off enterprise networking products for customers who choose to buy that way, but will make it "much simpler and more cost-effective to buy the full suites." Cisco is going to unveil pricing details for its new enterprise licenses during the Cisco Live event in San Francisco this May.
"The direction for us is that product brands will begin to become much less important than the suite itself," Lloyd said. "Because of our [product] breadth, we significantly need to simplify our customers' ability to consume it, our channel partners' ability to understand it, and we need to leverage licensing and smart packaging to make this easier."
Lloyd said Cisco's new enterprise licensing model will make things simpler for Cisco partners.
"They need simplification, too," Lloyd said of Cisco solution providers. "I don't need as many specialists running around selling little components and, I think, for them, the same applies."
Kent MacDonald, vice president of Converged Infrastructure at solution provider and Cisco Gold Partner Long View Systems, said he welcomed Cisco's new bundled licensing program, given the complexity of navigating Cisco licensing models in the past.
"Based on the number of their technologies and their acquisitions, I think Cisco has somewhere between 50 and 60 different licensing programs currently, which is very cumbersome for the partner and, at the end of the day, typically is a frustrating experience for both the partner and occasionally the end user," MacDonald told CRN. "So, to streamline the process to be able sell site licenses, either by technology or by a [customer's] entire environment, I think is fabulous."
Lloyd said the licensing changes will likely require some tweaking to Cisco's partner profitability and incentive programs like VIP, which he said still revolve fairly heavily around partners' acquiring and selling individual Cisco boxes.
That said, Lloyd noted that many Cisco solution providers are already accustomed to selling bundled licensing models from working with other vendors and Cisco technology partners.
"Many of our partners actually specialize in licensing, many of the distributors specialize in managing licensing mechanisms and many of our VARs do that, as well, and do that already for Microsoft, VMware and others," Lloyd said. "So I think we will find logical extensions of our current model, but we do need to tweak it a little bit."
Lloyd said he is working with Bruce Klein, senior vice president of Cisco's Worldwide Partner Organization, and Edison Peres, senior vice president of Worldwide Channels, to do this, and that Cisco will dive deeper into the topic at its Global Partner Summit later this month.
PUBLISHED MARCH 6, 2014


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The good thing about Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets is the fact that they are not overly expensive compared to alternatives such as the iPad which will set customers back a few hundred dollars more. Of course the specs are different but for those who are looking for a tablet just for surfing and some light entertainment, the Kindle Fire tablets certainly have the ability to get the job done. However some have also viewed the Kindle Fire tablets as relatively affordable Android tablets that they can hack and customize, thus removing Amazon’s customized version of Android from the device itself.
Now the bad news is that if you were hoping to pick up the new Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD and root it and flash a custom ROM onto it, here’s something to consider. According to a thread on the XDA forums, it seems that some developers have discovered that hacking the new Kindle Fire tablets might be a lot harder than they thought to the point where it might be hack resistant. This is apparently thanks to the new security features offered by the Texas Instruments’ processor and the locked bootloaders. Given that Amazon was relying on its ecosystem to generate more revenue we can understand why they might have installed extra security measures to make sure that those who buy their tablets will have to access to use their services.
This might not be a big deal to those who are perfectly happy using Amazon’s services, but for those looking to grab a cheap tablet to mod, this is definitely worth taking into consideration. Not all hope is lost as it has been suggested that a workaround is possible using the same method deployed for the Nook Tablet, but since we’re not developers or hackers, we will be leaving this to the professionals. If you’d like to monitor the situation, the XDA forum thread can be found in the source link below.


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SimplyBiz Mortgages has added Paragon’s buy-to-let range to its panel.
The buy-to-let range includes support for SPV Ltd company lending, including subsidiaries, HMO properties with up to 20 rooms, multi-unit freehold blocks, re-mortgages within six months and lending for expats, with holiday lets, refurbishment products and forward funding facilities coming soon.
Martin Reynolds, CEO of SimplyBiz Mortgages, said: “Feedback from our membership on Paragon’s secured lending products has been really positive, and I’m delighted to announce this expansion of their product range on the SimplyBiz Mortgages panel.
“Paragon shares our commitment to innovation and focussing on changing client needs, and I’m sure this strengthening of our relationship will be highly beneficial for our members as we move forward.
“Buy-to-let is an increasingly important market, and I’m pleased to be able to support our members further in this area. In a survey of FIBA and SimplyBiz Mortgages members we ran last month, we found that 30% of those who responded were new to BTL but aimed to expand their services. Additionally, in the same survey, we found that sentiment around the buy-to-let-market was very strong, with 83% stating that they felt the number of BTL products sold would remain stable or increase in the near future.”
“Now more than ever, it’s vital that advisers and brokers have access to a wide range of high-quality products, and I am committed to further enhancing and growing the panel wherever I feel we can add value to our membership. ”
Moray Hulme, director of mortgage sales at Paragon, said: “Paragon is delighted to add SimplyBiz Mortgages to our distribution.
“We know The SimplyBiz Group prides itself on offering intermediaries market-leading products and, as one of the UK’s top buy-to-let lenders, I’m confident that we strengthen this offer. We’re looking forward to working with its members to provide customers with fantastic products and excellent service.”


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Japanese electronics maker Fujitsu has stepped into the e-book fray with the a color e-paper mobile device aimed at consumers. Thin and lightweight like its competition the Kindle, Fujitsu Frontech’s awkwardly named FLEPia, is now on sale in Japan and will start shipping on April 20 for around $1,000. Customers will have the option of purchasing e-books through the FLEPia-ya Web site via Japan’s largest e-book online retailer Papyless while connecting the device to the Internet via wi-fi.


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New Delhi-based e-Sprinto, an electric two-wheeler start-up is set to launch its second high-speed electric scooter, Amery. According to a company statement, Ameri is designed to provide an economical and stylish mode of transportation to urban riders.
The company has claimed in a statement that the new e-scooter is compliant with the government’s FAME2 (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) policy, which aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and promote sustainable mobility in India.
The start-up recently announced its plan to launch four products in 2023. The brand is also planning to give an introductory offer price for the first 100 customers. It is likely to launch Amery within a month and eying to target unisex urban riders aged 20 to 35.
Talking about the latest product, Atul Gupta Co-Founder and Director of e-Sprinto, said, “At e-Sprinto, we take great pride in our commitment to quality and innovation, and Amery electric scooter is a testament to that. As the urban landscape continues to evolve and demand for sustainable transportation solutions surges, Amery is particularly designed to cater to the requirements of city riders.”
“Our team of engineers and designers have poured their expertise and passion into developing this product and we are sure it will not only meet but surpass the expectations of urban commuters. With its sleek design, impressive speed and performance, and top-of-the-line safety features, Amery is sure to make heads turn and hearts race,” he added.


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EE has already launched a 4GEE Action Cam earlier this year, but it looks like the mobile operator company is not satisfied with that, so it has launched a new 4GEE Capture Cam. This 4GEE Capture Cam is tagged as “world’s first wearable 4G streaming camera.” This camera can allow people and business man to keep an eye on things that they want to see live from anywhere.
The 4GEE Capture Cam can live stream 720p video via data connection or directly through its 4G SIM. This camera is light and strong, so it will survive most of the situations. This is very small camera, so you can attach it to yourself and live stream HD video to your friends and family via 4G connections. EE has not revealed its price, but company said that it is going to release more details pretty soon.
This camera is also capable of recording full HD 1080p video, but here you have to store the footage to its built-in 4GB memory or the external microSD card inserted inside the 4GEE Capture Cam. This Capture Cam can also work as an 8 Mega Pixel camera. It can be linked to your smartphone through iOS and Android companion app. The price of the device will be lesser than the Action Cam for sure. This 4GEE Capture Cam is going to roll out before Christmas 2015.
Have something more to add to this story? Kindly let us know in the comments section.


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Blackburn-headquartered EG Group – which trades as Euro Garages – has bought 146 of the fast food company's restaurants and one Pizza Hut, as well as a development pipeline and a small number of non-trading sites, from The Herbert Group in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The acquisition also sees the group bolster its workforce by 4,000 staff. Inclusive of this portfolio, EG Group now operates more than 1,500 food-to-go retail concessions across ten international markets including the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Germany, US and Australia.
Zuber Issa, founder and co-chief executive of EG Group, said: "Securing The Herbert Group portfolio is well aligned to our long-term strategic growth plans and builds on our commitment to grow the EG Group's presence in the food-to-go retail convenience segment.
"The Herbert Group portfolio is a great strategic addition and complements our expanding operations in the UK and furthermore, now allows us entry into the Irish market. "We are committed to working closely with the KFC brand team to invest in the portfolio we are acquiring, and to open new restaurants. There is already a strong development pipeline for us to work towards developing."
Paula McKenzie, general manager at KFC UK and Ireland, added: "We're pleased that EG Group has acquired these restaurants – it shows confidence in investing in KFC and comes at an exciting time for our brand, off the back of unprecedented sales growth in 2020 so far.
"The acquisition demonstrates EG Group's ability to be a partner of choice and we're looking forward to supporting them as they unlock further investment and growth in the years ahead."
Freeths advised EG Group on the deal. The company has also entered into a binding agreement to acquire Sydney-listed Oliver's Real Food, which operates 24 sites across Australia.
Zuber Issa said: "EG delivers innovative food and convenience offers to customers internationally and we are committed to bringing market leading offers to our Australian customers. In Oliver's we see a concept that meets a global trend towards healthy and sustainable eating."
Mike McMenamin, EG Australia chief executive, added: "Oliver's has developed a strong following in Australia, and has been very well received by our customers in trials at a number of our stores.
"This acquisition presents a great opportunity for us to enter the Australian restaurant market and the potential to enhance our convenience offer across our 500+ store network. We look forward to the Oliver’s team joining the EG Australia family." The Oliver's transaction is subject to customary terms and conditions including, Oliver’s shareholder approval and court approval. Completion is expected to occur mid-2020.
Citigroup is acting as financial advisor and Allen & Overy LLP as legal adviser to EG Group on the Oliver’s deal.


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Who can I get to help me sell my timber?
In Mississippi, foresters that offer their services to the public are required to be registered. There are many registered, consulting foresters that serve forest landowners in Mississippi. Your local county Extension office has publications that can help, and landowners may seek references from other landowners that have experience selling timber.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Business leaders looking to upgrade their social media marketing strategies can now get started by tuning in to a new podcast series.
Bricks-To-Clicks Marketing, a Mississippi State University Extension program, helps business leaders develop a digital marketing plan to bring in more customers and revenue. The program has launched an eight-episode marketing podcast centered around use of social media platforms to grow personal brands and businesses.
Mississippi’s timber industry remained its second highest producing agricultural commodity again in 2019.
Coming in with an estimated production value of $1.15 billion, timber followed the state’s poultry industry, which generated an estimated value of $2.78 billion in 2019. Timber’s value of production is estimated by monthly severance taxes collected by the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Despite a slow housing market and other lingering effects of the recession, Mississippi’s forests remain the state’s second most valuable agricultural commodity for 2017.
John Auel, an assistant Extension professor of forestry at Mississippi State University, estimates the value of forest products is $1.4 billion, which is a decrease of 8.6 percent from 2016. However, 2017 numbers are almost 40 percent higher than they were in 2009, when the industry experienced its lowest valued harvest of the 2007-2009 recession.


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This past July, the Seattle company Zillow.com closed a second round of venture capital funding to the tune of $25 million, bringing its total funding to $57 million—and it just launched its website, that estimates home values, in February 2006. Among its investors are PAR Capital Management, Technology Crossover Ventures, and Benchmark Capital.
One person who’s very happy about the deal is Zillow.com chief executive Rich Barton, one of the venture partners of Benchmark Capital. Barton used to head up Expedia, the most successful online travel website, and before that, he worked at Microsoft.
The VC-Microsoft connection may have something to do with the similarities of the cultures. After all, business doesn’t get more high-intensity and marketing-centered than Bill Gates’ Redmond, Washington-based giant. And such a hothouse environment clearly breeds driven businesspeople.
Partovi, for example, previously co-founded telephone information service Tellme Networks, which itself scooped up millions in venture funding from the likes of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers during the late-1990’s dot-com boom. Also in the midst of the dot-com bubble, Microsoft VP Peter Neupert left to lead Drugstore.com—though he returned to the Microsoft fold in 2005.
Indeed, entrepreneurs like Rich Barton are highly sought-after, because they know what it takes to operate in the big leagues. “There are great entrepreneurs and great executives, and Rich is one of those rare individuals who is both,” said Bill Gurley, general partner at Benchmark Capital, when Barton joined Benchmark last year. “Rich had an unprecedented run at Expedia, taking it from an idea to a $10 billion company in only eight years.” And just this month, San Francisco-based Atom Entertainment, of which Barton is a director, was sold to MTV Networks for $200 million.
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that the name “Microsoft” on a résumé attracts VC dollars.