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Marks may be loser in sales war
Marks & Spencer is putting a brave face on reports that Christmas sales are grim and that its top womenswear designer may leave. City reports say in the week to last Saturday, menswear sales were down 14% on the year before while womens' clothing was down 9%. A rise in household goods and gifts helped restrict the overall drop in non-food sales to around 6%.
The figures were supposed to have come from internal statistics and follow earlier claims that, in the week before, menswear was down 13% and womenswear 6%.
'We don't comment on individual weekly figures,' said M&S. 'Trends show people are buying later and later and we still have a full week before Christmas including next Saturday and Sunday.'
But analysts like Richard Ratner at Seymour Pierce think Marks will not be able to make up the shortfall. 'It looks as if they will have a bad Christmas for the third year running,' he warned.
To add to M&S's woes, designer Sheilagh Brown has been in talks with management about her future. 'Nothing will be decided until she comes back after Christmas,' said M&S. If she goes after 12 years with M&S, she will be the latest in a long line of senior executives to have quit.
Ratner believes the going is tough for all womenswear retailers, but that Matalan is taking sales off other discounters.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research says a game of chicken is going on in the High Street with shoppers holding off for pre-Christmas discounts and retailers delaying price cuts. It forecasts overall sales for this week will be up 17.4% on a year ago. M&S chairman Luc Vandevelde, who sees December as crucial, will be depending on a decent slice of the cake.
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Orleans Coffee roasts the stuff that runs the Parish. The coffee roaster has been in business for over 30 years and made the move to the City of Kenner after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the company has grown its business and its reach.
Coffee fans may know this product; Orleans Coffee is sold at a variety of coffee shops and restaurants around the region. The Windsor Court is just one notable business in the roaster’s long list of clients.
Bob Arceneaux, the company’s owner, rattled off a list of places where his coffee is sold.
“We’re primarily in Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. We do have some coffee house customers in St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Terrebone, Lafourche Parish,” he says. “We have a nice customer base in Lafayette. And we have some businesses in Mississippi and Florida. I even work with a coffee house in Indiana called Chicory Café.”
Orleans Coffee can also be found in New York and Los Angeles. “We sell a lot of coffee and chicory in California,” Bob says. “It’s becoming trendy again.”
A few years back, Bob wanted to figure out how to expand into some of those markets and become a better boss to his 21 employees. He took advantage of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Delgado Community College.
“All I can say is that it was a life-changing event,” Bob says.
This small business course isn’t found everywhere. In fact, only fifteen community colleges around the country offer the Goldman Sachs program and Delgado Community College just happens to be one of them.
“I’m learning how to become a better employer to my employees. I’m learning better staffing, better management practices,” Bob explains. “Every division of the company every aspect of the company has to get stronger and Goldman Sachs has taught me how to do that.”
Today, Orleans Coffee roasts up to 1,500 pounds of coffee a day, which adds up to about nine 18-wheeler shipping containers per year. Last year, the company rebranded and added a new line of product, called Parish Coffee, to grocery store shelves.
“We needed better packaging to match up with our coffee,” Bob said. “Our coffee just keeps getting better and better.”
The company continues to blend new vision with time-tested products while bringing a taste of Jefferson Parish to people all over the country.

domain: news


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A sad day for all the 2D platforming fans out there, as Eternity's Child has jumped the XBLA ship to make its debut as a retail title on the Nintendo Wii.
Eternity's Child, which was shaping up to be a lush 2D gem for the XBLA library, was deemed unfeasible due to the size restrictions of XBLA. But how's this for irony -- the massive amount of high quality 2D art (which created the space problem in the first place) is now being reworked for the Wii's 480i/p output.
More and more it seems that the Xbox 360 platform could benefit from a new category of downloadable titles for games that do not fit under the 150MB limit of XBLA. I certainly doubt that Penny Arcade Adventures will be under 150MB per episode, so maybe exceptions are already being made. But will those exceptions become a new class of downloadables for the 360? One could hope. And then we would not lose games like Eternity's Child.
[Update]: According to an email from Luc Bernard (the game's creator) to xbox-archiv.de, this game is not only destined for the Nintendo Wii but also for the Nintendo DS (although different from the Wii version) and for the Playstation 3 as a PSN download. The PSN version is not mentioned in the ArtduJeu interview at all, so we'll have to take xbox-achiv's word for it at this point.
In addition to Eternity's Child, he is also working on other games including a "mature fairytale" called The Pink Princess (or is it The Rose Princess) which may arrive on XBLA. [via xbox-archiv, translated (poorly) here, thanks Wasabi]
Godfree at Gamertag Radio has just posted a few screen shots as well as a bit of new info about Eternity's Child. From the shots, you can clearly see that it seems that Luke Bernard (the main man behind this project) has certainly hit his goal of old school Disney art style. While the game is still quite aways off, it's pretty high on my own personal want list.
ILoveXBLA noticed recently that the XBLA wiki page has been updated to include yet another upcoming title; Eternity's Child. While all that's known about this title so far is that it's based off the works of Luke Bernard, and that it's scheduled for release in Spring 2007, the artwork on the official page is certainly intriguing.
We'll post more as soon as the info becomes available.


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Pru fires starting gun on break-up of £10bn UK annuities book
The FTSE-100 insurer has told would-be buyers that a £10bn portfolio will be split into four chunks, Sky News understands.
Monday 6 November 2017 17:04, UK
Prudential has fired the starting gun on a four-way break-up of a £10bn UK annuities book that could herald a broader exit by Britain’s largest insurer from its home market.
Sky News has learnt that the Pru has begun contacting potential buyers of chunks of the pension annuities business in the last few weeks.
The company has informed them that a £10bn portfolio will be divided into four parcels of between £2bn and £3bn each, according to someone briefed on the company's plans.
The packages being earmarked for sale by the Pru comprise different profiles of assets to appeal to a range of buyers, they added.
Specialist buyers of pension assets such as Rothesay Life, Legal & General and Pension Insurance Corporation are expected to be among those interested in bidding for the annuities business.
The sale process will be closely watched by investors, both to discern the Pru chief executive Mike Wells' intended use of the capital generated by it, and for clues about the company's longer-term ambitions about its presence in Britain.
The FTSE-100 insurer was founded in 1848, and now has a major presence in the US and Asia, where it is the region's second-largest life insurer.
It would have become by far the biggest player in the Far East if a $35bn takeover bid for AIA in 2010 had been successful, but the deal ultimately blocked by investors.
The Pru has since withdrawn from the UK retail annuities market and has been reviewing its back-book amid new, more capital-intensive, regulations.
Speaking to Bloomberg in August, Mr Wells confirmed that the company was examining the sale of part of its UK annuities back-book.
"I think that the key is long-term shareholder return, not short-term cash, so we're not in any hurry to do any transactions in that space.
"We have exited that space on a retail basis but we wouldn't do anything that would affect the consumers that own those products adversely or do anything that would diminish total shareholder return."
Insiders said that Mr Wells would not sanction the sale of the £10bn of UK annuities portfolios unless he could secure attractive offers for the assets.
It is unclear whether the Pru has formally appointed advisers to handle the sale, although sources said that UBS and Perella Weinberg & Partners were likely to be in contention to advise on the disposals.
The Pru declined to comment on Monday.


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The change isn’t just a issue of flavor — it has ramifications for mass clothing, a considerable section of the economy, and the physical face of retail, which is the 2nd-most important non-public employer in the United States. Earnings from women’s attire in the United States was $132.7 billion in 2021, up 7 per cent from 2019, whilst sales of men’s apparel rose 11 % from 2019 to $76.5 billion, according to information from the NPD Team, a sector exploration business.
As far more of that revenue shifts into denim, sneakers and the like, notably for women, retailers ought to keep rate. Already, NPD located that dress footwear revenue declined 34 p.c past 12 months from 2019 whilst men’s personalized garments for the 12 months that ended in February was down 20 percent from two several years earlier. Mass chains like Banana Republic and J. Crew have been shrinking their shop counts although altering their assortments.
Meanwhile, Lululemon now has annual product sales that exceed the Hole and Banana Republic makes combined and aims to double that in the subsequent five many years. Lululemon and Athleta, which is owned by Hole Inc., equally promote get the job done outfits on their internet sites. Shoppers are inclined to pay out for convenience: Gap claimed on a September contact that across its models, the common device retail price, a evaluate of what a garment sells for, was $12 at Previous Navy, $40 at Banana Republic and $60 at Athleta.
How men and women gown for perform can be a reflection of the labor current market. Financial downturns, like the collapse of the dot-com boom or the 2008 financial crisis, have usually prompted returns to dressier outfits as a form of threat aversion — men and women want to demonstrate the manager they are producing an energy. In the existing climate, when the unemployment charge has fallen to the lowest stage given that the pandemic took hold, workforce could believe: My employer is fortunate to have me, so why must I wear pants that zip?
In addition, many have conflicted feelings all-around in-person get the job done. Potential Discussion board, a analysis team backed by Slack, not long ago observed that 34 percent of business employees were bodily back full time and that perform-related tension and stress have been at the worst stage since the group commenced surveying 10,000 business office staff in the summer time of 2020.


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Toronto-based Nymi, with assistance from TD and MasterCard, recently made history by successfully conducting a contactless payment authenticated using someone’s heartbeat as the equivalent of a PIN code. The Nymi Band works by identifying a user based upon his or her unique heartbeat (electrocardiogram) through the company’s proprietary HeartID technology.
The Nymi Band is currently available to a small number of users as a pilot, but will roll out to the Canadian market soon.
Today, most likely in a move to advance the product rollout, Nymi announced that John Haggard will take over as chief executive officer of the company. Founder Karl Martin will transition to the role as chief technology officer. Haggard previously worked at Yubico as the Chief Business Officer at Yubico, and is an active member of the FIDO Alliance (Fast IDentity Online).
“My career objective has always been to make a measurable, positive contribution to the computing industry, and Nymi is an exciting company that shares this goal,” said Haggard in a statement. “Nymi has embarked on an incredible journey that will change security forever.”
Once tapped as a consumer wearable device, Nymi shifted its focus and now has a goal to deliver “frictionless, passive security experience to the enterprise space.”
In addition to the CEO swap, Ram Varadarajan has been named to Nymi’s Board of Directors. Varadarajan was the founder and CEO of Arcot Systems.
This article was originally published on MobileSyrup.


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Disney, Apple, HBO Set To Enter the Korean Streaming Market
Asia’s over-the-top(OTT) video streaming market is growing so strongly that global players have their eyes on this lucrative market for quite a while. If major US streaming services such as Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max and Peacock start officially opening up their business operations in Korea next year, competition is expected to be intensified to acquire Korean content, especially provided that streamer giant Netflix is throwing its weight around with its 70 Korean-made originals.
In 2021, new entry markets for Disney Plus will likely include Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. However, the exact date remains unclear.
While some see that such procurement scrambling between global streaming services will raise bids for Korean content, more shows concerns that this move might push the local content platforms out from the big players' game.
Meanwhile, among many domestic OTT users, there is a growing demand for HBO Max. HBO Max, which has rich intellectual property rights (IP) along with its key rival Walt Disney Company, produces a variety of original contents and is attracting the interest of Korean movie fans even before entering the country. According to Variety, Warner Bros. is set to release its entire 2021 film slate, a list of 17 films, including “The Matrix 4”, Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” remake, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical adaptation of “In the Heights,” the “Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark” and “The Suicide Squad” and Denzel Washington’s thriller “The Little Things”. And its most-anticipated “Wonder Woman 1984”, which will be available to HBO Max subscribers for 31 days before it can be rented or purchased on other platforms.
(Photo Source: HBO Website)
This bold announcement to release various genres of films has generated much sizzle over the weekend. And just a month ago, WarnerMedia International revealed its new consolidated leadership team across Southeast Asia and Korea, as HBO Max is in the process to restructure to focus on streaming operations.
As the Covid-19 pandemic becomes further protracted, the stay-at-home order extended from days to weeks, there will be a continuous rise in demand for people who would choose to spend recreational time by watching content online.
South Korea’s top three mobile carriers are taking the initiatives to join hands with Disney Plus and other over-the-top (OTT) services. In particular, SK Telecom Co. set achieving partnership with Disney Plus as the company’s topmost priority, after KT corp., local telecom operator, has expanded its customer base via partnership with Netflix.
On December 1st, a local famous movie translator, Hwang Seok-hee disclosed through social media that, "The translation work for Disney Plus and NBC Universal's Peacock (contents) are also currently being translated into Korean”.
(Photo Source: Wavve and NBC Universal signed a partnership in April to expand the global content ecosystem and export original content. (Provided by Wavve) © News1)
Many Peacock's original content such as DreamWorks animation such as 'Shrek' and 'Minions' or 'The Office' is under the process of translation, and for now it is more likely to be provided through SK Telecom's native OTT channel 'wavve' than launching its own in South Korea.
Mr. Hwang also said, "It seems that Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video are also reviewing several translation companies to start the translation work."
In fact, in the case of Apple TV+, which was launched by Apple in November last year, there have been a handful of contents with Korean subtitles, but between August and September, Korean subtitles have been added to Apple mega hit shows such as 'SEE' and 'Greyhound'. and the Korean user interface (UI) has been updated.
(Photo Source: Apple TV+ shows on Roku platform, Courtesy of Roku)
In the same month, Apple publicly stated, "We are looking for a career editor who will lead video content programmings in Korea with a focus on discovering movie and TV contents."
An industry insider predicted that, "Considering the time until full recruitment, if those employed manpower is for Apple TV+, there is a high possibility that Apple will start its streaming service in Korea as early as 2021."


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Foot Locker reported Friday that first-quarter revenue rose 1%, partially offset by a 2% decline in comparable sales.
The New York-based company said total sales reached $2175 million (€2053.37 million) in the quarter ended April 30, compared with $2153 million (€2032.60 million) in the corresponding period a year earlier.
The company announced net income of $133 million (€125.56 million) or $1.37 (€1.29) per share for the 13-week period, compared to net income of $202 million (€190.70 million) or $1.93 (€1.82) per share.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
«We are off to a strong start in 2022, posting a solid quarter in the face of tough fiscal stimulus comparisons and historically low promotions last year,» said Richard Johnson, president and chief executive officer.
«We continue to make progress in expanding and enriching our assortment to meet our customers’ demand. These efforts helped drive our strong first-quarter results, and we believe they will enable us to participate more fully in our category’s solid growth going forward,» he added.
First-quarter comparable store sales declined 1.9%, with apparel significantly outpacing footwear, the company said, adding that it opened 24 new stores, remodeled or relocated 23 stores, and closed 67 stores during the quarter.
«As we elevate the brands in our portfolio, continue to use our real estate flexibility to optimize our footprint and develop our omnichannel capabilities, we are excited about our improved ability to expand our customer base and fuel our consumers’ desire for self-expression,» Johnson said.
Looking ahead, Foot Locker said it expects adjusted earnings for the fiscal year to be at the high end of the forecast, $4.25 to $4.60 (€4.01 to €4.34) per share. It expects sales to increase by 4% to 6%.
«Following our strong first quarter results, our solid inventory position going into the remainder of the year and strengthening our supplier relationships, based on our current visibility, we now expect to achieve the high end of our full-year revenue and earnings guidance.»


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Sweden’s H&M has reportedly signed a lease for its flagship Sydney CBD store in Glasshouse on the Pitt Street mall which will open towards the end of next year.
The Sydney Morning Herald says the the area is currently the site for the Uniqlo pop up store, which is moving to 420 George Street.
The first H&M store to open in Sydney will be at AMP Shopping Centre’s Macquarie Centre in North Ryde next month.
The Sydney Morning Herald says Glasshouse co-owners Stockland and Investa Commercial Property Fund (ICPF) have drawn up plans for a $30 million redevelopment to welcome H&M to the CBD.
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JONESBORO — Several factors in local commerce changed between May 2019 and May 2020, but when all the money was accounted for, collections of Craighead County’s 1 percent sales tax were up by 10.48 percent, despite the coronavirus pandemic and the aftermath of the March 28 tornado.
The tornado appears to be a factor in increased collections.
Cities and counties received their local sales tax collections on July 22, generally reflecting taxes collected by merchants in May.
County government and 10 municipalities will share $1,900,990, based on population.
Jonesboro’s separate 1 percent sales tax will provide the city an extra $1,696,077, an increase of $129,653, or 8.3 percent from July 2019. Through this month, the city’s sales tax has produced $11,467,906, an increase of $362,899, or 3.3 percent from the first seven months of 2019.
While tornado damage shut down several businesses in April and May, other businesses reported increased sales as businesses and households began rebuilding.
For example, businesses selling building materials and supplies collected $185,176 in county sales taxes in May, up from $150,950 at the same time last year. Businesses selling other general merchandise collected $324,564 this year, compared to $265,620 last year.
With several businesses, including restaurants, either closed, working under reduced capacity or their employees working remotely as a result of the pandemic, other business sectors have seen a different impact.
For example, collections at full-service restaurants were $60,548 in May, down from $72,470 in 2019. Limited service restaurants collected $26,197, compared to $24,513 a year earlier.
On the other hand, sales at grocery stores accounted for $119,619 in collections in May, up from $87,365 a year ago.
Clothing and department stores, impacted both by the tornado and the pandemic, showed sharp reductions in tax collections. Department store collections were down from $30,954 in May 2019 to just $6,930 this May. Collections from clothing stores were down from $41,032 to $31,789.
Arkansas and the county also continue to see growth in collections from out-of-state businesses that sell merchandise to Craighead County residents online. Out-of-state vendors were first required to remit state and local sales taxes in July 2019. In that category, collections rose from from $24,141 to $98,388, and now accounts for about 5 percent of all local sales taxes collected.
With the ban on large gatherings, collections from the motion picture and video industries dropped from $7,169 in May 2019 to a mere $88 this past May.
More local businesses may benefit from an improved employment picture in coming months. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday that unemployment in the Jonesboro Metropolitan Area dropped from 8.5 percent in May to 7.7 percent in June, meaning 600 fewer people were officially unemployed.
However, a year ago, the unemployment rate was 2.8, a difference of almost 3,000 people in Craighead and Poinsett counties from a year ago.
July distribution of the Craighead County sales tax (based on May taxable activity), with each entity’s percentage share of the money in parentheses and year-to-date totals:
Jonesboro (69.74), $1,332,029, $9,002,480.
Craighead County (18.35), $350,538, $2,369,102.
Bay (1.87), $35,666, $241,045.
Black Oak (0.27), $5,188, $35,066.
Bono (2.21), $42,201, $285,213.
Brookland (2.04), $38,993, $263,530.
Caraway (1.33), $25,328, $171,181.
Cash (0.35), $6,773, $45,773.
Egypt (0.12), $2,218, $14,990.
Lake City (2.16), $41,230, $278,655.
Monette (1.56), $29,725, $200,894.


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Alison Kaye, who was group sales director at book printer CPI UK, is leaving to join rival St Ives. However, Kaye is not moving to St Ives’ book business. Instead, she will become sales director of its exhibitions and events wing Service Graphics.
Meanwhile Tanya Dunbar, who was sales director at St Ives’ book printing operation Clays, has been recruited by CPI. She will take up an as-yet-unspecified senior role at the group, although PrintWeek understands she will not necessarily be directly replacing Kaye.
Both women are currently on gardening leave and will potentially be out of action for 12 months, unless the two groups come to an agreement to shorten the terms of their respective contracts.
A St Ives insider said Clays was likely to look at its internal structure and the potential opportunity to adapt that “rather than just recruiting a Tanya replacement.”
Dunbar had worked at St Ives for more than 20 years, having joined the group as a graduate trainee.
Kaye had been at CPI for about eight years. She previously worked in sales at St Ives Clays prior to joining Antony Rowe and then moving up to a wider group role at CPI.


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Product advertisement disrupts school environment at Bauphal
BAUPHAL, PATUAKHALI, Aug 15: Commercial products including toothpaste, hand-wash, guide books and mobile SIM cards, are being promoted among students during the school hours in Bauphal Upazila of the district.
Various products are being provided free of charge to attract students, parents and teachers.
It was alleged that the academic environment is being disrupted due to the publicity.
According to field sources, representatives of different companies are strategically encouraging students to use their products. Advertising of the products is also being conducted through using multimedia.
Guardians of students of different schools said the advertisement for various products runs from 9am to 1pm.
Nazma Begum, a guardian of a student of Purba Voripasha Government Primary School in Keshabpur Union said the representatives of a company entered the classroom and started advertising of toothpaste on July 30 last. The concerned teacher of the class was seating at the office room at that time. At one point, all the teachers and the students of the school were given free toothpaste. When the representatives were going back, they allured the teachers, students and guardians of giving free hand-wash during next visit.
A teacher at Nurainpur Government Primary School said the representatives of companies are promoting various products in the schools of Bauphal almost every day.
However, when teachers do not allow this advertisement in the classrooms, the representatives of the companies say they have permission from higher authorities.
Assistant Teacher of Dhulia Government Primary School Syed Arifur Rahman said, "The representatives have informed us that these products are being given free of cost to the students under the government directive."
A representative of a company Rafiqul Islam said, "We create awareness about the benefits of washing hands and using toothbrush among students in every school. We have the approval from the concerned department to run the advertisement."
While asked whether they are allowed to enter classrooms during school hours, he remained silent.
Many guardians of different schools said the advertisement of various products during school hours has more disadvantages than benefits. Although representatives claimed that they are running the publicity to aware everyone about washing hand and cleaning teeth, it is mainly teachers who can make the students aware in this connection.
Actually, the representatives have targeted different schools to promote their products. Meanwhile, the students cannot enjoy calm academic environment in classrooms for this activity.
Ruhul Amin, a guardian of a student of Kalishuri Government Primary School, said once, the representatives used to promote their products in village markets, but now various products are being promoted in different schools. It is very sad that they targeted students to promote their products.
Seeking anonymity, many guardians said various products of different companies are being promoted during the class through bribing teachers. Very often, the teachers remain absent in classroom and let the representatives promote their products.
In this connection, Upazila Education Officer Riazul Haque said some companies are conducting awareness programmes in different schools with the permission of higher authorities. But these activities are not allowed to be conducted during the school period. Awareness activities can be held before or after the school hours.


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The next step for digital cameras appears to be into a third dimension. Fujifilm has officially announced their new flagship camera, the FinePix 3D W1 camera which is capable of taking both pictures and video in 3D.
It uses two lenses that capture separate images simultaneously and then uses an advanced processor to combine the images precisely to create a stereoscopic 3D effect. It uses the same process to take 3D video, as well.
Until recently the processing power needed for this kind of image capture was fairly rare, fairly expensive, and certainly not in as compact and chic a package as the FinePix is. It’s going to be released in September of 2009, and the rumored price will be $600.


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While it is by no means a new technology,the demand for, and rollout of fibre across business precincts and metropolitan suburbs is telling us that the target of reaching three million homes by 2020, is well within reach.
This demand, is in part, driven by exponential growth in online content from a consumer perspective, and a greater need to consolidate ICT spend, with a converged service in the business segment.
For the vast majority of people however, the conversation is still about fast internet, and that needs to shift. Connectivity, like water and electricity, is becoming a utility. It is this utility-based approach that advances internet connectivity for schools, and is fast tracking a more mobile workforce, one that does not have to be in an office environment in order to be productive.
As more products are developed to be connected to the internet, and start generating big data, so the need for reliable, always available connectivity will increase, and less emphasis will be placed on what it costs and more on what it enables.
There is no shortage of areas demanding fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-business and infrastructure providers are in a unique position of being able to cherry pick the suburbs and precincts they believe will maximise their investments.
Combined targets as set by the infrastructure providers, show that by the end of 2016, we can expect to see approximately half a million homes with access to a fibre network, and by 2020, this is expected to be three million homes.
These targets may seem aggressive, especially when you consider that in 16 years ADSL subscriber numbers went from 0 in 2003, to 1.1 million that we see today. The more rapid the deployment of the network, and seemingly increased interest in funding, will mean potentially reaching these goal with relative ease.
We do however, draw an important distinction between homes passed (those homes that are available to connect to a network) versus the homes that are actually connected. We expect this to be anywhere between 35 percent and 50 percent.
For the first time since McKinsey noted its ´disruptive dozen´, businesses and consumer are starting to see these become a reality and a number of them are facilitated by high quality, reliable connectivity. The Internet of Things, a world of ´smart´ everything devices and the potential of an on-demand generation has never been more possible.
How people consume information and entertainment will change, because of what fibre enables, and it is this quantum shift that will see traditional content providers re-evaluate their business models, to include more online driven content and/ or customer services.


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Updated: Apr 29, 2022
Why Are E-scooters A Problem For The Police?
MET police have seized more than 3,637 privately owned e-scooters. At least 6 people have died as a result of using an electric scooter with more than 200 riders seriously injured since July 2020. E-transport is posing a threat to public safety.
Currently, private label scooters such as Pure Scooters, Xiaomi scooters, Bird scooters, Mankeel, Ninebot and others are all illegal for public road use. Only trial scooters are available to use on public roads.
E-SCOOTER Fire Hazard
Along with the increasing road traffic injuries, escooters are showing clear signs of poor manufacturing with cost-cutting production techniques and overall lack of regulation.
As the scooter trend increases so does the production, thousands of unregulated electric scooters are finding their way into import Britain, following the lead of the exploding Segway craze. This poses a major issue to the public as we are seeing an increase of batteries within the scooters bursting into flames.
The Evening Standard has released footage of an electric scooter bursting into flames on the Parsons Green tube.
Pictured above is the result of a fire incident involving e-scooter batteries.
Why Ethically Dispose Of An Escooter
Electric scooters are made from metals and electric components which can all be recycled with the right company. Under current WEEE regulations organisations are required to dispose of their electronic equipment responsibly with a company that deals with specialised WEEE waste. This is to stop electrical waste from going to landfills thus promoting a sustainable eco future. check out the blog on how to dispose of e-scooters.
When the police confiscate scooters on the streets the scooters are put into storage either in-house or elsewhere, storing multiple scooters in the same place is a hazard that will need to be addressed. with the current state of scooters exploding Its a matter of time before a scooter with a faulty PSU could explode in a police building.
To avoid any risk it is advised to give the scooter to a qualified WEEE Recycle Centre who can manage the batteries and disposal process of scooters.
What Parts Of E-scooters Are Recyclable
E-Scooter Recyclable Components
E-Scooter Battery Unit
Electric Scooter PSU
What Is Our Duty Of Care?
We collect and recycle all unwanted electronic equipment and aim to keep Britain and the world environmentally tidy, SMS Recycling goes by a zero-landfill policy to prevent third-world countries from being affected by electronic waste. We work alongside the environment agency to ensure our processes are up to date and managed efficiently to today's WEEE/ITAD and Decommissioning Recycling regulations.
Don't hesitate to get in contact with us
Our dedicated team member will help assist you on your quote requests with instant communication via our Telephone - 01276 20916 or Email - Info@smsrecycling.co.uk
Who We Have Worked With


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Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems announced Tuesday, Feb. 24, that effective immediately, the Haldex friction center business will report to Joe Panella, senior vice president of global sales.
“Friction is a key component in our business portfolio,” Panella says. “Over the past two years, we have added the latest technology and progressive manufacturing upgrades to our network of new-generation friction centers. These renovations have resulted in increased relined capacity, streamlined processes and quality process standardization.”
Haldex, based in Kansas City, Mo., says it has invested more than one million dollars in updating four friction center locations — including Grand Rapids, Mich.; Ontario, Calif.; Vancouver, Wash.; and Nashville, Tenn. — and that the remaining four locations are slated for upgrades within the next two years. “We will continue to invest in our friction centers and focus on providing a quality product and exceptional customer service,” Panella says.
As a result of the divestiture of the Prattville operations and the restructuring of the friction products business unit, Pete Joy, senior vice president of the friction products business unit, has left Haldex to pursue other business interests. During his career with the company, Joy had many contributions to the development and success of its sales and marketing, remanufacturing and distribution; most recently, he led the restructuring of the friction products business unit.


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Gadget enthusiasts love and hate Xiaomi for one thing: the number of devices available for orders during their launch. Whenever there is a new product launch, the Chinese smartphone brand will be snapped up by customers in minutes.
Xiaomi has never had a problem selling out of deliberately limited quantities of any of its devices. In a Chinese flash sale on November 19, it sold 100,000 phones in six minutes. Earlier too on November 11 (Singles Day), it sold 200,000 in less than three minutes in China.
The same case happened in Singapore today with its inaugural launch of the Redmi Note, the official tablet for Xiaomi. When it was opened for orders earlier at 12pm today, the 5000 units of tablets available for purchase were snapped up in minutes, with reports from some customers saying that they couldn’t place the purchase as the website “hung”.
For the lucky ones who were able to place their orders, they are rejoicing and waiting to get their hands on the actual device.
Xiaomi Singapore said that the Redmi Note was sold out within 42 seconds, once again showing how popular the device and brand is.
Available at only S$199 without any contracts or post-paid plans, Redmi Note is a high powered budget Android tablet: it sports a octa-core 1.7GHz processor and a 2GB RAM, a great bargain especially at only S$199.
The post [WOW] Redmi Note Sold Out In Singapore Within 42 Seconds! appeared first on Vulcan Post.


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Cleer Vision Windows Inc., an Elkhart, Ind.-based window supplier, has announced the formation of a new glass tempering partnership.
The new entity, Santelli Tempered Glass Elkhart, is a highly automated state-of-the-art glass facility that will promote delivery of tempered glass within a very short lead time, according to a news release.
“The automation built into this plant allows us to meet the declining lead times and ever-growing needs of our expanding customer base,” said Rick Collins, the company’s president.
“Our partnership with the Santelli group was extremely timely and made a lot of sense for everyone involved,” explained Collins, “It’s a natural fit for our business that adds a critical piece to the vertical integration of Cleer Vision while also opening up a breadth of additional market opportunities.”
The company currently employs 13 people and will look to grow to about 30 by the end of the year.
“We use a special technique to eliminate excessive labor and have very limited ‘touch points’ of the glass during the fabrication process. This technique and associated machinery is running very successfully at two of Santelli’s other facilities,” said Joseph Santelli, partner. “We will continue to focus on making sure our processes are the most efficient in the industry. There are always companies out there that build equipment to make your systems go faster. We must stay ahead of the tempering glass equipment development to continue to raise the bar in terms of both quality and production efficiencies.”
Collins added, “We have built an outstanding team, installed the latest automated equipment in a beautiful continuous-flow lean layout and already are seeing growth opportunities pushing the operation forward at a rapid pace. The sign of a good partnership is when both parties have tremendous upside potential and we have created that environment here at Santelli Elkhart.”
For more information about Cleer Vision Windows, visit www.cleervision.com.


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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), who had been preparing for the upcoming release of the new Model S Plaid, which was pushed back until today, Thursday, 10 June, saw the stock decline to over 5% in the market yesterday.
Unfortunately, the after-effects of a 6,000 car recall, fears of inflation, and the earlier postponement of the Modes S Plaid launch date have continued to send TSLA stock price downwards.
Tesla sees controversy
Safety, of course, is a priority – the recall of just under 6,000 recent Model Y and Model 3 vehicles due to concerns over loosening brake bolts is not Tesla’s first encounter with car recalls.
Tesla made some changes to its self-driving tech, losing its coveted ‘Top Pick’ Consumer Reports ranking in the process. The stock price appears to be affected by the ongoing controversies surrounding Tesla’s self-driving tech, in addition to Tesla silently hiking up the prices of its vehicles.
The decision to make tech changes to the driving tech temporarily suspended many advanced safety systems such as collision warning and crash imminent braking. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also stripped Tesla of its safety endorsements, and the NHTSA has taken safety checks away from certain Tesla cars.
Although the stock is down compared to last month and has been struggling, 70% of all EVs sold in the U.S. are Tesla, they are dominating the U.S. market.
The view from Wall Street
Predictions based on 23 Wall Street analysts who offer price targets for Tesla stock’s price in the next 12 months fluctuates between $67.00 – $1,080, with an average price of $639.81 for the period. The average price target represents 6.85% from the last price of $598.78. Based on 23 analysts offering stock ratings for the electric vehicle manufacturer, ten sets buy rating, seven to hold, and six – sell.
Four out of five analysts, including Ryan Brinkman on the stock research platform Tipranks, see a downside for Tesla and have reiterated selling the stock; in contrast, fellow analyst Joseph Spak sees a 21.08% upside and has reiterated hold.
According to the estimations provided by Yahoo Finance, despite no united consensus amongst the experts on the stock price outlook, most seem to think shares will go up long term.
Although its stock price has fallen over the last month with growing inflation fears, its revenue is still likely to increase as clean energy tech continues to boom.


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President Donald Trump’s approach to international trade is driven to a large extent by his belief that the United States is being unfairly treated by other countries.
His main supporting evidence is the trade deficit – the US buys more than it sells internationally.
He has referred to the deficit as losing money. In one tweet he wrote about losing $500bn (£388bn) a year as a result of crazy trade with China. No more, he promised.
One of his central economic objectives has been to reduce it. In November 2017, his first year in office, he referred to the total deficit with all trade partners of almost $800bn a year as unacceptable. He said: “We are going to start whittling that down, and as fast as possible”.


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Regulating your diet
Food taxes are apparently proliferating, all over Europe. Finland introduced taxes on sugared products; France now has a special tax on all soft drinks and Hungary increased taxes on food with high fat, sugar and salt content.
The trailblazers on this road were, rather ironically, the Danes. Denmark introduced a “fat tax”, a tariff on saturated fats, in 2011. The world’s first fat tax had rather perverse, albeit not unforeseeable, effects. As the Economist reported, “a study found 48% of Danes doing some cross-border shopping”.
The blowback was so apparent that politicians did something they never easily do: in 2012 they rolled back the very tax they themselves had introduced.
The University of Copenhagen has released a study that somehow critically assesses such a decision. The authors maintain that the tax served the designed purpose, in terms of reduced fat consumption. But apparently they focused on consumption merely of oils, butter and margarine, whereas of course the tax had far a wider impact. On the “EU Food Policy,” a gated website and magazine for those interested in debates surrounding food policy and the food industry, my colleague Massimiliano Trovato so expressed his skepticism on those findings:
“Bottom line: focusing on the consumption of a few given products, failing to measure the policy-induced substitution and the overall impact on dietary habits, will hardly advance our understanding of how effectively fat taxes work. Health-related effects remain undetermined, while economic consequences came through loud and clear.”
The point Massimiliano makes is that the math, so to say, of food taxes in term of health-related output is very difficult to calculate. That was always my impression too: diet is hardly the only factor of risk affecting an individual’s health and life.
On a different note, if we could just “nudge” people to move in the direction of safer food consumption, why shouldn’t we? Don Boudreaux, quoted here by Bryan Caplan, explained persuasively that “nudging” is actually old fashioned coercion right from the outset.
A society stays together because of some collectively shared taboos. Can we even imagine a free society, in which the word ‘free’ maintains some intelligible meaning, that doesn’t share the taboo that peoples’ diets shouldn’t be regulated from the government?


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Online Ceramics stays in style
From Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson to actress and model Emily Ratajkowski, LA-based Online Ceramics, created by a pair of Columbus College of Art & Design grads, continues to make clothes that are far from duds, gracing hipsters, social activists, tastemakers, and others who wear their sentiments on their sleeves (not to mention the front and backs of their tie-dyed shirts).
Elijah Funk and Alix Ross (both Fine Arts, 2012) founded Online Ceramics after a post-graduation move to Los Angeles saw them looking for a creative way to make money. The brand’s anti-establishment look is one that lives up to its reputation: one of Online Ceramics’ many sold-out graphic T-shirt designs produced earlier this year was created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and 100% of proceeds benefitted the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black Lives Matter, M4BL, and the National Bail Out fund. It’s work that caught the attention of style-centric outlets such as Complex, as well as traditional media like The Wall Street Journal.
The streetwear brand also has picked up coverage in recent months for its character-making inclusion in the hipster FX TV show Dave, whose costume designer told Complex, “Online Ceramics, it's a graphic T-shirt, but it's art. I think there's just a lot more going into the design and the color choices that people are making and it's beautiful.” And Garage, Vice’s digital platform/biannual print publication that lives at the intersection art, fashion, and culture converge noted that in Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island, the protagonist, played by Davidson, wears a wardrobe of Online Ceramics tees that “act like an omniscient separate character that knows everything that's going to happen before it happens.”
Online Ceramics is a beloved brand for fashionista Ratajkowski, who has been spotted with one of the brand’s sold-out tote bags by Vogue. Ratajkowski is a “model-actress-designer (who) has long worn the funky, psychedelic garb from the Deadhead-inspired label,” said Vogue, a claim backed by the mag’s UK outlet, which also took note of Ratajkowski's fandom. In a separate article regarding Grateful Dead-inspired fashion, Vogue again referenced the brand’s popularity, calling it a “cult DIY label … on the rise.” Online Ceramics is “a small-ish brand with a bare-bones website that appears as if it survived the great GeoCities crash. And yet, it has a rabid following,” said the online Condé Nast outlet vogueworld.
That rabid following includes LA-based Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Weyes Blood, who collaborated with Online Ceramics, adding new merch to her webstore to support her band and her touring crew, reported another story in Vogue in mid-April.
Count men’s style stalwart GQ as another fan. In a spring 2020 feature, it reported that while the coronavirus has paused some activities for Ross and Funk, including their annual tradition of touring with the band Dead & Company, they’ve found new time to explore their creativity, launching new radio show, Train Wrecks and Trip Reports, with Elara Radio; completing a virtual look book project with the digital artist Jasper Spicero; continuing work on a painting exhibition, and beyond all that, creating “an Online Ceramics design for GQ that reflects the far-out zones their minds have wandered to during lockdown”


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Charles Schwab & Co. experienced mainframe computer problems on its online site shortly after the opening bell Wednesday morning, halting trading and angering many customers.
San Francisco-based Schwab (SCH) said it responded immediately, however, by setting up access to stock quotes and trading through an automated phone system.
"There are other ways to reach us even if there is a Web problem," Susanne Lyons, president of Schwab's retail brokerage group, told CNBC. "People still could get through to us today."
The company said the majority of the calling customers that are put on hold for more than five minutes would receive $500 in commission-free trading for the day. Others performing one trade through the phone or at walk-in sites would not be charged for that trade.
The service, which crashed for an hour, resumed as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, but slowly, according to a company spokeswoman.
"Because of the back-up, we have to stagger service or it will tax the system," said Schwab spokeswoman Tracey Gordon.
Schwab is first in the industry for online accounts and trading volume, according to Internet consulting firm Gomez Advisors. Its breakdown is the latest in a slew of service interruptions at major Internet brokerages.
Online brokers E-trade (EGRP) and Ameritrade (AMTD) also experienced disruptions earlier this year, highlighting the difficulties the rapidly-growing industry in handling an overflow of new customers.
Those problems have drawn attention from legal authorities, such as the attorney general of New York, who is looking into the industry for possible law violations. The companies say they have done nothing wrong.
Written By Lisa J Ulmer, CBS MarketWatch
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New online sportsbetting site from 32Red
December 22, 2009, 11:18 am (8 years ago)
A fresh online sportsbetting site has been started up at 32RedBet.com providing an extensive variety of wagers on sports and events from all over the world such as soccer, horseracing, tennis and golf.
32RedBet.com is powered by software from Dublin-based Global Betting Exchange and is managed by top Gibraltar-based gaming operator 32Red. It is also holding a variety of in-play markets.
“We are very delighted to be starting up a 32Red online betting service taking a lead of what should be an interesting year with England's involvement in the 2010 World Cup. Including sportsbetting to our existing list of online gaming services goes an extensive way to totaling our product range and, apart from encouraging our existing players to utilize 32Red for their sportsbetting needs, are going to as well also give us the opportunity to aim new spots in our existing markets,” commented Ed Ware, CEO for 32Red.


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Jennifer lawrence icloud leak
Getty Images Now, 18 months after the scandal, we finally find out what happened. Getty Images The prosecutors recommend a sentence of 18 months, the U.
Read Next Republican debate canceled after Trump bails. Share Selection. Macy's One Day Sale is here to save your last-minute holiday shopping. Upgrade your home cooking with this on-sale sous vide cooker. Get major Apple product markdowns during huge holiday sale.
Jennifer Lawrence Nude Photos, iCloud Accounts Hacked: How? | Time
The 'cocaine Santa' sweater and 9 other offensive holiday looks. Now On Now on Page Six. Video length 1 minute 7 seconds Homeless man shot after attacking police with Grey Goose bottle. But just a few days ahead of the press iPhone 6 press event, an iCloud security scandal broke out. Nude pictures belonging to Jennifer Lawrence and many other celebrities leaked online, originating from iPhone backups.
Man Who Leaked Jennifer Lawrence's Nudes Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison - VICE
Apple explained at the time that its iCloud security was not breached and that hackers probably employed phishing schemes to obtain the usernames and passwords from their victims. Others, like Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, claimed the photos were fakes. But for some reason, various tech blogs have reported, Apple failed to do this with its Find My iPhone service. Some tech observers are skeptical of this explanation, though.
The company also reportedly rolled out a security upgrade Monday, just hours after the first hack, to eliminate the possibility of a brute force service gaining access to passwords via Find My iPhone.
If the hackers did indeed use a brute force method on the iCloud and Apple has yet to fix the problem, then, in short, yes it could happen to you. Brute force methods can be applied so long as the hacker has your username. That said, this method does not collect broad amounts of data for a lot of people. Hackers would need a reason to target you specifically. Users need to take their temperature at the same time every morning to track cycles. The credits are rolling out over three years and will cover the costs of building and testing the software.
iCloud leak hacker who stole Jennifer Lawrence nude photos sentenced to prison | The Independent
The Kubernetes project regularly runs more thancontainers on 5, virtual machines. Google Cloud said it is opening the project up as Kubernetes has reached maturity.
Jennifer Lawrence. Ellen Tannam is a writer covering all manner of business and tech subjects.
|adrienne wilkinson nude||This week, a zero-day vulnerability leaked by a Twitter user has caused concern among the infosec community. Moving on to GDPR, many security experts worried that the regulation would cause a spike in spam emails. George Garofano admitted to accessing usernames and passwords of celebrity iCloud accounts, including sakura hentau of Jennifer Lawrence and Kirsten Dunst. Garofano nabbed the credentials by sending out phishing emails pretending to be an Apple security team member. He now faces an eight-month prison sentence. Another area of investigation is the tracking of people who are not even members of Facebook.|
|xnxs||One of the hackers responsible for the Celebgate leak of nude celebrity photos has been sentenced to eight months in prison. According to court documents obtained by TheWrapGeorge Garofano was sentenced on Wednesday by a Connecticut federal court after pleading guilty in April to computer hacking. Garofano was one of four men involved in a phishing scheme that hacked into the iCloud accounts of approximately iCloud accountsincluding those of Hollywood actresses Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Rihanna, and Kate Bosworth. Their private photos were then widely circulated on the Internet, including 4chan and Reddit, where it became known as " the Fappening. In some instances, Garofano traded the usernames and passwords, as well as the materials he stole from the victims, with other individuals.|
|water hose in her pussy||The man who hacked into hundreds of iCloud accounts of Hollywood stars and others before leaking their nude photos across the internet has been sentenced. Connecticut man George Garafano became infamous when he stole private photos from people including Jennifer Lawrence and made them available across the internet. He was sentenced to eight months in prison this week, in federal court in Bridgeport. After nude petite latina black, he must serve three years of supervised release and perform 60 hours of community service. The hack became infamous because of the celebrities it hit: Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Upton and a range of other famous people had their photos stolen and leaked across the web.|
|orphea hentai||Here are some answers:. The hacker claimed that there could be posts of more than celebrities in total. Others, like Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, claimed the photos were fakes. But for some reason, various tech blogs have reported, Apple failed to do this with its Find My iPhone service. Some tech observers are skeptical of this explanation, though. The company also reportedly rolled out a security upgrade Monday, just hours after the first hack, to eliminate the possibility of a brute force service gaining access to passwords via Find My iPhone.|


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Vodafone set to boost dividend
MOBILE phones group Vodafone is expected to announce a huge increase in dividend payments when it unveils half-year profits on Tuesday.
Analysts believe that new chief executive Arun Sarin will increase dividends by as much as 30% to 2.1p a share for the current financial year.
Revenue is expected to be up by 11% to £16.5bn while profits before tax and depreciation are likely to be more than £6.4bn , an increase of 16%.
Cashflow is expected to have grown even more strongly, giving the mobile phones giant the opportunity to pay out more to investors while keeping enough to fund spending on networks and potential acquisitions.
But there is unlikely to be a firm announcement on share buybacks, which some investors would prefer to higher dividends. One City source said: 'Watch this space on that.'
Sarin, who took over from Sir Christopher Gent after the group's annual meeting in July, is also expected to give further details on the launch of Vodafone's third-generation (3G) mobile service.
One industry analyst said: 'Last month he was able to announce strong figures for Vodafone Live, the so-called 2.5G service launched by his predecessor.'
Vodafone is expected to make a mass market consumer launch of its services in the UK next September and Sarin is not likely to accelerate the timetable.
Another City source said: 'It is all down to the availability of handsets that will deliver a high level of service.'
Instead, Sarin will talk up the potential of the technology based on the group's Live service. This had more than two million subscribers in June and has been selling strongly on the strength of September's deal to show Uefa Cup football highlights on its phones.
The source said: 'Sarin is going to be able to talk about the real success of 2.5G, which Vodafone can build on. He will show that he is a real believer in the technology and can see a way to make investments in licences and networks pay.'
Fuel for thought on Grid
• NATIONAL Grid Transco is also expected to announce an improvement to its dividend policy when it unveils its interim results this week.
Analysts expect the gas and electricity utility to report a jump in pre-tax profits for the first six months of the financial year to £385m from the previous figure of £339m. This has been achieved by a programme of cost-cutting and cuts in interest-rate payments.
If the company's interim dividend stays in line with current policy, it will be lifted by 5% in real terms from last year's 6.86p to 7.34p. However, the company is being tipped to go beyond that and set a dividend of about 8p.
The move away from its previous 5% rule' is in response to pressure from investors for the company to pitch its dividend nearer to the sector average. It also anticipates the impact on the balance sheet of the revenues that will flow from the sale of one or more of its gas distribution businesses.
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The brand has devised its debut marketing strategy for the EMEA region after bolstering its brand teams outside the US over the last 18 months. Fabregas joins basketball player Kevin Garnett and American football’s Colin Kaepernick in fronting the launch of the new Beats Studio wireless headphones.
A TV ad launched yesterday (23 March) in UK, France and Spain during the El Calisco match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, introducing football to Beats advertising for the first time. The ad demonstrates how the headphones help Spanish World Cup winner Fabregas prepare for a match, charting his journey to a stadium past screaming fans to the final few minutes in the team changing room.
Much of Beats’ TV work in Europe has focused on its ties to music, while its social media activity has looked to build on its popularity with celebrities such as high-profiles athletes Serena Williams and John Terry.
The brand says its push for the EMEA region was the “perfect moment” to introduce the football element to the R/GA-created campaign. It is the latest phase of Beats’ “Hear What You Want” drive, which has promoted its headphones use by athletes in the US – particularly leading up to the Super Bowl.
The activity follows the launch of the Beats Music in January, the company’s streaming service.
Dr Dre’s electronics business has taken 65 per cent of the premium headphone market since launching in 2008, according to retail researchers IDC. The company has gone on to expand into automotive sound systems and smarpthones created by HTC, which took a stake in Beats Electronics in 2011 then it sold back to the company two years later.


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Friday 22 Aug 2014
Microsoft, Europol, and FBI disrupt ZeroAccess botnet
December 6, 2013
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The following is excerpted from IRG's weekly stock report:
• • •
• Sony Corp. (SNE) is still committed to its mobile handset joint venture with Sweden's L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co. (ERIC) and has no plans to divest its stake in Sony Ericsson. Sony Ericsson expects a first-quarter pretax loss of 340 million euros (US$452 million) to 390 million euros (US$518 million). The loss estimate at Sony Ericsson is already reflected in Sony's net loss forecast of 150 billion yen (US$1.5 billion) for its fiscal full year ending March 31. Sony Ericsson has been largely dependent on high-end devices in developed markets, making it more exposed in areas that have been hardest hit by iPhone, as well as Samsung Electronics (SSNKF.PK) and LG Electronics (OTC:LGERF) both of which increased their global market share in the fourth quarter at Nokia's (NOK) and Sony Ericsson's expense.
• NTT DoCoMo Inc. (DCM) has completed its planned acquisition of 26 percent of the common shares of Indian mobile phone carrier Tata Teleservices Ltd. for 250 billion yen (US$2.6 billion). The Japanese mobile phone giant said it bought a 20 percent portion of Tata Teleservices through the issuance of new shares and purchased a 6 percent stake from existing shareholders in line with an accord signed in November 2008. The move shows how DoCoMo is tying to seek new sources of revenue in fast-growing markets outside Japan.


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Take from Insurers, Give to State Courts: $455 Million Class Action Settlement Should Benefit Consumers and Courts, Not the Defendan t
Los Angeles, CA -- Consumers and the courts, not an insurance company defendant, should benefit from a $455 million class action settlement, Consumer Watchdog argued at the settlement’s final approval hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court today. The unclaimed funds in the settlement of a consumer lawsuit against Farmers Insurance could help offset a $350 million budget shortfall that threatens to slam the courtroom door on aggrieved consumers seeking justice in future cases.
The case, known as Fogel v. Farmers Group, Inc. (BC 300142), charged that Farmers required its policyholders to pay too much for a management fee that Farmers builds into its auto, home, and business insurance premiums. The company earned a 50% profit on the fee. Read more here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/case/fogel-v-farmers-group-inc
Due to an unnecessary and complicated claims process, only $150 million of the $455 million settlement fund has been claimed by consumers. Almost 70% of the settlement fund remains unclaimed. The remaining $305 million would go a long way to mitigate the state court funding shortfall that threatens to prevent consumers from having their day in court, said Consumer Watchdog. Judicial system cutbacks due to the state budget shortfall are closing courtrooms, reducing hours and will delay trials. Read more about the state court budget cuts here: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/23/local/la-me-court-cuts-20110723
Under the proposed settlement, the $305million in unclaimed funds would go to insurance groups under the control of the defendant Farmers Group Inc. (See court brief linked below for details.) Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are slated to receive an additional $90 million in attorneys’ fees. Consumer Watchdog, which intervened in the suit and objected to the settlement on behalf of a former Farmers customer, has asked the judge in the case to direct the unclaimed funds to statewide court operations.
“Consumers, not the defendants, should benefit from any class action settlement,” said Jerry Flanagan, staff counsel for Consumer Watchdog. “To prevent an improper windfall for the defendants, Farmers should be required to use the unclaimed funds to benefit aggrieved consumers by ensuring continued access to the courts.”
Download Consumer Watchdog’s brief urging the unclaimed funds to be used for the court system: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/oppo_to_motion_for_final_approval_081811.pdf
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Consumer Watchdog is a nonprofit consumer organization with offices in Washington, D.C. and Santa Monica, CA. Find us on the web at: http://www.ConsumerWatchdog.org
2/21/2012News StoryAUSTIN, TX -- Farmers Insurance agreed recently to a national class-action settlement that included up to $90 million in... More >
3/30/2011Legal UpdateColumnist Asks: Will Farmers Insurance Settlement Turn Into A Good Deal For Customers? Not Likely...Today Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik takes a hard look at a proposed settlement in a lawsuit against Farmers... More >
4/15/2011Legal UpdateThis week Consumer Watchdog's legal team called on Farmers Group, Inc. to disclose how it plans to spend up to $400 million... More >
6/14/2011Legal UpdateBy the end of this week, 12.5 million current and former Farmers insurance customers across the country will get a notice in... More >
2/4/2011Courtroom CaseLos Angeles Superior Court No. BC 300142 Consumer Watchdog is representing a former Farmers Group, Inc. customer ("... More >


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Brexit is somewhat under-way, so it is time again to consider what impacts it could have on us in the Logistics industry – here are 5 key points to considers as Brexit negotiations move forward!
The subject of trade is the centrepiece of the Brexit discussions and the foreseeable impact of leaving the EU affecting the balance of the UK’s payments.
The government have stated that 44% of all UK exports are sent to EU countries. The danger is that leaving the EU may put that figure at risk, significantly denting Great Britain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Logistically, the consequences could be dire. Reduced trade with Europe could mean less demand for road haulage and crowd the industry with competition.
However – we don’t want to be too depressing. Supply chain expert Professor Alan Braithwaite (who is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)) has suggested that “any changes are unlikely to happen immediately” and stated that “Established patterns of trade are difficult to change quickly because of capacity, and all the time trade flows, we will need logistics.”
Irregardless of what happens with trade levels, the logistics industry is anticipating stricter border controls due to Brexit.
This could be as simple as a new set of paperwork, or it could be more invasive. Either way, it’s something to consider, especially if migrant fines are to be reviewed.
With tighter control of immigration, we can anticipate a lack of EU migrants gaining employment in the logistics sector – as it stands, EU drivers are relied heavily upon within the industry.
With less ability to recruit, the industry’s ability to serve the economy could be crippled. This could be rectified through investment in UK trained drivers, such as the Trailblazer apprentice scheme.
Another impossible aspect of Brexit to predict.
As terms are to be confirmed, the best way to be prepared to any changes in law is to abide to the current standards. By doing so you can safeguard your business and ensure compliance at all times.
Cost implications are expected for all. However, there may be some additional costs anticipated for the logistics industry, such as trade tariffs within the EU, which may increase the bottom line for exporters.
Furthermore, if freedom of movement is reduced, this could impair work efficiency by preventing free movement around the continent. This could mean longer routes or more toll payments. Fuel is also likely to become more expensive, as the weakened pound will affect the UK’s trading of oil and likely result in raised fuel duty imposed by the UK government.


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Officials from CenterPoint Properties and the City of Linden gathered last week to mark the commencement of construction on a 321,875-square-foot Class A industrial distribution facility 11 miles from Port Newark-Elizabeth.
“CenterPoint Properties believes in investing in logistics properties located in strategic markets with access to critical regional infrastructure like ports, major interstates, and airports. Linden checks all those boxes. We’ve got the Port, I-95, and, of course, Newark International Airport 8 miles away,” said Ronel Borner, CenterPoint’s senior vice president of development.
Cushman and Wakefield’s team of Stephen Elman, Jules Nissim and Stan Danzig are leading the leasing effort for CenterPoint at Linden at 1601 W. Edgar Rd.
Borner praised Linden officials for having the foresight to redevelop the site, which formerly was home to a Walmart-anchored retail center. Linden has lowered municipal taxes for six straight years, he said, in large part due to economically beneficial initiatives such as CenterPoint’s project. He went on to note that many of the businesses in the previous retail space have relocated nearby, a testament, he said, to the city’s pro-business climate.
“I believe that’s indicative of the type of environment that the city of Linden’s created, one where businesses and residents alike want to be. CenterPoint’s looking forward to being part of this thriving business community in Linden for many years to come,” Borner said.
Recently re-elected Linden Mayor Derek Armstead called Linden “the warehouse capital of the East Coast” and said the development’s tax benefits would be significant.
“The warehouse is going be one more of our attractions here in town [delivering] five times the tax rateables that we were accustomed to getting here. To me, that’s a win,” Armstead stated.
The new facility is slated for completion in August 2023. Borner said it was “designed to cater to the needs of today’s demanding tenants,” with a 40-foot clear height, 50 loading docks with room to expand, and parking for up to 100 trailers and some 250 cars. He also said CenterPoint is working toward LEED® certification and has incorporated a number of sustainable features into the design, including electric vehicle charging capability and solar panels on the building’s roof.
In June, CenterPoint cut the ribbon on a development in nearby Newark. Costco preleased the 183,000-square-foot logistics facility.
To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.Related Articles:


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Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The Ministry of Commerce of China announced in its statement that this country continues to monitor developments and the implementation of American law and takes appropriate measures to protect its rights.
On Thursday last week, the US House of Representatives approved a law to grant subsidies to the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry. The purpose of this law is to empower the American industry to compete with Chinese chipmakers and other foreign manufacturers.
The US House of Representatives has actually approved a $52 billion budget for semiconductor production subsidies and a $24 billion tax credit for chip factories.
This is while the continuous shortage of chips has limited production in various industries such as automobile manufacturing, consumer electronic products, medical equipment, and technological weapons, and some manufacturers have also been forced to reduce their activities.


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Jay-Z, Empire, and the new music business
It's life imitating art. The popular US TV show, Empire, is based on a music mogul whose record label offers artists a rare share in the business.
It's thought to be based on the life of rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, who has launched a music streaming business where artists ranging from Madonna to Coldplay are equity partners.
In Empire, Lucious Lyon, played by Terrence Howard, entices Snoop Dog to his label with a share of the profits.
He and his sons win over artists by outlining a vision of a label that understands that people listen to music streamed on the internet, and offers them part ownership in the newly publicly traded company.
Jay-Z has garnered some 15 artists as co-owners of Tidal, a music streaming business that is based on his recent acquisition of Swedish Aspiro for $56m (£38m). He's offering stock and cash in exchange for their promotion of Tidal.
I've written before about the end of the record collection as music streaming has grown rapidly - registering over 50% growth in 2013 from a year earlier in global markets.
In the US for the first time, streaming is bigger than CDs. In 2014, streaming services generated more revenues than CDs, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora accounted for $1.87bn in revenues in 2014, which amounts to 27% of total industry revenue, growing from 21% the year before even as the industry's revenue growth has remained flat for the last five years.
This is while digital downloads, such as those purchased from Apple's iTunes store, have been in decline since 2012.
Downloads had been the largest source of digital revenue for a decade, but revenues have fallen from that peak and dropped by 8.7% in 2014, though they still account for 37% of total industry revenues.
It follows that Apple will soon launch a streaming service, Beats Music, after it acquired Beats Electronics for an eye-watering $3bn from hip hop artist Dr Dre last year.
Just like in Empire, there's unmissable symbolism in a company that's owned by artists in an industry dominated by big record labels.
In a dramatic depiction of the tensions between artists and record bosses, Jamal Lyon, played by Jussie Smollett, dangled the boss of Creedmoor over a balcony to get the rights to his father's music back.
Fee or free?
Tidal isn't seeking to be a record company. Jay-Z describes Tidal as a record store. As such, it'll face stiff competition from the players already in the market.
Pandora and Spotify each have more than 70 million subscribers who access the free tier of their streaming services. Streaming is certainly popular, but its fast growth may well be because it's free.
Indeed, the numbers are a lot smaller when just counting those who pay a subscription fee. Spotify counts 15 million subscribers who pay $9.99 per month and Pandora says they have 3.3 million who pay $5 per month.
Tidal won't have a free subscription service. It'll offer 2 tiers - standard definition at $9.99 per month in line with Spotify and a high definition stream for $19.99 a month. Apple's Music Beats, to be launched this summer, also will not have a free tier.
The artist/owners of Tidal, including Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Coldplay, Daft Punk, Jack White, Kanye West, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, are planning to offer "exclusive experiences" to make choosing Tidal and paying for a subscription worthwhile.
It'll need to be fairly appealing to win over those paying customers, who are but a small fraction of those enjoying music streaming on the internet.
For the music business, the trend is clear. The music industry, like many others, is being transformed by the digital age.


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WISekey International Holding Ltd. announced that its WISe.ART Marketplace was among the NFT exhibits at the International Art Week, an event aimed at educating the community about the world of digital art. The event held at the Art Basel Miami featured digital art items such as historical art, sports cards, watches, and other kinds of luxury items.
NFTs are pieces of digital content built and managed on a blockchain, a digital system used by cryptocurrencies to keep track of transactions and ownership. The new NFTs showcased will be auctioned gradually and will include luxury items, historical art, sports cards, and other items.
Since the launch of its marketplace platform, WISeKey has completed the following activities successfully:
1. Reinforcing its IP and NFT patent ecosystem powered by the extensive list of patents owned. This has ensured that the NFT is not made ambiguous, corrupted, or incomplete.
2. The WISe.ART NFT platform is fully operational and secured by WISeKey's various security technologies. This enables the authentication of physical objects as well as digital assets.
3. WISe.ART marketplace is also available as a while-labeling option. This allows brands to include a part of the WISe.Art platform into their websites to securely auction and trade NFTs.
Related: Why the NFT Art Market Demands a Closer Look
4. The WISe.ART platform conducted a world-first auction of high-value NFTs. In accordance with the needs of buyers and sellers of high-value goods, the platform is a full-fledged marketplace with its own digital currency and a unique NFT design
5. Joined forces with Polygon to Offer Trusted NFTs solutions. Polygon has become the blockchain of choice for NFTs, NFT marketplaces, and blockchain games. The WISeKey high-value NFTs are essential in meeting the demands of WISekey's cybersecurity.
6. The WISe.Art platform allows trading of NFTs while ensuring the necessary processes to avoid unwanted activities on the marketplace.
Check our guide of the most promising crypto


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Hyundai promised us some great cars via the new Genesis premium brand, and so far they've delivered. Okay, so the G80 is just a rebadged Hyundai Genesis sedan, but we think it's fantastic, and the G90 luxury sedan is also superb. A couple of SUVs and a performance car are on the way, and it seems the Korean automaker is going to pour some serious firepower into their G70 sports sedan, so much that it's purported to be faster than even the sister company's Kia Stinger GT.
Here's what we know so far about the G70:
- The upcoming Genesis G70 will share the same platform as the new Kia Stinger, but the Genesis brand will set their sports sedan apart from the sister car in significant ways.
- According to a CarAdvice interview with Guido Schenken from the Hyundai
AustrialiaPR office, the G70 will be shorter, narrower, and lighter than the Stinger and will be a pure sports sedan.
- The engine will probably be the same as the Stinger GT's 3.3-liter twin turbo, which hits 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, but the lighter weight will allow the G70 to accelerate faster.
- In its fastest configuration, the Stinger hits 60 mph from a stop in 5.1 seconds thanks to a twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 engine. It will also handle better, and the shorter wheelbase will allow it to be
- The 2018 Genesis G70 is planned for a 2017 debut and will likely sell as a 2018 model.


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TOP STORY >>Reviving downtown
Leader staff writer
In 1998, MJMJ LLC, led by Mike Wilson, Jim Peacock, Mike Abdin and Jim O’Brian, purchased about 12 acres located in the 600 block of West Main in downtown Jacksonville, the 130,000-square-foot Jacksonville Shopping Center.
But after almost a decade of ownership, Wilson, Peacock and O’Brian have decided to sell to aid in reviving the downtown area.
“There’s lots of interest in downtown now because of the new library, Wendy’s and others that might come down the road,” Wilson said. “Downtown is going through a redevelopment and we wanted to be part of it and let others be too; selling is just one probability,” Wilson added.
Stores like Chambers Drug, That Little Flea Market, Abdin Jewelers, Stroman’s and Unique Furniture are a few of the 10 businesses that call the strip home.
Although the deal is not yet finalized and may not be until the new year, Sue Khoo, owner of Unique Furniture, will be the new owner of the business strip that also includes the Unique Connection Center (which Khoo currently leases) and a nearby vacant restaurant building, the former home of Peppers Restaurant.
Khoo envisions turning the strip into a small Asian town with restaurants and an Asian supermarket to entice more people to visit downtown and to hopefully bring in more business.
But new ideas means existing businesses must move, except for Chambers Drugs.
So far, only one business, That Little Flea Market, has received notice that it must vacate.
Owner Mary Little said it was a shockwhen she received notice. “I was told Monday when I got to work,” Little said Friday. “We’ve got to try and get out by the end of August,” she said.
She’s been at 632 W. Main for more than 20 years and is currently trying to find a new home for her business.
“I’m trying to move. I called about a building today,” she said. “I guess we’ll all have to find new buildings,” she added, saying she has thought about trying to move across from Knight’s.
Other businesses, after learning of Little’s notice, have begun looking for new facilities if and when their time comes to move out.
“We haven’t gotten a notice yet, but we’re getting all our ducks in row in case it goes down,” Sean Funderburt, manager of Stroman’s, said. “We’ve been out looking at property to cover our basics,” he added.


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Global Solar Energy is First CIGS Manufacturer to Achieve Consistent Full-Scale Production of 10 Percent Average Solar Cell Efficiency on Flexible/Lightweight Substrate
Company Also Closes Record 2007 With Four Megawatts of Production; Commercial, Military and Consumer Installations Worldwide
TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Solar Energy (GSE), the premier manufacturer of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar products, today announced it is the first in the CIGS thin-film market to achieve an average of 10 percent solar cell efficiency on a flexible/lightweight substrate over several production runs. GSE reached the milestone in December 2007, capping off a record year in which the company also manufactured and shipped 4 MW (megawatts) of photovoltaic material powering commercial, government, military and consumer products worldwide.
“In 2007, we saw a range of economic and environmental factors converge to create a substantial market opportunity for renewable-energy technologies across all facets of the economy”
“In 2007, we saw a range of economic and environmental factors converge to create a substantial market opportunity for renewable-energy technologies across all facets of the economy,” said Mike Gering, CEO of Global Solar Energy. “Government, commercial and consumer demand for renewable-energy products and building materials are growing at a fast pace, thereby putting pressure on CIGS producers and other types of solar manufacturers to deliver high-efficiency products that are flexible/lightweight and lower cost per watt installed. We are proud to have reached such an important efficiency milestone—one on which we intend to improve to help meet the renewable-energy demands of our customers, partners and distributors worldwide in 2008.”
GSE began production of its CIGS thin-film solar cells on a flexible substrate in 2004, delivering an efficient product which was integrated into military and consumer products. Today, the company remains the leading CIGS flexible/lightweight thin-film manufacturer in full-scale production with stable manufacturing processes. As a result, the company produces high-efficiency solar cell technology that can be used in traditional rigid glass panels, as well as flexible applications that require more durability. Such applications extend over a broad range to include; energy, utility, building construction and design, government, military and consumer products.
“A number of CIGS thin film companies have exceeded 10 percent efficiency in the lab or in individual cells, but achieving 10 percent average solar cell efficiency over the course of several sustained, continuous production runs is a significant achievement,” said Dr. Jeffrey Britt, Ph.D., vice president of technology. “This is the culmination of three full years of being in production and evolving our proprietary production techniques to continuously improve the efficiency and output of our production.”
About CIGS Thin-Film Technology
Global Solar has developed a proprietary process for manufacturing thin-film CIGS photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. Unlike traditional solar panels that are rigid, heavy and fragile, Global Solar's thin-film solar modules are lightweight, flexible and durable. While other companies produce CIGS on glass, Global Solar is the only company reliably producing CIGS that can be encapsulated in glass or a flexible substrate. CIGS creates more electricity from the same amount of sunlight than do other thin-film PV technologies and therefore has a higher "conversion efficiency" leading to lower cost. CIGS conversion efficiency is also very stable over time, meaning its performance continues unabated for many years.
About Global Solar Energy
Global Solar Energy (GSE) is the leading manufacturer of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar products. GSE is the only CIGS thin-film manufacturer in full-scale production with stable manufacturing processes on a flexible substrate. The company’s thin-film PV products are integrated into a wide range of applications, including everything from small-scale military and consumer chargers for laptops and batteries, to large solar fields. For more information, please visit www.globalsolar.com.


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Pump up the volume: Shire has enlisted the help of GlaxoSmithKline in growing the U.S. market for Vyvanse. The ADHD drug, Shire's follow-up-slash-replacement for its blockbuster attention deficit treatment Adderall, currently has about 12 percent of the U.S. market; with Glaxo's help, analysts say, the drug could add $500 million to its predicted 2014 revenues of $1.3 billion.
That's a big chunk of change--a chunk that's key to Shire's future sales growth.
Glaxo has agreed to start helping Shire push Vyvanse in May. The three-year profit-sharing agreement will more than double the reach and frequency of Shire's current sales support of the drug. More than 600 Glaxo reps will be detailing the med to specialists and primary care docs. Shire hopes to introduce Vyvanse to 70,000 new physicians, Forbes reports.
What are the benefits to Glaxo? A Raymond James analyst told Forbes that adding Vyvanse to the Glaxo menu would keep existing sales reps busy, for one thing. (And given the spate of rep layoffs, the Glaxo sales folks will be glad to hear this news.) For another, Glaxo's CNS franchise has dimmed recently, so teaming with Shire helps fill that gap till new CNS drugs come online.


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|Workshop on boosting Vietnam's coffee production is held at the 7th Coffee Festival in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province in March, 2019
Vietnam has more than 660,000 ha of coffee, mainly in Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong province. Last year Vietnam exported more than 1.9 million tons of coffee earning more than 3.5 billion USD, accounting for 14% of global market share, and ranking 2nd in the world. Despite high export prices, coffee exports grow only 6.57% per year because of low product added value and fluctuations on the global market.
Specialty coffee – new path for Vietnam’s coffee production
Vietnam is working hard to improve the quality of its coffee products and expand the market of specialty coffee, which accounts for only 2% of total global coffee volume. Despite its small market share, its added value is high, 5 to 10 times higher than conventional coffee. At a seminar, Trinh Duc Minh, President of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Association, said Dak Lak province has potential to produce specialty coffee, a way to improve the brands of Vietnamese coffee and increase the incomes of coffee farmers. Mr. Minh said: “Vietnam is entering the market of specialty coffee quite late. But we can learn from other countries’ experience to produce coffee at international standard.”
Increasing value of Vietnamese coffee
At the festival, Dak Lak province has introduced incentives to encourage enterprises and producers to enter the specialty coffee market. Nguyen Hai Ninh, Chief Organizer of the Festival, said: “We want to promote specialty coffee because it’s a global trend and it earns higher profits. We have a large coffee production and high export value, but we need to focus on this market segment to increase farmers’ earnings.”
Mr. Trinh Duc Minh said a sustainable, comprehensive, and long-term strategy is needed to boost the development of coffee production in the Central Highlands: “We need to find ways to increase the value of Vietnamese coffee. It’s important to increase links between producers and buyers and encourage the development of high quality products. We also need to create a chain of specialty coffee production and consumption at home and overseas.”
Vietnam now has 50 specialty coffee producers with a total output of 200 tons annually. Some of them have invested in labs, quality assessment and vocational training. Mr. Minh said specialty coffees should be listed as national high-quality goods, and that more incentives and mechanisms that encourage production and investment and connect supply and demand are needed.


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In order to send a spaceship-like pavilion on a journey across the world, Zaha Hadid architects created this Chanel Pavilion, a portable 7500 square foot art venue that will travel from Hong Kong to New York to Moscow to Paris over the next year. The steel structure breaks apart into segments that are no more than… »
Eight years and $31 billion from now, Seoul, Korea's Yongsan business district's cityscape will feature a whole new set of super-tall, futuristic buildings. The project is led by a seemingly odd alliance between Samsung Corporation and the National Pension Fund Service.
Austria got a major facelift last month with the completion of the Nordpark Cable Railway, which connects four major rail stations with a wildly popular ski resort at Innsbruck. The fantabulous igloo theme and the space station-like interiors are all thanks to star architect Zaha Hadid, who previously designed a ski… »
Hong Kong Polytechnic University needed a major image boost. So administrators hired hot shot London-based architect Zaha Hadid to create a brand new building, the Innovation Tower, which will house its design school. Starting in 2011, students will disappear into the spaceship-like main lobby via escalator and… »


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G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (GIII) Receives $29.38 Consensus PT from Analysts
Shares of G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (NASDAQ:GIII) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the twelve brokerages that are covering the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $29.38.
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies set a $22.00 target price on shares of G-III Apparel Group and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Brean Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $37.00 target price (down from $39.00) on shares of G-III Apparel Group in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of G-III Apparel Group from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 6th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of G-III Apparel Group from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Wunderlich reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $33.00 target price on shares of G-III Apparel Group in a report on Sunday, January 8th.
G-III Apparel Group (NASDAQ:GIII) traded down 1.63% on Tuesday, hitting $23.59. 913,039 shares of the company traded hands. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.45 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $23.51 and its 200 day moving average is $26.96. G-III Apparel Group has a 12 month low of $19.10 and a 12 month high of $51.81.
G-III Apparel Group (NASDAQ:GIII) last announced its earnings results on Monday, March 27th. The textile maker reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by $0.06. The business earned $603.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $622.76 million. G-III Apparel Group had a net margin of 3.46% and a return on equity of 9.13%. The business’s revenue was up 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.17 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that G-III Apparel Group will post $1.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.
In related news, CEO Morris Goldfarb bought 32,846 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 4th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $22.16 per share, for a total transaction of $727,867.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 3,912,586 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $86,702,905.76. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Laura H. Pomerantz sold 2,310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.32, for a total transaction of $56,179.20. Following the sale, the director now owns 25,198 shares in the company, valued at $612,815.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 9.60% of the company’s stock.
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Congress Asset Management Co. MA bought a new stake in shares of G-III Apparel Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,866,000. WS Management Lllp raised its stake in shares of G-III Apparel Group by 198.7% in the fourth quarter. WS Management Lllp now owns 1,792,046 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $52,973,000 after buying an additional 1,192,046 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of G-III Apparel Group by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,842,518 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $202,264,000 after buying an additional 494,490 shares during the last quarter. Aberdeen Asset Management PLC UK raised its stake in shares of G-III Apparel Group by 41.9% in the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Asset Management PLC UK now owns 1,405,968 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $41,561,000 after buying an additional 415,483 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of G-III Apparel Group by 18.1% in the third quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,495,795 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $72,752,000 after buying an additional 382,850 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.33% of the company’s stock.
About G-III Apparel Group
G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets a range of apparel products. The Company operates through two segments: wholesale operations and retail operations. Its apparel products include outerwear, dresses, sportswear, swimwear, women’s suits and women’s performance wear, as well as women’s handbags, footwear, small leather goods, cold weather accessories and luggage.
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