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After 20 years of negotiations Argentina may export its lemons to ChinaChristian Fernsby ▼ | June 15, 2020
After 20 years of negotiations between Argentina and China, Argentina can finally export its lemons to that Asian market, one of the most important markets in the world.
Topics: Argentina lemons China
Argentina's Northwest Citrus Association (Acnoa) recalled that this new protocol updates the one for sweet citrus fruits (oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits) that had been in force since 2004 with the incorporation of fresh lemons, which had been excluded because of a lack of agreement regarding the certifications required by the Chinese.
According to Acnoa estimates, Argentina will produce 1.4 million tons of lemons in this campaign; 80% of which will come from Tucuman.
1.1 million tons of this production would be destined for the industry.
This forecast implies a decrease of approximately 400,000 tons when compared to the 1.8 million tons achieved in the 2019 campaign.
Of this amount, 1.3 million tons were used for industrial processes, 240,000 tons were exported, and the rest was sent to the domestic market (approximately 200,000 tons were not harvested).
According to the association, the decrease in the volume of fruit production this season is due to the high temperatures and the distribution of irregular and insufficient rains in October and November of last year.
However, the entity clarified that the quality of this year's fresh fruit is superior to that of the 2019 campaign, so, according to their estimates, the country would export some 300,000 tons of lemons to different markets, mainly to the European Union. ■


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The craft, launched back in 2004, rendezvoused with comet 67P/GC, ahead of a planned landing in November.
The modest single-story house in Silicon Valley is designated a protected historical site due to its association with the late Apple co-founder.
The social network bets big on the Big Apple with fancy new office space.
The Los Altos, Calif., home where some of the first Apple computers were built could become a protected historical site.
DataSift will now have access to Tumblr data to help its clients see what's being said about them on the massive service.
As the solar-powered plane nears the end of its coast-to-coast U.S. journey, pilot André Borschberg speaks with CNET about the view from 8,000 feet up.
Data from a sample of Martian dirt could be earth-shattering, but the space agency is taking time to check its work.
View your captured driving data in your browser with Automatic's new Web dashboard.
As the iPhone 6 launch approaches, more trade-in sites are clamoring for your old iPhone. eBay is leading the charge with the promise of a $100 coupon if you can't sell yours on the auction site.
The unmanned aircraft was flung into the air from a catapult on the flight deck of the USS George H.W. Bush this morning for a 65-minute transit back to dry land.

domain: news


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USPS is conducting a test marketing and advertising program for PO Boxes in four markets.
The test campaign — using the tagline “Your Other Address” — launched this week in Tampa, FL; Hartford/New Haven, CT; Minneapolis, MN; and Portland, OR. The campaign concludes in December.
The campaign has direct mail, radio, print, Internet and point-of-purchase retail elements. Post Offices participating in the test will receive different supporting materials for the campaign.
To track the effectiveness of each element, USPS has prepared color-coded copies of PS Form 1093, Application for Post Office Box Service. The forms ask for the same information as the application currently in use. Post Offices receiving the color-coded forms can track which element of the campaign customers find the most compelling.
More information soon will be available from each participating Post Office’s district retail manager.


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News: Apple has trademarked the design and layout of its retail stores, nine years after the first Apple Store opened in Virginia, USA.
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office this week published the tech giant’s latest trademark certificate, which covers the "distinctive design & layout" of the 400 stores worldwide, reports Patently Apple.
Above: Apple Store trademark image, via Patently Apple
The trademark consists of two designs, one in colour and one in black and white. Both present the typical Apple Store layout, with wide tables in the middle and benches around the sides where customers can try out the latest products, as well as the Genius Bar helpdesk at the back.
Steve Jobs, the firm’s late co-founder, and Ron Johnson, the company's former head of retail, are credited with the design and layout of the store. The first was opened in May 2001 in Tysons Corner, Virginia, but its now trademarked look was first introduced in Pasadena, California.
Earlier this week we reported on proposals for a bookless library in Texas with a layout based on an Apple Store.
Apple has been caught up in numerous patent disputes, losing its long-running battle with Samsung last year when a high court ruled that the Korean manufacturer's tablet computers were "not as cool" as the iPad. Another rival, HTC, also defeated Apple in a dispute over the use of swipe gestures in touchscreen phones.
Copying is an increasingly important issue in architecture and design, with developers in China recently accused of pirating a building by architect Zaha Hadid currently under construction in Beijing. Plans for Hadid's Wangjing Soho complex were unveiled in August 2011, and the project is now racing to be completed before its copycat version.


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While hanging out at the ADVANCE conference in Cologne, I realised that the team responsible for the conference may have just cracked the DNA code for the perfect tech conference »
Facebook has launched free voice calling as part of its iOS Messenger app in the UK »
Hard drugs up close can be mindblowing »
Comparing Samsung's Galaxy S5, Sony's Xperia Z2 and HTC's One M8 - which is best? »


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Rohan shop in Saltaire appeals for unwanted walking gear
8:00am Tuesday 26th February 2013 in News
A Saltaire shop wants unwanted walking gear to donate to youth groups and charities.
The Rohan shop in Salts Mill is running a ‘Gift Your Gear’ initiative throughout March. Manager Andrew Ackroyd said: “We are encouraging people to bring any unwanted, but usable, outdoor trousers, jackets and fleeces into the shop.”


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Despite warnings of gloom from folks such as Hedgeye’s Craig Berger, among others, the stock has its defenders.
In addition to Summit Research’s Srini Sundararajan on Friday, today Mark Newman of Bernstein Research comes to Micron’s rescue, reiterating an Outperform rating, with a $50 price target.
You’ll recall the selling on Friday began after microcontroller maker Microchip Technology (MCHP) on Thursday warned its quarterly results will miss expectations, given a broad decline in chip sales led by China.
Newman writes that the panic in semi names is understandable, but things are different with DRAM this time and Micron shares are too cheap:
This naturally sparked fears for any stock related to the broad semiconductor universe. Although the memory cycle is different and mostly independent from the semi cycle, memory names have suffered too from this weakness. Prices have come down so much that a company like Micron, with margins clearly guided UP for FQ1’15, is now trading around 6x CY 2015 EPS. We keep hearing from memory makers that DRAM prices and margins continue to trend UP. We believe the current dislocation between fundamentals and market pricing cannot last indefinitely and we recommend investors look through short-term sentiment surrounding the broader semiconductor universe.
Neman emphasizes DRAM is in supply constraint:
The memory cycle has been more supply driven rather than demand driven and thus mostly independent of the non-memory semis cycle. Memory supply is fundamentally constrained due to shrink slow-down, increased technological complexity and rational behavior following consolidation. This long term supply constraint1is not at all impacted by what Microchip said. Furthermore, with inventories (particularly DRAM) at low-levels, if there is any short-term demand weakness memory makers can just decide to hold on to inventory as opposed to selling at a suboptimal price.
With chip stocks going to hell this morning, following a profit warning last night from Microchip Technology (MCHP), and several analysts heeding the warning, one fellow running the other way is Srini Sundararajan of Summit Research, who this morning writes that Microchip’s “warning means squat for MU, Semicaps – All is Well,” referring to Micron Technology (MU), makers of DRAM chips, and to semiconductor equipment suppliers.
Micron, whose shares he rates a Buy, with a $50 price target, should be just fine, given that its category of product is generally in short supply, as shown by sales of DRAM by Samsung Electronics (005930KS), which was the “saving grace” within a generally poor report when Samsung warned earlier this week:
Microchip is more relevant for its microcontrollers perhaps more relevant for automotive area and for Internet of ￼Things (IoT) applications and not really relevant for PCs, servers, DRAM memory, NAND ￼memory. They also have some analog and minor memory chip essentially go with their ￼microcontrollers. A typical microcontroller could be one that is used in your microwave. MU ￼derives its revenue from DRAM DDR3 chips, which are in shortage and fully booked up by Apple, Samsung and Chinese smartphone and tablet vendors as well as PC, server vendors. Similarly Micron’s NAND is used as storage. Similarly most of leading edge semiconductor manufacturing is going to go on as planned.
Also, Sundararajan observes that perhaps it was Microchip’s own overly bullish forecast that was the problem, not the chip market:
Along the same lines, MCHP bought two companies, Supertex ￼and ISSC (Taiwan) recently and might have overestimated their sales when it gave its ￼guidance. In addition, given that Chinese government is spending more on semiconductors, ￼these microcontrollers should be one of the first products that they could manufacture as these ￼products are not as technologically sophisticated to make vs. microprocessors, DRAM, NAND ￼￼and other leading edge chips, which are probably orders of magnitude more difficult to make.
Micron shares are down $2.04, or almost 7%, at $28.60.
Shares of Micron Technology (MU) are down 8 cents, or 0.3%, at $32.49, after declining 4% yesterday on word of a new investment of $15 billion by Samsung Electronics (005930KS) in a chip factory, perhaps raising concerns of rising supply, although Samsung did not express what chips will get priority in the new factory.
Today, several bull stepped in to defend the shares, especially after Samsung overnight announced a disappointing Q3 forecast, calling into question, they believe, whether Samsung can actually afford to imperil its own chip economics.
Rajvindra Gill of Needham & Co. reiterates a Strong Buy rating on the stock, and a $60 price target, writing that ”Some investors are interpreting this news as a negative read through into Micron for the reason that Samsung will return to its “bad old days” by oversupply the market,” but that “this is a fundamental misreading.”
“First, DRAM is a sizable profit center for the firm [Samsung] accounting for nearly 50% of its operating profits and therefore, Samsung has no incentive to lower prices and destroy its primary profit pool.”
Secondly, we contend Samsung is increasing its fab space to accommodate the process node migration and meet the increasing memory demand. Line 17 only has 120K wafer starts remaining for NAND, DRAM and logic. Thirdly, Samsung has not indicated whether it will use the plant for logic, DRAM, or NAND, so this is an open question. Fourthly, Samsung intends to spend $15BN over three years, thus CAPEX is roughly $5BN a year, and most of it will be used for building construction, not necessarily immediate capacity additions. And lastly, we think it makes more sense that Samsung will increase its capacity in foundry logic in order to possibly provide foundry capability for the next generation Apple iPhone in 2015.
Drexel Hamilton‘s Rick Whittington reiterates a Buy rating and a $50 price target, writing that “Shock waves from an entirely predictable Samsung fab announcement says, in our view, more about market jitters than chip fundamentals.”
“Leavened by poignant health and political atmospherics, memory share reaction overstates near-intermediate risk of new supply to profitability.”
Rather, the entire matter is about Samsung needing to be prepared for orders from Apple (AAPL), he thinks, and to preserve its profit center in chips:
Rocked by Apple’s mobile onslaught, Samsung’s profits bastion now devolves on consumer-industrial and semis, both memory and foundry. Smartphones, PCs and servers as well as memory use surpassing expectations, it was just a matter of time for the market leader to add. To commence production in latter 2016 and ramp to yield in 2017, Samsung’s new set of lines come as present ones fill to the gills. Capable of logic as well as both DRAM and NAND plus emerging memory, this new fab comes after mix ASPs have risen over a year. TSMC chairman already acknowledged two months ago that Samsung occupies the pole position for next year’s Apple A9 mobile processor. Its own low power (as opposed to high performance) FinFET looking ready in late 2015, Apple wants a volume supplier in place next spring.
The Street this morning is racing to divine the implications of Samsung Electronics’s (005930KS) announcement this morning that it will spend $15 billion to build a new chip factory in South Korea starting in 2017, as my colleague Shuli Ren reported.
A key part of the announcement was Samsung’s failure to disclose what it will build in the factory, namely, whether logic circuits such as microprocessors, or memory chips, such as DRAM. That lack of disclosure left plenty today to speculate about.
Mark Newman of Bernstein Research urges investors not to worry about Samsung flooding the DRAM market with supply:
Some investors will get worried on this news and the bears will point to this as evidence (yet again) that the memory industry, and Samsung in particular, is returning to its value destroying ways. We disagree. As the largest semiconductor maker in the world by far, Samsung must add extra space to maintain share and flexibility, especially in light of each node requiring more equipment and physical fab space. We do not believe this is a change in Samsung’s strategy. Samsung, we are confident, will remain a rational player thus allowing for stable memory economics to continue.
Robert Maire of Semiconductor Advisors opines that Samsung will mostly spend initially on physical construction before buying much new chip equipment:
To get to production in 2017, logic would dictate that most of the spend in 2015 going into 2016 related to the new fab will be bricks and mortar with equipment orders and move in probably late 2016 going into 2017 rollout . From current circumstances it appears that Samsung is not in a mood to increase overall capex in semiconductors so we would imagine that bricks & mortar will get a larger percentage of the pie in 2015 than in 2014 which may put downward pressure on Samsung’s equipment spending.
He notes Samsung has been holding off generally on new equipment spending:
The reality has been that Samsung has not been spending large on semiconductor equipment as it has not been in a hurry to finish of the second half of Xian and Austin is running at low utilization. Maybe its the uncertainty of what percentage of Apple’s business they hold on to, or how fast it moves to TSMC. This could change at any time but so far we so no change in spending patterns for Samsung.
Newman’s colleague Pierre Ferragu concurs there will be no immediate equipment buying:
We do not expect material Lithography investments for this new fab in 2015, but more in 2016 and 2017. Next year, Samsung will be busy enough modernising both Logic and Memory existing lines for continued shrink, though, contributing materially more than in 2014 to Lithography spending. In our upside scenario, we would expect 2015 lithography spending well above 2014 and consensus.
However, he also thinks this is “honey to our ASML-enthusiast ears,” referring to equipment vendor ASML (ASML). He writes “We do not expect material Lithography investments for this new fab in 2015, but more in 2016 and 2017. Next year, Samsung will be busy enough modernising both Logic and Memory existing lines for continued shrink, though, contributing materially more than in 2014 to Lithography spending.”
Summit Research’s Srini Sundararajan reiterates a Buy rating on shares of DRAM maker Micron Technology (MU), writing that the announcement does not indicate new DRAM manufacturing, so “anybody thinking that this would affect MU is likely to be quite mistaken.”
If any investor would be short-sighted enough to sell MU stock on the basis of Samsung’s mega-plant announcement, please say “proceed by all means” and buy the MU shares that would then be available at a discount. Strange things do happen and strange gifts do arrive even when least expected. BUY MU on any weakness. And, while we are bullish on semi-caps, this is not a news event in response to which we would become any more bullish. We would say that this is one occasion where the discriminating investor can make money at the cost of those who trade based on news items without understanding their real importance.
Shares of memory-chip maker Micron Technology (MU) are up $2.17, or almost 7%, at $33.87, after the company yesterday afternoon reported fiscal Q4 results that topped consensus and a better-than-expected Q1 view as well.
Shares of competitor SanDisk (SNDK) are up $2.03, or 2.1%, at $99.02.
Price targets and estimates are rising today, and bulls are crowing for the bears, and “closet bears” to give up and admit the DRAM chip industry has fundamentally changed.
Rajvindra Gill of Needham & Co. reiterates a Strong Buy rating, and raises his price target to $60 from $50, calling it a “solid” quarter and a solid outlook, and noting “a higher mix of long-term supply agreements” for Micron.
Gross profit margin is headed higher, he contends:
We see a path toward low to mid 40s GMs over the next 12-24 months, primarily driven by stable DRAM pricing and NAND. NAND GMs of high-20s are well below peers and we see opportunities for MU to grow margins two ways: 1) transitioning to 16nm TLC NAND, where you obtain a 20% cost discount and whereby MU has no capacity on TLC today (contrast that to SNDK which has 50% of its output is on TLC); and 2) favorable mix shift to high-margin enterprise SSDs, which only represent 5% of sales, and MU grew 50% Q/Q last quarter and is expected to grow again this quarter.
Gill raised his 2015 estimates to $20.1 billion in revenue and $4 per share in EPS from a prior $17.75 billion adn $3.40.
Jefferies & Co.‘s Sundeep Bajikar reiterates a Buy rating, and raises his price target to $42 from $40, writing that the report is a “wake up call for closet bears.”
“Strong CQ4 gudiance is likely to increase the probability of ~$4 EPS power in investors’ minds, and help closet bears embrace permanent DRAM industry changes with less fear.”
Such closet bears, he argues “incessantly worry about falling DRAM spot prices, and misbehavior by Samsung, the effects of which have been diminished by Moore Stress,” referring to increasing complexity of semiconductor devices.
He adds, “We estimate Micron will generate FCF of $3.4B in F15 (vs.
~$2.6B in F14), and note Micron used ~90% of FCF in F14 to reduce dilution from converts, i.e. to return cash to shareholders.”
Bajikar raised his 2015 estimates to $19.38 billion in revenue from a prior $19.2, though he cut his EPS view to $4.26 from $4.54 previously.
Drexel Hamilton‘s Rick Whittington reiterates a Buy rating and a $50 price target, saying the company “marches forward.” The company has escaped pressure from Samsung Electronics‘s (005930KS) moves — “Samsung’s DRAM output shock last month appears absorbed as computing upsides have accounted for the increased bits” — and it is set to benefit from rising complexity of DRAM production: “Difficulty in shifting to smaller line-width technology nodes is liable to hold DRAM bit output beneath market demand the year ahead.”
Like Gill, he argues that margins can rise, writing “DRAM margin already characterized up several points could similarly surprise to the upside as manufacturing costs drop.”
Nomura Equity Research‘s Romit Shah reiterates a Buy rating, and a $40 price target, writing that so-called “bit shipments” of DRAM “were slightly better than expected from better server and mobile DRAM shipments,” while “DRAM ASP and cost/bit were flat, largely in line with our estimates.” Pricing was the biggest surprise, to him:
Biggest surprise was DRAM ASP, which is expected to be up low single
digit vs our estimate of down 4%. We believe favorable trends in DRAM
could continue into next year. Bit growth in mid-to-high single digits in FQ1 was in line with our estimate of up 7%.
Shah raised his fiscal year estimate to $18.66 billion in revenue from $17.61 billion, and raised his EPS estimate to $4 from $3.70.
Not every one is satisfied, however. Wells Fargo‘s David Wong reiterates an Underperform rating, and raises his “valuation range” for the stock to $22 to $28 from a prior $19 to $24. ”
“Nevertheless, we remain concerned that DRAM prices could correct downward at some point in the future, and we remain cautious on Micron’s stock,” he writes.
Wong raised his fiscal 2015 estimates to $17.7 billion and $3.08 per share from a prior $17.3 billion and $2.40 per share.
Shares of memory chip maker Micron Technology (MU) are
down 91 cents, or almost 3%, at $30.79, up 89 cents, or almost 3%, at $32.59, in late trading, after the company this afternoon reported fiscal Q4 results that slightly exceeded analysts’ estimates.
Revenue in the three months ended in August rose almost 50%, year over year, and 6% from the prior quarter, to $4.23 billion, yielding EPS of 82 cents, on a non-GAAP basis.
Analysts had been expecting $4.2 billion and 81 cents per share.
CEO Mark Durcan remarked that the company was “pleased” with its performance, and that “continued favorable market conditions and steady execution led to increases in sales volumes and another quarter of strong operating margins and earnings per share.”
Shares of fellow memory-chip maker SanDisk (SNDK) are up 39 cents, or 0.4%, at $97.38.
Update: In a deck of slides prepared for this afternoon’s conference call, Micron forecast its DRAM production this quarter to rise by “mid to high single digits” on a percentage basis. Production of NAND is expected to rise by “high teens.”
DRAM prices are expected to rise “low single digits,” while NAND prices are expected to decline “low to mid single digits.”
Production of DRAM last quarter rose by 4%, while NAND production rose by 13%. DRAM prices were flat last quarter, while NAND prices declined 6%.
Update 2: On the call, Micron is forecasting Q1 revenue of $4.45 billion to $4.47 billion, which is above consensus for $4.36 billion.
The shares are adding to gains, up $1.37, or 4.3%, at $33.07.
Shares of Micron Technology (MU) are down 50 cents, or 1.6%, at $31.72, ahead of the company’s fiscal Q4 report after market close.
The Street is, on average, modeling $4.2 billion in revenue and 81 cents per share in earnings. The report will no doubt be important for fellow memory-chip maker SanDisk (SNDK), which doesn’t report until October 15th.
UBS’s Stephen Chin reiterates a Buy rating, and raises his price target a buck to $36, modeling $4.17 billion and 82 cents per share for this afternoon.
Writes Chin, “We believe favorable F4Q DRAM and NAND ASP trends continue to be favorable for Micron’s near/medium term earnings prospects, and could drive upside results.”
“We believe supportive price trends can enable further gross margin expansion given tight supply in DRAM, seasonally stronger NAND and SSD demand, and cost reductions from 16nm NAND.”
Mark Newman of Bernstein Research, who has an Outperform rating on the shares, and a $45 price target, also sees DRAM as a lift, though NAND bears watching
Micron is the first pure-play Memory company to report during this earnings season and we expect strong DRAM profits once again with FQ1’15 guidance that should make it obvious that the company can easily beat the current $3.52 Non-GAAP EPS consensus estimate for FY 2015 (ending August 2015). Key points to watch out for will be: 1. How margins are progressing; 2. Guide on improvements in Micron’s NAND business; and 3. Pricing guidance for both DRAM and NAND.
Drexel Hamilton‘s Rick Whittington writes that the report will be “a signpost for solid chip industry fundamentals the balance of this calendar year and, most likely, the bulk or all of next [year].” He models $4.3 billion in revenue and $1.03 per share.
Over at TheStreet‘s Real Money Pro today, Doug Kass of Seabreeze Partners pens a riposte to my article in Barron’s print edition this week that took issue with his negative thesis on Apple (AAPL). (Subscription required to read Real Money Pro articles.)
I continue to have the impression Doug is an astute market watcher, and has a sixth sense for pricing action of equities, but that he makes leaps of reasoning about Apple’s business that undermine his case.
Doug was right — in what he views as having been a relatively lonely bear position back in 2012 — in calling a top in Apple’s stock, before it plunged 44%. He’s calling for nothing so drastic this time around, merely a lackluster performance, given he sees Apple’s shares as overpriced.
Among some important points Doug makes, quoting now from today’s piece, are that “Apple’s P/E ratio has expanded in the last six months (as Ray noted) and has likely discounted a strong iPhone 6 product upgrade cycle.”
He also sugests the stock can become over-owned at points in time, which was something Jeff Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital pointed out in 2012, and was a contributor to the decline. It’s a point that bears watching, and Doug may be better positioned on Wall Street to sniff that out than most. (Will they dump Apple for Alibaba Group might be another way to think of it.)
Doug fails to discuss the unprecedented $130 billion capital return program Apple is working its way through. How much of today’s stock price is a result of anticipation of the iPhone 6 upgrade cycle, and how much is about Apple having instituted a dividend and massive buybacks?
It’s a strange omission, but I don’t mean to criticize Doug too much. It merely bears reflecting. If the multiple has expanded, so has the payout, and what’s reflected in the stock price probably bears some further investigation.
Doug’s also right that growth has slowed and may never be what it was: “So will the annual EPS growth of the last five years ever be repeated? EPS growth, which averaged 40% per year in the past five years, is likely to fall into the +5% to +10% range in the next five years, at best , and has a real risk of shrinking after this cycle completes.”
Put slowing growth together with Doug’s lack of mention of the capital returns program, and one wonders: What do people buy stocks for? In Apple’s case, it appears to be earnings momentum and estimate revisions. My point in the Barron’s article is that a company with a solid business should never be dumped by investors just because growth has slowed. But reading between the lines, Doug’s point might be: We don’t care if it’s solid, if it no longer has that oomph at earnings times — constant beat and raise.
My sense is the debate about the share price will be settled in short order. The stock will respond to estimate revisions. If the iPhone 6 cycle, and, next year, the Apple Watch bolster estimates, the multiple will contract, the stock will look cheaper, and it will either hang onto gains or even rise, expanding the multiple again. If estimates get chopped, the reverse could happen. Demand seems solid for the new phones, based on record pre-orders. We’ll see what happens with supply.
Doug weakens a valid argument about the stock price with a bunch of broad assertions for which he offers little support. To take just one example, Doug asserts “The iPhone 6 upgrade will likely be the last major upgrade for the company (and valuations, which have expanded in recent months, will contract in the period ahead).”
I don’t think anyone at Apple can assert that, much less Doug. If an upgrade cycle is a cycle, it comes back around and goes out again periodically. I don’t see any reason why an iPhone 9 might not have its own brilliant upgrade surge.
Doug argues in a similar vein that “Apple is no longer an innovator, and a strategy of selling less for more is not sustainable and does not merit the largest market cap in the world.” That broad statement is supported by a bunch of vague references to somebody else’s products being better.
Doug contends Apple’s rapid loss of market share is one proof point. This is a fallacy. A lot of shipment volume of smartphones in recent years has gone to the scrappy challengers — Xiaomi, Alcatel, Oppo, Coolpad, Huawei, ZTE. While they offer credible products, and may lure users for a lot of good reasons, the consistent pitch those vendors offer is that they deliver “value,” meaning, lower prices.
This is a case of “good enough” technology. Doug seems to confuse a deflation of pricing and a downshifting of the market with a battle over innovation.
There’s plenty of ways to debate Apple’s products, and there are many reasons why a buyer might choose someone else’s. But Doug’s arguments are vague and highly selective.
He continually refers to what he alludes to as higher specs for competitors’ products.
“Don’t tell me an overpriced, underspec’d phone that’s two years late to the market will forever keep its competitive position and lead,” he writes.
Doug doesn’t ever drill into what he means by lower spec’d, though the implication is that if phablet phones have been on the market for years, Apple is late in having a bigger phone.
But if being first matters, it’s conspicuous that Doug seems unaware of any Apple firsts, or unwilling to acknowledge them as relevant.
The iPhone 5S introduced 64-bit computing to smartphones last year, a move that caught competitors by surprise. Google‘s (GOOGL) Android software, the other camp, still hasn’t gone to 64-bit support: that is coming with the next release, currently in a preview mode, called “Android L.” More on that here.
Why would Doug continually bang the drum for specs and fail to mention one of the biggest spec holes in the Android camp?
I’ve written about the views of industry observers on 64-bit computing in mobile. While there are limits to its utility with less than 4 gigs of memory in an iPhone, 64-bit computing is about taking advantage of improvements to the instruction-set architecture of ARM Holdings (ARMH), known as the “v8” architecture. Most observers, including ARM themselves, opine that it is a meaningful step forward in performance for any device that uses it, with Apple having been the first.
Beyond his selective use of the specs, Doug fails to consider whether there might be anything that goes into a given product that is not immediately in a spec sheet. Hence, his contention that “After all, when you are competing based on hardware differentiation, you are a hardware company.”
Doug seems to allow there might be some ease of use in Apple products. In fact, there are host of ways in which for some users, the product is found to be more inviting and more intuitive than are those based on Android. In my tests, a copycat feature such as fingerprint recognition in Samsung Electronics‘s (005930KS) Galaxy S5 is poorly implemented relative to Apple’s Touch ID, a concrete case of the original being better than the imitation.
Doug fails to incorporate brand and fashion as some of the reasons why the product doesn’t sell as a commodity, helping Apple to hold onto the vast majority of the industry’s profits. Nor does Doug seem to have any knowledge of some of the software technologies that make iOS unique. There’s no equivalent, yet, in Android, for some of the newer features of iOS 8 such as “continuity” and “handoff,” though I think they are some of the most intriguing mobile software developments in years.
As for hardware itself, Apple’s inclusion of features such as optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus; the development of a brand new microprocessor, the “S1,” for the Apple Watch, about which we do not yet know much at all; and the overall styling and engineering of materials for the watch, are stand-out achievements that are far from being a commodity.
In sum, Doug’s valid points about stock price, supply and demand of shares, valuation, asset allocation, business metrics, and the rest, are not helped by the gross oversimplifications he makes about the business, the products, and the prospects for the future, which are, for the most part, not supported in his column with evidence.
Update: Doug avers I’ve given him scant credit for being in 2012 in a distinct minority in having a bearish view on Apple. My apologies to him if I downplayed his prominent role in leading the bear raid. The language has been amended.
Shares of NAND flash technology maker SanDisk (SNDK) are up $2.03, or 2%, at $98.26, after Morgan Stanley’s Joseph Moore this morning raised his rating on the shares to Overweight from Equal Weight, and raised his price target to $115 from $100, writing that pricing should hold up in the market for its products “longer than we had previously believed.”
“We have been constructive on NAND since the commodity bottomed in May, but have been looking for a better entry point on the stock,” writes Moore.
“Since the 2Q earnings call, which was a clear expectations miss, the stock has underperformed semiconductors.”
A “choppy” year for NAND in 2014 should yield to better times going forward, as the company can afford to be picky about where it sells its limited production, thus supporting prices:
We examine the reason for the 2Q expectations miss, and believe that most of the drivers of that shortfall happened back in April, rather than signaling a sustained problem. Sandisk will have very slow supply growth the next two quarters, allowing them to be selective and sidestep any markets that show short term softness. Cynics have raised fair questions about demand drivers post Apple builds, but we expect that the strong Apple build is reducing NAND inventory during the next several months. The upgrade is not about upside in 2h, but we do expect continued strong margin performance. Next year price declines should moderate and earnings should improve. We look for 15% price decline, vs. 19% cost decline, which drives modest margin upside. We are not changing those numbers today; we were already well above consensus for next year, at $7.40 Non GAAP vs. consensus $6.65.
Moore opines there will be multiple forms of demand, including, most particularly, Apple’s (AAPL) forthcoming iPhone, which he sees now as “the largest current demand driver,” and likely to use more NAND, on average, than prior models:
From a demand perspective, 2014 was a bit of a problematic year because the high end smartphone and tablet content stagnated. We think this is largely due to the very high cost to upgrade in those high end devices – the upgrade from 16 Gb to 32 Gb costs consumers $100, when it’s about $7 worth of NAND. This has artificially impeded demand. We think those barriers are coming down, and we expect to see Apple increase content in some fashion – we wrote a separate note about that today here.
Apple’s rumored “iWatch” wearable is a less-prominent source of demand:
The iWatch has gotten some attention but the overall impact is likely to be small. Supply chain chatter has the watch at 8 GB per unit, though we think 4 GB is more likely. At 4 GB, with our Apple analyst Katy Huberty’s estimate of 30 mm iWatch units shipped in 2015, total incremental demand would be less than 0.2% of overall total demand.
Further, with the substantial improvement in DRAM margins for Hynix, Micron, and Samsung, we see capital spending dollars much more focused on DRAM from here, and reduced incentive for further conversions from DRAM to NAND (which were a major factor in 2014), a favorable cyclical backdrop.
Here are some things going on today in your world of tech:
It appears talk of a T-Mobile US (TMUS) deal are back on the table: Bloomberg’s Cornelius Rahn and Aaron Kirchfeld report this afternoon that parent Deutsche Telekom (DTE) is open to selling the company for $35 per share or more, citing a single unnamed source.
T-Mobile US shares are up 53 cents, or 1.8%, at $29.97
Shares of Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) are are up 5 cents, or 1.5%, at $3.41, after Bernstein Research’s Pierre Ferragu raised his rating on the shares to Outperform from Market Perform, writing that the company has made progress in cleaning up its balance sheet and lowering its costs, and that there’s a chance it produces further value by either selling its wireless business or merging with someone like Nokia (NOK).
Shares of cloud computing software vendor Workday (WDAY) are down $2.04, or 2.3%, at $88.26, following better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results yesterday afternoon, and a raised forecast. Bulls and bears alike cheered the company’s momentum, and progress with its financial applications, and price targets rose. But analysts such as Goldman Sachs’s Heather Beillini still wince at the shares’ pricey multiple.
Smartphone sales are slowing, says IDC, with mature-market growth in shipments this year falling to single from double digits, on a percentage basis, for the first time. But sales into emerging markets are still rising rapidly.
Shares of DRAM chip maker SK Hynix (000660KS) should be bought, despite increased competition from Samsung Electronics (005930KS), as customer Apple (AAPL) probably still has to buy a lot of DRAM chips for future devices.
Speaking of Apple, the company has officially announced it is going to be holding a media event on September 9th in its hometown of Cupertino. The company is widely expected to announce new iPhone models, and possibly a long-rumored smart wearable device.
Speaking of Apple suppliers, shares of materials technology producer GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) are down 71 cents, or 3.8%, at $17.86, after Raymond James’s Pavel Molchanov cut his rating on the shares to Underperform from Market Perform, arguing that there are too many unknowns to support a 33 times P/E on forward earnings. Among those unknowns is the rate at which Apple’s iPhone may contribute revenue for the company.
Shares of enterprise storage maker Violin Memory (VMEM) are down 32 cents, or 7.6%, at $3.87, extending last night’s losses after the company yesterday afternoon missed fiscal Q2 revenue expectations. Pacific Crest’s Brent Bracelin reiterates a Sector Perform rating on the shares, writing that the company is contending with an “increasingly competitive environment.”
Likewise, R.W. Baird’s Jayson Noland reiterates a Neutral rating, writing that “management has done a commendable job of stabilizing the company, but we continue to see revenue uncertainty given very aggressive competition.”
Security stocks get a new look today, from Stifel Nicolaus’s Gur Talpaz, who takes over coverage of the group, assigning FireEye (FEYE) a Buy rating, and a $45 price target. He also likes shares of Palo Alto Networks (PANW). He rates Check Point Software Technologies (CHKP), Fortinet (FTNT), and Symantec (SYMC) at Hold.
Shares of FireEye are up 88 cents, or 3%, at $30.33.
On tap for earnings this afternoon, after the closing bell, are wireless chip maker Avago Technologies (AVGO), camera sensor maker OmniVision Technologies (OVTI), data analytics software pioneer Splunk (SPLK), and life sciences cloud software vendor Veeva Systems (VEEV).
Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: email@example.com.


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GRAFTON UPBEAT ON PERFORMANCE FOR 2013 - Builders merchanting and DIY group Grafton said that profit before tax rose by 41% for last year at €59.7m, driven largely by its UK builders merchanting businesses. It noted that 2012 was a year when all three of its divisions - merchanting, retailing and manufacturing - were profitable. Its revenue rose by 6% to €2.2 billion.
Gavin Slark, Grafton's chief executive, says the company made progress in very challenging conditions last year. Mr Slark says no one could argue that the markets in which Grafton operates continue to be very difficult. But he points out that in Ireland, the company managed to make money in the merchanting business, while it was marginally profitable in the Woodies DIY retail business and returned the manufacturing business to profit. He says a lot of restructuring went on in the Grafton Group in the last few years, which resulted in restructuring charges. But from now on that kind of major restructuring has come to an end and the group can focus on growth within the group. On the economy, Mr Slark says it is still very difficult to be overly optimistic for 2013. Grafton's builders' merchanting business has been flat for the first two months of the year in terms of revenue, which Mr Slark says is the best performance from the division in over five years. ''The flattening of the market now is hopefully the first sign of stabilisation in the Irish economy, which over time will lead to a growth pattern'', he states.
FARM LAND PRICES SEE FIRST RISE IN SIX YEARS - €20,000 per acre in 2006 to €10,000 now - but the collapse in agricultural land has stopped, according to the Farmers Journal. Last year saw an increase per acre of just over 14% across the country with some counties doing better than others. The figures are in today's Agricultural Land Price Report 2012.
The report's editor - Joanne Fox - says that farm land prices in 2006 were over inflated due to property developers and speculators. She says that farmers were excluded from the market at these prices, but today's index shows that farmers are now back in the market with land prices up for the first time in six years. Ms Fox says farmers are underpinning the market at this time as they continue to look at expansion and consolidation and they are engaged in both buying and selling. She says that farmers will always look for good land and ''ready to go'' parcels. Parcels over 200 acre with existing infrastructure facilities are selling especially well, she adds.
MORNING BRIEFS - Fruit group Fyffes said its adjusted profit before tax for 2012 was €30.3m, up 36.2% up on 2011. The company's chairman David McCann said Fyffes had delivered a very strong performance in 2012 and revenue exceeded €1 billion.
*** Wall Street shares set fresh record highs last night, building on Tuesday's records. The Dow Jones rose by 0.3% to 14,296. Shares there were boosted by a report which showed US companies had created more jobs than expected in February. The Dow's top gainer was Bank of America, which rose 3.2%. Top faller was Microsoft, which dropped 0.9% after it was fined €561m for failing to offer users a choice of web browser.


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Here is an excerpt from the article:
A German frozen food company hopes to raise sales with a new product: Obama fingers. The tender, fried chicken bits come with a tasty curry sauce. The company says it was unaware of the possible racist overtones of the product.
They didn't get the racial overtones of this product? I find that hard to believe. I recognize Germans and others nationalities might not be fluent in American culture but I would think a little research would have raised a red flag on this idea.
At least the heart of the company was in the right place. The author wrote:
"We noticed that American products and the American way of eating are trendy at the moment," Judith Witting, sales manager for Sprehe, told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "Americans are more relaxed. Not like us stiff Germans, like (Chancellor Angela) Merkel."
The idea, she claimed, was to get in on the Obama-mania which is continuing to grip Germany. The word "fingers" in the name refers to the fact that it is a finger food. "It's like hotdogs," Witting said. "No one would ever think they are actually from dogs."


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22 Courses Now Available
Transcript from the video:
This is Your Marketing Minute from Forward Push, and if you like learning, you are in for a treat. This episode is about the 22 new online courses that Facebook has added to their free educational platform called Facebook Blueprint.
In Chicago last week at a Facebook conference, they announce that they’ve got 22 new courses going online by the end of June, and these courses are geared to the small business owner. You’ve got everything from how to use Instagram to how to run ads that convert and get you more customers.
So 22 new courses coming to the Facebook Blueprint platform to get to it, you just go to Facebook.com/blueprint.
All the courses are there, including some courses that have certification, as well, if you wanna take your online learning to the next level. So Facebook.com/blueprint, and check out some of the new courses online from Facebook.


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Virat Kohli has developed himself as a great brand not only in India but around the world. His social media presence, brand endorsement deals, and the way he has developed himself through cricket are seen in high regard by his fans. In the same light, Virat Kohli has been ranked as the most valuable celebrity in the year 2020 for the fourth time in a row. His brand value stands to be massive UDS 237.7 million.
For the information, Kohli is the only celebrity on the list who is out of the film industry. In the same list, the second and third slots have gone to Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh. Out of the top ten most valued celebrities in the year 2020, only two slots have been bagged by females. Kohli’s brand value has remained the same while there is a drop in the brand value of other celebrities on the same list.
“While Kohli’s brand remained the same, the top 20 celebs lost 5 percent of their combined value to USD 1 billion in 2020,” said Duff and Phelps, which specializes in brand valuation, in a statement as quoted by The Indian Express.
Virat Kohli’s brand value didn’t drop despite the pandemic
Despite the staggering effects of COVID-19 throughout the world, Kohli’s brand value didn’t drop. The overall brand value of the top 20 celebrities in 2020 stands around USD 1 billion. It fell by 5 percent from the year 2019 due to pandemic effects. The study is done based on their product endorsement and social media presence, and the study evaluated the impact of the pandemic on both factors that are brand value rankings and celebrity endorsement space.
“These rising millennial celebrities were in greater demand during the pandemic owing to their popularity among the youth,” MD of Duff and Phelps said.
Talking about Virat Kohli, he is currently in Chennai and gearing up for India’s first Test against England, which will be played from February 5. It will be Kohli’s first Test outing in the year 2021 as he was on a paternity break during India’s last three Tests against Australia.
Source: The source of this content is our cricket news platform Crictracker.
SportsInfo offers cricket, soccer, kabaddi, tennis, badminton, racing, basketball and other sports news, articles, videos, live coverage & live scores, player rankings & team rankings. Also, offers minute details of any match along with live commentary.
- ‘You need to have some logic in the question’ – Virat Kohli to journalist when asked about Ravi Ashwin’s white-ball comeback
- India vs England: Virat Kohli confirms Team India’s openers for the first T20I
- Virat Kohli picks favourites for T20 World Cup 2021
- IND vs ENG: 1st T20I, Match Prediction- Who will win today’s match?
- India move to second spot in the latest ICC T20I team rankings


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First up in the news, Mint 21 will have a new graphical upgrade tool; Fedora plans to remove BIOS and XOrg; Gnome43 reworks adwaita tools; a Sony engineer makes exFAT 73% faster; and Alibaba previews a 128-core Armv9 server processor. Then in our Wanderings, Joe is Board of school runnings, Norbert is looking for a MATE, Moss blew up Kodi; and Bill is browsercasting.
First up in the news, Raspberry PI Zero 2 W, Xorg has something new, SUSE goes Edge, A new MX linux, and Microsoft Blunders
In security, an NPM library gets hijacked, Proton will not retain your data, Firefox implements GPC, and black Friday scams abound
Then in our Wanderings, Joe tries his hand at tv repair, Norbert plays with legos, Tony shops for a new pc, and Josh gets a new throne


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Following in the footsteps of its parent company’s recent job cuts, Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch and audiobook division Audible have announced workforce reductions, citing financial challenges. This news comes as a shock to many, as both platforms have enjoyed immense popularity in recent years.
Twitch Streamers Feel the Pinch:
Twitch, the world’s leading platform for live video game streaming, announced a significant 33% workforce reduction, amounting to roughly 500 employees. In a blog post, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy acknowledged the difficult decision, stating, “We’ve made the difficult decision to reduce the size of our workforce today.” He attributed the layoffs to a need to “align our costs with our business priorities” and focus on “areas that will drive the most value for our viewers, creators, and the overall Twitch community.”
This news has left many Twitch streamers and viewers concerned about the platform’s future. Some fear that the layoffs will lead to reduced support for creators and a decline in the overall quality of the streaming experience. Others worry that it could be a sign of deeper financial trouble for Amazon, which has already faced headwinds in its core e-commerce business.
Audible Trims Back its Workforce:
Adding to the woes, Audible, the popular audiobook subscription service, is also planning a 5% workforce reduction. While the exact number of employees affected is unknown, the move represents a significant cut for the company, which employs thousands of people worldwide.
The reasons behind Audible’s layoffs are reportedly similar to those at Twitch – a need to control costs and prioritize core business initiatives. Audible has recently faced challenges in its audiobook subscription market, with competition from other platforms and a potential slowdown in consumer spending.
Job Cuts Raise Concerns about Amazon’s Future:
The layoffs at Twitch and Audible, along with the recent job cuts at Prime Video and MGM Studios, paint a concerning picture for Amazon’s future. The e-commerce giant, which has long been known for its aggressive hiring, appears to be tightening its belt in the face of economic uncertainty.
These job cuts also raise questions about the sustainability of Amazon’s various ventures. While Twitch and Audible have both been successful, it remains to be seen whether they can continue to thrive in a more challenging economic environment.
Indian Users Impacted:
While the exact number of Indian employees affected by the layoffs is unclear, it is likely that some Indian workers will be among those let go. This could have a ripple effect on the Indian tech industry, as laid-off employees may struggle to find new jobs in a competitive market.
The layoffs at Twitch and Audible are a stark reminder of the challenges facing the tech industry in the current economic climate. As Amazon and other tech giants adjust to a new reality, it remains to be seen what the long-term implications will be for their employees and for the industry as a whole.
What does this mean for you?
If you are a Twitch streamer or Audible user, you may be wondering what the layoffs mean for you. While it is too early to say for sure, there is a possibility that you may see some changes in the services you use. For example, there may be fewer customer support options available, or there may be changes to the content that is offered. However, it is also possible that the layoffs will have little to no impact on your experience. Ultimately, it will depend on how Twitch and Audible choose to adjust to their new financial realities.
It is important to remember that Amazon is a large and complex company, and the layoffs at Twitch and Audible are just one small part of its overall story. The company is still facing many challenges, but it is also well-positioned to weather the storm. Only time will tell what the future holds for Amazon and its various ventures.


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Diane von Furstenberg will launch line of special frames.
Google Glass has added a Chicago OD to its trio of Southern California outlets for the $1500 eyewear-cum-computer. Early last month, Rosin Eyecare set up a Google Glass station in its waiting room for interested patients. More than 50 people, ages 20 to 80, showed up at an introductory event. Meanwhile, Google has announced a collaboration with fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg to design eyewear for Glass. The designer was an early supporter of Glass, featuring the product on the runway for a 3012 fashion show.
Hear What the Industry Thinks About the Ultimate Lens Package by Essilor
Eye care professionals, patients, and Essilor sales consultants shared their feedback on the Ultimate Lens Package. Watch to see why they believe the innovation behind the lens can make the difference for your practice and for your patients. For more information on the Ultimate Lens Package, contact an Essilor Sales Consultant or click here.


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NEWARK, N.J. -- Executives at Bristol-Myers Squibb will report to an unusual overseer over the next two years: Christopher Christie, the federal lawman who last week announced the sweeping settlement of an investigation into a $2.5 billion fraud at the giant drug company, giving him unprecedented say in its operations.
Mr. Christie is the U.S. attorney who led the three-year investigation at Bristol-Myers into "channel stuffing" -- the practice of inflating sales by getting wholesalers to buy more product than they need. Sitting on a leather couch in his Newark office, Mr. Christie explains why he didn't impose a huge fine. "I didn't want to hurt the company," he says.
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Up to 30% off + extra 20% off the coolest styles with Nike promo code
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- Ulta Beauty:
Autumn Vibes Event: $10 shampoos & conditioners
- The Home Depot:
$50 discount sitewide - Home Depot Coupon
Hotels.com October Deals - Save 20% or more


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Tech Giants Make Their Move on the E-bike Biz
What’s electric powered micromobility?
It’s simply a reality in the form of many thousands of public share e-kickscooters and e-bikes – and it could just be the first wave of transport innovations in cities across the world.
And at the forefront of the micromobility transport revolution are large corporations, many from the high-tech business arena.
You might expect auto makers to be at the forefront; for example Ford-sponsored share e-bikes appeared in San Francisco early in the year, demonstrating just how keen auto manufacturers are to move into new areas of electric transport in all its forms.
But the main e-bike and e-kickscooter share launches have come from [Read more…] about 2018 eBike Roundup Part 2: Shared Electric Micromobility [VIDEOS]


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The property firm announces its masterplan, with construction of mixed-use development to begin in Damascus in the next 18 months.
Majid Al Futtaim in $1bn project
Majid Al Futtaim Properties, the company behind Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre, is pushing ahead with its regional plans despite the economic downturn. The firm had drawn up a master plan for a mixed-used development that will be built across a 100-hectare site in the Sabboura Yafour district of Damascus in Syria, and will begin construction over the next 12 to 18 months, said Peter Walichnowski, the chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Properties.
An initial US$1 billion (Dh3.67bn) is expected to be invested in the development, which will include a mix of hotels, offices, homes and retail outlets and will be built in phases over 10 years. A shopping mall the size of Mall of the Emirates will also be built at the site. "Syria is a hungry market," said Mr Walichnowski. "There is a pent-up demand in Damascus and Syria in general. They haven't got very many modern real estate concepts there."
The firm is also rolling out shopping malls in other parts of the region as it moves away from a saturated retail market in Dubai. Mall space alone in Dubai is set to grow to 280ha of gross leaseable area by next year, according to a report earlier this year by Jones Lang LaSalle, the property consultant. Between October of last year and March this year, at least three malls opened in the emirate, including Dubai Mall, one of the largest in the world, Arabian Center and Dubai Marina Mall.
The biggest mall under construction is Mall of Arabia, which is due to open in Dubailand at the end of next year. It includes about 93ha of leaseable space and will be the biggest shopping centre in the world. Mirdif City Centre, a mall by Majid Al Futtaim that will have 183,400 sq metres of leasable space, is also under construction. By next year, the total amount of space will have increased by 263 per cent since 2006, according to the consultants Retail International.
New malls are also being built in Abu Dhabi. Majid Al Futtaim has signed a joint venture agreement with Mubadala Development to build a shopping mall at the Arzanah project, a mixed-use community being developed on the land surrounding Zayed Sports City stadium in the capital. "We're at the concept phase, but there is some readjustment of the roads in the area that is holding us up," Mr Walichnowski said.
The firm also has land in Saudi Arabia that has been reserved for the construction of a large mall and will soon award the enabling works contract on Beirut City Centre, a shopping mall in Lebanon. Most of the planned malls will be anchored by a Carrefour hypermarket. Majid Al Futtaim Group, which owns Majid Al Futtaim Properties, has been a franchise partner of the France-based hypermarket chain since 1995.
So far, 26 Carrefours have been opened in the Middle East, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. One store opened last month in Iran, while 10 are planned in Pakistan. "The Carrefour model is a great thing to build a shopping centre around," said Mr Walichnowski. "Carrefour is like dynamite in all these markets. The consumer loves it, especially during tough times." Mr Walichnowski added that most of the finance for the projects came from a combination of the company's cash pool or through equity markets.


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Although the full year of 2020 is down a little bit.
After several weaker quarters, Jaguar has finally announced really positive news that the Jaguar I-PACE significantly expanded in the fourth quarter of 2020 to an all-time quarterly record of 7,807 units globally.
The year-over-year growth stands at 69%, and the I-PACE share out of the overall Jaguar volume surged to an unprecedented 27.8%!
Unfortunately, the brand itself still struggles and its sales went down by 21% year-over-year to 28,072.
Jaguar I-PACE sales – Q4 2020
Despite the outstanding Q4, previous quarters weighed heavily on the I-PACE results in 2020 and the overall sales of 16,457 have turned out to be 5.2% lower than in 2019. The average I-PACE share out of Jaguar’s volume increased to 16.1%.
Cumulatively, Jaguar sold over 40,700 I-PACE since Q2 2018.
Let’s hope that the I-PACE will continue to improve in 2021 and that the Q4 was not a one-off event caused by the situation in Europe (a necessity to lower the average CO2 emission and the launch of strong incentives to buy BEVs).
Source: Read Full Article


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Changing only three types of drugs from prescription to over-the-counter could save Canada $1 billion a year, according to a new study, but does an economic boost outweigh potential health risks?
Heartburn medication, erectile dysfunction medication and birth control pills were examined by the Conference Board of Canada. The three were chosen because they are being evaluated for, or have already made the switch to over-the-counter status in other countries.
The study states making the drugs available without a prescription would save money by lowering drug costs and reducing doctor’s visits.
But experts caution against taking the easy route when it comes to medication.
Dr. Jerilynn C. Prior, founder and scientific director of the Centre for Menstruation Cycle and Ovulation Research CeMCOR, said birth control pills “should not be made over the counter.”
“The combined hormonal contraception… (can) have a profound effect on women’s bodies,” said Prior.
The birth control pill in its various forms, while generally safe, has been linked to serious complications. A doctor’s judgement is necessary for guidance, said Prior.
“It should not be treated like Tylenol or ibuprofen. It simply alters too much of women’s physiology.”
And while skipping a trip to the doctor might sound convenient, a person can be missing out on vital face time with a doctor said Steve Morgan, professor of health policy at the University of British Columbia.
READ MORE: How the prices of life-saving drugs skyrocket overnight
“It gets them to a doctor. It’s gets them having a conversation,” said Morgan.
Someone going to the doctor for a simple prescription can be a “pathway” to diagnosing other conditions, Morgan said.
“Not going to a doctor is not always a good thing,” said Morgan.
“It can be said it can mean savings but it also can be lost opportunities for conversations about general health.”
Pharmacists are simply not prepared to fill the gap, Morgan said.
And when it comes to pricing, the generic version of a prescription drug is often less expensive than an over-the-counter product.
“One of the things that happens when drugs get switched to over the counter, unfortunately many consumers can be lulled into believing the brand is better than the generic form,” said Morgan.
Many drug plans insist on the generic version of prescriptions since “they’re all chemically equivalent,” said Morgan.
“It can be a challenge in terms of patient safety and quality, but it also can be a challenge regarding the presumption of possible savings,” said Morgan.


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Manufacturing, Industry and Smart Cities are not the only sectors leveraging the immediate benefits that the Internet of Things provides. Agriculture and farming are much further along in the early adoption phase of IoT than most of us realize. Farmers are using IoT applications to remotely monitor weather conditions soil quality and irrigation systems. One research firm, OnFarm, conducted several studies and that showed that the average farm utilizing IoT-based technology saw yields rise by 1.75%, energy costs drop to $7 from $13 per acre and their water use fall by 8%.
The farming industry will become arguably more important than ever before in the next few decades.
The world will need to produce 70% more food in 2050 than it did in 2006 in order to feed the growing population of the Earth, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. To meet this demand, farmers and agricultural companies are turning to the Internet of Things for analytics and greater production capabilities.


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The MG carmaker officially launched the MG3 Trophy Championship Concept during the MG90 event, taking place last weekend.
The MG3 Trophy Championship Concept unveiled at the event is taking its similarities from the MG3 tandard model, coming with an aerodynamic body kit which includes an adjustable rear wing, a revised front splitter and more.
More than that, as seen in the pictures, the MG3 Trophy Championship Concept is also wearing an adjustable coilover suspension system, the limited slip differential or the 17-inch lightweight alloy wheels.
Since there are no details released with the cabin of the MG3 Trophy Championship Concept, we can instead reveal the power that the sportscar is coming with.
We are talking about a 1.5-liter VTi Tech unit,with optimized ECU, billet aluminum pistons, a turbocharger and new camshafts, which make the car develop 207 horsepower and 260 Nm of torque, being a significant optimization from the previous 106 horsepower and 136 Nm of torque.
More details with the MG3 Trophy Championship Concept will be known in the upcoming period, where the model is also said to make its presence at another auto event.


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Offering fresh hand-cut produce to Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
CRAFTON – Monteverde’s, a FreshEdge company, is excited to share the grand opening of its fresh cut operation under the Garden Cut® banner in its Crafton, Pennsylvania, facility. The facility (near Pittsburgh) consists of newly-added equipment and incorporates the highest level of food safety measures to ensure quality, safe fresh cut offerings.
Monteverde’s joined the FreshEdge family of preeminent fresh food companies in November 2021. Garden Cut (Pittsburgh) currently provides fresh-cut product to hotels and resorts, healthcare facilities, schools, and restaurants. This FreshEdge investment positions Monteverde’s to expand its current fresh-cut offerings beyond fruit salad and specialty-cut potatoes to additional items, such as fresh-cut vegetables and other value-added offerings.
“Initial feedback from Monteverde’s customers has been very positive,” said Gloria Garofalo, President of Monteverde’s. She added, “our customers have been complimentary of the quality, freshness, and taste of our Garden Cut offerings.”
Steve Monteverde, COO of Monteverde’s, shared, “we are ecstatic to be offering quality fresh-cut products to our customers.” Expanding upon that, he added “along with unmatched flavor, our fresh-cut program mitigates labor challenges and reduces food safety liability in today’s fast paced and complex environment.”
“This facility will allow us to enhance our service levels to our valued customers in the surrounding multistate area,” said Greg Corsaro, President and COO of FreshEdge.


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The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO Summit) was held on September 15 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's second largest city. Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, attended the meeting and paid a state visit to Uzbekistan.
Unilumin LED display products provided on-site service protection at the SCO summit. AFP photo
During the summit, nearly 800 square meters of LED display products and integrated solutions from Unilumin were successfully installed in the "Samarkand Silk Road International Tourism Center," the House of Parliament, the Minyoun Samarkand Silk Road Hotel, the venue of the summit dinner "Winter Restaurant," and the Samarkand International Airport, providing all-around support for the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of SCO.
The summit coincides with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Uzbekistan. The summit builds new common understandings and open a new chapter for cooperation within the SCO framework, with a focus on all-dimensional SCO cooperation. It is China's most important event of head-of-state diplomacy on the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, drawing great attention from the international community.
On 15 September local time, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan in Samarkand.
Unilumin LED display products provided on-site service support. Photo by Ding Haitao, Xinhua News Agency
Kslim, Uslim II, and many other Unilumin LED display products were equipped with a self-developed UOS system, which was integrated with cluster control, remote management, high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, and other technical means at the summit. They can provide an ultra-clear, bright, seamless display effect, but they can also make daily operation and maintenance of the screens smart and simple, ensuring the meeting runs smoothly.
Nearly 800 square meters of Unilumin screens, from the international airport to sites inside and outside the summit, contributed to the summit's success, witnessed a new chapter of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, witnessed the process of Shanghai Spirit going further into the world, and witnessed the spread of Chinese wisdom in the world.
Unilumin has long been a leader in the LED industry, contributing to the effective operation of smart meetings and smart government affairs with its LED light display products and integrated solutions, which have been used in major events such as the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as well as the China-Bridge in Germany. Unilumin's customer-oriented quality service and the ultimate experience of screens alive, in this event of head-of-state diplomacy, once again makes Chinese technology "go global with high quality."


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And another one bites the dust!
Though I’m busy in the process of putting the finishing touches on my final two game blogs for my Halloween Gaming List of 2013, I could not help but speak of yet another victory against the tyranny of Online Passes.
Yesterday Ubisoft announced that it was killing its Online Pass Program called UPlay Pass effective IMMEDIATELY! It seems that they too have finally gotten the message (be it from gamers like me that no longer bought Ubisoft titles or realizing they were losing money off this) that yet another “Project Ten Dollar” idea was an epic fail and decided it was in their best interest to forgo this practice in the future. According to reports this was done upon seeing that gamers were very upset about the Edward's Fleet mode, an online feature that allows players to interact with others on console or through the game's companion app. That is IF you bought the game new or paid the $10 fee for the privilege. Apparently this was the turning point that blurred the lines between single player/offline and multiplayer/online modes of gameplay for gamers that made them realize what a terrible idea Online Pass was to begin with.
"The Uplay Passport program was initiated as a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses, and rewards,"
"However, games today are blurring the line between offline and online, between what is 'single-player' and what is 'multiplayer, based on that and on the feedback we received from you, we recognized that Passport is no longer the best approach for ensuring that all our customers have the best possible experience with all facets of our games."
In Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, "Edward's Fleet" is an innovative online single player feature that allows players to interact with multiple players on consoles or via the game's companion app. Every new copy of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag includes the Uplay Passport code needed to unlock this online feature. However, we listen to our community and understand that there are concerns over some players' ability to access this feature, so we have decided to eliminate the cost of the Uplay Passport for Black Flag. This ensures that everyone will be able to use the companion app, Edward's Fleet, online multiplayer and available bonus content at no additional cost.
Also, we will be eliminating the Uplay Passport program from all future Ubisoft games moving forward.
Once again I find this statement itself funny given how we were initially told Uplay Pass, much like Online Pass, was to help combat piracy, then to help pay for the servers that gamers take up space on when they buy the game used, to helping developers get a fair share of the profits from second hand sales, to now this notion that UPlay Pass was intended as a new online content and service provider. I personally love how they’re trying re-write history with their intentions by saying UPlay Pass was truly “a means of giving customers full access and support for online multiplayer and features, along with exclusive content, bonuses, and rewards,"
So much like EA’s Online Pass before it, to translate this “corporate speak”, Ubisoft is pretty much saying “We hoped to repackage online multiplayer into a service gamers would be willing to pay for, even though such offerings were given as a free incentive to keep the game EVER SINCE CONSOLES BECAME CAPABLE OF CONNECTING ONLINE, but upon hearing gamers crying foul on this when it came to what we did to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and the possible damage it could do to sales, we’ve decided to go back to how games used to be sold.”
That pretty much sums things up in a nutshell.
And much like what happened with EA’s Online Pass, there has been no word if any of their past titles that use to use UPlay pass will have them revoked eventually. But given that EA did such later on I would not be surprised if Ubisoft realized that mistake too and backtracked quickly to remove the cancer that is UPlay Pass on the rest of the past titles. Either way I almost feel sorry for the gamers out there who actually bought Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag new in hoping to avoid paying extra to gamers who actually bought the UPlay Pass when they bought their games used, regardless if the game itself was dirt cheap.
So once again I’d like to thank all the gamers out there that took a stand like me in not buying ANY of these UPlay Pass titles or did buy these games but made the decision to not pay the UPlay Pass fee. This event wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t make our stand and showed Ubisoft that UPlay Pass was not the future of video gaming. Regardless if Ubisoft made this decision because of actual gamer feedback in what came about with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag or because they saw their corporate profits preparing to take a nosedive over this, the end result is still the same. Ubisoft’s UPlay Pass is dead, and knowing we gamers once again stood up and shouted in a resounding voice shows that the cancer that is Online Pass has no place in either the current or next gaming generation! Stand proud fellow gamers in congratulation of our efforts. That’s now two game companies that have decided to kill their “Project Ten Dollar” endeavors.
I think I should start a “Kill List” of all the Online Pass that remain. It looks like the tide is slowly turning. Keep up the pressure gamers! Let’s show the game companies how horribly wrong they are about this concept and that they’ll follow the lead that EA and now Ubisoft have started. Goodbye UPlay Pass: may your foulness rot in hell!


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Ruby Tuesday today unveiled fresh new entrées, appetizers, drinks, and desserts all showcased in redesigned lunch, dinner, drink, and dessert menus.
To better serve guests, Ruby Tuesday added 14 new menu items that feature high quality ingredients and intriguing flavor profiles, all aimed at offering guests better, and contemporary dining choices. There are four new freshly prepared salads (BBQ Chicken Salad, Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad, Mediterranean Chicken Salad or Kale Caesar Salad) that can be served three ways (traditional, chopped or stuffed in a warm baguette). With craveable new offerings in the pastas and appetizers categories as well as the prepared salads, the new menu has something for everyone. For those looking for a taste of indulgence, guests can enjoy new sweet treats and a unique lineup of beverages from the newly revamped drink and dessert menu.
“Today’s consumers are looking for options that are not only delicious, but are also unique, affordable and something they can’t easily make for themselves or get at the store,” says Joel Reynders, Director of Culinary for Ruby Tuesday. “Ruby Tuesday is all about foods that are made with high quality ingredients. We love to experiment with new flavors and spent a lot of time in the test kitchen drawing up distinctive dishes that feature lean proteins and use fresh-cut vegetables—like those found in our Garden Bar—in order to offer excellent meals to our guests.”
“With a variety of fresh new offerings and a new menu designed to show them off, we’re confident the changes will be a hit with current guests as well as new guests,” says David Skena, chief marketing officer for Ruby Tuesday. “We’re eager to hear what our guests think of the new Ruby Tuesday menu. We believe they’ll enjoy the everyday affordability and delicious new items.”
A sampling of new items that can be found on the core menu include:
Kale Caesar Salad
BBQ Chicken Salad
Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Philly Cheesesteak Potstickers
Buffalo Chicken Tostadas
Italian Five-Cheese Skillet
California Primavera Pasta
Crispy Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese
Apple Crumble Skillet
Caramel Crunch Cake
News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by WTWH Media LLC.


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Chinese Launch of 2009 ATP World Tour Reinforces Country's Key Role in Pro Tennis
Beijing, China — CEO of the ATP International Group, Brad Drewett, chaired a press conference in BeijingTuesday with more than 150 media in attendance, to discuss the important role that China plays in the ATP World Tour. In October 2009, China is host to two of the ATP’s top-tier events, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Shanghai and an ATP World Tour 500 in Beijing.
“China has had a meteoric rise in the last decade to become a significant player on the world tennis stage,” said Drewett. “In 2009, the men’s professional game in China has been taken to an even higher level with back-to-back weeks featuring the ATP’s highest level of tournaments. In October, Chinese fans are going to see two weeks of some incredible tennis action with all the ATP’s best players here.”
Photos: Zhang Yabin, Sun Jinfang, Brad Drewett and Sun Kanling at the launch. Models display co-branded ATP, Li-Ning tennis clothes.
According to the China Tennis Association (CTA), the number of people playing tennis in China has risen to 8.12 million since 2004, in part inspired by international tennis events, such as Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai (2002, 2005-08) and China Open (2004 to present). In addition, the growth in popularity of tennis has seen one million children join CTA development programs since 2004.
To capitalise on the growing number of tennis fans in China, and the fact that China has the largest and fastest growing number of internet users in the world, ATP launched its Chinese language web sitewww.ATPWorldTour.com.cn at the press conference today.
Drewett said, “With so many Chinese tennis fans, now is the perfect time for us to launch the Chinese language ATP World Tour web site and to reach an even wider audience. The English language ATP World Tour web site is the world’s most popular online tennis destination and we hope that the Chinese ATP World Tour site will be just as successful with a mix of attributes from the English site, such as live streaming as well as localised content, and eventually public forums for chatting, blogging, private areas for fans and online shopping.”
Ms. Sun Jinfang, Vice-Chairman of the China Tennis Association said, “The launch of ATP World Tour’s Chinese official web site will serve as a window for Chinese tennis lovers to know more about global tennis events and information. This will greatly promote local awareness and the sport of tennis in China. I believe, with the support of ATP, the enthusiastic and vast sports market in tennis will grow and develop at a great pace.”
Today’s launch of ATPWorldTour.com.cn as the first product released on ATP’s Digital Platform has been two years in the making. John Phillips, Senior Vice President, ATP Digital Marketing, said, “ATP’s industry leading Digital Platform will revolutionise the way in which tennis fans experience the sport, bringing them closer to their favourite players and tournaments. The new platform enables integrated live scoring, enhanced video and photo presentations, comprehensive player and tournament content libraries, plus advertising, direct marketing and syndication platforms. Upgraded English and Spanish language sites will soon follow today’s exciting Chinese launch.”
Mr. Zhang Yabin, Chairman of the Board of China Open Promotions Limited, said, “Since the inaugural China Open in 2004, ATP has provided great support to this event. This helped China Open achieve remarkable success in the Chinese tennis market during its early stages. Today, the Chinese language ATP World Tour official web site goes live and this will bring about significant development in the future to China Open. The web site will provide Chinese tennis fans with a better understanding of ATP, arouse enthusiasm in tennis and enjoyment of the China Open. We strongly believe that with the support from ATP, our tournament will achieve greater success.”
The China Open will be played at the Beijing National Tennis Centre, site of the Olympic tennis event, from 5-11 October.
Leon Sun, co-Tournament Director of the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, Presented by Rolex, said, “Over the last ten 10 years the boom of development in tennis in Shanghai, and throughout China, has benefited from the support and guidance of the ATP. The staging of the ATP’s most prestigious event, the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai over five years, is testament to the ATP’s belief in the China market place. This increasing level and scale of events, including the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 and China Open, represent a new era of men’s professional tennis in China, and today, with the launch of the ATP World Tour Chinese web site, will provide the Chinese tennis fans a new and user friendly way to follow the world of ATP men’s professional tennis.”
The Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, Presented by Rolex will require mandatory participation from the world’s top players in a 56-draw for singles. The tournament, from 11-18 October, will be played in the existing Qi Zhong Stadium, with a Grand Stand court seating 5000 people to be completed by August 2009. Shanghaiwill be the finale to a new three-week Asian swing of the ATP World Tour that will also visit Bangkok,Tokyo and Beijing.
ATP is now in its third year with China’s largest sports clothing company, Li-Ning, and has co-branded ATP, Li-Ning tennis clothes available throughout Li-Ning’s more than 6,000 stand-alone stores. Li-Ning also sponsors nearly 20 top ATP players including Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic. The end of the press conference saw a fashion parade with models wearing tennis clothes featuring the new ATP World Tour logo.
Mr Ding Li, professional manager of Li-Ning sports marketing resources, said, “It is a rare opportunity for Li-Ning tennis to have such a great chance of cooperating with ATP. With the great help of ATP, Li-Ning tennis has experienced phenomenal growth since 2006. And today, with the launch of ATP World Tour Chinese web site, Li-Ning tennis will become more well-known as a very strong brand in tennis. We are sure our multi-year partnership with ATP will further enhance the popularity of tennis in China.”
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New Conti brand communication strategy targets changing demographics
A complete review of Continental’s passenger car tyre segment brand communication strategy has been carried out and the tyre maker reports that a resultant new global campaign is already starting to be implemented online in some markets. The new strategy is, says Conti, “integrated and highly target-group specific.” What this means is Continental recognises that “in the years to come, women and families will increasingly become one of the most important target groups alongside the still mainly male tyre buyers.” Thus the new campaign will focus on both female and male drivers, with and without children and in different driving situations.
“With our new communication strategy, we want to ensure an integrated presence aimed even more sharply at the different target groups with immediate effect,” explains Silke Gliemann, communication manager at Continental. “With our core brand statement, we will continue to offer the best braking and safety performance for our products with the premium Continental brand. Of course, we will also adapt our campaign in autumn for the winter tyre segment in which drivers have always highly valued very good safety performance.”
Gliemann comments that Continental has made “great progress” in increasing brand awareness in many countries through its brand communication strategy over the years. Previously, brand awareness predominately focused on the integration of international football sponsoring. This strategy, says Continental, proved to be a success and will also be pursued in the future.
Continental began working with Hamburg, Germany based communication agency ServicePlan last year to prepare the ground for the new brand communication strategy. In announcing the strategy, the tyre maker also notes it has been supported in its international media planning and booking since 2003 by Hamburg based media agency Initiative Media.


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It's been more than three months since anyone in downtown Crown Point could chow down on a Big Mac, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, an Egg McMuffin, Chicken McNuggets or those glistening, golden, salt-kissed fries.
McDonald's is reopening one of its most heavily trafficked restaurants in Northwest Indiana, at 135 N. Main St. just north of the Old Courthouse in downtown Crown Point.
“We are excited to reopen our Crown Point restaurant Dec. 19 at 6 a.m." McDonald’s Owner/Operator Jeffrey Templin said. "This newly modernized location offers new levels of choice, engagement, and service, including self-order kiosks, table service, mobile order and payment, and McDelivery via Uber Eats. We look forward to sharing this new McDonald’s experience with Crown Point guests and offering them a new way to dine at McDonald’s.”
McDonald's and its franchisees have been investing $168 million in renovations and new restaurants across Indiana in 2018 and 2019 to freshen up the dining experience. Improvements to the fast food hamburger joints include self-order kiosks, modernized dining rooms, new furniture, locally inspired decor, digital menu boards, and expanded McCafe counters.
In Crown Point, diners will be able to enter their orders themselves on kiosks and they have their food brought out to their table, like at a traditional sit-down restaurant. Visitors can order the food on their phone and pick it up in the drive-thru or inside, or have it brought to them by the curbside.
Closed for months, the restaurant brought back employees who were temporarily moved to other Region locations while the construction was underway.
After it reopens Wednesday, the Crown Point restaurant should be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, from 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m Wednesday and Thursday and from 4:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday.
For more information, call 219-663-8266


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JD Wetherspoon's chairman launches Brexit 'bullying' tirade, warning of higher costs as pub chain's sales slip
- Tim Martin accuses EU leaders of encouraging an 'intransigent' attitude
- JD Wetherspoon saw a 2.3% fall in sales in the five weeks to October 23
Tim Martin, the chairman of JD Wetherspoon, railed against the 'hectoring and bullying' of EU leaders as he warned of higher costs if post-Brexit tariffs are imposed.
The Brexit-backing pubs chain boss accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, of putting European businesses at risk by telling them not to negotiate with UK companies and to adopt an 'intransigent' attitude.
Mr Martin's latest tirade came in a quarterly trading update which showed Wetherspoon's like-for-like sales fell 2.3 per cent in the five weeks to October 23.
Fresh blast: Tim Martin, the chairman of JD Wetherspoon , railed against the 'hectoring and bullying' of EU leaders as he warned of higher costs if post-Brexit tariffs are imposed
In the past three months, the group - which operates pubs across the UK and Ireland - saw its like-for-like sales increase by 3.5 per cent.
The company said it expects its wage, business rates and repair bills to rise throughout the rest of the year.
On the fallout from June's European Union membership referendum, Mr Martin said: 'Angela Merkel of Germany and François Hollande of France have supported the stance of the unelected EU "President" Juncker in stating that the “UK must pay a price” for leaving the EU and that there “must be a threat” to the UK.
He added: 'If we, and companies like ours, are unable to agree on tariff-free transactions, it will inevitably result in a loss of business for European companies which have done nothing to deserve this outcome.
'Indeed, the ultimate sanction will be in the hands of UK consumers, should they take offence at the hectoring and bullying approach of Juncker and co. French wine, Champagne and spirits, German beer and Swedish cider, for example, are all at extreme risk.'
In early afternoon trading, JD Wetherspoon shares on the FTSE 250 index were down 4.5 per cent, or 39.5p to 848.5p.
Less pulled: Mr Martin's latest tirade came in a quarterly trading update which showed Wetherspoon's like-for-like sales fell 2.3 per cent in the five weeks to October 23
Mike van Dulken, Head of Research at Accendo Markets, said: 'Shareholders in Wetherspoon (JDW) are crying into their beer this morning despite solid Q1 underlying sales growth and what is described as a decent start to the year.
'As always outlook is king, and so a cocktail of comments from the character that is Chairman Tim Martin are weighing on investor sentiment, putting the shares at the foot of the FTSE350.
He added: 'Firstly, higher costs are expected for the rest of the year. Secondly, while the outlook is unchanged, forecasts are considered tentative at this early stage of the year.
'Thirdly, sales growth has slowed in recent weeks. Lastly, and potentially most concerning, is a borderline threat to cut ties with continental suppliers should Brexit trade negotiations bully the company into a punitive situation.'
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