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Hillshire Brands finished out a strong fourth quarter for fiscal year 2014, reporting net sales growth of 10.7 percent and adjusted operating income growth of 18.8 percent. Net sales for the full fiscal year grew 4.2 percent, while the adjusted operating income improved 6.5 percent, the company announced on August 13.
The meat products company noted that the sales growth rate in the fourth quarter benefitted from a soft quarter in 2013 and the later timing of the Easter holiday in 2014.
"I am pleased with our results for fiscal year 2014, which culminated in a very strong fourth quarter,” said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive officer of The Hillshire Brands Company. “Despite acute cost inflation, we delivered better than expected performance through a disciplined approach to brand building, pricing and cost management."
"I am very proud of the entire Hillshire team and the terrific job they have done with our brands. We delivered against our goal of building a different kind of food company, one that is simultaneously innovative and lean. This approach has created significant value for our shareholders and a fulfilling work experience for our people."
Hillshire Retail segment sees sales growth
Retail net sales for Hillshire Brands grew 8.5 percent in the quarter versus the prior year as price/mix and volume were both favorable.
Volume growth was driven by new innovation and increased distribution, and also benefited from a soft quarter in the prior year. Operating segment income increased 25.1 percent versus the prior year as increased sales and cost efficiencies more than offset higher input costs.
Hillshire Farm lunchmeat showed strong base volume growth behind an effective advertising campaign. New Hillshire Farm Naturals and Farm Classics products are shipping into the market, and the new American Craft sausages are outperforming distribution expectations. Jimmy Dean continued its strong momentum in the quarter, fueled by breakfast sandwich growth. The new Jimmy Dean lunch and dinner offerings have been well-received by retailers and consumers as distribution expands. Ball Park hot dogs continued to gain share during grilling season, and Flame Grilled Patties showed strong double-digit sales growth in the quarter, the company reported.
Foodservice/Other segment performs well
Net sales for the Foodservice/Other segment increased 16.7 percent in the fourth quarter as commodity-driven pricing and favorable mix offset volume declines.
Operating segment income in the quarter grew $8 million versus the prior year’s fourth quarter behind increased sales and continued cost management.
The Foodservice business has been outperforming industry growth rates in both meat and bakery. Sales in the convenience store channel have been strong as the new Jimmy Dean roller grill sausages continue to perform well, Hillshire reported.
Tyson Foods proposed acquisition of Hillshire expected to close by September 27
Hillshire Brands in July entered into a definitive agreement with Tyson Foods, under which Tyson will acquire all outstanding shares of Hillshire Brands for $63 per share. On August 12, 2014, each of Tyson and Hillshire Brands received a request for additional information on the proposed Tyson-Hillshire merger, each often referred to as a “second request,” from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Tyson and Hillshire Brands continue to expect that the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, will be completed by September 27, the final day of Tyson Foods’ fiscal year
"We are excited to move forward with Tyson Foods. We have been working closely with the Tyson team to plan out the successful integration of the two companies and look forward to executing the merger," said Connolly.


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On OFRF’s web page:
…”So will OFRF disappear? Definitely not, OFRF will move into the cannabis and CBD hardware market.
It has always been OFRF’s intention to move into the CBD / THC vaping market. Stated OFRF CEO Chris Hopkins. For the past six months OFRF engineers have been working in collaboration with Wotofo engineers to develop a new coil tech designed specifically for the use in CBD and THC vaping cartridges and we are very excited about this new direction.
Stay tuned for our first CBD pen product launch coming soon.”…
All I have to say is I do love your little eLiquid mesh tank but sorry Chris, wrong direction.
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Information about state and federal taxes and the Georgia Tax Tribunal during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Department of Revenue resumes in-person services by appointment. Tax filing and payment deadline was extended to July 15. To limit person-to-person interactions, please conduct business with the Department of Revenue via online services, telephone, or designated secure lockbox locations. DOR offers a number of motor vehicle and tax related services online, including checking the status of your refund online. Additionally, the filing and payment deadline for state taxes was moved to July 15.
IRS tax filing and payment extended deadline was July 15 and introduces additional tax relief measures. In addition to extending the tax filing and payment deadline to July 15, the federal government has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, business, and others affected by the coronavirus.
Georgia Tax Tribunal
The Georgia Tax Tribunal is open and operating. The court is open and operational and can be reached during regular business hours. Hearings scheduled for April were rescheduled to June 2020. Please note that the temporary suspension of filing deadlines ended at 11:59 p.m. on May 13, 2020. Visit the Georgia Tax Tribunal website for more information.


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Stock futures and crypto flatline as investors worry that U.S. inflation will shoot past 7.2%
Investors are holding fire ahead of today’s consumer price index data-drop, due out an hour before the opening bell in New York.
Ahead of that big number, stocks in Asia and Europe were a touch higher, but S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were trading sideways as traders remain cautious ahead of the latest pivotal read on U.S. inflation. Crypto, too, was flailing, with Bitcoin trading 0.3% lower around $44,200. Ethereum’s Ether, another popular inflation-hedge bet, was down 1.5%.
Here’s what to expect: Economists are forecasting that prices in America ticked up again in January, putting the year-on-year CPI rate at 7.2%, the hottest run-rate since the first term of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, at the tail end of the 1981–82 recession.
What Americans paid last month for used Honda Accords (and the gas to fill them up), plus toilet paper, rents, and avocados will be keenly watched by the Federal Reserve. The central bank is all but certain to raise the prime lending rate next month. But a larger than expected CPI print could send a jolt through the markets, leading to increased speculation that the Fed will have to speed up rate hikes this year, or raise its lending rate in bigger increments.
That’s the uncertainty that hangs over risk assets today.
“The kryptonite for markets is undoubtedly inflation at the moment,” writes Jim Reid, global head of credit strategy and thematic research at Deutsche Bank, in an investor note this morning. “We are approaching a crucial point for U.S. CPI. If we don’t start gliding lower in line with expectations soon, the market is going to be pricing some 50bps [basis point] Fed hikes into the equation for 2022.
“Today’s number,” he adds, “is a complicated one as Omicron could create distortion that unwinds next month.”
The highly contagious COVID variant is on the wane across the U.S. and much of Europe, but its effects will be seen in today’s inflation data, analysts warn. “Omicron has caused factory shutdowns and threatened port closures in parts of Asia, which will only perpetuate the type of supply-chain constraints that are driving inflation higher,” says Bankrate chief financial analyst Greg McBride. “Expected interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve will slow demand somewhat, but won’t fix the supply chain.”
What else to watch for?
In the U.S., stocks to watch are Disney and Uber, both of which reported big beats after the bell yesterday. Disney surprised analysts with strong Disney+ subscriber growth and better than expected results in its theme park business. Shares in the entertainment giant were up nearly 7% in premarket trading.
Uber, too, is popping premarket. Shares in the ride-hailing company were up more than 5% at 4 a.m. ET as the company reported stronger than expected results during the Omicron wave. Uber shares are up more than 11% in the past week.
Check out this Fortune must-read: “Why Wall Street thinks the metaverse will be worth trillions”


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Today, consumers are multitasking: they’re not just watching TV but also are checking email on tablets, visiting social networks via smartphones, and mobile shopping at a time, according to Nielsen’s recent cross-platform report via Marketing Charts.
And even if mobile screen behavior limits to mobile device owners, it is observed that TV viewing is taking a place together with some other activities, which in return, could benefit the TV advertisers.
To figure out this trend, Nielsen’s report revealed 85% of tablet/smartphone users watching TV at least once a month, while 41% (tablet owners) and 39% (smartphone owners) do it daily. This data is quite supported by GfK’s study disclosing 41% of tablet owners’ total TV time spent via 2-screen viewing, which goes up to 46% among Millennials.
The bottom line, somehow, would be whether or not a multi-screen usage is phenomenal to TV programming and advertisers.
Nielsen’s finding disclosed 36% of ages 35-54 and 44% of ages 56-64 use their tablets to get deeper into the TV programs they’re currently watching. In addition, the study also showed that nearly one-third of ages 25-34 were using their smartphone to shop while watching TV – this trend would lead to a suggestive point that TV advertisers could see an immediate benefit/s if they’re able to engage with these young viewers.
However, it is suggested that TV content and advertising must be relevant to consumers of certain ages; otherwise, TV ad recall and program engagement will suffer.
The finding of IAB’s separate study would also seem to reveal a positive effect. It was found that even if viewers are doing multitasking, they are still giving most of their attention on TV, and surprisingly, that multi-screen activities boost TV ad recall.
Accordingly, there were 28% of multitasking consumers who looked up a product advertised during a show they’re watching, and 12% of them bought a product advertised. GfK positively suggested said figures to be promising for TV advertisers, and would be beneficial for the growth of TV ad spending.


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Pregnant Kate Middleton has stepped out for an official engagement at the Pegasus Primary School in Oxford, England today, and proven her maternity style is only getting better by the day!
The 36-year-old royal, who is due to give birth to her third child in a matter of weeks, wore a cream coat from maternity brand JoJo Maman Bébé.
The coat is another example of Kate's ability to recycle her maternity fashion, and still make it work for today!
Visiting the set of Downtown Abbey back in 2015 while pregnant with Princess Charlotte, the Duchess of Cambridge wore the same cream coat.
The 'Princess' coat is perfect for occasions that demand a more elegant silhouette, and show off Kate's growing bump perfectly!


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Fivelements in Bali receives another accolade at the annual World Spa Awards
At the 3rd annual World Spa Awards held on Sunday, December 10, 2017, Fivelements was awarded “Indonesia’s Best Wellness Retreat 2017” for its wellbeing destination in Bali, making it the 2nd time Fivelements has taken home a World Spa Award.
“It is an extraordinary honour to be recognised for our ongoing dedication to wellness in Asia,” says Lahra Tatriele, Vision Director and Co-founder of Fivelements. “When we first started out, we envisioned curating high impact, innovative wellness programmes that would create long-lasting healing and the will to transform through (self) love. Receiving this award on behalf of our Fivelements family in Bali is a sign that we are achieving our purpose. I am so thankful to every member of our incredible team!”
Taking home the “Best Wellness Retreat” award, Fivelements offers a safe and nurturing place of refuge, where healing practices, healthy nutrition and holistic wellness retreats can provide the perfect setting for a complete mind, body and spirit overhaul. Fivelements was selected from a shortlist alongside seven other reputable wellness sanctuaries, setting itself apart with its award-winning vegan cuisine and its transformational treatments.
“We feel truly honoured to receive this award as Indonesia’s Best Wellness Retreat as this was the intention behind Fivelements,” says Chicco Tatriele, President and Co-founder of Fivelements. “We are now expanding our vision in Hong Kong looking at opportunities to create new authentic wellness destinations with our mission of wellness for humanity."


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Ireland's SMEs lost between €6bn and €10bn in revenue from March to June this year, according to research published this morning by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The think-tank warned that the figure for the entire year could hit as much as €15bn, leaving many of the businesses struggling to survive the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. About 20pc of micro firms and [...]
Customers will be charged up to 5pc per year to borrow under the Government's Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, well above advertised rates, once insurance fees are loaded onto bills. The scheme, one of the main pillars of the July Stimulus plan, was launched on Monday. Despite a notional €2bn size, only around a third of that money is available to borrow so far, through lenders [...]
Economic sentiment fell backwards in August for the first time since the country began to emerge from lockdown and despite the Government's Stimulus Package announced on July 23. Ireland is an outlier with European Commission data on Friday suggesting economic confidence in the euro area as a whole had continued to improve in August. Here though, August has seen Government heighten social and economic restrictions [...]
Irish start-ups raised €545m in the first half of the year - up 25% on the same period of 2019 - however that figure masks some "very worrying trends" according to TechIreland. The figure for the first six months of 2020 was the highest recorded in four years, according to TechIreland, the independent organisation that promotes Irish start-ups. However it said it was distorted by [...]
One of the challenges we face in growing our economy is the limited size of our domestic market. Ireland's entry into the then EEC in 1973, and subsequent adoption of the euro in 2002, opened the door to a large and developed marketplace. As the EU has progressed and expanded the four freedoms - goods, services, people and capital - the eurozone has effectively become [...]
Consumer sentiment continues to lag behind business confidence, fresh data from Bank of Ireland suggests. Bank of Ireland's regular 'Economic Pulse' combines business and consumer elements to track sentiment in the economy month to month. The index was up 5.5 on last month but down 21.0 compared with a year ago. Business confidence has risen but the consumer pulse stood at 55.5 in July, down [...]
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Vantage Products has started 2023 with further investment in our manufacturing facility. To follow on from our recent Penta Swing VII fiber laser cutting system we have now upgraded our pressbrake to a brand new Amada HRB.
The new HRB offers many advantages to the older HFB machine including:
- Faster Operational Speeds
- Improved Accuracy
- Faster Set-Up Times
- More Flexible
Many thanks to Amada UK and their partners for a seamless transition; the Vantage team are now up and running and enjoying the benefits the new HRB has to offer.
Find out more about Vantage Products Ltd on their member profile page here


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A Disturbing Link Made Between Gun Makers And Video Games
In the weeks after gunman Adam Lanza massacred school children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the New York Times has exposed a link between the video games industry and gun makers.
The Web site for the latest Medal of Honor game, Warfighter "is like a virtual showroom" for guns, said one commentator quoted in the Times.
"Among the video game giant's marketing partners on the web site were the McMillan Group, the maker of a high-powered sniper's rifle, and Magpul, which sells high-capacity magazines and other accessories for assault-style weapons," NYT said. "Links on the Medal of Honor site allowed visitors to click through on the web sites of the game's partners and peruse their catalogs."
The video games industry was drawn into the national debate about gun violence last week when Wayne LePierre of the National Rifle Association pointed the finger at violent video games for inciting the killings in Connecticut.
"There exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people," LaPierre said, as reported by TPM Livewire. "Through vicious, violent video games with names like "Bulletstorm," "Grand Theft Auto," "Mortal Kombat," and "Splatterhouse.""
Few studies have shown a link between violent video games and gun violence, such as that suggested by LaPierre. However, the New York Times piece does paint a picture of two industries with a mutually beneficial relationship.
Gun makers such as Glock, Browning, and Remington regularly feature in the top shoot-em-up video games, such as Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor Series and Activision's popular Call of Duty games. However, the video games companies have denied receiving payment to display the realistic weapons in their games.


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The 10th issue of Pamex Exhibition sets the tone for a high growth phase in the industry.
Coming just a few months ahead of Drupa and at the end of the year in 2015, the tenth edition of Pamex held from 9-12
December at Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) Mumbai, saw a record number of deals being finalised, setting the stage for what could be the biggest year for the Indian industry in 2016.
The exhibition reported 20441 unique trade visitors, even as the event organised by All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) in association with Print-Packaging.com (P) Ltd. featured 300+ exhibitors, 200+ running machines and 75+ product launches.
The show was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, President, Shiv Sena. Sharing his appreciation and pleasure in being invited to flag off the event, being a printer and publisher himself, he said, “It is an honour to inaugurate PAMEX and I thank AIFMP for inviting me. Printing industry is a very big industry and it deserves to get its due recognition.” Earlier, the Chief Guest had arrived to a tumultuous traditional Maharashtrian welcome. Sunil Garg, Honorary General Secretary- AIFMP, had welcomed the dignitaries and exhibitors to PAMEX while Tushar Dhote, President, Mumbai Mudrak Sangh and Co Chairman, Pamex, highlighted how PAMEX 2015 was a step forward for printing shows. Shyamal Chandra Basu, President, AIFMP delivered the Presidential address.
It was a digital feast at Pamex 2015 as all the leading global players were there with product launches of their latest offerings. Leading the pack was HP with its Indigo 10000 Digital Press being displayed for the first time in the country. Konica Minolta launched JetVarnish 3DS and bizhubPRESS C1100/C1085. Adding to its popular SureColor series, EPSON introduced SureColor SC-P9000, which is designed for the most exacting colour proofing applications and many others like in-shop branding.
Xerox presented the capability upgrade of Xerox Versant series 2100 and 80, where the kit can now print banner sizes (330x660mm) in production mode. Ricoh, that was also co partnering the event, displayed the all new Ricoh Pro C9100 series and the C7100x presses even as it also launched its RICOH MP W8140SP, an easy-to-use and cost effective MFP, tailored to cater highest level of detailing with high speed and productivity, suitable for engineering and architectural applications like maps and graphs.
EFI CEO, Guy Gecht was present himself to launch the MATAN QW inkjet printer, with ‘white ink’ feature, showcased for the first time in the region. Canon launched the much-awaited imagePRESS C10000VP.
Among other launches, Reprographics India launched the KIP 800 colour series printer. NEWSTECH, dealing in products for offset processing and related activities, introduced a set of fountain solutions (Stabilat H-8000 and Unifount), low odour Uniwash, a CFC free solvent-based blanket and roller washes. Fully automated cross strapping machine for magazine and NTPJ-100 paper jogger table for both newspaper and magazine were some of the new launches at the show from NEWSTECH.
Bodhi Professional Solutions (P) Ltd. launched VeriPak 3D, a complete 3D visualisation tool for graphics professionals in the print, packaging and labeling industry. AGS introduced the PDF and print inspection software that is aimed at the packaging market and helps the converters to check their PDF files at the pre-press stage and during actual printing for various errors in the text as well as colour, thus avoiding a lot of rejections.
Provin Technos launched Foildex, a cold foil and UV cast and cure systems from Diversified Graphic Machinery (DGM). Proteck Machinery, distributor of post-press machines from Horizon, highlighted the RD 405 a rotary die-cutter and Smart Finishing Solution which has folding, stitching, binding and sheet processing system, to cater to the e-commerce and digital segments respectively.
In the Sheetfed offset segment, Komori’s Enthrone press were running live demos at the Insight Communication’s stand while Provin Technos was promoting the Ryobi presses. KBA had its presence at the stand of Indo Polygraph Machineries (P) Ltd., while several Indian made presses vied for the visitors’ attention.
Various types of Label presses were on offer in the stands of Standard Printer Providers, Provin Technos, Genius Flexo, Global Graphics, RK Label, S Kumar and the Malaysian exhibitor, Sen Label Machinery.
Among the several companies offering corrugated box making machinery were Acme Machinery Company (P) Ltd., Acme Machinery India (P) Ltd., Associated Engineering Corporation, Flexography India Press, NBG Printographic Machinery Co. (P) Ltd., Pack Link Industries, Sodhisons Mechanical Works, Suba Solutions Private Limited and Harbhajan Singh & co.
Pratham Technologies, the manufacturer of paper folding machines, displayed its carton sorting system- Supersort. Beijing Daheng Image Vision Star JP420 carton inspection machine that detects defects in print, foil & emboss registration as well as in lamination at one go, was on display at the SL Kulkarni’s stand. The machine that was destined for the TCPL plant at Silvassa was inaugurated for demonstration by the MD of the company, Saket Kanoria. Autoprint showcased the recently launched Checkmate 50, the carton inspection machine along with Dion 450 NX, a four-colour non-woven bag printing machine at their stand in the exhibition. Line O Matic Graphic Systems exhibited its latest and upgraded notebook making machines.
Chinese companies had a significant presence at Pamex. While many of them were present with their distributors, over a dozen companies were also participating directly. Dongguan Hongming Machinery showcased its line of HM-ZD rigid box making machines which are available in fully automatic and semi automatic versions. Anco Development was promoting its automated bending, notching, lipping and straight cut machines. Zhejiang Ruian Dapen Printing Machinery had displayed its touch screen system paper cutting machines. A leading multi colour offset press manufacturer of China, Jianxi Zhonjing Group was testing the waters with an information booth. Zhejiang Salili Machinery presented its line of package craft solution and gift box binding machines. Dongguan Tengfeng Machinery Co. Ltd., was displaying a high quality rigid box making machine. Haiyan Huada Ink Chemical Co., Ltd. had displayed its range of Offset and UV inks and Shenzhen Mansion Technology Limited was promoting its range of adhesives and consumables.
The highlight of the exhibition was the record number of sales, deals and business happening on the grounds of BEC. To name a few, Autoprint Machinery Manufacturers Ltd., Insight Communications, Anil Agencies, Pratham Technologies (P) Ltd., Stoosa, Ample Graphics (P) Ltd. and Monotech Systems Ltd closed several deals at the event.
RICOH sold 27 units to customers from all over India. Canon received the order of its all new imagePRESS C10000VP and Oce PlotWave 500 from the Mumbai-based Bharat Copy Centre (P) Ltd.
Insight Communications & Print Solution India (P) Ltd. sold Komori Enthrone 429 to Adinath Print Services, Mumbai on the first day itself. By the end of the show it had closed orders for six Komori presses and three Kodak CTP plate setters. Provin Technos (P) Ltd., reported orders for three Ryobi series presses.
S Kumar Multi Products Pvt. Ltd. sold Zonten LRY-330/450 stacked flexographic press to four printers – Printotech, Ludhiana; Silvasa Flexible, Vapi (Gujarat); Dinsin Labels Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai; and Mamta Graphics, Pune.
The German company MBO’s subsidiary Herzog+Heymann sold M8.40 outster insert systems to Hyderabad-based pharma packaging firm Temple Packaging during the show.
Grafica Flextronica closed orders for two cylinder press with inline UV and complete screen making set up, six sets of Nano Print with full screen making set up and UV, and nine Nano Print Plus with screen making set up at the exhibition.
Kunal Enterprises announced its new partnership with Toppan Printing, Japan and showcased its range of products including the EP-Pak. APL Machinery announced Vishal Graphics as its partner for catering to the western market and were seen together promoting their LED UV lamps at the show. The most exciting announcement for the industry was the setting up of Indian JV- Zhongke India (P) Ltd., by the leading Chinese company and their display of complete range of equipment including two Case Makers, Rigid Box Maker and a lamination and grooving machine.
The heavy footfall, that too of quality visitors, was the imperative element behind the success of the show. “The quality of crowd has been encouraging. The good number of footfalls on week days proved that we had very serious customers,” said CN Ashok, Autoprint Machinery Manufacturers. “We were very excited with the overall footfalls and arrangement of PAMEX ’15. Participation in such strategic expo would enhance our presence in the Indian phrama product packaging market,” shared Dirk Stuhmeir, MD, Herzog+Heymann.
EFI, exhibiting at Pamex for the first time found a very positive reflection from potential trade visitors at the show. “I see a stimulating economy in the Indian market for which we are making our investment at the utmost level,” said Stephen Green, Vice President, Asia Pacific, EFI.
HP India, which had been the knowledge partner of Pamex promotional roadshows, hosted a knowledge session for cosmetics brand owners and agencies at its stand, showcasing the possibilities in labels and packaging using HP digital printing technology. “Pamex was a very special show for us in a lot of ways and we displayed the star of our portfolio – Indigo 10000 using the show platform for the very first time,” said Bhavna Saluja of HP. “We’ve had a wonderful show and the response has been great!”
Narendra P, Pragati Offset (P) Ltd., Telangana attended the Show as a visitor. “Seeing is believing! This is what I would say about this PAMEX edition. I see all new developments in the printing and packaging segments. The range of box-making machines on display is tremendous. I’m totally impressed,” he shared.
T Sivaraj, Vilvram Graphic Traders, Karur, another visitor at the Show was very impressed with the arrangements. “Firstly, I would like to appreciate the organsiers for such a wonderful show with an excellent arrangement. The showcase of an array of advanced (digital) printing machines is simply amazing,” he said.
A one-day International Technology Conference, organized by Mumbai Mudrak Sangh (MMS) was held concurrently with the second day of the exhibition. The event was attended by more than two hundred delegates from the industry.
“The enormous success of Pamex 2015 will act as the strong base for the next edition of the show, where people will get to see more from the Indian Printing Industry. The unprecedented amount of sales that has happened at this edition of the event pictures the rising graph of the industry. With the industry, the show is bound to grow,” said Anil Arora, President, Print-Packaging.com (P) Ltd.
PAMEX ’17 will be back in Mumbai two years later from 18-21 December. The industry waits in anticipation!
For any further query, write to Neha Mishra at email@example.com


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Lock Up, Kids
Another story on bike parking, this time looking at Berkeley company BikeLink, which manufactures shared electronic lockers that have now been installed in all but one of the East Bay's 30 BART stations. After it came out last week, I received a note from BikeLink founder and president Steven Grover noting that secure bike parking is no new fad, and that his company's primary innovation was to allow lockers to be shared (rather than dedicated to a single person) through the use of electronic controls and the associated BikeLink debit card. True enough. He also noted that, contrary to my story's implication, the lockers are not strictly for folks with nice bikes. Also true. However, I tend to be more interested in the social context of bike parking, which is why I focused on a) the growing availability of secure bike storage in the Bay Area; and b) where, exactly, demand for secure bike parking is coming from. Learn a bit about both in my most recent story for the Express.


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Yesterday's trading: Mittal lights up Coal of Africa
Hopes of a bid for Aim-listed Coal of Africa provided a bright spot in what was otherwise a weaker mining sector as lower commodity prices took their toll.
The Daily Mail's Caroline Muspratt
Traders speculated that steel giant ArcelorMittal was considering a bid of about 235p a share for the company, which closed up 10½p to 200½p yesterday.
ArcelorMittal has been building a stake in Coal of Africa and has just lifted its holding to 17.8% from 14.9%. But the strengthening dollar earlier this week has hit commodity prices, including gold and copper, and mining stocks dragged down the FTSE 100.
Lonmin dropped 104p to 3350p while Anglo American fell 97p to 3304p and Kazakhmys was 45p lower at 1625p. Platinum producer Johnson Matthey was down 76p to 1963p despite reporting a 16% rise in pretax profits for the past year.
The FTSE 100 was just shy of the critical 6000 level, closing up 25.2 at 5995.3. In the US, the Dow Jones was up 141.9 at 12,532.4 in mid trade, helped by better than expected sales figures from retailers Walmart and Costco.
UK retailers also received a welcome boost as interest rates were left unchanged. Argos and Homebase-owner Home Retail Group topped the leaderboard, up 13½p to 252p, on hopes that next week's first quarter trading update would be better than expected.
Elsewhere in the retail sector, Marks & Spencer gained 11½p to 392p, Next improved 28p to 1185p and B&Q owner Kingfisher ticked up 3.6p to139½p. Debenhams was 2¼p higher at 63¾p on speculation it had gained market share from rivals.
The housebuilding sector also recovered, despite a trading update from Bellway (up 32½p at 626½p) which said there had been 'no sign of the normal spring selling surge'. Persimmon rose 8½p to 463¼p, while Taylor Wimpey was up 4¾p to 82¾p. Redrow, meanwhile, improved 12¾p to 226¾p.
However, it was another day of volatility for banking stocks. Royal Bank of Scotland improved 9½p to 259p as Citigroup upgraded the stock to buy from hold. Four bidders are believed to be in the running for RBS's insurance operations, which includes Churchill and Direct Line.
HBOS was 17½p better at 358p, Bradford & Bingley was up 4½p to 73¼p and Barclays put on 11p to 363p, though Alliance & Leicester gave back 13p to 399½p after gains the previous day. Lloyds TSB, which announced a deal for Northern Rock customers, was 4¾p lower at 385½p.
Drinks giant Diageo gained 20p to 1005p after it received regulatory approval for its £460m Ketel One joint venture from US authorities.
Meanwhile outsourcing group Capita put on 4p to 679½p as it agreed to buy software provider IBS OpenSystems for £77.7m. Vodafone rose 5.8p to 160¾p as its US joint venture, Verizon Wireless, agreed to buy network provider Alltel.
Iron ore producer Ferrexpo rose 8½p to 407p as it upgraded the size of the resource base which would allow it to increase production at one of its mines. Citigroup said it believed the stock is undervalued compared to its peers and that it expects a joint venture to be announced in the third or fourth quarter. Ferrexpo may be eligible to join the FTSE 100 after next week's quarterly reshuffle.
Water group Severn Trent's underlying results were better than anticipated, helping the shares up 23p to 1473p. Property investment firm Capital & Regional fell 14p to 271¼p as it said it had delayed a meeting to approve a £286m fund raising by two weeks. The company wants to raise new equity for its Mall Unit Trust.
It said yesterday it had received a report from its valuers, confirming it remained within its banking covenant as of May 31, and it will use the extra time until the meeting to continue discussing the future strategy and governance of the fund.
Aim-listed TEG Group, which converts waste into organic fertiliser, gained 6p to 73p as it said alongside the annual meeting that it expects demand for its services to continue to increase. It said trading so far this year has been in line with expectations. Canaccord reiterated its buy rating on the stock.
First Calgary Petroleum ended the day in the doldrums, 3p lower at 131p. Word has it all is not well in Algeria, where it has a potentially valuable licence to drill for oil.
• Electronics distributor Premier Farnell unveiled a 37% rise in first quarter pretax profits to £24m, beating City expectations and sending the shares up 10¾p to 178¾p. Panmure Gordon upgraded the stock to buy from hold in the belief that the company is taking market share from rivals. It said: 'Premier Farnell is delivering results where others are having difficulty.'
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- What can investors expect from 2022?
- Skoda unveil fourth-generation Fabia hatchback set for spring release
- Renault Zoe scores zero stars in crash tests after airbag removed


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Google Pixel and Pixel XL owners have been having issues with file transfers from Apple MacBooks via the stock USB-C to USB-A cable. As it turns out, the old Android File Transfer program might be to blame, as it hasn't been updated since 2012.
Google January 14, 2017
Transferring files will never be the same again with the new Portal app from Pushbullet. The app allows Android users to transfer files from their Windows PC to their smartphones or tablets quickly and easily.
Apps/Software June 17, 2015


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Switzerland backed the 11th package of EU sanctions adopted in connection with Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, the country’s government said in a statement published on its website on August 16.
“The Federal Council has decided to renew the other measures of the EU’s 11th package of sanctions that are relevant to Switzerland as of August 16, 2023,” the document reads.
Among the new restrictions is a ban on 87 companies from exporting dual-use products and goods that may “contribute to the military-technical strengthening” of Russia (including companies from third countries), as well as expanding the list of goods prohibited for export to Russia (among other things, it includes electronic components and precursors of chemical weapons).
In addition, the changes will affect intellectual property rights and transit through Russia, “The sale of intellectual property rights or trade secrets relating to certain goods in Russia is now prohibited in order to prevent the production in that country of goods that cannot be supplied to Russia. The ban on transit through Russia has also been extended to other goods, such as jet fuel and fuel additives, as well as goods suitable for use in the aviation or space industries.”
In addition, the sale of securities to Russian citizens or legal entities registered in Russia is prohibited, regardless of currency.
However, the Federal Council “is also considering the possibilities foreseen by the EU regarding the granting of exemptions in the humanitarian sector and exemptions authorizing the sale of Swiss assets in Russia,” the document reads.
Bern assured that Switzerland is “closely following” international discussions on the “risk of circumventing sanctions” and is working closely with the EU and other partners.
Despite its neutral status, Switzerland has joined almost all European restrictive measures since February 24 last year. The Russian government approved in March 2022 a list of foreign states and territories committing unfriendly acts against Russia, its companies and citizens. Switzerland is included in this list.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency


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This may be the one case where skipping on your Wheaties for breakfast is a good thing. Cereal god Kellogg’s issued a $30M recall after finding pieces of meshed metal in its Frosted Mini Wheats products. About 2.8 million boxes of Frosted Mini-Wheats, Bite-Size Original Mini-Wheats, and Frosted Bite-Size Mini-Wheats cereal are being yanked from shelves, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company made the announcement through the FDA that a faulty manufacturing part is to blame for the recall. This isn’t the first time Kellogg’s caused a hot mess — in 2010, a kink in equipment caused a packaging problem and its cereal to have a strange color and order. Now check your pantry if your Wheaties are subject to recall according to the details, courtesy of Yahoo! News, below: Your faulty Mini-Wheats will have the letters KB, AP or FK before or after the “Best if Used Before” date. For Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite-Size Original cereal, there are seven Universal Product Codes to look out for: 3800031829; 3800073444; 3800031834; 3800046954; 3800031921; 3800004961; and 3800021993. (The last two UPC codes on the list pertain to single serving size containers.) Recalled Unfrosted Bite-Size Mini-Wheats bear the UPC 3800021983 or. 3800035982. No injuries have been reported thus far. Peep the Newsy scoop below.
Watch Newsy’s video report:


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The Inventor of Microsoft Solitaire Never Saw a Nickel
Wes Cherry is responsible for what must amount to decades of wasted worker potential. He's never been paid for his invention — and he doesn't care.
Early Microsoft Windows users will fondly recall Solitaire — or, maybe, not so fondly, depending on how much time said users wasted clicking and dragging cards across screens. Solitaire, the most-used application on Windows for years, was invented by then-intern Wes Cherry. And Cherry has never seen a nickel for his efforts.
Solitaire was a beautifully simple card game that was apparently implemented, at first, to calm the nerves of overwhelmed first-time computer users and familiarize them with the mouse. (Click this card here, drag it over there — voila, now you know how to drag and drop files. Et cetera.)
Cherry invented the game for Windows 2.1 in the summer of 1988. He says that the biggest initial challenge was getting “card dragging to work smoothly.”
The famous victory screen (which, should you ever need an ego boost, you can reproduce ad infinitum here) took about “20 lines” of code. His girlfriend at the time, Leslie Kooy, designed the famous card backs, and one of the designs (Cherry’s favorite) incorporated a subtle Grateful Dead reference.
On Monday, Cherry signed up for Reddit to clarify his story, and also to announce that he isn’t bothered by the lack of compensation.
“It was made clear that they wouldn’t pay me other than supplying me with an IBM XT to fix some bugs during the school year — I was perfectly fine with it and I am to this day.”
A while back, he did a similar, endearing Q&A, joking that he’d like a penny per copy.
“If everybody pitches in, I promise to throw you all a big party,” Cherry said then.
In this week’s Reddit thread, he explained that he received “a few thousand bucks in stock” for another game — which he evidently used to buy a boat — and he’s now running a hard cider company in Washington.
He’s probably doing alright, financially, but if Microsoft weren’t so stingy, he could be doing way better. If you’re particularly incensed, feel free to send him a penny in appreciation. He says he’s gotten about eight of them so far.


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By Teresa Rivas
Shares of Wal-Mart (WMT) were recently down 0.2%, but Barclays analyst Robert Drbul sees the stock reaching $65 on the robust outlook of its international arm.
Drbul attended the company’s International Meeting in Toronto and noted that Wal-Mart has made impressive strides in the Great White North, reaching nine out of ten Canadians, and yet still has runways for growth ahead of it, as it adjusts to Canada’s changing demographics and shopping habits.
Here are highlights from his note:
Walmart International strives to drive growth through increases in comp store sales, store expansion, e-commerce initiatives, and acquisitions, while continuing to transition its remaining geographies to the EDLP model. We believe one of the greatest opportunities to improve leverage internationally will be managing inventory growth toward a target rate of half the rate of sales. The company is targeting at least 300 bps of improvement in ROI by 2017. Walmart entered the Canadian market in 1994, and today 9 out of 10 Canadians shop at Walmart. The Canadian retail market shares many similarities with the US, enabling the leverage of Walmart US programs and processes, but it also has some important distinctions. In fact, there is only a 20% SKU overlap between Walmart Canada and US. The Canadian consumer typically places a large emphasis on value (high participation in loyalty programs, shopping for best price as a “hobby”), has an emerging minority population which is expected to account for 70% of growth in consumer spending in the next 10 years, has a higher average level of household debt, and has been slower to embrace online shopping.
In order to cater to these characteristics, Walmart Canada has worked to tailor its assortment to the diverse customer groups it serves, while maintaining opening price points in order deliver the highest amount of value driving an 11% price gap on a like-for-like basket of goods. An important aspect of this strategy is carrying a broad private label offering in stores. Walmart Canada aims to double the penetration of its private label sales by 2015. The company has already switched to a mono-brand private label strategy for apparel (George), so the majority of this growth is expected to come from food and other general merchandise.


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Let’s not sweeten the deal: it’s been a trying year for most investors. Since hitting their all time high closing records, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average and widely followed S&P500 decreased by more than 10%. It’s been an even uglier descent for those dependent on growth Nasdaq Compoundwhich has lost up to 31% of its value peak to peak since November and is squarely in the grip of a bear market.
While the speed and unpredictability of bearish moves during bear markets can be disconcerting and test investors’ resolve, history conclusively shows that these declines are buying opportunities, at least for investors. patient investors. Over time, every notable drop in major indexes, including the Nasdaq Composite, was eventually erased by a sustained bull market.
For cash-flow investors looking to grow their money, cheap stocks abound. The following are three of the cheapest stocks you can buy with confidence right now, even with the Nasdaq in a bear market.
Ford Motor Company
Early investors in exceptionally cheap stocks can pick up as Nasdaq plunges is automaker Ford Motor Company (F 3.30%). Ford shares are currently valued at just six times Wall Street’s projected earnings for 2023.
Similar to the broader market, investors have held back Ford shares and other auto stocks over the past five months. Ford stock has lost half of its value during this period, with Wall Street clearly concerned about the growing prospects of a recession in the United States, as well as continuing supply chain problems affecting the ‘automobile industry. Although these are significant headwinds, they offer investors the opportunity to buy a profitable and well-known company at a discount.
The most exciting thing about Ford is the constant electrification of its product line. By the end of 2026, the company plans to invest $50 billion in electric vehicle (EV) and battery research. Ford plans to operate its electric vehicle business separately from its combustion engine vehicles, aiming to launch 30 new electric vehicles globally by the middle of the decade. By 2026, CEO Jim Farley predicts his company will produce 2 million electric vehicles a year.
Although most investors are focused on Ford’s domestic ambitions – it’s a Detroit automaker, after all – they might overlook its international reach. The company has notably succeeded in increasing its sales in China by almost 4% in 2021 to around 624,000 units. Ford has the deep pockets, the necessary infrastructure and the brand awareness to become a major player in China, the world’s largest auto market, over time.
Another reason investors can bank on Ford is its industry-leading truck lineup. The company’s F-Series pickup has been the top-selling truck in the United States for 45 consecutive years. Additionally, the F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States, period, for each of the past 40 years. Since trucks have significantly better margins than sedans, steady F-Series sales provide Ford with significant operating cash flow.
A second storage solutions company is a second storage solutions company western digital (WDC -2.22%). Based on Wall Street consensus, Western Digital is valued at just six times expected earnings for next year.
Similar to Ford, the big hit against Western Digital is going to be its cyclical nature. When the US and global economy is struggling, it is not uncommon for sales of personal computers and other technology orders to decline.
The other potential downside for Western Digital and its peers is that they have a habit of over-provisioning storage solutions when pricing power improves. However – and this is an important “however” – pandemic-related supply chain issues have all but ensured that the company and its peers will not be able to ramp up production in 2022, if not well. beyond. This “bad” news is actually good news in disguise, as it should help to build pricing power over the products it sells.
On the other side of the coin, Western Digital has multiple catalysts for growth. It has benefited from increased personal computer sales during the pandemic and, at least in the short term, has received a boost from the increased storage requirements of next-generation game consoles.
But the biggest catalyst of all for Western Digital arguably has yet to take shape. In the coming years, standard data center hard disk drives (HDDs) may be replaced by solid-state drives using NAND flash memory. NAND is generally less expensive and offers more storage capacity than standard hard drives. By mid-decade, Western Digital could very well be riding a wave of growth with its NAND solutions.
If you need another good reason to buy Western Digital, consider this: Activist investor Elliott Management is asking the company to split into two businesses (one for legacy PC hard drives and one that focuses on flash memory). While nothing is guaranteed when activist investors get involved, the goal of investor activism is to create shareholder value. If Elliott Management sees hidden value, you might too.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
The third ultra-cheap company investors can buy with confidence on the Nasdaq in a bear market is pharmaceutical stock Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (SUITS YOU -0.51%). Teva is arguably the cheapest stock of the three I’ve listed here, with a P/E multiple for the year ahead of just over three.
As pandemic and recession fears have hit Ford and Western Digital, Teva’s market share endured over the past five years is somewhat self-inflicted. The company grossly overpaid generic drug maker Actavis, which inflated its debt; it saw its best-selling drug lose its exclusivity (Copaxone for multiple sclerosis); and he faced a mountain of litigation. As for the latter, Teva has been sued by 44 state attorneys general for its role in the opioid crisis.
While Teva has faced its fair share of headwinds, there are also plenty of reasons to believe things are looking up.
For example, investors should understand that, on a macro basis, healthcare stocks are quite defensive. No matter how poorly the stock market performs, people still get sick and need prescription drugs and health services. This means that historically high inflation and a bear market should have virtually no impact on Teva’s operations.
On a more company-specific basis, CEO Kare Schultz has done wonders since taking the reins in late 2017. In just over 4.5 years, Schultz has reduced the company’s annual operating expenses. billion dollar business and reduced net debt to north of $34. billion to $20.7 billion at the end of March. Although there is still work to be done, Teva’s financial flexibility is better than it has been in a long time.
Additionally, Teva has made notable progress with its oversight of opioid-related litigation. Despite losing a lawsuit in New York, the company won in California and settled with regulators in a number of other key states. It is entirely possible that the gray cloud of Teva will disappear within the next two months.
While Teva doesn’t offer the growth prospects of Ford or Western Digital, it seems incredibly cheap given its potential to generate $2 billion or more in annual cash flow.


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5 Big Tech Picks From Billionaire Ken Fisher
Meena is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Ken Fisher is one of the longest running columnists at Forbes – over 26 years – and is also a billionaire fund manager. Fisher founded Fisher Investment Management in 1979 and uses a global, top-down, dynamic asset allocation strategy. In looking at Fisher’s most recent quarterly 13F filing – which reveals the majority of the public securities owned by the firm – we have identified a key underlying theme: he has an affinity for tech stocks (check out all of Ken Fisher's latest bets here).
Fisher's top tech stock is Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), which is his 5th largest 13F holding. Cisco is expected to see improvement in the U.S. and Asia on new products, including expansion into cloud software. Despite its hopeful market growth in the Far East, Cisco plans to use acquisitions as a key growth avenue, including a recent $6 million investment into a venture capital fund.
Although Cisco’s overall expected growth is less than stellar, it remains one of the better value plays with a $6 billion software business that is expected to grow by 100% over the next three years. Cisco trades at only 13x earnings, below other top tech companies like Oracle (16x) and SAP (22x). Cisco also trades at only 9.5x forward earnings, one of the lowest multiples amongst Fisher’s five tech stocks. Billionaire and founder of Renaissance Technologies Jim Simons is another top fund owner of Cisco after taking a new position last quarter (see Jim Simons' top picks).
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) made up Fisher’s 10th largest 13F holding after his firm increased their stake almost 1,000% last quarter. Despite market saturation concerns, Apple is still expected to continue its industry leading sales growth. Revenues should be up 25% in fiscal year 2013 following a robust holiday season that includes new iPhone and iPad products. Margins are also expected to expand as iPhones and iPads continue to grow their scale, and production becomes more efficient.
Apple has robust cash flow generating capabilities, having built up over $45 billion in cash that can easily fund its 2% dividend yield or key acquisitions. Compared to Fisher’s other tech stocks and other tech hardware companies, Apple is one of the cheapest in the business. The tech giant trades at only 9x forward earnings and has one of the best long-term expected EPS growth rates (21%). This puts Apple’s PEG ratio at 0.5, making it a deep value-oriented investment opportunity.
Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) is one of the faster growing tech stocks of Fisher’s 13F portfolio. Sales should be up 28% in 2013 after an expected advance of 29% in 2012. Driving this robust sales growth and the expected 33% annual long-term earnings growth, will be market share gains from brick-and-mortar retailers and international expansion. Helping to boost its core e-commerce business will be Amazon’s Kindle tablet, which has managed to see robust consumer acceptance, doubling tablet market share in 3Q from 5% (2Q) to 10% according to IDC. Trading at over 140x forward earnings, Amazon is not one of the value plays in the tech industry, but is still a reasonable growth investment.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is another top tech pick of Fisher’s, but expects somewhat more modest growth, including 8.5% sales growth in FY2013 and 7% in FY2014. Microsoft has a diverse product portfolio driving its growth, which includes Windows 8 and Windows Live. This tech giant is also continuing to seek growth via acquisitions with two recent purchases being StorSimple and PhoneFactor.
Now, it's clear that Microsoft is looking to rebrand itself with the release of higher growth products, and shares could provide a solid 'growth at a reasonable price opportunity' (GARP) as new versions of Windows, Microsoft Office, and its Surface tablet hit the markets. Microsoft trades at one of the lowest P/E ratios (15x) and the lowest forward P/E (8.5x) of Fisher’s top five tech picks.
Last but certainly not least, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) should see revenues up 38% by the end of this year and 16% in 2013. The weakness in Google’s shares of late includes the integration risk related to its 2012 Motorola acquisition. Although the revenue capabilities of the acquisition remain uncertain, Google’s core business growth remains strong; it set a record for U.S. search engine market share in October, at 66.9% according to comScore.
Motorola will become a greater part of Google’s future growth as it manages to utilize the acquired patent portfolio to protect its Android franchise. Google trades at the upper end of the P/E range for our five stocks at 22x earnings and might be less of a GARP opportunity with a 13.5% expected long-term EPS growth rate. Ken Fisher held over $540 million worth of the stock at the end of last quarter, good for 1.5% of his 13F portfolio. Since the start of the year, Fisher has upped his stake in Google by approximately 3%, in terms of total shares owned.
To recap: we believe that Fisher has found some value opportunities in what is normally a high-growth industry. Fisher’s five tech stocks include a span of various industries, from various technology products to services. Cisco is a large and relatively ‘unsexy’ tech stock that is sometimes underappreciated, and it appears this is still the case given its low P/E. Apple has seen unwarranted pressure – down almost 20% over the last three months – that has made it a an even greater value play. Amazon’s stellar growth rate does not make up for the fact that it trades well out of line on a valuation basis. Microsoft and Google are Fisher's two search providers, with various other segments that can boost revenues higher.
Four of Fisher's top tech bets are also on our list of tech stocks loved by hedge funds (see our entire Top Ten here).
This article is written by Marshall Hargrave and edited by Jake Mann. They don't own shares in any of the stocks mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Amazon.com, Google, and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Amazon.com, Cisco Systems, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Quebec to clear economic turbulence: RBC Economics
TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Despite some turbulence in the second quarter, Quebec's economic performance will continue on track this year and next, according to the latest RBC Economics Provincial Outlook issued today. RBC projects provincial real GDP to grow at 1.3 per cent in 2013 and 1.9 per cent 2014, thanks to a turnaround in exports, a diminishing drag from weakness in the construction sector and a boost in household spending.
Following a respectable start to the year, the latest data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) indicates that the economy may have contracted in the second quarter, as several sectors of the economy showed weakness, most notably in construction.
"While there was evidence of slowing activity much earlier, major labour strikes in Quebec significantly disrupted construction in June," said Craig Wright, senior vice-president and chief economist, RBC. "Monthly housing starts trailed 22 per cent below the 10-year average in the second quarter, while units under construction fell nearly nine per cent from the year earlier level."
Nonetheless, RBC says there continues to be encouraging signs in Quebec's economy. In particular, business picked-up in several manufacturing industries in the second quarter, including: primary metals, transportation equipment, wood products, chemicals, electrical equipment, and furniture.
For the most part, Quebec's export markets are growing. In fact, top export commodities such as aluminium, aircrafts and parts, electricity, wood pulp, and softwood lumber recorded noticeable gains so far this year. RBC expects this upswing in Quebec's trade performance to be sustained through 2014.
"External trade will provide a more visible boost to provincial growth in 2014, when the drag from construction starts to diminish and household spending strengthens," noted Wright. "We believe that the decline in residential construction will stabilize next year, with housing starts rising modestly from the low levels seen this year."
A net loss of 51,000 jobs between January and August of this year - mostly full-time and the majority in the private sector - were a contributing factor to the bumpy ride that the Quebec economy experienced earlier this year, says RBC.
"Dimmer employment prospects so far this year quite possibly weighed on consumers, as spending at retail stores stayed essentially flat in real terms. We expect to see some labour market improvement in the period ahead, which should support stronger household spending," added Wright.
The RBC Economics Provincial Outlook assesses the provinces according to economic growth, employment growth, unemployment rates, retail sales, housing starts and consumer price indices. The full report and provincial details are available online as of 8 a.m. ET today at www.rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/provincial-economic-forecasts.html.
SOURCE RBCFor further information:


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Posted by Chris on November 17, 2004 at 20:54:32:
Middletown, NY, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Ocean Management Systems Inc. of Middletown, N.Y., Wednesday recalled 140 of its rotating cross bar SCUBA manifolds because of a drowning risk.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the undersized o-rings installed on the cross bar can cause a loss of breathing air from the SCUBA cylinder, presenting a risk of drowning.
The commission said there has been one report of breathing air leaking from a cylinder, but no injuries occurred.
The manifolds, manufactured in Italy, were sold at dive stores nationwide from December 2003 through September 2004 for about $238.
The commission said the affected units will be replaced at no cost to the consumer. Consumers are asked to contact the company at 845-692-3600.
Post a Followup


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Samsung will hold its "Unpacked 5" press conference during Mobile World Congress on Feb. 24 during Mobile World Congress where we will almost certainly see the Galaxy S5 for the first time. In previous years, Samsung has really stepped up its game with each launch of its new Galaxy S-branded smartphone, though this year we aren't expecting as much of a huge jump on the hardware front, but instead a nice all-around boost to some of the latest specs we've seen in other flagships from competitors. So what do we think the Galaxy S5 may include? Lets find out.
Galaxy S5 Display
A recent report in The New York Times suggests that we can toss out any fantasies of crazy eye-ball scanning technology and super sharp quad-HD displays. That means that all of the rumors pointing to 2560 x 1,440 screen resolution may fall flat, at least in the initial version of the Galaxy S5. There are still some rumors suggesting that quad-HD is in the cards, though. Alleged packaging leaked on Tuesday points to a "QHD Super AMOLED screen," which means quad-HD make indeed make an appearance. The company is known for upgrading its devices after the fact (the Galaxy S4 LTE-A SKU, for example), so perhaps we'll see a sharper version down the line.
Galaxy S5 Hardware
On the processor front, we're expecting a bump to a faster Snapdragon 800 processor. An AnTuTu benchmark showed the device running that chip, and while it didn't provide information on the clockspeed the increase in performance over the Galaxy S4 suggests there have been some tweaks to the processor and a bump from a Snapdragon 600 chip. Recently leaked packaging also points to a 2.5GHz clockspeed. This suggests we won't see the rumored 64-bit CPU just yet, but until Samsung has a real use case for it, that processor probably isn't necessary. As for RAM and storage, we're expecting 3GB of RAM and 32GB and 64GB models of the Galaxy S5.
Galaxy S5 Camera
Samsung may bump the 13-megapixel camera on the Galaxy S4 to a 15.9-megapixel camera on the Galaxy S5 – at least according to the same AnTuTu benchmark that discussed the processor. The same packaging we referenced earlier, however, points to a 20-megapixel camera. Samsung has so far focused on increasing the megapixel count on its cameras instead of opting to venture into different areas – like pixel size, as HTC has, or by adding in optical image stabilization (OIS), like LG has. We hope OIS is included, however, especially since Samsung has the tech to add that option. Either way, we're expecting at least some form of bump from the 13-megapixel camera on the S4.
Galaxy S5 Software
Samsung has been slow to a global roll-out of Android 4.4 KitKat to its existing portfolio of phones. However, the Galaxy S5 is expected to run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Google has asked Samsung to tone it down on its TouchWiz customization options, though this handset was likely far along in development before that request was made. As such, we're expecting a TouchWiz-heavy user interface, likely with some of the Magazine UX changes we saw introduced on the new Galaxy Note tablets introduced at CES and a flatter design, as some leaked software has suggested. The New York Times said Samsung won't be promoting new software gimmicks this time around, so maybe we'll see the elimination – or at least some deep hiding – of features that are present on the Galaxy S4.
Galaxy S5 Design
We're really stuck here. We don't yet have any clue what the Galaxy S5 is going to look like. Early rumors suggested Samsung was going to opt for more premium materials such as aluminum instead of plastic. Whether or not Samsung is actually doing that is still a big unknown. The company may gravitate from its shiny plastic toward a faux-leather back that's prevalent on its Galaxy Note products, or it may have a different material entirely. We just don't know right now.
Final Thoughts, Including Galaxy S5 Launch Date
We're pretty confident at this point that we're going to be able to play with the Galaxy S5 on Feb. 24. Right now it sounds like a pretty solid jump from the Galaxy S4, with a new processor, improved camera and better software. Samsung doesn't usually announce devices until they're ready to hit the market, so we're expecting the phone to be available shortly after launch. Our best guess is a March or April launch. Also, considering the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S III launched on all major U.S. carriers, we expect that trend to continue.


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How did COVID-19 change the way we have perceived things so far?
With the increasing concerns on the COVID-19 outbreak in every part of the world, it has had a huge impact on the behavior of online shoppers. The data by Adobe Analytics has shown that the transactions in the eCommerce industry while monitoring the transactions of 80/100 top U.S retailers.
When COVID-19 can hurt in-store traffic meant for a few retailers, many others have seen constant changes in the online shopping experience since everywhere, people have started reacting over the virus with anxiety. When we take a look at all the memes and photos, we can see that people have the maturity to deal with bigger issues in life with a sense of humor and pinch of positivity.
How to survive without basic necessities- The fear of the people
We should not forget the fact that stores are running out on basic necessities such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper. When a number of people now want to avoid public places and large gatherings, we can easily say that online shopping meant for COVID-19 related items are in demand. We can also see that Americans have taken this issue seriously since they want to protect their loved ones as well as themselves. When people have gone about buying online whatever they can, we need to take a look at what are all the common purchases people make. This would offer you with insights on what products you can buy online.
Online shopping was led by storm due to COVID-19 virus protection
Adobe’s analysis further showed that many medical experts and officials have started encouraging many people to start taking action. They were urged to wash their hands and refrain from touching their faces. Now everyone has started listening to the advice keenly. Ecommerce purchases such as gloves, hand sanitizers, antibacterial sprays and masks have gone up by 817%.
People have started stocking up online medicines
When countries have started putting COVID-19 travel restrictions in order to minimize the virus spread, many U.S countries have stocked up above-the-par medicines, when they wanted to safeguard themselves from cold, cough and flu. The rates have gone upto 198%. People have started purchasing pain relievers online with an increased rate of 152%.
Toilet papers are being purchased online
Would we have imagined that we would be bombarding online eCommerce platforms to buy toilet papers? Brick and mortar retailers in Canada and the U.S have reportedly limited their toilet paper supply. Even when toilet paper purchases have gone above 186%, we can see that suppliers are struggling to cater to the never-ending demand.
Filling the pantry with online shopping
In similarity to toilet papers, even non-perishable foods, canned goods and shelf-stable food items such as rice, oatmeal and pasta have seen an increase in sales. These are due to emergency preparation steps taken by the people. You need not be surprised that online purchases for all these items have gone up by 69% as well as 58%.
When consumers have started relying on online methodologies to prepare themselves for the emergency situation, retailers should ensure smoother, fast and frictionless experiences on all of their eCommerce sites along with mobile apps.
Being a businessman during this time is the biggest challenge in the world. This situation could lead you to make or break your business. The way you handle this situation with empathy would take you across the next stages. You need to think from your customer’s point of view to sustain in the market.
At Pattem Digital, we ensure that we support everyone to our best capability. Let’s sail across this tough time together.


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Perhaps just bidding up the price for Microsoft?... Also see Twitter Shares Drop on Report Saying Google Won’t Make a Bid (Bloomberg)
"Mr. Benioff, who is himself a power user of Twitter, said on Wednesday that while it was essential that Salesforce be in A.I., there was more to Twitter than that.Twitter’s Fate: Marc Benioff of Salesforce Addresses Acquisition Talk - The New York Times
“It’s a huge customer-service platform,” used by companies like Dell, Apple and Bank of America, he said in the interview on the way to the St. Regis. “It’s not a reason to buy it, but it’s a reason to look at it. I’m not saying I’m buying it, but I’m not saying I’m not buying it.”
Later, at the investor meeting where analysts shied from mentioning the name Twitter, Mr. Benioff tried to explain where he was coming from. “I see things in a different kind of way,” he told them. “I hope someday to sit down and say how I think about that which shall not be named.”"


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Nvidia has announced the launch of their flagship graphics card, the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti.
Calling it, "The world's fastest graphics card," Nvidia said that the card will be available from partners like Asus, Colourful, EVGA, Gainward, Galax, Gigabyte, INNO3D, MSI, Palit, PNY and Zotac. The RTX 3090 Ti has been priced starting at Rs. 1.87 lakh in India, which means we can expect to see partner boards retail for even more.
The RTX 3090 Ti is similar to the RTX 3090 in aesthetics, featuring the same triple-slot design. The RTX 3090 Ti has 24GB of GDDR6X memory running at 21GB/s. That's the same amount of VRAM as the RTX 3090 but with a much faster clock at 1008GB/s.


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Owning a Vhearts account, you can easily use the many unique features that this social network offers. Not only that, you can also use other special programs and projects for internal members only
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Apple said on Friday that it will repair some iPhone 11 devices that don’t respond to touch.
The affected devices were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020, and the issue affects a “small percentage” of display modules, Apple said.
The replacement program doesn’t cover other models, like the iPhone 11 Pro, and it only covers affected devices.
Users can check if their phone is eligible on Apple’s website by checking their serial number.
The iPhone 11 was first launched in September 2019. In January, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that the iPhone 11 was Apple’s best-selling model in the weeks after it launched. “iPhone 11 was our top-selling model every week during the December quarter,” Cook said.
In the quarter ended September 30, Apple reported iPhone revenue of $26.4 billion, down 20.7% year-over-year. iPhone sales accounted for 40.8% of Apple’s revenue that quarter.
The company introduced and began selling several new iPhone 12 models in October.
You may have heard somebody state "Vhearts", so what is Vhearts?
Vhearts is a neighborly informal organization for all Vietnamese. Vhearts is abridged from: Viet hearts (Vietnamese individuals' heart, love of Vietnamese earth ....), like Facebook, Vhearts acquires all the elites of seniors, other than there are a lot more extraordinary highlights, appropriate for Vietnamese fine traditions and customs..


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Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) formed 1.23% of Point72 Asset Management as of September 30th. The fund increased its stake in the stock by buying more than 1 million shares during the third quarter. In the last three months, the company’s directors purchased 8,030 shares of this discount variety store operator. Mr. Hall and Mr. Lewis now hold 55,000 and 11,029 shares respectively after their recent purchases. For its quarter ending October, the company posted an earning per share of $0.72 which more than doubled from $0.35 EPS reported in the year ago quarter. The stock has an average recommendation of overweight and has rallied by more than 14% over the last one month. The number of funds in our system owning Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) inched down by 1 during the third quarter while the value of their holdings declined by 19.4% quarter over quarter.
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) ranks 12th in Point72 asset Management’s 13F portfolio. The fund bought an additional 417,360 shares during the quarter ending September. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) now constitutes 1.16% of the fund’s total portfolio up from 0.75% in the earlier period. Steve Cohen’s bullish sentiment was mirrored by a director of the company who also bought 22,205 shares in the month of September. Mr.Smith now holds an aggregate of 67,259 shares of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP). The stock has returned 146% over the last five years, when the broader S&P was up 89%. This automotive parts company reported a net profit margin of 5% for its quarter ending October. Sales reached $2.25 billion down from $2.30 billion a year ago. The other hedge funds from our system which were bullish on the stock grew to 62 marking an increase of 11 quarter over quarter. These funds amassed almost 20% of the company’s outstanding common stock.
2.6 million shares of Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE:NWL) worth $137 million were held by Point72 Asset Management as per their last round of 13F filing. The stock constituted 0.97% of Steve Cohen’s fund. Newell Brands Inc (NYSE:NWL) has been witnessing frequent insider purchases made by its officers over the last six months. CEO Michael Polk bought 11,500 shares of this stock in the last two months while President Mark Tarchetti acquired more than 12,000 shares in October. Newell Brands Inc (NYSE:NWL) reported $3.9 billion as third quarter revenues when compared to $3.85 billion in the quarter earlier. Its net income also jumped by $51 million to reach $186 million during the July-September period. The stock has a mean recommendation of buy and has returned almost 3.6% year to date. The number of asset managers tracked by insider Monkey who have invested in this stock declined to 39 during the quarter ending September as compared to 51 at the end of the June quarter.


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This is the upcoming 2012 BMW 1-Series doing some final testing at the Nürburgring before its scheduled launch later this year.
The prototype spotted here is wearing less camo than in previous spy viewings and our spy photographers report the car was doing its fair share of laps as it readies itself for production.
This next-generation 1-Series looks more upright than the current model (X1-like) and we can expected it to be larger too, as BMW makes room for entry-level vehicles below the 1er in the product lineup. The prototypes we've seen appear longer and show a slighter C-pillar, likely to improve rear visibility.
The next-generation 2012 BMW 1-Series is set for launch sometime later this year.


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Milwaukee Post Office expanding delivery hours, delivering seven days a week during holiday season
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- With the holidays in full swing, the Postal Service is delivering more cards, letters, and packages every day. This means customers will start to see packages delivered earlier in the morning, later in the day, and on Sundays.
With an increase in early and online shopping for gifts, there is no longer a “busiest day” for holiday shipping. Instead, the Postal Service predicts the week of Dec. 17 - 23 to be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week. During this week, nearly 3 billion pieces of First Class Mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered. The Postal Service is projecting about 15 billion pieces of mail, including more than 900 million packages, will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
Using correct addressing, packaging gifts well and mailing by recommended deadline dates can help ensure holiday wishes are received by loved-ones by Dec. 25. Visit the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynewsto get the full list of deadlines, pricing, and shipping tips.
Mail-by Dates (Domestic Services)
· Dec. 14 - USPS Retail Ground
· Dec. 20 - First Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
· Dec. 20 - First Class Mail (including greeting cards)
· Dec. 20 - Priority Mail
· Dec. 22 - Priority Mail Express
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.


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Genesis’ first compact sports sedan will propel the emergent luxury brand onto the shopping lists by challenging its German rivals directly on each and every level, says the firm. The newly unveiled, G70, has barged into a nearly crowded segment, which boasts of Mercedes-Benz C class and BMW 3 series. The car, which will be introduced in the next year as a 2019 model, is expected be the first actual test of whether the luxury marque, the spun-off of Hyundai Motor Group, can create a momentum behind the augmenting yet meager lineup.
Subsequent to the flagship G90 and the midsized G80 sedans, the entry-level model, G70, fleshes out the sedan portfolio and aims at increasing the volume sales at a much lower price. It also prefigures a new styling language. However, the enterprise is yet to introduce any crossovers, in spite of the significant surge in the demand in this segment. Though executives think the establishment of the brand’s performance through sport sedan is more important. The top-notch G70 will be equipped with a 3.3-ltr turbocharged V-6 engine, which generates nearly 365 hp and goes 0 to 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, with reaching its peak at 167 mph.
Manfred Fitzgerald, the Genesis boss, stated at the research and development center proving ground of Hyundai Motor Group near Seoul. that one need to showcase the width of the band to gain an acceptance for their brand.


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Plastic-free chewing gum brand, Milliways, has announced plans to further scale the brand with a £3 million fundraising round.
The fundraising will go towards increasing its distribution in the UK, marketing campaigns and international expansion.
Based in London, UK, Milliways was founded and launched in 2021 by Tom Raviv as a plastic-free, plant-powered alternative after Raviv discovered that conventional gum contained single-use plastics.
Investors include private equity firm KLT, owner of Intergum Leon Amram, and partner at Blandford Capital and ex-board member of Sodastream, David Morris.
The business says it has seen significant growth, from an initial online-only launch to being stocked in approximately 6,000 UK stores in just over two years.
KLT’s CEO, Brad Kark, said: “We are truly excited about our partnership with Milliways and Tom as they make significant progress in developing a world-class product, strong team and unique brand. We are looking forward to supporting Milliways with their global ambitions of providing consumers with a sustainable and enjoyable chewing gum experience while positively impacting the environment.”
Raviv commented: “We’re now at a monumental moment in the industry where brands like ours have a voice and a real opportunity to scale effectively. Securing this funding round with such a high calibre of investors is testament to the incredible opportunity that lies ahead as we aim to make Milliways a household name to everyone, everywhere, every day, for all the right reasons.
“It’s a bit of a David and Goliath story in the chewing gum industry. Since day one, we’ve faced and overcome a series of seemingly insurmountable challenges – we launched a product that is highly social and impulsive in nature during the height of the pandemic lockdowns, and when we initially won listings with wholesalers, we were fighting for shelf space at the tills.
“We worked hard to win listings with retailers which have had limited optionality given the concentration of a few mega brands that have dominated the category for decades. Ultimately, we’ve overcome that too, and I truly believe we’re just getting started.”
This new fundraising round follows Milliways’ initial £1 million round, which was completed in September 2021.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023


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With one entire quarter of export results still to be reported, Taiwan has already shattered its single year US beef import value record with nearly $150 million in purchases. The previous record was $141.1 million, set last year.
“Taiwan beef imports is probably going to hit 100,000 tons this year,” said Joel Haggard, US Meat Export Federation senior vice president. “The US has always been a strong player there. The economy is going very strong. We have managed to successfully re-launch US beef despite the fact that Taiwan had this mini-Korea reaction to the reintroduction of beef there. We had some political issues because US beef was used as a platform by one political party to attack the other. But we have actually overtaken Taiwan in terms of the value so this recovery in Taiwan has played out much more rapidly than it has in Japan or Korea.”
Haggard sees further success in Taiwan in 2011 as the US continues to market a wider range of cuts.
“The strategy in Taiwan this coming year will to expand this bone-in introduction,” he said. “And hopefully we’ll get clear access on some of our offal items, including skirts and hangers. These will be pretty big-ticket items for us. So our strategy in Taiwan will be work on merchandising some of these new items. We position ourselves in Taiwan as part of he community. So our strategy in Taiwan is to try to be positioned not as an American trade association promoting our products there, but as part of the community, so we do a lot of PR there.”


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Should governments be favouring startups over small business?
“We aren’t small businesses,” cries Tank Stream Ventures’ managing partner Rui Rodrigues in Business Spectator earlier this week.
Rodrigues' point was tech startups have a very different set of needs to the local small business. “Bob down at the corner shops has been there for 10 years, and he’ll be there for another [10 years], he might sell milk, or office chairs, or even fix your watch,” he writes.
Technology startups on the other hand “have ambitions to become big companies, global empires. They are high-growth technology businesses and they are working on goods and services that you might not yet know you need.”
(His sentiment was widely shared by others in the startup community too, as reiterated in this article in StartupSmart.)
Silicon Valley’s greater fool model
Rodrigues’ comments come from the Silicon Valley Greater Fool mindset, where the end game for investors is to flip the business to a bigger company or make out like bandits in a stock market listing. Under that model profitability doesn’t matter, “too early is considered a deterrent for investors looking at a business.”
Not making a profit is fine for a company promising unlimited future growth to the market or a flipper based on finding a greater fool, but for most startups, those lack of returns see all but a few spectacularly successful ones shrivel away as the company’s funds exhaust before the founders achieve their objective. For Bob the locksmith who doesn’t have a fall back option of returning to a management consulting job, he needs the income.
What’s more fallacious in Rodrigues’ piece is the idea today’s tech startups will be great employers themselves one day. Even the successful ones haven’t proved to be job generators in the way traditional business have been.
For the traditional small business sector the risks aren’t insubstantial either as the majority of proprietors will barely make a living while risking their assets, time and often health – something understated by the motivational writers urging people to quit their jobs and prove themselves.
A lack of capital
For both the startup community and the small business sector the real challenges lie in being undercapitalised. Most startups will fail because of insufficient capital while the majority of small businesses never quite reach their potential because they lack the funds required to invest in the proper tools.
Much of this comes down to banks retreating from small business lending thanks to the ill thought out Basel rules that treat home mortgages as almost risk free, which has discouraged any form of finance not backed by residential property.
In fact, many of the challenges facing traditional small businesses such as high rents, unnecessary regulation and high labour costs are as much a problem for the thirty-something renting a desk in a tech incubator as they are for 55-year-old Bob who’s been running the local locksmiths for the last 20 years.
Silly schemes like the Australian government’s depreciation scheme aren’t addressing this problem, indeed the Abbott administration’s intention is to provide a brief sugar hit to the nation’s GDP as small business owners buy new laptop computers and toolboxes. It does nothing to address the un-competitiveness of Australian business or its attractiveness to local investors.
That Rodrigues wants to create a schism between the tech startup community and the small business sector is regrettable, it only confirms in many people’s minds that technology is for geeks and not ‘ordinary people’.
In truth a nation’s business community needs a level playing field, one that doesn’t give preferential treatment to one form of activity over others – be it property speculators, tech startups or dog walking franchises.
While there are genuine differences between the startup sector and the small businesses community – in the same way there are differences between Bob’s locksmiths, Jane’s cafe or Sarah’s dog walking franchise – there is need for businesses divided in asking for equal and fair treatment from government, banks and large corporations.
Having a united voice for all entrepreneurs, however modest their ambitions, is far more important than single groups pleading for special treatment.
Paul Wallbank is the publisher of Networked Globe, his personal blog Decoding The New Economy charts how our society is changing in the connected century.
Follow SmartCompany on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
This article originally appeared on SmartCompany.


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The Apple HomePod mini comes with the intercom feature, which allows people to communicate with family members in the house through a network of compatible smart speakers
Apple has added three new colors – orange, yellow and blue – to the HomePod mini range, along with the existing white and space gray finishes in the latest update for compact smart speakers. The technology giant from Cupertino also announced that it will integrate its voice assistant Siri with its Apple Music service with the new voice plan worth 49 yen per month. All of this will be available in November, Apple said during its Unleashed event on Monday, which showcased the next-generation MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets and the third-generation AirPods with spatial audio and design overhaul.
Apple HomePod mini comes with the Intercom feature, which allows people to communicate with family members in the house over a network of the smart speaker. It also works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods and CarPlay, everyone in the household can receive and send intercom messages when they are close to these devices.
Later this year, multi-user speech recognition through Siri will be available in all regions where the HomePod mini is available, so everyone in the house can enjoy music curated just for them, access personal playlists, use personal queries, and more / p>
Siri also automatically adjusts the HomePod mini ‘s speaking volume based on the room environment and the volume of the user. Siri will also support various language options for English speakers in the US, so users can choose which voice to speak to them when they set up their device right from the start.
Multiroom audio with AirPlay 2 gives users the ability to play different content in different rooms in the house. However, this requires multiple HomePod devices or AirPlay 2 compatible speakers.
In the meantime, the voice plan will integrate Siri with the Apple Music subscription, which will allow the voice assistant to create playlists in real time according to the user’s needs.
The HomePod Mini and Apple Music Voice plan will be available in India and other regions later this year. The HomePod mini will be available for 9,900 yen.
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(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)
Jan 11 (Reuters) - European shares ticked higher on Tuesday,
as investors returned to tech stocks after a seven-day sell-off
fuelled by concerns about rising rates, while upbeat earnings
from companies like HelloFresh and Delivery Hero also aided the
The pan-European STOXX 600 advanced 0.9%, as of
0826 GMT, after a late-session recovery on Wall Street supported
European tech stocks advanced 2.1% after tumbling
3.6% to a near three-month low in the previous session.
Germany's Delivery Hero SE jumped 6.6% after
saying it expects its food delivery business to break even
during the second half of 2022 as demand has soared since the
HelloFresh leapt 4.9% after the German meal-kit
delivery firm announced a share buyback programme of up to 250
Construction chemicals maker Sika AG climbed 3.7%
after reporting a 17.3% rise in 2021 sales, boosted by a raft of
acquisitions and the upturn in the building industry after
pandemic closures the year before.
Deutsche Bank slipped 1.8% after U.S. financial
investor Cerberus, which has favoured a merger of the bank and
Commerzbank, divested a large chunk of its holdings in
the two top German lenders.
(Reporting by Anisha Sircar in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu


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HTC has so much to look forward to in 2013, especially with its new offerings. The company was the first to launch a 1080p smartphone in the market with the J Butterfly. So one can make out that the company is no doubt, technologically advanced. But despite the company’s effort to lure in as many buyers as possible, it has failed to make an impression on the world. This, we believe, is all thanks to Samsung and Apple with their respective offerings. And now, industry sources are apparently claiming that HTC will reduce shipments of its products in Q1, 2013. The Chinese market in particular which is vital for any manufacturer is seeing plenty of other names rising and giving a tough fight to HTC. The price is obviously a major factor here as there are plenty of Android OEMs providing what HTC does for a smaller price tag (for ex: Huawei). The country also saw the iPhone 5 launch recently, so that should be a key factor too. As for HTC’s other offerings, the Windows Phone 8X hasn’t done all that well apparently. We guess this has a lot to do with the Nokia Lumia 920 which is one of the most desired Windows Phones in the market right now. HTC has remained silent on the issue, and didn’t want to comment either.
The problem with HTC basically is that their smartphones have never been budget friendly. Sure, in countries where the device is sold on a contract, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. But in countries where the devices are sold without contracts, the price of the device shoots up substantially. And this is where Samsung kicks in. Although Samsung flagships aren’t often priced lower than HTC smartphones, they provide more bang to the buck, which is why the Galaxy S III is one of the most desired Android smartphones even today, 6-7 months after its launch. So it seems to me that under cutting on prices is the only way HTC can make a comeback in the market. HTC apparently has been obliged to slash its prices to sustain in the Chinese market, entering the $300 smartphone segment in China. Previous reports indicated that HTC would ship 20-30% more devices in Q1 2013 compared to the current quarter. But it is now being said that the company has sliced that to half, with only 10-15% increase in shipments. It is a growth in shipments from Q4 2012, but not the kind of growth the company would have liked to see.
With HTC’s global version of the J Butterfly and Droid DNA believed to be on the cards, we should expect people to be more excited about the company in the coming months. Then there’s the mystery M7 smartphone from the company which has already made its mark on the news. So while the company has a lot to offer, its growth has certainly been stunted by the competitors. Adaptability is the name of the game these days, and the sooner HTC realizes that, the better.


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SALT LAKE CITY -- KSL 5 News received a lot of response from the story we did last night about the Vernal couple who sent their wedding ring to Nigeria only to learn they'd been scammed. A jeweler has contacted us and said he will give the couple a new wedding ring and band.
Sky Facet is an online jewelry dealer. After watching the story we aired Thursday night about the Coxes, the jeweler offered to send Mindie Cox a new wedding set.
Strapped for cash, the Coxes had to sell the rings because they couldn't afford them. They found a buyer on KSL.com, sent the rings to Nigeria and learned they were duped out of the rings and $2,500.
We've asked the couple to let us know when they get the new ring set.