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Do you know your target market?
The needs of ageing baby boomers will shape the nutraceutical agenda over the next decade, suggests research undertaken ahead of Vitafoods Europe. The survey shows that the industry is responding to the needs of millennials and Generation Z. However, baby boomers are expected to reign as the most important consumer group, even in ten years’ time.
The organisers of Vitafoods Europe asked 196 nutrition industry professionals to identify the two age groups that are currently most important to their business. Nearly three quarters (72%) chose baby boomers – people currently aged between 49 and 72, with Generation X (ages 36 to 48) close behind on 70%.One in three (35%) chose millennials (ages 25 to 35) and a quarter chose the “silent generation” – people currently over the age of 72.
With baby boomers approaching old age – and expecting to live longer – their needs are prominent on the nutraceutical industry’s agenda. Nearly a quarter (23%) of survey respondents say healthy ageing is the most important health benefit area for their company.
When asked which groups would be most important to their companies in ten years’ time, boomers still came top on 55%, but half of respondents (50%) chose millennials. Reflecting that, some experts are advising nutrition companies to focus on the needs of younger “digital native” consumers.
Jeff Hilton Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Brand Hive is speaking at a Business & Marketing Forum within the Vitafoods Europe Education Programme, titled ‘Consumer 2.0: It’s a digital world.’
“Increasingly supplements are an online vendor purchase, particularly among millennials,” he said. “They prefer to use their smartphones for everyday purchases. It will become essential to have a marketing presence in all distribution channels. The watchword will be ‘meet your customers where they are’, and increasingly that means online and social media through web forums, blogs and influencers. This vast and explosive digital landscape is the new marketplace opportunity for nutrition products.”
Many companies are also starting to focus on the needs of Generation Z. One in five (19%) companies said this group (currently aged 22 and under) is already a key market, with one in four (23%) saying it will be in ten years’ time. Strategies to understand and target Generation Z will be explored in a Business and Marketing Forum in the Vitafoods Europe Education Programme titled ‘Identifying the future consumers: who are they?’
Vitafoods Europe takes place between the 15th and 17th of May in Palexpo, Geneva. For more information visit www.vitafoods.eu.com


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Today, 3:11 PM
- "Multiple content owners have told me that Amazon (AMZN -1.6%) has been quietly asking them about licensing content for a live streaming service," streaming industry analyst Dan Rayburn reports. He cautions those he has spoken to haven't disclosed how far Amazon has progressed in creating such a service, and that the company may simply be exploring its economics.
- Rayburn notes Amazon's recent purchase of video encoding/processing software and service provider Elemental Technologies (reportedly for ~$500M) would be helpful if it goes ahead with a live streaming launch. This year has seen Dish and Sony respectively launch their Sling TV and PlayStation Vue Web TV services; there have also been several reports Apple is prepping an offering.
- Separately, in a report that helps back up Eric Schmidt's assertion that Amazon (rather than Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.) is Google's (GOOG -0.2%) biggest search rival, e-commerce software firm BloomReach states a survey of 2,000 U.S. shoppers found 44% go directly to Amazon's site/apps when looking looking to buy/research a product online. 34% start with Google or another search engine, and 21% go to another retailer's site.
- Direct visits to Amazon affect Google's search ad revenue, which depends heavily on ad-buying from online retailers (including Amazon). Google has been trying to counter Amazon by integrating its successful Product Listing Ads with search results, and (through a feature called Purchases on Google) by allowing those who click on the ads to complete their orders on Google's site, using payment data already connected to their Google account.
- Amazon's AWS re:Invent conference kicks off today. New product announcements, including possibly an analytics service, are expected during a Wednesday keynote (starts at 11:30AM ET) from AWS chief Andy Jassy.
Fri, Oct. 2, 2:01 PM
- Arguing two new ad products will put Google (GOOG +1.7%, GOOGL +1.5%) on better competitive footing with Facebook, Oppenheimer's Jason Helfstein has upgraded to Outperform, and hiked his target by $30 to $700.
- Helfstein notes Google's recently-announced Customer Match product, which lets marketers send targeted ads to users who have already provided them with an e-mail address, helps Google counter Facebook's Custom Audiences, which does something similar. Meanwhile, Universal App Campaigns (announced in May), which enables app install ad campaigns running across search, mobile sites, Google Play, YouTube, and the AdMob mobile ad network, takes aim at Facebook's lucrative app install ad business.
- He also downplays concerns about ad-blockers, citing Google's control over Chrome and Android, financial clout to pay for whitelist status on ad-blockers (provided a particular ad-blocker supports the arrangement), and a mix shift from display to search ads. Worth noting: Chrome supports ad-blockers on PCs, and some blockers remove search ads.
- Meanwhile, Helfstein thinks Google's bread-and-butter search ad business remains healthy. "While desktop search is losing share to emerging formats (video, mobile, etc.), total search will still represent the majority of Internet ad spend in the U.S. (45%) and internationally (47%). Mobile search is growing at a ’13-’18 compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34% in the U.S. and 36% internationally."
- Separately, Google's restructuring into a holding company called Alphabet will officially go into effect after today's close. Google's stock tickers and board will remain the same. Alphabet's units include core Google (run by Sundar Pichai), Nest, Fiber, Calico, Google Ventures, Google Capital, and the Google X long-term R&D unit.
Wed, Sep. 30, 5:30 PM
- Google (GOOG, GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) have ended a long-running patent spat involving about 20 suits in the U.S. and Germany. Financial terms are confidential.
- Microsoft, which collects royalties from Samsung, HTC, and many other Android OEMs, had alleged Google's former Motorola Mobility unit (sold to Lenovo) infringed its IP. Google, which held onto most of Motorola's patents following the Lenovo deal, alleged Xbox consoles infringed its patents.
- Much like Google/Motorola's settlement with Apple last year, the Microsoft deal comes with an agreement to cooperate on various patent issues. The tech giants plan to work on a royalty-free video codec meant to improve download/streaming speeds - Amazon and Netflix also back the effort - and lobby for a unified European patent system.
- Separately, in a move that could partly be a response to ad-blockers, Google states its display ad network will now only charge advertisers for ads that are 100% viewable by by users. The company estimates 56% of display ads "never had a chance to be viewed because they were below the fold, scrolled out of view, or in a background tab."
- Concerns about ad-blockers have grown following the recent launch of iOS 9, which supports blockers for Mobile Safari. JPMorgan has downplayed those concerns, arguing most ad-blocking takes place on desktops, that far more time is spent on mobile apps (largely immune to ad-blocking for now) than browsers, that publishers are starting to withhold content from those using ad-blockers, and that ad spend is shifting towards formats more immune to ad-blocking (e.g. native ads). The firm is concerned, however, about the fact ad-blockers prevent valuable tracking data from being collected.
Tue, Sep. 29, 12:35 PM
- As expected, Google (GOOG +0.5%) has refreshed its Nexus phone lineup with two models - a smaller device from LG known as the Nexus 5X, and a phablet from Huawei known as the Nexus 6P. (live blog)
- The 6P sports a 5.7" 2K OLED display - a moderate positive for Universal Display (OLED -0.7%), which still depends heavily on Samsung phone sales - and the 5X a 5.2" display. Both devices support 4K and slow-motion video recording, come with fingerprint sensors and reversible USB Type-C ports (said to charge twice as fast as the iPhone 6+), sport 12MP rear cameras with large 1.55-micron pixels (good for low-light photography), and run on stock Android 6.0 (Marshmallow).
- Traditionally, Google hasn't aimed for Nexus devices to become mass-market hits, but rather to serve as proof-of-concepts for its vision of what Android hardware and software should be. The company unveiled its Project Fi mobile phone service (only works with the Nexus 6 phablet for now) in April.
- Google has also announced Android now has over 1.4B active users, and Google Play over 1B active users. The company stated in June 2014 Android's user base had topped 1B.
- Update: Google states the Nexus 6P and 5X will join the Nexus 6 in working with Project Fi when they go on sale in October. Pricing has also been disclosed: The 6P will start at $499, and the 5X at $379.
- Update 2: Some more hardware launches: The Pixel C, a 10.2" Android tablet that starts at $499 and has a $149 detachable keyboard accessory; a new Chromecast HDMI dongle with an improved Wi-Fi radio; and Chromecast Audio, a $35 Wi-Fi streaming device that plugs into existing speakers.
Mon, Sep. 28, 11:50 AM
- Re/code reports Google (GOOG -2.2%, GOOGL -2.1%) is prepping a subscription service that pairs two YouTube offerings previously expected to be sold separately: YouTube's Music Key service (provides ad-free music videos and audio-only streams, currently in beta), and a pending service (confirmed in April) providing ad-free access to YouTube content in general.
- Notably, Re/code adds video industry sources have been told by Google it plans to charge just $10/month for the combined service - a price matching that charged by Spotify, Apple, and many others for standalone subscription music offerings. As the site observes, Google could struggle to turn a profit on the service at that price - Spotify has been losing money, and doesn't have to worry about payments to (non-music) video partners.
- YouTube, for its part, only says it's "progressing according to plan to provide fans more options in how they enjoy content on YouTube," and that content partners representing over 95% of watch time have agreed to support an ad-free video service. The online video giant recently told content owners they must agree to support an ad-free service by Oct. 22, or else their videos "will no longer be available for public display or monetization in the United States."
- Shares are selling off on a day the Nasdaq is down 2.1%.
Thu, Sep. 24, 8:37 AM
- Citi raises price target to $781 from $730 ahead of expected changes in financial reporting under Alphabet structure.
- Firm thinks Google is spending $4.5B this year on "moonshots," and thinks the new reporting will demonstrate the profitability of the core business, and the magnitude of its moonshot investments.
- $781 ascribes little value to moonshots.
- In its target, Citi is catching up with the Street, with consensus at above $770 already.
- Related: Instagram's Mobile Ad Revenue Will Exceed Google's (Sep. 24)
- Related: Google Becoming A Battlefield Stock (Sep. 22)
Fri, Sep. 18, 2:46 PM
- iOS 9 officially launched on Wednesday, and brought with it support for 3rd-party ad-blockers for Apple's Mobile Safari browser. Several ad-blockers - Crystal, Purify, Blockr, and before it was pulled today, Peace - have quickly jumped towards the top of App Store paid download charts.
- Google (GOOG -1.4%), whose various ad platforms (AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick, YouTube) are vulnerable to browser ad-blockers, is in the crosshairs. As are numerous online ad tech firms connecting publishers and sellers with each other and/or ad exchanges.
- Softening the blow for Google: Browsing done via its Chrome browser or core app - both are popular on iOS - isn't affected, nor is the YouTube app. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter, which get far more mobile traffic from their apps than their sites, might see only a modest hit. StatCounter estimates Safari had a 22.9% global mobile/tablet browser share in August, down from 31.2% a year ago and below a combined 46% for Chrome and the stock Android browser.
- On the flip side, iOS accounts for a disproportionate % of mobile usage and online shopping among the higher-income users coveted by advertisers, and also within the U.S. (45% of Google's Q2 revenue). StatCounter pegs Safari's U.S. mobile/tablet share at 55.2%, and Chrome/stock Android's at 39.5%.
- PC browser ad-blocking has already seen tremendous growth, especially in Europe. Defenders of the practice cite privacy concerns and the impact of ads on a device's performance/battery life, while critics argue publishers of free/ad-supported content are being deprived of their livelihoods.
- Ad tech firms: CRTO, FUEL, RUBI, MRIN, SZMK
Thu, Sep. 17, 2:33 AM
- Back from the dead? Google (GOOG, GOOGL) seems to have resurrected its troubled Glass connected eyewear project, now called Project Aura, by hiring engineers and software developers from Amazon's Lab126 R&D unit.
- According to Business Insider, Aura will remain within Google rather than Alphabet to collaborate more closely with advanced technology efforts and develop other wearables.
- Google stopped selling the initial $1,500 version of Glass to consumers in January following waning interest, criticism over its price and privacy concerns.
Mon, Sep. 14, 11:15 AM
- With market eyes on a Fed rate-hike decision considered to be a bit of a toss-up amid differing opinions, Goldman Sachs is banking on the (slightly) more dovish position that the agency will wait until December. The bank is still laying out how to play the hike when it invariably comes.
- Strength in balance sheets is what you need, it says, noting that those companies outperform (by an average 5%) in the three months after a rate-boosting cycle begins. In Goldman's "High Quality Stock" basket: CMG, DLTR, PEP, KMI, BLK, GOOG, AAPL, PCLN, ORCL, WFC.
- Meanwhile, it suggests avoiding companies with high floating-rate debt as they bear the brunt of a move away from near-zero interest rate policy. "When the tightening cycle finally starts, the immediate impact will be felt by firms with high proportions of variable rate borrowing."
- Included in that "avoid" list: CL, COL, JNJ, AAPL, EBAY, MET, KO, GIS, F, MCD, GM, TWX, CVX, AGN, MON.
- (Yes, cash-rich Apple made both lists, having a strong balance sheet along with floating debt.)
Mon, Sep. 14, 11:12 AM
- Russia's competition watchdog has ruled Google (GOOG -0.5%, GOOGL -0.5%) violated competition rules, and has ordered the company to stop abusing its "dominant" market position.
- Against a backdrop of high political tensions, Russian regulators have been probing Google's required bundling of its apps/services on Android devices, and its alleged exclusion of rival offerings. EU regulators have been carrying out a similar probe. Google's bundling requirements are a core part of its strategy to monetize Android and keep mobile revenue-sharing payments down.
- Russian search leader Yandex (YNDX +9.1%), which filed the complaint, has spiked higher. Google has been gradually taking share from Yandex: LiveInternet estimates Yandex had 57.3% of the Russian search market in Q2, down from 58.6% in Q1 and 59.7% in Q4.
Mon, Sep. 14, 5:34 AM
- Google (GOOG, GOOGL) hires John Krafcik to lead it self-driving car initiative. Krafcik is the former CEO of Hyundai and highly-regarded in the industry.
- The car business is believed to be a prime candidate to be spun out from Google's parent company, although it will stay on as part of Google X for now.
Thu, Sep. 10, 6:35 PM
- Android Pay, first announced in May at Google I/O, has launched across the U.S. today. Google (GOOG, GOOGL) states the service works on any NFC-capable Android device running version 4.4 or higher, supports American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards issued by a slew of major banks/credit unions.
- Android Pay works at 1M+ locales supporting tap-and-pay NFC readers. Retail partners include Walgreens, BJ's, Whole Foods, Macy's, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Panera.
- With Google not collecting transaction fees for Pay - judging by the small fees collected by Apple for Apple Pay, it wouldn't be receiving much regardless - Android Pay's potential value lies in keeping Android users happy, and perhaps providing Google with purchase data that can be used for ad targeting. In addition to Apple Pay, the service competes with Samsung Pay, which supports both NFC and magnetic stripe readers, and launches in the U.S. on Sep. 28.
- Separately, Google states it has added San Diego, Irvine, and Louisville to its list of cities where it's thinking of rolling out Fiber's pay-TV and gigabit broadband services.
- Fiber is currently available in Kansas City, Provo, and Austin, and set to launch in San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham. In addition to the cities named today, Phoenix, San Jose, and Portland are on Google's "Potential Fiber City" list.
Fri, Sep. 4, 1:19 PM
- The Information reports Google (GOOG -1.3%, GOOGL -1.4%) "hopes to get Chinese government approval to distribute a special China version" of Google Play as soon as this fall. The Chinese version of the App Store will comply with Beijing's censorship requirements, and store data locally.
- The site previously reported of plans for a Chinese Play launch last November. Google shut down its Chinese search engine (Google.cn) in 2010 rather than comply with censorship requirements. However, the company still does plenty of business with Chinese advertisers looking to reach overseas buyers, and hosts many apps developed by Chinese firms within international Play stores.
- While Android accounts for well over half of Chinese smartphone sales - Kantar Worldpanel estimates a 79.1% unit share in "Urban China" for the 3 months ending July - Chinese Android users generally rely on app stores from local tech giants Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), Qihoo (NYSE:QIHU), and Tencent (OTCPK:TCEHY). Meanwhile, the iPhone maintains a large share among higher-income Chinese users more likely to pay for apps and/or in-app purchases.
- In other Google news, Google is expanding its self-driving car tests from the company's home base of Mountain View to Austin, TX. The company has previously suggested it wants to bring a self-driving car to market by 2020, and that it wants to act as a hardware/software supplier for 3rd-party automakers.
- Google claims its cars have been involved in just 16 minor accidents in over 2M miles of driving, and that none of the accidents were its fault. However, researchers think some of the accidents are a product of Google's cars being too safe, perfectly following the letter of the law in a world where many drivers don't.
Wed, Sep. 2, 6:50 PM
- Having long included text ads with Gmail, Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is now broadly rolling out a native ad solution for Gmail that lets advertisers include pictures, videos, forms, and buy/call-to-action button, among other things.
- To keep users happy, the media content won't appear unless an ad is clicked or tapped - until then, it looks like a standard text ad. Marketers can buy ads using Google's mainstay AdWords search ad platform, and target based on keywords, audience groups, demographic data, and topics. Google had 900M active Gmail users as of May, with 75% accessing via mobile devices.
- Separately, CNET reports Google plans to unveil two new Nexus phones at a Sep. 29 event - a smaller device from LG, and a larger device from Huawei. The Huawei phone has been rumored to feature a 5.7" 2K display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, USB Type C support, and 64GB of storage. The LG phone has been rumored to have a 5.2" 1080p display and Snapdragon 808 processor.
- Previously: Google reportedly testing search ads within results
Fri, Aug. 28, 11:10 AM
- There's plenty of precedent for the recent market action, says Morgan Stanley's Adam Parker, noting the market has dropped more than 5% 16 times since March 2009, and each time has moved on to new highs.
- His half-glass view is that the economy is in the middle of its longest expansion ever, and a less-active Fed, a nervous consumer maybe saving more, a lower oil price, and a flattish dollar all argue for continued expansion.
- Morgan's top ideas to buy on the pullback: AGN, AMZN, AAPL, AVGO, BAC, BKU, DAL, GILD, GOOG, GOOGL, HLT, JPM, KR, LEN, LMCK, MGA, MBLY, NWL, QCOM, SABR, CRM, SBAC, SBUX, BX, TMO, VRSK, WWAV, XL.
Thu, Aug. 27, 7:17 PM
- Google (GOOG, GOOGL) rejects the European Union’s charges that it abused its market power and the demand that it change the way it ranks online comparison shopping services in its search results, setting up a potentially long legal battle with the EU regulator empowered to levy billions of euros in fines.
- In particular, Google argues that the EU’s charges fail to take into account the fast growth of companies such as Amazon and eBay that the company says pose a new competitive threat, which undercuts the case that it has harmed comparison shopping companies.
- Google also contends that the EU lacks the legal justification to demand it include rivals in its comparison shopping ads, arguing the EU would need to show that such ads are as essential as utility services.
- The EU now could decide to immediately impose injunctions against Google, and announce fines as high as 10% of the company’s annual global revenue, or it could seek to negotiate a new settlement.
GOOGL vs. ETF Alternatives
Alphabet Inc through its subsidiary Google Inc is engaged in improving the ways people connect with information & productsincludingSearch, Android, YouTube, Apps, Maps & Ads. Italso producesinternet-connected home devices & provides internet services.
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Even children suffer.
Just in time to kick off the festive holiday season of Walmart parking lot fights, here's this month's latest crop of atrocious car mods. These are the cars often driven by the people involved in those fights. Maybe they're really not fighting over shopping carts and big screen TVs, but over whose car is most likely to cause instant death by way of shock and horror. And we have to hand it to these owners for having the balls to be seen in public with their so-called "creations." Happy holidays.


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Investors Love the Franchise Model, Until They Hate It
Investors in fast-food chains have long appreciated the steady income from franchise fees, but that model comes with risks that aren’t apparent on an income statement -- especially if conditions change, like labor costs going up faster than menu prices.
The most well-known historical franchise model might be McDonald’s. It’s been said that McDonald’s is more of a real estate company than a restaurant company. The McDonald’s model is buying the real estate for future McDonald’s locations, leasing it to franchisees, taking a cut of the store’s revenue, and watching the profits roll in. The company owns tens of billions of dollars’ worth of real estate. Owning the real estate gives McDonald’s leverage over franchisees. It's no wonder that other chains would want to come up with some version of the model.
Looking at the financials of Dunkin’ Brands, parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins, shows just how good a deal for investors the franchise model can be. Systemwide sales -- the total sales of all 12,500 Dunkin’ Donuts and 8,000 Baskin Robbins locations worldwide -- totaled over $11 billion in 2017. But that’s not what Dunkin’ Brands recorded as revenue. The revenue recorded totaled $860 million, comprised of franchise and royalty fees, rental income, and some ice cream sales. On that $860 million in revenue, it booked operating income of $447 million, for an operating margin of over 50 percent, a far cry from restaurant profit margins that are often in the single digits.
And then there’s the financial engineering. High profit margins from a stable source of franchise fees, royalty fees and rental income give the company a lot of capacity to take on debt. The company now has over $3 billion in debt, up from $1.8 billion three years ago, with plans to continue borrowing as profits grow. That debt funding has helped power a return of capital to shareholders. Since the initial public offering in 2011, Dunkin’ Brands has returned over $2 billion to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases.
But not everyone is Dunkin’ Brands. Subway has had multiple stumbles in recent years, and caused a franchisee revolt in attempts to bring back the well-known “$5 footlong” promotion. The $5 footlong promotion originally ran in 2008 during the financial crisis. During recessions, food and labor are cheap, so the timing allowed Subway to make a popular offer that could still be profitable for franchisees. The price went up to $6 in 2014 and then $7 in 2017 -- before the return of the $5 deal for a limited number of sandwiches recently.
What’s good for the franchiser isn’t always good for the franchisee. The franchiser is driven by franchise fees from new locations and royalty fees from sales growth. That means franchisers would rather have low menu prices to drive traffic and sales, even if it comes out of the profits of franchisees. Franchisees, on the other hand, only care about the profitability of their locations. If that means higher prices and less traffic (along with lower expenses like labor), that’s a trade many would be willing to make to protect profits.
Another side effect of the franchise model is to shift the costs and benefits of labor market fluctuations onto the franchisees, and off the income statement of the franchiser. But that doesn’t mean the parent companies are immune, only that their investors won’t see the impact coming.
One can imagine a restaurant franchise location that did $1 million in revenue per year with a profit margin of six percent, or $60,000. Maybe that franchise pays the franchiser 10 percent of revenue in fees between the royalty fee and rent, or $100,000. If profit margins get cut in half (because of rising labor costs or any other reason) but revenue remains flat, that $100,000 in fees still gets paid to the franchiser, so an investor in the franchiser wouldn’t notice the deterioration of the business. But if profitability fell by the same amount the following year, the restaurant location might close, eliminating all $100,000 in fees overnight. It’s possible the franchiser could then bail out the restaurant by cutting fees or providing other financial help, but that would mean a significant deterioration in its own profit margins.
As restaurants find their costs going up faster than their revenue, this will be an increasing concern for franchise-heavy restaurants. That’s not just a theory: Subway closed 900 locations in 2017.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Philip Gray at email@example.com


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The 6th and 7th November previewed our upcoming SS14 collection to the biggest names in fashion press.
The most established fashion writers, journalists and bloggers in the UK and international press joined us over the two days in our showroom above our flagship Regent Street store.
Our SS14 collection promises the ultimate wardrobe for city chic, summery beachwear and festival fun. Women’s denim has an even larger palette of printed effects and accessories brighten up with neon and metallic satchels. Menswear gets a refresh for SS14 emphasising tailoring, premium materials and dramatic detailing. Accessories include neoprene rucksacks and our new season classic flip-flops.
Once again, we didn’t disappoint as our interactive social media mirror put smiles on the faces of people including the girls from Company Magazine, Go City girl, Fashion Beans, Teen Now, and Yahoo to name a few as they tweeted, Facebooked and emailed their photos in real-time. Guests were even treated to complimentary manicures featuring nail art reflecting the new collection.
On Thursday evening we invited guests back to join us for some tasty cocktails from the talented team at Check On following the incredible food they had provided throughout the day. The cocktails came in small bottles and glasses with branded tags and pastel coloured straws to reflect key products from our latest collection.


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South State Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,733 shares of the industrial products companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stock after buying an additional 368 shares during the quarter. South State CorpÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $600,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Illinois Tool Works by 50.0% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 177,653 shares of the industrial products companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stock worth $1,171,000 after buying an additional 59,196 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Illinois Tool Works by 14.3% in the third quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,156 shares of the industrial products companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stock worth $587,000 after buying an additional 521 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Illinois Tool Works by 31.2% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,618 shares of the industrial products companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stock worth $793,000 after buying an additional 1,337 shares during the last quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Illinois Tool Works in the third quarter worth $1,197,000. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in Illinois Tool Works by 41.6% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 8,564 shares of the industrial products companyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s stock worth $1,209,000 after buying an additional 2,518 shares during the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
In other Illinois Tool Works news, EVP John R. Hartnett sold 14,500 shares of Illinois Tool Works stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $1,986,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 29,448 shares in the company, valued at $4,034,376. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Juan Valls sold 52,265 shares of Illinois Tool Works stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.41, for a total value of $7,443,058.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 78,620 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,196,274.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 128,970 shares of company stock valued at $18,348,472 over the last 90 days. 0.82% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
ITW stock opened at $141.65 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.20. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1-year low of $117.75 and a 1-year high of $164.03.
Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.82 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.61 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 69.48% and a net margin of 17.35%. The firmÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.70 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 7.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 10th. Investors of record on Friday, March 29th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.82%. Illinois Tool WorksÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s payout ratio is currently 52.63%.
A number of analysts recently issued reports on ITW shares. Deutsche Bank restated a Ã¢â‚¬Å“holdÃ¢â‚¬Â rating on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research report on Monday, December 3rd. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a Ã¢â‚¬Å“holdÃ¢â‚¬Â rating and set a $131.00 target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a research report on Friday, December 7th. Morgan Stanley downgraded Illinois Tool Works from an Ã¢â‚¬Å“equal weightÃ¢â‚¬Â rating to an Ã¢â‚¬Å“underweightÃ¢â‚¬Â rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $131.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Illinois Tool Works from a Ã¢â‚¬Å“neutralÃ¢â‚¬Â rating to an Ã¢â‚¬Å“underweightÃ¢â‚¬Â rating and set a $120.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 10th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded Illinois Tool Works from a Ã¢â‚¬Å“buyÃ¢â‚¬Â rating to a Ã¢â‚¬Å“neutralÃ¢â‚¬Â rating and set a $144.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, January 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of Ã¢â‚¬Å“HoldÃ¢â‚¬Â and an average target price of $136.60.
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About Illinois Tool Works
Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.
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Triad company raises nearly $1M to further research, testing
December 21, 2016 – GREENSBORO, NC - Alrgn Bio Inc., a startup company based at Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, has raised $946,188 in equity financing to help fund additional testing on the company's technology aimed at reducing allergens in peanuts, hire a chief science officer, buy equipment and compensate a lead researcat N.C. A&T State University.
The company announced the equity financing as part of a Form D filing. Alrgn Bio is pursuing its safer-peanut technology at a time when "more people in the world are becoming allergic to peanuts," said New York real estate developer Kit McQuiston, who also is CEO of Alrgn Bio and based in Manhattan.
“Peanuts just happen to be extremely deadly," he said. "It's the leading cause of anaphylactic food related deaths."
McQuiston told Triad Business Journal that Alrgn Bio hopes to eventually commercialize its technology, which could be licensed by food manufacturers and food companies that in turn would create a safer peanut for everything from a snack served to airplane passengers and a peanut butter used in schools to a breakfast bar and a weightlifting powder.
"People who normally eat peanuts now wouldn't care but the restaurant owner would be happier because his liability just dropped significantly," McQuiston said. "I would imagine that large companies would find this helpful as sort of a brand extension or really the creation of a new brand category."
Some of the $946,188 worth of funding will go toward the compensation of Jianmei Yu, a Ph.D research scientist at N.C. A&T whose work on peanut allergen reduction resulted in a patent that was licensed to Alrgn Bio for commercialization.
Alrgn Bio's testing thus far has shown that the technology has dramatically reduced -- in some cases "99 percent plus -- the proteins that humans are allergic to in peanuts", he said. The technology has been tested by taking peanuts and placing them in a large hot bath of water with some food enzymes, which break down the proteins. Alrgn Bio will focus on additional research at UNC-Chapel Hill, where the company plans to conduct tests on mice, which have been sensitized to simulate how a child with peanut allergies would react to the proteins.
"After that it goes to human oral challenge and then we will be able to license it to food companies," McQuiston said.
McQuiston said the company was founded about three years ago. He got involved two years ago because his daughter is allergic to peanuts. He is not taking a salary for his job as CEO. "Our focus is to keep the burn rate low and (placing) all the resources in proving out the technology," he said.
The company was recently featured in a New York Times story titled "Is it Possible to Make a Less Allergenic Peanut?"
Story written by:
Reporter, Triad Business Journal


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There was much to be discussed this Monday at work, as we made our return from what was probably one of Bangkok’s most packed weekend yet. With the Royal Barge Procession for His Majesty the King that took place on Thursday, the rest of the week passed by in a rather intense blur, as people either flocked to the fields in Pattaya for Wonderfruit, or to Sansiri’s annual Winter Market Fest.
Whether you were a free-spirited wanderer this weekend, spent your weekend enjoying the food and vibes Sansiri had to offer, or simply stayed home, one thing is for sure — this week is going to be no less packed than the last. From a concert in the park, to pre-Christmas celebrations, scroll to see your plans for the week!
WINE & DINE — Tropic City is welcoming — for the very first time in Thailand, too! — Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson of Beautiful Booze for a special guest shift this week. Reputed as one of the world’s best websites centered around cocktails and alcohol, Beautiful Booze has been offering resources for cocktail enthusiasts worldwide since 2013, and now the duo behind the brand are here to share their skills firsthand. Be sure to drop by and join the two, as they get behind the bar to shake and mix a few of their signature concoctions, for just one night only!
8pm-midnight, December 17, 2019. Tropic City. To reserve your seats or find out more, visit the official Facebook event page.
NEWS & EVENTS — In lieu of Human Rights Day on December 12, the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok launched the Swedish Institute’s photo exhibition Gender Equal World — A Tribute to Those Fighting for Women’s Rights. A reminder of the importance of human rights, democracy, and justice, the exhibition portrays 15 women’s rights defenders from different parts of the world, including Thai human rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri.
10am-10pm, until December 20, 2019. FCCT. To find out more, visit fccthai.com.
ART & CULTURE — So the weather might not be as breezy as it was last week, but save to say the cool temperatures have stayed. To make the most of the very last remnants of less-heaty Bangkok, why not make plans to have a picnic in the park? To make things even more enjoyable,the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra will be hosting several of their annual Concert in the Park performances, featuring renowned guest artists, through to February 2020. Come enjoy the great outdoors and some even better music this week with RBSO.
5:30pm onwards, December 22, 2019. Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park. To find out more, visit RBSO’s official Facebook Page.
NEWS & EVENTS — Ringing in the Christmas spirit, Siri House is hosting a pre-Christmas celebration, with a special pop live session featuring Chucheewa, Fluffypak, and Parim. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, laid-back way to welcome the festivities, why not drop by Siri House to enjoy the performance by these rising talents.
THB300 per ticket (includes one drink). 2-4:45pm, December 22, 2019. Siri House. To find out more, visit the official Facebook event page.
STYLE — Celebrating the festive season, Paul Smith has launched a special Gifting Pop-Up store in Siam Discovery, offering an array of fun, vibrant gifts perfect for this time of give and share. Highlight items available in the pop-up include accessories with the brand’s signature stripes, from classic wallets, to cuff-links, belts, neckties, and keychains. The signature swirl also makes an appearance, on leather bags, backpacks, and scarves. Lifestyle items created by Paul Smith in collaboration with other renowned names are also available, including a lampshade made with Anglepoise, as well as a Land Rover Defeder. You can even get limited edition DINO products, including a limited BTS Rabbit Card.
Available until January 6, 2020. G Floor, Siam Discovery. To find out more, call 0 2610 9770 1.
WINE & DINE — For those who were saddened by Central World’s cancellation of its annual beer garden, fret not — Centara Grand has entered with, for the very first time, an outdoor open-air beer fest of its own. Taking place at the lush and green Lotus Garden on the hotel’s 26th floor, expect a wide variety of world-famous international beers, accompanied by live music. Of course, do save some room for mouth-watering Thai beer snacks, and even Bavarian Oktoberfest classics, such as sausages and more.
5pm-midnight, until January 26, 2020. Centara Grand at CentralWorld. To find out more, visit the official Facebook event page.


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Beloved by skin-care aficionados worldwide, K-beauty brands have halted their global push in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Launching today – Bolt Beauty. Founder Lisa Marie Sexton shares with me what it’s like to launch a beauty brand in the middle of a pandemic.
Givaudan Active Beauty is thrilled to launch its new breakthrough innovation called Synchronight, an active cosmetic ingredient made from gardenia … More
So today I have for you my Friday night 🌌 routine and I thought I’d treat myself by opening some … More
The 2018 passing of the Farm Bill meant the US could take full advantage of the CBD market and Sephora is no exception.
When your skin starts getting patchy use this….
Is this the future of skincare?
Can nature and science finally come together?
One of the biggest names in the beauty industry right now, Huda Kattan has announced the launch of her new … More


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HOOVER, Alabama - The city of Pelham wants to lure a Cabela's outdoor equipment and apparel retail store, Councilman Ron Scott told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Committee today.
Scott, who was giving a presentation in his role as executive director of the Economic Development Association of Alabama, said Pelham officials plan to take a trip to the Cabela's headquarters office in Nebraska to make a sales pitch for their Shelby County city.
Cabela's, which sells hunting, fishing camping and related outdoor merchandise in stores similar to a Bass Pro Shop store, last year operated 32 stores in 23 states and two in Canada, and had plans to open five more this year, according to the company's 2011 annual report.
Cabela's also had announced plans to test several smaller 40,000-square-foot Cabela's Outpost stores to match markets with less than 250,000 people.
Scott said Cabela's is looking for a level site with interstate exposure and a certain amount of vehicle traffic and said Pelham has a site that the city believes meets Cabela's criteria.
Bill Powell, the executive director for the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, said Hoover doesn't have the land for such a store.


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New research released by Abacus Data and commissioned by the Canadian Co-operative Association shows that the majority of Canadians are familiar with co-ops and credit unions, and rank co-ops and credit unions higher than other businesses based on a variety of factors, including their social and environmental practices.
Over eight out of ten public opinion survey respondents believed that co-operatives and credit unions were better than other businesses in supporting their community’s values, having a democratic structure, supporting their local economy, and selling locally produced products. Co-ops and credit unions were also perceived to be better in how they treat their employees and customers, as well as in their social and environmental practices.
When asked to compare co-ops and credit unions with other businesses, responses again hint at the perception that the co-operative business model benefits Canadian communities.
84 per cent said co-ops are more likely to support the community's values.
83 per cent said co-ops are more likely give people a say on how the business is run.
82 per cent said co-ops are more likely to support the local economy.
81 per cent said co-ops are more likely to sell locally produced products.
76 per cent said co-ops are more likely to treat their employees better.
72 per cent said co-ops are more likely to have environmentally sustainable practices.
- 70 per cent said co-ops are more likely to have better customer service.
- 53 per cent said co-ops are more likely to have lower prices.
The survey was conducted online with 1,008 respondents across Canada using an internet survey platform. A random sample of panelists was invited to participate in the survey from a larger representative panel of some 150,000 Canadians.
For full survey results, please see: http://www.coopscanada.coop/public_html/assets/firefly/files/files/Abacus_survey_report.pdf


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And now that Fed has raised the interest rate?
What can we expect for 2016 sales, especially in light of the recent quarter-percentage-point rate hike by the Federal Reserve Board? Low interest rates and 0 percent financing were responsible for a lot of auto sales last year.
Analysts donêt expect much effect from the rate hike, at least for auto buyers with good credit. Subprime buyers could be affected, AutoTrends consultant Joe Phillippi told TheDetroitBureau.com. If auto loan rates are affected, he said, consumers could decide to buy a more modest vehicle.
Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell doesnêt expect much effect on auto loans. We donêt expect auto loan rates to rise in the near term, especially with automakers continuing to offer successful low-APR promotions, she said. As [consumers] continue to respond to these deals, automakers will do everything in their power to continue offering them.Download Bulletin PDF


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Washington had “launched deliberate attacks and defamation” against China over its “territorial sovereignty, national dignity and core interests,” Wang Yi told a diplomatic conference in Beijing, to an extent that the United States appeared “almost paranoid.”
He was referring particularly to U.S. support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong and condemnation of China’s detention of more than 1 million Muslims in political reeducation camps. Beijing has repeatedly accused American agents with “black hands” of fomenting unrest in Hong Kong.
“We are willing to resolve the contradictions and differences with the U.S. through dialogue and discussions based on equality and mutual respect, but we will never accept unilateral sanctions or bullying,” he said, according to reports from the conference.
Earlier, Trump advisers said he had agreed to a trade deal under which the White House would reduce tariffs on Chinese goods in return for China buying $50 billion worth U.S. farm goods, tightening its intellectual property protections and opening its financial services markets.
The next round of American tariffs, on the remaining $160 billion in Chinese goods that have not been hit with duties, were scheduled to take effect on Sunday. Those tariffs have been delayed, and the existing tariffs on $360 billion of Chinese products will be reduced, the advisers said.
China did not directly comment Friday on the purported deal. The Commerce Ministry, the department that usually releases news about the trade talks, did not respond to calls and faxes requesting comment.
“Chinese ministries will be guarded until the formal signing,” said Tao Wang, chief Asia economist at UBS investment bank.
“Postponing or canceling the December tariff hike is the minimum China would accept,” she said. “I think China would like the September tariffs to be removed completely.”
At the Foreign Ministry, spokeswoman Hua Chunying demurred when asked if the two sides had reached a deal, saying that an “agreement has to be mutually beneficial.”
“As soon as reports suggesting the phase one deal was reached emerged, the major stock markets in the U.S. and Europe jumped. This illustrates that a deal through negotiation is beneficial to both nations and their peoples, and it is what the international community wants,” she said.
China’s currency rose to its highest level in more than four months against the U.S. dollar, while stock markets in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong all soared on Friday, a sign of investor optimism that the protracted trade war might be coming to a resolution.
Trump has described the agreement as a “phase one” deal, but Andrew Batson, an economist at the Gavekal Dragonomics consultancy, said he did not expect a phase two.
“I don’t know what else could happen here,” he said. “To be fair to the Chinese, they have done a lot on structural issues this year on their own initiative, because they don’t like to be forced to do things in negotiations.”
Both Batson and Wang, the UBS economist, pointed to significant legal reforms to protect intellectual property, opening in the financial services sector, and reducing subsidies for electric vehicle and solar panel manufacturers.


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A second ramen shop is set to move from the portable world into a brick-and-mortar. Inside Scoop shares that Hapa Ramen will open the aptly named Hapa in Spring 2012. The Fillmore shop will border another currently pending restaurant, State Bird Provisions. The Hapa Ramen stand will remain at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Markets.
Food truck news: Phat Thai is readying to hit the City streets. Eater SF shares that the food truck from chef Wannee Hossain and her two sons, will debut at Off the Grid this week, but no word on which one or when. Check their twitter to find pad thai.
They're getting close: Grub Street reports the proxy outpost of Suppenkuche, Biergartern, passed its building inspection, has commenced staff training, and may very well open this month (Hayes at Linden). Prost!


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Google was set to host an Android event on Monday in New York City where we’d be seeing multiple new devices from the Mountain View company, but we have some bad news this afternoon. We can confirm that Google has indeed canceled their Android event scheduled for Monday, October 29th due to Hurricane Sandy.
In case you haven’t been watching the news (other than Android Community news) New York City Governor Friday issued a state of emergency for the surrounding area based on the incoming storm. There’s been multiple evacuation points and Google’s event was going to be taking place right on a waterfront pier.
Google’s Android event had plenty of excitement around it. With the LG Nexus 4, a brand new Samsung Nexus 10 tablet, as well as a new 32GB 3G flavor Nexus 7 were all set to be announced. Then we were going to get our first official look at Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and tons of other exciting news from the folks at Google. Sadly it looks like that won’t be happening on Monday, but better safe than sorry.
Google’s canceled their event in New York City, and at this point they’ve not rescheduled or supplied any further details on the situation. Many were expecting their devices to be available and on-sale the same day — but now everything is up in the air. We’ll be sure to report back as soon as we hear more, and stay tuned because Google will probably be announcing a new date and location shortly. For all those on the East Coast, stay safe and keep dry.


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Interest in CBD has swept across the globe in recent years. There are tens of millions of CBD users in the United States alone.
Over the last 5 years, the popularity of CBD products has skyrocketed throughout the consumer marketplace.
The new rule says it is allowed if it contains less that 0.3% THC, the substance in cannabis that provides the high.
CBD (cannabidiol) oil is a fantastic example of a modern problem requiring a not-so-modern solution.


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Amazon has quietly been making a lot of noise in the advertising/marketing space… actually, scratch that, they’ve been making a lot of noise lately across many sectors.
Last week, Bloomberg covered news of Amazon’s growing efforts to fill their ecosystem with videos from merchants to help bring shoppers the content they often leave the retailer’s site to consume on YouTube before making a purchase. And for brands, like?Bose, with big marketing budgets, Amazon has a few new offerings to spruce-up their product pages with video to “create engaging, helpful content.” And it’s all happening just in time for the holiday shopping season. The cost for this premier branding experience: half-a-million dollars a year.
Don’t be scared off by the price tag though, there are other video friendly advertising offerings available for brands looking to drive awareness among Amazon customers including on-site video ads, targeting in-market shoppers off-site and other landing pages with a variety of video placements like this page by P&G’s laundry care brand?Dreft.
Video is known to drive higher conversions and increase basket size. Just this year, social media influencers surpassed friends and family, brands, celebrities and retailers as the most trusted source for product information before making a purchase based on a recent survey of U.S. shoppers (conducted by my company, gen.video, in partnership with Geometry Global). We also found that social media influencers are the number one source for product recommendations and video is known to lift conversion rates by roughly 30 percent. Here is a link to the research, The Influence of Influencers.
Thousands of influencers are present on Amazon (in part thanks to their recent?Influencer Program?launch) and every day more and more product videos that would typically be watched on YouTube are being made available to Amazon customers, thanks to services like gen.video.?Influencer video is in its infancy on Amazon, but there’s no doubt, thanks to Amazon’s efforts, will become meaningful, rivaling YouTube and Facebook, and merchants will continue to see the positive impact video has on their product pages and the added boost that comes along with that video being from an influencer.
Marketers have an opportunity to bring together video, advertising and influencer all while driving traffic directly to point-of-sale. With influencers as the most trusted sources of product information coupled with distrust of brand messaging, there’s a powerful formula involving taking trusted influencer content and promoting it with old school media dollars might. Here’s an example of an?influencer shop?featuring Old Spice products and influencer content as an ‘ad.’
Amazon’s strength as a commerce platform first, married with powerful marketing tools, is opening up unprecedented opportunities for imaginative, innovative marketers to bring together tactics across earned, owned and paid channels in ways never before seen.


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"Business Week gets their hands on Digg’s financials and reports that the company had 2007 revenues of $4.8 million and losses of $2.8 million. The first three quarters of 2008 Digg had revenues of $6.4 million and losses of $4 million. That implies total 2008 revenue of $8.5 million, with $5.3 million in losses.
First of all, ouch. People close to Digg once suggested to me that the Microsoft search deal, which was announced in July 2007, would bring in well over $100 million in revenue to Digg over the three year agreement (something we’ve never reported). That suggestion seems to be completely false. The deal is bringing in less than $10 million/year.
Second, Digg shouldn’t be losing money. They have over 70 employees, the company recently confirmed, and plan to grow to 150 by the end of next year. That’s an awful lot of people for a company that outsources sales and content creation, and has little to do besides focus on keeping the servers humming.
Granted, Digg has a number of people on staff that moderate content and focus on the community. But even so, experts I polled this evening who’ve run large..."


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Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations agents confiscated hundreds of bags of items today at the Uniforms of Texas store on the 6600 block of Montana.
Two men were handcuffed and placed in the back of an unmarked truck.
Behind the store, agents piled the bags and loaded them into trucks. Confiscated items appeared to be ammunition and law enforcement uniforms, as well as flashlights and shoes.
Agents said they were executing a federal search warrant at Uniforms of Texas, a police and military uniform store that also sells ammunition and body armor.
Agents approached a man who arrived at the store in a Hummer a little after 8 a.m. They walked into the store with him.
More than 50 agents participated in the raid.
Employees of neighboring stores said they were shocked to see so many law enforcement officers around the area so early.
"It looked like a crime scene," said Jesse Acevedo, who works at Lucchese Factory Outlet.
Several customers who arrived to shop at the store were turned away by agents.


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You can enjoy a carnival according to the traditions of the Banat Bulgarians, who live in the village of Bardarski gerdan on February 17th. The Farshangi Festival will begin at 10 am with the opening of the festival and a festive procession. An hour later, a humorous concert will take place in “Saedinenie 1923” Community Center.
The organized culinary contest of the square will be held in front of the shopping stands accompanying the fun. He will be in three sections. The masters will be honored to prepare a typical banana “balaclava”, a competition for the best homemade wine and the most delicious traditional Banat dish.
Festival guests will also be able to taste the traditional dishes from the local cuisine. According to the tradition of the carnival, which preceded Christian fasting, everyone dressed in their opposite – men as women and vice versa, and beggars like kings.


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The Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo found that a fluorescent fibre sensor with a diameter of just 1mm can be inserted under the skin of a patient via injection, and then removed with tweezers. As you can see from the image, it’s a tiny thing, with the glowing quality of the implant highly visible through the skin when glucose levels rise. I foresee just one issue — I think I’d want my levels to fluctuate to get full value, if anything. [University of Tokyo MeGadget via Engadget]
Science & Health
Glucose-Measuring Implant Glows When Sugar Levels Increase
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British oil and gas giant BP has sold a 11.5% stake in Mumbai-based lubricant company Castrol India for around Rs 2,100 crore.
“BP’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Castrol, has been successful in selling part of the shareholding it holds in Castrol India. Castrol sold approximately 11.5% from the 71% stake it held in Castrol India to a range of domestic and international investors,” the British company said.
BP, through Castrol, intends to continue as the majority shareholder of Castrol India. There will be no impact from this financial transaction on staff or customers of Castrol India or on its existing contracts, the company added.
“BP remains committed to India and we wish to continue to grow our businesses here, progressing our upstream natural gas developments as well as our downstream opportunities, including lubricants,” BP group chief executive Bob Dudley said.
“India is a key market for Castrol with tremendous growth potential, and is a major element of our global lubricants business. We will continue to have strategic control of Castrol India and this decision is independent of our upstream investments which we continue to progress. We are investing in India and plan to continue to do so,” BP’s head of country, India, Sashi Mukundan said.


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Weekly winning streaks are on the line for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq as we enter the final trading day of the week. Both are modestly positive for the week, and neither has suffered a weekly loss as yet in 2013. If the S&P 500 manages to keep that streak going, it will be the first time since 1967 that the index has opened a year with seven straight weekly gains.
A handful of economic reports are in the mix ahead of the Friday session, beginning with the New York Fed's Empire State Survey at 8:30 a.m. New York time. That measure of New York state manufacturing is expected to come in at -3.0 for February, a less negative reading than January's -7.78. At 9:15 a.m. New York time, the Federal Reserve issues industrial production and factory capacity utilization figures for January, with consensus forecasts calling for a 0.2 percent increase in production following December's 0.3 percent rise, and utilization of 78.9 percent compared to December's 78.8 percent.
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index will be issued at 9:55 a.m., with economists looking for a preliminary February reading of 75.0 compared to January's final figure of 73.8.
Food is in the earnings spotlight this morning, with Campbell Soup (CPB), Kraft Foods (KRFT), and J.M. Smucker all set to report before trading opens. VF Corp. (VFC) and Burger King Holdings (BKW) are also on the this morning's schedule. As is often the case on Friday, there are no earnings reports of note scheduled for after the closing bell.
Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) is among our stocks to watch, as the disabled Carnival triumph finally makes it to port in Mobile, Alabama and passengers disembark.
Apple (AAPL) is a notable entry in Greenlight Capital's latest 13F filing, as the firm increases its stake in the company as well as buying new Apple call options. Greenlight has also increased its holdings in Microsoft (MSFT), while cutting stakes in Seagate (STX) and Yahoo (YHOO). Appaloosa Management has also increased its stake in Apple.
Herbalife (HLF) is also mentioned in 13F filings, with investor Carl Icahn revealing a nearly 13 percent stake, further highlighting his dispute with Pershing Square's Bill Ackman, who has a sizable short position. New filings also show David Loeb's Third Point taking a new stake in Herbalife.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is one of Berkshire Hathaway's new holdings, as detailed in Berkshire's 13F filing. It's also taken a new stake in Versign (VRSN), while increasing its stakes in DirecTV (DTV), General Motors (GM), and Precision Castparts (PCP).
CBS (CBS) reported fourth quarter profit of $0.64 per share, four cents below estimates, with revenues also slightly short of consensus. Analysts appear to be shrugging off the shortfall, saying CBS should have a good year if the ad market remains strong. The company has also increased its stock buyback program by $1 billion dollars for this year, doubling its prior commitment. It will initiate the accelerated purchases during the current quarter.
Agilent Technologies (A) earned $0.63 per share for its fiscal first quarter, four cents below estimates. The testing equipment maker also gave a current quarter outlook below analyst forecasts, as sales fall and operating margins narrow.
PNC Financial (PNC) has named William Demchack as its new CEO, effective April 23. He currently serves as president, and will replace James Rohr on April 23. Rohr will remain as chairman for an additional year.
Scripps Networks (SNI) has increased its quarterly dividend by 25 percent to $0.15 per share from the prior $0.12. It will be payable on March 8 to shareholders of record on February 28.
UPS (UPS) has increased its quarterly dividend by nearly 9 percent to $0.62 per share, as well as authorizing an additional $10 billion share buyback.
Walt Disney (DIS) will see opposition in its move to allow the chairman and CEO jobs to be held by the same person. Pension fund CalSTRS will vote against the proposal, which will be presented at Disney's March annual meeting.
Electronic Arts (EA) and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) could benefit from NPD's latest report showing videogame industry sales rose 9 percent in January compared to a year earlier.


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Commodore Holdings, Ltd. reported a 14 percent increase in earnings for its fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1999. Earnings for full year 1999 were $4,606,000, as compared to $4,023,170 in full year 1998. The line went public in July of 1996. Earnings per share for full year 1999 are $.62 per share on a basic basis, and $.52 per share on a diluted basis. This compares to $.64 per share basic and $.54 per share diluted in full year 1998. The company's weighted average number of common stock outstanding - diluted - was 9,292,000 for full year 1999 as compared to 7,923,000 for full year 1998. This increase was primarily due to the higher average stock price for the company's common stock in full year 1999, which is used in calculating common stock equivalents, as well as the exercise of warrants in full year 1999.
Ship bunker suppliers Aegean Marine Petroleum Network release financial and operating results for the fourth quarter ended December 31st, 2013, registering a third consecutive profitable year. Quarterly & full year highlights Recorded sales volumes of 2,384,376 metric tons in Q4 2013 and 9,941,061 for the full year. Recorded gross profit of $75.0 million in Q4 2013 and $286.0 million for the full year.
Matson, Inc. will release its financial results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 on Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Matthew Cox, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Joel Wine, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Matson's fourth quarter and full year 2014 results and provide a business outlook for 2015 during a conference call scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. PST/11:30 a.m. HST.
Deepwater drilling company Diamond Offshore announced fourth quarter and full-year earnings. Results were solid, with revenues and earnings showing big increases on both a quarterly and an annual basis. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, revenues rose 57 percent and earnings per share rose 106 percent. Full year figures demonstrated similarly gaudy growth, as revenues rose 68 percent and earnings per share were up an astronomical 168 percent.
NOL Group today reported a 4Q 2015 net loss of US$77 million, an improvement of US$8 million over 4Q 2014. The Group posted a Core EBIT (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Non-Recurring Items) loss of US$65 million in the quarter. Its Core EBITDA remained positive at US$39 million. On a full year basis, NOL posted a net profit of US$707 million. Excluding a one-time US$888 million gain on the sale of its logistics unit, NOL incurred a full year net loss of US$181 million
British satellite operator Inmarsat reported a rise in revenue in the second quarter, more than reversing a dip in the first quarter, as its customers used its broadband terminals to improve efficiency in tough shipping and energy markets. The company reported a 6 percent rise in second-quarter revenue to $330.4 million and a 22 percent rise in core earnings to $202.2 million on Thursday, and reiterated its target for full-year revenue.
Wärtsilä posted a first-quarter loss, hit by restructuring charges, but said it expected full-year results at its key power divisions to reach last year's level. Wärtsilä reported a January-March loss before extraordinary items of $3.92 million versus a profit a year ago. The result sent Wärtsilä's shares 5.2 percent lower to 23.60 euros in thin opening trade on a flat Helsinki bourse. The stock is eight percent below its year high of 25.65 euros
Cruise line group Carnival Corporation announced non-GAAP net income of $2 million, or $0.00 diluted EPS for the first quarter of 2014 compared to non-GAAP net income for the first quarter of 2013 of $67 million, or $0.08 diluted EPS. Key metrics for the first quarter 2014 compared to first quarter 2013 and December guidance were as follows: On a constant dollar basis, net revenue yields (net revenue per available lower berth day or “ALBD”) decreased 2
CP Ships Limited today announced unaudited fourth quarter 2003 operating income of US $49 million, up from $34 million before exceptional items in fourth quarter 2002 and up from $44 million in third quarter 2003. Basic earnings per share was $0.46 compared with 2002's $0.23 before exceptional items and third quarter's $0.37. Net income available to common shareholders was $41 million, compared to $23 million in fourth quarter 2002.
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) reported net income of $371m, or $0.47 diluted EPS, on revenues of $3.3b for its fourth quarter ended November 30, 2008. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2007 was $358m, or $0.44 diluted EPS, on revenues of $3.1b. Included in the 2008 fourth quarter results is a gain of $31m on the sale of Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth 2. The company reported net income for the full year ended November 30, 2008 of $2.3b, or $2
Australia’s largest shipbuilder Austal posted a full year loss of $84.28 million because a program to build war ships for the US Navy took longer than expected. However, the result came in line with guidance issued last month over a change in estimate of the cost of completing
DP World, one of the world's largest port operators, reported a 50 percent leap in net profit for the first half of this year on Thursday, helped by the acquisitions of the Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone and Canada's Fairview Terminal. The company made a profit attributable to shareholders of $608
In a historically weak contracting environment the cruise sector has seen a strong level of newbuild ordering and investment in the year to date, says a research report by Clarkson. Cruise lines have continued to expand their fleets, with new markets such as China in their sights
The Panama Canal has celebrated 102 years of successful operations and service to the global maritime community, just one day after welcoming its one-hundredth transit through the expanded waterway. On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for business
Record low freight rates have driven the World’s largest container carrier Maersk Line to report a second-quarter loss of US$151 million. The second quarter result and revenue both fall year-on-year as average freight rates hit record low levels
Danish shipping conglomerate A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S has reported a plunge in profits in the second quarter in the face of tough market conditions. Maersk's quarterly net profit dropped 89 per cent to $118m compared with a year earlier
The tanker market has been suffering from rather severe summer doldrums, says Weekly Shipbrokers Reports published by Poten and Partners. Earnings across all tanker sectors, from VLCCs down to MRs are at levels not seen since September 2014
This week, containership fleet capacity has passed the 20 million TEU mark, another milestone in the rapid rise to prominence of the sector, according to Clarksons Research. Down the years, much of the capacity expansion has been driven by the delivery of larger and larger units at
DP World Limited handled 31.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) across its global portfolio of container terminals during the first half of 2016, with gross container volumes growing by 2.5% on a reported basis, and up 1.2% on a like-for-like basis.
Compared to the first half of 2015, which saw throughput increased by 6.8 percent, the Port of Rotterdam handled 3 percent less cargo in the first six months of 2016, according to the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The most pronounced decrease could be observed in the dry bulk segment
The supply of ships into the fleet is a key determinant of vessel earnings across the shipping sectors, and world fleet growth is closely followed by everyone in the maritime industry, says Clarksons Research. In recent years the overall pace of growth of the world fleet appears to
With seaborne transportation accounting for the vast majority of the world’s international trade, the importance of the shipping industry to the mechanics of the world economy is generally fairly evident, says Clarksons Research.
French supplier of systems for marine transportation of liquified natural gas (LNG) Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) reported strong growth in its first half results on Thursday but cut its 2016 revenue outlook, blaming delays in the construction of some ships.
Finnish ship engine and power plant maker Wartsila reported weaker-than-expected quarterly profit and order intake on Wednesday. Wartsila cited tight competition in the energy markets and overcapacity of ships. However, the company repeated its full-year profitability outlook
Based on preliminary reporting from operating units, TGS management expects net revenues for the second quarter of 2016 to be approximately USD 114 million. Multi-client investments for the second quarter are expected to be approximately USD 62 million.


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The founder of Pottery Barn Cosmetics explains her position on the topic of medicinal cannabis in the July issue of ASR magazine. (Photo: Bess Adler/Asr)If Martha Stewart can walk on air, why can’t most Americans?
Martha Stewart also (wasn’t she) so adept at doing new things better than most of her fellow American’s.
That was definitely true for her cannabis use. Stewart spent two days last December traveling the United States in her “luxury double-decker,” having staff pour over the product possibilities.
Two days after landing in Philadelphia, Stewart and some makeup artist friends showed up at the New Hope Health Festival with a medical cannabis joint to try.“It had all the normal indulgences: whiskey, Hawaiian Style tea, and Vodka shots,” she told ASR magazine. “And it had also a bit of divine clarity, with its freshly wiped color.”
An estimated 20,000 people attended the festival, which was held in New Hope, Penn., and featured cannabis bars, medical marijuana dispensaries, tours of The Dispensary of Cannabis, and talking classes on the benefits of cannabis.
Stewart explained her withdrawal-seeking nature from the weighty topic of hemp, noting that she really had no problems reading up on it.“But I’m my own worst critic,” she said. “I don’t know that it’s really going to do me any good. I thought I might do something, but I didn’t know how — and it’s a story I don’t want to tell at my children’s benefit.”
Stewart actually sold her hemp products at the festival for $20. Most people were charging $80.
CBD Beauty Brands plans to roll out two popular products this year (Stewart says that she is only planning to follow one company so far) that have hemp as a base for their products.“I wanted to be able to dress people who already look this way. There’s no special sort of use for hemp.”
That certainly wasn’t the case for Stewart, who admits that, when she started her campaign against businesses that market marijuana as a cosmetic makeup, she got some donations from people who heard that she didn’t smoke pot.
Nevertheless, she’s happy with the product side of things.
“If you think you have a problem with cannabis, take that challenge — if you really want to support and serve a generation of people who, if it were on a line with Jocasta’s, would kill themselves, then you’re welcome,” she said.Despite this being the tenth time she’s experienced creativity from a non-crease topic, the businesswoman said that “the drugs are just really uninteresting to me now.”
Stewart goes on to say that with this material, she hopes it will open doors for people who don’t know much about the drug.“To get a little more exposure with the product I did,” she said, “I find it better to give people a peek behind the curtain. I don’t want to tell them they’re totally crazy, or just trying.”
Stewart is also interested in making products that ease pain. She has a plant-based cream that she makes in her kitchen.“I’ve thought about how it could be used to help people whose hands become numb to the touch,” she said. “And some of the treatments are more vaginal or painkilling.”


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Metering and Smart Energy Amy Ryan | September 2, 2015
Netherlands-based fabless semiconductor company GreenPeak Technologies has announced that it has delivered 100m ZigBee chips to the smart home market to date.
GreenPeak’s IEEE 802.15.4 certified ZigBee chips are integrated into numerous smart home applications such as set-top boxes (home entertainment) and gateways, remote controls, home monitoring devices for security, energy efficiency and lifestyle applications, according to a company statement.
Says Cees Links, CEO and founder of GreenPeak Technologies: “Currently, most homes have about ten wireless devices connected by WiFi.
“However, within a few years, we expect over 100 ZigBee or other IEEE 802.15.4 based connected devices in each home. This includes sensors, appliances and gateways used for monitoring and controlling the home environment for security, energy management and lifestyle applications.”
IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard that specifies the physical layer and media access control for low-rate wireless personal area networks (LR-WPANs).
The release states that many newly manufactured set up boxes and internet gateways already contain ZigBee connectivity – affording developers of smart home devices the opportunity to introduce new solutions that can be connected to household’s sensor network.
A set-up box or set-top unit is defined as an information appliance device that generally contains a TV-tuner input and displays output connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the source signal into content in a form that can then be displayed on the television screen or other display.
GreenPeak RF for connected home
GreenPeak Technologies claims to be a key contributor to developing the Wi-Fi wireless connectivity standard providing high speed Internet and network connections for the smart home.
According to the company, ZigBee is the the low power version of Wi-Fi and is “ideally suited for connecting sentrollers (sensors, actuators and controllers) to the internet.”
Mareca Hatler, director of Research at ON World, a US business intelligence company:“ZigBee is dominating the IEEE 802.15.4 ecosystem and is set to lead the Smart Home and Internet of Things (IoT) market.
“Annual shipments for IEEE 802.15.4 low power wireless chipsets doubled in 2014 and are on track to increase by 550% by 2020. ZigBee standards are expected to be used in 80% of the 802.15.4 annual chipset shipments.”


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The bargain hunter’s dream store will no longer have all items priced at $5 and below. Five Below is raising prices on certain items in the store including tech products and certain toys and games. The toys and games that are now priced above $5, they will be moved to a part of the store that is called “Ten Below Gift Shop” and the electronics over $5 will be moved to a section of the store called “Ten Below Tech.”
This is the first time since the brand opened in 2002 that it will have prices above $5. The store does not have any plans to changes its name now that all items will not be below $5. Most of the store’s items will still remain under $5.
Five Below is located at Columbus Park Crossing at 5550 Whittlesey Boulevard in Columbus, GA.


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Known for its brightly colored fumé dials, recognizable for their lack of logo, indie Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie, has made a name for itself by not using its name at all. The practice is a nod to early watchmaking tradition when, often, only the interior movement of a watch was signed.
In a new twist, the horological magicians are now erasing time with their latest drop. Created in partnership with Parisian artist Romaric Andre, alias seconde/seconde/, the new Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept X seconde/seconde/ has an hour hand in the shape of a pixelated rubber eraser. Yes, you read that right. Instead of a sleek, polished traditional hand, Andre and H. Moser & Cie CEO Edouard Meylan are nodding to a reality that Moser has played with frequently in the past. Mechanical watches, like rubber erasers, are nearly obsolete today, but they do make for wonderful pieces of nostalgia. In an era, when everyone tells time on their phone, why not erase time on the wrist?
“By adding a disruptive element, seconde/seconde/ flips the aesthetic, providing a welcome contrast whilst respecting the elegance inherent to this model, playing with the very concept of our dials without logo or indices,” said Meylan in a statement. Andre, meanwhile, dubbed the art form, the “hand swap,” and says it has become his signature. “The eraser, I see it as a banal everyday object which is taking power over the prestigious exceptional object,” he said in a statement.
Beneath the hood of the dial is the self-winding caliber HMC 200, entirely manufactured and created in-house, which can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback. Its regulating organ was conceived by Moser’s sister company, Precision Engineering AG.
Limited to just 20 pieces, it retails for $21,900, comes with an exclusive numbered work by seconde/seconde/ and will be available online-only starting today.
(And for the record, while it launched on April Fool’s Day, this watch is for real and is actually for sale.)


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Last month, the US blockaded imports of mimolette, a bright orange French
cheese that contains mites, over fears about “allergies”. A Facebook group
called Save the Mimolotte (tag line: "No to the Mimolette ban in the
US! Let us eat stinky cheese!”) currently has over 2,000 members.


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Activist investor17 Jul 2007
Lear rejects Icahnâ€™s $37.25 a share offer
The failure of financier Carl Icahn's effort to take over Lear in a deal that valued the auto-parts supplier at about $2.8bn (â‚¬2bn) marks a significant wager by investors that Detroit is about to turn the corner.
From the moment the deal between Icahn and company management was declared in February, some top shareholders criticised the offer as insufficient. The original $36-a-share offer in February was a slim 3.8% premium over the previous day's stock price. Last week, Icahn's investment vehicle raised its bid to $37.25, but that was not enough for disgruntled shareholders, who on Monday voted to reject the deal.
Icahn and Lear's management said the price was fair in light of the challenges facing suppliers and the chronic troubles of the big US auto makers.
Pzena Investment Management, the second-largest Lear shareholder with an 8.6% stake, opposed Icahn's bid, arguing Lear could be worth up to $60 a share. Two shareholder advisory firms, including Institutional Shareholder services - a unit of RiskMetrics Group - also recommended voting against the deal.
Icahn may be trying to ring up a showdown at Samsung also. Late last week, the Chosun Ilbo reported that the nationâ€™s largest conglomerate is trying to protect itself from the shareholder activist.
The newspaper quoted a company executive as saying that â€œforeign hedge fundsâ€? intend to buy a large stake in Samsung stock and Samsung had begun drawing up defensive measures. But the head of Samsung Electronicsâ€™ investor relations said the company is not aware of any pending takeover attempt.


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WASHINGTON — Transfixed by the daily spectacle of dismal economic news and wild Wall Street swings, few Americans have looked up to see what a wide array of economists say lies beyond the immediate crisis.
And with good reason: The picture isn't pretty.
The sleek racing machine that was the U.S. economy is unlikely to return any time soon despite the huge repair efforts now underway. Instead, it probably will continue to sputter and threaten to stall for years to come.
The prospects are so gloomy, according to a recent study, that unemployment may be slightly higher by the time President-elect Barack Obama's first term ends.
The damage done by plunging house and stock prices, the failure of other major economies to be independent sources of growth and hidden weaknesses in America's past performance have crippled nearly every actor in the nation's economic drama.
None -- save perhaps the government -- retains the power to push the economy back to speeds it regularly achieved during much of the last generation, economists say.
The result: An economy that once averaged 3% or better annual growth would be lucky to grow 2% a year during the entirety of the new president's term.
"That is going to feel like stagnation" to most people, said John Lonski, chief economist at Moody's Investors Service.
"We're in a post-bubble global recession, and post-bubble recessions are lethal for growth," Stephen S. Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, said from Beijing. "It will be a long time before the world experiences anything more than anemic recovery."
Obama and his economic aides seem to understand the painful prospects they face.
Obama misses no chance to temper hopes for a quick and complete comeback. A recently released study by Christina Romer, his nominee to chair the Council of Economic Advisors, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's chief economist, Jared Bernstein, concluded that, even with an $825-billion stimulus package, the unemployment rate at the end of Obama's first term would be one-half to one full percentage point above where it was before the start of the recession.
That would mean as many as 1.5 million additional jobless workers. And some independent economists say that number could be much higher.
What most worries analysts is not a cataclysm such as the Great Depression but the sort of economic morass into which Japan fell after its stock and real estate markets burst in the late 1980s and early '90s.
Daily life for most Japanese citizens wasn't terrible. There were few company shutdowns or mass layoffs. Indeed, the Japanese came to call their economic condition the "golden recession," said Simon Johnson, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
The problem was that the country simply didn't grow -- and that, economists worry, is what could happen in the U.S. and around the world.
"Four years from now, I suspect that we'll be pretty much where we are today," Johnson said. The question he predicts people will then ask: "Why can't we get growth going again?"
Four factors -- like the cylinders of an engine -- power an economy: consumers, investors, the government and a favorable balance of trade with other countries. And for many years, the most important of these has been the American consumer. U.S. households long have accounted for the lion's share of economic activity not only here but also in much of the rest of the world.
Although U.S. consumers constitute only about 4.5% of the global population, they bought more than $10 trillion worth of goods and services last year. By contrast, said Roach of Morgan Stanley Asia, Chinese and Indian consumers, who together account for 40% of global population, bought only $3 trillion worth.
In the last decade, a new generation of financial engineering -- complex deals involving home equity loans, subprime mortgages and other devices that provided easier access to credit -- seemed to make it safe for Americans to save less and consume more. That further expanded their share of global economic activity and made them even more indispensable here and abroad.
U.S. consumer spending shot up from a little over 73% of the economy to nearly 77% from 2001 to 2007, according to government statistics.
Initially, the expansion was heralded as evidence of economic vitality. But by now, it has become apparent that the growth was largely a debt-driven bubble -- and a double bubble at that, in housing and in personal consumption.
As the elaborate superstructure of easy credit began to pop rivets, consumers found themselves caught dangerously short. They have reacted by drastically cutting back on purchases, particularly those that are discretionary.
Retail sales in the last three months of 2008 plunged 7.7% compared with a year earlier, the government said last week, making it the worst sales quarter in more than 40 years.


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Realme GT 5G was official a while ago. The company announced that the GT Neo will also come with the Dimensity 1200 processor. Although not all the details about the Realme GT Neo have been announced yet, the launch date of the phone has been announced. The GT Neo will be unveiled on March 31st.
The device that appears in TENAA documents with the model number RMX3116 is thought to be the GT Neo. Here, the smartphone appears to have a curved 6.55-inch display. Android 11 operating system and 4400 mAh battery are among the features of the phone.
Realme’s “Dare to Leap” slogan is also seen on the back panel of the smartphone. There is a rectangular shaped camera island in the upper left corner of the panel. This camera island has three sensors and LED flash.
Realme GT Neo will be a device with 5G support. It is expected that new details about the smartphone will emerge until the release date.


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Launch48 Birmingham will be held on Friday the 16th to Sunday the 18th of March 2012 at Birmingham Science Park – block your diaries now!
Launch48 returns to Birmingham for the first time in over 12 months, and we are looking forward to it for a number of reasons:
- E4F is currently incubating over 20 companies in Birmingham
- Oxygen Accelerator ran in Birmingham and supported 9 new startups including Launch48′s Fashiny
- Over 98 mentors participated in Oxygen Accelerator increasing the amount of technology aware mentors in the city
- Birmingham Science Park has embraced the startup was and now has more tech startups than ever before
- Tech events like the LAUNCH gaming conference and other meetups have sprung up all over the city
In a nutshell, Birmingham has a lot to offer startups right now. So Launch48 is going to help create some new Birmingham startups!
- When Friday the 16th of March to Sunday 18th of March 2012. See the agenda for full details
- Where Birmingham Science Park Aston, Faraday Wharf, Holt Street, Birmingham, B7 4BB. See the directions for a map and accommodation
- Cost From £29.95 including drinks on Friday and drinks and pizza on Sunday. Purchase tickets now
Tickets start from £29.95 and can be purchased now.


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Microsoft revealed that it will be shutting down services of LinkedIn in China later this year.
In a blog post, LinkedIn senior vice president Mohak Shroff stated that “a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements” was the reason for shutting down the career-oriented social network platform.
In a statement, LinkedIn revealed that while it was successfully helping Chinese users to find job opportunities, it was unable to find some level of success in the social aspects like sharing and networking.
Microsoft’s decision to retire the localized Chinese version of LinkedIn comes amid the stringent regulatory requirements imposed on the platform for the past few months.
Chinese authorities are making the Chinese market a tough environment for the survival of Foreign as well as homegrown Chinese firms due to its policy of harvesting consumer data.
It has become another US-based tech giant to break its ties with China under the watchful eye of government censorship.
LinkedIn will comeback with a new chinese version
According to senior vice president, Mohak Shroff LinkedIn plans to launch a new app specially designed to suit the Chinese market. It will focus on the job posting only and will not have social networking features.
The Tech giant has been working on a freelance job board app named InJobs to be available in China. It will help create economic opportunities without having a social feed or a way to share posts or articles.
Several hints indicated its fate in China
According to Wall Street Journal, The Chinese regulators required Linkedin to adhere to r
regulations on its content.
Earlier this year regulators booked LinkedIn for not compiling to keep a check on the political content on the platform. The company was required to perform a self-evaluation and present a report. The government also forced LinkedIn to suspend its new sign-ups for about a month.
LinkedIn struggled to keep up with local Chinese competitors and to function in the curtailed freedom of expression. The firm also received backlash for blocking contents and profiles in compliance with Chinese regulators earlier this year
Linkedin started its operations in China in 2014 with a localized version that said that its shut down was to create value for users in China and across the world
Since its launch, the platform censored posts in accordance with Chinese regulatory laws. While the company said it strongly supports the freedom of expression, it acknowledged that this approach would facilitate a means of connecting professionals for economic opportunities.
China served as one of the biggest markets for the platform with over 54 million users after the US and India
The experiments of a foreign social networking platform in an authoritarian regime have reached their fate now.
China’s new data security laws give a hard punch to tech platforms
The new data security law requires companies such as Linkedin to store more data on local users within china and provide access to the Chinese government. These new rules have also affected some of china’s top companies including Alibaba and Didi.
The operating environment for U.S tech companies is increasingly becoming more challenging than what already is.
The platform also suffered due to the growing bitterness between the U.S-China relationship
The ‘Great Firewall’ of China led to the sunset of LinkedIn
Beijing tightened regulatory shackles on tech firms since the last year. It has now led to the sunset of Microsoft’s LinkedIn seven years after its launch.
Internet in China is heavily controlled by the government. It banned signal and clubhouse earlier this year. While popular apps like Facebook and Twitter remain ban for a decade now.
China’s internet operates behind the system of censorship and controls known as the great firewall. It is the disruptor of all social media platforms. In this way, the Chinese government controls, restrict, and delete content that stands as a threat to its propaganda.
Sensitive topics are constantly watched over. The authorisation government keeps shifting their laws and regulations
This crackdown shows how private tech firms domestically or from foreign countries suffocates under the political situation in China
It is yet not revealed what will be the fate of Chinese user accounts on LinkedIn. Previous cases of shut down indicate that the government might block its access completely.
It marks the dismal of the last US social network service operating in China.


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A bevy of data shows an uptick in conversions from paid search advertising, but with an increase in returns expected from online sales across desktop and mobile, what will it cost campaigns and advertisers?
Overall, the average cost per click for paid search advertising rose 1.56% between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in 2016 compared with the same time period in 2015. Impressions rose 35.7% and conversions, 18.63%, and the average order value fell by 5.4%, respectively.
Search marketing company NetElixir analyzed aggregate holiday traffic data of more than 90 million visits across food & gourmet, consumer electronics, apparel, and gifting market segments from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Day. The search marketing data comes from Adwords, Bing and Yahoo Gemini platforms, while sales data was pulled directly from ecommerce Web sites.
NetElixir also segmented the U.S. into regions for its 2016 Holiday Season: By the Numbers report. The South showed the highest increase in online orders during the 2016 holiday season at 19.9% compared with 2015, followed by the Western states with 9.5%, Central U.S. at 6.5%, and the Northeast at 5.8%.
Across the board, the most popular time of day to buy was during the afternoon hours between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., followed by the morning hours between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. The same time-of-day statistics also applied to impressions and clicks.
The report also shows ecommerce rose 10.43% during the holiday season, compared with 2015. Purchases on mobile devices surpassed 30% in 2016.
Mobile share of visits to Webs sites grew 54% compared with 2015, and sales jumped more than 30%, according to NetElixir.
And all this may seem rosy on the service, but will the jump in ecommerce cost retailers? eMarketer points to data from retail consulting firm Conlumino, which shows that total holiday sales rose 3.8% to $196.1 billion led by a 17.1% jump in online spending, but the expectation of consumers for cheap and free shipping became a "damper" on margins.
In late December, United Parcel Service said it expects returns for record ecommerce sales. UPS expects consumers will return more than 5.8 million packages in the first full week of January.