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Costa Cruises has announced that the first of its two new build LNG-powered cruise ships, which is due to launch in October 2019, will be named Costa Smeralda. The second ship will follow in 2021.
The steel cutting for the first of the two new ships, Costa Smeralda took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on 13 September 2017.
Thomson Cruises has announced that Thomson Spirit will continue sailing with the cruise line for another year, due to popular customer demand, according to the cruise line.
Thomson Spirit will cruise from Palma De Mallorca in April 2018 and Malaga from May 2018. Cruises will visit the Mediterranean, visiting ports of call such as Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Tarragona, Mahon and Roses.
Thomson Cruises has announced that its next new cruise ship is to be named TUI Explorer. The ship will join the fleet in May 2018 and will operate cruises from Palma de Mallorca.
The 1,924-passenger TUI Explorer was originally launched in 1996 as Celebrity Galaxy. Currently the vessel is known as Mein Schiff 1.
Princess Cruises has taken delivery of its latest new build cruise ship, the 143,600 gross tonne Majestic Princess. The new cruise ship has been under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy and was delivery to Princess Cruises on 30 March 2017.
Majestic Princess is the first cruise ship which Princess Cruises have specifically designed from the Chinese cruise market. The 3,560-passenger ship is the third in the cruise line’s Royal-Class of ships and sister to Royal Princess and Regal Princess.
Royal Caribbean International has officially announced the name of its fourth Oasis-class cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, following months of speculations.
Symphony of the Seas is due to launch in April 2018 and Royal Caribbean have announced cruise itineraries for the new ship, which are now available to book.
Royal Caribbean International is to announce details about the 2018 – 2019 deployment for its fleet, which currently consists of 25 cruise ships, with an additional six new build cruise ships due to launch between 2018 and 2024.
The deployment of the Royal Caribbean International’s ships is expected to be announced in phases throughout March 2017 and April 2017. The opening scheduled for 2018 – 2019 deployment is as follows:
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced the deployment of its fleet of four ultra-luxury cruise ships, for 2018 and early 2019, offering a total of 113 different cruise itineraries. The ultra-luxury cruise ships will visit a total of 28 maiden ports of call.
Jason Montague, President and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, said: “We’ve created a highly impressive array of voyages worldwide that will delight and awe our guests. For the intrepid traveler, we also introduced a new Grand Voyage that delves into the Northern Atlantic and Arctic Circle, as well as our 13th annual World Cruise. There is no better inclusive-luxury experience than Regent and we look forward to sharing the world with our guests.”
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that its latest new cruise ship, Carnival Horizon, will offer cruises from Barcelona, New York and Miami during its maiden season next year.
The 133,500 gross tonne cruise ship will depart on its maiden voyage from Barcelona on 02 April 2018 and cruise the Mediterranean. Unlike her sister ship the Carnival Vista, the newer ship will offer just four cruises from Barcelona. The ship will then cross the Atlantic Ocean to New York in May 2018.
The new ultra-luxury cruise ship, Seabourn Ovation which is due to launch in April 2018, will spend her debut season cruising the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Seabourn has announced that the maiden voyage of the new 40,350 gross tonne ship will depart Venice on 05 May 2018. The 35-day cruise will visit 27 ports of call, including Dubrovnik, Valletta, Barcelona and the Isles of Scilly and Dartmouth in the United Kingdom. The cruise will end in Amsterdam.
AIDA Cruises has announced that its newest cruise ship, the AIDAperla will be launching two months earlier than planned and will arrive in the Western Mediterranean in July 2017.
The 124,700 gross tonne ship will arrive in Palma de Mallorca on 01 July 2017 and offer seven-night cruises, visiting Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Corsica and Livorno.


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DIRECTV Now lacks DVR feature
AT&T’s (T) DIRECTV Now over-the-top (or OTT) service is a new video streaming service that was launched in November 2016 and features over 100 channels. AT&T penetrated this market, which includes Verizon’s (VZ) OTT offering, go90. DIRECTV Now currently lacks a cloud DVR (digital video recorder) feature and only offers a limited ability to pause live TV, which is viewed as a major flaw.
The cloud DVR service allows viewers to record shows and store them for when they want to view them. This service is currently available on Sling TV from Dish Network (DISH) and PlayStation Vue from Sony (SNE). It’s expected that this feature will be available on DIRECTV Now in 2017.
Rising trend of online television services
As the popularity of streaming services such as Netflix (NFLX) grows, viewers are watching more and more content online, because it’s cheaper. A cable bill could be ~$100 or more per month, while a basic Netflix plan costs only ~$8 per month.
According to Digitalsmith’s 2Q16 video trends report, and as the chart above shows, Netflix leads the OTT market with a share of ~54%, followed by Amazon (AMZN) with 24%. Hulu, Time Warner’s (TWX) HBO Now, and Shomi are smaller players in the market. However, given Hulu’s proposed online television service, the streaming market could be poised for an upheaval.
DIRECTV Now versus peers
Comcast (CMCSA) believes that it’s always been prepared to meet the rising competition in the video business via product offerings based on market segmentation and content investment, including its acquisitions of stacking rights and TV Everywhere rights. As a result, Comcast doesn’t view DIRECTV Now as a threat.
Dish has also stated that it views the DIRECTV Now service as a “bigger bundle” targeted toward traditional pay-TV subscribers. In contrast, Dish’s Sling TV is more of a skinny bundle that gives flexibility to its subscribers.

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MGA Liquid spillage Details on Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Sandbox Perspective during Initial Delta Summit
‘The MGA’s tactical mission shall be at the forefront of gaming regulation even though embracing innovation’, says freshly appointed MGA Chief Executive Officer Heathcliff Farrugia
The very Malta Video games Authority revealed today specifics of its a short while ago introduced Sandbox Framework in the acceptance and even broader usage of Digital Financial Property and Online Tokens (cryptocurrencies) and Revolutionary Technology Agreements (ITAs) contained in the island country’s strategy to start working as a leading blockchain and personal currency hub.
The local gaming regulator get rid of new specifics about its updated approach to cryptocurrencies as well as technology turning those throughout the inaugural version of Delta Summit . The brand-new conference is currently taking place for the Intercontinental World Conference Heart in Port st lucie. Julian’s, Fango and is going to promote blockchain technology and various technology designs that can be correctly implemented inside the gambling as well as financial areas.
The MGA said in a press star cruise virgo casino release on its public website the fact that its Sandbox Framework, which was approved by Maltese lawmakers previous this year, is going to roll in two development. The first stage will begin about January just one, 2019 and can involve the particular regulatory body accepting applications for the use of DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) assets (that is Electronic Financial Assets and Electronic Tokens) as the payment system.


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Vecima Broadens Deployment of New TC600E and TransQAM Platforms
VICTORIA – (August 24, 2015) – Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX:VCM), an experienced designer and manufacturer of innovative technology in the broadband equipment market, today announced that deployment of its newly introduced TC600E and TransQAM Platforms is proceeding at a rapid pace. Both new platforms incorporate support for state-of-the-art MPEG-4 HD video, which provides a 30%-to-50% savings in network capacity requirements to support operators’ video offerings. Additionally, the TransQAM offers MPEG-4 to MPEG-2 transcoding, an important function that lets hospitality operators take advantage of MPEG-4 capabilities without having to replace their existing, widely deployed base of MPEG-2 only televisions. Since April of 2015, Vecima has shipped and received more than $7.3 million of orders for these two products.
“We are delighted with the rapid market acceptance of our newer platforms. Wide adoption by leading MSOs, including significant deployments into new tier 1 MSO customers, highlights the value Vecima’s innovative platforms provide to cable operators in the commercial services sector,” said Sumit Kumar, Vecima’s President and CEO. “Vecima’s Terrace and Terrace QAM product families continue to stand as market-leading solutions for all-digital conversion and hospitality high-definition video respectively.”
Using the TC600E or TransQAM, cable operators can continue to support and enhance their commercial video businesses while freeing up valuable network capacity for additional revenue generating services.
About Vecima Networks
Vecima Networks Inc. (TSX:VCM) designs, manufactures and sells products that enable broadband access to cable, wireless and telephony networks. Vecima’s hardware products incorporate original embedded software to meet the complex requirements of next-generation, high-speed digital networks. Service providers use Vecima’s solutions to deliver services to a converging worldwide broadband market, including what are commonly known as “triple play” (voice, video and data) and “quadruple play” (voice, video, data and wireless) services. Vecima’s solutions allow service providers to rapidly and cost-effectively bridge the final network segment that connects the system directly to end-users, commonly referred to as “the last mile”, by overcoming the bottleneck resulting from insufficient carrying capacity in legacy, last mile infrastructures. Vecima’s products are directed at two principal markets: Converged Wired Solutions and Broadband Wireless. The Company has also developed and continues to focus on developing products to address emerging markets such as Voice over Internet Protocol, fibre to the home and IP video. More information is available at our website at www.vecima.com.
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The near-constant lines outside L.A.’s gun stores were early indicators of a trend, but now the numbers confirm that Californians have caught firearm fever.
Nationwide, the FBI reports that the number of background checks initiated for gun purchases in the third week of March set a one-week record totaling 3.7 million—the highest national monthly number since 1998, when President Clinton permanently banned more than 50 types of firearms labeled “assault rifles” from being imported into the U.S.
And that frantic desire for firepower is reaching a fever pitch in California, ABC 7 reports.
With 164,000 people registering for background checks to buy a gun in March, that’s a 72 percent increase from February, and a 34 percent hike from March 2019. This is California’s highest number of potential new gun buyers in three years, and the among the 20 highest months in two decades.
Last week, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that his department would be shuttering Los Angeles gun shops as non-essential, saying, “That is not a license, then, for everyone to do a panic gun buy and [rush] to stores, which is now what we’re seeing. That violates the whole issue of social distancing, and it’s creating its own attractive nuisance.”
Later he reversed course, saying in a statement that, after reviewing federal guidelines, the shops are, in fact, essential services and will remain open for business.
— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) March 31, 2020
“Based on this further input from the federal government, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will not order or recommend closure of businesses that sell or repair firearms or sell ammunition.”
Stay on top of the latest in L.A. food and culture. Sign up for our newsletters today.


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TIAA will promote one of its own to chair its expanded bank after it buys EverBank Financial in Jacksonville, Fla.
Kathie Andrade is currently chief executive of TIAA's retail financial services business. She will keep that title after the bank deal closes.
TIAA will also promote Blake Wilson, president and chief operating officer at the $27 billion-asset EverBank, to president and CEO of the new bank.
Robert Clements will retire as EverBank's chairman and CEO, though he will join the new bank's board. Clements has been EverBank's chairman and CEO since 1997.
TIAA, a not-for-profit provider of retirement services and insurance, announced last month that it had agreed to buy EverBank for $2.5 billion in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year.


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The 2017 Norwegian International Boat Show will host a press conference tomorrow night at 19:00 CET.
There will be some exciting racing announcements for 2017, perhaps the highlight of those, will be news of a brand new team from Asia, which plans to compete in the UIM F4 World Championship this season.
As yet, I have only been ‘teased’ with scant information about this exciting new prospect in powerboat racing.
I look forward to reporting from the press conference tomorrow evening, where I am assured, everything will be revealed!
The Norwegian International Boat Show 2017
Messeveien 8 2004


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Nov 20, 2020 10:48 AM EST
Seasoned breeding families were stunned following a Chinese buyer who bought a female pigeon for a whopping $1.9 milling at an auction.
The best pigeon racing in the world is Belgian-bred pigeons. Still, breeding families were shaken after an anonymous Chineses buyer bought a female pigeon named New Kim at auction on Sunday.
During the two-week auction, bids on New Kim had reached $1.5 million, but the bidding war broke out at the last minute between the two Chinese bidders that led the bird to beat the all-time high price for a pigeon, as per the AP News.
According to Reuters, New Kim is a two-year-old pigeon retired from racing after being recognized as Belgium's best young pigeon. The pigeon was bred and owned by Gaston Van de Wouwer, a retired pigeon breed in Belgium, as per the AP News.
New Kim's exorbitant price shocked the family, Kurt Van de Wouwer, Gaston's relative, told Reuters. Van de Wouwer's nearly 450 pigeons were featured in the auction. In total, Wouwer collectively fetched almost $5.8 million with buying slated to end on Monday, as per AP.
Pigeon racing was once one of the country's top interests and has faded in Belgium since the mid-twentieth century, Forbes reported.
The Belgian pigeon federation has 18,000 members, which dropped from the over 250,000 registered best pigeon breeders on earth and captured Chinese buyers' attention.
New opportunities for recreational spending in the country and pigeon racing were opened up as China's economy rose.
Pigeon racing emerged as a famous gambling sport with five-digit winnings, as per AP News. Before New Kim's sale on Sunday, the previous record was a male named Armando, also a Belgian pigeon who had almost $1.5 million last year.
It began as a working-class sport after World War One, as per Business Insider. Pigeons helped carry urgent messages and medication during the war. After the war, their races became people's leisure activity.
In recent years, the sport rose in popularity and prestige in China. Millions of money were spent by bidders for the pigeons, specifically from Belgium, where breeders specialize in pigeons for several generations. Pigeons' price pots could be in millions, Niels Cuelenaere, a project manager at Pipa, confirmed.
Besides, the birds have become something of a status symbol for people who rule the racing roost. In 2019, deputy general-secretary of the Beijing Changping District Racing Pigeons Association, Sun Yan, told CNN's Karoline Kan that China had been the "hottest" place for pigeon racing. There are about 100,000 pigeon breeders in Beijing along, as per Sun Yan.
Sun told CNN, "Beijing's pigeon races are the most professional ones in China." He added that if Europe is "the birthplace" of the modern iteration of sport, China becomes the hottest place for pigeons, with impressive money flowing in. "With money, nothing is impossible."
"Pigeon fanciers," in Chinese have around one million, and their numbers keep growing, said Cuelenaere. He cited the sport's appeal in China that its competitiveness and the opportunities it gives for gambling.
Journalists love their jobs because they get to interact with people from all sorts of backgrounds and expertises, then turn around and share their knowledge with the world.
As the metaverse takes over more of our digital lives, the commoditization of all aspects of our virtual beings becomes more and more of a reality.
Rustam Gilfanov is a famous IT businessman, a founder of a large IT company, and a partner of the LongeVC Fund.
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general guarantee some amazing profits if invested correctly.
In the currency trading business, many individuals make mistakes. Since most individuals join this profession with too much excitement, they forget about efficient strategies. Instead of controlling their investment and execution process, most individuals make poor choices for trading.
In today's digital world, more and more people are investing in cryptocurrencies. These digital tokens have exploded into popularity over the past few years, and have grown to the point that there are now nearly over 6,000 of them, according to Statista.
Following the pandemic, natural calamities, and major employment shifts, a startling new study on the online news site News Nation shows that 1 in 4 Americans don't have an emergency fund.
Generational wealth is a facet of wealth management that is often misunderstood. Labeled trust fund babies, rich kids, and lucky breaks, those who receive an inheritance from families are rare.
Social media has successfully made it to the mainstream consciousness of over half the global population. DataReportal's latest study shows that over 4.33 billion people worldwide are using some form of social networking site this year. That's why it's no wonder many tech companies are interested in investing or forming the next Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube to capture the hearts and minds of the general population.
Ease of access, freedom to choose in which to invest the money and lines of credit designed according to the needs of consumers, are some of the characteristics that have made consumer credit one of the most important financing products in the world’s market.


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Redlands’ Hangar 24 Craft Brewery will celebrate its barrel-aged brews during its second annual Pugachev’s Barrel-Aged Beer Festival on Saturday (December 7).
You can call it the Pugafest for short.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the brewery. However, those who have achieved bronze level or higher in the brewery’s Frequent Flyer loyalty program can begin sampling at 10 a.m.
Cost is $25 for eight samples. Beer lovers will have 24 different barrel-aged beers from which to choose.
Every vintage of the Barrel Roll series will be available, along with a few “remixed” versions:
- 2010 Immelmann
- 2012 Immelmann Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Immelmann
- 2013 Immelmann Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Immelmann Wheat Whiskey Barrel
- 2011 Humpty Bump
- 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra
- 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra
- 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra
- 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra Wheat Whiskey Barrel
- 2012 Hammerhead
- 2013 Hammerhead
- 2013 Hammerhead Brandy Barrel
- 2012 Chandelle
- 2013 Slow Roll
- 2013 Tailslide
- 2012 Fourth Anniversary Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Gourdgeous Bourbon Barrel
- 2013 Gourdgeous/Hammerhead Bourbon Barrel Blend
- 2013 Vinaceous Brandy Barrel
- 2012 Warmer Rye Whiskey Barrel
- 2013 Warmer Rye Whiskey Barrel
That day, the brewery will also be releasing this year’s edition of Pugachev’s Cobra, its Russian Imperial Stout aged eight months in bourbon barrels, as well as Pugachev Royale, which is Pugachev’s Cobra with added cacao nibs and vanilla beans, aged an additional 10 months in brandy barrels.
Only around 400 bottles of Pugachev’s Royale were produced.
A 750mL bottle of Pugachev’s Cobra will cost $20 (limit six), while a 330mL bottle of Pugachev Royale will cost $15 (limit one).
The tasting room will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight for purchases of Pugachev’s Cobra, Pugachev Royale and all regular beer purchases.
Three bands (Claremont Voodoo Society, Hobo Jazz, My Own Holiday) will entertain and Slater’s 50/50 will be serving up a selection of decadent burgers from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hangar 24 Craft Brewery is at 1710 Sessums Drive.
For more information, click here.


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The new Skoda Octavia is due to debut at 2013 Geneva Motor Show scheduled for March 2013, however the upcoming model was recently caught and photographed in an undisguised appearance as it took part in a promotional photo shoot at Santiago, Chile. Immediately recognizable as a design inspired by Skoda VisionD concept car seen at 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the vehicle is expect to sit on Golf underpinnings and Volkswagen Group new MQB modular platform. The upcoming Skoda Octavia is also expected to share same four cylinder petrol and diesel engines seen on VW Golf and other Volkswagen vehicles.
Volkswagen Group is also concentrating their wholehearted efforts on Chinese markets. The company will be enhancing export operations to China in the coming year. The Group plans on two viable channels to increase their presence in the country. One will be through their own exclusive showrooms or through existing dealerships and joint venture Shanghai Volkswagen.
Currently all three Skoda models Fabia, Octavia compact and Superbmid sedan produced by Volkswagen and SAIC Motor Corp are doing well in Chinese markets which has recently emerged as a major sector for the brand just five years after commencing local production. Sales of these three models far exceeded 200,000 units during the period January to October 2012 in China which the company hopes to increase to 500,000 by 2016.


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A number of the most outstanding organizations within the gold trade have joined forces to launch a brand new “integrity program” that makes use of blockchain expertise for provide chain administration — a transfer that’s meant to assist market individuals confirm the authenticity of their bullion.
London Bullion Market Affiliation (LBMA) and the World Gold Council (WGC) announced Monday that they’re collaborating to develop an “worldwide system of gold bar integrity, chain of custody and provenance” that’s primarily based on blockchain expertise developed by firms aXedras and Peer Ledger. The ledger can be used to register and monitor gold bars at every stage of the manufacturing and distribution cycle, together with mining, vaulting and buy by jewellery producers.
The so-called Gold Bar Integrity Programme is being supported by organizations equivalent to CME Group, Metalor, Barrick Gold, Brinks, Royal Canadian Mint, Newcrest Mining, Hummingbird Assets, Argos Heraeus SA, Asahi, Aura Minerals, Perth Mint and others.
Initially developed as a pilot, this system will ultimately be promoted to be used throughout the gold trade, LBMA and WGC mentioned.
Provide chain administration is cited as some of the promising use instances of blockchain expertise. As Cointelegraph reported, greater than half of the businesses added to Forbes’ 2021 Blockchain 50 listing have been enterprises actively utilizing distributed ledger expertise to solve their supply chain and logistics issues. In April 2021, American defense contractor Lockheed Martin mentioned it was utilizing blockchain expertise for provide chain administration in Switzerland.
Our CEO David Tait and LBMA CEO Ruth Crowell as we speak announce the launch of a brand new Gold Bar Integrity Programme. Along with @lbmaexecutive, we are going to develop and implement a global system of gold bar integrity, chain of custody and provenance: https://t.co/jcZ6V1wYLB pic.twitter.com/x7klqZ8WTL
— World Gold Council (@GOLDCOUNCIL) March 28, 2022
Associated: How can the Metaverse help the food industry?
Points equivalent to unlawful mining, laundered gold, faux bullion bars and human rights abuses have made the gold trade particularly weak to produce chain opacity. In 2020, the Group for Financial Cooperation and Improvement launched a report that gives steering on how gold producers might keep away from contributing to “severe abuses” within the mining and manufacturing course of.


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Mexican Beef is Quality and Excellence for the Dining Experience.
The Mexican Beef Exporter Association is launching a series of seminars to promote its beef products to restaurants and hotels. The first seminar will take place on January 22nd at the Hilton in Universal City, CA.
The seminar will include a presentation on the Mexican beef production, Chef Roberto Berrelleza and a tasting. Rogelio Perez, will highlight the value of Mexican beef and how to expand the eating experience and maximize yield and profits. Chef Berrelleza will speak on the various cuts of meat and to incorporate the beef into a variety of dishes. The new part to this seminar will be the tasting where attendees will have the opportunity to tastes three different dishes: Rib-Eye Steak, Roast Beef and Fajitas.
“We want our customers to feel confident about including Mexican Beef in their dishes – great taste, texture, color and tenderness. All of the attendees will learn and see why Mexican Beef is the best choice when looking for quality beef”, says Rogelio Perez.
The 11 brands which make up the Mexican Beef is Arias, Don Fileto, Karnika,Bona Carne, Don Saul Carne, Praderas Huastecas, Santa Cecilia, Gusi Carne, CarSon, Carne ViBa and Ganaderia Revuelta.
The seminar will be held on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Hilton Los Angeles - Universal City - 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608.
Mexican Beef Exporters Association (Mexican Beef), a nonprofit association comprised of Mexican companies focused on beef exports. It was founded by the Mexican Beef Feedlotters Association which is comprised of beef producers primarily in Northern and Central Mexico.


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ANN ARBOR – Andrew Stevick had a humble start with a food cart in downtown Ann Arbor, but he’s brought his principled approach to eclectic cuisines to Loomi Cafe - the counter-serve space he opened in Kerrytown Market and Shops in 2019.
Stevick’s Palestinian heritage brought a Middle Eastern influence, and his experience working in South American restaurants on the East Coast lends a separate spicy flair that serves to complement the savory flavors associated with Middle Eastern dishes like lahm bi ajeen - a type of Lebanese meat pie.
He drew from the success of his Tandoori oven food cart to serve up affordable, hand-held dishes with international street food inspiration at a reasonable price.
Those quick and affordable meals make up the restaurant’s “doughs” menu, including Salvadorean-style pupusa, Indian paratha flatbread, man’ouche with imported Za’atar and the restaurant’s signature “cheesy pockets,” each stuffed or topped with a rotating ingredient. Customers can also choose from a list of straightforward lunch items including a burger, wings, fried lamb rib and fava beans, each around the $8 mark. That element of affordability was an important consideration for Stevick.
“We’ve tried to keep our price point pretty decent - I’d much rather have someone able to come here three times a week,” he said. “You get a small fattoush and a pupusa for $9, you can do that three times a week.”
For a bigger meal, customers can order from a menu of fully-composed entrees paired with a sauce, salad and their choice of rice, a fresh roll or potatoes. On any given week, the restaurant serves up some form of chicken, pork, beef, lamb, seafood and one or more vegetarian dishes. Many of his ingredients are sourced from local farmers at the market, and his Middle Eastern spices come from importers in nearby Dearborn.
“When I was in Rhode island, you’d go to a Dominican restaurant and the whole thing was in Spanish - you didn’t know how to figure it out,” he said. “Then eventually over a couple of months you got over your fear and you figured it out, and it was a very special place for you, and that’s what this is… we kind of create this experience for people to be, like, a little bit more of a part of it as opposed to ordering online.”
For the time being, Loomi will continue to be to-go only, with the dining space that once sat 35 serving as a waiting area for carryout orders, which customers are encouraged to place in-person to keep up with the rotating menu. Stevick says the restaurant closed voluntarily for five weeks in the early days of the pandemic to limit the staff’s exposure to COVID-19 in the tight confines of Kerrytown market’s hallways.
Although he says he could technically open for in-person dining if he seated customers in the waiting area, Stevick says he would rather not force customers to stand in line in the heavily-trafficked areas surrounding the restaurant. He’s even had to remove the diner-style seating that he purchased at auction and reupholstered himself.
Loomi Cafe, 407 N. Fifth Ave. inside Kerrytown Market and Shops, is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
More Washtenaw County local eats:


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The New Taiwan dollar has risen in value by 7 percent so far this year, sparking concerns the appreciation will impact upon Taiwan’s exporters. Hiwin Technologies Corp chairman Eric Chuo has called on the central bank to eliminate the interference of inflows and outflows of hot money, saying that rises and falls in the value of a country’s currency should be governed by the degree to which it is competitive.
At the company’s investors’ conference on Wednesday last week, while discussing the NT dollar, Chuo noted that the exchange rate has an impact upon import and export companies, adding that 80 percent of Hiwin Technologies’ sales come from exports, which means that the company’s profit is affected by exchange rate fluctuations.
Chuo also said Taiwanese industries need to upgrade and improve the added-value of their products in order to cushion the effect of currency fluctuations.
Given the current situation with hot money flows affecting the exchange rate, the central bank should stabilize the exchange rate by eliminating factors which cause inflows and outflows of hot money. While Chuo said he can appreciate the government’s predicament, he noted that the situation is different in Taiwan from that of the US since hot money does not have a significant impact on the US economy.
Source Article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2017/05/16/2003670644


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December 26, 2007
LogMeIn raises a $10,000,000 series C round from Intel Capital.
3TS Capital Partners
Eric Van Der Maten
Documentaries, videos and podcasts
May 10, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Video Conferencing Market by Component (Hardware, Solutions, and Services), Application (Corporate...
May 5, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- Genesys®, a global leader in cloud customer experience and contact center solutions, has completed its acquisition of Bold360 from LogMeIn,...
CherryRoad Technologies Inc.
April 29, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- CherryRoad Technologies Inc., a leading integrator of public sector software and digital technology solutions and a partner of LogMeIn has...
January 14, 2021
Working from home is more common than ever, and people need remote desktop software. Here are the best options for everyone from office workers to IT staff.
April 29, 2020
Several vendors, including Microsoft, Google, Slack, Zoom, Cisco and LogMeIn, are making chat, videoconferencing and other collaboration services free as demand for remote working booms.
April 27, 2020
For many companies, the recent pandemic has put fresh perspective on the need for continuity planning.
April 27, 2020
There are several obstacles to overcome, as companies prepare for the new normal of a distributed workforce.
Mark Strassman, Senior Vice President and General Manager
April 7, 2020
For many employees, remote work has been a significant transition, necessitating the need for good communication.
April 4, 2020
The world's largest remote working experiment is set to have an enduring impact on the way we work.
March 29, 2020
The Economic Times
Imagine sitting in your room, wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset and getting the feel of walking into a conference, or an expo, or watching a product demo. This isnt science fiction as the Covid-19 outbreak grounds millions of people worldwide.
December 17, 2019
LogMeIn announced this morning that it has agreed to be sold for $4.3 billion to affiliates of Francisco Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, the private equity affiliate of Elliott Management Corporation. The purchase price comes out to $86.05 per share in an all-cash deal. The company had a 52-week high of $96.87 per share [...]


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Vertically Integrated Capabilities to Drive Healthcare Manufacturer Success Worldwide
GERMANTOWN, WI (August 4, 2021) – With an accelerated focus on vertically integrating its tooling, molding and automation capabilities through cross-functional collaboration and a single source of accountability, MGS is positioned to do all it can to drive customer success in a healthcare market earmarked by complexity, uncertainty and speed. The company will be sharing more about its unique ability to drive this success at the upcoming MD&M West conference in Anaheim, CA (August 10-12).
A contract manufacturing partner to more than 50 of the world’s leading healthcare and pharmaceutical providers, MGS has made several recent bold moves to help companies de-risk the supply chain, innovate more quickly and speed the delivery of complex components across the globe.
According to Paul Manley, MGS President & CEO, “Through the pandemic, our customers reaped the benefit of what we have known for a long time is MGS’ single greatest differentiation: the ability to integrate our capabilities to design, execute and ramp up production quickly. Producing millions of COVID-19 test kit components in just 12 weeks would not have been possible without tapping the experience and cross-functional expertise inside the company.”
To accelerate customer adoption of these competencies globally, the company has recently taken several steps to equip customers with the capabilities and experience they need. Visitors to MGS booth #3059 will gain insights into:
The recently formed iMGS business (integrated MGS) which provides customers with a single source of supply and accountability across its tooling, molding and automation businesses. The iMGS business is part of MGS’ Healthcare Center of Excellence located in Germantown, WI.
The acquisition of Formteknik, a European-based manufacturer of innovative tooling solutions with locations in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Formteknik, in partnership with MGS Ireland, accelerates MGS’ ability to expand its vertically-integrated healthcare delivery model across Europe and other parts of the world.
The recently created position Chief Technology Officer & Senior Vice President of Automation, held by Shawn Krenke, who oversees the company’s iMGS and automation businesses. The new role is designed to accelerate innovation and the delivery of global technology-driven solutions.
MGS now employs more than 1,500 employees with 17 facilities globally.Both Paul Manley and Bob Bordignon, Senior Vice President of Global Sales, will be available at MDM West for interviews.
As a proven single-source of manufacturing expertise and accountability – in tooling, molding, and automation equipment technology – MGS knows how to deliver custom, integrated solutions that drive business performance and growth. MGS controls more of the supply chain in-house, minimizing risk, maximizing resources, and delivering better performance at every phase of every job.


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Surat is the main textile city of Gujarat and recently the textile traders are facing problem due to the road construction undertaken by the municipal corporation leading to traffic congestion and encroachments. The Federation of Surat Textile Traders' Association (FOSTTA), the apex body of textile traders having more than 15,000 members, has written to chief minister Narendra Modi threatening to launch an agitation against the indifferent attitude of Surat Municipal Corporation in solving the issues faced by the trader community.
FOSTTA office-bearers said that they had sent as many as 22 applications with regard to traffic, road construction and encroachments to the municipal corporation in the last one year, but the civic body is yet to act on a single complaint.
Meanwhile, FOSTTA has decided to control the traffic problems in the market area by deploying its own 'traffic brigade' personnel. It has posted four persons at Moti Begumwadi and plan to increase their numbers to 200 in the coming few months.
FOSTTA president Sanjay Jagnani said that the textile traders have a daily turnover of Rs 110 crore. They pay VAT, excise duty, municipal and state government taxes. They have a right to demand infrastructural and other facilities. Thus, they have decided to launch an agitation against the municipal corporation.
If their demands are not met then the textile traders have cooperatively decided not to pay property tax to the civic body.
There are over 150 textile markets in the city housing more than 65,000 shops.
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


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Aleph Farms’ latest $105m funding round was led by consumer-focused private equity firm L Catteron and DisruptAD. It saw participation from Skyviews Life sciences and a consortium of conventional meat companies, including Thai Union, BRF and CJ CheilJedang. Existing investors VisVires New Protein, Strauss Group, Cargill, Peregrine Ventures and CPT Capital also took part.
Speaking to FoodNavigator, Aleph co-founder and CEO Didier Toubia said that the cash will be used to support the lab meat maker’s ‘large-scale global commercialisation’ plans, with an initial market launch target of 2022.
Near-term plans include scaling up manufacturing, he continued. “We are transitioning our first product to pilot production and foresee that our first pilot production facility will be operational in early 2022,” Toubia said.
Pilot capacity will provide a foundation from which to build increased volumes, he continued. “In the mid-long term, we expect to produce thousands of tons of meat per year.”
Extending into other protein platforms
Aleph currently produces thin-cut cultivated beef steaks. Funding will also be used to expand its portfolio into new proteins, the group indicated.
“Why is our first product a steak? We have a versatile production platform that enables us to produce meat from any species. Our first product is a steak and we will expand our portfolio of products to include cultivated lamb, chicken and pork,” Toubia told us.
The company decided to initially focus on steak for two reasons. Firstly, the desire to create a ‘quality products’ and, secondly, the ambition to maximise impact on the transition to a sustainable food system.
“Conventional beef involves the most resource-intensive production methods compared to other meat products and has the highest carbon footprint,” the food innovator elaborated.
An ‘inclusive’ approach to sustainable meat
Expanding its portfolio is, in part, indicative of the company’s ‘inclusive’ business model, which aims to work alongside conventional meat manufacturers to support the development of a more sustainable food system.
“We have developed an inclusive business model that includes collaboration with local stakeholders from the meat sector. We have carefully hand-picked our partners based on synergies in sustainability commitments and our core values,” Toubia explained, pointing to tie-ups with the likes of BRF and Mitsubishi.
“Our strategy is to integrate into the existing ecosystem as part of our go-to-market plans, serving as the driver of an inclusive transition of the meat sector towards sustainability and resilience. Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of leading food and meat companies will drive a faster scale-up of cultivated meat and eventually lead to a broader positive impact. These partnerships fulfill our vision to lead the global food system transition toward a more sustainable, equitable, and secure world.
“We have announced MoUs with Mitsubishi Corporation in Japan and BRF in Brazil, in a step that will accelerate these countries’ goals of becoming robust, food self-sufficient and climate-neutral global leaders. Cargill and M-Industry–the industrial group of Migros are also investors in the company.”
Regulatory hurdles remain... But Aleph sees progress
Aleph Farms’ thin-cut steaks will be available to diners by the end of 2022, pending regulatory approval.
The company ‘values’ regulators as partners that help build consumer trust, a key issue in emerging technology platforms like cultured meat, the chief executive said.
“Regulatory agencies around the world encourage innovation and have been engaging in transparent dialogues with cultivated meat companies, including Aleph Farms, since early stages – both in product and process development.
“The regulatory review of each product and production process goes through a different framework based on the regulatory pathways formalized by each specific country/region. It is a learning process for both cultivated meat companies and regulatory agencies.”
The first regulatory approval of cultivated meat as an ingredient has been issued by the Singapore Food Agency. This ‘demonstrates that cultivated meat has become a reality quicker than many might have thought’, Toubia suggested.
He believes that the regulatory path to market is becoming clearer: “It is not a long-term vision anymore, but rather a practical solution to some of our most urgent issues today associated with food production. This milestone represents the on-going process of bringing cultivated meat products to global markets.”


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Zoomcar has announced the availability of a new car in its fleet of vehicles ranging from the likes of Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata and Volkswagen. The Nissan Kicks SUV is the latest entrant to join Zoomcar’s growing list of the most sought after lifestyle cars after the success of the Volkswagen Polo.
This new offer by the Bengaluru-based self-drive car rental company will allow the potential end-users a smart way of owning Nissan’s intelligent new Kicks SUV, just by choosing to subscribe and enjoy the benefits offered on its shared subscription. This notable development comes after Zoomcar’s recent partnership with the foremost OEM brands in the Indian market such as Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors and Volkswagen, and with other partnerships also in the pipeline.
It is the only self-drive car rental service that has announced the inclusion of the recently launched Nissan Kicks. Zoomcar self-drive mobility service is India’s only Shared Subscription Platform that has been introducing a variety of choices for the discerning subscribers ranging from Volkswagen to Nissan.
Speaking on this new development, Greg Moran, Co-Founder, and CEO of Zoomcar said, “The shared subscription model is a huge success with today’s customer, providing them with great comfort, convenience, and ultimate freedom. Also, we see more and more of our customers inclined towards lifestyle cars, next in line after Polo is the recent addition of Nissan Kicks. We are parallelly experiencing a surge in interest from OEMs every passing day, to have a structured strategic partnership with our unique model offering.


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The federal government may be warming up its antitrust enforcement machine and pointing it at Big Tech.
On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee announced a sweeping antitrust probe of unspecified technology companies. In a statement, it promised "a top-to-bottom review of the market power held by giant tech platforms," which would be the first such probe Congress has ever undertaken.
Earlier in the day, shares of Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple dropped significantly after published reports suggested that federal authorities are preparing for investigations into anticompetitive behavior by several of these technology giants.
Facebook's stock dropped 7.5%. Shares of Google parent Alphabet fell 6.1%. Amazon declined 4.6%. Apple, which has only been mentioned tangentially in these reports, fell 1%.
Some of the underlying developments appear to represent a divvying up of turf between the Department of Justice's antitrust cops and the Federal Trade Commission, which also holds antitrust authority. The Justice Department would reportedly hold authority over Google and Apple, while the FTC would take point on investigations of Facebook and Amazon.
Over the weekend, multiple reports said the Justice Department was preparing a competition investigation into Google. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources to report that the FTC has secured the rights to bring a possible investigation into Facebook.
Investors may have reacted immediately to the uncertainty, but investigations — if any materialize — would take years.
"I think (the speculation) is becoming more real, but antitrust is not a 24-hour event," said Blair Levin, a fellow with the Brookings Institution who formerly served as chief of staff to a Federal Communications Commission chairman.
It's clear that the government is paying increasing attention to the actions of big tech companies, he said, but outcomes could take many different forms. Most likely, he said, could be regulation of the companies' various practices, including privacy policies.
Pressure has been mounting on government to scrutinize the companies for some time, as backlash against tech companies' reach and power grow in among consumers and politicians. The splitting up of jurisdictions between the FTC and DOJ could be simply a response to the pressure, said Sandeep Vaheesan, legal director for Open Markets Institute, which advocates against monopolies.
"There's still a long way to go before there is even an investigation," he said. "And an investigation could be an extended process."
European authorities have covered ground U.S. regulators have barely considered — resulting in billions of dollars in fines for Google, and lesser fines for other companies.
That's one model the U.S. could follow, Levin said. But political motivations and laws differ in the U.S., and regulations haven't nearly caught up with the fast-moving world of the tech industry.
Vaheesan would like to see the government take aim at what Open Markets sees as market dominating practices by the big companies — partially by undoing large acquisitions that tech giants have made, including Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and Google's of YouTube.
But others think it's unlikely the government would take such broad action.
"The problem with all this antitrust talk: the consumer isn't being gouged," said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.
Stocks are sinking because investors don't like uncertainty, he said. But in this case, "the reaction vastly exceeds the potential harm to the company from a fine," he said.
The FTC is already investigating Facebook for possible privacy violations. The FTC declined to comment and Facebook did not immediately respond to a message for comment. Facebook has set aside $3 billion for a possible fine for that investigation and said it could be as high as $5 billion.


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Fisher & Paykel Healthcare experienced a surge in demand for its products during the pandemic. (File photo)
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare reported a 34% drop in annual profit as demand for its breathing aids starts to return to more normal levels from the unprecedented highs seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Profit fell to $250.3 million in the year to March 31, from $376.9m a year earlier, the company said in a statement to the NZX on Friday. Revenue slid 6% to $1.58 billion, in line with the company’s forecast for revenue of between $1.55b to $1.6b. The company forecast revenue would increase to $1.7b this year.
Fisher & Paykel experienced a surge in demand for its products during the pandemic, selling 10 years’ worth of devices in two years as hospital clinicians turned to nasal high flow therapy as a front-line treatment for Covid-19 patients. Demand subsequently dipped as hospitals worked through their excess inventory, but is now starting to return to normal with second-half revenue up 14%.
“We are coming out of three financial years that were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and our people, suppliers and customers have worked tirelessly to meet global demand surges,” said managing director Lewis Gradon.
“The second half result was encouraging as market conditions progressed towards more of a normal state and both our hospital and homecare product groups delivered good growth.”
During the pandemic, Fisher & Paykel sold its breathing aids to new countries, new hospitals and new areas within hospitals but as the pandemic waned, sales fell from their highs. In the latest year, revenue from its key hospital division, which includes humidification products used in respiratory, acute and surgical care, fell 15% to $1.02b.
The company said hospital hardware sales were down 53% in constant currency terms compared with the 2022 financial year, which was more heavily impacted by global Covid-19 surges. Hardware sales in countries or regions that did not experience Covid-19 surges were tracking close to pre-pandemic patterns.
Over time, the company expects hospital clinicians to use the extra respiratory machines purchased during the pandemic for an increasing proportion of respiratory-compromised patients, boosting sales of consumables which connect to the machines and have to be replaced regularly.
In the latest year, hospital new applications consumables revenue fell 6% in constant currency terms as hospital customers worked through their excess inventory. But the company said this trend abated throughout the year, and new applications consumables revenue for the second half rose 13% in constant currency.
The Detail podcast hears how F&P Healthcare hired hundreds of new workers and started up a crisis management team based on the assumption that Covid-19 would go global.
Sales of the company’s homecare products, which are used to treat obstructive sleep apnea and provide respiratory support at home, rose 18% to a record $553.8m.
The company said it benefited from strong growth in masks and accessories revenue, which in constant currency was up 17% for the full year, and up 24% for the second half.
Higher freight costs and manufacturing inefficiencies due to demand fluctuations weighed on the company’s gross profit margin, which fell 369 basis points to 59.4% in constant currency terms.
Gradon said he expected margins to lift from here, with an improvement of about 200 basis points in constant currency terms expected this year.
“Prior to the pandemic, we had a track record of incremental improvements in gross margin,” he said.
“During the last three years, our responsibility was to get as much product as possible into the hands of our customers. Now, as every team in our business turns back to efficiency gains, we are confident in our ability to return to our long-term target of 65% within three to four years.”
The company will pay a final dividend of 23 cents, taking its total dividend for the year to 40.5c, up 3% from the previous year.


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Apple has taken action to prevent Palm Pre owners from syncing their mobile phones with iTunes.
Previously a loophole in iTunes enabled users of Palm’s smartphone to transfer their playlists and songs to their handset.
However, as had been widely anticipated this has now been closed by Apple in the latest update to its music software iTunes 8.2.1.
A statement from the Cupertino-based iPhone 3G S manufacturer said that the fix “disables devices falsely pretending to be iPods, including the Palm Pre."
Since launching in the US in June, the Pre has performed exceptionally well for the PDA maker and is regarded by many as having saved the company from impending obsolescence in the face of push email-enabled BlackBerry mobiles.
A UK release date has yet to be announced by carrier O2, but the phone is expected to go on sale in time for Christmas.
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Just received this in my inbox. A press release from GM – and 10 days earlier than expected:
General Motors, Renault and Nissan said today that they had agreed to terminate discussions regarding a proposed alliance among the three companies.
The parties mutually recognized that significant aggregate synergies might result from the alliance. However the parties did not agree on either the total amount of aggregate synergies or the distribution of those benefits.
Based on its conclusions, GM had proposed that Renault-Nissan provide compensation as part of a potential alliance and for potentially precluding GM from entering other alliance opportunities if Renault-Nissan had made a significant investment in GM.
Renault and Nissan consider that the principle of compensation is contrary to the spirit of any successful alliance.
Carlos Bonaparte was talking up some potential savings of $10 billion for GM, which always seemed like it was over the mark. He was saying this publicly in the last week or so but those doing the numbers behind closed doors were obviously talking about different things.
The other thing that’s been a point of discussion is the simple fact that Renault and Nissan have a hell of a lot more to gain from this alliance than what GM does, hence GM’s request for some financial consideration up front.
Kirk Kerkorian, GM’s biggest single shareholder and the prime mover behind this idea in the first place, still thinks the idea has legs and has mentioned upping his GM stockholding by another 2 or 3 percent in order to try and force an independant study of the alliance proposal. It’ll be interesting to see what his next step is.
GM CEO Rick Wagoner is holding a press conference today to talk about it some more. Info will be published as it comes to hand.
UPDATE: From Automotive News via email:
General Motors and Renault-Nissan have terminated their discussions regarding a proposed alliance a day after GM directors voted unanimously against the plan.
The vote included one by Jerry York, who is billionaire GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian’s representative on the board….
…..Tracinda Corp., the investment firm representing billionaire Kerkorian, today said: “We believe that General Motors’ participation in a global alliance with Renault-Nissan would have enabled GM to realize substantial synergies and cost savings. We regret that the board did not obtain its own independent evaluation of the alliance.”
My emphasis added. Hopefully Jerry can now shut Kirk up regarding this proposal.
No confirmation yet of the authenticity, but someone drew my attention to this representation of the final moments of the GMRN negotiations:


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The Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) recently announced its Spring Convention and Expo set records, with 515 attendees registering for the convention, short course, or Expo events. The event, which took place April 17-19 in Tampa, FL, featured four end-user keynote addresses, 43 technical sessions, a two-day hot melts short course and 53 exhibiting companies. The technical presentations explored topics including wind energy, raw material trends, emerging government regulations and innovative formulations.
“The focused technical presentations, expanding economy and attractive Tampa Bay climate led to a perfect storm of supply chain interaction,” said Matthew E. Croson, president. “Records are nice to achieve, but all conventions and expo experiences are singular in nature, and we are pleased to note that evaluations are coming back to the council with positive feedback from attendees on the quality of information shared, and networking opportunities developed.
“We were pleased to have leaders from Avon, Ford, ICIS Chemical Business, and CMAI join a variety of supplier members, market research providers, and other industry leaders as we collected the wisdom of the industry together to explore new ideas, emerging markets and innovative solutions.”
For more information, visitwww.ascouncil.org.


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By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — At the one-year anniversary of its initial public offering, Facebook Inc. investors find themselves struggling with the question of whether the glass is half-empty, or half-full.
Facebook’s /zigman2/quotes/205064656/composite FB +1.62% debut was one of the hottest and largest initial public offerings of the young century. But the rapid slide of the social network’s market value from its $38 IPO price on May 18, 2012 has many investors still licking their wounds — especially since the stock hasn’t come anywhere close to that level since then.
Facebook’s 1-year fight
to regain IPO heat goes on
Facebook marks its anniversary as a public company on Saturday, capping a tumultuous year in which its stock has struggled to bounce back to its IPO price, even as business has improved
• Interactive graphic: Facebook's IPO turns 1
• How Facebook stacks up against other IPOs
• Facebook IPO buyers: 7 stages of grief
• Facebook doomed investors with huge float
• Why stock is unfriendly reminder of IPO risk
• Is Facebook trending in the right direction?
• Can Facebook get back to its IPO price?
• Facebook's IPO and the reputations it ruined
• Revisit Facebook IPO coverage from 2012 »
A year later, the Facebook IPO is still widely seen as the one of the most disappointing public debuts in history.
However, Facebook is also seen as a stronger business, with revenues healthy revenue growth, after the company essentially created a mobile ad business out of nothing. And while the stock hasn’t returned to its IPO levels, it has jumped more than 50% since bottoming out last fall.
This has led to a relatively close divide among Wall Street analysts about the company’s performance and the future prospects for the stock. A little more than half the covering brokers currently have buy ratings on Facebook, while the current median price target on the shares is $34, according to data from Thomson Reuters.
“Facebook’s share price is telling you that investors are more skeptical about the company’s prospects than a year ago,” Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter told MarketWatch.
Jordan Rohan of Stifel Nicolaus sees it differently.
“Shouldn’t you be looking at why it is 40% higher than its lows?” he told MarketWatch.
Many analysts do see Facebook’s business prospects improving, particularly in an area that became a key concern when the company went public: its mobile business.
In its pre-IPO filings, Facebook repeatedly conceded that its ability to make money in mobile was “unproven.” In fact, Rohan said investors “were concerned that mobile would be a tough transition for Facebook to manage.”
Facebook Enlarge Image
But then Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s team pulled a surprise. In October, five months after the IPO, Facebook reported that 14% of its ad revenue came from mobile, up essentially from zero.
And that number just kept growing. By the first quarter of this year, mobile made up a third of Facebook’s total ad revenue. IDC analyst Karsten Weide said the fact that the company was able to eventually do well in mobile wasn't surprising.
But the speed at which the company grew its mobile business, he said, “That was a surprise.”
It was largely due to the excitement around Facebook’s “mobile mojo,” as one analyst called it, that its stock began rising steadily late last year and into January, when the shares were trading above $30.
Can Facebook get back to IPO price?
Wall Street likes social media, but some analysts are skeptical whether Facebook's stock can return to its initial price of $38 any time soon. MarketWatch's Ben Pimentel reports.


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Obama Announces Increased Fuel Efficiency Standards for Cars and Light-Fleet Vehicles That Will Create Jobs and Save Consumers Money
By: Megan Robinson
On July 29, President Barack Obama announced increased miles per gallon (MPG) standards for cars and light-fleet vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is raising the average MPG standard for model years 2017-2025, requiring a 54.5 mpg fuel efficiency by 2025 for cars and light -fleet vehicles. This latest phase of fuel economy standards will result in a total savings of 3.5 million barrels of oil a day by 2030.
In commenting on the agreement, Alliance President Kateri Callahan said, “American consumers will reap the economic benefits of new and more efficient technologies, our nation will reap the energy security benefits that accrue with reduced reliance on imported oil, and all peoples of the world will benefit from the environmental improvements that stem from lowered energy consumption.”
These standards increase the previously established mileage standards that Obama urged the NHTSA to make in 2009. These new standards build upon the proposed standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Obama was joined in this announcement by leaders of 13 of the United States’ largest auto-manufacturing companies, accounting for over 90% of vehicles sold in the United States. Two years ago, these competing manufacturing companies came together to sign an agreement to raise their MPG averages and joined the president to show their support of the further increase of MPG standards.
These improved standards will create jobs in alternative fuel manufacturing, save consumers money and reduce the emission of harmful pollutions that lead to climate change.
“This is another important step toward saving money for drivers, breaking our dependence on imported oil and cleaning up the air we breathe,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a White House press release.
Photo Caption: Obama and the 13 auto manufacturer representatives including reps from GM, Ford and Chrysler, who Obama individually praised for their fuel efficiency efforts.
Citing an example of job creation birthed from the increased fuel efficiency standards, Obama named A123 as an example of a company that created hundreds of jobs because of the increased demand for the hybrid car batteries it manufactures. Dan Borgasano, Public Relations Manager of A123, said the demand for their products, especially electric car batteries, has grown significantly since the passing of stricter fuel efficiency standards and the signing of a manufacturing agreement in 2009.
The increased demand, Borgasano said, has increased so much that A123 recently opened a new manufacturing plant in Michigan. The new plant created a significant number of new jobs and the company recently hired their 1000th employee, and were hoping for thousands more in the coming years.
Significant Consumer Savings
Transportation costs are the second-highest expense for most American households.
“The problem is getting worse, the demand for oil is rising far faster than supply,” Obama said.
With U.S. gas prices still soaring high, fuel-efficient American vehicles are required to keep costs lower for American families. A White House Report states that compared to a 2010 model vehicle these new MPG standards would save families an estimated $8,200 in fuel over the lifetime of a new vehicle. Additionally, the report cites that consumers will save an estimated $1.7 trillion total dollars in fuel costs over the life of their vehicles.
Obama cited the numerous environmental benefits these increased standards will have. The standards will reduce carbon dioxide pollution by over 6 billion metric tons over the lifetime of the program, which is equivalent to the emissions from the United States last year, according to White House Report “Driving Efficiency: Cutting Costs for Families at the Pump and Slashing Dependence on Oil.”
These benefits will continue to grow as older, less efficient vehicles slowly become replaced by newer ones. He stated that these improvements “will protect [the] air while reducing the carbon pollution that is affecting our climate.”
The president concluded by thanking the auto manufacturers and policy makers for their commitment to improving fuel efficiency and reiterated that their efforts were leading future generations into a more prosperous America.


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Nintendo to host Smash Bros Ultimate and Splatoon 2 World Championships 2019 in June
Posted on March 30, 2019 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Switch
Just a few days before E3 2019 begins, Nintendo will be hosting two new tournaments. The company announced today that the Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Splatoon 2 World Championships 2019 are set for June 8 in Los Angeles, California. Teams from North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand will be represented.
Here’s a video promoting the upcoming event:
Mark the date everyone, the #SmashBrosUltimate and #Splatoon2 World Championships will take place on 6/8! Our #NintendoNAO19 Champions will be representing the US in all the action. Stay tuned for more info in the future. pic.twitter.com/o6zLbHlsaq
— Nintendo Versus (@NintendoVS) March 30, 2019
Like Nintendo’s other big tournaments, the Smash Bros Ultimate and Splatoon 2 World Championships 2019 should be live streamed in June.


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Rakuten Fashion Week in Tokyo Canceled Over Coronavirus Fears
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread into a global pandemic, another fashion event, this time Rakuten Fashion Week in Tokyo, has been canceled. The news comes after Seoul Fashion Week was canceled and a number of shows in Paris and Milan were affected as well. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are in danger of being suspended as well. The repercussions of the infection have only been on the rise with concerns growing on a daily basis. World markets are experiencing an all-time low since almost 2008 and, as expected, stocks in China and nearby countries have been affected. Affected countries have implemented different defense tactics against recent outbreaks: Italy closed schools for a few days after a surge of cases was recorded in Milan, Paris has shut down the Louvre until further notice, Mexico City is struggling to deal with the virus with two existing cases, and New York City has just confirmed its first case. Most events have been reportedly postponed until the summer with travel (even locally) strongly discouraged.


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In the PR world, Facebook is practically a necessity. With over a billion active users, Facebook offers the opportunity to reach a huge audience. PR professionals regularly manage public pages to communicate with the audience of their brands. However, Facebook has thrown in a few obstacles recently. The biggest challenge seems to come from the… Continue reading What To Do About Facebook
Did you notice Facebook’s massive outage? The social networking giant went down earlier this morning. For about 30 minutes, users were unable to access the website and mobile application. After thousands of error reports were filed and Twitter complaints were lodged, Facebook brought the site back up. Some estimate that the outage will cost Facebook… Continue reading Facebook Down
It’s a big month for Facebook. They’ve received both positive and negative press as more information has come to light. Customized Ads: On the bright side, users now have more control over their ads. In their internal ad profiles, users will be able to add and delete their interests. This includes what kind of goods they’d be interesting… Continue reading Facebook Reveals New Features
One of the biggest names in social media, if not the biggest, turns 10 years old today. Happy Birthday, Facebook! Here’s to many more. You were once an idea of founder Mark Zuckerberg’s while he was in a Harvard dorm room. Now you’re a global company that connects people all over the world. The website was… Continue reading Happy Birthday Facebook!


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BI’s Article search uses Boolean search capabilities. If you are not familiar with these principles, here are some quick tips.
To search specifically for more than one word, put the search term in quotation marks. For example, “workers compensation”. This will limit your search to that combination of words.
To search for a combination of terms, use quotations and the & symbol. For example, “hurricane” & “loss”.
AmTrust Financial Services Inc. announced a series of executive changes Wednesday as the struggling New York-based insurer continued to implement its turnaround plan.
Michael Saxon, executive vice president of U.S. commercial lines in New York, and Max Caviet, CEO of AmTrust International Ltd. in London, retired effective Dec. 31, AmTrust said in statement. Both will continue in a consultative role, the statement said.
Christopher Foy, who heads AmTrust’s specialty program business, will replace Mr. Saxon, and Peter Dewey, CEO of AmTrust’s Lloyd’s business, will replace Mr. Caviet.
In addition, AmTrust, which is a significant workers compensation insurer for small and midsize businesses and recently reverted to private ownership, launched a strategic plan to refocus its business.
“Our vision for AmTrust is to be a leading specialty commercial (property/casualty) insurer. We believe we can achieve this by focusing on local markets and niche products where we can add significant value,” said Barry Zyskind, chairman and CEO of AmTrust.
AmTrust has been under pressure since 2017, when reports emerged that its accounting practices were under investigation.
A plan to take the insurer private last year had to be sweetened to satisfy activist shareholder Carl Icahn, and AmTrust was downgraded by A.M. Best Co. Inc. in July over concerns about adverse reserve development.
The insurer also sold much of its reinsurance business, Maiden Holdings Ltd., and last week announced that it replaced Maiden Re with Swiss Reinsurance America Corp. as the reinsurer for its $2.9 billion book of U.S. small commercial business.
AmTrust Financial Services Inc., a New York-based insurance holding company, is reportedly the subject of a federal investigation into its accounting practices aided by an auditor who worked for accounting firm BDO USA L.L.P., which was auditing the company in 2014.


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Honesty, integrity, commitment drive Peters Auto Center
More than half a century ago, a father-and-son team from Nashua entered the car business with $200 in cash and two cars parked in a small Main Street lot. Now well known as Peters Auto Center on Amherst Street, that business has grown to become a multi-line dealership that boasts between 600 and 700 cars at any given time, a certified used car department and a body shop and service center.
According to Terre Weisman, the company’s CEO, Peters Auto Center has made that transition simply by making car-buying the positive experience they believe it should be.
“Buying a car should be an exciting time in our lives,” said Weisman. “For most people buying a car is the second biggest investment they’ll make, and we work hard at making it a positive experience because that’s the way it should be.”
The fact that a similar commitment has been extended to company employees and the greater Nashua community since the company’s 1955 inception has earned Peters Auto Center recognition by Citizens Bank and New Hampshire Business Review as this month’s Not Your Typical Business award recipient.
“Peters Auto goes the extra mile to ensure complete customer satisfaction,” said Gary Barr, senior vice president, financial services for Citizens. “Dealership colleagues are always treated with respect and dignity, leading to very low turnover.”
It was Peter G. Proko, co-founder and father and grandfather of today’s owners, Peter B. Proko and Peggy Proko-Weisman, respectively, who introduced and nurtured a commitment to “always take care of the customer.”
According to Weisman, that philosophy lives on today and remains instrumental in earning Peters’ dealerships ongoing recognition as a Nissan sales leader for the entire Boston region and one of the top-selling Honda dealerships in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
“Our employees know that the customer writes their paycheck,” Weisman said, adding that this understanding lends itself to top-notch service delivered by all 160 employees at Peters.
Whether buying a new Honda, Kia, Nissan, Isuzu or pre-owned vehicle or visiting “The Bump Clinic,” customers like Pastor Robert “Odie” Odierna have come to expect dependable, honest service.
“Everyone there is very personable, very friendly, from the top down,” said Pastor Odie, who has purchased three cars from Peter’s since moving to the area 20 years ago. “Their honesty and integrity has always impressed me.”
Today, Pastor Odie’s wife, son and brother also drive cars purchased and serviced at Peters Auto Center.
The provision of consistent service like that experienced by Pastor Odie comes from a staff built on a foundation of teamwork, Weisman said. Management at Peters Auto Center considers company employees to be its “number one asset,” he said.
To Susan St. Onge, the company’s human resources manager, such an attitude became apparent on her first day. Brought on originally as a temporary worker four years ago, St. Onge knew right away Peters Auto Center was a place she wanted to remain.
“Right from the start I felt like part of a family,” said St. Onge. “Management is really sincere. There’s always a ‘thank you,’ and there’s always respect for everyone, no matter what their job is.”
Thanks in part to this familial environment and team focus, Peters experiences very little turnover, with some employees remaining at the company for more than four decades.
“We don’t feel any one person or any one job is more important that another,” Weisman said. “We know employee satisfaction goes hand in hand with customer satisfaction. If our employees are happy, our customers will be happy.”
Having grown along with the southern New Hampshire region, Peters Auto Center’s role in the community is taken as seriously as its commitment to customers and staff.
“The company’s commitment to the community starts with senior management,” Citizens Bank’s Barr said. “They are continually being recognized for their contributions to their community and industry.”
Longtime supporters of the Nashua Rotary Club, Nashua Pastoral Care and the Nashua Soup Kitchen, members of the Peters Auto Center family also step up to the civic plate with one-time events, such as supporting families of fallen firefighters and raising funds for local flood victims.
The company’s highly visible Amherst Street location makes Peters Auto Center a perfect spot for drive-in drive-out collections — something the business is always willing to do.
“I’ve always felt that it’s important to give back to our community,” Weisman said. “We get so much support from our community, not just business-wise but we’re lucky enough to live here, this is our home. It’s only right that we do what we can when there’s a need.”
The Citizens Bank Not Your Typical Business Award is presented in partnership with New Hampshire Business Review. Businesses are selected each month based on the company’s commitment to community, colleagues and customers. Visit Citizens Bank online at www.citizensbank.com.


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Global shares mostly rose Tuesday, despite investor risk reflected in negative economic data out of China, and analysts warned that volatility may lie ahead.
European shares gained in early trading. The benchmark in Tokyo finished little changed, while indexes in South Korea and Australia gained. Hong Kong’s benchmark slipped, while Shanghai shares rose.
France’s CAC 40 added 0.4% in early trading to 6,598.28. Germany’s DAX rose 0.6% to 13,904.68. Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.4% to 7,539.93. U.S. shares were set to drift moderately lower with Dow futures inching down to 33,869.00. S&P 500 futures fell nearly 0.1% to 4,295.00.
Falling oil prices are one positive factor for the region. In Japan, recent economic data have shown a recovery, but high rates of COVID-19 are fueling fears people will hold back on travel and other economic activity.
Some analysts say stock prices haven’t properly reflected real risks.
“It doesn’t seem to matter what the news is, there is just a huge appetite to buy stocks. And to keep buying,” said Clifford Bennett, chief economist at ACY Securities. “Talk of the bottom having already been priced in seems somewhat premature. Should the market turn down again after all this long positioning, it will fall with a thunderous impact. Buyers beware.”
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was little changed and finished at 28,868.91. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2% to 2,533.52. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6% to 7,105.40. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng reversed course and was down 1.1% at 19,830.52, while the Shanghai Composite gained nearly 0.1% to 3,277.88.
Markets reacted to news overnight that China’s central bank cut a key interest rate, acknowledging more needed to be done to shore up its economy. The move is the latest warning for markets already on edge over record-high inflation and fears about recessions in the U.S. and elsewhere.
China is the world’s second-largest consumer of crude oil, so the news weighed on energy prices. U.S. crude oil prices slumped 2.9% on worries about the global economy and weighed heavily on energy stocks.
In Tuesday trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.46 to $87.95 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost $1.73 to $93.37.
Global investors are worried that the U.S. Federal Reserve could hit the brakes too hard and send the economy into a recession. Any signal that inflation could be peaking or retreating has helped ease some of those worries.
“Lack of direction is what investors will be suffering until we see clearer signs of inflation abating. And that will take time, as we must see a couple of encouraging data points to call the central banks’ inflation fight successful. The lack of clear direction is driving the markets up and down,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.
Investors are also keeping a close watch on how inflation is affecting businesses and consumers. Spending has slowed and the broader economy has already contracted for two straight quarters. Several big retailers will give investors more detail on how their businesses are holding up when they report earnings this week.
Home Depot and Walmart report their results on Tuesday, and Target’s results are due on Wednesday. The U.S. Commerce Department also releases its July retail sales report on Wednesday. Economists surveyed by FactSet expect modest 0.2% growth from June, when sales rose 1%.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 133.85 Japanese yen from 133.27 yen. The euro cost $1.0145, down from $1.0165.


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The Google Pixel 6a. (Image credit: Google)
Google is finally making a comeback in India’s smartphone market with its latest smartphone — the Pixel 6a. The company launched the smartphone on Wednesday at the the Google I/O annual developer conference. Now, the company has also confirmed its re-entry into the Indian smartphone market with the device. Google India confirmed in a Tweet earlier today, that the smartphone will be coming to India ‘later this year’.
The Pixel 6a is the budget variant of the company’s latest flagship smartphone series -– the Pixel 6 series. This is the first smartphone to be launched in the country in the last two years, with the last being the Pixel 4a — which was launched in 2020.
The Pixel 6a has been priced $449 (approx Rs 34,790) and will be available for pre-order starting July 21. It features a camera bump and dual colour back panel similar to the Pixel 6 series and is available in three colours.
Display: 6.1-inch OLED display with 60Hz refresh rate
Processor: Powered by Google Tensor chip
RAM and Storage: 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage
Camera: Triple rear camera setup with 12.2 MP primary, 12 MP ultrawide and an 8 MP front-facing camera.
Battery: 4,306 mAh
Colours available: Sage, Chalk, and Charcoal.
The company had an (extremely) limited launch of the Pixel 5a devices, which was launched only in the US and Japan.
The subsequent Pixel 6 series, comprising the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro, were also kept away from the Indian market. “Due to a variety of factors including global demand-supply issues, we are not able to make our products available in all markets. We remain committed to our current Pixel phones and look forward to bringing future Pixel devices to more countries in the future,” a Google spokesperson had told News9.
Other devices like the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 did not make it to Indian shores either.


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On the occasion of Comme des Garçon’s 40th anniversary, Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune sits down with the company’s storied designer Rei Kawakubo.
Sony’s thin and glossy O.L.E.D. TV. It’s fitting that T chose this year as its first to visit the electronics show — so far, we’re seeing a lot of products dressed in black and a pervasive obsession with thinness. You’d think we were blogging from New York fashion week. By now it’s a cliché of […]


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As the number of pending talc cases continues to tick upward, Johnson & Johnson is maintaining its defensive winning streak. On Thursday, jurors in Los Angeles sided with the company against a plaintiff who argued her mesothelioma was the result of talc use and that the product contains cancer-causing asbestos.
The case was brought by Tina Herford, who said talc use caused her to develop mesothelioma, according to Reuters.
A J&J spokesperson said the company is "pleased" with the verdict and believes "the dismissal of talc lawsuits in New Jersey and verdict reversals in Missouri and California have forced plaintiff attorneys to pivot to yet another baseless theory."
"Johnson’s Baby Powder has been around since 1894 and it does not contain asbestos or cause mesothelioma or ovarian cancer," the company's spokesperson said via email. "We will continue to defend the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder in future trials.”
The plaintiff's attorney, in an email to Reuters, said "it's a matter of time before juries begin holding them to account."
As J&J continues to defend its talc powder, the company has its hands full. The drug giant is named in 5,500 lawsuits alleging the product caused harm, according to its most recent quarterly filing with the SEC.
Despite some early losses, the company has managed to get nearly $500 million in verdicts reversed. The company has also prevailed in getting two New Jersey cases thrown out and won a trial in Missouri.
Last month, the company won an appeal of a record $417 million verdict in Los Angeles. That development followed another successful appeal of a $72 million verdict in St. Louis.
Apart from those cases, the company has suffered losses in St. Louis worth $55 million, $70 million and $110 million and has said it will appeal in each instance. On the asbestos claim, J&J faces a separate lawsuit alleging the company's talc "is not now, nor has it ever been, free from asbestos and asbestiform fiber." J&J disputed the allegation by pointing to results from the FDA and independent testing of the product.


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Despite missed analyst expectations, Sony Ericsson is committed to bring WP7 in 2011
Sure they managed to still pull in a reasonable profit that would suffice smaller companies, but they intend on looking at Windows Phone 7 to further expand their profits; according to CEO Bert Nordberg. During the company's financial conference call, Nordberg announced Sony Ericsson's intentions on looking at the new mobile operating system from Microsoft – which is being praised by many people in the industry.
However, he didn't explicitly provide any additional information about availability except for a 2011 launch window. Naturally, it has shown that profit can be made heavily with smartphones as opposed to feature phones – which Nordberg views as in “decline.” Since Sony Ericsson isn't part of the first batch of manufacturers to launch Windows Phone 7 devices this fall, some analysts argue that they are already at a disadvantage by pushing off their launch until 2011.
At that point, it's argued that the competition will already be working on second generation devices where Sony Ericsson will still be on their first. Nevertheless, Sony Ericsson is probably well aware about their situation and will hopefully remedy it something truly spectacular.
1. messiah (Posts: 434; Member since: 19 Feb 2010)
mhm... didnt s.e. claim to be dedicated to life long super support for the x10? bang-up job guys. i got the phone, had it for 6 months now. NEVER seen one single update for it. not ONE!!!!! lol... pathetic. scratching s.e. of my list, will try htc or samsung next.
2. corps1089 (Posts: 492; Member since: 20 Jan 2010)
HTC and Samsung are my top choices with Motorolla close behind...
3. LeoKai (unregistered)
X10 is a good phone, large display,good hardware and good camera. Don't know whats wrong with S.E. giving this phone a laggy software, no multi touch and no HD recording. If they had fixed these software problem they should be doing well in the first place.


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What has happened
Cracker Barrel Stock : The shares of the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel Old Country Store ( CBRL 3.79 percent) were down 17.5 percent in December, as per information provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company began the month by releasing its financial results, which shook the market. However, in the later part of the month, some analysts began looking at what could be an extremely valuable stock.
What’s the question?
On December. 2 Cracker Barrel reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. They indicated that profitability issues. The revenue for the first quarter increased by 7 percent year-over-year and the company is expecting between 6% and 8 percent growth for the entire year. The market is, however, concerned about the profitability in an environment of rising inflation.
Net income for Q1 was down 49% year-on-year at Cracker Barrel, mostly due to the rise in wages and food inflation. Management has increased menu prices in order to cover. However, for fiscal 2023, management is still predicting the operating profit will be around 4.4%. In comparison this, it was 4.7 percent in the fiscal year 2022.
Cracker Barrel’s declining profits are the reason why the company’s stock fell in December.
Now , what do you do?
Cracker Barrel’s stock saw some relief late in the month, as analysts embraced it somewhat. On Dec. 20, C.L. King analyst Andrew Wolf reinstated coverage of the company, giving it an investment grade of buy as per The Fly, believing the company has the potential to grow its profits again later on.
Cracker Barrel stock currently trades at the same levels as it was in 2015, which suggests it may have plenty of room to run should it be able to improve its profit margins, as Wolf suggests. But, from my viewpoint investors might prefer to wait until the smoke clears.
Be aware that the latest information of the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an ongoing increase in food prices. The index of food prices increased by 0.5 percent in November in addition to 0.6 percent rise in October. This will stress Cracker Barrel’s margins, as well that of other restaurants.
Furthermore, capital expenses are rising in the case of Cracker Barrel because it’s ramping up its expansion plans for its Maple Street Biscuit Company brand. At the close of Q1, it had 54 locations, and plans to open 12-17 more locations in the coming fiscal year.
This could be a great opportunity to grow Cracker Barrel. But management doesn’t disclose the figures regarding the Maple Street brand — in fact, in crucial measures like same-store sales or average volume of units, it doesn’t include Maple Street. It’s therefore difficult to discern whether this will be a significant driver of shareholder value.
These are the reasons why even though it dropped quickly throughout December, it is my recommendation to be in the waiting for Cracker Barrel stock to have more clarity regarding its future business prospects in 2023.


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Nielsen Holdings PLC (NLSN) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $1.58 Billion
Brokerages expect Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE:NLSN) to report $1.58 billion in sales for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Six analysts have provided estimates for Nielsen’s earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $1.56 billion and the highest is $1.59 billion. Nielsen reported sales of $1.64 billion during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year over year growth rate of 3.7%. The business is expected to report its next earnings report on Wednesday, October 24th.
On average, analysts expect that Nielsen will report full year sales of $6.52 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $6.50 billion to $6.53 billion. For the next year, analysts forecast that the firm will post sales of $6.50 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $6.41 billion to $6.59 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Nielsen.
Nielsen (NYSE:NLSN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 26th. The business services provider reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.39). The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.71 billion. Nielsen had a return on equity of 15.28% and a net margin of 5.57%. The company’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NLSN. FMR LLC grew its position in Nielsen by 135.2% in the second quarter. FMR LLC now owns 21,740,698 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $672,439,000 after acquiring an additional 12,496,283 shares in the last quarter. Kiltearn Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Nielsen in the first quarter valued at approximately $85,454,000. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its position in Nielsen by 1,281.8% in the second quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,517,432 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $77,846,000 after acquiring an additional 2,335,241 shares in the last quarter. Windacre Partnership LLC grew its position in Nielsen by 95.2% in the first quarter. Windacre Partnership LLC now owns 4,399,100 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $139,847,000 after acquiring an additional 2,146,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clarkston Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Nielsen by 73.1% in the second quarter. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,905,160 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $89,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,227,220 shares in the last quarter. 95.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Shares of NLSN stock traded down $0.19 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $26.38. 2,280,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,549,429. The firm has a market cap of $9.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.96. Nielsen has a 1 year low of $20.53 and a 1 year high of $42.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.19.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 22nd were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.31%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 21st. Nielsen’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.35%.
Nielsen Company Profile
Nielsen Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an information and measurement company. It operates through Buy and Watch segments. The company provides media and marketing information, analytics, and manufacturer and retailer expertise about what and where consumers buy, read, watch, and listen.
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WASHINGTON—Big phone and cable companies are outgunning Silicon Valley in last-minute lobbying to shape a pending Federal Communications Commission proposal to prevent Internet providers from interfering with web traffic.
The major broadband companies have opposed FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's efforts to give the government a stronger hand in regulating how web traffic is managed, and have warned that the FCC could discourage investment in broadband networks. But they're now trying to make sure the rules that are enacted are as positive for their businesses as possible.
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Digiday+ Research: Amazon holds untapped marketing potential for brands, agencies
Amazon and other retail sites make up only a small portion of today’s marketing budgets for brands and agencies. But that could change, according to a survey of 90 brand and agency professionals conducted by Digiday+ Research.
Digiday’s survey revealed a huge difference between how brands and agencies are spending on Amazon and other retail marketing sites compared with how confident they are that those channels drive marketing success — which likely means there’s a lot of unrealized potential for marketing growth on retail sites.
When it comes to brands, only 7% of respondents to Digiday’s survey said they spend a large or very large portion of their marketing budget on Amazon and other retail sites including Walmart, Target and eBay. However, 24% of brand pros said they are confident or very confident that Amazon drives marketing success. Ten percent said they are confident that other retail sites drive marketing success.
Digiday’s survey found that there is also a discrepancy between agencies’ ad spend on Amazon and other retail sites and their confidence in the channels — but even more so. Even fewer (5%) of agency respondents said their clients spend a large or very large portion of their ad budgets on Amazon. That percentage drops to only 2% for other retail sites. But almost half of agency pros said they are confident or very confident that Amazon drives marketing success for their clients, and 26% said so of other retail sites.
The vast differences between the confidence brands, and especially agencies, have in Amazon to drive marketing success and the ad spend that’s actually happening on the channel are indicative of the potential Amazon has that isn’t being harnessed quite yet. And it’s likely that if brands and agencies are starting to catch onto Amazon’s marketing potential, other retail sites aren’t far behind.
Other than Amazon, Digiday’s survey specifically mentioned Walmart, Target, eBay, Best Buy and Kroger as additional retail channels that brands and agencies are investing in. Among the brands who said they dedicate some of their marketing budget to other retail ad platforms besides Amazon, here is how they ranked the other options:
- Best Buy
And among the agencies who said their clients dedicate some of their marketing budget to non-Amazon retail ad platforms, here is how the other options shake out:
- Best Buy and Kroger
While retail sites are not yet a major player in brands’ and agencies’ marketing spend, it’s clear that these groups’ confidence in retail ad platforms makes the channel a space to watch in the coming months – particularly as uncertainty grows.
‘Away from tactical media buying’: Advertisers shifting in-housing efforts in to gain more ad spend control
There's been a pivot on the things advertisers take in house. It's not biddable media anymore -- i.e the stuff that isn’t scalable, doesn’t deliver much competitive advantage and is riddled with hidden costs.
Foot Locker is showcasing staffers, popular musicians through social media and digital out-of-home to appeal to Gen Z
The shoe store chain is doing so in order to strengthen the relationship between the company, its employees and its consumers, all while celebrating and driving sneaker culture globally.
Member ExclusiveDigiday+ Research check-in: Brands know recession is ahead, but are hopeful it will be shallow
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Arm & Hammer enlists TikTok influencers to help millennials, Gen Z with holiday laundry
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