tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85389595841975588942024-02-21T00:06:48.321-05:00The Markets Are Openthemarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.comBlogger4003125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-24053235403165543452013-01-23T11:31:00.002-05:002013-01-23T11:31:46.145-05:00Conversion Measurement System for ROI Launched by Facebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Facebook has finally devised a new conversion
measurement optimization system to measure ROI of Facebook ads for direct
response marketers. The system works by keeping a count of “relevant” user actions,
like registrations and shopping cart checkouts and it can be used with all
Facebook ads and sponsored stories, in combination with any targeting. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This feature will help marketers to also use
optimized CPM (OCPM) to deliver ads to people who are most likely to convert on
their websites. In the beta testing phase, it has been discovered that ads
reduced the cost per conversion by 40 % when conversion measurement is used
with optimized CPM, rather than CPC ads with the same amount of money. Fab.com
used this feature and lessened its cost per new customer acquisition by 39%,
according to Facebook. Even the Democratic Governors Association used the
system to decrease its cost per conversion by 85% (relative to any other online
campaign run by it).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Facebook is riding on a high with this new
offering. The company stated that marketers in e-commerce, retail, travel,
financial services, and other direct-response industries can not only use
Facebook ads and sponsored stories to drive specific actions on their websites,
but they will also be able to understand the ROI of their ad spend and improve
that ROI on future campaigns. Conversion measurement with optimized CPM has
yielded highly positive results for multiple advertisers who concentrate on
driving user actions on their websites.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Facebook’s conversion measurement can be used in
Power Editor, the Ads Manager and by API partners</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-36024577434587277532013-01-23T10:15:00.002-05:002013-01-23T10:15:16.545-05:00Shares of RIM Shoot Up 9% as BB10 Launch Draws Near<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Research in Motion (RIM) shares have gone up
$1.40, or 9%, at $17.25, right after <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">CEO Thorsten Heins</span></strong> told <st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place>’s
<em>Die Welt</em> yesterday about possible exit strategies for the
BlackBerry maker. The company is all set to launch BB10, which is a comeback of
sorts for the BlackBerry brand on 30<sup>th</sup> January at a <st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place> event.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Capital</span></strong><b>‘s </b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gus Papageorgiou upped his rating of the stock to </span></strong>Sector
Outperform from Sector Perform, with a $23 price target, up from $18.60
previously. He elaborates that if the company manages to sell <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">29 million BlackBerrys</span></strong>
this fiscal year starting in March, it could produce <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">$4.13 per share in profit.
This is a huge increase from </span></strong>projected losses of $1.15 per
share this fiscal year. RIM will also add about 80 million subscribers if it
manages to reach the expected figure. Papageorgiou also points out that, <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">sales to end users</span></strong>
have been better than those to carriers and retailers in the last 12 months,
which has helped to clear inventory in advance of BB10′s introduction.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is a “pent-up demand” as evinced by the
stretching out of BlackBerry replacement cycles among users from 15 months or
so, on average, to more than 25 months. According to several reports
BlackBerrys running BB10 will supposedly be more advanced in numerous respects
to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. The <b>“</b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">BlackBerry Balance</span></strong><b>” </b>has garnered a lot of praise from
Papageorgiou, which lets the handset to maintain a separation between personal
and professional apps and content.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As of now, we have to wait for a week to see if
RIM can actually deliver what it has promised.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-40448061246911705212013-01-18T16:59:00.002-05:002013-01-18T16:59:27.909-05:00Sony CEO is Optimistic about the Company’s Comeback<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kazuo Hirai, chief executive of Sony, the
Japanese electronics and entertainment company, which had been struggling to
stay afloat, announces that they are already working towards a comeback but
have a long way to go before everything falls into place. For the last 4 years,
Sony was heavily into losses as rivals like Apple and Samsung surged ahead.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sony had suffered immensely due to its sprawling
bureaucracy due to which he is personally ensuring that stellar ideas for
product development are not pushed to the back burner. His personal involvement
will ensure that a suggestion or idea isn’t lost during the approval process or
gets tied up in the bureaucracy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A huge concern is the TV division of the company,
which is facing problems for almost a decade now. Sony is facing stiff
competition from Chinese, <st1:place w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:place>
and South Korean rivals that offer products at much cheaper prices. However,
Sony will not back down; instead it will target those customers who are willing
to shell out more. Sony’s annual loss was 457 billion yen ($5.1 billion) in the
previous fiscal year (ended in March 2012).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hirai still feels the company will undergo a
turnaround as he held up Sony's new waterproof, full-HD cell phone at the CES
2013. The product will hit the shelves in a few months. Sony’s 4K or
"ultra-HD" TV whose displays have four times the pixels of today's
TVs met with positive responses as well. But even then, it could take many years
for that technology to capture interest worldwide. Hirai concludes by saying
that though they aren’t perfect, they have taken a step towards the right
direction and are improving slowly but steadily.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-87034850736242094042013-01-16T14:19:00.001-05:002013-01-16T14:19:31.664-05:00Leap Wireless International, Bazaarvoice Are Active Stocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Share in Leap Wireless International rose the most in
five months after an analyst commented that the chances were high that MetroPCS
Communications and T-Mobile USA ay make a bid for the company after completing
their merger.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Guggenheim Securities analyst, Shing Yin said that
such a deal made sense. Leap share rose 9.6 percent to $6.88 at the close of
trading. The share prices have lost 28 percent of their value so far in 2012.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">In November last year there had been reports of Leap
holding talks with MetroPCS and the prospects of a 3-way with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile division. T-Mobile and
MetroPCS had earlier announced their intention to merge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">“Leap’s complementary spectrum assets, the potential
for significant synergies and a straightforward integration process that likely
would not disrupt initiatives already under way,” Yin wrote in a client note. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday alleged that
Bazaarvoice had not sought anti-trust clearance before acquiring its main rival
PowerReviews Inc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The Department fled lawsuit challenging the
acquisition and also sought certain divestitures by Bazaarvoice, saying that
the deal reduced competition for product ratings platforms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Shares in Bazaarvoice fell nearly 16 percent on news
of the lawsuit. The company had acquired PowerReviews for $168.2 million. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Both Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews hep companies with
their advertisement strategies on social media platforms and also tries to
control or limit the damages to their reputations from adverse reviews or
comments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">PowerReviews helped online retailers set up customer
review sections on their websites so that they could compete with Amazon.com.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The Justice Department, in its lawsuit asked the court
to review the acquisition, which has already been completed, and to make
Bazaarvoice divest certain assets so that competition is not stifled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The divested assets could be used to create a new
company that would replace PowerReviews.</span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-28548143592515797912013-01-11T15:05:00.002-05:002013-01-11T15:05:44.427-05:00On-time Record of Airlines in November Goes Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
15 of the biggest names in the <st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place> airlines were on time a bit
more often in the month of November, says the government. The Transportation
Department reported on Thursday that 85.7% of the flights from the biggest
airlines maintained perfect timing a couple of months back. Previously, it was
85.3% in 2011 during the same time. October was not too good at 80.25 as
Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc and messed up schedules.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
American Airlines did poorly with one in 5
flights running late, whereas Hawaiian Airlines performed the best, with
AirTran Airways and Delta Air Lines close behind. 1% of domestic flights were
canceled, which is up from 0.7% in November 2011. Considering 29 of the busiest
airports in the country, 28% of arrivals were late in <st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place>. For the first 11 months of
2012, Newark (N.J.) <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Liberty</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">International</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype></st1:place>
was last. <st1:city w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:city>’s <st1:placename w:st="on">Sky</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype> did very well in November with
90.95 of on-time arrivals, whereas <st1:place w:st="on">Salt
Lake City</st1:place> was spot on for the first 11 months.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Due to a snowstorm on November in the <st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place> area, two
planes had to be detained on the tarmac longer than allowed by federal rules.
One belonged to Delta and the 2<sup>nd</sup> was from British Airways. The
Transportation Department is investigating both cases closely as hefty fines
can be imposed on airlines for such delays.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Less than 3 in 1,000 travelers complained about
bags being lost, damaged or delayed in November, about the same rate as a year
earlier. United Airlines registered the most complaints whereas American.
Passengers on Southwest Airlines were least likely to report issues. Complaints
went up by 12.85 overall, thereby coming to 987.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-49596690170158454692013-01-10T12:43:00.001-05:002013-01-10T12:43:00.609-05:00Solar Price Market Trends on a Weekly Basis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When it comes to silicon material, the domestic
market price </span></strong>of level-1material is 120 CNY/kg, and 110 CNY/kg
for level-2 ones. The price of imported level-1 materials is $18.345 /kg,
while it stands at $17.666 /kg for level-2 ones. <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Both domestic and imported
silicon materials experienced a slight increase in prices. Some manufacturers
have commented that the rates of domestic silicon materials will go on rising
and that is why they have started to increase inventories. They will try to
keep their shipment at stable levels to improve financial liquidity.</span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Considering the </span></strong>mono-c-Si
125mm*125mm solar wafer, the price of tier-1 suppliers stood at 5.1 CNY/pc, and
at 4.2 CNY/pc for tier-2 ones. As to mono-c-Si 156mm*156mm wafer, the price of
tier-1 suppliers arrived at 7.6 CNY/pc, and 7.2 CNY/pc for tier-2 ones. In
terms of poly-c-Si 156mm*156mm wafer, the price of tier-1 suppliers reached
6.50 CNY/pc, and 5.5 CNY/pc for tier-2 ones. Prices went up in foreign markets
after 1<sup>st</sup> January 2013 causing domestic manufacturers to increase their
rates too. Demand is inconsistent due to the market being slow and circulation
volume of cheap products has gone up tremendously due to absence of mono
silicon rods.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If we take the </span></strong>mono-c-Si 125mm*125mm
cell into account, the price of tier-1 suppliers stands at 2.6 CNY/W, and 2.3
CNY/W for tier-2 ones. Regarding mono-c-Si 156mm*156mm cell, the price of
tier-1 suppliers is at 2.9 CNY/W, and 2.35 CNY/W for tier-2 ones. In terms of
poly-c-Si 156mm*156mm cell, the price of tier-1 suppliers has reached 2.45 CNY/W,
and 2.15 CNY/W for tier-2 ones. The demand is good, but manufacturers are
seeing inventory levels of mono-c-Si cells disappearing, which make the prices
unstable and likely to go up.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Concerning mono-c-Si 190W solar module, the price
of tier-1 suppliers stands at 4.40 CNY/W, and 4.0 CNY/W for tier-2 ones. As to
mono-c-Si 245W module,the price of tier-1 suppliers is at 4.85 CNY/W, and 4.35
CNY/W for tier-2 ones. In terms of poly-c-Si 230W module, the price of tier-1
suppliers has reached 4.0 CNY/W, and 3.50 CNY/W for tier-2 ones. Demand has
grown, but not too much to push the rates up. Golden Sun projects are likely to
dominate the first half of 2013. Inventory levels are low as of now and will
not be increased under present conditions.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-76161541293240714652013-01-10T12:42:00.002-05:002013-01-10T12:42:31.727-05:00Pharmacists Protest against Health Plan Drug Limits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pharmacists have requested <st1:place w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:place> lawmakers to put an end to
limits where people covered by certain insurance plans can get prescriptions
filled. But it is easier said than done, because lobbyists for some pharmacy
benefit managers have pointed out that the state can’t regulate certain
insurance plans legally as they come under federal law.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The two sides came face to face on Tuesday in a
House Insurance Committee hearing called by Chairman Gary Chism. Insurers and independent
pharmacists are not on the same page with The Columbus Republican, which has
proposed that local pharmacies should be allowed to match mail-order discounts
given by benefit managers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pharmacists are against the proposal as too many
similar plans are forcibly enabling customers to make use of certain mail order
and retail pharmacies or else pay more. Their point is if the stores can comply
with the terms of the drug plan, then they should be allowed to participate as
well, as voiced by Waymon Tigrett, a pharmacist who sits on the state board and
owns Brandon Discount Drugs.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is not certain if the proposal will pass
muster because large pharmacy chains and drug plans have claimed that 1996 law
meant for supporting independent drug stores in adequate. If there are any
violations, pharmacists should take it up with the Insurance Department.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Executive Director of the Mississippi Independent
Pharmacies Association, Robert Dozier commented that the board might be able to
exercise more authority when it comes to drug plans, due to a 2011 law that
allows the board to regulate benefit managers. Currently, <st1:place w:st="on">Mississippi</st1:place> is the only state that has this
law.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-85835927363230329122013-01-09T11:48:00.002-05:002013-01-09T11:48:27.648-05:00Markets may remain volatile in the near term<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Market volatility is expected to rise in the near
future as analysts expect some kind of a rough ride after a historic decline
last year and a rally this year so far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">"We're likely to come into a period of volatility
that would be parallel to the volatility we saw when all of a sudden it was
realized we weren't going to get a deal on the 'fiscal cliff,'" John
Stoltzfus, chief market strategist at Oppenheimer said on CNBC.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">"Overall the market is poised this year to
continue the process that we saw last year."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">This could spell bad news for investors who may have
been hoping for gains this year after a number of much-fancied stocks failed to
live up to expectations. But the uncertainty in Washington is likely to
translate into turmoil in the markets this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The compromise deal over the so-called fiscal cliff
resulted in a 39 percent drop in the CBOE Volatility Index. Volatility rose
late in the year when Washington technically missed the Dec. 31 deadline to get
a deal done. The index has been moving higher so far this week, CNBC said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The cliff entailed a series of severe tax increases
and spending cuts that were averted in a last-minute deal which halted
immediate panic but left a string of nagging concerns that will be addressed
over the next two months.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Higher levels of volatility make it difficult for
investors to gauge and predict stock movements and arrive at investment
decisions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The nation still has to do something about the $16.4
trillion debt ceiling which may be likely breached in another month or so. </span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-68437292264702063582013-01-08T14:27:00.002-05:002013-01-08T14:27:46.531-05:00Gas Prices Remain Steady as 2013 Begins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place>
drivers are keeping fingers crossed so that 2013 doesn’t begin like the
previous year when it comes to gas prices, but it seems that prices are staying
down as of now. The average price of gasoline is now $3.30 a gallon, up about
half a penny since January 1. The situation was different in the beginning of
2012 when the prices went up 10 cents in the first week and finally hit $4 in
April.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oil prices will govern what happens with pump
rates. The economies in <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> are showing some
improvement, but <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> still remains plunged
in recession – in general, economic factors affecting oil prices are mixed. In
the last 2 years in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>, threats
to shipments of oil from the region drove crude prices higher during the
winter, thereby increasing the pump prices by spring.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On Monday, benchmark crude went up 10 cents to
finish at $93.19 a barrel in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>, while
Brent crude rose 9 cents to end at $111.40 per barrel in <st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place>. The average cost for a gallon was
$3.60 in 2013 in the <st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place>,
eclipsing the record of $3.51 a gallon set in 2011, according to AAA. Prices
were always high unplanned outages plagued refineries across the <st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place>
such as Hurricane Isaac and Superstorm Sandy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The calculations of the Energy Department show
that gas will average $3.43 a gallon this year due to an anticipated decline in
Brent crude, which is a benchmark for oil imported on the U.S. East Coast, to
an average of $104 a barrel. Drivers in <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oklahoma</st1:state>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Utah</st1:state> and <st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state>
are paying below $3 a gallon on average, whereas <st1:place w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:place> is the only state above $4.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-7966823515868039772013-01-08T14:26:00.002-05:002013-01-08T14:26:51.912-05:00Downloads in App Store Climbs to 40 Billion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The news is out – iOS App Store has reached 40
billion downloads, with almost 50% of them happening in the year 2012 alone!
The month of December has also been favorable with 2 billion downloads. In 2011,
there were about 550,000 apps in the App Store with about $4 billion being paid
to the developers, but the total nearly doubled in 2012 when 225,000 apps were
added.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The runaway hit game <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Temple</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Run</st1:placename></st1:place>
did exceptionally well and was downloaded more than 75 million times,
considering it is a small development studio. More than 300, 000 apps were
developed only for the iPad. The announcement of Apple’s success comes at a
perfect time when the tech world is tuned towards the Consumer Electronics Show
(CES). Needless to say, Apple will steal the thunder from every device on
display at the show in <st1:city w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city>.
Apple has used this strategy before by holding other events where the spotlight
is only focused on itself such as the World Wide Developers Conference.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, any similar announcement from Apple is
typically followed by a quarterly earnings call or the launch of a new device.
For example, a year back Apple revealed that it had paid $4 billion to
developers while announcing its Q1 earnings. Stand-alone announcements are not
the company’s usual style.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Around 75,000 apps were added to the App Store
between September 12, 2012 and January 7, 2013, which amounts to 641 new apps
in the App Store per day and 19,000+ new apps each month.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-51565102569686101832013-01-07T12:26:00.002-05:002013-01-07T12:26:15.952-05:00Tech, financials earnings forecast scaled down <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Earnings forecasts for
technology companies and banks have been sharply cut, pointing towards a muted
earnings season and the possibility of the stock markets also remaining subdued
due to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Forecasts for techs and
financial have been scaled down by more than 10 percent by analysts for the
quarter ending in December, reports said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The benchmark S&P 500 index
is heavily weighted by techs and financial stocks. Analysts are also
pessimistic about companies in the materials sector but not as much as the
others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">For technology companies the
main concern is the fall in sales of personal computers and other traditional
computing devices, which is giving way to smartphones and tablets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">This has an effect not on the
makers of such devices but also in makers of microprocessors, which derives its
demand from them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">For financial firms it is a
long haul struggling as they are against a decline in the brokerage business -
brokerage fees have dipped sharply - while they are trying to get capital
funds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Some analysts however expect
the companies to find other ways to bounce back and boost earnings. Intel, for
instance, is has already set its sights on the mobile space with its new range
of Atom processors for mobile devices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Among financials the major
earnings next week is that of Wells Fargo, and it is expected to report
earnings of 89 cents a share, about a penny higher than what was expected about
a quarter earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Analysts are expecting fourth
quarter earnings to be better than the third quarter. The fourth-quarter
operating earnings estimate for the S&P 500 has fallen to $25.29 a share
from $26.87 a share over the past three months. That’s an expected 6.6%
improvement from the year-ago quarter’s operating earnings of $23.73 a share
rather than a 13.2% one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-74036116593125525032013-01-04T14:59:00.002-05:002013-01-04T14:59:50.076-05:00Polaroid Fotobar Stores will Showcase Photos from Digital Sources<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Polaroid, one of the most renowned names in the
photography business, announced announced at the 2013 International Consumer
Electronics Show in <st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place>
that it plans to open around 10 Polaroid Fotobar stores this year, based on
photos from Facebook and other online and digital sources. The first store will
be located in <st1:city w:st="on">Delray Beach</st1:city> in <st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place> and is likely to open its doors in
February. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Customers can utilize the company’s
patent-pending proprietary technology to upload photos from Facebook, Instagram,
Picasa, and other social sites, or select photos from their digital devices and
wirelessly transmit them to workstations. After photos are uploaded or
transmitted, customers can make use of features like contrast, red-eye
correction, brightness, and filters, as well as choose materials, substrates,
and framing options. Pictures can also be framed, matted, and/or printed
directly onto substrates including canvas, metal, acrylic, wood, and bamboo.
Products will then be handcrafted and dispatched from the manufacturing
facility within a time period of 72 hours.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If customers face difficulties, “Phototenders”
will be present in the stores to help them in navigating through the process.
There will be “The Studio” in the <st1:city w:st="on">Delray
Beach</st1:city> store which is a multipurpose room for photo
classes, private parties, and portrait photos. Polaroid President and CEO Scott
W. Hardy is extremely optimistic about these stores and feels that customers
will respond positively.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Fotobar Founder and CEO Warren Struhl stated that
this venture is to bring forth some brilliant photographs that are taken every
day (around 1.5 million pictures are clicked per day!), but often remain in
camera phones. Polaroid Fotobar is creating a golden chance for those works of
art to see the light of the day.</div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-44405665092909229772013-01-04T14:20:00.001-05:002013-01-04T14:20:31.741-05:002013 may be a better year for IPOs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Market watchers and analysts are expecting 2013 to be
better year for initial public offerings after a lacklustre 2012, where only
128 companies raised money via IPOs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Compare that with the 154 companies that went in for
an IPO in 2011 while the long-term annual average is 200. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">According to the Daily Ticker, the median proceed
raised by IPOs also fell 23 percent while 40 percent of companies ended up
worth less than their IPOs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Investor relations firm KCSA said that 2013 may be a
turnaround year though in terms of companies entering the equity markets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">According to the Daily Ticker report - KCSA’s 3rd
annual strategic communications survey polled 50 leading securities attorneys
whose firms were responsible for 87 percent of major initial public offerings
in 2012 and found that things are looking up. More than one-third of
respondents said they believe the IPO market will be stronger in the coming
year, the highest percentage reported in the poll's history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Most of those surveyed felt that with the compromise
deal on the so-called fiscal cliff things could look up this year as there was
a perceived sense of stability. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Last year, sentiments were also marred by a clutch of
hyped-up social media stocks, which entered the market with fancy valuations
but were never able to hold those prices.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">This soured the general climate for IPOs and many
companies decided to stay away rather than be subject to the battering that
companies such as Facebook, Zynga and Groupon faced.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">According to KCSA, 89 percent surveyed said Facebook
would cause all social media companies valuations to be lower. Last year 93
percent of respondents said Facebook was the most anticipated IPO of the year
while this year 86 percent were unsure.</span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-43820147699787235142013-01-03T12:37:00.000-05:002013-01-03T12:37:00.066-05:00Why Investors should not Ignore Carl Icahn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Carl Icahn is a billionaire investor who invests in companies and
sometimes also manages them. Yet most of his companies - or rather companies in
which he has invested - trade at discounts to their book values and despite his
wealth and ability to gobble up companies Icahn does not command the respect
that another well-known investors does - Warren Buffet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Kiplinger has an interesting piece on this phenomenon written by
Andrew Feinberg, who runs a hedge fund.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Buffet's stock picks trade at premium partly due to the reputation
of the man himself. Investors feel that if Buffet has the stock, it must be
worthwhile to possess it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">According to Feinberg, investors should see the discount at which
Icahn's stocks are trading as a good investment opportunity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Feinberg says, "Icahn, 76, is arguably one of the
great value investors of all time, and by one key measure may be an even better
investor than Buffett. From 1968 through 2011, Icahn compounded the initial
$100,000 he invested in his Wall Street firm at a 31% annual rate. Over the
same period, the book value of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway grew 20 percent
annualized."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Icahn' returns from his investments have also been extraordinary,
Feinberg's research showed. "An annualized 26.1 percent through June 30,
compared with 7.3 percent for Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, according
to the 13D Monitor, a research service. This is a crucial number for investors
because it means they can successfully piggyback on Icahn's investments. For
example, on January 13, 2012, Icahn filed a 13D on CVR Energy, with the stock
at $23. On November 30, 2012, it closed at $46. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Warren Buffet is, of course, a household name and known even to
individual investors and non-investors. However Icahn can lay equal claim to
fame and it would be worthwhile for investors to monitor his stocks in the New
Year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-45951348417828044252013-01-03T11:36:00.005-05:002013-01-03T11:36:30.816-05:00DoubleLine Capital moves into stock management<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">DoubleLine Capital has launched a separate division
for managing stock portfolios, the company said on Wednesday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The firm run by star bond investor Jefferey Gundlach,
has launched DoubleLine Equity LP for the management of stocks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">In a statement DoubleLine said that its new rock
management division will be run by former TCW Group portfolio managers Brendt
Stallings and Husam Nazer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Gundlach, the chief executive of DoubleLine told
Reuters in an interview that stock mutual fund strategies were not innovative
and had a paucity of ideas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">"We think the equity business is ripe for
creative thinking," he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">The newly started division will start off with one or
two mutual funds that would offer investors a strategy focussing on U.S.
stocks. Next it would offer a hedge fund that would focus on best ideas in
international stock investing, Gundlach said in the interview.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">"We're really not prepared to do a lot of
individual stock selection outside of the United States," he said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">DoubleLine Capital manages bond assets worth $53
billion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">In September Gundlach had hinted that the firm would
be moving into stock management saying that equities were a good hedge against
inflation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-IN">On Wednesday he said that some of the stock funds he
planned to offer would have a strategy focussed on specific sectors and small
and mid-cap stocks, while others would have a broader investment strategy.</span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-81000631217859077982013-01-02T15:50:00.002-05:002013-01-02T15:50:12.580-05:00Intel’s Internet TV Set-Top Box Delayed due to Content Negotiations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wall Street Journal has some interesting news to
report – speculations have already been doing the rounds for sometime that
Intel is planning to launch its own television set-top box, but negotiations
with content providers are delaying Intel’s plans significantly to take over
your living room.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sources familiar with the matter have told the
Wall Street Journal that Intel Corporation(NASDAQ:INTC)’s plans were to
introduce a television set-top box by the end of the year 2012, which would
reportedly allow consumers to subscribe to television channels over the web.
But the timing is quite dicey now, as Intel could launch that product in the
middle of this year or in the fourth quarter. The reasons for this uncertainty
are the content deals, which are taking long to come through.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Speculations about Intel venturing into the TV
set-top box business have been around since March 2012, right after the company
moved away from providing chipsets for Google TV devices and the geek-friendly
Boxee Box. Some reports have also suggested that Intel might debut its set-top
box at the CES next week, but it seems improbable as of now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As mentioned above, the blame for the delay and
uncertainty solely rests on the prolonged content agreements. Google TV had
plenty of potential at launch with its ability to combine traditional TV
service with web video, but broadcast networks were quick to block GTV devices
from their websites and Hulu (which is owned by several networks). Till date,
there is still no official Hulu app for Google TV or for devices from Boxee.
Apple has faced content issues too, as it took Apple TV a long time to get a
Hulu app and maybe this is why there aren’t too many apps available on Apple
TV.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-18510968249747008522012-12-28T14:36:00.002-05:002012-12-28T14:36:24.010-05:00Sony Xperia Z will be Unveiled at CES 2013<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes it is official – Sony’s very first 1080p
smartphone, the Xperia Z, which was earlier termed as Xperia Yuga, will now be
the latest topic of discussion in the ever-expanding smartphone market. The
brand new Xperia will be unveiled by Sony at 2013, in the first half of
January. Right after the event, on January 15, the handset will hit the shelves
of stores in <st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place>,
with a price tag of around 4,298 CNY ($690 or €520).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Xperia Z Yuga is powered by Android Jelly
Bean. Features include a 1920 x 1080 pixels display on a 5-inch screen, a
1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, LTE, NFC, 2GB of RAM, 12MP rear
camera with flash, and MicroSD card support. Physical dimensions measure up to
139 x 71 x 7.9 mm and like its predecessor Xperia V, it is designed to protect
against water and dust.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It goes without saying that the latest offering
from Sony, will compete with HTC’s Droid DNA / Butterfly (which is already
available), Oppo’s Find 5, ZTE’s Nubia Z5, Samsung’s unannounced Galaxy S4, and
all of the 1080p handsets that are going to be launched throughout 2013.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A brand new Android-powered smartphone, the C503,
will most likely be announced by Sony in the coming year. The product has been
code-named HuaShan and it will be a mid-end device, unlike the Xperia Z Yuga.
For now, everyone is poised as to how smartphone users will respond to the new
Xperia and also if it can actually take on the players already established.</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-87782981309128335802012-12-21T14:07:00.002-05:002012-12-21T14:07:50.563-05:00 Amazon launches Kindle Singles in the U.K. followed by success in the U.S.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In United States,
Kindle singles was launched by Amazon in January 2011 as a new concept with
ideas “<span lang="EN-IN">expressed at their natural length,” and the format
longer than a magazine article and shorter than a book. Sold for couple of
dollars apiece, currently 281 titles of kindle singles are available in U.S.
stores and Amazon is bringing the concept to UK.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">Launched on Friday, the UK Kindle stores
includes 250 titles, which have many Kindle Singles from US authors, new ones
from popular British authors namely Susan Hill, Sam Leith and Candia McWilliams.
Most </span>Kindle Singles are<span lang="EN-IN"> priced at between £0.99 and £1.99 and like in U.S. authors are paid
a 70 percent royalty on works exclusive to Amazon. The former managing director
of Penguin press in the U.K., Andrew Rosenheim, is the editor of UK store while
Byliner who has already offered many of its e-singles through Kindle Singles,
will make those titles available in the U.K.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">Till September 2012, 3.5 million Kindle Singles
had been sold in U.S. making it huge money maker for some authors. Announcing
the UK program in a press release, Amazon touted couple more successes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-IN">Lee Child’s “Second Son” was released as a
Kindle Single in August 2011 and went on to reach the #1 spot on the Amazon.com
best sellers chart, selling in excess of 220,000 copies. Previously unpublished
U.S. writer and musician, Mishka Shubaly, has written four Singles, all true
stories about drink, drugs, disasters, desire, deception and their aftermath.
All have been best sellers and have earned Shubaly in excess of $148,000 in 18
months (over £90,000).</span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-39749980524885422322012-12-19T11:33:00.002-05:002012-12-19T11:33:46.248-05:00Instagram Updates Privacy Policy, Seeks Right To Sell Users’ Photos To Advertisers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The photo-sharing site
of Facebook, Instagram has recently updated its privacy policy. Its new privacy
policy gives it the power to sell photos of its users to advertisers without
informing them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Users have a deadline
period till 16<sup>th</sup> January. After that, they will not be able to opt
out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The changes in the
policy also imply that Instagram can share information about its users with
Facebook, which happens to be its parent company now, and also with advertisers
and affiliates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The move has enraged
users. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">VP of global marketing
solutions at Facebook, Carolyn Everson had mentioned earlier this month that
with time there will be a way to monetize Instagram. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The notice regarding
the new privacy policy on Instagram site included that it may use people’s
information from cookies, log records and location data with enterprises that
help in providing services to users. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, Instagram
mentioned that it intends to make things simpler to work with Facebook. It said
in the statement that the move is to fight spam more efficiently, identify
reliability issues faster and make features for all users by understanding how
Instagram is used. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The updated policy,
however, will not change the ways in which ownership of photos are handled or
who is able to view the pictures of a user. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The new policy has
prompted a criticism among several social media users.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clayton Cubbit, a
photographer based in New York has stated in his account that the updated
policy is a suicide note.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Analysts feel that the
new policy could result in a severe blow to the reputation of Facebook and push
away some users. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chairman of
TechMarketView, Richard Holway said that each time the social marketing giant
has modified their privacy policy, it has always attracted criticism leading to
a retreat. They tamper with privacy of people at a cost, upsetting people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-83230128270675598702012-12-19T06:07:00.000-05:002012-12-19T06:07:01.737-05:00Results Of Second Quarter Of Oracle To Highlight Tech Spending<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oracle’s most recent
quarterly earnings must offer some insight on how government and corporate
grants have been affected by the re-election of President Barack Obama. The
results will also shed light on the worries surrounding the fiscal cliff that
is looming over the US economy currently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The quarterly results
will be covering three months ending on 30<sup>th</sup> November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oracle will be the
first major technology company to report how it has been doing with business
customers after the presidential election on 6<sup>th</sup> November and the
starting of negotiations to crack a deal that would stop triggering high rates
of tax and automatic government expenses cuts starting on 1<sup>st</sup>
January. The phantom of higher taxes together with reductions in government
budgets is being called the fiscal cliff that has the potential of pushing the
unstable US economy into recession. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oracle specializes in
business software. It has given its word to its shareholders that its fiscal
second quarter would be better than the first quarter figures that were
revealed in September. Revenue had gone down during the first quarter, raising
fears that big companies and government enterprises were becoming thrifty amid
the economic improbability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">FactSet had polled
analysts in which they have expressed anticipation of a modest improvement in
the latest quarter. Revenue has gone up 2% from the same time the previous year
to $9 billion. Not taking into account the charges of Oracle for past
acquisitions and other costs, analysts are anticipating that the company will
earn 61 cents per share. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Oracle’s executives
have guaranteed investors in September that the speed of business would
increase towards the end of 2012. The company has predicted its software
licenses and online memberships that were sold during the second quarter will
shoot up by 5% from what it was a year back. Growth of licensing is considered
important since it creates a flow of future revenue from software updates and
maintenance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span></div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-81703253896597736802012-12-18T13:37:00.002-05:002012-12-18T13:37:04.779-05:00Google Puts The Blame On LG For Serious Shortage Of Nexus 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It would not be wrong
to say that Google’s Nexus 4 has been a complete debacle till date. Apart from
an awful online ordering system, shortage of supply and a complete lack of
communication from Google, the would-be owners of the Nexus 4 are left with
only one option – losing their temper completely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Google has sensed the
rising anger and is now offering its frustrated customers a better explanation
for all the things that have gone wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To start with, it has
put the blame on LG. Managing Director of Google, Dan Cobley has stated on his
Google+ page that supplies from the manufacturer are limited and inconsistent.
Also, the communications have been inconsistent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, this does not
really surprise anyone. It has been clear since the beginning that neither LG
nor Google has properly predicted how much demand the Nexus 4 would attract. Google
has clearly become a victim of its own success here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cobley said that there
are a number of Nexus 4 orders that have been fulfilled. This implies that, theoretically,
the orders should be delivered before Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, the most
surprising thing about the whole scenario is that Google is at the focus. A
company that excels at just about everything it puts its finger on, it comes as
a surprise is to see Google so incompetent in something that the majority of
hardware companies have somewhat got a grip on. Google may be great in
designing software, but the company surely has a lot to learn when it comes to
understanding the hardware world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cobley’s complete
response to Nexus 4 users said that the company is working day and night on
resolving the issues that have cropped up. He also said that the company is
positive about sharing some good news very soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-69827368261013667762012-12-17T11:53:00.002-05:002012-12-17T11:53:15.046-05:00Autodesk Is The Tech Industry’s Latent Giant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Autodesk,
Inc.(NASDAQ:ADSK) is among the few companies that started with the inception of
desktop computers back in the year 1982. It emerged in parallel with the IBM. AutoCAD
was its primary program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John Walker, a
programming genius had designed the company as a low-cost design system for
microcomputers. However, the company and its programs were never actually a
part of the evolving PC industry. Autodesk was used by professionals with
comparatively costly products. It ended up being inexpensive with the pricey
competition later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The company has managed
to achieve a few things even after straddling the two worlds. Autodesk stood
above the technology milieu to an extent that it avoided the collapse of dotcom
in the beginning of 2000. The bust hurt all technology companies but Autodesk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another thing was that
the company had recast itself as an old-time industrial enterprise. It was not
perceived as some top-notch tech operation. That is the reason why its stock
was cheap, as compared to the more faddish offerings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately, the
state of affairs did not stay the same. Autodesk is poised to reign in the next
five years. However, the poor economic conditions and the impending fiscal
cliff can probably keep the stock under pressure for some time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are a few strong
reasons to follow Autodesk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Autodesk is expanding
into new arenas of computer-based design with building-information mold
–something that is growing pretty fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, there is the
endeavor to shift to software as a service. The company has been keeping a
watch on Adobe Systems’ ways of managing new SAS initiatives. It plans on doing alike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The approach of
Autodesk is a little different since it feels that it can focus on complex
calculations that are tough to do on the desktop. This is also a crucial step
that the company is planning to take. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Autodesk’s association
with the most happening trend in technology is something that can make the
company’s stock scale new heights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-14264256067102178662012-12-14T12:24:00.002-05:002012-12-14T12:24:15.501-05:00Facebook Investors Not Concerned With Lock-Up Expiration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Facebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB)
had its first ever major lock up release in August when the company had freed
early investors to sell some of their stock. Facebook shares have been gloomy
throughout summer. A Facebook director, Peter Thiel and a very early investor
had sold a massive portion of his shares and that is when the social networking
giant hit its record low. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The degrading
performance of Facebook at the stock market in August had confirmed the fears
of the company’s shares being at risk to a tsunami of selling from workers and
investors. Thisd is why Facebook’s chief financial officer, David Ebersman had
taken the decision to increase the size of the Facebook IPO in May. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, on the eve of
last big stock lock-up expiration of Facebook, the fear has apparently
subsided. Needless to say, it came as a huge relief to Facebook and Mark
Zuckerberg. The Facebook stock has seen great falls. Since September, it has
seen better times. Presently, it is up more than 50%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Investors are not that
petrified of the lock up release on Friday, since the stock has performed
relatively well in November with 800 million Facebook shares being released
from the lock-up. The stock has, in fact, rallied more than $20. It has not
looked back ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, the mere 156
million Facebook shares are being released from lock-up on Friday. It is a
small amount when compared to the massive lock-up expiration in November. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most prominent
change has been noticed in Zuckerberg’s efforts to play ball with Wall Street.
He has been resisting the temptation of squeezing out new revenues as he feels
that may repel users. Facebook seems to be moving at a fast pace on its
monetization efforts. It has been working on getting more revenue through many
a method, including Instagram. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-49715388294752260222012-12-13T14:58:00.002-05:002012-12-13T14:58:37.322-05:00Shares Of Best Buy Up 17% After A Star Tribune Report<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shares of Best Buy shot
up 17% on Thursday as it became more and more evident that the founder of the
company, Richard Schulze may have been arranging for finances to purchase the
consumer electronics retailer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Schulze would be
bidding for at least $5-$6 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Schulze’s bid would,
however, be less than his initial offer in August. He had said that he would
purchase Best Buy for $24-$26 per share. Taking debts into account that would
have amounted to $10.9 billion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Best Buy shares have
seen consistent drop since the month of August. Last month Best Buy had
reported a drop in sales figure in same-stores. This is the ninth time in the
past 10 quarters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The size of such a
prospective agreement, along with the poor performance of Best Buy in the past
two years, has got many people on Wall Street doubting that the deal can ever
happen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">R J Hottovy, an analyst
at Morningstar said that there is enough skepticism regarding the fact that
Schulze would be able to arrange finances for such a big deal. He also said
that since the share price has gone up, the deal stands a chance now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was not sure about
the investors or the board of Best Buy proceeding with such a proposal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some shareholders,
however, have showed interest in hearing what Schulze has to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chief executive of
Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher, & Co., Bruce Geller thinks that the
company can make things work and Schulze is capable of putting his best into
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As reported by the Star
Tribune, Schulze is supposed to meet his top advisers, including a former chief
executive of Best Buy, Brad Anderson and a former president of the same, Al
Lenzmeier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Schulze had founded the
company in 1966. He is planning on funding the deal with the combination of
debt financing and private equity. Also, he is keen on reinvestment of some of
his own equity in Best Buy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538959584197558894.post-18354230975549886052012-12-13T11:57:00.002-05:002012-12-13T11:57:57.449-05:00Bingo - Google Maps Is Back On iPhone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And finally, iPhone
gets back Google Maps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most popular
mapping service in the world traced its way back to the iPhone on Wednesday
after the Google Maps’ iPhone App was released. The release takes place about 3
months after Apple introduced its own Apple Maps and replaced the versatile
Google Maps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apple Maps has been
proved to be way mediocre in comparison to Google Maps. The shocking shoddiness
that the Apple Maps came with led to a rare public apology issued by Apple CEO
Tim Cook. He even recommended iPhone users to access Google maps through their
web browsers and seek other alternative ways to get navigation information. Cook
has fired the executive, who was in charge of the operating system after the
much-hyped Apple Maps was reduced to nothing but a joke. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apple Maps had most of
the landmarks misplaced. Significant towns were overlooked and there have been
reported instances of iPhone users getting lost. One of the most egregious
example of such an instance is that the Australian police had issued public
warning to be careful while using Apple maps while traveling. Apparently, the
city of Mildura was grossly misplaced on Apple Maps, posing life threatening
risks since the system directed users to look for the city into a remote desert
that is located 44 miles away from the actual destination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the flip side,
Google is summoning its latest iPhone app as a great new achievement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mobile director of
Google Maps, Daniel Graf said that the company has started from the scratch
when it comes to designing maps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apple is said to have
taken the decision to design its own mapping app when Google had refused to add
the popular turn-by-turn directions feature to the iPhone app, while the
feature was available to all Android users.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
themarketsareopenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11416570369006157934noreply@blogger.com0