IS APPLE STILL COOL, EVEN IF IT IS MAINSTREAM?* April 24, 2012 GRAHAM THATCHER MCC INTERNATIONAL Yes, but that will decrease in time. I think its getting to a stage where it’s got to move things on quite considerably. Most people have an iPhone, but the next thing that someone sees across a table and says, ‘wow, what’s that?’ will be the cool thing. ANNE MARIE CALIXTÉ [...]
Taiwan’s HTC grows revenue April 24, 2012 TAIWANESE smartphone maker HTC yesterday pointed towards a 55 per cent jump in revenue in the second quarter from the previous three months, matching forecasts. The company said that it expects its second-quarter revenue to be T$105bn (£2.2bn) compared to T$67.79bn in the first quarter. This exceeds analysts expectations of about T$101bn. It follows a [...]
Ratings chiefs under fire as MP storms out April 24, 2012 EXECUTIVES from the three main ratings agencies were accused of “effectively holding governments to ransom” by MPs on the Treasury Select Committee yesterday during a hearing in which one MP lost his temper and left the meeting when he did not like a response. Ratings chiefs told MPs they believe they would be failing in [...]
Misys investors approve Vista April 24, 2012 MISYS’ investors yesterday approved Vista’s £1.27bn takeover bid for the banking software firm, with 99 per cent of shareholders voting in favour of the deal. Vista Equity Partners unveiled a £3.50 per share offer for Misys on 19 March, with irrevocable undertakings from 21.9 per cent of investors including two of the three top shareholders. [...]
Pressure on hedgies shows sign of easing April 24, 2012 INVESTOR demands to pull money out of hedge funds fell in April, data showed yesterday, in a sign that renewed volatility in financial markets may not be piling fresh pressure on more clients to quit the sector. The GlobeOp Forward Redemption Indicator, a monthly snapshot of clients giving notice to withdraw their cash as a [...]
Bank of Ireland still struggling with Irish property hangover April 24, 2012 BANK of Ireland, the country’s only un-nationalised bank, has warned that “tough funding conditions” and persistently bad credit quality have hit its profits, but said there should be an improvement later this year. Despite taking nearly €5bn (£4.1bn) in three-year funding from the European Central Bank, BoI said that the cost of bank debt is [...]
Sants: FSA must get harsher penalties to frighten the City April 24, 2012 REGULATORS must have harsher powers to punish and “frighten” executives of failed firms, FSA chief Hector Sants said yesterday in one of his last speeches in the job. “I believe it is vital that penalties are raised above the current level so that momentum in this area is maintained,” he said, although did not give details [...]
Fitness First to close branches April 24, 2012 ■ Fitness First, the debt-laden gym chain, could sell or close up to a third of its British sites after agreeing a deal with its largest lenders. The firm has signed a three month waiver with Oaktree and Marathon which spares it from having to pay its £18m quarterly interest bill immediately. The debt for [...]
Profits increase at AT&T April 24, 2012 ■ AT&T reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit yesterday, sending its stock up as much as four per cent, as a decline in iPhone sales reduced the amount of cash it had to pay Apple and boosted its margins. Apple shares fell almost two per cent after AT&T also said its numbers should improve further in [...]
Lloyds to issue credit easing bond April 24, 2012 ■ Lloyds said yesterday that it will soon test market appetite for a partially government-guaranteed bond under the auspices of the Treasury’s credit easing programme. It has appointed investment bankers from its own wholesale division to manage the deal, but has not yet decided on how much it will issue. One part of the bond [...]
