The rise of 3D January 9, 2011 STEVE DINNEEN REVIEWS THE MAJOR TRENDS THAT DOMINATED THE AGENDA AT THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW THE technology world will remember 2011 as the year that 3D went mainstream. Every major electronics manufacturer made 3D the centre of their displays and its presence was ubiquitous throughout the show. Sony predicted 3D will become as accepted as [...]
American auto sales top 13m January 4, 2011 AMERICAN auto sales hit their highest level in 16 months in December, it was revealed yesterday. The figures surpassed expectations and marked the end of a strong year for the formerly troubled industry. Economists had predicted sales of 12.3m, yet the annual sales rate for December jumped above 13m, according to initial data from major [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 22, 2010 KKR Kaveh Samie is joining KKR as managing director and head of Middle East and North Africa to support the firm’s growth strategy in the region. Previously, Samie was a managing director and head of equities for HSBC Middle East & North Africa. The appointment takes effect from 6 January 2011. Samie will work closely [...]
FTSE treads water as fears over European debts weigh December 16, 2010 BRITAIN’S top shares closed little changed yesterday as persistent concerns over Europe’s debt problems capped moves on the upside while BP fell after the US government launched a lawsuit over the Gulf oil spill. The FTSE 100 ended down 1.06 points at 5,881.12. The index ebbed away from an intra-day high of 5,907.10, with analysts [...]
GM car sales jump 11pc December 1, 2010 GENERAL MOTORS’ sales rose 11 per cent in the US last month, slightly less than industry-wide predictions but providing a sign of returning consumer demand. GM said yesterday its four core brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac – clawed back some market share with a 21 per cent rise in sales compared with last [...]
THE TIPSTER November 29, 2010 THE US car giant Ford is due to give a trading update tomorrow. Its stock has rallied over 50 per cent in 2010 thanks to optimism that quantitative easing will prevent a double dip and people will keep buying cars. It was only two years ago since the stock was trading at $3 and looking [...]
Ford reduces its debt by $1.9bn with bond swap November 24, 2010 FORD is cutting its debt by $1.9bn (£1.2bn) in a bid to strengthen its balance sheet and get itself rated investment grade again. In Ford’s tender offer to reduce its automotive operations debt, holders of some $2.55bn of senior convertible notes due in 2016 and 2036 accepted cash and company stock for debt. That reduces [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS November 24, 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has appointed Andrew Miller to lead its government information security services offering as part of PwC’s continued investment in the development of its risk assurance practice. Prior to joining PwC, he was at Fujitsu Defence & Security where he was responsible for transforming its security services portfolio. Mercer Mercer has made three [...]
Crisis must be used to force change November 18, 2010 SOMETIMES, crises are the best way to force through change. Take what has happened to the US car industry. I wish the US government hadn’t bailed out General Motors; governments should not be in the business of helping individual firms in this way. The assistance helped GM’s remaining employees but it unfairly put other companies [...]
New car sales fall in Europe November 16, 2010 CAR sales in the UK and Europe plummeted in October as the end of government help for the car industry and uncertainty about spending cuts took their toll. New car registrations in the EU fell 16.6 per cent to 1.03m versus October 2009, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said. Demand dipped 5.5 per cent to [...]