The protectionist beast is back in a subtly fresh form January 20, 2013 IT’S a classic: during every recession, protectionism resurfaces. After four years of economic turmoil, unemployment is critical in the US (7.7 per cent) and Europe (11.7 per cent). Obviously, governments want to protect national companies and jobs, especially if they want to be re-elected. But if protectionism is back, it’s also more subtle. Gone are [...]
What the other papers say this morning January 16, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Apple rolls out China credit facility Apple is to allow Chinese consumers to buy its gadgets on credit – a move that could help boost sales in the world’s largest smartphone market by unit shipments, where it has lost share to cheaper brands. HP arms become focus of M&A talk Reports that Dell [...]
Goldman and JP Morgan help boost Wall St January 16, 2013 THE S&P 500 ended nearly flat yesterday as solid earnings from two major banks and a bounceback in Apple shares offset concerns about a lower forecast for global growth in 2013 (see UK report). Shares of Goldman Sachs hit their highest since May 2011 as earnings nearly tripled on increased revenue from dealmaking and lower [...]
Failure to adapt meant rivals left HMV behind January 15, 2013 Almost exactly a year ago we looked at HMV on YouGov’s BrandIndex and saw that it did not fit the traditional pattern of a retailer facing difficulties – struggling with consumer perception compounded by a poor economic situation. HMV was by no means a high scorer on BrandIndex but it was in a perfectly respectable [...]
WANdisco bookings leap January 15, 2013 Newly-listed British software company WANdisco said that it had seen a 76 per cent increase in bookings in the final quarter of last year. The firm’s technology, which allows staff and companies across the world to collaborate, has seen orders from Apple, Cisco and Fujitsu. WANdisco said it reached record bookings of $2.5m (£1.55m) during [...]
Apple drags on market despite retail data hike January 15, 2013 The Dow and S&P 500 edged higher yesterday after stronger-than-expected retail data, though tech heavyweight Apple dragged on the market for a third straight day. Apple was the biggest weight on both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 after reports on Monday of cuts to orders for iPhone parts. Shares declined 3.2 per cent to [...]
HMV’s demise shows why even giant firms have feet of clay January 14, 2013 SO that’s it, then: HMV has finally gone into administration, the latest, most tragic victim of the revolution that is sweeping away erstwhile giants. This comes just days after Jessops, the camera firm, was liquidated, and after the demise of Comet, the electrical retailer. So who’s responsible? Quite simply, all of us. Consumers are all-powerful, [...]
PC sales crash as buyers shift focus to tablets January 14, 2013 PERSONAL computer sales plunged into decline for the first time in more than a decade last year as consumers switched to buying tablets, in a serious blow to PC manufacturers and software companies. Figures released yesterday by research firm Gartner showed that worldwide sales of PCs fell by 12.7m – or 3.5 per cent – [...]
Apple shares dip below $500 on demand concerns for iPhone January 14, 2013 SHARES in Apple fell to below $500 for the first time in almost a year yesterday, on reports that the company had cut orders for iPhone parts following weak demand. The world’s highest-valued company fell almost four per cent in New York, wiping over $18bn (£11.1bn) off its value, with investors fearing Apple’s most profitable [...]
Big screens and popular designs are helping Samsung take a bite out of Apple’s smartphone lead January 14, 2013 TAKE note. 2013 has already been dubbed the year of the phablet – the hideous nickname given to oversized mobile phones that are closer in form factor to a tablet computer. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show featured new phablets from the likes of Lenovo, Sony and Huawei. Some have gone so far as to call [...]