Defensive luxury October 24, 2010 DESPITE talk of a flight to quality, received wisdom tells us that consumers should cut back on fripperies in hard times. Yet luxury firms of all hues are doing remarkably well. Take Apple, the tech giant that only sells high-end products: it has continued to post ever-rising profits and revenues throughout the recession, smashing its [...]
Apple cuts out Adobe Flash October 24, 2010 Apple has said it will no longer ship Mac computers with Adobe Systems’ Flash player pre-installed, as the company continues to erect barriers to the software. Apple’s decision does not ban Flash software from its computers – as it has from the iPhone and iPad. Users will still be able to download and install a [...]
Reduced real income will hit retail October 24, 2010 RETAIL sales fell in September for the second month in a row. Real incomes are suffering and consumer confidence is weak. Some are questioning whether Apple’s disappointing iPad sales figures last week are a sign of things to come. So should spread betters take the hint and shun the sector? Demand certainly looks like it [...]
1,800 jobs go at Nokia amid phone delay October 21, 2010 NOKIA’s new chief executive Stephen Elop put his stamp on the company yesterday by cutting 1,800 jobs, equivalent to three per cent of the company’s workforce, and delaying the launch of a key product after the mobile phone manufacturer posted stronger -than-expected results. It is not known whether UK workers will be affected by the [...]
Angry Birds firm snapped up by gaming giant EA October 21, 2010 THE birds may be angry, but their developers are certainly celebrating. Electronic Arts yesterday said it plans to buy the publisher of hit game Angry Birds, one of the most popular Apps on Apple’s iPhone, pushing the second largest US video game publisher deeper into the mobile games market. EA will pay $20m (£12.7bn) in [...]
Apple vies for Lion’s share of app market October 21, 2010 JUST two days after reporting yet another quarter of record revenues and profits, Apple wheeled out the latest version of its ultra-thin MacBook air. With the roaring success of the iPhone 4 and the iPad – which Apple still can’t produce quickly enough to meet demand – the release of a new ºlaptop, albeit the [...]
China’s first interest rate rise since 2007 drags FTSE down October 19, 2010 China’s first interest rate rise since 2007 hit mining shares and dragged the FTSE 100 lower yesterday, offsetting gains from banks after solid results from Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was down 38.63 points, or 0.7 per cent at 5,703.89, having earlier dipped below the 5,700 level [...]
Bank of America scare hits stocks October 19, 2010 U stocks posted their biggest loss in two months yesterday on fears banks might be on the hook for billions of dollars in souring mortgage bonds. The afternoon selloff hit investors already reeling from an unexpected credit tightening by China and disappointing financial results from Apple and IBM. The biggest scare came on news that [...]
Apple rides high but iPad falters October 18, 2010 Apple last night smashed expectations to post record fourth quarter profits and revenues, boosted by blockbuster sales of its new iPhone 4. However, its landmark iPad tablet device lagged behind analyst forecasts as supply issues continued to dog the world’s biggest technology firm. Apple shifted 4.2m iPads in the quarter, falling well short of analyst [...]
Wall Street is lifted by robust Citigroup earnings October 18, 2010 US stocks advanced yesterday as stronger-than-expected profit from Citigroup helped financial shares shake off worries that the foreclosure mess could threaten the stability of the housing market. Apple, which hit an all-time high during the regular session, disappointed investors after reporting gross margins and iPad shipments. Its shares skidded five per cent in after-hours trading [...]