Sales & Marketing news

• The incredible life and career of Warren Buffett, the billionaire every investor looks to for inspiration

  10-02-2017 23:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Warren Buffett isn't your typical billionaire.
  And with a net worth of $70 billion, he lives a modest lifestyle.
  Buffett still lives in the house he bought in 1957 for $31,000, forgoes private jets for public transportation, and plays bridge instead of throwing parties.
  And it is that juxtaposition of vast wealth and a desire to live simply that has captured the awe of people around the world.
  His lifestyle was recently captured in the HBO's documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett."
  Following
  
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• Sears' explosive rally is confounding Wall Street

  10-02-2017 23:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  When Sears announced Friday that its fourth-quarter sales have tanked, the company also promised investors that it has a plan to cut costs that will return it to profitability. 
  Investors seemed only to focus on the good news. The shares soared 25% — one of the biggest one-day gains in the stock's history. 
  But the move also prompted some head scratching among Wall Street money managers, industry experts, and analysts.After all, some of the measures Sears touted — specifica
  
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• Dan Loeb made a nearly $1 billion bet on Wall Street (GS, JPM, BAC)

  10-02-2017 23:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Dan Loeb went big on Wall Street.
  A February 10 regulatory filing shows that Loeb's Third Point took large positions in JPMorgan and Bank of America and, to a lesser extent, Goldman Sachs — investing nearly $1 billion in total in the banks' shares during the fourth quarter of 2016.
  The JPMorgan position was worth about $453 million; the Bank of America holding about $387 million; and the Goldman holding about $96 million, the filing shows. 
  Bank stocks soared after of the US
  
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• There's a new biggest bull on Wall Street and he thinks stocks could rally 15% this year

  10-02-2017 20:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Wall Street has a new most bullish strategist. 
  Binky Chadha, Deutsche Bank's chief global strategist, said in a note Thursday that his year-end target for the benchmark S&P 500 is 2,600. That topped the call for 2,575 made by John Praveen, Prudential's chief investment strategist, which was the previous high that Business Insider observed. 
  Both strategists believe the market will maintain the momentum it gained after President Donald Trump's election in November. 
  
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• Wall Street's top regulator is resigning from the Fed

  10-02-2017 19:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Daniel Tarullo will resign from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors on or around April 5, according to a statement on Friday. 
  He served as chairman of the Board's Committee on Supervision and Regulation, which was responsible for regulating Wall Street banks. 
  "Dan led the Fed's work to craft a new framework for ensuring the safety and soundness of our financial system following the financial crisis and made invaluable contributions across the entire range of the Fed's
  
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• US oil rig count climbs for 4th straight week

  10-02-2017 18:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The count of active oil rigs in the US rose again this week, by eight to 591, according to Baker Hughes. 
  The count, up for a fourth straight week, is more than 80% higher than the low reached in May 2016. The tally is at its highest level since the week of October 23, 2015.
  Four gas rigs came online, taking the total to 149. With one miscellaneous rig remaining in use, the total rig count was up 12 to 741. 
  Oil drilling has increased as oil prices have recovered after the plunge
  
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• Here are 6 fables of fixed-income investing — in cartoon form narrated by the actor who played Dumbledore

  10-02-2017 18:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Aberdeen Asset Management is channeling its inner brothers Grimm.
  The UK-based investment firm, which has $374 billion in assets, on Thursday released six videos that illustrate the common mistakes made by fixed-income investors.
  Each lesson plays off of a well-known childhood fable in a fun 60-second cartoon.
  The firm enlisted the help of Michael Gambon, the actor who played Albus Dumbledore in most of the "Harry Potter" films, to narrate the shorts.
  In fable two, titled "A lesson in Independen
  
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• The maker of Durex is buying a baby-formula company — and Wall Street stands to make more than $100 million from the deal

  10-02-2017 18:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Reckitt Benckiser, the British maker of Durex condoms, is buying the baby-formula maker Mead Johnson Nutrition for about $17 billion — and a handful of banks stand to earn tens of millions of dollars in fees.
  The London-based boutique bank Robey Warshaw and Bank of America Merrill Lynch were the joint lead advisers to Reckitt. Along with Deutsche Bank and HSBC, they could earn $40 million to $50 million in advisory fees, according to the consultant Freeman & Co.
  On the sell side, Goldm
  
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• 'I have to have coverage in order to make sure that I don't die': GOP lawmakers get blasted on Obamacare at town hall

  10-02-2017 17:59 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Lawmakers got an earful from constituents in Tennessee on Thursday night during a town hall to talk about the future of the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare law better known as Obamacare.
  Republican Rep. Diane Black held a town hall about the law at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and was confronted by multiple constituents who pushed back against the GOP's plan to repeal and replace the ACA.
  One man, Mike Carlson, confronted Black about the repeal, saying the la
  
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• JPMorgan's head of US equities on the dollar, market volatility, and where investors should put their money in 2017

  10-02-2017 17:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Business Insider recently caught up with Dubravko Lakos-Bujas, the head of US Equity Strategy at JPMorgan.
  In the interview, Lakos-Bujas discusses dollar strength, market volatility and where investors should put their money in 2017.
  This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
  Tina Wadhwa: So, first, just a broad question. What are the big themes of the moment on your mind? What are you worried about, what are you excited about?
  Dubravko Lakos-Bujas: I would say dollar stren
  
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• 'Can't fly with broken wings' — Wall Street's report card for Twitter is scathing (TWTR)

  10-02-2017 17:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  “Can’t Fly With Broken Wings.”
  “Still Awaiting New Flight Plan.”
  “Delayed Flight.”
  "No Relief In Sight."
  “#Crash&Burn.”
  Those are a few examples of the brutal analyst notes about Twitter, following the company's dismal Q4 results that missed expectations.
  As many as 20 Wall Street analysts who cover Twitter slashed their price targets or downgraded their ratings for the company as of Friday morning.
  The sharp dro
  
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• Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin wrote a letter to Goldman Sachs' CEO asking how much influence Goldman has over Trump (GS)

  10-02-2017 16:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Democratic Senators Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein on Friday asking for information regarding Goldman Sachs' influence over the Trump administration.
  Specifically, Warren and Baldwin are concerned about how much input former and current Goldman Sachs employees have had over recent executive orders to roll back regulations on Wall Street, including the Dodd-Frank law that regulated banks after the financial crisis.
  "The executive orders relea
  
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• M&S’s Nathan Ansell on proving the value of customer experience

  10-02-2017 16:43
  
  Customer data must be shared “as far and wide as possible” within a business to ensure the commercial benefit of investing in customer experience is fully understood by all departments. That is the view of Nathan Ansell, global director of loyalty, customer insight and analytics at M&S and former head of brand and marketing for M&S Food.
  “It is hugely important, particularly for some of our more commercial colleagues in the organisation, to show there is a direct link
  
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• Investors don't trust the Fed anymore — and Trump might have something to do with it

  10-02-2017 16:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Federal Reserve officials keep breaking their promises, so it's little wonder financial markets have stopped taking officials at their word.
  Fed officials were nearly unanimous at the start of 2016 in predicting the central bank would raise interest rates four times that year. It ultimately did so just once, at the very last meeting of the year.
  Now, the Fed is claiming they could move three times this year. But investors are not so sure.
  They have reason to be skeptical. Pol
  
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• US consumer confidence drops for the first time since the election

  10-02-2017 16:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Various measures of US consumer confidence have spiked since the election in November. 
  But for the first time since October, the University of Michigan's survey of consumers showed a drop in expectations for economic growth. 
  The preliminary sentiment index for February slipped from a 12-year high in January to 95.7. It had been forecast at 98, down from 98.5, according to Bloomberg. 
  "To be sure, confidence remains quite favorable, with only five higher readings in the past
  
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• One of the world's leading credit-rating agencies thinks Trump could be a disaster for the global economy

  10-02-2017 15:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Fitch Ratings, one of the world's major credit-rating agencies, is sounding the alarm on the potential negative impact of President Donald Trump's economic policies.
  In a report on Friday, Fitch said the uncertainty of Trump's economic policies, as well as his penchant for protectionist trade policies, posed a risk not only to sovereign bonds but to overall economic conditions as well.
  "The Trump Administration represents a risk to international economic conditions and global sovereign credit fu
  
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• Immigration is adding to population growth in every US state

  10-02-2017 15:54 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Immigration to the United States is a big aspect of how states grow.
  International migration was a net positive to population growth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia between 2015 and 2016.
  The US Census Bureau recently released estimates for the major components of population change — natural change (births minus deaths), net domestic migration, and net international migration — for the states between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016.
  While a couple states lost po
  
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• The company behind Call of Duty and Candy Crush is soaring after reporting record revenue (ATVI)

  10-02-2017 15:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Activision Blizzard is up 17.81% at $46.17 a share after reporting fourth-quarter earnings following Thursday's closing bell.
  The gaming company posted record quarterly revenue despite a slump in sales of its Call of Duty video game. 
  Its multiplayer hero shooter game Overwatch reached 25 million players globally over 2016 and helped drive revenues to a record $6.61 billion for the year ended December 31.
  Those sales are up 42% compared to 2015, and Activision CEO E
  
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• Can Twitter turn its ‘influence and impact’ into ad ventures?

  10-02-2017 14:30
  
  Twitter’s disappointing fourth quarter results, with advertising revenue falling for the first time since its IPO, show it needs to do more to appeal to advertisers.
  Twitter reported a loss of $167m (£133m) in the final quarter of 2016, compared to a $90m (£72m) loss in the same period in 2015.
  Its active users increased by 4% to 319 million, as people turned to the social platform to follow and react to US President Donald Trump. But its revenue from ads fell slightly to $638
  
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• Can Twitter turn its ‘influence and impact’ into ad revenues?

  10-02-2017 14:30
  
  Twitter’s disappointing fourth quarter results, with advertising revenue falling for the first time since its IPO, show it needs to do more to appeal to advertisers.
  Twitter reported a loss of $167m (£133m) in the final quarter of 2016, compared to a $90m (£72m) loss in the same period in 2015.
  Its active users increased by 4% to 319 million, as people turned to the social platform to follow and react to US President Donald Trump. But its revenue from ads fell slightly to $638
  
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• L’Oréal looks to capitalise on ‘golden age of beauty’ with ecommerce push

  10-02-2017 13:13
  
  L’Oréal says it wants to take a “pragmatic” approach to its online selling, as it looks to become “a leader in digital beauty” and have more personalised interactions with consumers.
  The beauty giant revealed its full year results this morning (10 February), showing that like-for-like sales grew 4.7% to €25.8bn (£22bn), with sales increasing 10% in the UK. Its operating profit was €4.5bn (£3.84bn), representing 17.6% of sales.
  The compa
  
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• Aldi, brand safety & the Super Bowl: 5 things that mattered this week

  10-02-2017 12:21
  
  Aldi becomes the UK’s fifth biggest supermarketThis week, Aldi overtook the Co-operative to become the fifth largest supermarket in Britain for the first time.
  According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, sales at Aldi were up 12.4% year on year in the 12 weeks ending 29 January. That increase helped buoy its market share by 0.6 percentage points, giving it a 6.2% market share and putting it just ahead of the Co-op on 6%.
  Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar World
  
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• River Island dismisses talk of a fashion decline as it unveils first cinematic ad

  10-02-2017 09:00
  
  River Island says it is avoiding seasonal fashion ads as it creates a new always-on campaign to showcase the diverse identities of its customers.
  Its latest campaign ‘Find Yourself’ will be spread across TV, press, digital, social and for the first time will include a cinema screening. It moves away from seasonal marketing – or ‘micro-moments’ – and aims to celebrate the different clothing tastes of its consumers all year round, as the models in its ad show a
  
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• Warc Media Awards: Grand Prix winners

  10-02-2017 01:00
  GLOBAL:BBDO NY and MediaCom have won the Grand Prix in two categories in the Warc Media Awards for their work for confectionery maker Mars. A total of four Grand Prix and 12 Special Awards were presented last night at an event in London hosted by...
  
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• VR marketing 'more hype than substance'

  10-02-2017 01:00
  NEW YORK: The recent use of virtual reality (VR) in marketing has been largely underwhelming and brands involved need ask themselves if they really need to be using it now, a new study says, while adding that it will be a game changer in the future....
  
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• Trad media is 'indispensable'

  10-02-2017 01:00
  NEW YORK: Advertising in traditional media, and specifically television, is far more effective than digital at driving consumer recall and purchase intent for mainstream FMCG brands, new research suggests.Bain & Company undertook research for...
  
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• India invests in digital literacy

  10-02-2017 01:00
  NEW DELHI: Following on its budget announcements designed to boost the rural Indian economy, the Government has approved a project aimed at making 60 million rural households digitally literate over the next two years.Some Rs 2,351 crore ($353m)...
  
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• Digital blacklists 'not fit for purpose'

  10-02-2017 01:00
  LONDON: The issue of brand safety has been propelled into the headlines by an analysis which claims major brands are unwittingly funding terrorists and pornographers through digital advertising placed on their sites, and points a finger of blame at...
  
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• China's tier 3 cities will drive growth

  10-02-2017 01:00
  BEIJING: China's smaller cities will be the main engines of growth in the future, as government polices seek to tackle the problems of urban density in top tier cities, analysts have said."Lower tier cities are going to be a new bright spot for...
  
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• Aussie millennials are pessimistic

  10-02-2017 01:00
  SYDNEY:Australian millennials are pessimistic about their futures and don't expect their fortunes to improve, according to a new study.The
  
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