Sales & Marketing news

• A big deal in trading has led to a Wall Street titan swapping roles

  14-06-2017 20:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Robert Greifeld, the former CEO of Nasdaq, will become chairman of the board of Virtu Financial, a high-frequency trading firm, after it completes its $1.4 billion takeover of rival KCG Holdings.
  Greifeld stepped down as CEO of Nasdaq on January 1 after running the company since 2003 and transforming it into a more diversified, transatlantic exchange operator. He stepped down as chairman of Nasdaq on May 10, according to a news release. Nasdaq stockholders elected Michael Splinter, the
  
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• The dollar is plunging

  14-06-2017 20:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The dollar plunged on Wednesday following the release of disappointing economic data, and stayed down after the Fed decision.
  The US dollar index was down by 0.5% at 96.52 at 2:08 p.m. ET. Earlier, it was down by as much as 0.7% at 96.34, its lowest level since October 6, 2016. 
  Data from the Labor Department released earlier showed that consumer prices fell more than expected in May.
  The consumer price index dipped 0.1%, missing expectations of a flat reading, and rose by 1.
  
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• The Fed boosts its outlook for the US economy

  14-06-2017 20:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Federal Open Markets Committee voted to raise its benchmark interest rate 25 basis points to a range of 1%-to-1.25% at the conclusion of its two-day meeting, as virtually everyone was expecting.
  It also released its latest Summary of Economic Projections.
  The Fed now expects real GDP to grow 2.1% to 2.2% in 2017, compared to its previous outlook of 2.0% to 2.2%. Moreover, it expects the unemployment rate to fall to 4.2 to 4.3% this year, down from its previous projec
  
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• Here's the new Fed dot plot

  14-06-2017 20:03 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Federal Reserve just announced, as widely expected, that it intends to raise the benchmark Fed funds rate to a range between 1% and 1.25%, up from the 0.75% to 1% range established in March. The central bank also gave us some idea about what its policy makers think is coming in the future.
  The "dot plot," part of the FOMC's Summary of Economic Projections released along with the policy decision statement, shows where each participant in the meeting thinks the Fed funds ra
  
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• Fed raises interest rates, lays out plan to unwind its massive balance sheet

  14-06-2017 20:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it decided to raise interest rates, signaling that it believes the economy is healthy enough to withstand tighter financial conditions.
  It raised the target range of the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 1%-1.25%, a level it hasn't reached since the financial crisis. This hike should eventually lift borrowing costs on credit cards, loans, and other types of debt.
  The Fed raised rates for the second time since President Donald Trump to
  
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• United just obliterated Hawaiian Airlines' stock (HA, UAL)

  14-06-2017 19:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Hawaiian Holdings, the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, saw its stock plunge more than 10% Wednesday morning after an analyst downgrade and more competitor flights to the islands.  
  United Continental Holdings announced Tuesday it would add 11 new daily flights to the mainland and Honolulu, as well as smaller Hawaiian airports, like Kahului (Maui), Kona and Lihue. 
  The new competition led Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi to downgrade the stock from "hold" to "
  
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• A one-time portfolio manager at a top New York hedge fund has been sentenced to 18 months in prison

  14-06-2017 19:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A one-time portfolio manager at a New York hedge fund that shuttered last year amid an insider trading scandal has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
  Stefan Lumiere was found guilty earlier this year of inflating bond prices in Visium Asset Management's credit fund and hiding those losses from investors.
  The sentence, which was set Wednesday, June 14, includes a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
  Lumiere's sentencing had been scheduled for the end of M
  
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• Here are 100 PowerPoint shortcuts that'll make your life a lot easier

  14-06-2017 19:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  So you think you’re fancy, huh? Just because you know how to copy and paste without the click of the mouse in PowerPoint.Well, get ready to be even fancier (and more productive) because we've curated 100 of the best PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts.
  Courtesy of GoSkills.PowerPoint Basics
  The Ribbon
  Moving in Text Boxes
  See the rest of the story at Business Insider
  
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• CREDIT SUISSE: Hedge funds are dumping these 11 big-name stocks

  14-06-2017 18:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  It's easy to be distracted by a high market capitalization.
  Companies that have worked their way to the top of their fields must have made some right moves along the way.
  But past returns are not necessarily indicators of future performance, and the stocks on the following list might be perfect examples of that.
  Credit Suisse put together a list of the large-cap stocks that hedge funds are dropping. These are stocks that, in many cases, a lot of funds still own, but that saw a big fall&nbs
  
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• Blockbuster first-quarter earnings were ‘as good as it gets’

  14-06-2017 18:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Want evidence that first-quarter earnings season was a resounding and undeniable success? There are a bunch of choices.
  First and foremost, US stock indices surged to record highs as corporate results streamed in. After all, profit expansion has historically been the biggest contributor to share price appreciation.
  You also had 66% of companies beating estimates on an earnings-per-share (EPS) basis, and also 60% of companies exceeding sales forecasts, according to data compiled by Bank of A
  
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• Online lenders haven't been verifying income and employment on their loans, and that should set alarm bells ringing (LC)

  14-06-2017 17:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Online lenders may be lowering their standards and taking greater risks on borrowers as they chase higher profits. 
  Prosper Marketplace and Lending Club, two of the largest players in the online personal loan business, don't always verify key borrower information like income and employment, according to a report from Bloomberg's Matt Scully. 
  Bloomberg found that the two companies frequently take the customer's word on key loan information, and they don't necessaril
  
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• An investment banker explains why aspiring Wall Streeters should read every section of the newspaper

  14-06-2017 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Breaking into the Wall Street world is no easy feat. 
  It's especially difficult for young people and students with non-traditional backgrounds and little finance experience. 
  Michael Ventura was once one of those students. He studied political science while he was an undergraduate student at Colgate University in New York. He is now a director in equity capital markets at RBC Capital Markets. Ventura is what's called an originator, going out and winning business from energy c
  
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• Procurement needs to trust marketing more, says Mondelēz

  14-06-2017 17:36
  
  Procurement departments need to stop trying to get in the middle of marketers’ relationships with their agencies and instead trust them to make the right decisions, according to Paul Smith, senior director of global marketing and sales procurement at Mondelēz.
  Speaking at the ProcureCon Marketing conference in London yesterday (13 June), Smith said procurement has a role to play in motivating both marketers and agencies to do the best work. But that it “cannot get involved in ev
  
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• Oil prices are slipping after inventories fall

  14-06-2017 17:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The data is out, and the price of oil is dropping.
  US crude inventories fell by 1.7 million barrels from last week, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The price of futures contracts for West Texas Intermediate fell on the news by about 6.35%. Brent Oil Futures are down 3.0%.
  Oil inventories are still on the high end of the typical range for this time in the year, according to the EIA release. The high supply has kept oil prices low, with the commodity slipping nearly 4% so fa
  
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• Gun stocks jump after shooting at congressional baseball practice (RGR, AOBC, SSTI)

  14-06-2017 16:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Gun stocks rallied on Wednesday after a top Republican congressman and several other people were shot during baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. 
  GOP Majority Whip Steve Scalise was among several who were reportedly hit, including two officers with the Capitol Police. 
  The gunmakers that gained included: 
  ShotSpotter: +8.4%
  Sturm Ruger: +2%
  American Outdoor Brands (formerly Smith & Wesson): +1.3%
  Sturm Ruger and American Outdoor Brands reversed their gains within an hou
  
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• MORGAN STANLEY: Apple's biggest autonomous-car problem could be solved with a Tesla partnership (AAPL, TSLA)

  14-06-2017 16:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, recently revealed parts of the company's plan for self-driving cars. Rather than actually building autonomous vehicles, Apple seems intent on developing the software that underpins them. But there is still one big problem.
  Apple has been a consumer-technology company since its inception, and it is relatively late to the automotive industry. Competitors like Tesla, Waymo, and even Uber have been gathering data about how people drive for years.
  If Apple is going to compete,
  
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• M&S: Stop trying to understand customers through the lens of the brand

  14-06-2017 16:22
  
  Businesses need to start looking at how customers view their brand rather than trying to understand customers by looking at them through the lens of their brand, according to Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) global director of loyalty, customer insight and analytics, Nathan Ansell.
  “All businesses, not just businesses like M&S, have a tendency to view the world from the business outwards,” he said.
  “You might hear people talking internally about a menswear customer or
  
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• The Fed is missing a key sign of economic weakness coming from American consumers

  14-06-2017 16:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Does the US economy feel like it's running too hot? If not, then why is the Federal Reserve raising interest rates?
  That question is becoming increasingly relevant as the latest consumer price data released on Wednesday showed that inflation was moving away from the central bank's elusive 2% target, not toward it.
  This signals underlying economic weakness, stagnant wages, and a job market that could still use improvement despite a historically low jobless rate.
  But there's another crucial indica
  
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• Treasury yields are tumbling after disappointing retail sales and CPI data

  14-06-2017 15:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The US Treasury complex is surging after both retail sales and CPI fell short of estimates. Post-data buying has yields down almost 9 basis points in the belly of the curve.
  Retail sales fell 0.3% month-over-month in May, missing the flat reading that was anticipated.
  Additionally, CPI fell 0.1% MoM and rose 1.9% on year-over-year basis. Here's a look at the scoreboard as of 9:22 a.m. ET:
  2-year -6.5 bps at 1.299%
  3-year -7.5 bps at 1.433%
  5-year -8.6 bps at 1.695%
  7-year -8.4 bps at 1
  
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• Nike, Knorr & Shell: The Top 10 Cannes YouTube ads

  14-06-2017 15:12
  
  In preparation for Cannes Lions 2017, YouTube has released a special addition of its Top 10 YouTube ads. The ads celebrate the most popular global video ads since last year’s festival.
  Hyundai, Samsung and Class of Clans all return to the ranking, while Knorr, Shell, Purple, Cricket Wireless, Budweiser and Kia are new entries.
  The formula for success for this year’s winners includes heartwarming messages and star power, with Knorr, Hyundai and Budweiser’s ads all tug
  
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• One of the market's hottest trades could see 'catastrophic losses'

  14-06-2017 15:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  With the stock market stuck running in place for the better part of four months, investors have resorted to making money by betting against price swings.
  And it's worked.
  But while many have started viewing the current environment as the new normal, JPMorgan's quant guru has a warning: it's not going to last — and when the shift comes, it's going to hurt.
  One big reason why shorting volatility can be dangerous is the ever-present possibility that the market will make a unexpectedly sh
  
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• Instagram tries to make it clearer when posts are sponsored by brands

  14-06-2017 14:58
  
  Instagram is introducing a new tagging tool for influencers and brands in a bid to boost transparency.
  Starting from today (14 June), Instagram users will begin to see a ‘paid partner with’ tag on posts and stories in which creators have worked with a third party.
  This update will “boost transparency and authenticity” so an Instagram user, for example, will be able to identify whether someone like Kim Kardashian is posting a personal image or actually endorsing a product.
  
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• Instagram launches tag to make it clearer when posts are sponsored by brands

  14-06-2017 14:58
  
  Instagram has announced the introduction of a new tagging tool for influencers and brands in a bid to boost transparency.
  Starting from today (14 June), Instagram users will begin to see a ‘paid partner with’ tag on posts and stories in which creators have worked with a third party.
  This update will “boost transparency and authenticity” so an Instagram user, for example, will be able to identify whether someone like Kim Kardashian is posting a personal image or actually e
  
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• Consumer prices fell more than expected in May

  14-06-2017 14:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  US consumer prices fell more than expected in May, according to the Department of Labor's monthly consumer price index (CPI). 
  Cheaper gas prices dragged the index down. Shelter, clothes, vehicles, and medical-care services also fell. 
  The gauge of consumer-price changes dropped by 0.1%, missing the forecast for a flat reading, and rose by 1.9% year-on-year (2.2% expected.)
  Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core CPI  rose by 0.1% from April, and 1.
  
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• WARC Awards: Brand Purpose shortlist announced

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  LONDON: Campaigns from Ariel, Lifebuoy and Whirlpool are among the 21 papers that have been shortlisted for the Best Use of Brand Purpose category in the 2017 WARC Awards, which recognise the next generation of marketing effectiveness.The Best Use...
  
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• Indian cinema audiences are young and affluent

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  MUMBAI: Not only do India's cinema audiences tend to be young and affluent – an attractive demographic for brands – they are also more likely to pay attention to ads in this medium than on television, a new study says.At a Theatre...
  
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• Four tips for customer-centric digital transformation

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  TOKYO: When designing digital transformation initiatives, companies must prioritise customer experience and the 'human factor' while pushing back against marketing 'silos', a senior agency figure has said."A lot of digital transformation...
  
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• Brand safety failures impact shopper habits

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  SAN JOSE, CA: Digital ads appearing next to "objectionable content" – including material that is "fake", "distressing" and "hateful" – risk alienating over 40% of a brand's potential audience, according to a survey from the CMO Council. ...
  
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• Advertisers and agencies disagree on terms of trade

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  GLOBAL: What constitutes fair terms of trade continues to be a bone of contention for media agencies and advertisers with both sides likely to regard current terms as being less than mutually beneficial.Not only are they failing to agree but they...
  
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• Ad blocker users don't blame brands for annoying ads

  14-06-2017 01:03
  
  GLOBAL: Ad block users apportion a lower share of the blame towards brands than regular users if they see ads on websites, blaming instead the blocking software, according to a new report.The findings are part of a research collaboration between...
  
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