Sales & Marketing news

• BAUPOST'S KLARMAN: Investors are asking the wrong question about the stock market

  23-10-2017 22:37 via feedproxy.google.com
   
  Baupost's Seth Klarman, one of Wall Street's most respected investors, says investors are asking "Why sell?" when really they should be asking "How can I afford not to?"
  He made the comments in a private letter to clients as the stock market continues to rage on to historic highs.
  Baupost is holding roughly 40% of its assets in cash and is returning $2 billion to investors at year end, according to a person familiar with the firm.
  The firm's funds made almost no money in the third quarter
  
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• There has been a shake-up at the top of Credit Suisse's US equities business

  23-10-2017 22:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Darlene Pasquill, the head of Americas equities at Credit Suisse, has left the bank. 
  Her departure follows a series of changes in the Swiss bank's equities business. 
   
  There has been a shake-up at the top of Credit Suisse's US equities business. 
  Darlene Pasquill, a Credit Suisse veteran and the head of Americas equities business, will be leaving the bank to pursue external opportunities, according to an internal memo seen by Business Insider. She had been in that rol
  
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• The stock market just made history

  23-10-2017 22:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  The S&P 500 on Monday broke its previous record of the number of days without a 3% drawdown.
  As it's continued to make new highs, it has broken records of other percent-move sizes.
  These illustrate the rock-bottom volatility that has characterized stocks this year and is showing few signs of rising anytime soon.
  2017 could go down as one of the most boring years ever for the stock market.
  Sure, the S&P 500 has closed at record highs 66 times this year, the most since the mid 1
  
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• Trump's tax plan could give a bigger boost to foreign investors than America's middle class

  23-10-2017 21:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  The GOP tax reform plan has been sold as a cut for the middle class.
  A new study shows that foreign investors could end up benefitting much more from the tax cuts than America's middle class.The tax plan proposed by President Donald Trump and Republican leaders is touted as a "middle class tax cut" and Trump has repeatedly framed the policy as designed with the average American in mind.
  "The tax cuts and reforms of the 1980s show that when we empower the American people to pursue their dre
  
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• The founder of the world's largest hedge fund just shared brutal analysis of the US economy

  23-10-2017 21:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater, the world's largest hedge fund, just published a note on the state of the US economy.
  He noted that the bottom 60% of Americans are struggling, listing a litany of depressing statistics to make his case. 
  He said that if he were running Federal Reserve policy, he'd keep an eye on the bottom 60%. 
  Brutal.
  There's no other word for Ray Dalio's latest note on the US economy, and the situation it describes. The founder of Bridgewater, the world's lar
  
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• The top 0.1% of American households hold the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90%

  23-10-2017 21:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, shared a chart in a LinkedIn post showing that the top 0.1% of households now hold about the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90%.
  He notes that today's wealth gap is similar to that of 1935 to 1940.
  Both back in 1935 to 1940 era and today we saw the rise of populism.
   
  It's no secret that the US has an inequality problem. But actually looking at the disparity between the top and bottom can still be striking.
  Ray Dalio, the fou
  
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• Android creator's new smartphone was doomed from the beginning

  23-10-2017 20:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Essential phone got a $200 price drop, just two months after its launch.
  It's a sign that sales are very weak as competition for the high-end smartphone market tightens. Samsung and Apple released their new phones around the same time.
  The Essential phone had challenges from the beginning, and always seemed doomed to sell poorly.
  Android creator Andy Rubin's latest project seems to be a flop.
  On Saturday, the company announced that it was slashing the price of its first product, a
  
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• EX-OBAMA ECONOMIST: The Trump team’s claim that tax cuts would boost wages is 'more than a little far-fetched'

  23-10-2017 20:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  The Trump White House's claim that workers would see large gains from tax cuts rests on dubious assumptions, according to Obama's ex-chief economist
  Jason Furman writes in an opinion piece that the Trump team's analysis assumes broad benefits from the tax cuts that are 'more than far fetched'Furman says overall plan 'offers almost no direct benefit to the middle class'The Trump administration is pitching its tax cut plan as a boon to the middle class even though a wide range of independent
  
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• A CEO says Bill Ackman told him he gets more 'clicks on the internet' than anyone except Donald Trump

  23-10-2017 19:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has been locked in a proxy battle with activist target ADP for months.
  ADP CEO Carlos Rodriguez hasn't hesitated to call out Ackman publicly about his attempts to use the media to sway the activist proceeding.
   
  The ongoing battle between hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman and his latest activist target just keeps getting more heated.
  The latest development came over the weekend, when the CEO of ADP — the payroll and benefit provider that's
  
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• Republicans may not cut the tax rate for people making over $1 million a year

  23-10-2017 18:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  Republicans are considering keeping the top tax rate for people earning over $1 million a year at 39.6% by creating another tax bracket in their reform plan.
  This would blunt criticism from Democrats that the GOP tax plan primarily benefits the wealthy.
  Some pro-tax cut Republicans may not be on board with the idea.One of the most prominent rallying cries for Democrats concerned about the Republican tax reform plan is that the package would be a huge boon for millionaires and billionaires.For i
  
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• Netflix is ticking higher after announcing plans to raise $1.6 billion in debt to fund new content (NFLX)

  23-10-2017 15:22 via feedproxy.google.com
  Netflix announced plans to raise $1.6 billion in debt.
  The funds will be for general purpose uses, including funding new content.
  Shares are ticking higher, up 0.32% ahead of the opening bell
   
  On Monday, Netflix announced it will raise $1.6 billion in debt to fund its ever-increasing content budget.
  The company's stock was up 0.32% in early trading to $194.79. Netflix said that the terms of the deal will be sorted out between the company and the first buyers of the debt.
  The move com
  
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• There's a brand-new way to bet on Trump tax reform (TAXR)

  23-10-2017 15:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  EventShares just launched its US Tax Reform Fund (TAXR), which gives investors exposure to companies poised to see the greatest benefit from Trump's tax measures.
  It's the first exchange-traded fund in history to track a specific policy initiative.
   
  As painstaking progress has been made on President Donald Trump's proposed tax plan, investors have scrambled to find ways to trade it.
  After all, according to Goldman Sachs, progress on the tax-reform front is the most crucial element in driv
  
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• The US dollar is ticking higher on the 'prospects of both tax reform and additional monetary tightening by the Fed'

  23-10-2017 15:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  The dollar is ticking higher on Monday.
  The US dollar index was up by 0.3% at 93.99 at 8:51 a.m. ET.
  The dollar "is enjoying modest gains against most currencies as prospects of both tax reform and additional monetary tightening by the Fed carry over from last week," Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, said in commentary.
  "The Dollar Index is flirting with important resistance in the 94.00-94.25 area, which corresponds with a neckline of a bottoming patter
  
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• $6 TRILLION INVESTMENT CHIEF: Bitcoin is a bubble

  23-10-2017 14:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Business Insider executive editor Sara Silverstein speaks with Richard Turnill, global chief investment strategist at BlackRock, which oversees $6 trillion. He says that while he thinks blockchain technology will be adopted more over time, but that doesn't mean that cryptocurrencies should keep going higher and higher. He says they show a lot of the characteristics of a bubble. Lastly, he argues that bitcoin has no fair value right now, which is why he doesn't own it.Join the conversation about
  
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• Trump says 'there will be NO change to your 401(k)' after reports Republicans want new caps on retirement savings

  23-10-2017 14:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  Reports on Friday indicated that Republicans may include a cap on contributions to traditional 401(k) plans in their tax-reform package.
  This change could help GOP leaders with the tax plan's tricky budget math.
  President Donald Trump tweeted his opposition to such a change on Monday, saying 401(k) tax deferment is a "great and popular middle class tax break."President Donald Trump used Twitter to dispel reports that the forthcoming Republican tax-reform plan would include big changes to how pe
  
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• Russell Parsons: If marketers really want to understand customers research cannot be seen as discretionary

  23-10-2017 13:24
  That marketing is the ‘voice of the customer’ is such a well-worn aphorism it’s almost to the point of cliché. This, however, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be the ultimate objective for every marketer with ambition to be damn good at their job.
  It’s not enough to say it, nor is it enough to want it. To be it you have to, you know, go and find out what the hell it is your customers think, feel and desire.
  As good as some marketers are, they are not blessed w
  
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• Lexus, Snapchat, Premier Inn: Everything that matters this morning

  23-10-2017 09:00
  Lexus quits partnership with The Weinstein Company
  Car brand Lexus has terminated its partnership with The Weinstein Company following the allegations that co-founder and CEO Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted a number of women including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.
  The luxury car marque, owned by Toyota, did sponsor TV shows including Project Runway, which is produced by the firm.
  “Lexus has chosen to terminate its agreements with The Weinstein Company that saw the lux
  
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• Facebook, Sainsbury’s, Fitbit: Everything that matters this morning

  23-10-2017 09:00
  Facebook tests separating commercial posts from personal news in News Feed
  The social media giant says it is testing the idea of dividing its News Feed in two, separating commercial posts from personal news in a move that could lead some businesses to increase advertising.
  The test, which is occurring in six smaller countries, offers two user feeds: one feed focused on friends and family and a second dedicated to the pages that the customer has liked.
  The change could force those who run pages,
  
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• Evening Standard, Aldi, Google: Everything that matters this morning

  23-10-2017 09:00
  Evening Standard force to apologise after Solange controversy
  London’s Evening Standard newspaper has been forced to apologise after it airbrushed singer Solange Knowles’ hair for a cover shoot for the ES Magazine.
  The singer, whose empowering songs include Don’t Touch My Hair, a song about the cultural legacy of black women’s hair, had a crown of braids digitally removed from the photo shoot.
  Knowles called out the publication on social media, posting a picture of the or
  
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• Apple, mental health, car demand drops: Everything that matters this morning

  23-10-2017 09:00
  New hire signals Apple’s intent in TV content
  Apple has given one of the clearest signs yet of its intention to ramp up commissioning of original TV programmes, with the hire of former BBC and Channel 4 executive Jay Hunt. Hunt was in the running to become Channel 4’s next CEO following David Abraham’s departure, but lost out on the role, and will now take the role of creative director, Europe, worldwide video at Apple. She was responsible for BBC programmes such as Sherlock,
  
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• Amazon, McDonald’s, Piccadilly Lights: Everything that matters this morning

  23-10-2017 09:00
  Amazon’s ad business tops $1bn
  Amazon is now generating more than $1bn from advertising as its investment in new ad technology such as programmatic and hiring staff to work on its ad products pays off. Amazon’s “other” revenue, which is mostly ad sales but also includes its credit card business, saw revenues rise 58% year on year to $1.12bn in its third quarter. And growth is accelerating, up from 53% in Q2.
  Speaking on a conference call with analysts following its result
  
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• How brands can tap into the ‘flexitarian’ trend

  23-10-2017 08:11
  When Jeremy Corbyn revealed last month that he’s eating more vegan food it attracted headlines and column inches in all the mainstream media. Why? Corbyn is currently ‘cool’, for one, but eating less meat is even moreso.
  Ten years ago Brits that chose to eat only plants numbered 150,000; today it’s 542,000 (just over 1% of the population) according to the Vegan Society. Beyonce and Jay-Z, Brad Pitt and Mo Farah are among the celebrities to have thrust veganism into m
  
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• Walmart takes on Amazon with online mall

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  NEW YORK: All retailers in the US have had to consider how best to respond to the rise of the mighty Amazon, and it seems Walmart’s strategy is to boost its online presence by striking deals with other retailers.According
  
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• The Economist aims to expand in Australia

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  HONG KONG/SYDNEY: The Economist, the UK weekly business magazine, places heavy emphasis on boosting circulation rather than advertising for its revenues, and as it seeks to increase its subscriber base, it now has Australia in its sights.APAC...
  
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• MEPs vote to tighten EU online privacy rules

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  BRUSSELS: Tough new rules approved by a European Parliament committee at the end of last week could have serious implications for online messaging companies, such as Skype and Facebook-owned WhatsApp.By a margin of 31 votes to 24, MEPs on the...
  
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• MediaMarktSaturn rises to digital challenge

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  COPENHAGEN: MediaMarktSaturn, the German consumer electronics retailer, believes that the digitalisation of retail is in its infancy and that it can act as a guide for shoppers wanting to explore the latest digital developments.Martin Wild, Chief...
  
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• Huge growth in mobile usage by US kids

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  SAN FRANCISCO: American children aged eight and under now spend 48 minutes a day on mobile devices, up from just five minutes in 2011, a new report has found.And in another startling development over the past six years, it has emerged that more...
  
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• How HP's marketers increased their influence

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  ORLANDO, FL: Marketers who want to exert a greater influence in the C-suite must ensure they “speak as businesspeople” rather than using the language of “artisans”, according to Antonio Lucio, Global Chief Marketing &...
  
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• Brands embrace voice tech opportunities

  23-10-2017 02:00 via warc.com
  SINGAPORE: Voice technology could be the next big opportunity for brands, particularly in countries such as China and Singapore, according to a new study.In a survey carried out by JWT and Kantar Insight, China was identified as an emerging...
  
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