By Caroline Valetkevitch | NEW YORK NEW YORK Small-cap stocks benefited from a dovish lining to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates this past week, but strategists warn it will take more to make these pricey stocks outperform their larger brethren in the long haul. The Fed on Wednesday raised rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected, but did not flag […]
OTTAWA In a bid to attract high-tech workers, British Columbia said on Friday skilled immigrants living in Vancouver will not have to pay a special property transfer tax on foreign purchases of real estate. The Canadian province imposed the 15 percent tax on nonresidents’ purchases of property in the city last August amid concern that speculation by global investors, mostly from mainland China, was fuelling a bubble. […]
UAE-based retailer Paris Gallery has announced plans to open 30 new stores across the Middle East over the next five years. The company said in a statement that its expansion would focus mainly on the Gulf region and would see its workforce grow to about 5,100 employees, up from 3,500. The total projected retail area in operation will reach 3.2 million square feet by 2021, it added. […]
Brazilian outsourcing firm Stefanini IT Solutions has appointed a new chief executive for its operations in North America and Asia-Pacific. Former IBM head for global technology services Spencer Gracias will be leading the business for both regions, after joining the company as vice president in July 2016. Based at the firm’s Detroit offices, Gracias replaces Antonio Moreira, who had been leading Stefanini’s US presence since its launch […]
By Lisa Baertlein | LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) investors will vote soon on whether to give the franchisees who operate most of the fast-food chain’s restaurants the opportunity to elect a board member, the proponent of a shareholder proposal said on Friday. The proposal, which faces long odds of success, is believed to be the first of its kind and has attracted great interest […]
Mulesoft, a software “unicorn”, gained 46 per cent in its trading debut in New York on Friday, the latest in a number of hot listings that are reviving the US market for initial public offerings. Mulesoft rose to $24.75 after pricing at $17, giving the IPO the best first-day “pop” this year, according to Dealogic. The performance follows recent first-day gains from Canada Goose, the maker of […]
Modcloth was founded in 2002 in Pittsburgh by Susan Koger. Walmart is buying Modcloth, an online retailer known for its vintage and geek-chic fashion designed to a range of female body types. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Walmart said it acquired Modcloth’s assets and operations and that the deal has already closed. Modcloth was founded in 2002 in Pittsburgh by Susan Koger, then a student at […]
HH Sheikha Manal: “The UAE’s success and experience qualifies the country to play an important role in shaping a new global roadmap for gender balance.” HE Mona Al Marri: “Through the Global Gender Circle initiative, we’re striving to provide new opportunities for international leaders and experts in gender equality to come together, develop innovative ideas and drive transformative change in achieving gender balance as well as bridging […]
As part of sweeping efforts to reduce regulation and boost business, President Trump this week announced plans to relax fuel economy standards. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which were implemented decades ago but accelerated under President Obama, call for automakers to reach a fleetwide average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. In typical deal-maker fashion, Trump went to Detroit to announce the easing […]
Friday 13:30 GMT What you need to know ● Dollar index nudges up after hitting five-week low● Short term US bond yields inch higher● Global stocks at record as Wall St gains ground● Oil prices firmer after volatile week● Gold advances towards $1,230 an ounce——————- Hot topic Has the buck bounce run its course? The dollar index (DXY) — a measure of the greenback against a basket […]
Bahrain’s tourism industry is growing rapidly and is expected to reach $1 billion by 2020, according to figures released ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2017. Bahrain witnessed an 8.4 percent increase in inbound traffic in the third quarter of 2016 and a peak of 1.4 million arrivals during the month of August, a statement said. It added that the Gulf kingdom expects to welcome 15.8 million annual […]
ING Direct in Australia has released its financial results for 2016, reporting AU$295 million in statutory after-tax profit off the back of attracting 163,000 new customers during the 12-month period. According to ING CEO Uday Sareen, the bank’s customer growth came as a result of ING further developing its digital offerings and launching a new online banking platform in 2016. “Bank customer inertia is declining as people […]
Overall, there was a 17% increase in the number of companies in MEA in 2016 compared to 2015, with Johannesburg being the leading destination for Africa JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 16, 2017 The Middle East Africa (MEA) region has become increasingly important for the majority of global Fortune 500 countries, according to a new report released by Infomineo (www.Infomineo.com ), a global business research company specialising in […]
QInvest, the Qatari investment bank, has announced the acquisition of a plot of land on South Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, in conjunction with a GCC investor. The company said in a statement that the property will be developed into an upscale 200-unit, multifamily apartment complex covering 165,000 square feet. It added that the necessary regulatory approvals have been received and the project is already well […]
Katherine Pace, CEO of children’s lifestyle tech startup Elanation, believes that while children are born “digital natives”, the more they are handed iPads, computers, mobile phones, wearables, and smart garments, the more cases of childhood obesity and digital depression or addiction emerge. In response, Pace and her co-founder Aimee Atkins decided to build a suite of technology products for kids, with a health-focused twist on the usual […]
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking one-step, crystal growth process for making ultra-thin layers of material with molecular-sized pores. Researchers demonstrated the use of the material, called zeolite nanosheets, by making ultra-selective membranes for chemical separations. (via WSJ)
Underlying net profit up 7.3%, driven by continued margin expansion Aamal Company Board recommends a cash dividend of 6% (QAR 0.60 a share) Doha, 15 March 2017 The Board of Directors of Aamal Company QPSC (“Aamal”), one of the GCC’s fastest growing diversified companies, today announces the financial results for the year ended 31 December 2016 Financial Highlights Group revenue marginally down, by 1.8%, to QAR 2,829.1m […]
NEW YORK Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive officer of DoubleLine Capital, said on Wednesday he expected a short-term rally in U.S. Treasuries and that investors should “use the strength” in U.S. stocks to take profits and diversify in overseas markets. “I am surprised with the relentless nature” of equities after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, Gundlach said on CNBC. Gundlach, who oversees more than $101 billion […]
The White House will propose large spending cuts on Thursday for the state department, public broadcasting and environmental programmes as part of its preliminary budget for the 2018 fiscal year. Administration aides call it an “America First” budget — with greater spending on defence, law enforcement and veteran affairs, as well as new education programmes that emphasise school choice. The last are a pet project of Betsy […]
Platform empowers SMEs to launch customizable online stores within 24 hours Chanbar.com leverages Facebook Messenger to place merchants in direct contact with customers Promoting inclusive, sustainable growth and jobs for the Iraqi community Advertisement Baghdad, Iraq – 15 March, 2017 Iraq Wallet, the country’s leading mobile wallet and digital payment company, announces it has expanded its ‘ZainCash’ service by introducing and launching chanbar.com, a multi-channel, cloud-based e-commerce […]
While it may not be the very definition of irony, we do find the fact that the Atlanta Fed has just cut its Q1 GDP forecast from 1.2% to 0.9%, a number which if confirmed would be the lowest quarterly print in year, just two hours before the Fed’s rate hike quite humorous. As a reminder, the number was as high as 3.4% one and a half […]
It is fitting that just a few hours until the Fed’s second rate hike in two quarters, and one day after Goldman downgraded global stocks to Neutral for the next 3 months, not to mention with the results of the anticipated Dutch election due shortly, that global stocks as well as S&P futures are higher, while crude oil has finally managed to stage a rebound as the […]
By Kevin Yao and Ryan Woo | BEIJING BEIJING China’s Premier Li Keqiang reassured investors on Wednesday that the world’s second-largest economy is strong and not at risk of a hard landing, while stressing Beijing’s support for globalization and free trade at a time of rising protectionism. Li also reiterated that China does not want a trade war with the United States, and urged talks with Washington […]
Shares in Cathay Pacific fell as much as 6.9 per cent on Wednesday after the Hong Kong flag carrier swung to its first annual loss since 2008. The airline reported a net loss of HK$575m ($74m) for 2016 in the face of increased competition from mainland Chinese airlines and falling demand for its premium class seats. The net loss compares with a HK$6bn profit reported in 2015, […]
