Showing posts with label Latin America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latin America. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2013

B&E This Fortnight

INTERNATIONAL

BUSINESS & FINANCERIM – CAUTIOUS

In what seems to be a Catch-22 situation, Research In Motion (RIM) announced its financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ending February 26, 2011. Net earnings for Q4, FY2010-11, showed a 32% y-o-y increase (touching $934 million or $1.78/share, on revenue of $5.6 billion). But the market was disappointed on hearing the company’s expectations from the ongoing quarter, Q1, FY2011-12. While the company forecasted bottomline of $1.47-$1.55/share on revenues of $5.2-$5.6 billion, the market was expecting a much higher $1.65/share and revenues of $5.6 billion. As a result, its Nasdaq-listed shares lost 12% to close at $57.35 on March 23, 2011. 2010 was a great year for RIM, as Blackberry became the top-selling phone in US, Canada, Latin America and UK with record shipments of 52.3 million – representing a y-o-y rise of 43%. But RIM is expecting some goods from its new PlayBook tablet, which will go on sale starting April 19, 2011. About 20,000 retailers across US & Canada will test its desirability against Apple’s newly launched iPad 2. Cost of marketing associated with its new tablet and a risk of supply chain disruption arising due to the disaster in Japan are the biggest challenges for RIM in the short term. Hence the cautious guidance for Q1, FY2011-12.

OIL PRICES – SPIKE
As unrest continues in the Middle-East, and Japan & Asia struggle with a natural disaster and nuclear radiation problems, crude oil prices have started to become a worry. The per barrel price of crude oil breached a high of $106 for the first time on March 24, 2011 – the highest in two years. While 2010 ended with the price around $90/barrel, since February 21, 2011, the price has hovered around the $105/barrel mark. Even on March 25, 2011, West Texas Intermediate (the benchmark US contract) closed at $105.60 a barrel after peaking to $106.69 during the day. The benchmark crude for delivery in May peaked to $105.77/barrel in electronic trading on the NYMEX. Portugal’s debt crisis, US’ and China’s growing hunger for oil are among other factors that have contributed to this spike. Crude prices have jumped 25% since protests against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi began in mid-February and shut down most of the country’s 1.6 million barrels daily crude output. Experts claim that if all oil production is ceased in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen, prices could spike to $125 a barrel. Surely, this is an optimistic figure.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

If the US attacks us, they know what we’ll do...

Obama has little choice but to go after earnest development in the US foreign policy

Manouchehr Mottaki (MM) is the Foreign Minister of Iran, a country that has ensured that it continues to remain in the bad books of the United States; not only because of its suspicion worthy nuclear ambitions, but also partly because of the war of words that Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has loosely declared on the West. Despite various talks of attacks on Iran, Bush has not fortunately put his words into action. The question is, will Barack Obama mirror standard establishment think when it comes to a so-called ‘dangerous’ country like Iran? Though initial reports do suggest to the affirmative, in this exclusive interview, Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the media needs to be patient as Iran waits for Obama’s next move. He also deflates the chances of full-fledged military confrontation between Iran and US saying that America cannot afford to undertake another conflict in the region.

B&E: What is your opinion on the election of Obama as the US President?
MM: We take into consideration the statements of Americans but we are awaiting their statements and stances after January 21. We should wait and act with further consideration. Obama himself has asked for more time to reflect upon dialogue with Iran and it should be given to him.

B&E: So are you looking forward to the new administration?
MM: Everyone is looking forward to the US administration because everyone is bearing in mind the question of what will be the subsequent strategy of the United States. It is easy to find several criticisms of ongoing policies of the US. That’s why in our understanding, the next administration has little choice but to go after earnest and considerable development for modification in the US future policies, including its policy towards Latin America, Middle East, Iraq, and of course Iran.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

 
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

FARC: CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

After loss of key leaders FARC is skeptical about peace agreement

Reyes was a key negotiator in the recent efforts by Hugo Chavez to release some of the Colombian hostages held by FARC. There is a valid reason to believe that Uribe killed Reyes to thwart the chances of Ingrid Betancourt getting released. Were she to be released, Uribe would likely come under international pressure to grant FARC political status and it could bring a change in the political status quo of Colombia. Bernard Aronson, a top Latin America diplomat and a Hispanic affairs expert, comments, “There is nothing that can be negotiated with a terrorist group that is only interested in ransom. The FARC discarded long ago its leftist political and ideological agenda." Many leftists of Latin America distance themselves from the FARC because of the means it has adopted. The seizure of political power through guerrilla warfare is impossible unless it commands enormous popular support in the country. And FARC has sustained on its guerrilla strategy. If only the FARC heeds to the words of Chavez, peace will at least have some chance .


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)