Monday, November 7, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management zurich
http://earlenazehner.blogspot.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management_6080.html
Swiss stocks advanced, led by gains in chemicals companies and banks.
Swiss stocks advanced, led by gains in chemicals companies and banks.
Syngenta AG, the Basel, Switzerland-based pesticides maker, climbed 1.7 percent. UBS AG added 0.8 percent.
The Swiss Market Index of the biggest and most actively traded companies rose 0.5 percent to 6,527.16 at 10:28 a.m. in Zurich. The benchmark has rallied 8.4 percent since March 16 as company earnings exceeded estimates. The broader Swiss Performance Index increased 0.5 percent.
Syngenta added 1.7 percent to 292.5 Swiss francs after announcing the launch of Vibrance, a seed treatment fungicide based on the new active ingredient sedaxane.
UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, increased 0.8 percent to 16.25 francs, its first gain in six days.
Bucher Industries AG rose 1.6 percent to 209.3 francs. The agricultural machinery maker said its Kuhn Group unit has a licensing and manufacturing agreement with Deere & Co. to cooperate on large square balers.
“The strategic cooperation with the world’s leading farm equipment producer underpins Kuhn’s product and manufacturing strengths in farming,” Fabian Haecki, an analyst at Vontobel Holding AG, wrote in a note to clients today.
Dufry Group climbed 1 percent to 109.6 francs after surging 6.7 percent yesterday.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Swiss Re reclaims prized S&P credit rating
http://www.zimbio.com/Brightbridge+Wealth+Management/articles/T3Z_JB6jPZb/Brightbridge+Wealth+Management+Headlines+Swiss
(Reuters) – Swiss Re (SRENH.VX) has regained a prized credit rating lost during the financial crisis, a key step toward the reinsurer’s goal of expanding its business.
Standard & Poor’s on Friday raised its rating on Swiss Re to AA- with a stable outlook from A+, citing the company’s strong capital base.
“The impact should be positive, allowing Swiss Re to deploy more of its capital into reinsurance underwriting and also apply a somewhat more flexible investment strategy,” analysts at Vontobel said.
Swiss Re lost its double A rating in 2009 after risky investments put its capital base in jeopardy, forcing it to take an emergency 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.48 billion) loan from U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett.
The Zurich-based reinsurer repaid the Buffett loan late last year, and some analysts have been speculating the firm could be ripe for a ratings upgrade.
Swiss Re said earlier this year its goal was to reclaim the prized rating, expand its business, and then possibly return cash to shareholders.
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Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management: What tips are useful for a young adult who is saving for retirement?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110522020147AA05IzV
to invest with long term in mind
to invest in different types of schemes
To invest thru Systematic investment plan
Select a fund house and adviser after careful study
Do not shuffle the portfolio in the short run
to invest with long term in mind
to invest in different types of schemes
To invest thru Systematic investment plan
Select a fund house and adviser after careful study
Do not shuffle the portfolio in the short run
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Microsoft-Watchers See A Company In Decline
http://brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/
Today at BYTE it wasn’t all Google+, Apple OS X Lion and Ubuntu talk. Rather, we’ve been debating a question that–in all my years covering tech, beginning as a beat reporter on Microsoft–was one I thought I’d never hear.
Is Windows dying? And then, riffing off of that, the discussion moved to the Windows Phone 7 update code-named Mango, due this fall.
And then it migrated to the fate of Microsoft in general, given the steady erosion of Redmond’s influence in a now tablet- and mobile-focused world.
Predictions on all fronts were dour. I spoke to some of our staffers, many of whom are high-level IT folks. I also contacted some Microsoft experts (known as Microsoft MVPs) close to the company. No one had high hopes for Microsoft gaining ground in any of these areas.
It’s strange. Back in 1989, I covered the posh launch event in NYC where Microsoft unveiled its buggy Windows 3.0. Then CEO Bill Gates was exultant at the announcement, grinning as he unveiled the new graphical user interface at the Windows of the World Restaurant.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:Aifa warns over cost of FSA data collection plans
http://brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/2011/05/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlinesaifa-warns-over-cost-of-fsa-data-collection-plans/#comment-11867
The Association of Independent Financial Advisers (Aifa) has warned over the £9.6 million cost of the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) new data collection project.
Aifa director of policy Andrew Strange called for the FSA to demonstrate the practical application for its data proposals which he argued had significant cost and time implications for adviser firms. He said the proposal to monitor adviser charging through retail mediation activities returns was alarmingly close to economic regulation.
‘We have real concerns about the cost and time implications of these proposals for adviser firms,’ said Strange (pictured). ‘An assessment of service based on price can be dressed up as ensuring value, but is simply price regulation’
Strange also had concerns over proposals to collect complaints data on individual advisers. ‘The Financial Services and Markets Act makes clear that a complaint originates at a firm level, not with an adviser. As many advisers will testify, complaints often arise relating to non-advice issues, such as administration failings,’ he said.
The FSA estimated that the new systems needed to handle adviser charging information and complaints figures for individual advisers would cost between £1.9 million and £1.3 million while firms faced one-off costs of around £6.7 million. The cost benefit analysis for the data collection paper also estimated annual ongoing costs of £2.9 million from the new proposals for businesses.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Siemens Enterprise Communications introduces AudioPresence(TM) HD
http://world.brightbridgewealthmanagement-mag.com/?p=54
15th July 2011 – In a continuing effort to innovate and help customers maximize productivity, Siemens Enterprise Communications has introduced AudioPresenceTM HD, which ensures that all OpenStage IP phone users can experience the highest quality audio for voice calls and audio conferences, at no additional cost for the functionality. Unlike other major brands, the OpenStage range provides high-definition voice capabilities across the entire line of OpenStage IP phones, including the newly announced OpenStage 5 entry-level phone. With the introduction of AudioPresence HD, the OpenStage portfolio extends its legacy of reliability and quality acoustic engineering.
“Siemens Enterprise Communications’ efforts to extend HD voice across its entire IP portfolio with AudioPresence increases the overall value of its already high quality proven IP desktop phones, allowing customers to enjoy a natural voice experience with higher voice quality, superior clarity, better intelligibility and a richer sound experience,” said Mohamed Alaa Saayed, Senior Industry Analyst with Frost & Sullivan. “The overall result is higher degrees of customer satisfaction and increased productivity.”
This innovation is particularly applicable to a truly global audience. Research has shown that interactions among people with diverse native language backgrounds have increased dramatically and will continue to rise. For example, research from the Federal Institute of Research in Zurich, showed that official Globalization Indexes for information flows has increased more than 60% over the past two decades, and a global survey conducted by Associates for International Research, Inc. (AIRINC) showed that 42% of companies reported an increase in their expatriate populations in 2010, while 49% expect an increase in this number in 2011. Additionally, global research firm MZA Ltd. predicts the worldwide conferencing solutions market will grow to near $8 billion at a compound growth rate of over 13% due to the restrictions on business travel – demonstrating an ever increasing and high level of reliance on voice technologies to drive business communications, customer dialog and decision making.
Meanwhile, recent United Nations research indicates the global population of those over age 60 has grown by over 50% in the past two decades, while the number of U.S. workers over age 55 has increased by 53% over the past decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further, The European Commission expects the employment rate of workers age 55 and older to reach 59% by 2025. With this aging workforce demographic comes age-related hearing loss, progressively impacting up to 50% of people by age 75. The AudioPresence HD enhanced user experience reduces frustration and helps ensure customer interactions and employee communications are well understood, avoiding errors and misunderstandings.
15th July 2011 – In a continuing effort to innovate and help customers maximize productivity, Siemens Enterprise Communications has introduced AudioPresenceTM HD, which ensures that all OpenStage IP phone users can experience the highest quality audio for voice calls and audio conferences, at no additional cost for the functionality. Unlike other major brands, the OpenStage range provides high-definition voice capabilities across the entire line of OpenStage IP phones, including the newly announced OpenStage 5 entry-level phone. With the introduction of AudioPresence HD, the OpenStage portfolio extends its legacy of reliability and quality acoustic engineering.
“Siemens Enterprise Communications’ efforts to extend HD voice across its entire IP portfolio with AudioPresence increases the overall value of its already high quality proven IP desktop phones, allowing customers to enjoy a natural voice experience with higher voice quality, superior clarity, better intelligibility and a richer sound experience,” said Mohamed Alaa Saayed, Senior Industry Analyst with Frost & Sullivan. “The overall result is higher degrees of customer satisfaction and increased productivity.”
This innovation is particularly applicable to a truly global audience. Research has shown that interactions among people with diverse native language backgrounds have increased dramatically and will continue to rise. For example, research from the Federal Institute of Research in Zurich, showed that official Globalization Indexes for information flows has increased more than 60% over the past two decades, and a global survey conducted by Associates for International Research, Inc. (AIRINC) showed that 42% of companies reported an increase in their expatriate populations in 2010, while 49% expect an increase in this number in 2011. Additionally, global research firm MZA Ltd. predicts the worldwide conferencing solutions market will grow to near $8 billion at a compound growth rate of over 13% due to the restrictions on business travel – demonstrating an ever increasing and high level of reliance on voice technologies to drive business communications, customer dialog and decision making.
Meanwhile, recent United Nations research indicates the global population of those over age 60 has grown by over 50% in the past two decades, while the number of U.S. workers over age 55 has increased by 53% over the past decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further, The European Commission expects the employment rate of workers age 55 and older to reach 59% by 2025. With this aging workforce demographic comes age-related hearing loss, progressively impacting up to 50% of people by age 75. The AudioPresence HD enhanced user experience reduces frustration and helps ensure customer interactions and employee communications are well understood, avoiding errors and misunderstandings.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: S. Korean scientists develop new MRI contrast agent
http://world.brightbridgewealthmanagement-mag.com/?p=57
SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) — South Korean scientists said Monday that they have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that can help better diagnose arteriosclerosis and various vascular diseases.
The Seoul National University team led by Hyeon Taeg-hwan, a chemical and biological engineering professor, said the agent made from ferrimagnetic iron oxide that is 3 nanometers in size, significantly smaller than the 4 nanometer size mass produced in the past. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
Making smaller size particles is critical since using larger ferrimagnetic iron oxide as MRI agents reduces clarity, which effectively limits the agent’s usefulness as a tool for doctors.
The team also said that compared to the most commonly used gadolinium-based agents, the new material has been tested to be much less harmful to people and can show internal structures of arteries much longer. MRI agents have been cited for causing complications for people with bad kidneys.
“The manufacturing process permitted very fine, evenly shaped nanoparticles to be made easily,” Hyeon said. “Using this material as an agent, researchers were able to see arteries with a diameter of less than 0.2 millimeters.”
The scientist claimed that the new agent has the capability to make it easier for doctors to check for arteriosclerosis, vascular disease and signs of heart attacks in people.
The discovery that received support from the government has been published in the latest on-line issue of the Journal of American Chemical Society.
SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) — South Korean scientists said Monday that they have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that can help better diagnose arteriosclerosis and various vascular diseases.
The Seoul National University team led by Hyeon Taeg-hwan, a chemical and biological engineering professor, said the agent made from ferrimagnetic iron oxide that is 3 nanometers in size, significantly smaller than the 4 nanometer size mass produced in the past. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
Making smaller size particles is critical since using larger ferrimagnetic iron oxide as MRI agents reduces clarity, which effectively limits the agent’s usefulness as a tool for doctors.
The team also said that compared to the most commonly used gadolinium-based agents, the new material has been tested to be much less harmful to people and can show internal structures of arteries much longer. MRI agents have been cited for causing complications for people with bad kidneys.
“The manufacturing process permitted very fine, evenly shaped nanoparticles to be made easily,” Hyeon said. “Using this material as an agent, researchers were able to see arteries with a diameter of less than 0.2 millimeters.”
The scientist claimed that the new agent has the capability to make it easier for doctors to check for arteriosclerosis, vascular disease and signs of heart attacks in people.
The discovery that received support from the government has been published in the latest on-line issue of the Journal of American Chemical Society.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Zurich Life Ireland sales fall 11%
http://world.brightbridgewealthmanagement-mag.com/?p=71
This compares to last year’s €94.6m.
Zurich added that it was against a 3% rise in the overall market.
Life assurance APE was marginally down at €19.8m, compared to €19.9m in 2010.
This includes new business from protection, regular premium savings and single premium investments.
Pensions new business APE also fell 14% to €64m, compared to €74.6m in 2010.
However, it did post an increase of 106% in single premium life business, unitised with profits bond new business rising to €23.9m.
Commenting on the results, Anthony Brennan, CEO Ireland of Zurich Life Assurance, said the firm had “maintained our core pricing discipline and focused on writing profitable business to ensure our long term financial strength.”
Zurich’s APE fell 11% from the same period last year
Excluding investment only business, the firm’s annual premium equivalent (APE) came to €83.3m.This compares to last year’s €94.6m.
Zurich added that it was against a 3% rise in the overall market.
Life assurance APE was marginally down at €19.8m, compared to €19.9m in 2010.
This includes new business from protection, regular premium savings and single premium investments.
Pensions new business APE also fell 14% to €64m, compared to €74.6m in 2010.
However, it did post an increase of 106% in single premium life business, unitised with profits bond new business rising to €23.9m.
Commenting on the results, Anthony Brennan, CEO Ireland of Zurich Life Assurance, said the firm had “maintained our core pricing discipline and focused on writing profitable business to ensure our long term financial strength.”
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Zurich Life Ireland sales fall 11%
http://world.brightbridgewealthmanagement-mag.com/
This compares to last year’s €94.6m.
Zurich added that it was against a 3% rise in the overall market.
Life assurance APE was marginally down at €19.8m, compared to €19.9m in 2010.
This includes new business from protection, regular premium savings and single premium investments.
Pensions new business APE also fell 14% to €64m, compared to €74.6m in 2010.
However, it did post an increase of 106% in single premium life business, unitised with profits bond new business rising to €23.9m.
Commenting on the results, Anthony Brennan, CEO Ireland of Zurich Life Assurance, said the firm had “maintained our core pricing discipline and focused on writing profitable business to ensure our long term financial strength.”
Zurich’s APE fell 11% from the same period last year
Excluding investment only business, the firm’s annual premium equivalent (APE) came to €83.3m.This compares to last year’s €94.6m.
Zurich added that it was against a 3% rise in the overall market.
Life assurance APE was marginally down at €19.8m, compared to €19.9m in 2010.
This includes new business from protection, regular premium savings and single premium investments.
Pensions new business APE also fell 14% to €64m, compared to €74.6m in 2010.
However, it did post an increase of 106% in single premium life business, unitised with profits bond new business rising to €23.9m.
Commenting on the results, Anthony Brennan, CEO Ireland of Zurich Life Assurance, said the firm had “maintained our core pricing discipline and focused on writing profitable business to ensure our long term financial strength.”
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Why 64 Percent Is the Golden Mean in the Housing Market: View
http://brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/06/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-housing-market-photo-h-armstrong-robertsgetty-illustration-by-bloomberg-view-by-the-editors-may-31-2011-901-pm-pt-5-comments-inshar/
Who should own a home? From the late 1960s to the mid-1990s, the answer in the U.S. was surprisingly consistent. Homeowners were savers who could muster significant down payments, with incomes solid enough to enable them to start repaying mortgages right away. During war, peace, boom times and recessions, the national rate of home ownership remained steady at 64 to 65 percent of households.
Starting in 1995, a home-ownership craze began. The belief took hold that rising home ownership meant a better society, no matter how fragile new buyers’ finances might be. Down payments started to matter much less; the same was true of income, which came to be ignored through no-documentation “liars’ loans.” By late 2004, a record 69.2 percent of American households owned their homes.
The U.S. housing market’s subsequent collapse has shown ubiquitous ownership to be a costly delusion. In the past nine quarters, more than 2.1 million homes have been foreclosed on. Lenders have lost countless billions of dollars in mortgage defaults or modifications. Yesterday brought news that the S&P/Case-Shiller index of urban home prices fell 3.6 percent in March from a year earlier, to the lowest level since 2003. The American housing slump isn’t finished yet.
A decade ago, three of the European countries with the fastest-growing rates of home ownership were Spain, Ireland and Greece. All three had boosted their rates above 80 percent, compared with a European average of 64 percent. Since then, each of those countries has become ensnarled in defaults, recessions and struggles to manage national debt. By contrast, Germany, with a home-ownership rate below 50 percent, has come through the upheaval essentially unscathed.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Sony’s Tablets Definitely Aren’t iPads
http://articles.brightbridge-wealthmanagement.com/2011/07/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-sonys-tablets-definitely-arent-ipads/
For products which still haven’t been officially announced, Sony’s upcoming Android tablets sure haven’t been publicity-shy. Sony first teased us about them back in April. And on Wednesday, it held press events in New York and San Francisco at which it showed them off and released more details, such as the fact that the smaller S1 will be available exclusively in a version for AT&T’s HSPA+ network — although not full specs, or pricing, or a shipping timeframe other than “later this year.”
I attended the West Coast edition of the sneak peek. When I see new tablets these days, I’m continuing to reflexively ask the question “Why should somebody buy this instead of an iPad?” It’s too early to come to any firm conclusions about the Sonys, but both pass the obvious-differences-from-Apple’s-tablet test.
The S1 is a 9.4″ model with a wedge shape that angles the screen for comfy typing and feels like a folded magazine. (It’s a major departure from every other current tablet — but it does remind me of the original 2007 version of Amazon’s Kindle.)
The smaller S2, meanwhile, stretches the definition of “tablet” a bit. It’s a clamshell device with two 5.5″ displays which, in unfolded mode, can operate independently or as one big screen. It’s reminiscent of Acer’s Iconia and Toshiba’s experimental Portege, but the hinge makes more sense on the S2: the screens are small enough that a folded-shut unit will fit in a pocket. (Try that with your iPad.)
On the software side, Sony is going through a fair amount of effort to make these tablets stand apart from the Android herd. They both have a feature called Quick View which is designed to load Web pages much faster than the standard Android browser. (For what it’s worth, it worked in Sony’s demo.) They’re also designed for extra-responsive scrolling, and are PlayStation-certified devices that can play some older PlayStation games, and will come with Sony’s Reader e-book store and Qriocity movie and music services. The S1 includes a universal remote feature (which leverages the built-in IR port) and Sony is working with Adobe to help developers build Adobe AIR apps that make good use of the S2′s twin screens.
For products which still haven’t been officially announced, Sony’s upcoming Android tablets sure haven’t been publicity-shy. Sony first teased us about them back in April. And on Wednesday, it held press events in New York and San Francisco at which it showed them off and released more details, such as the fact that the smaller S1 will be available exclusively in a version for AT&T’s HSPA+ network — although not full specs, or pricing, or a shipping timeframe other than “later this year.”
I attended the West Coast edition of the sneak peek. When I see new tablets these days, I’m continuing to reflexively ask the question “Why should somebody buy this instead of an iPad?” It’s too early to come to any firm conclusions about the Sonys, but both pass the obvious-differences-from-Apple’s-tablet test.
The S1 is a 9.4″ model with a wedge shape that angles the screen for comfy typing and feels like a folded magazine. (It’s a major departure from every other current tablet — but it does remind me of the original 2007 version of Amazon’s Kindle.)
The smaller S2, meanwhile, stretches the definition of “tablet” a bit. It’s a clamshell device with two 5.5″ displays which, in unfolded mode, can operate independently or as one big screen. It’s reminiscent of Acer’s Iconia and Toshiba’s experimental Portege, but the hinge makes more sense on the S2: the screens are small enough that a folded-shut unit will fit in a pocket. (Try that with your iPad.)
On the software side, Sony is going through a fair amount of effort to make these tablets stand apart from the Android herd. They both have a feature called Quick View which is designed to load Web pages much faster than the standard Android browser. (For what it’s worth, it worked in Sony’s demo.) They’re also designed for extra-responsive scrolling, and are PlayStation-certified devices that can play some older PlayStation games, and will come with Sony’s Reader e-book store and Qriocity movie and music services. The S1 includes a universal remote feature (which leverages the built-in IR port) and Sony is working with Adobe to help developers build Adobe AIR apps that make good use of the S2′s twin screens.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management: What tips are useful for a young adult who is saving for retirement?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110522020147AA05IzV
to invest with long term in mind
to invest in different types of schemes
To invest thru Systematic investment plan
Select a fund house and adviser after careful study
Do not shuffle the portfolio in the short run
to invest in different types of schemes
To invest thru Systematic investment plan
Select a fund house and adviser after careful study
Do not shuffle the portfolio in the short run
Source(s):
I am an investment consultant
BBWM Headline: Star-studded cast recreates financial crisis in HBO’s ‘Too Big to Fail’
http://www.widepr.com/press_release/14522/bbwm_headline_star_studded_cast_recreates_financial_crisis_in_hbo_s_too_big_to_fail.html
PASADENA, Calif. – You might not think that the financial crisis three years ago would be fodder for stimulating drama. But some TV brokers are speculating that you’re wrong.
On May 23 HBO is offering “Too Big to Fail,” the tale of what was happening behind the scenes as banks folded, industry staggered and the housing market crumbled.
Based on the book by Andrew Ross Sorkin, the film is directed by Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential”) with a roster of heavy hitting stars like James Wood, William Hurt, Topher Grace, Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Modine.
“I think that this story and this particular film and the book was really an opportunity to try to take the public inside the room so they could see what happened, so they could actually see the decisions that were made and what the opportunities were and the choices were that they actually had,” says Sorkin.
“In hindsight, everything looks black-and-white. But with 20/20 hindsight, it’s different. When you’re actually there, the choices were very different. And I think that this particular project really puts a focus on that. You get to see really what we were up against and how this was perhaps the most catastrophic thing that had happened in our economy since the Great Depression and that we were really on the edge. People don’t really appreciate often how close to the edge we really were,” he says.
Hurt portrays Henry Paulson, secretary of the Treasury and former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “I got to play a guy who crosses the line from the private sector to the public sector,” he says.
“And they’re different jobs. You do different things in different contexts. So that was one of the most interesting parts for me, is Paulson who is a street fighter … a guy who is not used to hearing ‘no’ in the street, to a guy who is working now for the American people. And what do you do in relationship to that responsibility?”
PASADENA, Calif. – You might not think that the financial crisis three years ago would be fodder for stimulating drama. But some TV brokers are speculating that you’re wrong.
On May 23 HBO is offering “Too Big to Fail,” the tale of what was happening behind the scenes as banks folded, industry staggered and the housing market crumbled.
Based on the book by Andrew Ross Sorkin, the film is directed by Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential”) with a roster of heavy hitting stars like James Wood, William Hurt, Topher Grace, Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Modine.
“I think that this story and this particular film and the book was really an opportunity to try to take the public inside the room so they could see what happened, so they could actually see the decisions that were made and what the opportunities were and the choices were that they actually had,” says Sorkin.
“In hindsight, everything looks black-and-white. But with 20/20 hindsight, it’s different. When you’re actually there, the choices were very different. And I think that this particular project really puts a focus on that. You get to see really what we were up against and how this was perhaps the most catastrophic thing that had happened in our economy since the Great Depression and that we were really on the edge. People don’t really appreciate often how close to the edge we really were,” he says.
Hurt portrays Henry Paulson, secretary of the Treasury and former chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “I got to play a guy who crosses the line from the private sector to the public sector,” he says.
“And they’re different jobs. You do different things in different contexts. So that was one of the most interesting parts for me, is Paulson who is a street fighter … a guy who is not used to hearing ‘no’ in the street, to a guy who is working now for the American people. And what do you do in relationship to that responsibility?”
Brightbridge Headlines: Time to move some money to stocks from commodities
http://www.widepr.com/press_release/14866/brightbridge_headlines_time_to_move_some_money_to_stocks_from_commodities.html
ommodities have lost their luster for leading investment strategists on fears that global economic growth, particularly Chinese demand, may be lower than previously expected.
Instead, they are recommending investing in large-cap U.S. companies whose earnings have historically varied less through economic cycles. That includes defensive areas such as household products and utilities but also some technology and industrial companies.
Investors became more cautious about commodities after last week’s vicious unwind of oil, copper and precious metals — which some dubbed a mini “flash crash” similar to the one seen in U.S. equity markets a year earlier.
Even as strategists recommend steering away from commodities, they agree that the long-term outlook is positive. But over the near term they do not rule out another downleg in prices — especially if China, the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, continues to tighten monetary policy.
“Chinese policy makers made it very clear that there is ‘no absolute limit’ to what they will do to control inflation, which raised concerns around the impact of their actions on demand growth” for commodities, Jan Loeys, head of asset allocation at JPMorgan, wrote in a research note this week.
Economic activity has been moderating in China, and prospects for future growth seem less certain after the government signaled no end in its fight to curb inflation.
China raised bank reserve requirements by 50 basis points on Thursday, surprising analysts who had expected it to use monetary brakes less aggressively after a series of weaker-than-expected economic data for April.
For its part, the United States saw growth domestic product of only 1.8 percent in the first quarter, down from 3.1 percent in the last three months of 2010.
Last week’s sell-off drove the price of U.S. crude oil below $100 from an April peak of more than $113. Prices have been volatile since then, and further weakness is possible.
“What happened in commodity markets last week was not surprising at all, and more weakness in the near term wouldn’t be that surprising either,” Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said in a recent research note.
ommodities have lost their luster for leading investment strategists on fears that global economic growth, particularly Chinese demand, may be lower than previously expected.
Instead, they are recommending investing in large-cap U.S. companies whose earnings have historically varied less through economic cycles. That includes defensive areas such as household products and utilities but also some technology and industrial companies.
Investors became more cautious about commodities after last week’s vicious unwind of oil, copper and precious metals — which some dubbed a mini “flash crash” similar to the one seen in U.S. equity markets a year earlier.
Even as strategists recommend steering away from commodities, they agree that the long-term outlook is positive. But over the near term they do not rule out another downleg in prices — especially if China, the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, continues to tighten monetary policy.
“Chinese policy makers made it very clear that there is ‘no absolute limit’ to what they will do to control inflation, which raised concerns around the impact of their actions on demand growth” for commodities, Jan Loeys, head of asset allocation at JPMorgan, wrote in a research note this week.
Economic activity has been moderating in China, and prospects for future growth seem less certain after the government signaled no end in its fight to curb inflation.
China raised bank reserve requirements by 50 basis points on Thursday, surprising analysts who had expected it to use monetary brakes less aggressively after a series of weaker-than-expected economic data for April.
For its part, the United States saw growth domestic product of only 1.8 percent in the first quarter, down from 3.1 percent in the last three months of 2010.
Last week’s sell-off drove the price of U.S. crude oil below $100 from an April peak of more than $113. Prices have been volatile since then, and further weakness is possible.
“What happened in commodity markets last week was not surprising at all, and more weakness in the near term wouldn’t be that surprising either,” Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said in a recent research note.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management
Brightbridge is a world-wide private equity firm with the resources and expertise to source, evaluate, and manage private investments globally in both developed and developing markets and across many industrial and commercial sectors.
Brightbridge is manager of -- or principal advisor to -- private equity funds covering Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Islamic countries that span the globe from North Africa through the Middle East and into Asia. These funds represent aggregate capital commitments of nearly $6.0 billion and several are the largest of their kind in their particular region.
Brightbridge Wealth Management
Brightbridge Wealth
Talstrasse 40
Zurich, Zurich
Switzerland, 8001
Voice +45.36946676
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Venture Capital: 5 Tips for Nailing the Full Partnership Pitch
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/07/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-venture-capital-5-tips-for-nailing-the-full-partnership-pitch/
So you made it to the “full partnership pitch.” You have already had one (or likely multiple) meetings with a subset of a firm’s investment team, including a principal and perhaps a general partner. You’ve impressed your point person (or people) sufficiently so that you have been invited to present to the broader partnership. What do you do now? Here are five things to keep in mind.
1. Focus on Style, Not Just Substance
This may sound counterintuitive. However, if you have been asked to come in and present to the full partnership, you have already done a good job defining, defending and articulating your business plan, and addressing many questions and concerns. Your initial contacts from the firm have likely already written up one or more memos introducing your company, and have had multiple internal discussions about your company’s compelling prospective investment.
Now it’s showtime! Most likely, the partnership will already be familiar with the facts around your team, market, business model, product, customers, competition and financial projections. They are now looking for the “X factor” — your ability to present with pizzazz, to capture and sustain the attention of the room, to project a degree of informed enthusiasm and to showcase your natural leadership and sales abilities with a healthy spark of charisma.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Microsoft rolls out Office 365 in cloud computing rac
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/07/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-microsoft-rolls-out-office-365-in-cloud-computing-race/
In rolling out Office 365, the online version of its ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, the Redmond, Wash., technology giant is looking to catch up to rival Google Inc. in the race to move business software residing on local computers to remote data centers accessible from anywhere. For a monthly fee starting at $6 per user, Office 365 will allow company employees to edit and store Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations online and communicate with one another via email, instant message or video chat as they work on projects together, an element Microsoft said would allow workers to get more done. Larger companies and those looking for more features will pay more per month.
Cloud proponents say companies can cut costs by getting rid of their own servers — which are expensive and require frequent maintenance and security updates — and allowing technology firms like Microsoft and Google to handle the hard work of supplying businesses’ computing needs.
“What happens when Microsoft Office meets the cloud?” Chief Executive Steve Ballmersaid at a presentation Tuesday. “Collaboration happens in addition to productivity, anywhere for any business of any size.”
Though Microsoft has for years had a cloud element to its Office suite, the company has struggled to catch up to Google in the online software race. The search giant says its Google Apps software, which also includes word processing, email and other business applications, is used by 3 million businesses and 30 million people around the world.
Still, that number is a small fraction of the 1 billion global users Microsoft says it has for its traditional Office suite, which for years has been its bestselling product. In 2010, Microsoft’s Business Division, which makes Office, was responsible for 30% of the company’s $64 billion in annual revenue.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Casey Anthony Facebook scam preys on social-media users
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/07/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-casey-anthony-facebook-scam-preys-on-social-media-users/
One of the most popular scams masquerades as a Facebook post urging the social media site’s nearly 700 million users to click on a link that plays a secret video confession by Casey Anthony, the 25-year-old acquitted July 5 in the first-degree murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Marie.
Scam post message reads: “BREAKING NEWS – Leaked video of CASEY ANTHONY confessing to lawyers. Click To See – She can’t be re-tried, double jeopardy[sic]…OJ all over again!”
There is no video. There is no secret confession. However, scammers gain access to users’ Facebook walls, personal information, and share the viral scam using the unquestioned loyalty of their social media friends.
AllFacebook.com, a site which tracks trends, analytics and news about Facebook, shows that within minutes of the not guilty verdict, users posted 10 comments every second. Given that frenetic activity on the site, it’s no wonder scammers targeted it.
“It makes sense that people are taking advantage given the huge interest in the Casey Anthony trial,” said Josh Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab atHarvard University in Cambridge, Mass. “The mechanism of sharing information can be taken advantage of and it’s a nefarious practice.”
Here’s how the scam baits users:
Posts Tagged ‘Brightbridge Wealth Management Online Magazine – collection of world news and current events articles’
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/tag/brightbridge-wealth-management-online-magazine-collection-of-world-news-and-current-events-articles/
In rolling out Office 365, the online version of its ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, the Redmond, Wash., technology giant is looking to catch up to rival Google Inc. in the race to move business software residing on local computers to remote data centers accessible from anywhere. For a monthly fee starting at $6 per user, Office 365 will allow company employees to edit and store Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations online and communicate with one another via email, instant message or video chat as they work on projects together, an element Microsoft said would allow workers to get more done. Larger companies and those looking for more features will pay more per month.
Cloud proponents say companies can cut costs by getting rid of their own servers — which are expensive and require frequent maintenance and security updates — and allowing technology firms like Microsoft and Google to handle the hard work of supplying businesses’ computing needs.
“What happens when Microsoft Office meets the cloud?” Chief Executive Steve Ballmersaid at a presentation Tuesday. “Collaboration happens in addition to productivity, anywhere for any business of any size.”
Though Microsoft has for years had a cloud element to its Office suite, the company has struggled to catch up to Google in the online software race. The search giant says its Google Apps software, which also includes word processing, email and other business applications, is used by 3 million businesses and 30 million people around the world.
Still, that number is a small fraction of the 1 billion global users Microsoft says it has for its traditional Office suite, which for years has been its bestselling product. In 2010, Microsoft’s Business Division, which makes Office, was responsible for 30% of the company’s $64 billion in annual revenue.
Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines: Adobe 2Q tops profit, sales expectations
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/2011/07/brightbridge-wealth-management-headlines-adobe-2q-tops-profit-sales-expectations/
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Adobe Systems Inc., the maker of Photoshop, Acrobat and Flash software, said Tuesday that net income for its fiscal second quarter grew 54 percent from a year ago as revenue rose 9 percent. It reaffirmed its sales target for the year.
Net income in the three months to June 3 climbed to $229.4 million, or 45 cents per share, from $148.6 million, or 28 cents per share, a year ago.
Excluding stock-based compensation expenses, an income tax windfall and other items, adjusted earnings came to 55 cents per share, more than the 51 cents per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet.
Revenue grew to $1.02 billion from $943 million a year ago, beating the $996 million expected by analysts.
Adobe said it expected third-quarter revenue between $1 billion and $1.05 billion. The mid-point is higher than the average analyst estimate of $1.02 billion.
The company said it also expects to post 50 cents to 56 cents per share of adjusted earnings in the third quarter, roughly in line with the 54 cents analysts are looking for.
Adobe reaffirmed its target for sales to grow 10 percent in the current fiscal year. That would put it on track to post annual revenue of $4.18 billion, above the $4.11 billion analysts are expecting.
Despite the solid outlook, Adobe’s shares fell $1.11, or 3.5 percent, to $30.90 in extended trading. The stock had closed the regular session up $1.06, or 3.4 percent, at $32.01.
Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft rolls out Office 365 in cloud computing race’
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/tag/microsoft-rolls-out-office-365-in-cloud-computing-race/
In rolling out Office 365, the online version of its ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, the Redmond, Wash., technology giant is looking to catch up to rival Google Inc. in the race to move business software residing on local computers to remote data centers accessible from anywhere. For a monthly fee starting at $6 per user, Office 365 will allow company employees to edit and store Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations online and communicate with one another via email, instant message or video chat as they work on projects together, an element Microsoft said would allow workers to get more done. Larger companies and those looking for more features will pay more per month.
Cloud proponents say companies can cut costs by getting rid of their own servers — which are expensive and require frequent maintenance and security updates — and allowing technology firms like Microsoft and Google to handle the hard work of supplying businesses’ computing needs.
“What happens when Microsoft Office meets the cloud?” Chief Executive Steve Ballmersaid at a presentation Tuesday. “Collaboration happens in addition to productivity, anywhere for any business of any size.”
Though Microsoft has for years had a cloud element to its Office suite, the company has struggled to catch up to Google in the online software race. The search giant says its Google Apps software, which also includes word processing, email and other business applications, is used by 3 million businesses and 30 million people around the world.
Still, that number is a small fraction of the 1 billion global users Microsoft says it has for its traditional Office suite, which for years has been its bestselling product. In 2010, Microsoft’s Business Division, which makes Office, was responsible for 30% of the company’s $64 billion in annual revenue.
As businesses increasingly buy into the advantages of the cloud, high-profile companies including Google, Amazon.com Inc. and IBM are competing to be the provider of choice. But with a huge existing customer base, Microsoft is looking to convince its users that moving to the cloud will be easier and less risky if they stick with the familiar Microsoft Office.
Posts Tagged ‘Brightbridge Wealth Management Facts and Financial Figures’
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/tag/brightbridge-wealth-management-facts-and-financial-figures/
In rolling out Office 365, the online version of its ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, the Redmond, Wash., technology giant is looking to catch up to rival Google Inc. in the race to move business software residing on local computers to remote data centers accessible from anywhere. For a monthly fee starting at $6 per user, Office 365 will allow company employees to edit and store Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations online and communicate with one another via email, instant message or video chat as they work on projects together, an element Microsoft said would allow workers to get more done. Larger companies and those looking for more features will pay more per month.
Cloud proponents say companies can cut costs by getting rid of their own servers — which are expensive and require frequent maintenance and security updates — and allowing technology firms like Microsoft and Google to handle the hard work of supplying businesses’ computing needs.
“What happens when Microsoft Office meets the cloud?” Chief Executive Steve Ballmersaid at a presentation Tuesday. “Collaboration happens in addition to productivity, anywhere for any business of any size.”
Though Microsoft has for years had a cloud element to its Office suite, the company has struggled to catch up to Google in the online software race. The search giant says its Google Apps software, which also includes word processing, email and other business applications, is used by 3 million businesses and 30 million people around the world.
Still, that number is a small fraction of the 1 billion global users Microsoft says it has for its traditional Office suite, which for years has been its bestselling product. In 2010, Microsoft’s Business Division, which makes Office, was responsible for 30% of the company’s $64 billion in annual revenue.
As businesses increasingly buy into the advantages of the cloud, high-profile companies including Google, Amazon.com Inc. and IBM are competing to be the provider of choice. But with a huge existing customer base, Microsoft is looking to convince its users that moving to the cloud will be easier and less risky if they stick with the familiar Microsoft Office.
Posts Tagged ‘Asset Management and Mutual Funds
http://advice.brightbridgewealthmanagement-facts.com/tag/asset-management-and-mutual-funds/
The Swiss financial markets regulator FINMA was right to order the handing over of client data by UBS to the U.S. authorities, a top court ruled on Friday, despite the country’s cherished tradition of bank secrecy.
FINMA ordered UBS to hand over the data of 255 customers to the U.S. Department of Justice in 2009 as part of a settlement to avert criminal charges being leveled against Switzerland’s biggest bank.
“Such an indictment would have led to the bankruptcy of the bank which in turn would have caused serious and virtually uncontrollable economic repercussions for Switzerland,” the Swiss Federal Supreme Court said in a statement.
“Since FINMA had compelling reasons to believe that not relinquishing the customer data to the U.S. Department of Justice would have seriously impaired Switzerland’s financial markets and have led to serious repercussions for the Swiss economy, the action taken by it was shown to be lawful.”
The ruling overturns a 2010 decision by the Swiss Federal Administrative Court that FINMA’s decision was unlawful in a case brought by UBS customers whose data was handed over. If the Supreme Court had upheld that ruling, UBS clients could have sought damages from the Swiss state.
UBS also paid a fine of $780 million in exchange for the dropping of the U.S. investigation and later handed over details of a further 4,450 accounts to settle the case.
Earlier on Friday local rival Credit Suisse said it is being probed by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a broader investigation into banks suspected of helping Americans evade taxes.
Switzerland and the United States have been in talks to try to reach a multi-billion dollardeal to get the investigation dropped in return for the banks paying a fine, closing their undeclared offshore banking businesses to Americans, and turning over client names to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Offshore tax havens have come under heavy attack in recent years as cash-strapped governments seek to boost revenues in the wake of the financial crisis, forcing countries like Switzerland to pledge to cooperate more to help hunt tax evaders.
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