warrenrial's Comments warrenrial's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/user/869825/comments If they "want to succeed in Vietnam, they have to change the way they serve," one customer says of Starbucks' (SBUX) brewing methods at its Ho Chi Minh City flagship store. Of all the markets into which the Seattle coffee giant has ventured, Vietnam may prove the most challenging given the country's rich coffee culture which dates back at least a century. Predictably however, business is good, and Howard Schultz says sales are already exceeding expectations despite locals' penchant for what WSJ describes as a "thick, oily" domestic brew. (Also: SBUX goes to Myanmar) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1033891?source=feed#comment-18971741 18971741 Fri, 17 May 2013 23:13:05 -0400 Perhaps take it with a grain of salt, but a surprising 44% of consumers responding to a survey on the impact of an online sales tax say they will buy less items online if the legislation is passed into law. The number rises to 75% for the 18-year to 25-year old demographic (ZUMZ, ANF, URBN, ARO, BKE, VRA). Though seemingly a bad development for Amazon (AMZN -0.6%) and eBay (EBAY), many retail analysts thinks those shopping habits are pretty hard to break. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1027481?source=feed#comment-18858901 18858901 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:59:07 -0400 The New York City Employees' Retirement System becomes the third pension fund to sell its stake in gun makers Sturm Ruger (RGR -0.8%) and Smith & Wessen (SWHC -0.3%) following the nightmarish school shooting in Connecticut. CalSTRS and New York's Teacher's Retirement System sold their shares in January and February respectively. Comptroller John Liu says the company's products "tear apart families and shatter communities." ( Reuters ) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/1009951?source=feed#comment-18587881 18587881 Wed, 08 May 2013 14:07:48 -0400 Nokia Earnings: Lumia Emerging Market Sales In Focus http://seekingalpha.com/article/1349231/comments?source=feed#comment-17759491 17759491 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:14:39 -0400 OCZ: Bankruptcy Within 6 Months? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1332211/comments?source=feed#comment-17500631 17500631 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:13:27 -0400 4 Reasons Nokia Shares Will Stop Falling http://seekingalpha.com/article/1326301/comments?source=feed#comment-17375501 17375501 Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:58:42 -0400 New York City will become the first metropolis in the U.S. to ban cigarette displays if legislation proposed by Mayor Bloomberg passes. The measure would be a dramatic change from the high-profile positioning of tobacco products near checkout counters at retail outlets and would follow up on other aggressive anti-smoking laws in the Big Apple. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/894351?source=feed#comment-16446231 16446231 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:01:22 -0400 Windows 8 (MSFT) only made up 2.67% of PC Web traffic in February, per Net Applications. That's up modestly from 2.36% in January, and is the latest datapoint suggesting a slow adoption rate for Microsoft's latest OS. Windows 7 and XP accounted for 83.5% of Web traffic between them. (previous) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/863461?source=feed#comment-15714121 15714121 Vista is the worst of them all.]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:34:59 -0500 Vista is the worst of them all.]]> Nokia (NOK) and a slew of academic/business partners have received a 10-year, €1B ($1.36B) EU grant to research and commercialize graphene, an ultra-thin structure said to have "a breaking strength 300 times greater than steel," and which could potentially have a variety of electronics applications. A Nokia R&D exec compares graphene's importance to that of silicon and cheap iron. Hyperbole? We should have a better idea within a decade. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/797101?source=feed#comment-14429921 14429921 Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:54:43 -0500 Why Nokia Remains A Strong Buy Despite Different Analyst Opinions http://seekingalpha.com/article/1141141/comments?source=feed#comment-14334631 14334631 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:30:28 -0500 A judge in the Hostess bankruptcy approves a $1.8M payment in bonuses for Hostess Brands executives. The bigger issue: After the formalities of the bankruptcy case peel away, a potential goldmine of well-known brands could spur a bidding war. The word from one of the company's bankers in courtroom testimony was that calls have been coming in "fast and furious" and a stalking horse bid could be in place by mid-January. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/691701?source=feed#comment-12086631 12086631 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:43:07 -0500 A123 Systems (AONE) received a $946,830 grant payment from the government on the day it filed for Chapter 11 last month. The money, which was was part of $115.8M in funds that the electric-car battery producer has received, will add fuel to criticism about the government's support of green-energy programs. What won't help is that a court has approved bonuses of up to $4.2M for 10 employees who have stayed on while A123's assets are sold. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/672461?source=feed#comment-11753861 11753861 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:45:27 -0500 A123 Systems (AONE) received a $946,830 grant payment from the government on the day it filed for Chapter 11 last month. The money, which was was part of $115.8M in funds that the electric-car battery producer has received, will add fuel to criticism about the government's support of green-energy programs. What won't help is that a court has approved bonuses of up to $4.2M for 10 employees who have stayed on while A123's assets are sold. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/672461?source=feed#comment-11745891 11745891 Sun, 18 Nov 2012 13:36:09 -0500 Is Apple Delicious At $500? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1015591/comments?source=feed#comment-11732501 11732501 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 21:28:24 -0500 Vivus Inc: This Hedge Fund Just Went Activist http://seekingalpha.com/article/1015691/comments?source=feed#comment-11727821 11727821 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:39:45 -0500 Vringo Stock Can Only Go Up From Here http://seekingalpha.com/article/1015551/comments?source=feed#comment-11727691 11727691 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:35:21 -0500 Did Apple Bottom Friday? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1015611/comments?source=feed#comment-11726541 11726541 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:39:12 -0500 Is Apple Delicious At $500? http://seekingalpha.com/article/1015591/comments?source=feed#comment-11726471 11726471 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:36:04 -0500 Margin compression at Apple (AAPL) is long-term strategy, not a sign the company is losing its competitive edge, writes Kopin Tan in a bullish front-page Barron's article giving the iPhone maker the nod in its battles with Samsung (SSNLF.PK). "Samsung is running ads spoofing the cult of Apple. Samsung knows what it's like to have an image problem." http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/672331?source=feed#comment-11725481 11725481 Sat, 17 Nov 2012 13:59:07 -0500 A high-profile group of nine Democratic and nine Republican senators urges Pres. Obama to quickly issue a permit for the northern leg of the Keystone pipeline (TRP +1.8%), citing the need to create jobs and to reduce oil imports from the Middle East. The senators' letter comes just ahead of a protest against the pipeline planned for the White House on Sunday. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/671771?source=feed#comment-11696941 11696941 Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:58:22 -0500 Broadcast news: Fresh data on the habits of TV viewers trashes the idea brought up by industry execs (conference calls: DIS, CBS, NWS) that the declining number of live viewers of TV shows is a result of digital video recorders after both mediums showed generally comparable falloffs in audiences over a month-long period. A more likely reason for the strengthening trend of sagging ratings is the lure of video on demand and Internet content options. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/668751?source=feed#comment-11672371 11672371 Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:04:13 -0500 Kraft Foods Is Cooking Up A 4.5% Yield And Improved Results http://seekingalpha.com/article/1012451/comments?source=feed#comment-11664831 11664831 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:16:54 -0500 Android Is Dead, Part 1: Why http://seekingalpha.com/article/1007921/comments?source=feed#comment-11664641 11664641 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:11:19 -0500 California has opened the world’s second-largest auction for permits to release greenhouse gases, the first test of a program that aims to reduce emissions while raising billions of dollars for the state. The auctions are expected to generate $1B in the first year, and $2.8B-$11B/year by 2015. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/669601?source=feed#comment-11662021 11662021 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:52:21 -0500 It's tough to find any market pros to go on the record, says a fired-up Gary Kaminsky, but what they're telling clients is the election was bad news for stocks. The bull market from the 2009 lows was about stocks priced for Armageddon meeting massive central bank stimulus, he says, but that dynamic is played out, leaving the markets to deal with the reality of a weak economy and questionable leadership in D.C. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/668601?source=feed#comment-11660571 11660571 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:17:32 -0500 More than 350 coal-fired generators, or ~6% of U.S. power generating capacity, are too old and dirty and should be retired in favor of cleaner alternatives, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Citizens. Southern Co. (SO) has the highest number of "ripe for retirement" plants at 48, followed by the Tennessee Valley Authority's 28, and Duke Energy (DUK) with 17. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/662181?source=feed#comment-11658291 11658291 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:30:25 -0500 George Soros bought 2.5M shares of Groupon (GRPN) in Q3. For Soros' sake, hopefully he sold ahead of last week's implosion. Soros also bought 15.2M shares of AIG, hedged partly by a 250K-share put position. AIG +1.1% AH. (13F) http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/666431?source=feed#comment-11617201 11617201 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:46:29 -0500 Android Is Dead, Part 1: Why http://seekingalpha.com/article/1007921/comments?source=feed#comment-11615791 11615791 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:01:11 -0500 Apple (AAPL -0.2%) roundup: 1) An unnamed Samsung official has denied a report claiming his company has hiked the price it charges for producing Apple's app processors by ~20%. 2) Gene Munster estimates the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini currently sport component margins of 69% and 43%. Apple's soft FQ1 margin guidance last month raised eyebrows. 3) A Cowen survey of U.S. adults found 12% claiming they plan to buy an iPad Mini; 52% of those respondents said they've never owned a tablet before. http://seekingalpha.com/currents/post/665351?source=feed#comment-11609361 11609361 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:37:43 -0500 Obamacare Is Unhealthy For Medical Devices ETFs http://seekingalpha.com/article/1008011/comments?source=feed#comment-11608731 11608731 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:29:38 -0500