Borders’ expansion hastened its implosion

Borders’ focus on opening more stores and bigger stores and international stores during the late 1990s and early 2000s turned out to be the company’s critical error. Much of the coverage of Borders’ liquidation — which the company announced Monday after five months of navigating Chapter 11 bankruptcy — is sure to center on the role of e-books in weakening Borders. And, to be sure, it’s probably fair to say that e-books crushed any hopes Borders still had of staying alive. And, yes, Read more [...]

Listed firms’ profits decline in first quarter

"The combined net incomes of listed companies in the first three months of 2011 decreased by 22.6% to P106.98 billion from P138.21 billion in the same period last year," the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said in a statement on Tuesday. But combined revenues of the listed firms grew by a tenth to P857.78 billion from P779.8 billion in the same period last year. "The first quarter earnings of our listed firms reflected the slower growth of our economy after coming from an election year and Read more [...]

Prices slump, sales plunge

WARWICK –– In June, Rhode Island’s median house price fell 2 percent, to $215,000, and the number of house sales fell 23 percent compared with June 2010, when the last wave of sales spurred by a federal tax credit closed. The June statistics from the Rhode Island Association of Realtors also show a 9-percent increase in the median price for condominiums, to $200,000. But the number of condo units sold fell 21 percent Read more [...]

Hawn and Russell put up their house for sale

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are selling their house for $14.7million. The couple have decided to put the four-bedroom Malibu property-which overlooks the Pacific Ocean-on the market but have also listed it to rent for $80,000-a-month while they await a potential buyer. The house, which has been owned by the couple for over 20 years, underwent an expensive redesign and upgrade just six years ago and boasts stunning landscaped grounds. The property's entry on real estate website Realtor.com reads: Read more [...]

Assassin’s Creed: Lineage gets a release date, Sonic Generations listed by UK …

Assassin’s Creed: Lineage gets a release date, Sonic Generations listed by UK retailers Many fans may have their sights set on a copy of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations come the game's release, but the more hardcore bunch will also be looking forward to bag themselves an Assassin’s Creed: Lineage around that time as well. Assassin’s Creed: Lineage was originally released as a mini web-series on the popular video broadcasting site, YouTube, and consisted of four episodes. The web-series Read more [...]

Bank reforms hindering sale of taxpayers’ shares

THE sale of the taxpayers’ stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Groups is being hampered by moves to shake-up the UK banking sector, the body that oversees the investments has warned. UK Financial Investments said it is increasingly focused on a disposal of the Government’s bank investments but added that the Independent Commission on Banking’s review of the sector could hit the institutions’ profits and valuation. The Read more [...]