April, 2019

• 21 April

  Pier 1 tumbles over more store closures, cost cuts

  

  Bloomberg Pier 1 Imports Inc announced a plan to cut costs at the chain, which is under siege from newer online rivals. The company also announced an interim chief financial officer from AlixPartners LLP, a company known for its turnaround and restructuring practice. Part of Pier 1’s “action plan’’ includes generating cost savings and benefits of as much as $110 …

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• 21 April

  PepsiCo classic brands fuel profit beat

  

  Bloomberg Call it the nostalgia factor: PepsiCo is getting a boost from some of its classic brands. The snack and beverage giant posted quarterly results that beat estimates, sending shares to the highest since at least 1980. The company’s sales growth was boosted by its key Frito-Lay operation and North American beverage unit, with its Pepsi soda line and Lay’s …

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• 21 April

  In hot jobs market, bosses have to train low-paid staff

  

  Bloomberg You’d need a cast of thousands to re-enact Black Friday at a Walmart store, so virtual reality comes in handy at the company’s training centres. Employees get to experience a shopper stampede on their headsets, part of a widening national effort that encompasses some 7,000 workers a week. The retail giant isn’t alone. From hotels to fast food chains, …

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• 21 April

  Canadian retail sales bounce back after slump

  Bloomberg Canadian retailers emerged from months of slumping sales with a sharp rebound in February that may ease some worries about consumer weakness. Retailers posted a 0.8 percent gain in sales on the month, Statistics Canada said from Ottawa, versus economist expectations for a 0.4 percent gain. February’s increase was the strongest since May 2018, and follows six straight months …

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• 20 April

  Ras Al Khaimah, Eni ink exploration deal

  Bloomberg Eni SpA signed an exploration and production agreement wi-th emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, a further push by the Italian company into the Middle East. The deal between the Rome-based hydrocarbons producer and RAK Petroleum Authority will cover Block A, which includes an area of 2,412 sq kms off the coast, according to a statement from Eni. Eni will …

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• 20 April

  Global tensions to fuel oil rally, say hedge funds

  

  Bloomberg Hedge funds are betting rising tensions around the globe will keep fueling oil’s rebound this year. Money managers boosted optimistic wagers on West Texas Intermediate crude to the highest since October in the week ended April 16, according to government data released. Total long and short positions swelled to the most in six months, a sign the rally is …

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• 20 April

  UAE, Pfizer to establish national research lab

  DUBAI / WAM Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) met with Dr Amrit Ray, Global President, R&D and Medical, Pfizer EMB, to discuss the possibility of establishing a scientific research and excellence hub in the UAE. Al Owais and Dr Ray also discussed mutual efforts to fight chronic diseases and develop innovative and integrated …

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• 20 April

  Samsung’s foldable screens fail in some early review models

  

  Bloomberg Some test models of Samsung Electronics Co’s new foldable phone suffered defects after only days of use, casting a shadow over next week’s introduction of a $1,980 device meant to rejuvenate a flagging market and showcase the Asian company’s technology expertise. Several publications, including Bloomberg News, outlined a bevy of problems with test versions of the device, which folds …

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• 20 April

  Toyota rejects electric cars as Volkswagen vows an embrace

  

  Bloomberg A $255 billion debate is raging among the world’s biggest automakers. Some think electric cars made by companies besides Tesla Inc stand the chance to be hits, while others think they’ll fail to really sell. Toyota Motor Corp may have kicked off the green-car movement with its Prius hybrid more than 20 years ago, but the company is not …

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• 20 April

  With driverless cars late, Phantom tries remote-control trucks

  

  Bloomberg For four days in February, Ben Shukman showed up to his office at Phantom Auto in Mountain View, California, sat down in front of a bank of computer screens with a steering wheel in a darkened room, and began driving. As the 25-year-old turned the wheel in Silicon Valley, an empty truck 2,500 miles away in Atlanta picked up …

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