BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) – An activist hedge fund said on Tuesday that insurance company Argo Group International Holdings Ltd could double its return on equity if it cut $100 million in costs, including millions spent on corporate jets and housing for its chief executive. Voce Capital Management LLC is Continue Reading
How connected are you to your brand’s customer service?
My last post here generated some great conversations with readers, especially among people who wanted to go deeper into the concept of marketing-as-service and how to make that happen even while you’re dealing with the realities of business life. This recurring conversation centered on one key point: Service is something Continue Reading
Strong U.S. growth, weak inflation leave Fed stuck happily on hold
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at its policy meeting this week as policymakers balance recent stronger-than-expected U.S. economic growth against sluggish inflation. Officials have given no signal in recent weeks of any change to the U.S. central bank’s benchmark overnight lending rate, Continue Reading
Google Q1 revenues $36.3 billion but miss Wall Street expectations
Google parent Alphabet reported its Q1 earnings Monday, with shares at $11.90. While shares exceeded analyst expectations, revenue fell short. The company reported overall revenue at $36.34 billion, which was shy of the $37.33 billion expected by Wall Street. Shares are down roughly 5 percent in after-hours trading. Mobile and Continue Reading
Hedge fund Vor Capital secures investment from Borealis Strategic: sources
BOSTON (Reuters) – Borealis Strategic Capital Partners, which invests in new hedge funds, has written its first check to commit capital to Europe-oriented stock fund Vor Capital, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Vor Capital launched a year ago with a plan to invest in mid-sized European Continue Reading
How Venngage turned search into their primary lead source Search Engine Watch
Venngage is a free infographic maker that has catered to more than 21,000 businesses. In this article, we explore how they grew their organic traffic from about 275,000 visitors per month in November 2017 to about 900,000 today — more than tripling in 17 months. I spoke with Nadya Khoja, Continue Reading
Trump pressed Japan’s Abe to build more vehicles in the U.S
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to have Japanese automakers produce more vehicles in the United States, according to a readout of their recent meeting provided by the U.S. ambassador to Japan on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Japan’s Prime Minister Continue Reading
How to Use Influencer & Emotional Marketing in Content
As marketers in the Age of Digital, we are moving at the speed of digital without the chance to assess patterns and think deeply about our work. Meanwhile, consumers’ devices are constantly bombarded with marketing clutter and meaningless ads that don’t take the time to understand consumers’ needs or preferences. Continue Reading
Proxy adviser ISS recommends against three directors at Sturm Ruger
BOSTON (Reuters) – Institutional Shareholder Services recommended investors withhold support from three directors at gunmaker Sturm Ruger & Co ahead of its May 8 annual meeting, the top proxy adviser said in a report seen by Reuters on Friday. Sturm Ruger has been under pressure from gun control activists over Continue Reading
Amazon advertising growth slowed again in Q1: Does it matter?
Data source: Amazon For a few quarters there, Amazon was posting triple digit growth rates. Then growth slowed to 97% in the fourth quarter of 2018 and Thursday, the company reported just 36% growth in its advertising business line for the first quarter of 2019. Amazon reports advertising business under Continue Reading