FedEx Is Downbeat on Chinese Economy

Slowdown in Trade, Customer Shift to Cheaper Services Hit Shipper 

Updated September 18, 2012, 2:15 p.m. ET

Not a pretty picture. This article states that, "We see the [U.S.] economy not improving from here," FedEx Chief Financial Officer Alan Graf said Tuesday. He noted that its outlook for growth in U.S. gross domestic product next year has been given "a significant haircut"—to 1.9%, from an anticipated 2.4% just three months ago. Its forecast for global GDP growth next year was cut to 2.7% from 3% previously."

Mr. Fred Smith, FedEx's CEO blamed "policy choices" in the U.S., China and Europe for causing global trade to decelerate even faster than GDP, with U.S. stimulus efforts adding to the pressure on fuel costs by pushing investors into commodities.

The company lowered its full-year earnings view, now expecting between $6.20 and $6.60 a share, down from an already disappointing forecast of $6.90 to $7.40 in June. For its current quarter ending in November, FedEx forecast per-share earnings of between $1.30 and $1.45, below the consensus estimates of $1.67 from analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. 

What could Fred Smith be planning to adjust business in this difficult Chinese market?

The Six Secrets of Self−Control

The Six Secrets of Self−Control

By Dr. Travis Bradberry

Talentsmart Posting

Self-control is so fleeting for most that when Martin Seligman and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania surveyed two million people and asked them to rank order their strengths in 24 different skills, self-control ended up in the very bottom slot.

Take Responsibility For Your Life

This post comes from the blog, “Purpose Fairy: Ideas and Suggestions about Life” The posting talks about people who are always looking at the dark side of everything, always focusing their attention on what is lacking, what is missing.

Do you know anyone like that? Have you tried to change them?

Take Responsibility for Your Life

Amazon Unveils $299, 8.9-Inch Kindle Fire HD, 4G LTE for $499

I see in on PCMag.com that todayAmazon unveiled a new Kindle Fire lineup, which includes a revamped version of the original tablet, as well as 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions of the new Kindle Fire HD.

Amazon will drop the price of the original Kindle Fire tablet to $159. It will offer a 16GB version of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD for $199 and a 16GB, 8.9-inch version for $299. But the retailer will also sell a 32GB Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE connectivity for $499.

Kindle Fire's New Lineup

 Should be interesting. Amazon has one priced for every taste.

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. Because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes, Flight 93, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted.
 

Coming Soon: Toilet Paper Priced Like Airline Tickets

By JULIA ANGWIN and DANA MATTIOLI

Wall Street Journal - Wednesday September 5, 2012

Deploying a new generation of algorithms, retailers are changing the price of products from toilet paper to bicycles on an hour-by-hour and sometimes minute-by-minute basis.

Are there people out there who prefer Fixed Pricing? How much time do people spend shopping?

Old School Marketing Master

Getting Back to Work

Getting Back to Work A Post-Vacation Briefing on the State of Play in Energy, Gadgets, Retailing and Other Businesses

This Wall Street Journal article provides an overview of nine segments of business, ranging from the mining industry to the tablet wars. The authors give us the most important business issues of the fall and winter ahead. (1) Autos, (2) Energy: The Gas Glut, (3) Technology, (4) Industrials, (5) Holiday Harbingers, (6) Telecom:, (7) Publishing E-Books, (8) Mining:, and (9) Health. I found it particularly interesting to see how many industries that are anxiously awaiting the presidential elections. No growth in the picture until industry gets a feel for which direction we will be sailing.