BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Lloyd's of London Turns in Record Year]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/25/lloyds-of-london-turns-in-record-year/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/25/lloyds-of-london-turns-in-record-year/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/25/lloyds-of-london-turns-in-record-year/#commentsFiled under:

Last year was a good one for Lloyd's of London. Profits more than doubled, surging to a record $5.81 billion, thanks largely to strong investment gains and a quiet catastrophe year. Investment gains last year amounted to $2.66 billion, an increase of 84.8%. But, it wasn't all just a rising tide in the financial markets. Lloyd's did pick up a gain of more than 20% in premium volume -- and currency fluctuations played a role.

Says Lord Peter Leven, Lloyd's chairman, the increase in profits "has been achieved despite the economic turbulence that characterized most of 2009, although we were certainly helped by a low level of catastrophe losses." In particular, a quite hurricane season in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico was kind to Lloyd's balance sheet.

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Lloyd's of London Turns in Record Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>insuranceinsurance companiesinsurance industryinthenewsLloydLloydsReinsurancereinsurance industryThu, 25 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[From Bermuda: Insurers Need to Ink Mergers with Caution]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/16/from-bermuda-insurers-need-to-ink-mergers-with-caution/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/16/from-bermuda-insurers-need-to-ink-mergers-with-caution/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/16/from-bermuda-insurers-need-to-ink-mergers-with-caution/#commentsFiled under:

Mergers are always a tricky business, and for an insurance industry with excess capital available, they're likely on the agenda for the coming year. Before giving in to the urge to merge, several major industry executives cautioned at the World Insurance Forum, it's crucial to make sure that the interests of both merging companies are aligned.

According to Brian Duperreault, president and CEO at Marsh & McLennan (MMC), "You are always going to run into problems during a merger so you need to make sure your interests are aligned. If you are divided when you start you will be still be divided at the end. Aligned management interest is what makes for a successful acquisition."

Continue reading From Bermuda: Insurers Need to Ink Mergers with Caution

From Bermuda: Insurers Need to Ink Mergers with Caution originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>insuranceinsurance industryliberty mutualLloydLloydsmarsh and mclennanMMCReinsuranceTue, 16 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst upgrades 7-05-07: DSW, ERIC and MGA]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/05/analyst-upgrades-7-05-07-dsw-eric-and-mga/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/05/analyst-upgrades-7-05-07-dsw-eric-and-mga/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/05/analyst-upgrades-7-05-07-dsw-eric-and-mga/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Turkcell (TKC), Lloyds TSB Group (LYG), DSW Inc (DSW) and the European telecom sector were today's most noteworthy upgrades:
  • JP Morgan upgraded shares of Turkcell (NYSE: TKC) to Overweight from Neutral following a meeting with management, as they are more comfortable with the company's growth prospects.
  • Citigroup upgraded Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) Group to Buy from Hold as they believe the company's free cash flow generation will drive faster dividend growth.
  • Matrix finds DSW Inc (NYSE: DSW) shares fairly valued at current levels and believes improving pricing is leading to higher profit margins and upgraded shares to Hold from Sell.
  • Credit Suisse upgraded the European Telecom sector to Overweight from Market Weight to reflect higher forecasts for mobile growth...
OTHER UPGRADES:
  • HSBC upgraded Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to Overweight from Neutral.
Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst upgrades 7-05-07: DSW, ERIC and MGA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystdswericericssoneuropean telecomEuropeanTelecomiijiinternet initiativeInternetInitiativelloydlygmagnamgaratingtheflyonthewall.comtkcturkcellupgradeThu, 05 Jul 2007 10:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Starbucks: you're just not stylish any more]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/09/13/starbucks-youre-just-not-stylish-any-more/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/09/13/starbucks-youre-just-not-stylish-any-more/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/09/13/starbucks-youre-just-not-stylish-any-more/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

starbucks: fashion has left the buildingAcross the Weblogs, Inc. network a brand-new blog has opened (welcome to the excellent StyleDash!), and I was searching its pages for nuggets that might affect stocks we cover. I think we can all agree (for instance) that Wal-Mart: not stylish (no matter what the very à la mode Anne Metz says, I won't believe it). GE? Nice commercials, but not stylish. Apple? Hella stylish. eBay? Jury's out.

And as we're ticking off the companies that are oft-featured here on BloggingStocks, the biggest question that sprung to mind: how does Starbucks Corporation (NYSE:SBUX) rate on style factor? As someone who mercurially flits from independent, locally-owned, ultra-hip coffee shop to Starbucks and back again, sometimes in a single day, I'm brilliantly positioned to say: not high. Styledash's Nic Lloyd couldn't agree more.

He says, "I was tired of Starbucks and other chain coffees -- tired of the taste and the price." He finds something better, an Ethiopian coffee called Dancing Goats. It's not that much different from the Ethiopian pours I've raved for myself. Let's face it, Starbucks, fashionistas have long since left your faux Euro tables and turned to more fabulous barstools, where the coffee tastes of orchids, wild blueberries and vanilla ... not burnt beans.

After all, the most famous customer of Starbucks today? Britney Spears. I needn't (I think you'll agree) say more.

Starbucks: you're just not stylish any more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Sep 2006 23:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anne metzAnneMetzbritneybritney spearsBritneySpearsdancing goatsDancingGoatsethiopiaethiopianethiopian coffeeEthiopianCoffeelloydmetznic lloydNicLloydsbuxstarbucksstyledashwal-martwelcome styledashWelcomeStyledashwmtWed, 13 Sep 2006 23:17:00 EST