| | Sunday 5 August 2012 A MESSAGE FROM TOM  I rather sense that Facebook is the tip of the iceberg. In case you missed it the company has admitted that 1 in 10 of its (almost 1 billion) accounts are bogus.
Worse still, a customer has pulled its advertising claiming that 80% of the cash it paid over on a click per payment basis was for clicks generated by bots (automatic programmes). But I suspect it is not just Facebook where an obsession with headline users masks one or two issues.
I found myself celebrating this week as on Thursday I moved into the top 18 million Tweeters on this planet in terms of followers. By Friday I was in the top 17 million and by the time you read this I expect to be in the top 15 million. The power of my tweeting! My Chest swelled as I thought how, in 8 weeks, I have overtaken the vast bulk of the world's 500 million tweeters in terms of following. Gosh I must be funny! Ahem. I then disovered that around 1 in 10 of those folks had not actually tweeted anything and had no followers at all. It appears that by the time my step sister Flea, plus my amour of 1986 Abbe and Karen, Colombia's second greatest export after cocaine, had followed me I had already overtaken about 20% of twitter users in terms of following.
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The Week Ahead Capital return expected at IHG
Holiday Inns owner InterContinental Hotels (IHG) hit the headlines late last month after a probe by the Office of Fair Trading investigation raised concerns about the group's relations with two online travel agents.
Tuesday's interim results from IHG should bring happier news, with broker Jefferies expecting a 4% rise in sales to $881m, a 5% hike in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to $282m and a 7% rise in earnings per share (EPS) to 62 cents. The interim dividend is tipped to rise by one-tenth to 17.6 cents.
Revenue per available room - or revPAR in the industry jargon - is the key metric for hotels, and Jefferies reckons a 65 rise in revPAR is on the cards in the Americas and Greater China but, not surprisingly, the picture may be less rosy in Europe; Jefferies is going for a 2% year-on-year increase in revPAR in Europe. The Asia, Middle East and Africa region is seen delivering 3% revPAR growth.
"Recent numbers from Starwood and Marriott would indicate that this [revPAR growth] should be at least achievable, and could be slightly better. We estimate that every 1% on group RevPAR adds about 3% to EBIT," the broker said.
The shares have been in demand since activist investor Trian took a stake of around 4%. Jefferies thinks expectations of a capital return are high and if there is no reference to this in the interim results then the shares could see a spot of profit-taking.
Next week is a fairly big week for mining company results, with Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Randgold Resource and Aquarius Platinum all set to report.
Results statements from the latter have been getting increasingly grumpy about the hassles of operating in South Africa and so Stuart Murray, Aquarius's Chief Executive Officer, is likely to be especially scathing about recent events, which saw disgruntled former workers attack the production unit at Kroondal, near to Rustenburg in the North West Province.
The "serious security incident" saw at least three people killed and at least 20 injured, and forced the suspension of production at the Kwezi shaft.
On the economic front, the big release of the week is the Bank of England's inflation report on Wednesday.
Monday August 06
INTERIMS
Catlin Group Ltd., Morgan Sindall Group, PostNL NV, Puricore, Share Plc, Telecity Group
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
CareTech Holding
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Harmonised Competitiveness Indicators (EU) (09:00)
PMI Construction (GER) (08:55)
Q2
PostNL NV
ANNUAL REPORT
Speymill
SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Johnson Matthey
AGMS
Geopark Holdings Ltd., Speymill
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
New Car Registrations (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Bisichi Mining, Investec
Tuesday August 07
INTERIMS
BBA Aviation, Clarke (T.), Corio NV, Greggs, InterContinental Hotels Group, Meggitt, Mondi, Premier Foods, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Zotefoams
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Sinclair (William) Holdings
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Credit (US) (20:00)
Industrial Production (09:30)
ANNUAL REPORT
Aberforth Geared Income Trust
EGMS
JSC Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System GDR (REG S)
AGMS
Messaging International, Monks Inv Trust, PSG Solutions
TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bellway, Playtech Ltd.
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRC Sales Monitor (00:01)
Manufacturing Production (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Babcock International Group, Mitie Group
Wednesday August 08
INTERIMS
Cobham, Old Mutual, Stada Arzneimittel AG
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
CQS Rig Finance Fund Ltd., Safestore Holdings
INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE
4Imprint Group, Avon Rubber, Dialight, Edinburgh UK Tracker Trust, Foreign and Colonial Inv Trust, GKN, Hiscox Ltd., IDOX, Inchcape, Jupiter Fund Management , Law Debenture Corp., LSL Property Services, Maven Income & Growth 3 VCT, Maven Income and Growth VCT 5, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Octopus Second AIM VCT, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Reed Elsevier, Rexam, Spirent Communications, St. Modwen Properties, Standard Chartered
QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Barclays, BP, City of London Inv Trust, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM Corp., JPMorgan Claverhouse Inv Trust, Picton Property Income Ltd, Royal Dutch Shell 'A', Royal Dutch Shell 'B', Unilever
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)
Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30)
Current Account (GER) (07:00)
Industrial Production (GER) (11:00)
MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00)
Productivity (US) (13:30)
Retail Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Q2
Yamana Gold Inc.
GMS
Ferrum Crescent Ltd NPV (DI)
FINALS
eXpansys
AGMS
Renewable Energy Holdings
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
BoE Inflation Report (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
IBIS Media VCT 1, Ventus 2 VCT, Ventus 2 VCT 'C' Shares, Ventus VCT, Ventus VCT 'C' Shares
FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE
Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Ltd., BT Group, Greene King, JPMorgan Brazil Inv Trust , Pennon Group, QinetiQ Group, RPC Group, SABMiller, Solid State, Synergy Health, Victoria
Q1
Canaccord Financial Inc.
Thursday August 09
INTERIMS
Amec, Aviva, Bumi, Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Ltd. (DI), Hellenic Telecom Industries SA ADS, Hill & Smith Holdings, Randgold Resources Ltd.
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
ITE Group
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (US) (13:30)
Bloomberg Consumer Confidence (US) (14:45)
Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)
ECB Report (EU) (09:00)
Factory Orders (GER) (11:00)
Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)
Wholesales Inventories (US) (15:00)
Q2
Aviva, Hellenic Telecom Industries SA ADS, Randgold Resources Ltd.
Q3
Allocate Software
GMS
Petards Group, Thomas Cook Group, Town Centre Securities
FINALS
Aquarius Platinum Ltd., Oil & Gas Development Company Ltd GDR (Reg S)
IMSS
Allocate Software, Grainger
AGMS
Invesco Asia Trust, Majestic Wine, Octopus Apollo VCT 4
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Balance of Trade (Trade Balance) (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Caledonia Investments, Octopus Apollo VCT 3, Octopus Apollo VCT 4
Friday August 10
INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Pressure Technologies
QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE
British Land Co
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Consumer Price Index (GER) (07:00)
Import and Export Price Indexes (US) (13:30)
Treasury Budget Statement (US) (19:00)
GMS
Gold Oil
UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Producer Price Index (09:30)
FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE
Cable & Wireless Communications, Cropper (James), Ensor Holdings, GB Group, Hansa Trust, Hansa Trust 'A' Non Voting Shares, Hyder Consulting, Montanaro UK Smaller Companies Inv Trust, Sepura, VP, Walker Greenbank
Link to article.
BOOK OF THE WEEK  By Richard Rumelt
A book review by Aaron Padgham of t1ps.com Richard Rumelt's book, Good Strategy, Bad Strategy explains the very definition of a strategy - a coherent response to one's obstacles in order to progress, and whether you're a high-flying CEO, head of a charity or the coach of a local sports team, you will know, or are soon to learn that the creation and implementation of a focused 'good' strategy is a key requirement to success.
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ALTERNATIVE BET OF THE WEEK Your local betting shop may be great for the footie, but you must go online for the truly weird bets.
This week: Will there be a nationwide referendum on leaving the EU entirely before the next general election?
Singles Only. Singles Only. Applies to whether or not a referendum takes place before the next general election.
Regards,
ShareCrazy
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