Facebook Valuation Tops $200 Billion Vs Google $400 Billion

    With the stock closing at $77.89 per share, the company is now valued at $201.6 billion, making it the 22ndlargest company in the world, ahead of Toyota Motor Corporation and just behind Verizon Communications, a Bloomberg report noted.
   Facebook’s stock price has risen dramatically while its revenue, estimated at $12.2 billion in 2014, are but a fraction of more established companies. Compare this with Verizon, which has over $100 billion in 2013 sales and is a relative value. The estimated 2014 price earnings ratio for Facebook is 48, representing a high stock price relative to the stock earnings. Verizon Communications Inc. , by comparison, is estimated at just under 14.  By comparison to a major tech name that has significantly diversified its revenue stream, Google Inc 

Apple World’s Most Valuable Brand

Apple (AAPL) has unseated Coca-Cola as the world’s No. 1 brand, as the company founded by Steve Jobs is a leader in design and performance, according to a study of the Top 100 brands by Interbrand Corp.
     Apple Inc.’s brand value jumped 28 percent to $98.3 billion and Google Inc. (GOOG)’s rose in second place at $93.3 billion. The Coca-Cola Co. name slipped from the top spot after 13 years to third place at $79.2 billion.
     Samsung, which has gained prominence through consumer electronics and Android phones, rose from ninth to eight place with a 20 percent brand value in increase. That let it trade positions with Intel, which dropped 5 percent from the 2012 list.

Interbrand also calls out the companies whose brand value is rising fastest. There, Facebook came out on top, with a 43 percent increase in brand value over the last year. It ranks 52 on the overall 2013 list, up from 69th place in 2012.

Toyota beats BMW By Brand Value

       Japanese giant car maker Toyota successfully overtook BMW in a new ranking as a car manufacturer with the highest value. In the new annual ranking, the Japanese brand managed to surpass BMW by the whiskers as ‘Most Valuable Global Auto Brand’ maker. While Toyota is worth USD24, 5 billion in terms of brand value, BMW is worth USD24 billion.

       This year so far, the value of Audi, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai have seen double-digit increases compared with last year, mainly due to increased demand in China and the US, according to the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study.

       This year, Toyota’s brand value was up 12% to $24.5 billion, mainly due to the new models introduced in the hybrid market. As Peter Walshe, Millward Brown global brand director put it, “Toyota is carving out a very big position in hybrids across its range, which is tapping into the consumer need for value by saving fuel cost.“

       Its hybrids are reinforcing the experience of the brand, and in so doing, Toyota continues to magnify what is special and different about it.” On the other side, BMW’s value dropped 2% to $24 billion, due to the automaker’s lack of new models introductions in the past years, compared with Toyota.

       Toyota got a very high position in the world of hybrid cars. Toyota able to take advantage from consumers needs with fuel save costs, “said Peter Walshe, Millward Brown global brand director, told Automotive News. While BMW value dropped two percent to USD24 billion. BMW considered less introduced new models in recent years than the Toyota.

BMW had received first place in 2010 and 2012. Meanwhile, Toyota became the top in 2006 and 2009 and in 2011. Mercedes-Benz was the third among auto brands this year (43rd overall), with an 11 percent increase to $18 billion in brand value, while Audi saw its brand value rise 18 percent to $5.5 billion thanks to strong demand in the U.S. and China for luxury cars, the study said. Audi didn’t rank in the top 100 brands, however.

The fourth automaker was Honda (71st overall), with its brand value estimated at $12.4 billion, with Nissan coming in 5th (86th overall) at $10.2 billion. VW was 6th (100th overall), with $8.8 billion. Ford, Audi, Hyundai and Lexus completed the top 10 auto brands, but none of them ranked in the Top 100.

       BusinessDay motoring checks reveal that the automotive brands that grew the most were the ones that launched the most models and BMW remains a very powerful and distinctive brand.” Below shows world’s most valuable car brands in $billion; rank in top global 100; % value change from 2012. Toyota $24.5 (23) +12, BMW $24.0 (24) -2, Mercedes $18.0 (43) +11, Honda $12.4 (71) -2, Nissan $10.2 (86) +3, VW $8.8 3 (100) +3, Ford $7.6 +8, Audi $5.5 +18,Hyundai $4.0 +11 and Lexus $3.5 +2.

Current Score card

(1) Toyota USD24, 5 billion, (2) BMW USD24 billion, (3) Mercedes-Benz USD18 billion, (4) Honda USD12, 4 billion, (5) Nissan USD10, 2 billion, (6) VW $ 8, 8 billion, (7) Ford’s $ 7, 6 billion, (8) Audi USD5, 5 billion (9) Hyundai USD4, 0 billion, (10) Lexus USD3, 5 billion.

Apple Sells Record 9 Million

           Apple Inc. (AAPL) sold a record 9 million iPhones in the weekend debut of two new models, as the company included China in the rollout and consumers snapped up handsets with more colorful options and a fingerprint reader.

           Apple’s shares rose 5 percent, the biggest jump since July, as sales exceeded even the loftiest analysts’ projections of less than 8 million. Apple’s most important product, the iPhone accounts for half of revenue. The company has seen sales and profit growth slow and has ceded some of the $280 billion smartphone market to Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) and other rivals.

          The phones were also available for the first time on NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437), Japan’s largest wireless network. Apple didn’t break out iPhone sales by model or region.

           The iPhone 5s proved most popular with the initial rush of customers. In a Piper Jaffray survey of 416 people waiting in line, 95 percent were going to buy that model, which has an improved camera, fingerprint reader and faster processor. It comes in three color variations -- black/gray, white/silver and white/gold -- and costs $199 to $399 in the U.S. with a two-year wireless contract. On EBay Inc. (EBAY)’s website, gold models were selling for well over $1,000

Microsoft Q4 earning

Microsoft's net income fell to $3.05 billion, or 34 cents a share, from $4.3 billion, or 46 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 17% to $13.1 billion, below the Thomson Reuters estimate of $14.37 billion. Full year net at $14.6bn.

Ford Motor Co. swings to 2Q profit

Ford Motor said it had second-quarter net income of $2.3 billion, or 69 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $8.7 billion, or $3.89 per share, a year ago. That was the company’s worst-ever quarterly result.Ford’s second-quarter revenue declined 40 percent, to $27.2 billion from $41.1 billion a year earlier.Ford’s North American operations had a pre-tax loss of $851 million, compared with a loss of $1.3 billion a year ago. The loss, the company said, was cut primarily by structural spending cuts and improved market share. The unit’s second-quarter revenue was $10.8 billion, compared with $14.2 billion a year earlier.

Hyundai posts record Q2 profit

Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday its second quarter net profit rose 48% to 812 billion won ($650 million) from 547 billion won a year earlier, boosted by a weaker local currency and domestic tax incentives for auto purchases. The result was above the average forecast of 405.8 billion in a survey by Dow Jones Newswires, which added that the quarterly profit was the highest ever for the South Korean auto maker. Sales for the three months ended June 30 totaled 8.08 trillion won, down from 9.1 trillion won in the year earlier period, but domestic sales were up 15% on year.

Samsung Electronics Posts Unexpected Profit Increase

Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest memory-chip maker, Friday reported a better-than-expected 5.2% rise in second-quarter net profit thanks to strong shipments of memory chips, flat-screen panels and televisions. For the three months ended June 30, Samsung posted a net profit of KRW2.25 trillion, up from KRW2.14 trillion a year earlier. Sales rose 11.7% to KRW32.51 trillion from KRW29.1 trillion a year earlier, while operating profit rose to KRW2.52 trillion from KRW2.4 trillion a year earlier.

Oracle profit down by 7.4%

Oracle Corp., the world’s second- largest software maker, reported fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates after customers renewed contracts for product updates and support.

Net income fell to $1.89 billion, or 38 cents a share, last quarter, from $2.04 billion, or 39 cents. Including revenue from acquired companies, sales dropped to $6.88 billion, compared with the $6.47 billion estimate of analysts.

Shares were up 2.8% to $20.44 in recent after-hours trading. Oracle's stock has been rebounding since hitting a three-year low in March.

Japan May Trade Surplus

Japan's trade surplus for May fell 12.1% from the previous year to 299.8 billion yen ($3.14 billion), the Ministry of Finance said Wednesday. The nation's exports fell 40.9% on year, as the trade surplus with the U.S., its biggest export market, shrank 52.9% and its surplus with Europe tumbled 75.4%. Imports slid 42.4 percent from a year earlier, and the trade surplus narrowed 12.1 percent to 299.8 billion yen ($3.1 billion), the Finance Ministry said.

Japanese cooperative earning news

Aozora Bank Ltd., the Japanese lender controlled by Cerberus Capital Management LP, replaced Chief Executive Officer Federico Sacasa after forecasting a 196 billion yen ($2.1 billion) full-year loss.
Canon Inc., the world’s largest camera maker, forecast profit will fall to the lowest in a decade as the stronger yen cuts overseas earnings and prices fall.
Net income will drop 68 percent to 98 billion yen ($1.1 billion) in 2009, Tokyo-based Canon said today. That’s less than the 160 billion yen median of nine analyst estimates compiled by Bloom Daimler posted a net loss of EUR1.26 billion in the fourth quarter compared to a net profit of EUR1.7 billion in the same period a year earlier. Its closely watched earnings before interest and tax, or Ebit, plummeted to a EUR1.95 billion loss in the fourth quarter compared to a profit of EUR1.39 billion in the prior yearberg this month.
Denso expects a loss of 64 billion yen ($713 million) for the year ending March 31, the company said in a statement today. That compares with an earlier forecast of 10 billion yen in net income. The company expects an operating loss of 62 billion yen
Daiichi Sankyo, Japan's third-largest drugmaker, posted a $3.7 billion quarterly loss and forecast its first ever annual loss, hit by a slide in the value of its stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories
Honda said it earned $208 million (20 billion yen) for the three months ended Dec. 31. That was down nearly 90 percent from $1.77 billion (200 billion yen) a year earlier.
Revenue in the quarter fell 2 percent to $26.4 billion (2.53 trillion yen) from $26.9 billion (3.05 trillion yen) in the last three months of fiscal 2007.
KDDI reported a 253.92 billion yen profit for the period. Nine-month sales declined 0.3% to 2.63 trillion yen as sales continued to lag behind rivals Softbank Corp and NTT DoCoMo Inc.For the full year through March, Tokyo-based KDDI lowered its sales forecast to 3.5 trillion yen from its earlier projection for 3.7 trillion yen because of the lagging sales of mobile phones.
Net income will probably drop 68 percent to 24 billion yen ($267 million) in the 12 months ending March 31 from a year earlier, lower than the 47 billion yen estimate made on Oct. 30, Tokyo-based Nikon said today. Sales may fall 10 percent to 860 billion yen.
NTT's profit for the nine month period rose to 544.08 billion yen ($6.05 billion) from 322.22 billion yen a year earlier.
Group revenue dipped slightly to 7.73 trillion yen from 7.84 trillion yen, while operating profit rose 16 percent to 1.01 trillion yen from 874.38 billion yen.
NTT DoCoMo released its earnings for the nine months ending December 2008 today, which includes its third quarter results. The incumbent carrier posted a 30 percent drop in net income from October to December to 91 billion yen ($1.01 billion) compared to 130 billion ($1.45 billion) in the same period a year ago. DoCoMo’s operating profit for the third quarter declined 22 percent to 170 billion yen ($1.89 billion) from 217 billion ($2.42 billion) a year ago. Sales, meanwhile, fell 7.2 percent to 1.11 trillion yen ($12.3 billion) from last year’s 1.2 trillion yen ($13.4 billion).
Results for the nine-month period from April-December were better, with DoCoMo posting a 16 percent rise in net profit of 438 billion ($4.8 billion) yen, up from 376.5 billion yen ($4.2 billion) in the same period a year earlier. Operating income climbed 19 percent to 746.8 billion yen ($8.3 billion), on the back of 3.38 trillion yen ($37.7 billion) in salesSony Ericsson fourth-quarter net loss was 187 million euros ($245 million), compared with a profit of 373 million euros a year earlier, the London-based company said in a statement today. Sales fell 23 percent to 2.91 billion euros. Sony Ericsson booked costs of 129 million euros in the quarter to trim its workforce.
Toyota sold about 2.236 million vehicles worldwide in the three months ended Sept. 30, down 4.3 percent from 2.336 million a year earlier, according to an e-mail from the company. General Motors Corp., the world's largest carmaker, will release its third-quarter sales figure on Oct. 29.

China Trade Surplus sharnk after export plunge by record

China’s trade surplus plunged in February as exports fell by a record, adding pressure on the government to spur domestic consumption to prop up the world’s third-biggest economy.
The trade gap narrowed to $4.8 billion, about an eighth of the amount in the previous month, the customs bureau said in a statement. Exports tumbled 25.7 percent from a year earlier. Imports fell 24.1 percent.
Exports fell 17.5 percent in January and imports declined a record 43.1 percent. Bloomberg’s data goes back to 1995.
After hitting a record $40 billion in November, China’s trade surpluses may stay below $20 billion for the next six months because of weaker demand, said Xing Ziqiang, an economist at China International Capital Corp. in Beijing.

Japan’s GDP Shrinks 12.7%, Most Since 1974

Japan’s economy shrank at an annual 12.7 percent pace last quarter, the most since the 1974 oil shock, as recessions in the U.S. and Europe triggered a record drop in exports. GDP fell for a third straight quarter in the three months ended Dec. 31, the Cabinet Office said today in Tokyo. The median estimate of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for an 11.6 percent contraction. Exports plunged an unprecedented 13.9 percent from the third quarter as demand for Corolla cars and Bravia televisions collapsed amid a slump that the Group of Seven nations said will persist for most of 2009. Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. -- all of which forecast losses -- are firing thousands of workers, heightening the risk a decline in household spending will prolong the recession. Yosano said the government has no plans to compile additional stimulus measures before next fiscal year’s budget is passed. Parliamentary gridlock has blocked the passage of Prime Minister Taro Aso’s 10 trillion yen ($111 billion) package, helping his popularity slide ahead of elections due by September.

US auto sales in Feb

US auto sales extended their downward spiral in February, falling 41 percent to the lowest rate since December 1981 amid a deepening economic crisis, industry data showed Tuesday.Total US light vehicle sales came in at 688,909 units in February, which translates into a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 9.12 million vehicles compared with a rate of 15.36 million in February 2008, according to Autodata. GM posted the sharpest year-on-year decline among major automakers, with sales down 53 percent to 127,296 vehicles in February and its market share down to 18.2 percent from 22.7 percent a year earlier. Ford, which has said it has sufficient cash reserves to survive the downturn without government aid, saw sales plummet by 48 percent to 96,044 vehicles in February and its market share slip to 13.9 percent from 15.7 in February 2008.It announced plans to slash second quarter production by nearly 40 percent to 425,000 vehicles from 685,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2008.Chrysler, which recently asked the US Treasury for another five billion dollars in loans to supplement the four billion it received in January, also posted sharp losses on a year-over-year comparison -- down 44 at 84,050 vehicles.The Japanese automaker reported its sales fell 37 percent on a year-over-year comparison to 109,583 vehicles but said it would not need to make any more significant production cuts at its US facilities on top of those made earlier this year