Investors land a dividends touchdown

SHOW me the money! Forget Jerry Maguire - it was the plea on every shareholder's lips before this reporting season and by and large companies have heard it loud and clear and responded with big, fat dividends.What this tells us about the share market is that there are two ways to make money from it - from capital growth as share prices rise and from dividends as profits are distributed to the owners of companies.After five years of highly volatile share prices since the global financial crisis and with deposit rates on bank accounts falling in line with lower official rates, investors and companies have now firmly fixed on dividends as the best way to extract a return from owning shares.And companies delivered those dividends big time, even if it meant giving ...

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Samsung wins patent ruling in Japan

A COURT has dismissed Apple Inc's claim that Samsung had infringed on its patent - the latest ruling in the global legal battle between the two technology titans over smartphones. The Japanese court case addressed only the synchronising technology that allows media players to share data with personal computers and was not comparable in scope with the much larger victory that Apple won in the US last week.South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co, the world's largest maker of phones, welcomed the Tokyo District Court ruling on Friday that its technology that allows media players and personal computers to share music files and other content did not infringe on Apple patents as confirming "our long-held position"."We will continue to offer highly innovative products to...

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7 low-risk funds for the long haul

(Money magazine) -- This is the second part of Money magazine's series on How to make your money safer.While mutual funds are managed by professionals, these pros are also human beings who make mistakes and come with varying degrees of skill. Time to put them to the test.Step one: Minimize risks caused by fund managers Start by screening for funds that beat their average category peers over the past three, five, and 10 years. Great runs can't always be repeated, but "managers that underperform tend to continue to underperform," says Litman Gregory analyst Jack Chee. You want funds with a proven track record over long periods. But you must also check to see that the fund's current managers are responsible for that record, so eliminate...

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Mutual funds: Not quite as bad a deal as we thought

Legg Mason's famed manager Bill Miller, who recently called it quits Fortune -- A new study suggests that investing in mutual funds might not be a waste of money. It's lowly praise, but it's a better review of the popular investment vehicles than they have recently been getting. The prevailing view these days puts the average mutual fund manager somewhere between dope and charlatan. Critics have long contended that individuals would be better off in an index fund, which blindly invests its money in say the S&P 500, rather than going with one of the thousands of funds that try to pick individual stocks. MORE: Is your 401(k) ripping you off? Last year, for example, 84% of mutual fund managers failed to best a similar index. Even on...

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UK export revolution welcome but hold off on a victory jig

David Cameron (right) drinks a toast at a contract signing with China in 2010. David Cameron has been practicing what he preaches, leading trade missions to Asia, forging new ties, paving the way for new deals. We are told by the Centre for Economics and Business Research that "a revolution in the orientation of British trade" is now underway, with the UK exporting more goods to countries outside the EU than within it for the first time since the 1970s. We've been enjoying a throw-back to the 1970s for some months now, after Britain was plunged into its first double-dip recession since 1975 in the first quarter of the year. But this particular blast from the past will be welcomed...

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Germany at risk of bond yield 'own goal', warns Mario Monti

Mario Monti and Angela Merkel are to meet in Berlin on Wednesday for talks on the eurozone crisis High bond spreads in some countries have created the potential for inflation in Germany, Mr Monti told Il Sole 24 Ore. He also insisted that measures by Italy’s government are beginning to soothe market concerns and the country doesn’t need to tap European rescue funds at the moment. Mr Monti's push for German action comes as he prepares to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday for talks on the eurozone crisis. "The focus of their talks will be, above all, the situation in the eurozone and the economic development in Europe," Ms Merkel's spokesman Steffen...

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Budget 2012: Income tax liability comes down, telephone bill goes up in new fiscal

With some of the key budgetary proposals coming into effect from 1 April, the tax payers will save some money on account of lower income tax liability, but will have to pay dearly towards essential services like telephone calls, beauty parlour visits and insurance payments. (Budget Impact: What costs more or less) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget for 2012-13 had given some relief to tax payers by proposing to raise the income tax exemption limit for individuals to Rs 2 lakh per annum from Rs 1.80 lakh and readjusting the slabs that attract higher tax rates. Under the new proposal,...

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Gold hits fresh high of Rs 31,400; gains Rs 860 in last six sessions

Scaling a new peak, gold prices today touched all-time record of Rs 31,400 per 10 grams in the bullion market here on strong cues from global markets. Traders said gold registered gains for the seventh trading session in a row, rising by Rs 100, on sustained buying by stockists amid rally in overseas market. The investors were also seen shifting funds from melting equities to firming bullion, they added. The metal has gained Rs 860 in last six trading sessions. However, silver lacked necessary buying support and declined by Rs 100 to Rs 57,700 per kg. In global markets, gold rose to a four-month high on speculation that central banks from the US to China will act to spur economic growth and investment holdings in the metal climbed...

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Limiting Liability When Choosing a Messenger Service

What characteristics should you look for when choosing a messenger service? Unless you work in the transportation industry, you may be out of your element-and as every savvy entrepreneur knows, making business decisions without total knowledge of the service puts your enterprise at risk. The fact is that virtually every messenger service will do a superb job of getting your delivery to its destination, but package delivery is so much more than simply driving somewhere with a shipment in hand. So what does matter?Safety matters. Does the service you choose have a valid Motor Carrier number? With a quick search of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration site, you can validate the messenger service's MC number and easily cross...

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Boston Market yanks shakers to help cut salt

Boston Market is pulling salt shakers off its tables and has pledged to reduce the amount of sodium in some of its signature dishes. The Golden, Colo. based company says it plans to reduce the amount of sodium in three of its dishes -- rotisserie chicken, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes -- by 20 percent in the next six months. All of its dishes would have 15 percent less sodium in the coming years. While the salt shakers will be banned at the tables, Boston Market says they’ll keep a set at the beverage station. And if you're wondering, pepper shakers will keep their place at the table. According to the Boston...

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Sound Advice on Noise Measurement in a Work Environment

Most places of work expose their employees to noise. Although some places may be louder than at others, it is important for employers to be aware that excessively loud noise can cause long-term, irreversible damage to their employees hearing and senses.Hearing loss in the workplace was relatively unheard of prior to the latest reports in the press surrounding the complaints made by various insurance groups of the sudden rise in claims by employees seeking compensation for hearing problems.It has however highlighted the real risks of noise induced hearing loss and the importance of protecting employees because although the Law does cover them, the severity of noise induced hearing loss is more than often overlooked.Once noise...

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Change Management - Small Business Executive Team Turnover

Change happens we all know that, but when it happens in a small company, a growing company with your executive team that's when the challenges really set in. There are many books on change management and the problems which occur with organizational capital on corporate boards. Still, with a proper leadership structure in place, they are able to deal with these things with just a little bit of intervention, and the right consultant to help them with the transition.All too often small companies perhaps only 50 to 100 employees going through such a challenge can wreak havoc on quarterly profits and earnings. This means layoffs, lost sales, and curtailing future expansion plans. It also gives a leg up for the competition, as during...

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