Stock News 2011: Geo-Estate cites business philosophy

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In today’s real estate industry, the number of products developed or launched is no longer the sole basis of a company’s success. Geo-Estate Development Corp. has proven that having industry mavericks at the helm, a sincere objective to provide a mid-income family a chance to own a beautiful home, and a clear mission to deliver a commitment on time is what makes a trusted company.

Geo-Estate, whose current thrust is the completion and turnover of the first tower of its residential project, The Beacon in Makati, continues to establish its presence in the industry at its own calculated pace. The company’s growth is measured with every milestone in construction – making sure that plans are on track, and every detail is covered.

Its chairman, Francisco H. Licuanan III, sees the company as a small, specialized group that will remain as such for a while.

“Too much growth affects the quality of the product. Being small, on the other hand, means you can grow as opportunities come and as much as your organization can comfortably accept,” he said.

He also shared that this vision is made possible by the company’s focused direction. Admittedly young and small in manpower compared to other developers, Mr. Licuanan sees this as an advantage when it comes to operations.

http://mb.com.ph/node/320594/geoe

Stock News 2011: Fat attendants taboo on airlines

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A dispute at Thai Airways over a requirement that flight attendants meet weight and shape standards has sparked a debate over how important appearance is for the job.

Under the weight-loss rules, which the airline believes will help it increase passenger numbers, female attendants have to keep their Body Mass Index (BMI) below 25 points and their waistlines no more than 32 inches, while males must keep their BMI to 27.5 and waistlines to 35 inches.

Over a year ago, staff was given six months to lose the necessary weight and the company organized dietary and fitness advice to help.

Tests this spring saw 41 of the 6,000 flight attendants fail to pass the new standards, resulting in disciplinary proceedings.

Those who failed the tests were shifted to domestic routes while flight attendants unable to comply after a year have been told they will be transferred to ground services.

While the attendants have accused Thai Airways of discrimination and of violating their rights, the company doesn't understand the furore its decision has caused, saying the move was necessary to maintain weight standards.

The attractiveness of its flight attendants gives Thai Airways a competitive advantage over its rivals, said Teerapol Chotechanapibal, vice-president for products and customer services.

http://mb.com.ph/node/320437/fat-attendant

Stock News 2011: Apple fights fake anti-virus software vendors

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Apple Inc is fighting what security experts say may be the most pernicious types of computer virus to ever target its line of Mac computers.

The company has issued a security advisory warning to customers about a recent scam that infects Macs with malicious software that wrongly tells them their computer is infected with a virus. The ultimate goal is to get credit card numbers and other valuable personal information.

It is one of the first major campaigns that cyber crooks have launched against Mac users. To date, criminals have focused on writing malicious software for machines running Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system, which inhabits more than nine of every 10 personal computers.

But as Macs have grown in number, they have become more attractive targets.

The fake anti-virus malware is downloaded when people click on links from tainted search engine results for popular queries, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc. It also spreads when users click on links to malicious sites that might be included in emails, Tweets or Facebook messages.

http://mb.com.ph/node/320003/apple-fight

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Stock News 2011: Robinsons Land to build 200-room Mactan hotel

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Robinsons Land Corp. is set to build a 200-room deluxe seafront hotel in Mactan, Cebu, raising its stake in tourism in the country’s biggest commercial hub outside Metro Manila.

During Friday’s listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange of P13.65 billion worth of shares recently sold through a stock rights offering, RLC president Frederick Go told reporters that the new hotel would be called “Summit Shores” and would cater to both leisure and convention tourism.

The new hotel is in the planning stage and construction can start this year. It will occupy two hectares out of RLC’s five-hectare leisure estate development Amisa in Mactan along the same row as the plush Shangri-La and Movenpick Resort & Spa (formerly Hilton).

The upcoming hotel would be finished in two years, Go said. It would offer hotel rooms for $100 to $120 a night and would be more of a sprawling type of hotel-resort with a large convention facility than a high-rise development, Go said.

The Mactan hotel will be the fifth among RLC’s portfolio of deluxe hotels and the second in Cebu after an earlier hotel in Cebu City formerly called Cebu City Midtown Hotel. The group also owns the Galleria and Crown Plaza hotel properties in the Ortigas central business district and Summit Ridge in Tagaytay.

http://business.inquirer.net/2102/robinsons-land-to-build-200-room-mactan-hotel

International News 2011: 5 great investors not named Buffett

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When the Oracle of Omaha talks, people listen. But other successful investors also have things to teach us.

George Soros
Soros is mostly known for his successes in making large bets in the currency and commodity markets.
His most famous success may be the British government's Black Wednesday currency crisis, in which Soros correctly surmised that the country would have to devalue the pound, and reportedly made $1 billion by short selling sterling.

Ronald Perelman
But Perelman, whose net worth is about $12 billion, succeeded in much the same way as Buffett has -- by recognizing the value-creating potential of undervalued businesses.

John Paulson
Paulson made his name during the credit crisis that marked the end of the housing bubble. He reportedly shorted housing-related financial assets as well as shares of several major British banks.

Carl Icahn
While Buffett is rather open about his investment philosophies and methodologies, Simons maintains a lower profile. Nevertheless, his quantitative approach seems to work. Simons is estimated to be worth nearly $11 billion, and many people are willing to pay hefty management fees to let Renaissance Technologies put their cash to work.

http://money.msn.com/investment-advice/5-great-investors-not-named-buffett-investopedia.aspx?cp-documentid=6824399&GT1=33036

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