Early bird results falter in 2nd quarter HEALTH Techy BUSINESS

BUSINESS
IMPHAL TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2014
Techy
Facebook
may overtake
You Tube
NEW YORK, Oct 20 : When
you think videos on Facebook,
the first impression is still of
something shared from
YouTube, seeing how its the
go-to space for video content,
but that might be changing
soon as analysis reveals
Facebook is fast catching up to
YouTube in the number of
shares videos get and may soon
overtake the service on its user
feeds.
Research
from
Socialbakers,
a
media
analytics firm analysed
20,000 Facebook pages and a
total of 180,000 Facebook
posts over a period of one
year and found that Facebook
poses a real threat to
YouTube in terms of video
consumption patterns.
The impact stems from the
fact that content sharers are
using Facebook's in-built
video platform to upload their
videos and then sharing them
increasingly, retaining traffic
to Facebook itself instead of
it being redirected to
YouTube like earlier.
Jan
Rezab,
CEO
Socialbakers feels that this
could be a "big deal for
YouTube" since they could
be looking at big chunk of
their distribution network being cut-off by Facebook with
users on Facebook staying
within the website's ecosystem instead of leaving it for
an external source for video
content.
Facebook has also been
ramping up efforts to maintain its user base and engage
them further to alleviate stagnation.
In
September,
Facebook Inc announced that
it was serving users up to
one billion videos every single day.
The Socialbakers report
estimates that the trend is not
going to see a reversal from
its current path with
marketeers driving growth
towards platforms which see
more user engagement.
–– Agencies
Dead battery gets
charged in two
minutes
SINGAPORE, Oct 20 : Imagine a dead smartphone battery
getting charged up to 70 percent in flat two minutes?
By using a common ingredient found in sunscreen,
researchers from the Nanyang
Technological University in
Singapore have developed a
smart battery that uses a gelbased material to speed up
the charging process.
To do so, researchers replaced graphite in the
battery's anode with a gel
made from titanium dioxide a cheap ingredient found in
sunscreen. The substance
speeds up the chemical reactions in the battery, the
Huffington Post reported.
The battery can be recharged 10,000 times. It can
last nearly 20 years before it
needs to be replaced. The new
batteries could enter the market within two years,
researchers added.
Microsoft ready
to launch
smartwatch
NEW YORK, Oct 20 :
Microsoft feels the time is right
to enter the smartwatch sector,
according to a report.
The tech giant is expected
to launch a smartwatch in the
next couple of weeks that will
have health-tracking capabilities, including a heart-rate
monitor, according to the report, which cited unidentified
sources. The device will reportedly be capable of
working across multiple mobile platforms such as Apple's
iOS and Google's Android
operating systems and sport
battery charges that last more
than two days with regular
use. The gadget is expected
to be available to consumers
in time for the holiday shopping season.
Microsoft has been linked
to current smartwatch efforts
as far back as April 2013,
when the company was reportedly shopping around
suppliers in Asia for components to build a potential
touch-enabled watch device.
–– Agencies
4
Early bird results falter in 2nd quarter
MUMBAI, Oct 20
The second-quarter results of
companies that have declared
results so far seem to confirm
the current fragility on Dalal
Street. Reason: An unsatisfactory show by information
technology services companies and Reliance Industries.
The early birds indicate a
sharp slowdown in revenue
growth and tepid profit
growth despite gains from
lower raw material costs,
employee and depreciation
allowances.
The combined revenues of
108 companies were up 3.2
per cent year-on-year in the
second quarter, growing at
the slowest pace in at least
two years. The net profit
growth (adjusted for exceptional items) slowed to 16.9
per cent y-o-y in the second
quarter, growing at the slowest pace in the last four
quarters (see chart on Page
6).
The analysis is based on
the September 2014 results
of companies across sectors
whose comparative numbers
were available for the last 12
quarters.
Analysts attribute this to
an erosion of the year-on-year
gains from rupee depreciation
available in the previous four
quarters due to a sharp depreciation in rupee in May-June
2013. "Currency depreciation
had boosted rupee revenues
for exporters and manufacturers who compete with
imports in the domestic market.
This is now wearing off,
as the rupee has been rangebound for nearly a year and
results now reflect volume
growth that has been tepid,"
says Dhananjay Sinha, head,
institutional equity at Emkay
Global Financial Services.
Besides
a
general
slowdown, he says top line
growth was also impacted by
the end of the pre-election
fiscal stimulus, as the central
government is striving to
bring down the fiscal deficit
despite stagnant tax revenues.
A poor show on the top
line front has surprised many
analysts who were expecting
an uptick in demand. "This is
a negative surprise and I am
keeping my fingers crossed
as most of the large manufacturing companies are still to
declare their second-quarter
results,"
says
G
Chokkalingam, founder and
CEO Equinomics Research &
Advisory. He, however, sees
red at the decline in central
excise duty collection in the
month of September after
growth in the July-August
period and the dip in the index of industrial production.
The bottom line was
boosted by a 7.3 per cent yo-y fall in raw material costs
as companies gained from a
fall in international commodity prices -everything from
energy, ore, metals to agricultural commodities. Profits
also got a boost from a sharp
rise in other income which
was up 46 per cent y-o-y in
the second quarter, growing
at the fastest pace in the last
two years.
That resulted in a 50-basis
point improvement in operating profit margins on a
sequential basis. These improved to 23.2 per cent of
revenues in the second quarter against 22.7 per cent in
the first quarter and 21.1 per
cent during the corresponding quarter a year ago.
IT exporters such as TCS,
Infosys, HCL Tech and
Mindtree, which have declared their results, reported a
dip in margins on a sequential basis as the effect of
rupee depreciation wore off,
though it was up on a y-o-y
basis.
Their combined operating
margin declined to 31.7 per
cent of revenues in the second quarter against 33.1 per
cent in the first quarter and
29.9 per cent during the second quarter of last fiscal.
IT exporters have been
among the biggest growth
drivers of corporate earnings,
accounting for 43.7 per cent
of the combined net profit of
the sample in the second
quarter, up from around a
third three years ago.
The results also indicate a
slowdown in capex and expansion by companies as their
existing capacity remains
underutilised. Depreciation
allowance was down 0.7 per
cent y-o-y for the entire sample against growth in the
previous two quarters. The
trend was even sharper for
manufacturing companies
(excluding IT, financials and
Reliance Industries) with
their combined depreciation
allowance contracting 11.4
per cent y-o-y in the second
quarter, the first such dip in
at least two years.
On the brighter side, companies such as Hero
MotoCorp, UltraTech Cement,
Infosys,
Sintex
Industries and GSFC, among
others, reported high doubledigit growth in revenues and
profits, compensating for a
poor show by biggies such
as TCS, Reliance Industries,
Bajaj Auto and Crompton
Greaves.
All eyes are now on
mainline companies in sectors such as automobiles,
consumer goods, pharma,
metals, power, construction &
infrastructure, capital goods
and public sector banks that
are still to declare their results.
–– Agencies
Brent holds on to gains above $86
NEW YORK, Oct 20
Brent crude futures edged
higher on Monday, holding on
to gains scored in the previous
session that took it above $86 a
barrel after robust U.S. data
buoyed global financial markets, with a cut in Saudi-Kuwait
oil output providing further
support.
Abundant global oil supplies coupled with a gloomy
economic outlook from Europe to China had pushed
Brent to its lowest since 2010
last week, consolidating a
loss of more than 25 percent
since June.
Prices recovered late last
week as some investors covered short positions and
Brent had risen another 8
cents to $86.24 by 0332
GMT. On Friday the price
had risen 2 percent, its biggest gain in more than a
month.
U.S. crude gained 38 cents
Agency cut its demand dashed by comments and sigto $83.13 a barrel.
A positive U.S. consumer growth forecast for oil in nals from Saudi Arabia,
sentiment index brought cheer 2015 as the global economic Kuwait and Iran.
However, production has
to Asia's equity markets on outlook remains weak, indibeen halted
Monday, altemporarily
though the
at the Saudiimpact on oil
K u w a i t
may
be
Khafji oilshort-lived.
field, which
"Oil marhas a prokets
are
duction of
following the
280,000positive sen300,000
timent from
barrels per
equity marday (bpd),
kets," said
just over 2
Ric Spooner,
percent of
chief analyst
Saudi Araat
CMC
bia's
total
Markets in
Oil tanker railcars are parked at a filling rack at sunrise with the
output capacSydney.
Denver downtown skyline in the background October 14, 2014
ity.
"But it is
"I don't
a short-term
think it will have a huge imreaction and the upside is lim- cating lower oil demand.
Investors' hopes that pact by changing any overall
ited
as,
barring
any
balance,
geopolitical risks, nothing OPEC producers would cut supply-demand
much has changed in terms output to support prices amid which is still a weak outan unrelenting shale oil boom look," Spooner said.
of fundamentals."
"But it does get people
The International Energy in North America have been
RBI allows Repco to raise
foreign shareholding
MUMBAI, Oct 20 : Housing finance company, Repco Home
Finance has been allowed to raise its foreign shareholding to 49
per cent, after getting approval from the Reserve Bank.
The foreign shareholding limit by Foreign Institutional
Investors (FIIs)/Registered Foreign Portfolios Investors
(RFPIs) had gone below the threshold limit in the company.
Since the threshold limit fell, the RBI removed the restrictions placed on the company on the purchase of shares by
foreign investors.
"FIIs/RFPIs can now invest upto 49 per cent of the paid
up capital of Repco Home Finance Limited under the Portfolio
Investment Scheme," RBI said in a notification.
Repco had passed resolutions at its Board of Directors'
level as well as a special resolution by shareholders, agreeing
to enhance the limit for the purchase of its equity shares and
convertible debentures by FIIs/RFPIs.
FIIs held 40.45 per cent shares in the bank as of June 30,
2014, according to data on BSE.
Shares of the company had closed 4.23 per cent higher at
Rs 469.75 apiece on the exchange.
FIIs, NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) can
invest in primary and secondary capital markets in India
through Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
The RBI monitors the ceilings on FII/NRI/PIO investments in Indian companies on a daily basis.
To effectively monitor the limit, RBI has fixed cut-off
points two percentage points lower than the actual ceiling.
–– PTI
'Tax sops key to success
of real estate, trusts'
MUMBAI, Oct 20 : Tax incentives are key to the success of
Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), a senior Sebi official has said.
In September, market watchdog Sebi had notified the
norms for listing of business trust structures, Reits and
InvITs, that would help attract more funds in a transparent
manner into realty and infrastructure sectors. Both the
structures, norms of which were approved by the regulator in August, would get tax incentives.
"Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong had
launched Reits but did not give any tax incentives because
of which they did not kick off well. The whole Reits
structure is motivated by tax benefit. If it is given, then
it will work or else it will not," Sebi executive director
Ananta Barua said here over the weekend.
Realty players and investors have been seeking more
clarity on the taxation structure for newly-created Reits
and InvITs. Barua said there are four levels of taxation
involved in both Reits and InvITs, which need to be
addressed.
"Taxation is involved at four stages--first while structuring and transferring assets to Reits or InvITs, second
when they distribute income to its investors, third when
they are traded and fourth time when there is an exit.
These are heavy stages so tax issues have to be addressed," he stated.
For both trusts, the minimum initial offer size should
be Rs 250 crore with a public float of at least 25%. The
minimum asset base for these trusts to get listed is Rs 500
crore.
To ensure transparency, these trusts would be subject
to stringent norms on disclosure as well as related party
transactions, Sebi has said.
Reits and InvITs are required to make investments
either directly or through special purpose vehicles (SPV).
In case of publi-private-partnership projects, money can
be put in only through SPV.
–– Agencies
talking about Saudi and Kuwait - about not being
unhappy to take some barrels
off." Still, investors are keeping an eye on any disruption
to oil supply from geopolitical developments.
"The market is at a level
where it is vulnerable to anything that is of a real threat to
production," Spooner said.
Elsewhere in the Middle East,
tension mounted as Islamic
State's fight against Kurdish
defenders further destabilised
the Syrian border town of
Kobani.
Traders are also concerned
about the uncertainty over
who is in charge of Libya's
vast oil reserves, after a selfstyled government controlling
Tripoli announced its oil policies. Libya is currently
producing 800,000 bpd of oil,
down more than 40 percent
from its peak of 1.4 million
bpd in mid-2013.
–– Agencies
Sensex gains 320 points cheering
diesel deregulation, election results
MUMBAI, Oct 20
Indian shares were trading
1.4% higher on Monday after
the government took its first
reform steps after it came to
power, followed by state election results which favoured the
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) at the Centre.
At 11am, the 30-share
Sensex was up 1.44%, or
379.21 points, at 26,487.74
points, while the National
Stock Exchange’s 50-share
Nifty traded 1.54% or 119.45
points higher at 7,899.15
points.
“Markets are euphoric in
light of the election results
and the much-expected action
from Delhi on reforms. It
now gives hope that more
reforms are underway,” said
Raamdeo Agrawal, joint
managing director of Motilal
Oswal Financial Services
Ltd.
In Haryana, the BJP
scored an outright win, while
it came in just short of the
half-way
mark
in
Maharashtra -- opening up the
option of reuniting with the
Shiv Sena, its erstwhile ally
of 25 years. “The fact that
there were no negative surprises in election results
comes as a big relief,” added
Agrawal of Motilal Oswal.
On Saturday, the new
government decontrolled diesel
price,
making
it
market-linked and came out
with a new gas pricing formula that will price the
commodity at a much lesser
rate than the one suggested
by the Rangarajan committee
under the previous Congressled United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government.
As an immediate fallout of
decontrol, diesel price in New
Delhi came down by Rs.3.37
due to persistent softening of
global crude oil prices.
The Indian crude oil basket has fallen below $90 per
barrel due to a decline in
demand on the back of concerns over global economic
recovery.
On
Sunday,
Bloomberg reported rating
agency Moody’s as saying
that India’s rating and outlook includes such policy
changes and the diesel decontrol reduces exposure of
government finances to oil.
“Deregulation of diesel
prices and gas pricing are
going to have a meaningful
impact on the market. The
biggest positive is that we are
seeing government getting
into action on deliveries.
In my view, market seems
to have factored in election
results,”
said
Vaibhav
Sanghavi, managing director
of Ambit Investment Advisors Pvt. Ltd. BSE’s oil and
gas index was the top gainer
among sectoral indices, up
2.4% followed by BSE capital goods, auto and Bankex
which were up 2.2%, 2.1%
and 2%, respectively.
–– Agencies
HEALTH
'Rare pathogen can infect
even the healthiest one'
LONDON, Oct 20 : A recent study showed that a rare pathogen
known as Cryptococcus gattii poses the potential to infect even the
healthiest person. This is due to a unique evolutionary trait of this
pathogen that infects the host through one that neutralises the
body’s immune response against it. Scientists at the University of
Birmingham have explained how this pathogen responds to the
human immune response and triggers a ‘division of labour’ in its
invading cells, which can lead to life-threatening infections.
The pathogen, once inhaled, can spread through the body
to cause pneumonia or meningitis, the study showed. ‘By
understanding how this particular lineage behaves once in the
body, we have provided an insight into the key mystery of
why it is virulent in immunocompetent people – that is those
with a strong immune system,’ said professor Robin May
from the University of Birmingham.
When invaded by an outbreak strain, the host body creates
reactive oxygen species (ROS) which form an essential part
of the antimicrobial defence in mammals. ROS works to
prevent the spread of harmful pathogens by cleansing the
body of invasive cells. A strong ROS reaction usually makes
people less susceptible to infections, but in the case of Cryptococcus gattii just the opposite is true as the fungus uses this
reaction to its own benefit.
The pathogen uses the release of ROS as a signal to trigger
a ‘division of labour’ in the intracellular fungal population,
showed the study. ‘Cryptococcus gattii displays unique traits
and has adapted to new environments in such a way that it
presents us with a chance to make huge strides in understanding how these pathogens operate and, hopefully, make sure
we are a well prepared to deal with future outbreaks,’ concluded May. The study appeared in the journal Nature
Communications.
Change in gene linked to
depression and ageing
NEW YORK, Oct 20 : Scientists have found that both ageing and
depression are associated with a biochemical change in a particular gene. The change in the FKBP5 gene is also associated with
increases in markers of inflammation and cardiovascular risk, researchers said. The finding may explain why risk for
ageing-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders, are worse in chronically stressed and
depressed individuals. Genes can be regulated by the addition or
removal of methyl (CH3) groups to an area of the gene. The researchers from Germany and the US found that ageing can decrease
this methylation process, causing the FKBP5 gene to be
overexpressed. They also found that when someone is depressed,
this demethylation process is accelerated even further.
Researchers also found that this increased FKBP5 expression is associated with increases in biochemical markers of
inflammation and cardiovascular risk. "We found that both
ageing and depression seem to lead to changes in how DNA
is processed, and that this can control the expression of genes
that regulate how we respond to stress," said lead researcher,
Dr Anthony Zannas from Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry,
Munich. "These changes are associated with increased inflammation, and we believe that this may lead to the increased risk
for several aging-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric disorders, that has been observed
in chronically stressed and depressed individuals," Zannas
said. "Our work shows that risk for ageing-related diseases
could be conferred by epigenetic changes of stress-related
genes and resultant increases in the expression of inflammation markers. "It's too early to say that we are seeing a cause
and effect, so we need to confirm the findings by using larger
samples and uncover the mechanisms using animal models,"
Zannas said. The FKBP5 gene is found on chromosome 6 in
humans. It codes the FK506 binding protein 5, also known
as FKBP5. This protein is known to play a role in stress
responses, immune regulation and basic cellular processes
involving protein folding. The work was presented at the
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress
here.
–– Agencies
[lM
[lA
wg
fg
/ LMPT
MOBILE PHONE REPAIRING AND TRAINING CENTRE
(Nagamapal Machin near Over bridge)
ADMISSION OPEN FOR MOBILE PHONE REPAIRING
Two months course
(Hardware + Software + Service
code + Internet)
Complete course fee - Rs. 2800 only
Class start on
- 22th Oct. 2014.
Timing - 7 a.m.- 9 a.m.; 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.; 1.30 p.m.- 3.30 p.m.
You can earn thousands of rupees after 2 months.
Hurry ! Seats are limited
Contact : LMPT, Nagamapal near Over bridge
SUBSTITUTED SERVICE UNDER ORDER V RULE 20
C.P.C. IN THE COURT OF THE CIVIL JUDGE (SENIOR
DIVISION) NO.I, MANIPUR EAST, AT LAMPHELPAT
ORIGINAL (MONEY) SUIT NO. 18 OF
2013
To
Central Bank of India, a body corporate incorporated
under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of
Undertakings) Act, 1970 having its registered Central Office at Chander Mukhi, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021
and carrying on Banking business at Paona Bazar, Imphal,
P.O. Imphal & P.S. City, Imphal West District, Manipur,
represented by the Branch Manager, Central Bank of India, Paona Bazar Branch.
- PLAINTIFF:
Yumlembam Lata Devi, aged about 39 years, wife of
Yumnam Thoiba Singh, by profession business, resident
of Pukhao Naharup Mayai Leikai, P.O. Pangei and P.S.
Lamlai, Imphal East District, Manipur.
-DEFENDANT:
Yumlembam Lata Devi, aged about 39 years, wife of
Yumnam Thoiba Singh, by profession business, resident
of Pukhao Naharup Mayai Leikai, P.O. Pangei and P.S.
Lamlai, Imphal East District, Manipur.
WHEREAS, the above named plaintiff has instituted a suit
against you for recovery of money and whereas, you are not
available in your address and it appears to the satisfaction
of the court that the summons cannot be served in the
ordinary way and registered post. You are hereby summoned
to appear before this Court in person, or through a pleader
duly instructed and able to answer all material question on
27-10-2014 at 10.30 A.M.
Take Notice that in default of your appearance on the day
and time aforementioned, the suit, will be heard and determined in your absence and the Court shall pronounce Judgment against you and decree shall be drawn up in your
absence.
Given under my hand and seal of the Court, this the 17th
day of Sept, 2014.
By:- Sd/Sd/- DR. CH. SHANTIBALA DEVI
Advocate
Civil Judge Sr. Division, No. I,
Tse/22823-20,21
Manipur East.