The Business
Due to programming changes, WRS is no longer producing The Business.
The Business podcast feed
Business Report: Gap's shares plummet the most in a decadeMonday, 23 May, 2011London-based analyst Henk Potts talks about tough times for Gap. The clothing retailer’s shares dropped the most in a decade—17 percent—after it cut its four-year profit forecast by 22 percent. This is due partly to higher cotton costs. And Labelux agrees to acquire the high-end shoe and accessories company Jimmy Choo from TowerBrook Capital Partners for more than $811 million. Elsewhere, Ryanair announces it will have no profit growth next year due partly to high fuel costs:
Business Report: Asian markets rallyWednesday, 16 March, 2011Asian financial markets rallied overnight in the wake of losses due to investor anxiety over the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. London-based analyst Henk Potts says markets are waiting for the next headline in terms of the threat of nuclear disaster from damaged plants in Japan. In other news, the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue its $600 billion bond buying program. U.S. unemployment still remains high however. In Europe, the ZEW, the Center for European Economic Research, says markets will remain volatile following Japan’s earthquake and tsunami:
Business Report: JPMorgan Chase investment profits downThursday, 14 October, 2010JPMorgan Chase & Co. posted results for the third quarter—$4.42 billion against $3.6 billion a year ago. However results show revenue is weakening amid slowing loan demands. Its investment banking profits were down by a third. And Henk Potts also gives us the details on the increasing demand for oil, led by Brazil and China:
The Business: Serving up recession alphabet soupFriday, 3 July, 2009Susan Flory brings together two of the best economic brains in Switzerland to help us make sense of all the new letters of the financial alphabet. Then Lucas Chambers takes us to a new commercial space in canton Aargau that’s swimming against the recession stream. We also talk to a psychological health counselor about how to cope with the stress of living in an economy in crisis.
The Business: Unemployment in SwitzerlandFriday, 12 June, 2009This week Michele Mischler sits in for Susan Flory, and takes a look at the economy, with the latest figures from the U.S., China, and the United Kingdom. Also on The Business is a look at unemployment in Switzerland and how long this might last. Plus, Lucas Chambers takes a trip to Caran d’Ache, manufacturer of fine pens and writing instruments.
The Business: Recession comes to SwitzerlandFriday, 5 June, 2009As Switzerland officially enters recession, Susan Flory takes a look at the prospects for the country’s economy in months to come. Meanwhile, one Swiss startup is bucking the trend, with a successful showing during difficult times.
The Business: Foreign tradeFriday, 29 May, 2009Exports are down 17.6 percent, and Swiss manufacturers have reported foreign orders were off by 41.8 percent in the first three months of the year. This week, Host Susan Flory looks at when Switzerland may pull itself out of this worsening state. She speaks to Xavier Comtesse, Director of think tank Avenir Suisse and Anita Griel, the Bureau Chief of Dow Jones news wires for Switzerland.
The Business: The 4th most competitve countryFriday, 22 May, 2009Susan Flory takes a look at how Switzerland managed to hold onto fourth place in a list of 57 nations in this year’s IMD competitiveness ranking. Plus, this week’s edition includes a closer look at Swiss success story, LaPrairie, a medical spa famous for it’s anti-aging sheep liver cells extract, among other things.
The Business: CompetitivenessFriday, 15 May, 2009Next week the IMD Business School in Lausanne releases it’s world competitiveness rankings Last year, Switzerland came in a respectable fourth position, behind the US, Singapore and Hong Kong. Susan Flory looks ahead to the listings, and runs down the biggest business stories of the week.
The Business: The booming industry of e-groceriesFriday, 8 May, 2009Host Susan Flory kicks off the first edition of The Business by looking at online shopping for groceries. For the last five years, Le Shop.ch, the country’s biggest online supermarket has been growing at a fierce 40 percent a year. Current annual turnover is CHF 112 million. She’s joined by e-commerce experts Oliver Emrich from the University of St Gallen, Keith Higgins, formerly based in Geneva, now working at the suburban London HQ of multinational manufacturer Proctor and Gamble, and reporter Lucas Chambers.