Monday, April 25, 2011

Shaw to Assist Toshiba in Providing Support Services at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

BATON ROUGE, La., Mar 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In response to the tragic events in Japan, The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) will assist Toshiba Corporation in providing support services for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan.
As an extension of the relationship the two companies have shared since 2006, Shaw will assist Toshiba with mitigation, remediation and recovery services at the plant. A team of experts from Shaw's Power and Environmental & Infrastructure Groups has mobilized to provide services both on the ground in Japan, as well as engineering, analysis, assessment and design from the U.S.
"The people of Japan have experienced an extraordinary tragedy. It is our hope that Shaw's nuclear, remediation and emergency response expertise will assist in bringing prompt resolution and relief to the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station," said J.M. Bernhard Jr., Shaw's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our relationship with Toshiba spans the globe. We are ready to help our partners and friends in their response to the events that resulted from this unprecedented natural disaster."
Shaw has extensive experience in nuclear, environmental and natural disaster services. In the aftermath of some of the largest disasters in recent history, Shaw rapidly and effectively mobilized its workforce to provide support following the events at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power plants, hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and earthquakes in Haiti, Northridge, Calif., and Sumatra.
The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2010 annual revenues of $7 billion, Shaw has approximately 27,000 employees around the world and is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw's website at www.shawgrp.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about our current and future prospects, operations and financial results, which are based on currently available information. Actual future results and financial performance could vary significantly from those anticipated in such statements.


Among the factors that could cause future events or transactions to differ from those we expect are those risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended February 28, 2010, May 31, 2010 and November 30, 2010, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Please read our "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in these filings. Our current expectations may not be realized as a result of, among other things:
•             Changes in our clients' financial conditions, including their capital spending;
•             Our ability to obtain new contracts and meet our performance obligations;
•             Client contract cancellations or modifications to contract scope;
•             Worsening global economic conditions;
•             Changes to the regulatory environment;
•             Litigation or arbitration decisions;
•             Failure to achieve projected backlog.
As a result of these risks and others, actual results could vary significantly from those anticipated in this press release, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, the occurrence of certain events or otherwise.


SOURCE: The Shaw Group Inc.
The Shaw Group Inc.
Gentry Brann, 225-987-7372
gentry.brann@shawgrp.com

Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 2: Shaw Capital Management Article

Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 2: Shaw Capital Management Article - Japan’s economic recovery appears to have faltered unexpectedly sharply during the second quarter of this year. The government’s preliminary GDP statistics put the real quarter-to-quarter growth rate at 0.1%, which translates into an annualised 0.4%, marking an expansion for the third consecutive quarter.


It is well-known that Japanese GDP data are volatile and subject to drastic revisions in both directions. Nevertheless, these data suggest that the economy has slowed considerably.

Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 2: Shaw Capital Management Korea - This has raised concern that the nation’s economic recovery may come to a standstill in the latter half of the fiscal year in the midst of an evident global slowdown of recovery.

Shaw Capital Management Korea Newsletter - Export growth is expected to weaken in line with the slowing of world trade and recent strength of the yen. Even the Chinese economy is slowing down. On the other hand, corporate profits have been good, but the appreciation of the yen and stagnation in the domestic market might reduce the appetite of Japanese firms for investment at home. Indeed, private machinery orders, an indicator for capital investment, have been very weak. There are increasing signs that many firms are sending more of their production offshore.

Shaw Capital Management Korea - Under these circumstances, the government is reported to have started considering an additional stimulus package to deal with the appreciation of the yen, the decline in stock prices, and deflation.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan will have a talk with State Minister for National Policy Satoshi Arai, Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima on the shape of a new package, which may be announced in early September, according to the press.

Shaw Capital Management Korea Newsletter - Economists and observers criticized the government, and the central bank, for failing to take appropriate measures and urged them to craft bolder policies to decisively face up to the wobbly state of the economy. In particular, they emphasized the importance of preventing any further appreciation of the yen and demanded that the government and the Bank of Japan act first of all to put a brake on the yen’s rise in preparation for the growing fear of a second dip in business.

“The yen’s rise not only squeezes exporters’ profits but also, if left as it is, will encourage manufacturing companies to shift production bases outside Japan, resulting in an irrevocably adverse influence on employment and other segments.


Shaw Capital Management Korea Newsletter - The Finance Ministry should not hesitate to intervene in the foreign exchange market”, said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. With the currency recently rising to a 15-year high against the US dollar, speculation has increased that Japanese authorities may act soon to slow the surging yen. BOJ officials have opposed the idea of more aggressively using their balance sheet because of worries that it could increase market concerns about Japan’s fiscal discipline and that the anti-deflation drug could prove too effective, causing prices to rise out of control. Many analysts believe that the BOJ will make a move in the foreign exchange market soon.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1

Japan’s economic recovery appears to have faltered unexpectedly sharply during the second quarter of this year. The government’s preliminary GDP statistics put the real quarter-to-quarter growth rate at 0.1%, which translates into an annualised 0.4%, marking an expansion for the third consecutive quarter.


Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1 - This represents, however, a striking slowdown from the 0.4% quarterly growth, or annualised 4.4% growth, recorded in the preceding three months. It also fell far short of the median forecast of private-sector economists of annualised 2.3% growth over the preceding period.

Moreover, in nominal terms Japanese GDP has fallen behind China’s: US$1,336.9 billion for China against US$1,288.3 billion for Japan for the quarter.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1 - Looking at individual demand components, the domestic economy was sluggish, with the exception of private capital expenditure. Private non-residential investment grew by 0.5%, almost the same as in the previous quarter, on the back of improved profits. However, private residential and government investment spending declined sharply by 1.3% and 3.4%, respectively.


Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1 - The contribution of inventories to GDP growth declined by 0.2 points. This is a bit surprising given the acceleration in imports, and might indicate that there is still room for an upward revision of growth at the next release.

Officials were particularly disturbed by the slowdown of personal consumption. Although the growth in consumer spending had been shored up by the government subsidies, such as those for the purchase of energy-efficient cars and the eco-point incentive program for purchasers of eco-friendly home electric appliances, the effects of these policies apparently wore off during the quarter.

The eco-car subsidies and eco-point system are due to end by the end of September and the end of this year respectively. Meanwhile, even though major corporations are awash with cash, they are extremely cautious about capital investment in view of uncertainties about the domestic and overseas economic situation.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1 - Exports, the prime driver of growth, rose 5.9% on strong demand from Europe. But the pace of growth slowed from a 7.0% rise in the previous quarter amid signs of an economic slowdown in China, one of the biggest destinations for Japanese exports.

It is well-known that Japanese GDP data are volatile and subject to drastic revisions in both directions. Nevertheless, these data suggest that the economy has slowed considerably.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Japan’s Economic Growth Slowed Again Part 1 - This has raised concern that the nation’s economic recovery may come to a standstill in the latter half of the fiscal year in the midst of an evident global slowdown of recovery.


We provide the information, insight and expertise that you need to make the right investment choices. For more information on the issues in this newsletter, or for any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Shaw Capital Awarded Contract for Proprietary Technology and Engineering for New Ethylene Plant in India

 
Get the latest news and learn about how Shaw capital and its management help clients go green, avoid scam, fraud and designed to help customers achieve regulatory compliance, reduce environmental impact and create long-term benefits.
BATON ROUGE, La., Dec 08, 2010 --The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) today announced it has been selected by GAIL (India) Limited (GAIL) to provide its proprietary technology and basic engineering for a new 450,000 tons per annum ethylene plant. Shaw also will provide support during detailed engineering, procurement and construction, and commissioning and startup of the plant, which will be part of GAIL's petrochemical complex in Pata, Uttar Pradesh, India.


Get the latest news and learn about how Shaw capital and its management help clients go green, avoid scam, fraud and designed to help customers achieve regulatory compliance, reduce environmental impact and create long-term benefits.
"Shaw provided technology and basic engineering for GAIL's first 400,000 tons per annum ethylene plant at Pata in the late 1990s. The performance of that plant, coupled with our ability to integrate it with the new parallel plant, will result in capital and energy savings for our customer," said Lou Pucher, president of Shaw's Energy & Chemicals Group.
The undisclosed value of the contract was included in Shaw's Energy & Chemicals segment's backlog of unfilled orders in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.
Shaw has designed and/or built more than 120 grassroots ethylene plants worldwide. Five of those plants are in India, where Shaw also has participated in numerous projects to revamp or expand existing facilities. Shaw recently announced full commercial operation of a 1.3 million metric ton per year ethylene plant for Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ) in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2010 annual revenues of $7 billion, Shaw has approximately 27,000 employees around the world and is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw's website at www.shawgrp.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about our current and future prospects, operations and financial results, which are based on currently available information.Actual future results and financial performance could vary significantly from those anticipated in such statements.
Among the factors that could cause future events or transactions to differ from those we expect are those risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended November 30, 2009, February 28, 2010, and May 31, 2010, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).Please read our "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in these filings.Our current expectations may not be realized as a result of, among other things:
  • Changes in our clients' financial conditions, including their capital spending;
  • Our ability to obtain new contracts and meet our performance obligations;
  • Client contract cancellations or modifications to contract scope;
  • Worsening global economic conditions;
  • Changes to the regulatory environment;
  • Failure to achieve projected backlog.
As a result of these risks and others, actual results could vary significantly from those anticipated in this presentation, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, the occurrence of certain events, or otherwise.


Foreign Exchange Markets 2010 Part 3: Shaw Capital Management


The recent State of the Union message to Congress by President Obama included a request for the approval of a further fiscal stimulus package this year amounting to around $100 billion to help to tackle the unemployment problem, and he has also presented a $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2011 that is likely to maintain the overall deficit around the $1.35 trillion level expected this year.



Foreign Exchange Markets 2010 Part 3: Shaw Capital Management - Much will depend on the attitude of overseas holders, and especially on the attitude of the Chinese and Japanese authorities. For the present they seem to be prepared to maintain and even increase their dollar exposure; and if this continues, and the problems of other major currencies remain unresolved, it should be enough to allow the dollar to “improve”. The euro struggled to recover in the early part of January from the big fall that occurred in December; but the recovery did not last very long, and it has subsequently fallen sharply again, to leave it value against the dollar around 10% below the level in early- December.

There has been no significant change in the underlying economic background, although there is some evidence that the fragile recovery that was developing is losing some momentum.

Foreign Exchange Markets 2010 Part 3: Shaw Capital Management Korea - But there has been a serious deterioration in the financial background as the fears have increased that Greece and some other periphery countries in the euro-zone may be unable to fund their massive fiscal deficits, and service their sovereign debts. There is also considerable uncertainty about the intentions of the European Central Bank and the stronger countries if conditions continue to worsen, and so overseas holders have started to withdraw funds from the European capital markets to await developments.

The present lack of urgency at the central bank and amongst the key politicians suggests that this trend will continue, and that the euro will fall still further; but there is still some hope that the seriousness of the situation will finally produce a support operation that will ease the situation.

Shaw Capital Management News - All the available evidence continues to point to a slow, two-speed recovery in the euro-zone economy. Germany and France appear to be performing reasonably well, although there are some signs of slowdown in Germany; but Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and even Italy are struggling to escape from recession, and are expected to keep overall output in the euro-zone this year around the 1% level.

Shaw Capital Management News - There is also considerable uncertainty about the intentions of the European Central Bank and the stronger countries if conditions continue to worsen, and so overseas holders have started to withdraw funds from the European capital markets to await developments.


Retail sales remain depressed, and fell by 1.2% between October and November to reflect the continuing caution of consumers; and industrial orders in Germany rose by much less than expected in November, after a very disappointing result in October, to indicate some weakness in export prospects that had been expected to provide significant momentum to the economy.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Indian’s Economy


The Indian economy will grow by 7.2% in fiscal year 2010 (April to March)
as a surge in manufacturing and a rebound in services blunt the impact of
a drop in farm output. The recovery became increasingly private sectorled
during the second half of the fiscal year, which bodes well for its
sustainability. The government expects the Indian economy to grow by
8.5% in the next financial year that begins April 1, 2010 and to reach its
goal of 10% annual economic growth in the coming years.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Indian’s Economy - Inflation in India has spurted in recent months, as the worst rains in nearly four decades exacerbated supply shortages. The wholesale price index rose
a provisional 8.56% — higher than the 8.5%, which the Reserve Bank of
India expects to be reached by the end of the year through March. As petrol
and diesel prices have been raised in the last week of February, the inflation
rate may rise to 9.8% by the end of March. The IMF expects the wholesale
inflation rate to reach 8% by March, before easing to 5.5% in March 2011.
India’s exports rose sharply in January while non-oil imports also surged.
Higher growth in non-oil imports vis-à-vis exports shows that domestic
investment and consumption demand continues to be strong, outpacing
rising global demand for Indian exports.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Exports in January rose 11.5% from a year earlier to $14.34 billion, after
having increased 9.3% to $14.61 billion in December. Imports surged 35.5%
in January to $24.70 billion while oil imports galloped 56% to $7.05 billion.
The steady recovery in shipments, coupled with rising bank credit and
accelerating inflation, may prompt the RBI to raise policy rates at its next
review meeting in April.

The central bank had refrained from raising overnight rates at its last
meeting in January but ordered banks to set aside a greater share of deposits
as reserves, absorbing 360 billion rupees ($7.84 billion) from the banking
system.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: The Finance Minister presented his budget on February 26th. He reduced
personal taxation in middle-income households and rolled back some of
the fiscal stimuli provided to industry. He increased excise taxes and brought
more services under the tax net. In the world of rising concerns over
sovereign debt, he projected the deficit to come down to 5.5% in FY11 from
a revised 6.7% in FY10.

Markets have approved the government’s actions, as it laid out a medium
term plan for fiscal consolidation, aiming to reduce the deficit to 4.8% in
FY12, and to 4.1% in FY13. The deficit is 6.9% in the current fiscal year.
Ratings agencies have also liked the proposed fiscal consolidation road
map, but are in no hurry to change the country’s rating.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: The government borrowing — which would have crowded out credit markets
this year, making it difficult for the private sector to raise capital and
putting pressure on interest rates — has been contained to net borrowing
of about $80bn (£52.5bn).

This figure is 20% lower than many industry figures and analysts had
expected. The stock market has gained more than 3% since the budget was
presented.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Shaw Issues Statement on Events in Japan

BATON ROUGE, La., Mar 13, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) issued the following statement regarding the recent events in Japan:
"On behalf of all Shaw employees around the world, I give our deepest sympathy to the people of Japan. This is an extraordinary tragedy, and we can only imagine how painful and challenging this time is for everyone in the country," said J.M. Bernhard Jr., Shaw's chairman, president and chief executive officer.
"To aid in the humanitarian efforts, Shaw has made a significant contribution to the American Red Cross, and I personally have directed all of our employees, including our team of nuclear experts, to stand ready to provide any assistance and support that we can to the government and people of Japan in responding to this terrible event.
"While it is premature to speculate on any impact the events in Japan may have on the U.S. nuclear industry, we continue to believe in the importance of nuclear energy and the role it will play in the future of our country, as well as the rest of the world. The new generation technology under construction today has been designed with greater safety systems in place that will even more effectively address the challenges we are seeing in Japan. The industry consistently incorporates operating experience and lessons learned and will continue to use those insights to make nuclear energy even safer.
"At this time, we do not believe there will be an impact on Shaw's nuclear projects currently under construction in the United States and China. Our customers have indicated they intend to move forward, and we believe the construction timelines will continue as planned," said Mr. Bernhard.
The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2010 annual revenues of $7 billion, Shaw has approximately 27,000 employees around the world and is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw's website at www.shawgrp.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about our current and future prospects, operations and financial results, which are based on currently available information. Actual future results and financial performance could vary significantly from those anticipated in such statements.
Among the factors that could cause future events or transactions to differ from those we expect are those risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended February 28, 2010, May 31, 2010 and November 30, 2010, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Please read our "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in these filings. Our current expectations may not be realized as a result of, among other things:
             Changes in our clients' financial conditions, including their capital spending;
             Our ability to obtain new contracts and meet our performance obligations;
             Client contract cancellations or modifications to contract scope;
             Worsening global economic conditions;
             Changes to the regulatory environment;
             Litigation or arbitration decisions;
             Failure to achieve projected backlog.
As a result of these risks and others, actual results could vary significantly from those anticipated in this press release, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, the occurrence of certain events or otherwise.
SOURCE: The Shaw Group Inc.
The Shaw Group Inc.
Media and Financial Contact:
Gentry Brann, 225-987-7372
gentry.brann@shawgrp.com

Shaw Capital Management: Brazil’s Economy

Brazil’s economy emerged from a deep but short recession in the second
half of last year. The economy is expected to grow by at least 5.5% this year.
But along with economic growth, expectations of higher inflation have also
returned.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s  Economy - The government’s target for annual consumer price inflation is 4.5%. To contain inflation Brazil’s central bank has raised banking reserve
requirements on term deposits from 13% to 15%. In addition to the increase
in reserve requirements, the bank also restored additional charges on cash
and term deposits to 8% from 5% and 4%, respectively.

According to the Central Bank President Henrique Meirelles, the changes
were necessary to neutralize the impact of excess liquidity brought by
reserve requirement reductions made in 2008, amid the onslaught of the
global financial crisis. However, for the central bank it would be a politically
difficult task to raise interest rates in the run up to Brazil’s presidential,
congressional and other elections in October.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s  Economy - The government has launched a new investment trust to invest in the domestic Brazilian economy. BM&F Bovespa, the São Paulo equities and
derivatives exchange is to raise its stake in the CME Group of Chicago, the
world’s biggest exchange group, to 5% in an attempt to attract more
institutional and retail investors to Brazil.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s  Economy - The plan for the two exchanges is to work together to develop a new multiasset electronic trading platform based on the CME’s Globex system.

President Lula da Silva, the most popular President in Brazilian history, would like to see October’s presidential election as a plebiscite on his eight years in power. He is asking voters to transfer his success to Ms Dilma
Rousseff, his chief minister, whose candidacy has been endorsed by his Workers’ party (PT).

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s  Economy - Ms Rousseff is further to the left than the present administration, but she has pledged not to make a sudden change of direction. The investors and
voters believe her so far.

We look forward to working with you and being the open architects of your financial well being.

Our goal is to provide consistent quality investment advice to our clients. Although the stock market provides many facets of opportunity for today's investor, there are always just a few stellar markets or niche companies at any given time. It is true that in a healthy market, investments yield favourable returns in a given growth area. The key is to pick those investments that are driving the trends and will become tomorrow's brightest stars.
One problem is proper allocation of research resources. It is true there is power in numbers, and teams of researchers will generally spot and confirm trends that the individual investor would miss. But on the other hand, too broad of an effort will squander research resources and loose sight of those special investments in an overwhelming sea.

Developing Strategic Research Capital. By having broad and robust resources, then viewing and deploying those resources in a multi-dimensional fashion, a balanced research model is created yielding greater and more focused results. In short, Research Capital. To achieve this result, research is targeted to different dynamics of the market rather than a flat view of just general market trends.
Market trends are viewed across a broad spectrum for change and interaction with associated segments, and then for life and duration of changes.

From this initial analysis comes the ability to focus resources on those segments and opportunities that will shine brightest and meet your investment goals. This is the result of a properly developed research program yielding the greatest return of Research Capital, in short a wealth of specific focused knowledge to provide the depth of advice you need to make the right decision.

At Shaw Capital Asset Management your investment is important to us. That same care in managing our Market Analysis Research Strategy provides you with the information you need to make the right choice. 

Taiwan’s Economy: by Shaw Capital Management Korea

With gross domestic product clocking 10.2% growth from a year ago in the
fourth quarter, and 4.2% from the previous quarter, Taiwan returned to
pre-financial crisis growth levels. In spite of the strong recovery in the
second half of the year, Taiwan’s economy still shrank by 1.9% in 2009.
The government expects GDP to grow 4.7% this year, an upward revision
from its previous forecast of 4.4% growth. With rising new orders Taiwan’s
economy has entered a sustained expansion cycle.

Taiwan’s exports rose 75.8% in January to US$21.75 billion from US$12.37
billion a year earlier and imports in January more than doubled to US$19.25
billion from US$8.97 billion a year earlier.

Taiwan had a trade surplus of US$2.49 billion in January, bigger than the
government forecast of a US$1.93 billion surplus. The island had a trade
surplus of US$1.65 billion in December.

Taiwan will lower investment barriers for its technology companies to do
business in China. This sector is the latest to benefit from tighter economic
ties between the mainland and the island.

Shaw Capital Management – New Economy - Although we have seen an explosive decade of growth and cycle in the economy, the bombs have been filtered out leaving the economy poised for steady and certain growth. Smart money is now wise to the problems the past few years, lessons have been learned, and the best investments are now at hand.

We have seen extraordinary growth in technology, but at the same time a buffering and selection process in industry. Although the infrastructure is stable for the moment, there are new technologies emerging, which would otherwise have been lost in the chaotic trends of recent times. This settling of the infrastructure will allow these new technologies to become visible more easily, but fast response time is critical.

Poised for Growth. Based on the stabilized infrastructure and upswing and recovery in the economy, business is poised for an explosive period of growth as smart money now focuses in on those business models and innovations designed for success. These select companies are key to your financial growth and your future wealth.

But how to determine which companies are the movers. Short term trends only show day to day trading and market momentum. These are important indicators to a markets early acceptance of a company. The real key is having industry knowledge, and understanding how a company fits into the evolving New Economy over time.

What is required is a group of professionals working together sharing, discussing, and evaluating those market trends and the companies which will be filling the needs of industry over time. Through careful research the Shaw Capital Asset Management Korea staff of investment professionals document and compare the relative strengths of the hottest new companies and affiliates. Staff origins and histories are reviewed. Only those companies with the strongest and most consistent foundations are considered.
From those companies with strong foundations of support, the technology and product offerings are then compared in search of the stellar products which address industry needs for a stable fit into the economy, but also do so in a fashion which goes beyond just "filling a gap" in the market. In other words, a strong company and equally strong and visionary products.
This type of dedication and selection is what allows us to be a driving force behind the evolution of the New Economy.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Shaw Capital Management Factoring: ImageXpres Joint Venture Closes Advertising Deal

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/ImageXpres-Joint-Venture-Closes-Advertising-Deal-1418259.htm
SOURCE: ImageXpres Corp
Mar 28, 2011 09:00 ET

SmartKiosk Media Signs Sales Agreement With Financial Services Firm

ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwire – March 28, 2011) - SmartKiosk Media, LLC (PINKSHEETS: IMJX), a private multimedia advertising company, today announced that it has signed a two-year sales agreement withCredSystems LLC, for selling advertising for the Free Printze™ direct mail program. CredSystems is wholly-owned by a large Texas-based financial solutions firm with over sixty-three franchises throughout the United States.
SmartKiosk Media was formed in Nevada in 2010 to be the primary provider of Free Printze™advertising sales to US businesses. ImageXpres Corporation, a New York-based digital printing and imaging corporation, has a 50% ownership interest in SmartKiosk Media, and is the majority investor. ImageXpres currently trades on the Pink-OTC Markets under the symbol “IMJX.”
The agreement allows CredSystems to offer advertising services to its existing client base, consisting of small- and medium-sized companies. CredSystems and its parent company provide financial and business consulting services designed to spur business growth, including credit building, equipment financing, and invoice factoring. They will now offer Advertising services in addition to their other financial services, targeting their client base of 3,000, for a fee. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Wayne B. Hunt, Managing Member of SmartKiosk Media, stated, “The actual prints are fantastic. While ImageXpres has been working to develop the Free Printze™ commercial website, and refine the print-on-demand fulfillment process, we have identified the sales process and begun taking in advertising revenues, from small and medium-sized businesses. By signing this deal with CredSystems, we have expanded our reach to national companies immediately, with the potential to get in front of thousands of businesses in 2011, and increase sales dramatically.”
SmartKiosk Media and ImageXpres Corp. have scheduled a training seminar in April, in order to educate the CredSystems franchisees on the Free Printze™ advertising products, including market, pricing, artwork, and sales process. CredSystems will be able to ask questions and get trained, so that each franchisee can begin offering advertising to its clients in May 2011.
Recent market data reveals that US small businesses with $1M in annual revenues will spend approximately $44,000 per year, on average, in marketing and advertising, including online advertising. With over 3,000 clients and growing, Cred Systems will now have access to roughly $132M in current client advertising sales.
Hunt states further, “We look at Cred Systems as a way to sell to thousands of businesses who are looking to reach a new group of customers, who are intrigued by our product. While contacting thousands of new businesses monthly, CredSystems has access to an additional $500 million in client advertising revenue market base annually, which would catapult us onto the national advertising scene.”
John Zankowski, President of ImageXpres, and a Managing Director of SmartKiosk Media, stated, “This agreement with CredSystems is a major step forward for the SmartKiosk Media JV, and will enable us to take Free Printze™ advertising services to the next level.”
About SmartKiosk Media, LLC:
SmartKiosk Media, LLC is a digital advertising media company, headquartered in Tucker, GA. The company’s website is www.smartkioskmedia.com.
Ph: (678) 534-3799
About ImageXpres Corporation:
ImageXpres is a digital imaging and printing company, headquartered in Rochester, NY. ImageXpres develops imaging systems solutions for commercial printing, consumer photo, health and business communications market segments. The Company’s website is www.imagexpres.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release about the company’s future expectations, including the rate of growth of the Company’s revenues derived from sales of its safety and security products, and all other statements in this release other than historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27 A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21 E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
It is important to note that actual results and ultimate corporate actions could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements based on such factors as changes in consumer demand, satisfaction or desire for our products for a variety of reasons. Such “forward-looking statements” are subject to risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in the company’s reports and financial statements.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
John S. Zankowski
President
ImageXpres Corporation
info@imagexpres.com
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Shaw Capital Working Management News Worldwide: Investment firm run by former American Century CEO is seeking clients

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/28/2759454/investment-firm-run-by-former.html

By MARK DAVIS

The Kansas City Star

 Stowers
Stowers
Wall Street’s big swoon during the financial crisis has drawn James E. Stowers III back into the stock-picking business.
Stowers, former CEO of American Century Investments and son of its founder, runs his own investment firm in Kansas City. Oxford Creek Capital Management LLC hung out its shingle on Ward Parkway more than a year ago but is only now actively seeking new clients.
“After 30 years of being in something, you can’t get it out of your blood,” Stowers said.
Plus, the huge drop in stock markets gave Stowers an investment opportunity he didn’t expect to see again.
Oxford Creek has $46.7 million to manage and has attracted only one client so far. It mostly manages Stowers’ own money and some family assets, he said.
Stowers has spent much of his time assembling a team and building the compliance, accounting and other systems needed to manage large individual and institutional accounts.
“We could handle $1 billion next week if it were to come in the door,” said Glenn Fogle, a former American Century fund manager who joined Oxford Creek last fall.
Individuals need $3 million or so to open an account, institutional clients $10 million. That means the firm competes with Kansas City-based American Century only in a small way.
American Century spokesman Chris Doyle said there was some overlap between the two money managers but room for both.
When it comes to picking stocks, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Oxford Creek’s website describes it as a growth-style investor that looks for accelerating growth of revenues and earnings, among other things, before buying shares. These are old standbys at the American Century fund family.
Stowers left American Century in 2007 and has pursued other ventures, notably in real estate, such as the Hangar 10 development at the Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City.
To reach Mark Davis, call 816-234-4372 or send email to mdavis@kcstar.com.

Shaw Capital Management Factoring: The Bottom Line on Dynamic Discounts & Reverse Factoring

http://www.sourcingfocus.com/index.php/site/featuresitem/3376/
by Lucy Beck of Palette
How purchase-to-pay solutions can give you control of payment cycles – and help you gain over 30% annual return on capital through settlement discounts.
Ask a CFO if they would like a 30-plus percent annual return on capital, while making their financial processes more efficient, and you’d probably get your hand bitten off.  Especially in the current climate, which tempts businesses to hold onto their cash for as long as possible.

At the end of 2009 UK businesses had significantly improved the time it takes them to settle their bills, according to Experian’s Late Payments Index, the global information services company.  Firms were paying their late bills an average of just under 21 days after agreed terms – an improvement of over 2.5 days compared with the previous year.
But while everyone’s doing it, it isn’t good for supplier or partner relationships.  Nor does it make the best financial sense.  So why do organisations persist in holding onto cash?
CFO versus CPO
Looking at the issue from the traditional CFO viewpoint, the only leverage they have on suppliers is payment terms and the retention of working capital.  On the other hand, the traditional view of the head of purchasing is NOT to squeeze suppliers by extending payment terms, because of the risk this might incur to the company’s supply chain.
So the arm-wrestling contest between purchasing and payment continues.  What’s more, the contest is usually over very small percentages.  A typical business reserve account gives around 3% interest, or just 0.25% per month.  It’s better than nothing, but does it compensate for the squeeze on suppliers and the risk it causes?
Doing the maths
The alternative is dynamic discounting.  While paying suppliers early to improve your own cashflow seems counter-intuitive – and is likely to cause some internal controversy – the figures certainly add up.
Let’s assume that by offering to pay invoices in 10 days instead of 30, a company negotiates an average additional discount across its suppliers of 2%.  That’s nearly six times what it would earn in interest by delaying payments.  Furthermore, the return on capital would be 2% in 20 days, or over 36% annually – a figure which would soothe the most ruffled feathers.
Even if the negotiated early-settlement discount was half of the above – just 1%—that’s an 18% annual return on capital.  Whilst there is some discrepancy between achievable returns in practice and theory, there is NO argument that the payoff achievable through returns on capital employed by better management of supply chain finance is vastly superior to those achieved by e-invoicing, scanning and the resultant head count reduction.
Capturing the discounts
Although the figures are compelling, there’s still the issue of ensuring that payment systems are capable of tracking and hitting early settlement deadlines.  So how can you be sure of achieving this?
The secret is gaining control of the purchase-to-pay process, which then gives financial managers a choice of how and when to pay, in order to best suit their working capital strategies.
Having an automated invoice processing solution, whether in-house or outsourced, is a key first step, to ensure that invoice is received electronically or data is taken off paper documents through scan and OCR thus enabling electronic processing.  However, it’s vital to look beyond simply scanning and capturing of invoice data, and uploading it onto the accounting system.
The most vital stage is what happens after the invoice is digitised – the matching of the invoice to its corresponding PO or contract and other supporting documents, so that all evidence for prompt approval and payment is available to AP and other staff involved in the approval process.
The second issue is ensuring that the staff who approve invoices can do so quickly and easily.  Manual tasks like finding supporting documentation, checking and consolidating can cause delays that could mean early settlement deadlines are missed.  Not forgetting the costs associated with downstream journal corrections, and other corrective measures that arise in a manual – or less than fully automated – process.
Automatic for the payments
So automation is critical, as is the ability for AP staff to access their invoice workflow wherever they are.  A cloud-based solution is ideal for these circumstances, so the workflow can be processed on handheld devices, laptops, or when working from home.
Integration with core business systems is also critical, so that any exceptions (such as invoices without orders or incorrect coding) can be highlighted, and escalated where needed.  This way, automation can be applied allowing management by exception.  This also means that targets like settlement deadlines can be built into workflow, so they can be hit every time and ensure savings are captured.
Benefiting from your banking
Many organisations already have the building blocks in place for integrated purchase-to-pay solutions, which in turn would give them the capability of deploying dynamic discounting to suppliers and partners, boosting capital and reducing the cost of doing business.
Another option is to look at Reverse Factoring, working with your bank. Where traditional factoring uses an invoice as the underlying asset for financing, Reverse Factoring brings the qualified invoice into play. In essence, traditional factoring deals with the supplier’s receivables from many ‘unknown’ buyers, whereas Reverse Factoring deals with the payables of one well-known buyer.
The weakness with traditional factoring is, the factor company does not know whether the supplier really delivered the promised goods or services, or whether the delivered goods or sent invoice will be contested by the buyer.  As a result, only about 70% of the invoice value would normally be financed.
However with Reverse Factoring, the buyer approves the invoice prior to the financing organisation settling with the supplier, thus enabling financing of 100% of the invoice value.
So back to the beginning – the keys to Accounts Payable automation or P2P are control and choice.  If you have the control over your process, which gives you insight into the real financial data as a Finance manager, you have the choice of how and when to pay your supplier.  This in turn allows you to maximise the return on your capital.
The fundamental point is to ensure that systems are integrated, so that staff can track the status of invoices throughout the payment cycle.  If you can’t approve an invoice within 5 days you will not have the choice of reverse factoring or dynamic discounting.
But for companies that have that integration and control over their cycle, purchase-to-pay automation offers a real payback.