Tag: Top

Top publishers slip down in search

by  on  in Business Google News

Google has threatened to block news in Canada. In this image a person walks past the entrance to a Google building Dublin in February 2023. Picture: Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Google building in Dublin.
Picture: Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Google’s latest core algorithm update has dealt yet another blow to publishers striving to improve their search visibility. It follows a string of recent updates that have led to most news publishers to fall down the search giant’s rankings.

Data from SEO tool Sistrix shows that of 70 leading news publishers tracked by Press Gazette, based mostly on those that regularly appear in our UK top 50 ranking, all but 15 saw falls in their visibility score. Of those, almost half (33) saw declines in the double-digits.

Sistrix’s Visibility Index measures how successful a website is in Google search results, assigning higher scores to sites that rank better in search results.

One of Google’s ‘biggest core updates yet’

While Google core updates are nothing new and happen at least once a year, the update launched on 6 March 2024 was, according to SEO experts at Yoast, one of Google’s biggest core algorithm updates yet.

It was targeted at cleaning up low-quality, often AI-generated content cluttering search results and was rolled out over a number of weeks.

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Unlike the previous core update of late 2023, which particularly hit publishers with a traditional focus on scale often built with the aid of SEO-explainer-style articles, this update has negatively impacted both newer and more traditional news names.

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BBC News, for example, was among the sites that saw the biggest percentage drops, with its site losing 37% of its search visibility having fallen from 24.7 to 15.4 points in a little over six weeks. Its relative decline was second only to Canada-based entertainment site, Screenrant which saw its visibility fall by 40% from 27.6 to 16.7.

Other established publishers who saw large percentage dents

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Americans Continue to Name Inflation as Top Financial Problem

by  on  in American Business News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the third year in a row, the percentage of Americans naming inflation or the high cost of living as the most important financial problem facing their family has reached a new high. The 41% naming the issue this year is up slightly from 35% a year ago and 32% in 2022. Before 2022, the highest percentage mentioning inflation was 18% in 2008. Inflation has been named by less than 10% in most other readings since the question was first asked in 2005.

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The latest results are from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted April 1-22.

Gallup has asked Americans at least annually since 2005 to name, without prompting, the top financial problem facing their family. Inflation has topped the list for the past three years. The cost of owning or renting a home ranks second this year at 14%, a new high for that issue.

Other significant problems Americans identify include having too much debt (8%), healthcare costs (7%), lack of money or low wages (7%), and energy costs or gas prices (6%).

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Over the past 19 years, healthcare costs and lack of money or low wages have frequently ranked near the top of the list, while the cost of energy or gas has done so at times of elevated gas prices, as in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Inflation Named Most Often by All Subgroups

Inflation is named the most important financial problem by all key societal subgroups but garners higher mentions from certain age, income and political groups.

  • 46% of older Americans (those aged 50 and older) mention inflation, in contrast with 36% of younger Americans (those under 50).

  • Inflation is a more top-of-mind concern for middle-income (46%) and upper-income Americans (41% of those with an annual household income
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Business Investment Key to Addressing Canada’s Productivity Crisis – Canadian Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events

by  on  in Business Investment News

By Tegan Hill – Fraser Institute

The Bank of Canada’s senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers recently raised the alarm on Canada’s productivity crisis, saying “it’s an emergency—it’s time to break the glass.” But to address Canada’s productivity problem, which is contributing to our stagnant living standards, we must first address Canada’s weak business investment.

For perspective, Canada’s economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, as measured by per-person GDP, a common indicator of living standards, was $58,111, which is slightly less than it was at the end of 2014 at $58,162 (after adjusting for inflation). That means that over roughly the last decade, Canadian living standards have not increased. Indeed, our economic problems span well beyond the pandemic. In the five years prior to 2019 (the last pre-COVID year), Canada’s per-person GDP (inflation-adjusted) was the 4th weakest out of 38 advanced countries.

Unfortunately, prospects for the future are dim. According to the OECD, Canada will record the lowest rate of per-person GDP growth among 32 advanced economies over roughly the next 40 years. Countries such as Estonia, South Korea and New Zealand are expected to pass Canada and achieve higher living standards by 2060.

Given that growth in productivity—essentially, the value of economic output per hour of work—is key to higher living standards, it’s no surprise that Rogers and other analysts are raising alarms. But what’s at the heart of our productivity crisis?

Put simply, weak business investment. While the federal and many provincial governments have prioritized immigration and bigger government in an effort to stimulate productivity growth and grow our economy, they’ve ignored business investment, which has significantly declined in recent years.

From 2014 to 2022, inflation-adjusted total business investment (in plants, machinery, equipment and new technologies but excluding residential construction) in Canada declined by C$34

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Cyberattack is top concern for businesses in India: Aon Survey

by  on  in Business Breaking News
Businesses have identified cyberattack/data breach, business interruptions and failure to attract or retain top talent as their main risks in India, says a report by global professional services company Aon.

In Aon’s 2023 Global Risk Management Survey, the businesses surveyed listed cyberattacks or data breaches as their topmost concern, up from being at the seventh position in the company’s 2021 survey.

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In its ninth edition in 2023, the biennial survey gathered inputs from some 3,000 risk managers, c-suite leaders, treasurers, talent professionals and other executives from 61 countries and territories to identify their most pressing business challenges.

Aon’s report said India’s dependency on technology is increasing as adoption of digital infrastructure like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) gets deeper. With increasing digitisation, cybercrimes are becoming rampant and the costs and complexities associated with such breaches are forcing organisations to look at risk mitigation and transfer mechanisms to better manage cyber risks.

The report ranks business interruption as the No.2 concern of enterprises globally. For India, however, only 16.7% of Indian companies have reported suffering a loss as compared with 32.2% globally. This shows the ability of Indian firms to deal with incidents in a manner that minimises the impact of business interruption losses.

The survey reveals that failure to attract or retain top talent is the third biggest risk facing organisations in India. Globally, it is ranked as No.4 on the list of critical risks and is expected to remain so till 2026.“As leaders look to the future of their businesses, the risk landscape

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US court absolves top tech companies in Congo’s child labor case

by  on  in Business Breaking News

LONDON — A U.S. court has absolved five of America’s biggest tech companies in a case over their alleged support of child labor in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday

The five tech giants — Apple; Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google; Dell; Microsoft; and Tesla — were accused of “knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mine cobalt” in case documents seen by ABC News.

However, in a 3-0 decision on Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia held that the tech companies could not be held liable, with the court decision stating they did not have anything more than an “ordinary buyer-seller transaction” with suppliers in the DRC.

“Many actors in addition to the cobalt suppliers perpetuate labor trafficking, including labor brokers, other consumers of cobalt, and even the DRC government,” the decision read. “Issuing an injunction to the Tech Companies to ‘stop the cobalt venture from using forced child labor’ would not bind the direct perpetrators of the unlawful labor, who are not before this court.”

The case was brought by 16 plaintiffs in December 2022, including four former miners and legal representatives of child miners who lost their lives and suffered major injuries in cobalt mining operations in the DRC.

The defendants were accused of “knowingly benefitting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young children in the DRC to mine cobalt,” and the case claims that the defendants “know and have known for a significant period of time” about the human rights violations in the DRC’s cobalt mining supply chain.

PHOTO: In this stock photo an aerial view of Artisanal Gold Miner, near Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen.

In this stock photo an aerial view of Artisanal Gold Miner, near Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of the

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Fortune 500 list: The top 10 companies ranking

by  on  in Business Breaking News

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Fortune 500, a list of the largest U.S companies ranked by revenue. The first edition was published in 1955, with companies like General Motors, Jersey Standard, U.S. Steel, and Chrysler topping the list. 

Today, a new cast of characters are dominating. In 2023, Chevron secured the 10th spot on the list, bumping off drugmaker Cencora, after the oil company recorded $36.5 billion in profits last year.

Here are the top 10 companies from the Fortune 500 list in 2023. Our 2024 list will launch in June. 

  1. Walmart

Walmart raked in over $611 billion in revenue last year to secure the first spot for 11 straight years. The company recently completed a $2.3 billion acquisition of TV maker Vizio, a move that experts say will help the company advertise to customers. 

The company, headquartered in Arkansas, is run by CEO Doug McMillon and employs over 1.6 million people.   

The company also bought entrepreneur Marc Lore’s startup, Jet.com, for $3.3 billion in 2016 and is running a pilot of Lore’s latest company, a restaurant concept called Wonder, in one of their supercenters. Walmart plans to open two to three more of Lore’s restaurants in their retail chains this year.

As one of several retailers, like Target and Home Depot, to report sales losses due to “shrink,” or inventory loss that includes theft, Walmart has recently posted limitations on self-checkout lines to alleviate shoplifting, which accounted for over $112 billion in industry losses in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation. 

  1. Amazon

Amazon, with a yearly revenue of nearly $514 billion, holds the number two spot on the list for the fourth year. 

Run by CEO Andy Jassy, the ecommerce giant also offers cloud services and digital advertising along with streaming platforms like Fire

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Warren Buffett Purchased A Business For $60 Million That Was Started With Just A $500 Investment — The Founder ‘Never Went To School A Day In Her Life’ And Barely Spoke English, But Buffett Says She Would ‘Run Rings Around’ Top Executives And CEOs

by  on  in Business Investment News

Warren Buffett, the esteemed billionaire investor and head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., once made a strategic acquisition that underscores the value of entrepreneurial spirit and shrewd business acumen. In 1983, Buffett purchased 90% of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), a company started with a $500 investment, for approximately $60 million. The founder of NFM, Rose “Mrs. B” Blumkin, demonstrated extraordinary capability in growing her business from humble beginnings to a national leader in the home furnishings industry.

Blumkin’s journey from a small village near Minsk, Belarus, to the pinnacle of American retail is both inspiring and instructive. Arriving in the United States without money, formal education or the ability to speak English, she showcased determination and business savvy. “Never went to school a day in her life,” Buffett said during a 2019 interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

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By 1937, at the age of 43, Blumkin founded NFM in the basement of her husband’s shop in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, turning a $500 investment into the largest home furnishings store in the country.

Buffett, who has a keen eye for exceptional businesses, described Blumkin’s competitive edge with admiration, stating she would “run rings around” top business school graduates and Fortune 500 CEOs if given the same resources, according to a New York Times article announcing her death at 104 years old.

His decision to acquire NFM was based not on traditional business due diligence but on his confidence in Blumkin’s leadership and the company’s solid business model. The deal was sealed with a handshake and a simple 1¼-page contract.

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Even after the acquisition, Blumkin continued to influence the retail industry, working at NFM until she was 103 years old. Her decision to open a rival store after a brief retirement at 95 demonstrates her drive and commitment

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What are the top insurance concerns of Canadian farmers?

by  on  in Business Breaking News


What are the top insurance concerns of Canadian farmers? | Insurance Business Canada















The agriculture industry has shifted dramatically – but not insurance

What are the top insurance concerns of Canadian farmers?

Insurance News

By
Gia Snape

Canada’s agricultural industry has shifted dramatically over recent decades. However, change within agriculture insurance has not kept pace, according to one managing general agent (MGA) catering to the sector.

Mass consolidation, the next generation of farmers taking over, and advancing technology have made an indelible mark on agriculture, according to First Acre Insurance CEO Robin Shufelt (pictured).

“We haven’t addressed those changes in a full way,” she told Insurance Business.

“The farms are getting bigger, they’re purchasing each other, and they have more expensive equipment. All that drives up their limits.

“We talked to farmers who had four different policies with different carriers, which became cumbersome and it’s a challenge for them. We also found that a lot of the insurance offerings that were out there today weren’t necessarily specific to the needs of farmers today.”

Top insurance concerns for Canadian farmers and farm businesses

Broker and farmer feedback informed the development of First Acre’s new agricultural platform.

According to Shufelt, insurance to value and having the right tools to address their risks were two significant concerns expressed by farm clients. 

“Equipment was a big one. All the big equipment they use is expensive, and if one fails, from a farming perspective, [equipment] can be quite challenging,” she said.

“But they’re also finding is that they would have a piece of equipment on day one, but in a year, their current provider couldn’t insure it anymore because the value had changed, and so that was causing problems as well.

“Farmers are also entrepreneurial, and they will run different businesses as

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Top 40 Program Honors Penticton’s Business Leaders and Inspires Future Generations

by  on  in Business Breaking News

In the heart of British Columbia, the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is rolling out the red carpet for its unique initiative: the Top 40 program. This recognition campaign, launched in collaboration with the Kettle Valley Memorial, will honor exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to the local business landscape. The program will recognize twenty individuals under 40 years old and twenty individuals aged 40 and above.

Honoring the Architects of Penticton’s Success

The Top 40 program seeks to acknowledge those who have demonstrated remarkable leadership, vision, and innovation in their respective fields. Nominees will be evaluated based on their achievements, impact on others, and commitment to social responsibility and community involvement. This comprehensive approach ensures that the program not only celebrates professional milestones but also recognizes the importance of fostering a supportive and thriving community.

The Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is a stalwart advocate for the local business community. With over 800 members, the Chamber represents a diverse array of industries, from tourism and agriculture to technology and professional services. By launching the Top 40 program, the Chamber aims to inspire and motivate the next generation of business leaders while paying tribute to the trailblazers who have paved the way.

A Celebration of Excellence

Nominations for the Top 40 program are now open and will remain so until March 3rd. The Chamber encourages community members to submit nominations for individuals who they believe have made a significant impact on Penticton’s business landscape. Nominees must be residents of Penticton or the surrounding area and must have demonstrated a commitment to the community through their professional and personal endeavors.

Once the nomination period has concluded, a panel of esteemed judges will carefully review each submission and select the Top 40 recipients. These individuals will be

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Top 11 Stocks to Buy From all 11 Sectors | Investing

by  on  in Business Investment News

In investing, a sector is a broad business category that a given company belongs to. Grouping companies, especially companies that offer stock to the public, by sector is a helpful way of sorting them into convenient groups.

There is no law or regulation that dictates the official names and criteria of sectors, but the financial industry has adopted and generally adheres to a specific set of sector groupings called the Global Industry Classification Standard, or GICS. The GICS was developed in 1999 in a joint effort between Standard & Poor’s Global and Morgan Stanley. It has been a reliable industry standard ever since.

Under the GICS there are 11 sectors. They are as follows:

Knowing a company’s sector is very useful when selecting stocks to buy and hold in an investment portfolio. Because different sectors can perform differently according to their own specific market and economic conditions, diversifying holdings among sectors can reduce the overall risk of a portfolio. In this way, sector diversification is an effective risk reduction strategy.

Unfortunately, with thousands of stocks grouped into 11 sectors, picking the right ones to buy can seem like a daunting task. Here’s a look at one top stock from each of the 11 different sectors:

SHW

Sector: Materials
Industry: Specialty chemicals

With manufacturing, distribution and retail outlets in 120 countries, SHW is a world leader in the development, production and distribution of paints, stains and coatings for retail and commercial customers.

SHW is a large-cap

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