Are Corporate Revenues really changing geography?

Weight of regions
Originally uploaded by Pedroo.

I decided to take an interested and simplistic peek at how revenues of major companies are changing importance across regions.

In a nutshell I researched through the annual reports of the 2 major Sports Apparel and Footwear companies (Nike & Adidas) to look at a 3 year scope and see where the regions fit in revenue contribution.

As you can see from the graph, the contribution to total sales as shifted slightly and both companies have a different story to tell.

LEFT GRAPH: On one hand you have US based Nike decreasing weight of the revenue coming in from their largest revenue source (USA) thus far and growing in Asia and Europe.

RIGHT GRAPH: On the other hand European based Adidas has maintained its major weight in its home-base and decreased sharply the bet in North America.

I'll leave you to wonder as I'm also wondering... i'll be looking into it deeper and more scientifically...

The working business afternoon for 2 graduating students

Bloomberg
Originally uploaded by Pedroo.

Nicoline sits across and despairs with Microsoft Office. She's been tackling the form functions in order to find a way to create check boxes for a survey she needs to send out. It's all part of her thesis work based on the influence of perceived quality in the car rental industry taking into consideration your customers try your services abroad.

On this side I'm reading through corporate annual reports and newspapers to get to a research topic that's interesting enough to pursue in the context of my Applied Economics class.

In the meantime the TV is on showing Bloomberg. We get access to "on the spot" business updates, the latest quarterly earnings, growth rates and political updates.

The US growth data just came out: a under 50-year tendency 3,1% growth. Shell's profit is up but output is down.

For more, switch on your TV or go to Bloomberg Online.

It flies Kevin!!

It flies A380
Originally uploaded by Pedroo.

These were the words of Richard Quest, live from CNN, as the large A-380 took off on its maiden voyage at Toulouse airport.

Few things stir my imagination as much as aviation. From my house in Lisbon i can see an airplane coming in every 3m and they fascinate me every time. How something man made, so heavy and bulky can pull away from the Earth's gravitational force.

I've always had a special liking for history and until (roughly) when i joined University few world events had really marked our generation. Unfortunately we can now consider ourselves the 9/11 and Asian tsunami generation. However, let me be so bold to say that today we've also become part of the "aviation history" generation.

Click here to find out more about the airplane.

Futebol: Um espectaculo de palavras!

Sou portugues! Gosto de futebol!

Para mais sou um apreciador nato da envolvente sociologica do futebol. Nesta vertente decidi hoje listar uma serie de expressoes que oico regularmente nos campos de futebol. Engracado como o portugues ganha uma forma dinamica, ou como diria o nosso amigo G. Alves, ��o futebol ? uma arte plastica��:

��Vira, VIRA!!!��
��E isso tudo!��
��Joga! Joga!��
��/&%/&%/& !!!�� (ou seja: caramba!)
��Huh????��
��Pa frente %$&%$!��
��/&%/&%/& !!!�� (ou seja: caramba!)
��Ganda golaco!��
��Passa! Passa!��
��Estilha!��
��/&%/&%/& !!!�� (ou seja: caramba!)
��Estou aberto pa!��
��Pica! Pica!��
��E pa...��
��Na viste???��
��Ganda cueca....��
��Vai na rapaqueca...��
��Parte! Parte!��
��vai...vai... UUUUiiiii��


Aceitam-se mais contributos!

Poverty: Who should do what?

Goncalo brought up this issue recently on his blog:

This is an issue that tugs at people's hearts, in today's world inevitably fills up our TV screens and bears weight in our conscience.

I can't help remember that interesting article a professor of mine wrote explaining all the economic reasons behind not giving money to poor people. At the end of his explanation he says: "I stopped at a traffic light and saw a beggar. I rolled down my window and gave him some change."

It is true that we need "both sides of the coin" as Goncalo calls them. However, economic and social studies have brought light to ��who should be doing what��.

In my (perhaps simplistic) view institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank exist to establish policy. Policy exists to create incentives and sometimes even to restrict some types of individual behaviours. In this particular topic they're saying "here's money we��re lending you to build infrastructure and grow". It's not good "policy" for policy to say: "here's some more money (debt relief) so you can avoid paying."

Economics is about incentives.

Individuals and corporations should contribute however they can to the short-term issues such as poverty by giving what they can. That includes giving money and time. This includes you and me.

The institutions mentioned should provide adequate policy to stimulate long-term sustainable growth. Mixing both may be counter-productive and naive.

One light fades...

Today the world is grieving a beacon of human faith which was put out by the passing of time. Whether you are catholic, Muslim, Buddhist or even not at all religious you might agree with me when I say that there are certain transcendental forces we fail to comprehend which move us all: conscience, faith, love or responsibility.

I don��t pretend to understand them fully. I have been plagued by constant doubt, advance and withdraw of my own faith. However, I think moments such as this one should make us think and reflect on our own beliefs. In the end we must not be blinded by our own beliefs and muster sufficient strength to respect difference. There are so many small things through which I see I have difficulties doing so.

This reminds me of famous debates with Kene who will surely have strong views on the matter ;-)
Above all indifference is our greatest enemy.

John Paul II was a man of ideology but a bridge between worlds, religions and cultures.