Chief Executive Marc Bolland is expected to roll back aggressive growth targets he set 18 months ago, amid the consumer downturn. The retailer is likely to moderate store expansion in the U.K from the 3% space growth per annum until 2015, outlined when Bolland revealed his strategic blueprint in November 2010, the FT said.

Some investors and analysts are also calling for capital expenditure to be reduced, in line with the softer targets, the newspaper said.

This could help cut M&S’s capital expenditure, originally estimated at GBP900 million a year over three years, the FT said.

M&S declined to comment, the FT said.

In curbing expansion, the retailer would join Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN), Britain’s biggest supermarket by market share, and its smaller rival J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN), which have both pledged to limit the opening of new U.K supermarkets, and extensions to existing stores, the newspaper said.

Newspaper Web site: http://www.ft.com

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ms-to-scale-back-new-stores-growth-targets-ft-2012-05-19-94854434

In Germany, Corsa models are currently produced in Eisenach. Should that be stopped, it might benefit the Spanish city of Zaragoza, according to Focus.

In Zaragoza in 2011, around 216,000 Corsa models were produced, besides the minivan Meriva and pickup truck Combo, Focus says, adding, that according to its information, the Zaragoza plant is currently running at a 59% capacity use, due to weak demand for Opel models.

An Opel spokesman tells Focus that the question about the future Corsa plant is not on the agenda “because the car is in the middle of its life cycle.”

Without the Corsa model, the future of the Eisenach plant would depend on the success of the small car “Adam,” the serial production of which begins in 2013 with annual planned sales of at least 100,000 units, Focus says.

Adam Opel recently said that from 2015, the next generation of Astra compact models will be produced in the U.K. and Poland, and no longer in the German production site of Ruesselsheim.

-By Frankfurt newsroom; Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 2972 5500

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/opels-eisenach-plant-may-lose-corsa-production-2012-05-19

Launched in 2008, CrowdGather is deeply committed to bringing together and improving the world of online communities for end-users, forum owners, and marketers. Active as a forum member since 1998, founder and CEO Sanjay Sabnani recognized a unique opportunity to enrich the forum member’s experience as well as effectively monetize a network of sites. Beginning in 2002, he began steadily acquiring some of the world’s busiest online communities and aggregating them into key verticals.  

CrowdGather’s 16+ million unique visitors monthly includes smart, stylish, and inquisitive men and women looking to our sites to provide the inside scoop on their passion. Since 2008, CrowdGather has grown from 9 million page views a month to over 220+ million. The CrowdGather Network is made up of thousands of online communities for technology professionals, gamers, and lifestyle enthusiasts.  

Deeply dedicated to their discoveries, subscribers rely on CrowdGather sites for their latest products, trends, and ideas, and then spread them with a zeal that makes them unparalleled.

CrowdGather, Inc. has quietly been building up a dynamic network of sites by consolidating one of the oldest and most robust groups of online users – those that post on message boards and forums. Our goal is to create the world’s best user experience for forum communities and world class service offerings for forum owners. We believe that forums are the richest source of high value, user generated social media. We also believe that nothing will ever replace their position as the help desk of the Internet.

CrowdGather aims to enrich the world’s search experience by giving people the ability to query and contribute to the most content-rich communities on the web. We expect our numbers to surge dramatically with the launch of this patent-pending, highly interactive and informational forum platform.

SOURCE: http://www.crowdgather.com/

MINERAL              EXPLORATION

Mineral exploration can be a golden investment opportunity worth taking a closer look at. It is the process of finding a viable ore body, or concentrations of minerals. This differs from mineral prospecting due to its greater intensity and more extensive nature. The process of mineral exploration can be divided into several stages, depending on the size of the region being explored, the desired outcome, and the specific minerals being sought. Mineral exploration is largely influenced by the region that is chosen for the project as well as the available resources.

Toron Inc. prides itself on being a new mineral exploration company focusing its attention on projects involving gold and other valuable metals. It is based in Quebec, one of Canada’s richest mining provinces. This Nevada Company incorporated its wholly owned subsidiary – Toron Resources Inc., which was formed for the sole purpose of exploring mining projects in Canada, and specifically, in Quebec.

In 2008, the Fraser Institute ranked Quebec the number one jurisdiction among the top 68 in the world for mining investment, due mainly for its favorable mining policies and mineral potential. As Quebec’s Premier Jean Charest said about the region, “It is one of the world’s last virgin territories. It’s also a fragile territory and a territory of great richness…” This area is rich in rare earth minerals and various mineral deposits such as gold, nickel, cobalt, and platinum. BBC News reports that “Northern Quebec has incomparable mining potential,” as summed up by Sege Simard, natural resources minister. Mineral exploration in the Quebec region has huge potential, as the hunger for raw materials leads to company investments in the projects.

The first and most vital step in mineral exploration is exploring a region in order to find out whether the area is mineral rich through a theory known as ore genesis. This theory supports knowledge of ore and its occurrences, and helps in selecting the area with the most ore deposits. It is also crucial to determine what is to be explored. The exploration of gold differs from that of other metals in two profound ways: first in the selection criteria for the area to be explored and second in the exploration techniques used. An area prosperous in gold doesn’t necessarily have to prosper in other metals.

This is why mineral exploration isn’t something the average Joe or Jane can do, and this is when companies, like Toron Inc., come into play. Toron Inc. concentrates mainly on valuable metals such as gold. The company’s first acquisition is the Tiblemont Gold Property, located in the south eastern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt – the largest greenstone belt of Canada’s Superior Province, well known for its important volcanogenic massive sulfides and orogenic lode gold deposits. These properties are made up of 255 claims that are 33,984 acres in size, and lies mainly in the Tiblemont and Senneterre townships, with a few claims in the Pascalis and Courville townships In addition  Toron has contracted to purchase an additional 140 claims that are 19,563 acres in size . These are located in the same area of the Tiblemont and Senneterre townships. More info can be found in the Projects section. The Company has currently closed the acquistion of  255 claims, and has the remaining 140 under contract with a total of 395 claims that are 21,677 hectares or 53,543 acres in size.

Besides focusing on the exploration of rich minerals, Toron Inc. is also in the midst of building a new strong management team, fixated on leading the company forward. The company hopes to make a name for itself in the near future and to be recognized as a valuable mineral exploration company.

Toron Inc. is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board and will strive to build shareholder value rapidly. Its quarterly reports and financial information can be found in the Investor Infosection.

SOURCE: http://toroninc.com/

It is part of an effort to refurbish an image that became tarnished by the financial crisis and its aftermath. Goldman’s top brass have said they need to do a better job explaining to the public what the company does.

Executives recently have been more available to reporters, extending all the way to Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein. Appearing in shirtsleeves during a CNBC interview late last month — his first live TV interview in two years — Blankfein said, “It occurred to us that we haven’t gotten everything right with respect to how we’ve dealt with the public.”

That interview was done from Goldman’s lower Manhattan headquarters, outside the meeting rooms of a client conference focused on opportunities in growth markets overseas, one of Goldman’s main themes.

Goldman holds client conferences frequently, but they usually aren’t broadly discussed or open to the media. Select clients are invited and, as in the emerging-markets event, speakers are asked not to disclose what goes on, a person familiar with the matter said.

Now, Goldman is considering adding publicity to events that have broad public appeal, such as an upcoming conference this fall where established entrepreneurs will be able to meet and mingle with up-and-comers. A similar high-profile conference would have been last year’s education summit done in conjunction with Stanford University, a person familiar with the matter said.

Showcasing its expertise and engagement with clients through conferences and other events “is a core part of the brand,” the person said.

Subtle shifts in Goldman’s public-relations strategy began more than one year ago after an extensive internal review that concluded, among other things, it should put a renewed focus on client communication.

Goldman also has reached out to shareholders. It successfully removed six proposals from this year’s proxy, some of them withdrawn after negotiations with the shareholders and some rejected by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

It also agreed to name an independent lead director of its board after striking a deal with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, an influential union that had sought to split the roles of chairman and CEO.

The firm is even polishing up its online presence. Some 24,667 employees out of 32,400 are on LinkedIn, and it introduced a YouTube channel in February featuring feel-good videos of employees talking about their careers and clients talking about Goldman.

One big outward shift: Richard Siewert Jr., who goes by the name Jake, joined as the firm’s new head of communications in March. Siewert is a former White House press secretary who was a senior adviser to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner until last year.

He took over from Lucas Van Praag, a partner who retired after guiding Goldman’s communication effort for much of its 12 years as a public company. Van Praag had gained notoriety for his sharp-tongued commentary on media coverage of Goldman.

“Obviously they are making some changes,” said Charles M. Elson, the director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at The University of Delaware. “But the proof is in the pudding. Is the organization different?”

In recent years Goldman has wavered in its media strategy, retreating in the face of intense scrutiny over everything from its alleged client conflicts to allegations of insider trading by a former board member.

In March, a London employee quit and wrote a column in The New York Times calling the firm’s culture “toxic and destructive.”

Negative publicity has hurt the firm and possibly cost it business, according to Mike Mayo, a banking analyst at CSLA, who met with Blankfein recently.

“The CEO concedes that he and the company should have done a better job in handling the attention and that Goldman has probably had unknown missed opportunities as a result,” Mayo said in a research note describing the meeting.

Just days before Siewert’s arrival in March, a Delaware judge criticized Goldman for advising El Paso Corp. in its $21 billion sale to Kinder Morgan, a natural gas pipeline operator in which Goldman’s private equity arm holds a 19% stake.

In their annual letter to shareholders earlier this year, Blankfein and President and Chief Operating Officer Gary Cohn said interviews with clients revealed they wanted Goldman to communicate more clearly the roles it takes interacting with them. About 8,000 Goldman employees have gone through training focused on the various roles the company assumes with clients.

“A central theme of the training is the need to be clear to ourselves and to our clients about the capacity in which we are acting and the responsibilities we have assumed,” Goldman’s shareholder letter said.

Transparency can clean up an image problem, but “what we really need to change is industry practices,” said Kurt Schacht, managing director of the CFA Institute, which is holding its annual meeting this week around the theme “Rebuilding Trust In The Industry.”

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/buffing-image-goldman-cracks-door-on-some-events-2012-05-09

Pitney Bowes has been struggling to adapt to slumping mail use in North America as consumers turn to email and other communication methods. Pitney Bowes has sought to shift its focus from less-profitable businesses and last year launched a cloud-based service to print postage and shipping labels, among other efforts.

Chairman and Chief Executive Murray D. Martin said that at the quarter’s end that Pitney Bowes signed a multiyear agreement with Facebook Inc. to offer global geocoding, reverse geocoding and other products for integration into Facebook’s applications and services.

Pitney Bowes reported a profit of $163.3 million, or 79 cents a share, up from $90.9 million, or 42 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding tax benefits and asset-sale benefits, adjusted earnings from continuing operations were 52 cents.

Revenue decreased 5% to $1.3 billion, with a percentage point of the drop attributed to currency fluctuations.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently projected earnings of 50 cents on revenue of $1.3 billion.

Revenue from its mailing business declined 7%, including a 9% drop in North America as decreased rentals and financing revenue related to lower equipment sales in prior quarters offset the benefit of increased placements and retention, as well as improving equipment sale trends. At its enterprise segment, revenue was down 3% as businesses continued to prolong capital spending decisions and were holding onto equipment longer than in past years.

Shares of Pitney Bowes, which affirmed its 2012 guidance, rose 1.3% to $17 in after-hours trading.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pitney-bowes-profit-up-80-on-tax-benefits-2012-05-07

Exelon, the largest operator of nuclear plants in the U.S., completed its acquisition of Constellation in March. The merger, an all-stock deal valued at nearly $8 billion, allows Exelon to absorb Constellation’s nuclear fleet and large retail power business. However, the deal prompted Moody’s Investors Service to downgrade its investment-grade rating on Exelon by a notch, noting the companied company will likely see negative free cash flow for several years.

Exelon owns Illinois utility Commonwealth Edison, but its largest business is operating power plants across the U.S. an selling the electricity on the wholesale market. The recent plunge in U.S. natural gas prices has forced wholesale power prices lower, threatening Exelon’s bottom line.

President and Chief Executive Christopher Crane said that as expected, the latest results reflected unfavorable market conditions and mild weather.

Exelon reported a profit of $200 million, or 28 cents a share, down from $668 million, or $1.01 a share, a year earlier. Excluding mark-to-market adjustments, merger-related costs and other items, earnings fell to 85 cents a share from $1.17 a share. Revenue slipped 5.4% to $4.69 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had most recently forecast earnings of 81 cents a share on revenue of $7.67 billion.

Operating margin narrowed to 7.7% from 24.3%. Total operating expenses jumped 15%.

The company said the equivalent availability factor for its hydroelectric facilities fell to 96.6% from 97.8%.

Exelon’s generation business, which includes its nuclear operations, saw its earnings fall 66% to $168 million.

Shares closed at $38.82 Thursday and were inactive premarket.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/exelons-net-skids-on-merger-costs-weaker-margins-2012-05-04

“Today, Hynix will submit its proposal to join in the second [round] bidding to the lead manager Nomura,” the report said, quoting the unnamed SK Hynix official.

The final auction will close Friday at noon, the report added.

SK Hynix spokesman declined to comment on the report.

Elpida filed for bankruptcy protection in February, in the largest corporate failure in Japan since the end of World War II.

The South Korean chip maker, which swung to a net loss in the first quarter due to oversupply and weak demand for personal computers, submitted a preliminary bid proposal for Elpida in March, but said last week that it has to maintain “the minimum level” of cash holding so the company is only considering possible investment that “won’t incur too much of a burden” on its financial status.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sk-hynix-reportedly-to-join-bid-for-japans-elpida-2012-05-03

Noting that the bidding process won’t include a Japanese company, the paper said that the field has been narrowed down to South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. HXSCF 0.00% , Micron Technology Inc. MU -0.15% and China’s Hony Capital, which has teamed up with U.S. investment fund TPG Capital.

The second round is set to begin on April 27.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/toshiba-wont-make-round-2-bid-for-elpida-report-2012-04-23

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of treatments that significantly improve outcomes in patients with life-threatening diseases. Their team is pioneering the science of galectins to develop innovative new therapies to treat human diseases such as cancer and chronic organ failure

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of treatments that significantly improve outcomes in patients with life-threatening diseases. Our team is pioneering the science of galectins to develop innovative new therapies to treat human diseases such as cancer and chronic organ failure

Contact

Investor Relations Department
(858) 452-6600

Address

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company
4370 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 400
San Diego, California 92122-1249

Transfer Agent

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
Operations Center
6201 15th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
info@amstock.com
www.amstock.com

Independent Auditors

BDO USA, LLP
La Jolla, California

Counsel

Ropes & Gray LLP
San Francisco, CA