Author: Vitaliy Dadalyan

Bitcoin skids amid broad cryptocurrency sell-off

Cryptocurrencies plunged on Friday, with bitcoin at one point sliding below $8,000 and headed for its biggest weekly loss since December 2013, amid worries about a regulatory clampdown globally. This week's slump brought the total market value of cryptocurrencies down to around $400 billion, half the high it reached in January, according to industry tracker Coinmarketcap.com. The market value of cryptocurrencies is calculated by multiplying the number of digital coins in existence by their price, although many question whether that is the right way to value them.


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BT blames cost of iPhone X for earnings dip at EE mobile unit

BT blamed the upfront costs of the £1,000 iPhone X for a squeeze on profitability that rattled investors as the company heads into a crucial series of decisions on regulation, pensions and the Premier League EE, which has been a bright spot for BT as other divisions have struggled, increased revenues 4pc in the third quarter, but saw its underlying earnings dip 6pc on last year. Gavin Patterson, BT's chief executive, said the upfront costs of the new handset would lead to higher earnings for EE over time, but the initial impact contributed to overall earnings that were slightly short of forecasts. Investors bruised by BT's torrid 2017 of accounting scandals, regulatory fines and profit warnings, sent the shares sliding 2.2pc to 250.3p on Friday, regardless of Mr Patterson's assurance that the company will hit its full-year targets. Despite a further slowdown in the broadband market, which BT said was reaching maturity before the technology shift to ultra-fast fibre optics, the company highlighted progress in its ­attempts to sell bundles of telecoms and TV services to households. The ­average BT customer now subscribes to 2.02 services, an increase of 3pc. BT Total revenues for the quarter were down 3pc at £6bn, dragged lower by the continuing struggles of the Global Services IT outsourcing division. BT is in the midst of an overhaul and digital modernisation programme that could trigger sales of overseas network assets, but sales for the business fell 9pc. BT's public sector business has also suffered in the squeeze on government contracts, but there were no signs of the serious troubles that have hit Carillion and Capita. Mr Patterson now faces a gauntlet beginning with the Premier League rights auction, in which first round bids are due next Friday. The risk of steep inflation has decreased after tensions ...Read the rest of this story

Dell says it will explore IPO or merger with VMware

Dell, the world's largest privately held technology company, is under pressure to boost profitability after its debt-laden acquisition of data storage provider EMC Corp for $67 billion in 2016 failed to meet financial targets, hurt by intensifying price competition. Combining with VMware would provide access to VMWare's $11.6 billion in cash, helping Dell trim its $52.5 billion debt pile. The combination would also make Dell a publicly listed company, offering a path for private equity firm Silver Lake to begin selling down its 18 percent stake if it chooses to.


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Fleet Survey Shows Business is Great, Drivers are Scarce

Business is good, so fleets are planning to buy equipment – but many would buy more if they had the truck drivers to put in them. Courtesy CKCVR

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How's business? Better than ever, according to CK Commercial Vehicle Research's first-quarter Fleet Sentiment Report survey of trucking fleets.

Fleets were asked, “Considering all the factors that impact your company, on a scale of 1-5, in your opinion, what is the overall outlook for your fleet in the next three months?” The average keeps rising to new heights – in Q1 2018, a new record of 4.37.

Freight demand is strong at most companies in the survey.

Planned equipment purchases are keeping pace, with the CKCVR FSR Buying Index only showing a drop because it's compared to exceptional numbers in last year's fourth quarter and because fewer fleets were planning to place large trailer orders.

Nearly 60% (59.5%) of the Q1 respondents indicated they planned to place power unit orders during the first quarter, heavily weighted toward larger fleets.

“While I don't expect Q1 orders to be higher than Q4, the number of fleets that plan to place orders shows continued strength in truck demand,” noted survey author Chris Kemmer of CK Commercial Vehicle Research in the report.

Some of the things fleets are planning to add to these new orders they didn't spec previously include air disc brakes, automated transmissions, battery-powered auxiliary power units, and collision mitigation systems.

The driver shortage is still affecting two-thirds of respondents, with a number commenting that if they could find the qualified drivers, there's plenty of business for them to add trucks to put them in.

Kemmer noted that the fleets that are planning to buy power units to add capacity are mostly those involved in building and construction, “not large for-hire fleets who are most heavily beset by the continuing driver shortage.”

However, she ...Read the rest of this story