These are stories Report on Business is following Tuesdsay, Oct. 30, 2012.
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Forstall leaving Apple
Call it the 2012 version of "love means never having to say you're sorry," that famous quote from 1970's Love Story (the date movie of all time?), which spawned too many copycat lines to count.
Reports this morning suggest that Scott Forstall, the man behind Apple Inc.'s mobile software, left the tech giant because he wouldn't sign a letter of apology related to the company's recent mapping fiasco.
Apple announced late yesterday that Mr. Forstall and John Browett, the head of its retail business, were leaving, marking one of the most important management moves at the company of late.
Apple recently had a rare, and embarrassing, stumble when it replaced Google Maps with its own version, which was fraught with difficulty.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Forstall left after pressing Apple to not apologize to customers. Chief executive officer Tim Cook signed the letter instead.
Mr. Forstall's departure is a big loss for the company. According to the reports, it follows several disputes.
Mr. Cook said Mr. Forstall will leave next year, and until then will be his adviser. It did not give reasons for his leaving, saying simply that the management changes will "encourage even more collaboration between the company's world-class hardware, software and services teams."
Japan fights trouble
The Bank of Japan pumped up its stimulus program today as it painted a bleak outlook and said it was working closely with the government to fight deflation, but observers saw it as a tepid response to big troubles.
"The timing for Japan's economy to emerge from the leveling-off period and start recovering is expected to be delayed from the previous projection, mainly reflecting the fact that overseas economies have moved deeper into the deceleration phase," the central bank said.
The Bank of Japan increased its asset-buying program by ¥11-trillion, the second move in as many months.
The government has been pushing the central bank to act, and today the two jointly announced they will fight months of deflation in a plan aimed at bringing the annual inflation rate to 1 per cent.
"The government and the bank share the recognition that the critical challenge for Japan's economy is to overcome deflation as early as possible and to return to a sustainable growth path with price stability," they said.
Observers were disappointed by what they consider a tame approach, and projected further action at some point.
"Predictably the market reacted with disappointment and the yen once again started to push higher," said senior analyst Michael Hewson of CMC Markets in London.
"The limited scale of the action is likely to prompt speculation as to what it will take for the Bank of Japan to unleash its next move given that the economic data of the past couple of days has shown evidence of continued deterioration and the rising yen will once again hamper attempts to boost the economy," he said in a research note.
"It remains likely that more stimulus measures will be unveiled further down the line as exporters berate the BOJ for its timid approach."
- Brian Milner's Economy Lab: Japan just mailing it in with latest stimulus
- Bank of Japan unveils new easing, cuts growth outlook
Talisman pledges restraint
The new chief of Canada's Talisman Energy Inc. pledged today to "live within our means," suggesting less spending this year as it posted a hefty third-quarter loss.
Talisman lost $731-million (U.S.) or 71 cents a share, primarily on a $443-million impairment hit as it quits Peru, among other factors. That compared to a profit of $521-million or 51 cents a year earlier.
"We will live within our means," the company said, reporting results for the first time under CEO Hal Kvisle, who took the job last month.
"We will set capital spending budgets that can be funded by operating cash flows," it said in a statement.
"We will pay down debt, strengthen our balance sheet and build financial capacity to act opportunistically when attractive acquisition or development opportunities come our way. We will focus our capital program on projects that come onstream more quickly and deliver sustainable cash flow over the longer term. We will reduce up front capital on high-risk exploration in multiple regions around the world. We will continue to explore, but in regions we know well and in a lower risk part of the exploration spectrum."
Petrobank reorganizes
Canada's Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. is spinning off its majority holding in PetroBakken Energy Ltd., The Globe and Mail's Bertrand Marotte reports.
The company said today it will spin off the 57-per-cent stake to shareholders. They'll get one share of a new Petrobank for each Petrobank share held, with a similar move for each PetroBakken share.
"This reorganization is designed to enhance long-term value for Petrobank and PetroBakken shareholders and is consistent with our long-held corporate goal of enhancing shareholder value by creating strong, independent and focused companies," PetroBakken said in a statement late yesterday.
Youth underemployment a concern
Youth joblessness tends to garner all the headlines, The Globe and Mail's Tavia writes today, but the more troubling trend may be the more hidden one: Underemployment.
And a new study is urging more examination of the extent of youth underemployment in Canada and more research into the causes that are driving it.
"Contrary to the highly visible issue of youth unemployment, underemployment is seldom spoken of," says the 61-page paper by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, which periodically publishes research on various aspects of the Canadian economy.
Personal Finance
- Three red flags that signal an investment is not what it seems
- Financial literacy still elusive in Canada
- Rob Carrick on money: A gallery of expensive housing markets
Business ticker
- Eric Reguly's Economy Lab: Inflation adds to Spain's economic woes
- No U.S.-style housing crash for Canada: report
- R&D spending back in fashion after 5-year lull
- TransCanada profit falls, misses estimates
- Ford posts better-than-expected third-quarter profit
- CAW union reaches tentative deal at GM supplier Lear Whitby
- UBS to slash 10,000 jobs in fixed-income retreat