How Wal-Mart’s Total Revenue Increased 8.5%

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, reported on Thursday that net income increased 10 percent to $3.74 billion, or $1.09 a share, from $3.4 billion, or 97 cents, a year earlier.

Total revenue rose 8.5 percent to $113 billion, according to sources. Sales in Wal-Mart’s U.S. stores increased 5.9 percent to $66.3 billion. The company’s international sales rose 15 percent to $32.1 billion.

Company also said that sales at Wal-Mart stores rose 2.6 percent in the first quarter and should rise 1 percent to 3 percent in the second quarter.

Wal-Mart is the world’s 18th largest public corporation, according to sources. The company is the largest public corporation when ranked by revenue. It is also the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and is the largest retailer in the world. 
[...] Read More...

How Thinner MacBook Pro Coming Soon

Apple Inc. will introduce a new line of 15-inch MacBook Pro running on more powerful chips made by Intel Corp., according to reports.

MacBook Pros are expected to include Intel’s powerful Ivy Bridge processing chips and will be unveiled at next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference starting June 11, also will feature high- definition screens like those on the iPhone and iPad, as well as flash memory to cut startup times and extend battery life.

The new laptop is described as being an ultra-thin version of the current MacBook Pro.It will be a 15.4-inch panel with a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels, or 220 pixels per inch, and a 13.3-inch screen with a resolution of 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, or 227 pixels per inch, according to reports.[...] Read More...

How to Lower Your Bank Fees

Many people would be interested in lowering their bank fees. Here are some strategies that would let you do just that.

If you’re looking for strategies to lower your bank fees, you’re not alone. With certain banks announcing that they would be increasing the fees they charge account holders, many clients have been left dissatisfied. But there are some concrete steps that you can take to minimize the fees that you pay to the bank. Here are some of them:

- Choose the banking package that’s right for you

When you open a free checking account at a Massachusetts bank or anywhere else, you would be offered several different banking packages to choose from. These different packages have different limits on the quantity of transactions that you can make each month. Some packages may also offer unlimited transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals. You would want to evaluate your banking needs, then choose a package that suits your needs based on the amount and type of transactions you make most often.

- Know what the bank charges you for and how much 

When you open an account, the bank gives you[...] Read More...

How to Choose the Right Accounting Software For Non Profits

Do you need accounting software for your nonprofit organization? Here are some ways to make the right choice.

When it comes to accounting systems, you need to know that there are two basic categories: commercial (also called business or for profit) and fund (or non profit) accounting software packages. It is true that both types of systems have a common goal, which is to provide you with a complete accounting package and they also have certain features in common. But there is a large difference between for profit and nonprofit accounting software. Software for nonprofit organizations has features that help track funds that are based on certain restrictions or limitations. For example, certain funds could be allocated to a specific relief project that a charity is working on.

Here are some ways to select a good fund accounting system for your organization:

- Check to make sure that it is really a fund accounting system

Some software packages that are sold as fund accounting systems are actually modified versions of commercial programs.
While they may suit the needs of some users, larger organizations would benefit from getting an application that has been designed from the ground up to be a nonprofit accounting system.

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How U.S. Mortgage Rate Declined Last Week

Mortgage buyer Freddy Mac announced that average rate on 30 years loan fell to 3.84 percent last week.

According to Freddy Mac survey, the rate on the 30-year loan dropped to 3.84 percent, compared with 3.88 percent two weeks ago and 4.71 percent a year ago.

That is below the previous record rate of 3.87 percent reached in February.

The average 15-year rate dropped to 3.07 percent from 3.12 percent, compared with 3.12 percent two weeks ago and 3.89 percent a year ago.

Rates on 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 2.85percent, unchanged from two weeks ago and down from 3.47 percent a year ago.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs also hit a record low at 2.7 percent, compared with 2.7 percent two weeks ago and 3.14 percent a year ago.

According to the National Association of Realtors, home sales declined 2.6 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.48 million.[...] Read More...

How Could Flashback Authors Make $10.000 a Day?

Symantec, the largest maker of security software for computer, announced on Tuesday that the Flashback Trojan, which is infecting hundreds of thousands of Mac computers, could make at least $10,000 a day from click fraud.

Click fraud is a common component of Windows malware. Symantec said each click generates 0.08 cents for the attackers.

Security software company said the Flashback authors could be making up $10,000 a day from click fraud.

According to the Russian antivirus company Dr. Web, a modified version of the “BackDoor.Flashback.39″ variant of the Flashback Trojan infected at least 600,000 Mac computers, forming a botnet that includes 274 bots located in Cupertino, California, the location of the headquarters of Apple Inc.[...] Read More...

How Pending Home Sales Increased in March

On Thursday, National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index rose 4.1 percent from February and is now 12.8 percent higher than March of 2011.

“The housing market has clearly turned the corner,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

“Rising sales are bringing down inventory and creating much more balanced conditions around the country, which means home prices will be rising in more areas as the year progresses.

The number of signed contracts to buy previously owned homes increased to its highest level in nearly two years last month.

According to the Realtors’ report, pending sales increased in two out of four U.S. regions in March compared with a month earlier. They rose 8.7% in the West, 5.9% in the South and fell 0.9% in the Midwest and 0.8% in the Northeast.

The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index showed that prices fell 3.5% in February in 16 of the 20 cities.[...] Read More...

How Pepsi Co Profit Dropped in First Quarter

PepsiCo Inc., the world’s largest food and beverage business, said on Thursday that its first-quarter profit dropped slightly from a year ago, as the food and beverage giant hiked prices to try and keep up with rising ingredient costs.

The company’s net income in the quarter declined 1.4% to $1.13 billion, or 71 cents a share, compared with $1.14 billion, or 71 cents a share, in the period a year earlier.

Chief executive Officer Indra Nooyi said that the company introduced new flavors in emerging markets to boost sales.

“We’ve made good progress in Q1,” said Ms. Nooyi, referring to the first quarter. “We expect momentum to continue building throughout the year.”

PepsiCo’s product mix consists of 63 percent foods, and 37 percent beverages. On a worldwide basis, the company’s current products lines include several hundred brands: Tropicana, 7Up, Doritos, Lipton Teas, Quaker Foods, Cheetos, Mirinda, Ruffles, Aquafina, Pepsi Max, Tostitos, etc.[...] Read More...

How Could Apple Lose iPad Trademark

Apple Inc., the world’s most valuable company, could actually lose the right to use the iPad name in China, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday.

“According to the … provisions of the China Trademark Law, currently Shenzhen Proview is the legal registrant of the iPad trademark,” said Fu Shuangjian, a deputy director of China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce, at a news conference today.

“This case has a huge impact and the final court ruling would directly influence who owns the iPad trademark. The commerce department will (take the matter) very seriously.”

According to Xie Xianghui, who represents Proview Technology Shenzhen Co., a Chinese court started mediating the dispute between Apple and Chinese company over the rights in the country to the iPad trademark.

Apple said that it bought rights to the name from Shenzhen Proview as part of an agreement in 2009.[...] Read More...

How the U.S. 30-year Mortgage Rate Increased this week

On Thursday, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said that the 30-year mortgage rate increased slightly to 3.90 percent this week from 3.88 percent last week.

The 30-year loan was 4.80 percent last year at this time, according to Freddie Mac.

The 15-year mortgage rose to 3.13 percent from 3.11 percent, compared with 4.02 percent a year ago.

Meanwhile, the average rate on the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage dropped to 2.78 percent from 2.85 percent last week.

Also, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the 1-year Treasury-indexed ARM increased to 2.81 percent from last week’s 2.80 percent, but it fell from 3.16 percent a year ago.

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage stayed near its lowest level on record, keeping home-buying and refinancing affordable.[...] Read More...