Shaw Capital Management News: Washington Waxes Brazilian

Brazil provides us with an example of a rapidly developing, energy-hungry economy in the Western Hemisphere, where biofuel is a fact of life. Biofuel is also an investment imperative for energy investors and companies that want to make money in Brazil. As an important part of the #3 economy in the Americas, ethanol can’t be ignored by the United States.

(Sugar) Ethanol as a Global Commodity; Focus on Cosan Ltd. (NYSE: CZZ) Cosan is entering into a joint venture with an oil giant that could be worth billion, and its happy beginning to 2010 signals a renewal of interest in ethanol and entrance of some unlikely participants into biofuels. Cosan, a Brazilian company that processes more sugar than anyone else in the world, is now joining with Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS), the #2 oil producer in Europe.

Shell is paying Cosan .625 billion for half of its core assets. As part of the joint venture that will emerge, Shell is also taking on Cosan’s debt and opening up 2,740 Shell service stations to Cosan’s sweet, green fuel. Shell will also give Cosan two small Brazilian companies … Codexis and Iogen … where Shell has been investing in ethanol. Cosan is entering into a joint venture with an oil giant that could be worth billion, and…signals a renewal of interest in ethanol and entrance of some unlikely participants into biofuels.

Shaw Capital Management Korea News:  Cosan stands to gain big from an efficient system of turning agricultural leftovers into fuel in its own right. Of all the money and knowledge changing hands, one part is most important: By gaining access to Shell’s distribution system, Cosan will have the luxury of ramping up production without

worrying if there will be buyers.

Shell wants to fertilize Cosan’s cane-based business. Cosan output now has to grow from 2 billion liters per year up to the 3 billion that will be needed to satisfy a total 4,500 fuel stations in Brazil. From there, it’s up to 4 and 5 billion liters annually and on to making ethanol a global commodity. You’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between Shell and Cosan’s statements on this joint venture if you removed a couple of words. Very simply, each company wants access to the other’s expertise. “Cosan represents the best entry to sustainable biofuels in the market… the best entry of scale,” Shell’s Mark Williams said in London. In Sao Paulo, Cosan Chairman Rubens Ometto said the tie-up is intended to be “the step forward that was lacking, in spite of all our efforts, to make ethanol a global commodity.” Shell’s 45,000 stations around the world will pump biofuel to vehicles that can run on gasoline, ethanol, or a mixture of the two.

Shaw Capital Management Korea News:  Low prices also help, as evidenced in Brazil where flex-fuel vehicles now account for 90% of new cars and truck sales. Shell’s 45,000 stations around the world will pump biofuel to vehicles that can run on gasoline, ethanol, or a mixture of the two (Brazil mandates that all gasoline have at least a 20% ethanol component). As it stands, Brazilians are the end users of the vast majority of the ethanol that their country produces (about 25 billion liters annually). And you wouldn’t know it from most of the media, but ethanol is more than just an automotive matter…

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Shaw Capital Management Factoring:Freight Bill Factoring – Right or Warning for Your Business

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submitted by: shawcapitalman

Shaw Capital Factoring and Management of Loans Freight Bill factoring Tips - One of the most difficult aspects of managing a trucking company – especially a small trucking company – is the cash flow. Cash flow is all about how money moves through your company. Unfortunately, when you have clients that pay 30 to 60 days after you have shipped for them, the cash flow can become a little strained. This is because, even though your customers have not paid yet, you still have daily expenses: truck maintenance, pay checks to personnel, fuel costs and more. So how do you cover these expenses when you do not have the ready capital to hand? One solution can be freight bill factoring.

Freight bill factoring v. traditional loan financing

Shaw Capital Management and Factoring, Right or Warning for Your Business - If you are a small trucking company (and maybe even a medium sized or large one), you know that sometimes it can be tough to get traditional loan financing. Often, especially if you are start up, or if you are going through a rapid period of expansion, you just do not have the available credit for traditional loan financing – and you still have the need for cash.

In such cases, freight bill factoring can help you obtain the capital you need. In freight bill factoring, a financing company – called a factor – basically buys the freight bill from you and advances you the cash. Often, the factor will in turn collect from the customer, meaning that once you turn the invoice over, it is also no longer something you need to worry about.

Basics of freight bill factoring - Freight Bill Factoring – Right or Warning for Your Business

Even thought there is not the same approval process that you would have to go through with the bank, the factor will still want to make sure that payment from your customers is likely. Your customer list may be scrutinized, and those that pass muster can provide the freight bills for factoring. It is possible to set up a regular arrangement with the factor so that cash flow remains regular. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind about freight bill factoring:

Documentation. Proper documentation will be needed when you present a freight bill for factoring. You will need an original bill of lading, as well as other documents that the factor may request.

Fees. Be aware that you will be charge a fee for the advance. This is typically between three percent and five percent of the total. The fee depends on how reliable your customers are, and sometimes can depend on how quickly they pay their invoices.

Reserve. Sometimes, a factor will hold a reserve from the advance on the invoice. In such cases, many of them will pay between 85 and 90 percent of the freight bill up front. This is the advance. The rest is held in reserve, just in case the invoice is not paid, or if other fees need to be collected. When the invoice is paid, the rest of the freight bill (minus the fee) is paid. For example, if you have a bill for $1,000, the company may only advance you $900 on the spot. (Remember, though, this is better than the $0 you be getting otherwise.) If the fee is three percent of the total, $30 would be subtracted from the remaining $100 when the customer pays the invoice, leaving you with an additional $70.

Recourse v. non-recourse. It is very important to determine whether or not the factor you are working with offers recourse or a non-recourse agreement. This is because it can make a very big difference in the rights the factor has in collecting on an invoice that is not paid. In a recourse agreement, the factor can require this article has all rights reserved and is copyright by 100 Best you to pay some or all of a freight bill if the customer does not pay. In a non-recourse factoring agreement, once freight bill is turned over to the factor, it is solely the factor’s responsibility. You are in the clear if the customer does not pay – you can keep your money (although you may not get the reserve back).

Getting your money from the factor. You need to find out how the factor will pay your advance. With freight bill factoring, the most common methods are wire transfer, ACH transfer and check. It is important to note that the funds may not be available for immediate withdrawal from your account. In same cases it may take 24 to 48 hours for the money to become available to you.

Freight bill factoring can be very beneficial to trucking companies. It allows you almost immediate access to capital, and can keep the cash flow in your company more liquid.

Written by shawcapitalfactoring on March 30th, 2011 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Financial Services and Uncategorized.

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Shaw Capital Management: Brazil's Economy | shaw capital management reviews south korea

Seoul, South Korea -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/29/2010 -- Brazil’s economy emerged from a deep but short recession in the second half of last year. The economy is expected to grow by at least 5.5% this year. But along with economic growth, expectations of higher inflation have also returned.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s Economy - The government’s target for annual consumer price inflation is 4.5%. To contain inflation Brazil’s central bank has raised banking reserve requirements on term deposits from 13% to 15%. In addition to the increase in reserve requirements, the bank also restored additional charges on cash and term deposits to 8% from 5% and 4%, respectively.

According to the Central Bank President Henrique Meirelles, the changes were necessary to neutralize the impact of excess liquidity brought by reserve requirement reductions made in 2008, amid the onslaught of the global financial crisis. However, for the central bank it would be a politically difficult task to raise interest rates in the run up to Brazil’s presidential, congressional and other elections in October.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s Economy - The government has launched a new investment trust to invest in the domestic Brazilian economy. BM&F Bovespa, the São Paulo equities and derivatives exchange is to raise its stake in the CME Group of Chicago, the world’s biggest exchange group, to 5% in an attempt to attract more institutional and retail investors to Brazil.

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s Economy - The plan for the two exchanges is to work together to develop a new multiasset electronic trading platform based on the CME’s Globex system.

President Lula da Silva, the most popular President in Brazilian history, would like to see October’s presidential election as a plebiscite on his eight years in power. He is asking voters to transfer his success to Ms Dilma Rousseff, his chief minister, whose candidacy has been endorsed by his Workers’ party (PT).

Shaw Capital Management Korea: Brazil’s Economy - Ms Rousseff is further to the left than the present administration, but she has pledged not to make a sudden change of direction. The investors andvoters believe her so far.

We look forward to working with you and being the open architects of your financial well being.

Our goal is to provide consistent quality investment advice to our clients. Although the stock market provides many facets of opportunity for today's investor, there are always just a few stellar markets or niche companies at any given time. It is true that in a healthy market, investments yield favourable returns in a given growth area. 

The key is to pick those investments that are driving the trends and will become tomorrow's brightest stars.

One problem is proper allocation of research resources. It is true there is power in numbers, and teams of researchers will generally spot and confirm trends that the individual investor would miss. But on the other hand, too broad of an effort will squander research resources and loose sight of those special investments in an overwhelming sea. 

Developing Strategic Research Capital. By having broad and robust resources, then viewing and deploying those resources in a multi-dimensional fashion, a balanced research model is created yielding greater and more focused results. In short, Research Capital. To achieve this result, research is targeted to different dynamics of the market rather than a flat view of just general market trends.

Market trends are viewed across a broad spectrum for change and interaction with associated segments, and then for life and duration of changes.

From this initial analysis comes the ability to focus resources on those segments and opportunities that will shine brightest and meet your investment goals. This is the result of a properly developed research program yielding the greatest return of Research Capital, in short a wealth of specific focused knowledge to provide the depth of advice you need to make the right decision.

At Shaw Capital Asset Management your investment is important to us. That same care in managing our Market Analysis Research Strategy provides you with the information you need to make the right choice. 

Latest World Headlines: Shaw Capital Management | Endeavour fueled for launch; Giffords on hand

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer © 2011 The Associated Press
MON – May 16, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on hand to watch, the space shuttle Endeavour is poised to give the work week a roaring and historic start Monday, overcoming wiring problems that grounded it last month.

NASA began fueling Endeavour late Sunday night for the second-to-last shuttle flight.

Giffords’ arrival in the afternoon included a quick fly-by of Endeavour on the launch pad, then she bid husband Mark Kelly goodbye at the bucolic beach house used by shuttle crews before launch.

“Gabrielle is excited for tomorrow’s launch. Do you plan to see history in the making?” her staff tweeted. Later, her staff added: “Gabrielle & Mark said goodbye during visit before launch. Beach House made for picturesque setting.”

NASA officials said conditions — from weather to technical issues — couldn’t look much better for the scheduled 8:56 a.m. launch Monday.

Giffords, traveling on a NASA jet with the family of pilot Gregory Johnson, arrived shortly after the protective structure that surrounds Endeavour was moved out of the way — a milestone in launch preparations that allows fueling to begin late Sunday night.

NASA was so ready to get the flight off the ground that they moved the protective scaffolding 15 minutes earlier than planned.

There was only a 30 percent chance of a weather delay, mostly because of crosswinds.

The conditions were far different from last month’s futile launch attempt. The protective cover wasn’t removed for five hours because of storms, and the launch was scrubbed because of an electrical problem.

Because of the early morning launch, Endeavour’s crew will be working odd hours, going to bed when most people are ready to eat dinner. Just before 5 p.m. Sunday, Endeavour astronaut Mike Fincke tweeted that he was going to sleep and then promised an early morning update to his more than 10,000 Twitter followers: “I plan to tweet until they take my phone away!”

Endeavour’s pilot, Johnson, then tweeted that he couldn’t sleep: “I’m a little too excited to hit the rack just yet.”

NASA is expecting slightly smaller crowds — 400,000 people instead of 750,000 people — for the second attempt. The media horde is also slightly thinned — even though the April attempt was on the same day as the royal wedding — but includes television anchors such as Katie Couric of CBS, said NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs.

With the story of Giffords remarkable recovery from the January shooting having been the focus of media attention in April, now more people are paying attention to the other parts of Endeavour’s planned 16-day mission. The shuttle’s main goal is to haul a $2 billion astronomy and physics experiment to the international space station.

This is also the next to last flight for the 30-year-old space shuttle fleet. And it is the final flight of the shuttle Endeavour, NASA’s youngest orbiter, which has flown 116.4 million miles in 24 previous flights.

Giffords was wounded in the head in mass shooting in January that killed six people. Doctors have cleared her to travel to see the launch. She came for the April attempt, flew back to Houston to resume her rehabilitation work and even had dinner out with her husband.

People in campers and cars started Sunday afternoon lining up the best viewing spots to see Endeavour lift off.

Along the Indian River lagoon in Cape Canaveral, Gary and Gail Isackson of Kansas City, Mo., were looking forward to seeing the shuttle but worried that they might be chased off one of the prime viewing spots by police.

“I didn’t spend all day sweating with love bugs to miss this,” Gary Isackson said.

Beverly Haller of Spring Hill, Fla., and Owosso, Mich., said she wanted to see Endeavour’s last flight and her first shuttle launch. She worried that if the shuttle didn’t launch Monday, she’d miss her only chance because she won’t be able to see Atlantis in July.

“This is it,” she said. “I mean I’ve got to see it. Don’t over sleep anybody.”

___

Associated Press writer Marcia Dunn contributed to this report.

___

Online:

www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Latest World Headlines: Shaw Capital Management | Google Music Is (Finally) Here

May 13, 2011

At long last, the worst-kept secret in the musicStay tuned for more Google Music details, including screenshot galleries, coming up shortly on Mashable. industry has been confirmed: Google has launched its music service.

On Tuesday at Google I/O, the company took the wraps off Google Music Beta. Currently, that site is invite-only, but users will be added to the platform soon. The product is “free for a limited time.”

The service will be available starting on Android devices and via the web. Click here to see screengrabs of Google Music on Android.

The service will be available starting on Android devices and via the web. Click here to see screengrabs of Google Music on Android.

Rumors of Google Music first fell on our eager ears in June 2010, at which time we learned Google was buildinga music service with an Android twist. And while building such software is clearly not a problem for Google’s high-functioning genius engineers, the company was still settling the terms of the deals with labels inSeptember 2010 … and in November 2010 … and in December 2010 … and in April 2011. A less optimistic crew of journalists would have begun to doubt whether Google Music would, in fact, ever see the light of day.

However, we were seeing enough proof vis-a-vis Android screenshots that the product itself was launch-ready, even if labels were not. Google Music was spotted on a Gingerbread device earlier this year, when gadget geeks saw a “music sync” option on an Android device. Music streaming options appeared on another device not too long afterward.

Currently, here’s what we are being told about Google Music, which looks and feels exactly like an iTunes in the cloud:

• It will run on all Android devices, including tablets and mobiles
• You’ll be able to create custom playlists
• You’ll be able to edit track info, get play counts, etc.
• Music will be available when you’re offline, too
• Users can upload and store songs to a cloud-based directory
• Users can wirelessly and automatically sync playlists from the web to connected devices and vice versa

Stay tuned for more Google Music details, including screenshot galleries, coming up shortly on Mashable.