Europe Economy

Earlier this week Game met with lenders to discuss its credit problems and options for staying in business, and now Game reports it will operate "with lower limits" and under "revised terms for its facilities." As of November 2011, Game had 1,275 stores in Europe and Australia, but has hinted that it could sell off more than half of its overseas locations, and it plans to close 60 stores by 2013. It closed 39 locations last year.

Game's economic problems aren't an issue solely for retailers, but can affect the larger gaming industry as well -- both EA and Take-Two discussed Game's position during their Q3 financial calls.

European retailer Game puts a plaster over its money wound originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel met China's president on Friday as she seeks to lift Beijing's confidence in Europe where the sovereign debt crisis threatens to tip the region into recession.

China, the world's second-biggest economy, has watched with increasing concern as eurozone economies have deteriorated, and has repeatedly urged European leaders to get a grip on the situation.

Spain and France gained fresh relief at bond auctions on Thursday, extending a rally in euro zone government debt markets since the European Central Bank flooded banks with cheap money in ...

Many economists said it was going to happen and now it has, Brazil has passed the UK to become the world's sixth-largest economy. The Centre for Economics and Business Research said European ...

Many economists said it was going to happen and now it has, Brazil has passed the UK to become the world's sixth-largest economy. The Centre for Economics and Business Research said European ...

Elysian Investments have started the year by offering investors an opportunity to invest in countries that offer residency on investment purchases.

European leaders continued to pressure Greece and address the debt crisis, Apple released blockbuster earnings lifted by the iPhone 4S, global financial leaders met in Davos and the American economy was seen as gaining strength.

Despite the European debt crisis, Poland's economy grew a brisk 4.3 percent in 2011, even more than its strong 3.9 percent growth rate for 2010.

Despite the European debt crisis, Poland's economy grew a brisk 4.3 percent in 2011, even more than its strong 3.9 percent growth rate for 2010.

Key policy-makers from Europe and the United States thrashed out ideas for pulling the eurozone out of its debt crisis at the Davos forum on Friday, days ahead of a key European summit.

While cloistered in a snow-bound conference centre high in the Swiss Alps, the global political and business elite had one eye on Greece, hoping that a long-awaited deal to write down its debt might at last fall into place.

Newsbrief: European publisher Rising Star Games has opened a U.S. branch in California, and intends to begin releasing titles in North America, starting with a localized version of bullet hell shooter Akai Katana. Headquartered in the UK, Rising Star was founded in 2004, and has focused on localizing titles mostly from Japan for Europe. The firm says it's read to expand its business by reaching consumers "in more territories and on digital platforms." To supports ...

Facebook is generating money in a troubled global economy, COO Sheryl Sandberg said, pointing to the site's increasing value as it heads toward its initial public offering.

Sandburg, speaking at the DLD Conference in Munich, held to spotlight top contributions in the digital and technological world, saying Facebook added $15.3 billion in value to the European economy last year alone.

Those numbers are likely to keep growing as Facebook expands, but the dollars aren't just coming in through people who post status messages. The real money behind Facebook is through its advertising sales, which exceed those of any other website.

Sandberg said the European business report, derived from a Deloitte study, shows the social media site has far more value than "just posts and pictures and the fun things with friends."

According to a Facebook report about the study, European businesses -- just like those in the U.S. -- are using the site to connect with customers, to advertise and build up brand identity. Thousands of companies make Facebook apps, and technology manufacturers are selling smartphones and tablets to users so they can connect from anywhere, expanding the service's mobile reach.

In addition, business associated with the company was responsible for 232,000 jobs in Europe alone this year, said Sandberg, who closed the conference.

Facebook plans to start a promotion in Europe, similar to the one in the U.S., to give about $50 in free ad credits to 50,000 European small businesses, according to Sandberg, who noted that while $50 seems a minor amount, it is enough for businesses to reach their target customers on Facebook.

The Deloitte study, which details the growing value of Facebook, could give the company further ammunition for its IPO. Facebook will need to convince investors the site is highly profitable through its advertising, so the stock prices will continue to climb.

Financial experts already believe Facebook's IPO could bring in $10 billion dollars or more, but investors could be wary if they're not convinced that the site is profitable or secure, unlike other social media sites like the now-little-used MySpace, which was once the giant in the market.

Sandberg noted several European companies are already taking advantage of the significant business opportunities Facebook offers, including social game maker Wooga and Swedish music service Spotify, which allows Facebook users to enjoy music together and recently launched in the U.S.

Even though the average Facebook user has 130 friends, research shows "the distance between one person and one million is four steps," Sandberg said. In other words, if just four people share content, it can reach one million users.

Sandberg said Facebook now drives more traffic than any other site, except Google, and Web visitors referred through Facebook are more engaged than others. This could lead to even more advertising dollars for Facebook, adding value not only to the site but to businesses looking to contact large audiences quickly.

Facebook Pumps Money Into Economy as IPO Approaches originally appeared at Mobiledia on Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:07 pm.

Companies doing business in Europe would have new data privacy rules and fines for violations, under proposals made public Wednesday. The proposals from the European Commission follow a two-year study of how sites such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo are being used.

Proposed fines are very stiff, up to 2 percent of a company's annual revenue. For Google, as an example, that could amount to as much as three-quarters of a billion dollars. The proposed rules will become law by the end of next year if approved by all members of the European Union and the European Parliament.

'Right to Be Forgotten'

Google, which has been under investigation by various countries for privacy violations, said through a spokesperson in Brussels that it supports "simplifying privacy rules in Europe to both protect consumers online and stimulate economic growth." The company said it that it was possible "to have simple rules that do both."

The European commissioner for data privacy, Viviane Reding, said the new legislation was needed to better protect consumer privacy. She told reporters that, while personal data protection is a fundamental right, "citizens do not always feel in control" of their information. Reding said the proposal would save businesses nearly $3 billion annually.

The previous European laws on privacy date from 1995, when less than 1 percent of European users had access to the Internet.

One component of the proposed legislation is what Reding describes as "the right to be forgotten," where a user can require that all data about them is removed from a Web site and related databases.

In addition, the guidelines would require user consent to maintain customer data, rather than simply a default consent. Social networking sites often remove user information from public view if requested, but keep the information as part of its database.

27 Rules to One

The commission...

The German economy, Europe's biggest, got off to a good start in the new year, with business confidence rising for the third month in a row, the Ifo economic institute said on...

German business confidence has risen for the third month in row, reflecting a "positive" start to the year for Europe's biggest economy, a survey suggests.

The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for global growth and warned that the European debt crisis threatens to derail the world economy

Business Daily (Nairobi)-Europe based Development finance institutions (DFIs) increased their investments in Kenya last year seeking high returns to cushion their earnings from the bearish markets in the developed world.

Siemens AG, Europe’s largest engineering company, said achieving its goals for the full year has become harder to reach after profitability at its four divisions fell as the European debt crisis weighs on the economy.

South Korea’s economy probably grew at a slower pace in the fourth quarter as the European debt crisis damped demand for Asian exports, pressuring the nation’s central bank to hold rates steady next month.

The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for global growth and warned that the European debt crisis threatens to derail the world economy

Siemens AG, Europe’s largest engineering company, said achieving its goals for the full year has become harder to reach after profitability at its four divisions fell as the European debt crisis weighs on the economy.

Europe's economy would have 'vanished into the underworld' had the European Central Bank not intervened in the eurozone debt crisis, says stockbroker Dirk Müller. He argues that a European ratings agency would ease the crisis and that the current combination of loans and austerity in Greece will lead to default.

More »

Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Steven Blitz, an economist at ITG Investment Research, Daniel Alpert, managing director at Westwood Capital LLC, and Stephen Wood, chief market strategist at Russell Investments, talk about the U.S. housing market, increased lending standards at banks and the European sovereign debt crisis. They speak with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg Television's "Taking Stock." (Source: Bloomberg)

The world is about to see Europe linked to South America in a way that has never happened before.A A bridge will link , the last European outpost in the Americas, with Brazil the largest country in South America and now the sixth largest economy in the world.

European consumers are rapidly losing interest in PCs according to new figures from IDC which show heavy sales falls during 2011.

LISBON, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 2001 Economy Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stieglitz warned on Wednesday that the European governments' economic policies are likely to deepen the crisis instead of solving it. "The European Central Bank focus is on inflation and not on the other issues that are central to economic growth. Europe will not recover from the crisis without growth and austerity will not bring growth," Stieglitz said at a Portuguese supermarkets association conference. Stieglitz adde ...

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - EBay Inc gave a conservative quarterly sales forecast despite unveiling better-than-expected results, warning that a weak European economy may take the gloss off ...

Reuters - EBay Inc gave a conservative quarterly sales forecast despite unveiling better-than-expected results, warning that a weak European economy may take the gloss off rip-roaring growth in online commerce.

Swedish economy will be affected in the long term by Europe's financial crisis, said the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt during a parliament debate.

for your retirement 680News : European crisis will cost Canada's economy $10-Billion in 2012: BoC

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so many can't afford to leave North America any more & are only able to Discover Thornbridge at Longwood, Canada's Premier Active Lifestyle Destination on Vancouver Island ...

as European crisis will cost Canada's economy $10-billion in 2012: BoC

The Bank of Canada says both the domestic and world economies are already paying a heavy price for Europe's unresolved debt crisis. The central bank expects the impact hold back the Canadian economy's growth by about 0.6 per cent this year, equivalent to about $10-billion ...

Germany and France are pushing the European Union to speed up tax coordination efforts, despite British and Irish opposition, and will soon make proposals to harmonise their corporate tax rates.

Europe's top economies made their call in a document, titled "Ways out of the crisis -- Strengthen growth now!", that will contribute to discussions at EU summits on January 30 and March 1-2.

The text, obtained by AFP, makes a series of proposals to revive the stalling economy in the 27-nation bloc and makes new appeals for a financial transaction tax and a common corporate tax base.

Slight improvements in Europe's troubled debt markets and China's economy were enough to send stocks sharply higher Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index topped 1,300 for the ...

Who's next? Nine European nations, including France and Italy, recently have seen their credit ratings cut. Greece's rating was reduced by Standard & Poor's to "CC" -- junk grade -- the lowest given by the rating service to any of the nations that it tracks. Both S&P and competing credit-rater Fitch say a Greek default now looks likely. In all the eurozone, only Germany, Europe's No.1 economy, retains an AAA rating.

Germany's finance minister on Monday ruled out a hike in bailout fund guarantees by eurozone members following the ratings downgrade of nine countries by Standard and Poor's.

"The guarantees for the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) are largely enough for what it has to do in the coming months," Wolfgang Schaeuble told Deutschlandfunk public radio.

Germany, Europe's top economy, is already the EFSF's main guarantor, which began with 440 billion euros ($556 billion) but has 250 billion euros left following rescues of Portugal and Ireland.

The Christian Science Monitor - Europe may give an impression of favoring diplomacy over sanctions on Iran, compared with American and Israeli approaches, but it has been early and consistent in pushing both. France in particular spearheaded robust action on Iran’s nuclear program, becoming one of the leaders of European Union sanctions in mid-2010 to ban investment and business activities with Iran, notably in the energy sector.

Nine European countries embroiled in eurozone crisis feel sting of downgrades, including France with Europe's second-largest economy

DETROIT - Fiat and Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne has said the European debt crisis was likely to flatten his business for the next two years and warned Europe's leaders that they are "pla

European leaders and the IMF chief headed into fresh talks on the eurozone on Wednesday as new data showed the German economy was able to grow robustly last year despite the drag of...

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The ongoing sovereign debt crisis poses serious risks for the Latin America pulp and paper industry, according to a new report by Fitch Ratings. Europe remains a key ...

Some analysts say the U.S. economy has been "decoupling" from Europe for some time, and won't be significantly harmed by the recession now starting in many European countries. And some say the U.S. may not only escape Europe's troubles, but actually could be helped by the turmoil there.

Some analysts say the U.S. economy has been "decoupling" from Europe for some time, and won't be significantly harmed by the recession now starting in many European countries. And some say the U.S. may not only escape Europe's troubles, but actually could be helped by the turmoil there.

Some analysts say the U.S. economy has been "decoupling" from Europe for some time, and won't be significantly harmed by the recession now starting in many European countries. And some say the U.S. may not only escape Europe's troubles, but actually could be helped by the turmoil there.

Some analysts say the U.S. economy has been "decoupling" from Europe for some time, and won't be significantly harmed by the recession now starting in many European countries. And some say the U.S. may not only escape Europe's troubles, but actually could be helped by the turmoil there.

Some analysts say the U.S. economy has been "decoupling" from Europe for some time, and won't be significantly harmed by the recession now starting in many European countries. And some say the U.S. may not only escape Europe's troubles, but actually could be helped by the turmoil there.

U.S. corporations ended 2011 with the slowest profit growth in two years as the mending economy that lifted Macy’s Inc. was met by a European slump that vexed companies more tied to global sales, such as Cisco Systems Inc.

BI Norwegian Business School, Norway's second largest educational institution and a business school in Europe, received the prestigious EQUIS accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development in 1999 and was reaccredited in 2005 and 2010.

No European nation is strong enough to ride out the continent's debt crisis alone, Italy's new premier insisted, urging fellow European Union members to develop a common growth policy. Mario Monti, an economist who was appointed leader of the eurozone's third-largest economy in November with a mandate to pull Italy back from the brink of financial disaster, said: "Italy, in order to develop economically and socially, needs Europe, and Europe to be stronger needs Italy." Mr Monti's comments came at a ceremony honouring the Italian flag in the northern city of Reggio Emilia yesterday. "No European country is so strong that it can go forward alone in facing the great global economies," the former EU commissioner said. "Europe needs to put into action common and co-ordinated growth policies on financial stability." With Italy making what he called a "decisive contribution" to eurozone stability, "now it's the time for everyone to do their homework. No one can think they can do less than the others. Europe will overcome the crisis only with the determined and united action of all members". He did not single out any country, but some...

The European Central Bank, after cutting interest rates for the past two months, is unlikely to do so again this month, analysts say, but additional cuts could still be on the cards later this year.

With a raft of recently surprising positive economic data, notably in Europe's economic powerhouse Germany, the bank at its first meeting of 2012 on Thursday is expected to wait and see how its past moves to prevent a credit crunch and boost the economy in the 17 countries are actually having an effect.

Time.com - Sparking protests and bringing together bickering opposition parties, Hungary's new constitution also threatens the country's economy and its place in the European Union

NEW YORK: Oil prices fell Friday as concerns about Europe outweighed positive US employment numbers. Benchmark crude fell by 53 cents to $101.31 per barrel in midday trading in New York. Brent ...