Tag Archives: Romania

Today in History for 23rd July 2013

Historical Events

1745 – Charles Stuart, the Younger, lands at Eriskay Island, Hebrides
1913 – Arabs attack Jewish community of Rechovot Palestine
1973 – Pres Nixon refuses to release Watergate tapes of conversations in the White House relevant to the Watergate investigation
1975 – LA Dodgers W Crawford and Lee Lacy are 5th to hit consecutive pinch HRs
1987 – RNI (Bkln NY pirate radio station) begins broadcasting on 1620 AM
1989 – Winds gust to 85 MPH at Fort Smith Arkansas

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1851 – Charles Bannerman, Aussie cricket batsman (1st centurion)
1884 – Apolinary Szeluto, composer
1901 – Hank Worden, American actor and rodeo cowboy (d. 1992)
1922 – Moses Rosen, chief Rabbi of Romania
1974 – Maurice Greene, KC Kansas, 100m runner
1986 – Nelson Philippe, French racing driver

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1227 – Qiu Chuji, Chinese Taoist (b. 1148)
1584 – John Day, English printer (b. 1522)
1866 – Thomas Forbes Walmisley, composer, dies at 83
1951 – Henri Philippe Pétain, French marshal (Verdun/Vichy regime), dies
1973 – Marius-Francois Gaillard, composer, dies at 72
1983 – Georges Auric, French composer (It Always Rains on Sunday), dies at 84

More Famous Deaths »

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at HistoryOrb.Com – This Day in History

Romania catches Syrian wanted in abductions

Romania’s president said Friday that Romanian authorities carried out “an unauthorized operation” abroad to capture a fugitive Syrian-Romanian businessman convicted of ordering the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq.

Omar Hayssam, who was sentenced in absentia in 2007 to 20 years in prison, was handed over to Romania’s authorities early Friday and is now in police custody. The kidnapped journalists were freed after 55 days in captivity in 2005.

President Traian Basescu declined to reveal where Hayssam was captured or how he was brought back to Romania, but said: “How can I tell you when Romania carried out an unauthorized operation on the territory of another country?” He did not elaborate, but his comments suggested that Romanian authorities had carried out an unauthorized rendition on the 50-year-old.

Hayssam fled to Syria from Romania in 2006. His flight from Romania triggered resignations at a top level. The chiefs of the intelligence services and the general prosecutor were forced to resign amid allegations that they had facilitated his flight.

In an interview two years ago, Basescu said Romania knew exactly where Hayssam was. Hayssam had lived in Romania, where he obtained citizenship, for 24 years before fleeing.

A spokesman for Romania’s president earlier refused to say whether authorities in Damascus had turned Hayssam over.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

Stolen Picasso 'burned in stove' in Romania

By hnn

A Romanian museum is analysing ashes found in a stove to see if they are the remains of seven paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Monet and others that were stolen last year from the Netherlands, an official has said.

The prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Gabriela Chiru, told Associated Press that Romania‘s National History Museum was examining the ashes found in the stove of Olga Dogaru. She is the mother of Radu Dogaru, one of three Romanian suspects charged with stealing the paintings from Rotterdam’s Kunsthal gallery in a daytime heist.

It was the biggest art theft in more than a decade in the Netherlands. The stolen works have an estimated value of tens of millions of dollars if they were sold at auction….

Source:
Guardian (UK)

Source URL:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jul/17/stolen-picasso-burned-romania

Date:
7-17-13

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at History News Network – George Mason University

Iron Man 3 Surpasses The Avengers at International Box Office

Iron Man 3 opened in 42 territories around the world over the weekend – that’s about 79% of the international market, so not small by any stretch. And the latest outing for Tony Stark has so far taken a staggering $195.3 million. That’s more than the $185.1 million taken by The Avengers grossed over its opening weekend.

It’s worth noting, however, that in some territories Iron Man 3 had a slight advantage over The Avengers, opening on a Thursday, not a Friday like The Avengers. But saying that, the film has yet to open in Russia, China or Germany – so it’s still a pretty impressive feat.

It had the highest grossing weekend ever in Argentina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. And was the biggest opening ever for a Marvel movie in Australia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Romania, New Zealand, Argentina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia.

Continue reading…

Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies

EU teachers need more IT training, report says

The latest European Union survey of ICT in schools has found that 20 percent of secondary students have never or almost never used a computer in school.

Speaking at the presentation of the survey on Friday, the E.U.’s Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said there was a very real need for more IT skills training for teachers. “ICT skills and training must be available to all students and teachers, not just a lucky few,” she said.

Teacher training in ICTs is rarely compulsory, so most teachers are forced to use their spare time to improve ICT skills.

The survey, which takes place every five years, found that although computer numbers have doubled since 2006 — largely thanks to laptops, tablets and netbooks, which are replacing desktop computers in many schools — there are still vast differences between Scandinavian and Nordic countries (the best equipment) and countries such as Poland, Romania, Italy, Greece, Hungary and Slovakia.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

From: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035766/eu-teachers-need-more-it-training-report-says.html#tk.rss_all

Romania body to name alleged communist repressors

A government institute investigating political crimes committed during the communist period in Romania has compiled a list of 35 officials alleged to have run gulags where thousands of people were tortured and killed.

The list is to be publicized and handed to prosecutors in May.

The investigation is the biggest operation of its kind since Romania shed communism in 1989, and it could shed light on the atrocities committed against that era’s dissidents.

Andrei Muraru, head of the Institute for Investigating the Crimes of Communism, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it was important that former oppressors be held accountable.

The list was compiled with the help of former detainees and government data. Less than 3,000 former political prisoners are now alive in Romania.

From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/XgceBOXyzb4/

Four for Boosting: ’14 Ford Fusion to Get 1.5-Liter EcoBoost Four-Cylinder

By Austin Lindberg

When Ford introduces its global-market Mondeo to China at next week’s Shanghai auto show, the car’s powertrain roster will include an all-new 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. Astute observers may be asking why this new 1.5-liter turbo four exists when the blue-oval brand already produces a 1.6-liter turbo four. It’s simple: Ford has grand plans for China, where significant tax breaks are given to vehicles powered by engines that displace 1.5 liters or less. The Dearborn-based manufacturer expects Asian and Pacific markets to make up 30 percent of its global sales by 2020, with China making up a large chunk of that pie. Closer to home, this engine will be added to the Fusion‘s powertrain lineup for 2014.

Yes, it will be added to the Fusion’s powertrain lineup, rather than replacing the 1.6-liter. So for 2014, the Fusion will be available with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost four, a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four, a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four, a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder, and the Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four used in the hybrid systems of the Fusion hybrid and Energi plug-in. The 1.5 will be available only with a six-speed automatic, while the 1.6 will be paired exclusively with a six-speed manual. This will allow Ford to allocate more 1.6-liter EcoBoosts to the Escape, where demand for the engine has surprised even Ford. (The crossover also offers the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter and the 2.0-liter EcoBoost.)



As far as the engine itself, Ford revealed very few details. It will be built at the company’s Craiova, Romania, production facility before being shipped to the U.S. and other markets this summer. Ford says that the 1.5 will “provide similar horsepower and torque performance” to the 1.6-liter, while delivering improved fuel economy. The new powerplant incorporates some features developed and introduced in the brand’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder, such as an integrated exhaust manifold that Ford claims will allow the engine to warm up more quickly.

From: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/3JoLcsrYPp8/

Followup: Ford confirms 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for 2014 Fusion

By Steven J. Ewing

Filed under:

Earlier this week, reports were swirling ’round the internet about the 2014 Ford Fusion getting a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. That was… half correct. Ford today confirmed that the 2014 Fusion is, in fact, getting a new 1.5-liter EcoBoost mill, but it has four cylinders, not three.

The new 1.5-liter engine will be the fifth EcoBoost powerplant from Ford Motor Company. Initially to be built at the automaker’s Craiova, Romania plant, it will also be offered in the Fusion’s twin, the Mondeo, in other markets. This engine will debut at the Shanghai Motor Show next month, and the 1.5-liter is of particular importance in the Chinese market – there is significant tax relief in the People’s Republic for vehicles powered by engines with a capacity of 1.5 liters or less.

At a media briefing Thursday, Ford declined to divulge exact power or fuel economy numbers, though Joe Bakaj, vice president of powertrain engineering, told Autoblog that power output should be similar to that of the current 1.6-liter inline-four, and that overall efficiency will be “better than the 1.6.” Our earlier report stated that the 1.5-liter four will produce 177 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque – losses of 1 hp and 7 lb-ft versus the 1.6-liter engine. Ford states that the 1.5-liter four will feature many of the same technologies used on the company’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost inline-three, including an integrated exhaust manifold that recaptures much of the engine’s heat.

Ford will release more information regarding the 1.5-liter engine later this year, including availability in the 2014 Fusion. Earlier, we reported that the 1.5 would only be available with Ford’s six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, though the 1.6 would be kept around for those preferring the company’s six-speed manual setup.

Scroll down for more information about the 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine in Ford’s press release.

Continue reading Ford confirms 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for 2014 Fusion

Ford confirms 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine for 2014 Fusion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/f8yzQJDio1E/

WNS to Release Fiscal 2013 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial and Operating Results on April 17,

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

WNS to Release Fiscal 2013 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial and Operating Results on April 17, 2013

NEW YORK & MUMBAI, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYS: WNS) , a leading provider of global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services, today announced it will release its fiscal 2013 fourth quarter and full year financial and operating results at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

Following the release, WNS management will host a call on April 17, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Chief Executive Officer, Keshav Murugesh and Chief Financial Officer, Deepak Sogani will review the results of the fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended March 31, 2013 on the teleconference.

To participate in the call, please use the following details: +1-866-277-1184; international dial-in +1-617-597-5360; participant passcode 37185223.

A replay will be available for one week following the call at +1-888-286-8010; international dial-in +1-617-801-6888; passcode 99626595, as well as on the WNS website, www.wns.com, beginning two hours after the end of the call.

About WNS

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYS: WNS) , is a leading global business process outsourcing company. WNS offers business value to 200+ global clients by combining operational excellence with deep domain expertise in key industry verticals including Travel, Insurance, Banking and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods, Shipping and Logistics and Healthcare and Utilities. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of business process outsourcing services such as finance and accounting, customer care, technology solutions, research and analytics and industry specific back office and front office processes. As of December 31, 2012, WNS had 25,931 professionals across 31 delivery centers worldwide including Costa Rica, India, Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, visit www.wns.com.

Safe Harbor Provision

This document includes information which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied are discussed in our most recent Form 20-F and other filings with the …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Today in History for 1st April 2013

Historical Events

1803 – French law rules the use of intention
1938 – Joe Louis KOs Harry Thomas in 5 for heavyweight boxing title
1958 – Marshal Boelganin becomes director of Russian Staatsbank
1963 – Soap operas “General Hospital” and “Doctors” premier on TV
1991 – Dwight Gooden signs $5.15 million 3 year contract with NY Mets
1997 – Comet Hale-Bopp Perihelion (0.914 AU)

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1901 – Whittaker Chambers, American writer, editor, and defector (d. 1961)
1924 – Miodrag Petrović, Serbian actor (d. 2003)
1929 – Milan Kundera, Czech poet/writer (Joke, Unbearable Lightness of Being)
1939 – Phil Niekro, knuckleball pitcher (NY Yankees, Atlanta Braves)
1982 – Sam Huntington, actor (Jungle 2 Jungle)
1988 – Robin Lopez, American basketball player

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1866 – Aime Ambroise Simon Leborne, composer, dies at 98
1869 – Anthony G O Ridder van Rappard, Min of Reformed Worship, dies at 69
1957 – Gheorge Tatarescu, premier Romania (1933-37, 39-40), dies
1973 – Arthur Wood, cricket wicket-keeper (England 1938-39), dies
1989 – Henk Gortzak, Dutch MP (CPN/PSP), dies at 57
2001 – Jo-Jo Moore, American baseball player (b. 1908)

More Famous Deaths »

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at HistoryOrb.Com – This Day in History

Titan Machinery Inc. to Report Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended January 31, 2013 Results on

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Titan Machinery Inc. to Report Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended January 31, 2013 Results on April 10, 2013

WEST FARGO, N.D.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Titan Machinery Inc. (NAS: TITN) announced today it will release financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended January 31, 2013, on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, followed by an investor conference call at 7:30 a.m. Central time (8:30 a.m. Eastern time).

Investors interested in participating in the live call can dial (888) 401-4668 from the U.S. International callers can dial (719) 325-2472. A telephone replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes and will be available through Wednesday, April 24, 2013, by dialing (877) 870-5176 from the U.S., or (858) 384-5517 from international locations, and entering confirmation code 1411336.

There also will be a simultaneous, live webcast available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s web site at www.titanmachinery.com. The webcast will be archived for 30 days.

About Titan Machinery

Titan Machinery Inc., founded in 1980 and headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota, is a multi-unit business with mature locations and newly-acquired locations. The Company owns and operates a network of full service agricultural and construction equipment stores in the United States and Europe. The Titan Machinery network consists of 106 North American dealerships in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, including two outlet stores, and 13 European dealerships in Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. The Titan Machinery dealerships represent one or more of the CNH Brands (NYS: CNH) , a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat Industrial (Milan: FI.MI), including CaseIH, New Holland Agriculture, Case Construction, New Holland Construction, Kobelco and CNH Capital. Additional information about Titan Machinery Inc. can be found at www.titanmachinery.com.

ICR, Inc.
John Mills
Senior Managing Director
310-954-1105
John.Mills@icrinc.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  North Dakota

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Titan Machinery Inc. to Report Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year Ended January 31, 2013 Results on April 10, 2013 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

3-year prison sentence for ex-Romanian diplomat

A Romanian court has handed down a three-year prison sentence to a former Romanian diplomat for killing a man in a hit-and-run accident in Singapore, where he had been an embassy attache.

A Bucharest district court sentenced Silviu Ionescu on Wednesday in a ruling that can be appealed. Neither Ionescu nor his attorneys were present.

Ionescu had testified that he had been set up by authorities in the Asian city-state.

He was accused of hitting two pedestrians with his car early on Dec. 15, 2009, and then hitting and injuring a third person while driving away. One man died 10 days later.

Ionescu returned to Romania immediately after the accident, citing diplomatic immunity. He said he had not been driving the embassy vehicle because it had been stolen earlier.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

ITT Exelis awarded base operations contract in Romania

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

ITT Exelis awarded base operations contract in Romania

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command for Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia, based in Naples, Italy, has awarded ITT Exelis (NYS: XLS) a contract worth $5.7 million for base operations support services at Deveselu Air Base near Caracal, Romania.

This is a combination firm-fixed-price with indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. It includes the base year plus two options that run through December 2015. The services include base operations and administration, fire and emergency services, supply services, housing and environmental operations.

“We are very pleased to be selected as the base operations provider for the Navy’s Deveselu location,” said Ken Hunzeker, president of the Mission Systems division of Exelis. “We look forward to providing support to this critical foothold and to the Navy’s operations in central Europe and elsewhere.”

This was a new procurement and did not replace an existing contract. Exelis is a global leader in base operations, logistics and facility services at other U.S. government locations in the U.S. and overseas.

About ITT Exelis

Exelis is a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense, information and technical services company that leverages a 50-year legacy of deep customer knowledge and technical expertise to deliver affordable, mission-critical solutions for global customers. We are a leader in communications, sensing and surveillance, critical networks, electronic warfare, navigation, air traffic solutions and information systems with growing positions in C4ISR, composite aerostructures, logistics and technical services. Headquartered in McLean, Va., the company employs about 19,900 people and generated 2012 sales of $5.5 billion. For more information, visit our website at www.exelisinc.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ITT Exelis
George Rhynedance, 719-637-4182
George.rhynedance@exelisinc.com

KEYWORDS:   United States  Europe  North America  Colorado  Romania

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article ITT Exelis awarded base operations contract in Romania originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Fiserv Partners With Eutron to Provide Cash and Logistics Solutions to Romanian Banks and Retailers

By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

Filed under:

Fiserv Partners With Eutron to Provide Cash and Logistics Solutions to Romanian Banks and Retailers

BROOKFIELD, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Fiserv, Inc. (NAS: FISV) , a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced a partnership with a Romanian solution integrator, Eutron Invest Romania, to provide the entire Cash and Logistics solution portfolio from Fiserv to the Romanian market. The solution portfolio will primarily focus on the Integrated Currency Manager™ cash management system, Device Manager™ and CorPoint™, the end-to-end cash management system for retailers, but will cover the full spectrum of cash and logistics needs.

“Our partnership with Fiserv enables us to deliver a trusted technology platform that will automate communication within the cash cycle,” said Dan Tone, general manager, Eutron. “The partnership will help our clients create cost savings and lead to increased customer satisfaction as a result of improved self-service device availability and industry leading business analytics that assist future business strategy and decisions.”

“We chose Fiserv because it is the leading provider of independent multivendor solutions and can offer our clients a potential 20 to 40 percent reduction in cost of cash and transportation via total cost optimization and return on investment within twelve months,” Tone added.

“Our partnership with Eutron will help extend our collective product and value added service offerings into the Romanian market,” said David McLaren, business development director of EMEA, Cash and Logistics, Fiserv. “Together, we are meeting the need for comprehensive solutions that can help the financial services industry and retailers in Romania automate processes and optimize costs within the cash management lifecycle.”

Fiserv offers integrated currency and self-service device management solutions that reduce costs and optimize efficiencies. Solution areas include currency forecasting, device management, decision support, enterprise track and trace, automated invoice validation and reconciliation and web base business intelligence reporting.

Fiserv and Eutron will host a joint event to launch the partnership and introduce the Cash and Logistics solutions to the Romanian market on March 28th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bucharest, Romania.

About Eutron

Eutron is the first integrator in Romania able to simultaneously provide complex solutions for cash flow management, customer flow management, automatic identification and data capture management, and asset management. This strategic partnership will enable Eutron to deliver leading international Cash and Logistics solutions from Fiserv coupled with its local knowledge and expertise, to Romanian financial …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

How Austerity Is Failing in Eastern Europe In One Chart

By Mark Adomanis, Contributor

When formerly communist countries joined the European Union in 2004 and 2007 there was a general sense of euphoria. After being artificially cut off  from Europe by the dead hand of state socialism, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and (my ancestral homeland of) Lithuania had regained their rightful place in the world and taken a very large step away from their troubled history of Russian and Soviet domination. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Lockheed Aegis Contract Value Passes $331 Million

By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool

Filed under:

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $79.7 million modification, increasing the funding limit on a contract originally given to the company in August 2010 .

The contract in question hires Lockheed to install, integrate, and test performance of the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) at the Pacific Missile Range facility in Kauai, Hawaii, and also at a facility in Deveselu, Romania.

Aegis Ashore, which is run by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, is described as being the land-based component of a project to beef up the shipborne Aegis air defense system into the much broader Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. If completed, the system is expected to use Standard Missile-3 missiles, plus AN/SPY-1 radar systems, to defeat both short- and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.

Originally funded for $69.8 million in 2010, subsequent increases in the AAMDS budget — including this latest contract — have lifted the total contract value for Lockheed past $331.8 million. Lockheed is expected to complete performance of this latest segment of the contract by July 31, 2015. However, it can expect to continue collecting revenues from work on this system far longer than that. Installation of the AAMDS system is not expected to be complete before 2021.

link

The article Lockheed Aegis Contract Value Passes $331 Million originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lockheed Martin. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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How to Invest Despite the Trust Deficit

By Alyce Lomax, The Motley Fool

Filed under:


Editor’s note: A previous version of this article erroneously referred and linked to an out-of-date version of the

Forbes/GMIRatings list of most trustworthy companies. The Fool and the author regret the error.

To say that America suffers from a trust deficit these days is an understatement. Many of the largest American institutions don’t seem to be on the side of regular citizens. This goes for corporate America as well as government, media, and other institutions. Creepy actions perpetrated by some corporations have continued despite the lessons we all should have learned from the financial crisis in 2008, and certainly have led to a sad outcome: the sense that many corporations are bad.

When it comes to corporate trust issues, investors should be aware that they can pay a high price — literally — for putting money into companies that show signs of untrustworthiness. Any financial news source on any given day will disseminate examples of things that make you go “Hmm.” Take corruption; a huge corporate entity was implicated in such shenanigans just yesterday.

Microsoft is being investigated by the Department of Justice and the Securities and  Exchange Commission. Some of its business partners allegedly bribed officials to grease the wheels for software contracts in China, Italy, and Romania.

Although word has it that the investigation is preliminary and Microsoft hasn’t been officially accused of any wrongdoing, such probes aren’t even that unusual in corporate America. Wal-Mart is still under investigation for similar concerns in Mexico and other countries. In January, even more damning evidence came to light in that case. Emails were released indicating that CEO Mike Duke and other Wal-Mart executives knew about the bribery as far back as 2005. They had previously claimed they had no idea about such activity.

According to The Wall Street Journal, right now, dozens of investigations related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans bribes to officials overseas, are being conducted.

Ranking for trust
Of course, corruption and bribery aren’t the only factors that drain trust from investments. Corporate managements and boards too often make headlines for plenty of other factors that remove confidence from our portfolios.

Take outrageous CEO salaries for abysmal business and stock performance. Or managements that make cost-cutting decisions to juice short-term profits, which can and often does lead to disasters, long-term value destruction, and deterioration of competitive advantage. Once in a while, they even massage their numbers using accounting loopholes, or worse, perpetrate outright fraud.

Not all companies’ managements are untrustworthy, though, even if critical thinking is crucial for the investment toolbox these days. And when companies are good, they’re really good, boosting value for shareholders as well as everyone else they touch, including the overall economy. (The recent book Conscious Capitalism, by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia, is …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance