With the running boom continuing to evolve, 2010 marks a very special anniversary for the running world. The marathon, the most notable race of all time, celebrates this year, all over the world and especially during the Athens Classic Marathon this October, the 2,500th birthday of the legendary run of the Greek soldier-runner from Marathon to Athens (490 BC). As a brand whose footwear is favoured by the majority of marathon runners worldwide, ASICS takes its research heritage very seriously. Using the results from its latest study, ASICS aims to explain why and how this 42.195km race has become the icon it is today.
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The world became less peaceful for the second consecutive year, according to the fourth annual Global Peace Index (GPI) published today. As the global economy continues to falter, this year’s data shows an intensification of conflicts and growing instability linked to the downturn that began in 2008, with several countries seeing sharp increases in homicides, violent demonstrations and fear of crime.
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Families will find few surprises – and many bargains – as they shop for classroom supplies to fill children’s backpacks for the upcoming school year, according to the fifth-annual Huntington Backpack Index issued by Huntington Bank (NASDAQ: HBAN; www.huntington.com).
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As the holiday season approaches, BACARDI®, the best-selling premium rum and the most-awarded rum in the world, today unveils a pioneering research study called the BACARDI Together Index.
The BACARDI Together Index uses an unprecedented 146 questions from a national survey of 5,000 American adults, aged 21 to 80+ years, to understand and summarize the dimensions of social connectedness. The large sample and volume of questions allows for a comprehensive evaluation of social connections in a way never before done.
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Over the past six months UK small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have grown on average by six per cent despite the broader UK economy struggling, according to the latest SMB Index from HP.
HP’s survey of 1,000 SMBs, with between 1 and 50 employees shows that, compared to that of the previous six months, growth for UK SMBs has slowed slightly but optimism is still strong, with SMBs expecting to grow by up to 13 per cent over the next year. Optimism in the economy is also strong, with 66 per cent of SMBs optimistic about the year ahead. SMBs in Financial Services have grown the most (13 per cent), followed by Manufacturing (10 per cent). SMBs in Retail (4 per cent) and Professional Services (1 per cent) have seen the least growth. Nearly half of UK SMBs (48 per cent) are turning to social media to help grow their business and reach new audiences, with 56 per cent of sole traders recognising its value the most. However, although SMBs are finding social media beneficial for networking purposes (83 per cent), and as a mechanism for advertising (57 per cent), many SMBs are underestimating its true potential for business growth and lead generation.
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Today, hotels.com®, the leading provider of lodging worldwide, released its biannual Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®), revealing a 3 percent global price increase and a gradual recovery despite major natural catastrophes and world events affecting travel during the first half of the year. Room rates are still lower than their peak in mid-2007, indicating to travelers that good deals and value are within reach for consumers.
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Hotel prices have experienced pronounced volatility as a result of political turmoil and natural disasters in the first half of 2011, according to the latest Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®).
The average price of a room around the world rose by just 3% in the first six months of the year but this masked some steep rises and falls in regions affected by the historic events.
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A sluggish economy coupled with weak demand has kept the 2011 PNC Christmas Price Index® (PNC CPI) to a moderate gain of 3.5 percent in the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the gifts in the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
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The relative strength of the global hotel sector can be seen as an indicator of a potential turnaround in the economic outlook with the average price of a room around the world rising 4% in 2011, according to the latest Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®). The continuing strength in corporate travel, in particular, helped to push up demand and room rates, although prices were still generally lower than in 2005.
The HPI looks at prices that people actually paid for their hotel room around the world. Last year, prices fell 2% in Asia year-on-year but rose in all other areas: 8% in the Pacific, 5% in North America, 4% in Latin America, 3% in the Caribbean and 2% in Europe and the Middle East. The overall increase reflected a continuing trend of steady recovery after a 13% tumble in 2009.
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Increasing numbers of investors are turning to VIX® volatility index options and futures to manage risk and capitalize on market volatility. VIX® options and futures are traded exclusively on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE).
Since its creation in 1993, the CBOE Volatility Index® (the VIX® index) has been the most widely-followed barometer of market volatility. By using real-time options prices on the S&P 500® Index to get a true snapshot into how the marketplace views expected volatility, the VIX® index is an incredibly valuable tool for traders.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/52002-cboe-vix-options-and-futures
The world’s most romantic city, Paris, has been named the most expensive city in the world for a Club Sandwich, according to research released today by Hotels.com. The classic chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayo sandwich, available in hotels the world over, has been used as a measure of affordability by the hotel expert. The Club Sandwich Index (CSI) will give holiday-makers an indication of the costs associated with their holiday destination, using one of the most common items on any hotel menu around the world as a barometer.
The CSI average price has been calculated by taking the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in the capital or major city of each country measured. In total Hotels.com surveyed the Club Sandwich prices in more than 750 hotels in the five, four and three star category across 26 countries.
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For the first time in five years, travellers paid more on average for their hotel rooms during the first six months of 2012 in all parts of the world, according to the latest Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index TM (HPI®). The global 4% rise, compared to the same period the year before, demonstrated that the economic recovery in the hotel industry was well-established.
The Index stood at 108 for this period meaning that, despite the latest increase, hotel prices in general were still considerably lower than in the first half of 2007 when the HPI was at its peak of 119.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56589-global-hotel-prices-rise-in-all-regions