Library Descriptions and Challenges

The name of the library, which we are concerned with, is Clayton and it is a county library system. The library began in January 1941 by Jonesboro women’s club and at that time, it had 200 books only (McCook, 2011). A certain women’s club rented a room along the old Jones Brothers Department store on south Main Street. The club’s first librarian was Mary Barnette.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Library Descriptions and Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Around 1960, Jonesboro library was built near Flint River Regional Library System that had its headquarters in Griffin. The alliance gave permission to citizens of Clayton to be using the books and staff at large. Later in 1964, Jonesboro library was started and around 1966, it opened another branch; the present Jonesboro branch. Around 1967, the Forest Park Branch was opened at Main Street in Forest Park. The next branch was Riverd ale, opened around GA highway 85 near upper  Riverdale Road. Morrow branch followed later in 1975 and it was located on the old Rex Road on a store front. By 1981, the Clayton county libraries had become so successful with the Flint River Regional System and since then, the fame of Clayton County Library System began to increase (McCook, 2011). The headquarters of the library were built in 1988 on Battle Creek and was followed closely by the Morrow branch in 1991, built on Maddox road. Riverdale branch was next and it was built on Valley Hill Road by 1998. The Lovejoy Branch was the 6th and last since then and it was constructed in 2005 on McDonough Road (Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, 2009). Organization and Governance of the Library The Clayton library has clay county board of commissioners with Eldrin Bell being their chairman and the library board of trustees has Judy Serritela as their chairperson (Stockham, 1969). From the chairman, the hierarchy goes down to Carol J Stewar t, who is the chief of staff next to director library services. Next, there are departments of technical service headquarters, community services, youth services, information technology, branch services and collection development headed by various assistant directors. The headquarters managing librarian is Sherry Turner and at the lowest levels, there are small departments like; youth service librarian, technical assistant, and part time assistants among others (Stockholm, 1969).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Service Populations In Clayton county library, there are friendly staffs ready to attend to client’s questions and recommend reading materials (Kelly, 1966).The library has got free computers for public use, which are connected to the internet and installed with Microsoft office software like word and PowerPoint in addition to the availability of free typewrit ers to its clients. The children section computers have got educational software and word processing software (Kelly, 1966). There is wireless internet access in all its branches and the headquarters have got two dedicated legal research computers. Adult literacy information and referral subscriptions are there for over 150 magazines and newspapers. Multi-purpose rooms are also available for the sake of; not for profit organizations, academic and cultural activities in all branches except Jonesboro branch. Furthermore, there are Federal and State tax Forms and voter registration forms. Holds may be placed on PINES libraries in person, online or on phone. Books may be borrowed from other PINES libraries at no cost from any library PINE throughout the state. The system has got library inter-loan allowing individuals to borrow books from outside libraries, out of the PINES network and only the postage costs incurred are paid. Moreover, the library has monthly program calendar of events , online resources and live homework help (Kelly, 1966). The Brief History of the Library The Clayton library was founded in January 1941, with the support of Jonesboro women’s club and at the beginning it had only 200 books. All these books were initially borrowed from the WPA by the women’s club. By then, there was no specific building designed for the library but instead, they rented a room on the south Main Street across the rail depot above the old Jones Brothers Department. Mrs. Mary Barnette had a chance of being its first librarian (Bobinski, 1969). Jonesboro library was put together with the Flint River. In 1960, the alliance allowed the regional library system and its headquarters were in Griffin where citizens were allowed to access the large collection of books, professional librarians and bookmobile services available. At the end of 1964, the library grew in fame until 1966 when it was officially opened in its current Jonesboro library branch location.Adve rtising We will write a custom report sample on Library Descriptions and Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 1967, Forest Park branch opened on Main Street in Forest Park, which was followed by Riverdale branch in 1970 and it was located in GA highway 85 near upper Riverdale. This was followed closely by the Morrow branch in 1975, which was opened in a store front on Old Rex Road (Bobinski, 1969). By 1981, the library system had been formed while its headquarters was built in 1988 on the road of Battle Creek. In 1991, Morrow branch was built on Maddox Road followed by Riverdale branch in 1998 in Valley Hill Road. The final branch, which is Lovejoy, was opened in January 2005, on the McDonough Road (Bobinski, 1969). This branch was the sixth one in the growth of the libraries. The Geographical Service Area of the Library The project is located in a place called Jonesboro found in Georgia, between the southeast ends of H artsfield International Airport (Barnett, 1987). This is ranked to be among the busiest airports in the globe. A strip is said to exist between the two projects and it is said to be folksy; a hand painted where a person can pull with a pick up along side. This way, the ZZ top can come to you through an open window and in this place; information is searched for practical reasons and for personal history. The library is actually a filling station for information for life (Barnett, 1987). The site is well bounded on the north by Battle Creek Road, on the East by Jester’s Creek and its more associated flood plain, a wooded area lush with a lot of hardwood and pines. In the south and west, it is by other county facilities. The library building is located on the south portion of the site, directly in front of the building. The plan is well organized around two creeks where the north-south axis connects the parking lot, entrance and circulation desk (Barnett, 1987). This axis inters ects an east-west axis at ninety degrees and connects the woods and flood plain east of the site. The building is functionally organized into two areas; which are the administration and the public area. The public area tends to occupy a large, open room oriented to the woods and creeks. There is a monitor dividing the space and emphasizing the line of travel towards the genealogy collection (Barnett, 1987). The roofs of the space spring toward the east and the woods which are arranged to fan up on the southward direction and allow the north to enter at each step.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The services of children are located at the lower space and the general location with the tallest stacks; being located where the roof is at the highest. The structure is actually a steel frame with long span truss joists of wood and galvanized steel. The foundations are concrete footings and the exterior skin is combined into metal sidings with a variety of textures and patterns (Barnett, 1987). Source: (Clayton County Library System, 2010). The Mission Statement of the University The mission of the university is to contribute to the success of the citizens  of our diverse community by offering a full range of library services that meet their informational educational and leisure interests, fostering the love of reading in our youth and the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for all. (Clayton County Library System, 2010, p.1) The Library’s Catalogue The library’s catalogue directs its readers to make their work easy and avoid a lot of confusions. For example, the websit e informs its clients on the classes offered online and good examples are; computer classes, the location of the library, the month of library cards sign up and library meetings among others. The website suggests on PINES catalog, PINES search tips, how to go about the process and suggest books recommended for reading (Bertot, Jaeger, Langa, McClure 2006). On the research section, there are various databases, subject guides and articles like Galileo’s. There is also other things to do; events and classes, online calendar and monthly newsletters and in case of confusions, there are clear guides on how to go about to clear the confusions like wireless access, FAQs, information for parents, information for educators as well as ESOL information (Bertot, Jaeger, Langa, McClure 2006). Challenges Facing the Library Funding Problems Most public libraries depend heavily on their local government funding but some proactive librarians have formed alliances with patron and civic groups so as to supplement their financial needs. With the current cost of running local government increasing, libraries are forced to focus ahead of the tax base of the communities they are serving (Irwin, 1964). For example in the United States, libraries in financially strapped communities compete with other public institutions financially. Examples of such institutions include the police, schools and even fire fighters among others. As a strategy of reducing cost and boosting saving, some United States cities; such as New York, San Diego and Philadelphia have reduced their number of employees and service costs simultaneously (Irwin, 1964). The strategies applied by all these cities are; cutting or reducing library funding, closing down numerous branches and reducing working hours and the number of employees in all there branches that were operational (Irwin, 1964). These strategies have greatly affected the library operations in the United States although there are some reports that their return has increased. For instance, a 2008 survey prospected that there is increased funding in the United States libraries, but their growth is still wanting. Various influences have led to a decline of monetary support of public libraries by various governments for entities (Irwin, 1964). A second example of a survey is that of the American library association that has reported a fall of 41 percent in the 2009 budgets for public library funding. As a result of this, most libraries have strained to catch up with cost of upgrading electronic hardware, creation and maintenance among other resource costs. For example while funding was declining or remained the same, the price for printing books and magazines went up (Irwin, 1964). Technological Challenges The internet is modernizing many aspects of lives including public libraries that we use from time to time and more especially the vast and growing information available in the internet that is vital to various academic fields and researches creating a lot of competition for public funding of libraries. Many feel that, if their public libraries were shut down, they would have lost a very important and essential thing that will affect the entire community (Bertot, McClure, Jaeger Ryan, 2008). There have been various efforts during the several past decades to upgrade technology and more specifically internet access so as to enable all citizens’ access the new technologies regardless of their economic status. Libraries also play an essential role in educating school children and the older students like the university students and so they are required to call for active governance so as to position them securely (Bertot, McClure, Jaeger Ryan, 2008). Human Resource Challenge Lack of adequate and competent staff, which can perform the library activities as required can be a major challenge (Jones, 1997). For example, most public libraries are computerized and for one to operate those systems, he or she requires to be computer literate. This poses a lot of challenges to libraries with illiterate or semi-literate computer staff members (Jones, 1997). Discussion by the Local Newspaper Various local newspapers feature various events about Clayton library. For example, in the case of economic down turn, there is need for public library services. Clayton has an increase in demand whereby, branches in nearby Henry County, all other libraries are usually closed during the weekends and  most of its patrons use the Clayton libraries. The Clayton spent little during that year and it did not cut their hours but Carol Stewart said that there were other costs saving measures in the budget including a 3-month hard freeze on hiring all Clayton County employees including the staff had to take three furlough days that year. This information was available in Clayton News Daily on January 26, 2010. (Allan, 2008, p.61) The local newspapers feature the Clayton Library almost daily in various aspects like; hostage of various programs and work shops, celebrating reading of children books, the struggle in meeting the target demands, launching of various programs like the launch of New Teen web site on July 08, 2010 by Curt Yeomans, educating on family life like story time bringing families together, targeting adults reaching programs and creating social networks like face book whereby they interact with anybody worldwide(Allan, 2008). The Likely Direction That the Library Will Take First and, the library should ensure that it targets to employ the skilled staff especially on computer latest technology so as to ensure that they go along with new technologies. This staff should be fully informed on what should be happening in the library whether with the use of computers or without. The library should ensure that its number of employees is adequate for the efficient running of activities in the library so as to stop overworking the few employees available, which is likely to reduce the output or lead to poor work being done (Jones, 1999). Financially, the library directors should never rely on funding programs; which are likely to break down at any time. They should look for better alternatives like investing in projects that can benefit them financially. The library should also ensure that it works hand in hand with the community members; these are the people who are readily available to assist the library in various ways as they also benefit from the same libraries. The directors of the various branches should be in competition to ensure each one of them is the best and this way, the library in general will grow all round (Jones, 1999). What the Library Will Look Like In Ten Years to Come If at all the recommended measures are taken by the library officials, geared by their directors, the library will grow to a world class library by ten years to come and it will realize its mission, vision, objectives and goals. The challenges facing the library right now like technological and financial challenges will be far gone by ten years to come. If all these are achieved, the library will stand as one of the best in the world (Jones, 1999). Strategic Plan for the Library The library has got a strategic plan of expanding its services worldwide. This will be possible by opening more branches so as to reach many people in Africa, Asia, and Australia. The library is targeting to stand out as the best worldwide or a world class library (Predeek, 1947). Analysis and Response to the Plan From the various achievements, the library is in a good position to open its branches worldwide because technologically, they are trying as much as possible to be updated. In human resource, they can employ more staff and train them adequately and it will be a better idea to get local people from each area they tend to go and train them because it will cut on costs of transporting them to their work places. At the same time, local people will work better in their ho me countries as compared to foreigners because they will not experience homesick, culture shocks and the likes (Raven, 2006). Generally the library is in a good position to implement the plan. The plan has put into consideration the challenges it is facing, and it has given itself like five years to find solutions to these challenges before proceeding to expand its services globally. Conclusion This library has come up very well since its early ages to date. Its management is still okay regardless of the various challenges that it faces like; financial problems but I believe that with the laid strategies, it is in a good position to rectify the wrongs and implement the rights. Its strategic plans of expanding its services across the world are possible as long as they continue working as one team. The management of this library has brought it far and I believe it is taking it far. References Allan, D. (2008). A Nation of Readers: the lending library in Georgian England. London: Briti sh Library. Barnett, G.K. (1987). The history of public libraries in France from the Revolution to 1939. London: Library Association. Bertot, J.C., Jaeger, P.T., Langa, L.A., McClure, C.R. (2006). Public access computing and Internet access in public libraries: The role of public libraries in e- government and emergency situations. Web. Bertot, J.C., McClure, C.R., Jaeger, P.T., Ryan, J. (2008). Public libraries and the Internet 2008: Study results and findings. Web. Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. (2009). Global Libraries: Opening a World of Information and Opportunities. Web. Bobinski, G.S. (1969). Carnegie Libraries: their history and impact on American public library development. Chicago: American Library Association. Clayton County Library System. (2010). Mission Statement. Web. Irwin, R. (1964). The Heritage of the English Library. London: George Allen Unwin. Jones, B.M. (1999). Libraries, access, and intellectual freedom: Developing policies. Chicago: American Library Asso ciation. Jones, T. (1997). Carnegie Libraries across America. Washington: Preservation Press. Kelly, T. (1966). Early Public Libraries: a history of public libraries in Great Britain before 1850. London: Library Association. Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects. (2010). Clayton County Headquarters Library, 1980-1989. Web. McCook, K. (2011). Introduction to Public Librarianship (2nd ed.). NY: Neal-Schuman. Predeek, A. (1947). A History of Libraries in Great Britain and North America. Chicago: American Library Association. Raven, J. (2006). Libraries for sociability: the advance of subscription library. The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland (Vols 3). New York: Cambridge University Press. Stockham, K.A. (1969). British County Libraries: 1919-1969. London: Andrà © Deutsch. This report on Library Descriptions and Challenges was written and submitted by user Trey Love to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Planets And Solar System Essays - Planetary Science, Planet

Planets And Solar System Essays - Planetary Science, Planet Planets And Solar System Planets and Solar System The Planets and the Solar System Planets 2 A planet is a celestial body that revolves around a central star and does not shine by its own light (Grolier, 1992). The only planetary system that is known to man is our solar system. It is made up of nine planets which range in size and make-up. The nine major planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. There are also many other minor planets which are also in our solar system, but they are unimportant compared to the nine major planets. In this paper I will discuss the planets and how they are each unique. Mercury which is the planet that is closest to the sun is the first planet I will discuss. Mercury is the smallest of the inner planets. It is speculated that the heat from the sun made it impossible for the gases present to become part of the planetary formation. The surface of Mercury is extremely hot. It is approximately 470 degrees celsius on the surface and is thought to be even hotter at the two hot spots. These hot spots are on opposite ends of the equator. It is the heat of the surface that makes it impossible for Mercury to have any type of atmosphere. Mercury orbits the sun once every 88 days and has a true rotation period of 58.6 days. It is the closest planet to the sun and therefore orbits faster than any other planet (Thompson/Turk, 542, 1993). It is said that Mercury rotates three times for every two trips around the sun, so that during Planets 3 every alternate perihelon passage the same face points directly at the sun. Geologically, the most remarkable features of Mercury are compressional cliffs or faults, just the sort of wrinkles that might form in the crust if the interior of the planet shrank slightly (Morrison, 74, 1993). It is speculated that it was the solidification of Mercury's metallic core that caused this global shrinkage. Mercury is also . . . enriched in metal or depleted of rock (Morrison, 74, 1993). It is also believed that some of the inner core of Mercury is still in a fluid state. Scientists also believe that Mercury's surface is made partially of silicate rock. The best way to describe Mercury is, . . . small, heavily cratered and airless (Morrison, 71, 1993). Venus is the second closest planet to the sun and is said to . . . most closely resemble Earth in size, density, and distance from the sun (Thompson/Turk, 542, 1993). Venus is known to most scientists as the sister planet to the Earth. It is called this because it closely resembles the Earth's mass, density and diameter. The only thing different is that Venus is shrouded in thick clouds that completely hide the surface of the planet (Grolier, 1992). The surface temperature is also much warmer than that of Earth. Venus completes one revolution around the sun in 224.7 days. This makes the Venusian day equal to 117 earth days. It is thought that this slow rotation may be the reason why Venus has no magnetic field. Planets 4 The atmosphere of Venus made up of 98% carbon dioxide and 2% Nitrogen. This atmosphere also has the presence of helium, neon and argon. This is yet another thing which makes Venus different from Earth. The surface of Venus is quite a bit like that of the Earth. The surface has volcanoes and smooth plains. Much of the volcanic activity on Venus takes the form of Basaltic eruptions that inundate large ares, much as the mare volcanism flooded the impacted basins on the near side of the moon (Morrison, 93, 1993). One thing that differs from Earth is that there is no water liquid on the Venusian surface. Some of the scientific data that follows was taken out of Cattermole's book. The mean distance from the sun is 108.20 Km. The equatorial diameter is 12,012 Km and the equatorial rotation is 243 days. Finally the mass of Venus is 4.87*10^24 (Cattermole, 63, 1993). Venus, although different than Earth, is still our sister planet. Mars is the fourth furthest away from the sun and is recognized by its reddish color. Mars is also very much like the Earth. More than any other planet in the solar system, Mars has characteristics that make it an Earth-like world (Grolier, 1992). One thing that is very similar to Earth is the rotation period. Mars rotation period is only thirty seven minutes longer than the Earth's. This

Social Responsibility and the Community Research Paper

Social Responsibility and the Community - Research Paper Example Notably, corporate social responsibility promotes the reputation of the company and creates a competitive advantage. In the modern world, organizations are under pressure to practice corporate social responsibility while still making profits. Indeed, it has become an expectation for all organizations to be ethically and socially responsible for the benefit of the organization and the society (ISO, 2010). This paper will research and write an analysis of Starbucks social actions in the community. Analysis Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading coffee retailer, roaster, and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Starbucks originated from Seattle, USA, but today it operates in over 60 countries with more than 18,000 stores. Starbucks specializes in premium and sell salads, books, gifts, warm and cold beverages, and other accessories. Due to its wide market network, high quality of its products, and the wide range of products, Starbucks commands a significant market presence where it h as the largest customer base in the coffee other blend- drinks industry. As a result, it interacts with many societies and therefore influences their lives. Therefore, there is need for a corporate social responsibility strategy to guide the operations of Starbucks Coffee Company all over the world. ... Indeed, it is clear from the organization’s website that Starbucks adopted various corporate social responsibility strategies with a view of achieving its mission statement. Specifically, the corporate social responsibility strategies adopted by Starbucks includes the 2000 partnership with Conservation International aimed at creating ethical coffee-sourcing guidelines (Bruhn-Hansen, 2012) and the formulation of the Starbucks Foundation. Moreover, Starbucks seeks to be accountable to all Starbucks stakeholders and making social investments in origin countries as well as minimizing their environmental impact. Additionally, the organization participates in the Global Month of Service. There are various pros and cons to the application of the respective corporate social responsibility strategies adopted by Starbucks Coffee Company. For example, the 2000 partnership with Conservation International aimed at creating ethical coffee-sourcing guidelines derives notable pros and cons. I n this strategy, Starbucks boosts the lives of farmers by purchasing at outright prices, signing long-term contracts, and buying directly from farms and cooperatives (Starbucks Corporation, 2013). This equally ensures sustainable supply of high-quality coffee to the organization. Moreover, through the Ecologic Enterprise Ventures and the CI Foundation, Starbucks avails credit facilities to farmers (Starbucks, 2001). Nevertheless, an outright price and long-term contracts hinders the farmer from enjoying better prices from other companies in the near future. More so, there is a risk to the repayment of the loans given to the farmers. On the other hand, the partnership allows Starbucks to give financial incentives and rewards to coffee suppliers who conserve the environmental and demonstrate

Assignment 3 Buyers Behavior Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 Buyers Behavior - Assignment Example Marketing, understanding the customers would help an organization to develop and distribute its products at the right places and appropriate prices (2014). Therefore, understanding of the organization’s customers, regardless of if it is small or large, is an essential factor towards the financial success of the company. Both the consumers and businesses have specific patterns that can enable an individual to determine the buying behaviors. There are various steps, both for the business and customers, which determine how well their buying behaviors are. Adopting an appropriate buying behavior for the business will ensure that the customer will the product that they need at the right place and at the right time. There are various steps that a typical business or organization will go through when purchasing its products. In summary, the business should first identify the existing need or problem among the available customers. This would help it to determine how they will be able to meet those needs. Secondly, the business should develop product specification to determine what specific products will meet their needs. The search for products and the supply points is the third step in the purchasing process. This can be achieved through ways such as exhibitions, the company’s sales force, and other advertising ways that can provide relevant valuable information. Fourth, the business can now be ready to place an order, after which the management would evaluate the performance of the product and supplier. After all these steps, the business should follow on the purchase made, since the first purchase should not be viewed as merely a one of a time purchase, but as the beginning of a long te rm business relationship. Likewise, Shah points out that there are several processes that are involved in the determination of the consumer behavior (2015). Primarily consumers would tend to look at the commodities that they would like to consume after which they will tend to select

Oral Script About Titanic Essay Example for Free

Oral Script About Titanic Essay Good morning to my teacher and fellow friends. Today I want to talk about the sinking of Titanic. RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of 1,514 people in history. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. One of three liners operated by the White Star Line, she was built between 1909-11 by the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast. Her passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as over a thousand emigrants from Britain,  Ireland,  Scandinavia  and elsewhere seeking a new life in North America. The ship was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury, with an on-board gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins. She also had a powerful wireless telegraph provided for the convenience of passengers as well as for operational use. Though she had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, she lacked enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, she carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178  people – a third of her total passenger and crew capacity. After leaving Southampton, England on 10  April 1912,  Titanic  called at  France  and Ireland before heading westwards towards New York. On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40  pm. The glancing collision caused  Titanics hull plates to buckle inwards in a number of locations on her  starboard  side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea. Over the next two and a half hours, the ship gradually filled with water and sank. Passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly filled. Just before 2:20  am  Titanic  broke up and sank bow-first with over a thousand people still on board. Those in the water died within minutes from  hypothermia  caused by immersion in the freezing ocean. The 710 survivors were taken aboard from the lifeboats by the  RMS Carpathia  a few hours later. The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the regulatory and operational failures that had led to it. Many of the survivors lost all of their money and possessions and were left destitute; many families, particularly those of crew members from Southampton, lost their primary bread-winners. They were helped by an outpouring of public sympathy and charitable donations. Some of the male survivors, notably the White Star Lines chairman,  J.Bruce Ismay, were accused of cowardice for leaving the ship while people were still on board, and they faced social ostracism. The  wreck of the  Titanic  remains on the seabed, gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415 feet (3,784  m). Since its rediscovery in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the sea bed and put on display at museums around the world. Titanic  has become one of the most famous ships in history, her memory kept alive by numerous  books, films, exhibits and memorials. That’s all. Thank you.

Autobiographical Comparison :: James Baldwin Philosophy Essays

Autobiographical Comparison While reading through James Baldwin's Autobiographical Notes, I was struck with a sudden flash of inspiration. I already knew that I enjoyed Baldwin's works more than any others we have read in class so far: Rodriguez's writing I found to be dull and victimized; Jacobs's was precisely an explanation of how bad slaves lives were and nothing more; and although Virginia Woolf's writings were not painful to read the overall style left me feeling dreamy and disconcerted (after a while all those semicolons got to me). Baldwin's writing had not only content, but a reflection upon it that I found interesting to read. He offered a fresh perspective, analyzing the social history of America and its causes. It is very interesting to read the sections discussing the concept of fighting poison by using poison, and the section discussing the choice of amputation or gangrene. Rather than throw up his hands in despair and say, "Life's not fair that I must choose between amputation and gangrene," he analyzes the benefits and trade-offs. All this I knew before reading his Autobiographical Notes, but while I read them I was suddenly struck with a very powerful revelation. I realized that I liked his writings because I found in him the same philosophy I have adopted. I immediately wondered if there was a connection between our philosophies and the fact that we were both minorities. I'm curious as to how much of the similarities in our philosophies can be attributed to being minorities, and how many differences can be explained by the fact that we are from two different minorities and those that can be explained by the fact that he wrote and lived generations removed from myself. There are three main similarities between our philosophies that I would like to discuss, although the three are likely closely related. The first is that even bad situations contain their associated good. Baldwin writes that the things which hurt and the things which help cannot be divorced from each other. I am not sure how widely spread this idea is, but I certainly believe it. Since around the time I was in 3rd grade, I have believed that good can not exist without bad. Furthermore, I believe that the sum of one's life that he considers good and that which he considers bad will in the end come out equal.

Icici Bank Report

ICICI BANK ABOUT ICICI BANK: ICICI Bank is India's second-largest bank with total assets of Rs. 4,736. 47 billion (US$ 93 billion) at March 31, 2012 and profit after tax Rs. 64. 65 billion (US$ 1,271 million) for the year ended March 31, 2012. The Bank has a network of 2,766 branches and 9,363 ATMs in India, and has a presence in 19 countries, including India.ICICI Bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. ICICI Bank started as a wholly owned subsidiary of ICICI Limited, an Indian financial institution, in 1994. Four years later, when the company offered ICICI Bank's shares to the public, ICICI's shareholding was reduced to 46%.In the year 2000, ICICI Bank offered made an equity offering in the form of ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), thereby becoming the first Indian company and the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to be listed on the NYSE. In the next year, it acquired the Bank of Madura Limited in an all-stock amalgamation. Later in the year and the next fiscal year, the bank made secondary market sales to institutional investors.With a change in the corporate structure and the budding competition in the Indian Banking industry, the management of both ICICI and ICICI Bank were of the opinion that a merger between the two entities would prove to be an essential step. It was in 2001 that the Boards of Directors of ICICI and ICICI Bank sanctioned the amalgamation of ICICI and two of its wholly-owned retail finance subsidiaries, ICICI Personal Financial Services Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank.In the following year, the merger was approved by its shareholders, the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad as well as the High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and the Reserve Bank of India. ICICI Bank has its equity shares listed in India on Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited. Overseas, its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As of December 31, 2008, ICICI is India's second-largest bank, boasting an asset value of Rs. 3,744. 10 billion and profit after tax Rs. 30. 14 billion, for the nine months, that ended on December 31, 2008. BRANCHESOFATMS:ICICI Bank has a wide network both in Indian and abroad. In India alone, the bank has 1,420 branches and about 4,644 ATMs. Talking about foreign countries, ICICI Bank has made its presence felt in 18 countries – United States, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Dubai International Finance Centre and representative offices in United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Bank proudly holds its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Russia and Canada out of which, the UK subsidiary has established branches in Belgium and Germany. Products Personal Banking * Deposits * Loans Cards * Investments * Insurance * Demat Services * Wealth Management NRI Banking * Money Transfer * Bank Accounts * Investments * Property Solutions * Insurance * Loans Business Banking * Corporate Net Banking * Cash Management * Trade Services * FXOnline * SME Services * Online Taxes * Custodial Services Board Members * Mr. K. V. Kamath,- Chairman * Mr. Sridar Iyengar * Dr. Swati Piramal * Mr. Homi R. Khusrokhan * Mr. Arvind Kumar * Mr. M. S. Ramachandran Dr. Tushaar Shah Mr. V. Sridar Ms. Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director & CEO Mr. N. S. Kannan, Executive Director & CFO Mr. K. Ramkumar, Executive Director Mr. Rajiv Sabharwal,Executive Director Head Office ICICI Bank 9th Floor, South Towers ICICI Towers Bandra Kurla Complex Bandra (E) Mumbai Phone: 91-022-653 7914 Website: www. icicibank. com SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths of ICICI Bank * ICICI is the second largest bank in ter ms of total assets and market share * Total assets of ICICI is Rs. 4062. 34 Billion and recorded a maximum profit after tax of Rs. 51. 51 billion and located in 19 countries * One of the major strength of ICICI bank according to financial analysts is its strong and transparent balance sheet * ICICI bank has first mover advantage in many of the banking and financial services.ICICI bank is the first bank in India to introduce complete mobile banking solutions and   jewelry card * The bank has PAN India presence of around 2,567 branches and 8003 ATM’s * ICICI bank is the first bank in India to attach life style benefits to banking services for exclusive purchases and tie-ups with best brands in the industry such as Nakshatra, Asmi, D’damas etc * ICICI bank has the longest working hours and additional services offering at ATM’s which attracts customers * Marketing and advertising strategies of ICICI have good reach compared to other banks in India Weaknesses of  ICICI Bank Customer support of ICICI section is not performing well in terms of resolving complaints * There are lot of consumer complaints filed against ICICI * The ICICI bank has the most stringent policies in terms of recovering the debts and loans, and credit payments. They employ third party agency to handle recovery management * There are also complaints of customer assault and abuse while recovering and the credit payment reminders are sent even before the deadlines which annoys the customers * The bank service charges are comparatively higher The employees of ICICI are bank in maximum stress because of the aggressive policies of the management to win ahead in the race. This may result in less productivity in future years Opportunities of  ICICI Bank * Banking sector is expected to grow at a rate of 17% in the next three years * The concept of saving in banks and investing in financial products is increasing in rural areas as more than 62% percentage of India’s popu lation is still in rural areas. As per 2010 data in TOI, the total number b-schools in India are more than 1500. This can ensure regular supply of trained human power in financial products and banking services * Within next four years ICICI bank is planning to open 1500 new branches * Small and non performing banks can be acquired by ICICI because of its financial strength * ICICI bank is expected to have 20% credit growth in the coming years. * ICICI bank has the minimum amount of non performing assets Threats of  ICICI Bank RBI allowed foreign banks to invest up to 74% in Indian banking * Government sector banks are in urge of modernizing the capacities to ensure the customers switching to new age banks are minimized * HDFC is the major competitor for ICICI, and other upcoming banks like AXIS, HSBC impose a major threat * In rural areas the micro financing groups hold a major share * Though customer acquisition is high on one side, the unsatisfied customers are increasing and ma ke them to switch to other banks. PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: * Inputs have little impact on costs When inputs are not a big component of costs, suppliers of those inputs have less bargaining power. Low cost inputs positively affect  ICICI Bank. Bargaining Power of Customers * Large number of customers * When there are large numbers of customers, no one customer tends to have bargaining leverage. Limited bargaining leverage helps  ICICI Bank. Intensity of Existing Rivalry * Low storage costs (ICICI Bank) * Government limits competition (ICICI Bank) * Large industry size (ICICI Bank) Threat of Substitutes New Aspirants in Banking sector like AV Birla, Tata Group,  IFCI etc. Threat of New Competitors * Strong distribution network required (ICICI Bank) * High capital requirements (ICICI Bank) * High sunk costs limit competition (ICICI Bank) * Industry requires economies of scale (ICICI Bank) * Geographic factors limit competition (ICICI Ba nk) * High learning curve (ICICI Bank) SUBSIDIARIES COMPANIES: At March 31, 2012, ICICI Bank had 17 subsidiaries as listed in the following table: DOMESTIC SUBSIDIARIES * ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Limited * ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited ICICI Prudential Trust Limited * ICICI securities Ltd. * ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited * ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited * ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company Limited * ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited * ICICI Home Finance Company Limited * ICICI Investment Management Company Limited * ICICI Trusteeship Service Limited INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES: * ICICI Bank UK PLC * ICICI Securities Inc. * ICICI International Ltd. * ICICI Bank Eurasis Ltd. Liability Company. * ICICI Securities Holdings, Inc * ICICI Bank Canada FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:As required by United States securities regulations, ICICI Bank Limited (NYSE: IBN) filed its annual report in Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2012 (FY2012) on July 31, 2012. The Form 20-F annual report includes the Bank’s consolidated financial statements under Indian GAAP and a reconciliation of consolidated profit after tax and net worth under Indian GAAP to net income and stockholders’ equity under US GAAP, approved by the Audit Committee of the Board. The consolidated profit after tax for FY2012 under Indian GAAP was Rs. 7,643 crore (US$ 1,502 million) and the net income under US GAAP was Rs. ,998 crore (US$ 1,375 million). Stockholders’ equity as per US GAAP was ` 63,872 crore (US$ 12. 55 billion) at March 31, 2012 compared to the consolidated net worth as per Indian GAAP of ` 61,277 crore (US$ 12. 04 billion) ICICI BANK Key Financial Ratios of ICICI Bank Mar’12 | Mar’11| Mar '10| Mar '09| Mar '08| investment Valuation Ratios| | | | | Face Value| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| Dividend Per Share| 16. 50| 14. 00| 12. 00| 11. 00| 11. 00| Operating Profit Per Share (Rs)| 76. 15| 64. 08| 49. 80| 48. 58| 51. 29| Net Operating Profit Per Share (Rs)| 346. 19| 281. 04| 293. 74| 343. 9| 354. 71| Free Reserves Per Share (Rs)| 376. 49| 358. 12| 356. 94| 351. 04| 346. 21| Bonus in Equity Capital| –| –| –| –| –| Profitability Ratios| | | | | Interest Spread| 4. 44| 4. 01| 5. 66| 3. 66| 3. 51| Adjusted Cash Margin(%)| 17. 45| 17. 52| 13. 64| 11. 45| 11. 81| Net Profit Margin| 16. 14| 15. 91| 12. 17| 9. 74| 10. 51| Return on Long Term Fund(%)| 52. 09| 42. 97| 44. 72| 56. 72| 62. 34| Return on Net Worth(%)| 10. 70| 9. 35| 7. 79| 7. 58| 8. 94| Adjusted Return on Net Worth(%)| 10. 70| 9. 27| 7. 53| 7. 55| 8. 80| Return on Assets Excluding Revaluations| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 4| Return on Assets Including Revaluations| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 64| Management Efficiency Ratios| | | | | Interest Income / Total Funds| 9. 07| 8. 41| 8. 82| 9. 82| 10. 60| Net Interest Income / Total Fun ds| 3. 89| 4. 01| 4. 08| 3. 99| 4. 29| Non Interest Income / Total Funds| 0. 03| –| 0. 08| 0. 08| 0. 02| Interest Expended / Total Funds| 5. 18| 4. 41| 4. 74| 5. 83| 6. 31| Operating Expense / Total Funds| 1. 89| 2. 09| 2. 59| 2. 60| 2. 76| Profit Before Provisions / Total Funds| 1. 91| 1. 77| 1. 41| 1. 30| 1. 40| Net Profit / Total Funds| 1. 47| 1. 34| 1. 08| 0. 96| 1. 12| Loans Turnover| 0. 8| 0. 17| 0. 17| 0. 18| 0. 20| Total Income / Capital Employed(%)| 9. 10| 8. 41| 8. 90| 9. 90| 10. 62| Interest Expended / Capital Employed(%)| 5. 18| 4. 41| 4. 74| 5. 83| 6. 31| Total Assets Turnover Ratios| 0. 09| 0. 08| 0. 09| 0. 10| 0. 11| Asset Turnover Ratio| 0. 09| 3. 55| 4. 60| 5. 14| 5. 61| Profit And Loss Account Ratios| | | | | Interest Expended / Interest Earned| 68. 00| 65. 29| 68. 44| 73. 09| 76. 28| Other Income / Total Income| 0. 37| 0. 02| 0. 92| 0. 86| 0. 17| Operating Expense / Total Income| 20. 77| 24. 81| 29. 05| 26. 22| 26. 00| Selling Distribution Cost Composition| 0. 73| 0. 94| 0. 72| 1. 4| 4. 43| Balance Sheet Ratios| | | | | Capital Adequacy Ratio| 18. 52| 19. 54| 19. 41| 15. 53| 13. 97| Advances / Loans Funds(%)| 65. 30| 64. 96| 58. 57| 69. 86| 72. 67| Debt Coverage Ratios| | | | | Credit Deposit Ratio| 92. 23| 87. 81| 90. 04| 91. 44| 84. 99| Investment Deposit Ratio| 61. 16| 59. 77| 53. 28| 46. 35| 42. 68| Cash Deposit Ratio| 8. 60| 11. 32| 10. 72| 10. 14| 10. 12| Total Debt to Owners Fund| 4. 23| 4. 10| 3. 91| 4. 42| 5. 27| Financial Charges Coverage Ratio| 0. 39| 0. 44| 0. 33| 0. 25| 1. 25| Financial Charges Coverage Ratio Post Tax| 1. 31| 1. 34| 1. 26| 1. 20| 1. 20| Leverage Ratios| | | | |Current Ratio| 0. 13| 0. 11| 0. 14| 0. 13| 0. 11| Quick Ratio| 16. 71| 15. 86| 14. 70| 5. 94| 6. 42| Cash Flow Indicator Ratios| | | | | Dividend Payout Ratio Net Profit| 32. 82| 35. 23| 37. 31| 36. 60| 33. 12| Dividend Payout Ratio Cash Profit| 30. 36| 31. 76| 32. 33| 31. 00| 29. 08| Earning Retention Ratio| 67. 19| 64. 49| 61. 40| 63. 23| 66. 35| Cash Earning Retention Ratio| 69. 65| 68. 01| 66. 70| 68. 87| 70. 51| AdjustedCash Flow Times| 36. 54| 39. 77| 44. 79| 49. 41| 52. 34| | | | Mar '12| Mar '11| Mar '10| Mar '09| Mar '08| | | | | | | Earnings Per Share| 56. 09| 44. 73| 36. 10| 33. 76| 37. 7| | | | | | Book Value| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 64| | | | | | Source:Moneycontrol. com ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: CURRENT RATIO: STUDY OF PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT: Meaning: It is a financial statement, which shows net profit & loss of a company for a specified period. The accounting year means calendar year 12 months or less or more then 12 months. Parts of the Profit and Loss Account The Profit & Loss Account aims to monitor profit. It has three parts. 1) The Trading Account. This records the money in (revenue) and out (costs) of the business as a result of the business †trading† ie buying and selling.This might be buying raw materials and selling finished goods; it might be buying goods wholesale and selling them retail. The figure at the end of this section is the Gross Profit . 2) The Profit and Loss Account. This starts with the Gross Profit and adds to it any further costs and revenues, including overheads. These further costs and revenues are from any other activities not directly related to trading. An example is income received from investments. 3) The Appropriation Account. This shows how the profit is â€Å"appropriated† or divided between the three uses mentioned above. HORIZONTAL ANALYSIS:When an analyst compares financial information for two or more years for a single company, the process is referred to as horizontal analysis, since the analyst is reading across the page to compare any single line item, such assales revenues. In addition to comparing dollar amounts, the analyst computes percentage changes from year to year for all financial statement balances, such as cash and inventory. Alternatively, in comparing financial statements for a number of years, t he analyst may prefer to use a variation of horizontal analysis called trend analysis. VERTICAL ANALYSIS:When using vertical analysis, the analyst calculates each item on a single financial statement as a percentage of a total. The term vertical analysis applies because each year's figures are listed vertically on a financial statement. The total used by the analyst on the income statement is net sales revenue, while on the balance sheet it is total assets. This approach to financial statement analysis, also known as component percentages, produces common-size financial statements. Price/sale ratio: About Price to Sales Ratio(P/S) The price to sales ratio (PS ratio) is calculated by dividing stock price by the revenue per share.It is most useful for comparing companies within a sector or industry because â€Å"normal† values for this ratio vary from industry to industry. In general, low price to sales ratios are more appealing because they suggest that a company is undervalue d. P/E ratio: About Price to Earnings Ratio The price to earnings ratio (PE Ratio) is the measure of the share price relative to the annual net income earned by the firm per share. PE ratio shows current investor demand for a company share. A high PE ratio generally indicates increased demand because investors anticipate earnings growth in the future.The PE ratio has units of years, which can be interpreted as the number of years of earnings to pay back purchase price. PRICE/BOOK VALUE RATIO: About Price to Book Ratio The price to book value is a financial ratio used to compare a company's book value to its current market price. Book value is an accounting term denoting the portion of the company held by the shareholders at accounting value (not market value). In other words, book value is the company's total tangible assets less its total liabilities. DCF METHOD: Beta(? ) The Beta (? of a stock or portfolio is a number describing the correlated volatility of an asset in relation to the volatility of the benchmark that said asset is being compared to. This benchmark is generally the overall financial market and is often estimated via the use of representative indices, such as the S;P 500. An asset has a beta of zero if its moves are not correlated with the benchmark's moves. A positive beta means that the asset generally follows the benchmark, in the sense that the asset tends to move up when the benchmark moves up, and the asset tends to move down when the benchmark moves down.A negative beta means that the asset generally moves opposite the benchmark: the asset tends to move up when the benchmark moves down, and the asset tends to move down when the benchmark moves up. It measures the part of the asset's statistical variance that cannot be removed by the diversification provided by the portfolio of many risky assets, because of the correlation of its returns with the returns of the other assets that are in the portfolio. Beta can be estimated for individual companies using regression analysis against a stock market index. The formula for the beta of an asset within a portfolio is here ra measures the rate of return of the asset, rp measures the rate of return of the portfolio, cov(ra,rp) is the covariance between the rates of return. The portfolio of interest in the CAPM formulation is the market portfolio that contains all risky assets, and so the rp terms in the formula are replaced by rm, the rate of return of the market. Beta is also referred to as financial elasticity or correlated relative volatility, and can be referred to as a measure of the sensitivity of the asset's returns to market returns, its non-diversifiable risk, its systematic risk, or market risk.The market itself is considered to have a Beta of 1. Using regression analysis, the beta of the stock is calculated. If the beta of the stock is greater than 1, this means the stock’s prices are more volatile than the market, and vice verse. For example, if a stock ha s a beta of 1. 2, this means that a 1% change in the market index will bring about a 1. 2% change in the stock’s price. Stocks with high beta are considered to be more risky compared to the ones with low beta. Bollinger Bands: Bollinger Bands  is a  technical analysis  tool invented byJohn Bollinger in the 1980s, and a term  trademarked   by him in 2011.Having evolved from the concept of trading bands, Bollinger Bands and the related indicators  %b  and bandwidth  can be used to measure the highness or lowness of the price relative to previous trades. Bollinger Bands consist of: * an  N-period  moving average (MA) * an upper band at  K  times an  N-period  standard deviation  above the moving average (MA  +  K? ) * a lower band at  K  times an  N-period  standard deviation below the moving average (MA  ? K? ) Typical values for  N  and  K  are 20 and 2, respectively.The default choice for the average is a simple  moving av erage, but other types of averages can be employed as needed. Exponential moving averages  are a common second choice. Usually the same period is used for both the middle band and the calculation of standard deviation. INTERPRETATION: The use of Bollinger Bands varies widely among traders. Some traders buy when price touches the lower Bollinger Band and exit when price touches the moving average in the center of the bands. Other traders buy when price breaks above the upper Bollinger Band or sell when price falls below the lower Bollinger Band.Moreover, the use of Bollinger Bands is not confined to stock traders;  options  traders, most notably  implied volatility traders, often sell options when Bollinger Bands are historically far apart or buy options when the Bollinger Bands are historically close together, in both instances, expecting volatility to revert back towards the average historical volatility level for the stock. When the bands lie close together a period of low   volatility  in stock price is indicated. When they are far apart a period of high volatility in price is indicated.When the bands have only a slight slope and lie approximately parallel for an extended time the price of a stock will be found to oscillate up and down between the bands as though in a channel. Traders are often inclined to use Bollinger Bands with other indicators to see if there is confirmation. In particular, the use of an oscillator like Bollinger Bands will often be coupled with a non-oscillator indicator like  chart patterns  or a  trendline; if these indicators confirm the recommendation of the Bollinger Bands, the trader will have greater evidence that what the bands forecast is correct.Monte carlo simulation: Risk analysis is part of every decision we make. We are constantly faced with uncertainty, ambiguity, and variability. And even though we have unprecedented access to information, we can’t accurately predict the future. Monte Carlo simul ation (also known as the Monte Carlo Method) lets you see all the possible outcomes of your decisions and assess the impact of risk, allowing for better decision making under uncertainty. Monte Carlo simulation is a computerized mathematical technique that allows people to account for risk in quantitative analysis and decision making.The technique is used by professionals in such widely disparate fields as finance, project management, energy, manufacturing, engineering, research and development, insurance, oil & gas, transportation, and the environment. Monte Carlo simulation furnishes the decision-maker with a range of possible outcomes and the probabilities they will occur for any choice of action.. It shows the extreme possibilities—the outcomes of going for broke and for the most conservative decision—along with all possible consequences for middle-of-the-road decisions.The technique was first used by scientists working on the atom bomb; it was named for Monte Carl o, the Monaco resort town renowned for its casinos. Since its introduction in World War II, Monte Carlo simulation has been used to model a variety of physical and conceptual systems. ICICI BANK CHARTS The annotated chart above shows a stock that opened with a gap up. Before the open, the number of buy orders exceeded the number of sell orders and the price was raised to attract more sellers. Demand was brisk from the start. The intraday high reflects the strength of demand (buyers). The intraday low reflects the availability of supply (sellers).The close represents the final price agreed upon by the buyers and the sellers. In this case, the close is well below the high and much closer to the low. This tells that even though demand (buyers) was strong during the day, supply (sellers) ultimately prevailed and forced the price back down. Even after this selling pressure, the close remained above the open. By looking at price action over an extended period of time, we can see the battl e between supply and demand unfold. In its most basic form, higher prices reflect increased demand and lower prices reflect increased supply. Interpretation:The Rate-of-Change (ROC) indicator, which is also referred to as simply Momentum, is a pure  momentum oscillator  that measures the percent change in price from one period to the next. The ROC calculation compares the current price with the price â€Å"n† periods ago. The plot forms an oscillator that fluctuates above and below the zero line as the Rate-of-Change moves from positive to negative. As a momentum oscillator, ROC signals include centerline crossovers, divergences and overbought-oversold readings. Divergences fail to foreshadow reversals more often than not so this article will forgo a discussion on divergences.Even though centerline crossovers are prone to whipsaw, especially short-term, these crossovers can be used to identify the overall trend. Identifying overbought or oversold extremes comes natural to the Rate-of-Change oscillator. Standard deviation chart that measures the amount of variability or dispersion around an average. Standard deviation is also a measure of volatility. Generally speaking, dispersion is the difference between the actual value and the average value. The larger this dispersion or variability is, the higher the standard deviation. The smaller this dispersion or variability is, the lower the standard deviation.Chartists can use the Standard Deviation to measure expected risk and determine the significance of certain price movements. BRIEF ABOUT PORTFOLIO Annexure: News Analysis Regarding Portfolio * Bajaj Corp Nirmal Bang is bullish on Bajaj Corp and has recommended buy rating on the stock with a target of Rs 228 in its October 9, 2012 research report. â€Å"We have upgraded our FY13E and FY14E earnings estimates for Bajaj Corp (BCL) by 6. 4% and 3. 7%, respectively, factoring in higher gross margins. Consequently, we have increased our target price on the stock to Rs228 (from Rs220 earlier) and retained Buy rating on it. † * DABUR INDIA LTD..AnandRathi has come out with its report on consumer sector. The research firm recommend`s buy on ITC, Nestle India, Colgate, GSK Consumer, Emami, Pidilite, Agro Tech Foods, Bajaj Corp. , Lovable Lingerie, Zydus Wellness, and Tilaknagar Industries. Dabur, Marico as Hold, and have Sell on HUL, Asian Paints, Britannia, and VST Industries. Consumer companies are expected to report 17% revenue growth, led by higher volumes and prices. We expect stable EBITDA margins, despite rise in raw material costs (up 7-8%) and reduced weights. With tax rates likely to rise 50-150bps, we expect net profit to increase only 15% yoy.Revenues on the rise:  We expect sector revenues to grow 17%, led by volume and price. Offtake from the Canteen Stores Department, comprising 8% of sales, would be subdued. However, rupee depreciation of 10-12% will benefit companies with more than 15% in exports (Asian Paints, M arico, Dabur). * Bharti Airtel Top telecom carrier  Bharti Airtel  Ã‚  will bid in an upcoming auction of mobile phone airwaves, said a company source, who declined to be named as the matter is not public yet. The airwaves auction is the result of a Supreme Court order to revoke permits issued in a scandal-tainted sale in 2008.Bharti Airtel is not affected by that court order but it could be looking to buy additional spectrum. Friday is the deadline for companies to submit their application to participate in the auction, which is scheduled to start on November 12. ICICI BANK: SBI  Ã‚  ,  HDFC Bank  Ã‚  and  ICICI Bank  Ã‚  are the best bets, says Sudarshan Sukhani, s2analytics. com. Jaiprakash Associates  Ã‚  , they had set a target of about Rs 100, much lower when it was Rs 80-81. It is almost there. So now for people who hold positions there are the potential of more gains, but at Rs 95 I do not know if a trader can actually buy. The targets are just in front of us .Perhaps the stocks will consolidate. Perhaps it could go up and it may not. † He further added, â€Å"The risk-reward is no longer in favor of a short-term trader. For actually people who still hold them I think there is more upside. † â€Å"The Bank  Nifty  itself becomes a buying opportunity as we just entered the last half an hour of trading. The Nifty is clearly above the 5700 level. I had explained earlier that we do not need a level on the Bank Nifty. If the Nifty is trading above 5700 we can buy the Nifty as well as the Bank Nifty and we should, at least the aggressive traders should. The CNX-IT can be left alone.Which are the best stocks in the Bank Nifty to go along with? It is State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. OBSERVATION: ICICI Bank- Key Fundamentals Market Cap (Rs Cr. ): 118,375 EPS – TTM (Rs):64. 19 P/E Ratio (x):15. 91 Face Value (Rs):10. 00 Latest Div. (%):165. 00 Div. Yield (%):1. 60 Book Value / sh. (Rs) :523. 79 P/B Ratio (x): 1. 96 CONCLUSION: There are many online services which offer tools that enable us to choose investments plus those which offer relatively affordable trade margins. These options are basically for everyone though experienced traders could be well versed with them.To evaluate a good online trading service we need to look at the several factors. Issues to do with fees plus commissions for doing business can quickly rise up. Comprehensive services should be able to provide extended markets in addition to investment services including other retirement options. Since purchasing and selling at online stock trading is nerve racking, overall best services provide instant messaging as well as phone support. Bibliography: www. Moneycontrol. com www. Bseindia. com www. Nseindia. com www. Wikipedia. com ANNEXURE :- As per 1st NOV 2012:-