Financial and Corporate Actions of Laird plc Essay

Financial and Corporate Actions of Laird plc - Essay Example Materials division manufactures equipment that shields electromagnetic interferences, thermal management systems, signal integrity equipment, etc (Laird, 2014c). The global electronics and instruments industry has seen a growth of 4.3 percent in the year 2011 and has been evaluated at $1,844.3 billion (MarketLine, 2012). This study is focused on the company’s financial details including the company turnover, industry performance, and market report and market share. It also includes the last few years’ financial performances of the company, its financial activities and its internal and external performance analysis. As stated in the above figure, the company had made the highest revenue in 2011, as it discontinued some of its operations that year, which added to the total revenue (Laird, 2014e). However the revenues generated from the continued operation has been increasing:  £491.3 min 2011,  £520.2 min 2012 and  £537 min 2013 (Laird, 2014d). The profitability has decreased severely in 2011 and again increased in 2013, but in the recent year, it has been seen to have a downward trend (Laird, 2014d). The downward trend is mostly because of the lower sales volume due to high competition and the high fixed cost of operation (Morningstar, 2014a). The operating profit has increased from 2011 and is almost steady in past two years. It is clearly seen that after discontinuing some of its operations, Laird has increased its profitability. In the last year, i.e.2013, the Performance Materials division made revenue of  £342.8 million, which is 6 percent more than previous year’s revenue that is  £324.7 million. The IT and Telecom sector made the maximum revenue of 35 percent, followed by the Smartphone business which made 24 percent. The Wireless Systems division made revenue of  £194.2 million which is 1 percent less than the previous year that is  £195.5 million.  

Managing Performance in Turbulent Times Research Paper

Managing Performance in Turbulent Times - Research Paper Example This paper examines how Google competes in the world of the internet and e-commerce. It examines the various points which Google uses to gain an advantage of its competitors and remain at the top of the industry. Barrows & Nechy (2011 p85) identify that the brain behind the success of Google lies in its ability to innovate. As compared to its competitors, Google spends more time and effort to identify new communication systems and methods at different points in time. Although Google started as a search engine company, it spent time and money to research and identify the true needs and desires of customers. In 2005, they launched personal email services which they believed was in demand by the markets. â€Å"They pursue a strategy that aims at increasing the capacity of computers and communication† (Png & Lehman, 2007 p3). This means that research and development are a fundamental part of Google. They put in more effort to find out what consumers need at every point in time and work to provide that specific service according to the highest standards and expectations possible. Google, therefore, sets out to organize the world's information rather than just make a profit for the sake of getting money from the consumers (Carter et al, 2011 p147). They, therefore, try to find ways of satisfying consumer needs at specific times. Google, therefore, has competitors not only in the normal internet companies but also, traditional publishers and other outlets. Google is aware that it operates in one of the most turbulent industries in the world. They, therefore, appreciate the fact that consumer needs change at a regular interval. Google, therefore, changes regularly to meet these demands. On the average, Google makes major changes to its strategy each month (Carter et al, 2011 p148). The internal structures of Google support its vision of leading in innovation. Googles workers are grouped in teams  of 20 – 50 employees under a single manager.