| Gyms deliver strong profits
PUMPING iron is driving bulging profits as gyms around the country grow strong on the back of a growing fascination with fitness. But as consolidation brings more big business to the sector it is the punters who pay but don't turn up who provide the extra cream on the industry's profits. Dreamworld owner Macquarie Leisure is the latest big player to muscle in on the gym industry, this week paying $60 million for the predominantly Queensland-based Goodlife Healthclub business. It is the second most profitable player in Australia, with world leader Fitness First dominating. That company, owned by European private equity group BC Partners, now controls 70 gyms across Australia and has more than 500 gyms across 15 countries. Macquarie Leisure chief executive officer Greg Shaw says there's plenty of room for growth and expansion would be ideally suited to some of the company's existing AMF bowling sites around the country.
Zoya Professional Nail Lacquer Presents 2 New Collections, Uptown and Downtown, for 1 Gorgeous Fall
Zoya professional nail lacquer presents two new collections for Fall 2007 - Uptown and Downtown. Make a style statement: choose Uptown containing 6 updated, stylish berries or Downtown with it's 6 urban, electric shades, including this years hot hues, gunmetal gray (Freja) and eggplant (Lael). All in the world's best selling, healthy, natural nail Zoya formula. Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) August 8, 2007 -- Zoya professional nail lacquer presents two new collections for Fall 2007 - Uptown and Downtown. Make a style statement: choose Uptown containing 6 updated, stylish berries or Downtown with it's 6 urban, electric shades, including this years hot hues, gunmetal gray (Freja) and eggplant (Lael). All in the world's best selling, healthy, natural nail Zoya formula. "Whatever the fashion vibe this Fall, Zoya has the healthy color nail look to suit it with it's new Uptown and Downtown collections".
Private equity raises ghosts of income trusts past
Just when the federal Conservatives had started to put their income trust flip-flop behind them, along comes news of Brookfield Asset Management trying to design a leveraged buyout of Canadian Pacific Railway. Private equity's rampage across Canada, from Canadian sources or not, is provoking much the same discomfort in Ottawa circles as income trusts did last year - discomfort about the effect of a major restructuring of corporations on tax revenue, productivity and the national interest. Brookfield's advances may poke a stick in Ottawa's eye. On the surface, a Brookfield-led leveraged buyout of CPR should not raise many eyebrows in Ottawa. It would be an all-Canadian deal, so thorny foreign ownership and hollowing-out issues wouldn't raise their heads. Consolidation is not a problem with this type of deal, either.
Advent Raises Largest-Ever Private Equity Fund for Latin America
Advent International, one of the world's leading global buyout firms, today announced the final close of its Latin American Private Equity Fund IV at the cap of $1.3 billion, making it the largest private equity fund ever raised for investment in Latin America. LAPEF IV exceeded its target capitalization by 30% and attracted over $2 billion of interest from institutional investors. The new fund brings Advent's total capital raised for the region to $2.2 billion. .
125% Home Equity Loans Now Close Concurrently with a 100% First-Second Mortgage Refinance from BD Nationwide
BD Nationwide Mortgage introduces the "125% Home Equity Refinance Loan Combination" for refinancing 1st and 2nd mortgages into a new 100% first mortgage with a 125% home equity loan that funds simultaneously. The latest home equity product from BD Nationwide helps homeowners refinance their adjustable rate mortgage to 100% loan-to-value and enables them to consolidate additional consumer debt like revolving credit cards and unsecured high rate loans with a 125% second mortgage. On average, borrowers are saving $800 a month with 1st-2nd combo loans that were clearly created to convert and consolidate adjustable rate mortgages into fixed rate no equity loans that maximize savings. .
Join Credit Union? It's Worth A Look
Consumers have a plethora of borrowing and saving options, including traditional banks, online-only banks, credit unions and investment brokerages.
And although Internet-only banks can offer the most competitive rates for saving and borrowing, credit unions offer a mix of favorable rates and personal service. They're often a good alternative to traditional banks, which still dominate the market.
Credit unions are affiliated groups of people who pool their money and lend it to each other. They don't have divided loyalties - trying to serve a customer at the same time as boosting profits and the stock price for shareholders.
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Paying down student loans
KAREN WONS of Maryland finds herself in a quandary that is confronting many parents right now. She is struggling with how best to advise her daughter -- a recent college graduate -- on paying down her $25,000 in student loans. Wons did what any wise parent would do. She asked for help. Here's the background. Wons' daughter works as a project manager at a medical software company. She has an annual salary of more than $50,000. Her employer provides a 401(k). She has about $13,000 in cash from recently redeemed Series EE savings bonds. She has no credit card debt. She has no payments on a reliable car with low mileage. She's sharing an apartment and other living expenses with an older sister in Madison, Wis. Her portion of the rent is just over $500 a month.
Business Notes
MOUNT HEALTHY - A fast-growing church community has purchased the former Surf Cincinnati property. Inspirational Baptist Church, 9208 Daly Road, paid $925,000 for the 14.23-acre site on Sebring Drive in Forest Park near the intersection of Interstate 275 and U.S. 127. Spokeswoman Edie Langford said that the church will initially build a multi-use facility, consisting of a 1,500-seat worship space and a community center. Inspirational Baptist's senior pastor, Bishop Victor S. Couzens, would like to see the church purchase additional land adjoining the Surf Cincinnati property and launch job and social service programs to benefit the larger community. .
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