Asia stocks rise modestly ahead of US, China data

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stock markets posted modest gains Tuesday as investors treaded cautiously ahead of U.S. and Chinese economic reports later this week.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.5 percent to 15,604.80 and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.6 percent to 2,061.95. Hong Kong's Hang Seng inched up 0.2 percent to 24,483.85 while China's benchmark Shanghai Composite gained 0.1 percent to 2,180.52. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.1 percent to 5,570.90. Markets in India, Indonesia and Malaysia were closed for holidays.

EARNINGS: Companies are in the middle of corporate earnings season. Later Tuesday, Japanese carmaker Honda will report its quarterly financial results after the market close. Asian tech heavyweights Samsung Electronics Co. and Sony Corp. will release their quarterly financial results on Thursday.

ANALYST TAKE: William Leys, sales trader at CMC Markets, said markets were calm before the data storm, forecasting that trading volume would become heavier toward the end of this week. "Caution is the pre-eminent theme across global markets at the moment, as investors anticipate a spate of key economic data due later in the week, amid a backdrop of persistent geopolitical concerns," Leys said in a commentary. "With a variety of weighty announcements looming, the stage is set for an action packed end to the week."

DATA RUSH: On Wednesday, the U.S. will release gross domestic product figures for the April-June quarter. The world's largest economy is expected to pick up after severe cold in the winter dampened growth the previous quarter. The Federal Reserve is scheduled to issue a statement after wrapping up a two-day policy meeting on Wednesday. On Thursday, a report on China's manufacturing industry will give investors an update on the health of the world's factory floor. On Friday, the U.S. will release its monthly jobs data. Analysts estimate that the U.S. labor market added between 235,000 and 255,000 jobs in July.

RUSSIA SANCTIONS: Tensions between Russia and the West may resurface as the West is expected to slap another round of sanctions against Russia. On Monday, the White House said the United States and European Union plan to impose new sanctions against Russia this week, including penalties targeting key parts of the Russian economy. The EU had previously refrained from stepping up sanctions in the wake of the shooting down of a Malaysian jetliner over a rebel-controlled region of Ukraine, killing 298 people.

DOLLAR DEALS: There was upbeat and downbeat news from the U.S. trading day but it didn't get much traction in Asian markets. Discount store chain Dollar Tree said it was buying rival chain Family dollar and real estate listing service Zillow announced a deal to takeover Trulia, also in the property listing business. The National Association of Realtors said its index of U.S. pending home sales, a barometer of future purchases, slipped 1.1 percent to 102.7 in June. The contraction was bigger than forecast and indicated a cooling of the real estate market this summer.

CURRENCIES, OIL: The euro retreated slightly to $1.3434 from the previous session's $1.3439. The dollar drifted higher to 101.94 yen from 101.84 yen. The price of oil dipped, with benchmark U.S. crude for September delivery down 34 cents to $101.33 a barrel.

WALL STREET: U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday with the Dow Jones industrial average up 0.1 percent to 16,982.59 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index closing at 1,978.91, nearly unmoved. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index slipped 0.1 percent to finish at 4,444.91.

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Swiss bank UBS reports 2Q net profit jump

GENEVA — Swiss banking giant UBS AG reported a 15 percent jump Tuesday in second-quarter net profit compared to a year ago, driven by strong results from its core wealth management and trimmed-down investment banking franchises despite a tough market environment.

Switzerland's biggest bank said its net profit for the April-June period rose to 792 million Swiss francs ($876 million), up from 690 million francs in the comparable period from 2013.

The Zurich-based bank also said that it had settled an investigation in Germany of charges that the bank aided German clients suspected of evading taxes. UBS made a payment of about 300 million francs to put the case to rest.

Its quarterly financial statement said all of its business divisions and regions delivered strong second-quarter operating performances, and that it continued to build its capital reserves to "industry-leading" levels in keeping with global and Swiss rules.

"We delivered strong underlying results in a market environment that remained challenging for our clients and the industry," Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti said. "We also continued to actively address litigation matters, reduce our non-core and legacy assets and execute on our strategic initiatives."

Looking ahead, the bank said the outlook is clouded by "the absence of sustained and credible improvements to unresolved issues in Europe, continuing U.S. fiscal and monetary policy issues, increasing geopolitical instability and the seasonal decline in activity levels traditionally associated with the summer holiday season."

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Honda's quarterly profit up on Asian sales growth

TOKYO — Honda's quarterly profit surged nearly 20 percent on demand for remodeled cars in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. The Japanese automaker also raised its full-year profit and sales forecasts.

Honda Motor Co. reported a profit Tuesday of 146.5 billion yen ($1.4 billion) for the April-June fiscal first quarter, close to what analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast.

The automaker raised its annual profit forecast to 600 billion yen ($5.9 billion) from 595 billion yen ($5.8 billion), and its annual sales forecast to 12.8 trillion yen ($125.5 billion) from 12.75 trillion yen ($1215 billion).

Honda, Japan's No. 3 automaker, posted 574 billion yen profit on 11.84 trillion yen sales for the last fiscal year, which ended March 2014.

Demand was strong recently for Honda's new City sedan in India, Mobilio seven-seater in Indonesia and the remodeled Fit subcompact in Japan, helping lift quarterly sales 5 percent year-on-year to 2.988 trillion yen ($29.3 billion).

Honda, which sold 1.06 million vehicles in April-June, expects to sell 4.83 million vehicles for the fiscal year through March 2015.

The Tokyo-based maker of the Odyssey minivan and Accord sedan sold 4.32 million vehicles last fiscal year.

Japanese rival Nissan Motor Co., which reported a quarterly profit jump of nearly 37 percent on Monday, expects to sell 5.65 million vehicles this fiscal year, up 8.9 percent from the previous year.

Toyota, the world's top automaker, reports earnings Aug. 5.

Japanese automakers continue to do solid business in North America but have all embarked on an aggressive growth strategy in developing nations.

Honda is unique compared with Nissan and Toyota for its powerful motorcycle division that makes a significant contribution to its earnings.

Honda sold 4.14 million motorcycles during the fiscal first quarter, up from 4.05 million the same period a year earlier.

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Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at twitter.com/yurikageyama

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Virus drugmaker fights pediatricians' new advice

CHICAGO — A costly drug given mostly to premature babies is at the center of a clash between the manufacturer and the nation's leading pediatrician's group, which recommends scaling back use of the medicine.

The dispute involves new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which say medical evidence shows the drug benefits few children other than very young preemies. The medicine guards against a common but usually mild virus that can cause serious lung problems.

It's the second time in two years that the influential group has recommended narrowing use of the drug, sold by MedImmune under the brand name Synagis (SIN'-uh-jis). MedImmune is fighting back with full-page newspaper ads that say the updated policy threatens "our most vulnerable babies."

Synagis protects against RSV, or respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH'-uhl) virus, which infects nearly all U.S. children by the age of 2. For most, it causes only mild, cold-like symptoms. But it is also the most common cause of pneumonia in U.S. infants, and as many as 125,000 young children are hospitalized with RSV each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was approved in 1998 for use in certain "high-risk" children, based on research showing benefits for certain children including premature infants born at 35 weeks or earlier. The pediatricians' group says it has sought to provide more specific guidance because the government's definition of high risk is vague.

The medicine is given in a series of seasonal injections costing thousands of dollars, and a recent lag in Synagis sales may explain MedImmune's tactics, which include recruiting parents to help tout the drug.

Sales for the first quarter of 2014 totaled $328 million, down 19 percent from $414 million in the same period last year, according to an earnings report from parent company AstraZeneca.

Company spokeswoman Alisha Martin said it placed full-page ads in The New York Times and several other newspapers because "we felt it important to inform parents — including the half-a-million women who give birth prematurely each year — of the decisions being made that could impact the lives of their children."

Studies show the drug can slightly reduce risks for being hospitalized but doesn't shorten hospital stays or lessen chances for long-term complications or death, said Dr. H. Cody Meissner, a member of an academy committee involved in drafting the new guidance and an infectious disease expert at Tufts Medical Center.

Advances in treatment for preemies in recent years make Synagis, also known as palivizumab (pah-lih-VIH'-zu-mahb), unnecessary for many, the academy says. Its new guidance recommends it only for: infants born before 29 weeks; older preemies with chronic lung disease and those with certain heart problems; and certain other at-risk children younger than age 2.

Healthy older preemies should not get the drug, the academy says in guidelines published online Monday. Its 2012 advice included use in some older, healthy preemies.

Melony Sorbero, a senior Rand Corp. researcher, has studied RSV said the academy's narrowed recommendations make sense based on scientific evidence of limited benefits.

MedImmune's newspaper ads say the new guidelines will leave about 140,000 infants born between 29 and 35 weeks "unprotected." The ads say: "Why put these babies at risk?" They include a photo of a tiny preemie hooked up to medical machinery.

A Washington, DC-area mother, Deb Discenza, has helped the drugmaker locate parents to participate in a MedImmune RSV awareness program and says she was paid for sharing information about her daughter's experience. Her daughter was born at 30 weeks, or about two months early, in 2003. The baby may not have qualified for the medicine under the academy's new guidance but her mother believes Synagis treatment that first year "is what saved us."

The little girl's doctor declined to offer the drug after she turned 1, and she developed asthma. Discenza believes Synagis might have prevented it.

She said her health insurance covered the shots, but she's among parents who worry coverage will be denied based on the new recommendations.

Susan Pisano, spokeswoman for the industry group America's Health Insurance Plans, says insurers consider medical groups' recommendations but that it's too soon to determine if the pediatricians' new advice will affect coverage decisions.

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Online:

American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

RSV: http://www.cdc.gov/RSV/

MedImmune: http://www.Medimmune.com

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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

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New 'World News' anchor David Muir learned the ropes at WCVB-TV

David Muir brings solid credentials as a reporter to his new gig as anchor and managing editor of ABC News' "World News" flagship broadcast. He honed those skills during his 2000-03 stint as a reporter and anchor at one of the most respected TV stations in the country, Boston's ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV, owned by Hearst Television.

WCVB is well known for its investment in newsgathering and for producing informational and lifestyle programming. It's one of the few stations in the country to offer a locally produced newsmagazine-esque series, "Chronicle," in the lucrative 7:30 p.m. weeknight slot.

Execs at WCVB who knew Muir during his tenure in Beantown were not at all surprised by the news Wednesday of his promotion. Muir will succeed Diane Sawyer on the "World News" desk as of Sept. 2.

The pedestal occupied by Big Three network news anchors is not as high as it once was, but there's no denying that it remains one of the most coveted jobs in the TV news biz.

"David was going to be successful wherever he went," WCVB prexy-g.m. Bill Fine told Variety. "He got noticed around here pretty quick."

Muir, 40, grew up in Syracuse, N.Y., graduated from Ithaca College and spent five years as an anchor and reporter for his hometown WTVH-TV outlet before joining WCVB.

Moving from Syracuse (market No. 84) to Boston (market No. 7) was a big leap, but he had an on-air presence that won him the job, Fine said. Fine recalls being impressed by a clip of Muir in Syracuse when it was clear he was being pranked on-air by a caller.

"You saw him on-air realize what was happening and the way he handled it, even as a kid of 20 or 21, showed he was unflappable," Fine said.

At WCVB Muir was known as a tireless reporter who worked hard to get to know the city and its political and cultural landscape. He won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for his work in tracking the path of the 9/11 hijackers on a story that struck close to home for Bostonians.

Muir was plucked for an overnight anchoring gig at ABC News after only three years at WCVB. But he has endeared himself to his former co-workers with his generosity.

"He has been very free to credit the folks who mentored him here," Fine said. "He has been extraordinarily gracious toward everybody here and what was passed on to him," Fine said. "He has also been masterful in the respect he's afforded Diane Sawyer. You don't see that kind of sensibility in everybody."

Muir joined ABC News in August 2003 and quickly became one of the Alphabet's most visible and globe-trotting reporters. He's demonstrated versatility by reporting on crises in global hotspots such as Somalia, Iran and Egypt and big domestic stories such as Hurricane Katrina and the 2012 presidential election. ABC also gave him some seasoning as a soft-news reporter with the "Made in America" series for "World News" highlighting small-town business success stories.

Muir has served as weekend anchor of "World News" since 2011 and co-anchor of Friday newsmagazine "20/20" since last year. He'll drop the weekend slots once he steps into the big chair, but he will continue on "20/20" with Elizabeth Vargas.

(c) 2014 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

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US companies increasingly fish for growth overseas

SAN FRANCISCO — Major U.S. companies are starting to reap their most rapid growth in fertile lands of opportunity far from home.

Technology trendsetters Apple Inc., Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc. all mined foreign countries to produce earnings or revenue that exceeded analysts' projections in their latest quarters. Prodded by the steadily rising demand for Internet access and online services in developing countries, these technology companies will likely be wading even deeper into overseas markets for years to come.

"The philosophy is to start your growth in the states and then take your fight overseas," says BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis "That's what the big guys are doing."

The intensifying international focus extends beyond technology. Century-old companies such as Coca-Cola Co. and Ford Motor Co. also are hoping to make more money in countries including China and India.

Few U.S. industries are tying their fortunes to overseas markets as aggressively as the technology sector, where new sources of revenue are often just a matter of equipping people with a computing device and an Internet connection.

Soaring sales of iPhones in China, Russia, India and Brazil during the April-June period helped Apple overcome softening demand for the device in the U.S. and Europe, where consumers seem to be more interested in waiting for the autumn release of a new iPhone that's expected to feature a larger screen.

Google generated 58 percent of its revenue outside the U.S. in its second quarter, the highest level yet for the Internet's most powerful company.

Facebook already gets 55 percent of its revenue overseas, and the growth in those markets is outpacing by what's happening in the U.S. The social networking service has attracted 1.1 billion users in foreign markets versus 200 million in the U.S. and Canada.

Netflix's Internet video service added 1.1 million international subscribers, nearly doubling the number it gained in the U.S during the April-June quarter. The company expects the trend to continue as Netflix enters six more European markets, including France and Germany, in September.

Corporate profits will probably need to keep rising to sustain the U.S. stock market's record-breaking run. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has already climbed nearly 8 percent this year, well ahead of its average pace historically, while analysts expect earnings to increase 8 percent this year. Low interest rates and an improving economy have helped to create a climate of optimism, said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial.

"Everything is going well right now," McMillan said. "That's what's driving the market up."

Like many other money managers, McMillian isn't convinced companies will be able to live up to investors' high hopes.

Overall sales have been slow, and profit margins are at record levels after years of cost cutting. Those factors will make it tougher for companies to find ways to ratchet their earnings even higher.

The natural response for many companies? Look abroad because that's where most of the potential customers are. The U.S. population accounts for less than 5 percent of the world's roughly 7.2 billion people.

The U.S., though, still boasts the world's largest economy with a mass market of consumers who can afford more products and services than most other parts of the world. That means growth in other countries, especially in markets outside of Europe, Japan and South Korea, often isn't as lucrative as it is in the U.S.

Apple, which has always demanded premium prices, is discovering this as it sells more devices overseas. For instance, the iPhone's average selling price fell to $561 in Apple's most recent quarter, a 3 percent drop from a year ago and a 13 percent decline from $647 two years ago.

Google's growth in foreign markets outside Europe is one of the reasons that the company's average advertising prices have been falling for nearly three years.

Advertisers so far haven't been willing to pay as much to peddle their wares to consumers who don't have as much disposable income as people in the U.S.

Facebook is experiencing a similar phenomenon. The company reaped an average of $6.44 per user in the U.S. and Canada during the second quarter compared to just $2.84 per user in Europe, $1.08 per user in Asia and 86 cents per user in the rest of the world.

Although the company remains profitable overall, Netflix still isn't making money on an international expansion that began nearly four years ago. The company's international losses have exceeded $800 million so far, with more likely to come with the move into France and Germany looming.

Most publicly held companies are willing to endure short-term financial pain in return for what they expect will be a long-term gain in growth. That's one of the reasons Ford Motor is building four plants in China and two in India. By 2020, the automaker hopes Asia Pacific and the Middle East will account for one-third of its sales. The regions accounted for 22 percent of Ford's sales in the latest quarter.

Coca-Cola is looking abroad for growth largely because it's becoming tougher for beverage makers to increase revenue in a U.S. market already awash in soda and other refreshments. Things look much different in some large overseas markets where billions of people only recently have begun to develop a taste for the company's products. In 2012, for instance, the per capita consumption of Coca Cola's beverages was 403 servings of 8-ounce drinks annually in the U.S. compared to 39 annual servings in China and just 14 annual servings in India.

An increasing thirst for Coca-Cola products in China, India and the Middle East helped boost the company's international sales by 3 percent in the second quarter while volume remained flat in North America.

Even large U.S. companies that are growing faster domestically realize they need to keep pushing in countries where many consumers may not make enough money to buy their products yet. That's one reason General Motors CEO Mary Barra told analysts on a conference call last week that her company remains bullish on China, even though car sales there have been slowing.

"As the market grows, we need to participate in that growth...in a disproportionate fashion to make sure that we are seizing the opportunity," Barra said.

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AP Business Writers Matthew Craft and Candice Choi in New York and AP Business Writers Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this story.

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Shaw’s seizing opportunity to change impressions

Shaw's Supermarkets is getting an unexpected chance to showcase the progress of turnaround efforts initiated since new owners took over the West Bridgewater-based chain last year.

It's among the regional grocery chains benefiting from the turmoil at Market Basket that has left shelves bare at the Tewksbury company's 71 stores and boycotting customers shopping elsewhere.

A Cerberus Capital Management-led investor group acquired Shaw's — often criticized by customers in the past for its high prices — from Supervalu Inc. last year as part of a larger $3.3 billion deal.

"They've been running those stores better, including better pricing and promotions than when it was owned by Supervalu," said grocery analyst Andrew Wolf of BB&T Capital Markets in Boston. "Most shoppers don't know that because they haven't been to Shaw's in a long time. This action is going to force a certain amount of people to go to Shaw's, and they're going to discover, 'Hey, it's a little better than I remember.' "

Customers boycotting Market Basket — in solidarity with an employee push to pressure its board to reinstate fired CEO Arthur T. Demoulas — have been taping their grocery receipts from competing supermarkets on Market Basket doors.

"We've definitely seen an up-tick in the number of customers," Shaw's spokesman Jeff Gulko said. "It started initially the tail-end of last week, but the first real noticeable bump-up was Monday going into Tuesday, and it's remained since. (Our) 18,500 associates are working around the clock to make sure that we have the products on our shelves that folks come to get — whether they're our shoppers or folks that are coming to our stores for the first time."

The company's two distribution centers, in Methuen and Maine, have adjusted, adding shipments and trucks, he said.

Hannaford, Stop & Shop and Wegmans declined comment on any business boost that they're seeing as a result of Market Basket's employee uprising.

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Tire pressure sensors, aerosol inflators don’t mix

Last week I had a flat tire on my 2013 Buick Encore with only 4,500 miles on it. I got out my can of tire inflator and when I read the directions it said it could not be used on tires with pressure sensors in them. Is it because it would ruin the transmitter or because the sealant could not get into the tire? Could you use it in a real emergency? When I took the car to the dealer after putting on the spare, they said it was repairable and did so. I was told I was lucky because on all-wheel-drive vehicles you have to change all of the tires at the same time. I have never heard of this before — can you explain?

The primary ingredients in most emergency tire inflator/"fix-a-flat" aerosol products are a liquefied propellant like non-flammable HFC-134a — the refrigerant used in air conditioning systems — and a latex polymer to seal the inside of the tire. Some earlier products utilized flammable propellants, which created a danger for the service personnel repairing the tires.

The reason these products are not recommended for use in tires fitted with tire pressure sensors (TPS) is that the latex sealer may coat and interfere with the signal transmitted from the TPS, although this potential issue is still being hotly debated. What is absolutely true is that the latex sealer will have to be thoroughly cleaned from the inside of the tire, wheel and TPS. In addition, there is a potential issue with corrosion and delamination of chrome from the inside surfaces of a chrome alloy wheel.

Regardless, it is important to remember that these products are, at best, a very short-term, temporary "fix." The tire must be cleaned and repaired — if possible — at the earliest possible time.

Should you use an aerosol tire inflator in an "emergency" situation such as being stopped in a dangerous scenario or situation where taking the time to mount the spare tire would add to the risk? I would. If the fix-a-flat product will inflate and maintain enough tire pressure to allow me to drive to a safe location, I would certainly use it.

But I'd make absolutely sure to tell the service agency that you used a tire inflator and have the tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

The reason for suggesting that all four tires must be replaced at the same time is because four-wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicles must have all four tires with the same rolling circumference or potential damage to the drivetrain can occur. As long as the single replacement tire is virtually the same rolling circumference as the other three tires, no problem.

I have a '96 Chrysler Concorde with 94,000 miles. The needle on the gas gauge is not functioning right. At times it is normal, but at other times the warning light goes on and the needle fluctuates. Is this a big job to repair? I can keep track of the mileage with the odometer so I don't run out of gas.

The position of the needle on the gas gauge of your vehicle is controlled by the body control module (BCM). The BCM receives a signal from the variable resistor in the sending unit in the fuel tank, compares this with the fuel tank ground and moves the needle to the correct position on the gauge.

The intermittent issue with your gauge may well be the variable resistor/sending unit in the fuel tank, which is a significant repair, or maybe just a poor ground for the variable resistor which is located in the left kick panel. With the age of the vehicle, I'd make sure this ground connection wasn't the problem first.

Also, remember that the LED light in the gauge will also illuminate if engine temperatures reach the 240-260-degree range.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paul brand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Startup’s videos find suitable employees

A few years ago, when Rob Hunter owned ice cream stores and one of his greatest challenges was finding good employees, he had an epiphany one day when a girl whose only experience was babysitting and playing soccer dropped off a resume replete with spelling and grammatical errors.

"I would not have hired her based on her resume, but she had a wonderful personality and turned out to be the best employee I ever had," Hunter said. "I've hired 300 people in all and interviewed 600 to 700. And each time, I know pretty much in the first 30 seconds whether they're going to be a good fit."

What if, he thought, employers in retail — where an engaging and professional demeanor is all-important — could have a preview of an applicant's personality without having to wade through reams of applications and spend hours interviewing the wrong people?

Last March, Hunter and Evan Lodge — both Babson College MBA students at the time — founded HigherMe, a website and mobile app, expected to launch this fall, that allows job applicants to answer a series of questions posed by an employer, such as which hours they'd be available to work, what pay they'd expect, and what they would do if a customer were dissatisfied. Afterward, applicants have the option to make a 30-second video on their cellphone or webcam, explaining why they'd be the best person for the job.

HigherMe, a finalist in the MassChallenge startup accelerator and competition, then sends the employer a list of applicants ranked according to whether their answers matched the ones the employer was seeking, and the employer decides which applicants to interview,

For access to the company's database of candidates and screening software, Hunter, Lodge and their co-founder, Josh Stevens, expect to charge employers a monthly subscription fee of between $40 and $200 per store, depending on the number of applicants they want to contact and hire.

Alex Lowe, owner of Artis Coffee in Berkeley, Calif., and a former classmate of Hunter's who recently agreed to test the service, asked questions like, "What superhero would you be, and why?" ("If the applicant has fun with it, they'll probably be better at customer service," Lowe said.) He also asked, "Where do you see yourself in three months? In three years?"

"We want people who have a vision for their life, whether they'll be with us as a steppingstone or as a career," Lowe said. "It's given me a whole lot more depth into whether the person would be a cultural fit, rather than just: Can they make a cup of coffee?"

Brianna D'Amerosio, 24, of Methuen was looking for a waitressing job on Craigslist last week when she came across one at an Andover restaurant that asked applicants to use HigherMe to send in a video.

"Before I had a chance to answer any of the questions, I got an email saying they'd received my video and asking me to come in for an interview," D'Amerosio said. "For years, I've missed out on opportunities because there was nothing about me that really stood out on paper. So even if I don't get this job, I love the idea of being able to send someone something that will give them a glimpse into my personality."

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Amazon’s big stock slide shows strategy’s shaky

Time for Amazon to hit the Mayday Button.

Investors are beginning to wake up and realize that maybe this whole thing about putting long-term profits over short-term profits isn't as enchanting and magical as CEO Jeff Bezos once made it seem.

Amazon's stock plummeted an astonishing 
10 percent in a day after the announcement of a $126 million quarterly loss on Thursday — the latest in a long string of losses for the e-commerce beast.

For consumers, Amazon's prices seem impossibly low. And that's because they are, in fact, impossible. You can't sell items that cheaply. No company could ever make a profit by selling goods at or below cost, and that's exactly what Amazon has done for as long as anyone can remember.

Bezos is a puzzling man. The delivery drones. The atomic clock. The Washington Post. Who can figure this dude out? Some commentators have wondered whether Amazon was set up to function as a de facto consumer charity. I've wondered that myself. I've come to quite the opposite conclusion.

Amazon won't raise its prices until it has achieved a majority of the market that brick-and-mortar retailers currently occupies. An entire generation of locally owned small businesses — and mid- to large-sized businesses — hang in the balance.

"The current investment cycle layers in increased technology and content costs as Amazon seeks to build itself into a complete consumption, payment and advertising platform for physical and digital goods," wrote analyst Colin Gillis of BGC Financial in a note to investors yesterday.

In other words, all this taking over the world ain't cheap!

Currently valued at 
$147 billion, Amazon is the 28th largest publicly traded company in the United States. And in the past 48 hours it lost $15 billion of its market value.

Investors are getting antsy.

I'm all about encouraging that sense of angst. Although Amazon's convenience and prices are hard to beat, I find myself spending a little more offline lately: shopping local, paying a little bit more here and there, and chalking it up to charity. You too can help keep Amazon stockholders worried and a little ticked off. You know what to do.

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