Abercrombie & Fitch CEO doesn't want XL or XXL people shopping in his store New Delhi: Mike Jeffries, the eccentric CEO of the US clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has done it again. Vocally against large sized men and women, Jeffries has been quoted as saying in news reports that he doesn't want "larger people shopping in his store" triggering a social media backlash.

Robin Lewis, author of The New Rules of Retail, told the Business Insider about the kind of people Jeffries wants advertising his brand and it's definitely not those who wear XL or XXL.

"He doesn't want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people," Lewis is quoted as saying by The Independent. "He doesn't want his core customers to see people who aren't as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they're one of the 'cool kid,'" the Independent quoted Lewis as saying.

The chain has more than 300 outlets in the US and sells men's clothes in XL and XXL sizes but targeted at athletes. "Abercrombie is only interested in people with washboard stomachs who look like they're about to jump on a surfboard," Lewis said....more    
04:24 PM, May 09, 2013

Finance Ministry pitches for ratings upgrade with Fitch New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on Friday made a strong case for rating upgrade of Indian economy by global agency Fitch on the back of increasing investments, declining import of gold and government's commitment to fiscal prudence. The issue of rating upgrade was raised by Finance Ministry officials at a meeting with the representatives of Fitch here. The meeting was attended by Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram, among...  
04:53 PM, Apr 12, 2013

There is a case for rating upgrade, says Finance Ministry The Finance Ministry feels there is a case for a rating upgrade of India by at least a notch or so and agencies like Standard & Poor's and Fitch would be conveyed this view when they visit India next month. "I strongly believe there is a case for S&P and Fitch to upgrade. Even if it is one only notch or two notch above, but certainly there is no case...  
11:56 AM, Mar 17, 2013

Sony at greater risk than Panasonic in electronics downturn: Fitch Tokyo:<>/b Panasonic Corp has a better chance than rival Sony Corp of surviving Japan's consumer electronics slump because of its unglamorous but stable appliance business of washing machines and fridges, credit rating agency Fitch said Friday. Fitch cut Panasonic's rating by two notches to BB and Sony three notches to BB minus on Thursday, the first time one of the three major ratings agencies have put the creditworthiness of either...  
02:53 PM, Nov 23, 2012

Fitch's growth revision proves government inaction: BJP

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharam on Friday said that the downward revision of growth forecast by Fitch is a reflection of the government's inaction. Fitch Ratings on Friday cut its 2012 growth forecasts for India to 6 per cent from 6.5 per cent on deteriorating global growth outlook with diminished willingness or capacity to respond with domestic policy loosening, compared with 2009. India's economic outlook remains challenging. Investment rose just 0.7 ...
11:52 AM, Sep 28, 2012

Fitch cuts India growth forecast to 6 per cent New Delhi: Fitch Ratings has cut its 2012 growth forecasts for India to 6 percent from 6.5 per cent on deteriorating global growth outlook with diminished willingness or capacity to respond with domestic policy loosening, compared with 2009. India's economic outlook remains challenging. Investment rose just 0.7 per cent YoY in second quarter of 2012, with higher-frequency indicators pointing to another weak outturn in Q3. "Ongoing concerns over government economic...  
11:48 AM, Sep 28, 2012

India reforms credit positive: Fitch India's reforms announced last week at first glance appear credit positive. But there is still considerable execution risk given the Congress-led coalition's divisions and recent track record of policy reversals, says Fitch Ratings. Broader concerns regarding the weak and inconsistent regulatory framework remain. These concerns will remain material for economic performance ahead of elections in 2014, weighing on the sovereign credit profile. Fitch assigned Negative Outlooks to India's 'BBB-' ratings...  
12:46 AM, Sep 18, 2012

Indian infra sector outlook remains negative: Fitch Mumbai: Ratings agency Fitch has said the Indian infrastructure industry faces a negative outlook on account of increase in macroeconomic challenges and sector-specific stresses. In its recent report titled '2012 Mid-Year Outlook: Indian Infrastructure', Fitch Ratings said, "Fitch expects the ratings of project companies to remain under pressure from equity capital constraints, high interest rates, slowing GDP growth, currency depreciation, fuel shortages, weak off-takers, execution delays and prospects of slowing...  
02:34 AM, Jul 17, 2012

Fitch revises Indian FIs' rating to negative New York: Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on the 'BBB-' Long-Term (LT) Foreign Currency (FC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of India-based financial institutions to Negative from Stable, while affirming the rating. These include six government banks (including an international banking subsidiary of a government bank), two private banks, two wholly owned government institutions and one infrastructure finance company. A list of affected entities is as follows:- State Bank of...  
12:43 PM, Jun 20, 2012

Pranab says Fitch ignored positive economic trends New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday Fitch has not taken note of recent structural reforms in the economy including the strengthening of public finances, after the rating agency cut its outlook on Asia's third largest economy. "The concerns expressed by Fitch on the economic growth potential, inflationary pressures, and weak public finances are based on earlier data. Government has already taken note of such concerns," Mukherjee said...  
04:31 AM, Jun 19, 2012

News 360: Kalam opts out of the Presidential elections

APJ Abdul Kalam on Monday issued a statement saying he will not contest the Presidential elections. ...
10:10 PM, Jun 18, 2012

Fitch action based on older data, says Pranab New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday rejected Fitch downgrade of India's credit outlook to negative saying the rating agency's action was based on "older data" as it ignored recent positive trends. "While the markets had already anticipated that Fitch would revise the outlook and so there is no surprise in the announcement, it must be pointed out that Fitch has primarily relied on older data, and has ignored...  
06:20 PM, Jun 18, 2012

Fitch revises India's outlook to negative New Delhi: Fitch Ratings has revised India's outlook to negative from stable. Its Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) have been affirmed at 'BBB-' and Short-Term Foreign Currency at 'F3'. India's Country Ceiling is also affirmed at 'BBB-'. The Outlook revision reflects heightened risks that India's medium- to long-term growth potential will gradually deteriorate if further structural reforms are not hastened, including measures to enhance the effectiveness of...  
04:45 PM, Jun 18, 2012

India pitches for Fitch upgrade after S&P blow New Delhi: India's economic growth story is intact and the current account deficit under control, senior Finance Ministry officials told a team from global ratings agency Fitch on Thursday, weeks after S&P cut its outlook for Asia's third largest economy. The visit came as the Indian rupee tumbled to a record low against the dollar, with the crisis in the euro zone adding pressure on a currency already under fire...  
05:18 PM, May 17, 2012

Fitch cuts Italy, Spain, other euro zone ratings New York: Fitch downgraded the sovereign credit ratings of Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia and Spain on Friday, indicating there was a 1-in-2 chance of further cuts in the next two years. In a statement, the ratings agency said the affected countries were vulnerable in the near-term to monetary and financial shocks. "Consequently, these sovereigns do not, in Fitch's view, accrue the full benefits of the euro's reserve currency status," it...  
09:07 AM, Jan 28, 2012

Fitch downgrades Hungary to junk status Budapest: Fitch Ratings downgraded Hungary's credit grade to junk status on Friday, citing a standoff between the country and the European Union and the International Monetary Fund over rescue loans. Fitch, which followed similar moves from Moody's and S&P, kept a negative outlook, indicating a more than a 50 per cent chance for another downgrade within the next two years. The decision to cut Hungary by one notch, to BB+...  
12:26 AM, Jan 07, 2012

Rising coal costs to hit India power projects: Fitch Mumbai: The rising cost of imported coal, coupled with a weakening rupee, could force some Indian power projects to default on their debt obligations, ratings agency Fitch said on Tuesday. Fitch estimated that the average cost of generation could rise to 4.41 rupees (8 cents) per kilowatt hour for projects relying entirely on imported coal, from the current average of 2.29 rupees, if current trends continue. Coal accounts for 55...  
04:51 AM, Dec 21, 2011

Fitch warns may downgrade 6 euro zone nations New York: Fitch Ratings on Friday warned it may downgrade Belgium, Italy, and four other euro zone countries in the absence of a "comprehensive solution" to the region's debt crisis. The ratings agency placed the ratings of Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland and Cyprus in credit watch negative, which means a downgrade is possible within three months. ...  
09:37 AM, Dec 17, 2011

Fitch warns of US downgrade if no budget deal New York: Fitch Ratings gave the United States until 2013 to come up with a "credible plan" to tackle its ballooning budget deficit or risk a downgrade of the country's coveted AAA rating. The ratings agency on Monday revised to negative from stable the outlook on the US credit rating after a special congressional committee failed last week to agree on at least $1.2 trillion in deficit-reduction measures. The committee...  
07:58 AM, Nov 29, 2011

US rating likely to be downgraded again: Merrill New York: The United States will likely suffer the loss of its triple-A credit rating from another major rating agency by the end of this year due to concerns over the deficit, Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecasts. The trigger would be a likely failure by Congress to agree on a credible long-term plan to cut the US deficit, the bank said in a research note published on Friday. A...  
07:30 AM, Oct 24, 2011