Wynn Resorts Ltd <WYNN.O> on Thursday reported its quarterly net loss narrowed amid a 36 percent jump in Macau revenue and a full-quarter contribution from its second Las Vegas resort.

Wynn, which last October raised $1.8 billion via a Hong Kong listing of shares in Wynn Macau Ltd <1128.HK>, reported a net loss of $5.2 million, or 4 cents per share, compared with a year-earlier net loss of $159.6 million, or $1.49 cents per share.

Adjusted for property charges and other items, the Las Vegas-based company posted a profit of 8 cents per share, which beat the average analyst estimate of 6 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose to $196.8 million from $127.5 million.

Quarterly net revenue rose to $809.3 million from $614.3 million.

Business Wire will host a a free luncheon on The Impact of Social Media on Traditional News Reporting on March 11, 2010.  John Edwards of Las Vegas Review Journal, Steve Green of Las Vegas Sun and George McCabe of B&P Public Relations will provide their own unique insight on the impact that social media has had on traditional news reporting.

11:30 am – 12:00 pm: Networking & Lunch
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm: Program
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm: Q & A
Location:
Gordon Biersch Las Vegas
3987 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89169

To register, please RSVP
to billy.russell@businesswire.com

Effective crisis or emergency communications planning is an absolute requisite of any company’s comprehensive communications program for both corporate and economic survival, as well as humanitarian reasons.

Unfortunately, this sort of planning, because of its perceived complexity, is generally developed with little regard for what realistically can be accomplished, or it falls into the ad hoc category and is effected ineffectually on the fly.

The fact of life is that depending on the hazard or situation, a company will at some time be called upon to issue an evacuation notice, respond to public or press inquiries regarding financial irregularities, discuss legal, health or environmental matters, explain system failures or contend with questions on losses of dollars or proprietary information….to name just a few of those vicissitudes that might become somewhat nettlesome at any time.

Both internal and external publics will want to know who, what, where, when, why and how when it comes to casualties, property damage, accompanying incidents or lawsuits, descriptions of events, acts of heroism or cowardice, resumption of work and financial implications.

When the telephone rings, however, its generally too late to plan a response, determine who will serve as spokesperson and decide how much information should be disseminated and when. Read the rest of this entry »

 Employers took 1,761 mass layoff actions in January that resulted in the separation of 182,261 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month,the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. Both mass layoff events and initial claims increased from the prior month after four consecutive over-the-month decreases. In January, 486 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 62,556 initial claims. Both figures increased over the month—the first increases since August 2009 for events and since September 2009 for initial claims.

 Home prices rose for the seventh straight month in December, a sign of price stability as the U.S. housing market continues its bumpy road to recovery.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday rose 0.3 percent from November to December, to a seasonally adjusted reading of 145.87. The index was off 3.1 percent from December last year, nearly matching analysts’ estimates that it would fall by 3.2 percent.

Only five of 20 cities in the index showed declines from November to December. The index is now up more than 3 percent from its bottom in May, but still 30 percent below its May 2006 peak.

Los Angeles and Phoenix posted the largest price increases. The worst performer was Chicago with a 0.6 percent decline.

Rising prices are a key to the nation’s economic recovery because they make homeowners feel wealthier and more comfortable to spend money. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of all economic activity.

Price increases also help rebuild equity for homeowners who currently owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth. Roughly one in three homeowners with a mortgage are now in that position, according to Moody’s Economy.com.

The housing market is seeking stability as it bounces back from a four-year recession. Sales of previously occupied homes fell almost 17 percent in December, the largest monthly drop in 40-years of record-keeping, the National Association of Realtors said. Data for January will be released Friday, with analysts forecasting a 1 percent rise.

Sales of newly built homes are expected to rise 5.3 percent in January, after declining sharply a month earlier. The Commerce Department will release new data on Wednesday.

On a quarterly basis, U.S. home prices fell 2.5 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2008.

The Case-Shiller indexes measure home price increases and decreases relative to prices in January 2000. The base reading is 100; so a reading of 150 would mean that home prices increased 50 percent since the beginning of the index.