Overconfidence caused the crash, author argues
The global financial crisis was caused by the overconfidence of experts in the field, according to author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell. Speaking at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara on March 10, Gladwell said people often attribute mistakes to incompetence but that the financial crisis was actually caused by expert failure. “As our world gets Read More →
Pacific Capital loses $431.3 million in 2009
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust parent Pacific Capital Bancorp said March 12 that it lost $431.3 million in 2009 and faces strong headwinds raising the capital it needs to satisfy its agreements with federal regulators. In a regulatory filing, Pacific Capital said its total net loss for 2009 was $431.3 million, compared with $23.8 million Read More →
QAD swings back to profits
Santa Barbara-based business software firm QAD on March 11 shot back into the black with a $1.3 million profit for the fiscal year despite faltering revenue. QAD ends its fiscal year Jan. 31, making its most recent results its 2010 year. Its $1.3 million profit was up sharply from the $23.7 million loss it saw Read More →
Wendy
A burger bidding war might be in the works for Carpinteria-based CKE Restaurants, the parent of the Carl’s Jr. chain of fast-food restaurants. Citing sources close to the potential offer, the New York Post reported March 11 that Nelson Peltz, owner of the Wendy’s and Arby’s chain of restaurants, is considering a bid for the Read More →
Heritage Oaks to raise $60M
Just days after receiving orders from federal regulators to submit a plan to keep its capital levels up, Paso Robles-based Heritage Oaks Bank said March 10 it intends to raise $60 million by selling securities. The bank, which has 13 tri-county branches and is the parent of Business First Bank in Santa Barbara, said the Read More →
Semtech shows $9.5M profit in Q4
Fresh off a $180 million, all-cash buyout of another chipmaker, Camarillo-based Semtech turned in a $9.5 million profit on $85 million in revenue for the fourth quarter March 10, up from $6.3 million the year before. Semtech makes chips for the popular BlackBerry phones and other high-end mobile devices. The fourth-quarter profit was up from Read More →
Santa Barbara contractors decry union-backed plan
Construction contractors and business leaders on March 10 denounced a proposal they say would discriminate against non-union shops and drive up building costs for taxpayers in Santa Barbara County. John Holehouse, president of Holehouse Construction Co., called a proposal to restrict bidding on public projects in the county to union shops “a shark dressed as Read More →
