Olympic Stock Prices; IOC Marketing Chief on Sponsorship; Apple, Samsung Battle

Olympic Stocks

Acer Incorporated is on the Taiwan Stock Exchange as 2523, and the company continued its poor showing on the market this week. The world’s second-largest computer manufacturer started trading at $55.50 TWD, or $1.92. Stocks rose slightly Friday to finish at $51.10 TWD on Friday, or $1.77 USD. The highest shares got was $55.60, dipping to just below $49. Prices were $98.50 TWD in December.

Traded on the Paris Stock Exchange, Atos Origin (ATOS) had a high of 41.53 Euros, and a low of 40.55 Euros. That’s $60.44 and $59 each. Starting prices were 41.61 Euros, and 41.53 to close, $60.55 and $59. Friday is a national holiday in France, keeping the markets closed.

The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) began Monday at $37.13 and ended trading for the week on Thursday at $39.48. Markets in the United States are closed Friday in observation of Good Friday. High price was $39.50, $36.44 the low.

KO, The Coca-Cola Company, started at $67.33 and closed at $67.88. $68.11 and $66.55 were KO’s high price and low price.

McDonald’s, listed as MCD on the New York Stock Exchange, started trading Monday at $76.65, finishing Thursday at $76.91. The fast food giant’s high came at the end of Wednesday--$78.40 the low on Monday was $76.43.

Omega is part of the Swatch Group. UHR started the week at 394.90 Swiss Francs ($445.19), and finished at 420.30 CHF ($473.84). High price was 420.70 CHF ($474.92) and the low was 388.40 ($437.88). The Swiss Exchange, like the Paris and New York exchanges, is closed Friday.

Panasonic is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The stock, 6752, is worth 993 yen, $12.12. It started at 1013 yen ($12.36), also its peak, and had a low of 985, $12.02.

Samsung’s stock price rose slightly this week. Traded as 005930 on the Korea Stock Exchange, stock prices started the week at 891,000 won, or $823. Stocks finished at 905,000 won or $836. High and low prices for the week were $862 and $788 respectively.

Visa (V) started the week at $75.80, and ended at $77.77. Prices peaked at $77.97 and hit $75.17 for their low.

Trading for General Electric ended at $19.95 for the week. Monday's opening price was $19.73. The high came at the start of trading Thursday, when GE's value hit $20.80, up from the low of $19.73.

The Dow Jones Summer/Winter Games Index (DJOLX) finished the week at $147.57, after starting at $146.40. The index ranged from $147.32 - 148.63. DJOLX tracks the performance of all publicly traded securities of companies that are official partners, sponsors or suppliers of the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

All currency conversions are from xe.com.

IOC Marketing Chief on Future of Olympic Sponsorship

(ATR) Gerhard Heiberg tells Around the Rings the value of the five rings is at an all-time high despite an economic downturn that left the market for new Olympic partnerships "completely dry" in recent years.

Heiberg spoke to ATR on the sidelines of SportAccord about selling the IOC brand, his recent heart attack and the future of Olympic sponsorship.

Click here for the full story.

New Acer President

Jim Wong is the new corporate president for TOP sponsor Acer following last month’s sudden departureof Gianfranco Lanci.

The Taiwan-based company made the announcement April 19, following the board of directors’ approval of Wong.

Wong previously held the positions of corporate senior vice president and president of IT Products Group.

Acer Chairman and CEO J.T. Wang states, "For the past ten years Jim has led Acer’s global IT operations, including product development and logistics. In that time he has shown outstanding leadership and made important contribution to the company."

Born in 1958, Wong holds a bachelor degree from Soochow University in Taiwan and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta.

Acer is a TOP sponsor through the 2012 Olympics in the computing equipment category.

News of the appointment didn’t seem to help Acer’s stock (2523 on the Taiwan Stock Exchange). It fell nearly seven percent.

Apple Claims Samsung Copied Products

Apple has filed a patent and trademark infrigement lawsuit against TOP sponsor Samsung.

In the lawsuit filed Friday, Apple claims Samsung copied its iPhone and iPad with the Galaxy S smartphoneand Galaxy Tab.

"It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging," an Apple representative told Mobilized at All Things Digital.

"This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

The lawsuit also says the Galaxy Tab uses app icons similar to the iPad's.

Last year, the Galaxy Tab was chosen over the iPad to feature a free app produced by VisitBritain ahead of London 2012.

The Galaxy Tab is pre-loaded with the app that includes information about accommodations and entertainment recommendations around Britain.

Kellogg Rejoins USOC

Cereal and convenience foods maker Kellogg Company has rejoined the U.S. Olympic Committee as a sponsor.

Kellogg's will sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams for London 2012, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016. The deal also seals Kellogg's as a sponsor of the USOC through 2016 as well as of the 2011 and 2015 U.S. Pan American and Parapan American Teams.

Kellogg's will provide financial support, breakfast foods and other products as part of the deal.

"The USOC is thrilled to welcome Kellogg back to the Olympic Family," Patrick Sandusy, USOC Chief Communications Officer, told Around the Rings.

"The USOC has been working hard to bring in sponsors that align with our values, and as a company that invests in ways to help people succeed, Kellogg is a great example."

Kellogg's partnership with the USOC dates back 35 years. The company supported the 1976-1992 Olympics and the 2000-2008 U.S. Olympic Teams.

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With reporting from Isia Reaves Wilcox and Ed Hula III.

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