With first-quarter earnings season well underway (over 65 per cent of S&P 500 corporations have reported), this chart provides some long-term perspective to the current earnings environment by focusing on 12-month periods, as reported S&P 500 earnings.

This is an excerpt from ChartoftheDay.com as it appeared on May 1, 2012. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico–Establishing government development banks in the Caribbean could help kick start major tourism projects in the region, according to a leading developer.

“Obviously there is a lack of capital in the region. Banks are unable or unwilling to lend. [There is] really a lack of institutional capital and really a lack of proper incentives to incentivize developers to take the risk,” said Adam “Buddy” Petrillo (right), executive vice president of Trident Development.

Trident is a subsidiary of Hill International (NYSE: HIL), one of the largest project management firms in the world. Trident focuses on port development, hospitality and alternative energy systems in the US, Caribbean and South America.

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April. 27/12 (Bloomberg) – Kerzner International Holdings Ltd., the company that built Atlantis resorts in the Bahamas and Dubai, has handed ownership of its flagship properties to creditor Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) and partner Dubai World in a debt restructuring.

Kerzner sold a 50 percent stake in Atlantis the Palm in Dubai to resort co-owner Istithmar World, a unit of Dubai World, for $250 million, according to a statement. Brookfield will forgive about $175 million of junior debt for ownership of the Bahamas-based Atlantis Paradise Island, and the adjacent Bahamas One&Only Ocean Club.

This is an excerpt from Bloomberg.com as it appeared on April 30, 2012. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

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With exploration being a hot topic these days, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said on Saturday that the government will not grant oil exploration licenses until clear regulations and guidelines are in place. Watch a video of the PM’s speech here.

The Bahamas Investor brings exclusive coverage of the primary regional event for the hotel and tourism industry. The annual industry event ran April 24-26 at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino in San Juan and it attracted nearly 200 delegates including government ministers and senior executives from around the region.

Follow TheBahamasInvestor.com’s exclusive highlights here.

• Regional airlift critical to tourism sector success

May 3rd 2012

• Regional tourism tapping new opportunities

May 1st 2012

• Developers urged to seek alternative financing
• Hilton looks to grow brand worldwide

April 27th 2012

• Lenders see moderate growth in tourism sector

April 26th 2012

• Regional tourism experts warn against tax increases

April 2nd 2012

• Puerto Rico to host hotel and tourism investment conference this month

One of the most recognized names in the tourism and hospitality industry, Hilton Hotels, says it is looking to further invest in the brand globally.

Danny Hughes (right), vice president of the Caribbean/Mexico/Latin American region for Hilton Hotels Corp says 60 per cent of the hotel’s new developments under contract and under construction are outside the United States.

Hughes made the comments during a panel session at the 16th annual Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last week.

The Hilton brand, according to Hughes, is growing “rapidly” in China and “selectively” in Europe.

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Bahamas and the US have begun the process of official negotiations toward defining maritime boundaries between both countries.

The process started April 26, 2012, during a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette and John Dinkelman, Charge’ d Affaires, Embassy of the United States of America, underscored the importance of coming to such an agreement.

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SPT ship to ship – vessels maneuver alongside to execute oil transfer. This latest deal reflects SPT’s world-class status as provider of choice for marine cargo transfer solutions in the Caribbean.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) April 26, 2012 – This April, SPT Inc‘s President Simon Duncan signed an initial deal with Cayman Island’s Premier Bush to revive crude oil lightering offshore Cayman Brac. This follows new ship to ship transfer capability announced last year in the Bahamas for SPT, building on its permanent ship to ship transfer location in its southern Caribbean base at Aruba.

Simon confirms, “This latest deal reflects SPT’s world-class status as provider of choice for marine cargo transfer solutions in the Caribbean. Our outstanding safety record is a crucial determining factor for customers requiring safe ship-to-ship oil and LNG transfer. Sensitive marine environments must be protected and SPT has the vessels, the best resources and above all, the highly skilled people to do this. This is our 33rd year of being the safest, most reliable and efficient ship-to-ship lightering company in the world.”

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Royal Bank of Canada has been involved in various initiatives around The Bahamas to help the country preserve its natural resources. Watch an interview with RBC’s regional public relations manager Jan Knowles here.

San Juan, Puerto Rico–Although the region’s tourism market is expected to grow by at least two per cent this year, lenders’ outlooks for the Caribbean and Central America are mixed, with two thirds of the institutions surveyed not expecting any meaningful growth to occur before 2014.

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