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The closed-door meeting included over 30 miners, service providers, and Bitcoin Core developers and was meant to address solutions to the block size debate.Bitcoin charts show the many facets of the cryptocurrency environment through visual form.With a majority of the Bitcoin network hashing power, GHash.io could temporarily reverse transactions that they send (double spending) and prevent other transactions from being confirmed.The ruling acts to classify Bitcoin and related alt-coins as currency, instead of goods or property.
Bitcoin Volatility – The 4 perspectives — Bitcoin MagazineBitcoin is an innovative payment network and a new kind of money.
Explore bitcoin charts and graphs, including the market price, the number of bitcoins in circulation, mining information and more.Get started with Bitcoin: find a wallet, buy bitcoin, shop with bitcoin, read bitcoin news, and get involved on the forum.
Bitcoin: Can Cryptocurrency Become a Trillion-DollarConvert amounts to or from USD and other currencies with this simple Bitcoin calculator.The exchange platform is to remain separate from their Bitcoin outlet operation, which in contrast, allows customers to buy and sell Bitcoins directly from Coinbase.Other Bitcoin data sources on Quandl include Bitcoin Charts,.
An exchange based in Slovenia, where users can trade between Bitcoins and US Dollars.Average fees are around 5 percent on each end of the transaction, so using them as a Bitcoin-based money transfer service costs about 10 percent — more than a conventional money transfer service.However, none of the leaked documents Gwern claimed to possess were published.Click on a number on the chart and you will be transferred to the corresponding event.Shows you the exchange rate, transactions going through the network, power consuption and coins in.
Over the next 24 hours, the entire BearWhale order is fulfilled on the exchange via buy orders.The Bitcoin payment option will be seamlessly enabled for all merchants on the platform.Bitcoin price calculator, convert between Bitcoin and USD, EUR and more fiat currencies with realtime prices.
This might be because in many ways the US is the least promising market for Bitcoin.US based digital asset exchange with trading FIX API and REST API.It remains unclear if the customer funds were insured by BitGo and if customers will be fully reimbursed.One of the big promises of the technology is that Bitcoin could serve as a global standard, allowing people in different countries to interact.The news adds to speculation that Paypal is becoming more favorable towards Bitcoin, and may eventually integrate it into their own payment processing system.The company founders stated they had worked for months to obtain various licenses from state financial regulators, allowing them to legally accept customers from 25 different US states.All Bitcoin transactions are to be handled by Coinbase, a Bitcoin payment processor.
Bitcoin Price (BTC USD): Get all information on the Bitcoin to US-Dollar Exchange Rate including Charts, News and Realtime Price.
1 Bitcoin Is Now Worth More Than An Ounce Of Gold - ForbesFind all you need to know and get started with Bitcoin on bitcoin.org.
The Equifax hacks are a case study in why we need better data breach laws.Mainly a Euro and US Dollar exchange for Bitcoin and Litecoin, but also offers markets for several other cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies.The wallet was completely drained of all bitcoins shortly thereafter.
The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin | WIREDIt allows people to insert dollars (or other local currencies) and get bitcoins in exchange.
On August 17, 2012, Pirateat40 announces a halt to the operation, and absconds with deposits estimated between 86,202 and 500,000 BTC.I think the root of this question is about what bitcoin could be worth if a significant portion of the economy starts using it.The US may close its embassy in Cuba after possible sonic weapon attacks.


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Plus Size Facebook Ads
Facebook has certainly run into their fair share of controversy, but somehow keep finding a way to make us feel worse about ourselves. Controversy has struck over the last couple days over a Facebook ad featuring Tess Holliday in a bikini. Cherchez La Femme designed a Facebook campaign that aimed to help promote confidence and positive body image among young women.
So of course, when the campaign advert was denied to be launched due to “depicting a body in an undesirable manner,” the company was quick to lash out at Facebook for deterring their efforts for trying to promote a positive body image.
Facebook expressed that they do not allow images such as these to be displayed because “they make people feel bad about themselves.” I disagree as I believe it’s the exact opposite because featuring someone who is real in your ads makes people feel comfortable in their own skin.
We are bombarded with magazines, ads and billboards every day that tell us “real” isn’t okay, and that if you’re bigger than the rest, you aren’t good enough when that simply isn’t true. Cherchez La Femme wants their customers to feel good and sees someone who may have a similar body type to theirs, so why not feel confident about the skin you’re in? A great example would be model Ashley Graham, who e is such an inspiration for women everywhere as she takes the fashion industry by storm.
Although this was an enormous error on Facebook’s part, they did apologize by stating they have now approved the ad and apologized for any offense that it may have caused to users and Cherchez La Femme.

domain: news


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The Merger Control Review: US Merger Control in the Technology Sector
The headlines for the first half of 2020 have been dominated by the global covid-19 pandemic, which has driven changes across the economy, including several direct implications for high-tech mergers and acquisitions. On one hand, many high-tech companies have seen a significant increase in commercial activity as telework, online learning, online shopping, pharmaceutical development and other similar areas of the economy have taken increased prominence during the pandemic. On the other hand, the sudden, increased dependence on many large high-tech companies has resulted in renewed focus by some on curbing potential market abuses and preventing these companies from acquiring smaller rivals that may have struggled due to the pandemic and its aftermath.
Given the current situation, there have been efforts at both the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prioritise existing initiatives aimed at better understanding the high-tech economy and potentially increasing enforcement in the sector. As these initiatives move forward, we expect to see greater scrutiny of high-tech deals by both agencies, including deals that fall below the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) reporting thresholds but otherwise provide opportunities for DOJ or FTC leaders to test new theories or modes of enforcement.
I FTC and DOJ dig into high-tech issues
In February 2019, the FTC announced the establishment of its Technology Task Force dedicated to 'monitoring competition in US technology markets, investigating any potential anticompetitive conduct in those markets, and taking enforcement actions when warranted'.2 Now called the Technology Enforcement Division, it is comprised of 17 members, mainly made up of FTC staff attorneys chosen from across divisions. Similar to other FTC investigations, the Division's investigations will remain confidential, but initial reports indicated the FTC launched the review by visiting Silicon Valley and seeking out complaints of anticompetitive behaviour directly from industry participants.3 In merger enforcement, then-Director of the Bureau of Competition Bruce Hoffman called industry players to action, noting '[t]he bottom line, for right now, is that to find anticompetitive nascent acquisitions, we need to do it the old-fashioned way: by looking and asking, and keeping our ear to the ground. And we need your help. Participants in these various industries might well be best-situated to spot problematic acquisitions and bring them to our attention.'4
A year after the establishment of the Division, the FTC is no longer relying solely on tips from consumers and industry participants. On 11 February 2020, the FTC announced it had issued orders under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to Alphabet Inc, Amazon.com, Inc, Apple Inc, Google Inc and Microsoft Corporation requiring them to provide information about prior consummated acquisitions not reported to the antitrust agencies under the HSR Act.5 FTC Chairman Joe Simons stated '[t]his initiative will enable the Commission to take a closer look at acquisitions in this important sector, and also to evaluate whether the federal agencies are getting adequate notice of transactions that might harm competition. This will help us continue to keep tech markets open and competitive, for the benefit of consumers.'6 The FTC intends to review acquisitions consummated between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019, which will reportedly include hundreds of transactions across these five companies.7 The orders require the companies to disclose information similar to what is called for under the HSR Act, while also requiring the 'companies to provide information and documents on their corporate acquisition strategies, voting and board appointment agreements, agreements to hire key personnel from other companies and post-employment covenants not to compete. Last, the orders ask for information related to post-acquisition product development and pricing, including whether and how acquired assets were integrated and how acquired data has been treated.'8
Efforts in Washington to understand the competitive impact big tech has on the marketplace are not limited to the FTC. On 13 September 2019, the House Judiciary Committee announced that it had sent document requests to Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple as part of its bipartisan investigation into competition in digital markets.9 Under the direction of the Antitrust Subcommittee, the review 'will focus on three main areas: (1) documenting competition problems in digital markets; (2) examining whether dominant firms are engaging in anticompetitive conduct; and (3) assessing whether existing antitrust laws, competition policies, and current enforcement levels are adequate to address these issues'.10 The House panel is expected to hold hearings and issue finding of facts, which could increase political pressure on regulators to take enforcement action against big tech.
The DOJ has likewise opened an investigation into technology giants. On 23 July 2019, the DOJ announced that it would review 'whether and how market-leading online platforms have achieved market power and are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers'.11 The DOJ has prioritised this effort, and while the Antitrust Chief Makan Delrahim and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Barry Nigro have recused themselves with respect to the investigation into Google, both Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen have reportedly added antitrust lawyers to their respective offices to take an active role in the inquiries of big tech.12 Indeed, Attorney General Barr indicated the DOJ's intention to move quickly, touting the bipartisan support from Congress that something should be done in the form of enforcement action or legislative proposals.13 While the DOJ appears to be initially focused on anticompetitive conduct, these statements reflect a sentiment that will undoubtedly lead to careful scrutiny of high-tech mergers as well.
II DOJ gives arbitration a trial run – a move that could benefit high-tech deal reviews
For the first time in 2019, the DOJ challenged a merger in a binding arbitration instead of a courtroom. While the deal itself did not fall in the high-tech space, it has interesting implications for high-tech deals going forward, given that these deals frequently turn on dispositive questions of market definition.
The arbitration involved the proposed acquisition by Novelis Inc of Aleris Corporation. It would have been an alleged four-to-three among producers of rolled aluminium sheet used in auto manufacturing. The merging parties and the DOJ disagreed on definition of the relevant market – whether other products such as steel auto body sheet constrain the price of aluminium – and agreed to binding arbitration on that single issue. The DOJ prevailed, forcing divestiture of Aleris's auto body sheet business in North America.
The arbitration process is intended to provide a more efficient resolution of a narrow dispute. It may provide particular benefits where the government and the merging parties can agree that a single question is dispositive for the outcome of a merger review – in high-tech this may often be the issue of how to define a market around relatively new or novel technology. The merging parties necessarily cede their ability to mount a full assault on the DOJ's case, but the cost-benefit calculation may favour such an approach, particularly given the expense and time necessary for a trial on the merits in federal court.
The arbitration process has its critics. For example, many have pointed out that adjudication in an arbitration setting may be inappropriate if 'the matter significantly affects persons or organisations . . . not party to the proceedings' – such as customers or consumers downstream.14 Moreover, while the arbitration process arguably places issues before an adjudicator with specialised antitrust experience, critics have questioned whether this might not be better accomplished using the existing FTC adjudication process, which places matters before an administrative law judge and ultimately the five FTC commissioners. Nevertheless, in high-tech transactions that raise novel issues before the DOJ, we see potential for this method of dispute resolution to have some ongoing utility.
iii DOJ and FTC adopt new vertical merger guidelines
In January 2020, the US agencies issued new draft vertical merger guidelines. After delays due to covid-19, the final guidelines were published on 30 June 2020. It has been more than 35 years since the last update from the agencies outlining their approach to vertical deals. While the last set of vertical guidelines provided the theories that are investigated, the reality is that challenges to vertical mergers in the United States have been rare – just two in the past 45 years. Additional guidance may be particularly useful in the high-tech space, where the current political environment and the lack of current policy guidance from both agencies drive an increased degree of uncertainty.
While the draft guidelines provided a quasi-safe harbour for vertical transactions – indicating less likelihood of a challenge where one deal party has a 20 per cent or lower market share in the upstream market and the other party has a share of 20 per cent or lower in a related product downstream market – the final guidelines omitted it. The change is not terribly significant; a quasi-safe harbour provides little more than none at all. The final guidelines provide detailed examples of the unilateral effects the regulators look for in investigations and also describe transactions involving companies at different stages of competing supply chains. The guidelines recognise the existing analysis of efficiencies from the horizontal guidelines, along with the elimination of double marginalisation, placing the burden on the merging parties to substantiate such gains.
We do not anticipate any dramatic changes in enforcement as a result of the vertical merger guidelines, but companies in the high-tech space in particular should see marginal benefits from added clarity around how the DOJ and FTC will evaluate potential upstream and downstream effects in future transactions.
IV Multi-sided markets continue to pose questions
When the Supreme Court issued the 2018 decision in Ohio v. American Express,15 observers wondered about its possible reach. While not a merger case, the American Express opinion reasoned that in the context of a multi-sided platform, efficiencies on one side of the platform must be taken into account when evaluating any potential competitive implications on the other side. Practitioners have speculated about the impact that this mode of analysis would have on merger reviews involving multi-sided platforms – many of which involve high-tech platforms such as ride-hailing services, food delivery apps and online shopping hubs. The DOJ's challenge to Sabre's proposed acquisition of Farelogix showed that there is still much refinement to be done on the antitrust principles for these industries.
In Sabre/Farelogix,16 the DOJ was concerned with consolidation in a two-sided platform for airline bookings. Traditionally, bookings have been managed through global distribution systems (GDS) that connect travel agents looking to make bookings with airlines offering available seats. Sabre is one of the largest GDS providers. The DOJ complaint alleged that the next-generation booking software developed by Farelogix was a threat to Sabre's legacy GDS. Farelogix focuses on providing airlines with software allowing them to offer targeted discounts and perks for bookings through a travel agent – potentially offering an alternative means for airlines to sell directly to travel agents without going through a GDS. Airline customers testified that the entry and success of Farelogix provided them with additional negotiating leverage against the traditional GDS providers, including Sabre. The DOJ argued that if the transaction went forward, Sabre would no longer be constrained in its negotiations, and would therefore be able to charge higher prices and have less incentive to innovate.
In litigating the transaction, the parties put the US Supreme Court's American Express decision to the test by arguing about impacts on both sides of the GDS platform – airlines and travel agents. One key point raised by the parties was that while Sabre was indeed a multi-sided platform, selling services to both airlines and travel agents, Farelogix was primarily a software developer for the airlines, meaning that it arguably only operated on one side of the multi-sided platform at issue. Ultimately, the district court latched onto this distinction, reading American Express to rule out, as a matter of law, competition between single-market sellers and their multi-sided counterparts.
The court's interpretation has drawn criticism from the DOJ and others in the antitrust bar. Shortly after the district court decision, the UK Competition and Markets Authority blocked the transaction, leading the parties to abandon their deal. The DOJ has since asked the Court of Appeals to vacate the district court's decision to eliminate its precedential value. Meanwhile, significant uncertainty persists in the proper treatment of multi-sided platforms in merger review matters.
V Pharmaceutical deals face increased scrutiny
Even before the entrance of covid-19 on the global stage, the FTC was gearing up for increased scrutiny of pharmaceutical tie-ups, echoing political concerns that consolidation in the pharmaceutical sector has led to ever-increasing drug prices in the United States.
One key area of focus is whether pharmaceutical deals should continue to be analysed based on individual product overlaps, as has historically been the case, or whether a broader view of potential anticompetitive effects is warranted. This was seen starkly in the dissenting opinions of the two Democratic commissioners to the FTC's decision to clear the acquisition of Celgene by Bristol-Myers Squibb in November 2019. For example, Commissioner Rohit Chopra stated plainly, 'I am deeply skeptical that this approach [focusing on product overlaps and foreclosure incentives] can unearth the complete set of harms to patients and innovation, based on the history of anticompetitive conduct of the firms seeking to merge and the characteristics of today's pharmaceutical industry when it comes to innovation.'17
Commissioner Chopra's statements echo sentiments from lawmakers urging greater scrutiny of large pharmaceutical deals. In September 2019, Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote to FTC Chairman Joe Simons on behalf of herself and eight other senators regarding antitrust enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector.18 Highlighting AbbVie/Allergan and Bristol-Myers/Celgene as two recent deals that 'raise significant antitrust issues', Senator Klobuchar asked the FTC to take note of the fact 'industry consolidation is occurring against a backdrop of ever rising prescription drug spending and reports that one in four people taking prescription drugs have difficulty affording their medication'. Accordingly, she urged the agency to 'take appropriate action to protect consumers', adding that 'if the FTC's competitive concerns cannot be resolved by negotiated settlement, we urge the Commission to take appropriate action in district court to protect competition'.
Concerns over pharmaceutical industry consolidation are likely to be further elevated in the current environment, as the world scrutinises efforts to develop and distribute treatments to combat covid-19. If the Democrat-led scepticisms gain ground, it could mean higher hurdles for FTC clearance in large pharmaceutical deals. And in the meantime, it portends potentially longer antitrust reviews as FTC staff attorneys wrestle with these questions in the context of individual combinations.
The trend over the past several years towards greater scrutiny of high-tech transactions is accelerating, driven by political winds as well as concerns surrounding the response by various segments of the high-tech economy to the covid-19 crisis. While the prospect of additional clarity for tech deals coming from the forthcoming vertical merger guidelines offers some benefit to high-tech deal-makers, we must wait to see how policy shifts more generally will affect merger reviews. Among other things, it remains to be seen whether the FTC and DOJ high-tech initiatives will result in additional challenges to high-tech deals, whether the FTC's merger retrospective will result in changes to its remedy policies, how efficiencies in deals involving multi-sided platforms will be scrutinised, and whether the FTC will pivot to examining a broader range of concerns in the context of pharmaceutical mergers. In the meantime, one thing we can expect is that in high-tech reviews generally, the parties will need to be prepared to spend additional time wrestling with these issues for the foreseeable future.
1 Michael S Wise is of counsel and Noah B Pinegar and Mary H Walser are associates at Paul Hastings LLP.
2 FTC, FTC's Bureau of Competition Launches Task Force to Monitor Technology Markets, 26 February 2019, available at www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/02/ftcs-bureau-competition-launches-task-force-monitor-technology.
3 Steven Overly and Margaret Harding McGill, 'FTC went to Silicon Valley to solicit antitrust complaints', Politico (7 June 2019), available at www.politico.com/story/2019/06/07/ftc-tech-scrutiny-silicon-valley-1511310.
4 Bruce Hoffman, Director, Bureau of Competition, Antitrust in the Digital Economy: A Snapshot of FTC Issues, Remarks at GCR Live Antitrust in the Digital Economy (May 2019), available at www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/1522327/hoffman_-_gcr_live_san_francisco_2019_speech_5-22-19.pdf.
5 FTC, FTC to Examine Past Acquisitions by Large Technology Companies, available at www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/02/ftc-examine-past-acquisitions-large-technology-companies.
6 Federal Trade Commission, FTC to Examine Past Acquisitions by Large Technology Companies, available at www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/02/ftc-examine-past-acquisitions-large-technology-companies.
7 Diane Bartz and Nandita Bose, 'FTC demands data on small buys by Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft', Reuters (11 February 2020), available at www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tech-antitrust/ftc-demands-data-on-small-buys-by-google-amazon-apple-facebook-microsoft-idUSKBN205261; see also John D McKinnon and Deepa Seetharaman, 'FTC Expands Antitrust Investigation Into Big Tech', Wall Street Journal (11 February 2020), available at www.wsj.com/articles/ftc-plans-to-examine-past-acquisitions-by-big-tech-companies-11581440270.
8 FTC, FTC to Examine Past Acquisitions by Large Technology Companies, available at www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/02/ftc-examine-past-acquisitions-large-technology-companies.
9 House Committee on the Judiciary, House Antitrust Subcommittee Issues Document Requests as Part of Digital Markets Investigation, available at https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2110.
11 DOJ, Justice Department Reviewing the Practices of Market-Leading Online Platforms, available at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reviewing-practices-market-leading-online-platforms.
12 Brent Kendall and Sadie Gurman, 'Justice Department's Antitrust Chief removes himself from Google probe', Wall Street Journal (4 February 2020), available at www.wsj.com/articles/justice-departments-antitrust-chief-removes-himself-from-google-probe-11580822369?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=4.
13 Tim Hanrahan and Brent Kendall, 'Barr sees Big-Tech Probe Wrapping Up by Next Year', Wall Street Journal (10 December 2019), available at www.wsj.com/articles/barr-sees-big-tech-probe-wrapping-up-by-next-year-11576011636.
14 5 U.S.C. § 572(b)(4).
15 138 S. Ct. 2274 (2018).
16 Case No. 1:19-cv-01548 (D. Del. 7 Apr. 2020).
17 Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Rohit Chopra, In the Matter of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Celgene, Comm'n File No. 1910061 (FTC 15 November 2019).
18 Press Release, Klobuchar Leads Letter Warning That Pharmaceutical Mergers May Threaten Drug Competition, Increase Prices and Reduce Patient Access to Essential Medications (17 September 2019).


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Issued payment card transactions by resident issuers within the country has totaled 36,960,674 units, GEL 2,891,506, 000 as of Aug 2020. The number was up from 27,896,350 units, GEL 2,377,034,000 as of Aug 2019. Out of total payment transactions, this year, as of Aug 2020, withdrawal from ATM stood at 6,741,822 units, GEL 1,859,029,000. The units of POS transactions are significantly larger in comparison with ATM transactions. The number was 30,218,852. However, in case of volume, ATM withdrawals are still remaining dominant, as the volume of transactions via POS reached GEL 1,032,477,000 during our report period.
Together with the growing POS transactions, the number of operations conducting through the internet (issuing) has more than doubled for Aug 2020, in comparison with the same period of 2019. Overall, 6,482,068 units of operation, worth GEL 429,557,000 has been conducted for the end of Aug 2020. The number was 3,605,056 units, worth GEL 277,007,000 as of Aug 2019.
According to the National Bank of Georgia, the number of payment debit Cards in circulation was 6,270,121 as of Aug 2020, up from 6,129,746 as of Aug 2019.
The main hindrance of cashless payment development in Georgia are still remaining selling spots and taxis with cash only payments. In addition, consumers are also increasingly seeking cash as a result of financial market volatility, while others just want to keep more cash on hand during a crisis.
Meanwhile, COVID pandemic is believed to accelerate cashless payments globally and also in Georgia.
“In connection with the development of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic causing Covid-19 disease in many industries and sectors, more and more companies are developing their activities via the internet, remotely providing their services and selling their products under e-commerce. Many companies that did not do this before now switch to remote activities, carried out electronically via the internet,” said Dariusz Prokopowicz, Head of Innovation Department at International Institute of Innovations Science-Education-Development of Warsaw.
According to Prokopowicz, the importance of internet marketing, including viral marketing, real-time marketing conducted on social media portals is increasing. “The development of electronic banking is also increasing, including online and mobile banking. The share of payments made electronically, without cash via the internet and during payments with the use of electronic bank cards is increasing. More and more citizens paying in stores do not use cash but make contactless payments.
Limits for all contactless payments made with bank cards have just been increased in some countries. Therefore, the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus will increase the share of payments made electronically in the context of all payments made in national economies, but it does not necessarily lead to the creation of a completely new cashless economic system”.
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by Ian Harvey
September 23, 2018
A Quick Review of Last
The Dow ended the week at an all-time high, and so far
stocks look set to close out the month of September with a gain.
For the week, the Dow finished up 2.3% at 26,743.50.
The S&P 500 was also up 0.8 percent at 2,929.67.
But, the Nasdaq Composite went in the opposite direction; finishing the week down 3.2% to settle at 7,986.96.
The Fed is expected to
announce a quarter point rate hike Wednesday, but is unlikely to cause too much
tension for the market; as well expect a signal that another hike is coming
later in the year.
The main area of concern
will be the focus on trade, and as the next round of U.S. tariffs on $200
billion in Chinese goods and China's retaliatory tariffs both go into effect
Also, the renegotiation of
the North American Free Trade Agreement, with a deadline of October 1, will be
watched by investors for any developments.
Expect the stock market to continue its upward trajectory for the next few months…..read the article “The Stock Market Is Expected To Continue Higher!”
Options Trades to Consider Based on Expected Earnings Reports:
Tuesday, September 25
The electronic products solutions company, Jabil
Inc. (NYSE:JBL), providing engineering, manufacturing and intelligent
supply chain solutions to companies in a variety of industries - automotive,
packaging, healthcare, retail and more, will report earnings before the market
opens. The market expects Jabil to deliver a
year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results
for the quarter ended August 2018.
This electronics manufacturer is expected to post
quarterly earnings of $0.68 per share in its upcoming report, which represents
a year-over-year change of +6.3%.
Revenues are expected to be $5.40 billion, up 7.6%
from the year-ago quarter.
This electronics manufacturer has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 4.34%.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Jabil would post earnings of $0.45 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.46, delivering a surprise of +2.22%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.
Jabil currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.82%, which suggests that
analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects.
Option trade to consider: Buy the JBL OCT 19 2018 30.000 CALL at approximately $1.00.
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE), a seller of
athletic footwear and athletic apparel worldwide, will report earnings after
the market closes. The consensus earnings estimate is for $0.62 per share on revenue of
$9.88 billion; but the Whisper number is for $0.66 per share. Consensus
estimates are for year-over-year earnings growth of 8.77% with revenue
increasing by 8.93%.
NKE has been a strong stock over the last year, with shares making
steady gains over the last year, and the stock up 34% year to date. Nike has a
very strong earnings track record, topping estimates on both the top and bottom
line for the last five quarters.
Nike recently returned to sales growth in the core U.S. market after
almost two years of modest declines, and management expressed optimism back in
June that this positive momentum will build into its new fiscal 2019. Its
international geographies are doing well, too, led by China and its 35% spike
Nike executives predicted that about half of its sales gains in the
coming years would come from newly introduced products. The company easily
outperformed that goal last quarter, as about 80% its growth was powered by
innovations in platforms like Air VaporMax and React.
Short interest has decreased by 54.0% and overall earnings estimates
have been revised higher since the company's last earnings release.
Option trade to consider: Buy the NKE OCT 19 2018 90.000 CALL at approximately $0.90.
Wednesday, September 26
CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX) will report its earnings before the market opens. The
consensus earnings estimate is $1.22 per share on revenue of $4.70 billion;
however, the Whisper number is for $1.26 per share. Consensus estimates are for
year-over-year earnings growth of 24.49% with revenue increasing by 7.14%.
CEO Bill Nash and his team have pointed to pricing challenges as a key
factor keeping a temporary lid on sales growth. New-car dealerships have been
aggressive in their promotions lately, and that posture makes used cars
relatively less attractive.
Expect plenty of volatility related to the stock, as there will be
plenty of pressure added since CarMax has outperformed
the S&P 500 by a wide margin since its last report in late June, and
therefore, expectations for a follow through on some of the positive sales and
profit momentum that it showed in its fiscal first-quarter report.
Expenses are rising as the company shells out more on wages and on
bulking up its e-commerce infrastructure.
The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.16% lower
over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of
how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates
over this period. The Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Consensus Estimate,
suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings
prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.68%.
Option trade to consider: Buy the KMX OCT 19 2018 75.000 PUT at approximately $1.20.
Bed Bath &
Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY), a specialty retailer of
domestic merchandise and home furnishings, will report its earnings after the
market closes. The consensus earnings estimate is $0.50 per share on revenue of $2.95
billion; and the Whisper number is the same at $0.50 per share. Consensus
estimates are for earnings to decline year-over-year by 33.33% with revenue
increasing by 0.46%.
The decline in BBBY’s net margins is expected to offset the positive
effects of revenue growth and share repurchases, resulting in lower EPS in the
fiscal second quarter. Analysts expect BBBY’s net margins to fall from 3.7% in
the second quarter of 2017 to 2.3%.
Bed Bath & Beyond stock has struggled over the last few years. The
company has fallen victim to the pressure of e-commerce, and so far it has
failed to make meaningful improvements to its online business. Earnings have
suffered as a result. Profits have fallen by 11.6% per annum over the last five
years, and are expected to drop another 26.9% this year.
The stock has fallen 14.2% on the year.
Factors affecting the stock…..
Despite Raymond James upgrading BBBY from “underperform” to “market
perform,” more than half of the analysts favour a “hold”, with 36.4% favouring a
“Sell” recommendation. Analysts had set an average price target of $17.82, which represents a
potential decline of about 7.1% from its current stock price.
Short interest has increased by 25.8% and overall earnings estimates have been revised lower since the company's last earnings release.
Option trade to consider: Buy the BBBY OCT 19 2018 17.500 PUT at approximately $0.45.
McCormick & Company,
Incorporated (NYSE:MKC), a manufacturer, marketer and
distributer of spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products
to the food industry, including retailers, food manufacturers and foodservice
businesses, will report earnings before the market opens. Analysts' forecast the consensus EPS
for the quarter is $1.26. The reported EPS for the same quarter last year was
average, analysts expect McCormick's third quarter sales to rise by 15% to
$1.36 billion. That top-line result would keep revenue expanding at about the
same rate as in recent quarters.
This spices and seasonings company
has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking
at the previous two reports. The average surprise for the last two quarters was
9.78%. And, recent estimates have been moving higher for McCormick. McCormick currently has an Earnings
ESP of +0.99%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the
company's earnings prospects.
has bucked the negative trend in the consumer packaged-foods industry with a
lot of help from its $4 billion acquisition of the hit French's and Frank's
condiment franchises. And investors have high expectations for the third
quarter earnings results. That purchase allowed sales to jump 19% last quarter
even though its core spice business expanded by a more modest 3%.
are looking for both segments to show growth in the quarter that just closed,
in a demonstration of both McCormick's attractive food niche positioning and
its strong global marketing and distribution infrastructure. Look for profit
margins to continue expanding, too, as sales shift toward the more profitable
key factor behind McCormick's recent market-thumping stock performance has been
its rising profitability. At a time when many consumer packaged-foods companies
are facing margin pressure, the spice giant is successfully raising prices,
which supports management's argument that the flavorings industry is a
particularly attractive food niche.
McCormick is benefiting from aggressive cost cuts and a tilt in the sales base
toward condiments with higher margins than many of its traditional flavorings.
Option trade to consider: Buy the MKC OCT 19 2018 135.000 CALL at approximately $1.15.
Friday, September 28
BlackBerry Ltd (NYSE: BB), operating
as an enterprise software and services company focused on securing and managing
endpoints in the Internet of Things, will report earnings before the market
opens. The consensus earnings estimate is $0.01 per share on revenue of $213.48
million; however, the Whisper number is for $0.03 per share. BlackBerry posted
earnings per share of $0.05 in the same quarter last year, which would indicate
a negative year over year growth rate of 80%.
Although it was a good 2017 for BlackBerry with investors showing
interest in the company's new enterprise security business model, however, valuation
and profitability concerns have hampered the stock in 2018.
BlackBerry‘s stock has underperformed the broader technology sector, and
the overall market, of late. While the NASDAQ has rallied by about 16% year to
date and by about 120% over the last five years, BlackBerry’s stock is down by
about 11% year to date and has remained almost flat since 2013.
While the company has been turning around its operations, exiting less
profitable businesses such as handsets and eliminating costs via layoffs over
the last few years, its revenues have seen a precipitous decline, falling from
about $11 billion in FY’14 to just about $932 million in FY’18. As the company
has largely run out inefficiencies and costs to eliminate, driving
profitability will have to be aided by reversing its revenue declines going
Blackberry’s near-term outlook for revenue growth also remains mixed.
Revenues are projected to decline by almost 5% this year, as growth in Software
and Services sales is unlikely to offset declines in the company’s high-margin
Service Access Fee business (which saw revenues decline by 58% year-over-year
in the most recent quarter).
embedded software, which BlackBerry licenses to automotive vendors to power
infotainment systems, may be ripe for disruption. BlackBerry
also has bets in several other fledgling or highly competitive areas such as
autonomous driving systems, fleet tracking and the Internet of Things, but
meaningful monetization may still be a long way off, and there is also a risk
that BlackBerry may be spreading itself too thin.
As well, Facebook
Inc. is suing BlackBerry Ltd. for patent infringement, escalating the legal
battle between the two companies over protected technology – which provides
another problem for BlackBerry to deal with.
Option trade to consider: Buy the BB OCT 19 2018 10.000 PUT at
An Important Note: That these suggestions for options trade considerations require investors/traders to use their own discretion as to when to enter or exit! As well, it is advisable to do further research and due diligence before executing your trade.
It is sometimes best to exit a trade, if there is already sufficient profit accrued, before an earnings report is presented.
OUT WHILST THE GOING IS GOOD!
GREED CAN BE THE UNDOING OF A GOOD PROFIT!
If you wish to receive more options trading recommendations similar to this, which will help boost your portfolio strategy, check out the other memberships available at Stock Options Made Easy.
When To Exit A Trade Based On Earnings?.....
It is also worth considering, when options trading earnings reports – “Do we exit on already existing profits or leave the companies to report their earnings and hope for bigger profit?”
traders realize, there is a 50/50 chance that the company stock price could go
either way after reporting earnings – even if the report is good, the stock
price could reverse – and if you hold a call option, means depletion of an
already good profit if it exists. A similar situation can be found if you hold
a put option, and a report is not that sound (and you expect a profit from
this) but the stock price can, at times move upwards due to traders bias or
other external conditions......READ MORE.....
The Decision Is Yours!
Before You Trade Consider This Strategy……
"Trading Capital Management" is a key component of your trading strategy. The strategy, on which we base our trades to achieve maximum profit, and to minimize loss, is contingent on using an equal amount of money for each trade.……continue reading this article……
”Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.”
Option Tip for your Success!
Options traders are not successful because they win.
Options traders win because they are successful.


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RRKidz has announced that its flagship brand Reading Rainbow is partnering with publisher National Geographic Kids to expand its interactive reading subscription app, available exclusively on the iPad. The company is also expanding its library with a new branded island featuring dozens of books as well as videos hosted and narrated by RRKidz co-founder LeVar Burton.
The Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) this week settled the lawsuit filed against it in May by four blind patrons assisted by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Under the terms of the settlement, FLP has agreed to supplement its collection of more than 60 NOOKs with ten accessible devices, according to a press announcement from the NFB. Within four years, the library will transition to a collection of e-readers that are all accessible to the blind, and will begin incorporating an accessibility requirement into its technology procurement contracts.
Ereaders and iPads are becoming integral parts of the school library because they foster creativity and encourage flexibility in learning. But are students using this technology effectively? Panelists from SLJ’s session, “Tablets in the Classroom: New Strategies, New Solutions,” discussed how to ensure that students are relying on these devices to truly make the most of their educational experiences.
Amazon’s iPad and Cloud Reader apps now support more than 1,000 children’s books, comic books, and graphic novels in full color. Titles include Ian Falconer’s Olivia (Atheneum, 2000), Donald Crews’s Freight Train (Greenwillow, 1993), the popular “Sesame Street” and “Curious George” series, Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” series, and comics featuring DC superheroes such as Batman, [...]


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Most Aussies will see their power bills fall over the next year, after the release of the Default Market Offer (DMO) for 2024-25.
The cost of power generation has fallen, and so should the wholesale power price, says the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) in its draft determination of the DMO for this year.
Under the proposed changes, a majority of residential customers would see price reductions of between 0.4 and 7.1 per cent.
And for those facing an increase, the jump will be between 0.9 and 2.7 per cent, depending on their region. The AER notes these increases are lower than inflation.
It’s welcome news after two years of massive hikes to the DMO, including increases of up to 25 per cent in some areas last year.
Keeping cost of living down
Clare Savage, AER chair, says keeping the nation’s power bills under control was front and centre for the AER when making its price determination.
“We know that economic conditions have put pressure on many Australians and the increases in electricity prices over the last two years has made energy less affordable for many households,” she says.
“In light of this the AER has, in this decision, placed increased weight on protecting consumers.
She adds that while the costs associated with generating power have been dropping, the cost of transmitting that power has risen, keeping power prices from falling as far as the AER would have liked.
“While wholesale markets have stabilised since their extreme peaks of 2022, this easing has been offset by the pressures we are observing in network prices,” Ms Savage says.
“Poles and wires costs are a large component of retail prices, comprising around 40 per cent of the price.”
What is the DMO?
The DMO acts as a kind of baseline default energy price for those who can’t or won’t shop around for the best energy deal. The DMO covers consumers in NSW, South Australia and south-east Queensland.
Each year, the AER determines the price cap point for the DMO, which then comes into effect from 1 July.
It’s important to note that what the AER released today is a draft determination and does not represent the final DMO. The figures presented are subject to feedback and review from stakeholders before a final decision is made.
What about the other states?
As the DMO only covers two states and part of a third, a good chunk of Australia is not affected by this price.
Western Australia operates on its own power grid, separate from National Energy Market (NEM), while Tasmania, the rest of Queensland and the two territories (NT and ACT) have their default energy offers set directly by the state or territory government.
Notably, Victoria has its own energy regulator, the Essential Services Commission (ESC), which sets a separate default offer in that state, known as the Victorian Default Offer (VDO).
This year’s VDO draft proposes to reduce the price by around $112 per year, or 6.4 per cent.
Kate Symons, chair of the ESC, points out that default offers represent a maximum price people can be charged for power, but many retailers offer better deals if customers are willing to shop around.
“The VDO provides a safety net, ensuring those who don’t engage in the market still pay a fair price for their electricity usage,” she says.
“However, many retailers offer deals that are cheaper than the VDO, and we encourage all consumers to shop around.
“We understand affordability remains front of mind for consumers. Electricity retailers are obliged to communicate their best electricity offer to customers on their bills at least once every three months.”
Are you on your state or territory’s default offer for electricity? Have you had better luck shopping around? Let us know in the comments section below.


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STREETERVILLE — Doughnut connoisseurs in the know can get a unique treat at the new Do-Rite Donuts location that opened Friday at 233 E. Erie St.
The city's second Do-Rite location will feature the usual lineup of maple bacon crullers and Valrhona chocolate glazed featured the flagship at 50 W. Randolph St. breakfast and lunch spot, plus a major new addition: various fried chicken sandwiches on the new lunch menu.
A spokesman told DNAinfo Chicago that there's a special menu highlight you have to know about to order: "a spicy fried chicken sandwich served on a glazed doughnut," what the team is calling a "whisper" item.
The Streeterville location is the Chicago-based company's first foray into sandwiches, and the secret fried chicken-and-doughnut sandwich is the first chance customers will have had to try the restaurant's two specialties together.
Do-Rite on Erie Street will only have a few months of exclusivity with the Northwestern Hospital crowd. On Oct. 13, Stan's Donuts will open its second location in the city a few doors down, at 259 E. Erie St.
Stan's menu will serve "all the same varieties" as its Wicker Park shop, the supervisor there said last week.
Patio seating is available on the unused terrace of the 233 E. Erie St. building, with more seats at the counter inside.
Dark Matter Coffee and a full menu of espresso and cappuccino drinks will also be available at Do-Rite. At Stan's down the street, Intelligentsia is the local brew of choice.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:


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Pedestrians walk past a GAP store in New York.
Scott Mlin | CNBC
Take a look at the companies making the midday trading headlines.
Ross Stores — Ross Stores jumped 10% after a quarterly rise in profit and revenue. The company was also named by Credit Suisse as its top pick in the discount retail sector. Analyst Michael Binetti raised his price target to $123 from $99. On Thursday, Ross Stores reported third-quarter earnings per share of $1.00, versus a Refinitiv estimate of 81 cents.
investment related news
shoe drawer — Shares rose 7% after Foot Locker reported that it beat expectations in its latest quarterly report and raised its full-year forecast.
rent the track — Shares of Rent the Runway fell 12% after Morgan Stanley Reduced shares of online clothing reseller to equal weight from overweight. The firm said Rent the Runway is proving to be a “more volatile” business than originally expected, pointing to a challenging path to profitability ahead.
Farfetch — Shares fell 17% after Farfetch missed expectations in its most recent quarter results, according to consensus estimates in FactSet.
Palo Alto Networks — Tech stocks rose nearly 8% after Palo Alto reported a beat in the upper and lower lines in its most recent quarter, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv. Palo Alto raised its bearings slightly.
coin base — Shares fell more than 8% after Bank of America downgraded Coinbase to neutral from buy, saying the FTX debacle increases “contagion risk” for the cryptocurrency exchange, even if it isn’t another FTX.
Buckle — The retailer saw its shares rise 4% after the company posted a surge in earnings. Buckle reported third-quarter earnings of $1.24 per share, while consensus estimates called for earnings of $1.19 per share, according to FactSet.
diamond back energy — Shares of energy stocks fell as a group due to falling oil prices. Diamondback Energy was down over 4%, Marathon Oil was down over 3%, Halliburton was down 2%.
Williams-Sonoma — Shares fell nearly 7% after Williams-Sonoma refused to reaffirm or update its guidance through fiscal 2024. Refinitive
— CNBC’s Michelle Fox, Yun Li and Samantha Subin contributed reporting.


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The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has announced that the government is going to phase in a new discount deduction scale from October 2022 to “improve equity of access” to the amount of medicine margin retained by pharmacy contractors.
The discount deduction scale is used by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) to determine how much money should be deducted from a contractor’s monthly reimbursement for dispensing NHS medicines, based on the assumption that, when buying medicines, pharmacies were able to obtain a level of discount from the wholesaler.
Under the current scale, according to the latest Drug Tariff, the level of deduction is calculated based on a pharmacy’s total monthly reimbursement, with contractors who are owed between £1 and £125 in a month facing a deduction of 5.6%, while those who are owed over £160,001 face a deduction of 11.5%.
However, the new system will use separate discount rates for branded drugs, generics and appliances. These rates will be the same for every contractor, at 5% for branded medicines; generics in categories A and M will be deducted at 17.5%; and appliances will have a 9.9% deduction.
In a statement published on 26 August 2022, the PSNC said the changes were agreed with the Department of Health and Social Care, following a government consultation on a series of drug reimbursement reforms held in July 2019, which proposed splitting the existing deduction scale into separate scales for branded medicines and generic medicines.
In a briefing document published alongside the announcement, the PSNC said the proposal was “intended to recognise that brands do not typically attract the same level of discounts as generics, and that subsequently many brands were dispensed at a loss”.
“A problem with the existing single deduction scale is that it effectively treats all reimbursement the same, not recognising that a pharmacy’s ‘dispensing mix’ of branded and generic medicines has a significant impact on the amount of discount they actually receive.
“As the new system splits medicines into groups, the dispensing mix of each pharmacy will now directly impact how much deduction they experience, resulting in a fairer level of deduction for all pharmacies.”
The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework caps the amount of margin — or profit pharmacies can earn on dispensing drugs through cost-effective purchasing — at £800m per year.
Fin McCaul, an independent community pharmacy contractor and member of the PSNC, said the discount deduction scale “has been a point of contention for contractors for many years, and PSNC has long been pushing to remedy this”.
“The incoming changes are designed to both improve equity of access to margin and manage the distortions presented by branded medicines, which just don’t have the same level of discount available as generics.”
The new deduction rates will be phased in over six financial quarters from October 2022 until January 2024, the PSNC statement said.
During that time, two calculations will be made, one relying on the old rates and one relying on the new rates, with the discount calculated as a weighted total of those two calculations.


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The man universally known as SRK is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, but even his powers have limits in the face of rising nationalism.
- Michael Bleby
KPMG UK has forced out the head of one of its core businesses in Britain after an investigation into his conduct involving messages sent on WhatsApp.
- Tabby Kinder and Madison Marriage
Big tech has taken a few cautious steps to hide the counts and shares that people obsess over. But they still won't let you opt out altogether.
- Laurence Dodds
Those who control people's data will build the services and products of the future, Data Republic boss Danny Gilligan says.
- Elouise Fowler
- Tech crackdown
Matt Berriman is helping regulators in the US and the ACCC in Australia understand the ways big tech platforms are killing competition and getting away with it.
- Paul Smith
It is fair to say the ACCC boss has not moved too far ahead of his global counterparts and the tech giants may be breathing a small sigh of relief.
- Patrick Durkin
The competition regulator’s recommended crackdown on big technology platforms such as Facebook and Google will be unveiled by the Morrison government on Friday in a 600-page report. Here's what to look for.
- Paul Smith and John Kehoe
The company was ordered to make structural changes to increase the transparency and accountability of its data practices.
- Mike Isaac and Natasha Singer
The social media giant has proved to be a canny negotiator.
- The Lex Column
With the influencer advertising market expected to reach $5 billion to $10 billion by 2020, according to marketing firm Mediakix, it looks like selfies are here to stay.
- Hannah Tattersall
Facebook said new data privacy rules and forthcoming privacy-focused product changes would slow its revenue growth and significantly raise expenses.
- Paresh Dave
The Justice Department is investigating whether technology giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon are harming competition and customers.
If you want to be a successful parasite, you should be careful not to kill your host too quickly, writes John Davidson.
- John Davidson
In the face of a devastating diagnosis, online groups offer hope where doctors cannot.
- Abby Ohlheiser
Twitter posted an explanation on its status page blaming an "internal configuration change" that it was fixing.
Young people are drinking less - and documenting it more.
- Lauren Sams
Modern parenting has created a generation that demands "safe spaces to protect them from ideas they don’t like, says psychologist Jonathan Haidt. “You can’t actually hire a person that thinks that way. They will not be able to add value."
- Jacob Greber
With an ACCC report looming after the events of Christchurch and Cambridge Analytica, Facebook admits it is bracing for a wave of regulation around the globe.
- John Davidson
Elaborate cover-ups aren't new but now powerful forces are just as likely to push a false story as they are to stonewall truth seekers.
- Mark Mulligan
Rules 'of the highest standard' must be in place before Libra gets up and running, Governor Mark Carney says.
- Hans van Leeuwen


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Don’t want to fork out over RM5,000 for the iPhone X? Now you can get the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with up to RM450 off. These are official units with Apple Malaysia Warranty and they are fulfilled by Lazada Malaysia themselves.
The latest and greatest iPhone X is out and it’s time for another teardown by iFixit. The iPhone X is Apple’s take on a futuristic smartphone and it comes with a 5.8″ Super Retina OLED Display that stretches edge to edge.
To find out what goes underneath its glass body, the folks at iFixit had meticulously taken the phone apart in their latest teardown project. Unlike previous iPhone model we’ve seen lately, the iPhone X is designed rather differently on the inside.


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Promius Pharma, a subsidiary of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory, is growing fast. With a burgeoning product pipeline full of innovative products in both dermatology and neurology, Promius Pharma understood that they needed to refurbish their brand to better-reflect where they were heading as a company, and highlight their exciting potential in both categories.
The challenge was to carve out a spot in the competitive landscape, and put their stake in the ground by creating market value; the goal was to win mindshare, and become the company synonymous for innovating and life-changing medical solutions.
It soon became apparent that this required more than just a brand refurbish. It required a complete brand overhaul.
The rebranding of Promius Pharma centered around the creation of a new tagline that served to humanize them and highlight the inspirational mission that they set out on years ago:
The Power of Humans Being.
This tagline embodied the essential human promise, and created an upbeat and ownable language that celebrates people. “Human Beings” are one thing, a known entity. “Humans Being” took Promius Pharma into unexpressed and unexpected territory.
From there, a look and feel was developed to visually marry Promius Pharma with their patient-centric approach to medicine and innovation.
The end result was a clean, modern, and empowering brand experience that now thrives on promiuspharma.com.
It’s a bold new look for a brand that has never shied away from being different from the competition.


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INVESTMENT funds under management in the UK rose 3pc in October to £398bn, latest figures from the Investment Management Association reveal.
The IMA says the figure is 25pc higher than October 2005. The month’s total net industry sales were £1.4bn, while retail sales were £1.6bn. £1.1bn was invested in equities, £379m was invested and property...
Melrose has pledged to contribute up to £1bn to GKN's pension schemes as part of a final offer to acquire the engineering business.
Existing master trusts will be forced to pay £41,000 when applying for authorisation under the upcoming regime, the government has confirmed.
UPDATE 2 - DWP publishes DB white paper: Stronger powers for TPR, DB chair statements to be introduced
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will be given the power to fine company bosses who deliberately puts their defined benefit (DB) schemes at risk, the government has confirmed.
An independent expert panel will be commissioned to review how the £6.1bn funding deficit figure for the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was reached, Universities UK (UUK) has announced.


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The smartphone chip giant Qualcomm has a lot of ambition to make 5G affordable and it is evident when Jio partnered with Google and Qualcomm to announce the launch of affordable 5G smartphones. Until now, 5G has been restricted to flagship premium smartphones and recently mid-range ones as well, however, entry-level ones has not been included to the list.
But now, with the announcement of the Snapdragon 4-series mobile platforms, Qualcomm plans to bring 5G support to entry-level smartphones as well. As Qualcomm points out in their blog, they want to power 3.5 billion smartphone users who still prefer these smartphones and they want to bring their new Snapdragon 4-series in early 2021.
5G is the future of connectivity, and as more and more countries are adopting the 5G network, the 5G SoC market has become crucial and this can blast in 2021 as India too joins the party with the hands of Reliance Jio. So, after the 6-series, Qualcomm will bring the 4-series as well for a huge amount of entry-level users, and in fact, still, an entry-level smartphone is the highest selling one in the market.
“Qualcomm continues to pave the way for 5G commercialization at scale, and the expansion of 5G into our Snapdragon 4-series is expected to address regions that currently have approximately 3.5 billion smartphone users combined,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform is designed to exceed expectations for the mass-market segment by bringing an assortment of predominately high- and mid-tier features to a broader audience. It will deliver on the promise of making 5G accessible to all smartphone users.”
There hasn’t been any specification reveal, although, smartphone manufacturers like Motorola, OPPO, and Xiaomi can be the forerunners to bring entry-level 5G smartphones with Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform. Qualcomm states that more info will be unveiled later and even stated that the devices using this platform will be launching in the first quarter of 2021.
Do check out:


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By Nerino Petro at 11 July, 2007, 8:07 am
Lexis Nexis announced on Monday that it has acquired Nashville, Tennessee based Juris, Inc. Juris has provided time, billing and accounting solutions for mid size firms for years and is considered by many to be a leader in its market segment. You can read the full press release here.
Lexis has acquired a number of companies in recent years beginning with DataTXT Corp the maker of Time Matters and Billing Matters and has since acquired PCLaw and Casesoft the maker of the Casemap family of products. This seems to be the trend with with Thompson West and Lexis acquiring market leaders in various segments of the legal technology industry. Thompson bought Elite billing and ProLaw in the last several years and Lexis has been responding in kind. Theoretically, these acquisitions provide the acquired companies with better resources to continue to improve their software as technology changes. Unfortunately, this also appears to be a winnowing out the market place as smaller companies can’t compete financially with these large players.


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First reported yesterday, Nintendo has revealed the slim console, which is red and black in the design and has a release date of December 7 in North America.
The bundle will come with a console, sensor bar, and Red MotionPlus controller with Nunchuk for $99 (£62).
“If you have a Wii already, a Mini would make a great backup, or travel size companion,”
A release in Europe or Japan has yet to be confirmed.
Nintendo recently confirmed that it has stopped making first-party Wii games, but said that the console still has a lot of potentials.
The company suggested that new Wii bundles were inbound, believing that the console would continue to sell at the right price.
Regarding the Wii Mini, Nintendo has refused to comment on rumor and speculation.


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Royal Mail has reported a 26 per cent rise in operating profit – just as the government announced that it wants to part-privatise the business.
Operating profit was up £83m to £404m despite a fall in sales of £211m to £9.3bn.
The Liberal/Conservative coalition government said in its programme: “We will seek to ensure an injection of private capital into Royal Mail, including opportunities for employee ownership. We will retain Post Office Ltd in public ownership.”
Operating profit more than doubled at Royal Mail Letters to £121m but sales were down two per cent at £6.6bn reflecting the decline in traffic volumes.
UK mail volumes declined by 7.3 per cent in 2009-10 – the steepest fall since average daily volumes peaked at 84 million in 2005 – with the average daily mail bag now containing around 71 million letters, packets and parcels.
Royal Mail said all major postal operators around the world expect volumes to decline further as people switch increasingly to electronic communications. “TNT Post Group in The Netherlands, for example, is planning for a volume reduction of up to 9 per cent this year and around 30 per cent over the next five years, while the United States Postal Services is currently seeing its mail volumes decline by 13 per cent a year.”
In addition, it has been hit by the creaming off of traffic by private sector rivals which increased their volume of mail by over 20 per cent. “More than one in three letters – a total of 6,400 million items – were posted last year with a competitor, but delivered by a Royal Mail postman or woman under rules which allow rivals access to Royal Mail’s network. Access mail now accounts for more than half of all business mail,” it said.
Operating profit at GLS, Royal Mail’s European parcels business fell ten per cent to £112m while sales were down 0.5 per cent year on year reflecting the difficult economic conditions, particularly in Germany. Cost savings in its delivery operations limited the resulting fall in operating profit – down by 10 per cent to £112 million.
Parcelforce Worldwide, the UK parcels business, saw operating profit rise 42 per cent to £17m maintaining sales at £399 million for the year.
While privatisation is back on the agenda, Royal Mail has some critical issues to deal with. Chairman Donald Brydon, said: “Huge challenges remain, including the need to find a resolution to our historic pension deficit, and the need to reach agreement with Postcomm on a regulatory regime more suited to today’s changing marketplace.”


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Asian stock-markets for the 3rd of January.
US government debt since 1985.
Stock Change, today. Alphabet -2.5% Amazon -1.9% Apple -1.8% Bank of America [...]
Projected GDP growth for 2022
US companies by highest market capitalization.
Performance of major currencies against the US Dollar over the past month.
Germany's economy has grown by 2.7% in 2021 Compared with 2020, household consumption [...]
Youth unemployment around the world.
Tracking price of Bitcoin over the past year
China's trade surplus has surged to $94.4 billion in December, well above the [...]


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Popular Netherlands alt cheese startup Willicroft announces today it has raised €2 million to fuel growth in the UK, Germany and the Nordics. Willicroft is environmentally focused and previously altered its recipes to a legume base for increased sustainability.
“Our new bean-based range produces up to 5 times less CO2 than the dairy alternatives it’s replacing.”
The pre-seed round was led by Rockstart, Paulig’s venture arm PINC, Döhler and Feast Ventures as co-investors. The brand was previously backed by Capital V, the VC firm founded by prolific vegan investor Michiel van Deursen.
A planet-forward success story
Based in Amsterdam, Wllicroft was originally founded as a dairy farm in the UK in 1957 and relaunched in its present form as a plant-based cheese company in Amsterdam in 2018, going on to become the first plant-based cheese company to become BCorp in Europe.
After enjoying success in the Netherlands and Belgium, the brand’s This is Not Cheese range expanded into the UK in 2020, and is now set to enter further European markets as it continues its mission to bring sustainable cheese to the masses.
Co-Founder and CEO Brad Vanstone says: “Our new bean-based range produces up to 5 times less CO2 than the dairy alternatives it’s replacing. We need holistic solutions to tackle major changes in our food system – having recently secured B Corp status, we believe we’re on track to address these problems at their root cause.
“With this new raise we’ll be bringing our delicious, beautifully branded range of PBC’s to 3 new markets […] continuing on our quest to become the world’s first net positive plant-based cheese company”
“With this new raise locked in we’ll be bringing our delicious, beautifully branded range of PBCs to 3 new markets: the UK, Germany and the Nordics, bringing in senior hires and continuing on our quest to become the world’s first net-positive plant-based cheese company. Our new investor group can help open up a number of new markets whilst also fast-tracking our products’ continued evolution.”
“Willicroft is by far the tastiest plant-based cheese range we have come across. It has a more nutritious and sustainable ingredient list than most alternatives available today and a high-powered team with traction in Europe, so we could not be more excited to support this venture”, says Marika King, Head of PINC, the venture arm of Paulig.
Mark Durno, Managing Partner AgriFood, Rockstart states: “Willicroft is taking plant-based dairy alternatives to the next level. Alongside making delicious products (I’ve tasted several, I recommend them!), they are helping farmers to transition to sustainable production by enabling a local supply chain without the need for monocropping or highly processed ingredients. They have spent the last years understanding their consumers and their footprint, and the next phase will be to put those learnings to scale.”


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Low oil price puts an end to Arctic shipping route
The amount of cargo transported through the Northeast Passage during the ice-free period has plummeted in spite of shipowners being able to trim off thousands of kilometers on journeys from Asia to ports in Europe, according to new data.
BY OLE ANDERSEN
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With daily rates of USD 100,000 a few weeks ago, the LPG market was basically a money press, as BW LPG chief executive Anders Onarheim puts it in an interview with ShippingWatch. Today, rates would have a hard time going any lower, he says.
At Maersk Supply Service, only three percent of seafarers are female. The company wants to ensure that women never find themselves alone in a male-dominated environment and will deploy women in pairs, head of crew management tells ShippingWatch.
Europe's biggest port now presents a list of 27 companies that have secured permission to operate bunker barges in the port. The licenses have been introduced as part of the efforts to get better control of the port's bunker business.


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Latest Diesel generator Stories
South Texas Generator Systems is proud to announce the new assignment as the newest addition of authorized sales and service dealers for Cummings Onan, Natural Gas Generators, Propane Generators,
Founder of Long’s E-Business, Inc., James Long, is proud to announce the launch of his latest endeavor, AllPurposeGenerators.com.
A Review of the Chilean Testing Results and the M-Fuel Technology Barrington, IL (PRWEB) March 28, 2012 EcoloCap Solutions Inc. (OTCBB: ECOS).
WEIFANG, China, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Xinde Technology Company (OTCBB: WTFS), a widely respected China based designer and manufacturer of internal combustion engines and parts, primarily for the $100 billion diesel engine and parts market in China, said today that following successful tests and market studies, and the granting of technical patent certification and exclusive manufacturing and distribution rights for its breakthrough diesel engine FIRCRI common rail...
- Small missiles, especially grape, canister, fragments of iron, and the like, when fired, as upon an enemy at close quarters.
- To fire mitraille at.


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Northvolt, set up by two former Tesla Inc. executives, Peter Carlsson and Paolo Cerruti, has assembled more than $3 billion in debt and equity to finance production in its native Sweden, targeting battery-cell output equal to about 40 gigawatt-hours of capacity.
The guarantee is a stepping stone to the battery cell maker’s plan to operate with Volkswagen AG a “Northvolt Two” plant in Salzgitter, Germany, from 2024, the country’s Economy and Energy Ministry said in an email Monday. Volkswagen and BMW AG are participating in the Swedish project.
Northvolt’s plans show confidence in the potential of Europe’s electric car market. The market for the cells, the basic components of electric vehicle battery packs, may grow to at least 250 billion euros ($296 billion) by 2025, according to European Commission estimates.


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The hacker accused of orchestrating the largest-known identity theft in US history will serve between 15 to 25 years in prison under a plea deal filed Friday. Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez is accused of leading a hacking circle that stole 130 million credit and debit card numbers from major retail chains like Barnes and Noble, T.J. …
I hope that he........
Gets 50 years plus. It is high time that the Courts sent out a CLEAR unamiguous message to these scum thieves that if they are caught then they are going to face long,long sentences. If the guy is guilty, and he says he is, then lock him up 50 years and teach them a lesson.
perhaps he and McKinnion can share a cell.
Have the got the right guy?
So he nicks a few card details and inconvieniences a few punters and gets a 25 stretch.
Meanwhile, back in blighty murderers, are getting less than half that for wiping out entire families and torturing and killing kids!!!!
Dont get me wrong, i'm no lover of the Americans but christ on an AT-AT everyone is laughing at our justice system. Their punishments do seem at least proportionate to the crime.
Joke, just not a funny one.
and yet the UK has a lower crime rate then the US... Odd isen+t it its almost like harder punishments for crimes dosen´t stop them.. like every investergation into crime prevention shows. Odd that.
- JLaw, Kate Upton exposed in celeb nude pics hack
- Google flushes out users of old browsers by serving up CLUNKY, AGED version of search
- GCHQ protesters stick it to British spooks ... by drinking urine
- China: You, Microsoft. Office-Windows 'compatibility'. You have 20 days to explain
- Something for the Weekend, Sir? If you think 3D printing is just firing blanks, just you wait


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THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland have issued a recall for an Avoca Thai Curry.
A batch of Avoca Thai Red Lentil & Vegetable Curry has been pulled from shelves in stores around the country after being labelled with the wrong use-by date.
The family dinner favourite has been labelled with use-by date 19/08/22. However, the correct use-by date is 15/08/2022.
Stores stocking the batch will display point-of-sale recall notices to alert consumers of the mispacking incident.
In a notice today, the FSAI said: "Avoca is recalling the above batch of its Thai Red Lentil & Vegetable Curry as it was mispacked with Thai Red Chicken & Vegetable Curry (use by date: 15/08/2022).
"The use by date stated on the label is 19/08/2022, which is incorrect.
"Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batch."
Seperately, the CCPC have issued a recall for children's pyjamas sets sold in Dunnes Stores around the country.
Irish parents have been urgently warned to not use the sets as they can cause cuts or suffocation.
The Digger, Dino, Mermaid and Unicorn short-sleeved pyjama sets for young children have been pulled from the racks in Dunnes Stores.
Most read in The Irish Sun
There are approximately 5,941 affected products in the Republic of Ireland.
A fusible layer inserted and applied to the back of the pyjama top may pose a safety risk if not secure on all garments.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has urged customers to immediately stop using the product and return it to Dunnes Stores for a full refund.
BABY FOOD RECALL
Meanwhile, Irish parents have also been urged to check their baby food after a big brand announced a product recall.
Ella’s Kitchen, a popular baby food brand in Irish households, have recalled a specific batch of their range.
The Ella’s Kitchen Banana and Vanilla Bread Pudding has been recalled due to potential contamination.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have stated that this product may contain microbiological contamination and could be unsafe to eat.
The product codes in question are L192 and L193, and their best before date is 04/23.


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A woman is suing EOS, the popular, circular-shaped lip balm, claiming its lip balm causes skin to crack, bleed and blister.
Rachael Cronin filed the class action suit against the EOS on Tuesday, January 12.
The suit says that “(Ms. Cronin’s) lips became substantially dry and coarse, what Ms. Cronin describes as feeling like ‘sandpaper,’ causing her to apply more of the balm on her lip to achieve the results of becoming ‘sensationally smooth.’”
“By the next day, Ms. Cronin’s lips and surrounding skin area had severe blistering and rashes causing her to seek medical care.”
Cronin says that within hours of applying the balm, her lips felt like “sandpaper,” and after she reapplied the product, her “lips did not become smooth, and began severely cracking on the edges causing flaking and bleeding from the cracks.” The following day, the lawsuit claims, Cronin’s “lips and surrounding skin area had severe blistering and rashes causing her to seek medical care.” Cronin claims the condition lasted for 10 days and that she was in “severe shock and panic.”
It also claims that EOS brands itself as “healthy, as a cure for celebrity problems, and as a travel companion” in viral campaigns that feature celebrities like Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian.
Her lawsuit also claims that after she shared photos on social media of her outbreak, she was contacted by numerous other “individuals who shared their experience and health problems”.
“Some of you may have seen reports of a lawsuit filed against our company. We wanted to be sure that you, our valued customers and fans, know that the health and well-being of our customers is our top priority,” the company posted on its Facebook page. “Our products are safe to use, are made with the highest quality ingredients and they all meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set out by our industry. An independent laboratory puts each of our products through a battery of rigorous testing to ensure this is the case. For these reasons, we firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit, and we will continue to create new and exciting products that delight our customers. Thank you. EOS.”
Cronin is represented by attorney Mark Geragos and is seeking damages and corrective advertising in the lawsuit.


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Logitech recently introduced the Wireless Solar Keyboard K760, a solar-powered keyboard made for Apple devices, including the iPad.
The keyboard supports Bluetooth connectivity, which allows users to switch between three Apple devices with the push of a button. Users can pair and switch between them without having to reconnect.
It contains onboard, solar-powered cells for easy charging. Users can charge the keyboard in any light and will work for at least three months when fully charged, even in complete darkness.
The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 features Mac-specific keys including Command, Brightness, and Eject among a handful of others. It will be available in the U.S. and in Europe starting in June and will cost $79.99.


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Product Authentication Solutions
Electronics Anti-Counterfeiting Law to Hit Europe -- IHS iSupply study
May 2, 2012
Ever since December, 2011, we have been telling readers of this blog that there is a locomotive coming at the electronics industry.
In that month, a new Federal anti-counterfeiting law was proposed as an amendment to the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. We said at that time that the law, which targeted counterfeit electronics in the military supply chain, would in fact shake up the entire industry, both private and public sectors, and world wide, not simply in the U.S.
'the impact [of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act] is beginning to be felt worldwide'
Now that law is on the books as Section 818 of the Act, and reality is making this crystal clear.
IHS iSupply, a well-regarded research and data provider, has released a study describing how Section 818 "may have broad international implications, impacting hundreds of overseas companies that have supplied billions of dollars’ worth of items to the American government." According to IHS, the new electronics anti-counterfeiting requirements will create "wrenching changes" for companies throughout the world, citing Europe as the source of most of the international Defense Department purchases.
The law will be articulated in policy by the Defense Department at the end of June, 2012, and then at the end of September will be written into the main military procurement document, known as DFARS. At that point the law will have teeth and defense contractors will need to comply.
The IHS study identifies Europe as the largest supplier of electronics to the U.S government, placing the region squarely in the sights of the new law. From 2007 through 2011, 283 European countries accounted for almost $1 billion in sales, or 51 percent of all foreign electronics sales to the U.S. military.
Most of the rest of the military electronics spend, 47%, was sourced from 32 companies in the Middle East. Only 2% of official sales are from Asia.
An IHS senior manager, Greg Jaknunas, was concerned to correct the "perception that U.S. regulations such as 2012 NDAA, Section. 818. Detection and Avoidance of Counterfeit Electronic Parts, is only an issue for American companies, and that they don’t impact firms in Europe, the Mideast and elsewhere." In fact, he said, "the impact is beginning to be felt worldwide...”
We would add that the impact of NDAA Section 818 will not only be global, it will cross from public to private sector. Many of the same facilities which supply the U.S. military also produce electronic components for commercial applications. Far more microchips are produced for industrial and consumer buyers than for the U.S. military, which buys only about 2% of the world's supply annually.
The study by iSupply also stresses that "the world must have tools that allow them [defense suppliers -- Applied DNA] to identify components at risk of counterfeits." iSupply points to its IHS Haystack database which offers key logistics information to the government and contractors.
We would add that new technological tools will also be necessary. And none is more capable and ready to begin than Applied DNA Science's SigNature DNA authentication system for microchips, now undergoing testing by the U.S. military.


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Machine Vision Technology Day draws a crowd
MultiPix Imaging, held their annual technology day entitled “Machine Vision – Another Dimension” on March 24 at the Heritage Motor Museum in Gaydon.
The venue hosted over 90 guests as they benefited from first-hand machine vision technology information being presented by leading vision companies including Basler, MVTec, Panasonic, SICK, and FLIR. The presentations were accompanied by an exhibition area where several live demonstrations also featured the latest vision products.
“We are delighted by the number of delegates that have attended today”, said Julie Busby, Sales Director. “We have worked very hard to ensure todays presentations are focused on educating and are using real-life applications as examples. The delegates are being given a great deal of information today and feedback suggests it’s been a great success”.
One such product on display was the Panasonic Vision P400 Software, its easy-of-use was demonstrated as the software detected certain feature on PlayMobile figures as they rotated on a turntable. The software includes first-rate algorithms for almost all typical inspections such as measuring, contour checking, part identification, feature extraction, 2D-code reading and many more. You can access Vision P400 with customised user interfaces with the help of ActiveX or if your inspection task cannot be handled by the numerous out-of-the box algorithms, the UDC (user-defined checker) allows you to implement your own inspection routines e.g. based on the well-known MVTec HALCON library. Following on from the Technology Day Multipix currently have a ‘Starter Kit’ on offer which includes the Vision P400 Software, a 2MegaPixel GigE camera, lens, cables, etc all you need to get a project started. Visit sales@multipix for more information.
Look out for the next Multipix Technology Day – they promise to educate.


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On the heels of San Francisco’s war on sugary drinks comes a state bill that proposes all sodas carry a warning label similar to that on cigarettes.
The warning, which would be on all cans and bottles of drinks with added sugar and 75 or more calories per 12 ounces, would state, “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”
Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, proposed the legislation Thursday. Earlier this month, San Francisco supervisors Scott Wiener and Eric Mar introduced a ballot measure that would impose a 2-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages including sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks, but excluding 100-percent fruit and vegetable drinks. Berkeley is considering a similar measure.
The war on “Big Soda” is driven by concerns over obesity and health. But is legislation against “liquid sugar” the answer? Find more information about the warning label bill here.


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Diamonds and Dogs
5/29/12Tractor Supply Company (TSCO)
Tractor Supply is getting mowed down today, down 7.18% at $92.47. The company saw its stock drop after Cleveland Research said Tractor Supply's same-store sales had slowed in the last month, and lowered its estimate of same-store sales growth for the farm equipment retailer. Tractor Supply said first quarter profit more than doubled from the same quarter last year to 55 cents a share, beating forecasts by 2 cents, on higher sales. Furthermore, mild winter weather helped to boost sales, as revenue rose 22% to $1.02 billion in the quarter, topping estimates. Same-store sales surged 11.5% in the period. Although the company beat estimates; forecasts for the full year 2012, shows a consensus estimate is 23% EPS growth. That would represent the third straight year of decelerating earnings growth for Tractor Supply.
Interline Brands Inc. (IBI)
Interline Brands was on a straight line up today, climbing 39.80% at $25.08. The company saw its pop after the news was released that Goldman Sachs (GS) Group Inc.'s private-equity unit and P2 Capital Partners LLC agreed to buy the company in a deal valued at $1.1 billion including debt. Interline brands is a distributor of janitorial, plumbing and lighting products that went public in 2004. Funds managed by GS Capital Partners and P2 Capital will pay Interline shareholders $25.50 a share, 42 percent higher than the closing price on May 25. "Interline has operated successfully in both public and private settings in the past," said Michael J. Grebe, Interline's chairman and chief executive officer. Grebe also said, "GS Capital Partners and P2 Capital Partners have a shared vision of our value creation opportunities and the actions needed to realize them." Interline is having a phenomenal day.


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April 7, 2022 |
Mexican financial technology firm AlphaCredit has entered bankruptcy proceedings three months after a court rejected its initial filing on technical grounds, it said in a securities filing on Tuesday.
AlphaCredit first filed for bankruptcy in December and said in January that it planned to sell its local business within four months from approving a restructuring plan, adding that 29 potential buyers are interested in a deal.
The fintech reached an agreement with holders of $700 million in 10% 20
Mexican fintech starts proceedings three months after a court rejected its initial filing