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Shares of Internet radio purveyors Pandora Media (P) are down $1.52, or almost 5%, at $29.92, outpacing the broader market decline, despite releasing positive metrics this morning about the grow of users and listening hours in the month of March.
As I noted earlier, the company said that “listener hours” for its service rose 14% to 1.71 billion during the month of March from 1.49 billion a year earlier. Pandora pegged its share of total U.S. radio listening at 9.11% versus 8.05% a year earlier.Pandora plans to discontinue disclosure of monthly metrics after its June report.
The shares have been falling despite positive reactions from the sell side. William Blair‘s Ralph Schakart this afternoon issued a note to clients reiterating an Outperform rating on the stock, writing that the total of 4.8 billion hours of listening time the company had in the three months of the March quarter — based on prior announcements from Pandora — is above his own estimate for 4.74 billion.
He thinks that means the company will beat its Q1 forecast for $170 million to $176 million in revenue. Consensus on the Street stands at $177.2 million for the quarter. Pandora’s 9.11% share of the U.S. radio market was also a new record, he notes.
However, he does note that the average listener count in March of 75.3 million, and that as a result, the average user count for the entire three-month period, 74.7 million, was below his own 75.2 million estimate for the quarter.
B. Riley & Co.’s Sameet Sinhha reiterates a Buy rating on Pandora, and a $38 price target, writing that he does, indeed, think the flat user count is disappointing investors.
“We believe investors were happy with +13.2% M/M Listener hour growth (versus the -4.4% we saw from January to February), but were disappointed with flat M/M Active user growth.”
Sinha urges investors to look at engagement, not user just count:
To be fair, having all of the metrics line up is very difficult on a monthly basis – in February, Active user growth was strong but Listener hours lagged – exactly the opposite of what we saw in March. We would encourage investors to look more closely at the engagement metrics, which is ultimately what will dictate advertiser interest. We track “Listener hour per Active user per day” and are seeing a solid uptrend in that metric. Such behavior is attractive for advertisers as it implies loyalty, and combined with a plethora of first party data that Pandora has, allows for solid advertising targeting. Share of U.S. radio (in terms of listener hours) was 9.11%, up from 8.91% in February as Pandora continues to take share from terrestrial radio.
Correction: A prior version of this post stated that Pandora’s monthly average user count in March was below an estimate provided by William Blair’s Shcackart. In fact, Schackart was referring to the average user count for the entire three months of the quarter, not the March number. My apologies for any confusion caused by the error.
Here are some things going on this morning in your world of tech:
Shares of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) are down 11 cents, or 0.4%, at at $33.50, after hedge fund manager Jim Chanos was on CNBC this morning and again invoked his short-sale position on HP shares, which has been the case sine 2011, when the company bought Autonomy in August of 2011. The shares are up about 13% in that time versus a 66% rise in the S&P 500 in that time.
On the other hand, Amit Daryanani of RBC Capital Markets reiterates a Sector Perform on HP shares today, but raises his price target to $36 from $33, writing that after meeting with CFO Cathie Lesjak he is “incrementally confident in HP’s ability to: i) drive services operating margins higher in FY14 (3.5–4.5% op margins); ii) improve profitable growth within the Enterprise group; and iii) capitalize on growth opportunities—Big Data, Security, 3D Printing, and Moonshot.”
Shares of Pandora (P) are up $1.16, or 3.6%, at $32.60, after the company a short while ago announced that “listener hours” for its service rose 14% to 1.71 billion during the month of March from 1.49 billion a year earlier. Pandora pegged its share of total U.S. radio listening at 9.11% versus 8.05% a year earlier.Pandora plans to discontinue disclosure of monthly metrics after its June report.
Doug Anmuth of J.P. Morgan, reiterating an Overweight rating on Pandora, and a $41 price target, writes that the metrics were “solid” with an acceleration in the growth in listener hours, year over year. “
“We think the launch of competing services such as Beats Music in January has had a minimal impact on Pandora’s listener hour growth to date,” writes Anmuth.
Shares of Apple (AAPL) are down $2.05, or 0.4%, at $540.43, as more folks on the Street today prognosticate what to expect from the smartphone market as we head toward an iPhone upgrade sometime later this year.
Canaccord Genuity’s Mike Walkley reiterates a Buy rating on the stock, and a $600 price target, writing that surveys of cellular sales in the U.S. in March show the iPhone 5s “remained the top selling smartphone” and “in many international markets” thanks to weaker sales of phones running Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system, including HTC’s (2498TW) “ONE M8,” unveiled last week, and Samsung Electronics’s (005930KS) “Galaxy S5,” which goes on sale next week.
Walkley writes the surveys show “gradually increasing consumer interest in and pre-order activity for these new Android smartphones,” so that he thinks they’ll take back market share in the June quarter from Apple, before “Apple will win back meaningful high-end market share during H2/C2014 based on our belief new iPhones with larger screen sizes could create a strong upgrade cycle among Apple’s loyal base.”
On the other hand, Jean Beaubois of Berenberg Equity Research reiterates a Sell on Apple stock, along with his colleague Adnaan Ahmad. Writes Beaubois, “these product cycles are not sustainable; P/Es re-rate but then de-rate” suggesting you should not count on a sustained upswing for Apple shares.
BMO Capital Markets’s Edward Williams, who has a Market Perform rating on Amazon shares, writes this morning that “We believe the inclusion of games could prove to be one of the more interesting capabilities of the new device, helping it to stand out from its peers while also providing another outlet to reach a broader gaming audience (building on the success of tablet games).”
Others have been digging into what the box means to various component makers. Shares of chip maker Audience (ADNC) are up 14 cents, or 1%, at $12.64 following a note from Jay Srivatsa of Chardan Capital Markets, who reiterates a Buy rating, writing that “Our checks suggest that Audience’s voice processor is present in every single one of these smart remotes that accompanies the Fire TV set top box.”
As a result, “We believe the simplicity in the search function could make the Amazon Fire TV box popular and potentially motivate other set top box and TV manufacturers to adopt a similar voice search system on their remotes.”
Audience shares are up 13 cents, or 1%, at $12.63.
Another thing the Street is assessing was yesterday’s kickoff event with Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella at the company’s annual “BUILD” developer conference in San Francisco. Walter Pritchard with Citigroup reiterates a Neutral rating on Microsoft stock, and a $41 price target, reflecting on Microsoft’s announcement of programming tools to make so-called universal applications that run across many devices. He’s “not yet convinced that users are looking for a common platform user experience across all devices.”
As for Microsoft now giving away copies of its Windows Phone operating system to device makers (for devices smaller than a 9-inch tablet computer), “We believe this move helps to reduce one barrier to adoption of Windows, but this may not be the most significant barrier. Instead, the “chicken and egg” conundrum between device share and application counts remains the most significant challenge.
Microsoft shares are down 44 cents, to 1%, at $40.91.
RBC Capital Markets’s Mark Mahaney today reiterates an Outperform rating on shares of Amazon.com (AMZN), and a $425 price target, writing that the company’s announcement today of its “Fire TV” set-top box is “encouraging” for Amazon.
The device helps expand Amazon beyond the existing content in its “Prime” subscription service, to things such as Netflix (NFLX) video and Pandora (P) music, and also video games, and it might spur sales of digital content for Amazon:
We are encouraged by the functionality and the technical specs of Amazon Fire TV – and we believe that an open ecosystem featuring other services in addition to Prime instant video (including NFLX, P, Hulu, etc) will contribute to the overall user experience,
while allowing Amazon to play a roll in content delivery – much like the Kindle Fire. Finally, increased adoption of Amazon Fire TV could be a modest medium term positive catalyst for digital unit growth. We view the release as an incremental positive for Netflix and Pandora, as they will continue to build their streaming ecosystems.
Amazon shares ended the day down $1.03, or 0.3%, at $341.96.
Previously: Amazon ‘Fire TV’ Raises Ante for Apple, Says Piper, April 2nd, 2014.
Piper Jaffray‘s Gene Munster this afternoon reiterates an Overweight rating on shares of Apple (AAPL), and a $640 price target, writing that it’s time for the company to update its “Apple TV” set-top box in order to keep up with the new “Fire TV” set-top introduced today by Amazon.com (AMZN).
Both devices retail for $99 and hook up to a user’s television set and broadband Internet connection.
As mentioned earlier, Amazon’s device offers numerous options for music and video streaming, and also video games, the latter of which is a feature Apple’s box currently lacks.
“We believe the launch of the Amazon Fire TV highlights Apple’s necessity to aggressively update its Apple TV offering and ultimately introduce a full television,” writes Munster.
“Given the breadth of content available on Amazon’s offering in addition to gaming capability and
voice control, two features we have expected from Apple TV, we believe that Apple
will launch at least an updated Apple TV by the back half of 2014 if not sooner.”
Evaluating the different set-tops, privately held Roku has the most content to offer, followed by the Fire TV and then Apple’s box:
Munster is still holding out for a full-blown television set from Apple:
We still view a launch of an Apple Television in 2014 as likely, but note that each month that passes without credible feedback from the supply chain reduces our confidence. The reason we still see a TV as likely is based on several factors including comments from the company around multiple new product categories in 2014 and media reports about Apple working closer with the cable companies to offer a more immersive TV experience. Investors now generally believe that any announcements around the TV in 2014 will be related to an updated Apple TV, and that Apple will not launch an actual TV in 2014. Investor skepticism is based on lack of feedback from component suppliers around build plans for a TV. In our opinion, it’s still premature to rule a TV out this year, as we still have until this summer to start to hear more feedback from component suppliers to make a stronger call on the exact timing of the TV. We note that WWDC is scheduled to start June 10 this year; thus it could mark the next most likely time for an updated Apple TV box with a full television announcement later in the year.
Apple shares today ended the day up 90 cents at $542.55.
Here are some things going on this morning in your world of tech:
Shares of Apple (AAPL) are down 24 cents at $541.41, as the trial between the company and Samsung Electronics (005930KS) a courtroom in San Jose takes a break for two days. Proceedings are in recess until Friday.
Yesterday, Re/Code’s Ina Fried reports that Samsung’s opening arguments yesterday sought to downplay Apple’s infringement claims against Samsung as a “gross, gross exaggeration,” and not sufficient to merit the damage claims of $2 billion Apple is going after. CNET’s Shara Tibken has numerous tweets about how the testimony of Apple’s marketing guru, Phil Schiller, under grilling by Samsung Counsel yesterday. Schiller will be back on the stand Friday.
Speaking of Apple, a couple of Street observers update their outlook on the company’s iPhone prospects. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster reiterates an Overweight rating on the stock, and a $640 price target, writing that the stock is a good defensive play in the event of a market downturn “given the company’s balance sheet” and that “given the low expectations for the iPhone 6 and any potential new products, we believe the worst case is that the stock doesn’t move after the announcements.”
And Evercore Partners’s Rob Cihra reiterates an Overweight rating and a $670 price target, writing that ”Apple’s growth may now come from singles,” in baseball terms.
“While there may not be another iPhone that adds 50% to revs, we see multiple impending products that could ultimately each add an incremental 5%, including wearables/iWatch (e.g., 10% attach to 300mil iPhone installed base x $299 ASP would be $9B or +5% to revs, and make it a mid Fortune 500 co. alone), >12” iPad Pro targeting enterprise (en route to Mac/iOS integration) and iTV/home gateway (we still expect set-top+services not full-blown TV, but tripling today’s 10mil/yr Apple TV units and ASP to $299 could make iTV another $9B/5% biz).”
Shares of Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) are up 63 cents, or 1%, at $52.30, after UBS’s Steve Milunovich raised his rating on the shares to a Buy from Neutral, and upped his price target to $58 from $50, urging investors to take advantage of the “slight correction” in the stock since fellow consultants Accenture (ACN) last week issued cautious statements on the market.
Writes Milunovich, “We like Cognizant because (1) it is well positioned for the current demand environment; (2) we expect discretionary project spending to be solid this year; (3) a more formal capital return policy could be announced later this year; and (4) the stock could see further multiple expansion.”
Shares of 3-D printer maker Stratasys (SSYS) are down 17 cents at $110.80, after the company this morning said it would acquire two privately held outfits in the market, Solid Concepts, “the largest independent additive manufacturing service bureau in North America,” and Harvest Technologies, “a specialty additive manufacturing service bureau established in 1995 [with] deep manufacturing process knowhow,” for an undisclosed sum.
Citigroup’s Kenneth Wong reiterates a Buy rating on Stratasys shares, and a $135 price target, writing that “We see the broadening of the company’s services footprint as a natural strategic fit and serves as a strong lead in sale considering wide array of technologies currently used by customers.”
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are up a penny at $4.08, after the company yesterday afternoon announced a so-called wafer agreement with supplier GlobalFoundries that includes manufacture of chips for video game consoles and graphics processing units (GPUs). That business had previously been sent to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), and so some on the Street today are wondering the effect upon TSM.
Citigroup’s Roland Shu sees little impact on TSM, writing today that “Over 70% of AMD’s wafer shipment from TSMC was made by 28nm HKMG in 2013. The remaining 20-30% was from 40/65nm which are expected to migrate to 28nm HKMG gradually. Given GF’s inability to produce 28nm gate-last HKMG and limited visibility of 20nm HKMG, we believe TSMC can secure the largest share of APU and GPU business from AMD. We expect SPIL will be able to maintain the lion’s share of the package/assembly business from AMD as well.”
TSM shares today are down 13 cents, or 0.6%, at $20.19. AMD shares are unchanged at $4.07.
Shares of Amazon.com (AMZN) are up 75 cents at $343.74 after the company this morning announced at an event in New York City a set-top box for its “Fire TV” streaming video service, as widely expected, as reported by Kate Solomon of TechRadar. Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos said original programming from Amazon will be an important aspect of the service. Prices and service fees have not been announced yet.
A couple of analysts this morning have weighed in on The Wall Street Journal’s speculative story over the weekend that Apple (AAPL) is in talks with Comcast (CMCSA) for a streaming video service that would run over a set-top box developed by Apple.
R.W. Baird’s William Power, who has an Overweight rating on shares of Apple and Comcast, as well as Netflix (NFLX) stock, writes ” We would applaud an Apple streaming service, though building a content library could be challenging given some of the exclusive agreements already in place.”
Power notes Apple is “late to the content game,” and that it doesn’t sound like the service is directly a competitor for Netflix, though Apple could try to buy Netflix:
According to the WSJ, AAPL’s streaming service would allow users to stream both live and on-demand offerings which seems to suggest that this would be a full-fledged cable-replacement offering. This could mean: 1) this offering is actually less of NFLX competitor and 2) this could be a relatively low-margin revenue stream for AAPL. Netflix and Amazon have been locking down exclusive streaming rights for popular shows for years, making a compelling offering more difficult for Apple to assemble. Additionally, original content is rapidly becoming table stakes. If Apple is serious about streaming video, NFLX has an obvious headstart on content deals, originals, etc. However, an acquisition of that size would be out of character for AAPL, and this rumor implies that AAPL is already well on its way to building its own platform.
On the other hand, Barclays‘s Kannan Venkateshwar writes that the speculation is “much ado ￼￼￼￼￼￼￼about nothing,” as any deal ” is likely to have a marginal impact if any,” given that Apple doesn’t bring any assets to the party in the area of traditional “linear” video programming:
In our opinion, any relationship between Apple or for that matter other companies looking to get into the TV market (Amazon, Google etc) and a cable company depends on what content rights either party has. In this respect, MVPDs enable a revenue stream more than $100bn to content owners through affiliate and retrans fees and advertising and bring a 100MM subscriber base to the mix. Apple today does not own the rights to linear TV which enables this revenue stream nor does it bring a subscriber base for any linear service. Also, Apple’s key product offering for content (iTunes) is a non linear product offering without advertising for the most part. As a result, in order to offer any credible product, Apple with either have to (1) rely on an MVPD’s linear content rights or (2) pay for these rights on its own. In this respect, as we noted in our recent note, the DISH-DIS deal sets up a potential framework for non-traditional players to get into the linear TV ecosystem. However, the latter is likely to be a lot more expensive for the likes of Apple as they do not have any subscribers as of today (vs ~22MM for Comcast). Consequently, in our opinion, any deal between Apple and an MVPD like Comcast is likely to be in a form where the MVPD’s app appears on Apple TV along with other non linear offerings like Netflix. Such an arrangement would imply that any subscriber to such a service will have to be a Comcast subscriber who happens to have Apple hardware rather than an Apple customer who becomes a Comcast subscriber.
Given that, writes Vankateshwar, what does Apple have to offer? TiVo (TIVO), the analyst notes, “has been around for more than a decade with a product offering which has always been substantially better than the average MVPD user experience but has never been allowed into the distribution eco system in the US on a wide scale.”
“If an MVPD was looking to upgrade to the best possible user experience, it would much easier and cheaper to sign an agreement with TIVO than with Apple.”
The main takeaway, writes Vankateshwar, is that “Over time, we believe the internet is likely to fragment into multiple managed services with those having the ability to pay (like Apple) seeking preferential access to the last mile. In other words, some of the content from the internet is likely to seek an alternative, off line path to the home.”
Vankateshwar is restricted from having any rating on Comcast given that Barclays is is advising Comcast in its bid to acquire Time Warner Cable (TWC). Vankateshwar’s colleague, Ben Reitzes, has an Equal Weight rating on Apple stock, and a $570 price target.
Apple shares today are up $5.46, or 1%, at $538.33, Netflix shares are down $31.21, or almost 8%, at $374.78, Comcast stock is off 2 cents at $49.98, and Tivo is up 4 cents, or 0.3%, at $13.18.
Here are some things going on this morning in your world of tech:
Cisco Systems announced it will spend $1 billion over two years to build an “intercloud,” as it calls the effort, in partnership with carriers such as Telstra and Allstream, and a variety of other tech firms, such as Ingram Micro (IM). The project will be based on the OpenStack freely available virtualization and storage software that many Internet services have been taking up at a rapid pace; it will also use SAP’s (SAP) Hana in-memory database. Some of the services will be hosted by Cisco itself in its data centers, including some “platform as a service” and “infrastructure as a service,” two common that companies such as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT).
Nick Earle of Cisco, who is a senior vice president for cloud sales, tells me that there will be three buckets of spend inside Cisco for the billion dollars, including engineering, building out Cisco’s own data centers that will host and sell the Cisco cloud services, and third, the go-to-market organization of several hundred people to work alongside Cisco’s 20,000-strong sales force. Earle likened the effort to the “Star Alliance” cooperative deal between the airlines.
Regarding Amazon and Google, Earle said the two were not really at the application layer, a hole in their offering that he said Cisco could fill with things such as SAP’s Hana, or Microsoft’s Office365 product. Earle said Cisco’s 65,000 resellers around the world help Cisco get to scale much quicker, in part by hosting the service, in part by packing it for other vertical markets.
More details at Cisco’s “Cisco Live,” the company’s partner conference, in May.
Cisco shares are off 12 cents, or 0.6%, at $21.52.
In case you missed it, Apple (AAPL) is working with Comcast (CMCSA) to develop a streaming video set-top box service, according to a piece over the weekend by The Wall Street Journal’s Shalini Ramachandran, Daiuske Wakabayashi, and Amol Sharma, citing multiple unnamed sources.
The service, which is not close to an agreement, the authors write, is distinguished by Apple’s intention to have special use of last-mile connections to stream video at a higher quality than services such as Netflix’s (NFLX).
Speaking of Apple, Pacific Crest’s Andy Hargreaves today reiterates an Outperform rating on Apple stock, and a $635 price target, writing that his “checks” of component suppliers and carrier stores suggests “iPhone unit volume could exceed our estimates of 39.7 million in March and 33.6 million in June.” Hargreaves thinks “replacement rates remain extremely strong and that Apple is gaining share of high-end customers.”
Speaking still further of Apple, DigiTimes’s Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai this morning write that the company intends to have batteries for the iPhone made on fully-automated production lines this year “to reduce its manpower demand,” citing multiple unnamed sources. The move is in response to rising wages in China, among other factors, the authors write.
Apple stock is up $3.93, or 0.7%,a t $536.80.
Shares of Pandora (P), meantime, are down $3.02, or almost 9%, at $30.99, after Billboard late Friday reported Apple is considering offering a version of its iTunes Radio service on Google’s Android operating system, according to TheFlyontheWall.
Shares of LG Display (LPL) are down 4 cents at $12.10, despite a bullish note from Nomura Equity Research’s James Kim, who raised his rating on the shares to Buy from Neutral, with a ₩36,000 on the ordinary shares traded in Seoul (034220KS), from a prior ₩24,000, writing that prices for television panels have bottomed this month, and that inventories have stabilized, while TV panel average size is set to rise on the backs of ultra-Hi Def set sales. Kim also believes “a new smartphone launch from its biggest customers in 3Q,” likely a reference to Apple, should boost sales.
Shares of NetApp (NTAP) are down $1.54, or 4%, at $36.26, after Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty cut her rating on the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight because of pressure from the “Three Cs” as she calls it: cloud, compression, competition, which are cutting spending on storage equipment. She cut her revenue expectation for the fiscal year ending April of 2015 to $6.14 billion from a prior $6.24 billion, estimate, below consensus of $6.54 billion. Huberty believes EMC (EMC) is doing a better job weathering those storms given a broader product portfolio.
Chip maker Nvidia (NVDA) will tomorrow host its analyst day briefing, and some Street observers are revving up their models for what to expect. MKM Partners’s Ian Ing reiterates a Neutral rating on the shares, writing that the “core” business “is strong (GeForce GPUs for gaming) plus there are “irons in the fire,” in GPUs (automotive) and in Tegra (K1 mobile supercomputing). However, Nvidia’s wireless investment remains a stubborn overhang and we believe Tegra 4i (4G) and GRID GPUs (cloud) have room to disappoint.”
Nvidia shares are down 9 cents, or half a percent, at $18.45.
Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings this evening posted on the company’s official blog an interesting item about “net neutrality,” stating that a stronger form of the regulatory guarantees are required to ensure service providers don’t “meddle” with consumer choice.
As Hastings writes in his post,
The essence of net neutrality is that ISPs such as AT&T and Comcast don’t restrict, influence or otherwise meddle with the choices consumers make. The traditional form of net neutrality which was recently overturned by a Verizon lawsuit is important, but insufficient [...] This weak net neutrality isn’t enough to protect an open, competitive Internet; a stronger form of net neutrality is required. Strong net neutrality additionally prevents ISPs from charging a toll for interconnection to services like Netflix, YouTube, or Skype, or intermediaries such as Cogent, Akamai or Level 3, to deliver the services and data requested by ISP residential subscribers. Instead, they must provide sufficient access to their network without charge.
The post cites Cablevision (CVC) among those operators that respect net neutrality, but says “on other big ISPs, due to a lack of sufficient interconnectivity, Netflix performance has been constrained, subjecting consumers who pay a lot of money for high-speed Internet to high buffering rates, long wait times and poor video quality.”
Moreover, Netflix notes that it had to pay up recently when Comcast imposed a “toll” on it, and it cites Comcast (CMCSA) as “supporting weak net neutrality.” This is not the first time, of course, Netflix has contended some operators are hampering Internet-based services.
A short while ago, Comcast responded, sending a missive from the office of its top regulatory affairs rep, David Cohen, defending its stance:
There has been no company that has had a stronger commitment to openness of the Internet than Comcast. We supported the FCC’s Open Internet rules because they struck the appropriate balance between consumer protection and reasonable network management rights for ISPs. We are now the only ISP in the country that is bound by them. The Open Internet rules never were designed to deal with peering and Internet interconnection, which have been an essential part of the growth of the Internet for two decades. Providers like Netflix have always paid for their interconnection to the Internet and have always had ample options to ensure that their customers receive an optimal performance through all ISPs at a fair price. We are happy that Comcast and Netflix were able to reach an amicable, market-based solution to our interconnection issues and believe that our agreement demonstrates the effectiveness of the market as a mechanism to deal with these matters.
Comcast, of course, is in the process of trying to acquire Time-Warner Cable (TWC). I wrote in Barron’s magazine back when the deal was announced that Comcast may be under increased scrutiny because of concerns about its extracting the kind of tolls that Netflix alledges. Comcast followed up on my article at the time to state that it in no way blocks Internet services such as Netflix.
Apple shares could have upside of more than 20% this year, Wedge Partners Analyst Brian Blair tells Barrons.com.
Wedge Partners doesn’t publish price targets, but Blair tells us he thinks the stock could go “to $600 or $650 over the next 12 months.” Shares of Apple (AAPL) are up 54 cents, or 0.10%, at $536.61.
Blair issued a favorable note this morning on Apple that concludes that while the company is “at an impasse,” R&D spending, potential production forecasts and Apple’s need to grow all point to “a coming wave of innovation.” Ergo: the ”current neutral/negative view provides investors an opportunity to own” the stock. Caveat 1: “In the contest of perception of forward-thinking innovation, Google (GOOG) is winning” with projects from Google Glass to self-driving cars.
“This gap between what is actually happening at Apple and investor sentiment is providing an opportunity for investors. We believe this opportunity should be taken advantage of before Apple’s next array of products hit the market, though the best time to own the stock may be in April after we get the March quarter/June guide behind us.”
“We recognize the potential for a hiccup when the company reports March quarter earnings. All signs in the supply chain point to softness for iPhone and weakness generally for Apple components. Why?”
- Continued slowdown in the high-end smartphone market.
- Smartphone growth at the low end where Apple doesn’t compete.
- Lofty expectations for near-term China Mobile iPhone sales.
- Continued soft demand for the iPhone 5C.
- Phone upgrade weakness, with a larger-screen iPhone expected this Fall.
What Blair expects when:
In separate news, Apple is testing iTunes Radio as a standalone application with iOS 8, according to a story Wednesday from 9TO5Mac. Citing sources briefed on the plans, the story says that a separate app would boost usage as a direct conduit to pre-installed iTunes Radio.
Apple (AAPL) shares have resumed their march upward after a dip this morning, rising $1.53, or 0.3%, to %37.49, following a report by Bloomberg‘s Adam Satariano and Edmund Lee stating the company is in talks with Time Warner Cable (TWC) to carry its Apple TV set-top, citing multiple unnamed sources.
The device is apparently planned for a holiday debut this year.
Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: email@example.com.


text: There have been no immediate reviews of injuries or disease. Perrigo Co. Said it discovered the steel bits during quality-control checks. The recall impacts bottles containing various amounts of 500-milligram caplets. Perrigo bills itself as the world’s largest producer of store-brand non-prescription drugs. The ongoing company did not disclose the chains for which it manufactures the store-brand acetaminophen. However, Wal-Mart Shops Inc., CVS Corp., Walgreen Co. And Costco Wholesale Corp. Are among the ongoing companies it supplies with health care products, according to company Exchange and Securities Commission filings.The extensive study represents a substantial milestone in understanding prenatal abnormalities. Agilent was the primary contributor of microarrays and reagents to this study, as 71 % of samples were operate on Agilent SurePrint CGH microarrays, with Agilent software used for data evaluation. Agilent assisted the investigators from the prenatal study group in developing the arrays found in the scholarly study. This landmark research study on prenatal samples will have long-enduring implications to the research community, said Dr.

domain: news


text:
A link between highly processed foods and cancer has been suggested by French researchers.
New studies have shown that consuming highly processed foods can increase your risk of of Cancer
It’s long been known that eating fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains lowers the risk of cancer. Obesity also raises the risk of cancer, and junk food is full of calories.
Foods such as cakes, chicken nuggets and mass-produced bread as “ultra-processed”.
A study of 105,000 people hinted the more of such foods people ate, the greater their risk of cancer.
A lot of caution is being expressed about the study, but experts said a healthy diet is best.


text:
Ms. Rosenblum's recent article regarding the tracking of consumers by
store cameras represents only the latest blow to the erosion of
privacy in our culture. With the cost of genomic sequencing and
analysis plummeting one could imagine stores eventually tracking the
genes of their customers as well: collecting latent DNA on shopping
carts to determine how many of their customers are lactose intolerant,
potentially diabetic, or have a gluten intolerance, and stocking their
One could even imagine correlating the genes with camera images to
give a simple form of gene association study.
A less benign example might include shopkeepers collecting, cataloging
and subsequently selling a host of genomic information to the highest
Unpublished letter in response to:
Stephanie Rosenblum's 3/19/20 "In Bid to Sway Sales, Cameras Track Shoppers,"


text:
Athlete With Down Syndrome Debuts Major League Soccer Jersey in New York
Scotty Stephens, a Special Olympian and soccer player with Down syndrome, was tapped by the Colorado Rapids major league soccer team to model its new jersey during a major event in New York ahead of fashion week.
On Wednesday, Major League Soccer (MLS) hosted its Forward25 event to reveal and celebrate each team’s new kit for the upcoming season in celebration of the league’s 25th anniversary. Each team sent a representative to show off its new jersey at the event, including Stephens for the soccer team Colorado Rapids.
— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) February 6, 2020
Stephens is a forward for the Colorado Rapids Special Olympics Unified Team, which includes people with and without disabilities, and is an active member of Special Olympics Colorado. According to a Rapids press release, Stephens also plays basketball and football for the Special Olympics.
CSDSA's own Scotty Stephens gets the honor of going to New York City next week to reveal the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club…
Dubbed “The Nine Six” jersey in honor of the Colorado Rapids’ founding in 1996, Stephens donned the maroon jersey alongside 25 other team models, which included Colin Hanks, Lindsay Ell and DeAndre Hopkins, among others. The Rapids will officially suit up in the new kit at the start of the soccer season on Feb. 29.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 6, 2020
Header image via Major League Soccer’s Twitter


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The tit-for-tat trade war between the United States and China is costly enough, but it could be morphing into something far more serious. A week after raising tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China, the Trump administration took aim at Huawei, the Chinese company leading the global race to create new, faster 5G telecommunications networks. The new regulations would, if fully implemented, restrict Huawei’s ability to access the U.S. market, either for exports of its products or for imports of key technologies. There are reasons to be concerned about Beijing using Huawei’s networks for nefarious purposes, as well as legitimate grievances regarding China’s trade and industrial policies. But the costs of President Donald Trump’s trade war are clearly rising, and with them the prospects of an unnecessary cold war with China that would be in no one’s interest.
Until now, Trump’s China policy seemed to be operating on two separate, but parallel, tracks. On the trade track, the investigation into China’s unfair trade practices that injure American firms focused on intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer. The real backdrop was Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” industrial policy, under which the country aims to be the global leader in a number of new and emerging technologies within the next few years. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a skilled negotiator for whom tariffs are leverage in the negotiations with China, has been the architect of this trade track.
On the other track are the national security implications of China controlling key technologies of the future and using American technology to get there. In response to these concerns, Congress last year passed a strengthened law for reviewing foreign investments that might have national security implications, while the administration has been reviewing how it implements export controls.


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August launch for ASX
Mitsubishi has a new compact off-roader, writes Neil McDonald
BUSINESS types understand the acronym ASX — Australian Stock Exchange. Mitsubishi has massaged the term for its new off-roader, calling it the Active Sports Crossover, or ASX.
The latest member of the Mitsubishi team arrives in showrooms in August. It will compete against the Kia Sportage, Hyundai ix35, Holden Captiva 5, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Nissan Dualis in the ultra-competitive sub-$30,000 compact off-roader segment.
Mitsubishi Australia president and CEO Masahiko Takahashi says it will be sold as a manoeuvrable city car that could bring new buyers to the Mitsubishi family.
‘‘It has the added benefit of being very smart, especially in terms of the technology that drives its engineering, design and all-wheeldrive ability,’’ he says.
The ASX was born as the cX concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The finished product has links to both the Outlander and Lancer Evolution X and borrows the ‘‘family’’ look front end.
It’s 345mm shorter than the Outlander and 200g lighter. The production car also uses a onepiece hatch instead of the twopiece doors on the concept.
Japanese versions are powered by 1.8 or 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engines.
Though local specifications are yet to be released, both petrol and diesel engines, as well as front or all-wheel-drive versions are tipped.
Takahashi says as an entry offroader, the ASX could drive strong sales to supplement the Triton, Outlander and Pajero. It will be pitched into the profitable compact off-roader segment, which is experiencing enormous growth.


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Why do women use financial services products?
77% told us they want to build financial security, which goes up to 88% among women with a migrant background. And 76% said they want to grow their money in the long term. By contrast, very few respondents said they're motivated by short-term gains (14%) or increasing social status (8%).
What puts off women using financial services products?
Our respondents identified three key problems with the buying journey when it comes to women: lack of empowerment, structural barriers, and unconscious bias.
72% of our respondents told us they don't feel knowledgeable enough about financial services products, with some saying they don't even know where to look for the information they need.
“It’s not difficult to remove barriers for women and non-binary people. The financial industry has a responsibility to ensure everyone is included when it comes to financial independence – and it’s a 700-billion-dollar revenue opportunity. Women are half of the population, a good business case.”
COO ACI Diversity Consulting


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A new video game publisher named DeepWell Digital Therapeutics (DTx) is planning to create video games to treat health conditions. The company is the creation of Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson, as well as former Nextern CEO Ryan Douglas. The publisher is made up of more than 40 “game industry experts and medical luminaries,” with the goal to develop and publish games that “can simultaneously entertain and deliver, enhance, and accelerate treatment for an array of globally pervasive health conditions.” It’s an ambitious concept, but it could help the video game industry shed some of its negative perceptions.
“Our medium is often harshly judged for its perceived negative impacts on the mind and body,” said Wilson. “But the scientists who study video games, as well as the developers that build them at the highest levels, already know that the opposite is true. DeepWell is bringing entertainment and medical science together to build upon the proven fact that video games can be good for you, and, thanks to global digital distribution, they’re an important tool to make treatment affordable and accessible. Moreover, with games that are legitimately fun, patients and players will seek out their positive benefits again and again. Soon, some of the best video games in the world will be recognized for what they are — positive medicine — and game designers will be shaping a new discipline with the potential to reach the biggest audience on the planet.”
DeepWell Digital is focused not only on releasing games that are beneficial to players, but also ones that are enjoyable to play, as well. According to Douglas, the studio’s goal is “building and repurposing games that look like, feel like, and play like pure entertainment.”
It will be interesting to see if DeepWell can fulfill its goals and find and release games that are both entertaining and medically beneficial to players. As Wilson points out, there have been numerous studies showcasing the mental and physical benefits of video games, but video games still carry a number of negative connotations in terms of public perception. DeepWell Digital Therapeutics could be a game changer for the industry in that regard, but gamers will have to wait until 2023 to see the company’s first products.
What are your thoughts on DeepWell Digital Therapeutics? Do you believe that video games can have medically beneficial results for players? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!


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Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, has stated that the government is aiming to start a Mobile payment system that would remove the compulsion to show the computerized national identity cards (CNICs) while shopping.
He said, “Your mobile phone will act as your identity card in future,” while talking at a signing ceremony for technical partnership with Alsons Group and Tatsuno Corporation, Japan to devise software and automation resolutions.
Fawad bemoaned that it is a challenge to discuss new scientific ideas in the country these days. He added, “We are educating people in the year 2019 that there is no need for a telescope for moonsighting.”
He also mentioned the development of a modern, state-of-the-art “Bio Science Park” in Jehlum, which would be the biggest park of its kind in Asia. He added that using technology boosts the growth of any business but in the past the technology sector had been overlooked.
Fawad hailed evolving Japanese tech in the fields of oil and gas and remarked, “We only heard of Japanese technology everywhere in the country when we were growing up”. He also stressed the need to add new jobs by promoting the private sector.


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Following the Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana PS Vita models announced last week, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced four different PlayStation Vita models for FuRyu’s upcoming RPG Caligula.
The above is a look at the four PlayStation Vita models that will release for Caligula. They cost 20,980 yen plus tax each and will be available alongside the release of the game in June 23.
Here’s a closer look at the four different models:
Catharsis Flower ver.
Additionally, the limited edition Caligula models come with the following three PlayStation Vita themes:
And finally, here’s a look at the original design package for the limited edition Caligula PS Vita models:
Caligula and its limited edition PlayStation Vita models will release in Japan on June 23, 2016.


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Animaj provides children's entertainment services. The company transforms intellectual properties into multi-platform franchises, using a digital-first approach and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven animation production to create inspiring content for kids. It caters to the children's entertainment industry. The company was founded in 2022 and is based in Paris, France.
Latest Animaj News
Oct 4, 2023
Whether it is an exit, an IPO, a fresh round of funding or an acquisition, at XAnge we like to celebrate the milestones of our portfolio companies. Today, we're happy to share Animaj's acquisition of the award-winning and iconic Spanish brand POCOYO. It's a major step in its ambition to build the next generation global media company for kids. If you don’t speak Spanish, you may not know POCOYO. But in the latin-speaking world, it has been a cherished brand deeply ingrained in the hearts of children for 21 years, with an insane 98% brand awareness in Spain! Its educational content, endearing characters, and engaging narratives have enchanted multiple generations of children and their parents alike. Today, POCOYO has a robust presence across a spectrum of media platforms, including free and pay TV, VOD, mobile apps, and games (with over 100 million downloads), along with a vast YouTube following exceeding 40 million subscribers. This enduring appeal continues to captivate millions of children and families worldwide. Transforming high-quality IPs into multi-platform franchises Through a digital-first approach, and a thoughtful use of technology to make content production more efficient, XAnge-backed startup Animaj aims to turn POCOYO into a global multi-generational franchise, inspiring children all over the world to dream big and foster a lifelong passion for learning. This acquisition marks the beginning of Animaj’s mission to unite the most powerful independent children’s intellectual properties (IPs). Founded in Paris in May 2022 with the support of XAnge, Left Lane Capital, and Daphni, Animaj has thus far secured a total of 100 million euros in debt and equity to bring its vision to life. In addition to its flagship POCOYO, Animaj also owns and develops “Hey Kids” and “Kidibli”. Learning from other industries Animaj’s ambitions are big: it aims to create the global franchises of the future, by leveraging the dynamic transformation of the children’s media sector. This includes integrating AI for content production scalability and adapting to the rapid shift in children’s content consumption from traditional linear television to digital platforms. To do so, Gregory Dray and Sixte de Vauplane, the two cofounders of Animaj are perfectly complementary: Gregory is a seasoned expert of the entertainment industry, while Sixte has a strong tech background, since he previously cofounded and managed Nestor, a leading french food delivery company. At XAnge, we firmly believe that the children’s entertainment sector is ripe for disruption, akin to the music industry a few years ago. We draw inspiration from our experience with Believe – which successfully went public in 2021 – and we anticipate that our insights will be valuable to the Animaj team. We wish Animaj a similarly successful journey! Looking for more content ?
Animaj Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When was Animaj founded?
Animaj was founded in 2022.
Where is Animaj's headquarters?
Animaj's headquarters is located at 22 Rue Chapon, Paris.
What is Animaj's latest funding round?
Animaj's latest funding round is Debt.
How much did Animaj raise?
Animaj raised a total of $106.5M.
Who are the investors of Animaj?
Investors of Animaj include XAnge, Daphni, Left Lane Capital and Kima Ventures.


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COVID-19: Government financial support for garment and agricultural businesses with vulnerable supply chains in developing countries.
In response to the Coronavirus, Covid-19, the Government has set up COVID-19 Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility (VSCF).
This initiative has been set up by the Department for International Development (DFID) in partnership with the Department for International Trade to offer grants and/or technical assistance of the value between £200,000 and £600,000.
The support is intended to ensure vulnerable workers and suppliers are prepared for the economic and social shocks of COVID-19.
VSCF will support proposals that focus on the garment and agriculture sectors in at least one of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, OPTs, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Applications of support from VSCF are welcome from:
- businesses facing industry challenges and looking for advisory/ facilitation support
- businesses looking to support the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable workers and suppliers in their supply chains
- not-for-profit organisations supporting MNCs/SMEs and their suppliers in specific sectors/ geographies
- not-for-profit organisations supporting transparency and accountability mechanisms within/across specific supply chains
- not-for-profit organisations supporting informal workers and smallholder farmers that are part of global supply chains


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Issues with the hydraulic clutch on current Harley-Davidson Touring models continue with a third voluntary recall issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Harley-Davidson Australia marketing manger Adam Wright says they are very proactive on safety recalls. “We take all recalls very, very seriously,” he says.
In the latest recall, 2014/2015 Touring models have been found to lose the ability for the hydraulic clutch system to disengage the clutch after being parked for an extended period.
Adam says a replacement hydraulic clutch kit is now available to be fitted on the 389 bikes affected in Australia and 31 in New Zealand. In all recalls, HD has notified all owners and repairs performed for free.
Harley introduced hydraulic clutches in 2013 on all Rushmore Project Touring models except the Road King, much to the delight of riders who relished the reduced clutch effort.
However, the first recall on these models occurred a couple of months after their release in September 2013 when the hydraulic clutch system was found to lose its ability to generate enough lift to disengage.
There was a second recall a year later when it was found they could develop a tear in the primary cup (seal) of the hydraulic clutch master cylinder piston. It also affected the CVO Softail and Trike.


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|Published May 27, 2003|
Letter to the Editor: Rate Increase
From recent articles appearing in our newspapers, Utah Power and Light Co, i.e. PacifiCorp, i.e. Scottish Power has applied to the public service commission for a rate increase of 12.5 percent, which would raise the average retail customers bill up a...
|Web Poll |
April 25, 2011
Do you you think the national deficit that Congress has been struggling with can be better solved by increasing taxes or by cutting spending?
Increasing taxes (35.83%)
Cutting spending (42.8%)
Combination of both (19.11%)
Don't know or don't care (2.26%)
2124 total votes
Best viewed with Firefox


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Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), the world’s largest computer maker, is planning to announce the acquisition of Autonomy Corp. for about $10 billion and the spinoff of its personal-computer business, said people familiar with the company’s plans.
The company may announce its plans as early as today, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t yet public. Hewlett-Packard, based in Palo Alto, California, is scheduled to report quarterly earnings today after markets close.
HP to spin off its PC business?
Posted on Thursday, August 18 2011 @ 18:36 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck


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According to people familiar with the matter, Airbnb's valuation is set to expand up to $13 billion, up from $10 billion earlier this year, reports CNBC.
The community-driven hospitality company, if valued at $13 billion, would come second only to Uber "in the rankings of Silicon Valley's most valuable private companies". Airbnb doesn't have a CEO, after Andrew Swain left last month, which should push out the IPO, if there was one any time soon, to sometime in 2015.
In order for Airbnb employees to cash in on some of their stock between now and the IPO, the company is in discussions with existing investors about allowing them to buy back tens of millions of dollars worth of shares, according to CNBC's sources. This cash injection won't be going into new capital for the company, but instead it would reportedly go to staff.
Last updated: Jun 16, 2020 at 04:29 pm CDT
- > NEXT STORY: AMD drops the prices on their APUs, is also offering free games
- < PREVIOUS STORY: Microsoft posts record revenue, Surface sales are helping, a lot


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After years of turmoil and financial struggles, American electric vehicle start-up Faraday Future has listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and says it has pre-orders and deposits for all 300 of its limited-edition, invite-only FF 91 Futurist Alliance Edition models.
Faraday Future was founded back in 2014, but we haven’t heard much from the company in recent years. Once considered to be a Tesla rival, Faraday Future fell into years of financial troubles and lost its founding executives.
Back in January, however, Faraday announced it would list on Nasdaq through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Property Solutions Acquisition, a facility that has brought a number of electric mobility start-ups into public trading, including Saudi-backed Lucid Motors.
Faraday followed through with its proposed SPAC merger last week, listing as “Faraday Future Intelligent Electric” under the ticker symbols “FFIE” and “FFIEW”.
“Today is a new chapter in FF’s history, marking the culmination of a noble vision and mission created seven years ago in California by our founder YT Jia,” said Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, Faraday Future’s Global CEO. “This is also the common mission of our global partners, who are also known as the Futurist Alliance.
“We would like to thank all investors, partners and internal and external partners for their trust and confidence in our leadership, product technology and business model, and we are confident in the high-quality delivery of our FF 91 Futurist in the next 12 months.”
After ringing the bell to open Nasdaq trading, Faraday Future also announced a brand-new reservation policy for its FF91 Futurist.
The first announced FF 91 Futurist Alliance Edition will be limited to 300 units globally, with a priority reservation deposit of $US5,000 ($A6,800). The initial 300 FF91 owners will also gain access to three extra privileges, including Futurist Alliance membership, Spire Club membership, and the next generation product upgrade privileges.
FF has also launched the FF 91 Futurist Edition for a priority reservation deposit of $1,500.
A week later, Faraday announced that they had taken advanced pre-orders and deposits for all 300 of its limited-edition and invite-only FF91 Futurist Alliance Edition models.
Faraday Future currently expects its FF91 Futurist to come with an industry-leading 1050-horsepower, 130kWh battery pack, with immersive liquid cooling technology.
Boasting acceleration of 0-100km/h in around 2.4 seconds, rear wheels independently driven and controlled by dual rear motors, Faraday Future is also making much of the car’s luxury included technologies.
It describes the FF91 Futurist as “the third internet living space” and is equipped with the industry’s only super AP for internet connection at “light speed”, video streaming, face recognition, and “zero gravity rear-seats with the industry’s largest reclining angle of 150 degrees.


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Sony Corp. this week said it will release an update to the Playstation 3 firmware update 4.45 that will address a problem incurred on select consoles.
The company this month said it will release a system software update June 27 in a response to claims that firmware update 4.45 can cause the XMB interface to not display properly.
Firmware update 4.45 was released last week and consumers subsequently held claims of ‘bricked’ consoles post install of the update.
Sony in Feb. said the game division held an operating profit of $49.3 million, down 86 percent from the year prior.
It sold 6.8 Playstation 3 and Playstation 2 consoles in the quarter, down from 7.4 million one year ago. It forecasts 16 million hardware units sold in the fiscal year ending Mar.
Console software sales declined to 61.7 million from 68.7 million one year prior.
Sony will release the Playstation 4 this holiday.


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Pleasant View Gardens Combines Open Garden, Landscape Days
Pleasant View Gardens has announced plans to combine two of its annual events – Open Garden Day and Landscape Day. The new event, which will feature grower showcases and informational sessions, will take place Aug. 5.
More than 500 Proven Winners and Proven Selection varieties will be on display at the event, and experts will be on hand to offer tips and answer questions. Visitors also will be able to tour PVG’s facilities, including Pleasant View’s Pick-Up Yard, where customers can purchase quality plant material and even buy shrubs and trees from landscapers that aren’t available anywhere else.
The event will take place on Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Loudon and Pembroke, N.H. locations. Participants are required to pre-register by July 30 at www.pwpvg.com.


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Why turkey isn't tops for Thanksgiving -- GrubHub has the answer
When it comes to takeout orders for Thanksgiving meals, turkey ranks low.
Turkey was nowhere near the top of the list of most popular Thanksgiving-themed foods ordered by GrubHub customers, when the company compared takeout order data for the week of Thanksgiving with the numbers for the rest of the year.
In fact, turkey was just ahead of brussels sprouts, according to GrubHub, an online food ordering behemoth. Brussels sprouts are not everyone's idea of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but the mini-cabbages are enjoying a surge in popularity on many restaurant menus.
The top honor goes to pumpkin pie, which GrubHub found was a whopping 230 percent more likely to be ordered during the Thanksgiving holiday week than it was during the rest of year.
Second on the list was stuffing — an essential for traditional Thanksgiving meals, but hardly a holiday staple with much pizzazz. Then again, maybe pizzazz isn't what Thanksgiving feast types crave. GrubHub found that stuffing was 140 percent more likely to be ordered around Thanksgiving than at other times of the year.
The next four items on GrubHub's list of the top 10 most popular Thanksgiving dishes are, in descending order, green bean casserole, creamed corn, cranberry sauce and chocolate pie. Chocolate pie, of course, for those who are tired of pumpkin pie.
Though turkey wound up well down on the top 10 list, a GrubHub spokeswoman suggested it might be premature to weep for the poor turkey.
She said turkey's low placement simply may be a reflection of turkey's popularity year-round. Consequently, the GrubHub data wouldn't necessarily be expected to reflect a huge spike in orders during Thanksgiving week.
What a relief.
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Top-End Asian Hotels Are Selling a New Luxury: Clean Air
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
India and China have the world’s most polluted cities. Their luxury hotels are turning that into a business strategy.
By Maroosha Muzaffar
When Barbarae from Austria visited the Cordis Hongqiao Hotel in Shanghai in January, she loved the simple check-in process, the extra-large bed, the electric drapes and the fancy wine glasses in her room. But there was something less common that also struck her, which she mentioned in a review on travel site Booking.com: “the special air-filter program.” That experience didn’t come cheap: The hotel’s rate typically hovers around $250 a night. Yet for the “haves” who can afford it, it’s worth it.
Windows in the hotel are always closed, and all air that enters the Cordis Hongqiao passes through two layers of filtration. Every one of the hotel’s 396 rooms has a pollution monitor that shows the levels of PM2.5 — particulate matter so small it can get stuck in a person’s lungs. The hotel claims the air inside is usually 10 times better than outside. But the hotel isn’t alone in China, or in the region.
Indian and Chinese cities routinely lead the world in terms of air pollution. According to a 2019 report by AirVisual, the global air pollution monitoring group, seven of the 10 most polluted cities are in India. China follows close behind; 22 of the 50 most polluted cities are in that country. Now, as the two Asian economic giants attract more and more travelers, their top-end hotels are competing with each other and foreign challengers by increasingly offering guests the most basic but critical of “luxuries”: clean air.
The Cordis Hongqiao introduced its double-filtration system in 2018. The Fairmont Beijing joined up with Swedish air purification firm Blueair in 2017 to install filters in all of its more than 220 rooms. A year earlier, in March 2016, Beijing’s China World Hotel — the chain is better known globally under the Shangri-La brand name — unveiled purifiers built by American firm Honeywell in all of its rooms. Every room in the H’Elite Hotel in Guangzhou is now also equipped with an air filter.
The guest ratings have improved.
Emil Leung, Cordis Hongqiao Hotel, Shanghai
In India, the Oberoi, one of New Delhi’s oldest hotels, opened after renovation in January 2018 with 40 air filters. The Taj Hotel in the Indian capital’s diplomatic enclave has installed devices that function like plants and emit oxygen. It has also introduced filters that it says keep out 70 percent of PM2.5 matter. The Leela and Jaypee hotels in Delhi have employed similar measures. And the ITC Maurya — which hosted U.S. presidents Barack Obama (2010 and 2015), George W. Bush (2005) and Bill Clinton (2000) — introduced an air purification system in all of its 438 rooms last Christmas. The ITC group plans to use the clean air system in four other hotels: in Gurugram, Agra, Jaipur and at its second property in New Delhi.
For ITC Maurya, it has been one of their major initiaives. Verifying just how much of a difference these filters have made to air quality is difficult in the absence of an external audit. It’s also hard, industry analysts say, to quantify just how much these hotels have benefited in terms of guests returning to them because of the clean air on offer. But QleanAir Scandinavia, a firm working in at least 25 countries to raise awareness about the impact of air quality on the health of individuals and industries, has in recent reports cited poor quality of air inside rooms as a reason why many hotels don’t get the reviews they otherwise might receive. On the other hand, good reviews — such as the one from Barbarae for the Cordis Hongqiao — can lure other guests too. That’s been the hotel’s experience, says Emil Leung, managing director of the Cordis Hongqiao.
“The guest ratings have improved since [the new filtration system was installed],” says Leung. “Guests with any respiratory problems and any kind of allergies also find it very comfortable here.”
For high-end Chinese and Indian hotels, ensuring wealthy business and leisure travelers are indeed comfortable is increasingly critical at a time their market is more crowded than ever. Beijing, for instance, had 52 five-star hotels in total in 2008, when it hosted the Olympics. It’s added 62 new luxury hotels in both 2015 and 2016. The number of rooms in luxury hotels in India expanded by 35 percent between 2013 and 2018.
Global competition is also rising for Chinese and Indian hotel chains. The Hilton group entered India only in 2000, but today has 20 hotels in the country. The group has 27 hotels in China at the moment but plans to expand to 100 by 2025. And clean air is a battleground. The Hilton hotels globally allow guests the option of a Pure Room, for instance. These rooms boast — in addition to other wellness facilities — an air purifier. But these air purifiers are targeted at removing viruses and bacteria from the air, whereas fine particulate matter is the more potent air pollution threat in Indian and Chinese cities. The Pure Rooms typically cost about 7 percent more than usual rooms, and the Indian and Chinese chains are making it a point to ensure they don’t distinguish among guests: All rooms have the air filtration technology.
To be sure, that semblance of equality is just that. With room rates that rarely dip below $250 a night, these hotels are sanctuaries of clean air only for the privileged — they’re out of reach for the majority of Chinese and Indian nationals who continue breathing in dangerous pollutants. In New Delhi, for instance, particulate matter levels often go off the global scale that measures them up to a level of 1,000, especially in the days after Diwali, the festival of lights when millions of firecrackers are lit. In those smog-filled days last year, when doctors were warning that breathing that air was akin to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, a friend thought out loud: “I think I might move.” I couldn’t blame her.
And guests who stay at these cocooned luxury hotels are still exposed to polluted air when — and if — they step out. University of Chicago research last year showed that New Delhi residents, for instance, are losing nine years of their lives because of current air pollution levels. Globally, it’s estimated that ambient air pollution in both cities and rural areas causes nearly 4 million premature deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
But even with that exposure, these hotels offer those travelers who can afford it a key ingredient for a good night’s rest. A 2017 Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment study found clean air contributes to improved sleep quality and cognitive performance. When you’ve got a billion-dollar deal to negotiate in New Delhi or Beijing the next day, you might opt for a clean-air bubble to sleep in. These hotels are counting on that.
- Maroosha Muzaffar, OZY Author Contact Maroosha Muzaffar


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New tokenisation technology could help speed up adoption of Apple Pay in Europe
Mobile payment technologies such as Apple Pay have received a major boost in Europe today following a significant announcement that should help speed up their rollout.
Visa Europe has announced it is launching new security technology which will make mobile payments safer than ever before, with financial institutions able to implement the new methods in a few months’ time.
Easy does it
The launch, which has been tailored especially for the European market, means that from mid-April this year, customers across Europe will be able to use mobile payments easily and securely thanks to improved tokenisation technology.
Tokenisation protects customer payment information, such as the account numbers or name on a digital wallet, by substituting a series of numbers that can be used to authorise payment without exposing actual account details.
When consumers use their mobile device to make a contactless payment in a store, a token is submitted, rather than their account details, helping to cut down on the risk of fraud.
The new technology will also make it easier for systems such as Apple Pay (pictured above), which is set to hit the UK later this year, to be used safely and securely by consumers at a wide range of retailers.
“This is an exciting time to be in the payment industry,” said Sandra Alzetta, executive director, core products for Visa Europe. “We believe that 2015 will be the year that mobile payments will be in the hands of consumers across Europe.”
“Tokenisation is one of the most important technologies to emerge in digital payments and has the potential to start a whole new chapter in the kinds of products that are developed. For that reason, we’ve designed this flexible and scalable service, enabling issuers, merchants and acquirers to provide consumers with the next generation of innovative payment methods – all with the high level of security they expect.”
Alongside this improvement security, Visa has also announced a major expansion of its peer-to-peer money transfer service. Formerly known as Visa Personal Payments, the newly-monikered Visa Direct will allow card holders to transfer money quickly and securely across the globe using multiple currencies using just a mobile phone number.
Available this summer, the expanded Visa Direct service, which in its current guise has around 200,000 users across Europe, will be available in 20 languages and will now also support multiple currencies to make it faster and easier than ever for people to send money to friends and family using their smartphone.
The company has also teamed up with Singapore-based fastacash to enable Visa Direct users to send peer-to-peer payments via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and LinkedIn (pictured right). Although only open to certain banks at the moment, Visa hopes the partnership will help bridge the gap between consumers wanting to use social media to transfer money, and banks and payment service providers.
“Consumers are demanding payment services that integrate with their mobile lifestyle and their favourite social network, said Sue Onians from Visa Europe.
“Our world is getting smaller and quicker in terms of interaction and payments should keep up. Consumers want to be able to transfer money easily and securely across geographic borders without limitations, to their friends and family. Visa Direct from Visa Europe enables this while our partnership with fastacash will make this even easier through social networks.”
All clued up on mobile payments? Try our quiz!


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In the first half (H1) of this year, Cambodia’s total exports to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member nations were worth $3.28 billion, up by 10 per cent from $2.99 billion over the same period last year. Its top three export destinations were Vietnam, China and Japan with shipped products worth $1,174 million, $612 million and $542 million respectively.
The country’s exports to the RCEP member countries during this period accounted for 28.8 per cent of its total exports worth $11.37 billion, according to data from the ministry of commerce.
The trade volume between Cambodia and the RCEP’s member countries topped $16.24 billion, up 9 per cent compared to the same period last year, ministry under-secretary of state Penn Sovicheat was quoted as saying by Cambodian media reports.
In full: https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/cambodia-s-exports-to-rcep-member-nations-up-by-10-in-h1-2022-282079-newsdetails.htm


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With Tomato Paste, Harvard Graduates Hope To Empower Farmers
Monday, October 20, 2014
“It was a pipe dream I’ve had since 2008,” said Mira A. Mehta, a Business School graduate who co-founded the startup “Tomato Jos” with School of Public Health alumnus Shane F. Kiernan earlier this year. The company, a for-profit social enterprise, aims to build up a tomato paste industry in Nigeria by educating local tomato farmers about agricultural techniques and supplying them with seeds and fertilizers. The name Tomato Jos itself means “cute girl” in Nigerian slang, a play on the fact that the tomatoes in the Nigerian city Jos are known to be very sweet and juicy.
Mehta said the inspiration for the startup came from the four years she spent living in Nigeria before attending HBS. “We would pass miles and miles of tomato fields, and the tomatoes were just rotting on the side of the road,” Mehta said. “It’s a striking image.”
According to Mehta, tomatoes are a staple in many Nigerian dishes, but the poor quality of locally grown crops, combined with a weak transportation infrastructure, causes the country to import almost $500 million in tomato paste every year.
To help reverse this trend, Mehta and Kiernan designed their startup with a business model that oversees tomato paste production from seed to shelf. After ensuring that local farmers produce a high-quality crop, Mehta said, Tomato Jos will manage transportation of the tomatoes to local factories where they can then be processed into paste and packaged under the Tomato Jos brand.
Mehta began the research that informed this business model during her last year at the Business School, and in January 2014, she teamed up with Kiernan, whom she first met while living in Africa.
“I knew that this opportunity could really have a transformational impact on the lives of smallholder farmers in Nigeria,” Kiernan wrote in an email. “From my experience it is trade and not aid that ultimately leads to the greatest positive social impact.”


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Pessimism also surrounds short-term business prospects, with 24.9% expecting conditions to worsen.
Groceries are now a major category online, expected to top $85 billion in sales in 2022.
Despite ongoing labor shortages, retail jobs beat February 2020 levels by 104,000 employees.
“When you’ve got more money to spend, you do have the ability to influence things, and China will have that ability.”
One in four consumers are reducing their living standards amid inflation fears.
Workers hold more leverage in today’s job market, and they’re using it.
And for the most part, they’ll pass on higher costs to shoppers.
Higher prices on food, rent blamed on supply chain issues.
Supply-chain pressures ramping up as the holiday season approaches
A rebounding economy means more job openings in more sectors, and retail workers are taking advantage by seeking out less stressful jobs.
The number is up from two years ago. Are you handing out holiday bonuses this year? If so, you have lots of company, Employee Benefit News...
Get the most important news and business ideas for eyecare professionals every weekday from INVISION.


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The Yamaha Tenere 700 is a no-nonsense and very capable ADV. While Yamaha does not offer the Yamaha Tenere 700 in India, it is quite popular in the international markets. Now, as per the latest reports, Tenere 700-based 300cc ADV could be launched if there is a demand for it in the market.
The 300cc adventure motorcycle segment has seen quite some growth in recent years. With brands like KTM and BMW Motorrad launching affordable and easy-to-use ADVs such as the 390 Adventure and G 310 GS, people have started taking more interest in dual-sport bikes. These motorcycles have become popular not just in India but in international markets as well.
With the Tenere 700, Yamaha has already shown its off-road prowess to the world. It is unlikely that the Japanese brand will launch the Yamaha Tenere 700 in India. However, currently, it does not have an adventure motorcycle in the 300cc segment. Considering that KTM and BMW Motorrad have witnessed a positive response from enthusiasts, Yamaha is also keeping an eye on this category.
Yamaha has revealed that if there is a demand for a 300cc ADV from its customers, it will be ready to fulfil that. Speaking with Motociclismo, Fabrizio Corsi, Product Communications Manager, Yamaha Italy, said:
Yamaha presented the 700, it already had 1200 in its range, it is clear that we are attentive to what the market will ask. Recently, products like those from BMW and KTM have arrived that have attracted attention in this segment, it is obvious that if there is a demand from our customers we will be ready to satisfy it.
While the Yamaha Tenere 300 seems to be just a thought for now, if it does turn into a reality, it could use the MT-03’s engine for power whereas its design and structure would be similar to that of the Tenere 700. If priced right, the Tenere 300 would prove to be a tough competitor to the KTM and BMW Motorrad ADVs. While the Yamaha Tenere 700 price in India might be around INR 8-9 lakh, the 300cc version will be much more affordable. Details of the Yamaha Tenere 300 will be updated on IndianAutosBlog.com.


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Media Business' bi-weekly newsletter features timely coverage of the latest news and analysis from the world of business publishing.
Newly launched 24/7 Connect is designed to boost yield for publishers, drive better performance for advertisers
Too often the world of online display advertising is described as a race to the bottom. With the recent launch of 24/7 Connect, WPP's 24/7 Media is trying to at least slow that descent.
24/7 Connect's goal is to make it easier for high-end advertisers and premium publishers to link up in the digital universe. There's no fear of publishers... Read more


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Polaris has announced its plans to expand the distribution jobs in Wilmington , Ohio, creating 20-25 new job openings around 20-25 over the next three years.
The 165,000 square foot expansion aims at improving the current distribution capacity which will bring the facility footprint to 465,000 square feet.
The company intends to enhance its overall operation by expanding product assortment, improving delivery, customer service, and optimizing operations.
Additional rack storage and new automated material handling technology are designed to improve customer responsiveness and productivity.
The Wilmington distribution center has announced its continued support to Polaris’ growing Aftermarket, Parts, Garments, & Accessories (PG&A) businesses.
This will help Polaris in establishing its eastern presence and will lead to its better service with dealers and customers.
Steve Eastman, president of Aftermarket and PG&A at Polaris said, “Polaris’ Aftermarket and PG&A businesses continue to experience tremendous growth and we expect that trend to continue. The expansion of our distribution center in Wilmington Ohio, allows us to leverage our incredible local distribution team and elevate service levels for our customers.”
He added, “As we explored our investment options, expanding our Wilmington operation quickly rose to the top given the support of the community and the city’s proximity to our dealers and customers throughout the eastern part of the United States.”
Julie Sullivan, the Dayton Development Coalition’s Executive Vice President of Regional Development said, “We’re thrilled to support Polaris as they expand their operations in Wilmington. Their increased operations will help improve customer service while allowing them to diversify their product assortment and gain market share.”
She added: “Their longstanding presence in Wilmington has provided economic stability and employment opportunities for the community.”
Polaris, headquartered in Minnesota, is a global leader in Powersports which makes high-quality, breakthrough products and broadens the view of powersports.
Source: Business Wire


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They’ve been tested rigorously around the globe and in every driving condition imaginable. They’ve hit desert heat and mountain snow drifts, and they’re just one step away from production.
The McLaren Sports Series has been a topic of discussion in the automotive world since it was first introduced in Nov. 2014. Comprised of the 570S and 540C, the Sports Series models take what’s been learned from the 12C, P1 and 650S and infuse it into a sports car fit for a daily drive.
Videos of the 570S and 540C testing in intense conditions have been periodically released by McLaren, and in a press release today, they’ve announced that testing has completed, and the Sport Series has officially entered pre-production.
“The pre-production phase is one of the most important, and also one of the most demanding, in a product readiness phase at McLaren,” explained Andreas Bareis, Executive Director of Quality at McLaren Automotive, in the release. “This final phase brings all testing together for the first time in a package that is representative of the cars our owners will be taking delivery of.”
(See Also: One-Off McLaren 570S Heading to Pebble Beach)
The Woking production plant in Surrey, England, had been set up for the creation of the Sports Series, which the release describes as “the most attainable McLaren model range.” As of right now, pricing for the Sports Series is set to begin at £126,000, or approximately $196,395 USD*.
[youtube id=”erpQ8sWKFL4″ mode=”normal”]
Delivery of the models is set to begin before the end of 2015, and the full range will be announced and released by the end of 2017.
Check out the video of the Sports Series’ rigorous testing, added to YouTube by McLaren Automotive today, and see the images of these new offerings in the gallery below. If you can’t wait quite that long to get behind the wheel of your own McLaren, find the perfect example from our exclusive listings at the button below.
*According to conversion rates at the time of publication
[button color=”black” text=”white” url=”http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/results/mclaren” window=”_blank”]McLarens For Sale[/button]
(Source: McLaren, YouTube)


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Mattel has started to reveal some of their exclusives for this year's San Diego Comic Con. While this is the 75th anniversary of Batman, Mattel has announced at least one item so far pertaining to the bat.
Batman Arkham Knight Batmobile ($85)
In the video game, Batman battles all-new threats in Gotham City with the help of an arsenal-equipped vehicle. This Batman: Arkham Knight Batmobile features premium, highly-detailed deco and authentic sounds straight from the game, and much more! The vehicle comes with an articulated DC Comics Multiverse Arkham City Batman figure with a fabric cape allowing Batman to sit in the driver’s seat!
This product will be available for pre-order at MattyCollector.com on June 24, 2014, to be picked up at San Diego Comic-Con. It will also be available for purchase at the show.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel


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Sonoma County has recently seen a sharp increase in craft beer makers opening alongside well-established producers, helping a region synonymous with wine tap more into a business with brewing demand across California.
[caption id="attachment_72269" align="alignleft" width="360"] Petaluma's 101 North Brewing recently increased capacity and inked a deal with Morris Distributing. (image credit: Eric Gneckow)[/caption]
In recent months, a number of startup breweries have emerged while the big three -- Lagunitas Brewing, Russian River Brewing and Bear Republic -- mull over plans to expand or increase capacity.
Startups in the past year include St. Florian's Brewery and Old Redwood Brewery in Windsor, HenHouse Brewing and Petaluma Hills Brewing in Petaluma, and Beltane Brewing in Novato. That's in addition to at least 15 others that have opened across the North Bay in recent years and Ukiah's Mendocino Brewing, a publicly owned company started in 1983 and now the nation's 34th largest beer company.
Perhaps the largest of the recent entrants in the local beer market is 101 North Brewing Co. It started operations in Petaluma roughly two years ago but recently began picking up steam with its signature Heroine IPA.
The brewery officially opened to the public and for distribution about seven months ago in a warehouse at 1304 Scott St. in Petaluma. It's just blocks away from Lagunitas, which earlier this month was ranked by the Colorado-based Brewers Association as the nation's sixth-largest craft brewery and 13th-largest beer company overall based on 2012 sales. Craft breweries make less than 6 million barrels annually.
[caption id="attachment_72270" align="alignleft" width="360"] 101 North Brewing brewmaster Joel Johnson helps an employee brew a test batch of red ale. (image credit: Eric Gneckow)[/caption]
A recently installed fermentation tank will enable 101 North to increase production significantly, according to Brewmaster Joel Johnson, who previously developed award-winning suds for Bear Republic, which has breweries in Healdsburg and Cloverdale and is ranked as the country's 34th-largest craft brewery.


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TORONTO - Shoppers at an Ikea store in North Toronto weren't monkeying around when they reported a primate on the loose Sunday afternoon.
Customers spotted a monkey — clad in a pint-sized shearling coat — wandering around the store parking lot by itself around 3 p.m.
Toronto police say Ikea staff managed to lure the primate into a corner before calling the cops, who in turn contacted the city's Animal Services department.
Staff Sgt. Ed Dzingala says the monkey, who was "pretty scared," never actually made it inside the store and was picked up by animal services officers within half an hour.
He says the animal's owner contacted police later in the day and was reunited with their pet.
Dzingala says the "smart monkey" was in its crate in a parked car, but was able to let itself out and explore its surroundings before being picked up.


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In its latest appearance in the news, Vitamin D supplementation was correlated to some amazing results in cancer prevention. A small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on June 8th showed that Vitamin D supplementation appeared to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer by 60-77%.
The researchers were following 1,179 seemingly healthy women with an average age of 67. The women were divided into 3 groups: 446 got calcium and vitamin D3, a similar number got just calcium, and 288 took a placebo. The study was originally looking to examine the effect of calcium and vitamin D on bone density, not cancer. For this reason, some critics are down playing the positive outcome.
The participants receiving the Vitamin D were given 1000 international units of Vitamin D3 (also known as Cholecalciferol) daily. The current daily recommendation for vitamin D is 200-600IU daily depending on age. Many scientists and researchers have been speculating that this level is far too low and this study helps to validate their claims. For more background and information about the widespread vitamin D deficiency in our country and why the current recommendations are far too low read my previous blog entry Vitamin D: The D is for Deficiency. http://www.vitabase.com/blog/vitamins-minerals/vitamin-d.aspx
Despite the fact this was a study designed to examine bone health, the researchers could not ignore the overwhelming data correlating vitamin D supplementation to reduced risks of cancer. Only 13 women of the 446 (3%) that were given calcium and vitamin D developed cancer over a four year period. In contrast, 20 women out of the 288 given placebo (7%) developed cancer in that same 4 year period. This correlates to a 57% lower cancer risk in the group taking calcium and vitamin D. What is even more impressive is that when the researchers excluded first-year cancers – the ones most likely present before the study began – the results jumped to a 77% lower risk of developing cancer in the calcium/vitamin D group!
The calcium only group also showed a 43% lower risk of cancer when compared to the placebo group. However, when first-year cancers were excluded it did no better than the placebo group, indicating that calcium alone had little effect on lowering cancer risk.
In light of this and previous research about the safety and importance of vitamin D, many doctors and researchers are suggesting the guidelines for vitamin D consumption be changed. Dr. Michael Holick, who sat on the professional panel that issued the current guidelines for vitamin D in 1997 quoted as saying that this study shows that enough vitamin D “markedly reduces the risk of developing the most serious deadly cancers”. He supported raising the recommendation to 1000IU/day of vitamin D3 for the average individual.
It is of vital importance that people make the distinction as to what type of vitamin D they are taking. Many multi-vitamins will use a much weaker form of vitamin D referred to as, D2 (ergocalciferol). All the beneficial results found in the research pertaining to vitamin D supplementation have been done on the D3 form (Cholecalciferol). The average consumer must check the product labels of supplements to make sure they are getting the right one. If the label does not clearly specify what form of vitamin D is in the supplement it is advisable to not purchase it or to call the manufacture to find out.
Some food sources are rich in vitamin D3, including certain fish like salmon and tuna as well as eggs. Cod Liver Oil is a rich source and is a great way boost D3 intake while also getting the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. Vitamin D3 can also be commonly found as an individual supplement.


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Shares in Taiwan edged up yesterday as late-session buying helped the TAIEX recoup earlier losses amid eased concerns over anti-China protests in Vietnam that have affected many Taiwanese investors there, dealers said.
The buying offset the effects of a plunge on Wall Street overnight as bargain hunters rushed to pick up stocks, largely in the old economy sector, while the relatively low valuation in the financial sector also attracted interest, the dealers said.
The TAIEX closed up 7.8 points, or 0.08 percent, at 8,888.45, on turnover of NT$75.83 billion (US$2.51 billion).
The market opened down 0.26 points in reflection of the weakness on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.01 percent overnight on mixed economic data, the dealers said.
“It seems that the impact from anti-China protests in Vietnam has eased. With more Taiwanese investors there resuming operations, investors became more willing to buy in the local bourse,” Hua Nan Securities (華南永昌證券) analyst Stan Chang said.
“Although the local bourse followed Wall Street to trend lower during most of the session, many investors rushed to take advantage of the fall in valuations in the late session,” Chang said.
Eclat Textile Co (儒鴻) rose 1.61 percent to close at NT$316 and rival Makalot Industrial Co (聚陽實業) added 3.4 percent to close at NT$152. The two textile firms have production bases in Vietnam.
Polytronics Technology Corp (聚鼎科技) yesterday announced that it is buying Henkel AG’s thermal clad dielectric material (TCLAD) business division for US$26 million as the Taiwanese firm aims to improve its technology, product portfolio and revenue performance. Polytronics, headquartered in the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), is a supplier of protection components and heat dissipation materials. The firm entered the metallic heat-dissipation substrate market in 2007 and developed a unique solventless production process. Its board of directors approved signing an agreement with Henkel to acquire the German chemical firm’s TCLAD division in the US. The purchase includes all assets and business interests, including equipment,
‘SENSITIVE MARKETS’: The previously unannounced project would involve the company handing over control of data to a third party to sidestep privacy concerns Google has abandoned plans to offer a major new cloud service in China and other politically sensitive countries due in part to concerns over geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, two employees familiar with the matter said, revealing the challenges for US tech giants to secure business in those markets. In May, the search giant shut down the initiative, known as “Isolated Region” and which sought to address nations’ desires to control data within their borders, the employees said. The action was considered a “massive strategy shift,” said one of the employees, who added that Isolated Region had involved hundreds of employees
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday posted monthly revenue that suggested second-quarter sales surpassed analysts’ estimates, underscoring how its technological lead is helping the chipmaker weather the COVID-19 pandemic and US sanctions on its second-biggest customer Huawei Technologies Co (華為). Apple Inc’s main iPhone chipmaker posted sales of NT$120.88 billion (US$4.08 billion) for last month, up 40.8 percent year-on-year and bringing its revenue for the second quarter to NT$310.7 billion, beating the NT$308.8 billion analysts expected on average. TSMC, a barometer for the industry thanks to its heft in the global supply chain, had previously lowered its revenue outlook for this
‘POSITIVE EFFECT’: Phison this year began shipping SSDs to Japan’s largest pachinko maker, which uses the components in its machines featuring high-resolution graphics Phison Electronics Corp (群聯電子), a designer of NAND flash memory controllers and modules, yesterday reported that revenue last quarter grew 11 percent from a year earlier on the back of new orders from Japan’s largest pachinko maker. Revenue last quarter expanded to NT$10.86 billion (US$366.82 million) from NT$9.79 billion a year earlier, Phison said. However, on a quarterly basis, revenue slumped 15.62 percent from NT$12.87 billion, it said. The Miaoli-based company said that it is benefiting from growing demand for solid-state drives (SSDs) used in devices beyond computers, which is stimulating growth for the NAND flash memory industry. Pachinko machines are one