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Zacks: Analysts Anticipate KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. (KS) Will Announce Quarterly Sales of $828.61 Million
Equities research analysts expect KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp. (NYSE:KS) to report $828.61 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Four analysts have made estimates for KapStone Paper and Packaging’s earnings, with the lowest sales estimate coming in at $769.00 million and the highest estimate coming in at $867.93 million. KapStone Paper and Packaging posted sales of $777.50 million during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 6.6%. The business is expected to report its next earnings report on Wednesday, February 14th.
On average, analysts expect that KapStone Paper and Packaging will report full-year sales of $828.61 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $3.23 billion to $3.32 billion. For the next year, analysts forecast that the firm will report sales of $3.40 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $3.24 billion to $3.55 billion. Zacks’ sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that cover KapStone Paper and Packaging.
KapStone Paper and Packaging (NYSE:KS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.43 by ($0.04). KapStone Paper and Packaging had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 2.29%. The business had revenue of $868.42 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.36 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis.
KS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on KapStone Paper and Packaging in a report on Wednesday, August 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of KapStone Paper and Packaging in a report on Monday, August 21st. BidaskClub downgraded KapStone Paper and Packaging from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 23rd. ValuEngine upgraded KapStone Paper and Packaging from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 1st. Finally, KeyCorp restated a “hold” rating on shares of KapStone Paper and Packaging in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $26.38.
In other news, VP Andrea K. Tarbox sold 32,486 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.95, for a total transaction of $680,581.70. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 157,336 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,296,189.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John Chapman sold 70,765 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.80, for a total transaction of $1,471,912.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 445,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,257,164.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 13.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bridge City Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KapStone Paper and Packaging during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,467,000. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its stake in KapStone Paper and Packaging by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 2,132,675 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $45,831,000 after buying an additional 142,855 shares in the last quarter. Emerald Advisers Inc. PA purchased a new position in KapStone Paper and Packaging in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $9,167,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in KapStone Paper and Packaging by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,088,779 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $43,094,000 after buying an additional 42,808 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cipher Capital LP grew its stake in KapStone Paper and Packaging by 18.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cipher Capital LP now owns 30,775 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $635,000 after buying an additional 4,784 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.15% of the company’s stock.
Shares of KapStone Paper and Packaging (NYSE:KS) traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $21.86. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 490,715 shares, compared to its average volume of 971,633. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 2.07. KapStone Paper and Packaging has a 52-week low of $19.59 and a 52-week high of $24.98. The firm has a market cap of $2,129.17, a P/E ratio of 21.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 2.77.
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KapStone Paper and Packaging Company Profile
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation is a producer of containerboard and the kraft paper in North America. The Company operates through two segments: Paper and Packaging, and Distribution. The Paper and Packaging segment manufactures and sells a range of containerboard, corrugated products and specialty paper for industrial and consumer markets.
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Maldives joins UNWTO’s International Code for Protection of Tourists
In a significant move towards promoting tourism safety and enhancing international standards, the Maldives has officially become a signatory to the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
This historic agreement marks the first-ever legal instrument designed to establish globally recognised guidelines for safeguarding tourists at an international level. The International Code was meticulously crafted by the UNWTO and gained formal adoption during the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in December 2021.
Tourism Minister Dr Abdulla Mausoom represented the Maldives as he signed the agreement during his visit to Cambodia, where he attended the UNWTO Conference. This endorsement underscores the Maldives’ commitment to ensuring the well-being and security of tourists visiting its picturesque shores.
Renowned worldwide as a tranquil, secure, and stunning tourist destination, the Maldives continues to attract travellers from around the globe. According to the Ministry of Tourism, 861,167 tourists had visited the Maldives as of June 14.
By becoming a signatory to the International Code for the Protection of Tourists, the Maldives further solidifies its reputation as a responsible and conscientious host for travellers. The Code’s implementation will undoubtedly bolster the tourism industry’s resilience and help foster a welcoming environment that prioritises the welfare and satisfaction of visitors.
With the Maldives joining this momentous initiative, the global travel and hospitality industry can anticipate a heightened focus on ensuring the highest safety standards for tourists. As more nations join this vital effort, the International Code for the Protection of Tourists paves the way for a future of sustainable and secure travel experiences for all.

domain: news


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International tourists were among the thousands hitting the high streets for today's Boxing Day sales, with retail experts saying foreign nationals spend on average four times more than domestic shoppers.
While shoppers from Qatar spend the most per transaction - on average £1714, tax-free shopping company Global Blue said Chinese shoppers were more likely to return to the tills with more goods at an average of £1,367 a pop.
Sue West, retail director at Selfridges, said the Boxing Day sales are very important for its international customers.
"The Chinese market is hugely important to Selfridges. It's one of the fastest growing international markets that we have," she said.
Chinese couple Wang Tianyi, 21, and Sun Yeting, also 21, were queueing outside Selfridges on Oxford Street in Central London from 4am and planned to head straight for the luxury items.
"We will buy the things we like," Mr Tianyi said.
More top news
Last minute preparations are going on at the Church of St Mary Magdalene where Princess Charlotte will be christened.
Princess Charlotte is being christened on Sunday at Sandringham in Norfolk in only her second public appearance since she was born.
Thunderstorms clear the North, leaving a dry and warm day with sunny spells.


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We don’t know Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, but we get the distinct impression that neither of them are particularly fond of small talk. So when Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and Jobs, Apple’s founder, meet up for dinner, it’s worth taking note. The LA Times reports that the two had dinner at Jobs’s house a couple weeks ago to discuss Ping, Apple’s new music social network. A tipster spotted the two walking in Palo Alto.
Jobs was likely trying to work out a deal with Zuckerberg so that Ping, Apple’s new music social network, can integrate with Facebook. Though Jobs touted Facebook integration when he announced the service, Facebook shut off Connect for Ping soon after launch. Facebook Connect is free to most businesses, but for a company with a user base as large as Apple’s, Facebook requires a deal. The two companies negotiated for at least 18 months, but could not reach a deal before Ping’s release.
In September, Jobs commented on the lack of a deal, calling Facebook’s terms too “onerous,” or difficult to comply with. Speaking with the AFP, he described Ping as: “sort of like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes.”
Currently, the service does not connect with any social networks, making it one of the most unsocial social platforms around. A partnership with Facebook could benefit both companies, provided a fair deal can be worked. Ping is already used by more than 1 million users in 23 countries, but could greatly benefit by integrating into Zuckerberg’s 500-million-strong Facebook platform.
- After data scandal, Zuckerberg promises to ‘do better for you’ in newspaper ads
- Zuckerberg: My bad, but we’re going to fix Facebook’s data privacy problems
- Facebook will soon let everyone unsend messages, just like Zuckerberg
- Watch Mark Zuckerberg’s second day of congressional grilling here
- Facebook CEO speaks of ‘mistakes’ in frank birthday message


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Etihad offers free flights to 10-year oldsby ASC Staff on Jan 22, 2013
By: Ruchi Schroff
As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, Etihad is offering free flights to 10-year olds.
Children turning 10 this year are eligible for one free economy class return ticket to any destination on the airline's network, when booked and travelling with a paying adult.
The offer is valid on bookings made between January 20 and February 7, for travel between January 20 and May 23, 2013. All travel must be completed by May 31, 2013.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad's CCO, said: "November 2013 will mark the tenth anniversary of Etihad Airways' first ever commercial flight. We intend to make this a full-year celebration, one which UAE nationals, our guests and staff will enjoy. Stay tuned for more offers to come."
- New cargo handling facility for Muscat Int'l Airport
- GCC moves on unified aviation policies without Saudi
- Rising political instability 'a concern' for airlines
- Middle East outperforms global air freight market
- Abu Dhabi Int'l posts 16% rise in cargo activity
- Aviation Business Awards: Hat-trick for Etihad
- Aviation to drive nearly 40% of Dubai's economy by 2020
- Armed clashes force closure of Libya's main airport
- Etihad Airways signs sponsorship deal with NYC FC
- Dubai will overtake Heathrow as UK 'not ambitious'


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The next Reebok Kamikaze II that is set to release arrives in an eye-catching “Digital Glow” colorway.
Dressed in a Black, Digital Purple, and Hyper Glow color scheme. This Kamikaze II features a Black leather upper highlighted with vibrant, gradient colors on the suede and leather sides. The bright colors continue throughout the shoe atop a Black rubber sole to complete the design.
Check out the official photos below, and look for the Reebok Kamikaze II “Digital Glow” available at Finish Line followed by a release on April 2nd at Reebok.com. The retail price tag is set at $120 USD.
Color: Black/Digital Purple-Hyper Glow
Style Code: FY9784
Release Date: April 2, 2021


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Look no further, Dagsboro just landed a 24-hour Royal Farms convenience store.
“Right now we’re looking for communities that are in need of this type of establishment,” said Royal Farms public relations associate Karen McGagh.
“In need,” is to put it lightly. In 12 square miles there are only three 24 hour convenience stores the along Route 113. With gas prices steadily increasing, local residents want an accessible convenience store.
“It’s great to have a convenience store so close to my house,” said Millsboro native Iris McCabe.
“This is great! Finally I have someplace to get some food along my route,” said Chesapeake Rehabilitation tech Laura Laplante, as she transported a patient.
One unique thing that Royal Farms offers is its fried chicken. Royal Farms’ fried chicken is hand-breaded with special ingredients, and is always fresh.
“I love the food selection here at Royal Farms. They have great fried chicken here, which (another local convenience store) doesn’t offer, plus Royal Farms’ coffee is better too,” said Millsboro native Robert Hopkins.
The trick to the freshness of Royal Farms’ coffee is that they grind the coffee seconds before brewing to ensure maximum taste, according to the company. Their Café Royale coffee is brewed every 30 minutes to further guarantee customer satisfaction.
“Royal Farms is dedicated to customer service. That’s why we hire the best people. We want customers to value our company as much as we value them,” said McGagh. “We want to become part of their community.”
Royal Farms prides itself on hiring from within the company to reward hard workers. “We provide excellent entry level jobs, but are willing to allow any worker to advance as far up the ladder as they want to go,” said McGagh.
Not only does Royal Farms employ local citizens, but area vendors are also able to benefit from the new location.
“It’s great for business now that Royal Farms moved down here, and it won’t take away from any other business. In fact, it will keep everyone else honest by keeping the prices lower for both gas and food,” said Barcelona Snack Service vendor Brian Norman. “It is also good for the workers at the chicken plant because they can get a bite to eat after a long shift when almost everything else is closed.”


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Lower than a month after launching a brand new $515 million crypto fund, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is predicting that “high-quality tasks” might drive a brand new development cycle within the trade.
The well-known enterprise capital fund, which has a considerable crypto portfolio, stated in a publish Friday it anticipated a few of the higher tasks created within the wake of the 2017 preliminary coin providing (ICO) increase to contribute to a brand new trade increase interval.
Pulling from “anecdotal” proof and information going again 10 years, a16z says “worth innovation cycles” – together with people who peaked in 2011, 2013 and 2017 – start with worth will increase that appeal to new folks with vibrant concepts who find yourself creating promising corporations and tasks that profit the house general.
“A key function of crypto cycles is that every one vegetation seeds which later develop and drive the following cycle,” reads the weblog publish. These new tasks finally “encourage extra folks, finally culminating within the subsequent cycle.” Ethereum was created within the 2013 cycle, for instance, and that turned the inspiration for the ICOs that drove the following cycle in 2017.
The VC fund forecasts: “The 2017 cycle spawned dozens of thrilling tasks in a variety of areas together with funds, finance, video games, infrastructure, and internet apps. Many of those tasks are launching within the close to future, probably driving a fourth crypto cycle.”
The weblog publish comes slightly below three weeks after the VC agency stated its new Crypto Fund II exceeded the preliminary $450 million fundraising goal and would launch with a complete of $515 million to put money into the house.
In contrast to the primary fund, which launched in 2018 with a extra basic funding prospectus, a16z stated the brand new fund would goal particular sectors inside the trade, together with decentralized finance (DeFi), next-generation funds and Net 3 (the idea of a decentralized web).
A weblog publish on the time, written by a16z basic companion Chris Dixon, additionally co-author of the newest publish, stated: “In only a decade of existence, crypto has gone via a number of waves. With every new wave, the functions of crypto lengthen to a better variety of classes and extra visionary entrepreneurs enter the house.”
A16z would not predict when this fourth cycle may hit crypto. However lots of the tasks it suggests might play a pivotal position within the subsequent iteration of the trade are additionally, maybe unsurprisingly, ones it has invested in.
These embrace derivatives alternate dYdX, cloud computing platform Dfinity, stablecoin supplier Maker, and “privacy-first” cloud platform Oasis Labs – all 4 of that are in a16z’s lively portfolio.
Actually, 10 of the 18 tasks a16z underlines as probably pivotal within the trade’s fourth cycle have obtained investments from the VC fund.
Disclosure Learn Extra
The chief in blockchain information, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the best journalistic requirements and abides by a strict set of editorial insurance policies. CoinDesk is an unbiased working subsidiary of Digital Foreign money Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


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As the magnitude of the mega merger between Tech Data and Avnet's Technology Solutions business begins to sink in, CRN has gathered some early doors reactions from the industry.
Alex Tatham (pictured right), managing director of Westcoast was surprised by the news, but said it paints the channel as the place to be for acquisition action.
"It is going to be fascinating to see what happens - consolidation is rife and it feels like the channel is an excellent place to do deals.
"Congratulations have to go to Tech Data, they have bought an excellent company and I hope everything goes well."
He said firms the size of Tech Data were just not growing fast enough organically, and to grow they have to acquire.
"Of course this is also great news for Westcoast as well," he added.
Ian Kilpatrick (pictured left), chairman of Wick Hill Group agreed it was the way global giants worked.
"As a concept it is not a shock. If a business model is built on inexorable growth, part of that is based around continuous acquisition and these companies need to get bigger and bigger. Consolidation typically tends to be at the volume end where there are huge margin pressures."
"Tech Data covers everything, but if you look at the value-add sector there is a continual pool of distributors coming in and delivering solutions, perhaps not on the same level as Avnet, but they are still delivering solutions."
Alastair Edwards, chief analyst at Canalys, said the move will give Tech Data the global coverage it has been looking for.
"It is massive news for the distribution industry and massive news for Tech Data as it brings a significant boost to their enterprise reach and their global coverage," he said.
"Interestingly, Tech Data in the last few years has been withdrawing from the more challenging emerging markets - Latin America and the Middle East - and they never had a presence in APAC. With this acquisition it gains a footprint in all three of those areas. Now it is a global distributor in the truest sense, rather than being a US and European distie with the majority of its business from western Europe.
He added: "I think it reflects direction that the whole industry is moving in. These trends aren't new, but in the face of the pressure on core volume products, the scale is essential.
"It's about Tech Data bolstering its ability to offer solutions and services to the channel. Look at the direction all of the vendors are moving in - HPE, Cisco, Dell EMC, many of the other higher end value vendors - what they want is a solution is a channel capable of delivering solutions. Avnet has developed a strong capability around that and has been very successful in certain markets, specifically the UK where that ability is going to allow them to carve out a niche… to generate high-value business with some of the vendors.
Now Tech Data is a global distributor in the truest sense, rather than being a US and European distie with the majority of its business from western Europe."
"In terms of enterprise business, in EMEA alone, there really are very few big enterprise solutions disties left who have the scale an Avnet or an Azlan has. Ingram have been trying to develop that but they have been behind the curve on that. It has bought operations in eastern Europe and the Middle East which has given it that focus, but in western Europe, a lot of the business has been volume oriented. Arrow has capability, and it's doing well in software and security, but it is specialising in those areas. I think that left Tech Data and Avnet as the two major disties who are able to deliver true, deep enterprise solutions capability in the datacentre."
He said the move also meant a positive for the smaller distribution players: "It leaves space for some of the smaller specialists. Look at people like Exclusive Networks, they're trying to create something pan-European but specialised and very much services focused. It will give them an opportunity to carve out a niche. The vendors will now be more and more dependent on a combined Tech Data and Avnet, which is not always a good thing. It creates some challenges with the power Tech Data now has. It will have lots of implications."
Carl West (pictured left), supply chain director, consumer choices at analyst firm GfK, said the move made sense for Tech Data.
"While my initial view was shock, once you consider the move it is clear that Tech Data is looking to bolt on services rather than re-invent the wheel.
"During the coming days more details will be revealed but the move strengthens Tech Data's position as a one-stop shop for all hardware and services.
"This move will enable their resellers to broaden their product portfolio and attract new client business, both adding revenue and increasing profits. GfK's recent 20:20 study highlights that distribution will go big or go niche. The middle ground has troubles ahead."
Context analyst Jeremy Davies (pictured right), said it shows just how fast the pace of change is in distribution.
"I didn't see that one coming - it is absolutely a mind-blogging development really. It just shows it is a tough business - it always has been. Looking at the numbers over the last couple of quarters, it probably - up to a point - makes sense.
"It was totally unexpected and just shows how rapidly the landscape can change in this business."
Barrie Desmond, chief operating officer at Exclusive Networks, said the news was a surprise, but not a shock.
"I think Avnet has been looking to divest from this side of the business for a while," he said. "Again we are seeing the mega global disties looking to lower the cost of go to market and move more efficiencies and effectiveness into the marketplace.
"I think it is better news for Tech Data as it takes them into the higher value business area and also into countries that they haven't been present before.
"For us our portfolio is very different and it underpins the fact that we are a value-based business and our resellers will genuinely see that. I think smaller niche distributors could be set to benefit from this in the future."
Nima Green asks what is driving public cloud uptake in Germany
In the wake of yet another lawsuit involving Oracle, we run through 10 of the vendor's biggest court battles
CEO Chuck Robbins says Cisco will use the Catalyst 9000 product range as a template for future launches
Today saw 14 of the UK IT channel's biggest hitters come together to determine the winners of CRN's WiC awards. But what does being a WiC judge actually involve? Doug Woodburn reports


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Hisense had a number of new smartphones at the show, but the one that caught our attention was the A2 Pro which is available now in Asia and is expected to be around €349 when it lands in Europe. The phone has a ‘standard’ 5.5″ FullHD OLED on one side, but on the other side is an E Ink display which can be used for notifications or as an eReader. Of course, the E Ink display uses no power unless it is being changed, so is ideal for only slowly changing data. (amazingly, in its press release, Hisense didn’t mention the E Ink display!).
Other phones on the booth included the H11 Pro, a development of the recently released H11. The phone has a 5.99″ FullHD+ display (18:9) and slim bezels. It uses a Snapdragon 630 with 4GB/64GB or 6GB/128GB. There are dual 12mp and 8mp (telephoto) cameras and a 20mp selfie camera. The battery is a 3400 mAh unit. The press release suggests that it has a ‘3D lens’ but we think the writer confused the 2.5D glass case on the back.
The Infinity H11 uses an MSM8937 processor and has a 5.99″ HD+ screen with a 12mp rear camera and 16mp front. Battery is 3400 mAh, with RAM at 3GB and storage at 32GB.
Of course, Hisense is not the first to try the dual display concept. Yota Devices of Russia started showing this kind of design back in 2012. The company showed another YotaPhone 2 with an OLED and an E Ink display. The Yota 3 (Yota Ready For V3) was announced last summer and has a 5.5″ OLED with FullHD as well as a 720p E Ink Carta II display.
I wonder if there is some kind of licensing deal going on? (BR)


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Randam Ron Paulism
It really doesn’t matter whether I’m right or wrong: the war is going to end because we’re gonna have such a political and financial havoc here with the devaluation of our dollar, because we just can’t keep affording it. This is usually how empires end, by spending too much money maintaining their empire. We’re in 130 countries, we have 700 bases around the world, and it’s going to come to an end. I want it to come to an end more gracefully and peacefully, follow the constitution, and follow a more sensible foreign policy.”
Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, CNN, December 2, 2007
Federal Reserve sees moderate improvements in regional economy
The Federal Beige Book was released Wednesday.
Reporter- Business First
The economy of the Federal Reserve’s
Eighth District, which includes the Louisville area, continues to expand at a modest pace, the Federal Reserve reports in its most recent Beige Book on economic conditions.
Home sales increased throughout the district on a year-over-year basis. May 2012 year-to-date home sales were up 15 percent in Louisville, 7 percent in Little Rock, 21 percent in Memphis and 19 percent in St. Louis.
Housing permits increased 45 percent in Louisville, 26 percent in Little Rock, 41 percent in Memphis and 25 percent in St. Louis.
Commercial and industrial real estate conditions also improved moderately, with a Louisville contact reporting strong leasing activity for premium office space in the city’s central business district. Office vacancy rates were mixed in other Louisville sub-markets, the report said.
Several manufacturers within the Eighth District reported plans to open plants and expand operations in the near future, especially in the auto, appliance, wall coverings, food, construction machinery, factory components and packaging industries.
Service industries that reported plans to expand and hire new workers included medical transportation, waste management and business support services. Industries in which firms planned to lay off workers included newspaper publishing, telecommunications, educational services and merchant transaction services.
General retailers have reported stronger sales recently and auto dealers have reported year-over-year increases in sales.
For the full report, click here.
Kevin Eigelbach covers these beats: Financial services, residential real estate, property and casualty insurance, construction, unions, engineers, architects, agriculture, South End, Southwest County, Bullitt County.
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Broadband's growing dominance is giving builders more options for demonstrating their products to online audiences.
According to Internet media analyst Nielsen//NetRatings, the number of in-home broadband users increased 36% in 2004 and now accounts for 55.5% of the total U.S. in-home users as of January 2005. Factor in workplace use and consumers with broadband access may be approaching 85%.
Does this mean builders should put up flash introductions to their Web sites and enhance every page with music? No, but they should consider how video and virtual reality can help demonstrate and sell their products.
With increases in speed and capabilities, introducing video and virtual reality may become more of a reality for builders.
Video and virtual reality allow customers to view a site, a plan or even a community without having to step foot outside of the current home.
One of the most innovative and effective ways a builder can use virtual reality on its site is with master planned communities. With the master planned community, selling the lifestyle makes video and virtual reality a winner.
For those builders planning future communities, video can be an integral part of selling future releases. Video — also called video streaming — can be used to show a particular the community, its attributes and testimonials.
For some production builders, virtual reality and video has become a mainstay of demonstrating communities and plans. Two builders that have used video and virtual reality to bring their communities to life online include Estridge Homes in Indianapolis for its use of virtual reality to demonstrate homes and D.R. Horton in Dallas/Fort Worth for its use of video to demonstrate communities.
Estridge Homes is now building virtual walk-through animations for every plan it builds with the help of Aareas Interactive.
Paul Estridge, president of Estridge Homes, believes that the way homes are sold leaves much to be desired from a consumer perspective. "We build hundreds of different styles and plans, but we only show people one or two of the homes. Who else [but home builders] would try to show product and only show two items?" said Estridge.
How far have we come with virtual reality? "It's an incredibly realistic experience. Until virtual reality, people really could not experience the product," said Estridge who sees this as really changing the process of selling homes. "Instead of driving traffic to our models, we can drive our models to our traffic."
Virtual reality can be a significant investment, but Estridge sees it as being well worth the investment. "If I sell five more homes next year, I have paid for it. It just doesn't make sense not to do it."
Dallas/Fort Worth GIANT D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) has made a similar commitment to video to demonstrate its communities. The company has filmed nearly all of its 62 communities in Dallas/Fort Worth. D.R. Horton then makes these videos available online as well as through the HotOn! Homes Web site.
According to Todd Horton, division president, DFW West Division, "This market is tough. We think video and the use of our new systems have been central to giving us an edge in the market."
Is video and virtual reality the new standard for builders? Not yet, but it is coming.
Television and video are also proving to be effective traffic drivers for builders.
Pulte Homes' Houston division is a good example of a builder that has used television and video to improve its traffic. Not only is the Houston division [in the process of] filming all of its communities, but it is also filming in both English and in Spanish. These programs can be found on the HotOn Houston Website and are being broadcast on HotOn Houston and Mi Casa TV.


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FFA Signs 11-Year Deal With Nike, Putting Its Logo On All National Team Jerseys
Football Federation Australia and Nike have extended their partnership in an 11-year deal that calls for Nike's logo to "appear on the Socceroos jersey throughout the next three World Cup campaigns," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The deal's exact figure "has not been released," but FFA CEO Ben Buckley confirmed that it has "become the largest financial contribution to Australian football" aside from the broadcast deal with Fox Sports. The new multi-million dollar deal has become the FFA's "single-largest sponsorship and is believed to be the most lucrative apparel agreement" for any Australian national sporting team. Buckley said, "It's obviously a long-term deal, but it's multi-millions of dollars per annum and all that goes into supporting the growth of the game." The deal "encompasses kits and sponsorship of all national football teams," including the senior men's and women's teams as well as all youth teams. The current deal is the third successive agreement between the FFA and Nike, which has been Australia's kit manufacturer since '04 (SMH, 10/15). The AAP reported Buckley said that the deal "represents an overwhelming vote of confidence in Australian football." Buckley: "The agreement goes way beyond the financial investment ... to have a partner like Nike, it is not just about the dollars" (AAP, 10/15).


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Those laptops are for purchase by donors who designate where they are to be sent through a program recently launched by the foundation to help finance the product's launch.
Two weeks ago, a foundation executive reiterated recent statements that it cost $188 to build the computer, up from its $150 price tag in February and an original $100 price.
It is unclear why the price of the machines in the donor program described on the OLPC Web site was above that $188 cost.
The laptops are scheduled to go into production next month at a factory in China, behind their original schedule and in quantities that are a fraction of Negroponte's earlier projections.
The laptop features a keyboard that switches languages, a video camera, wireless connectivity and Linux software.
Microsoft is trying to tailor Windows XP to work on the machine and recently said it is a few months away from knowing for sure whether it can accomplish that task.
The display switches from color to black-and-white for viewing in direct sunlight -- a breakthrough that the foundation is patenting and may license next year for commercial use.
The laptop needs just 2 watts of power compared with a typical laptop's 30 to 40 watts and does away with hard drives. It uses flash memory and four USB ports to add memory and other devices.
Earlier this year the foundation teamed up with Intel, which is developing a rival machine. The two may work together on a second-generation laptop. This first machine runs on a microprocessor developed by Intel rival AMD.


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Apple on Friday responded to customer demand for the new iPhone announced at an event earlier this week.
“Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible,” said Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris. “We’ve been completely blown away by the customer response.”
The iPhone 5 goes on sale Friday, September 21, 2012 for $199 and $299 in 16GB and 32GB models respectively. A 64GB model is also available for $399. Preorders began today.


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There was a day when Elvis was discovered in a tiny record shop on the corner; there were days when Hank Williams played; there were years when farmers sold produce to Knoxvillians.
Market Square, a staple in the historic past of Knoxville, may soon be a place where one may find a University of Tennessee graduate, belly dancers and a wine-noodle bar all under the same roof.
On April 12 a ribbon-cutting ceremony will open World Market2 to the public. But for now, the residents living on the second floor of the West-Trent building await the addition to their lifestyles.
The building resides in the center of downtown Knoxville in Market Square.
Mike Schoenberger, a UT graduate, and his wife, Cheryl, moved into one of the 11 lofts in December and are actively involved in the revitalization of the area.
"We want to stay here and watch it grow and be a part of it," Cheryl said. "The process is slow going."
Market Square is already home to restaurants, gift-shops, art galleries and a bookstore. A variety store is less than a block away, but the couple said a grocery store is needed.
They will soon be living above a wine-noodle bar and performing arts studio.
"There is the possibility of a smoothie bar," said Scott West, the owner of the building. "I would love to see a sushi bar come in."
With bamboo floors, tin ceilings and warm lighting, West said he hopes the atmosphere will appeal to people's senses and encourage business growth.
"The building will be a business incubator for entrepreneurs and artists," West said.
Past the glass doors one may walk down the brick hall to the courtyard, the focal point of the market. On one wall a 42-foot painting of tropical twin waterfalls in the Garden of Eden hangs.
Rather than a depiction of the Smoky Mountains, the tropical scene was chosen to depict a broader cultural appeal. It is the largest painting in the region, West said.
"World Market2 will represent a world culture," he said, "while Market Square represents a regional culture."
While completion of World Market2 is underway, West and his wife continue to support the revitalization of Market Square with other businesses including Preservation Pub and Earth to Old City.
Earth to Old City was once located several blocks north of its current location. The store was moved to act as a catalyst for revitalization, West said.
For those citing parking as a hindrance of growth in the area, West said plans to construct a 700-space parking structure is underway.
"Hopefully it's tastefully constructed," he said.
The history of the area is a vital part of the area's appeal, West said.
"These buildings are the ghosts of our history."
Published: Wed Apr 07, 2004 | Modified: Sat Aug 06, 2005 06:02 p.m.


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The greatest threat to your business today is becoming obsolete, according to McKinsey & Company. The publication is seeing “robots replacing workers at an unprecedented rate” and the investment of businesses in artificial intelligence is on the rise. McKinsey estimates that nearly 20% of work is set to be automated by 2030. By 2035, artificial intelligence is expected to replace 30% of jobs.
The pressure to make digital transformations has accelerated over the last few years, and it is expected to be a key investment for many organizations. The use of artificial intelligence has reached a tipping point, and companies have a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on this investment.
Providing remote employee support has become one of the most popular uses of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence offers tremendous benefits for the financial services sector, and finance companies are investing a substantial amount of their budget in machine learning to improve customer service. McKinsey predicts there will be 75% more jobs for customer support and 40% more jobs for customer service representatives by the year 2030. Companies have been reluctant to invest in artificial intelligence due to the risk of “uncertainty and risk” surrounding technological developments.
In 2015, IBM invested $10 billion in artificial intelligence. By 2025, all financial services companies must implement AI and other advanced technologies, according to McKinsey. All businesses that fail to make these investments will fall behind and become obsolete. Companies can’t rely on old and outdated processes anymore, and they need to invest in artificial intelligence to be able to provide the best customer support.
Use AI to Design and Create Your Customers’ Experience
AI will also be crucial for many industries. Design and innovation companies rely on creating innovative designs to create products that solve problems and provide products that customers love to use. Design teams can use AI to find patterns and anomalies in their customer data to create a user experience that works the best for the customer. For example, a customer’s experience with a product can be tracked to identify why a product does not work well or why it does not satisfy the customer. Designers and engineers can use artificial intelligence to create a product that makes sense to the user and makes it easier for the customer to understand how it works.
Businesses in many industries are starting to use artificial intelligence to design and create the customer experience. Using AI will reduce the time it takes to create products and services, and it will enhance the customer experience. Companies that do not invest in AI today will be left behind and end up becoming obsolete.
AI Can Improve Customer Experience
AI can also improve the customer experience in many industries, such as deploying call center automation. Advanced machine learning can analyze customer interactions and then offer better suggestions. AI can analyze the customer data and provide suggestions that are based on their behaviour. The suggestions can be incredibly helpful to both customers and companies. AI can even predict future behaviour and alert a company to any future issues that need to be addressed.
Companies can leverage AI to improve the experience for customers. Companies can provide the most advanced and appropriate product suggestions.


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This is what the #HBOMax's #Aquaman: King of Atlantis is going to look like. What the hell am I looking at? Why does Mera have a unibrow & why is Aquman's hair green? This is ugly, and before you say it's just for kids I got news for ya, even kids have standards & deserve better. pic.twitter.com/UGyJSaOiUm— Michael Minett (@miketminett) February 18, 2021
- HBO has released it's first look at three-part miniseries 'Aquaman: King of Atlantis'.
- Fans are furious cause well...the design is just not good and it's the same as 'Thundercats Roar', it even has the same producers.
- btw, 'Thundercats Roar' was silently cancelled back in November.
ONTD, what do you think? hit or miss?


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MAC returns to Panama
After having stopped operations in Panama in 2016, MAC has opened a new store in Panama's Albrook Mall and plans to expand retail operations in the country with Central American distribution partner, Saint Honoré.
Estée Lauder Companies Inc.'s MAC opened its new boutique in the Koala section of Albrook Mall. The boutique is 880 square feet. It is the first of several new retail locations planned for the country.
For the new Panama locations, MAC has partnered with Panamanian importer and distributor Saint Honoré to implement a new retail marketing and distribution plan for the country.
Saint Honoré has previously partnered with Gucci, Hermès and Michael Kors to expand those retailers' brand presences in Panama and Chile. It also has helped Cartier build its business in St. Martin and St. Barts.
Saint Honoré will function as the official distributor of MAC in Panama. The entity plans another two openings of retail boutiques for the brand in Panama by the end of 2017.
MAC has a strong presence through Latin America but had ceased operations in Panama since 2016.
According to NPD, MAC was the best selling makeup brand in Mexico for 2016. It is a top brand in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay. Reentry into Panama will be beneficial for MAC's bottom line for the Americas.
The new MAC boutique is now open in the Koala section of the Albrook Mall. The Albrook Mall is five minutes outside of Panama City. The retail destination offers 700 shops ranging from Converse to Oscar de la Renta. The mall hosts banks, supermarkets and a Wyndham Hotel in addition to being a retail destination.
Adapted for English by Cassidy Mantor
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Juno, a startup looking to attract drivers from bigger ride-sharing rivals such as Uber by offering them its own stock, is seeking $50 million in its biggest fundraising round to date, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Investors have poured more than $28 billion into the ride services sector over the past decade, propelling growth at Uber, Lyft, China’s Didi Chuxing and a host of smaller upstarts, such as Gett.
Economists have said there may be scope for even more competition, because ride-sharing services are relatively cheap to start, depend on contract labor with no inherent loyalty or specialized skills, and have free apps that can be downloaded in seconds.
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Juno is working with investment bank Mizuho Financial Group to find investors, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential.
The person said Juno had previously raised $30 million from companies such as Japan’s Rakuten and angel investors.
Chief Executive Officer Talmon Marco declined to comment on the funding, but hinted that Juno had ambitious expansion plans.
“Moving forward you should definitely expect to see Juno outside New York City, as for where and when it’s too early to discuss this,” Marco said in an interview. Mizuho could not be reached for comment.
Google’s Ride-Sharing Service Can’t Compete with Uber
To stand out in the crowded ride sharing market and compete with well-funded rivals, Juno distributes equity to drivers every quarter in the form of restricted stock units.
These stock units, which vest after a certain amount of time, can be cashed out after a “liquidity” event such as a sale of initial public offering, similar to incentives given to employees at technology startups.
“I don’t think our drivers are going to make millions, but they will potentially make a nice chunk of money in addition to their ongoing earnings,” Marco said.
Apple Invests $1 Billion In Chinese Ride-Sharing Company
Juno only allows drivers to join the company if they already drive for Uber and Lyft and have high ratings. While its prices for riders are comparable to its competitors, it also takes about 10 percent commission from drivers, a smaller cut than Uber or Lyft, Marco said.
When asked about how Juno will make money with a smaller commission, Marco said it spends less to recruit drivers.
Juno has brought on 16,000 drivers since starting its service in New York four months ago, Marco said.


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Read the full article here.
This content was originally published by BusinessLIVE. Original publishers retain all rights. It appears here for a limited time before automated archiving. By BusinessLIVE
A new, rapid-detection test for Covid-19 must now be completed, with some travellers finding this out with travel plans already made


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The Swedish company known for vehicle accessories like rooftop bike carriers is taking 1,600 square feet in Market Station.
The largest tenant, Colorado Antique Mall, is staying but it will lose some of its parking spaces.
Locally, income-restricted projects in Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Commerce City and Littleton made the list released this week by the CHFA.
“It taught us we don’t need as big a space,” co-owner Erin Markham said of the coronavirus pandemic. “It taught us we need a patio.”
“The plaintiffs have not deterred us,” the nonprofit that would manage the camp said in a statement. “Instead, the plaintiffs have lit a fire underneath us.”
A developer is under contract to buy the real estate at 123 Speer Blvd., including a five-story octagonal tower, and will likely demolish the structure.
DCP Midstream is moving its headquarters into 72,000 square feet at 6900 Layton St., which still leaves its three top floors available.
Amazon did not confirm it but a shopping center owner’s website refers to a “future grocery store” and “national tenant” taking the former Stein Mart space.
The Park Hill site will have 33 tents instead of the 45 announced in April in response to feedback from the affluent neighborhood.
Chicago-based McCaffery Interests submitted a concept plan to the city last week for a 175-unit building at 3510 Brighton Blvd. and 3509 Wynkoop St.


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Alice + Olivia has become the latest fashion brand to board the shoppable-runway bandwagon, and it’s doing so just in time for the first big music festival of the year.
The New York-based contemporary clothing company will pair up with Neiman Marcus to host a see-now-buy-now runway on Apr. 13, the Wednesday before Coachella, at Neuehouse Hollywood in Los Angeles.
Ken Downing, the luxury department store’s senior vice president and fashion director, and Stacey Bendet, CEO and creative director of Alice + Oliva, will co-style the show, which will include a Grateful Dead-themed capsule collection as well as limited-edition pieces from the brand’s Spring ’16 collection.
According to a press release, 12 items will be available exclusively at aliceandolivia.com, neimanmarcus.com and cusp.com once the runway show begins at 7 p.m. local time. Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills will also sell a selection of the styles, along with several exclusive items, which include two Alice + Olivia X Grateful Dead pieces.
“It is exciting to be involved in the forefront of a new fashion phenomenon with Stacey,” Downing said. “She has always been wildly intuitive, with the ability to anticipate her fashionable customers’ wants and desires. Creating a highly curated, creative, clever and in-season fashion show, as only Stacey can do, with a buy-now-wear-now mantra, makes sense for her fashion followers that love and adore what she designs.”
“A see-now-buy-now runway show is something I have been wanting to do for a few seasons but it took time to feel out when and where felt right,” Bendet noted. “I wanted what I showed on that runway to be relevant to what consumers actually want to wear, now. I came up with the idea to have the show around Coachella and have the runway looks be based upon things that every girl would want to wear to a music festival.”


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Place: The Triple Door, Seattle
Supercomputing conference gives $23M economic boost to Seattle
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Here is a concrete example of how Seattle’s stature as a tech hub can raise all boats, from hotels to restaurants to cab companies and retail shops.
Supercomputing professionals are giving downtown Seattle hotels and restaurants a nice boost this weekend, with more than 10,000 attendees in town for SC11, a conference sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society.
SC11 is one of Seattle’s largest conventions in a decade. The conference will have an estimated economic impact of about $23 million on Seattle, according to Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The conference -- at the Washington State Convention Center -- showcases SCinet, a superfast computer network with 450 gigabits of capacity to Enable high-performance computing demonstrations.
This international conference brings together experts from around the world to learn about the latest advances in high-performance computing, networking and storage. Seattle is home to supercomputer maker Cray Inc., and other local tech players including Microsoft also are involved in supercomputing research and development.
Attendees have booked blocks of rooms at 19 Seattle area hotels with about 25,000 total room nights expected to be used throughout the area, according to the convention bureau.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome back the SC conference to Seattle this fall,” said Tom Norwalk, CEO of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a statement. “We are delighted about the positive impact SC brings to Seattle’s tourism community as this year’s conference is expected to have a record attendance of international attendees from more than 60 countries.”
The conference started Saturday (Nov. 12) and runs through Nov. 18.
Greg Lamm covers banking & finance and law for the Puget Sound Business Journal.
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Could your small business or restaurant use a tax-advantaged loan from the Small Business Administration? A recently passed COVID-relief act offers a couple of intriguing options.
Eligible businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic now have until May 31 to apply for a PPP loan. Here’s the latest on the popular loan program.
The Paycheck Protection Program has undergone some notable changes recently as the Small Business Administration and Biden administration seek to give very small businesses easier access to loan funds.
Because the American Rescue Plan Act is such an expansive piece of legislation, it’s likely you, your family or your business can benefit from it.
It has been almost a year now since COVID-19 began changing our lives and we wanted to update you on how CD Bradshaw & Associates, P.C. is continuing to serve you and our community.
The Biden Administration has announced five specific reforms to the Paycheck Protection Program that are intended to benefit small businesses.


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Last updated on August 6th, 2023 at 07:15 am
A new book, “Future Focus: Tapping into the Wealth In Digital” has been launched to inspire Africa’s young generation, a press release by Neema Communications has said.
Written by Wale Ameen, one of the most promising journalists with several years of experience in broadcast and digital, the book is a timely resource for the young and emerging workforce on the future of work and business in the era of digitization.
The book opens your eyes to the future of work in the light of the fast move towards digitization where the dynamics of work as we know it right now is about to change forever.
Benefits of the book, “Future Focus: Tapping into the Wealth In Digital”
It highlights the inherent opportunities young entrepreneurs need to plug into and changes they need to adopt in order to stay relevant in the business world.
The book unravels new business ideas targeted at meeting future needs of nations which will in turn rightly position you for opportunities of the future.
The author Wale Ameer says:
“This book is for every young person out there, both in school and already in the workforce as well as entrepreneurs who want to stay relevant as the world moves on into the era of digitization and automation.
“The future belongs to those who can create it today and that is exactly what the book aims to help every reader achieve,” he said.
The book is coming at a time organisations around the world are tapping into unlimited opportunities in cryptocurrency via blockchain technology in financing and as a way of doing business faster and more effectively.
Interestingly, the book isn’t exclusively designed for the young workforce and entrepreneurs but is also a must-have for employers and everyone seeking a sneak preview into the coming digital advancement and ideas on how to stay rightly positioned.
About the Author
With a special focus on business and tech, Wale Ameen is a journalist with several years of experience in broadcast and digital.
He is also an entrepreneur and runs Neema Communications Network, owners of brands such as datastreamng.com and theexclusiveafrica.net
- Phone no: 09052846131


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It's official. The social networking parent company behind Facebook has changed its name after 17 years.
Facebook's corporate entity now Meta.
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced the change at the AR/VR-focused Connect conference. He shared that the new title captured more the core company ambition to build the metaverse.
Meta is our company, and it reflects who we are as well as what we want to build. Our mission is still the same, it's about bringing people together. Zuckerberg stated that our apps and brands aren't changing. We will be metaverse-first from now on, not Facebook-first.
Facebook's name change is timely as it has been facing a backlash, especially in recent weeks, after an employee leaked a series of documents to media and government agencies detailing the mistakes Facebook made in developing its platform responsibly over the years. Facebook had been working on this name change for months. It was apparently in an effort move away from the constant negative headlines about its most popular product which have been a source of anger among users.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, announced in July that the company was placing all its bets on the metaverse. The surprise announcement was surprising for the trillion-dollar corporation, as Facebook's virtual reality hardware investments have been costly. However, its social VR products are largely short-lived and Facebook had not spoken about beta Horizons since its announcement more than a decade earlier.
Facebook held an unusually large press campaign in August to promote a VR app that allows people to take virtual meetings. Zuckerberg attended morning shows and spent a surprising amount time promoting the tiny VR app.
In September, Facebook posted a blog called Building the Metaverse Responsibly. It announced a $50m fund to invest in research and development. Additionally, it detailed plans to hire 10,000 EU employees to help build their metaverse platform.
The Verge reported last week that Facebook was considering changing their corporate name.
The company's core business must be separated from the product with the most problems. However, changing the name of Meta to Facebook will require them to align their core brand with a product that may be years away from relevance and could face many failures along the way to mainstream success. Facebook still has 2.5 Billion users. Their metaverse products have only a few thousand.
It is not uncommon for one of the tech's largest companies to change its name. Google created Alphabet in 2015 with a new corporate structure. Google is still a subsidiary to Alphabet. However, most people refer to anything that has to do with the company and its subsidiaries as Google. Facebook is likely to receive the same treatment after nearly two decades of growing its brand and bringing its products to over three billion monthly users.
Although Google was not trying to distance itself from its brand, Facebook has different reasons for a new branding. While the company's business is still booming, its brand has suffered from major privacy violations like the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016 and the Russian election disinformation in 2016. Now, Facebook is facing a flurry of revelations from Frances Haugen (a former member of Facebook's civic integrity team who became a whistleblower).
Facebook is under greater regulatory scrutiny than any other tech company at the moment. In Congress, where legislators rarely agree on anything, Republicans as well as Democrats have come together to express their disapproval at the company's unfettered growth and cutthroat business practices, and concern about Instagram's negative effects on teens' mental health.
Each social media company was asked to clearly contrast its business practices with Facebook during a Senate hearing with TikTok and Snap last week. YouTube claimed that its profits were not prioritized over safety, while Snap argued that Snap's focus is on short-term conversations. TikTok said that it cares about teens and their well-being. However, the efforts of Facebook's peers were in vain.
Senator Richard Blumenthal stated that being different from Facebook was not a defense. This is the bottom of the barrel.


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Stellar Lumens Price Index - Real Time Price Graph
Stellar Lumens (XLM), often referred to as just Stellar, is an open-source, decentralised protocol for digital currency, which particularly focuses on cross-border transactions. Stellar Lumens is overseen by the non-profit Stellar Development Foundation.
Stellar Lumens was the brainchild of Jed McCaleb, founder of Mt. Gox and co-founder of Ripple, with the system having first been launched in 2014. Stripe CEO Patrick Collison was also involved in the launch, with the initial project receiving $3 million in seed funding from Stripe.
The cryptocurrency was originally referred to as Stellar, but later rebranded as Lumens, and confusingly, is now generally referred to as Stellar Lumens, with both names still associated with it!
Where to Buy Stellar Lumens?
Stellar Lumens is firmly established among the top 15 cryptocurrencies on the planet at the time of writing, meaning that it is widely available at digital brokerages and exchanges. Although there are many of these platforms available online, it is still wise to purchase Stellar Lumens (XLM) from a platform diligently. Customer service, safety, and security are always important with any investment, and thus choosing a reputable broker is particularly critical.
A Brief History on the Price of Stellar Lumens
Although Stellar Lumens is a relatively new cryptocurrency, its price discovery journey has still been an interesting and eventful one.
Key News for Stellar Lumens
It probably won't come as a huge surprise that the coronavirus crisis has been the dominant news item impacting the price of Stellar Lumens. While the Covid-19 crisis has had a negative impact on most investment categories, the opposite has applied to cryptocurrencies.
Many cryptos have increased in value during the pandemic, and this has certainly applied to Stellar Lumens. As investors have sought different locations to the traditional equities and bond markets during the crisis, cryptocurrencies have been one of the major beneficiaries of this investment.
However, other issues have impacted Stellar Lumens as well. Recently, the CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, Denelle Dixon, suggested that the Stellar Lumens blockchain would be the ideal basis for the digital dollar. Dixon indicated that this would be an obvious development at a time when both governments and institutions are seeking new ways to issue money, particularly in the Covid-19 climate.
Elsewhere, the Stellar Development Foundation also announced a $5 million investment in wallet provider Abra. This will make it possible for Stellar Lumens to offer new financial products on the Stellar blockchain. And the National Bank of Ukraine revealed in an analytical report that it has used the protocol of Stellar Lumens for a pilot project of a central bank currency.
While the Covid-19 crisis will continue to have a profound impact on Stellar Lumens, and the cryptocurrency market in general, it is clear that the founders of Stellar Lumens haven’t been resting on their laurels during the pandemic. The company is forging new partnerships that will help to take Stellar Lumens forward, and which are indicative of the increasing credibility of cryptocurrencies in general.
Stellar Lumens Timeline
July 2014Jed McCaleb, the founder of Mt. Gox and co-founder of Ripple, launched the Stellar network system, with former lawyer Joyce Kim also prominently involved.
August 2014Mercado Bitcoin, the first Brazilian Bitcoin exchange, announced that it would be using the Stellar network for its operation. Stellar Lumens price: $0.002
January 2015Stellar Lumens had approximately 3 million registered user accounts on its platform and its market cap had risen to nearly $15 million. Stellar Lumens price: $0.005
February 2015The Stellar Development Foundation announced that Stellar was releasing an integration into Vumi - the open-sourced messaging platform of the Praekelt Foundation. Vumi uses mobile phone talk time as currency using the Stellar protocol. Stellar Lumens price: $0.004
April 2015Stellar partnered with cloud-based banking software company Oradian in order to integrate Stellar into Oradian's banking platform, helping to add microfinance institutions in Nigeria. Stellar Lumens price: $0.002
July 2016Deloitte announced its integration with Stellar to build a cross-border payments application - Deloitte Digital Bank. Stellar Lumens price: $0.002
December 2016Stellar's payment network had expanded to include Coins.ph - a mobile payments startup in the Philippines - ICICI Bank in India, African mobile payments firm Flutterwave, and French remittances company Tempo Money Transfer. Stellar Lumens price: $0.001
May 2017Lightyear.io, a for-profit entity of Stellar, launched as the commercial arm of the company. Stellar Lumens price: $0.005
August 2017ICICI Bank, India’s third-largest bank partners with Stellar to build a money transfer ledger. Stellar Lumens price: $0.017
September 2017The Stellar Development Foundation announced a benefits program, part of its Stellar Partnership Grant Program, which would award partners up to $2 million worth of Lumens for project development. Stellar Lumens price: $0.023
October 2017Stellar partnered with IBM and KlickEx to facilitate cross-border transactions in the South Pacific region. The cross-border payment system developed by IBM includes partnerships with banks in the area. Stellar Lumens price: $0.013
November 2017The Stellar Lumens ATM is launched for the first time, while the first initial coin offering (ICO) is launched on the Stellar network. At the same time, the Stellar Lumen token reaches $1 billion in market capitalisation. Stellar Lumens price $0.027
December 2017TechCrunch announced Stellar's partnership with SureRemit - a Nigerian-based non-cash remittances platform. Stellar Lumens price: $0.089
January 3rd, 2018Stellar Lumen hits a record high of $0.919994, briefly taking the market cap of the cryptocurrency to the verge of $13 billion. Stellar Lumens price: $0.919994
April 2018The market cap of the token had now receded somewhat to $7 billion, but this was still many times the capitalisation of the project at its inception. Stellar Lumens price: $0.20
May 8th, 2020Stellar Lumens has nearly doubled in value during the Covid-19 crisis, after a lengthy bear market. Stellar Lumens price: $0.07
Compare Stellar Lumens With Fiat Currencies, Commodities and Crypto
Although Stellar Lumens is primarily intended to be a digital payment system, it also has a lot of credibility as an investment mechanism. The massive increase in the value of the token since it was first introduced has meant that investors have held the coin for long periods of time, seeking price appreciation.
The value of each Stellar Lumens taken is much lower than many other comparable cryptocurrencies, but its overall market capitalisation has become quite significant. And both of these figures increased massively during its bullish period in 2017-18, while the value of Stellar Lumens has doubled once more in 2020.
It is thus natural to compare Stellar Lumens to commodities, other cryptocurrencies, and even fiat currencies. So this is what we will do in this section, with some particularly relevant assets.
Compare Stellar Lumens With the US Dollar
Currencies have not fared particularly well during the coronavirus pandemic, but this has not applied to the US dollar. The world reserve currency status of the American currency has conferred a great deal of privilege on the dollar, and this has meant that the value has held up well in recent months.
However, this is nothing compared to Stellar Lumens, which has doubled in price over the last few months. Needless to say, Stellar Lumens has massively outperformed the dollar.
Compare Stellar Lumens With Gold
Gold is an obvious asset to compare Stellar Lumens with, as both can be seen as safe havens for cash in times of crisis. And the precious yellow metal commodity has definitely been reviewed this way during the coronavirus pandemic, with gold increasing by around 20% in value.
This is a more than decent performance for gold, but it has still been significantly outranked by Stellar Lumens, which has doubled in value during a period in which gold has increased in value by one-fifth. Secondly, investors have rushed to cryptocurrency more than traditional commodities during this pandemic.
Compare Stellar Lumens With Crude Oil
Crude oil has experienced the most dramatic and troubling period in its history recently, with the value of black gold tumbling. The fact that a barrel of oil was trading at a negative price for quite some time is indicative of an unprecedented crisis in the oil market. While the crisis since recovered, the downward spiral for crude has been obvious, particularly at a time when traffic all over the world has been massively reduced. It is fair to say that crude oil and Stellar Lumens have had completely contrasting fortunes in recent months.
Compare Stellar Lumens With Bitcoin
Stellar Lumens is one cryptocurrency that has performed at a similar level to Bitcoin, with both tokens basically doubling in value over recent months. Of course, each Stellar Lumens token is worth a fraction of Bitcoin, while its market capitalisation is also marginal compared to the market-leading altcoin.
Stellar Lumens Future Price Predictions
As Stellar Lumens becomes an increasingly popular investment vehicle, there has been a huge amount of speculation regarding its future price. Many people are very bullish on Stellar Lumens, but it is interesting and valuable to examine the trends that will impact this digital currency.
Stellar Lumens Price Predictions for 2020
For the remainder of 2020, there is no doubt that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will be the critical issue impacting the price of Stellar Lumens. While we can hope that the economic carnage which follows the Covid-19 crisis isn't too great, the reality is that it will certainly be of great significance to global financial institutions and systems.
While this will be a testing time for many commodities and asset classes, the prevailing evidence suggests that it will be bullish for cryptocurrencies. This is certainly backed up by the performance of Stellar Lumens and other cryptos during the coronavirus crisis and would seem to suggest that Stellar Lumens may make further gains during the remainder of the calendar year.
Stellar Lumens Price Predictions for 2021
In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic will still loom large, even as everyday life begins to get back to normal. It would be naive to believe that economic activity will have completely resumed, and the post-coronavirus climate will definitely be a challenging one.
It is hard to predict precisely the extent of what is likely to be a recessionary environment. But we can reasonably expect cryptocurrencies such as Stellar Lumens to continue to be viewed as safe-havens in this environment. The cryptocurrency bull market may continue for quite some time, and the climate for Stellar Lumens into 2021 is quite promising.
Beyond 2021 for Stellar Lumens
Even beyond 2021, the coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact culture, society, and the economy. It is likely that there will be a massive recession or even depression, but this may be beginning to recede by this time. Nonetheless, the impact of the shuttering of the global economy will create shockwaves for several years to come. It can also be stated that we don't know whether or not there will be further peaks in the virus.
This will likely be bullish for Stellar Lumens, but the cryptocurrency will also have to deal with several other demographic issues in the years ahead. Firstly, Stellar Lumens will need to demonstrate use cases to the market, particularly as the cryptocurrency sphere is so competitive. And the Stellar Development Foundation will also need to forge as many partnerships with financial institutions and other relevant businesses as possible.
The reputation of Stellar Lumens going forward will also be particularly important, especially its ability to deliver cross-border payments. Its credibility in this area will determine the future of the Stellar Lumens project, and it is notable that it will be in direct competition with Ripple in this area; one of the largest and most prominent altcoins.
There are challenges ahead for Stellar Lumens, but also possibilities and potential.
Stellar Lumens Price Conclusion
In conclusion, the long-term price discovery of Stellar Lumens will be dependent on its ability to mark itself out from other cryptocurrencies in the niche and deliver a system that does something distinct, while also delivering its functionality at a world-class level. The value of Stellar Lumens is quite likely to increase during the recessionary period that lies ahead, but its founders must use this period profitably to build use cases for the cryptocurrency that will sustain Stellar Lumens for many years to come.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The blockchain is a public ledger that records all transactions related to a cryptocurrency, such as Stellar Lumens. The blockchain ensures that Stellar Lumens is transparent, fair and accountable, making the public keys for all transactions available to all interested parties.
The founders of Stellar Lumens have actually ensured that it has a good foundation as a monetary platform. It is an active digital payment system that has already forged partnerships with many companies in the mainstream financial architecture. It is hoped that Stellar Lumens will become a widely adopted digital payment system, as this process continues to expand. As Stellar Lumens can clearly be exchanged for goods and services, it meets any reasonable definition of the term money.
The Stellar Development Foundation is indeed a non-profit organisation, although it is not tax-exempt, and has no plans to seek tax-exempt status from the IRS. The Stellar Development Foundation does not have shareholders, nor seek profits or dividends, and purports to be driven by its core mission of “creating equitable access to the global financial system.”
Most exchanges charge a minimum of 2 tokens in order to send Stellar Lumens, but there is generally no minimum amount required.
The answer to this question depends on the personal circumstances of the individual. But there are many advantages to Stellar Lumens. Firstly, it can be an excellent investment mechanism, as its price appreciation over its history has been significant. Secondly, the platform is faster and cheaper than many of the common methods of payment, and its founders have worked hard to establish Stellar Lumens as a viable cross-border solution. This feeds into the third obvious advantage of Stellar Lumens, which is that it can be an excellent platform for those denied access to the conventional banking system.
Mining refers to the process of acquiring blocks on the Stellar Lumens blockchain. This requires powerful computers, which work on algorithmic equations in order to complete this process. The acquisition of cryptocurrency is referred to as mining in order to create an allegorical parallel with other more traditional commodities such as gold.
Stellar has made the new network for its product available at https://launch.stellar.org/.
As of November 2019, there were approximately 50 billion Stellar Lumens tokens in circulation.


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Amazon Games is dead set against pay-to-win.
New World, the developer’s new MMO, includes an in-game store, but it doesn’t feature characters boosts or anything directly connected to gameplay.
The “focus” of the store is cosmetic items that players can use to “enhance” the visuals of their characters, according to creative director David Verfaillie. These microtransactions provide alternative aesthetics for players.
“We have definitely heard the feedback from players and our focus is we do not want [New World] to be a pay-to-win experience,” Verfaillie said in a press conference.
The “emphasis” of the store is on cosmetics at launch, but the devs believe there’s room for “quality of life improvements” that won’t cross into “the pay-to-win territory.”
“We’re going to be focusing on the cosmetic experience at launch,” Verfaillie explained. “We believe that’s something players will enjoy and definitely doesn’t cross the line. And then we’ll be working with our community to decide where we can go that everyone thinks is fair.”
Related: New World won’t be pay-to-win but will include microtransactions, Amazon reveals
In the future, players will be able to purchase things like additional storage from the store, according to Verfaillie. But everything available with real-world money will also be obtainable in-game.
“In-game there are ways to increase your storage. But there are some people that may not have the time or want to do the commitment to all those in-game ways,” Verfaillie said. “So, there are just ways that people that are less time-available can keep up with players in certain aspects like that.”
For the time being, cosmetic items, including weapon and armor skins, house decor, dyes, emotes, and company crests are available to purchase from the store for a range of prices. The cheapest option costs $2.99 and the most expensive option will set players back $19.99.
“While the in-game store will provide additional opportunities for customization and feature unique cosmetic items, there is a wealth of visually diverse in-game loot for players to discover and earn across Aeternum, at the same level of aesthetic quality with items found in the store,” Amazon said.
New World is live.


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You know the joke that went along with the merge of Nokia by Microsoft? It went like this: Do you know where Nokia met Microsoft? At the train station when they missed their train... the same thing is now happening to ŠKODA AUTO a.s. in China, and apparently not only there. Are we witnessing the end of the dominance of Western cars in world markets, because China is no longer the derided outsider and has quietly taken over the Middle East (saw it recently in Saudi Arabia) and is moving further westwards?
An economist Dominik Stroukal recently said: We are unable to renew the most creative and productive factor or natural resource we have, human creativity. I can't agree more. So are we at the verge of such a great leap or even greater fall? The right answer actually isn't "out there happening" and won't be decided by governments or c-level executives. It's in you and me.
As we almost head into 2023, the venture building landscape is looking more and more attractive for companies. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to think outside the box when it comes to building their businesses. Many areas that were "nice to have" (such as ESG for example) changed over night into pure survival due to the soaring energy prices, missing supplies and fade of the talents quietly quitting or greatly resigning.
Venture builders have stepped in to fill the void, providing much-needed resources to bring growth. The trend is expected to continue in the new year, as more and more companies turn to venture builders to get their businesses off the ground.
What is a venture builder and why are they growing in popularity? It's for a number of reasons. First, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for startups to raise capital. Traditional VC firms have been hesitant to invest in early-stage companies during the pandemic, leaving many startups without the funding they need to grow. Venture builders have stepped in to fill the void, providing much-needed resources to help startups grow. Second, venture builders are more hands-on than traditional VC firms. They take an active role in helping startups grow and scale, rather than simply providing capital.
Entrepreneurs in residence (EIRs) are a type of venture builder. EIRs are experienced entrepreneurs who work with startups to help them grow. EIRs typically have a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem and can provide valuable mentorship and resources.
Many industries are ripe for disruption, and venture builders are well-positioned to help companies in these industries grow. It is expected to see more venture builders emerge in industries such as healthcare, education, and food and beverage. Because if a companies don't innovate, they will likely struggle to grow. Without innovation, a company will likely be stuck in a cycle of decline.


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Over the last several months, Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox received a total of $11,500 in community grants and gift cards from the Walmart stores in New Lenox, Joliet and Lockport to support the hospital’s COVID-19 relief efforts and advance heart care services.
Earlier in May, New Lenox Walmart general manager Shannon Mills and several sales associates personally presented $5,000 in gift cards for the hospital’s employee assistance fund
The gift cards will be given to Silver Cross employees, especially those who are experiencing financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Tracy Simons, executive director of the Silver Cross Foundation.
In addition, Mills commissioned a $5,000 grant to support the nonprofit hospital’s general operating fund.
During the past two months, Silver Cross has cared for over 2,100 patients who have been suspected or tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Simons said.
The Walmart Foundation’s Community Grant Program awards grants of $250 to $5,000 through Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs and Logistics facilities.
In addition, Silver Cross received $1,000 from Joliet and $500 from the Lockport stores to advance heart care services in the community.
Silver Cross Hospital recently embarked on constructing a 33,000-square-foot, two-story addition on the east side of the hospital that will include two cardiovascular operating rooms, two dedicated open heart operating rooms, a hybrid room for minimally invasive heart procedures and two dedicated recovery rooms and a dedicated patient elevator to the hospital’s new 16-bed cardiovascular unit
When construction is complete in late 2020, Silver Cross will have the ability to provide innovative, multi-specialty care for patients with advanced and complex coronary disease.
This includes surgery to correct the abnormalities of the heart structure such as repairing and replacing aortic and mitral valves.
Minimally invasive valve replacement now provides a viable alternative to patients for whom conventional surgery is considered too risky.
It also offers the potential benefits of lower risk of infection, less trauma to the chest and heart muscle tissue, reduced length of stay in the hospital and a quicker recovery.
For more information or to donate to the Campaign for Heart Care, visit silvercross.org/heart.
To support Silver Cross Hospital’s COVID-19 relief efforts, visit silvercross.org/giving/donate-now.
For information about the Walmart Foundation’s grant programs, visit ">“giving.walmart.com/foundation.


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The burger at The Beltliner in Calgary is sloppy, two patties of Alberta beef and a fried egg. Danita Short smiles as she digs in: “I’ve got to pay respects to the homeland.”
Ms. Short, dressed in a flowing mustard cardigan and a flat-brim felt cowboy hat, is founder, chief executive and primary muse of an upstart fashion label called Land of Distraction. A year ago, the label announced itself at a splashy party at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles that drew the likes of Kate Bosworth and Angela Bassett. A few months later, the company landed a deal to sell its clothes at Barneys, a luxury retailer in the United States. There was a lot of hype: Interview Magazine called Land of Distraction “L.A.'s coolest new label.”
This unlikely rise is underpinned by the coming together of an unusual trio: Laurie Venning, a welder who made a fortune in the oil patch; Christian Juul Nielsen, a fashion designer who was a rising star at Christian Dior; and Ms. Short, a Harley-riding nurse turned fashion impresario.
Now comes the hard part.
“We have a business,” said Mr. Venning, owner of L.A.-based Distraction Wear USA Inc. “That in itself is huge. But we’re not even a year old. Until you’re at the four-, five-year mark, you really don’t know anything.”
Ms. Short grew up on a farm some 300 kilometres northeast of Calgary. Coronation, the closest town, was a half-hour away and home to less than 1,000 people. Ms. Short was the oldest of four kids. Theirs was an imaginative childhood, building forts and playing dress-up. The kids rode horses. The life imbued a free spirit in Ms. Short.
She became an emergency room and trauma nurse at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. “My brain runs on that level,” she said between bites of the burger during a visit home to see family. “Organized chaos and critical thinking.” Outside work, she took off on cross-continent rides on her Harley Davidson motorcycle. Long stretches of road, sunrises and sunsets and Motel 6s.
A few years ago, the intensity of work burned her out. She looked to start an esthetics business. She connected with Mr. Venning at a business-development session. He, too, had grown up on an Alberta farm. He became a welder and built drilling rigs. He was a tinkerer, and in the 1990s helped create specialized pipe for heavy oil wells. In mid-2014, at the peak of the last oil boom, he sold Regent Energy, the company he co-founded, for $775-million to Advent International, a private equity firm.
Mr. Venning was struck by Ms. Short’s distinct style and flair. He proposed they start a fashion label with Ms. Short herself as creative inspiration. They sought the help of Josh Reed, who had done celebrity public relations for Calvin Klein. The group brainstormed the concept and ethos. They made a short video. It begins with a White Stripes guitar riff and the image of Ms. Short riding her Harley on a coastal California highway. Ms. Short declares in the video that Distraction clothing would let “people express their own inner badass and get out there and live and have fun.”
The three took the idea to New York fashion week in September, 2016. Mr. Reed lined up days full of meetings. There were no clothes, but they said the concept was a hit. Ms. Short “was the foundation of the narrative,” Mr. Reed said. “There wasn’t anything like it.”
All they needed was a creative director to design the clothes.
At a party at the Standard Hotel one night, Mr. Venning found Mr. Nielsen, a Dane who was in New York by way of Paris. Mr. Venning asked how much freedom he had at couture houses like Dior. Mr. Venning promised Mr. Nielsen free rein and equity in the company.
Mr. Nielsen was inspired by Ms. Short and visited her family farm. “Where does all this energy come from, this spontaneous way of living? I saw it in her childhood.”
Land of Distraction’s clothes, advertised as “easy” and “utilitarian,” are what Mr. Venning called “affordable luxury”: US$595 dresses, US$350 tops, US$985 coats.
Mr. Venning has his own experience building a business and has assembled a small team of fashion business veterans around Ms. Short, who is now based in L.A. Beyond Barneys, Land of Distraction is sold online and at several retailers in Japan. In Canada, it is at Hudson’s Bay, where the label has resonated with customers, according to Tyler Franch, the Bay’s fashion director.
There have been an array of challenges. Ms. Short juggles the logistics of getting the clothes made in downtown L.A., where a local manufacturer produces the pieces. Inventory piled up earlier this year. Growing so quickly from nothing has caused cash flow issues, and the company has yet to turn a profit.
Ms. Short is working on business efficiencies to figure out how Land of Distraction can survive without Mr. Venning’s money. The company may seek new investors. Ms. Short wants to expand to smaller boutiques and establish the label in places such as Paris. She wants to create menswear, too.
“Fashion is especially difficult,” said Joel Gregorio, who runs brand consultancy Sovereign State and advises at Ryerson University’s Fashion Zone. But Mr. Gregorio said staking Land of Distraction on Ms. Short was savvy. “A lot of founders don’t celebrate their own story."
Mr. Venning, who also has new ventures in film and television, knows the risks of such volatile industries. “I’ve spread some money out. We’ll see how smart I am.”
Mr. Nielsen, after 15 years in fashion, believes Land of Distraction can take off. “I’m very much ready for the brand to blow up,” he said. "I think it can.” Ms. Short’s goal for Land of Distraction is likewise ambitious: “To get people everywhere to wear it.”


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S.Africa's Adcock says Bidvest offer has lapsed
JOHANNESBURG, April 4
JOHANNESBURG, April 4 (Reuters) - South African drugmaker Adcock Ingram said on Thursday its board is not looking at Bidvest's $675 million takover offer because it has lapsed.
Bidvest had given Adcock until April 2 to express a view on the offer but the board of the drugmaker snubbed the offer saying it had lacked detail for it to express a view about its merits to shareholders. (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by David Dolan)


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Diageo & United Spirits - The Denouement
The waiting is finally over. Diageo has agreed a deal to take a controlling stake in UB Group's United Spirits division in India. Here's how the story unfolded over the last few months.
Diageo has agreed a deal to acquire a 53.4% controlling stake in United Spirits for INR111.7bn (US$2.05bn), the companies said today.
United Spirits' chairman Vijay Mallya has rejected the idea he has “sold the family silver” by agreeing a deal with Diageo and said it is a “dream come true”.
Diageo boss Paul Walsh has said he is “ambivalent” about the possible prospect of losing Whyte & Mackay to ensure the United Spirits deal goes through.
The CFO of Diageo has reiterated the company's intention not to be drawn on speculation suggesting that a tie-up with UB Group's United Spirits division is imminent.
Like many other 'industry observers', I noted Reuters' brief chat with UB Group's Vijay Mallya at the Indian Grand Prix last weekend with interest.
Vijay Mallya, the head of India's UB Group, says he is "under no compulsion whatsoever" to sell a stake in United Spirits to Diageo to fund his embattled Kingfisher airline.
The reports out of India late last week that the chairman of The UB Group has been hit with a warrant for his arrest will have been greeted with raised eyebrows by many in our industry – not least, those of you that work for Diageo.
A 'non-bailable warrant' for Vijay Mallya, the head of India's UB Group, has been issued in the country, according to local reports.
On Tuesday, Diageo confirmed it was in talks with United Spirits over buying a stake in the UB Group-owned Indian drinks firm.
Earlier today (25 September), Diageo confirmed that it is seeking to buy a stake in UB Group's United Spirits division in India. Here's a look at the Indian alcoholic drinks landscape and Diageo's current position in it.
Diageo and the UB Group have confirmed that they are in talks over taking a stake in United Spirits.
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According to a report on Chinese-language site Economic Daily News, panel-maker BOE Technology may soon enter a bidding war with Foxconn Electronics to acquire a share in Japan Display (JDI).
JDI had previously said that it requires ¥200 billion ($1.765 billion) to prepare for mass OLED production in 2019.
Sharp announced in August that it is also willing to help steer JDI through its financial troubles. Sharp is owned by Foxconn, which is a major supplier to Apple. BOE may struggle to compete with such a strong team, despite being the largest panel-maker in China and receiving support from the local government, according to the report.