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Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter has issued a research note to investors downgrading shares of Take Two from a rating of 'hold' to 'sell', noting that while the company likes the publisher's games, Wedbush is “not optimistic about its profit potential.”
Explains Pachter, “We think that Take-Two’s flagship franchise, Grand Theft Auto
, will continue to generate significant profits, but are less optimistic about the profit potential from its sports business and from 'everything else'.”
The company has established a 12-month target price for shares of Take Two of $15, though as of this morning company's shares were trading at a higher value of $20.01. The downgrade will undoubtedly be unexpected to some, considering the number of high profile titles announced by Take Two for release in 2007 from outside the GTA
canon, including Irrational Games' Bioshock
for the PC and Xbox 360, as well as the recently announced Manhunt 2
for the PSP, PlayStation 2, and Wii.
As stated, Wedbush recognizes the earning potential of Take Two's Grand Theft Auto
franchise, with Pachter commenting, “We believe that the GTA
franchise has the potential to generate at least $600 million in revenues each time that an installment is released.”
However, he balances this optimism by illustrating two factors that he believes could limit the revenue potential of the franchise over the next several years - a slow growing installed base for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, coupled with significant market share captured by Nintendo's Wii, a console for which GTA
does not yet exist, nor has been announced.
“We expect only modest results for Grand Theft Auto IV
when it launches this fall,” writes the analyst. “Although we expect demand to be high, we think that the addressable market will be quite small, with only approximately 13 – 14 million Xbox 360 owners at launch and only around 5–6 million PS3 owners in the U.S. and Europe.”
He adds: “GTA IV
may attach at a slower rate than many anticipate, given that it is expected to launch in the same window as Halo 3
on the Xbox 360. It is arguable that GTA IV
will be a better game than Halo 3
, but in our view, Xbox 360 owners who choose to buy only one of the two games at launch will opt to buy Halo 3
first, because of its well developed online game play and fiercely loyal fan base. Thus, the attach rate early on may disappoint many investors.”
Looking to other franchises, Pachter also cites “uneven results” from the publisher's sports franchises, and comments that “[Take Two] has embarked on the wrong strategy in its attempts to diversify away from its Grand Theft Auto
revenue base. It has consistently gambled on money-losing games in its effort to diversify, and made a huge bet when it embarked on its sports strategy.”
The company has announced plans to release an unlicensed football title in 2007 titled All-Pro Football 2K8
, though Wedbush feels that its impact on the overall sports game market will be negligible in the face of continued competition from Electronic Arts.
Concluding, the investor writes: “We think that Take-Two has lost its way. We do not think that its obstacles are insurmountable, but in the absence of periodic financial statements, company guidance, release schedules, and regular interaction with investors, we are unable to adequately measure the company’s progress in turning things around."
"Should Take-Two demonstrate greater than expected progress in its cost control efforts, in its game selection, or in delivering profits from its sports business, we will revisit our estimates and rating. In the interim, we advise investors to sell shares of Take-Two," adds Pachter.


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Report: Global Mobile YP Market to Reach Nearly $30 Billion by 2018
August 9, 2012 | Contributed by: Stephanie Hobbs
The report, which profiles 37 local search companies including YP Holdings, Dex One, Pages Jaunes Groupe, SuperMedia, and hibu/Yellowbook, projects that the global market for mobile YP will reach $28.8 billion by 2018. GIA said that growth will be attributed primarily to increasing use of mobile phones for local search and the local search industry’s push to diversify.
GIA expects location-based services and mobile advertising to greatly expand in the coming years, carving major market share for mobile Yellow Pages.
For more, go to GIA for the full report.

domain: news


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Starbucks’s revenue beat expectations in the latest sign that diners aren’t quitting their lattes even in tough economic conditions.
Same-store sales rose 8 per cent, surpassing the 6.3 per cent average analyst estimate. A higher number of transactions and larger orders drove the increase, according to results released Thursday.
Sales by that measure – which tracks how company-operated stores open for more than 13 months are doing – rose faster than expected in the US and China, the company’s two largest geographies. Investors were looking for continued momentum in North America but had questions about the Asian country’s uneven recovery, UBS analyst Dennis Geiger wrote before the report.
The shares rose 6.6 per cent in pre-market trading in New York. The stock had slid 7.9 per cent this year through Wednesday’s close, trailing the 10 per cent advance of the S&P 500 Index.
“We remain confident in the momentum throughout our business and headroom globally,” chief executive Laxman Narasimhan said in the statement.
Revenue including new restaurants was $9.4 billion (€8.8 billion), topping expectations. Earnings were $1.06 a share, ahead of estimates.
Attention now turns to the company’s outlook for the next 12 months. The chain is hosting an event later today at which Wall Street is looking for updates on the chain’s strategy. It’s the first investor day that Narasimhan, who took the reins in March, will preside over without founder Howard Schultz by his side.
The chain’s recent strategies to attract customers have included an early roll-out of its fall line-up and new products such as frozen refreshers. Its customers have also been increasingly ordering more food, fattening transaction sizes.
In addition, Starbucks has been seeking to improve speed of service. The initiative has fuelled revenue growth, increased efficiency and boosted margins, Narasimhan said Thursday. – Bloomberg


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TOKYO (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. says an engine plant wrecked by the March 11 tsunami will likely return to operations in June.
Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa said Wednesday the Iwaki factory, one of Nissan's two engine plants in Japan, still has no running water. The factory makes 376,000 engines annually.
Nissan shut down its entire auto production in Japan from March 14 to 16. Nissan said its auto production in Japan was now running at full capacity.
The company said the tsunami, which decimated much of northeastern Japan, resulted in a production loss of 42,000 cars.


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The federal government has asked point-of-sale, PoS, operators to desist from attempts to increase transaction fees, warning of serious consequences and sanctions.
The Lagos chapter of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) had announced a new price list for PoS transactions in the state.
Stephen Adeoye, the association’s spokesperson, during an interview with Channels Television on July 1, said the measure was put in place to deter fraud and stop overcharging by agents.
In response to the move in a statement on Wednesday, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) asked agent bankers to shun such plans.
According to the statement, signed Babatunde Irukera, FCCPC’s executive vice-chairman and chief executive officer, the agency said price-fixing was against the law and distorts the market, prevents innovation and efficiency, and impacts consumers negatively.
The commission said it is currently investigating the price-fixing attempts by the PoS agents and will sanction them if they are found guilty.
“The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (2018) (FCCPA) recognises indeed encourages the prerogative of businesses to organise
in, and as trade associations for acceptable purposes, such as ensuring and enforcing applicable standards and best practices, as well as a measure of self-regulation within the profession or trade,” the statement reads.
“However, the same FCCPA copiously and extensively limits the scope and extent of such collaboration, particularly to exclude coordination with respect to scope or supply of services and price of services.
“The FCCPA expressly prohibits any price-fixing or agreement among undertakings (whether bilaterally or multilaterally) or by undertakings acting in consensus on the platform, or under the aegis of an association to fix prices, coordinate supply or any other commercially sensitive factors that can limit or substantially prevent competition; or otherwise distort the market.”
The consumer protection agency stated that the FCCPA provides stiff penalties for “cartels or any similar coordinated or collusive conduct among competitors, even at association levels”.
The FCCPC said it will enforce the law to its fullest extent “where there is sufficient evidence that a business has, or is participating in any such prohibited conduct or arrangement either directly, or indirectly.”
“To the extent that any combination of undertakings, including AMMBAN indeed met, agreed, or decided to impose uniform or coordinated fees/tariffs for services this
announcement should serve to ensure such undertakings cease and desist from that arrangement or similar discussions/conduct.”


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IBM is launching a $500 million venture fund to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) companies.
The fund’s primary focus will be on accelerating generative AI technology and research for the enterprise, IBM said in a Tuesday (Nov. 7) press release. The IBM Enterprise AI Venture Fund aims to invest in current and future AI firms that are driving the adoption of AI in businesses worldwide.
The fund will provide startups with opportunities to establish meaningful partnerships with IBM, gain operational expertise in product and engineering, and develop go-to-market strategies. Led by a team of investors and enterprise AI experts, the fund aims to fuel innovation, strategic partnerships and generate returns by investing in enterprise AI-focused startups.
“With the launch of the IBM Enterprise AI Venture Fund, we’re opening another channel to harness the enormous potential of the AI revolution into tangible, positive outcomes for IBM and the companies we invest in, Rob Thomas, senior vice president, software and chief commercial officer and IBM, said. “This fund is yet another way we’re doubling down on our commitment to responsible AI innovation through watsonx and helping organizations put this transformational technology to work.”
IBM has been increasingly backing businesses in the AI space.
In August, the tech giant participated in the $235 million Series D funding round of Hugging Face, an open-source platform for the machine learning community. IBM has contributed numerous open models and datasets on Hugging Face, including the Geospatial Foundation Model developed in partnership with NASA, according to the press release.
IBM is also making its own forays into the space.
The tech firm debuted watsonx in May, an artificial intelligence platform to help businesses integrate AI.
“We built IBM watsonx for the needs of enterprises, so that clients can be more than just users, they can become AI advantaged,” CEO Arvind Krishna said at the time. “With IBM watsonx, clients can quickly train and deploy custom AI capabilities across their entire business, all while retaining full control of their data.”
The company recently announced the general availability of the first models in the watsonx Granite model series, aimed at advancing the infusion of generative AI into business applications and workflows, per the release. IBM also confirmed that standard contractual intellectual property protections for IBM products will apply to IBM-developed watsonx AI models. Furthermore, IBM plans to host Meta’s Llama 2-chat 70 billion parameter model within watsonx.
All this comes as business increasingly consider using AI to boost their efficiencies.
Andrew Gleiser, chief revenue officer at payments provider Aeropay, told PYMNTS earlier this year that he sees “two areas in the near term” that generative AI technology can impact, and one “right now” that is already taking off.
“There’s a huge opportunity to help customers deploy core features faster, and [for businesses] to repurpose staff to help with more advanced integrations,” he said.
For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.


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Crytek, the developers of Homefront 2 has now confirmed that the intellectual property of the Homefront franchise is now theirs, after paying around $500,000 for the rights.
According to the developer, Crytek U.K, the game is still in production and will be shown off at this years E3 show.
So those of you who were worried that we wouldn’t see a follow-up to the original Homefront, your worries can now be eased with this news.
Speaking to CVG, Crytek boss Cevat Yerli shared some details on what to expect from the sequel:
“Since we first reached an agreement to develop Homefront 2, we’ve been firm believers in the IP and its potential to excite and amaze players.”
He goes on to say:
“Our cooperation with THQ was always positive and we would like to thank them for all their support over the last two years and express our sympathy to those affected by the recent events at the company.”
“From day one, the Homefront 2 team has been committed to creating a game that takes the series to new heights and features the level of quality and innovation associated with Crytek.”
The original Homefront wasn’t the most popular of games when it first released, but the strong ideas behind the narrative gave it an interesting edge over the usual mass of military-based first-person-shooters. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Crytek have managed to do with the franchise and I think it’s definitely one to watch over the summer when Homefront 2 receives its official unveiling.
Are you looking forward to Homefront 2? Did you enjoy the first one? Let us know in the comments below.


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Apple misses by a mile: Wipes out $43B
Apple (AAPL) missed by a mile.
Fanning concerns the world has finally reached a saturation point with smartphones, Apple late Tuesday stunned investors by missing revenue and profit forecasts for the March quarter. It was even worse than widely expected - and expectations were already low.
The company reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.90 a share, which is well below the $2 a share expected by analysts. It's not just a matter of just missing forecasts. Profit fell 18% from the same period a year ago. Revenue also missed expectations, falling about 12% to $50.6 billion, the biggest drop in revenue since the third-quarter of 2001, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
A slowdown in the company's star product, its popular smartphone, was largely to blame. "As anticipated, the top-line came in below expectations driven by slowdown in iPhone units," Abhey Lamba, an analyst at brokerage Mizuho Securities, said in a note to clients.
Apple investors, watch out for a bear stampede
Apple shipped 51 million smartphones, which was ahead of expectations. But the average selling price of each of those phones was $625, well below the $659 analysts expected, Lamba says. Meanwhile, the company's drop in tablet sales continued, with units down 19% from last year, Lamba says.
Shares of Apple got hit hard early Wednesday, plunging more than 7% to $96.60. The downward move means the company shed about $43 billion in market value.
Apple reports first drop in iPhone sales ever
The collapse in Apple's profits and the stock is the latest and biggest problem for increasingly nervous tech investors. Just last week both Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT) missed revenue and earnings forecasts for the first quarter. Trouble in Apple is also a problem for investors at large, since the company is the most valuable stock in the Standard & Poor's 500, giving it a huge effect on the value of the market. Prior to the after-hours selloff, Apple was valued at $579 billion - outstripping any other company in the S&P 500.
Apple is facing the same challenge that's plagued other companies that have become so dominant. The company's sheer size and influence create a practically impossible barrier to growth - as matching its past success and growth is increasingly difficult. Exxon Mobil (XOM), Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Microsoft are all examples of companies that have struggled to maintain growth.
There is at least one bright spot to Apple's sheer size: Cash - and lots of its. Apple ended the March quarter with cash and investments of $232 billion, up 7.4% from the end of 2015. The company also said it was boosting the quarterly dividend 10% to 57 cents a share.
Follow Matt Krantz on Twitter @mattkrantz


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Dorset County Council is looking to outsource ICT technical resources in a framework agreement worth between £1m and £100m. In The Official Journal of the European Union notice, the council states that...
High profile attacks like WannaCry have pushed cybercrime into the public eye
Don't panic! Oracle releases 237 patches fixing 153 vulnerabilities in business-critical applications
Critical flaws in Fusion Middleware, PeopleSoft and MICROS retail applications fixed in Oracle's latest Critical Patch Update
Hackers are becoming craftier and focusing on identity theft
Google removes fraudulent extensions


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The 2012 Paris Auto Show is still two weeks away, but we have already got information on almost every model that will be displayed at the show. For example, Abarth has announced the launch of a new customization program that will offer clients the opportunity to customize their car down to the smallest detail. The new "Fuori Serie" was inspired by the cars that have written the brand’s history, going from the Fiat 750 Record and 124 Sanremo all the way up to the X19 prototype. All of these cars have one thing in common: they are all record-breaking cars.
The 695 "Fuori Serie" to be displayed in Paris features a very cool "Olio Fiat" livery which appeared first on the Fiat 124 Abarth Rally at the 1976 Montecarlo Rally. Under the hood, Fiat has placed the 1.4 16v Turbo T-Jet which will deliver an impressive 180 HP. Each customer will have the possibility to choose between a range of colors and materials that are not offered in the standard product range. These will range from carbon fiber to sports fabrics, from leather to Alcantara, and from glossy to matte liveries.
You know an automaker is having fun with the success of a model when they can’t seem to have too many special edition models in its fold. This is exactly the case of Fiat and the lovable 500 hatchback.
The Italian automaker has a new special edition version of the 500 called the "Street." It will be available in the UK and comes with a choice of five different colors, including Bossanova White, Pasodoble Red, Crossover Black, Electroclash Grey, and Matte Black. In addition, the 500 Street also has satin chrome finished moldings, handles, and door mirrors, as well as dark tinted windows and alloy wheels.
Fiat will be making the 500 Street available in three different powertrain trims, including a 0.9-liter TwinAir engine, the 1.2-liter petrol engine, and the 1.3-liter MultiJet 2 diesel engine. We’re not too impressed with the car’s performance credibility, but with plenty of aesthetic additions, there’s still a measure of fresh and sporty appeal attached to the 500 Street.
Added options can also be had, including air conditioning, sports seats, a new set of 16" alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel with radio controls, and a Blue&Me infotainment system.
Interested in the Fiat 500 Street? Well, be prepared to shell out £11,360, or about $18,000 based on current exchange rates.
When Fiat went about and revived the 500 line, we didn’t know they had so many trims planned for the little-hatchback-that-could.
Earlier this week, reports of a 500XL were making the rounds. That was even preceded by the 500C, the 500L, and the 500X.
Now, it’s the 500 Turbo’s turn.
The Fiat 500 Turbo is, for all intents and purposes, a rebadged Abarth 500 with a few notable changes to the look and performance make-up of the car. Nevertheless, whatever you’re getting for the Abarth 500, the 500 Turbo is offering it in about 80% dosage.
Not surprisingly, the 500 Turbo costs more than you would expect for a hatchback. The $19,000 price tag, whatever shape or form they come in, is still a tad too pricey for a car like the 500. Even if it’s been prepared as a ’turbo’ model.
Find out more about the Fiat 500 Turbo after the jump. Full story
Ever since Fiat brought back the 500 some years back, there seems to have been a renewed approach in bringing their iconic model to a new generation of consumers. In keeping with what’s become a trend in the industry these days - hey there, MINI! - Fiat has gone the route of introducing an extraordinary amount of different models under the 500 line.
The first one that was released was the 500L, a five-passenger model that expands the brand’s style and efficiency in the growing B-segment. From there, Fiat unveiled the 500X, a crossover that’s being touted as a direct rival to the MINI Countryman.
Not content with their expanded line-up, Fiat decided to take it to a whole new level with a minivan that’s being touted as the Fiat 500 XL. We’re tempted to assume that ’XL’ means "extra large," which wouldn’t be too far off considering that the ’L’ in 500L stands for "large."
Recent patent drawings compiled by Carscoop have provided us with the first look of what could very well be the seven-seater 500XL. In order to accommodate the third row of seats, the 500XL is rumored to measure a full six inches longer in the rear overhang than the 500L model, which already had a length of 13.6."
Fiat hasn’t made any formal announcements on the future of the 500XL, although a fair estimate points to the Paris Motor Show as the venue of the 500XL’s debut.
With all of the iterations of the current 500 galloping around the streets, Fiat wanted to remind us what an amazing car the 500 was back in the 1970s with the launch of a very cool Color Therapy Edition. The new 500 Color Therapy Edition was created in cooperation with top fashion and beauty photographer Elisabeth Hoff and will be offered in both hatchback and convertible versions. Prices will range from £10,760 (about $16,800 at the current exchange rates) to £14,510 ($22,700 at the current rates).
The new 500 Color Therapy edition will be offered in a choice of five special paint colors: New Age Cream, Countrypolitan Yellow, Pasodoble Red, Volare Blue, and Tech House Grey. The list of standard equipment includes air conditioning, special paint, white mirror covers, white wheel covers, a ‘poolball’ design gear knob, and specific key cover. Customers can choose between a 0.9-liter TwinAir or a 1.2-liter petrol engine.
"The special colors and stylish new touches will make the Fiat 500 an even more attractive proposition for our customers," says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK. "Tasteful features such as the white door mirror covers and ‘poolball’ design gear knob in matching colour, take the popular 500 to a new level, showing just how timeless this classic city car really is."
Chrysler has had only one mass-produced electrified vehicle in its history and that was the now-discontinued Durango hybrid. According to a report from Bloomberg, Chrysler is once again kicking around the thought of electrified vehicles, be it by 100 percent electricity or some sort of hybrid system.
Bob Lee, the head of Chrysler’s engine and electrified propulsion engineering department was quoted as saying “We do believe in electrification, sparingly and for the right kinds of targeted applications.” This basically means that Chrysler is taking its dive into electric propulsion very carefully until it knows that there is a market among Chrysler buyers.
That’s not a huge shock, considering that Chrysler was pulled from the financial flames twice in the last decade, or so – once by Daimler and once by Fiat. Chrysler is finally pulling in a profit and now it’s actually carrying its parent company, Fiat, on its shoulders to keep it from drowning in debt.
Speaking of Fiat, Lee also confirmed in the same report that Fiat is moving into production of the anticipated 500EV, the electric-powered Fiat 500. The 500EV will go into production later on this year and be ready for release sometime in the 2013 model year.
The 500EV will likely be the testing grounds for Chrysler to see if it is a profitable venture or not. We are willing to bet that buyers gobble up the 500EV and that Chrysler soon follows suit with a small EV of their own. Down the road, with fuel prices going how they are, we may even see the Viper utilizing a hybrid system, much like Ferrari is planing to install on its upcoming Enzo/F70.
We’ll keep an eye on this and let you know once there is some confirmation on a Chrysler with electric propulsion.
Over the past few months, we’ve learned that the Fiat 500 Abarth has become more than just a token cute little car. If you put it in the hands of an aftermarket company that knows what its doing, impressive things can come out of it.
We learned it from Lazzarini Design, and now German tuner G-Tech is proving that they can make a rocket out of the Abarth 500 too. Armed with a host of aesthetic and mechanical improvements, the Abarth 500 Sportster - as it has come to be known - is far from a standard 500. Far, far from it.
For starters, the car’s roof has been lowered by 14cm. The front fascia’s also been revised and a new set of alloy wheels have been added. Inside, there’s the addition of a pair of a carbon fiber trim and the addition of sports seats. While these enhancements do look good on paper, the highlight of G-Tech’s program are three different engine modifications that include two road-ready versions and one that’s ready for some race track action.
The first two involve base 230CV variant upgrades on the car’s 1.4-liter engine, resulting in an output of 230 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. Impressive, right? Not as much when you add an adjustable rear wing, bigger wheel arches, and a G-Tech INOX Le Mans exhaust system with electronically-operated exhaust valves into the mix. With these in tow, that’s an output of 260 horsepower and 258 lb/ft of torque.
Then there’s the track version, which has been dubbed the Sportster GT/R. With a completely new 2.0-liter engine, the 500 Sportster is now capable of producing a stout 350 horsepower and 332 lb/ft of torque.
Not too shabby for an Abarth 500.
Abarth is celebrating the launch of the new high-performance 500 and 595 ranges on the UK market with the launch of a special 595 Turismo edition. The model is priced at £17,725 ($21,798 at current rates) when based on the 500 version and at £19,625 ($24,125 at the current rates) when based on the 500C version.
The new 595 Turismo will be distinguished by Titanium Grey front and rear sports grilles, upgraded front and rear dampers, and dark tinted rear windows. For the interior, the model gets a "Turismo" pack that includes Alutex pedals, footrest and door kick-plates, bespoke floor mats, and machined aluminum fuel and oil filler caps. Leather upholstery and automatic climate control will also be offered as standard equipment, while, as an option, Abarth will provide a very cool set of 17-inch 10-spoke Diamond finish alloy wheels combined with red brake calipers.
The Fiat 595 Abarth Turismo is powered by a turbocharged 1.4 T-Jet engine that delivers a total of 160 HP and mated to either a manual gearbox or with Abarth’s MTA (Manual Transmission Automated) semi-automatic gearbox.
Say what you will about his pop-culture shows, but when it comes to reviewing cars, Jay Leno knows what’s going on. In his series, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” we have seen numerous cars come in and out, but the Fiat 500 Abarth is one of the few cars to come into his garage that Jay hasn’t had the chance to drive yet.
Jay finally caught up with Fiat and snagged up a 500 Abarth, despite their very short supply, to test drive. Jay did what we all would do the second he got behind the wheel of this high-performance compact hatchback... He pushed it as hard as it would go.
You know what, the 500 Abarth took everything Jay threw at it and it just kept asking for more. We are quick to rag on the 500 lineup, mostly because Fiat has consistently added new models based on the exact same car, but this Abarth model is not one that is deserving of the taunting we give the lineup. It truly is a sports car in a compact car’s body.
At one point, Jay decides it’s time to pull a U-turn. Instead of coming to a complete stop, then slowly turning around, Jay quickly yanks up the E-brake, whips the car around, then smolders the tires as he takes off in the other direction. That was quite simply the marque moment in this video.
Man, it sure is good to be Jay Leno! Check out the video to see for yourself.
Fiat is celebrating the 500’s 5th anniversary with the unveiling of two very cool Happy Birthday editions, offered for both coupe and convertible versions. The two versions will be limited to only 555 units and will be priced from €12,900 ($15,900 at the current exchange rates) for the coupe model and €15,400 ($19,000 at the current rates) for the cabrio version.
The new 500 and 500C Happy Birthday editions will be distinguished by elements like vintage-style wheel covers, a white finish for the door mirrors and roof antenna, and a bespoke key fob. Fiat will also be offering a new exclusive Cappuccino beige exterior color.
Fiat is offering air conditioning, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, electric windows, chrome trim, and an MP3 / CD-Radio as standard.
The new Happy Birthday editions will be offered with a choice of two engines: a 1.2-liter four-cylinder with 68 HP and a 0.9-liter turbocharged two-cylinder TwinAir that delivers a total of 84 HP.


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- What does Elon Musk say about Bitcoin?
- How much Bitcoin does Elon Musk have?
- What does Bill Gates think about Bitcoin?
- Is Tesla the new Bitcoin?
- What is the future for Bitcoin?
- Is a bitcoin a physical coin?
- How many bitcoin does Bill Gates have?
- Will Bitcoin prices go up?
- Is Bitcoin going to continue to go up?
- How much is a copper Bitcoin worth?
- Can you buy a real Bitcoin?
- Did Warren Buffet invest in Bitcoin?
- Will Dogecoin hit $1?
What does Elon Musk say about Bitcoin?
Elon Musk finally revealed his nuanced stance on cryptocurrencies, saying that they could be a valid replacement to cash and its usage in illegal transactions.
After a long and cryptic series of tweets on Bitcoin (BTC), SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk elaborated his stance on cryptocurrencies in a Jan.
How much Bitcoin does Elon Musk have?
revealed on Twitter that he owns only a tiny fraction of one bitcoin token. “I literally own zero cryptocurrency, apart from . 25 BTC that a friend sent me many years ago,” Musk confessed. Using today’s bitcoin price of about $10,000 a coin, that translates to $2,500.
What does Bill Gates think about Bitcoin?
Bill Gates’ cryptocurrency views are concentrated around the privacy features. The main point of the opinion of Bill Gates on Bitcoin is that the privacy features allow hidden money laundering, terrorism funding and drug dealing and is a major problem of it. Crypto assets are a high-risk investment.
Is Tesla the new Bitcoin?
Thanks to a significant uptick in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock since the start of 2020, a new narrative has emerged: Tesla stock is—apparently—the new bitcoin. The chronicle of Tesla’s price surge—and its kinship to BTC—is being picked apart by nearly every analyst of late.
What is the future for Bitcoin?
Bitcoin will soar again
After a rejuvenating 2019, it appears bitcoin is on the rise once more. While its underlying market is virtually inscrutable—billions of dollars shuttle between traders in the black market—there is one fundamental change on the horizon.
Is a bitcoin a physical coin?
Brass- and gold-plated physical Bitcoins are now available. Just don’t let the FBI know Bitcoins aren’t just an abstract financial instrument living somewhere in the digital ether anymore. They’re now a physical currency capable of taking a ride in your pocket or scratching off your lottery tickets.
How many bitcoin does Bill Gates have?
In 2010–11 people were able to mine Bitcoins using their PCs. If Winklevoss Brothers have more than 10000 Bitcoins, it is very easy for Bill Gates to earn more than that. We can fairly assume he has more than 10000 Bitcoins with him.
Will Bitcoin prices go up?
Bitcoin prices may not rise during the halving
Bitcoin halving is an event that takes place every four years, which halves the rates at which new bitcoins are created. The next halving is scheduled to take place in May. From a historical standpoint, bitcoin prices have increased due to supply and demand.
Is Bitcoin going to continue to go up?
Yes, a new Bitcoin halving will happen on May 17, 2020, and after this event, the block reward will be halved again (to 6.25 BTC). Such a reduction will lead to an increase in demand and, accordingly, price. Therefore, 2020 may be better than 2019.
How much is a copper Bitcoin worth?
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Can you buy a real Bitcoin?
Current items for sale do not contain bitcoins. Casascius Bitcoins are physical coins you can hold – and each one is worth real digital bitcoins. Each piece has its own Bitcoin address and a redeemable “private key” on the inside, underneath the hologram.
Did Warren Buffet invest in Bitcoin?
This week, Buffett, 89, who built his fortune and career betting on well-performing stocks, promised he would “never” own bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency as they have “no value”—despite the combined cryptocurrency market boasting a market capitalization of over $260 billion, double where it was this time last year.
Will Dogecoin hit $1?
Over the last 30 days, the price of DOGE has stayed within the range of $0.0035 to $0.0024. Before the end of this year, the price of Dogecoin has what it takes to move as high as $0.009 and $1. If it doesn’t hit $1 by the end of 2019, it will hit this level by the first quarter of 2020.


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Fort Collins Xfinity Store to open with 'Game of Thrones' experience
Comcast will open its new Xfinity Store at Foothills shopping center with an HBO "Game of Thrones" interactive experience with the Iron Throne and all.
Three handcrafted replica dragons will also be on display at the ribbon cutting, set for 10 a.m. Friday.
The displays will be on site through Dec. 30.
The store will have the latest iPhone models and home automation gadgets. Customers can also pay their bills, return equipment and get help with any service issues.
Fort Collins Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Horak and Councilmember Ray Martinez, along with Comcast Colorado leaders and Fort Collins business and community leaders, will attend the ceremony and grand opening event.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Foothills is located at 215 E. Foothills Pkwy. in Midtown Fort Collins.


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An expired digital certificate could misplace some devices purchased before 2017
The digital certificate is an integral part of internet security, but an expired certificate can also trick devices that are not updated. This is what could happen to millions of devices after today. A digital certificate issued by Let’s Encrypt is due to expire today, which means internet connectivity for older devices may stop working.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The IdentTrust DST Root CA X3 digital certificate is shelved, and smartphones, computers, IoT devices, game consoles, and other devices purchased before 2017 may stop working. This is only true if those devices use that particular certificate and have not been updated with the latest software, like iPhones running iOS 9 and earlier.
The issue will mainly affect popular devices, such as iPhones running iOS 9 and earlier, Android phones running software 2.3.6, Windows computers running software prior to XP SP3, PS3 and PS4 game consoles from Sony and Nintendo 3DS.
âCertain older devices from 2016 and before and any gadget containing the word ‘smart’ that requires internet connectivity, such as certain televisions, light bulbs, refrigerators and home control apps, could be affected by this certificate expiration,â said the security researcher. and cybersecurity expert Scott Helme. âIt’s not clear how bad this problem will be, but something somewhere is definitely going to break. There will be a bunch of fires tomorrow, and we’ll just have to put them out.
This digital certificate is one of the first important certificates to expire since the Internet began using it for authentication. According to Yahoo News, there is no protocol to deal with the problem other than making sure your devices are updated. This could be a problem for those who have never updated.
âThere weren’t any squeaky wheels, so no one ever oiled it. It’s a whole new problem, âHelme said.
âSome companies have been proactive in educating customers on this issue, and some companies have gotten lazy and haven’t done their homework and expect customers to find out for themselves if problems start to occur. on older devices, âsaid Leonard Grove, CEO of SSL.com, a well-known private commercial provider of digital certificates.
It will be interesting to see what happens from today. Are any of these devices still using old software? Please share your thoughts on one of the social media pages listed below. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
Last updated September 30, 2021.


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The Cargo agency announced 23 new hires over the past five months, including today’s appointment of a new public relations director, Richard George, a former executive at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Publicis. Cargo’s new employees include additions to the creative, account services, digital, analytics, and public relations teams.
“We are growing dramatically as an agency primarily because we have shown that big brands can secure strategic insights and creative output without hiring a big-budget New York agency,” says Toby Stansell, CEO of Cargo. “Our recent hires are from all over the country and their work rivals that of any agency. Case in point, Richard’s experience with Ogilvy and Publicis in New York will enable us to better meet a client’s public relations needs and promote the Cargo brand — all from our two locations in Greenville, SC and Toronto, Canada.”
Mr. George’s experience includes positions with several public relations firms in New York City. Among that experience was a stint as the U.S. Director of Business Operations for Publicis Dialog, the former name for the public relations arm of Paris-based advertising giant Publicis Groupe. Previously, he was a vice president in the New York office of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. During his 30-year career, Mr. George also held positions with Rubenstein Public Relations and Grant PR as well as serving as the Director of Public Relations for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
“Cargo has a track record of delivering top-notch marketing solutions and services to some of the world’s most recognizable companies. I am confident we can strengthen and grow our public relations capabilities to meet the demands of those clients, while also building the Cargo brand,” said Mr. George.
With offices in Greenville, SC and Toronto, Canada, the 55-employee Cargo agency has been delivering advertising and marketing solutions and services to clients since its founding in 2006. The agency specializes in connecting big brands with medium- to small-business customers, and services some of the world’s largest and best-known companies. Cargo was named one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine in 2020. You can learn more about Cargo at www.thecargoagency.com


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Dwayne Johnson has made history with his Tequila brand ‘Teremana’! Recently, the superstar human being ‘Dwayne Johnson’, often known as ‘the rock’ took to his Instagram post to share this good news of his Tequila brand cracking the top 5 list!
“World’s BEST as our @teremana cracks the TOP 5 – THANK YOU
This one means a great deal to us as we take great pride in delivering the highest of QUALITY to all of you and also considering the extraordinary tequilas on this list.
Slow roasted, hand crafted and respected – made the right way – we are proudly the tequila of the people,” posted the star.
Through this very post ‘the rock’ expressed his wholehearted gratitude to all those well-wishers who made this venture a grand success. He also exclaimed that he was indeed honored to share the brand with everybody out there and took to his pride for the quality of the product, which he believed as the primary reason for its triumph.
“Teremana” hits a huge milestone!
“I’m going to work extremely hard to not only deliver legacy to our consumers but also I want to pass on this legacy to my children,” he added. He shared the history of establishing his brand of Tequila in one of the most recent interviews that he gave to ‘The People’.
Digging deep about the success of ‘Teremana’, there is a lot that went on behind the scenes. “I felt like in order for the brand to have legitimate longevity, I had to learn and absorb the tequila business and history from day one, going to Mexico and spending time with the families who have been in the industry for generations,” he says. “We went through 113 distillations before we perfected it.”


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- News & Education
It was a monumental year for two of the biggest electric car makers – Tesla and NIO in 2020. The stocks of both companies rose significantly over the last 12 months with NIO gaining over 1000% and Tesla by over 350% – reaching new record highs.
With such gains, both companies have attracted significant public interest and a lot of investors have been keeping a close eye on both of the company’s progress. But recently, we have seen a bump in the road for both companies with the share price of NIO, Tesla, and other electric car makers dropping, causing concern for the investors.
But should this be a concern or an opportunity for investors? I think there would be two sides, but I guess most investors would look at it as an opportunity, seeing that the share price has dropped despite the future prospects for both companies. There were a lot of doubters for Tesla in its early days when Elon Musk’s company was burning through cash each day, but that hasn’t stopped the company evolve into what it is today and at one point making Musk the richest person in the world.
Also – the future of the world is green. A lot of countries around the world have already banned the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030 onwards. However, I think the world is still some way away from being ready for most people to own an electric car, especially from the infrastructure perspective.
Most people would probably think that you will need to charge your electric car at a charging station (or at home) and wait hours for it to be done – which in some cases will probably be true. However, the infrastructure for electric cars must be more advanced than that. We live in a world where we expect everything straight away and the same will happen with charging electric cars – that is why we are seeing companies working on battery swap stations which will make the process quick and easy. The battery in electric cars has long-range and will probably increase over time. For example, NIO’s model ET7 has a battery range of around 621 miles (around 1,000 km). This means you could drive from London to Paris and back with the same battery charge (the quickest route from London to Paris is 292.3 miles according to Google Maps).
But with all the positives, there are and will be challenges for the electric car manufacturers. This week NIO announced that the global chip shortage will have an impact on their car production in the second quarter of the year. They highlighted that the shortage of semiconductors and batteries will mean that the company will have to cut its production capacity from 10,000 to 7,500 vehicles.
The share price of NIO have fallen by over 25% in the last month, trading at around $42 per share. Tesla shares have also seen a drop in the last month, down by 20% – trading at $677 per share.
You can trade Tesla (TSLA) and NIO (NIO) and many other stocks from the ASX, NYSE, and the NASDAQ with GO Markets as a Share CFD. Click here for more information. Capital at risk.
Disclaimer: Articles are from GO Markets analysts and contributors and are based on their independent analysis or personal experiences. Views, opinions or trading styles expressed are their own, and should not be taken as either representative of or shared by GO Markets. Advice, if any, is of a ‘general’ nature and not based on your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider how appropriate the advice, if any, is to your objectives, financial situation and needs, before acting on the advice. If the advice relates to acquiring a particular financial product, you should obtain and consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Financial Services Guide (FSG) for that product before making any decisions.


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The elaborate list of gifts, which also include a horse called Espuela and a Mini Cooper car, is part of the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet which was accessed by Asianet Newsable.
Entertainment Dec 14, 2021, 3:26 PM IST
Patralekhaa chose a gorgeous red lehenga for her D-day covered in elegant jewellery pieces. Rajkummar Rao, on the other hand, wore a beige sherwani.
Entertainment Nov 15, 2021, 8:44 PM IST
Filmmaker Ekta Kapoor has now turned entrepreneur and launched her home décor brand Ek: Bring India Back Home.
Entertainment Nov 10, 2021, 2:18 PM IST
Gold prices fell by Rs 190 while silver rose by Rs 1,800 on Saturday.
Business Nov 6, 2021, 9:07 AM IST
Latest reports suggest that Vicky Kaushal's mother sent special Diwali gift hamper that included sweets, sarees and some jewellery pieces to Katrina Kaif; read on
Entertainment Nov 5, 2021, 3:38 PM IST
Let us take a look at the rates of 22-carat gold and silver across the cities
Business Nov 5, 2021, 9:43 AM IST
Prices of gold jewellery vary across the nation due to state and central levies and making charges.
Business Nov 4, 2021, 10:46 AM IST
Jewellers reported strong sales on Dhanteras in the wake of a slight dip in gold prices.
Business Nov 3, 2021, 11:15 AM IST
Aishwarya Rai has everything from expensive, luxurious houses to posh cars to valuable jewellery pieces and more. On her 48th birthday, let us look into her shocking net worth.
Entertainment Nov 1, 2021, 12:11 PM IST
Shopping on Dhanteras is considered very auspicious. But here are 10 things which you should not be buying on November 2.
Lifestyle Oct 28, 2021, 2:29 PM IST
In a CCTV video, a man tried to steal a gold chain from a store but ended up returning it.
Weird News Jul 9, 2021, 12:57 PM IST
A viral video shows a South Indian bride, wearing bridal jewellery and wedding attire, surrounded by golgappas around her. Also, a member of her family puts a Golgappa crown on her head.
Weird News Jul 6, 2021, 4:03 PM IST
We all remember how gorgeous Mira Rajput looked on her wedding day do you know she once repeated her wedding jewellery.
Entertainment Jun 29, 2021, 1:21 PM IST
9 popular Bollywood actresses who spent extravagantly on this piece of jewellery called mangalsutra
Entertainment May 15, 2021, 11:13 AM IST
As per initial details, cash, jewellery, expensive watches and gold utensils were recovered during ACB's raid at CESCom Superintendent Engineer KM Munigopal Raju's house in Mysuru, Karnataka.
Top Stories Mar 9, 2021, 11:41 AM IST


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A motorcycle accident attorney who was among the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the motorcycle manufacturer that makes the Honda CR-V says he is planning to sue the company for using a copyrighted image in its advertising.
In the suit filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, Matthew McBride argues that the CR-T has been used as a vehicle advertisement by motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki for years without his permission, even though he’s been using it since 1999.
McBride was one of the plaintiffs who sued Kawasaki in 2014, saying the company had illegally used the CRT in its ads.
McBride said he received an email last week from Kawasaki asking him to send a letter to the company, and said he’d look into the matter.
“I am not sure what to make of it, and I think it’s just another way of using the CR,” McBride told Ars.
“They’re trying to make a little bit of money off of it,” McBrides lawsuit continued.
“I’ve been using this bike since 1999, and since then I’ve never had an accident.”
McBride has been using the Honda for about six years and has no accidents on the motorcycle.
In his lawsuit, McBride said Kawasaki used the image in advertisements from 1999 to 2017.
“It’s clear that Kawasaki has copied and pasted the CR image in an attempt to promote the CR model,” the suit said.
McBrides claims the CR has been on display at motorcycle shows, on the Internet, and on billboards, including in the city of New Haven, Connecticut.
Mcbrides said he contacted the company’s advertising and public relations department to request that it remove the image.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t have the authority to do that,” Mcbrides’ lawsuit said.
“Instead of sending me a letter, they sent me a cease and desist letter,” McConway said.
“It seems that if you do a search on their website, it turns up an entire ad for the CR.”
McConway also contacted the American Automobile Association and said that the association did not support Kawasaki’s use of the CR as a marketing tool.
The association said it has a policy against commercial use of copyrighted images.
“The association’s policy prohibits commercial use, or any use that is likely to be harmful, of copyrighted material, such as photographs, sound recordings, artwork, and video clips,” the association said in a statement.
The CR-X is one of Kawasakis newest motorcycles.
It’s available in four colors: white, red, blue, and green.
McConways lawsuit also alleges that Kawakis advertisements are being used in an ad for an ad blocker program called ProGuard, which McBride believes is part of a marketing campaign by the motorcycle company.
McConnell said the ads are being displayed in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Japan, and India.
McBRides lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, attorneys fees, and unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.


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According to the organisers, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2020 finished on a high note, with a large local turnout. After an 8-month delay, the seventh joint exhibition attracted about 65,000 people over the course of 5 days.
Following China’s post-pandemic economic rebound, exhibitors were overjoyed to be able to meet with local clients from the world’s largest textile manufacturing hub. Furthermore, they were delighted to welcome international guests who were able to go to Shanghai. “Due to the Coronavirus epidemic, there were fewer international visitors, but we were extremely happy with our participation,” said Yang Zengxing, General Manager of Karl Mayer (China).
The combined ITMA ASIA + CITME show had 1237 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions. In an onsite exhibitor poll of over 1000 exhibitors, more than 60% of respondents said they were pleased with the quality of visitors. 30 percent reported closing business transactions, with more than 60 percent estimating sales ranging from RMB300,000 to more than RMB3 million.
According to the findings of ASIA + CITME 2020, the combined exhibition is still the most successful commercial platform in China for the sector. Following a spectacular rebound in local demand, the textile sector is eager to go forward; there is a pressing need to expand production capacity fast, and firms have resumed plans to invest in new machinery.
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Armed with stacks of resumes, more than 100 people showed up in the first hour Saturday at a job fair aimed at finding staff for companies in the new Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport.
The event was intended to fill some of the mall’s expected 1,000 positions in stores and eating spots, as well as contract service providers for janitorial, security and guest services teams.
The facility, which plans to eventually have about 100 retailers, opens May 2 at more than 75-per-cent occupancy.
Marko Prasad, the Levi’s Tailor Shop area manager for B.C and Alberta, said he was looking to find about 30 employees and by about noon he had hired 10 of them.
“This kind of job fair is very helpful,” he said, as applicants milled around him at the Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel ballroom.
“This is the best turnout I’ve seen at a job fair. This will give a great opportunity to hire.”
He thinks the 40,000-square-metre mall on the west side of Highway 2 will be a destination shopping experience for tourists.
People arrived at the job fair with their resumes and walked out employed, said Jason Bos, the mall’s general manager.
It was Kristina Cooper’s second event of this type. The Leduc resident was looking for a full-time job, had given out 20 applications, and said she felt good about her chances.
Jolene Vlieg, a Grade 12 student at Leduc Composite High School, was looking for a part-time position in the clothing field.
“Something to balance with school,” she said.
Although online shopping is popular, people still prefer to see and feel what they buy, said a few of the retailers.
Bos said buying items online only accounts for six to eight per cent of Canadian retail sales.
“A lot of that is in things such as electronics,” he said. “People still like the experience of trying on a pair of shoes, seeing how a blouse looks on them. Our goal is to create that experience for the shoppers.”
Brayden Sonnenberg, a Grade 10 student at Leduc Composite High School, was at the fair with his friends.
“The guy at A&W shook my hand and said ‘Welcome to your first job,’ so I’m thinking I got one,” he said.
The fair continues at the Renaissance Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.


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Microsoft has announced July’s Games With Gold lineup. There will be a total of 3 games available for you to download for free, while Max and the Curse of Brotherhood will remain available in July.
Gotham City Impostors
Monolith’s superhero themed shooter is set to get another free content update today (or yesterday, depending on your timezone). The update adds a new map, a new game mode and the option to select different spoken languages for your heroes and villains. Trailer after the break.
A trio of Square-Enix titles as well as the Twisted Metal Beta round out this week’s PlayStation Store update!
Here’s a brand new animated trailer for Gotham City Impostors.
Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announce that Gotham City Impostors will be available beginning January 10, 2012, on Xbox LIVE™ Arcade and PlayStation®Network, as well as for Windows PC. (more…)
With everyone looking to Batman: Arkham City, the less famous Gotham City Imposters sign-up is now open for console players.
A brand new Gotham City Imposter video has been release with Associate Producer, Lucas Myers, walking you through the character customization.
Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment unveil an all-new trailer for the upcoming download-only multiplayer first-person shooter, Gotham City Impostors. Featuring a look at the target-neutralizing Hatchet and the enemy-battering Bear Trap, this trailer showcases a few of the games’ customisation options and gives a glimpse at just how crazy players can make their Jokerz and how buff they can make their Bats. Hit the jump for the full press release and new trailer.


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As meat production becomes unsustainable, Dinsa Sachan investigates the potential of meat substitutes
When the World Health Organization’s cancer agency linked processed meat and red meat with stomach cancer last year after reviewing 800 studies, meat lovers around the world got a wake-up call. Moreover, many investigative documentaries, such as Food Inc. and Cowspiracy, have shown that industrial farms damage the environment, treat animals cruelly and breed them in unhygienic conditions.
These factors have resulted in some people limiting meat in their diet and could help explain the growing popularity of veganism and vegetarianism in the UK. In the last 10 years, the number of vegans has more than tripled in the country, according to the Vegan Society.
But quitting meat for good isn’t easy. Meat eaters miss the taste of succulent animal muscle tissue. However, there’s new hope for people looking for alternatives to conventional animal proteins: artificial meat.
Enter artificial meat
Traditional meat replacements like tofu (soy bean curd) and seitan (wheat protein) has been around for a while, but a number of companies around the world are beginning to produce new-generation meat substitutes that they claim are as good as real meat.
Overall, the modern meat substitutes industry seems to be following two paths. One set of companies is exclusively using plant material to make meat. Companies in this category include Beyond Meat, The Vegetarian Butcher and Impossible Foods. Others such as Memphis Meats, Mosa Meat and SuperMeat are culturing meat from animal cells.
Beyond Meat’s scientific adviser Joseph Puglisi contends that the plant-based approach may have an edge because it is simpler. Indeed, the top players in this segment have all rolled out products. The research firm Markets and Markets forecasts that the market for meat substitutes in general would be as big as $5 billion (£3.8 billion) by 2020.
The Vegetarian Butcher’s catalogue of 30 products, ranging from chicken strips to meatballs, is sold in 3000 stores across Belgium and the Netherlands. They also export to around 11 countries. Their story began when Dutch farmer Jaap Korteweg, who launched the company in 2010, became a vegetarian over 15 years ago after witnessing the swine flu and mad cow disease outbreaks in his country. ‘He would say to himself I’d only eat meat when I’m going out for dinner,’ says Paul Bom, manager of product innovations at the company. ‘And then he would go out for dinner seven days a week.’ Having grown up on a farm, Korteweg liked meat too much. He started The Vegetarian Butcher to make meatless products for people like him who wanted to give up animal protein, but were unable to. Bom says his company wants to be the ‘biggest butcher of the world’. The company’s annual turnover is around €10 million (£8.7 million).
Meanwhile, California-based Beyond Meat, which is financially supported by Bill Gates, has made a splash in the US market. Their chicken, beef crumbles and other products are supplied to thousands of stores such as WholeFoods, Target, Walmart and Safeway.
The core technology used in producing plant-based meat is called extrusion. While companies don’t reveal the specific details about their individual process, it generally involves mixing protein material from plants (soy or pea) with water to form a dough. This is then heated up under high pressure as it is pressed through a die. The resulting dough has the fibrous texture of meat.
Describing the process at Beyond Meat, Puglisi says ‘We try to mimic the chewy, spongy type texture of meat.’ The patty used in the Beyond Burger, the company’s latest offering, looks and tastes like ground beef. The burger is sold in the meat sections of stores. The company claims the patty has 20g of protein, slightly more than a conventional beef one.
The companies in the second category use tissue cultures to grow meat in the lab. Basically, they take biopsies from animals and culture meat from animal cells. Sometimes, this kind of meat is referred to as ‘cultured meat’ to distinguish it from the plant-based meat by Beyond Meat and others.
We are making products for meat eaters
Products from the tissue engineering camp are still in the research phase. But in a widely publicised breakthrough in 2013, Mark Post from Maastricht University in the Netherlands demonstrated a hamburger in London that was created by culturing cells from fetal bovine serum. The burger cost an whopping €250,000 to manufacture. The university launched a spin-off company, Mosa Meat, for the purpose of bringing the burger to the masses. But that won’t be for five to seven years, as the company is currently trying to attract funds for research, says Peter Verstrate, chief executive of Mosa Meat, and one of the people who prepared the burger.
To make the burger on a large scale, Mosa Meat would extract stem cells from muscle tissue of cows and proliferate them in a bioreactor. ‘Once the cell mass is big enough, we would differentiate them into muscle fibers and finally into muscle tissue,’ Verstrate explains.
Meat-substitute pioneers are clear about their target market – meat eaters. ‘Some folks who are otherwise vegetarian might still eat our products,’ says Uma Valeti, chief executive of Memphis Meats. ‘But we are making products for meat eaters.’ Memphis Meats’ pork and beef range won’t debut before 2021. Both camps know pleasing the meat connoisseur won’t be easy, and there is a lot of emphasis in getting the products to taste as authentic as possible. ‘People have to like it – it’s food,’ says Puglisi. ‘People can be moralistic if they want, but if it doesn’t taste good and isn’t safe, who is going to eat it?’
Big, bold promises
The entire industry is relying on people’s concerns over climate change . ‘Meat production right now in the world is unsustainable,’ says Yaakov Nahmias, director of the Grass Center for Bioengineering at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ‘It will be incredibly unsafe to eat meat in the coming generation.’ Nahmias is also a co-founder of SuperMeat, the Israeli meat substitute start-up.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN , livestock accounts for 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally and 65% of that is contributed by cattle production. The demand for meat continues to rise, especially in growing economies like India and China. According to a 2014 report by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the world will raise 124 million tons of poultry alone by 2020 – that’s a 25% rise since 2010.
It’s ten times more sustainable than eating a cow
The proponents of artificial meat are optimistic. ‘We aim to produce meat that requires 96% less greenhouse gas emissions,’ Valeti says about Memphis Meats’ plans. He adds that his products would consume ‘96% less water and 99% less land than conventionally produced meat’.
A 2011 study by scientists at Oxford University in the UK and University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands showed the cultured meat industry could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 96%. For conventional beef production, Bom says, not all the animal ends up as beef. ‘In terms of protein, it’s ten times more sustainable than eating a cow,’ says Bom: in their kitchen, they can turn 1kg of soy into 2kg of ‘meat’.
Another growing concern with meat production is the use of antibiotics in farm animals. ‘50 years ago, meat production used to be very local and the meat was relatively safe,’ says Nahmias. ‘Industrial farming of meat has changed that.’ Many public health advocacy groups claim that 80% of antibiotics produced in the US are used on livestock. That puts humans at a huge risk of infection from antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Artificial meat could be safer. ‘Because we are producing them in a clean environment, there is a much lower risk of bacterial contamination,’ says Valeti. ‘And because we don’t need to slaughter an animal, we avoid any risk of faecal contamination or diseases like the avian flu.’
With a pinch of salt
While the meat substitute industry makes big promises about climate change and better health, meat experts are watching them with a healthy dose of skepticism. ‘That’s a nice storyline. But until you can actually make that work, it’s just a storyline,’ says Edward Mills, a meat scientist at Pennsylvania State University in the US, referring specifically to cultured meat.
Setting up the infrastructure to make this meat is expensive, Mills says. ‘The practicalities of producing the product in a quantity and at a cost that make sense for marketing are a long-way off and maybe not even achievable.’ Bom agrees. ‘Meat is so cheap, especially minced products,’ says. ‘For now we’re more expensive. That has to change.’
Why do we eat meat? Because it tastes good – and this taste is fat
Insiders recognize technical bottlenecks, too. ‘The hamburger we presented in London was pure muscle fibre,’ says Verstrate. ‘But meat has also fat tissue and myoglobin – the red stuff which gives meat it’s bloody taste.’ This red ingredient is also important for nutrition.
John Gonzalez, a meat scientist at Kansas State University, believes that cultured meat will not become popular until the industry solves the ‘fat tissue’ problem. ‘Why do we eat meat? Because it tastes good,’ says Gonzalez. ‘And this taste is fat.’ He speculates this kind of preparation would be bland and dry when put on a grill. It may have some flavor because of seasoning, but ‘it won’t taste like beef or pork’. Gonzalez added he wasn’t aware of a method to produce fat tissue in the lab.
SuperMeat claims they have a solution though. Nahmias says his company’s tissue engineering approach is different. They obtain mesenchymal cells instead of muscle cells from biopsies. Mesenchymal cells make connective tissue in the body. ‘They can grow indefinitely from a single biopsy, without making cancer,’ Nahmias explains. During the culturing processes, these cells can be made to differentiate into both muscle and fat cells. Mesenchymal cells have many advantages over muscle cells. They don’t necessarily have to be obtained from animal serum. Cells from a feather or skin would do. They grow faster, and are ‘virtually immortal’, Nahmias explains.
Some experts also feel the idea that cultured meat is animal-free is misleading. ‘If they’re going to take a biopsy, they would still have to harvest animals,’ argues Gonzalez. ‘Stem cells are not going to grow infinitely. Eventually they may die. If you keep growing them and proliferating them, they actually grow into non-muscle stem cells.’ Verstrate concurs: ‘There should not be animal elements in cultural medium.’
The cultured meat industry guarantees their meat will be safe. ‘You do eliminate a lot of pathogens that occur, especially with contamination from carcasses and faeces,’ Gonzalez says. ‘But it’s not a zero risk activity. Contamination can also occur from processing equipment.’
The overall safety of the products would depend on the extent of processing. ‘If they’re using different solvents in the processing, those could raise safety concerns,’ says Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with US-based Consumers Union.
At this stage, it’s unclear how the regulatory agencies will monitor these foods. Hansen says the plant-based meat will likely not have to go through any regulation ‘assuming that none of the plant-based ingredients come from a genetically engineered plant and that no new ingredients are being added’. But cultured meat may have to go through agencies such as Food and Drug Administration or Department of Agriculture in the US.
Meat processors haven’t taken a stand yet against these disruptive efforts. Verstrate says that some of the investors he is in talks with are from the meat industry, which could be an indicator that meat processors may want to align their efforts with the new industry at some point. The artificial meat industry may get the science correct, but there’s a huge question on how well its products would be received. For artificial meat, Hansen says, ‘there will always be a yuck factor’, because it’s not ‘natural’ food.
Dinsa Sachan is a science writer in New Delhi, India


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LONDON — A pickup in European sales, growth in the U.S. and a solid performance at Cartier drove sales at Compagnie Financière Richemont up 9 percent in the third quarter ended Dec. 31.
Richemont said in a statement Friday that sales would have risen 13 percent at constant exchange rates, and the combination of the powerful euro and weak dollar stunted growth rates in the quarter.
The company — whose brands also include Chloé, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Montblanc and Alfred Dunhill — provided percentage changes only and will release full results on June 9 for the fiscal year ending March 31.
As the quarter and calendar year came to an end, the company’s Cartier unit shined not only in the showroom, but in the courtroom as well. On Dec. 21, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa awarded Cartier a default judgment against more than 30 named defendants in a counterfeiting case that has stretched over two years. According to the ruling, the defendants failed to respond to the lawsuit and have been ordered to pay Cartier millions in statutory damages and legal fees.
Sales in Europe rose 12 percent, due to the return of tourists and renewed domestic demand. In France, sales increased by 17 percent, and in Italy they rose by 10 percent. Sales of jewelry, watches and writing instruments were particularly strong, the statement said.
In the Americas, sales rose 6 percent, and by 15 percent at constant exchange rates. The statement said the weakness of the dollar dented growth. Richemont’s jewelry houses and Dunhill reported double-digit growth at constant rates.
In Asia-Pacific, sales rose 8 percent, and 16 percent at constant rates. In Japan, sales rose 5 percent, and in China they increased by 49 percent at constant rates.
In general, retail sales worldwide increased by 9 percent, while wholesale sales rose by 8 percent in the quarter.
Watch sales rose 10 percent, jewelry sales rose 7 percent, and writing instrument sales grew 9 percent in the quarter. Leather and accessories sales were flat at actual exchange rates but rose 4 percent at constant rates.
The statement said sales at Cartier and Van Cleef grew 12 percent at constant exchange rates and benefitted from “exceptional sales” of a handful of high-end jewelry pieces. Watches, especially Cartier’s steel Santos Demoiselle and models by Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC, performed well, the company said.
With regard to Richemont’s other businesses, which include Chloé, Hackett, Purdey and Old England, sales rose 28 percent. The company said sales at Chloé were particularly strong, thanks to the expansion of the company’s global retail presence.
Analysts across the board said they were impressed with what they called “strong” results. “I think the results proved that the industry trends overall are good, and there is no slowdown,” said Antoine Belge, luxury analyst at HSBC in Paris. “Cartier is definitely making a comeback, and there is plenty of room for future growth from specialist watchmakers like IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre.”
Jacques-Franck Dossin, analyst at Goldman Sachs, said in his note that the next fiscal year, which begins on April 1, would be a strong one for the group.
Meanwhile, earlier in the week, a Richemont spokesman denied an ongoing rumor that the company has put Hackett, the London-based men’s wear company, up for sale. “We’re not very good at selling brands. It’s not in our nature,” said Alan Grieve, director of corporate communications at Richemont. “We have our reasons for holding on to our brands. It’s not just about ego. Clearly, we believe they have a future.”


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Best Buy’s second-quarter earnings and sales topped analysts’ expectations as revenue approached $9 billion, up almost 5 percent, and same-store sales grew 5.4 percent.
Net income hit $209 million, from $198 million year over year. Based on the strong quarter the chain raised its revenue outlook for the full year to 4 percent growth, compared to a prior forecast of 2.5 percent growth.
Drilling down, comparable sales growth in computing, wearables, smart home, smartphones and appliances was partially offset by declines in tablets, the company said.
Best Buy chairman and CEO Hubert Joly, whose “Renew Blue” and “Best Buy 2020” initiatives have continued the company’s dramatic turnaround said in a statement: ““Our higher-than-expected comparable sales of 5.4 percent were driven by stronger consumer demand for technology products and by the strong execution of our strategy. Against a backdrop of continued healthy consumer confidence, we believe broad-based product innovation is resonating with consumers and driving higher spend. And, with our effective merchandising and marketing activities, combined with our expert advice and service available online, in-store and in-home – we are garnering an increasing share of those dollars.”
International same-store sales increased 4.7 percent, fueled by growth in Canada and Mexico, Best Buy said.
Perhaps most importantly, e-commerce sales grew 31.4 percent, as the company continues to try to head off Amazon’s momentum in the consumer technology space. Best Buy has committed more resources to its online operations, including improvements to its checkout and search functions, the company said. As a percentage of total domestic revenue, online revenue increased to 13.2 percent versus 10.6 percent last year.


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Cable.co.uk comments on Ofcom plans to speed up UK's wi-fi connections
- New Ofcom plans to speed up wi-fi connections released today
- Regulator is proposing using more airwaves for wi-fi channels so that users can access bigger amounts of data at faster speeds
- Cable.co.uk's telecoms expert Dan Howdle says wi-fi interference is one of the main causes of slow broadband speeds
- Availability of further bandwidth "Vital if we're to continue to depend on wireless connectivity", says Dan Howdle.
Friday 13 May 2016: Ofcom has today set out plans designed to help speed up wi-fi connections for people across the UK.
The communications regulator is proposing the use of more airwaves for wi-fi channels so that larger amounts of data can be carried at faster download speeds. Ofcom say this will improve the quality of service, especially for applications that need more internet capacity, like high-definition video.
The full Ofcom news release is available here
Commenting on the findings Dan Howdle, consumer telecoms analyst at broadband advice site Cable.co.uk, says:
“Customers with new connections often believe the slow speed they're experiencing is indicative of a fault, when wi-fi interference is often the culprit. Providers advise connecting an ethernet cable to experience the full speed customers are paying for, but, of course, wiring up every device in the house is both unsightly and impractical.
“Interference is an issue in built up areas where a multitude of routers compete for priority over the same frequencies. Those with particularly fast broadband connections are in many cases only able to tap a fraction of their top speed over wi-fi.
"Interference is going to become a major issue for our country's digital growth. Ofcom’s move to open up further bandwidth is vital if we're to continue to depend on wireless connectivity."
Notes to editors
In return for using our commentary on UK telecoms issues, we would deeply appreciate a link to this page or to https://www.cable.co.uk
What is Cable?
Cable is a broadband, TV and phone comparator, unique news source and consumer champion.
Dan Howdle has been plugged into the attitudes of UK broadband, TV and mobile customers for over two decades, running research fieldwork both nationally and internationally on behalf of the biggest players in the industry. Dan is now consumer telecoms analyst at Cable, as well as more formally operating in the role of its Director of Communications and Content.
An experienced broadcaster, commentator and writer, Dan has appeared on BBC TV and radio, ITV, Sky and in the national papers. Dan has advised Ofcom on issues surrounding service quality, administered Cable’s Broadband Service Quality Awards and sat on the panel of judges for the Internet Service Providers Association annual awards.


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Annually observed in October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as a crucial reminder of the evolving threats in the digital landscape, emphasizing the collective need for vigilance. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this month-long initiative underscores the imperative for heightened awareness surrounding cybersecurity. The synergy of increased awareness and the implementation of effective cybersecurity strategies plays a pivotal role in the overarching mission to ‘Secure Our World.’
The contemporary business environment is intricately interwoven with complex digital threads, exposing organizations to a myriad of cyber threats. From data breaches to ransomware attacks, the repercussions of a security lapse can be severe, impacting not only financial stability but also tarnishing reputations. Companies that prioritize cybersecurity not only showcase dedication to safeguarding customer trust, sensitive information, and intellectual property. This observance urges corporations to acknowledge their shared responsibility in constructing a secure digital ecosystem and become guardians of the digital realm.
In today’s digital landscape, where businesses thrive on interconnected systems and data-driven operations, cultivating a profound awareness of cybersecurity measures is not just a choice but an imperative for sustained success. The right awareness empowers businesses to navigate the complex terrain of cyberspace with resilience and confidence. For the past two decades, cybersecurity experts across the world have dedicated the month of October annually to spreading awareness about cybersecurity. With the increase in ransomware and other forms of cyberattacks witnessed recently, the theme has been aptly selected – Securing Our World.
In an era where cyber threats loom large, a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity is the cornerstone of safeguarding sensitive information, preserving customer trust, and upholding the integrity of operations. Businesses must recognize that cybersecurity is not merely a technical concern but a strategic asset that fortifies their foundation in the digital realm. Awareness catalyzes proactive measures, transforming cybersecurity from a reactive necessity to a proactive defence mechanism. When businesses comprehend the evolving nature of cyber threats, they are better equipped to anticipate, adapt, and fortify their defences against potential breaches. This foresight is crucial in mitigating risks, minimizing vulnerabilities, and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of business operations.
Furthermore, a heightened awareness of cybersecurity instils a culture of responsibility and accountability among employees. It fosters a collective commitment to data security, encouraging a vigilant workforce that actively contributes to the overall cyber resilience of the organization. In essence, a business’s success in the digital age is intertwined with its commitment to cybersecurity awareness. It is not merely a technical safeguard but a strategic imperative that fortifies the very fabric of modern enterprises, ensuring they stand resilient against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats


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Seoul Semiconductor, Cree, and Philips Lighting all recently announced quarterly results and good news could be found in each case, although the LED and SSL sectors haven’t returned to the revenue growth patterns of a few years back.
In our latest round-up of LED business news, Seoul Semiconductor has announced that the company achieved record earnings for its third quarter of fiscal 2017 with a 14% quarter-over-quarter gain in operating profit and a 24% gain compared to the prior year. Cree has announced results for its first quarter of fiscal 2018 and said quarterly revenue is up over the prior quarter but down slightly from the same quarter the prior year. Philips Lighting has announced results recently as well and said that for the first time, growth in LED lighting and smart solid-state lighting (SSL) technology is exceeding the decline in the legacy lighting business.
Contemplating the state of the LED and SSL sectors relative to the financial reports from these three companies is a problematic but interesting exercise. Seoul Semiconductor is solely a components and module manufacturer. Cree makes components, including LEDs but also power semiconductors in the Wolfspeed brand, and consumer and professional LED-based lighting products. Philips Lighting, since its separation from Royal Philips in mid-2016, is now a pure-play lighting company. There was some good news to be found in each of the three reports, although some financial analysts found more bad news than good.
Seoul Semi results
Still, it was tough to find bad news in the Seoul results. It seems that the company’s Acrich MJT (multi-junction technology) is resonating with customers after having been on the market for several years now. MJT, from the LED perspective, implies a monolithic chip in which multiple emitters have been partitioned in the back end of the LED manufacturing process into an electrical array connected in various serial and parallel configurations. The result is most typically a higher-input voltage that can correspond to efficiency gains in the input power conversion. Moreover, Seoul regularly combines MJT with the AC-LED driver technology that was originally the basis of the Acrich brand.
Seoul said that within the general lighting sector, more than a third of its customers are using MJT LEDs. Moreover, the company said MJT will account for more than 50% of sales in fiscal 2018. The company further said its WICOP (wafer-level integrated chip on PCB) LEDs are being widely adopted in headlamps after finding early success in daytime running lights (DRLs). Seoul is among the early movers in what are generally called chip-scale package (CSP) LEDs, although the company does differentiate WICOP as having an even lighter-weight package than other CSP LEDs. The company will more aggressively target the general lighting market going forward with WICOP as well.
Seoul reported Q3 revenue of KrW 305B (billion) and an operating profit of KrW 30.6B, or about $270M (million) and $30M, respectively. The company noted that the positive LED business results have come despite continued erosion in ASPs (average selling prices). The company projected Q4 revenue in the KrW 270B to 290B ($240M to $260M) range and also said it expects record earnings in fiscal 2018.
The Cree announcement marked the first instance of new CEO Gregg Lowe being at the helm at the end of a quarter, after Lowe joined the company in September. “Cree is a company that's known as an innovator with a long history of blazing new trails, and I'm excited to be part of this team,” said Lowe. “There are a number of opportunities and challenges in front of us, and I look forward to working together with our talented team to maximize those opportunities while dealing with the challenges head on.”
Cree said Q1 2018 revenue was down 3% relative to the same quarter the prior year, but that is a slightly improving trend relative to what we reported for Q4 2017. Moreover, it was good to see quarterly revenue up slightly, although that surely won’t convince financial analysts that the company is moving back to a steady growth path. For the next quarter, Cree projects revenue flat to slightly down.
Still, the interesting angles in the report are in the details. Both LED components and SSL products account for about 40% of Cree’s revenue, with another 18% coming from Wolfspeed. But Wolfspeed accounted for almost 50% of the quarterly profit margin. And Cree all but divested Wolfspeed early this year. Given Lowe’s background in analog components, it’s reasonable to expect a potential increase in emphasis on the business.
Moving forward, it will be an interesting time for Cree. We expect to see the first mid-power LED components to emerge soon as a result of the Cree joint venture with San’an that was announced back in April. Moreover, Cree has demonstrated what appear to be CSP LEDs in the NX family, and those products should hit the commercial market soon. In both cases, the new component families will offer a potential path to higher revenue, although margin pressure will endure in components.
As for lighting, several financial analysts speculated that Cree might exit the consumer lamps business. Just to be clear, that’s purely speculation and Cree has not in any way indicated it would make such a move. But price pressure has intensified in consumer lamps, and realistically the lamps were more of a brand builder at Cree than a profit source in the best of times.
Philips Lighting results
Playing purely in the lighting space, Philips Lighting is dealing in larger numbers. The company reported revenue of EUR 1.7B (about $2B) for Q3 2017. The good news was in the area of sales based on LED technology where revenue grew 22% and now represents 68% of Philips Lighting’s total sales. In the same quarter a year back, LED-based sales represented 56% of revenue. Profit margins reached 10.5% for the quarter. Philips Lighting only began issuing its own financial reports early this year.
“In line with our objectives, Philips Lighting returned to comparable sales growth in the quarter,” said CEO Eric Rondolat. “For the first time in our transformation, the growth of LED and connected lighting systems and services more than offset the decline of our conventional business. At the same time, we continued to improve our profitability, with LED and connected lighting systems and services being substantial contributors. This demonstrates the successful execution of our strategy as we remain on track to reach our outlook for 2017.”


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Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp decreased its position in Ford Motor (NYSE:F) by 60.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,107,967 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock after selling 4,728,263 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned 0.08% of Ford Motor worth $28,749,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Credit Agricole S A grew its position in Ford Motor by 135.0% during the 2nd quarter. Credit Agricole S A now owns 9,400 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 5,400 shares during the period. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Ford Motor during the 2nd quarter worth about $113,000. Adviser Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 2,250.1% during the 2nd quarter. Adviser Investments LLC now owns 10,270 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 9,833 shares in the last quarter. MAI Capital Management purchased a new position in Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter valued at about $117,000. Finally, Intersect Capital LLC purchased a new position in Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter valued at about $122,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.07% of the company’s stock.
Shares of NYSE F traded down $0.23 during trading on Thursday, reaching $8.95. 1,683,642 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 40,294,892. Ford Motor has a 52-week low of $8.17 and a 52-week high of $13.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.48 billion, a PE ratio of 5.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.68.
Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 24th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $34.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $32.05 billion. Ford Motor had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 3.88%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ford Motor will post 1.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 23rd were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.70%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 22nd. Ford Motor’s payout ratio is 33.71%.
In other news, VP Steven R. Armstrong sold 13,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.54, for a total transaction of $124,020.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 94,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $901,787.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Ray T. Charley purchased 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 29th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.90 per share, with a total value of $51,600.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.95% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
A number of research firms have weighed in on F. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $10.50 to $9.90 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 10th. Berenberg Bank restated a “sell” rating and set a $6.00 price target on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Friday, November 9th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Ford Motor from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $14.00 to $10.00 in a report on Friday, October 19th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 26th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $9.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Monday, October 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $11.27.
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Ford Motor Company Profile
Ford Motor Company designs, manufactures, markets, and services a range of Ford cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, and electrified vehicles; and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. Its Automotive segment sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to fleet customers, including commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.
Further Reading: Debt-To-Equity Ratio
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Hyundai all set to showcase concept flying car as part of future mobility vision
Hyundai Motor announced on Monday that it will display a concept Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) at 2020 CES to be held in Los Angeles as part of its vision for mobility and cities of the future. The company believes that the future belongs to air mobility, especially in urban city spaces.
The PAV to be showcased at 2020 CES is part of Hyundai's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) landscape and the company says that the use of airspace is expected to alleviate road congestion and 'give back quality time to city commuters.'
The PAV, essentially a flying car, is touted to be a highly customizable concept and part of Hyundai's Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) set up that 'allows for limitless possibilities to turn the vehicle to be more than just a means of transportation.'
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The PAV can operate from a Hub located in cities of the future from where takeoff and landing can take place, says Hyundai. A HUB can also be the access point from where people can access other PBVs.
Hyundai Motor’s innovative smart mobility solutions, including the PAV, PBV, and the Hub, will be showcased at Hyundai’s CES press event on January 6.