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Canada Says No Date Set To Sign EU Free Trade Deal
January 29, 2013 4:35 PM EST
Free trade talks between Canada and the European Union are progressing but there is no end date for an deal that was supposed to have been finished by the end of 2012, Canada's Trade Minister Ed Fast said on Monday.
Canada, keen to diversify its exports away from the United States, says a deal with the European Union would increase two-way trade by 20 percent. The talks started in 2009.
Officials and industry sources say several sensitive matters remain to be settled, including access for agricultural goods, opening up procurement markets and the extension of pharmaceutical patents.
"I have not committed to a firm time line. We're not going to be rushed into a deal that doesn't serve Canadians," Fast said during a visit to Nigeria, where he was building bilateral trade ties with Africa's biggest oil producer.
"We continue to make significant progress in addressing the handful of remaining issues, which are the most serious and difficult ones to overcome," he said.
Fast said he would at some point meet with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, likely in Ottawa, but no date had been set for that meeting. European officials say such a meeting is likely to take place on February 6-7.
Negotiators have struggled over investment protection, agriculture, public procurement and intellectual property, particularly regarding pharmaceuticals, trade experts say.
De Gucht told Reuters last week that the EU was ready to start talking about a free trade deal with the United States. European diplomats say this could give Canada further impetus to wrap up its own deal with the EU quickly before the bloc turns its attention to what would be a much richer agreement.
A free trade agreement with Canada, the EU's 12th-largest trading partner, would be the bloc's first with a country from the G7 group of major developed economies.
For Canada, it would be the most significant since the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico in 1994 and an opportunity to diversify exports away from the United States. The EU is its second-largest trading partner.
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Will Priscilla Presley pull off the tango? Can football player Jason Taylor master the foxtrot? Every week finds millions of viewers tuning in to ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” to see their favorite celebrities handle tough dances and even tougher critiques from a panel of judges.
Pardon the play on words but how about another show called, “Dining With The Stars?” Here, consumers watch their familiar meat and poultry favorites handle the twists and turns of rising costs and increased demand for health, convenience and food safety.
Data from Information Resources Inc. (see chart) suggest that sales of nearly all refrigerated and frozen meat and poultry items have either been flat or declining. That said, the American Meat Institute (AMI) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) recently examined how high energy costs, the credit crunch, weak housing market and recessionary climate are changing how and where consumers shop and dine.
This March, the organizations released their third annual report titled, The Power of Meat - An In-Depth Look at Meat Through the Shoppers’ Eyes. The report, which details the findings of a national online poll of 1,147 consumers conducted in November 2007, indicated growing consumer preference for at-home meals and increased concern over the cost of meat.
Specifically, the report found that:
- Supermarkets remain the top outlet for meat, with 90.5 percent of supermarket shoppers buying their meat there. The number of shoppers buying meat at supercenters dropped from 24.9 percent to 20 percent, while the number buying meat at club stores rose from 2.7 percent to 5.7 percent.
- Nearly 79 percent of shoppers have access to a full-service meat counter at their store, with 70 percent reporting that all of their meat purchases were selected from the self-service area.
- Meat continues to be a staple at American dinner tables. According to the study, the average family has five dinners at home per week, with an average of 4.2 percent of these meals including a meat item. Chicken and beef are the top choices - more than 80 percent eat chicken and beef at least once a week and more than 34 percent eat chicken and beef at least three times a week.
“Consumers know that meat delivers protein and other essential nutrients,” said Janet Riley, AMI’s senior vice president of public affairs and professional development. “Processors are offering an increasing variety of convenient meat and poultry products in a wide array of nutrition and flavor formulations that are being well-received.”
Echoing that sentiment was Rick Searer, president of Kraft Foods North America. In conjunction with FMI’s recent annual retail exhibition, Searer noted, “Consumers today want more than just a new offering on store shelves. They are demanding products that offer great taste and bold flavor, in convenient options across all meal occasions.”
That said, meat was showcased among the more than 80 new products that Kraft, Northfield, Ill., unveiled at the FMI show. At a time when Oscar Mayer is celebrating its 125th anniversary, Kraft is refreshing the brand with premium beef franks (higher quality beef cuts), mini hot dogs, smokehouse thick-sliced bacon and three new Deli Fresh meat varieties (BBQ Chicken shaved, Family Size shaved and Thick Carved).
Sara Lee Corp. promises to be just as active, with a new Ball Park Angus beef hot dog and a turkey wiener (flavored to taste like beef), according to an article in Crain’s Chicago Business. Similarly, Sara Lee bolstered its Hillshire Farm sliced lunchmeat line with four new Premium Hearty Slices varieties. These thicker, heartier portions (Signature Honey Ham, Virginia Brand Baked Ham, Honey Roasted Turkey and Oven Roasted Turkey) complement Hillshire Farm Deli Select Ultra Thin products.
The AMI-FMI survey showed that other features important to consumers when selecting meat included: product appearance (4.3 percent); package size/total package price (3.8 percent); nutritional content (3.4 percent); knowledge of how to prepare (3.0 percent); and preparation time required (2.8 percent).
Shoppers also are looking for reasonable pricing of natural and organic meat, with more than 80 percent saying organic meat and poultry is more expensive either by a lot (32.8 percent) or a little (50.8 percent). Of those surveyed, 73 percent of occasional organic shoppers would purchase more if prices were lower, up from 63 percent in 2007.
Despite price concerns, consumers continue to show strong demand for natural and organic meat, with one-fifth purchasing these products.
The top reasons for buying natural or organic meat include positive long-term personal health effects; better nutritional value; and better treatment of the animal where the meat came from. The most frequently purchased natural/organic meats were chicken (73 percent) and beef (49 percent).
The share for natural meat packages grew by 7 percent in 2007, while the share of organic packages remains small.
Still, more processors are addressing these attributes associated with health, wellness and wholesomeness. Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn., recently converted its eight-item Hormel Authentic Deli pre-sliced meats line to a 100-percent natural positioning. Just this May, Chicago’s Vienna Beef introduced an all-natural frank, a self-described “first” for the 115-year-old company.
Meanwhile, Coleman Natural Foods LLC, Golden, Colo., introduced organic chicken breast strips, chicken breast nuggets, and flavored chicken wings. And Applegate Farms, Bridgewater, N.J., has introduced certified organic chicken strips.

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New York, July 1 (Jiji Press)–An official of the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association has slammed the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA, which took effect on Wednesday, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.
The USMCA is “the worst-ever agreement,” Tetsunori Kawashima, head of the association’s North American office, said in a recent interview.
“It’s nothing but a ‘bad law’ that includes place-of-origin and wage clauses designed for automobiles and auto parts to be manufactured in the United States,” Kawashima argued. The deal could be “detrimental to consumers if a rise in production costs in North America is reflected in prices,” he added.
Kawashima said that with the new rules finally set, makers are now able to consider their responses. He suggested, however, that most makers are unlikely to transfer production bases to the United States.
“Building an automobile supply chain is a huge project that extends over decades, whereas the U.S. presidential term is four years and the president’s tenure is no longer than eight years even if re-elected,” the Japanese industry official said.
Kawashima noted that there are some moves to relocate factories and jobs to the United States, but he stressed that it would be beneficial for most vehicles to continue to be produced in Mexico, as production in the United States will certainly involve higher costs.
He suggested that the new trade agreement is partly aimed at curbing Chinese exports. China had been using backdoors in NAFTA to ship Chinese products to the United States via Mexico and Canada, he claimed.
“As the U.S.-China competition for hegemony intensifies, moves to shut out China could grow stronger,” Kawashima predicted.


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It was a big 2011 for Netflix–a lot has been happening in the DVD, movie, and video world, but Netflix has been especially busy. Here’s a quick rundown of what Netflix has been up to–most importantly, we want to hear what you think!
- Netflix (NFLX) stock was up a nearly a whopping 50% as the year began. Despite some naysayers, Netflix was signing up customers like crazy and Wall Street listened.
- A bunch of licensing deals for content were announced with Miramax and CBS.
- Netflix increased their prices and attempted to separate their DVD and streaming business.
- Quickster was announced and abruptly killed
- The company reduced financial guidance and said it would lose money in 2012.
- The stock dropped from over $300 to about $70.
Well what do you think of Netflix not that the dust has finally settled?
Update: The Netflix outage is fixed! Yay!
Looks like Netflix has gone down again. If you’re trying to log into Netflix, don’t bother changing your password or your user name–it looks like Netflix has been having some issues tonight and many users are reporting issues logging into their accounts to watch streaming movies. Let us know if you’re seeing any Netflix login issues for your streaming account.
What is Netflix?
Netflix is an online service that let’s you rent DVDs or stream movies instantly over the internet. Like to watch movies or TV shows? Whether you’re on the internet or just have a normal DVD player, Netflix can get movies directly to your door. Remember Blockbuster or your local video rental store? Well, Netflix is basically the modern day version of your local movie rental shop, just that instead of renting by the movie, you pay a monthly subscription for the service. Now that Blockbuster is out of business, Netflix has seem a number of competitors join them, ranging from TV Anywhere to RedBox.
Netflix was founded in 1997 by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings. The two founders grew Netflix from a small pay-per-rental DVD company to a media monolith and force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. The company offers two primary services: DVD by mail and streaming. DVD by mail is a strong business for Netflix but is wholly separate from their streaming business. The DVD business even has a completely separate headquarters from the rest of the Los Gatos, CA company. The streaming business is the future in the eyes of Netflix but they’ve been stung by fierce competition with companies like RedBox, Hulu, YouTube, and even Amazon.com.
Any questions about what Netflix is? Feel free to comment in our section below!
“Some Netflix customers were upset by the price hike”
You have got to be kidding! Netflix management seems surprised that customers would be angry an cancel after having their prices jacked up by 60% overnight. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said, ”we have to face those subscribers who are upset by the price hike this quarter.” Vote with your comments below–what do you think Netflix should do to make it up to you?
If we had an “unlike” button, we’d put it on this post, but Facebook wouldn’t create one for us, so you’ll have to settle with what we’ve got. Outrage! Greed! Corporate malfeasance! Can you believe that Netflix is actually raising prices by 60% today? Be heard and let us know what you think of the price increase!
Back in July Netflix decoupled their streaming service and DVD service in an effort to raise customer prices. In a recession? Yes, the price of DVDs plus streaming rose from $9.99/mo to $15.98/mo, a 60% increase! To rub it in, the Netflix CEO says he “feels great about the Netflix price increase.” Sign in to your Netflix account today to change your selection of streaming or DVDs to avoid getting charged the extra money.


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At this year’s Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, held in April/May, CosmeticsDesign-Europe editor Kacey Culliney moderated a panel discussion with four esteemed speakers – Sylvain Delteil (SVP business development Europe at Perfect Corp), Jane Henderson (chairman of beauty & wellness at Mintel), Robin Raskin (founder of Virtual Events Group), and Valerie Vacante (director of strategy, product experience and innovation at Merkle) – to debate how beauty brands could harness the metaverse.
Whilst ‘The metaverse is here, where are you?’ was the title of the debate, the panelists were unanimous that the metaverse was still at a very early stage in its evolution, given it remained highly fragmented, with much “uncharted territory”.
The metaverse is not yet ‘inter-connected’
Indeed, Valerie Vacante said a more appropriate title for the discussion might have been: “The metaverse is on its way”.
Sylvain Delteil also picked up on this point: “We are at the beginning of something that is huge but very fragmented - everyone is trying their own version and their own vision. We expect that in the coming years, everything will become more integrated so that it provides a more complete experience.”
Robin Raskin agreed: “The metaverse is supposed to be this one large world where you can inter-operate and buy a dress in one metaverse and take it to the next one. Right now, it looks like a set of individual nation states. You’ve got Sandbox, Roblox, Fortnite and companies using Unreal Engine to create their own metaverses, but none of them are inter-connected and they tend to use their own currencies.”
However, Raskin said these different worlds did share commonalities, namely immersiveness and an underlying block chain structure.
For beauty brands looking at how to engage with the metaverse, this fragmentation created difficult decisions about where to concentrate efforts. Vacante’s advice? Focus on the consumer experience. “It’s not about the tech first or about being on a certain platform, brands need to think what is going to be the most important experience for the consumer and then shape a strategy around that,” she said.
Metaverse beauty – start small and stay creative
Raskin, meanwhile, advised starting small. “My advice is don’t bank your entire business fortune on it. Allocate budget to a project that feels right for your brand and get involved,” she said.
And there were several ways for brands to “get involved”, she said, including buying a property in Decentraland, creating a brand’s own metaverse using a gaming platform like Unreal Engine or testing the waters for selling using an NFT marketplace such as OpenSea.
And when beauty brands did jump in, Jane Henderson said creativity would be key.
“I think creativity will be a big part of that success in the metaverse - the way you tell people [things], how you bring them on that journey and how engaged consumers are with your brand,” she said.
The importance of creativity in metaverse campaigns was also highlighted by Vacante, who said the creator economy was predicted to grow by 40% in the next two years.
So, where exactly were the opportunities?
Virtual beauty products and NFTs
Using technology to build virtual try-on capacities to then capture sales of physical products was one of the most oft-cited examples of how beauty brands could utilise the metaverse. However, according to the panelists, there was also an emerging and highly lucrative opportunity for selling virtual products on the metaverse.
“Brands are discovering it is possible to sell something that doesn’t exist. People might want to buy the virtual lipstick they are trying on for their avatar, for example, and in order to sell, you need NFTs, which assure the authenticity of digital goods and enable them to be resold in future,” said Delteil.
Raskin added: “The other thing I would say is that for the beauty and fashion industries, you can actually charge more for a virtual product. A ten-dollar lipstick might cost 40 dollars virtually. It is mind-blowing that people will buy designer sneakers for their avatars.”
The complexity of purchasing NFTs could be a deterrent to some consumers, though, said Henderson.
“In China, one-third of consumers claim to be using crypto currencies. In the West, we are quite far behind,” she said. “We need to look at incentives to help people to take the first steps, otherwise we will have lots of consumers thinking they don’t know how to do it,” she added.
Raskin concurred, recounting her own experience of dealing in digital currency at Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week: “I wore five items that were free but felt terribly underdressed so had to go out and buy myself wings and halos. It wasn’t easy; I had to set up a digital wallet, buy ethereum and pay various fees.”
Mixing and merging the metaverse and physical retail
Numerous opportunities also still existed for initiatives and campaigns that blended the virtual and real worlds, according to the panelists.
One example cited by Raskin was that of Tommy Hilfiger showcasing its Spring collection at Fashion Week, giving consumers the opportunity to purchase NFTs that could then be redeemed for actual items.
“This approach gives brands a good idea of what they are going to sell without the costs of wastage, reshipping and so on. I think the longtail is that it will help companies plan their seasonal launches,” she said.
There were certainly opportunities for driving efficiencies and cost savings by conducting certain activities within the metaverse, including beyond traditional sales models. Vacante, for example, explained how, together with HeadOffices.space, Merkle had built a virtual showroom for client learning, demonstrating its suite of app-free retail innovations and creating labs for virtual test marketing.
“What we have been able to do with a lot of brands is early pilots. Instead of creating physical mock-ups and putting them in-store, we have created test labs. We are also seeing a lot of traction in using test labs for phantom social testing - there is no investment and brands can obtain very quick feedback,” she explained.
The metaverse also made localisation and globalisation - costly real-world strategies - achievable and affordable in the virtual world, explained Henderson.
“You might not be able to open stores in every US city, but you can do it virtually,” she said.
Brands need to be mindful of gnarly issues
Engagement with the metaverse did, however, raise some contentious issues for brands around sustainability and social responsibility, as the panelists acknowledged.
“In terms of sustainability, the metaverse is a double-edged sword,” said Raskin. “On the pro side, there are a million ways of saving energy by doing things virtually, but the con is that you could probably power Norway for a day on the energy required for a block chain operation. You have to believe that this will get solved.”
And with digital fatigue currently under the spotlight, brands also had to be mindful of wellness and mental health when encouraging consumers to engage with the metaverse, the panelists noted.
Vacante suggested that one platform that could have a role here was Lightship from Niantic, the creators of Pokemon Go. “This empowers companies to create an experience that gets people out and moving,” she said.
She added that it was also about educating brands about how they can play in the metaverse space. “We don’t want people in VR [Virtual Reality] all day either. You don’t have to be in VR or AR [Augmented Reality]. What you have to do is create the right experience for your customer.”
The full webinar is available to watch on-demand HERE.


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Oreos Are as Addictive as CocaineSubmitted by Puma for Life on Wed, 10/30/2013 - 19:28
I found this article interesting. It goes on to talk about Fructose, which I have believed for quite some time, is the cause of the obesity and diabetes epidemic in our country.
"When you eat refined processed sugars, they trigger production of your brain's natural opioids -- a key ingredient in the addiction process. Your brain essentially becomes addicted to stimulating the release of its own opioids as it would to morphine or heroin.
This addictive nature of sugar and processed food has again been confirmed by a psychology professor and a team of students at the College of Connecticut,1, 2 who showed that Oreo cookies are just as addictive as cocaine or morphine.
The study, which was designed to investigate the potential addictiveness of high-fat/high-sugar foods, also found that eating Oreos activated more neurons in the rat brain’s pleasure center than exposure to illicit drugs did. According to professor Schroeder:
“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do. It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”


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Sweet potato farmers in Papua New Guinea have gained valuable insight into consumer buying preferences, which is helping to identify new market opportunities.
The recent market analysis, supported by the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership through ACIAR, was the first of its kind in PNG and revealed that an increasing number of consumers in Port Moresby prefer to buy their fresh produce from supermarkets, citing convenience and safety.
While this trend could see a decline in customers at traditional farmer markets, PNG and Australian researchers say it could create new market opportunities for rural communities.
“Farmers are looking for stable markets where they can receive more consistent prices for better-quality produce,” said Professor Philip Brown from Central Queensland University (CQU), who is leading the research project.
“The research shows that consumer behaviour is likely to support an expansion in the supermarket sector in large urban centres and this is positive news for the farmers. This could allow commercial focused farmers to secure more stable market access.”
The survey, which sampled 353 consumers, was part of ACIAR-supported sweet potato research led by CQU and the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) working to enhance sweet potato value chains by improving the quality of the roots harvested.
Better quality and increased production of sweet potato is leading to growth of supplies to supermarkets, which are keen to offer better fresh produce to customers.
“The project, with support from the Fresh Produce Development Agency and NARI, is helping farmers to build their business skills and connect with emerging supermarket opportunities,” said Prof Brown.
CQU researcher Kirt Hainzer worked with researchers from NARI on the survey and said it was the first research effort to incorporate consumer behaviour and explore what role supermarkets could play in further developing PNG’s commercial sweet potato industry.
“The research sought to better understand and compare how consumers buy staples from open markets and supermarkets and to explore the preferences for buying staple foods as supermarkets increase the availability of convenience staples like rice,” Hainzer said.
“Although expanding formal sales represents a huge step forward in developing a commercial sweet potato industry, continued research on consumer preferences and the market for fresh produce will help better understand trends in staple food purchasing and what market opportunities exist for growers.”
NARI economist Raywin Ovah said with over a hundred varieties of sweet potato in the country, the study also hoped to find out which of these consumers prefer.
“Not all the varieties are preferred from a consumer point of view,” Ovah said.
“There are only a few that consumers want based on the taste or health properties and that is what we want to also find out. Farmers can be provided with that information, so they produce those varieties that the market wants.”
The project to improve commercial sweet potato production and marketing in the PNG highlands is one of five projects under the Transformative Agriculture and Enterprise Development Program.
The program is supported by Australia in partnership with the government of Papua New Guinea through the ACIAR, and aims to improve the livelihoods of rural men and women through private sector-led development, increased agricultural productivity and quality and building individual and institutional capacity.


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President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday evening entreated the Ethiopian authorities to eradicate into consideration opening up opportunities for cell money products and services as phase of its ongoing telecommunications liberalisation direction of.
Mr Kenyatta acknowledged the type of circulation, which would allow Safaricom #ticker:SCOM to introduce its standard M-Pesa provider within the market of more than 110 million other folks, might well perchance boost the nation’s economy and widen bag admission to to financial products and services.
“Learn have shown that enhanced bag admission to to cell financial products and services have a astronomical capacity to sever poverty as more other folks are enabled, simpler and safer financial savings and in bag, seriously influencing the more or less choices they form in life,” President Kenyatta acknowledged.
A Safaricom-led consortium obtained an $850 million (Sh91.8 billion) licence to enter Ethiopia’s underserved telecoms market.
The head of Direct, accurate through his Direct consult with in Ethiopia on Tuesday, witnessed the formal award of the working licence to the neighborhood which contains Vodafone, British pattern finance agency CDC Neighborhood and Japan’s Sumitomo.
The entry of the consortium will stay the monopoly of the Direct-owned Ethio Telecom. Safaricom will have a 56 percent stake within the consortium.
Entry into Ethiopia provides a foremost deliver opportunity for Safaricom that reported gain earnings of Sh68.67 billion within the year ended March, with M-Pesa contributing the pleasant revenue.
The financial provider was once launched on March 6, 2007.
“In Kenya, the success of M-Pesa, Africa’s, if not world, first cell money platform, is a conventional example of what possibilities lie in cell financial products and services, if fully exploited,” acknowledged President Kenyatta.
“Ladies folk, have in particular been empowered by these products and services, and are now in a space to eradicate part meaningfully within the economy, alongside men. That is an space we should always devote our collective efforts to as we bring within the digital economy,” he acknowledged.
Supreme year, Ethiopia issued a directive that finest allowed domestically-owned non-financial institutions to offer cell money provider, but has since reversed the risk.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed acknowledged closing month that the cell-primarily based fully financial products and services might well perchance be open to rivals from Could additionally subsequent year, with international companies free to fight with Ethio Telecom which not too prolonged ago launched a identical provider dubbed telebirr.
On Tuesday, Dr Abiy acknowledged the award of the telecom licence to Safaricom catalyses “inclusive prosperity”.
Liberalisation of the telecom sector is expected to boost job creation and the upward thrust of latest micro, dinky and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Safaricom has acknowledged it is going to open operations from subsequent year following the licence nod and is expected to create over 1.5 million jobs, in line with Mr Kenyatta.


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From January 2017 through May 2018, the U.S. Government has taken action to support the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks.
These measures enhance privacy protections for EU and Swiss individuals, while ensuring that American and European businesses can count on the Privacy Shield to deliver innovative products and services across the Atlantic.
More information at PrivacyShield.gov :
- Privacy Shield Program Overview
- Text of the framework
- Contact information
- Handout from the U.S. Department of Commerce (2 pages, color, PDF).
- Export.Gov: Helping U.S. Companies Comply with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)


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It’s not easy to find companies that display long-term growth potential.
Even more so when a pandemic threatens to permanently disrupt our way of life.
Although it’s hard to tell how life will be like post-pandemic, the last nine months have given us some clues.
Certain trends that have emerged include the need for telecommuting, a surge in demand for food delivery services, and the increased adoption of digital payments.
Digitalisation has been pushed to the forefront as businesses and individuals hunker down amid widespread lockdowns and movement control restrictions as the coronavirus runs rampant through certain regions such as the US and Europe.
What was once a slow trend has now been rapidly accelerated because of the pandemic.
Some of these new habits may be here to stay.
Here are four companies that display excellent growth prospects based on the new normal forced upon us by this crisis.
Peloton (NASDAQ: PTON)
Peloton is a company that offers an interactive fitness platform for virtual workouts, and also sells exercise equipment such as exercise bikes and treadmills.
With more people cooped up at home, many have taken to signing up with the company to continue to stay fit and healthy.
In the company’s fiscal 2021 first-quarter shareholder letter, it reported that fitness subscriptions had more than doubled from 563,000 the year before to 1.3 million, while total workouts quadrupled from 19.2 million to 77.8 million over the same period.
Meanwhile, Peloton’s member base more than doubled from 1.6 million in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2020 to 3.6 million in the current quarter.
Along with it, the company’s financials have also soared with the vast improvement in operating metrics.
Sales of fitness equipment rose by 274% year on year to US$601.4 million, pushing total revenue up 232.4% year on year to US$758 million.
Net profit clocked in at US$69.3 million, a big improvement from last year’s net loss of US$50 million.
Paypal (NASDAQ: PYPL)
Paypal operates a worldwide online payments system that uses technology to facilitate online and digital payments.
It acts as a middleman between merchants and end-users, acting as a catalyst for funds transfers to take place.
For Paypal’s third-quarter earnings, total payment volume soared 38% year on year to US$247 billion, while the company also added 15.2 net new active accounts.
The company ended the quarter with 361 million active accounts, and this strong performance helped to lift revenue by 25% year on year.
This quarter ended up being one of Paypal’s strongest in history, boosted by the adoption of digital payments as a result of the pandemic.
CEO Dan Schulman plans to create a digital wallet that includes all forms of digital currencies and payments to bridge the online and offline world.
This ambitious plan should continue to drive growth for Paypal over the long-term.
Top Glove Corporation Berhad (SGX: BVA)
Top Glove is one of the largest manufacturers of gloves in the world.
The company has over 2,000 customers worldwide, exports to more than 195 countries and has a glove production capacity of 85.5 million pieces as of 17 September 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly driven up demand for nitrile healthcare gloves, leading to the company reporting surging revenue and net profit.
For the fiscal year ended 31 August 2020, revenue surged 51% year on year to RM 7.2 billion, while net profit after tax went up more than five-fold from RM 365,000 to RM 1.9 billion.
Top Glove will pay out a dividend of 11.8 sen, more than four times what it paid out last year.
To cope with the strong demand, the company is constructing new factories and glove production lines to bring total capacity to a planned 120.6 billion pieces by the end of December 2022.
Separately, the company also announced its intention to explore a dual primary listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange to provide it with yet another fund-raising platform for further growth.
Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO)
Tractor Supply is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the US and offers an extensive mix of products for home care, farms and rural communities.
As of 26 September 2020, the company operated 1,904 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states. It also operates 183 Petsense stores in 25 states that offer a variety of pet products and services.
The company’s business has remained resilient during the pandemic as rural communities continue to rely on it for essential supplies.
For Tractor Supply’s third-quarter earnings, it reported a 31.4% year on year increase in net sales, while comparable store sales surged 26.8%.
Net profit soared by 56.1% year on year to US$190.6 million for the quarter and was up 46.6% year on year for the first nine months of 2020.
The company declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.40, up from the US$0.35 declared in the same period last year.
Tractor Supply has prioritised five growth pillars that should help it to achieve multi-year growth moving forward.
These centre around customers, digitalisation, execution, team members and total shareholder return.
Special FREE Report: How You Can Make Money Investing In REITs As Singapore Recovers. Download your free copy HERE!
Disclaimer: Royston Yang does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned.


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Here's your first look at the new Hyundai Santa Fe facelift.
Kia has been struggling to keep the all-new Sorento under wraps. Kia's new crossover will officially break cover at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show in March, but we've already seen it completely undisguised thanks to some revealing spy shots. The Kia Sorento shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Santa Fe.
The all-new Santa Fe has only been on sale since the 2019 model year, but Hyundai is wasting no time giving its popular SUV a refresh. For the first time, a prototype of the upcoming Hyundai Santa Fe facelift has been caught in the cold undergoing testing.
Unlike the new Kia Sorento, however, the updated Santa Fe is wrapped up warm in the cold with copious amounts of camouflage. Since it makes up 50 percent of Hyundai's SUV sales, the Santa Fe is a very important model for Hyundai, so our sources claim the facelift will bring some significant changes to keep it competitive.
You can't see them in the photos, but the new Santa Fe facelift will sport new headlights with T-shaped LED daytime running lights on each side. We're also expecting the refreshed SUV to feature a new grille, a redesigned front and rear bumper, and updated taillights.
Further changes will be found under the hood, as the Hyundai Santa Fe facelift is expected to be offered with new hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains. Since the updated SUV still appears to be at an early stage of development, we're not expecting the Santa Fe to debut until later this year or early next year.


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Bitcoin price drop news
The CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index provides the latest and most accurate.The move may cause a noticeable change in the next Bitcoin difficulty and might also delay transaction confirmations, which are theoretically at a 10 minute interval, but can vary as hash-power is added or removed from the network.
price of Bitcoin dropped - The Hacker News
Friday’s bitcoin price drop due to Chinese exchange cut-offsBitcoin Price (BTC USD): Get all information on the Bitcoin to US-Dollar Exchange Rate including Charts, News and Realtime Price.After the 2013 bubble the Bitcoin price drop is really good news for the digital currency in terms of real value, demand adjustment and consumer adoption.
Bitcoin News: Bitcoin Cash Price Sees Sharp Drop as BCC Trading Volume Dries up by Two-thirds.Bitcoin-Lite: India Discusses Issuing Central Bank-Backed Cryptocurrency.Lee also adds that miners can also hedge the price of bitcoin to protect.Everything you need to know about Bitcoin and how to start making money with them in no time.Right now if somebody wants to buy a couple million dollars.
The Bitcoin Price Drop Explained / Cryptocurrency news
Considering a Bitcoin cost candle holder screen is no means to go with life.Bitcoin network difficulty experienced its first two successive difficulty drops in almost two years late last year.If you are day trading Bitcoin, or are in Bitcoin for the short-term, to make a quick.
Bitcoin Price Drop and Problems Ahead - StockRockandRollBitcoin, Ether Lead Digital Currency Slide From. meaning even with its current drop, the price has doubled many.Verif-y, Blockchain-based Identity Platform Announces Token Sale.Log In or Subscribe to skip. Bitcoin back in favor after price pop and drop.Price Drops as Investors Turn. it has nonetheless caused a significant drop in Bitcoin prices in the past week.
Bitcoin is still being bought and spent in Michigan despite a plummet.Only the Best News, taken by leading exponents of Bitcoin and Accredited Crypto currencies Stories via Rss.Despite the latest drop, bitcoin prices are little changed for the month and have more than doubled in value this year. Get our news straight to your inbox,.
Bitcoin Price Drops $100 in a Day as Ethereum Rebounds
China's Central Bank Declares Initial Coin OfferingsOur up to the minute Bitcoin price will help you track the largest digital currency currently available.CombiCoin Aims to Diversify Cryptocurrency Investments with a Single Transaction.The timing of the attack coincides with the drop in Bitcoin.
Is NSA Behind Bitcoin Price Drop and Global Cyber Attack
Even with the recent drop, bitcoin prices have surged more than 130 percent this year.
Bitcoin back in favor after price pop and dropBitcoin, the widely popular digital currency, saw its price drop late last week after a news report surfaced that China was gearing up to shutter local cryptocurrency.Bloomberg News reported that banks including Barclays and Credit Suisse.Bitcoin mining service and operator, CEX.io, has announced that it will temporarily halt cloud mining activities, owing to the simultaneous effects of dropping Bitcoin prices and rising network difficulty.Why Bitcoin Just Dropped 30%. The fundamental reason for these massive price swings is that the promise of blockchain tech is.
Bitcoin is under siege - Feb. 10, 2014 - CNNMoney
The price of bitcoin is continuing to crash,. a drop of nearly 30%. There has also been a slew of bad news and regulatory woes for bitcoin recently.
Bitcoin News 27 June 2017 - Bitcoin and Ethereum Price Drop, Short Term Volatility
Is NSA Behind Bitcoin Price Drop and Global Cyber Attack?
Jamie Dimon: Bitcoin is a "fraud" - CBS NewsAs the value of Bitcoin against the US dollar falls, it becomes less profitable to mine until it reaches a stage where it becomes completely unprofitable.Unless the price goes up significantly, bitcoin will not be useful for truly large transactions.
Bitcoin’s $500 Price Drop Sets Community AbuzzBitcoin price has undergone a price revision since the WannaCry cyber-attack. The latest markets news,.
Bitcoin sees nearly $4 billion wiped off value after 19%
Bitcoin news today - Top story must be the sudden drop of the cryptocurrency market in the past week that has sent.Bitcoin Price Drop and News. the rare few media outlets offering a slightly more positive outlook on current bitcoin price action.Bitcoin prices more than recover from Silk Road shutdown drop. Home News Bitcoin prices more than recover from Silk Road.I will give you four very good reasons not to fear the drop in price, but rather to embrace it.After over three weeks of daily Bitcoin price gains that have.CEX is also reportedly looking for partnerships or other ways to upgrade their mining operations, so that they use more energy-efficient hardware to improve profitability.
Bitcoin mining software mac os x | How to trade bitcoin in us | Is bitcoin currency legal | Exchange bitcoin coinbase | Mine bitcoin mac os x | Bitcoin worth 1 million dollars |


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Pikachu Earbuds With Pokéball Charging Case Also Make Pikachu Noises
Gaming peripheral maker Razer has collaborated with the Pokémon Company to unveil a new pair of Pikachu earbuds.
The Pokémon x Razer Pikach...
Razer is Investing $10 Million in Singapore’s Esports Community
Razer, a global gaming and hardware manufacturing giant, is committing $10 million over the next 12 months to fund the esports gaming commun...
Singaporean Billionaire Saves Christmas for Australian Boy After Thief Steals His Gifts
Tan Min-Liang, CEO and co-founder of massive high-performance gaming hardware company Razer, saved an Australian boy’s Christmas after his f...
Razer CEO Gives Fan Free Phone After Getting Permanent Tattoo of His Face
One fan of Singapore-based tech manufacturer Razer stood by his promise last month when he messaged the company’s founder Min-Liang Tan abou...
Singaporean CEO Becomes a Billionaire After Cash Injection From Hong Kong’s Richest Man
The CEO of popular gaming accessory manufacturer Razer is getting a billion-dollar boost in net worth after receiving financial support from...


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This just in: An unnamed spokesperson for the Rebel Alliance has issued a statement regarding the new white PSP.
"Not since Haliburton was granted the Death Star contract has the Alliance been more outraged. SONY has obviously chosen sides in the battle against good and evil. Rumors began when the PSP was released in all black. Though it was not branded as such it was obviously the Darth Vader edition. The recent release of the Stormtrooper edition simply proves our point."
A representative at SONY claims that "white was simply the obvious choice after black," he added "We will seriously consider talking to some of those "iPod sock" companies about making a baggy orange jumpsuit with grease stains on it as a PSP "skin" option for rebels." The Alliance was not impressed.
Check the snazzy photos at PSPworld
Play the original gaming system that came in black and white here


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The number of identity theft victims in 2010 dropped 28 percent, yet individuals lost more on average than ever before, suggesting that attackers’ techniques are getting more sophisticated.
According to a survey on consumer fraud released by Javelin Strategy & Research on Tuesday, annual fraud was down to from $56 billion in 2009 to $37 billion in 2010. The number of victims decreased as well — to 8.1 million people in the U.S, down from 11 million people in 2009, Reuters reports.
When it comes to losses however, Javelin notes that they jumped from $387 to $631 per incident, a jump of about 60 percent. The research group points out a growing trend in “friendly fraud,” a term that describes fraud committed by someone who knows the victim. Friendly fraud has seen a 7% uptick in the last year and usually results in a stolen Social Security number. Additionally, new account fraud, when a new account is opened without the victim’s understanding, reaped $17 billion, more than any other type of fraud.
Read the full article. [Reuters]


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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China attracted 8.44 billion U.S. dollars of foreign direct investment (FDI) in April, up only 0.4 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.
The figure marked a sharp slowdown from the 6.32-percent growth seen in February and 5.65 percent in March.
In the first four months of 2013, FDI inflow to China, which excludes those to the financial sector, grew 1.21 percent year on year to 38.34 billion U.S. dollars, MOC spokesman Shen Danyang said at a press conference.
"We expect FDI to grow steadily this year," said Shen.
During the January-April period, China approved the establishment of 6,687 foreign-invested enterprises, down 4.69 percent from a year earlier.
The service sector saw a steady increase of FDI inflows in the first four months, up 6.87 percent year on year and accounting for 49.36 percent of the total FDI inflow during the period.
Foreign investment into China's manufacturing sector went down 3.83 percent, taking a 42.7 percent share in the FDI inflow, Shen said.
Lu Jinyong, an economic and trade professor with Beijing's University of International Business and Economics, said as China moves up the value chain and focuses on brand building, the investment structure will become more optimized.
In breakdown, direct investment from the European Union and the United States jumped 29.68 percent and 33.2 percent, respectively, to 2.47 billion U.S. dollars and 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months.
Regionally, China's western areas saw strong growth in foreign investment, with an increase of 25.7 percent, compared with a 5.7-percent gain for the central regions and 1.1-percent drop for the east.
Meanwhile, Chinese investment in overseas non-financial sectors rose 27 percent year on year to 29.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first four months.
Analysts warned of the risk of hot money inflow disguised as FDI to cash in on a rising yuan and interest rate margins.
Qu Yankai, executive director of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, said it is difficult to accurately measure the amount of such speculative funds but that the risks are real.
Speculators might use bogus investments and fake transactions to bring in hot money, analysts said.
Under a guideline put into effect by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) on Tuesday, management over the payment of capital with foreign exchange by foreign investors will be simplified.
Meanwhile, the compliance of foreign direct investment in China will be tightly examined and verified to ferret out anything abnormal or suspicious.
By launching an information system for capital accounts on Tuesday, the SAFE is expected to tighten its monitoring over the movement of direct investment.
Lu said that the country's combat against hot money had lasted for many years. "Whenever there is a market expectation of a rising yuan, the regulators will be alert," he said.


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Brazil’s Bradesco bank has been allowing its clients to make cash withdrawals at ATMs, without the need of a card, since October 2012. The bank has biometric sensors at 90% of its cash machines and half of its clients have signed up for their biometric authentication service.
In Poland there is a similar scenario. In September 2012, Bank BPH introduced finger-vein biometric technology in its branches to authenticate customers. The Finger Vein authentication technology was developed by Hitachi, and uses infrared light to capture the unique pattern of veins in a person’s finger. This pattern is stored as a template and used to verify the person’s identity on the next occasion they use the device. This technology is impossible to counterfeit, contactless, discreet and non-invasive.
Recently, Hitachi’s Finger Vein authentication solutions were adopted by Is Bankasi A.S., the largest Turkish commercial bank, mainly as its ATM security, as well as being collaborated with the BT Group, a leading communications services provider to use Hitachi’s Finger Vein authentication technology for identification management of financial institutions.
In the UK, the University of Southampton is testing similar technology. The country is very badly affected by card fraud. The BBC reports that just in the first six months of 2012, card fraud totaled £185m. Police representatives in the country, spoke to the news service about the flaws in the chip & PIN authentication process. “Wherever you’ve got an interface between money and the customer you’ve got an opportunity that criminals can exploit,” said DCI Dave Carter at the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) of the Metropolitan Police. Criminals can easily bypass the system by installing hidden digital cameras or using metal loops or false sleeves to recover the cards.
However, not all are convinced by the need of biometric authentication. In itself, chip and pin technology is not that bad, says computer security expert Brian Krebs in the US. “The chip and pin solution is pretty good. It’s not perfect, but a big part of security is about making it more expensive for the bad guys,” he said speaking to the BBC.
In most European countries biometric authentication for payments is still a long way off. But with card fraud continuing, despite the widespread use of chip & PIN and European countries like Poland vouching for the technology, it could be closer than expected. At the end of last year, in France, thousands of customers saw biometric payments come true at their local supermarket when Natural Security trialed their authentication system.


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FedEx made additional cuts to its Express unit last quarter as the company continues to right-size its fleet amid stagnant demand.
Last quarter, FedEx implemented a variety of cost-cutting measures, including reducing flight hours by 8%, chopping salary and benefit expenses by 4%, grounding nine aircraft and downgauging on select routes, CEO Raj Subramaniam told analysts during a March 16 earnings call. As a result of these steps, the company mitigated 45% of total revenue declines.
The CEO noted that the company’s Express network is “vast and complex, and requires time to adjust to changing demand conditions.” In turn, FedEx is phasing out its MD-11 aircraft as the company reconfigures its air network in favor of a more modern, agile and flexible fleet.
“Our aircraft modernization program and use of 777s and 767s affords us the ability to flex our plans,” Subramaniam said. “As we operate more collaboratively, we are leaning [onto] ground transportation more, requiring less CapEx while enabling us to reconfigure our network more quickly.”
FedEx has 58 MD-11s in its fleet as of Feb. 28, with two scheduled lease expirations in 2023, three in 2024 and two in 2025, according to the company’s Q3 statistical book. Meanwhile, FedEx currently has commitments to purchase 27 767F aircraft and six 777Fs.
Subramaniam further noted that FedEx intends to park an additional six aircraft during the fourth quarter.
“The MD-11 was that flex fleet, and as we now look at the demand environment, we don’t see that high demand coming through,” the CEO told analysts.
Express took the brunt of softening demand last quarter as it saw the sharpest revenue drop. In Q3, operating income for FedEx’s Express segment fell 77% YoY to $119 million, according to the company’s 10-Q form.
Air cargo volumes across the industry have dropped as shippers opt for cheaper modes of transport amid a normalizing ocean shipping environment and inflationary pressures. In turn, FedEx has been restructuring its air network to respond to the flatter market and generate long-term savings.
The changes include leaning on third-party providers to move less urgent shipments while FedEx’s fleet focuses on transporting priority volumes.


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Published on May 5, 2020Embed from Getty Images
With its Victorian pier and dozens of quaint guesthouses dotted across the town, Eastbourne displays all the hallmarks of a bygone era. But 2020 threatens to be the year where the town, which attracts over five million visitors annually according to Locate East Sussex, is transformed beyond recognition.
Since March 23, much of the town’s crucial seasonal trade has come to a grinding halt due to lockdown restrictions implemented to stop the spread of coronavirus.
From that day on, Eastbourne’s seafront has resembled scenes of a post-apocalyptic Hollywood film. Ice cream kiosks are bolted shut, the golden beaches are deserted and arcade machines are silent.
Katerina Tutt, owner of Qualisea Fish Restaurant on Seaside Road, worries that without income generated during Eastbourne’s busiest months for tourism, her business will struggle to survive beyond peak season.
She said: “Our business is quite seasonal, with the winters being quieter and the summer is where we really take our money due to the tourism created by Airbourne, tennis week and the good weather.
“Our busiest weekend of the whole year is Airbourne, and it’s very worrying that it probably won’t go ahead this year. We rely on this summer being busy to stay afloat in the quieter winter.”
For many of the town’s seasonal businesses, the Easter weekend marks the beginning of the summer season. This year, however, the doors of cafes, hotels and restaurants remained firmly shut over the four-day Easter bank holiday.
The circumstances were made all the more agonising as temperatures peaked at 23 degrees to make Eastbourne’s seafront appear an enticing prospect in the April sunshine. With the stunning weather teasing both traders and their customers, fears for survival linger among business owners ahead of the crucial summer months.
At the start of April, the Lawn Tennis Association confirmed that the Nature Valley International – to be held at the Devonshire Park courts between June 20 and 27 – had been cancelled. Speaking to the Eastbourne Herald about the tournament’s cancellation, Eastbourne council leader David Tutt said the tournament normally boosts the town’s economy by £5-6 million each year.
There are growing fears that Eastbourne’s economy will be dealt a double blow as the fate of Airbourne – the annual seafront air show in mid-August – hangs in the balance. Should the event not go ahead, it is unlikely that key personnel in the town’s hospitality industry will be enjoying a good night’s sleep any time soon.
Councillor Margaret Bannister, Eastbourne’s Lead Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure Services, admits that the future of Airbourne is, frustratingly, beyond the council’s control.
She said: “We are hopefully going ahead with Airbourne and we’re really pushing for it, but it’s not in our power to decide and it’s up to the RAF.”
As many small businesses, not just in Eastbourne but across the country, desperately draw up plans to try and navigate through the choppy waters ahead, both local and central government are facing mounting pressure to ramp-up financial assistance schemes.
In mid-March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £350 billion rescue package as the government frantically scrambled for ways to save the UK from an economic disaster. Included were business rates holidays, business grants and a furlough scheme.
The Job Retention Scheme allows employers to claim a grant covering 80% of the wages for a furloughed employee, subject to a cap of £2,500 a month.
Under the Small Business Grant Scheme, businesses with a rateable value of less than £15,000 are eligible for a grant of £10,000 to help finance running costs. However, Mrs Tutt believes that further aid is required for her restaurant to withstand a summer of sparse revenue.
“I don’t think businesses that are operating during lockdown should have to pay VAT. When lockdown is over, I think there should be a month or so where no VAT needs to be paid, or at least a lower percentage, to help small businesses get back on their feet,” she said.
At a time of such national crisis, it is understandable that every constituency in the land will be badgering Westminster’s top brass in a plea for more resources, but Councillor Bannister explains that work is underway to ensure Eastbourne is not at the back of the queue.
She said: “Hopefully by lobbying government we will be able to get further grants for businesses, because not all of the hotels and restaurants qualify for the help because they do not meet the criteria. The MP is working with us as well to lobby for extra money for the tourist industry.”
However, the Lead Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure services warned that the council’s push for additional funds could fall on deaf ears and urged businesses to take advantage of whichever support they qualify for.
“We are looking to get our feet in the door and get as much money as we can, as soon as we can. But obviously every other tourist town in the country is going to be doing the same,” she added.
Within the past year, the people of Eastbourne have shown what is takes to pull together in times of hardship. After a disastrous fire tore through the Claremont Hotel last November, which left guests without a place to stay and few personal belongings, a rest centre was promptly assembled in the Town Hall. Beds, wash kits and refreshments were donated by local residents.
If Eastbourne’s small businesses are to weather this storm, the town’s robust community spirit will once again play a key role. Councillor Bannister has called on people to use local traders wherever possible, with a view to kickstarting an economic resurgence.
She said: “Hopefully once everything is back to near normality, people will go out and start supporting the restaurants and businesses again. I’m sure a lot of people are missing eating out.”
Coronavirus may have disrupted every aspect of ordinary life but, for as long as the town’s togetherness prevails, the sun will once again shine on Eastbourne and the good times will return.


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She says good quality tea leaves fetch her between 400 and 500 shillings a kilogram or more compared to low quality, which fetch less.
Tea farmers want government to carry out research on appropriate soils and fertilizers for tea growing. They argue that using the appropriate soils and fertilizers will boost their production. Christine Kembabazi, a farmer from Bunyaruguru in Lubirizi district says whenever she applies the appropriate fertilizers in her two acre tea plantation; she gets better yields and fetches better prices from buyers. She says good quality tea leaves fetch her between 400 and 500 shillings a kilogram or more compared to low quality tea leaves, which fetch less.
Anthony Mugisha, a farmer from Butare Kyamuhanga in Bushenyi district says in 2012 he lost over 10 million shillings in tea production after he applied the wrong fertilizers in his 12 acre tea plantation. He wants government to come to the rescue of farmers by carrying research on appropriate soils and fertilizers to save farmers loses, like the one he incurred. Mugisha cites in Kenya, where government allegedly carries out research on soil types and fertilizers, which has helped boost tea production.
Arthur Babu Muguzi, the Chairman Board of Directors Igara Tea Growers factory in Bushenyi district says that many farmers are counting loses because of planting tea on poor soils and applying inappropriate fertilizers. He says the application of inappropriate fertilizers in gardens has tremendously affected tea production. A total of 6,856 farmers from greater Bushenyi depend on tea growing for survival. Muguzi says only 34 million kilograms of unprocessed tea leave produced by members of Igara tea growers in 2012 was sold to Igara factory and later exported to Mombasa and other Asian countries after being processed.
He says if the farmers were accessing the right fertilizers they would be able to produce much more than what is needed by both the local and international processing plants. Tea from greater Bushenyi particularly in Buhweju district is considered the best quality on the world market.


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ATO offers assistance to businesses affected by the recent drought
18th August 2018 | News
Large parts of Australia have been affected by drought this winter. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecasted more warm and dry weather with a warmer than average Spring forecasted.
As a result, the drought has affected many businesses, especially in the agricultural industry. The drought has put extra pressure on people and businesses.
The Australian Taxation Office has offered help and support to businesses that have been affected and can offer assistance with tailored payment plans with interest-free periods, more time to pay tax and waiving penalties or interest that might have occurred during the drought.
The ATO has stressed that it is important to understand the possible tax implications on receiving drought assistance payments.
Amounts for emergency relief, such as food and personal clothing are not classed as income and will not be taxed. Deductions cannot be claimed for the costs of buying these items.
Amounts to help your business are income and subject to tax. However, there will be no tax to pay if these amounts are spent on expenses in relation to your businesses, such as purchasing feed for your livestock.
More information can be found on the ATO website here.


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CÜR Media has raised $2 million in financing led by Intuitive Venture Partners and Katalyst Securities. This funding will go toward paying the company’s content providers.
“I’m pleased to have completed this financing and to move our company one step closer toward the launch of CÜR Music,” Founder and CEO Tom Brophy said. “We intend to work diligently to move our company forward and deliver on the great potential of CÜR Music in the multi-billion dollar music streaming industry.”
The initial steps for the CÜR Music streaming service has hit some snags, starting with missed licensing payments to the major labels. After putting licensing deals in order for all three of the majors at the start of the year, CÜR filed papers to the SEC stating that the first payments would not be made on time. The service is currently running its public beta, but the press release did not give a planned date for the a formal launch.
CÜR’s approach centers on a low price point to attract casual listeners. The core product costs $1.99 a month, with an expanded tier at $4.99 and eventually a full on-demand setup for $9.99.


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Digital TV News: Boxer
WBSS chooses Friend MTS streaming security for Cruiserweight boxing final
Jul 18, 2018 – Friend MTS has announced that it has been selected by the World Boxing Super Series to provide security against streaming piracy for the upcoming Cruiserweight final, which will take place in Moscow on July 21 2018.
News categories: Friend MTS, World Boxing Super Series, Simon Williamson, Content Protection, Digital TV, Russia, Streaming, Worldwide
Eurofins to provide testing and validation for Com Hem's Android TV STB
Jun 12, 2018 – At ANGA COM 2018, Eurofins Digital Testing has announced that it has been selected by Com Hem to provide automated testing and service validation for Com Hem's Tv Hub. Tv Hub is an Android TV Ultra HD/4K Hybrid STB.
News categories: Eurofins Digital Testing, Com Hem, Johan Craeybeckx, Thomas Helbo, Android TV, ANGA COM, Digital TV, QoE, Set Top Box, Sweden
Com Hem deploys hybrid Android TV STB based on 3READY Operator Tier
Apr 13, 2018 – 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has announced that Com Hem has selected the 3SS 3READY Android TV Client with custom launcher to power its new Android TV UHD-4K Hybrid STB, the Com Hem Tv Hub
News categories: 3 Screen Solutions, Com Hem, Kai-Christian Borchers, Thomas Helbo, Android TV, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Set Top Box, Sweden, UX
Com Hem and Boxer launch Android TV-based Tv Hub
Apr 12, 2018 – Com Hem has launched its Android TV-based platform Tv Hub, for both Com Hem and Boxer customers. The Tv Hub combines linear TV with play services in HDR and 4K quality. The Tv Hub was designed with partners such as Google, Technicolor and 3SS.
News categories: Com Hem, Jessica Andersson, Maria Ferreras, Marec-Nicholas Gasiun, Android TV, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Sweden, Terrestrial
EU cable industry revenue grows to €23.5 billion in 2016
Dec 4, 2017 – The European cable industry continued to show resiliency and steady growth in 2016, increasing 4 percent from the prior year, to €23.5 billion, according to IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) and Cable Europe.
News categories: IHS Markit, Cable Europe, Maria Rua Aguete, Cable TV, Digital TV, EU, Market Research
Sweden's Boxer trials TV Everywhere iOS app
May 23, 2014 – Boxer TV, a Swedish pay-TV operator owned by the Teracom Group, has announced the launch of its TV Everywhere service Boxer Play to selected testers. The service allows Boxer customers to access Boxer TV anywhere through an app for Apple iOS devices.
News categories: Boxer, Apps, Digital TV, Sweden, TV Everywhere
Boxer TV to launch multiscreen with Viaccess-Orca
May 14, 2014 – Viaccess-Orca has announced that Boxer TV, the Swedish pay-TV operator, has selected the company’s TV Everywhere solution to extend its DTT and on-demand service offering into the multiscreen environment.
News categories: Viaccess-Orca, Boxer TV, Roland Svensson, François Moreau de Saint Martin, Conditional Access, Digital TV, DRM, Middleware, Mobile, Sweden, Terrestrial, TV Everywhere
Boxer TV selects Norigin Media multiscreen TVE apps
Mar 12, 2014 – NORIGIN MEDIA has announced that the company has entered into a partnership with BOXER TV for the licensing of its multi-screen Hybrid Apps solution in Sweden and Denmark.
News categories: NORIGIN MEDIA, Teracom, Roland Svensson, Ajey Anand, Apps, Denmark, Digital TV, Mobile, Streaming, Sweden, TV Everywhere
Teracom and Broadcom collaborate on Ultra HD broadcast demonstration
Jan 24, 2014 – Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) has announced that Teracom, a provider of terrestrial network operations in Sweden and Denmark, has selected Broadcom silicon to demonstrate 4K Ultra HD and DVB-T2 broadcast capabilities with Boxer TV.
News categories: Broadcom, Teracom, Håkan Axén, Aidan O'Rourke, Denmark, DVB-T2, Semiconductor, Set Top Box, Sweden, Terrestrial
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U.K. art gallery Dadiani Syndicate has partnered with blockchain platform Maecenas to auction off Andy Warhol’s 14 Small Electric Chairs (1980). It will be the world’s first art auction from an internationally-renowned artist in the form of cryptocurrencies.
Warhol’s 14 Small Electric Chairs will be listed on Maecenas’ blockchain platform on June 20, 2018. Maecenas will enable fractional ownership of the artwork. Forty-nine percent of the ownership of the painting will be available for auction.
The painting is, currently, worth $5.6 million — approximately 730 Bitcoin. When buyers purchase a part of the painting, they will receive a digital certificate that will remain on the Ethereum blockchain. The certificate represents their fractional ownership of the artwork.
Buyers can purchase the certificate using Bitcoin, Ethereum, ART tokens, or fiat currency. These currencies will be converted to ART tokens and placed into a smart contract during the auction. According to the press release, the smart contract running on the Ethereum blockchain will determine the final price of the artwork.
Maecenas CEO Marcelo Garcia Casi said:
“We’re making history. This event markets the first-ever artwork to be tokenised and to be sold using blockchain technology. We are proud to be pioneers in this space – this is the result of many years of hard work. This Warhol is the first artwork of many more to come. We’re starting this exciting journey alongside our strategic partner Dadiani, who not only fully supports our vision, but also will play a key long-term role in helping us transform the art market.”
Blockchain Technology Goes Beyond FinTech Into the Realm of Art
While blockchain is often associated with cryptocurrencies and FinTech, it also can revolutionize fine art investments. That is the goal of Maecenas, which is a global blockchain platform that aims to democratize access to fine art for everyone.
The reserve price of Warhol’s 14 Small Electric Chairs will start at $4 million. Any buyer participating will need to undergo “know your customer” (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) practices. The information will help the parties ensure that all purchases follow financial rules and regulations.
Warhol’s 14 Small Electric Chairs belongs to a larger body of work known as the 1980 Reversal series. The artwork is considered one of Warhol’s most iconic and well-known artworks along with his Marilyn Monroe, Dollar Bill, and Tomato Soup Can pieces.
Dadiani Syndicate founder Eleesa Dadiani stated:
“For the first time ever high-value, blue-chip artworks will be available for everybody to own utilising the unique technology platform developed by Maecenas. You can now own a piece of history! This is not a divisive strategy but a win-win for all…Our shared vision is being implemented in the most exciting way – now we both look forward to embracing the resulting evolution of art investment.”
Purchasing Art With Cryptocurrencies
While it may be the most expensive artwork that will be purchased using cryptocurrencies, it’s not the first. According to Forbes, four paintings were purchased using cryptocurrencies in January 2018 at the Art Stage in Singapore.
South China Morning Post reported that Singapore’s largest art fair created a system known as Aditus in January. Aditus allows a variety of payment options including the decision to pay using cryptocurrencies. While it sounds like a positive step forward for the art and cryptocurrency community, there are certain drawbacks.
Art sellers would need to reset the cryptocurrency value of the artwork constantly. Cryptocurrencies remain highly volatile, which would impact their price.
Despite this problem, Singapore-based collector Joe Nash does not see it as much of a problem. He believes that paintings can be set in other currencies like Euro and US or Australian dollars. “It is easy to check the real-time exchange rate against cryptocurrencies,” Nash said.


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Vegas exotic-car driving experience adds latest Lamborghini to its stable
13 January 2012
For car enthusiasts who’d love to drive Lamborghini’s latest high-performance sports car but can’t afford the vehicle’s list price of $379,000, there’s now a cheaper option in Las Vegas.
Exotics Racing has added the Lamborghini Aventador to the line of exotic cars it offers at its operation at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The company, founded in Europe in 2004, allows drivers a chance to hit the racetrack in some of the world’s most expensive automobiles.
The Aventador, which debuted last year, features a 700-horsepower engine and a top speed of more than 200 mph.
Exotics Racing, founded in Europe in 2004, launched its Las Vegas operation in 2009. Since then, it has expanded from six cars to more than 20, including models by Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin.
The company provides packages that include classroom instruction, familiarization laps and ride-along instruction, with prices for the Aventador starting at $499 or five-lap sessions. Prices for other vehicles start at $199. Anyone 18 or older with a valid driver’s license is eligible to take part, the company said, and there are no extra fees for insurance.
Late last year, Exotics Racing and the speedway reached a multiyear agreement to maintain the company’s presence in Las Vegas.
Join the Discussion:
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Will online gaming hurt brick-and-mortar casinos?


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Starbucks Corporation SBUX employees from over 100 stores went on strike on Thursday to protest what they believe is illegal retaliation against their union organizing, reported Reuters. The workers said they are underpaid and don't have consistent schedules.
The news of the strike, however, did not affect the share price of the company. Starbucks shares closed Thursday’s trading session on a flat note and are up over 9% in the last month.
Also Read: Brokers For Short Selling
What Happened: The strike was conducted on what is known as Red Cup Day when Starbucks hands out limited-edition holiday reusable cups.
These cups are well-liked by customers who are known to line up since early morning to get their hands on them. The day is also one of the company’s most profitable days during the year. For example, on Red Cup Day in November 2021, visits to U.S. Starbucks stores jumped 87% over the daily average for the full year, reported Reuters citing exclusive data from location analytics firm Placer.ai.
Why It Matters: Barista Aaron Cirillo was quoted as saying, “They're working us to the bone because we're so understaffed." Cirillo makes $17.05 an hour and has worked at the store for over a year, the report said. According to him, his store petitioned to unionize last month and is slated to vote on Dec. 8.
While Cirillo initially did not want to unionize out of fear of retaliation, he became angry after waiting in vain for Starbucks to raise benefits and fix equipment in the store, the report said.
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Graphic designer Rick Banks, who runs Face37, has launched a new website for his foundry F37 that allows designers to test out typefaces within a web browser.
Rick says he observed that existing font websites were “somewhat clunky and restrictive” when it came to testing out fonts, so aimed to create a site where designers “could experiment freely with type using everyday behaviours”. He worked on the site together with digital designer Francis Smith and developer Tom Duncalf for seven months to build the online service.
The “type tester” echoes the environment and tools of Illustrator within a browser, allowing users to experiment with F37’s font library on the site. Users can move, resize, adjust colours, rotate pieces of text and adapt the leading, kerning and tracking of fonts before purchasing.
The site is aimed at graphic designers primarily, but Rick hopes it’ll also appeal to web designers and developers for its innovative approach to in-browser experience using recent technology.
At the moment the site is only available on desktop, optimally on Chrome.
To coincide with the launch, Rick has also launched new typeface F37 Jagger.
- Brooklyn-based Jyan Ku’s naive pastel works are oddly charming
- Jules de Balincourt’s vivid paintings of public spaces play with reality
- Harry Israelson photographs a renaissance fair in sunny California
- Pentagram’s Domenic Lippa designs the inaugural issue of YES & NO Magazine
- Introducing graphic designer Moonsick Gang
- “Non-league football is our punk rock” – Alex Brown’s work for Eastbourne Town FC
- Animator and director James Curran’s amusing 30-day Gifathon project in Tokyo
- Photographer Sophie Mayanne’s new personal project celebrates imperfection (NSFW)
- Animator Saiman Chow’s trippy idents for Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty
- The daily grind: Louis Quail’s photographs of fascinatingly mundane offices
- "Before I was a graphic designer I had nearly no idea what one was": meet Austin Redman
- Matthew Raw: the east London artist making clay great again


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Forever 21 and American Eagle Outfitters are returning to Japan after withdrawing from the country in 2019.
According to Japanese trading company Itochu, which acquired the domestic sales and licensing rights for Forever 21 and American Eagle Outfitters, the former will set up an e-commerce platform in February and open its first physical store in the following spring.
In a separate announcement, American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is also returning to Japan in October with flagship stores in Shibuya and Ikebukuro. Since the closure of its last physical store in 2019, the brand has only been available online in Japan. It is expected that American Eagle Outfitters’s brick-and-mortar store opening will further strengthen its presence in the country through an omnichannel approach.
Apart from the two aforementioned names, Eddie Bauer is also on the list of Itochu’s partnering brands. Following the closure of its last shop in December 2021, the brand has plans to bring its physical stores back to Japan.


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The National Association of Realtors reported a 7.1 percent decline in existing home sales in March compared to March last year. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said he thinks the market is stabilizing and is experiencing modest monthly ups and downs.
Yun said the share of lower priced home sales has actually trended up, indicating that many first-time buyers are driving the current market. First-time buyers accounted for 53 percent of transactions in March, NAR reported.
NAR President Charles McMillan stressed the necessity of first-time buyers in this current market.
“With large numbers of first-time buyers entering the market it will become a little easier for sellers to trade up or down, according to their needs,” McMillan said in the report.


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In a recent development that has stirred controversy, a customer of Indian food delivery giant Zomato was left astonished after receiving a ‘fresh and hot’ meal delivered to him within an improbable 30-minute timeframe, all the way from a city located 500 kilometers away.
Sourav Mall, a 24-year-old Zomato patron from Gurugram, ordered food from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, utilizing Zomato’s ‘Legends’ policy, which promises swift delivery from iconic restaurants in distant cities. However, the seemingly miraculous delivery left Mall questioning the authenticity of Zomato’s claims.
Mall’s skepticism prompted him to take legal action, with him approaching a local court in Delhi to demand a ban on Zomato’s ‘Legends’ policy, alleging deceptive practices. The court has issued a summons to Zomato in response to Mall’s petition.
According to Mall’s advocates, the food was not actually transported from the specified city but was stored at various Zomato warehouses. Additionally, Mall’s subsequent orders from restaurants located at least 30 kilometers away were also delivered within the promised 30-minute timeframe, raising further doubts about Zomato’s operational practices.
Zomato’s claims of “freshly prepared” meals using advanced refrigeration technology and the absence of preservatives have come under scrutiny, with Mall and his advocates challenging the veracity of these assertions.
The ‘Legends’ policy, introduced in 2022, was initially intended to enable users to order food from renowned restaurants located in distant cities. However, Zomato’s partnership with commercial airlines and logistics firms like Shadowfax was expected to ensure deliveries within 24 hours of placing an order, contrary to Mall’s experiences.
As this controversy unfolds, questions surrounding Zomato’s delivery practices and adherence to quality standards continue to surface, underscoring the importance of transparency and accountability in the food delivery industry. The outcome of Mall’s legal challenge against Zomato’s ‘Legends’ policy remains to be seen, but it highlights the need for consumers to remain vigilant and informed about the services they utilize.


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The global supply chain crisis is not going to end any time soon, according to top executives at key companies in the trucking and cold storage sectors, but thinking about the shipping situation as a one-time event caused by the pandemic misses a larger problem. A real fix requires understanding that the global supply chain has long been inefficient and requires a better model — one which incorporates climate change as a critical risk and business mission — and that will take years to build.
How inefficient is logistics? Oren Zaslansky, founder and CEO of Flock Freight, which creates algorithms to maximize trucking loads, recently told the CNBC Disruptor 50 Summit that as ports across the U.S. deal with long wait times for vessels, and there are not enough trucks for the loads that are coming off the cargo ships, the loads that do finally hit the road as “full” often do so with plenty of empty space inside the freight truck’s trailer.
Flock Freight’s business model is bridging the gap between the 60%-70% that has commonly been defined as “full” in the freight trucking business, and by using proprietary algorithms getting trucks to 100% full through the concept of shared truckloads (think Airbnb for trucking). That can help to solve the truck driver shortage, but Flock Freight sees the supply chain in much bigger terms. All that air being shipped also is generating unnecessary greenhouse gases. That amounts to a lot of empty space needlessly adding to the planet’s climate change challenge from a trillion-dollar-plus freight sector. Flock Freight estimates its shared truckload solution cuts “less than truckload” freight carbon emissions by up to 40%.
To read the full article on CNBC, please click here.


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Digital Spy reports Apple may be planning a coup d’état by usurping Microsoft’s popular Kinect device with their own motion sensor.
The company is allegedly in contact with PrimeSense, the 3D sensing company which was instrumental in the creation of the first Xbox Kinect. According to a source speaking to Engadget it seems Apple is in the plans of buying PrimeSense, for around $280 million.
Kinect is okay and all, but imagine if Apple managed to implement 3D sensing technology on portable devices like an iPhone. That would seriously give Microsoft a run for their money.
And that may be exactly what Apple has in mind, seeing as how PrimeSense has been working on a sensor known as ‘Capri’ which is basically a miniature 3D sensor. Even with the Xbox One coming packaged with a Kinect ‘2.0’, Microsoft is going to have a hard time competing with Apple’s hypothetical mini motion sensor.


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H-E-B Outpaces National Average in Foot Traffic Growth
San Antonio-based H-E-B has long profited from its enormous popularity among Texans. A recent report from data analytics firm Placer.ai revealed H-E-B increased foot traffic by 6.8% during the final three months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2019, while most competitors saw declines in foot traffic over the same period. That increase was well above the national grocery sector average and Texas average. Even while foot traffic dropped 1.5% across the grocery sector as a whole during Q4 2022 versus 2021, H-E-B’s store visits rose by 0.9%. The report attributed H-E-B’s success to cultivating a positive customer experience, combined with low prices, unique private-label foods, and hyperlocal approach. In recent years, H-E-B has also leaned into omnichannel capabilities – reaching the top of dunnhumby’s list of most preferred online grocers this year. H-E-B’s strategy has garnered the retailer a highly devoted and loyal customer base.
Placer.ai’s Q4 Quarterly Index Report presents location intelligence data for beauty and self-care brands, discount & dollar stores, superstores, grocery brands, malls, fitness chains, and offices. Using yearly, quarterly, and weekly visit patterns, the report reveals how these key categories fared in 2022 and what their performance tells us about the current state of consumer behavior and brick-and-mortar retail.


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Let’s just say there was a lot of spirit of “Aloha.”
Ray-Ban led the way.
After the holiday hustle, it seems customers played it conservative the first month of the new year.
OVVO seems to be the month’s sleeper hit.
The old standbys seem to have been the safe bet.
Sunglass sales were hot and customers seemed more willing to spend.
Get the most important news and business ideas for eyecare professionals every weekday from INVISION.


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NIBE has released the following figures in today’s first-quarter report:
“The first three months of 2013 have been characterised by caution in the market – the result of a difficult market situation compounded by continuing financial uncertainty and record-low levels of new builds,” says Gerteric Lindquist, CEO of the NIBE Group.
“In true NIBE spirit, however, despite the challenging market situation, we have continued to press ahead with undiminished vigour with our product development and marketing measures, while safeguarding our margins through continuous improvements in productivity and by keeping a firm grip on costs.”
“Our acquisition strategy remains unchanged and in the first quarter we have acquired a 60% stake in the UK Stovax Heating Group and completed our takeover of the Eltwin Group in Denmark. Tougher market conditions often create opportunities to acquire attractive businesses, and thanks to our strong financial position we are well placed to make acquisitions.”
“All in all, we are well equipped to face the future, both in terms of our modern product range and thanks to our robust finances and strong market positions. In addition, we can also see a number of possibilities for us to continue to acquire attractive companies,” Gerteric Lindquist concludes.
At 11:00 (C.E.T.) today, Gerteric Lindquist, MD and CEO of the NIBE Group, will hold a telephone conference (in English) for the press and financial analysts. Please phone +46 (0)8 505 564 76.
Benny Torstensson, Information Manager: tel. +46 (0)433-73 070
Christel Fritiofsson, IR Manager: tel. +46 (0)433-73 078


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Teslas will not be allowed to enter China’s coastal district of Beidaihe this summer over concerns the cars could be used for spying as the area plays host to an annual summit of some of the county’s political leaders.
The leadership summit will begin on July 1, 2022 and last for at least two months. The Tesla ban was revealed by a local traffic police official to Reuters on Monday, who did not provide additional details except to say the decision was made over “national affairs.”
The officer from the Beidaihe Traffic Police Brigade said an official announcement of the ban would be made soon.
This is not the first time concerns of Teslas being used for spying have appeared in China. Just a few weeks ago we told you about Chinese police preventing Tesla vehicles from driving on specific roads in Chengdu in Sichuan Province.
The ban that time was due to a visit by Chinese president Xi Jingping.
Tesla vehicles of course have multiple onboard cameras to assist with Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities, but the Chinese government is wary of them saying they could be used for spying.
However, Elon Musk has previously stated this is not the case, and they have a very strong incentive no to spy in China, or anywhere else in the world.
There’s a very strong incentive for us to be very confidential with any information. If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we will get shut down.
Musk made these comments after the Chinese military banned Tesla vehicles from its facilities around the country, a ban which appears to still be in place.


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At first glance, credit services companies appear to be front-line casualties as governments impose travel bans and implant social distancing measures to limit the impact of the deadly coronavirus. Understandably, severely reduced consumer spending on everything from upcoming summer vacations to restaurants has prompted many industry stalwarts to slash quarterly and yearly earnings projections.
However, judging from the panic buying of staple products across the country in recent weeks, the group should see a substantial increase in transactional demand from grocery and supermarket merchants as shoppers continue to stock their pantries in preparation for the virus. Even before the arrival of COVID-19Americans spent 41% more on groceries compared to dining out, according to location intelligence firm Esri, per cnbc.com. Furthermore, credit services companies may benefit from a steady rise in subscription services, such as Microsoft’s Office 365 and Netflix’s streaming offering as more employees work remotely.
Below, we take look at three large-cap credit services stocks and identify possible trading opportunities from key chart levels.
Visa Inc. (V)
Visa Inc. (V) provides credit payment solutions for consumers, financial institutions, and businesses, with the financial services giant processing nearly $9 trillion last year in purchase transactions. The company sits well positioned to strengthen its partnerships with grocery stores after decreasing supermarket merchant swipe fees for a $50 premium card purchase from $1.15 to 77 cents. Earlier this month, the firm said that it expects second quarter revenue to be 2.5% lower than it previously forecast due to a slump in spending from the virus. Although Visa stock has tumbled 18.81% year to date, it has outperformed the credit services industry average over the same period by nearly 8% as of March 20, 2020. Investors also receive a 0.81% dividend yield.
Visa shares fell below multi-year support at $150 Wednesday before promptly recovering yesterday to close above this closely watched level. Swing traders who buy here should book profits on a move to $170, where price finds overhead resistance from an area of previous support. Protect capital by cutting losses if the stock fails to hold above its recent low at $139.80.
Mastercard Incorporated (MA)
Mastercard Incorporated (MA) offers transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and globally. The $228.31 billion payments titan, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and British charity giant Wellcome, are joining forces to speed up the development of treatments for COVID-19, committing a combined $125 million to the effort. The firm warned that yearly revenue growth would come in “at the low end of the low-teens range” if the impact of the virus is limited to the first quarter, per businessinsider.com. As of March 20, 2020, Mastercard stock offers a 0.70% yield and has fallen 23.79% on the year.
Despite the Mastercard share price finishing in the red yesterday, it still closed above crucial support at $220 – an area on the chart that finds a floor from the September/October 2018 swing high. Those looking to enter should think about placing a take-profit order near $260, where the stock may find sellers near a horizontal trendline. Consider putting a stop under this month’s low at $211.15 to guard against further downside.
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) operates as a technology platform, providing digital payment solutions for consumers and merchants. It also offers gateway services that enable businesses to accept payments online with cards and digital wallets. In 2018, the technology payments firm entered into a partnership with Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) to enhance its push into the digital workplace, helping companies to become agile, collaborative, and mobile – an increasingly valuable alliance as more people work from home during the pandemic. PayPal stock has a market capitalization of $109.90 billion and is trading down just shy of 14% as of March 20, 2020.
The stock’s sharp decline to a multi-year horizontal support line at $90 provides an opportunity for tactical traders. Those who take a long position should consider banking profits on a retest of the $110 area, where price encounters resistance from several reactionary swing points and the 200-day simple moving average (SMA). Implement risk management by placing a stop-loss order beneath the March 18 low at $86.15 and amending it to the breakeven point if the stock rises above the phycological $100 level.


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Plugging in the car is about as much noise as you'll ever hear out of this all-electric car from a California company called CODA. When you turn the key, the silence is deafening. However, after its launch was delayed for more than two years, the first five-passenger sedan to finally roll off CODA's new assembly line in Benicia was met with thunderous applause.
"This is just the beginning. Our founding mission at CODA is to put an electric car in every garage in the world," said Mac Heller, the CODA executive chairman.
At about $27,000 after government rebates, the new CODA directly competes with the Nissan Leaf. Coda's quick to point out this car has a longer range -- up to 125 miles, they say -- and its massive battery has a 10-year warranty, compared to Nissan's eight.
Yet, perhaps the biggest difference is what you won't notice. Aside from the logo, you might mistake this for any other five-passenger sedan. It's an electric car that doesn't cry out for attention.
Aside from having a knob in place of a gear shift, the inside of the CODA sedan really looks like any other car. It even uses a traditional metal key to start. And its designers say that familiar feel is really the whole idea.
"We have a standard car. This is not a fancy vehicle, it's not a sideshow vehicle, it's a very good looking modern sedan," said Thomas Hausch, the CODA sales and marketing vice president.
A Silicon Valley dealership wasted no time ordering two dozen codas and already has buyers lined up.
"Just like you and I, they're regular people that are environmental conscious, really probably want to be in the HOV lane, and they're not a lot of third cars, they're really just people who want to have this as their everyday car," said Shaun Del Grande, a CODA dealership president.
CODA's been criticized for building most of the car's parts in China, then assembling them in Benicia. But Benicia's mayor, Elizabeth Patterson, is not complaining about the 25 jobs they've created here.
"In closing, let the good times roll," said Patterson.