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Woolworths marketing personnel face uncertain changes
Woolworths’ marketing leadership team has experienced another sudden change in personnel and a cloud of uncertainty has arisen. It was only recently that Chief Marketing Officer, Tony Phillips, left the company suddenly and unexpectedly without an announcement of a successor to his former position.
Now as reported by Fairfax, Jess Gill, the ” Director of Customer, Brand and Format” has walked out the front door. Gill had previously headed the Woolworths marketing team but Phillips became the Chief Marketing Officer in early 2014.
Gill joined Woolworths in 2013 prior to which she was with Sydney boutique marketing agency, Growth Mantra.
There has been speculation that her departure is the result of a major reorganisation headed by Brad Banducci, Managing Director of the Australian Food and Liquor division in Woolworths.
Banducci is said to be moving Woolworths marketing to a flatter structure and rumours have been circulating that there are more changes to come.
All of the changes come after the supermarket’s recent investor strategy day where a management shuffle of personnel was foreshadowed.
“We will reduce further non-customer roles by a further 400 positions by the end of H1 – FY16 as we continue to identify process improvements,” Woolworths Limited CEO, Grant O’Brien, had declared as part of the briefing .


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South Korea committed $33 billion to protect vital industries, including the shipping sector, at the same time it launched the world’s largest container ship. Some 400 sailings have been canceled since February by the world’s major shippers.
The House of Representatives approved the latest rescue package, which includes $321 million in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses.
The U.S. Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the service sector plummeted to a record low of 27 in April, while the PMI for manufacturing fell to 36.9, an 11-year low. A score below 50 signifies deteriorating conditions.
A number of states are extending stay-at-home orders with modifications to allow some businesses to reopen:
Consumer buying patterns could be at an inflection point, according to major brand owners and retailers:
Unilever, which has seen strong growth in demand for soaps and cleaning products and weakness in cosmetics and grooming supplies, expects such trends to be long-lasting.
Target, which has experienced a decline in store traffic and surge in online sales, expects the shift to digital commerce will be permanent.
Green cleaning products have gotten a boost because of shortages of traditional brand leaders.
The UAW opposes reopening U.S. automotive plants in early May due to workforce safety concerns.
Global automobile sales are projected to fall by more than 20% in 2020.
Africa experienced a 43% jump in COVID-19 cases last week, supporting World Health Organization concerns that the continent’s antiquated healthcare systems are unprepared to deal with the virus.
Our steamship partners are reporting surging sailings to Asia as China reopens and industry resumes production.
Our 3D Printing initiative to make and donate face masks to needy hospitals was highlighted in a Plastics News article.
To access 3D printing training, order parts and seek technical assistance, visit our new online resource.
M. Holland is open for business, deemed essential and will continue to operate at full capacity. We have issued the following status statement:
In accordance with the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), M. Holland Company is considered a member of a critical infrastructure industry and will therefore remain operative. As such, with any necessary accommodations made to ensure the health and safety of our staff and business partners, we will continue to fully perform our normal business operations.
M. Holland Company
We will provide further COVID-19 bulletins as circumstances dictate. For all COVID-19 updates and notices, please refer to the M. Holland website.

domain: news


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ZURICH, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Luxury goods group Richemont said on Friday Cartier chief Bernard Fornas and deputy chief executive officer Richard Lepeu will be joint CEOS from April 1.
Executive chairman Johann Rupert, who also held the role of CEO since 2010, will step down from that role, Richemont said.
Fornas’ specific role will be to oversee Richemont’s operating companies, while Lepeu will continue to oversee Richemont’s central functions, Richemont said.
Fornas and Lepeu together with Gary Saage, Chief Financial Officer, will form a Senior Executive Committee, the group said.
Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz


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June 3, 2013 7:21 AM
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures will retail for less than the standard new game price upon release.
May 14, 2013 11:58 AM
Namco Bandai announces Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures for Wii U and 3DS.
September 6, 2012 5:17 PM
Namco Bandai's arcade shooter for the Wii U gets some box art love.
September 5, 2012 5:11 PM
Namco Bandai shows off the official box art for the upcoming Wii U fighting game.
September 5, 2012 11:02 AM
Strong hints suggest new Wii U titles to be revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2012.


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Electronic cigarettes have ignited international debate over their health effects, after New Zealand researchers ruled the battery-powered inventions were safe.
The cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, are at the centre of a legal battle in the United States, with the Food and Drug Administration attempting to ban them from being imported into the country over safety concerns. Greek researchers have also called for more studies, saying in the British Medical Journal the information available is “very limited”.
Meanwhile, a local anti-smoking group is hesitant to praise the new cigarettes, saying more research is needed and they do not encourage anti-smoking behaviour.
However, Kiwi researcher Dr Murray Laugesen said concerns about safety were unfounded.
Last year, Laugesen conducted in-depth research for Health New Zealand on one brand of e-cigarette, Ruyan, and said he found nothing to be “immediately concerned about”.
The stainless-steel devices look and taste like cigarettes – even giving users a ‘hit’ of fine vapour – with the aim of enticing people to quit the habit.
They are available over the internet and in some supermarkets, are rechargeable, and come either as nicotine-free or with a small amount of nicotine.
Even e-cigarettes which contained a small amount of nicotine were relatively safe, said Laugesen. There was about one-tenth as much nicotine per puff compared to a normal cigarette.
“Basically, in all the testing that we did we did not find anything that would make them unsafe relative to other tobacco products,” said Laugesen.
“Anybody can see they are much safer than tobacco and other regular cigarette products.”
In New Zealand, the nicotine-free Elusion Electronic Cigarette brand is being heavily marketed and consists of a liquid cartridge, battery and a heating element.
Packets can be bought with apple, chocolate, vanilla or coffee flavoured cartridges, with a starter pack costing $89.50.
The Ruyan E-Cigarette, which contains a small amount of nicotine, sells online for about US$25 to US$48 ($35 to $67.50).
Anti-smoking group Quit said it was hesitant to take a position on the safety of e-cigarettes as more research was needed. “The strength of e-cigarettes is that they provide nicotine without the thousands of damaging chemicals found in cigarettes and tobacco, which is certainly a good thing,” said a spokesman.
“Our concern is that, at face value, they appear to reinforce the behaviour of having a cigarette. It’s reinforcing the wrong habit and potentially without addressing the addiction.
“We need to de-normalise smoking and e-cigarettes seem to role-model the wrong behaviour.”
- Quitting Smoking With Electronic Cigarettes: New Study Proves 45% Success Rate
- Electronic Cigarette Safety Not a Real Concern
- E-cigarettes’ smoke screen
- FDA looks to regulate tobacco products — but not electronic cigarettes
- Should I use e-cigarettes to help me quit smoking?


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Richmond Hill's Clothing Closet warms children in need
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
Students Michaela de Boer (from left), Dakota Carter, Curtis Hull, Alissa Power, Brayden Arsenault, Jamey Knott, Allison Elgersma, Kyle Tani and Jaaron Pullenayegem volunteer to sort clothes at the Community Reformed Church’s Clothing Closet, open for business this Wednesday.
This week’s wet weather may have you reaching for the kids’ warm woollies, but if the closet is looking depleted and your wallet is too, help is available.
Teenagers with Richmond Hill’s Community Reform Church are opening the doors this Wednesday, Nov. 7 to their new Children’s Clothing Closet, offering a selection of gently used clothing for kids.
The idea came from the church’s youth group looking for ways to help in the community.
Alissa Power and Dakota Carter are two 17-year-olds who became involved in the project as a way to help newcomers and those who are less fortunate.
They say working in the local food bank revealed a need: if there are that many people requiring help with food, there likely are many residents who also need clothing.
Pastor Jack Klooster agrees. Despite the image of affluence in the suburbs, he says, there are families in need in Richmond Hill.
“I think there’s a huge need and the clothes are beautiful.”
Students began collecting items last fall and what they don’t give away, they give to other charities.
The clothing fits children up to and including those in Grade 12.
The depot is open on the first Wednesday of every month from 8 to 9 p.m.
For those who can’t make it during that evening, organizers can make alternative arrangements.
Donations of children’s clothing are also welcomed.
The Children’s Clothing Closet is located at 45 Crosby St., just east of Yonge Street. For more details, call 905-884-3005 ext. 26.


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Live is the brand name for the Redmond, Wash., company's Web services initiative. Microsoft has said that it plans to eventually offer all its software as service over the Internet.
In seeking developers for Windows Live Shopping, Microsoft said it's building "the largest structured commercial catalog in the world, ingesting data from hundreds of thousands of retailers." The company said it is also tackling user-generated content platforms for "reputation and incentive services," which apparently would include buyer ratings of sellers.
In addition, the company said it plans to run the product in more than 50 international markets.
In an emailed statement, Microsoft confirmed plans to launch a new shopping site, but declined to provide further details.
“As part of our Windows Live strategy, we plan to offer a Windows Live Shopping service; however, we have no specifics about this new service," the company said.
Microsoft currently has an MSN Shopping site on its MSN entertainment portal. It's not immediately clear what impact Live Shopping would have.
5 Top Federal Initiatives For 2015As InformationWeek Government readers were busy firming up their fiscal year 2015 budgets, we asked them to rate more than 30 IT initiatives in terms of importance and current leadership focus. No surprise, among more than 30 options, security is No. 1. After that, things get less predictable.


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Rhapsody promises offline music playback in iPhone app update
- Todd Bishop
Rhapsody, the digital music service from Seattle-based RealNetworks and MTV Networks, plans to update its iPhone app to allow for download and offline playback of tracks, no longer requiring users to be connected to a wireless mobile or WiFi network to listen to songs from the service, as long as their membership is current.
The feature was announced today from the South by Southwest technology and music festival in Austin, Texas. A preview was posted to YouTube and Facebook, and Rhapsody says it's getting ready to submit the update to Apple for approval and distribution through the App Store. Rhapsody says the feature has been the No. 1 request from users since the iPhone app debuted in September.
Adding the offline playback feature gives the app one of the benefits of traditional music download services, such as the iPhone's native iTunes and iPod features, which don't require users to be connected for playback after purchase and download. Using the Rhapsody service on the iPhone requires a $14.99 monthly Rhapsody to Go subscription, with no need to purchase individual albums or tracks.
Separately, Rhapsody said its app for Google Android devices will move out of private beta in the coming days, making it available for download in the Android marketplace.
RealNetworks announced plans last month to spin off the Rhapsody joint venture into an independent company based in downtown Seattle.
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Tata Motors developing electric car, host of green
Moneycontrol.com – 1 hour ago
Tata Motors is developing an electric car, besides a host of eco-friendly, hybrid, bio-fuel and compressed-air run cars, said the Chairman, Mr Ratan Tata, at the annual general meeting on Thursday.
Tata electric car coming soon Sify
Tata Motors Are Developing Electric Car! TopNews
Economic Times – Business Standard – Hindu – CarTradeIndia.com
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Canada Pushes to Get China Meat Exports Resumed This Week
Canada presented an action plan and is waiting for a response
China temporarily halted Canada meat imports on June 25
By Ashley Robinson, Bloomberg
July 8, 2019
Canadian authorities are hoping to convince China to lift a ban on meat shipments as early as this week, according to livestock groups.
The government is “pushing to try and get it open this week,” Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said by telephone. Canada presented an action plan to China that addresses some of the Asian nation’s concerns and is waiting for a response, said Gary Stordy, a spokesman for the Canadian Pork Council.
In an emailed response, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said only that “our goal is to resume trade in meat exports to China as soon as possible.” Last week, Canadian officials said they were working hard to reassure their Chinese partners.
China suspended all Canadian meat shipments on June 25 after authorities discovered a certificate on a pork cargo had been forged. Canadian and Chinese officials...
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Of all household bills, taxes and other things we have to pay out, energy prices are the ones that seem to fluctuate the most, and yet always seem to be on the rise! With all of the major energy providers announcing price hikes in the last few months that could see some people paying as much as 80 extra a year, and only a single provider (EDF) freezing their prices until March, it might seem on paper that switching at all is complete waste of the time, but that isnt the case at all you just need to be smart about when and how you switch over! Here are some simple tips to help you decide when to switch over:
Pricing A huge number of different things can make energy prices go up, down, or stall. Consumer groups and government are usually pushing for cheaper energy prices especially for vulnerable customers, while things like wars, disputes and shortages can push the prices up. For the last few years energy prices have actually been reasonably stable, but prices have started to rise again now, which shows that you cant always predict when and how these changes are going to happen.
What usually happens in the UK is that pretty much all of the big providers change their prices at the same time, and you should make sure all the big names have made their price announcements before you move over. If you move too quickly after only a single provider has made a decision, you could be left on a more expensive tariff and on a long contract that will make it impossible to switch again for at least a year without paying exit fees.
Watching & Comparing Knowing what the energy companies are doing and when and where they are going to announce good deals and special offers can make a huge difference to the price you can end up with. Keeping an eye on the market will give you a better idea of what companies are offering better deals. You could do this by monitoring six different electricity websites, but its far simpler to just watch a good comparison or consumer news website instead, which will provide you with news, prices and information of all big providers as they happen. You can subscribe to blogs, newsletters and RSS feeds from most comparison and consumer websites as well, which means you dont even have to spend time constantly visiting them to get the latest news.
Switching Once youve found a great provider and have waited for all the big names to announce where they stand, actually switching over to a different provider is very easy. The great thing about switching is that not only can you find an overall cheaper monthly deal, but you can also enjoy the benefits and offers that are nearly always only offered to new customers. Customers who switch their provider regularly can take advantage of these deals and one time offers which can see their electricity costs being reduced even further. The switching process is simple and painless, but it can take up to eight weeks, so always allow time to move over during which you might still be charged on the rates of your old provider.


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While traditional advertising outlets – newspaper, radio and TV – are slowing down with decreases in advertising revenue over the last several years, video pre-roll is taking off. In fact, an article by eMarketer concludes that by 2020, TV’s share of ad spending will drop below one-third and total digital ad spending in 2017 will equal 38.4% of total ad buys. Here are some key drivers of video pre-roll advertising growth and what you can expect for the future of this space:
- 65% of U.S. marketers plan to increase their mobile ad budgets to account for video according to eMarketer.
- 76% of marketers plan to increase their use of YouTube and video marketing, reported by Social Media Examiner via Envisa
- Video ads make up 35% of total online ad spending according to Break Media
- 87% of online marketers use video content according to Outbrain
Forbes agrees that video pre roll will change the way that marketers are targeting audiences stating, “In the United States alone, brands and agencies are expected to increase their programmatic video budgets from $630 million in 2014 to $7.3 billion in 2017, representing a staggering three-year compound annual growth rate of 127%.”
A recent Business Insider Intelligence report identifies key trends influencing this growth, including:
- Video ad views are on the rise, with an average click-through rate of 1.84%, the highest of all digital ad formats.
- Digital video analytics continue to improve, offering marketers even more insight into audiences and ad effectiveness.
The report also states that “online video ad revenue will reach nearly $5 billion in 2016.” We think another key growth factor here is that more viewers are watching programming online – whether through network websites (like NBC.com and bravotv.com) or subscription services, such as Comcast OnDemand and Hulu.
And, of course, there’s the old marketing adage that you want your brand’s advertisement as close to the point of purchase as possible. And where are today’s consumers making a huge chunk of their purchases? That’s right: online. It would seem to make sound strategic sense to invest video advertising dollars where the option to buy is just a few clicks away.
Sneak Peek at the Future of YouTube (and Video Ads)
When Google decided to buy the video search engine YouTube in 2006 – for a hefty price tag of $1.65 billion— many scoffed. The Tube then had no revenue and was “embroiled in copywriting disputes.”
No one is scoffing today, however – especially not Google. The search giant now relies on the ad revenue from YouTube. And with the continual growth in online video advertising, YouTube’s future is looking brighter than ever.
Many interesting facts have been uncovered providing some impressive pre-roll advertising statistics, as well as future plans that could impact all video pre-roll marketing:
- 72 Hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute (source: YouTube
- The average user spends over 16 minutes watching online video ads every month (source: ComScore)
- Including video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80% (source: Unbounce)
So what’s on the horizon for YouTube – and perhaps even digital video ads as a whole? First and foremost, a subscription model. This experiment is part of YouTube’s efforts to generate more revenue and more professional content – along the lines of Amazon’s “Transparent” or Netflix’s “House of Cards.” A second strategy, called Google Preferred, allows companies to target just the site’s most popular content across a variety of categories.
So what does all this add up to? Marketers shouldn’t roll their eyes at the idea of a commercial spot that lives exclusively online. This seemingly unlimited media outlet will only continue to gobble up a larger piece of the marketing mix pie. It’s time to pick up your fork and dig in.


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Just one day after Microsoft said it will give away unlimited cloud storage to consumers who buy its cloud Office apps, Google has a big announcement for Google Apps for Work, its Microsoft Office killer.
Google has signed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to be both a customer and a partner for Google Apps for Work.
Apps for Work is Google's cloud alternative to Microsoft Office, geared for businesses. It includes email, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, cloud storage, and a few other apps that all make it easy for employees to share and work on documents together.
PwC will roll out Google Apps for Work to 45,000 of its own employees in the US and Australia, Google says.
That's not the entirety of PwC's workforce, which employs about 180,000 people worldwide, but it's still a big contract for Google Apps.
Even more importantly, PwC, which has a huge IT consulting arm, will help its customers move to Google Apps and will help them write custom enterprise and mobile apps to be hosted on Google's cloud.
PwC counts 417 of the Fortune's Global 500 as "customers" in some way, shape, or form.
By signing PwC as a partner, Google just nabbed a huge enterprise sales force and many consultants, people who are used to navigating the complexities of a selling software to enterprises (which includes things like difficult bidding processes, contract negotiations, etc.).
Navigating an enterprise contract has historically been Google's weak spot. Google has been overcoming that, getting the necessary security certifications to make enterprises trust its cloud with their data. And it's been signing on sales partners. Earlier this year, Google signed Sprint as a partner to sell Apps to its business customers. A few years ago, it signed HP as a partner, too.
Its list of big customers is growing, too — like the city of Boston, Whirlpool, Roche, Woolworth's, and so on. Those names help convince other big companies to use Google Apps instead of Microsoft Office.
Enterprises are increasingly looking to use cloud computing to host their apps, instead of buying servers and running everything in their own clouds. There's a huge land grab going on right now between all the major IT vendors to take these customers, particularly between Google, Microsoft, Amazon and IBM, with others like HP, Oracle, Salesforce.com, in the mix, too.


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From 13 to 17 November 2017, Doreming Asia was attending at Fintech Festival 2017 in Singapore.
This event is one of the biggest Fintech events and many start-ups, investors, financial institutions and governmental agencies are attended.
JETRO opened Japanese pavilion in which we exhibited our booth and introduced our business model. Kuwahara, CEO of Doreming Asia Pte. Ltd. also pitched our services and our recent activities.
We would appreciate JETRO for your cooperation, and also thank everyone who dropped by our booth.
We also featured on NNA Asia news. (This page is only available in Japanese and for the subscription members.)


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Back when schools still stuffed kids with salt tablets on sunny days, warnings that we were all slowly seasoning ourselves to death fell on deaf ears. But that didn’t deter Graham MacGregor. The professor of cardiovascular medicine has spent four decades battling the white stuff - first salt, latterly sugar - facing off malign food industry forces and weak politicians, a struggle he looked back on in The Life Scientific (Radio 4, 25 April, 9am).
Back in the 1970s, the then “naïve” kidney specialist felt flummoxed at hostility to findings all we needed was a mere 0.5g of salt per day. Venezuelan hunter-gatherers chased wild animals for 20 miles on less than that, after all. Back in the UK, we binged on 20 times that amount.
But MacGregor learned a high-salt diet suited food firms. Salt receptors become repressed and anything served without lashings of it tastes bland. “It makes you thirsty too, which is very important for the soft drinks, beer and water industry,” he claimed. Never mind that the litres of water “sloshing around inside us” led to high blood pressure and deadly strokes.
But thanks to MacGregor’s lobbying (and that of fellow campaigners), the UK is now 30,000 tonnes of salt lighter each year and the NHS saves £1.5bn annually too.
But there’s a new villain in town keeping MacGregor busy. Though admitting it’s a “bit mad” to take on sugar too, he’s optimistic in 10 years we’ll finally reach a “coherent plan”, with the support of industry. If for no other reason than “dead consumers don’t eat food”.


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The Acer CloudMobile S500 mobile phone is now available in the UK.
The device was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February and online retailer Expansys now has the SIM-free handset in stock.
The gadget was awarded the IF product design award 2012 for its metallic, nine millimetre-thin casing with an aesthetically pleasing curved top and bottom.
AcerCloud technology allows the new mobile phone to connect with the manufacturer’s other devices like laptops and tablet computers.
It is powered by Google Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. This is one version behind the latest Jelly Bean firmware.
For a smartphone packing a 4.3-inch HD screen, 1.5 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of memory, it is reasonably priced at £289.99.
By comparison, the Motorola Razr i costs £344.99 on the same website. This gadget was released on October 1st and has similar specs, aside from a faster, 2 GHz processor.
Posted by Claire Marshall


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More positive news on the state of the economy came to light Friday as U.S. consumer sentiment surprisingly jumped to heights it hasn’t seen in five years. The encouraging economic data is another weapon President Obama can add to his arsenal in his bid for reelection this November.
According to a preliminary October reading by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan, the overall index on consumer sentiment rose to 83.1, the highest recorded mark since September 2007. Experts had not expected the figure to increase from last month’s 78.3 reading so quickly.
Catalysts are critical to discovering winning stocks. Check out our newest CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.
But consumers evidently feel more confident now than they have in years, and good news for the economy is also good news for Obama, who has faced stinging criticism from Republican challenger Mitt Romney on his handling of the economy and his ability to create jobs and growth.
Coming just one day after the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan and less than four weeks before the election, the consumer sentiment data joins strong recent unemployment numbers as fodder for Obama’s cannon. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September, the lowest in almost four years, and the Obama campaign is sure to hammer the good economic tidings home in the coming weeks.
“We are getting some quite interesting signals from consumer sentiment and employment data – both (the) unemployment rate and initial claims – that there has been some quite significant improvement in the economy,” said 4Cast economist David Sloan.


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Shell Rimula, the “engine oil that works as hard as you”, is rewarding loyal customers who are passionate about what they do by taking them to ultimate stopover destinations around the world.
The 2019 Shell Rimula Ultimate Stopover Barcelona promotion will see guests taken on a journey to experience the vibrant Spanish city renowned for its arts, culture, football and cuisine.
The promotion from 1 March till 30 June 2019, is open to customers who purchase any Shell Rimula heavy duty and light duty diesel engine oil products with an opportunity for an exclusive 5-day 4-night trip to Barcelona that combines the opportunity to gain a deep insight into the innovation-driven world of Shell Lubricants together with experiencing sights and sounds of the picturesque Mediterranean metropolis.
2018’s Ultimate Stopover winner William Teo from Sibu,had the opportunity to experience Dubai said“It was an eye-opening experience, especially understanding the technology of Shell diesel and other lubricants for heavy duty applications.”
“We had the opportunity to experience real world testing of the product through extreme environments, loads and temperatures and other immersive activities. It was a nice balance of knowledge sharing, sightseeing and networking!” he said.


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CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – Casper Comic Con is returning for its fourth year, three celebrity guests have been announced for the June 2022 event: Sam de la Rosa, C. Andrew Nelson, and Alan Fernandes.
The two-day event will feature over 80 vendors selling comics, art, toys, and more. Adult and youth cosplay contests will be hosted, cash prizes will be awarded to winners of each group.
The Ford Wyoming Center hopes to see more people at the con after limited attendance during the pandemic.
“The very first one that we had we had over fifteen hundred people in attendance on a one day kind of show those numbers went down and varied over the last couple of years so we’re really hoping to build back up to that fifteen hundred to two thousand people again that’s kind of our goal,” said Ford Wyoming Center General Manager Brad Hopkins.
Sam de la Rosa had his first comic book credit in DC Comics’ Action Comics #534. He caught the attention of Marvel Comics after he finished pages on the Hercules Prince of Power Mini Series Issue #4. His work has led to years of regular jobs for Marvel, providing inks and finished art on a variety of titles.
C. Andrew Nelson is best known for playing Darth Vader in the special edition re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy. He has spent more time in the official Vader costume than any other actor.
Alan Fernandes is the only living Tusken Raider from the original 1977 Star Wars. He was also one of two animal trainers that worked with the elephant that played the Bantha in desert scenes.
All three actors will be available for photos and autographs, but these opportunities may include additional charges.
Tickets for Casper Comic Con will go on sale Friday, April 15 at 10 a.m. There will be day pass and individual day tickets available to order in advance or day of. This year, a limited number of VIP tickets will be available, VIP pricing and benefits will be announced soon.
Copyright 2022 Wyoming News Now. All rights reserved.
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234.18 -0.05 (-0.02%)
After hours: 5:55PM EDT
|Bid||234.10 x 900|
|Ask||234.55 x 900|
|Day's Range||234.06 - 235.49|
|52 Week Range||158.09 - 236.70|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||1.14|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||23.36|
|Earnings Date||Nov 19, 2019|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||5.44 (2.35%)|
|1y Target Est||230.85|
The top-ranked Barron’s advisor argues for a bullish stance on stocks, ticks off several bargains, and explains how she takes inspiration from King Solomon.
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Investors who are eager to find stocks that can lead the market in the midst of escalating political uncertainty and slowing economic growth should consider the new "Stable Growers" basket of 50 stocks assembled by Goldman Sachs. This is the first of two stories that Investopedia will devote to Goldman's report, the second to come on Thursday. "Investors usually assign a valuation premium to stocks with historical EBITDA growth stability.
Dow Jones futures: Beijing is open to a partial China trade deal, signaling a stock market rally. Apple, Boeing, Home Depot, Nike, Walmart are in buy zones.
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With third-quarter earnings season about to ramp up meaningfully next week, many investors may be worrying about how profits will stack up, especially given recent mixed economic data. As (GS)’ David Kostin writes, consensus estimates for earnings call for companies in the S&P 500 to see earnings per share fall by 3% in the third quarter, which would be the first year-over-year quarterly decline since the second quarter of 2016 (or excluding energy, since the second quarter of 2009).
On CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report," Joe Terranova said he owns Lululemon Athletica inc. (NASDAQ: LULU ), but he thinks Nike Inc (NYSE: NKE ) would work, too. Josh Brown said the marijuana ...
Home Depot (HD) gains from efforts to provide an interconnected shopping experience to customers. But lumber price deflation and increased tariffs are potent threats.
Dan Quinn’s job is safe — at least for now. Atlanta Falcons fans and former players took to social media to express their displeasure after their team was embarrassed on the road yet again in a 53-32 loss to the Houston Texans Sunday afternoon. Many were calling for the head coach to be fired after the Falcons dropped their third straight game, surrendering nearly 600 total yards in the process.
The patents include new technologies for producing clean water, drones, electric vehicles, and fighting disease.
A corporate crisis — such as a data breach, a scandal involving leadership or allegations of financial misconduct — can result in damage and disruption that can destroy a company’s reputation, bottom line, and ability to do business. The board of directors can be invaluable in preparing for, mitigating, and coming out of these types of situations.
Of all of the sectors and industries included in this list, homebuilder and construction-related companies had the toughest road to hoe, as evidenced by the 62% drop in the Direxion Daily Homebuilders & Supplies Bull 3X Shares (NYSE: NAIL) between September and December in 2018. Data as of Sept 23, 2019, Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
For investors, a little can go a long way. That's the theory behind investing in small-cap stocks. These stocks have the ability to beat large-cap stocks over time … if you know which of these stocks to buy.One of the reasons for this is because of their relatively low price. When these companies have even small increases in revenue, it can have a significant impact on their sales and profit. And since these companies typically have a lower stock price, a small movement of just a few dollars in their price can be a 20% or higher positive return on their investment.The end of the calendar year is a time for investors to take stock of where their portfolio is, and where they want it to go. We've identified five small-cap stocks that look to finish out the year in style. Some of these companies have seen growth this year that has outpaced that of the S&P 500, and represents a much smaller investment on our part.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 10 Best High-Growth Stocks to Buy for Young Investors So without further explanation, let's take a look at five small-cap stocks to buy as we get ready to put a wrap on 2019. Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy This Year: LivePerson, Inc. (LPSN)Source: Shutterstock If you've ever had a "live chat" online and realized that you weren't talking to a real person, you've probably been exposed to LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPSN) technology. The company uses artificial intelligence to deal with customer relations management. The company calls their technology "conversational commerce" and it allows businesses to interact with their customers at a fraction of the cost of using live agents.LivePerson serves the needs of two demographics (milennials and Gen Z) who prefer messaging to human conversation. The company currently works with over 18,000 businesses, including Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Delta (NYSE:DAL) and T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS). LivePerson is one of the best performing stocks on the market regardless of size. It is up nearly 100% year-to-date.In the most recent quarter, the company announced that it signed more deals than it had in all of 2018, and recent comments from the company's CEO Rob Locascio indicate the addressable market is continuing to grow. To capture this market, the LPSN is adding to its sales team, which will add to the company's expenses in the short term. However, the company forecasts year-over-year growth in the high teens for this year and 20% growth in 2020. The company generated $249.8 million in revenue, which is up 14% from 2017. Telaria, Inc. (TLRA)Source: Shutterstock The trend toward consumers cutting the cord is having an effect on how advertising is delivered. Which is where Telaria (NYSE:TLRA) comes in. Telaria delivers digital video solutions that address mobile, over-the-top and connected TV (CTV) content.For the past two years, Telaria has been a revenue-generating machine. Their revenue on CTV devices increased 322% year-over-year in 2018. As of March of this year, revenue from CTV devices accounted for almost 1/3 of their revenue. And the company is forecasting an increased demand for their tools, allowing them to capture more market share. * 7 Stocks to Buy From the Harvard Endowment The share price took a recent tumble, but with the revenue the company is generating, this may have been a case where the market got ahead of itself. What is more intriguing about the stock is that the consensus analyst expectation is for the company to turn a profit in 2020. This would require a growth rate of approximately 68%. While this may be a little optimistic, the company has a clean balance sheet with regard to debt and certainly looks like a low risk for investors who are concerned about investing in a company that has yet to post a profit. Callaway Golf (ELY)Source: Shutterstock The good news for Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) is that they have high brand equity. They are one of the most recognized golfing brands. And their "[e]quipment and golf balls account for over 60% of its revenue." What has some investors concerned is the added debt the company has accumulated as they've tried to grow through acquisition.However, this debt appears to represent an opportunity for ELY to increase its exposure in other markets. That has been the case with their acquisition of Jack Wolfskin that increased its presence in China and Central Europe. As of March, revenue outside the United States accounted for over 50% of its sales.Furthermore, the company has a solid balance sheet with a gross margin in "the high 40% range." Callaway also has positive trailing-12-month net income of $90 million of net income through the first quarter of this year. Recently Raymond James raised its rating on ELY stock to an Outperform from Market Perform. The analyst firm also raised its price target for Callaway to $21, which would give the stock about a 15% bump from its current level. Instructure (INST)Source: PRONEC Corporation via FlickrWhen you're looking to invest in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, you want to see that they have well-established products. Instructure (NYSE:INST) has two products that should be able to provide solid, repeatable revenue for the company. Its main product, Canvas, is widely used in the higher education market. And their newest product, Bridge, is starting to catch on with corporations. * 7 Next-Generation Healthcare Stocks to Buy But Instructure has a wide range of software products that are being used by over 4,000 colleges, universities and K-12 school systems. And each client pays the company thousands to millions of dollars. Even better news for the company is a net revenue retention rate that exceeded 100% in 2018. In fact, revenue from recurring subscriptions is over 90% of INST's sales. And sales saw a 30% YoY increase to $210 million in 2018. The combination of the education and corporate markets gives the company an estimated $15 billion addressable market. Institutional investors are buying large volumes of shares from the company as well signaling that the stock may be on the verge of a breakout. Freshpet (FRPT)Source: Shutterstock Rounding out our list of small-cap stocks to look at for the remainder of 2019 is Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT). In case you haven't noticed, the pet industry is big business. The math is simple and favorable. There are over 300 million pets in America. The dog- and cat-food retail market is valued at over $30 billion with a compounded annual rate of growth of 6%.That's the pool that Freshpet is swimming in. But they're not just swimming, they're disrupting the market. Freshpet supplies refrigerated, fresh food options by providing refrigerators in over 20,000 retail outlets. That was a 10% YoY increase. Sales are estimated to increase by 24% in 2019.The company's stock was punished after it posted a second-quarter loss that was larger than expected. There was also some concern about contracting margins. However, for a long-term growth stock like Freshpet, increasing revenue should be the priority for investors. That has been the driver for a stock price that has tripled over the last three years. According to CEO Billy Cyr, "Our second-quarter results demonstrate continued momentum behind our Feed the Growth strategy. Our strategic advertising investment drove our strongest gains in household penetration and retail availability in several years, giving us tremendous confidence that Freshpet is still in the puppy stage…with significant growth ahead."As of this writing, Chris Markoch did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Best ETFs for 2019: The Race Is a Little More Gnarly Now * 7 Next-Generation Healthcare Stocks to Buy * Are These 10 High-Yielding S&P Dividend Stocks Traps or Treasures? The post The 5 Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy for the Rest of the Year appeared first on InvestorPlace.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Bank of America, Home Depot, Philip Morris, NextEra and Eli Lilly
For the past year, a nonprofit funded by some of Atlanta’s largest companies has quietly spent close to $5 million in the city’s historic but economically disadvantaged Westside neighborhoods, amassing an inventory of 80 blighted homes and vacant lots. The Westside Future Fund acquired the collection of dilapidated Victorian and Craftsman homes for an average of $75,000, and the empty lots for about $50,000. None of the homes will be offered for more than $250,0000, adding critical inventory to the limited stock of affordable housing in the city.
A site with a long history of mining and prison labor camps is about to be reborn both as an important water source for Atlanta and, one day, the city’s largest park.
Arthur Blank has moved up a few spots on the world’s richest sports owners list. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), is the 13th richest owner in sports, according to a new Forbes report published on Wednesday.
Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story...
Ray Dalio, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of investment firm Bridgewater Associates talks to Yahoo Finance's Melody Hahm about his new book Principles as well as the current state of the US Economy.


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Thankfully for most of us there are few global events that we have lived through which have had a clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ impact on everyone’s lives.
However, the pandemic has not only changed life profoundly for most people, it has also changed industries – not least the automotive sector.
As we’ve now passed the 12-month milestone since the first lockdown, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on what has been a pivotal year for the automotive industry.
Looking back to conversations I had with retailers in March 2020, all were understandably very worried and facing the possibility of no sales as forecourts closed.
Fast forward a year and the industry has risen to the challenge, fuelled by strong consumer demand, and we have seen many retailers grow both sales and profits in lockdown.
One thing that has surpassed our initial expectations is consumer confidence and the increase in demand for cars overall.
This growth is reflected in the fact that most retailers are performing at more than 90 per cent of normal trading volumes according to our proxy sold data, which is a significant acceleration on the 70 per cent and 80 per cent recorded in January and February respectively.
This is very much in line with the very strong audience performance we’ve seen on Auto Trader, with March visits and time on site all setting new records up 27 per cent and 22 per cent respectively over 2019 levels.
Encouragingly, in addition to these metrics, several wider economic factors point to another period of strong retail demand once forecourts can fully reopen in April.
The latest Bank of England findings indicate average household finances are in better shape than they were pre-Covid, with savings around five times as much as in any other nine-month period and a reduction in debt.
This aligns to our own research which shows that consumers’ confidence in being able to afford their next car remains very high.
There are other factors which point to a very positive outlook for the months ahead, including the resurgence in appetite for car ownership. In an on-site survey we ran on Auto Trader, 27 per cent of consumers looking to buy a car think that ownership is more important than it was before Covid-19.
Of those people that agreed that car ownership is more important now, 40 per cent stated it was because of the independence it provided, 33 per cent said it was more important to have a car to limit their use of public transport and 22 per cent stated it was to use for staycations.
While forecourts fully re-opening is an important step, the biggest change in our industry is the rise of online car-buying.
Digital has become the ‘new normal’ for consumers and our research suggests more of the car buying journey will be completed online.
Research from PwC suggests many consumers will not revert back to old behaviours once things return to normal.
For example, consumers shopped more online for non-groceries during the pandemic and enjoyed the experience – this means they are highly likely to carry this behaviour forward post lockdown.
While not specifically about the automotive industry, once you consider this research alongside all the data about the car buying journey and the desire for many consumers to do more online, we can’t ignore it or get complacent and think consumers will go back to pre-lockdown ways.
Young people are back
Over the last year, we’ve also seen a surge in younger people looking to buy cars. Prior to the pandemic, many commentators had written off young people from wanting to own their own car themselves, opting instead for more flexible alternatives like car sharing models.
However, over the last 12 months, we’ve seen an increase from 13 per cent of our audience coming from 18-24 year olds to 18 per cent, and in research we commissioned recently, 22 per cent of 17-24 year olds also said they have missed out on taking their driving test during lockdown.
We expect strong pent up demand for car buying from this segment once restrictions are lifted.
Build back better
Another trend that has emerged is an increased focused on making more sustainable lifestyle choices.
According to research we carried out, two thirds (63 per cent) of consumers are focusing on a more sustainable lifestyle as a result of the pandemic.
As part of this, one in five (21 per cent) of consumers we asked are planning to stop using petrol and diesel cars and are now considering purchasing an electric vehicle or alternative fuel vehicle.
Our research found 21 per cent were strongly considering buying an EV/AFV once life starts to normalise, and 60 per cent who don’t currently own an EV / AFV expect to own one within the next five years.
‘Adapting for survival’ to ‘adapting for growth’
Retailers have been quick to adapt and embrace digital retailing by offering new services including home delivery and click and collect.
Many retailers have also invested significantly in creating the necessary infrastructure to support digital retailing.
While for many this may have seemed like a necessary cost at the time, it is impressive how many retailers have turned this investment – and the challenging environment – into opportunity and also realised efficiency gains along the way.
Competition has increased
Many may be concerned that the pandemic has accelerated the rise of new entrants to the market, with big funding and advertising budgets, who are challenging the traditional retail model and educating car buyers on the advantages of digital.
Competition can and should be positive for the industry. That said, the emergence of more car retailers over time may become a threat to the traditional model and that’s why the move to offer digital services is key for retailers looking to the future.
Our mission remains to support retailers with this transition, by providing the technology they need to compete and access this growing audience, regardless of their size.
Looking to the future
During the height of the pandemic, one of my big learnings was that while we were all in the same storm, we were definitely not all in the same boat.
This drove us to support our people, our customers and the industry in ways that we’d never have thought possible before the pandemic.
We’re at a critical moment now, where all of the learnings from adapting for survival in the last 12 months, need to be channelled into adapting for growth in the next year.
Those that embrace these learnings will be those that shape the future of our industry. 2020 was definitely the year that demanded these changes but 2021 will be the year that they become competitive advantages.
Nathan Coe is the chief executive officer of Auto Trader
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Porsche has increased its stake in technology and sports car company Rimac Automobili to 15.5 percent. Last year, it purchased a 10 percent stake in the Croatian company.
Rimac develops and produces electromobility components and also produces electrically powered super sports cars in-house.
Rimac’s Managing Director, Mate Rimac, says: “Gaining Porsche as a stakeholder was one of the most important milestones in our history. The fact that Porsche is now increasing its stake is the best form of confirmation for our collaboration and represents the foundation for an even closer relationship.”
He adds: “We are only at the start of our partnership – yet we have already met our high expectations. We have many collaborative ideas that we aim to bring to life in the future. The fundamental focus is creating a win-win situation for both partners and offering our end customers added value by developing exciting, electrified models.”
Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG and Member of the Executive Board responsible for Finance and IT, says: “We quickly realised that Porsche and Rimac can learn a lot from each other. We believe in what Mate Rimac and his company have to offer, which is why we have now increased our stake and intend to intensify our collaboration in the field of battery technology.”
Rimac is based in Zagreb, Croatia and employs a workforce of around 550.
For more information on this story and to download copyright-free images, follow the link.


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9mobile, has announced a Hajj Special Offer to enable Nigerian pilgrims to make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, and use data at very cheap rates in the Holy Land. The offer, ongoing till July 31, 2021, will allow 9mobile prepaid and postpaid customers to remain connected with their families, friends and loved ones in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria at affordable rates. The Hajj Special Offer allows pilgrims to make local calls within Saudi Arabia for as low as N45 per minute and call back all Nigerian networks at N70 per minute. The offer, which is available on Mobily and Zain networks in Saudi Arabia, will allow pilgrims to receive incoming calls in the Holy Land at N60 per minute and send SMS at N35 per minute.
With the discounted roaming offer, all customers will also receive SMS free and a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) data rate of 5 kobo per 10kb. All pilgrims also get 200 minutes of free incoming calls upon recharge of N5,000. Speaking on the offer, the Chief Commercial Officer, 9mobile, Stjepan Udovicic, said the Operator wanted to enable Nigerians going for Hajj to remain connected with their families and loved ones affordably.
“We are a caring brand, and this offer is us demonstrating our care. The world has been through a lot lately. Recall that there was no Hajj last year because of the pandemic. The pandemic has also caused some economic disruptions, and we want to make sure pilgrims enjoy pocket-friendly rates,” he stated.
Udovicic also disclosed that apart from the discounted voice calls and SMS, prepaid customers will also enjoy data bundles ranging from 100MB to 1GB at very affordable prices, thereby staying connected online 24/7.
The bundles, which can be bought either in Nigeria or Saudi Arabia, are valid for 30 days from purchase. The Chief Commercial Officer further disclosed that post-paid customers interested in the roaming offer should visit the nearest Experience Centre to make their roaming security deposits before travelling to Saudi Arabia and ensure they have sufficient airtime on their lines. 9mobile has consistently demonstrated its care for customers with competitive offers and products that make people’s lives stress-free while achieving more.


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Traditional billboards used to be the way to market products and services, but modern mobile billboards are changing the way businesses advertise to consumers.
One company, Movia Media, a tech marketing company that places trackable ads on delivery trucks, is having a lot of success with mobile billboards. They partner with trucking companies that make general deliveries five or six days a week. The trucks are outfitted with GPS, and advertisers can target potential customers and communities based on demographics.
“Every moving billboard comes with impression analytics for WiFi Bluetooth measurement,” said Casey Binkley, Movia Media’s CEO. “Essentially, every truck is outfitted with a beacon that picks up the WiFi or bluetooth signals on people’s phones. It’s an accurate and useful measure of who is seeing which ads, when, and where.
And what do they do with the information? “We take all this data and plug it into an online dashboard to show the advertisers where their trucks are and how many people are seeing their message,” Binkley said.
They know which devices, like specific smartphones or tablets, interacted with the ad and then can start sending messages to the device, such as an ad on Instagram or another platform.
Advertisers who want to target Hispanic consumers can utilize mobile billboards as well. According to Simmons Research, Hispanic households account for 10 percent of all discretionary spending in the United States and are motivated by online ads at a 21 percent greater rate than non-Hispanics.
The mobile advertising works. One client, interior design company Modsy, used mobile billboards on 10 trucks over 14 weeks. They had 58 million impressions, which led to 1.2 million online impressions and a 14 percent higher online conversion rate.
The mobile billboards have been popular, especially during the pandemic, when many consumers are quarantined
“Now a lot of people are staying at home,” Binkley said. “Our trucks are a big, moving canvas, and we bring the messages right to the areas people are living.”
Mobile billboards are a green option, too. Binkley explained that digital billboards use a lot of energy and create e-waste when they wear out. His mobile billboards use trucks that are already on the road.
To offset environmental impacts, his company partners with two environmental non-profits and plants 100 trees each month for every truck. They’ve planted 55,000 trees to date.


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The U.S. population is changing with Boomers aging, Generation Z and Millennials entering new life stages, and Hispanics making up a growing share of the younger generations, and these shifts will have a major impact on the country’s eating behaviors over the next five years, finds a new study by The NPD Group, a leading global information company. The influence of Boomers and older on eating patterns will fade as their households and populations shrink, and the impact of Generation Z (ages 0–23) and Millennials (ages 24–37), which made up over half of the U.S. population in 2013, will significantly increase, according to NPD’s recently released “The Future of Eating: Who’s Eating What in 2018?”
Generation Z and Millennials are driving changes with their approach to food choice and preparation, finds the study, which presents a five-year forecast for 200-plus in-home food and beverage-related behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics. These generational groups want more involvement, not necessarily more complexity, in preparing their food and meals, particularly at breakfast. Breakfast foods that are perceived to be fresher and require more prep or cooking, like eggs, hot cereal, and center plate proteins, are projected to grow by 8 percent over the next five years. Use of additives, another example that the younger generations want to have a say in the final output of their prepared foods, is expected to grow among Generation Z and Millennial groups by 9 and 8 percent respectively over the next five years.
The tastes and choices of U.S. Hispanics, which make up a large percentage of the Generation Z and Millennial groups, will also continue to grow in importance over the next five years. NPD’s The Future of Eating research suggests Hispanics, including those born in the U.S., will continue to prepare and cook traditional Latino foods. The consumption of Hispanic foods, excluding frozen, is forecast to increase by 7 percent over the next five years among U.S. Hispanic Millennials. This group’s preference is also for foods that are fresh and natural and that enable the cook to control the flavoring of the end product.
On the other end of the age spectrum, the Baby Boomer generation is aging, considering retirement, becoming empty nesters, and developing health ailments, all of which are typically associated with major changes in how food and beverage consumption is approached. While shrinking in size, this generation is still too large to ignore especially given their expected changes, finds NPD’s study. This group will be less driven by the latest fad and more by what they need to sustain their health and lifestyles. Whole grains, protein, and calcium, or low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium will be important to younger and older Boomer groups now and in the coming years.
“Generation Z, Millennials, and Hispanics will be the growth drivers of this country’s eating patterns over the next five years,” says Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst. “This is a pivotal time for manufacturers and retailers to gain their favor as many of their habits are being formed now. Most are still at a life stage when their behaviors are flexible and they are receptive.”


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Landstar System Holdings Inc. on July 22 reported second-quarter net income and revenue were down compared with last year’s levels.
The Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation and logistics company posted net income of $24.3 million, or diluted earnings per share of 63 cents, for the three months ending June 30. That compared with $61.1 million, or $1.53, in 2019.
Total revenue decreased by 21.2% to $824 million from $1.05 billion.
Revenue for truck transportation provided by independent business capacity owners (BCOs) and truck brokerage carriers was $753.3 million, or 91% of total revenue. Truck transportation revenue was $968.2 million during 2019’s second quarter.
Revenue for truckload transportation involving van equipment was $483 million compared with $605.4 million. Revenue for truckload transportation provided by platform equipment during the quarter was $247.4 million compared with $338.1 million. Revenue for transportation involving rail, air and ocean cargo carriers accounts for the rest.
Although the ultimate impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on the freight transportation industry continues to be unpredictable, we believe Landstar remains in a solid operational and financial position as we enter the third quarter.
Jim Gattoni, Landstar CEO
“The resiliency of Landstar’s variable cost business model performed as expected given the unprecedented economic decline caused by the coronavirus,” CEO Jim Gattoni said in a statement. “We entered the 2020 second quarter knowing we would face a very soft freight demand environment as a result of actions taken by governmental authorities and businesses to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
Gattoni added that demand for freight services slowed significantly, and capacity became readily available during the quarter as anticipated. The number of loads and revenue per load hauled by truck decreased 16% and 7% from the prior year.
“The 2020 second quarter presented operating conditions and challenges unlike any other quarter in Landstar’s history,” Gattoni said. “Nevertheless, Landstar did not take any drastic cost-reduction measures that could have disrupted our ability to service Landstar’s customers, agents, BCOs or other third-party capacity providers or slow the progress on our technology initiatives.”
He also noted that the company instituted a pandemic-relief incentive program in April. BCOs and agents were paid an extra $50 for hauling loads. The Q2 results included about $12.6 million of these incentive payments.
“Although the ultimate impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on the freight transportation industry continues to be unpredictable, we believe Landstar remains in a solid operational and financial position as we enter the third quarter,” Gattoni said.
The results were mixed based on the expectations of investment analysts, who were looking for 72 cents per share and quarterly revenue of $782.6 million, according to Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Landstar ranks No. 9 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and No. 41 on the TT Top 50 list of the largest logistics companies.
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Associated Press | Friday July 18, 2014
Stephen Elop sent employees of the company's devices business a memo detailing its job cut plans.
NDTV Correspondent | Friday July 18, 2014
CEO Satya Nadella made the announcement via an email sent to Microsoft employees.
Hitesh Arora | Wednesday July 16, 2014
Microsoft Mobile on Tuesday announced the start of the roll-out of the 'Cyan' update for Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
Robin Sinha | Wednesday July 16, 2014
The option for making Google the default search engine on Internet Explorer was spotted as missing on Lumia 630 and Lumia 930 phones in some regions.
Hitesh Arora | Tuesday July 8, 2014
The smartphone features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, 2GB of RAM, and a 5-inch full-HD display.
Hitesh Arora | Monday July 7, 2014
The famous tipster @evleaks also claims that it will be made available on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
Robin Sinha | Tuesday July 8, 2014
According to the report, the smartphone will fall under the Lumia section and come with Android software.
Hitesh Arora | Thursday July 3, 2014
The handset has been leaked by a user on Chinese social microblogging website Weibo.
Robin Sinha | Friday July 4, 2014
Serial tipster @evleaks has claims Microsoft will soon be transitioning its brands in a rather unexpected manner.
Robin Sinha | Tuesday June 24, 2014
The company also released the Nokia Imaging SDK 1.2 and Lumia SensorCore SDK Beta for developers.
Ketan Pratap | Monday June 23, 2014
The Lumia 635 is now available in parts of Europe and APAC, and will become available in the US in the coming months.
Hitesh Arora | Monday June 16, 2014
Total of 6 trademarks owned by Microsoft Mobile Oy were spotted in a USPTO database listing.
Robin Sinha | Wednesday June 11, 2014
The Nokia Lumia 636 and Lumia 638 smartphones specifications are largely based on the Lumia 635.
Ketan Pratap | Thursday June 5, 2014
The Lumia 630 (single-SIM variant) is now available from the company's online store which notes that the handset will be delivered in four business days.
Jamshed Avari | Monday May 19, 2014
The first device to launch after Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia brings with it an improved operating system, along with a new balance of features for the low end.
Robin Sinha | Wednesday May 14, 2014
The images hint that the larger iPhone 6 handset's dimensions are similar to the Nokia Lumia 1520.
Ketan Pratap | Wednesday May 14, 2014
Lumia 630 Dual SIM is now available from the company's online store, however, there is no word on the availability of the single SIM Lumia 630.
Ershad Kaleebullah | Tuesday May 13, 2014
The Lumia 630 is a story of many firsts that has a lot riding on its shoulders.
Ketan Pratap | Monday May 12, 2014
Lumia 630 has been priced at Rs. 10,500, while the Lumia 630 Dual SIM has been priced at Rs. 11,500.
NDTV Correspondent | Saturday May 10, 2014
The smartphones are sure to heat up the battle in the fiercely competitive budget segment of the Indian smartphone market.


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Although this Suzuki Swift Sport might look identical to the one launched back in 2017, it has one crucial difference under the skin: a teeny, tiny motor. Yep, Suzuki‘s hot-ish hatch has gone mild hybrid, as the Japanese company seeks to reduce its fleet average CO2 emissions.
Those same efforts will lead to the demise of the Jimny in Europe, but the Swift Sport has been granted a reprieve thanks to a new 48-volt electrical subsystem which will soon spread across the range.
The new lithium-ion battery - which sits under the front seats to help weight distribution - powers a starter motor generator which assists the petrol engine while giving emissions-free coasting ability under 50mph. It provides a modest 3.7lb ft boost under hard acceleration and adds only 15kg to the Swift Sport’s pithy one-tonne weight figure.
The 1.4-litre ‘Boosterjet’ turbo engine has been given a fiddle too, receiving a new electric variable valve timing system, new fuel injectors and a higher pressure fuel pump. The result is… less power. With 127bhp on tap, the 2020 Sport has lost 10bhp relative to its predecessor and gained a second on its 0-62mph time, which is now 9.1 seconds. Torque now sits at 173lb ft.
In terms of efficiency, it emits 127g/km of CO2, while the MPG has been nudged up to 50.1mpg according to the WLTP cycle - an improvement of six per cent.
The outgoing model was already packed full of stuff, and now, Suzuki is chucking in even more gear. LED front light clusters, front fog lights, climate control, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and a six-speaker audio system have all been added to the standard spec.
This does mean the Swift Sport’s price will likely rise from the £17,999 charged for the previous version, though. A figure hasn’t been given yet, but Suzuki has said that sales will commence in April.


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NFIB, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, today presented its most prestigious legislative recognition, the Guardian of Small Business Award, to Rep. Robert Aderholt. NFIB State Director Rosemary Elebash presented the award to Representative Aderholt at NorthRidge Fitness, an NFIB member business in Northport owned by Mary Cartee.
“NFIB presents its Guardian of Small Business Award to lawmakers who small businesses can depend on,” Elebash said. “Congressman Aderholt has supported Alabama’s job creators on the issues that our members are concerned about and have proven themselves to be real champions for small business.”
NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations Kevin Kuhlman said, “Our policy positions are driven by our members, and we report NFIB Key Votes back to our membership. We are proud to recognize the elected officials from the 116th Congress who earned this distinction by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and tax relief and opposing increased labor costs.”
Congressman Aderholt said, “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy. It’s where new innovations and ideas are developed and nurtured. In fact, almost every large business in America started out as a small business. It’s both my pleasure and my duty to work in Congress to protect small businesses. We depend on these entrepreneurs and that’s why I will always fight for them.”
Find a complete list of the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award recipients from the 116th Congress here.
The National Federation of Independent Business’s Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners. Those who voted with small business on key issues 70% or more of the time during the 116th Congress earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. NFIB informs lawmakers in advance which votes will be considered NFIB Key Votes and asks lawmakers to support the consensus views of our members. We also remind them that the results will be reported back to the NFIB membership.


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Workshops for the prestigious Snapchat Young Lions Competition Australia, proudly presented by Snapchat and The Trade Desk, are now open for registration.
Giving entrants the chance to gain insight from past winners and judges, the workshops feature across all four categories of the Snapchat Young Lions competition: digital, media, marketing, and film.
Entrants will also have the chance to ask any questions they may have around category briefs.
Here’s all you need to know about entering the Snapchat Young Lions workshops:
- Digital, presented by Snapchat—Wednesday, 17 February, 10–11am (AEDT). Register here.
- Media, presented by The Trade Desk—Tuesday, 16 February, 2–3pm (AEDT). Register here.
- Marketing, supported by UnLtd and The Pinnacle Foundation—Friday, 19 February, 10–11am (AEDT). Register here.
- Film, supported by UnLtd and Musicians Making A Difference (MMAD)—Thursday, 18 February, 2–3pm (AEDT). Register here.
The Snapchat Young Lions Competition Australia, which is proudly supported by Snapchat and The Trade Disk, gives blossoming media talent the opportunity to virtually represent Australia at the 2020 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Entries are open to teams of two young communications professionals at the start of their career, with winners given the opportunity to showcase their talent internationally, by competing against teams from all over the world.
It’s a hugely rewarding experience that could change a career forever.
Entries to the Snapchat Young Lions Competition Australia are now open, and close on 12 March 2021 at 5pm (AEDT).
To submit your application, visit: https://www.canneslionsaustralia.com.au/younglions_submission/
And for more information, visit: https://canneslionsaustralia.com.au/younglions/
The rapid growth in ecommerce during the pandemic has heightened the need for real-time insights to accommodate fast-changing customer behaviour. Accordingly, CMOs’ responsibilities are shifting, and around three quarters are now responsible for contributing to business growth (76 per cent) and data and technology (74 per cent). This is according to the latest Capgemini Research […]
TikTok says that it has officially reached more than one billion global users. In a blog post on its Australian newsroom, the video app said, “our global community is remarkable in its ability to reach millions of people, across generations. From music, food, beauty and fashion to art, causes, and everything in between, culture truly […]
Six screenwriting creatives from across Australia have been selected as the inaugural participants in the Emerging Writers’ Incubator. The Incubator is an initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies Film Victoria, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screenwest and the South Australian Film Corporation, and with the assistance of the […]
Australian start-up Loyalty Republic is introducing Australia’s first bank and card agnostic direct earn rewards program to democratise loyalty and make rewards accessible and fair for anyone using a debit card. The Loyalty Republic mobile app will place consumers in control of their rewards earning potential and redemption options, with a simplified model offering 1 point per $1 spent on debit card […]
James Horne (main photo) is the CEO of Balance Internet. In this guest post, he says direct-to-consumer DTC brands that endure past the initial launch have a true differentiation, standing out from competitors by driving connection… We’ve always known that brands need more than a good product and website to stand out from their competitors […]


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2021 is turning out to be a big year for Intel.
It began with the launch of the Tiger Lake-H series at CES, a new version of its 11th-gen laptop chips designed for gaming. Tiger Lake includes no desktop chips, however, so we had to wait until March for the 11th-gen Rocket Lake CPUs to arrive.
12th-gen Alder Lake chips will therefore technically be a successor to both, given they’re expected to include desktop and laptop CPUs. Confused yet? You might be now.
The focus of this article will be the 13th-gen ‘Raptor Lake’ processors, although it’s not yet clear if they will include laptops chips as well as the already-rumoured desktop CPUs. Either way, here’s everything you need to know at this early stage.
Intel Raptor Lake release date
Component manufacturers are typically pretty open when it comes to their long-term plans, although the existence of Raptor Lake appears to have come courtesy of a leak. Prolific component leaker @momomo_us is among those to have found official material on Intel’s next-gen chip family:
— 188号 (@momomo_us)
March 26, 2021
While this doesn’t confirm anything specific, it would be highly unlikely for Intel to have this sort of documentation ready unless it was planning on launching soon. Given Intel’s busy 2021, it’s unlikely to arrive this year, but 2022 is looking likely.
Intel Raptor Lake pricing
We have no idea how much Raptor Lake might cost at this stage, although the current-gen Rocket Lake pricing gives us an idea how much we’ll have to pay for desktop chips:
- Core i9-11900K – $513-$539
- Core i7-11700K – $374-$399
- Core i5-11600K – $237-$262
- Core i5-11400K – $157-$182
These are the prices suggested by Intel, with manufacturers ultimately deciding how much you’ll pay – that explains the range that’s offered.
Should Intel also release Raptor Lake chips for laptops, they’ll be designed for integration into the devices and not available to buy as standalone components. In that situation, the price you’ll pay is also dependent on the manufacturer, but the design and other specs too. It’s impossible to predict how much they’ll cost, but the widespread rollout of Tiger Lake chips suggests they’ll be plenty of choice.
Intel Raptor Lake spec rumours
With so long until a potential release, concrete Raptor Lake rumours are relatively thin on the ground. It may turn out to be a relatively low-profile launch, with 2021’s Alder Lake bringing about significant design changes before a potential move to 7nm with Meteor Lake in 2023.
Wholesale changes to Intel silicon are relatively rare, so we’d be surprised to see too many big upgrades with Raptor Lake. Alder Lake is already moving to a new design, with a mixture of performance and power efficiency cores meaning existing existing motherboards are no longer compatible, making it unlikely for Intel to switch things up again after just one generation. We’re also expecting Intel to finally move to 10nm in 2021, but Raptor Lake will likely come too early for 7nm.
Aside from speculation based on where it fits into Intel’s lineup, the main rumour so far comes courtesy of VideoCardz. It has published what looks to be an official roadmap for the company’s upcoming launches, alongside some key features:
Following its introduction in 2021, it suggests that there will be some subtle changes to the new hybrid core system in order to improve performance. It’s not clear what these will involve – Intel perhaps doesn’t know itself yet. Raptor Lake will also supposedly be when the company switches to LPDDR5X – the next-gen RAM solution that launched in late 2020. Finally, introducing a new DLVR Power Delivery System should allow Raptor Lake to better optimise its power output according to the situation – this would lead to better efficiency, and in turn battery life.
Alongside the same hybrid CPU changes, the laptop-focused version of Raptor Lake will also apparently bring an improved cache for gaming and a new feature set for Intel vPro. The latter is a company platform that offers a range of features tailored for business users, including top-drawer performance, remote manageability and high-end security.
While this sounds convincing and fairly realistic, it’s worth noting that the diagram still shows Rocket Lake as being from 2020, despite it arriving in March 2021. That suggests this roadmap is at least a few months out of date, and the situation may have changed significantly since then.
Elsewhere, German tech site Igor’s Lab has revealed what looks like the Raptor Lake range’s power requirements, and they’re similar to Alder Lake. We’re talking talking CPUs at 35W, 65W and 125W. In reporting the news, Wccftech suggests that the existing LGA 1700 socket will still be supported by Raptor Lake.
We’ll update this article as soon as we know more about Raptor Lake. In the meantime, read more about Intel’s upcoming 12th-gen Alder Lake CPUs.


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USA – Bi-Lo LLC, a supermarket chain owned by Southeastern Grocers, is said to be preparing to file for a potential bankruptcy next month- according to sources familiar with the matter, named by a Bloomberg report.
According to the report, the owner of grocery stores and in-store pharmacies said that it was planning to shut down about 200 stores as part of the bankruptcy move.
For Bi-Lo, the retail chain has been quite challenging with low margins due to tough market, price wars and rise of e-commerce.
The grocery market is dominated with aggressive stores like Amazon and Walmart, prompting other chains like Kroger’s to make major investments into e-commerce.
Competition from well placed, bigger retailers like Amazon, which has acquired Whole Foods has put itself at a better position against other players in the industry.
In 2005 and 2009, Bi-Lo sought court protection to restructure its debt out of court, something that the court granted.
BI-LO purchased Winn-Dixie for USD$530 million in a merger to create an organization with some 690 grocery stores USD$530 million, with an agreement to operate Winn-Dixie as a subsidiary with its stores maintaining the Winn-Dixie name.
The company’s financial hard times also involve more than US$1 billion in debt following its 2005 buyout by Lone Star Funds, and according to Bloomberg, they have been talking with creditors for about a year now, hoping for a debt-to-equity swap, as well as alternatives such as asset sales.
Lone Star has been on the forefront when it comes to Bi-Lo’s matters, having helped it with US$150 million to help revive Bi-Lo after the court proceedings during the 2005 bankruptcy.
According to Bloomberg report, potential default puts some 50,000 jobs at Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie and Harveys at stake.
Back in November, Mickey Chadha, VP at Moody’s said that the company needed to address the unsecured debt of the holding company first, and also there was need to restructure its capital position overall.


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Sony built an IoT chip with a 60 mile range
It will use Sony's proprietary low-power wide area (LPWA) network launching this fall.
Control4's new hub connects 13,500 smart home devices on one screen
It wants to unite smart home devices, no matter what company they're made by.
UK mulls security warnings for smart home devices
It might prohibit retailers from selling products without the labels.
Google admits that Android Things are only smart speakers and displays
For simpler hardware there's Google Assistant Connect.
Battery-free sensor tag gathers energy from radio frequencies
Wiliot could put connected tags on your clothes and food.
So, you got an IoT device for the holidays
They see you when you're sleeping.
Bees with tiny sensor backpacks could help farmers track crops
They fly longer than drones... and they're much more adorable.
Samsung's new phone processor has hardware for on-device AI
Everything just got a lot faster.
Intel's 'neural network on a stick' brings AI training to you
The Neural Compute Stick will retail for $100.


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Fortunately, Apple does not want its streaming TV service to be the following Netflix to succeed. The truth is, it would not even generate income.
Due to Apple’s diversified ecosystem, Apple TV+ would not be an enormous hit. The tech large’s income is derived from a mixture of hardware and an array of providers, making any new service a small piece of the pie. Indeed, Apple launched three different providers alongside Apple TV+: Apple News +, a brand new bank card, and gaming service. And these new companies are constructed on some highly effective current providers, together with the App Retailer, Apple Music, and Apple Pay. Whereas Netflix relies firmly on its platform’s continued progress since it’s a pure-play streaming platform, Apple has constructed an ecosystem model with a spread of various providers.
As famed investor Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway owns 5.5% of Apple, stated throughout a chat this week at The Gatehouse’s Hands Up for Success occasion about Apple’s foray into streaming TV.
As well as, whereas buyers ought to hope for the providers Apple launches to be worthwhile (on a consolidated foundation, they’re incredibly lucrative), all of them must not contribute to its backside line. Some providers can merely play a job in making its ecosystem stickier, serving to prospects stay loyal and proceed to purchase Apple merchandise and subscribe to different Apple companies. If that is all Apple News+ achieves, it will arguably be successful.
Then there’s Apple’s conservative valuation. Buying and selling at lower than 16 instances earnings, the corporate merely would not want new companies to be runaway hits. The tech firm already has a sound basis of strong free cash stream and a diversified and quickly rising providers phase to justify its present valuation. If Apple TV+ can ultimately rival Netflix — and even smaller gamers like Amazon’s Prime Video or Hulu (owned primarily by Disney) — this might merely be icing on the cake.


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Hollywood hunk Richard Gere has been stealing ladies' hearts since Pretty Woman and now will be debuting his own line of Tuscan wine. The actor will lend his name to an exclusive brand of Brunello produced by Tenuta San Filippo di Montalcino.
The initial batch of the famous Tuscan red will be a 2007 vintage sold under the label Bedford Post, the same name of his Relais & Chateaux property in New York. Richard's pick for his Bedfort Post label from the winemaker's Le Lucere line, which was rated 92/100 by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
But the movie star is hardly the first Hollywood actor to lend his name to an Italian winemaker. Last month, Hollywood sweetheart Drew Barrymore announced the release of her first wine, a pinot grigio from the Triveneto region of Italy.
A four-day restaurant week, a day dedicated to staff learning, and cooking demonstrations for the public are just a few of the new ways of working in Dan Barber's new vision for his NY restaurant and farm. Find out more.
Francesco Martucci from I Masanielli in the Campania region of Italy has been named the best pizzaiolo in the world for a third year running. See the full list as well as all the international winners.


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A Russian state company that distributes printed publications has asked the federal media watchdog to investigate Marvel comic books for denigrating Soviet symbols and amounting to "propaganda of a cult of violence."
The comics in particular, which show American superheroes The Avengers battling Soviet-symbol-laden self-described "servants of the Russian Federation," promote "violence and cruelty," distributor Rospechat says, the Izvestia newspaper reported Wednesday.
Although the story ends in peace, media watchdog Roskomnadzor has agreed to investigate the books and is considering giving the publisher an official warning, two of which within a year is grounds for revocation of its license, the Ekho Moskvy news outlet reported.
The publisher Egmont, operating under an agreement with Marvel's parent company Walt Disney, still intends to release the comics next month, but most likely with the Soviet symbols removed, Izvestia reported.
The Avengers comic book series, first published in the United States in 1963, has spawned several Hollywood blockbusters, including an eponymous 2012 hit that grossed $1.5 billion at the box office.


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Job offersmore »
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Top 5 - yesterday
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Top 5 - last week
- Kenya overtakes South Africa to become Africa's biggest exporter of avocados
- Italy: 150 million euros confiscated from fruit and veg Mafiosi
- “Drop in Turkish lira is making us a lot more money”
- “We recognize the different specifications our customers are looking for”
- California labor shortage drives container growing for berries
Top 5 - last month
Exchange ratesmore »
Jordan's produce exports up 35% last monthThe Kingdom of Jordan's exports of vegetables and fruits amounted to 26.2 tons last month, surging by 35 percent compared to the same month last year, according to Agriculture Minister Khalid Hneifat.
The Minister claimed that soaring exports were a positive sign, despite the political challenges facing external marketing of Jordanian produce as a main source of foreign currency. He also noted that the government's policy in support of the sector had paid off in the past months. Hneifat said that vegetables accounted for 98% of the total exports, and fruits for 2%. Tomato, the main export crop, is in first place at 13,000 tons, or 50% of the total exports, followed by cucumber at 14.7% and lettuce at 13.6%.
According to a petra.gov.jo article, there was a 50% rise in January exports to the Gulf Arab states (the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait), adding that exports to Qatar had dropped significantly after the closure of the Qatari market in July.
Publication date: 2/7/2018
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Build 7000 was leaked back in December of last year and was made available to the public by Microsoft just a month later. Since that time, a whole slew of other beta releases have hit the scene. If you’re interested in continuing to use Windows 7, check out the official release candidate. This build will be available for download until August 15, and won’t give you any trouble until spring 2010. That should provide ample time to snag a copy of the finished product, which is expected to ship on October 22.
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Logistics operations function within an incredibly complex web — suppliers, clients, middlemen, financiers — and depend on everyone providing their supplies, materials, and goods on time. When timing isn’t aligned, the entire web is immediately behind the eight-ball. As logistics continues on a path of digitization, third-party logistics suppliers (3PLs) are considering the incorporation of machine learning (ML) to help manage the monstrous task of tracking an entire supply chain and keeping processes on schedule.
Veranese Promoted to CEO of AMI
With the continued growth and evolution of Advanced Manufacturing International, Inc. (AMI), the


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Tesla could see 54 percent of upside — about $134 from its Monday closing price — if one top technical analyst's examination holds up.
Shares of the automaker fell in Monday trading after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to a "sell," citing the prospects of a delayed launch of the Model 3, an "unproven solar business, and cash needs." But Rich Ross, Evercore ISI's head of technical analysis, likes the stock and sees a bullish narrative in the charts.
Examining a four-year chart of the stock, Tesla admittedly looks volatile purely from a technical standpoint, Ross pointed out, observing that shares have vacillated between roughly $280 on the high-end and about $180 at its lows.
And should Tesla again reach that high end it hit as recently as last week in the ballpark of $280, investors could "tack another $100 on if this story works," he said Monday on CNBC's "Power Lunch."
In a two-year chart of Tesla, Ross pointed out that the stock has seen substantial gains since recent lows of December 2016.
"Now, you've had a 38 percent retracement — a textbook retracement — right back to the 50-day [moving average] around $241-ish. So in here, I like the stock, the risk/reward for traders is back in your favor," he said.
"I think you're a buyer in here if you like the story; you could get a breakout and tack another $100 on if this story works," Ross said, referring to his technical analysis.
Shares of Tesla fell last week after reporting a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings loss, despite sales appearing better than analysts expected.
In a report published Monday, Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino pinned a six-month price target of $185 on the current stock, implying about 25 percent of downside, and noted its operation execution is "still unproven," and forecasted a disappointing Model 3 production launch.
"Further, the acquisition of SolarCity — which is undergoing its own business model transition — comes at a time when we believe Tesla should be singularly focused on becoming a mass automobile manufacturer," he wrote, referring to the solar energy services company of which Tesla CEO Elon Musk is chairman.
Analysts are largely divided over Tesla, observed Stacey Gilbert, Susquehanna's head of derivative strategy.
"Even if we just looked at how analysts actually break this down between your bulls, your bears and those sitting on the sidelines, it's almost a third across the board for those three different types of ratings," which is very different from what investors typically see in a large-cap name, where almost 50 percent of analysts fall into one of the camps, Gilbert said Monday on CNBC's "Power Lunch."
And curiously enough, the options market is not seeing a ton of activity for a stock that investors are "constantly waiting for," Gilbert said, referring to announcements about the Model 3 or reports of raising capital.
And if anything, Gilbert said, she would make an argument for those who want to buy in that buying calls would be cheap at current levels, in the bottom quartile of where they've been over the last two years, she said.
"So while there's not this huge sentiment in the options place, it sets up really nicely right now for those that have a strong opinion directionally," she said.
Analysts currently give Tesla an average "hold" rating, according to FactSet data, with a slightly bearish target price of $243.06.


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Exclusive Clip: A Supernatural Revelation in Pablo Larcuen’s “HOOKED UP”Fango Video,Movies/TV,News Ken W. Hanley
Earlier this year, FANGORIA reported that Uncork’d had picked up Mile High Horror Festival fave HOOKED UP for a VOD release in April, finally bringing its unique and effective spin on the found footage haunting flick to audiences. And now, with the release date less than 2 weeks away, FANGORIA has an exclusive clip from Pablo Larcuen’s fright film, which you can check out below!
For those unfamiliar, HOOKED UP follows two American tourists who go to Barcelona to raise their spirits after one’s devastating break-up; however, their vacation becomes a nightmare when they’re lured by a beautiful woman to her home, only to find out she’s not who she appears to be. In this bloody clip from HOOKED UP, three unwitting victims discover the terrifying nature of their deceptive and ruthless attacker, and why it brought them to this house. Produced by Jaume Collet-Serra (ORPHAN), HOOKED UP will hit VOD on April 7th from Uncork’d Entertainment; check back here at FANGORIA.com for more on HOOKED UP!


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What would a Christmas tree be without ornaments?
Vicke Christiansen wouldn’t have it. That’s why she transformed Gregg’s Pool Works in El Dorado Hills into the Town Center Christmas Shoppe, a winter wonderland with beautifully decorated trees.
“Christmas is one of my favorite things,” said Christiansen, who owns the store with husband Gregg Sample.
A favorite Christmas tradition for Christiansen is giving ornaments to her children and, for the first time this year, her grandchild. The ornaments usually commemorate something they did that year, she said.
Now guests at Town Center Christmas Shoppe have the opportunity to select unique ornaments for their loved ones. Christiansen and Gregg’s Pool Works assistant manager Jaime Bowls, who previously worked in a Christmas store, created a great place to find that perfect ornament — there are about 7,000 ornaments in the Christmas Shoppe.
“Old World is really popular; they’re hand-blown glass, hand painted,” Bowls said. “I also added a few (ornaments) that were really different.”
These are not ornaments you’ll find in the big stores (i.e. the shop’s neighbor), she added.
Six trees decorate the store, each with a theme. The “Traditional Tree” features snowmen, churches, gingerbread houses, angels and Santa Clauses. The “Winter Tree” has gorgeous pieces by Adler and Demdaco and the “Firsts Tree” covers your baby’s first Christmas, a couple’s first Christmas, etc. Some of these ornaments are customizable.
Need an elephant ornament? How about a golden retriever? Then check out the “Animal Tree” where you’ll find all sorts of fuzzy and cuddly (along with a few not-so-cuddly) creatures.
For that special firefighter or teacher in your life, consider an ornament from the “Occupational Tree.” Pointing to a badge ornament, Christiansen said. “My son-in-law is a police officer in Vallejo so I’m getting him one of these.”
Perhaps the most uniques tree in Town Center Christmas Shoppe is the “Crystal Tree,” not for the ornaments but for its position. Christiansen hung it upside-down.
In addition to the ornaments, Christiansen lined her shelves with tree toppers, stocking holders, cookie jars (Santa’s favorite!), and lights (LED products available).
“We tried to get a little bit if everything,” Christiansen said. Oh yeah, they also still have all the supplies pool owners need.
The Christmas spirit also inspired Christiansen’s first holiday sale. Mention this article and you’ll get a buy-one-get-one half-off deal on anything Christmas. On Black Friday (open at 9 a.m.) the first 25 customers get a special buy-one-get-one-free deal. A buy-one-get-one half-off sale will go on throughout that weekend.
Town Center Christmas Shoppe is located inside Gregg’s Pool Works, 4380 Town Center Blvd., Suite 130, in El Dorado Hills. For more information call (916) 933-7799.