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Here's How We Evaluate Brigade Enterprises Limited's (NSE:BRIGADE) Dividend Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll take a closer look at Brigade Enterprises Limited (NSE:BRIGADE) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong business and reinvesting the dividends is widely seen as an attractive way of growing your wealth. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. Investors might not know much about Brigade Enterprises's dividend prospects, even though it has been paying dividends for the last nine years and offers a 0.8% yield. A low yield is generally a turn-off, but if the prospects for earnings growth were strong, investors might be pleasantly surprised by the long-term results. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding Brigade Enterprises for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Brigade Enterprises! Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. Looking at the data, we can see that 11% of Brigade Enterprises's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. With a low payout ratio, it looks like the dividend is comprehensively covered by earnings. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Last year, Brigade Enterprises paid a dividend while reporting negative free cash flow. While there may be an explanation, we think this behaviour is generally not sustainable. It's positive to see that Brigade Enterprises's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. As Brigade Enterprises has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A quick way to check a company's financial situation uses these two ratios: net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments on debt. Essentially we check that a) a company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. With net debt of above 3x EBITDA, investors are starting to take on a meaningful amount of risk, should the business enter a downturn. Net interest cover can be calculated by dividing earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) by the company's net interest expense. With EBIT of 2.33 times its interest expense, Brigade Enterprises's interest cover is starting to look a bit thin. Consider gettingour latest analysis on Brigade Enterprises's financial position here. One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. Looking at the last decade of data, we can see that Brigade Enterprises paid its first dividend at least nine years ago. The company has been paying a stable dividend for a while now, which is great. However we'd prefer to see consistency for a few more years before giving it our full seal of approval. During the past nine-year period, the first annual payment was ₹1.20 in 2010, compared to ₹2.00 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 5.8% per year over this time. Brigade Enterprises has been growing its dividend at a decent rate, and the payments have been stable despite the short payment history. This is a positive start. The other half of the dividend investing equation is evaluating whether earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Over the long term, dividends need to grow at or above the rate of inflation, in order to maintain the recipient's purchasing power. Strong earnings per share (EPS) growth might encourage our interest in the company despite fluctuating dividends, which is why it's great to see Brigade Enterprises has grown its earnings per share at 17% per annum over the past five years. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggests this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future. Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we like Brigade Enterprises's low dividend payout ratio, although we're a bit concerned that it paid out a substantially higher percentage of its free cash flow. We were also glad to see it growing earnings, although its dividend history is not as long as we'd like. Ultimately, Brigade Enterprises comes up short on our dividend analysis. It's not that we think it is a bad company - just that there are likely more appealing dividend prospects out there on this analysis. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 7 Brigade Enterprises analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with ourfreereport on analyst estimates for the company. We have also put together alist of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Here's Why I Think Orient Electric (NSE:ORIENTELEC) Is An Interesting Stock Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy. If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested inOrient Electric(NSE:ORIENTELEC). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business than can consistently produce it. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath. Check out our latest analysis for Orient Electric In the last three years Orient Electric's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. As a result, I'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Orient Electric has grown its trailing twelve month EPS from ₹3.02 to ₹3.27, in the last year. That's a modest gain of 8.2%. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note Orient Electric's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 17% to ₹19b. That's progress. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors alwayscheck the balance sheet, too. It makes me feel more secure owning shares in a company if insiders also own shares, thusly more closely aligning our interests. So it is good to see that Orient Electric insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. To be specific, they have ₹1.2b worth of shares. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Even though that's only about 3.6% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders. One positive for Orient Electric is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. Just as polish makes silverware pop, the high level of insider ownership enhances my enthusiasm for this growth. The combination sparks joy for me, so I'd consider keeping the company on a watchlist. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Orient Electric by focusing on just these factors,oryou couldalsoconsider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry. Of course, you can do well (sometimes) buying stocks thatare notgrowing earnings anddo nothave insiders buying shares. But as a growth investor I always like to check out companies thatdohave those features. You can accessa free list of them here. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Does Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust (SGX:C2PU) Have A Place In Your Dividend Portfolio? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Could Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust (SGX:C2PU) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. On the other hand, investors have been known to buy a stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. With Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust yielding 4.2% and having paid a dividend for over 10 years, many investors likely find the company quite interesting. It would not be a surprise to discover that many investors buy it for the dividends. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust! Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust paid out 89% of its profit as dividends. Paying out a majority of its earnings limits the amount that can be reinvested in the business. This may indicate a commitment to paying a dividend, or a dearth of investment opportunities. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. The company paid out 89% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is adequate, but reduces the wriggle room in the event of a downturn. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. We update our data on Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust every 24 hours, so you can always getour latest analysis of its financial health, here. One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust's dividend payments. The dividend has been stable over the past 10 years, which is great. We think this could suggest some resilience to the business and its dividends. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was S$0.076 in 2009, compared to S$0.13 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 5.5% per year over this time. Businesses that can grow their dividends at a decent rate and maintain a stable payout can generate substantial wealth for shareholders over the long term. While dividend payments have been relatively reliable, it would also be nice if earnings per share (EPS) were growing, as this is essential to maintaining the dividend's purchasing power over the long term. Earnings have grown at around 9.5% a year for the past five years, which is better than seeing them shrink! EPS have been growing at a reasonable rate, although with most of the profits being paid out to shareholders, we question if the company will be able to keep growing its dividends in the future. When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. First, we think Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust is paying out an acceptable percentage of its cashflow and profit. That said, we were glad to see it growing earnings and paying a fairly consistent dividend. Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 3 Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with ourfreereport on analyst estimates for the company. We have also put together alist of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Japanese shares dip but losses limited ahead of G20 * Nikkei dips 0.21%, Topix inches up 0.04% * U.S.-Iran tensions, stronger yen weigh on Nikkei * But selling limited ahead of Trump-Xi meeting at upcoming G20 By Shinichi Saoshiro TOKYO, June 25 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average edged down on Tuesday amid brewing U.S.-Iran tensions and with a stronger yen weighing on exporters, but losses were limited ahead of a G20 summit, which could determine near-term risk appetite direction. The Nikkei ended the morning session down 0.21% at 21,241.28. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Xi Jinping are expected to discuss trade issues on the sidelines of the June 28-29 G20 summit in Japan. The meeting is the first face-to-face meeting for the leaders since trade talks broke down in May, leading to a hike in U.S. tariffs on imports of Chinese goods. "It's a quiet market in which sellers are few and sparse ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting at the G20," said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex Securities. "A major breakthrough in trade talks is unlikely but the United States and China might agree to keep the dialogue going at the G20. That could be enough to fuel 'risk on'," he added. Shares of exporting companies sagged as the yen added to its gains against the dollar. Toyota Motor Corp dipped 0.2%, Honda Motor Co lost 0.5% and Tokyo Electron fell 1.9%. Ichibanya Co rallied 5.7% after the curry restaurant chain operator said its operating profit for the March-May period rose 40.7%. Japan Communications Inc surged 7.3% after the provider of mobile communications services said it will begin sales of SIMs for citizen broadband radio services (CBRS) in the United States. Of Tokyo's 33 sub-indexes, 20 were in positive territory. Gainers outnumbered declining shares 1,173 to 852. The broader Topix edged up 0.04% to 1,548.32. (Editing by Sam Holmes)
Three Things You Should Check Before Buying Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust (SGX:C2PU) For Its Dividend Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll take a closer look at Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust (SGX:C2PU) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong business and reinvesting the dividends is widely seen as an attractive way of growing your wealth. Yet sometimes, investors buy a stock for its dividend and lose money because the share price falls by more than they earned in dividend payments. In this case, Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust likely looks attractive to investors, given its 4.2% dividend yield and a payment history of over ten years. It would not be a surprise to discover that many investors buy it for the dividends. Some simple research can reduce the risk of buying Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust for its dividend - read on to learn more. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. As a result, we should always investigate whether a company can afford its dividend, measured as a percentage of a company's net income after tax. Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust paid out 89% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. Paying out a majority of its earnings limits the amount that can be reinvested in the business. This may indicate a commitment to paying a dividend, or a dearth of investment opportunities. We also measure dividends paid against a company's levered free cash flow, to see if enough cash was generated to cover the dividend. Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust paid out 89% of its cash flow last year. This may be sustainable but it does not leave much of a buffer for unexpected circumstances. It's positive to see that Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Consider gettingour latest analysis on Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust's financial position here. One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust has been paying dividends for a long time, but for the purpose of this analysis, we only examine the past 10 years of payments. The dividend has been stable over the past 10 years, which is great. We think this could suggest some resilience to the business and its dividends. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was S$0.076 in 2009, compared to S$0.13 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 5.5% per year over this time. Companies like this, growing their dividend at a decent rate, can be very valuable over the long term, if the rate of growth can be maintained. Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. Earnings have grown at around 9.5% a year for the past five years, which is better than seeing them shrink! EPS have been growing at a reasonable rate, although with most of the profits being paid out to shareholders, we question if the company will be able to keep growing its dividends in the future. Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we think Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust is paying out an acceptable percentage of its cashflow and profit. Next, growing earnings per share and steady dividend payments is a great combination. Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trust has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 3 analysts we track are forecasting for Parkway Life Real Estate Investment Trustfor freewith publicanalyst estimates for the company. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try ourcurated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Did Changing Sentiment Drive Borosil Glass Works's (NSE:BOROSIL) Share Price Down A Painful 81%? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! It's not a secret that every investor will make bad investments, from time to time. But it's not unreasonable to try to avoid truly shocking capital losses. So spare a thought for the long term shareholders ofBorosil Glass Works Limited(NSE:BOROSIL); the share price is down a whopping 81% in the last twelve months. While some investors are willing to stomach this sort of loss, they are usually professionals who spread their bets thinly. We wouldn't rush to judgement on Borosil Glass Works because we don't have a long term history to look at. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 17% in the last 90 days. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway. Check out our latest analysis for Borosil Glass Works To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Unhappily, Borosil Glass Works had to report a 65% decline in EPS over the last year. The share price decline of 81% is actually more than the EPS drop. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, a year ago. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). It is of course excellent to see how Borosil Glass Works has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in thisfreeinteractive graphic. While Borosil Glass Works shareholders are down 81% for the year (even including dividends), the market itself is up 0.3%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 17%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. Before forming an opinion on Borosil Glass Works you might want to consider these3 valuation metrics. Of courseBorosil Glass Works may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see thisfreecollection of growth stocks. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on IN exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Trump: Woman who accused him of sexual assault not his type WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Monday that a New York-based advice columnist who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s is not his "type." "I'll say it with great respect: Number one, she's not my type. Number two, it never happened," Trump told The Hill in an interview at the White House. Writer E. Jean Carroll has claimed that a friendly encounter with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman in 1995 or 1996 turned violent when the real estate mogul pushed her up against a dressing room wall, unzipped his pants and forced himself on her. Carroll said that, in a "colossal struggle," she pushed him off and ran from the store. Trump told The Hill that Carroll is "totally lying" about the accusation, which he also denied earlier. "I know nothing about this woman. I know nothing about her," he said. "She is it's just a terrible thing that people can make statements like that." The allegation against Trump is included in Carroll's upcoming book about the "hideous men" the Elle magazine columnist says she has encountered throughout her life. Carroll told CNN's Anderson Cooper later Monday that she's glad Trump doesn't consider her his type. "I love that," she said. "I'm so glad I am not his type." Carroll said there were no attendants in the dressing room area at the time of the alleged assault and she did not file a report with the New York Police Department. "I wanted to forget it," she said. "I thought A, my fault. B, I was stupid. C, I didn't think of it ... as rape. I thought of it as a violent incident. I thought of it as a fight." During the 2016 presidential campaign, more than a dozen women accused Trump of sexual misconduct in earlier years. Trump has denied the allegations and said the women are lying. The "not my type" remark isn't the first time Trump has disparaged an accuser. In 2016, after a former magazine writer accused Trump of assaulting her in 2005, he responded: "She lies! Look at her, I don't think so." And when another woman claimed Trump groped her on an airplane in the early 1980s, he said, "Believe me she would not be my first choice."
Singapore's Trax Acquires U.S. Retail Rewards App Shopkick (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg on LINE messenger for all the business news and analysis you need. Singapore’s Trax is acquiring Shopkick, adding the U.S. rewards app to its growing stable of retail technology. Redwood City, California-based Shopkick lets shoppers earn rewards and gift cards by browsing online offers, watching videos, walking into stores or scanning product barcodes on shelves. Trax didn’t disclose how much it’s paying but seller SK Telecom Co. acquired the Californian outfit for $200 million in 2014, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Shopkick’s programs help provide data and insights into customer behavior and loyalty for clients from EBay Inc. and General Electric Co. to Lego and Unilever. “Bringing together shelf and shopper data will deliver new and powerful insights to consumer-packaged-goods brands and retailers,” Trax Chief Executive Officer Joel Bar-El said in a statement. The transaction comes as Trax finalizes a deal to raise $100 million at a pre-money valuation of about $1.1 billion. The round was aimed at financing acquisitions, including of LenzTech Co., a Beijing computer vision startup it recently purchased. Trax is also in advanced talks to buy a European competitor, Bar-El has said. Shopkick, which employs about 150 people in California, will operate as an independent unit of Trax. The Singapore startup plans an initial public offering in 18 to 24 months and it’s in talks with Singapore Exchange Ltd. for a potential dual listing after the local bourse approached the company, the CEO said in an interview last month. Bar-El and partner Dror Feldheim co-founded Trax in Singapore in 2010. The firm works with retailers and brands in more than 50 countries and counts New York-based private equity firm Warburg Pincus, Chinese private equity firm Boyu Capital and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte among its shareholders. Read more: Singapore Startup Trax Raising Funds at $1.1 Billion Value (1) (Updates with acquisition details from the fifth paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Yoolim Lee in Singapore at yoolim@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Introducing Borosil Glass Works (NSE:BOROSIL), The Stock That Fell Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The art and science of stock market investing requires a tolerance for losing money on some of the shares you buy. But serious investors should think long and hard about avoiding extreme losses. So spare a thought for the long term shareholders ofBorosil Glass Works Limited(NSE:BOROSIL); the share price is down a whopping 81% in the last twelve months. That'd be a striking reminder about the importance of diversification. We wouldn't rush to judgement on Borosil Glass Works because we don't have a long term history to look at. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 17% in the last three months. We would be remiss not to highlight the spin-off of Hopewell Tableware, now known as Gujarat Borosil Limited. We don't track the returns of spin-off stocks in our returns for Borosil Glass Works, but Gujarat Borosil shares are down approximately 18% since July 2018. Check out our latest analysis for Borosil Glass Works In his essayThe Superinvestors of Graham-and-DoddsvilleWarren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Unhappily, Borosil Glass Works had to report a 65% decline in EPS over the last year. The share price decline of 81% is actually more than the EPS drop. Unsurprisingly, given the lack of EPS growth, the market seems to be more cautious about the stock. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We know that Borosil Glass Works has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in thisfreeinteractive graphic. While Borosil Glass Works shareholders are down 81% for the year (even including dividends), the market itself is up 0.3%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 17%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. Before forming an opinion on Borosil Glass Works you might want to consider these3 valuation metrics. Of course,you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere.So take a peek at thisfreelist of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on IN exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
SpaceX's 'challenging' Falcon Heavy mission launch goes 2/3 on booster landings Last year SpaceXlaunched its massive Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, but the company describes tonight'sSTP-2 missionas one of the "most challenging" launches in its history. It's also the first Falcon Heavy launch to reuse side boosters, which previously took flightjust 74 days ago on the Arabsat-6A mission. The tricky part is after it takes off, with a planned "four separate upper-stage engine burns, three separate deployment orbits, a final propulsive passivation maneuver and a total mission duration of over six hours." SpaceX's mission animation video shows what we're expecting to see: The launch window was scheduled to open at 11:30 PM ET, but NASA and SpaceX are now targeting takeoff for 2:30 AM ET. The launch window extends until 3:30 AM, and a backup window will open tomorrow night between 11:30 PM ET and 2:30 AM ET. This flight is also important because of its payload, which includes things likeNASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock,LightSail 2and theGreen Propellant Infusion Mission. After launch, we're in for another triple landing attempt, with the two side boosters coming down at Cape Canaveral and SpaceX attempting another sea landing for the center core and, hopefully, bring it all the way homethis time. Update (6/25, 2:49 AM ET):First, the good news. The launch was a success, and all the booster rockets separated as planned. The two side boosters made it safely back to Cape Canaveral in another synchronized landing. However, as the company warned about this "challenging" mission, returning the center core was especially tricky, and it missed landing on the waiting drone ship by a few feet. The team is now waiting to hear the status of deployments for the 24 satellites onboard.
How Much Are Blackham Resources Limited (ASX:BLK) Insiders Spending On Buying Shares? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sellBlackham Resources Limited(ASX:BLK), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.' View our latest analysis for Blackham Resources Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman & Interim CEO Milan Jerkovic for AU$877k worth of shares, at about AU$0.015 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.013 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Milan Jerkovic was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Blackham Resources is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to findwinning investmentsthisfreelist of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Based on our data, Blackham Resources insiders have about 3.8% of the stock, worth approximately AU$1.6m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership. It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that Blackham Resources insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. Along with insider transactions, I recommend checking if Blackham Resources is growing revenue. This free chart ofhistoric revenue and earnings should make that easy. Of courseBlackham Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see thisfreecollection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
What Do Investors Need To Know About CapitaLand Limited's (SGX:C31) Growth? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Since CapitaLand Limited (SGX:C31) released its earnings in March 2019, analyst forecasts appear to be pessimistic, with earnings expected to decline by 15% in the upcoming year relative to the past 5-year average growth rate of 13%. With trailing-twelve-month net income at current levels of S$1.8b, the consensus growth rate suggests that earnings will decline to S$1.5b by 2020. In this article, I've outline a few earnings growth rates to give you a sense of the market sentiment for CapitaLand in the longer term. Readers that are interested in understanding the company beyond these figures shouldresearch its fundamentals here. Check out our latest analysis for CapitaLand The longer term view from the 17 analysts covering C31 is one of positive sentiment. Generally, broker analysts tend to make predictions for up to three years given the lack of visibility beyond this point. To reduce the year-on-year volatility of analyst earnings forecast, I've inserted a line of best fit through the expected earnings figures to determine the annual growth rate from the slope of the line. From the current net income level of S$1.8b and the final forecast of S$1.8b by 2022, the annual rate of growth for C31’s earnings is 6.8%. However, if we exclude extraordinary items from net income, we see that earnings is projected to fall over time, resulting in an EPS of SGD0.36 in the final year of forecast compared to the current SGD0.42 EPS today. This high rate of growth of revenue squeezes margins, as analysts predict an upcoming margin contraction from the current 31% to 22% by the end of 2022. Future outlook is only one aspect when you're building an investment case for a stock. For CapitaLand, I've put together three relevant factors you should further examine: 1. Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at ourfree balance sheet analysis with six simple checkson key factors like leverage and risk. 2. Future Earnings: How does CapitaLand's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with ourfree analyst growth expectation chart. 3. Other High-Growth Alternatives: Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of CapitaLand? Exploreour interactive list of stocks with large growth potentialto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Despite Its High P/E Ratio, Is FDC Limited (NSE:FDC) Still Undervalued? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how FDC Limited's (NSE:FDC) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Based on the last twelve months,FDC's P/E ratio is 17.98. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying ₹17.98 for every ₹1 in prior year profit. See our latest analysis for FDC Theformula for P/Eis: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for FDC: P/E of 17.98 = ₹175.15 ÷ ₹9.74 (Based on the year to March 2019.) A higher P/E ratio means that investors are payinga higher pricefor each ₹1 of company earnings. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.' P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. FDC had pretty flat EPS growth in the last year. But it has grown its earnings per share by 5.1% per year over the last five years. The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. As you can see below FDC has a P/E ratio that is fairly close for the average for the pharmaceuticals industry, which is 17.3. Its P/E ratio suggests that FDC shareholders think that in the future it will perform about the same as other companies in its industry classification. The company could surprise by performing better than average, in the future. Further research into factors such asmanagement tenure, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely. Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth. Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context. With net cash of ₹4.3b, FDC has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 14% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio. FDC has a P/E of 18. That's higher than the average in the IN market, which is 15.4. Falling earnings per share is probably keeping traditional value investors away, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains potential for future growth. If fails to eventuate, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls. Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So thisfreevisual report on analyst forecastscould hold the key to an excellent investment decision. But note:FDC may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20). We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Could The FDC Limited (NSE:FDC) Ownership Structure Tell Us Something Useful? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Every investor in FDC Limited (NSE:FDC) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.' With a market capitalization of ₹31b, FDC is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about FDC. View our latest analysis for FDC Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. We can see that FDC does have institutional investors; and they hold 12% of the stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone, since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at FDC's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Hedge funds don't have many shares in FDC. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own the majority of FDC Limited. This means they can collectively make decisions for the company. So they have a ₹17b stake in this ₹31b business. Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You canclick here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. The general public holds a 16% stake in FDC. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. It seems that Private Companies own 15%, of the FDC stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand FDC better, we need to consider many other factors. I like to dive deeperinto how a company has performed in the past. You can findhistoric revenue and earnings in thisdetailed graph. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can checkthis free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Did Freehill Mining Limited (ASX:FHS) Insiders Buy Up More Shares? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sellFreehill Mining Limited(ASX:FHS), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia Universitystudyfound that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. See our latest analysis for Freehill Mining Non Executive Director Samuel Duddy made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$706k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.063 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$0.015). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Samuel Duddy. Samuel Duddy bought a total of 13.4m shares over the year at an average price of AU$0.057. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably donotwant to miss thisfreelist of growing companies that insiders are buying. I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Freehill Mining insiders own about AU$3.0m worth of shares. That equates to 23% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Freehill Mining and their transactions don't cause us concern. Along with insider transactions, I recommend checking if Freehill Mining is growing revenue. This free chart ofhistoric revenue and earnings should make that easy. But note:Freehill Mining may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
The Latest: 'Jeopardy!' champ loses poker world series debut LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on "Jeopardy!" champion and professional sports gambler James Holzhauer playing at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas (all times local): 8:05 p.m. "Jeopardy!" champion and professional sports gambler James Holzhauer played 14 hands in his debut event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, but lost his chips without reaching the prize pool. Tournament spokesman Seth Palansky says Holzhauer finished in 454th place Monday among more than 1,800 entrants in a No-Limit Hold'em event. Only the top 281 finishers receive a share of prize money. Holzhauer moved to another poker event to play with Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton in a tag-team contest. Palansky says Holzhauer plans to donate half of any winnings to a Las Vegas charity benefiting homeless teenagers. Holzhauer became a celebrity winning 32 consecutive "Jeopardy!" games and raking in more than $2.4 million before losing in early June. He has made several donations to charities in recent weeks. ____ 3:50 p.m. "Jeopardy!" champion and professional sports gambler James Holzhauer is playing at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Tournament spokesman Seth Palansky says Holzhauer won the first hand he played in a No-Limit Hold'em event and was due to team with Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton in another contest. Palansky says Holzhauer plans to donate half his winnings to a Las Vegas charity benefiting homeless teenagers. Holzhauer played online poker semi-professionally in the early 2000s, but makes a living now as a sports bettor. He became a celebrity winning 32 consecutive "Jeopardy!" games and raking in more than $2.4 million before he lost in early June. He has made several donations to charities in recent weeks. ____ 10:40 a.m. "Jeopardy!" champion and professional sports gambler James Holzhauer is making his World Series of Poker debut in Las Vegas, with plans to donate half his winnings to charity. Story continues Tournament official Seth Palansky says Holzhauer is competing Monday in a No-Limit Hold'em event and plans to partner later in the day with Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton in another contest. Holzhauer tells tournament officials he'll donate winnings to a Las Vegas nonprofit for homeless teenagers. Holzhauer played online poker semi-professionally in the early 2000s, but makes a living now with sports betting. He became a celebrity during a 32-game "Jeopardy!" win streak, winning more than $2.4 million before he lost in early June. He has taken part in several events in Las Vegas in recent weeks.
What Investors Should Know About Finnair Oyj's (HEL:FIA1S) Financial Strength Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Investors are always looking for growth in small-cap stocks like Finnair Oyj (HEL:FIA1S), with a market cap of €857m. However, an important fact which most ignore is: how financially healthy is the business? Evaluating financial health as part of your investment thesis is essential, since poor capital management may bring about bankruptcies, which occur at a higher rate for small-caps. We'll look at some basic checks that can form a snapshot the company’s financial strength. Nevertheless, potential investors would need to take a closer look, and I suggest youdig deeper yourself into FIA1S here. FIA1S's debt levels surged from €715m to €1.7b over the last 12 months , which accounts for long term debt. With this increase in debt, FIA1S currently has €1.2b remaining in cash and short-term investments , ready to be used for running the business. Additionally, FIA1S has produced €423m in operating cash flow over the same time period, resulting in an operating cash to total debt ratio of 24%, signalling that FIA1S’s operating cash is sufficient to cover its debt. At the current liabilities level of €1.4b, it seems that the business has been able to meet these obligations given the level of current assets of €1.5b, with a current ratio of 1.03x. The current ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by current liabilities. For Airlines companies, this ratio is within a sensible range since there's a sufficient cash cushion without leaving too much capital idle or in low-earning investments. With debt reaching 68% of equity, FIA1S may be thought of as relatively highly levered. This is somewhat unusual for small-caps companies, since lenders are often hesitant to provide attractive interest rates to less-established businesses. We can check to see whether FIA1S is able to meet its debt obligations by looking at the net interest coverage ratio. A company generating earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) at least three times its net interest payments is considered financially sound. In FIA1S's, case, the ratio of 3.12x suggests that interest is appropriately covered, which means that lenders may be inclined to lend more money to the company, as it is seen as safe in terms of payback. FIA1S’s high cash coverage means that, although its debt levels are high, the company is able to utilise its borrowings efficiently in order to generate cash flow. Since there is also no concerns around FIA1S's liquidity needs, this may be its optimal capital structure for the time being. I admit this is a fairly basic analysis for FIA1S's financial health. Other important fundamentals need to be considered alongside. I recommend you continue to research Finnair Oyj to get a better picture of the small-cap by looking at: 1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FIA1S’s future growth? Take a look at ourfree research report of analyst consensusfor FIA1S’s outlook. 2. Valuation: What is FIA1S worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? Theintrinsic value infographic in our free research reporthelps visualize whether FIA1S is currently mispriced by the market. 3. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore ourfree list of these great stocks here. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Should You Be Tempted To Sell Finolex Industries Limited (NSE:FINOLEXIND) Because Of Its P/E Ratio? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll look at Finolex Industries Limited's (NSE:FINOLEXIND) P/E ratio and reflect on what it tells us about the company's share price.Finolex Industries has a P/E ratio of 16.93, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 5.9%. See our latest analysis for Finolex Industries Theformula for price to earningsis: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Finolex Industries: P/E of 16.93 = ₹501.05 ÷ ₹29.59 (Based on the year to March 2019.) The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That is not a good or a bad thingper se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. Generally speaking the rate of earnings growth has a profound impact on a company's P/E multiple. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. And as that P/E ratio drops, the company will look cheap, unless its share price increases. It's great to see that Finolex Industries grew EPS by 20% in the last year. And earnings per share have improved by 17% annually, over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio. One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (13.6) for companies in the chemicals industry is lower than Finolex Industries's P/E. Finolex Industries's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. The market is optimistic about the future, but that doesn't guarantee future growth. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such aswhether company directors have been buying shares. The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth. Spending on growth might be good or bad a few years later, but the point is that the P/E ratio does not account for the option (or lack thereof). Since Finolex Industries holds net cash of ₹2.3b, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise. Finolex Industries trades on a P/E ratio of 16.9, which is above the IN market average of 15.4. With cash in the bank the company has plenty of growth options -- and it is already on the right track. So it is not surprising the market is probably extrapolating recent growth well into the future, reflected in the relatively high P/E ratio. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So thisfreevisual report on analyst forecastscould hold the key to an excellent investment decision. But note:Finolex Industries may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20). We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
UPDATE 1-Solomon Islands plans due diligence tour on Taiwan ties * Solomon Islands, long-standing Taiwan ally, reviews ties * Delegation to visit Pacific neighbours, Beijing, Taipei * Report expected by August (Adds Taiwan Foreign Ministry comment) By Tom Westbrook SYDNEY, June 24 (Reuters) - The Solomon Islands, one of Taiwan's remaining allies in the Pacific, will send a delegation to study Chinese aid in neighbouring countries as it considers a diplomatic switch to Beijing, the delegation leader said on Monday. The Solomons has recognised Taiwan since 1983 and would be a prized chip should it swap diplomatic ties as China seeks to expand its influence and presence in the Pacific. A taskforce set up by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to review the Taiwan relationship will visit the island nations of Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea which all have formal ties with China. The tour will begin this week and include Beijing and Taipei, taskforce chairman John Moffat Fugui told Reuters. "We will use their countries as case studies to see the kind of development relations they have, the kind of assistance they get, the conditionalities or lack of conditionalities they might have, the kind of governance," Fugui, a government legislator, said by phone from the Solomons' capital, Honiara. "We will do due diligence," he said, adding the taskforce report was expected by the end of August and could recommend a middle course. "It's not either or, it's also both," he said, without elaborating on such a scenario. The Solomon Islands is among 17 nations to recognise self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, which China regards as a wayward province with no right to state-to-state ties. Although the relationship with Taiwan comes with generous aid payments, the Solomons sends two-thirds of its exports to China and is weighing the merits of a change. Taiwan Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Andrew Lee told reporters in Taipei on Tuesday that all bilateral projects are running "very smoothly" and communications channels with the Solomons are also "very smooth". "We have shown our sincerity to continue bilateral projects to the new government," Lee said. "We continue to demonstrate our will to deepen diplomatic ties." China's footprint in the Pacific has been growing, with governments there owing about $1.3 billion to Beijing and raising fears in the West that the region is becoming more susceptible to Chinese influence. Although Pacific islands offer little economically to either China or Taiwan, their support is valued in global forums such as the United Nations. The Solomons - the scene of decisive battles in World War II - is a particular flashpoint. Prime Minister Scott Morrison this month made the first visit by an Australian leader to the Solomons in a decade, and the United States has urged Pacific nations with ties to Taipei to maintain the status quo. Fugui said the seven-member taskforce could leave as early as Thursday and would keep an open mind in meetings with foreign leaders, diplomats and business leaders during the tour. "I think there are concerns about the countries that have relations with China in terms of the style of development they have because China is a great power," he said. "In terms of a small island state, that is a huge jump from having relations with our traditional partners...(but) at the same time we need to catch the opportunity to look at it and look at it properly." (Reporting by Tom Westbrook in SYDNEY. Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Yimou Lee in TAIPEI' editing by Darren Schuettler)
What You Must Know About Fluence Corporation Limited's (ASX:FLC) Beta Value Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! If you own shares in Fluence Corporation Limited (ASX:FLC) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. The first type is company specific volatility. Investors use diversification across uncorrelated stocks to reduce this kind of price volatility across the portfolio. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market. Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk', beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price. View our latest analysis for Fluence As it happens, Fluence has a five year beta of 0.94. This is fairly close to 1, so the stock has historically shown a somewhat similar level of volatility as the market. While history does not always repeat, this may indicate that the stock price will continue to be exposed to market risk, albeit not overly so. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Fluence's revenue and earnings in the image below. Fluence is a rather small company. It has a market capitalisation of AU$204m, which means it is probably under the radar of most investors. Companies this small are usually more volatile than the market, whether or not that volatility is correlated. Therefore, it's a bit surprising to see that this stock has a beta value so close to the overall market. Since Fluence has a beta close to one, it will probably show a positive return when the market is moving up, based on history. If you're trying to generate better returns than the market, it would be worth thinking about other metrics such as cashflows, dividends and revenue growth might be a more useful guide to the future. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but it's well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as Fluence’s financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following: 1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FLC’s future growth? Take a look at ourfree research report of analyst consensusfor FLC’s outlook. 2. Past Track Record: Has FLC been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look atthe free visual representations of FLC's historicalsfor more clarity. 3. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how FLC measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with thisfree list of prospective options. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Is Fluence Corporation Limited (ASX:FLC) A Volatile Stock? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! If you own shares in Fluence Corporation Limited (ASX:FLC) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. The first category is company specific volatility. This can be dealt with by limiting your exposure to any particular stock. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market. Some stocks mimic the volatility of the market quite closely, while others demonstrate muted, exagerrated or uncorrelated price movements. Beta is a widely used metric to measure a stock's exposure to market risk (volatility). Before we go on, it's worth noting that Warren Buffett pointed out in his 2014 letter to shareholders that 'volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' Having said that, beta can still be rather useful. The first thing to understand about beta is that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta below one is either less volatile than the market, or more volatile but not corellated with the overall market. In comparison a stock with a beta of over one tends to be move in a similar direction to the market in the long term, but with greater changes in price. View our latest analysis for Fluence Fluence has a five-year beta of 0.94. This is reasonably close to the market beta of 1, so the stock has in the past displayed similar levels of volatility to the overall market. Using history as a guide, we might surmise that the share price is likely to be influenced by market voltility going forward but it probably won't be particularly sensitive to it. Beta is worth considering, but it's also important to consider whether Fluence is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below. Fluence is a rather small company. It has a market capitalisation of AU$204m, which means it is probably under the radar of most investors. Companies this small are usually more volatile than the market, whether or not that volatility is correlated. Therefore, it's a bit surprising to see that this stock has a beta value so close to the overall market. Fluence has a beta value quite close to that of the overall market. That doesn't tell us much on its own, so it is probably worth considering whether the company is growing, if you're looking for stocks that will go up more than the overall market. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but it's well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as Fluence’s financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following: 1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FLC’s future growth? Take a look at ourfree research report of analyst consensusfor FLC’s outlook. 2. Past Track Record: Has FLC been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look atthe free visual representations of FLC's historicalsfor more clarity. 3. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how FLC measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with thisfree list of prospective options. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Iran says talks with US impossible; US says it wants talks UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran's U.N. ambassador warned Monday that the situation in the Persian Gulf is "very dangerous" and called talks with the U.S. impossible in the face of escalating sanctions and intimidation, while the U.S. envoy said the Trump administration's aim is to get Tehran back to negotiations. Recent attacks on tankers and the downing of a U.S. drone played out in comments before and after a closed U.N. Security Council meeting called by the United States that provided sharply different views of the current situation. It took place hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior Iranian military figures with financial sanctions. Iranian Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi called the new sanctions another indication of "U.S. hostility" toward the Iranian people. He said the Trump administration should de-escalate tensions by stopping "its military adventurism" in the region, withdrawing its "naval armada" and moving away from "economic warfare against the Iranian people." Acting U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen outlined the U.S. case for blaming Iran for tanker attacks May 12 and June 13 and for shooting down a $100 million U.S. drone in international airspace June 20. Iran denies it attacked the tankers and says the drone was in its airspace. "Iran must understand that these attacks are unacceptable," Cohen said. "It's time for the world to join us in saying so." Cohen reiterated that U.S. policy "remains an economic and diplomatic effort to bring Iran back to the negotiating table." He repeated his call to meet diplomacy with diplomacy, noting that Iran dismissed it two weeks ago as "inflammatory." Ravanchi said he agrees with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf region, but said that is up to the United States, not Iran. Story continues He ruled out any talks with the Trump administration. "You cannot start a dialogue with someone who is threatening, who is intimidating you," he said, accusing the U.S. of trying to destroy Iran's economy. Ravanchi urged the U.N. chief to initiate "a genuine regional dialogue on regional security ... so that we will see a new region for the generations to come." The Security Council issued a statement condemning the latest attacks on oil tankers and urging all parties "to exercise maximum restraint and take measures and actions to reduce escalation and tension." The statement made no mention of the drone attack. France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a separate statement warning that increased tensions in the Gulf since the drone attack "risk miscalculation and conflict." The three countries called for "de-escalation and dialogue" and reiterated their support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that President Donald Trump pulled out of last year. Responding to the U.S. administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, French Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters: "The message of France is we're in a time where maximum pressure only makes sense with maximum diplomacy. So that's where we must go." Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, also referred to the U.S. desire for dialogue with Iran. "Some of the Iranian officials recently said that you cannot have a dialogue with a knife against your throat," Nebenzia said. "What kind of dialogue if you are introducing the worst kind of sanctions ever?"
Giannis wins NBA MVP over James Harden, Paul George You forget that Giannis Antetokounmpo is only 24 years old. The Milwaukee Bucks forward became the 10th-youngest Most Valuable Player in NBA history when results were revealed at the third annual NBA Awards Show on Monday in Santa Monica, California. Antetokounmpo ended Houston Rockets guard James Harden’s reign to win what many now believe will be his first of multiple MVP honors in his career. Harden and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George were the other finalists. A panel of 100 media members comprise 50 percent of the vote for NBA awards. Players and fans split the remaining 50 percent. Results will be made available. The Bucks star is the youngest recipient since Derrick Rose became the youngest winner ever at the age of 22 in 2011. The rest of the list of 10 youngest MVPs in history, based on age at the end of the regular season, is a Hall of Fame ledger: Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo captured the first MVP honor of his young career. (Getty Images) Derrick Rose (2011): 22 years, 191 days Wes Unseld (1969): 23 years, 9 days Bob Pettit (1956): 23 years, 92 days Bob McAdoo (1975): 23 years, 193 days Wilt Chamberlain (1960): 23 years, 201 days Lew Alcindor (1971): 24 years, 14 days Moses Malone (1979): 24 years, 16 days Bill Russell (1958): 24 years, 28 days LeBron James (2009): 24 years, 104 days Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019): 24 years, 125 days Everyone else on that list but Rose went on to win a championship, six of them won multiple MVP honors in their careers and five of them won more than one title. This is the company Antetokounmpo now keeps, where the odds are in his favor to win this award again and pair it with at least two championship rings, barring injury. Antetokounmpo finished the regular season just 21 days older than when LeBron James won his first of four MVP honors. Within three years, James was a three-time winner and a first-time champion. That is now the standard for Antetokounmpo. This season ended in disappointment after his Bucks won an NBA-best 60 regular-season games. They led the Toronto Raptors 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals and 105-103 in the second overtime of Game 3, but Kawhi Leonard neutralized Antetokounmpo in winning four straight games en route to a title and Finals MVP. Story continues The Raptors exposed Antetokounmpo’s one true weakness in the playoffs, building a wall of defenders to ensure he would have to beat them from the perimeter. He didn’t, and he vowed afterward to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm that he would come back a more efficient perimeter playmaker in what will be his seventh NBA season. “And it’s something from Year 5 to Year 6, I was like, ‘Yeah. OK, I put on seven pounds of muscle. Bro, I’m the most dominant guy in the f---ing league. I’m just going to go and f---ing dunk it,’” he told Nehm in the aftermath of the loss to the Raptors. “You can get away with it to a point. It’s good if you’re able to do it, but I gotta be more skilled. I gotta get back to my old self. Think like a guard, not as a big.” In the regular season, when Antetokounmpo faced fewer dominant defenses designed to stop him, he was the game’s most dominant two-way player — a freakishly athletic 6-foot-11 specimen playing any and all positions on both ends of the court. His 27.7 points on 17.3 field-goal attempts (64.4 true shooting percentage) and 5.9 assists against 3.7 turnovers per game made him a more efficient offensive player than Harden (36.1 points on 24.5 shots per game for a 61.6 true shooting percentage and an average of 7.5 assists against five turnovers), who used almost 10 percent more of his team’s offensive possessions this season. Throw in Antetokounmpo’s 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 combined blocks and steals per game, along with his unrivaled ability to defend from the rim to the perimeter with what seems like a single step, and he was the anchor of the NBA’s best defensive team in the regular season. It is no wonder he was also a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, threatening to join Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to win league MVP honors and the top defensive award in the same season. Jordan was 25 years old when he accomplished that feat. Olajuwon was 31. You should be starting to get the sense that Antetokounmpo is joining some rarefied NBA air, and he’s not even old enough to rent a car without incurring a youth tax. This is all reassuring financial news for Antetokounmpo, who was already in line for the largest contract in NBA history in 2020 — a projected five-year, $247 million supermax extension from the Bucks. According to ESPN’s Malika Andrews , a trip to the Finals next season could be the deciding factor in his decision to commit to Milwaukee for the long term. And as we all know, speculation about a player’s free agency two years before he hits the market is the true mark of a modern superstar. – – – – – – – Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach More from Yahoo Sports: Sources: Kawhi to become free agent; Raptors favorite Paul denies trade request: ‘Happy’ to stay in Houston After profane tirade, Mets have to fire manager Callaway France beats Brazil, keeps possibility of dream QF alive
How Many Boral Limited (ASX:BLD) Shares Do Institutions Own? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Every investor in Boral Limited (ASX:BLD) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership. Boral has a market capitalization of AU$6.3b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about BLD. Check out our latest analysis for Boral Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. Boral already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own 38% of the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Boral, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Boral. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Boral Limited. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own AU$12m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You canclick here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. The general public, mostly retail investors, hold a substantial 62% stake in BLD, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This level of ownership gives retail investors the power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio. It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Boral better, we need to consider many other factors. Many find it usefulto take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can accessthisdetailed graphof past earnings, revenue and cash flow. Ultimatelythe future is most important. You can access thisfreereport on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Factbox: Alphabet unveils Toronto smart city master plan details (Reuters) - Alphabet on Monday released details of a proposed smart city development for Toronto, outlining plans in a 1,500 page document. Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff said at a press conference that Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet unit, will not disclose personal information to third parties without explicit consent and will not sell personal information. Here are some facts on Sidewalk Toronto: SIZE: The Quayside development is said to occupy 12 acres, the Villiers West taking up 19 acres, and the rest of the IDEA District at 159 acres. JOB CREATION: Sidewalk Labs says in the proposal that up to 93,000 jobs could be generated, with 44,000 permanent, direct jobs by 2040. Out of the 44,000 jobs, a little over half are said to be in manufacturing and cultural work, around a quarter in administrative support, retail and transit, and 10,000 in finance, real estate and management. SUSTAINABILITY: The smart city proposal indicates that the Quayside would emit 85% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to downtown Toronto, with the full-scale development called the IDEA District at 89% fewer emissions. Projects like energy efficient housing, a facility that converts organic food waste into biogas and a clean thermal grid for heating and cooling are pitched. HOUSING AFFORDABILITY: Half of the houses are "purpose-built" rental units, with additional affordable housing and middle-income housing units. The houses would be built out of mass timber sourced from a timber factory in Ontario which Sidewalk Labs plans to invest in to provide 2,500 full-time jobs over 20 years. MOBILITY A self-financing light rail transit extension connecting the Greater Toronto Area to the waterfront, a freight logistics hub with underground delivery and every building accessible by cyclists is proposed. The light rail transit's delivery would be accelerated by C$400 million in optional credit financing and pay for advanced infrastructure systems. ECONOMIC IMPACT The proposal says by 2040 the smart city will contribute C$14.2 billion annually to Canada's GDP, C$4.3 billion in tax revenue and create 44,000 permanent jobs. COST AND FUNDING The Quayside and Villiers West is said to cost C$3.9 billion, with Sidewalk Labs and local partners planning a C$900 million equity investment. Additionally, Sidewalk Labs and their local partners say they would invest up to C$1.3 billion, which they expect will encourage primarily third parties to raise an estimated C$38 billion in total investment to cover the total project cost of infrastructure and real estate across the IDEA district. (Reporting by Tyler Choi in Toronto; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
The Latest: Giannis Antetokounmpo wins NBA MVP honor SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) The Latest on the NBA Awards show in Santa Monica, California (all times local): 8:15 p.m. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks has won Most Valuable Player honors at the NBA Awards. The 24-year-old forward from Greece beat out Paul George of Oklahoma City and James Harden of Houston, who won last year. Antetokounmpo earned All-NBA first-team honors this season, his sixth with the Bucks. He led the franchise to the best record in the regular season and the Bucks fell two games short of reaching the NBA Finals. He averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he thanked his teammates during his speech. ___ 8:10 p.m. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson have received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the NBA Awards. The former rivals took turns holding their trophies while each other spoke Monday night. Bird says the NBA is in good hands with today's talented athletes and he urged them to keep the game the same so it continues on. Johnson starred for the Los Angeles Lakers and Bird with the Boston Celtics. ___ 7:50 p.m. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has won Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season at the NBA Awards. The 26-year-old center from France beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Paul George of Oklahoma City. ___ 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer has won Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career at the NBA Awards. He guided the Bucks to a 60-22 record in the regular season in his first year with the franchise, leading them to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to eventual NBA champion Toronto. He got choked up while thanking his wife and kids Monday night. Budenholzer also coached Team Giannis in the All-Star Game last season He earned his first Coach of the Year trophy with Atlanta in 2015. Budenholzer beat out Denver's Mike Malone and Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers. ___ 7:10 p.m. Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards has received the NBA Cares Community Assist honor at the NBA Awards. Story continues The guard accepted the award accompanied by two young boys he has worked with in the Washington area. Beal urged his fellow NBA players to give back to youth, calling them the future. He reminded the league that kids look up to the players as role models "whether we like it or not." ___ 6:55 p.m. Lou Williams has won the Sixth Man of the Year at the NBA Awards for the second season in a row and third time in his career. The guard also won last year with the Los Angeles Clippers. His first honor came in 2015 with Toronto. Williams beat out teammate Montrezl Harrell, with whom he formed the highest-scoring bench duo in NBA history last season, and Domantas Sabonis of Indiana. Williams became the career leader in points off the bench during the season. He said backstage that this year's award is different because he went into the season wanting a third honor to cement his legacy in coming off the bench throughout his career. ___ 6:45 p.m. Mike Conley Jr., newly traded to the Utah Jazz, has won Teammate and Sportsmanship of the Year honors at the NBA Awards. Conley earned the awards for his 12-year tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies. Backstage, Conley called the awards the result of respect from his peers in the league. He thanked his parents for the way he was raised. ___ 6:30 p.m. Pascal Siakam of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors has won the Most Improved Player at the NBA Awards. The 25-year-old from Cameroon averaged 16.9 points and started 79 of 80 regular-season games for the Raptors in his third year with the team. Siakam had 26 20-point outings after scoring 20 points in a game only once in his first two seasons. He then scored 32 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Siakam beat out De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento and D'Angelo Russell of Brooklyn. Siakam says his award can give hope to African kids to work hard in pursuing their dreams. ___ 6:20 p.m. Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks has won Rookie of the Year at the NBA Awards. The 20-year-old small forward from Slovenia accepted his trophy from RJ Barrett, who went to the New York Knicks as the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft last week. Doncic was the No. 3 pick last year. The other finalists were Deandre Ayton of Phoenix and Trae Young of Atlanta. ___ 6 p.m. Mark Cuban says deals aren't typically consummated the first night of free agency. The Dallas Mavericks owner says some players want a formal presentation what Cuban calls "the dog-and-pony show" while others just want to ask questions and it's not necessary to have a meeting with them. Cuban says some players want to meet the coach and others want to discuss the business side of things. At the end, Cuban says there aren't a lot of secrets and he's not going to tell potential free agents much that they don't already know about his team. ___ 5:45 p.m. Mike Conley Jr. was part of a wave of trades around the draft, moving from Memphis to Utah, and the veteran says he expects a lot of players to be on different teams next season. Kyrie Irving is one of more than 200 free agents. Conley says he doesn't know if the Los Angeles Lakers "are in there as much" as the Brooklyn Nets right now to land Irving. Former NBA Finals MVP Isiah Thomas credits the Lakers with having had the best two summers of any NBA team, landing LeBron James last year and now Anthony Davis, although his pending trade won't be official until next month. ___ 5:15 p.m. Shaquille O'Neal, who is hosting the NBA Awards, planted a smooch on Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss on the red carpet. Buss calls Monday night's event "our version of the Golden Globes." Buss says that since the season ended she had "a big surprise" when Magic Johnson suddenly quit as president of basketball operations. She hadn't spoken publicly since Johnson's stunning announcement before the final game of the Lakers' sixth straight losing season. Buss says she's "very confident" in general manager Rob Pelinka and she noted that new coach Frank Vogel's teams consistently play defense. She says the Lakers "have a lot of other changes" that are coming but she cited NBA rules in not being able to discuss them yet. ___ 5:10 p.m. The biggest names in pro basketball are gathering for the annual NBA Awards show. Shaquille O'Neal presides over the festivities Monday night from Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport. The finalists for the Most Valuable Player trophy are Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, Paul George of Oklahoma City and Houston's James Harden, who won last year. Antetokounmpo and George are also vying for Defensive Player of the Year, along with Utah's Rudy Gobert. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award during the two-hour show airing on TNT. Among the presenters are Tiffany Haddish, Issa Rae and Samuel L. Jackson. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
These Are the Japanese Companies That Pay Executives Best (Bloomberg) -- It’s official -- SoftBank Group Corp. is Japan’s most generous employer, at least when it comes to executive pay. Six of the country’s 10 biggest salary packages last fiscal year were offered by SoftBank, according to a report from Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. SoftBank Group Vice Chairman Ronald Fisher topped the list with 3.27 billion yen ($31 million) in the period ended March 31. Toyota Motor Corp. director Didier Leroy, the highest-paid non-SoftBank executive, ranked No. 5, while Sony Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida was 8th. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has a history of paying top dollar to attract high-profile executives. Former SoftBank President Nikesh Arora still holds Japan’s all-time record with the 10.3 billion yen package he received in fiscal 2016, according to the report. Since then, Son’s hunt for global talent accelerated as he launched a $100 billion Vision Fund to invest in the world’s biggest technology companies. SoftBank paid a total of 9.1 billion yen in compensation to six lieutenants last year. Key Insights: SoftBank Group Chief Operating Officer Marcelo Claure ranked second with 1.8 billion yen. Claure, who also heads Sprint Corp. in the U.S., was named EVP in July. He also heads SoftBank’s $5 billion technology fund focused on Latin America. Ken Miyauchi, head of SoftBank’s domestic telecom operation, was third with 1.23 billion yen, followed by Simon Segars, head of its ARM Holdings Plc chip unit, with 1.1 billion yen.Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executive and SoftBank Group Chief Strategy Officer Katsunori Sago earned 982 million yen in the sixth place. Rajeev Misra, who heads the Vision Fund, earned 752 million yen.Son’s own salary remained modest at 229 million yen, according to a company filing in May. The billionaire controls a roughly 22% stake in SoftBank, which alone is worth about 2.3 trillion yen.Toyota paid Leroy a little over 1 billion yen. Sony CEO Yoshida made 847 million yen, 6% less than his pay last year.Chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron Ltd. was the most frequent name on the list as nine of its executives made the top 30, earning a collective 5 billion yen. Chief Executive Officer Toshiki Kawai ranked 7th with 925 million yen. To contact the reporter on this story: Pavel Alpeyev in Tokyo at palpeyev@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Southwests just-announced fall fare sale has some great deals, with tickets as low as $49 Were barely into summer, which means most of you probably arent already looking ahead to the latter part of the year yet or to the travel plans you may or may not pursue once the weather gets cool. That is, unless youre eager to snatch up a discounted fare early, in which case a number of carriers are already stepping up to offer a plethora of discounts to make the dog days of summer a little more bearable. Southwest is the latest, with its unveiling on Monday of a fall fare sale that runs from now through Thursday night and includes fares as low as $49 among other pretty sweet deals that can be found on flights around the country. Related Stories: Southwest Airlines sues website that monitored changes in airfare Southwest Airlines is offering one-way flights for as low as $49 today 7 paid iPhone apps on sale for free on June 26th The deals on offer include more than a dozen one-way fares for under $100, with the full rundown available at Southwests fare sale page. The important thing to note is youve got between now and 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday to book your flight with the budget carrier, and once youre on that sale page you can sort your options by the city of origin to get a look at the myriad deals available. Before we highlight a few of the available deals, just an important point Southwest says the deals are generally available for travel that will be done between September 3 and December 18 for all points within the continental US and if youre doing Hawaii inter-island travel. The fares are nonrefundable, and blackout dates apply. This is also not a blanket, across-the-board sale, as Southwest also notes that seats, travel days and markets are limited. That said, if you act now you can grab deals like a one-way $81 flight from Fort Lauderdale to the Cayman Islands or an $87 flight from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas. Other low-cost options: A one-way flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas would set you back $65, while youd pay $94 to fly from Chicago to Detroit. Flights from Washington DC to Atlanta and from Boston to Atlanta would cost you $89 and $91, respectively. Story continues BGR Top Deals: Get an ASUS 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook for $279 on Amazon, today only This top-rated fast wireless charger is somehow only $6.99 right now on Amazon Trending Right Now: No, its not just you: Half of the internet is down, including Google, Amazon, and Reddit Apple was right again: Heres why a Galaxy Note 10 without a microSD slot isnt a big deal Fresh Pixel 4 leak gives us another look at Googles unreleased flagship See the original version of this article on BGR.com
All You Need To Know About Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited's (NZSE:FPH) Financial Health Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Stocks with market capitalization between $2B and $10B, such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited (NZSE:FPH) with a size of NZ$8.6b, do not attract as much attention from the investing community as do the small-caps and large-caps. However, history shows that overlooked mid-cap companies have performed better on a risk-adjusted manner than the smaller and larger segment of the market. Let’s take a look at FPH’s debt concentration and assess their financial liquidity to get an idea of their ability to fund strategic acquisitions and grow through cyclical pressures. Don’t forget that this is a general and concentrated examination of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's financial health, so you should conduct further analysisinto FPH here. See our latest analysis for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare FPH has sustained its debt level by about NZ$87m over the last 12 months – this includes long-term debt. At this current level of debt, the current cash and short-term investment levels stands at NZ$141m to keep the business going. On top of this, FPH has generated cash from operations of NZ$253m in the last twelve months, resulting in an operating cash to total debt ratio of 292%, meaning that FPH’s debt is appropriately covered by operating cash. With current liabilities at NZ$184m, the company has been able to meet these commitments with a current assets level of NZ$455m, leading to a 2.47x current account ratio. The current ratio is the number you get when you divide current assets by current liabilities. Generally, for Medical Equipment companies, this is a reasonable ratio as there's enough of a cash buffer without holding too much capital in low return investments. With a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.5%, FPH's debt level is relatively low. FPH is not taking on too much debt commitment, which may be constraining for future growth. FPH has demonstrated its ability to generate sufficient levels of cash flow, while its debt hovers at a safe level. In addition to this, the company exhibits an ability to meet its near term obligations should an adverse event occur. Keep in mind I haven't considered other factors such as how FPH has been performing in the past. You should continue to research Fisher & Paykel Healthcare to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: 1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FPH’s future growth? Take a look at ourfree research report of analyst consensusfor FPH’s outlook. 2. Valuation: What is FPH worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? Theintrinsic value infographic in our free research reporthelps visualize whether FPH is currently mispriced by the market. 3. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore ourfree list of these great stocks here. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
The Revolution recalls making Princes Purple Rain: He was frantically telling us we were making history Check out Pandora's Prince A-Z playlist to listen to the music of the moment. Thirty-five years ago, young director Albert Magnoli, fresh out of USC film school, unknowingly embarked on a cinematic journey that would change the lives of everyone involved and make concert film history. We didnt know we were making a major motion picture, Magnoli tells Yahoo Entertainment. And working with Prince wasnt working with the Prince who became the worldwide star he became after the movie. He was still considered by most people as a fringe artist. So, we went into the film believing we were making a fringe movie. But there were some people who seemed to believe that the movie musical Purple Rain , which had a modest budget of only $8 million but ended up grossing more than $80 million at the box office, would be a success: Its star, Prince, and his co-stars, his iconic band at the time, the Revolution. He was frantically telling us we were making history: Were making history tonight, this is history tonight! says Revolution drummer Bobby Z., recalling the night they shot their concert scenes some of the greatest live footage ever caught on film at the Minneapolis club First Avenue. It was then-19-year-old guitarist Wendy Melvoins very first public gig with the Revolution in 1983 (incredibly, three of the recorded performances from that night made it onto the Purple Rain soundtrack album), and she also says she had an idea, even that early on, that her new boss was on to something special. Purple Rain , when the idea of the movie came from him, when he talked about doing this, and when a whole bunch of strangers started showing up at our warehouse, we all realized this is not just chat. This is happening , Melvoin says. And we were like, whoa . It almost felt... I don't know, it felt scary , and I was ambivalent at first, like, What is happening here, and where is he, and why is he not at rehearsal right now? But it felt like it wasn't a mistake . It didn't feel like it was a fool's paradise at all. It really felt like, Oh, this is a sure thing." Story continues Bobby, who joined Princes musical entourage earlier, in 1979, remembers that even before Prince was an actual rock star, he was already rehearsing, so to the speak, for the Purple Rain rock-star role he was born to play. For me, when it started, Prince was very unfamous. We were very unfamous together, he chuckles. But he still had all these magical qualities. He used to practice being a rock star like, he couldnt go into restaurants, or he couldnt go into a gas station, because he was going to be a rock star and he was going to be famous. He was always projecting himself to be this persona. Its just mind-boggling to think that he conjured up all this confidence and skill. We were all mere mortals. I knew that in the first look of the guy, you could tell he wasnt a human. He was more of a reptile, or something different in his DNA. Prince attend the 1984 premiere of 'Purple Rain' at Mann Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Califo. (Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) One thing that a lot of people dont realize about him is he lived and breathed what he did, says bassist Brownmark, who joined the band in 1982. My first assignment, before I even picked up a guitar, was in Princes living room: Look at myself in the mirror eight hours a day. He would tell me how to stand. He said, No, pivot your foot that way. OK, now turn your cheek to do this. Get your shoulder up. Bend your shoulder back. Thats how he trained me. Then it got to a point where I would be out at a club somewhere and Id be standing, Id have this pose, and people would come up to me and say, Mark, whats wrong with you? Why are you standing like that? I didnt even know I was doing it. He would condition you like that, continues Brownmark, revealing that the band members even took acting and ballet lessons with Prince, at his insistence, to hone their stage skills for the Purple Rain film. The more you rehearse, the more you dont think about it, the less you think about it. Then the more fun you have, and that was the key to the Revolution. We didnt think about it. He would throw up these cues, and we knew every marker, we knew every cue, and we would hit it just bam , bam ! We knew right where to hit. Melvoin admitted she was terrible at hitting her marks, but Princes direction helped put her at ease. I mean, it was my first show with the band. The best advice I've ever gotten that I share with other musicians when they're starting, he said to me, When I get nervous, and you hear the beat, and you hear the rhythm, and you hear how fast we're going, cut your body in half time. It's a meditation. You slow your breathing down, and you don't rush, and you stay behind the beat. And that's where funk lies. And that was the best advice he ever gave me. Magnoli recalls being impressed by Prince and his entire bands professionalism and commitment. I always felt they had a very strong work ethic and were very disciplined, he says. It was just a matter of bringing them from the music world into the film world. In music. youre working at night and sleeping during the day. In the movie world you work 14-hour days that start at 6 in the morning. But working with them was a delight. They responded as professionals and never arrived on set late. Bobby says Prince had a grand vision for the aptly named Revolution inspired by coed bands like Fleetwood Mac, racially mixed acts like Sly & the Family Stone, and the ethnic diversity of Minneapoliss Uptown neighborhood. White, black, Puerto Rican, everybody just a-freakin, he quips, quoting a line from Princes earlier Dirty Mind track Uptown. And Melvoin and keyboardist Lisa Coleman especially appreciated the bands sense of inclusivity. I was very aware that [Prince] loved female musicians, Melvoin says. My being a woman onstage gave him license to be just even that much more androgynous and be more in touch with his own female energy, and I got the permission to be in touch with more of my male energy. I wanted to be more of a counterpart to him, and he wanted me to be more of a counterpart, so we both got what we wanted out of it. Still, Melvoin and Coleman cant help but roll their eyes when asked about the famous Is the water warm enough? intro from the provocative Purple Rain track Computer Blue . What did that mean, exactly? Are you gay? Thats what it meant, groans Melvoin, who was actually in a serious romantic relationship with Coleman for 20 years. Do you want to get in the bathtub with me, Lisa? Are we lovers? Are they gay, are they not? He was working that angle. Adds Bobby with a shrug, That was another fantasy episode going on in his brain that he got the public sucked into. Sexually suggestive lyrics were part of his early core to the end. Wendy Melvoin, Prince, and Lisa Coleman accept the Oscar for Best Original Song Score for 'Purple Rain.' (Photo: Getty) For a while, the multicultural Revolution played in harmony, hitting their commercial and critical peaks with the landmark Purple Rain soundtrack, which came out on June 25, 1984 and went on to become one of the biggest rock albums of all time, claiming the top spot on the Billboard charts for a record-breaking 24 weeks, selling 13 million copies, and winning three Grammys. The Purple Rain movie followed a month later, and eventually won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score (it was the last film to receive the award). But Prince was already moving on creatively, to 1985s more psychedelic Around the World in a Day and then to the Under the Cherry Moon movie and its accompanying soundtrack, titled Parade , in 1986. Obviously, Purple Rain was the pinnacle of his, like, Im a pop star and these are masterpiece pop songs. Afterwards [Prince] started going in all these different areas, and he was trying to cherry-pick all these different elements of himself to explore, says Melvoin. He prepared for Purple Rain in a way that he never did any other album, because he had to. Because the film slowed him down, and that created time for him to reflect. On most albums, he was done in a second, Bobby says of the speed with which the restless and prolific Prince usually shifted from project to project. You know, three weeks, done. But Purple Rain had to stew for about six months, and so he really had to think about it. He could replace tracks. He came up with The Beautiful Ones at the last minute. There was things that happened that made it what it is today, and it was forced patience on him. Before we even hit the first show of the Purple Rain tour, he was already bored with Purple Rain , Bobby continues with a laugh. He really thought that people would be done with Purple Rain but as we know now, theyre not done with Purple Rain . He was just moving so fast. It was like next, next, next. But Purple Rain is something that people want to examine for centuries now. I look back at everything, but he didnt he wasnt very good at looking back. The full, classic Revolution lineup dissolved in 1986 and never played with Prince again, but Melvoin says that after their breakup, there were years of [Prince] sending smoke signals for us to get back there. (Fink continued to work with Prince through 1990s Graffiti Bridge ; Brownmark says he was invited to join Princes post-Revolution band, the New Power Generation, but declined; Melvoin and Coleman performed with Prince at the Brit Awards in 2006.) But on Sept. 1, 2016, about five months after Princes shocking death, the Revolution members reunited for an intensely emotional evening at the club where theyd made history all those years ago, First Avenue. It was very difficult for us to climb up those stairs, Ive got to tell you, says Bobby Z. To walk on that stage and play those songs, knowing that hes not there, Melvoin says contemplatively, her voice trailing off. On that night, and the two nights that followed, Melvoin who handled most of the lead vocals in Princes tragic absence appeared the most emotional, but she says that by the third and final show of the bands First Avenue residency, the five of us felt a lift. There were more smiles onstage for us. There was more playfulness, and you could feel dare I say without sounding too New-Agey? I am not really into this or anything but you could actually sense that he looked at us and went, Its OK. Like kind of a séance, Bobby adds. Melvoin nods. It was weird. And we walked offstage and cried. The reunited Revolution now tour regularly, playing songs from Purple Rain and other Prince eras, and while its always a bittersweet experience, Brownmark insists, [Prince] wants us to play. He liked to party, loved to enjoy his music with people. Thats what he wants us to do. Just because hes gone, he doesnt want us to go boo-hoo and then go away. He wants us to share while were here and enjoy what was. Additional reporting by Laura Ferreiro. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: · Flashback: 'Purple Rain' director Albert Magnoli reflects on iconic film · The Revolution reunites at First Avenue: This is what it sounds like when Prince fans cry · Prince's most memorable onscreen moments · Prince memoir The Beautiful Ones coming this fall Follow Lyndsey on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Amazon , Tumblr , Spotify . Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter.
Facebook’s Libra Cryptocurrency: Bad for Privacy, Bad for Competition Scott A. Shay is co-founder and chairman of Signature Bank of New York and the author ofIn Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism(Post Hill Press, 2018). Allowing Facebook to mint its own coin, the Libra, would turn it into the greatest anti-competitive trust case in history.It would make the early 20thcentury Morgans or Rockefellers seem downright competitive. Even before it unveiled its vision for a global cryptocurrency this month, Facebook was already anear-monopolyin social media, and part of a duopoly in its main markets. Together with Google, it controls 82% of the digital advertising market. Related:Swiss Central Banker ‘Relaxed’ About Facebook’s Libra Crypto In the past, Facebook has purchased any company that threatened it, e.g. Instagram and WhatsApp. And, when it spots a company that won’t sell itself or would be difficult to purchase, it uses the “embrace, enhance and extinguish” technique. Facebook saw Snap Inc. (maker of Snapchat) contesting a small part of its franchise, so it embraced Snap’s best features and integrated them into its app. Now, Facebook is hoping to extinguish Snap as a competitor. Compare the stock performance of Snap and Facebook, and you will probably place your bet on Facebook. But it is not simply Facebook’s business practices that are of concern. Neither Facebook nor Google charges for their consumer products, obscuring the fact that all-encompassing consumer tracking is their real product. In many cases, their data is better than what the KGB or CIA could have gathered 20 years ago. And their data is certainly a lot cheaper, since it is voluntarily provided and easily accessible. Related:Second US Congressional Hearing Is Scheduled on Facebook’s Libra Crypto We would not want our government agencies to have this sort of power, nor should we want it to be in the hands of corporations. Facebook and Google have already shown their political muscle. With their duopoly on digital marketing advertising, these companies have transformed the nature of news. Only a few news sites, such asThe Wall Street JournalandThe New York Times, can resist their gravitational pull and still attract direct advertisers as well as subscribers. Most other publications must use Google ads, which provide far less revenue to the outlet, slice and dice their readership, and force newspapers to write clickbait. Ads to readers are so well-placed because of the mountain of information that can be inputted into their algorithms. The same holds true for news content viewed on Facebook. Now, with the Libra project, Facebook wants to exponentially increase its monopolistic power by accessing unparalleled information about our consumer purchasing habits. If allowed to proceed with Libra, a company that knows your every mood and virtually controls the news you see will also have access to the deepest insights into your spending patterns. Of course, Facebook will speak piously about privacy controls and its concern for the consumer, yet it will still figure out a way to sell the data or others who buy the data will figure it out for them. Furthermore, with the richness of the social media data Facebook consistently garners, even anonymized data can be recalibrated to distill specific individual-related information and preferences. Facebook, along with its other monopolist rent-seeking cohorts, such as eBay, Uber and Mastercard, all say they won’t do that. Quite frankly, there is zero reason to believe such promises. Their culture is based strictly on brand concerns and access to personal data.Additionally, hacks of social media are now so common that we are inured to them. Consumers can have the benefit of a digital payment mechanism without allowing Facebook to gain more power. In the financial services sector, my institution,Signature Bank, was the first to introduce a 24/7 blockchain-enabled payment system. As one would expect, others, such as JPMorgan, are trying to follow suit and will no doubt be competitors someday. Banks and financial institutions are limited in their access to, and transmission of, information, and for good reason. If Facebook, on the other hand, establishes Libra, no other competitor will have equal access to its data, and therefore, a chance at the consumer payment market. In this way, Libra is in keeping with Facebook’s monopolistic business style. Further, the information monopoly Facebook would possess will be similar to what the Chinese government possesses but needs the Great Firewall to execute. Monopolistic forces will produce the same result through different means. Action needs to be taken quickly to stop Libra and break up Big Tech, not only for the welfare of consumers but for the good of the nation. The first step is to force Facebook to divest or spin off Instagram, WhatsApp, Instagram andChainspace, the blockchain startup it acqui-hired early this year. Facebook also must be mandated to offer a parallel, ad-free, “no collection of information” site supported by fee-based subscriptions. Over time, this would provide some transparency as to the value of the consumer information currently being gifted to Facebook. Google should be forced to divest or spin off YouTube, Double Click and other advertising entities, cloud services and Android. Amazon similarly needs a radical breakup as it too poses systemic threats to a transparent market. (Alexa is a prime example of the private data Amazon gathers on users’ lifestyle and personal habits.) The breakup of these behemoths cannot wait until after the 2020 election. Such action must be taken on a bipartisan basis as soon as possible. Even once stripped down, Facebook should remain separated from commerce due to privacy concerns. Congress, which hasscheduled hearingson Libra for next month, is right to intervene. Editor’s note:Have a reaction to the Facebook news? Email news@coindesk.comto pitch your opinion. Standard Oil depicted as an Octopusin a 1904 political cartoon, image via Wikimedia Commons. • Facebook Seeking Crypto Wallet Data Engineer, Regulatory Policy Expert • BIS Wants ‘Level Playing Field’ for Banks Amid Threat from Facebook
Probit Launches NUVO Token Trading Competition Following Listing of NUVO Token As announced in the Company's press release issued on Friday, June 21, 2019, the NUVO token was listed yesterday on the Probit exchange, following a two-round IEO (initial exchange offering) in April and May. Today, a trading competition will begin for the NUVO token for pairs with the Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency and the South Korean won (KRW). The trading competition will be active until Thursday, July 4, 2019. The top ten traders with the highest trading volume during the competition will be awarded prizes from a pool of 1,000,000 NUVO tokens. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2019) -METAVERSE CAPITAL CORP. (CSE: FORK) (OTC Pink: GBCHF) ("FORK" or the "Company")is pleased to announce that the Probit exchange has launched a trading competition for the NUVO token, a crypto asset for which FORK administered sales initiatives in April and May. The NUVO token was officially listed on the Probit exchange yesterday, further to the Company's press release issued on Friday, June 21, 2019. More information about the trading competition can be found at this link:https://support.probit.com/hc/en-us/articles/360029844091-ProBit-Exchange-Trading-Competition-for-NUVO-NUVO- The NUVO token is the proprietary token of the Nuvo blockchain network, which acts as a platform on which decentralized social communities and communication applications can operate. The Nuvo blockchain network was founded by UK-based technology firm Nuvo Cash Ltd. ("Nuvo Cash"), who commissioned FORK in December of 2018 to assist in the Nuvo blockchain network's development, as well as to administer sales for the NUVO token. Presently, three social communities are active on the Nuvo blockchain network; Jamaa (http://jamaa.com), GameKarma (http://gamekarma.gg), and HighMiles (http://highmiles.com). The Probit exchange announced that a trading competition for the NUVO token will begin today, and will be active until Thursday, July 4, 2019. In the trading competition, traders will be incentivized with prizes from a pool of 1,000,000 NUVO to trade the NUVO token in pairs with the Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, and South Korean won (KRW). The benefits of this heightened trading activity can include enhanced liquidity for NUVO, as well as improved spreads of orders in the order books. Prizes will be issued to the top ten traders based on the total volume of their trading activity in the duration of the trading competition. The prize structure for the NUVO trading competition is as follows: [{"1st place: 225,000 NUVO": "2nd place: 200,000 NUVO", "6th place: 75,000 NUVO": "7th place: 50,000 NUVO"}, {"1st place: 225,000 NUVO": "3rd place: 175,000 NUVO", "6th place: 75,000 NUVO": "8th place: 25,000 NUVO"}, {"1st place: 225,000 NUVO": "4th place: 125,000 NUVO", "6th place: 75,000 NUVO": "9th place: 15,000 NUVO"}, {"1st place: 225,000 NUVO": "5th place: 100,000 NUVO", "6th place: 75,000 NUVO": "10th place: 10,000 NUVO"}] Participants in the NUVO token trading competition on Probit must be registered users in good standing on the Probit exchange. Participants must also complete level 2 KYC ("know your client") screening, and stake a minimum of 500 PROB to participate in trading competitions. More information can be found on Probit's website athttp://probit.com. FORK President and CEO Shidan Gouran commented, "The crypto markets have been enjoying some rapid, consistent growth, and we are happy to be working with Nuvo Cash in bringing the NUVO token to market among these favourable conditions. Overall crypto market capitalization is now at more than USD $325 billion, which is what it was at the beginning of December of 2017, during crypto's first major upswing. Bitcoin also cleared USD $11,200 on Sunday, for the first time since early March of 20181. Now that the NUVO token is listed on the Probit exchange, we are very pleased that Probit has agreed to run a trading competition to kick-start trading activity on the markets. These are exciting times to be a trader in the crypto space, and we believe the NUVO token is destined to be an impactful crypto asset in today's matured and robust cryptocurrency marketplace." On behalf of the Company:Shidan Gouran, President and CEOinfo@metaverse.capital For more information please contact:Metaverse Capital Corp. Investor Relationsinfo@metaverse.capital1-888-983-4771 About Metaverse Capital Corp. With blockchain technology rapidly re-shaping the models of many companies, industries, and their business processes, Metaverse Capital Corp. ("FORK") places a focus on the common needs of early-stage blockchain adopters. Originally founded with a focus on crypto-mining, FORK has recently diversified its offerings by placing an emphasis on professional services such as developing and administering launches of tokens and digital assets. Adapting to changes in blockchain technology, FORK is also now utilizing its computing power to provide consensus services, such as the operation of masternodes, servicenodes, and witnesses which are alternative methods to cryptocurrency mining for generating and acquiring digital assets. Investors, through their investment in the Company, are provided with exposure to these tokens, cryptocurrencies and digital assets without the lengthy, and complicated process that interested investors must ordinarily undergo in order to gain exposure to these cryptocurrencies and digital assets. The Company is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") and its common shares trade under the ticker symbol "FORK". Additional information relating to the Company is available on SEDAR atwww.sedar.com, the CSE atwww.theCSE.comas well as on the Company's website at:www.metaverse.capital Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "would", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this News Release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile onwww.sedar.com Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ____________________ 1Overall crypto market capitalization data, and Bitcoin price data sourced fromhttp://coinmarketcap.com To view the source version of this press release, please visithttps://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45854
Hackers steal data from telcos in espionage campaign: cyber firm By Ari Rabinovitch and Tova Cohen TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Hackers broke into the systems of more than a dozen global telecom firms and stole huge amounts of data in a seven-year spying campaign, researchers from a cyber security company said, identifying links to previous Chinese cyber-espionage activities. Investigators at U.S.-Israeli cyber firm Cybereason said on Tuesday the attackers compromised companies in more than 30 countries and aimed to gather information on individuals in government, law-enforcement and politics. The hackers also used tools linked to other attacks attributed to Beijing by the United States and its Western allies, said Lior Div, chief executive of Cybereason. "For this level of sophistication it's not a criminal group. It is a government that has capabilities that can do this kind of attack," he told Reuters. Div later presented a step-by-step breakdown of the breach at a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv in the same session that the heads of U.S. and British cyber intelligence units and the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency spoke. "Right now we're still tracking them," he said. "On Saturday we debriefed more than 25 different telcos, the biggest telcos in the world." A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry said he was not aware of the report, but added "we would never allow anyone to engage in such activities on Chinese soil or using Chinese infrastructure." Cybereason declined to name the companies affected or the countries they operate in, but people familiar with Chinese hacking operations said Beijing was increasingly targeting telcos in Western Europe. Western countries have moved to call out Beijing for its actions in cyberspace, warning that Chinese hackers have compromised companies and government agencies around the world to steal valuable commercial secrets and personal data for espionage purposes. A spokesman for Deutsche Telekom, Europe's biggest telco, said his company was not in contact with Cybereason prior to publication of the report. Story continues Div said this latest campaign, which his team uncovered over the last nine months, compromised the internal IT network of some of those targeted, allowing the attackers to customize the infrastructure and steal vast amounts of data. In some instances, they managed to compromise a target's entire active directory, giving them access to every username and password in the organization. They also got hold of personal data, including billing information and call records, Cybereason said in a blog post. "They built a perfect espionage environment," said Div, a former commander in Israel's military intelligence unit 8200. "They could grab information as they please on the targets that they are interested in." Cybereason said multiple tools used by the attackers had previously been used by a Chinese hacking group known as APT10. The United States indicted two alleged members of APT10 in December and joined other Western countries in denouncing the group's attacks on global technology service providers to steal intellectual property from their clients. The company said on previous occasions it had identified attacks it suspected had come from China or Iran but it was never certain enough to name these countries. Cybereason said: "This time as opposed to in the past we are sure enough to say that the attack originated in China." "We managed to find not just one piece of software, we managed to find more than five different tools that this specific group used," Div said. (Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs in London and Douglas Busvine in Frankfurt. Editing by Jane Merriman and Mark Potter)
GOP Rep: Trump Hatred Could Be Driving Reports of Awful Conditions at Detention Centers MSNBC Amid reports of migrant children suffering in inhumane and squalid conditions at Texas border detention centers, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) suggested on Monday night the reports could be untrue because of the hatred many feel for the president. Appearing on MSNBCs All In with Chris Hayes , the Texas lawmaker was asked by host Chris Hayes whether he agreed that these kinds of conditions are appalling and unacceptable, something Burgess was unwilling to fully concede. Noting that its always been tough at a number of facilities at the border, Burgess went on to describe the Custom and Border Patrol agents as heroes, insisting that they dont get enough credit for the humane work they do. Hayes, meanwhile, pressed the congressman to address the conditions at the facilities, specifically at the center in Clint, Texas, where hundreds of young migrants were reportedly detained in a chaotic scene of sickness and filth. Following the reports of overcrowding and inadequate food and sanitation, all but 30 children were removed from the center. Burgess, however, asserted that he hadnt seen anything like that at the centers hed visited, causing Hayes to ask if Burgess thought reporters and lawyers were making it up. Once again, the Republican lawmaker insisted that wasnt what hed seen, noting that he hadnt been to the Clint facility. You think this is fictional?! Hayes exclaimed. I dont know if its hyperbole, Burgess replied. I know that the hatred for this president is so intense, people are liable to say anything. I got to go look for myself and see for myself. Moments later, Hayes confronted Burgess over reports that children in the facilities had lice crawling through their heads, causing the congressman to claim that the kids arrive with the lice. You dont know that, the MSNBC host exploded. You do not know that! I do, Burgess stated. Hayes pushed back and pointed to reports that children in the Clint facility had contracted the flu there, leading Burgess to bring up another facility altogether. Story continues That is not true. When I was down in McAllen Burgess said, prompting Hayes to fire back that they were talking about Clint and the lawmaker had admitted he hadnt been there. I just talked to the lawyer who was just in Clint, Texas, the All In host exclaimed. You just told me youre not in Clint, Texas. You dont know what they got. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Probe advised of ex-defense secretary over Sri Lankan blasts COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's attorney general advised the acting police chief on Monday to launch a criminal investigation of the former defense secretary over "major lapses" that contributed to security failures ahead of Easter suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people. Attorney General Dappula de Livera said he decided to recommend an investigation of Hemasiri Fernando based on the findings of a special board of inquiry appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena after the April 21 blasts. Fernando stepped down four days after the blasts, after Sirisena asked for his resignation and that of police chief Pujith Jayasundara, who refused to resign. Sirisena later suspended Jayasundara and appointed an acting police chief. Sirisena appointed the board of inquiry amid criticism that he could have prevented the attack. After investigating for several weeks, the board submitted its report to Sirisena, who sent it to de Livera for his consideration. "You are hereby advised to take steps to initiate criminal investigations with regard to the major lapses attributed to former Secretary, Ministry of Defense, Mr. Hemasiri Fernando, for his failure to prevent/minimize the above attacks," de Livera said in a letter sent to acting police chief Chandana Wickremeratne on Monday. In the letter, seen by The Associated Press, de Livera said he considered the contents of the final report of the special board. Fernando has not commented on the accusations. Last week, de Livera also advised the acting police chief to initiate a criminal investigation into nine senior police officers for "lapses" that led to the failure to prevent and minimize the attack. The nine officers served in the areas where the attacks took place. More than 250 people were killed when seven Sri Lankans who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group blew themselves up at three churches and three luxury hotels. Some 500 people were wounded. Sri Lankan leaders and the security establishment are under fire for not acting on near-specific intelligence information on possible attacks on churches. Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings. Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it. A parliamentary committee is also looking into intelligence failures, despite objections by Sirisena after some officials hinted at shortcomings by the president, who is also the defense minister and minister of police. View comments
UPDATE 2-Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mean end of diplomacy - Tweet (Adds detail) DUBAI, June 25 (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions imposed on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials in the country permanently closed the path to diplomacy between Tehran and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing the sanctions on Monday, taking a dramatic and unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran's downing of an American drone last week. Washington said it would also impose sanctions on Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif later this week. "Imposing useless sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the commander of Iran's diplomacy (Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif) is the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Twitter. "Trump's desperate administration is destroying the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security," Mousavi tweeted. Iran says the U.S. drone was flying over southern Iran. Washington said it was downed in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. Trump said that the sanctions were in part a response to the shooting down of the drone, but would have happened anyway. The latest sanctions are aimed at denying Iran’s leadership access to financial resources, blocking them from using the United States financial system or having access to any assets in the United States. Iran and the United States have been at odds since last year when Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers and reimposed sanctions on it. Khamenei is Iran's utmost authority who has the last say on all state matters. Iran would not accept talks with the United States while it is under the threat of sanctions, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, told reporters in New York. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Kim Coghill) View comments
Asian Investors “Uncomfortable” After U.S. Official Dampens Positive Sentiment Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting The major Asia-Pacific indexes are down across the board on Tuesday with renewed concerns over U.S.-China trade relations moving to the forefront of a list of concerns that includes a potential global recession and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. Investors appear to be shedding risk ahead of an expected meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. They also seem none too hopeful that anything will come out of the meeting that could change the course of the lingering trade dispute between the two economic powerhouses. Furthermore, a senior U.S. official seems to have dampened any positive sentiment ahead of the meeting by saying Trump would be content with “any outcome”. At 03:45 GMT, Japan’sNikkei 225 Indexis trading 21241.28, down 44.71 or -0.21%. South Korea’s KOSPI Index is at 2124.83, down 1.50 or -0.07% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is trading 28127.27, down 385.73 or -1.35%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 is trading 6659.80, down 5.60 or -0.08% and China’s Shanghai Index is at 2953.38, down 54.77 or -1.82%. The US futures indexes are also being dragged lower by the poor performances in Asia. The trade started flat in the U.S., which is understandable, given what investors have on the table this week regarding Iran, China and the U.S. economy. However, the price action suggested an equal amount of positioning by both longs and shorts. The early sentiment in Asia, however, indicates that sellers have gained the upper hand. It’s not a bearish tone, per se, but rather one being dictated by long liquidation by those investors who want to avoid the pain of another steep sell-off, and aggressive short-sellers betting on the worst outcome. There were no major developments on Monday between the US and Iran, and the US and China, however, there were comments from a senior U.S. official who seemed to throw water on any chance of a positive outcome from this weekend’s meeting between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. According to Reuters, the senior administration official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, declined to give details about plans for the meeting, other than to say it would likely happen on the second day of the Friday-Saturday summit in Osaka. “It’s really just an opportunity for the president to maintain his engagement as he has very closely with his Chinese counterpart. Even as trade frictions persist, he’s got the opportunity to see where the Chinese side is since the talks last left off,” the official said. “The president is quite comfortable with any outcome,” the official added. But investors don’t seem very comfortable especially since Trump said on June 6 he would decide whether to carry out his threat to hit Beijing with tariffs on at least $300 billion in Chinese goods after his meeting with Xi. Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • Word Power: How the Fed Let the Markets Slide Down • Brent Crude Oil Price Update – Underpinned by Friendly API Report; Next On-tap EIA Data • AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • USD/CAD Daily Forecast – Short Uptrend Expected Ahead of US Goods Orders Data • Hold the Press, the Monetary Policy Printing Press That Is! • Natural Gas Sets Up Bottom Pattern
Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert Take On Trump’s “Cocked And Loaded” Claim TV’s late-night hosts had plenty of material for tonight’s episodes following President Trump ’s decision to call off a strike against Iran . POTUS said Friday on Twitter the U.S. was “cocked & loaded” to use military force against Iran for downing a U.S. drone earlier in the week. But, he told the nation, he called off the strike roughly ten minutes before it was set to launch after learning 150 Iranians would have been killed. Related stories Paula Pell & John Lutz To Topline Quibi Comedic Murder Mystery From 'SNL' Team 'Meet The Press' Interview With President Trump: Iran "Cannot Have A Nuclear Weapon" 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Explores Democratic Field's Comfort Foods Seth Meyers wasn’t buying Trump’s version of events, and suggested the commander in chief created the controversy only to claim credit for solving it. “It’s been another roller coaster few days with our split-personality president creating a bunch of problems and then turning around and claiming that he solved those problems,” Meyers quipped Monday on Late Night . “One day he’s threatening war with Iran, the next day he’s claiming he stopped a war with Iran.” It’s good that Trump called off an Iran airstrike, but a lot of questions are left unanswered. Seth takes #ACloserLook . https://t.co/t2IXclgxnV — Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) June 25, 2019 Trevor Noah also expressed doubt about Trump’s “cocked & loaded” claim. Story continues “Sweet Lord,” he said with alarm on The Daily Show . “America was ten minutes away from bombing Iran, and who stopped it? Donald Trump. Who ordered the strike? Donald Trump. The point is, we are at peace thanks to and in spite of President Trump.” The U.S. comes close to war with Iran (thanks to Trump) but narrowly avoids it (also thanks to Trump). pic.twitter.com/cy3968iSfo — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 25, 2019 Stephen Colbert struck a different tone. Instead of criticizing the president, he offered him praise. “Trump made the correct moral decision,” Colbert said on The Late Show as he pretended to be on the brink of losing his lunch over the thought of Trump doing something right. He then joked: “This is the first thing that Trump has ever ordered that he did not finish.” TONIGHT: Trump stumbles into making the right decision. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/L9Yz5h7oIN — The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) June 25, 2019 Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
BTS Made an App That Lets You Chat With Its Members (Sort Of) (Bloomberg) -- K-pop sensation BTS has racked up a string of firsts over an astonishing six-year run. Now the seven-member group star in their very own smartphone game, marrying two of South Korea’s hottest exports. Netmarble Corp., the country’s biggest mobile-app publisher, has unveiled a game featuring global K-Pop phenom BTS, the latest attempt to wed the country’s tech and entertainment industries to drive economic growth. “BTS World” contains previously undisclosed videos and photos of the boy band. The game takes players to their pre-debut days to recruit and train the singers. Users can pay to quicken the process of guiding the seven young men to stardom. Created by local developer Takeone Company Corp. and published by Netmarble, the game also features video and text chats with BTS members based on pre-written scripts. It’s the first major mobile title to focus exclusively on a K-Pop group, a testament to the rapidly growing clout of two of Korea’s most promising exports -- games and K-Pop -- as Hyundai cars struggle to regain momentum and Samsung semiconductors undergo an industry downturn. BTS or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts, has amassed millions of fans around the world thanks in large part to social media. The band’s Love Yourself campaign, which calls on people to take better care of themselves and encourages them to speak out on social issues, has resonated in particular with young fans. “Managing BTS myself would make me feel closer to the members,” said Paik Ji-min, a 29-year-old South Korean fan who flew to London to attend a BTS concert and said she would be willing to spend about 50,000 won (around $43) playing the game. “Just the thought of it makes me smile ear to ear.” Netmarble already plans a sequel to BTS World, seeking to maximize profit from what has arguably become the biggest K-Pop success after singer Psy. BTS has 20 million followers on Twitter and has made television appearances on Saturday Night Live and Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show. This year, the band sold out London’s 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in just 90 minutes. The company’s founder, Bang Jun-hyuk, teamed up with relative Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, the agency behind BTS, to develop the game. The entrepreneur is betting the recipe will re-energize growth at Netmarble, which trades about 20% lower than when it listed in 2017. “Even though it’s based on story-telling, as you progress you can discover a lot of missions and gaming elements,” Seungwon Lee, Netmarble’s chief global officer, told Bloomberg Television. “It’s sufficient incentive to keep motivating users to play.” BTS creator Bang Si-hyuk, who is also known as Hitman, told Bloomberg in 2017 that the company was diversifying into intellectual property-protected content that could possibly multiply its revenue. Big Hit is now worth an estimated $2 billion, according to the Hyundai Research Institute. The company is drawing on the popularity of the band to collaborate with Line Corp. for character merchandise and Mattel Inc. for dolls. The K-pop industry is worth about $5 billion, according to the government-affiliated Korea Creative Content Agency. Read More: High School Dropout Turns Billionaire on Games Firm IPO Netmarble, whose titles include Lineage 2 Revolution and Marvel Future Fight, ranked 5th among publishers of Google Play and Apple iOS apps last year in terms of revenue, according to analytics firm App Annie. Founded in 2000, the Seoul-based company has drawn backing from Chinese giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. and South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. Vey-Sern Ling, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, said it may be relatively easy to generate money from players because they’re already fans who display a strong willingness to pay for BTS content. But the lifespan of the game could be limited. “Once the content is consumed there should be very little reason to play on, just like how you wouldn’t watch the same movie multiple times,” Ling said. Read More: ‘Hitman’ Worth $770 Million With K-Pop Craze Rocking the Planet To contact the reporters on this story: Sohee Kim in Seoul at skim847@bloomberg.net;Sam Kim in Seoul at skim609@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Beth Chapman's Doctors Suggest Tracheotomy and Feeding Tube, Family Discusses Life Support Options Dog the Bounty Hunter is facing some extremely tough medical decisions involving his wife, Beth , and the family is discussing options for the reality star as she fights for her life. Sources close to the family tell The Blast, doctors have suggested Beth undergo a tracheotomy procedure, as well as have a feeding tube inserted. Unfortunately, Beth's two biggest issues are lack of oxygen and inability to swallow food. A tracheotomy and feeding tube could provide longterm care while she continues to battle cancer, but both are obviously huge life decisions. We are told the family is discussing the situation and the options, as they continue to remain by Beth's bedside at the hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii while she remains in a coma. Our sources say the family is still praying for a miracle , and want to make sure they do whatever is best for Beth, especially when it comes to her quality of life. As we first reported, the wife of Duane "Dog" Chapman is "touch and go" after being rushed to the hospital and placed into a medically induced coma. Doctors were forced to intubate her to raise the star's oxygen levels, and placed her under sedation to allow her body to try and heal itself. Just weeks ago Beth was helping her husband chase down bounties for their upcoming reality show. As The Blast first reported, Beth Chapman originally underwent surgery in September 2017 to remove a plum-sized tumor from her neck. She had previously said she was diagnosed with stage II throat cancer. Two months later, Dog revealed she was cancer-free during an episode of "Dog & Beth: Fight of Their Lives." "There is a God. This could be a miracle. This could be a healing," he said during the show. "[The doctor] said if I wasn't such a good husband, it wouldn't have worked out that great. Oh, I can breathe. Beth Chapman, you did it." In late 2018, Beth learned her cancer had returned and she underwent emergency throat surgery after doctors discovered a large blockage in her throat.
The most expensive properties for sale right now in London London is home to some of the most beautiful and sought-after properties on the planet. That also means they’re some of the world’s most expensive homes. Dripping with decadence and luxury, these properties are part of a world of wealth that most people can only ever dream of living in. From home cinemas to spas and royal neighbours, these homes have got it all — and they’re right in the heart of central London. These are the most expensive properties for sale right now on the open market in London. Knightsbridge: £32,500,000 In the luxury shopping hub of Knightsbridge is a sprawling penthouse apartment atop Wellington Court, a glorious period building with views overlooking Hyde Park. Across the 6,886 square feet of living space are six bedrooms, three reception rooms, a cinema room, gym, spa, staff quarters, large roof terrace, and a 24-hour concierge service for the building. This superbly-located superhome is listed for sale with Rokstone at £32,500,000. St James’s Park: £33,500,000 Neighbouring Buckingham Palace on Queen Anne's Gate in St James's Park is a resplendent six-bedroom period house with three reception rooms, seven bathrooms, a day time porter, private garden, and a 40-foot ballroom. According to agent The Cloister, the £4 million+ stamp duty will be paid for by the seller. That's no small saving. But you'll still need £33,500,000 to take this property off the market. Belgravia: £35,000,000 In posh Belgravia is this elegant eight-bedroom, Grade II listed, double-fronted Chester Square home refurbished to an uber-luxury modern standard inside. There are eight bathrooms, a cinema room, a treatment area, a sauna, swimming pool, seven reception rooms, a roof terrace, and more across its 9,627 square feet of living space. It's on the market with Knight Frank for £35,000,000. Knightsbridge: £50,000,000 Situated in the Candy Brothers' most famous development, One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, this 8,412 square foot luxury apartment has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and three reception rooms. The property, which spans an entire floor of the block, overlooks the greenery of Hyde Park at the back and the bustle of Knightsbridge at the front. The property also benefits from services provided by the neighbouring Mandarin Oriental Hotel. There's also a concierge, cinema, spa, golf simulation, library, and private parking. It's yours via Knight Frank for £50,000,000. Westminster: £60,000,000 Along Buckingham Gate, overlooking Buckingham Palace itself, is what agent Rokstone describes as a "trophy house." The vast seven-floor 19th century building spans 15,845 square feet. Though Grade II listed, and retaining much of its period charm, the house has been modernised throughout. The property comes with six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, six reception rooms, staff quarters, a treatment room, a media room, sauna, and swimming pool. Currently the most expensive home on the open market in London, at £60,000,000 this is a home for billionaires.
FedEx Ends Its Amazon Deal FedEx(NYSE: FDX)has ended its domestic relationship withAmazon.com(NASDAQ: AMZN)for express packages. The move allows the shipping giant to focus on other retailers. It's a smart move for a company that got only 1.3% of its revenue from the online retailer. Not being an Amazon partner may make FedEx more attractive to major retailers such asWalmartandTarget, which are looking to match Amazon when it comes to shipping speed. This news, however, may not be so good forUPS(NYSE: UPS). In this segment ofIndustry Focus: Energy, host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Dan Kline talk Amazon and FedEx. To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out ourpodcast center. A full transcript follows the video. More From The Motley Fool • 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today • The $16,728 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss • 20 of the Top Stocks to Buy (Including the Two Every Investor Should Own) • What Is an ETF? • 5 Recession-Proof Stocks • How to Beat the Market This video was recorded on June 20, 2019. Nick Sciple:On June 7, FedEx announced a strategic decision to not renew its FedEx Express U.S. domestic contract with Amazon. FedEx says that they intend to focus on the broader e-commerce market. They believe there's significant demand and opportunity for growth in e-commerce. They intend to serve those retailers outside of Amazon. When you saw this news, Dan, what was your first reaction to hearing that FedEx is breaking up with Amazon? Dan Kline:Do you have any couple of friends that, when you go out to dinner with them, you can tell they're going to get divorced at some point or break up, and maybe they don't know it? This is one of those relationships. Amazon was never that big of a FedEx customer. It's about 1.3% of FedEx's revenue. It was always like, "Yeah, we'll work together, but we'll use the Post Office or UPS first." And for FedEx, this is one of those, if you're not going to have a major chunk of your business come from Amazon, you're better off going to Walmart and Target and all the other big retailers out there and saying, "Look, we don't deal with Amazon. They don't know any of our secret sauce. They don't have any special pricing. We want to work with you." So, this makes them more palatable. Sciple:Yeah. I was talking about before the show, for our listeners who listen every week toIndustry Focus, a couple of weeks ago, I talked with Tim Beyers, we talked aboutRedfin, which is an online real estate brokerage service. This is a company that announced a new offering that led toRE/MAX, which is another big nationwide brokerage firm, to end its partnership with Redfin. And we said then that this is one of those things, the path that Redfin was taking, sooner or later, it was going to be antagonistic to these other brokers that we were going to have this breakup take place. That's what took place for Redfin. I think that's what it took place for Amazon as they pushed into e-commerce and became more vertically integrated in logistics and showed that was a clear intent of the path of business going forward. Sooner or later, they were going to become antagonistic to FedEx or maybe UPS eventually that this breakup had to happen. We've seen some analysts say the same thing. Ravi Shanker fromMorgan Stanleysaid, "We believe FedEx's strategic break up with Amazon is a watershed moment for the parcel industry that signals Amazon's emergence as a significant player in the industry and brings a new level of risk to numbers at both UPS and FedEx." Dan, when you see this shift in the industry, are you concerned for UPS and FedEx going forward? Kline:I'm not worried about FedEx. This is FedEx saying, "You weren't that important to us anyway. We'll give up this 1.3% of our business in order to be able to work with many other people." They expect the size of this business to double from 50 million to 100 million packages a day by 2026. If you're FedEx, you're basically saying, "We're not going to let any one company become too important to us." Now, UPS, I'm absolutely worried for UPS. Roughly 26% of their business is from Amazon. If Amazon keeps ramping up its shipping business, which is something they've been doing and are going to continue to do, and they say to UPS, "Hey, we don't need you quite as much. We can do a lot of this on our own," that is a material irreplaceable part of their business. UPS is in so far, I don't know that they can even get out of it. And yeah, eventually, Amazon is either going to crush them or buy them. Sciple:Yeah, you can look at a chart -- you sent this over to me, Dan. Wolfe Research had this chart out. In 2013, UPS was 49% of Amazon's shipping business. Today, in 2018, their numbers have UPS being 22%, with much of that market share being taken away by Amazon, which now represents 26% of the logistics that are run through that website. Obviously, in the near term, this is going to be a benefit to UPS. Only UPS and FedEx have these express networks, which is the business that FedEx pulled. But as you say, Amazon is pushing more into logistics. They want to put more logistics in-house because it's less expensive to them than fulfilling orders through UPS and FedEx. And they have called out specifically in their filings that the transportation and logistics services are an area in which they compete. Amazon has been making some recent investments in these areas to build out their presence. Can you talk about that a little bit, Dan, and what that means for the company? Kline:Amazon has been investing everywhere from last mile -- we've talked about their van network, where they're literally getting entrepreneurs to lease vans, helping them do that, and doing last mile delivery. Then, they're massively building out their plane fleet. That's where they're encroaching on what these other companies are doing. In addition to that, of course, they have their trucking fleet. They're actually selling space against UPS and FedEx. Amazon isn't just delivering its own stuff, it's become a full-fledged shipping company. It wants to control as much of its own process as it can. That includes testing things like building new, smaller warehouses, shipping out of Whole Foods stores, maybe shipping out of someKohl'slocations where it has a partnership. This is something that you're outsourcing it, you see that you're spending more money, and they are building as fast as they can possibly build, but they are hitting some brick walls in that. We've done shows about the trucking shortage. It's hard to hire truck drivers. It's also incredibly difficult to hire pilots. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors.Daniel B. Klinehas no position in any of the stocks mentioned.Nick Scipleowns shares of Redfin. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon and FedEx. The Motley Fool recommends Redfin. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
How Russia’s Citizens Can’t Escape Their Largest Tech Company (Bloomberg) -- I’m woken up by an alarm on a home speaker designed by Yandex NV. I go to work in Yandex taxi listening to the company’s music-streaming service. My lunch is delivered by Yandex.Eats. I buy sneakers on the company’s Beru marketplace, and catch up on a series on its Kinopoisk smart-TV app in the evening. You get the picture. Not so long ago, most decisions in Russia were decided by the state. Now, Russia’s largest tech company can cater to your every need. A tech company attempting to offer a range of services to keep users attention is not new. Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc. have been launching new business from internet balloons to healthcare. But few offer the breadth of services offered by Yandex. Five years ago, Yandex was just a search engine trying hard to fend off Google in its local market. Since then it has bought Uber Technologies Inc.’s Russia business, built its voice assistant into cars and home appliances, and more than doubled its revenue. Yandex now claims to have 108 million monthly users, which is about 75% of Russia’s population. Yandex’s expansion -- still focused almost entirely in Russia -- has allowed it to gather significant amount of data on its users, who have to log into each service using the same ID. This has allowed Yandex to offer highly personalized services. In Yandex’s car-sharing app, the dashboard welcomes you by name, turns on your favorite music and maps a route to your home. At a time where tech giants are attempting to convince users they take privacy seriously, Yandex’s Chief Financial Officer Greg Abovsky argues that, despite having expanded to multiple services, it doesn’t know much more about its users than Google does (which could be argued is a lot). "To respond to users’ personal needs, we need not only the data that you tell Yandex directly – like your name and age - but also technical data, including cookies, IP-addresses and GPS coordinates," said Abovsky. “It’s important that these data are processed in anonymized form and automatically - no one can get access to it." Perhaps unsurprisingly, Yandex’s user data has attracted the attention of the Russian government. The company’s email and cloud-storage services are deemed "information-dissemination operators," and monitored by communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, while a 2016 law required internet service providers and mobile telephone operators to store records of users’ online activities for up to six months. Russian authorities also have a legal right to request all your data stored by Yandex -- whom you sent e-mails to, what files you downloaded and possibly everything else linked to your user ID. So far, Yandex has pushed back against government demands to turn over encryption keys that would allow the security services to monitor users’ private data. "These additional data it has on users may become important pieces of the puzzle for some advertisers or law-enforcement agencies," said Artem Kozlyuk, head of Roskomsvoboda, a civil-rights lobby group. Yandex’s growth has also led it to shed the role of tech underdog. Back in 2015 it complained to Russia’s antitrust watchdog that Google was abusing its dominance on mobile devices, arguing that Google required phone makers to install a bundle of its services as a pre-condition. Yandex eventually won the case. Now, Yandex is bundling its own services. Last year it introduced Yandex.Plus - somewhat similar to Amazon Prime. Users subscribe to Yandex.Music for $2.69 a month, also gaining access to Yandex’s online-cinema Kinopoisk and discounts for Yandex.Taxi, car-sharing, Beru marketplace and cloud storage. Over 2 million people already use Yandex’s paid subscriptions, most of them via the bundle. When asked if this puts competition for smaller music, ride-hailing or other apps at risk, Abovsky responded: "No. It’s a commercial bundling. We don’t force it on others, consumers are willing to buy or not to buy our bundle. It’s incorrect to compare this with Google’s bundling when they forced phone makers to pre-install only Google services and no one else’s." A few years after shifting from a search engine to a tech company, Yandex is still looking to maintain its rapid growth, with user data at the heart of its business model. Revenue has more than doubled from 60 billion rubles in 2015 to 128 billion rubles ($2 billion) last year. Yandex already makes almost 30% of its revenue outside of internet search. Yandex is now seeking to take on traditional TV. From May, it started selling Module, a $32 device similar to Google’s Chromecast that’s plugged into a TV-set, so that users can watch Yandex.Live streaming channel with content personalized for them, instead of regular TV channels. Yandex has been experimenting with creating its own social network and messenger, but without much success, Abovsky admits. But Yandex.Zen -- a personalized content feed, may make over $100 million revenue this year, he said. "Painters polish their skills by copying other painters,” said Abovsky. “The same happens in tech, that’s how progress makes its way." To contact the reporter on this story: Ilya Khrennikov in Moscow at ikhrennikov@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Torrey Clark For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Why women are penalised for getting angry at work It can be difficult to get along with people all the time, particularly in the workplace. Photo: Getty Most of us try to contain our anger at work, even when we’re pushed to our limits. From time to time, though, a useless boss, a passive aggressive colleague, or an unreasonable client can be the final straw. We erupt, even though we know we shouldn’t. It can be difficult to get along with people all the time, particularly in the workplace — where many of us are stressed, under pressure, and exhausted. Tempers flare, but most of the time, we’re able to put our differences aside and move on. For women, though, getting angry at work can have lasting consequences. Women are treated more harshly for displays of emotion in the workplace, particularly when they get angry, research shows. Meanwhile, professional men are far more likely to benefit from similar behaviours. A series of three studies led by Victoria Brescoll , a professor at the Yale School of Management, examined the relationship between anger, gender, and status. “Male job applicants who expressed anger were shown to be more likely to be hired than those who expressed sadness, and they were subsequently given more power and autonomy in their jobs,” one study found. “However, women’s expressions of anger — because they run counter to social expectations — can decrease rather than increase women’s status and perceived competence.” READ MORE: Why sexist microaggressions are holding women back at work Women incur social and economic penalties for expressing “masculine” emotions because it threatens society’s patriarchal barrier against the “dominance of women,” according to the researchers. They are also seen to be lacking in “emotional control,” which is seen to undermine their “competence and professional legitimacy.” Men who display anger at work gain influence, studies suggest, whereas their female peers lose influence. In one study, conducted in 2018 by the Center for WorkLife Law , lawyers were asked if they were free to use anger at work when a case merits it — and if they felt they were punished for displaying aggression. White men felt much freer to express anger at work than any other group, including minority men. Story continues Ultimately, men who get mad at work are perceived as strong and decisive. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to be regarded as hysterical and irrational. In recent years, women have talked more openly about things that make them angry. The #MeToo movement, for example, has been a profound cultural reckoning, with thousands of women coming forward with stories of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. But even when speaking about these subjects, women are still expected to show their anger in hushed, moderate tones — quietly, sensibly, and with none of the fury often deemed hysterical. READ MORE: Why we need to talk about miscarriage in the workplace Women of colour face even greater penalties for being livid, as they’re up against both gender and racial stereotypes. In 2018, Serena Williams made headlines after losing in the US Open final match to Naomi Osaka. Williams got into a heated debate with an umpire, Carlos Ramos, who accused her of being coached during the match. After the umpire made the call, Williams disputed the accusation and called the umpire a thief. Williams, who is a 23-time Grand Slam champion and one of the best athletes in the sport, was then charged with $17,000 (£13,340) in fines. Her reactions to the referee’s calls were no different to the way many of the top players react in the heat of a championship game. But the way she was treated was. Her meltdown wasn’t in the same league as those by past champions such as John McEnroe, whose racket-smashing tantrums became his trademark — yet she was still penalised harshly. We can’t help getting angry sometimes, particularly when we’re under pressure. But it’s clear that while men’s angry behaviour is largely publicly accepted, women’s anger is not. The way we respond to it negatively affects women’s work, careers, and wellbeing. Women are punished for expressing an emotion that is innate to us all — and if we’re to continue working towards equality in the workplace and in wider society, this has to change.
Chinese Technology Moguls' Latest Obsession: Red Tourism (Bloomberg) -- China’s internet watchdog rallied the founders and Communist Party representatives of 45 startups for a “study tour” celebrating the life of Mao Zedong, as Beijing tightens its grip on the country’s largest internet firms. The chief executive officers of companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd.-backed Zhihu -- China’s answer to Quora -- and the head of the Party branch at live-streaming giant Kuaishou took part in a tour this week to the southeastern province of Fujian. There they visited key historical sites that commemorate military achievements by the ruling party during its guerrilla warfare era in the 1930s, a local paper reported. Tour members sent flowers to a park built in honor of the late Party Chairman, and visited conference and historical sites across Fujian to “imbue themselves in the red revolutionary spirit,” the publication said. China has applied increasing pressure on the country’s social media and internet companies, which help scrape the web clean of information deemed vulgar or critical of the ruling party. The country’s richest tech billionaires, including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Tencent supremo Pony Ma, have rushed to pledge allegiance to President Xi Jinping as he consolidates power on a level not seen in three decades. As China’s cyber watchdog steps up the frequency of crackdowns -- including by halting operations of internet operators -- companies have bolstered their efforts to study Party history and ideology as a means to appease regulators. Social media giant Tencent, which endured its biggest loss of market value on record during a 2018 clampdown on games, has stepped up self-policing efforts, ridding its games of gore while promoting messages that champion the country’s military apparatus. To contact the reporter on this story: Lulu Yilun Chen in Hong Kong at ychen447@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy, Edwin Chan For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Thailand's PTT CEO: no rush to lock in new LNG purchase contracts * Thailand's gas demand growth slows as renewables grow * Aims for longer Erawan, Bongkot gas field production By Florence Tan KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Reuters) - Thailand's largest energy firm PTT Pcl is in no hurry to lock in new long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) contracts as it monitors domestic gas output and the growth of renewables over the next 2-3 years, its chief executive said. The country is expected to become more reliant on LNG imports because of falling output in the Gulf of Thailand, but natural gas demand growth has slowed to about 1% or less in the past 3-4 years because of increases in solar power, said PTT President and Chief Executive Officer Chansin Treenuchagron. "Thailand is good in terms of power plan development and we have good alternative energy," Chansin told Reuters on the sidelines of the Asia Oil and Gas Conference. Renewable energy sources are gaining ground as the cost of solar panels and wind turbines has dropped sharply, while climate change initiatives have also accelerated non-fossil fuel use. Thailand currently consumes 4.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, of which 3 billion cubic feet is from domestic production, 1 billion cubic feet is piped from Myanmar and the rest is imported LNG, Chansin said. He expects natural gas demand growth in Thailand to hold steady at about 1% per year over the next five years. PTT won the rights last year to take over production and development of the country's largest natural gas fields Erawat and Bongkot in the Gulf of Thailand from 2022-2023. Production from the two fields was forecast to fall by half to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day in the next 5-10 years as the government is keen to sustain output over a longer period, Chansin said. The gas fields are valuable to Thailand because they also produce condensate, an ultra light oil used for petrochemical production. "If production decreases in Gulf of Thailand then we'll increase (LNG) imports," he said. Story continues PTT has long-term LNG purchase contracts for 5.2 million tonnes per year (tpy) with Qatargas, Shell, BP and Petronas, but is also looking to ensure demand levels before pursuing new ones, Chansin said. To prepare for more LNG imports, PTT is building a second 7.5 million tpy LNG terminal which will be completed in 2023, bringing its total LNG regasification capacity to 19 million tpy, he added. (Reporting by Florence Tan in KUALA LUMPUR; additional reporting by Jessica Jaganathan in SINGAPORE; editing by Richard Pullin)
Soccer-From zero to hero, Alexis wins it for Haiti June 24 (Reuters) - Haiti's Djimy Alexis picked himself up from scoring an own goal against Costa Rica in their Gold Cup match on Monday to grab a late winner that secured top spot for his side in Group B. Alexis was unable to get out the way in time as Alvaro Saboro's header ricocheted off him and wrongfooted his own goalkeeper to give Costa Rica a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. Haiti levelled in the 57th minute through Duckens Nazon's penalty and the 21-year-old Alexis completed the comeback with less than 10 minutes left, rifling the ball home from close range after good work on the left by Derrick Etienne and Alex Christian. Haiti celebrated wildly, with Alexis running into the arms of his coach and team mates on the sidelines. While both teams had already secured spots in the quarter-finals, the Haitians' win sees them face Canada on Saturday in Houston, while Costa Rica take on Mexico. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
Those Who Purchased Pennpetro Energy (LON:PPP) Shares A Year Ago Have A 14% Loss To Show For It Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Pennpetro Energy Plc(LON:PPP) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 26% in the last quarter. But that is minimal compensation for the share price under-performance over the last year. The cold reality is that the stock has dropped 14% in one year, under-performing the market. Check out our latest analysis for Pennpetro Energy Pennpetro Energy didn't have any revenue in the last year, so it's fair to say it doesn't yet have a proven product (or at least not one people are paying for). This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. For example, they may be hoping that Pennpetro Energy finds fossil fuels with an exploration program, before it runs out of money. We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. There is usually a significant chance that they will need more money for business development, putting them at the mercy of capital markets. So the share price itself impacts the value of the shares (as it determines the cost of capital). While some companies like this go on to deliver on their plan, making good money for shareholders, many end in painful losses and eventual de-listing. Our data indicates that Pennpetro Energy had US$5,981,030 more in total liabilities than it had cash, when it last reported in December 2018. That puts it in the highest risk category, according to our analysis. But with the share price diving 14% in the last year, it's probably fair to say that some shareholders no longer believe the company will succeed. You can see in the image below, how Pennpetro Energy's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values). Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. Would it bother you if insiders were selling the stock? I would feel more nervous about the company if that were so. It only takes a moment for you tocheck whether we have identified any insider sales recently. While Pennpetro Energy shareholders are down 14% for the year, the market itself is up 2.5%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Putting aside the last twelve months, it's good to see the share price has rebounded by 26%, in the last ninety days. Let's just hope this isn't the widely-feared 'dead cat bounce' (which would indicate further declines to come). You might want to assessthis data-rich visualizationof its earnings, revenue and cash flow. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love thisfreelist of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
StockBeat: Gold Miners Get Their Day in the Sun By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- Gold mining stocks are finally getting their day in the sun. The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners (NASDAQ:RING) ETF, which we’ll take aa a rough proxy for the sector, has hit a three-year high this week, tracking the surge in world bullion prices. It’s now up 28% since the end of May alone. Bullion, despite hitting a six-year high this morning, is up only 11% in the same timeframe. Part of the reason is catch-up: gold itself never fell out of favor with global investors to the same extent that gold mining companies have done in the past three years. But while gold is a relatively straightforward investment that is priced off fairly transparent developments in monetary policy, jewelry demand and the asset management policies of central banks, each company has its own operational and governance risks, often complicated by political risk in the jurisdictions where they operate. The problems are illustrated by the woes of U.K.-listed blue chip Acacia Mining (LON:ACAA), which was spun off from Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD) in 2010 and which mines mainly in Tanzania. On the face of it, the company has a fine resource base and access to all the expertise of its parent company. However, it’s been unable to export gold-bearing ore from Tanzania for two years due to a dispute with the government. Barrick’s attempts to solve the issue – by offering to buy out minority shareholders and by negotiating directly with Tanzania on Acacia’s behalf – appear to have made the situation even worse: Acacia issued a 5,000-word statement attacking its parent on Monday, blaming it for its troubles with the government and accusing it of trying to buy back its asset on the cheap. That partly explains why Acacia is up only 3% this year, although it's up 3.3% this morning, helped by perceptions that it is still cheap. By contrast, the largely scandal-free Harmony Gold Mining (NYSE:HMY), which operates largely in South Africa, is up 25%. Likewise, Russian-based miners Petropavlovsk (LON:POG) and Polymetal (LON:POLYP) - despite past incidents with minority shareholders - are up 56% and 19%, respectively, profiting from a lull in the hostile rhetoric coming out of the U.S. toward their home country. The sharp discounts applied to companies’ resource bases – junior miners can trade for as little as 2c or 3c an ounce of reserves – mean that the upside for investors can be enormous. However, there are reasons why gold itself is considered the safe haven, rather than the companies that produce it. Related Articles BMW's hybrid cars to switch to electric only mode in polluted cities Trade stress, Iran tensions hits stocks, dollar frets on Fed doves Fund supermarket Allfunds bulks up with Credit Suisse deal
Bitcoin Cash – ABC, Litecoin and Ripple Daily Analysis – 25/06/19 Bitcoin Cash ABC rose by 1.52% on Monday. Reversing a 1.67% fall from Sunday, Bitcoin Cash ABC ended the day at $477.25. A start of a day intraday low $460.78 saw Bitcoin Cash ABC fall through the first major support level at $463.63 before finding support. Bitcoin Cash ABC rose to late morning high $476.5 before falling back to $465 levels and into the red. Support from the broader market kicked in late in the day, leading to an intraday high $477.25 at the day end. At the time of writing, Bitcoin Cash ABC was up by 0.79% to $481.00. A mixed start to the day saw Bitcoin Cash ABC fall to a morning low $473.58 before finding support. Steering clear of the first major support level at $466.26, Bitcoin Cash ABC struck a morning high $482.46 before easing back. The first major resistance level at $482.74 pinned Bitcoin Cash ABC back early on. For the day ahead, a move back through the first major resistance level would support a run at the second major resistance level at $488.23. Bitcoin Cash ABC would need the support of the broader market, however, to break out from $482 levels. Failure to move back through the first major resistance level could see Bitcoin Cash ABC pullback to sub-$480 levels. A fall through $471 levels would bring the first major support level at $466.27 into play before any recovery. Barring a crypto meltdown, Bitcoin Cash ABC should steer clear of sub-$460 levels. Litecoin fell by 1.02% on Monday. Following on from a 3.34% slide on Sunday, Litecoin ended the day at $135.26. A bearish start to the day saw Litecoin fall from an intraday high $136.66 to an early morning low $133.21. Litecoin fell through the first major support level at $133.84 before recovering to $136 levels. A second pullback in the late afternoon saw Litecoin slide back through the first major support level to an intraday low $132.13. Steering clear of the second major support level at $131.02, Litecoin managed to limit the losses on the day, with a move back through to $135 levels. At the time of writing, Litecoin was up by 0.58% to $136.04. A mixed start to the day saw Litecoin rise to a morning high $136.8 before easing back. Falling short of the first major resistance level at $137.24, Litecoin fell to a morning low $134.86 before finding support. Litecoin left the major support levels untested early on. For the day ahead, a hold onto $135 levels through the morning would support another run at the first major resistance level at $137.24. For the bulls, Litecoin would need a broad-based crypto rally, however, to bring $137 levels into play. Failure to hold onto $135 levels could see Litecoin see red for a 3rdconsecutive day. A fall through $134.6 levels would bring the first major support level at $132.71 into play before any recovery. Barring a crypto meltdown, Litecoin should steer clear of the second major support level at $130.15 and sub-$130 levels. Ripple’s XRP rose by 0.76% on Monday. Partially reversing a 1.5% fall from Sunday, Ripple’s XRP ended the day at $0.47402. A bearish start to the day saw Ripple’s XRP fall from a morning high $0.47046 to an early intraday low $0.44627. Ripple’s XRP slid through the first major support level at $0.4595 and second major support level at $0.4482 before finding support. Ripple’s XRP recovered to $0.46 levels and a relatively range-bound afternoon. A late rally saw Ripple’s XRP move through to $0.47 levels and strike an intraday high $0.47627 to avoid red on the day. At the time of writing, Ripple’s XRP was down by 0.39% to $0.47215. A choppy start to the day saw Ripple’s XRP rise to a morning high $0.47778 before hitting reverse. Coming up short of the first major resistance level at $0.4809, Ripple’s XRP fell to a morning low $0.46762 before finding support. Ripple’s XRP left the major support levels untested early on. For the day ahead, a hold onto $0.47 levels through the morning would support another run at the first major resistance level at $0.4809. Ripple’s XRP would need support from the broader market, however, to break out from $0.47 levels. In the event of a crypto rally, the second major resistance level at $0.4878 could come into play before any pullback. Failure to hold onto $0.47 levels could see Ripple’s XRP test the first major support level at $0.4567 before any recovery. Barring a crypto meltdown, Ripple’s XRP would likely steer clear of sub-$0.44 support levels on the day. Please let us know what you think in the comments below Thanks, Bob Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • Our Ducks Are in a Row as the Currencies Are Ready for Their Next Moves • AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • NZD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • Bitcoin Cash – ABC, Litecoin and Ripple Daily Analysis – 26/06/19 • U.S. Dollar Index Futures (DX) Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • Hunt for Market Equilibrium Continues Amid Major Global Uncertainties
Next Bull And Bear Markets Are Now Set Up Sharing market analysis and my opinions every day is far from easy and sometimes I feel like a song on repeat. My focus and goal has always been to try to alert fellow traders and investors of what is unfolding now in the financial markets around the globe because it appears we are about to experience another financial life-changing event much like the 2000 stock market top, and the late 2007 bull market top which will play out over the next 24+ months In fact, you could lose a lot buying and holding them over the next year if you are not careful. We all know what the precious metals sector did during the last equities bear market (they crashed 64% with the stock market before starting to rally). 2007 BULL MARKET TOP –SP500AND XAUGOLD MINERS INDEX From a technical analysis standpoint, we are still a long ways away from a confirmed bear market. We do need a see a rather larger drop to break the December low we saw in the SP500 index. But, each month more warning signs pop up to confirm we would be in a full-blown bear market b the end of 2019. MINERS ARE OUTPERFORMING US EQUITIES – TOP IS NEAR! Last month I talked about how I have been waiting for gold miners to start outperforming the US stocks market. Once miners start outperforming in a big way (just like we saw in 2007), we know the stock market is topping out and something really bad is about to happen. In the last couple of weeks, the gold miners index is up over 16% while the SP500 is up only 6%, this feels like the start-of-the-end if you know what I mean. It’s a known fact that stock market prices lead earnings, news, and the economy. Stock prices start to flatten, chop sideways, and sell off typically 3-6 months or more before negative data starts to become daily headline news. I have been predicting a top for form since early 2018 with the book I co-authored called “The Crash of 2019 and 2020 – How You Can Profit” only available to subscribers of the Wealth Building Newsletter. In short, the financial markets including commodities move in a wave like pattern and you want to own them and be to long when they are rising, and in cash or sell short (inverse ETF) when they are falling. As a technical analysis and trader since 1997 I have been through a few bull/bear market cycles, I have a good pulse on the market and timing key turning points for both short-term swing trading and long-term investment capital. The opportunities are massive/life-changing if handled properly. I urge you visit myWealth Building Newsletterand if you like what I offer, join me with the 1 or 2-year subscription to lock in the lowest rate possible and ride my coattails as I navigate these financial market and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own. Chris Vermeulenwww.TheTechnicalTraders.com Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • GBP/USD Daily Forecast – Pounds Drops Back to 4-Hour 100 MA • Hunt for Market Equilibrium Continues Amid Major Global Uncertainties • NZD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • Hold the Press, the Monetary Policy Printing Press That Is! • EUR/USD Mid-Session Technical Analysis for June 26, 2019 • AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast
Three Chinese banks face US action in N.Korean sanctions probe -Washington Post June 25 (Reuters) - Three large Chinese banks could lose their access to the U.S. financial system after a judge found them in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas in a probe into violation of North Korean sanctions, The Washington Post reported https://wapo.st/2X6ptOL on Monday. The three banks are not identified by the judge, but details in the court ruling align with a 2017 civil forfeiture action against Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, according to the report. The U.S. Department of Justice back then accused the banks of working with a Hong Kong company, which allegedly laundered over $100 million for North Korea's sanctioned Foreign Trade Bank, according to the paper. A spokesman at China Merchants Bank said he was aware of the report but could not immediately comment. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Bank of Communications could not be reached immediately for comment. The report comes as the United States and China have been engaged in a trade dispute for months on issues such as tariffs, subsidies, technology, intellectual property and cyber security, among others. The U.S. government has put some Chinese companies, including telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, on a trade blacklist while China is also drawing up its own "Unreliable Entities List" of foreign firms, groups and individuals. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet this week at the G20 summit in Japan hoping to calm their 11-month trade war. (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Shu Zhang in SINGAPORE and Cheng Leng in BEIJING; editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Australia's Domino's Pizza sued for underpaying staff, shares slide By Shriya Ramakrishnan (Reuters) - Australia's Domino's Pizza Enterprises was hit on Tuesday by a class-action lawsuit over employee underpayment which the fast-food chain said it would defend itself against, but its shares fell more than 6% to a four-year low. The suit, filed by law firm Phi Finney McDonald in the Federal Court of Australia, alleges that Domino's misled franchisees by telling them not to pay delivery drivers and in-store workers wages as per industry standards. According to the Australian Fair Work Commission, fast food employees are entitled to a minimum weekly wage of A$813.60 ($565.86). The suit was filed on behalf of Australian employees who were employed as delivery drivers or in-store workers between June 24, 2013 and January 24, 2018, Phi Finney McDonald said. The claim alleges that benefits mandated under the Fast Food Industry Award 2010 like casual loading, travel costs, penalty rates, mininum three-hour shifts and laundry allowances among others were systematically avoided by Domino's. “Domino’s workers should have been paid under the Award, but they were not. It is only fair that Domino's pay employees what they’re owed," Brett Spiegel, principal lawyer at Phi Finney McDonald, said. The law firm added that the misconduct was revealed through an investigation spearheaded by the Retail and Fast Food Workers’ Union (RAFFWU). “Some workers are owed tens of thousands of dollars. It’s nothing short of a disgrace," said secretary of RAFFWU Josh Cullinan, as quoted in the law firm's statement. A spokesman of Domino's Pizza Enterprises, which is the largest franchisee of the Domino's Pizza brand outside the United States, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It posted a 9.2% fall in its first-half net profit in February. The company had also said it expected earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for fiscal 2019 to be at the lower end of its guidance range of A$227 million to A$247 million. ($1 = 1.4378 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Shriya Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Darren Schuettler and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Should You Be Adding Christie Group (LON:CTG) To Your Watchlist Today? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy. So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, likeChristie Group(LON:CTG). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing. See our latest analysis for Christie Group Even with very modest growth rates, a company will usually do well if it improves earnings per share (EPS) year after year. So it's no surprise that some investors are more inclined to invest in profitable businesses. It's good to see that Christie Group's EPS have grown from UK£0.095 to UK£0.11 over twelve months. That's a 19% gain; respectable growth in the broader scheme of things. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note Christie Group's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 6.2% to UK£76m. That's a real positive. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. Christie Group isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of UK£24m. That makes it extra important to check on itsbalance sheet strength. Personally, I like to see high insider ownership of a company, since it suggests that it will be managed in the interests of shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Christie Group insiders own a meaningful share of the business. Indeed, with a collective holding of 68%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes me think they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - something I like to see. With that sort of holding, insiders have about UK£17m riding on the stock, at current prices. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value! As I already mentioned, Christie Group is a growing business, which is what I like to see. Just as polish makes silverware pop, the high level of insider ownership enhances my enthusiasm for this growth. That combination appeals to me, for one. So yes, I do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. Of course, just because Christie Group is growing does not mean it is undervalued. If you're wondering about the valuation, check outthis gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry. Although Christie Group certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then thisfreelist of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
CRH PLC Announces Board Change Board Change DUBLIN / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2019 /CRH plc, the global building materials group, announces that Mr. Bill Teuber has advised the Company of his intention to resign from the CRH Board with immediate effect for personal reasons. Commenting on this, CRH Chairman, Nicky Hartery said, "On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Bill for his commitment to CRH, and in particular for his service as Chairman of the Audit Committee. We wish him every success in the future." **** For further information, please contact CRH plc at Dublin 404 1000 (+353 1 404 1000) [] Note: Following his retirement, Mr. Teuber will receive his outstanding non-executive Director fees for the period to 25thJune 2019. About CRH CRH (LSE: CRH, ISE: CRG, NYSE: CRH) is the leading building materials business in the world, employing c.90,000 people at c.3,700 operating locations in 32 countries. It is the largest building materials business in North America, the largest heavyside materials business in Europe and has a number of strategic positions in the emerging economic regions of Asia and South America. CRH manufactures and supplies a range of integrated building materials, products and innovative solutions which can be found throughout the built environment, from major public infrastructure projects to commercial buildings and residential structures. A Fortune 500 company, CRH is a constituent member of the FTSE 100 index, the EURO STOXX 50 index, the ISEQ 20 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe. CRH's American Depositary Shares are listed on the NYSE. For more information visitwww.crh.com. Registered Office: No12965. Registered Office: 42 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, R02 R279, Ireland This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contactrns@lseg.comor visitwww.rns.com. SOURCE:CRH plc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/549781/CRH-PLC-Announces-Board-Change
Rosie O'Donnell's thoughts on Meghan McCain on 'The View' Rosie O'Donnell stopped by the clubhouse on Watch What Happens Live Monday night, where she revealed that she does not watch The View , but she does feel compassion towards Meghan McCain as a co-host. "I don't watch it and I knew her when she was very young," said O'Donnell, who once starred on the show. "I had the pleasure of working with her father for a lot of the Wounded Warrior Projects. And so, got to know him through there and, you know, I think she's in a difficult position." Andy Cohen then interjected, "Being a conservative voice on the show," to which O'Donnell responded, "Yeah, trying to do that while grieving. She was very, very tight with her father, and he had been dying for a while. We watched her daily try to grieve and get through. It's not really that easy. So I do have some compassion for her." Just last week on The View , McCain and Joy Behar got into a vicious fight over Donald Trump's re-election rally, which resulted in McCain calling Behar a "b**." However, later during the same episode, the two brushed it off as McCain said that she loves the word, and that she and Behar call each other a "b**” all the time. Regardless, O'Donnell did have one thing to say about that. "I wish she wouldn't be mean to Joy Behar, who is, you know, like, a living legend, and should be respected for no other reason than she's the elder statesman in the room," stated O'Donnell. Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs Sunday-Thursday at 10 p.m. on Bravo . Check out Rihanna and Seth Meyers getting into hilarious day drinking shenanigans: Read more from Yahoo! Entertainment: Dramatic episode of ‘KUWTK’ reveals how the Tristan and Jordyn scandal unfolded James Corden takes ‘Crosswalk the Musical’ to Paris with ‘Les Misérables’ Mother of three makes history as first mom to complete ‘American Ninja Warrior’ course Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter , Facebook or Instagram , or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter , Facebook or Instagram . Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle's newsletter.
Jameela Jamil does not approve of Kim Kardashian's new body makeup line Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images From Cosmopolitan Jameela Jamil just came for Kim Kardashian's new body foundation line. Jameela said it's not worth the money and that she'd rather focus on building her self-esteem. Okay, I'm starting to think the real "bad place" is being on the receiving end of Jameela Jamil's roast-y tweets . And who knows better than miss Kim Kardashian !? The Good Place actor is known for her passionate advocacy, body positivity, and coming for anyone who tries to make women feel less than, which she often accuses the Kardashians of doing when they promote those "detox teas." Today, Jameela switched it up a bit and instead of attacking those teas, she went in on Kim's new body foundation line and suggested it would just make people feel like they can't embrace their skin. When Jameela saw a video of someone swiping the foundation onto their arms, legs, and chest for some unknown reason, she was basically like, "Hard pass." She added that not only does she think it's impractical, she also thinks it's a waste of money. Here's her tweet, in full: "Hard pass. God damn the work to take it all off before bed so it doesn’t destroy your sheets... I’d rather just make peace with my million stretch marks and eczema. Taking off my mascara is enough of a pain in the arse. Save money and time and give yourself a damn break." A lot of people agreed with Jameela's stance, but some also came to Kim's defence and said that if the makeup makes people feel better about themselves, then what's the issue? And to be fair, Kim shared that while she has learned to not be insecure about her psoriasis , she does still use the foundation to cover it sometimes. Also, body makeup isn't necessarily just to hide things you're insecure about. It could also be useful for people in the modelling and creative fields who need it on set. {% verbatim %} Hard pass. God damn the work to take it all off before bed so it doesn’t destroy your sheets... I’d rather just make peace with my million stretch marks and eczema. Taking off my mascara is enough of a pain in the arse. Save money and time and give yourself a damn break. ❤️ https://t.co/gGrbiZfH2K - Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) June 24, 2019 {% endverbatim %} Story continues One thing's for sure: It's a good thing we all have free will and get to decide whether or not we want to spend £35 on some body makeup and take the time to apply and remove it! ('You Might Also Like',) A ranking of the very best hair straighteners - according to our Beauty Editors Best party dresses to shop in the UK right now 11 products you'd be mad to miss from the Net A Porter beauty sale
Should You Buy Flow Traders N.V. (AMS:FLOW) For Its Dividend? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll take a closer look at Flow Traders N.V. (AMS:FLOW) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a strong business and reinvesting the dividends is widely seen as an attractive way of growing your wealth. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. In this case, Flow Traders likely looks attractive to dividend investors, given its 9.5% dividend yield and four-year payment history. It sure looks interesting on these metrics - but there's always more to the story . There are a few simple ways to reduce the risks of buying Flow Traders for its dividend, and we'll go through these below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Flow Traders! Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. In the last year, Flow Traders paid out 155% of its profit as dividends. A payout ratio above 100% is definitely an item of concern, unless there are some other circumstances that would justify it. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Flow Traders's latest financial position,by checking our visualisation of its financial health. From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. Looking at the data, we can see that Flow Traders has been paying a dividend for the past four years. It has only been paying dividends for a few short years, and the dividend has already been cut at least once. This is one income stream we're not ready to live on. During the past four-year period, the first annual payment was €1.00 in 2015, compared to €2.35 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 24% per year over this time. The growth in dividends has not been linear, but the CAGR is a decent approximation of the rate of change over this time frame. So, its dividends have grown at a rapid rate over this time, but payments have been cut in the past. The stock may still be worth considering as part of a diversified dividend portfolio. Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. It's not great to see that Flow Traders's have fallen at approximately 10% over the past five years. Declining earnings per share over a number of years is not a great sign for the dividend investor. Without some improvement, this does not bode well for the long term value of a company's dividend. When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. We're a bit uncomfortable with its high payout ratio. Second, earnings per share have been in decline, and its dividend has been cut at least once in the past. With any dividend stock, we look for a sustainable payout ratio, steady dividends, and growing earnings. Flow Traders has a few too many issues for us to get interested. Without at least some growth in earnings per share over time, the dividend will eventually come under pressure either from costs or inflation. Very few businesses see earnings consistently shrink year after year in perpetuity though, and so it might be worth seeing what the 5analysts we track are forecasting for the future. We have also put together alist of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Three Things You Should Check Before Buying Ferguson plc (LON:FERG) For Its Dividend Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Dividend paying stocks like Ferguson plc (LON:FERG) tend to be popular with investors, and for good reason - some research suggests a significant amount of all stock market returns come from reinvested dividends. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments. With a 2.6% yield and a eight-year payment history, investors probably think Ferguson looks like a reliable dividend stock. A 2.6% yield is not inspiring, but the longer payment history has some appeal. The company also bought back stock during the year, equivalent to approximately 2.2% of the company's market capitalisation at the time. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Ferguson! Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Ferguson paid out 47% of its profit as dividends. This is a middling range that strikes a nice balance between paying dividends to shareholders, and retaining enough earnings to invest in future growth. Besides, if reinvestment opportunities dry up, the company has room to increase the dividend. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Ferguson paid out 83% of its cash flow last year. This may be sustainable but it does not leave much of a buffer for unexpected circumstances. It's positive to see that Ferguson's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Ferguson's latest financial position,by checking our visualisation of its financial health. Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. Looking at the last decade of data, we can see that Ferguson paid its first dividend at least eight years ago. Although it has been paying a dividend for several years now, the dividend has been cut at least once by more than 20%, and we're cautious about the consistency of its dividend across a full economic cycle. During the past eight-year period, the first annual payment was US$0.55 in 2011, compared to US$1.89 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 17% per year over this time. Ferguson's dividend payments have fluctuated, so it hasn't grown 17% every year, but the CAGR is a useful rule of thumb for approximating the historical growth. Ferguson has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, but it might be worth considering if the business has turned a corner. With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Why take the risk of a dividend getting cut, unless there's a good chance of bigger dividends in future? It's good to see Ferguson has been growing its earnings per share at 19% a year over the past 5 years. Earnings per share have been growing at a good rate, and the company is paying less than half its earnings as dividends. We generally think this is an attractive combination, as it permits further reinvestment in the business. To summarise, shareholders should always check that Ferguson's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. Ferguson's dividend payout ratios are within normal bounds, although we note its cash flow is not as strong as the income statement would suggest. We were also glad to see it growing earnings, but it was concerning to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. Overall we think Ferguson is an interesting dividend stock, although it could be better. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 22 analysts we track are forecasting for Fergusonfor freewith publicanalyst estimates for the company. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try ourcurated list of dividend stocks with a yield above 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Trump sexual assault accuser E Jean Carroll considers police complaint Photograph: Craig Ruttle/AP E Jean Carroll, the celebrated advice columnist who has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, has said she is considering bringing a complaint to the New York police department (NYPD). In a lengthy interview with CNN on Monday, Carroll said she would be open to working with the NYPD in a criminal investigation into the attack she alleges happened in the Manhattan store of Bergdorf Goodman in late 1995 or early 1996. Related: Donald Trump says assault accuser E Jean Carroll 'not my type' I would consider it, she said. However, she added that lawyers had advised her that the statute of limitations deadline by which such a complaint would have had to be brought has expired. The advice columnist, whose column Ask E Jean has been a popular feature of Elle for almost 30 years, broke her bombshell allegations in New York magazine on Friday. Her comments to CNN were the first time she has been seen on camera telling her story. The book in which it appears will be published next Tuesday. Trump has issued blanket denials of the claims. On Saturday he said he had no idea who Carroll was, despite a photograph existing of the two meeting in a social setting from the late 1980s. And in an interview with The Hill on Monday, Trump again dismissed the allegations , adding, shes not my type. The not my type remark is not the first time Trump has disparaged an accuser. In 2016, after a former magazine writer accused Trump of assaulting her in 2005, he responded: She lies! Look at her, I dont think so. And when another woman claimed Trump groped her in the early 1980s, he said: Believe me she would not be my first choice. Responding to the presidents comments on CNN, Carroll said: I love that Im not his type. The president has suggested that Carrolls allegations are designed to make money out of book sales. He has also floated the theory that this is a political conspiracy to discredit him in the week he launched his campaign for re-election. Story continues Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York who is running for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in 2020, said on Saturday that were Carroll to come forward with her allegations, he would authorise a police investigation. We will find out the truth, he said. But the reaction to Carrolls allegations has been strangely muted. In live interviews on Sunday, the vice-president, Mike Pence, was not asked once about the fresh claims of sexual assault made against his boss. The New York Times, which carried Carrolls allegations and Trumps subsequent denial on Friday, has launched a readers editor inquiry into why its 800-word account of Carrolls allegations was not promoted to the first page until Saturday and only belatedly made it into the paper on Sunday. Some who wrote in to complain questioned whether the lack of prominence revealed deference to the president, misogyny or an unwillingness to believe a victims account. The papers executive editor, Dean Baquet, said on Monday that critics were correct that the article had been downplayed. The fact that a well-known person was making a very public allegation against a sitting president shouldve compelled us to play it bigger, Baquet conceded in conversation with the papers Reader Center. The New York Post removed a story about Carrolls allegations on Friday afternoon. CNN Business reported on Monday that Col Allen, a supporter of Trump and an adviser to the paper, had ordered the removal. Carroll has also been forced to defend her accusations, which could be considered a step away from blaming the victim. She strongly denied to CNN that she was politically motivated in describing the alleged attack in her book What Do We Need Men For? Im barely political. I cant name you the candidates who are running right now, she said. Carroll said she was suffering as a result of coming forward. She has received death threats on social media, she said, and fears her career in journalism might be in peril. Who knows? Donald Trump has gotten people fired, she said. Carroll gave CNN further vivid details of the attack she says she endured when Trump took her into a dressing room in the lingerie department of the department store. The minute he closed that door I was banged up against the wall, hit my head really hard, she said. Boom. I was stunned, and then he tried to kiss me, which was repulsive. She went on: My reaction was to laugh to knock off the erotic thing he had going on, but no, he just went at it. He pulled down my tights. There was a fight. I want women to know I did not stand there, I did not freeze, I was not paralysed. No, I fought. The CNN presenter Alisyn Camerota put it to the writer that what she was describing was an unambiguous case of legal rape. Carroll declined to agree. She said: I dont use the word. I have difficulty with the word. I see it as a fight. I dont want to be seen as a victim because I quickly went past [it]. It was a very brief episode of my life. Im very careful with that word. Camerota is well versed in the difficulties women face in cases of sexual misconduct. In April 2017 she revealed she was sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, the late and ousted Fox News chair, while she was a presenter on that channel. Were Carroll to go to the NYPD, it is by no means certain a case could be mounted, given statute of limitations concerns. New York state removed the five-year statute of limitations for first-degree rape in 2006 but it did not do so retroactively, meaning that all cases that fell before that year as Carrolls allegations do are not freed from the restriction. Related: Trump repeats contested claim he does not know latest sexual assault accuser That potentially insurmountable roadblock notwithstanding, there are aspects of Carrolls case that would be of interest to NYPD detectives. She has kept the clothes that she was wearing during the alleged assault in her closet, where they remain unlaundered to this day. Carrolls clothing is an echo of the blue cocktail dress worn by Monica Lewinsky, which carried DNA evidence that became important in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Asked by Camerota if she thought her dress could similarly have Trumps DNA on it, Carroll replied: I have no idea whether the president ejaculated. Carroll was asked at length why she had not come forward during the 2016 campaign, and had waited until now. She said that for years she had blamed herself and thought of herself as stupid. But she said she had watched a pattern developing with 16 or more women coming forward to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct she had thought they were doing the job, she said only for Trump to get away with it. With all the women its the same: he denies it, he turns it around, he attacks and he threatens and then everybody forgets it until the next woman comes along. I am sick of it. I am sick of it.
USD/CAD Daily Forecast – Bulls Stay Intact on 1-Week Chart The slump rally that got triggered on June 21 from 1.3229 levels continued to prevail in the pair’s movements even today. TheLoonie pairopened up near 1.3182 levels today, moving around the lower vicinity of the chart. The declining swing highs and swing lows for three days in a row hinted the presence of a substantial downtrend. During the Asian session, the pair attempted to make a strong jump but got capped by 1.3196 resistance mark. In the meanwhile, theUSD Indexwas trading 0.10% lower since the last closing in the early hours. The Greenback was testing the sound 95.89 support levels last touched on March 21 in the Asian session. However, any movement below that mark would shift the next target towards 95.76 support levels. Fed would likely come up with rate cuts by July end. Powell will talk over the economic outlook today in New York. Oilprices appeared to remain steady as market attention turns towards the US-Sino trade talk in G20 meeting next week. Trump had targeted the Iranian Supreme Leader and other top officials with sanctions last day. The President alsomentionedthat other nations should look after their oil shipping instead of making the US as the “Sentinel”. OPEC+ nations might decide to extend the supply cuts when they meet on July 1-2. The US economic docket contains some good number of events, lined up to tweak the pair’s future actions. The April Housing data stays under the focus light. S&P/Case-Shiller YoY April Home Price Indices will come out at around 13:00 GMT. The market expects a 0.1% decrease, reporting near 2.6% this time. Consumer Confidence Index scheduled at 14:00 GMT is also a must-watch event. Street analysts stay positive over April MoM Housing Price Index and May MoM New Home Sales data release. Ahead of the day, Fed Chair Powell would address on the monetary policy. Last day, Trump hadtweetedcalling Fed as a “Stubborn Child”. Therefore, the market can expect some interesting insights out of upcoming Powell’s speech in New York. There is also one low significant Canadian April MoM Wholesale Sales data about to report at 12:30 GMT. At around 20:30 GMT, US API Weekly Crude Oil Stock reports computed since June 21 might influence the Oil prices. The API had reported -0.812 million previous time. The Loonie pair had started falling on June 18 from 1.3432 levels. On June 20, the tumble rally had found a stoppage after rebounding from 1.3152 levels. From there, the pair has beautifully managed to stay sustained within 1.3152/1.3229 range levels. As the chart shows some resemblance to Bear flag pattern, any movement attempting to breach the 1.3229 resistance mark might signal sell alerts. Though the long-term 200-daysSMAwas trading overhead the pair, near-term 50 days and 100-days SMA was moving approaching the pair. Hence, the possibility of a small lift in the short term is noteworthy. On a broader view, the pair appeared to maintain a healthy uptrend. The Loonie pair was traveling above all the major SMA, bolstering upward drift hopes. Anyhow, the bears seemed to stay alive as the 50-days SMA overshadowed the pair’s movements. Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • NZD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • Ethereum Analysis – Resistance Levels in Play – 26/06/19 • EUR/USD Daily Forecast: Euro Falls Back As Powell Readjust Expectations • Gold Jumps Above $1,400 after Dovish Fed • USD/JPY Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • GBP/USD Daily Forecast – Pounds Drops Back to 4-Hour 100 MA
SpaceX lifts 24 satellites into orbit after 'most difficult launch' By Bill Tarrant (Reuters) - A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, putting 24 experimental satellites into orbit after what Elon Musk's rocket company called one of its "most difficult" launches ever. The craft lifted off to cheers from onlookers at 2:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) after a three-hour delay from the original launch time late Monday. The boosters separated safely as the craft began its six-hour mission to deploy the satellites. The two side booster rockets returned safely to Earth, descending onto adjacent Air Force landing pads, but the rocket's center booster missed its mark, crashing in the Atlantic Ocean. Musk, who predicted trouble landing the center booster on SpaceX's drone ship, said on Twitter early Tuesday, "It was a long shot." The mission, dubbed Space Test Program 2 (STP-2), is the third for the Falcon Heavy rocket, which SpaceX describes as the most powerful launch system in the world. REUSABLE ROCKET It was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, the key contractor for commercial space companies such as SpaceX. SpaceX has landed and used many of its booster rockets more than once, touting their reusability as an effective way to cut the costs of future space travel. The U.S. Space and Missile Systems Center, a unit of the U.S. Air Force, said all the satellites lifted into orbit had been deployed and made contact after what one of its officials called "a momentous launch." It marked the first time that the Pentagon has allowed its satellites or other hardware to be launched aboard a previously used rocket. “The SpaceX Falcon Heavy allows the Air Force to begin using previously flown rocket technology to further reduce the cost of launch,“ said Colonel Dennis Bythewood, program executive officer at the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles. The company deployed the satellites for agencies including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), defense department laboratories, universities and a non-profit organization, SpaceX said. The mission was one of the most challenging in SpaceX history, with four separate upper-stage engine burns and three separate orbits to deploy the satellites, the company said on its website. SOLAR SAIL The payloads on the satellites Falcon Heavy put into orbit included an atomic clock NASA is testing for space navigation, another testing new telescope technologies, and a solar sail project part-funded by the Planetary Society, a non-profit organization headed by Bill Nye, popularly known as the "Science Guy" from his frequent U.S. TV appearances. The LightSail 2 is a crowdfunded project that aims to become the first spacecraft in Earth orbit propelled solely by sunlight, the Planetary Society, which has championed solar propulsion for decades, said on its website. LightSail 2 was enclosed within Prox-1, a small satellite built by Georgia Tech students, which will deploy it on July 2, according to the website. Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world "by a factor of two," SpaceX said on its website. It has the ability to lift nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 pounds) into orbit - more than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel. (Reporting by Bill Tarrant and Rich McKay; additional reporting by Joey Roulette and Eric Johnson; Editing by Tom Brown)
What Kind Of Shareholder Owns Most Fidia S.p.A. (BIT:FDA) Stock? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The big shareholder groups in Fidia S.p.A. (BIT:FDA) have power over the company. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.' Fidia is a smaller company with a market capitalization of €21m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutions don't own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about FDA. See our latest analysis for Fidia Small companies that are not very actively traded often lack institutional investors, but it's less common to see large companies without them. There are multiple explanations for why institutions don't own a stock. The most common is that the company is too small relative to fund under management, so the institition does not bother to look closely at the company. On the other hand, it's always possible that professional investors are avoiding a company because they don't think it's the best place for their money. Institutional investors may not find the historic growth of the business impressive, or there might be other factors at play. You can see the past revenue performance of Fidia, for yourself, below. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Fidia. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track. While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that insiders own more than half of Fidia S.p.A.. This gives them effective control of the company. So they have a €11m stake in this €21m business. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish todiscover(for free)if they have been buying or selling. The general public holds a 47% stake in FDA. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. I like to dive deeperinto how a company has performed in the past. You can accessthisinteractive graphof past earnings, revenue and cash flow, for free. Ultimatelythe future is most important. You can access thisfreereport on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Privacy Crypto Zcash to Undergo Complete Rebuild Because It Was A Failure: Analyst Decrypt’s Tim Copeland attended a developer conference hosted by the Electric Coin Company in Croatia. Hereportsthat the company is considering the most significant possible changes to its product, Zcash. If you’re studying crypto, you may have heard ofZcash. It’s a “privacy coin” which allows users to guard their transaction details from the public, and currently the #2 coin in its class by market capitalization (after Monero). Zcash developers want the cryptocurrency to service as many as 10 billion people in the coming three decades, Copeland reports, and they’re willing to do just about anything to get there. One of the major considerations they’re currently undertaking is whether or not (and how) to implement“sharding,”a scaling technique advanced by Ethereum. Adamant Capital analyst and Bitcoin commentatorTuur Demeesterbelieves this is an admission on ECC’s part that their original design was never scalable. Zcash is essentially the Zerocoin protocol inserted into Bitcoin – as an oversimplification. Important aspects spending funds differ. Zcash has certain limitations inherited from Bitcoin and its initial design, which the company would like to solve a bit more creatively than simply increasing the size of blocks. https://twitter.com/TuurDemeester/status/1142759745339703296 Once again, Zcash is building on the shoulders of giants, following important aspects of Ethereum’s developmental roadmap. The company says that they will have to make changes so drastic that an entirely new blockchain design will be required. Presumably, this future hardfork will credit existing holders. But, new designs necessarily entail new vulnerabilities. Not so long ago, a bug was found in the Zerocoin protocol which enabled unlimited inflation https://cryptoslate.com/zerocoin-exploit-found-zcoin-attacked-other-privacy-coins-at-risk/. The CryptoNight protocol, which underpins Monero, once saw a very similar bug emerge in Bytecoin, it's first implementation. Over 80% of its supply was created through an exploit inthe first year. No one knows who, but a single user likely holds the majority of all BCN. Bitcoin has also had problems with bugs potentially causing inflation. In a parallel world, Zcoin developers are integrating recent innovations from Dashincluding ChainLocks, an anti-51% measure just introduced by Dash. Using the Masternode system, Dash is essentially able to lock the first-seen block and permanently prevent block reorganizations that lack a super-majority of support from Masternodes and miners. In a yet-unpublished interview with CCN, Dash Core CEO Ryan Taylor told CCN that privacy is far from the crypto’s primary focus at this point. While Dash long ago introduced in-wallet coin-mixing, a feature that significantly enhances privacy, Dash, according to Taylor, is focused on creating the best possible user experience. A widely held view is that the next frontier after “scalability” – a blockchain’s ability to serve masses of people – is privacy. Bitcoin maximalists resent the idea that Bitcoin may be lacking in privacy. https://twitter.com/BTCsessions/status/1142855429908647937 Tuur Demeester’s final point about the ECC subsidy comes from the last paragraph of Copeland’s article. Copeland writes: “Wilcox said that development and governance need to be funded. Currently, the ECC and the Zcash Foundation are funded through mining rewards. These are slated to stop in 2020. He argued that continued funding is necessary for development, but failed to specify how that might work.”
Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s ‘faked’ racial attack: what really happened? Jussie Smollett outside court in March after the charges against him were dropped - Getty Images North America Jussie Smollett, the actor known for playing Jamal Lyon in US hip-hop drama Empire, has been catapulted to an international platform after his claims of being a victim of a racist and homophobic attack have turned into one of Hollywood’s most baffling mysteries. Smollett, who is black, openly gay and a vociferous detractor of Trump’s America, was taken to hospital following an alleged attack by two men. In a surprise reversal, he subsequently turned himself in on charges of filing a false report – but he was later cleared of all changes. And yet the actor, it has since been confirmed, will not return to Empire. Moreover, he is now facing legal action from his alleged assailants – who turn out to be brothers known to him. This is how one of the strangest celebrity sagas has unfolded so far. January A threatening letter is sent to Smollett at the Empire production offices, which are in Chicago. January 29 At 2am, Smollett tells the police that he has been attacked by two men, who shouted homophobic and racist abuse at him before putting a rope around his neck and covering him in a chemical substance thought to be bleach. He says he believed the attackers to be white, later adding that the attackers mentioned “MAGA country”, referring to Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan. The incident, Smollett says, took place in East Lower North Water Street in Downtown Chicago. Jussie Smollett, Credit: Invision Afterwards, he went home and his manager called the police 40 minutes after the attack. He walked into hospital and was X-rayed before being discharged. According to Anthony Guglielmi, communications officer for the Chicago Police, Smollett had been hesitant to report the incident because he was so well-known. The police say they are treating the attack as “a possible hate crime”. TMZ.com are the first to report the story, claiming sources confirmed that Smollett was walking home from a Subway sandwich shop when someone shouted at him: “Aren’t you that faggot Empire n-----?” Story continues January 30 As the news breaks, Smollett receives an outpouring of support from notable public figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Ellen Degeneres, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Joe Biden and Empire co-creator Danny Strong. Chicago police search through CCTV footage of the area but can’t see any images of the incident, causing some skepticism to begin to form on social media, as the area was one of high-traffic and there are no official witnesses. What is found, however, are two “potential persons of interest wanted for questioning” with their backs to the camera. The FBI investigate the letter sent to the Empire office the previous week. Smollett’s manager confirms that he was on the phone to the actor during the incident and heard some of what happened. Photos of people of interest who were in area of the alleged assault & battery of Empire cast member. While video does not capture an encounter, detectives are taking this development seriously & wish to question individuals as more cameras are being reviewed pic.twitter.com/xJDDygtocr — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) January 31, 2019 January 31 Trump condemns the attack in an interview, saying it is “horrible” and “doesn’t get worse”. Smollett’s family releases a statement that reads: “Jussie was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.” February 1 Smollett releases his first public statement since the attack. “Let me start by saying that I’m O.K. My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words.” He also acknowledges the rising skepticism over his story: “I am working with authorities and have been 100 per cent factual and consistent on every level. Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served.” Chicago police superintendent Eddie T Johnson backed Smollett up in a local television interview, saying: “We have to remember, he’s a victim. You know, so we have to treat it like he’s a victim. We have no reason to think that he’s not being genuine with us.” February 3 Smollett performs at a concert in West Hollywood. He thanked the crowd and said that he was OK, adding: “I have so many words on my heart that I want to say.” He went on to say that although he wasn’t yet completely healed (he had a small mark underneath his eye, but showed no other signs of injury), he “had to be here tonight” so as not to let his attackers win. February 11 A week after the police say the suspects haven’t been identified, though they are still following leads, the department say that Smollett refused to give full access to his phone. Guglielmi said Smollett handed in a PDF file that included records of phone calls from an hour before the attack (according to Smollett’s manager, the pair were having a conversation when he was attacked) but that the redactions were “extreme”, and needed additional information as to corroborate the investigative timeline, as what was offered did “not meet the burden for a criminal investigation.” Smollett’s spokesperson says that the files were redacted to “protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack”. February 13 Two brothers, Obabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, are detained by the Chicago police after arriving in the city’s airport from Nigeria. They are of Nigerian descent. When police raid their family home in Chicago, they remove an Empire script, two hats (one red) and one face mask. February 14 The brothers’ attorney, Gloria Schmidt, tells CBS that the brothers were mystified by the police interest in them, and that they know Smollett professionally: “When they first learned about what happened to him they were horrified. This is someone they know. This is someone they’ve worked with, so they don’t want to see somebody go through that,” she said. “They’re really baffled why they are people of interest. They really don’t understand how they even got information that linked them to this horrific crime. But they’re not guilty of it. They know that the evidence is going to prove them innocent. They send their best to Jussie.” Smollett, meanwhile, gives his first interview about the incident to Good Morning America. In it, he recounted the events of the incident and tearfully addresses the rising doubt over his claims. “It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more,” he told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “A lot more.” Smollett also explained that, while the incident took place beneath a CCTV camera, the camera was facing north – away from the attack – when it happened, meaning that none of it was captured. “That was disappointing,” he said. He was also quizzed about the lack of phone accounts. Smollett said he was asked to hand his phone over to the police “for three to four hours”, but refused, telling Roberts: “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do that. I have private pictures and videos and numbers, my partner’s number, my family’s number, my castmates’ numbers, my friends’ numbers, my private emails, my private songs. I don’t know what that’s going to be to hand over my phone.” The speculation that has been bubbling up on social media also starts to appear in the press. ABC 7 Eyewitness News’s Chicago branch report that “multiple sources” have said “police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written [out] of Empire. Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment, the studios behind Empire, release a statement denying any plans to remove Smollett from the show: “The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written [out] of Empire is patently ridiculous. He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.” February 15 Guglielmi posts on Twitter to say that the notion of Smollett’s attack being a hoax is unconfirmed by Chicago detectives. Media reports anout the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives. Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate. pic.twitter.com/iSO5YFv452 — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 15, 2019 The Chicago police arrest and investigate Obabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, but later that day, release both brothers without charging them. A statement released by Guglielmi said: “The individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete.” CBS Chicago add that “two sources with intimate knowledge of the investigation tell CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards the attack on Smollett was potentially orchestrated by the actor himself, and involved two other men.” The report adds that “police said while there is no evidence documenting the alleged attack, there is also no evidence to say it is a hoax. They said Smollett is being co-operative at this time and continues to be treated as a victim, not a suspect.” February 16 A new CBS report from an anonymous source claims that the Osundairo brothers “told detectives Smollett paid them to participate in the alleged attack on January 29 and that they purchased the rope – which was found around Smollett’s neck — at a nearby hardware store. The source said detectives have evidence to corroborate the sale, something the men's attorney alluded to Friday night.” The sources said that the brothers were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria on January 29 and were promised a further $500 upon their return. The pair also rehearsed the attack three days before it took place. For the first time in the incident, Smollett’s response comes via two lawyers, Todd S Pugh and Victor P Henderson. They release a statement: “Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimised by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying. “One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity. “Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate. At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to “unnamed” sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels.” Chicago police confirm to EW that the investigation has changed, and they will be doing another interview with Smollett: “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation. We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.” A source told Deadline , meanwhile: “The new direction of the investigation is now based on the premise that Mr Smollett was an active participant in the incident.” February 17 Guglielmi confirms that the follow-up interview with Smollett had not yet been conducted, and declined to comment on reports that the police believed Smollett staged the attack or that evidence may be presented to a grand jury. “We’re not confirming, denying or commenting on anything until we can talk to him and we can corroborate some information that we’ve gotten,” Guglielmi said. A law enforcement source tells Deadline that there is a “sense of frustration” over the lack of formal response from Smollett’s team regarding a further interview to go over new evidence. February 18 The Chicago police are still keen to meet with Smollett, but, a spokesperson for Smollett’s lawyers said: “There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today. “Smollett’s attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf. We have no further comment today.” February 19 Chicago police confirm that they and prosecutors have spoken again with the Osundairo brothers at a courthouse. After receiving a tip that Smollett was seen in a lift with the pair shortly before the attack, Chicago police investigate, but confirm in a statement that they do not believe the report is credible. February 20 Guglielmi announces that the local attorney's office has approved felony charges against Smollett for “Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report”. The police spokesman writes on Twitter: “Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.” Smollett’s lawyers said that they would “conduct a thorough investigation and mount an aggressive defence”. February 21 Smollett turns himself in on the charge of making a false police report. Variety report that Fox is considering removing Smollett from Empire, with producers “weighing whether to suspend the actor” after his arrest. A spokesperson for 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the series, declines to comment. The Chicago police hold a press conference, which is streamed live online. During it, Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki explains that Smollett now faces a maximum of three years in prison if found guilty. They added that Smollett planned the attack because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on Empire and “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career”. His lawyers did not comment on the conference. Meanwhile, President Trump lambasts Smollett on Twitter, posting: “what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!?” Later in the day, Smollett makes his first court appearance as a Chicago judge set a $100,000 bond. The prosecutor reads from a bond proffer that included extensive evidence against Smollett, including text messages and witness statements. Smollett was revealed to have been close friends with Abel Osundairo, who, the chief of criminal prosecutions bureau said, had allegedly been providing Smollett with designer drugs since spring 2018. Smollett denies involvement in the attack. Jussie Smollett leaving Cook County jail Credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo Reports then emerge that, having posted bail, Smollett returned to the Empire set. He allegedly told his cast mates: “I’m sorry I’ve put you all through this and not answered any calls. I wanted to say I’m sorry and, you know me, I would never do this to any of you, you are my family. I swear to God, I did not do this.” Smollett’s legal team issue a statement saying that Smollett was “a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence”. “Mr Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing.” February 22 Smollett is suspended from the final two episodes of the current series of Empire. In a statement, the show’s producers say that the allegations against him are “disturbing”, and that the atmosphere on set has been “incredibly emotional”. March 7 Jussie Smollett leaving Cook County jail after posting bond Smollett is charged by a Chicago grand jury on 16 counts of disorderly conduct. He is to appear in court on March 16, and denies all the charges. In a statement, his lawyers refer to him as “a young man of impeccable character”, and say that they plan to mount an “aggressive defence”. March 26 In a move that few saw coming, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that they have dropped all charges against Smollett. They said that the decision was reached after reviewing all of the facts, and after – unusually – Smollett agreed to donate his $10,000 bond to the city. After the announcement, Smollett makes a statement outside the courthouse: I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. … This has been an incredibly difficult time. Honestly, one of the worst of my entire life. But I am a man of faith and a man who has knowledge of my history and would not bring my family, our lives and the movement through a fire like this. I just wouldn’t. A spokesperson for Empire’s studio said in a statement, “Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed.” April 23 The Osundairo brothers sue Smollett for defamation. The actor, the suit alleges, “wanted his employer and the public to notice and appreciate him as a successful black, openly gay actor. “Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose.” June 5 In a brief tweet responding to a Variety article, which had suggested that Smollett would return to Empire, the show’s co-creator Lee Daniels confirms that the reverse is true. “This is not factual,” he writes . “Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire.” June 24 As part of a large release of documents surrounding the incident, Chicago police footage emerges showing Smollett wearing the “noose” in his apartment. In the video, Smollett’s creative director Frank Gaston shows a police officer into the actor’s apartment, where they come upon Smollett himself. The actor claims that his assailants put the noose on him, and also threw bleach at him. He then asks for the camera to be switched off. Among the cache of roughly 1,200 documents, there is also an e-mail from a police sergeant, who mentions receiving a tip-off that an anonymous individual had orchestrated the attack on Smollett.
Boris Johnson says it is simply unfair to drag loved ones into politics as he keeps silence over late-night row Boris Johnson has branded media coverage of his private life a waste of time as he came under pressure to respond to the fallout over reports of a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend. The frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest refused to answer questions about what led to police being called to the south London home he shares with Carrie Symonds on last Friday. In a radio interview this morning Mr Johnson dodged questions about whether he staged a photo in a Sussex field with Ms Symonds after the disturbance and gave the image to the press. LBC said he refused to answer a question about when the photo was taken a total of 26 times. Mr Johnson was interviewed on LBC radio on Tuesday (Picture: PA) In another radio interview, this time with TalkRadio, Mr Johnson insisted the UK would be leaving the EU on the October 31 deadline "do or die, come what may". He said some "positive energy" would help deliver Brexit, hitting out at the "pathetic" efforts of Theresa May's administration - a government in which he served as foreign secretary for two years until July 2018. "I've never seen such morosity and gloom from a government," he said. The picture was on the front page of the Daily Mail "For three years we've been sitting around wrapped in defeatism telling the British public that they can't do this or that. It is pathetic, it's absolutely pathetic." Evading questions about his private life in an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said: "The longer we spend on things extraneous to what I want to do... the bigger the waste of time." In the same interview, Mr Johnson admitted his plan for a Brexit free-trade agreement would require a huge amount of goodwill from the EU to work. He claimed he would be able to succeed where Theresa May failed to deliver Brexit because politics has changed since 29 March. Mr Johnson said MPs would support no deal despite the fact parliament has voted a number of times to block it. He said: "People are looking at this thing and thinking 'Parliament is just not going to do this'. But, actually, I think they are." Story continues Picture: PA Asked about reports that US president Donald Trumps former campaign manager, Steve Bannon, was advising his own bid for top office, Mr Johnson said: This is the biggest load of codswallop I have ever heard. On Monday, Mr Johnson defended his silence over the late-night row with his partner, saying it was unfair to drag loved ones into politics. Asked what happened that night in an often heated TV interview with the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Johnson said he did not want to "drag" his family and loved ones into the political spotlight. He said: "I would love to tell you about all sorts of things, Laura, but I've made it a rule over many, many years - and I think you've interviewed me loads of times - I do not talk about stuff involving my family, my loved ones. Mr Johnson leaves a radio interview at LBC in central London on Tuesday (Picture: PA) "And there's a very good reason for that. That is that, if you do, you drag them into things that in a way that is not fair on them." Mr Johnson was asked whether privacy meant more to him than public trust and responded: "Yes I get that, I totally get that. "But my key point though is that the minute you start talking about your family or your loved ones, you involve them in a debate that is it is simply unfair on them." Boris Johnson refused to answer questions about the reported row at his home (Picture: BBC) Mr Johnson was grilled by BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg (Picture: BBC) The issue of a photograph of the couple at the weekend in a field in Sussex that emerged on Monday was raised, with Ms Kuenssberg suggesting the former mayor of London could be "trying to have this both ways". Mr Johnson dodged the question, saying "I just do not go into this stuff" and referred to "innumerable statements I gave when I was mayor". Read more Tube pusher given life sentence for attempted murder of Eurotunnel boss on Underground Temperatures could soar to 35C by Saturday but not before heavy rain and thunderstorms Brothers jailed for £1.2m human trafficking plot which saw workers crammed into houses In the interview, Mr Johnson called for a "commonsensical" no-deal Brexit to be left on the table to allow the "incubus" to be "pitchforked off the back of British politics". He called on the UK to "abandon the defeatism and negativity" as he claimed the route out of the impasse was "to prepare confidently and seriously for a WTO (World Trade Organisation) or no-deal outcome". The former foreign secretary criticised the UK negotiating team for being the "authors of our own incarceration" in creating the backstop to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. Mr Johnson's partner, Carrie Symonds (Picture: PA/Getty) Mr Johnson's partner, Carrie Symonds, with his father, Stanley, at an anti-whaling protest in London (Picture: PA/Getty) Suggesting he would dump the negotiators, Mr Johnson said: "Change the approach of the UK negotiators and you have a very different outcome." But when picked up on what would enable the UK to avoid any backstop, Mr Johnson could not name an existing technology. He also insisted he would have time to come up with an alternative to the backstop during an implementation period - despite this being part of Theresa May's deal, which he had earlier dismissed as "dead". Jeremy Hunt criticised his rival's lack of media time (Picture: Getty) Justice Secretary David Gauke, who backed Rory Stewart in the race, tweeted: "Can we all agree on the following? "The implementation period is one element of the withdrawal agreement. Without the withdrawal agreement, no implementation period has been agreed. "Leaving without a deal on 31 October means leaving without an implementation period." Mr Johnsons decision to go in front of the cameras represents a shift in strategy after the normally high-profile candidate was dubbed "a coward" by leadership rival Jeremy Hunt for refusing to take part in televised debates. Mr Johnson continues to cause confusion with his claims about Article 24 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), saying the UK can have a standstill in its current trade agreements with the EU while a free trade deal is negotiated. But Article 24 does not remove the need to strike a deal with the EU, and such an agreement using this is unlikely to happen. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
What counts as a “green” investment, anyway? The European Union says that the region needs an additional €175-290 billion in private investment a year (pdf) to become a “climate-neutral” economy by 2050. (That’s $199-330 billion.) That may sound like a lot, but it barely puts a dent in the $5-7 trillion that the UN thinks is needed every year to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, which target the environment in addition to a host of other issues. To plug the gap, “sustainable investing” is spreading from a niche area of the financial sector into the mainstream . Investing along environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria is one of the fastest-growing strategies in finance. ESG is not quite as intensive as “impact investing” (investments that must produce a specific and measurable environmental or social impact) but it’s more than just negative screening (cutting out tobacco or firearms stocks from portfolios). Within ESG, it’s the “E” that’s gaining the most traction as global protests and severe weather events push climate policy higher in the public’s consciousness. Plant-based meats sound healthy, but they’re still processed foods But the rapid growth of the field—by some measures, assets committed to sustainable investment strategies represents half of all professionally managed assets in Europe —is raising concerns about “ greenwashing .” The industry has grown organically, with organizations deciding for themselves what counts as an environmentally sustainable, or “green,” investment. Now, the EU has sought to settle the matter. Last week, the European Commission published a classification system , known as a taxonomy, that details what economic activities are green, and therefore what really counts as an environmentally sustainable investment. The 400-page report by the Technical Expert Group on sustainable finance identifies activities with “the potential to contribute substantially to climate change mitigation.” Story continues Facebook’s Libra is spurring central banks’ interest in issuing cryptocurrency What counts as sustainable? According to the taxonomy (pdf), there are three kinds of activities that make a “real contribution” to climate change mitigation and adaption: first, activities that are already low carbon and therefore compatible with plans for a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, zero-emissions transport; second, activities that are clearly contributing to a net-zero carbon economy, such as low-emissions cars; and third, activities that enable the previous two, such as the manufacturing of wind turbines. To be considered environmentally sustainable, the activity has to actively contribute to one of six objectives: Climate change mitigation Climate change adaption Sustainable use of water and marine resources Transition to a circular economy, and waste prevention and recycling Pollution prevention control Protection of healthy ecosystems Even if the activity is designed to achieve climate change mitigation or adaption—the first two objectives—it still has to avoid “significant harm” to the four other objectives to be considered environmentally sustainable under the taxonomy. On the same day it published the taxonomy, the EU also published guidelines for companies on how to report non-financial, or ESG, information in line with the classification system. How does the taxonomy work? The taxonomy immediately excludes any activities that are believed to undermine long-term efforts towards a carbon-neutral economy, such as anything to do with coal-powered electricity generation. “Improving the efficiency of these activities may provide short-term benefits, but they are not considered consistent with the aims of the taxonomy,” the report says. The classification system covers 67 activities across eight different sectors—agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, energy, transportation, water and waste, information technology, and buildings—that the EU believes will make substantial contributions to climate change mitigation. For each activity, there is a technical screening about why the activity will help achieve a carbon-neutral economy, what metrics will be used to assess the environmental performance of the activity, and where the threshold will be set for those measures to be considered environmentally sustainable. For example, afforestation is covered by the taxonomy and so is the renovation of existing buildings. All investments in electricity storage are also eligible to be considered green. (The full list of activities can be found on pages 22-25 of this pdf .) Manufacturing is the one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, but it is also vital to building low-carbon products and technology. So, the taxonomy splits manufacturing into activities that need to be greened, called “greening of” activities, such as the manufacturing of iron and steel, cement, and chemicals. And then there are “greening by” activities, such as the making of products needed for renewable technologies, low-carbon vehicles, and equipment that boosts the energy efficiency of buildings. Here’s how the classification works for a significant “greening of” activity: the manufacture of steel and iron. For investments in this sector, the metric is greenhouse gas emissions and the taxonomy sets thresholds for emissions at the average of the 10% most greenhouse gas-efficient installations. It also notes that steel production from a minimum 90% scrap is eligible to be classified as a sustainable investment. It then lays out the “do no significant harm” assessment: the key potential damages to avoid include drawing water from sources already under stress, the impact on local biodiversity, and the generation of waste and other byproducts. Now what? The EU taxonomy hasn’t been officially adopted yet. It will go through six more months of refinement and public feedback. For many in the field of sustainable investing, one of the biggest bugbears has been a lack of standardization. It’s this excessive flexibility that invites greenwashing and foments fears that investments marketed as satisfying ESG standards could blow up and tarnish the entire sector. Still, not everyone thinks the EU’s classification system gets it right. Ben Caldecott, director of the Sustainable Finance Programme at Oxford University, says the taxonomy “encourages laziness and disincentives ambition.” In an article for Responsible Investor just before its publication, Caldecott lays out a range of concerns. He argues that sustainability has “shades of green” that depend on local and national contexts, with definitions changing over time. The EU’s binary assessment of what is and isn’t green “does not reflect reality or the science,” he says. What’s more, the process of setting thresholds could be vulnerable to lobbying and political influence. The European Commission is pushing ahead: last week it also issued a report for an EU Green Bond Standard (pdf), detailing how the taxonomy would be used to cement the development of another fast-growing asset class, in addition to a report on disclosure requirements for climate and ESG benchmarks (pdf). How forceful the taxonomy, classifications, and other standards will be within EU legislation is uncertain. Last week, EU leaders met to set the agenda for the new five-year European Parliament. The meeting included a proposal to strengthen the EU’s climate goals to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, which could boost the sustainable investing sector (and was assumed as a goal in the taxonomy). But delegates from Poland and other eastern European countries, which still heavily rely on coal, objected . Instead, the meeting ended with a compromise resolution to make the EU climate neutral, but with no stated target date. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief , our free daily newsletter with the world’s most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: Google and Facebook are circling Africa with huge undersea cables to get millions online The new White House press secretary took on North Korean security for US reporters
What Type Of Shareholder Owns easyJet plc's (LON:EZJ)? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Every investor in easyJet plc (LON:EZJ) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.' easyJet has a market capitalization of UK£3.5b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about EZJ. View our latest analysis for easyJet Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. As you can see, institutional investors own 51% of easyJet. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of easyJet, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in easyJet. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in easyJet plc. It has a market capitalization of just UK£3.5b, and insiders have UK£1.2b worth of shares in their own names. That's quite significant. It is good to see this level of investment. You cancheck here to see if those insiders have been buying recently. The general public, with a 14% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. I like to dive deeperinto how a company has performed in the past. You can accessthisinteractive graphof past earnings, revenue and cash flow, for free. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss thisfreereport on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
American accused of trying to overthrow Vietnam government gets 12-year jail term This picture from the Vietnam News Agency taken and released on June 24, 2019 shows US citizen Michael Nguyen standing on trial in Ho Chi Minh City. HANOI, Vietnam – A Vietnamese court has sentenced an American to 12 years in jail for what was described as an attempt to overthrow the Communist nation’s government. The state-owned Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Tuesday that 55-year-old Michael Nguyen was also convicted of inciting people to participating in protests with the intent to attack government offices in the capital, Hanoi, and southern Ho Chi Minh City. Two Vietnamese men, Huynh Duc Thanh Binh, 23, and Tran Long Phi, 21, were sentenced to 10 and 8 years in prison respectively for the same charges after a half-day trial Monday in Ho Chi Minh City. They were arrested last July in Ho Chi Minh City after returning from Hue in central Vietnam, where they had traveled to recruit more anti-government protesters, according to the state media report. The protests Nguyen is accused of planning did not occur. Nguyen is from Orange County, California, and his wife was a guest of Rep. Katie Porter at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this year. “I’m disappointed with this outcome, and my heart aches for the Nguyen family and for our Orange County community,” Porter told the Orange County Register newspaper in an email. Nguyen’s wife, Helen Nguyen, was quoted by the newspaper as saying the sentence was “a slap to the United States.” She said their youngest child, one of their four children, cried out “why, why, why” when she heard the news. Protests are rare in Vietnam, where the Communist authorities do not tolerate criticism of the government. More than a dozen people were tried last year on charges of conducting anti-government propaganda. Human Rights Watch ranks Vietnam among countries with the least freedom of expression. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American accused of trying to overthrow Vietnam government gets 12-year jail term
Nissan governance steps, board win shareholders' approval YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Scandal-battered Nissan won its shareholders' approval Tuesday for a new system of committees to oversee governance and for keeping Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa on its board. The Japanese automaker's profits and dividends have tumbled amid a high-profile scandal involving its former chairman Carlos Ghosn. Some shareholders expressed worries about the future of the automaker. Saikawa and the other board members, including French alliance partner Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard, bowed deeply at the meeting at a convention center in the port city of Yokohama, where Nissan Motor Corp. is based. "I'd like to offer my deepest apologies, representing the company, for how the misconduct has caused serious concern for our shareholders," Saikawa said. Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades, was arrested in November and is awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, including falsifying documents related to retirement compensation. He says he is innocent. The proposals to have committees overseeing compensation, board nominations and auditing required a majority of shareholders for a quorum and two-thirds of those voting for passage. Approval was shown by clapping among the more than 2,800 people present at the meeting. Most of the votes were submitted in advance. French automaker Renault, which owns 43% of Nissan, had earlier signaled it may abstain, saying it wanted more representation on the committees. To satisfy that request, the committees have Senard, who replaced Ghosn on the Nissan board, and Renault Chief Executive Thierry Bollore. Saikawa told shareholders he had "two kinds of responsibility," for what had happened in the past as well as building toward a future and a recovery, including nurturing his successor. "I would like to work toward putting Nissan on a stable track," he said, asking for shareholders' approval for his remaining as Nissan's leader. "I want to speed up the preparations for a succession." Story continues Although Nissan has been trying to put the scandal behind it, many wonder why the alleged wrongdoing, if true, had gone unchecked, and especially how much Saikawa knew. One shareholder asked whether Nissan officials besides Ghosn shared in the alleged misconduct. For the fiscal year that ended in March, Nissan's profit plunged to about half of what it was the previous year, partly because of the scandal, as well as problems in the lucrative North American market. The maker of the Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models is projecting a further deterioration in its earnings, but promising a recovery for the year after that. It logged 9.2 billion yen ($83 million) in costs for the fiscal year that ended in March from alleged underreporting of Ghosn's compensation. The proposal, which won shareholders' approval, called for an 11-member board, including seven outside directors such as Andrew House, formerly with Japanese electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp. For the appointment of directors, a third of the shareholders made for a quorum, and passage needed a simple majority of those voting. Some analysts suggest a deepening rift between Renault and Nissan after a planned merger between Renault and Fiat Chrysler fell through earlier this month. Nissan expressed reservations about immediately joining the merger. Some shareholders expressed worries about the alliance, and one who stood up to ask a question said the main person who had made decisions, referring to Ghosn, was now gone. Nissan held an extraordinary shareholders' meeting in April to oust Ghosn. Last week, Mitsubishi Motors Corp., a smaller Japanese automaker in which Nissan owns a 34% stake, won shareholders' approval to oust Ghosn. ___ Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yurikageyama/?hl=en
Women's World Cup 2019 schedule: Fixtures, results, kick-off times, what TV channels, final and venues The 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup is now just weeks away, with 24 countries battling it out in France to be crowned winners. Defending champions the United States are among the favourites to win the eighth edition of the tournament after their success in Canada four years ago. France and Germany will also be strong contenders, while the Netherlands are dark horses after winning Women’s Euro 2017 in their own backyard, beating Denmark 4-2 in the final. And England shouldn’t be overlooked – Phil Neville’s side finished third in 2015 and are riding high after winning the SheBelieves Cup for the very first time earlier this season. Here’s the full schedule for the tournament. Women's World Cup 2019 group stage fixtures (all times BST) Friday 7 June Group A: France 4-0 South Korea Saturday 8 June Group A: Norway 3-0 Nigeria Group B: Spain 3-1 South Africa Group B: Germany 1-0 China Sunday 9 June Group C: Australia 1-2 Italy Group C: Brazil 3-0 Jamaica Group D: England 2-1 Scotland Monday 10 June Group D: Argentina 0-0 Japan Group E: Canada 1-0 Cameroon Tuesday 11 June Group E: New Zealand 0-1 Netherlands Group F: Chile 0-2 Sweden Group F: United States 13-0 Thailand Wednesday 12 June Group A: Nigeria 2-0 South Korea Group B: Germany 1-0 Spain Group A: France 2-1 Norway Thursday 13 June Group C: Australia 3-2 Brazil Group B: South Africa 0-1 China Friday 14 June Group D: Japan 2-1 Scotland Group D: England 1-0 Argentina Group C: Jamaica 0-5 Italy Saturday 15 June Group E: Netherlands 3-1 Cameroon Group E: Canada 2-0 New Zealand Sunday 16 June Group F: United States 3-0 Chile Group F: Sweden 5-1 Thailand Monday 17 June Group B: China 0-0 Spain Group B: South Africa 0-4 Germany Group A: Nigeria 0-1 France Group A: South Korea 1-2 Norway Tuesday 18 June Group C: Jamaica 1-4 Australia Group C: Italy 0-1 Brazil Wednesday 19 June Group D: Japan 0-2 England Group D: Scotland 3-3 Argentina Thursday 20 June Group E: Cameroon 2-1 New Zealand Group E: Netherlands 2-1 Canada Group F: Sweden 0-2 United States Story continues Group F: Thailand 0-2 Chile The Women's World Cup begins next month (Getty) Knockout phase Round of 16: TV channels to be confirmed - BBC has exclusive broadcast rights Saturday 22 June 38: Germany 3-0 Nigeria 37: Norway 1-1 Australia (4-1 pens) Sunday 23 June 39: England 3-0 Cameroon 40: France 2-1 Brazil (AET) Monday 24 June 41: Spain 1-2 USA 42: Sweden 1-0 Canada Tuesday 25 June 43: Italy vs China (17:00, Montpellier) 44: Netherlands vs Japan (20:00, Rennes) Quarter-finals: Thursday 27 June 45: Norway vs England (20:00, Le Havre) Friday 28 June 46: France vs USA (20:00, Paris) Saturday 29 June 47: W43 vs W44 (14:00, Valenciennes) 48: Germany vs Sweden (17:30, Rennes) Semi-finals: Tuesday 2 July 49: W45 vs W46 (20:00, Lyon) Wednesday 3 July 50: W47 vs W48 (20:00, Lyon) Third-place play-off: Saturday 6 July (16:00, Nice) Final: Sunday 7 July (16:00, Lyon)
Carrefour boss rules out exiting more countries after China deal PARIS (Reuters) - Carrefour boss Alexandre Bompard said he had no plans to exit other countries after the French supermarket retailer agreed to sell a majority stake in its Chinese operations to electronics retailer Suning.com. "China was a very specific situation, a very small market share, a small player with losses. When I came in, I saw that size was an issue. The other countries do not have the same configuration." Bompard told BFM Business TV on Tuesday. "One must focus on the strategic battles. I would love to lead all the battles. In China, when you have a 2.8 percent market share, you have lost the digital battle even though our teams did a wonderful job," he added. Carrefour on Sunday became the latest Western retailer to retreat from the Chinese market as fierce competition from domestic rivals and a growing online market puts pressure on foreign firms. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
Dutch investigate KPN network outage, company blames software bug By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government launched an inquiry on Tuesday into a nationwide network outage at telecoms company KPN that knocked out emergency service numbers for nearly four hours, with the company pointing the finger at a software error. Monday's network problem, which rendered national police, ambulance and fire department emergency numbers unreachable, did not appear to be the result of a security breach, KPN said. It said in a statement on Tuesday the outage appeared to have been caused by "a mistake in the software" of its call routing systems. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus told Dutch lawmakers that during the outage three KPN backup systems had failed, and the government had moved to an "analog" play-book crafted for situations in which digital services failed. That involved sending police and firefighters on to the street and directing people with health emergencies to seek their own transportation to hospitals. There were no reports of serious mishaps as a result of the outage, which prompted calls for a change in the system. "I want to investigate thoroughly how the outage at KPN could have started and the consequences for emergency services, and then also look at how the crisis management went," Grapperhaus said in the Dutch parliament. KPN SAYS SORRY In addition to other problems, a new national alert system that posts messages directly to cell phones had failed to work in many cases, and sent multiple messages in others. And in one message it accidentally listed a newspaper's tip-line as an alternate phone number for emergency services. "If three fail-safes don't work then something is seriously wrong," Socialist Party lawmaker Ronald van Raak said. "If there is such bungling at KPN then we should make sure that a different provider, a different telecommunications company can take it over, right?" Grapperhaus agreed he would look at the possibility. "We offer our sincere apologies to our customers and Dutch society," said Joost Farwerck, KPN's Chief Operations Officer, in a statement. "KPN suspects that there was a mistake in the software that occurred in all four routing systems at once." KPN was privatized in the 1990s but is still the country's largest telecoms group, followed by subsidiaries of Vodafone and T-Mobile. Two people died during an outage of the Dutch emergency services numbers in 2012 and then-Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten said measures had been taken to prevent a recurrence. CEO TO LEAVE The morning after the outage KPN announced that chief executive Maximo Ibarra will leave due to "family reasons" after a little over a year in the job, adding that the Colombian-Italian executive's decision was not linked to the outage. Ibarra will return to Italy where he will take charge of Comcast's Sky Italia pay-television business, two sources close to the matter said.. "I regret the timing, but family reasons gave me no choice," Ibarra said in a statement. "I will dedicate myself in the coming months to securing a seamless transfer to my successor." Ibarra will stay at KPN, whose shares traded 1.7% lower by 1515 GMT, until the end of September as it seeks a replacement. KPN has sold its international activities and now only serves the Dutch market, selling bundles of telephone, internet and TV services to consumers and businesses. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; additional reporting by Elvira Pollina in Milan.; Editing by Louise Heavens, Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)
Here's Why I Think Alpha FX Group (LON:AFX) Might Deserve Your Attention Today Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. But as Peter Lynch said inOne Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies likeAlpha FX Group(LON:AFX). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath. View our latest analysis for Alpha FX Group If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS). It's no surprise, then, that I like to invest in companies with EPS growth. I, for one, am blown away by the fact that Alpha FX Group has grown EPS by 50% per year, over the last three years. Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but like a lotus blooming from a murky pond, it sparks joy for the wary stock pickers. I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). While Alpha FX Group did well to grow revenue over the last year, EBIT margins were dampened at the same time. So it seems the future my hold further growth, especially if EBIT margins can stabilize. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. While profitability drives the upside, prudent investors alwayscheck the balance sheet, too. Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Alpha FX Group insiders own a meaningful share of the business. Actually, with 44% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. I'm reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. With that sort of holding, insiders have about UK£128m riding on the stock, at current prices. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value! It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but I find myself wondering if remuneration policies are shareholder friendly. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Alpha FX Group with market caps between UK£158m and UK£630m is about UK£684k. The Alpha FX Group CEO received total compensation of just UK£315k in the year to December 2018. That's clearly well below average, so at a glance, that arrangement seems generous to shareholders, and points to a modest remuneration culture. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally. Alpha FX Group's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. The sweetener is that insiders have a mountain of stock, and the CEO remuneration is quite reasonable. The sharp increase in earnings could signal good business momentum. Alpha FX Group certainly ticks a few of my boxes, so I think it's probably well worth further consideration. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Alpha FX Group by focusing on just these factors,oryou couldalsoconsider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry. You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here isa list of companies with insider buying in the last three months. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
DTCP closes USD 350 million Venture and growth fund including capital from institutional and Corporate investors Corporate sponsors SK Telecom and ZEISS have committed capital to DTCP's second Venture and Growth Fund joining Deutsche Telekom, HarbourVest Partners, Neuberger Berman and other investors. The fund focuses on Enterprise Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies enabling digital transformation in: Cloud and Network Infrastructure, 5G/IoT, Digital Enterprise, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Marketing Technology. HAMBURG, GERMANY & MENLO PARK, US & HERZLIYA, ISRAEL / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2019 / DTCP announced today that it has secured additional capital commitments from two corporate sponsors for its second Venture and Growth Fund: SK Telecom, the largest mobile operator in Korea and frontrunner in the fields of mobile network, AI, IoT, media and platform services, and ZEISS, an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics, headquartered in Germany. The new investors join Deutsche Telekom, HarbourVest Partners, Neuberger Berman private equity funds and others as Limited Partners (LPs) in the fund which boasts total commitments of USD 350 million and is now closed for further investors. The fund looks to deploy tickets between USD 5 and 50 million into Enterprise SaaS companies that: (i) operate in the sectors Cloud and Network Infrastructure, 5G/IoT, Digital Enterprise, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Marketing Technology; (ii) typically feature annualized recurring revenues of USD 5 million or more and (iii) base their business model on strong underlying technology. "In addition to Deutsche Telekom's continued support and trust, we are delighted that two additional investors have joined our existing investor base, contributing a substantial amount of capital. This is an important milestone in DTCP's development from a single LP into a multi LP technology investment platform. Our first venture and growth fund's track record since inception in 2015 has helped us attract top-tier corporate and financial investors, and we are delighted to welcome our new partners," said Vicente Vento, cofounder and CEO of DTCP. "The larger-sized fund will enable us to increase our involvement with top-tier deep-tech software companies in our investment scope, and the new collaboration with SK Telecom will allow us to expand our geographic reach into Asia." Story continues DTCP has already deployed capital in five companies from its second-generation fund. It led the Series F financing in cloud platform company Fastly, which recently went public on the NYSE (FSLY), and joined financing rounds in employee communication and engagement platform Dynamic Signal, light-touch sales platform Pipedrive, cloud and data center security innovator Guardicore, as well as a US Web and mobile analytics company. "Over the last few years digital transformation has massively accelerated in the enterprise segment around the world. We already had four successful exits from our first venture and growth fund portfolio," said Jack Young, Head of Venture/Growth and Managing Partner at DTCP. "DTCP wants to continue to capitalize on this strong trend." DTCP invests across the capital structure through different funds and offers companies financial and advisory solutions tailored to their needs. It combines the best of two worlds: the agility, flexibility and entrepreneurial mindset of an autonomous investment vehicle with the strength, resources, and reach of powerful corporate sponsors. DTCP believes in the disruptive power of technology and invests in the technology leaders of the connected world. DTCP operates as a bridge between Europe, Silicon Valley, and Israel, and is planning to open an office in Seoul (South Korea) during the course of 2019. About: SK Telecom https://www.sktelecom.com/en/view/introduce/intro.do ZEISS https://www.zeiss.de/corporate/ueber-zeiss.html DTCP http://telekom-capital.com/what-we-do/ Images: https://telekom-capital.box.com/s/wmxebxu4jaag46oi3yabjw2fb2fjpb73 SOURCE: Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners Management GmbH View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/549787/DTCP-closes-USD-350-million-Venture-and-growth-fund-including-capital-from-institutional-and-Corporate-investors
SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy Rocket From Florida, Its ‘Most Difficult’ Ever (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the U.S. military early Tuesday in a spectacular night time liftoff that Musk described as the company’s toughest yet. The rocket and payload rumbled aloft at 2:30 a.m. local time from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a three-hour delay. SpaceX then recovered the rocket’s two side boosters -- which flew in April as part of the Arabsat-6A mission -- at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The center core failed to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. https://t.co/nqzTRmYihI pic.twitter.com/GEvNn2L7IS — Bloomberg (@business) June 25, 2019 Falcon Heavy was carrying 24 satellites for the space agency, Department of Defense research labs and other partners. SpaceX fought for the right to compete for Air Force launches, and Tuesday’s liftoff marks a huge milestone for the company’s relationship with the U.S. military. “It’s the first multi-mission, multi-payload deployment for the Falcon Heavy and that’s really exciting for everybody,” Col. Robert Bongiovi, director of the Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space Command, said in a statement before the launch. The mission, known as STP-2, was to place the 24 spacecraft in three different orbits. The payload includes an Air Force Research Laboratory Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-sponsored Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) and four NASA experiments, according to SpaceX’s website. The final deployment was scheduled to take place more than 3 1/2 hours after the launch. Shortly before 3 a.m. local time, SpaceX’s Twitter feed began confirming deployment of the first satellites. https://t.co/ywGmMWnOj9 pic.twitter.com/G1gjpUbT3j — Bloomberg (@business) June 25, 2019 SpaceX set a company record last year with 21 launches for customers. Last month, the Hawthorne, California-based company sent up the first batch of its own satellites, a key step toward creating a space-based constellation that beams broadband to under-served areas across the globe. Much of the focus in 2019 has been on the first flight with humans on board. SpaceX and Boeing Co. have contracts with NASA to ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew program. SpaceX completed the Demo-1 flight of its Crew Dragon spacecraft in March without humans on board. But in late April, the capsule was engulfed in flames and destroyed during a test, a mishap that probably will push back the commercial crew schedule. NASA and SpaceX are reevaluating target test dates. (Updates with details of liftoff in the second paragraph.) --With assistance from Tony Capaccio. To contact the reporter on this story: Dana Hull in San Francisco at dhull12@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Melinda Grenier, Angus Whitley For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
U.S. Dollar Index Futures (DX) Technical Analysis – June 25, 2019 Forecast The U.S. Dollar Index is trading slightly lower early Tuesday, but in a limited range. The early pressure came from across the board strength in its components the: Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen. As you can see, the Australian and New Zealand Dollars are not part of the index. All the component currencies were underpinned by expectations of a Fed cut in late July. We can’t say “rising expectations” anymore since the market has priced in a 100% chance of a rate cut. So if the chance of a rate cut falls below 100% then we’ll have a story. Economic news tends to drive the Euro and British Pound. The Canadian Dollar is a commodity currency and the Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen are the safe-havens. The Euro represents about 57% of the index. So when it strengthens, the dollar index tends to weaken. That brings us to today’s price action. After hitting a high at 1.1412 earlier in the session, the EUR/USD is now trading lower and could be forming a potentially bearish closing price reversal top. If the selling pressure continues then look for the dollar index to recover and possibly to higher for the session. As far as the price action later in the day, Fed Chair Powell speaks at 17:00 GMT. He talking to a committee on foreign relations so he may not say anything about monetary policy. The currency markets will move if he talks about the criteria the central bank will use to determine whether to raise rates. At 07:32 GMT,September U.S. Dollar Indexfutures are trading 95.430, down 0.057 or -0.05%. The main trend is down according to the daily swing chart. The market is in no position to change the main trend to up, but due to the steep five-day sell-off it may be ripe for a closing price reversal bottom. If the Euro posts a reversal top then look for the index to post a reversal bottom. The main range is 94.696 to 97.715. Its retracement zone at 95.850 to 96.205 is controlling the longer-term direction of the index. The nearest resistance is the Fibonacci level at 95.850. Based on the early price action, the direction of the September U.S. Dollar Index on Tuesday is likely to be determined by trader reaction to Monday’s close at 95.487. A sustained move over 95.487 will indicate the buying is greater than the selling at current price levels. This will put the index in a position to form a closing price reversal bottom. If confirmed, this could lead to a 2 to 3 day counter-trend rally. The first upside target today is an uptrending Gann angle at 95.760. Sellers could come in on the first test of this angle. Overcoming it will indicate the buying is getting stronger. This could trigger a further rally into the Fibonacci level at 95.850. Overtaking this level could shift short-term momentum to the upside. A sustained move under 95.487 will signal the presence of sellers. Taking out the intraday low at 95.365 could trigger a break into the next uptrending Gann angle at 95.230. This is the last potential support angle before the March 20 bottom at 94.696. Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • Hunt for Market Equilibrium Continues Amid Major Global Uncertainties • Word Power: How the Fed Let the Markets Slide Down • The Crypto Daily – The Movers and Shakers 26/06/19 • Gold Jumps Above $1,400 after Dovish Fed • USD/CAD Daily Forecast – Short Uptrend Expected Ahead of US Goods Orders Data • Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – EIA Report Should Set Tone
Explorex Resources Assumes Lease on the Buena Vista Hills Cobalt - IOCG Project, Nevada Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 25, 2019) -Explorex Resources Inc. (CSE: EX) (FSE: 1XE) (OTC PINK: EXPXF)(the "Company" or "Explorex")is pleased to report that it has executed the Assignment and Assumption Agreement ("Assignment Agreement") with New Tech Minerals Corp. (CSE:NTM)("New Tech") and has assumed the right to acquire 100% interest in the Buena Vista Hills Cobalt - Iron Oxide Copper Gold ("IOCG") project ("Buena Vista" or "Project") in Pershing County, Nevada. Under the Assignment Agreement, Explorex will pay the Company $10,000 USD and issue 200,000 shares upon signing, issue an additional 200,000 shares upon NTM satisfying certain obligations and assume New Tech's underlying commitments pursuant to the Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement made between New Tech and Zephyr Minerals Inc., a Nevada corporation ("Zephyr") dated May 15, 2018 ("Zephyr Lease")(further detailed in Company news releases dated March 4, 2019 and updated April 23, 2019). Upon completion of a feasibility study, New Tech maintains the right to purchase (i.e. buy back) a 20% interest in the Project by paying to Explorex an amount equal to 40% of the expenditures incurred by Explorex on the Project. Buena Vista Project Summary The Project is situated approximately 35 km SE of Lovelock, Pershing County, Nevada and primarily comprised of a full private section of land (Section 15, Township 25N, Range 34E covering 2.6 km2) complemented by an adjacent block of 12 claims on US Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") land to the north, covering an additional 0.8 km2. Buena Vista is centered around the past producing open-pit Segerstrom-Heizer ("SH") magnetite iron ore mine, however the iron is not the target of interest. Subsequent to the emplacement of the magnetite, an intense cobalt mineralizing event occurred. The cobalt rich fluids permeated the same area as the magnetite body which effectively focused the deposition of the cobalt along the hanging wall and foot wall margins of the massive magnetite body. A recent review of the Project has enabled the Company's Geologist to appreciate the size potential and significance of the cobalt envelope at Buena Vista. Buena Vista Hills is one of a few properties in the world that hosts this scale of stand-alone cobalt mineralization. Drilling by Zephyr in 2008 produced 27.4 metres (90 feet) of continuous cobalt mineralization in the oxide cap before intersecting the magnetite (iron-oxide) body. The depth extent of the oxide cap can be easily seen in the historic pit walls and is reported to extend to at least a 50 metre (164 foot) depth signifying the potential for a rather sizable volume of 'At Surface' material. Further details are available in Company news release dated April 23, 2019 and on the Company's website. Technical Information in this news release has been reviewed by R. Kemp, P Geo., a Qualified Person as that term is defined in NI 43-101. About Explorex Resources Inc. Explorex is an exploration company focusing on Cobalt and metals critical to rechargeable battery technology. Explorex is earning a 75% interest in the Co-Mn-Base Metals Kagoot Brook project in New Brunswick and an option to acquire 100% interest in the Buena Vista Hills Co-IOCG Project in Pershing, Nevada. On behalf of the Board, Gary Schellenberg, CEO For further information, please contact Gary Schellenberg, CEO or Mike Sieb, President at 604-681-0221 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially and there are no assurances that the transaction described in this news release will close on the terms described or at all. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visithttps://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45869
Shopify Moves Into the Fulfillment Business Shopify(NYSE: SHOP)has given retailers the ability to offer tools on their websites that previously were only available to bigger players. Now, the Web platform is offering fulfillment solutions for retailers, including warehousing and helping them find the best shipping rates. That could make it easier for niche players to compete withAmazon.com(NASDAQ: AMZN)and other large retailers. In this segment ofIndustry Focus: Energy, host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Dan Kline talk Shopify and more. To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out ourpodcast center. A full transcript follows the video. More From The Motley Fool • 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today • The $16,728 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss • 20 of the Top Stocks to Buy (Including the Two Every Investor Should Own) • What Is an ETF? • 5 Recession-Proof Stocks • How to Beat the Market This video was recorded on June 20, 2019. Nick Sciple: FedEx(NYSE: FDX)did not break up with Amazon without any other plans for what they might be able to move into. Clear opportunity there with theDollar Generalstores. And, as well this week, and we don't know if there's a clear relationship here with FedEx, but we've seen Shopify -- you talk about Dollar General,Walmart,Target, they seem like these lazy, older businesses. Well, Shopify is moving into physical distribution and fulfillment, announcing yesterday at their investor day that they're going to offer customers access to a network of dedicated U.S. fulfillment centers to store and ship consumer goods for online orders. They're going to use machine learning to forecast demand and allocate inventory to route orders to the closest fulfillment centers. And they're going to be working with logistics providers to make that happen. Obviously, as you see Shopify, which is a company that aggregates a lot of small sellers together to offer logistic services, that's another opportunity for FedEx. Do you think that's going to be a bigger trend over time? Do you see all these small sellers uniting together through Shopify and other offerings to maybe bring down the cost of their logistics operations? Dan Kline:I do see this as an opportunity for FedEx. But if you're on the Shopify platform, you have the ability to make shipping a service. And what Shopify does is, it matches what you're shipping with the best provider. Now, could FedEx go in and make a deal so it's the best provider more often? Could it have staffing at these warehouse distribution center locations? There's a huge opportunity here. Basically, any platform -- we saw this withStamps.comat Shop Talk earlier this year -- any platform that businesses are using has to integrate shipping and logistics because you're competing with what was a two-day standard, that's becoming a one-day standard. If you and I have a regional company, let's say we sell, I don't know, model trains that we make ourselves. The standard for the consumer is going to be, "I get it in two days." They're not going to wait for two weeks because I could save $1.50 by shipping it in two weeks. Everything is going to have to get Amazon-level efficient, down to some pretty small companies, and a Shopify can do that. FedEx can certainly come in and help make that happen. Sciple:Taking all this together more broadly, in the near term, this is probably going to hurt FedEx somewhat, because you've had this existing business from Amazon that's going to fall off. Some analysts have estimated that it could lower FedEx's earnings by as many as $0.40 a share. However, when you look at the opportunity moving forward, growth rates in e-commerce away from Amazon are actually growing faster. There are some opportunities to forge some relationships today that can be really significant going forward. Any last thoughts on FedEx? Kline:To tie this up with a dating analogy, this is FedEx breaking up with his girlfriend, but it spent the last few years flirting all around. It knows that a lot of people are interested. Instead of having this monogamous relationship, FedEx is going to be dating a different supermodel every daypart. So, yeah, it'll hurt in the short term, simply because you can't build these massive relationships quickly. It takes time. But I see this as a quarter or two, and then FedEx is going to be in a much better position. And chances are, you're going to see Walmart, Target,Lowe's,Home Depot, all those other non-Amazon's, you're going to see that business ramp up very quickly. Sciple:Yeah, Dan. For me, when I look, I think e-commerce is going to be a really significant trend going forward. Everybody believes that. But you see so many players getting into the selling part of that market. When you look at the logistics part of the industry, it appears it's consolidating into an oligopoly -- FedEx,UPS, maybe Amazon is pushing in there. With the growth in all those other parts of e-commerce outside of Amazon, this looks like it could be an interesting place to sniff around for an opportunity to play a trend in a market that may be less competitive going forward. We'll see. Obviously, it's hard to say things are less competitive when Amazon is lurking around. Interesting way to play the e-commerce trend. Kline:Don't forget the U.S. Postal Service. The reality is, they're a big piece of the Amazon business. In fact, they're Amazon's biggest partner. You have Amazon-UPS-USPS on one side, FedEx on the other. It wouldn't shock me if you saw FedEx build out other services, like what Amazon is doing with last mile delivery. You're obviously going to see FedEx move into automation. We saw some tests with robots and other things. You might see drones. This is basically FedEx vs. the world, and I sort of like where that's going. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors.Daniel B. Klinehas no position in any of the stocks mentioned.Nick Scipleowns shares of Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, FedEx, Shopify, and Stamps.com. The Motley Fool recommends Home Depot and Lowe's. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
Libra vs Bitcoin: Can they really be compared? There’s been a lot of talk about Facebook’s new cryptocurrency lately, and people tend to fall into two camps when it comes to Zuckerberg’s foray into the industry. Libra will allow people around the world to send and receive remittances without exorbitant fees and pay for goods and services without having a bank account. With 2.3 billion users worldwide, Libra could even be the catalyst for mass adoption of cryptocurrencies in general. But what about Libra vs Bitcoin? Can they really be compared? Libra vs Bitcoin is comparing apples and oranges Comparing Libra vs Bitcoin is like comparing apples and oranges. As the world’s first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin has many qualities that Libra can’t hold a candle to. Facebook may be using the term “cryptocurrency”, but being regulated and managed by central authorities is the antithesis of Bitcoin, which removes the need for an intermediary. As blockchain advocate and policymaker in Wyoming state Catlin Long said : “Facebook completely misunderstands money. Facebook understands payment systems – but that’s not the same as money.” 1/ FIRST ANALYSIS of @facebook 's #Libra : Facebook completely misunderstands money. 🤣😩 Facebook understands payment systems–but that's not the same as money. Two telling quotes: "Libra is backed by a reserve of real assets." "Many cryptocurrencies today (eg #Bitcoin & #Ether … — Caitlin Long 🔑 (@CaitlinLong_) June 18, 2019 Libra will not compete with Bitcoin. It is not a peer-to-peer method of transferring value and it’s not really a store of value either. There are few people who will trust Facebook with their money more than they do a bank. Since Libra will be a stablecoin pegged to a basket of fiat currencies, it will counter Bitcoin’s volatility and be more effective as a means of payment. This makes Facebook’s main competitors remittance services like Western Union, high-fee payment platforms like PayPal, and even the banks . Libra – if it isn’t blocked, banned, or highly censored – will probably be good in the end for Bitcoin. When people start to understand what a cryptocurrency is and how it works – and that they can use it to circumvent the banks, governments, and corporations – it will eventually bring people over to Bitcoin. Story continues Libra vs Bitcoin – managed exchange rates Another key difference between Libra and Bitcoin is that Bitcoin opts for unmanaged exchange rates. There is no central banker that can just control the currency and prevent its gut-wrenching volatility. Libra, as a stablecoin, will not experience volatility, but it will always need an entity in the middle controlling the rates. Bitcoin may not be able to pull the strings and control the exchange rates, but it does make capital entirely portable and permissionless. Facebook’s Libra will never be fully permissionless as there will always be the need for a central party to control the fiat currencies that back the coin. Yes, Bitcoin may be volatile as new adopters enter the market and its inelasticity translates into rampant price hikes, but it’s free from any third parties and achieves an independent monetary policy. Libra most certainly cannot claim to do the same. Bitcoin has a capped supply, Libra does not Facebook’s Libra may act as the gateway drug to Bitcoin. As Bitcoin maximalist Max Keiser calls it, Libra may be Satoshi’s “useful idiot”. It’s built into the protocol’s genesis block that eventually a heavyweight like $fb would take on BTC. This increased awareness and appeal to would-be potentates will, of course, drive the hashrate to new highs, leading to new ATH for BTC price. Zuck is Satoshi’s useful idiot. — Max Keiser, tweet poet. (@maxkeiser) June 18, 2019 The social media giant will overcome issues of usability and education and introduce new eyes to crypto. But as users start to understand how they work, that’s when they’ll move over to Bitcoin. It could be when their Facebook account gets shut, a country bans Facebook payments, or simply when people realise that Bitcoin’s capped supply creates monetary scarcity, which in turn creates lasting value. They will understand that the system of perpetual issuance that Libra, fiat, and other altcoins opt for is not an effective means of storing their wealth. Bitcoin has a nondiscretionary monetary policy Unlike fiat currency or Libra, Bitcoin doesn’t enjoy the benefits of following a discretionary monetary policy. This means that it cannot print money out of thin air to finance pointless endeavours or continue to dilute the worth of the national currency. The network cannot make more Bitcoin to continue to fund miners and will have to tackle the issue of whether the network can be sustained by transaction fees when all the Bitcoins are mined. There are no middlemen – no humans – who can use their discretion to print more and erode wealth for all. Bitcoin is built to last, Libra is a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant Libra may have become the latest whipping boy for many, but it’s no secret that Facebook is losing its user base fast in developed countries. It’s interesting that the corporation recognises this fact in its white paper and will be focusing mainly on developing countries. However, developing countries will become developed at some point. Facebook’s social media platform dogged with privacy problems and data scandals is unlikely to get a developed user base trusting it (and every central authority) with all their financial information forever. Bitcoin, on the other hand, is built to last and is censorship-resistant. Libra vs Bitcoin? No, they can’t be compared, but they may be able to complement each other – at least in the beginning. The post Libra vs Bitcoin: Can they really be compared? appeared first on Coin Rivet . View comments
‘Natasha’s law’ introduced for food allergy sufferers after teen died from eating Pret baguette Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died after she ate a Pret sandwich at Heathrow Airport (Picture: PA) A law to protect food allergy suffers will be introduced following the death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse . The 15-year-old died three years ago after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette. “Natasha’s law” will be introduced by environment minister Michael Gove and will require all food businesses to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packaged food . The legislation, which will apply to England and Northern Ireland, is due to come into force by summer 2021, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said. "Natasha's law" will be introduced to protect food allergy sufferers following the teenager's death (Picture: PA) Natasha, from Fulham, west London, suffered a severe allergic reaction after unknowingly eating sesame contained in an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought from a Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport. The teenager died of anaphylaxis after collapsing on board a flight to Nice on July 17, 2016. Her parents have previously called for the law to make all pre-packaged food clearly show allergens, which they have discussed with Mr Gove. Under current rules, food prepared on the premises in which it is sold – such as a packaged sandwich or salad made by staff – is not required to display allergen information on the package. The new legislation will tighten the rules by requiring foods that are pre-packed directly for sale to carry a full list of ingredients, Defra said. Natasha's parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, said they were "delighted" with the new law (Picture: PA/Getty) Natasha’s parents, Tanya and Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, said the introduction of the law would be a “fitting legacy” following their daughter’s death. They said: “We are absolutely delighted that the secretary of state has announced the government’s decision to go ahead with full allergen and ingredient labelling. Read more Tube pusher given life sentence for attempted murder of Eurotunnel boss on Underground Temperatures could soar to 35C by Saturday but not before heavy rain and thunderstorms Brothers jailed for £1.2m human trafficking plot which saw workers crammed into houses “While Natasha’s Law comes too late to save our beloved daughter, we believe that helping save other allergy sufferers and their families from the enduring agony that we will always bear is a fitting legacy for her life. Story continues “We would personally like to thank Michael Gove and health secretary Matt Hancock for their unflinching support in doing the right thing on behalf of all people with allergies, and their support in setting up the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation which we are launching today in Natasha’s memory.” The trade body which represents the UK’s hospitality sector acknowledged the “sensitivity” around the legislation being introduced, but cautioned that new food labelling practices could be “impractical and potentially hazardous”. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “We are worried that full ingredient labelling is going to prevent the kind of dialogue we need to promote. “Some smaller businesses may struggle with the unwieldy new legislation and it is almost certainly going to lead to much less choice for customers. “There is also a risk that the new measures, which will not circumvent cross-contamination and will be open to mislabelling, will only promote a dangerous reliance on labelling.” Although the new legislation is due to be introduced by the summer, businesses will be given a two-year implementation period to adapt to the change, the department said. Mr Gove called Natasha’s parents an “inspiration” following the announcement of the law. Natasha, from Fulham, west London, died in July 2016 (Picture: PA) “Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse have been an inspiration in their drive to protect food allergy sufferers and deliver Natasha’s Law,” he said. “These changes will make food labels clear and consistent and give the country’s two million food allergy sufferers confidence in making safe food choices.” Heather Hancock, chairman of the Food Standards Agency, said the change will mean “better protection” for allergic consumers. Allergy UK chief executive Carla Jones also welcomed the announcement, saying the national charity was “delighted” with the legislation. “This move towards full ingredient labelling for pre-packed direct-sale food will improve the lives of the allergic customer and it is warmly welcomed here at Allergy UK,” she added. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
US sanctions Iran: Gold and bitcoin prices rise, oil steady An employee sorts gold bars in the Austrian Gold and Silver Separating Plant 'Oegussa' in Vienna, Austria, December 15, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger The price of gold and bitcoin was jumping on Tuesday morning as the US hit Iran with fresh sanctions. The Trump Administrations on Monday signed an order levying sanctions on top Iranian military leaders and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office. The sanctions came in response to the downing of a US drone by Iranian forces last week. READ MORE: Oil price jumps after Iran shoots down US drone Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson responded by Tweeted that the sanctions signalled “the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy” with the US. Gold and bitcoin — both seen as safe haven assets — have been rallying in response to the rising tensions between the two nations. Gold ( GC=F ) was trading close to a 6-year high at $1,433.80. Bitcoin was up 2.9% against the dollar ( BTC-USD ) to $11,363.26 and up 2.7% against to the pound ( BTC-GBP ) to £8,921.47. READ MORE: Oil rises on US-Iran tensions: 'Iran made a very big mistake!' Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said: “Four things are really driving gold – falling yields, a weaker dollar, a soft macroeconomic outlook, and geopolitical risks rising in the Middle East.” UBS raised its short-term target for gold to $1,430 on Monday, up from a previous forecast of $1,380. The investment bank said “the sustained decline in rates is a key factor” in gold’s bull run, as well as “uncertainty around growth and trade risks.” Gold often rises at times of international tension as investors see it as a safe investment during times of uncertainty. Stocks, by contrast, tend to fall. Bitcoin’s rise on Tuesday extends a bull run throughout 2019. The cryptocurrency has risen over 170% against the dollar so far this year and broke through $10,000 last Saturday for the first time since March 2018. Analysts say bitcoins rally has been driven by Facebook’s new Libra cryptocurrency project and renewed corporate interest in cryptocurrencies. Away from gold and bitcoin, oil is failing to respond to the fresh Iran sanctions. Over the last two weeks oil has risen as tensions between the US and Iran have escalated . However, Brent was down 0.2% to $64.70 ( BZ=F ) on Tuesday morning and crude was down crude was down 0.1% to $57.84 ( CL=F ).
Cigarettes – If You Do Not Smoke Them, You Can Invest in Them 2018 was not an easy year for the tobacco industry to say the least. Repeated attempts made by the FDA to reduce smoking rate have caused demand for cigarettes to diminish. Indeed, the number of smokers in the United States in that year has hit a record low of 16% (in 2013, the figure stood at 20%). If that was not enough, in June, a proposition to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products in San Francisco almost passed. Tobacco companies are still facing difficulties in 2019. This June, British American Tobacco, the second largest tobacco company in the world, warned about a sharp decline in its revenues due to low demand for regular cigarettes in the United States as more and more Americans use e-cigarettes and vaping products. Having said that, prospects for tobacco companies in the short and long term are not as bad as it was previously thought. It is predicted that by 2021 market size will reach almost $695 billion – a 2.8% CAGR from 2016. From a yearly perspective, Philip Morris stock (NYSE:PM) has surged by 15%, almost matching the entire gains recorded by the S&P 500. In fact, the largest manufacturer of cigarettes in the world is now enjoying positive assessments from Wall Street’s top analysts. One of them isBonnie Herzogfrom Wells Fargo. She has recently given the company’s a buy rating and a $100 price target with a 26.23% upside. Herzog is not alone in her assessment, if we weighother analysts’ assessments, we get an average target price of $94.57 and a 19.38% Upside. Philip Morris’ current share price stands at $79.22 (June 24). Explaining the rationale behind her buy rating, Herzog points mainly to strong cigarette price realization and the acceleration of next gen iQOS 3/Multi platforms (tobacco heating system without combustion) shipment volume in Japan (+14.5%). Regarding the company’s iQOS, it should be mentioned that in April, Philip Morris finally received the FDA’s approval to sell this product in the U.S. domestic market after years of waiting. Up until recently, the product has been sold in the foreign markets, such as the Japanese and the Russian ones. Another reason for optimism from Philip Morris’ point of view (and other tobacco manufacturers) was the resignation of FDA’s commissioner Scott Gottlieb in April. Gottlieb was considered a vehement anti-tobacco advocate. Tobacco companies now hope the FDA will adopt a more moderate approach towards their products. To conclude, as bright as the future may seem for tobacco manufacturers and their investors, one must not forget that there are still challenges awaiting them in years to come, especially due to the constant decline in the number of smokers in the United States and other Westerns countries. A reminder for such a challenge came in the form of an initiative in San Francisco a week ago to ban the sale of e-cigarettes.
Five things that must change to make us fall in love with F1 again After Lewis Hamilton led Valtteri Bottas home for a sixth Mercedes 1-2 in eight races, we ask what can F1 do to improve the show? - Getty Images Europe The problem with the French Grand Prix was not just that Lewis Hamilton led a sixth Mercedes 1-2 finish in eight races . Nor only that it looks like Valtteri Bottas, the only man who can realistically stop Hamilton from claiming a sixth world title, never looked like troubling his team-mate for the lead. He now sits 36 points behind after eight rounds. Or that following an encouraging Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari again faltered. The problem was all of those things but multiplied by how painfully dull it was. Telegraph Sport's Oliver Brown described it as "a spectacle that served nobody outside Mercedes: not the organisers, not the fans in half-empty stands, and not the TV viewers." So far, so bad for 2019. But what needs to change to stop the sport's downward slide? We list five changes, big and small, that we think can help stop F1 from becoming an irrelevance. 1. Redress the hideous imbalance between teams Prolonged Mercedes dominance is bad for F1. Of course, there have been many periods of supremacy by one team or driver: McLaren in the 1980s and 1990s, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in the early 2000s and Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel from 2010-2013. But none of them have lasted as long, nor have been as supreme as Mercedes are now in the turbo hybrid era. Michael Schumacher in the all-conquering F2002, which won 15 of 17 races in 2002 Credit: Reuters Since 2014 there have been 108 grands prix. Mercedes have won 82 of them, taken pole in 90 and finished first and second in 45. They are on their way to a record-breaking sixth constructor and driver championship double. A seventh (before "major" regulation changes) is not inconceivable and is even likely. It is not just the gap from Mercedes to Red Bull and Ferrari that is problematic. It's the distance between those teams and the rest of the pack, both financially and performance-wise. F1 is currently a two-tier series. Since the last drastic regulation changes in 2014 no team outside the big three has won a race. Only twice since the start of 2017 has a driver from another team even finished on the podium. Story continues In the past, regulations have changed drastically and have ended periods of success for various teams. In 1998 grooved tyres and narrower cars ended Williams' reign at the top. Red Bull's four-year run ended with the turbo hybrid era in 2014. Dramatic changes give other teams an opportunity to make ground quickly. That is exactly what Mercedes did and never looked back. The risk is that with the imbalance in resources, the top teams may even emerge further ahead, hence why a budget cap of some sort is needed but with no action taken it is certain to get worse. 2. Reduce downforce levels to help closer racing The current V6 turbo hybrid monsters are far too aerodynamically complicated. In 2017 the cars moved to wider front and rear tyres and bolted on a ton of extra downforce to make them three to four seconds a lap quicker. Why? To improve the spectacle, apparently. But given the actual speed of the cars is difficult to appreciate fully on television pictures, you have to wonder if it has actually improved anything? Today's current F1 cars are very aerodynamically complex Credit: Reuters The biggest downside is that the wake created by the cars too heavily affects the following car: it loses grip and tyre performance. And that has been a huge problem, as drivers decide to back off to save their tyres, rather than race wheel-to-wheel. Not ideal. It has also made some of F1's more challenging corners a breeze: Spa's Eau Rouge/Raidillon and Copse, Maggots and Becketts at Silverstone, for example. There are aesthetic problems, too. With so many flaps and aerodynamic gurneys mounted in various spots the result is not one of beauty. The front wings are simpler and better looking for 2019 but the bargeboard areas are a hideous mess. Simplifying the aero rules would help all of the above and also stop the intensity of the current development war. 3. Re-assess the usage of track limits and run-off areas There is no better example for the current tendency towards mega run-off areas than the Circuit Paul Ricard. Painful on the eyes, there are virtually no gravel traps and little penalty for a mistake. It is not the only one like this. The upshot is that drivers will often abuse track limits (as they might, to gain any advantage they can) which then in turn leads to stewards giving out penalties for things that appear relatively minor. It often leaves F1 looking like a petty bureaucracy. The Circuit Paul Ricard with its colourful and plentiful run-off areas Credit: Getty Images The rules are enforced understandably but it is not a good look. An element of danger is not necessary, but an element of punishment is. More traditional tracks like Suzuka have grass, gravel and barriers close in. The penalty for making a mistake should be more severe more often but without compromising safety. If run-off areas carry a genuine disadvantage then we can forget this track limits nonsense. If a driver wants to risk it, then it's up to them. 4. Simplify the cars and stop nonsense technical team radio There is so much management that goes on inside an F1 cockpit. Look at a current steering wheel and you see the complexity clearly. Managing the battery charge on power units, managing temperatures, managing fuel and most importantly and frustratingly, managing the tyres. It is possible to simplify the processes a driver needs to go through. Getting rid of garbled technical messages should also be a priority. Some team radio messages are great and enhance the viewing experience. Some really do not. View this post on Instagram YOUR WINNER IS: You voted Kimi and his steering wheel as the best team radio clip of 2017 �� Watch the full top ten, in voting order, at F1.com �� . #F1 #Formula1 #KimiRaikkonen #ScuderiaFerrari #2017 #TopTen #Baku #Azerbaijan @scuderiaferrari @bakucitycircuit A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) on Dec 13, 2017 at 8:14am PST Not all team radio messages are this entertaining There are too many indecipherable messages from engineers. How often do we hear: "Shift to position HQ-MODE 3F-BETA, Lewis," or something laughable like that? Every weekend. Does anyone outside of the team know what this means? Or even care? This weekend Lando Norris was told to press the "anti-overtake" button. Anti-overtake? Drivers know what these codes mean but too often the fans do not. Frequently broadcasting them does not help and makes it feel like you are missing the joke. 5. Reduce practice running to help unpredictability This is the easiest thing to solve. Teams currently have four hours of practice running every weekend before qualifying. This is far too much and could comfortably be halved. Practice is necessary in F1, especially with a lack of in-season testing, as it allows teams to test new parts, and setting up a car is a vital skill for an F1 driver. But four hours of it? No. Reducing practice to a more limited amount would give teams less chance to get on top of everything and likely shake up the grid and save on costs. Perhaps not massively and probably not every weekend but it certainly would be a sensible step and would lead to unpredictability, as teams and drivers would regularly experience unfamiliar conditions. Maybe even schedule practice for completely different time of day to qualifying and the race? Do you agree with our ideas? What would you change to make F1 better? Let us know in the comments section below.
There Are Now More Than 5,000 Bitcoin ATMs Around the World The total number of bitcoin ATMs (BTMs) worldwide reached 5,000 for the first time, monitoring resourceCoinATMRadarconfirmed on June 24. According to the latest statistics, there are now 5,006 standalone BTMs in around 90 countries, wherecryptocurrencyusers can buy or sell bitcoin (BTC). Some machines offer both services simultaneously. The data caps a protracted period of growth in the BTM sector, with theU.S.leading the trend as more and more locations and formats appear. June has seen a total of 150 installations, around 6 per day. General Bytes recently overtook Genesis Coin as the manufacturer with the largest number of BTMs installed. As Cointelegraph reported, in 2019, it is not just the ‘classic’ BTM model which is expanding, but other methods of procuring BTC. A deal earlier in the year involving coin counting kiosk operator Coinstar brought bitcoin functionality toover 2,200U.S. locations. The U.S. currently has more than half of the world’s BTMs at 3,229, with a new pilot scheme this month bringing the machines to Circle K convenience stores inArizonaandNevada. “We are thrilled to be partnering with a respected organization like Circle K,” Marc Grens, president and co-founder of cryptocurrency provider DigitalMint said in apress releaseissued June 20. “This partnership opens the door for massive expansion of Bitcoin access to new markets around the globe.” Increasing competition in the BTM market is likely to reduce the fees charged to users, which tend to be noticeably higher than online alternatives. Other in-person options, such as buying vouchers, are also gaining popularity with users keen on avoiding burdensome identity requirements. • Deutsche Bank: ‘Aggressive’ Central Banks Making Bitcoin More Attractive • Craig Wright Failed to Disclose Bitcoin Holdings in Court Case, Says Lawyer • How Tyler Winklevoss Converted His Biographer Into a Bitcoin Believer • Bitmain Shifting IPO Plans to the US on Growing Bitcoin Optimism
German firms increasingly pessimistic about export economy A technician at the Volkswagen factory on March 01, 2019 in Wolfsburg, Germany. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images German companies were feeling decidedly down about the state of the export economy in June, according to the latest monthly survey from the Munich IfO Institute. The business sentiment index of 2,300 companies found export expectations for the industry fell to 0.0 balance points in June, from 0.9 points in May. “The companies expect no more growth in exports,” said Ifo President Clemens Fuest. “Good news has become rare in the global trade dispute.” Faced with the ongoing US-China trade war, Brexit uncertainty and a slowdown in global car sales, it is unsurprising that the Ifo survey found carmakers to be particularly skeptical about exports, and reckoning with an overall decline. However, the Ifo found that pharmaceutical and food-and-beverage firms have a more positive outlook. READ MORE: Trump tariffs and China woes trigger worst crisis for global car industry in 20 years The gloomy view on foreign exports in the industry reflects the general slowdown in the German economy. The Ifo business climate index for June dropped for the third month in a row in June to its 97.4, it lowest level since November 2014. "The German economy is heading for the doldrums," Ifo President Clemens Fuest said on Monday. It still forecasts that the German economy would grow by 0.6% this year but lowered its projection to 1.7% from 1.8% for 2020. “The German economy currently is the best showcase model for a broader phenomenon: the stark discrepancy between external risks and uncertainty and solid domestic fundamentals,” said Carsten Brzeski, chief economist an ING Germany. “In our view, a bottoming out is in sight for German industry. As long as trade conflicts stay within the boundaries of stock market volatility and a possible weakening of the US economy, tensions could initially increase but without leading to an extreme escalation. However, Brzeski said, a bottoming out is “far from being a strong rebound.” READ MORE: The 20 countries in the world with the best 'brand' reputation
BMW Vision M Next: An autonomous car for people who love driving There's a fear from some that when cars drive themselves, that'll be the end of the joy of driving. Why even get behind the wheel if your vehicle can get you to your destination while you sit back and relax? BMW -- which boasts the tag line "the ultimate driving machine" -- has a concept that'll appease the future-looking owner that doesn't want to deal with the horrors of gridlock but needs to feel like they're in control while carving up mountain passes. At its NextGen event in Munich, Germany, the automaker took the wraps off the Vision M Next concept. Thei8inspired plug-in hybrid with the performance-focused M moniker promises the best of both worlds. An autonomous car that'll get you to your destination while you relax or catch up on work, and a sports car with enough power to quicken the pulse while under a driver's control. To help shore up its bona fides as a "driver's car" the low-slung concept offers drivers the choice between all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive. The turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain outputs 600 horsepower and has a top speed of 186 miles an hour. You know, just in case the carpool lane ever gets supercharged. The vehicle will do zero to 60 in about three seconds and has a pure EV range of 62 miles. More than enough to cover the daily commute of most folks with range to spare for a few errands. But the tech goes beyond just driving itself, going fast, and range numbers. TheBMWVision M Next concept uses facial recognition to unlock itself. No word on if you'll need a keyfob to actually start the vehicle, but it's fun to think about your car recognizing you from across the parking lot. The gull-wing doors open with just a touch to reveal a rather sparse "Boost pod" interior. Instead of the typical dash cluster and center console, everything is handled by the AR heads-up-display. BMW says that the information on that display adjusts as the vehicle speeds up. The faster it drives, the more the display focuses on driving-related information. A nifty trick that reduces the time someone's eyes are away from the road where they should be concentrating their attention. All of this in a design that's a concept now, but some of the elements could make their way into a production vehicle. Ahead of the unveiling BMW CTO Klaus Fröhlich said about the BMW concept car andmotorcycle: "If you like them, perhaps I'll be asked to build them." So if you're interested and you have the type of money that'll put an autonomous sports car in your garage, give BMW a shout.
Melania Trump and President Donald Trump marriage reportedly for show Speculation around the somewhat mysterious First Lady of the United States has run rife since Donald Trump won the presidency in November 2016, and an explosive new book says there’s a very good reason why that is. Rumours of ‘fake Melania’ , an extended and largely unexplained hospital stay, repeated slip ups caught on tape; a new book is claiming they are all symptoms of a sham marriage. The latest book from Michael Wolff - author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House - cites over one hundred sources, and says the Trumps have a ‘non-marriage’ that is simply rolled out for the cameras. READ MORE: Reason Melania Trump wears sunglasses in public so often However the wild claims have not been widely accepted, with the book receiving criticism from both sides of politics. The book claims Donald and Melania's marriage is just for show. Photo: Getty Images Ryan Lizza wrote for The Washington Post that the book contains “factual errors that mar the author’s credibility”. The President hasn’t responded to the new book, but described Wolff’s first book in a tweet as, “the Fake Book of a mentally deranged author, who knowingly writes false information”. Wolff’s new book Siege: Trump Under Fire was released earlier this month , and made the explosive claim that the First Lady not only never wanted to set foot in the White House, but is quite happy leading a ‘separate life’ from her husband, an arrangement that also seems to suit the President just fine. “I never saw any evidence of a marriage,” said Steve Bannon, a former advisor and the director of the President’s 2016 campaign. Mr Bannon also mentioned that from the President’s perspective, Melania rarely factored into decision making in any capacity. He told the author that any reference to the First Lady, “drew a puzzled look from Trump, as if to say, ‘How is she relevant?’” READ MORE: Melania Trump cheat sheet However, Mr Bannon also admitted to having no contact with the President for over a year, leading some to question his authority on the subject of his personal life. Story continues Separate bedrooms The book claims Trump doesn't factor Melania into decisions, and Melania leads her own life. Photo: Getty Images The book reiterates the longtime rumour that Trump and Melania have separate bedrooms, and interactions are kept to a minimum. Now Wolff claims the First Lady’s famously delayed move to the White House – which was aimed at keeping their son in New York until the end of his school year — was in fact no permanent relocation at all. “And, in fact, the First Lady was not really in the White House,” the author explosively claims. READ MORE: People think 'Fake Melania Trump' is back “It had taken Melania almost six months to officially relocate from New York to Washington, but that was in name only.” Some of the wilder rumours include that The First Lady is frequently impersonated by a body double at official events. Photo: Getty Images This comes on the back of an online conspiracy theory that the First Lady is often impersonated by a body double that have pick up steam once again after the couple’s visit to Europe for D-Day commemorations. The First Lady and President have long been dogged by rumours of marital unrest, perhaps the most explosive being the Stormy Daniels affair allegations .
EUR/USD Daily Forecast: Euro Eases Back From 3-Month High And Fed chair Powell will have a chance to communicate that as he is scheduled to speak later today. The futures markets have fully priced in a rate cut for the July Fed meeting and are even pricing in a 40% chance of a 50 basis point cut. Powell has an opportunity to signal a heads up today at his speech. There are two ways this can play out. He might opt to readjust dovish expectations since there is a major divergence between where the markets are and where the bank is in terms of easing expectations. Alternatively, he confirms that the Fed will move next month. I am leaning towards the second scenario. Indeed, the Fed Funds futures market is not always 100% right in predicting the next move. However, there is clearly a strong view that the Fed will move in July. They are pricing in a 0% probability that the rate will stay the same, confident might be an understatement here. Treasury yields are also pointing to the same thing with the 10-year poised to fall to a 2% yield. A strong case can be made that the Fed is behind the curve. The Fed is not likely to surprise the markets with a cut, even though they are pricing one in. So I think Powell might indicate in his speech that the Fed will take action next month. If he does, the dollar stands to fall further. If he doesn’t, or rather, signals the opposite, the dollar will likely surge higher and I would expect a sharp fall in equities. I think the line in the sand forEUR/USDfalls at 1.1350. The 200-Day moving average is currently residing around there. On a weekly chart, the same indicator is also within close vicinity. While above the above-mentioned support, I expectEUR/USDwill make an attempt for 1.1450. This is a level that has been highly respected on the larger time frames. On a 4-hour chart, there is also a horizontal level around 1.1450 which reflects the early June high. The pair is attempting to print a bearish engulfing candle which could trigger some short-term weakness. • Powell’s speech stands to create a volatile dollar fluctuation if monetary policy is discussed • A major support confluence is in play around 1.1350 • EUR/USDlooks poised to test 1.1450. Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM) Futures Technical Analysis – Big Decision for Bullish Investors at 26410 to 26289 • U.S. Dollar Index Futures (DX) Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • EUR/USD Mid-Session Technical Analysis for June 26, 2019 • Hunt for Market Equilibrium Continues Amid Major Global Uncertainties • Price of Gold Fundamental Daily Forecast – Uncertainty Over Rate Cut Encouraging Light Profit-Taking • Gold and Silver Down as Fed Moderates Rate Expectation
Women's World Cup: USWNT struggles weren't Jill Ellis' fault The narrative began to crystalize before a ball had even been kicked. On a muggy evening in northern France, Jill Ellis made a bold call . Back across the Atlantic, an army of doubters assembled. They knew little about the what of their impending criticism, but everything about the who . No matter the intricacies of the performance. No matter the result. Such is the life of a soccer coach, consistently one of the most convenient culprits in all of sports. And to say Ellis is no different would be grossly euphemistic. Fans – and Hope Solo – believe the U.S. women’s national team wins despite her. Players have expressed concern about her. Media heap pressure onto her . Never mind that she won a World Cup and has the USWNT favored to win a second . So when Ellis benched Lindsey Horan on Monday for a round of 16 rumble with Spain, pitchforks were readied. Three hours later, only a controversial second-half penalty kept them at bay. The U.S. won – survived and advanced . But nobody seems particularly satisfied. The bulk of the ire, naturally, has been aimed at Ellis. It took the shape of furious tweets and provocative headlines . Many blamed the coach responsible for putting dominant players in a position to be dominant. Few, of course, blamed players for failing to be dominant. Jill Ellis and Megan Rapinoe shake hands after the USWNT's 2-1 Round of 16 victory over Spain. (Getty) But any U.S. shortcomings on Monday – if you can even call them that – had little to do with Ellis. They had more to do with those players you know and love. The ones Ellis wouldn’t dare drop. The ones whose brilliance her entire USWNT system depends on. They were the reason the Americans limped rather than cruised into the World Cup quarters. Benching Horan was questionable ... until it worked On the surface, benching Horan was absolutely grounds for fair criticism. The 25-year-old won the NWSL’s 2018 MVP award with a season unlike any the league had seen before. She is considered by many the USWNT’s best player , and a top-three midfielder in the world. Her vast skill set – from the goal-scoring to the duel-winning to the chance-creating – seemingly made her undroppable. Statistically , she’s actually a better tackler than tackling-extraordinaire Julie Ertz and a better progressive passer than playmaker Rose Lavelle. Story continues Ellis, though, went with a midfield three of Lavelle, Ertz and Sam Mewis – and later said the decision was unrelated to Horan sitting on a yellow card. With the game tied at halftime, of course, social media was ablaze. The uproar was best summarized by some shade from Horan’s club coach in Portland, Mark Parsons: pic.twitter.com/nsJbh12RSw — Mark Parsons (@mparsons_1) June 24, 2019 The midfield, however, was anything but the problem. Lavelle, Ertz and Mewis were arguably the three best players on the pitch. Excluding goal-scorers, they were the three highest-rated . They bossed the game as a unit, but more so individually, each in her own way. Lavelle galloped past Spanish adversaries, carrying the ball without breaking stride. She created the game’s best chance with a deadly through-ball to Megan Rapinoe. The USWNT machine – which, by the way, Ellis constructed – was humming early on. (Original video: Fox) Mewis, meanwhile, was once again superb from box to box. She sprayed passes to wingers and overlapping fullbacks. She quashed danger at the edge of her own penalty area. She broke up Spanish attacks and launched American ones. (Original video: Fox) She had 13 ball recoveries – joint-most of the 28 players who saw the field. If anybody is the like-for-like replacement for Horan – the one keeping the MVP on the bench – it’s Mewis. And she absolutely justified Ellis’ decision. And Ertz ... well, she was Ertz. One-of-a-kind. She’s not a line-breaking passer, but doesn’t have to be when she can simply distribute to Lavelle and Mewis. She was mistake-free and positionally sound – and a core reason the U.S. defense was mostly impermeable. The leaks were individual errors. The foundation – again, an Ellis construction – was very solid. Only Becky Sauerbrunn’s gaffe and Kelley O’Hara’s overaggression leant Spain opportunities. La Roja ’s final tally was between 0.2 and 0.4 Expected Goals , depending on the model. Defending wasn’t the problem. Nor was the controversially-selected midfield. Forwards were. The front three’s no good, very bad day Megan Rapinoe is one of the most inventive wingers in the world. Tobin Heath is one of the most daring and devastating. Alex Morgan is the most complete striker the U.S. has had in some time. They are all must-starts. All close to the top of any list titled “Why the U.S. is the 2019 Women’s World Cup favorite.” All brilliant. And the U.S. managed zero shots on goal from open play against Spain because those three weren’t brilliant on Monday. Rapinoe, for her part, admitted as much after the match . By the end of it, she was in Spanish right back Marta Corredera’s pocket. Time and time again, Lavelle and Mewis fed Rapinoe the ball in space. Time and time again, she was repelled and dispossessed. The 33-year-old icon, for the first time, looked like age was catching up with her. She lacked burst. Her first step was slow, her top-end speed ordinary. Her decision-making, at times, was also curious, and her lack of final-third urgency frustrating. Spot-kick conversions aside, a mid-first-half sequence encapsulated her day: (Original video: Fox) Heath, on the other hand, was downright invisible after winning the early penalty. She lost nine of her 12 duels, completed only one dribble, and was dispossessed four times. Clever off-ball movement was nonexistent. Her silky touch completely deserted her. (Original video: Fox) And Morgan? She sure looked injured. Ellis said Sunday that the 29-year-old striker was “fine.” But she was chopped to the ground in the opening minute, and floored again inside three minutes. She was the most-fouled player on the pitch. In between the hacks, her movement wasn’t sharp. She completed only half of her passes. On a few occasions, pain – or something unusual – almost seemed to impede her natural soccer instincts. (Original video: Fox \| Illustration: Henry Bushnell/Yahoo Sports) And this is where the one fair criticism of Ellis comes into play: Leaving all three attackers on the field for 84-plus minutes was inexcusable. Yes, Ellis should have made subs earlier Professional soccer coaches, as a breed, wait too long to make subs . Ellis’ negligence on Monday, however, was particularly egregious. Forget Horan for a sec. The USWNT boss had Carli Lloyd, Christen Press and Mallory Pugh at her disposal – three borderline world-class attackers. She had a first-choice forward line that was struggling. And she used the bench mob ... for all of five combined (non-stoppage-time) minutes. Ellis was well within her right to stay the course at halftime. Her machine was humming, even if clear-cut chances weren’t flowing. Around the hour mark, though, the U.S. began to run out of ideas. That Ellis made it past the 65th minute without a single sub was mismanagement. That she made it to the 85th minute was malpractice. Then again, it is impossible – or, rather, unfair – to fault her starting lineup. And if the the front three had played to their lofty standards, none of this would be a discussion. The game would have been won by multiple goals. The bold call to drop Horan might have been hailed as ingenious. That they didn’t isn’t Ellis’ fault. Rather, it’s why none of this is Ellis’ fault. Any U.S. gameplan is fueled by an expectation that Rapinoe, Heath and Morgan will be excellent. Because they have been more often than not, and very likely will be in the near future. So Monday was no cause for worry. Perhaps slight concern about Morgan’s health. But certainly not about the head coach. – – – – – – – Henry Bushnell is a features writer for Yahoo Sports . Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell , and on Facebook . More from Yahoo Sports: Trump disagrees with Rapinoe not singing the anthem Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo named MVP over Harden Why an emerging receiver can boost the Cowboys’ offense How winning ugly could be a good thing for the USWNT
Man who shot dead his best friend cleared of murder Jordan Bassett, left, says he was "devastated" by the death of Addison Packeer A man who killed his best friend when a loaded gun he was messing about with went off and shot him in the head was cleared of murder on Monday. Jordan Bassett, 25, killed Addison Packeer in December 2018 at a property in Coventry in the West Midlands. He has admitted manslaughter and will be sentenced on Wednesday. Bassett told Warwick Crown Court during his trial that Packeer was just messing around with the firearm, just playing around with it in his hand. The gun had belonged to Packeer. The recovered weapon used in the shooting, a 9mm Luger pistol While I was eating my food he was pointing the firearm around, and he pointed it at my knee, and I told him to move it away. Bassett then said that he had put on a pair of gloves and picked up the gun himself. I was just pointing the firearm around, messing around. I didnt think it was loaded. The magazine was on the table. Police recover the weapon used in the shooting "I turned round to Addison, and the guns gone off. When Addison was messing around with it hed told me it wasnt loaded. After shooting Packeer in the head, Bassett had tried to staunch the bleeding with a towel. MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK Natashas law introduced for food allergy sufferers after teen died from eating Pret baguette Boris Johnson says it is simply unfair to drag loved ones into politics as he keeps silence over late-night row - I put the towel on the wound, I put a cushion on the settee and laid him in the recovery position to try to help him as much as I could. He was my friend. Bassett subsequently disposed of the gun by throwing it into a quarry near his home, and changed out of his clothes. Jordan Bassett hands himself into police He then handed himself in to West Midlands Police, admitting to the killing. I didnt have anything to hide. I wanted to tell the truth about what happened, Bassett said under cross-examination by his barrister. Words cant describe how I feel. Devastated, a life is lost. Addison was my friend. I would never want to hurt him. Jordan Bassett's mug shot from after his arrest Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield said: "We might never know exactly what happened in the flat, but the reality is that anyone who gets involved with firearms is putting themselves and others in serious danger. "Here we have a man who has shot dead his best friend. Two families will have to live with the consequences of that for the rest of their lives."
Dollar Erases 2019 Gains and Searches for Stronger Support Ahead of Fed Speeches Open your FXTM account today The Dollar Index (DXY)is now trading below the psychological 96 marks and erased all of its year-to-date gains, with G10 and Asian currencies taking advantage of the upside made available by the weaker Greenback. The DXY is clearly on the hunt for a stronger floor, having already broken past multiple support levels and embarked on a remarkable downward spiral since the Fed meeting last week. Markets are clearly buying into the “Fed rate cut” theme, with investors no longer asking “if” US interest rates will be lowered, instead now trying to figure out the “when” and “how much”. Tuesday’s speeches by Fed chair Jerome Powell as well as James Bullard, the noted dove on the FOMC, could serve as catalysts for more Dollar downside over the near-term. Should either Fed official lend more credence to the FOMC’s easing bias, that could help DXY fall to levels not seen since January, potentially closing in on the 95 psychological marks. The Dollar’s decline has certainly been a boon forGold prices, with Bullion now trading at $1424 at the time of writing. Having already soared to its highest since 2013, investors will certainly be wondering how much upside is left for Gold. Gold’s lure has only increased amid intensified fears over the global growth outlook that has been severely dampened by US-China trade tensions that have lasted for nearly a year. The now enlarged scope of the US-China conflict, expanding beyond trade to include the tech sector, along with the displays of brinksmanship that have unfolded in recent weeks, creates a narrative that should keep Gold’s allure intact. Investors appear to be chipping away at Asian equities, with most regional major indices posting slight declines on Tuesday. Markets can do little but wait for the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan later this week. The Trump-Xi meeting holds the potential to rock markets, depending on how much the outcome deviates from market expectations. At best, markets can hope for a marked resumption of US-China trade talks. At worst, both leaders walk away to underscore the tremendous gulf that still remains in the US-China standoff. Any show of willingness to compromise by either Trump or Xi would be welcomed by risk assets, potentially pushing equities higher while taking the shine off safe haven assets such as Gold, the Japanese Yen, and US Treasuries. Disclaimer:The content in this article comprises personal opinions and should not be construed as containing personal and/or other investment advice and/or an offer of and/or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments and/or a guarantee and/or prediction of future performance. ForexTime (FXTM), its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness, of any information or data made available and assume no liability as to any loss arising from any investment based on the same. Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • EUR/USD Mid-Session Technical Analysis for June 26, 2019 • U.S. Dollar Index Futures (DX) Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • EUR/USD Daily Forecast: Euro Falls Back As Powell Readjust Expectations • Implied Volatility Rising, and This Could Be Very Telling • Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Hot Temps Offset by High Production, Spotty Cash Prices • Our Ducks Are in a Row as the Currencies Are Ready for Their Next Moves
Trump signs order that aims to reveal real health care costs WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday that calls for upfront disclosure by hospitals of actual prices for common tests and procedures to help keep costs down . The idea is to give patients practical information that they can use to save money. For example, if a hospital charges your insurer $3,500 for a type of echocardiogram and the same test costs $550 in a doctor's office, you might go for the lower-price procedure to save on copays. But insurers said the idea could backfire, prompting hospitals that now give deeper discounts to try to raise their own negotiated prices to match what high earners are getting. Hospitals were skeptical of the move. Trump's order also requires that patients be told ahead of time what their out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copays will be for many procedures. Little will change right away. The executive order calls for a rule-making process by federal agencies, which typically takes months or even years. The details of what information will have to be disclosed and how it will be made available to patients must be worked out as part of writing the regulations. That will involve a complex give-and-take with hospitals, insurers and others affected. Consumers will have to wait to see whether the results live up to the administration's promises. "For too long it's been virtually impossible for Americans to know the real price and quality of health care services and the services they receive," Trump said at the White House. "As a result, patients face significant obstacles shopping for the best care at the best price, driving up health care costs for everyone." Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters earlier that the order "will put patients in control by increasing choice and competition." Lack of information on health care prices is a widespread problem . It's confusing for patients, and experts say it's also one of the major factors that push up U.S. costs. The same test or procedure, in the same city, can cost widely different amounts depending on who is performing it and who is paying the bill. Hospital list prices, which are available, don't reflect what they are paid by insurers and government programs. Story continues The health insurance industry said disclosing negotiated prices will only encourage hospitals that are now providing deeper discounts to try to raise their rates to match the top-tier facilities. "Publicly disclosing competitively negotiated proprietary rates will reduce competition and push prices higher not lower for consumers, patients, and taxpayers," Matt Eyles, head of the industry group America's Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. The Federation of American Hospitals, representing for-profit facilities, warned that if the Trump administration regulations take the "wrong course," they may "undercut the way insurers pay for hospital services, resulting in higher spending." While the prices Medicare pays are publicly available, private insurers' negotiated rates generally are not. Industry officials say such contractual information is tantamount to trade secrets and should remain private. Azar pushed back against that argument, saying insurers do ultimately disclose their payment rates when they send individual patients an "explanation of benefits." That's the technical term for the form that patients get after they've had a procedure or seen the doctor. "Every time any one of us goes to a doctor or a hospital, within a couple of weeks in our mailbox arrives an explanation of benefits. (It) contains the list price ... the negotiated rate ... and what your out-of-pocket is," Azar said. "This is not some great state secret out there." Patients should have that information ahead of time to help them make decisions, he added. Trump's executive order also calls for: expanded uses for health savings accounts, a tax-advantaged way to pay health care bills that has long been favored by Republicans. Coupled with a lower-premium, high-deductible insurance plan, the accounts can be used to pay out-of-pocket costs for routine medical exams and procedures. a plan to improve the government's various health care quality rating systems for hospitals, nursing homes and Medicare Advantage plans. more access by researchers to health care information, such as claims for services covered by government programs like Medicare. The data would be stripped of details that could identify individual patients.
Trump says accuser E. Jean Carroll isn't his 'type' After his claims that he’d never met writer E. Jean Carroll — who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-’90s — were dismissed when a photo surfaced of him socializing with her and their respective then-spouses at a party, President Trump has offered up a new defense: “She’s not my type.” Trump continued to deny Carroll’s claims, which were made public last week when her new book, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal , was excerpted by New Yor k magazine ’s The Cut . "I'll say it with great respect: Number one, she's not my type,” he told The Hill on Monday. “Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK? “Totally lying,” he continued. “I don’t know anything about her. I know nothing about this woman. I know nothing about her. She is — it’s just a terrible thing that people can make statements like that.” Carroll, who is the 16th woman to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct, responded to his comments, telling CNN ’s Anderson Cooper, “I love that I’m not his type.” "I love that I'm not his type," says E. Jean Carroll, responding to Pres. Trump's public denial of her accusation that he sexually assaulted her in a dressing room 23 years ago. https://t.co/H5XN1B1DWF pic.twitter.com/3jDD4FaL4B — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 25, 2019 But Trump’s statement about his “type” has ushered in a new wave of criticism. “If she were ‘his type,’ he would rape her?” asked one commenter . “Please someone ask him what his type is and, how he would feel entitled to act if he encounters someone who is his type?” Trump said Carroll wasn't his "type." (Photo: Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Celebrities have also gone online to slam what Westworld actress and rape survivor Evan Rachel Wood called “an absolutely atrocious response to a serious allegation.” Just for those who may be a little confused, “I wouldnt rape her because she isnt my type.” Is an absolutely atrocious response to a serious allegation. — #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) June 25, 2019 “I wouldn’t rape her cause she’s not my type” https://t.co/BYWWBUDLRs — Shannon Woodward (@shannonwoodward) June 24, 2019 i mean ... Trump denies raping writer E. Jean Carroll, says "she's not my type" - The Hill https://t.co/rUHuAD54jr — Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) June 25, 2019 "she's not my type..." you good with that? https://t.co/FBXJxcEFKG — Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) June 25, 2019 Among the phrases a man falsely accused of sexual assault would utter? "I would never force a woman to have sex against her will," or, "I am not a rapist." The moral midgetry that is Donald Trump immediately settles on, "She's not my type." Ergo: If his type, consider her raped. — David Simon (@AoDespair) June 25, 2019 This isn't an accused rapist character from Silence of the Lambs simultaneously threatening and insulting a potential victim. Its just @realdonaldtrump ! https://t.co/7kBc1qrkQl — Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) June 25, 2019 Tom Arnold , a vocal Trump critic who claims that the former Celebrity Apprentice host said racist slurs on the set, also shared his reaction. Story continues Don’t sell yourself short @realDonaldTrump you cast a very wide rape net. — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) June 25, 2019 Donald Trump Jr., meanwhile, lashed out at coverage of Carroll’s allegations. “Enough is enough with this bull****!” he tweeted. “We all get it, media ... you hate @realDonaldTrump , but giving every [Michael] Avenatti-like wacko a platform because they will say anything for press kills what little is left of your credibility. Let him do his job. The results speak for themselves!” Read more on Yahoo Entertainment: Meghan McCain on 'The View’: Trump rape accuser Carroll 'needs to be asked questions' ‘Matilda' star Mara Wilson calls out critics who say 'she's too opinionated or political' Kristin Cavallari reveals secrets from 'The Hills' reboot (even though she won't be on it) Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle's newsletter.
Why America is Falling, and When Italy Abandons the Euro As well as the news of tensions between the US and China, the US and Iran are now also to blame for this dynamic – which has been going on since the end of last week. The Fed representatives subsequently made negative comments, the essence of which boiled down to the following: monetary policy should be mitigated, and inflation should be monitored, with its growth leaving much to be desired over recent years. However, the words of FOMC member Brainard had the greatest impact on the dollar. She did not say anything new, and in general, her position remains permanently dovish. However, the nuance is that she has a permanent right to vote, and her opinions were shared by the other speakers on Friday. For example, Neel Kashkari stated the need to lower the interest rate by 50 bp in the nearest future. Since all Fed officials unanimously decided that weak macroeconomic statistics is the main reason for policy easing, all the upcoming releases will have a particularly strong influence on the formation of the Federal Reserve policy. With such sentiments we approach a new round of speeches: at 13:00 GMT – we’ll listen to Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic; at 14:00 GMT – high volatility on USD pairs is expected during the Fed Chairman’s statement; at 14:15 GMT – Jerome Powell will be “overlapped” by the ECB representative Benoit Keuer’s speech, which will also spur the EURUSD dynamics, and at 19:30 GMT we will hear from James Bullard, a member of the Open Market Committee. Among the significant macroeconomic news, the US Consumer confidence will be published on Tuesday. Following two months of growth, we can see a drawdown from 134 to 132 points. In addition, today it is worth paying attention to the sales statistics of the primary housing market. May’s data will be especially important for the dollar, as this indicator showed a significant previous decrease of 6.9%. The controversial news that Italy is allegedly preparing to abandon the single currency will also affect the euro. The wave of rumours began with the budget committee chairman of the Italian Parliament tweeted images of the new national currency on social media – Mini-BOT – which will be listed in parallel with the euro in order to repay the debt to national companies. Mini-BOT owners will be able to pay taxes, as well as buy goods and services. However, investors are seriously concerned, because in such conditions the euro could end up only being used for external settlements, or even disappear altogether. It is still unknown as to whether such fears will be confirmed. This article was written byFxPro Thisarticlewas originally posted on FX Empire • AUD/USD Forex Technical Analysis – June 26, 2019 Forecast • Implied Volatility Rising, and This Could Be Very Telling • Gold and Silver Down as Fed Moderates Rate Expectation • Mr Mnuchin helps Indices to Trigger a Technical buy Signal • USD/CAD Daily Forecast – Short Uptrend Expected Ahead of US Goods Orders Data • EUR/JPY Bullish Above 122.00
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s house renovations branded 'outrageous' following taxpayer spending news Major renovations at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ’s Windsor home have been dubbed “outrageous” after it emerged that the work cost the taxpayer £2.4m . On Tuesday, accounts for the Sovereign Grant – which is the payment given to the monarchy by the government to fund official expenses – revealed that the royal family cost UK taxpayers £67m in the last financial year, nearly £20m more than the previous year. The majority of the increase is due to maintaining royal palaces across the country and updating services at Buckingham Palace. In response, Graham Smith, from the Republic campaign group, told The Sun : “This year’s increases are outrageous at a time of widespread spending cuts. If even one school or hospital is facing cuts we cannot justify spending a penny on the royals. “Yet with all public services under intense financial pressure we throw £2.4m at a new house for Harry.” Mr Smith compared Harry and Meghan’s renovation costs with a charity’s funding of a centre for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “A charity spent £2.4m on a support centre for marines suffering PTSD. The taxpayers then spent the same amount on a luxury private home for Harry and Meghan,” he tweeted, while linking to an article on the construction of a support hub for Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon. A charity spent £2.4m on a support centre for marines suffering PTSD. The taxpayers then spent the same amount on a luxury private home for Harry and Meghan. https://t.co/B7Oy40DdEv https://t.co/3vua0LIGPD — Graham Smith (not that kind of republican) (@GrahamSmith_) June 24, 2019 Mark Delaney, a builder and decorator who is homeless in Windsor, echoed Smith’s thoughts and said the taxpayer cash could have been used for the benefit of those most marginalised. Story continues “That money could have been used to transform the empty buildings in Windsor into places for the homeless to sleep. There are scores of empty rooms in Windsor Castle,” Delaney told the Daily Mirror . The royal couple moved into Frogmore Cottage, located half a mile south of Windsor Castle, shortly before the birth of their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor , in May. Prior to the move , the Grade II listed building was made up of five separate housing units and major renovations were required to turn it into a single home fit for the royal couple. It took roughly six months to complete and has reportedly been fitted with a mother-and-baby yoga room, a luxury bathroom and kitchen and new flooring. All new fittings and fixtures have been privately paid for by the couple. Sir Michael Stevens, who, as Keeper of the Privy Purse is responsible for managing the royal family’s finances, said Frogmore Cottage “had not been the subject of work for some years and had already been earmarked for renovation in line with our responsibility to maintain the condition of the occupied royal palaces estate”. Stevens added: “The Sovereign Grant covered the work undertaken to turn the building into the official residence and home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their new family. The building was returned to a single residence and outdated infrastructure was replaced to guarantee the long-term future of the property. Substantially all fixtures and fittings were paid for by Their Royal Highnesses.” Frogmore Cottage sits in the grounds of Frogmore House, where Meghan and Harry held their wedding reception in May 2018. News of their move was announced in November by Kensington Palace. Last week, The Royal Foundation confirmed that Harry and Meghan would formally split from their joint charity with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and set up their own foundation. Prince William and Kate Middleton will remain with the original charity, which will be renamed the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Starbucks is adding 4 new colorful iced drinks to its menu for summer Hot days call for cold, refreshing drinks. It's that simple. That's why, just a few days after theofficial first day of summer, Starbucks is adding four new iced beverages to its menu. The new drinks—three made with tea, one made with coffee—are all inspired by the flavors of the season (think: peaches, guava, blueberries and chocolate ice cream!) and they're all available starting today. First up are the tea drinks, which are all sweetened with liquid cane sugar, hand-shaken with ice and mixed with lemonade for a bold, invigorating flavor.Teavana Peach Green Tea Lemonademixes green tea, a peach-flavored fruit juice blend and lemonade. This one is probably the most common flavor combination (peach iced tea anyone?), and after a taste test, we thought it went down easy, but was definitely the sweetest tasting of the bunch. Teavana Guava White Tea Lemonadeis made with white tea, guava-flavored fruit juice blend and lemonade. If you could translate "tropical vacation" into a flavor, this would be it. It's sweet, but still refreshing and feels like it would be best enjoyed by the beach. Teavana Blueberry Black Tea Lemonademixes black tea with blueberry-flavored fruit juice and lemonade. This flavor was our favorite and definitely the most refreshing—we could sip on this one any day, any time. Like all Starbucks drinks, the new Teavana drinks are completely customizable. If they're too sweet for you, Starbucks recommends trying them without the lemonade or removing the liquid cane sugar. You can also create your own symphony of fruit flavors by mixing and matching the juice blends. Blueberry peach-flavored tea, anyone? Side note: Last week, Starbucks also released newBeach Bellini tea sachetsto make your own tropical tea drinks at home (available at grocery stores and onAmazon!). Next up, Starbucks is also releasing a newIced Cocoa Cloud Macchiatomade with espresso, a dash of toffee nut syrup and whipped cloud cold foam. It's then topped with caramel and mocha drizzle on top. (You can also order this as a hot drink, because old habits die hard.) Starbuckslaunched its first Cloud Macchiatodrink with the help of Ariana Grande back in early March. The original is like a classic macchiato with just a small amount of cold foam, which Starbucks says is "an airy microfoam frothed cold and blended until smooth, creating layers of creamy texture and flavor, without the cream." Fun fact:Starbucksis partly responsible for bringing hot espresso drinks (like the macchiato and latte) to the U.S. and making them so popular. When the coffee chain first opened in 1971, they were a roaster and sold whole-bean coffee for at-home brewing only. Then, former CEO Howard Shultz took a trip to Italy in the early '80s, brought back a new knowledge of espresso drinks and convinced the founders to start selling them. Today, the coffee chain is known for its innovations in the coffee space with drinks like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, Unicorn Frappuccino and Peppermint Mocha, but they're most-sold drinks—50 percent of their drink sales actually—are iced.
Nikon DSLR on sale: This refurbished camera with built-in WiFi is $150 off TL;DR:Thisrefurbished NIkon DSLR camera bodywith built-in WiFi makes sharing photos simple, and you can get it on sale for just $649.99 — a $150 savings. (Note: Lenses not included.) Between theiPhone XSand theGoogle Pixel 3, new smartphones can certainly hold their own in the photography department. But don't get it twisted: Neither Tim Cook nor Sundar Pichai have figured out yet how to replicate the quality of a regular ol' DSLR camera on one of their devices. (Sorry, guys. Someone had to say it.) The tricky thing about DSLRs is that they often cost as much as a new smartphone — which is to say, they tend to be freaking expensive. That's why we recommend buying a used and refurbished device, like theNikon D7200 DSLR camera bodythat's on sale for under $650 in the PCMag Shop (owned by Mashable publisher Ziff Davis.) When buying refurbished, you get a camera that works and looks good as new for a fraction of the price you'd pay for one that's in mint condition. And so long as it takes great pictures, who cares if it has a nick or two?Read more... More aboutCamera,Nikon,Mashable Shopping,Dslr Camera, andShopping Pcmag
Phillip Schofield's star pals rally support amidst Amanda Holden feud Phillip Schofield poses for photographers upon arrival at the Brit Awards 2018 in London, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP) Strictly ’s James Jordan has said Phillip Schofield is a victim of jealousy in his feud with Amanda Holden. The This Morning presenter took to Twitter to express his hurt on Sunday as his ongoing feud with the Britain’s Got Talent judge continued to dredge up reports that he is difficult to work with. Former Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing On Ice star Jordan replied on social media: “It was an absolute pleasure to work with you on DOI... A true professional but always very supportive and caring. And yes you’re fun, just not as fun as me You’re a top man. Lots of jealous people out there mate.” Schofield’s other celebrity pals came out in support, including perfume maker Jo Malone, Dancing On Ice skater Matt Evers and N-Trance’s Kevin O-Toole. Read more: 'This Morning' presenter calls for ITV to sack Amanda Holden over Phillip Schofield row Malone hailed Scholfield as a, “kind, interested, life-enhancing gentleman who looks to give back.” O’Toole tweeted: “You don’t stay at the top for so long if you’re not decent.” And Evers told Schofield: “12 series... that 12 years on and off screen. Either on the ice or This Morning and never... not once have I seen nor heard a bad thing from you. Your spirit and professionalism has always been at the highest level. #Keepthatchinup” It was an absolute pleasure to work with you on DOI..... A true professional but always very supportive and caring. And yes you’re fun, just not as fun as me 🤪 You’re a top man 👌 Lots of jealous people out there mate. https://t.co/Zi9DOtQ5xq — James Jordan (@The_JamesJordan) June 24, 2019 Dear Schofe I would like to say thank you , everytime I have been on the show with u both or have met you out and about you have ALWAYS been a kind ,interested ,life enhancing gentleman who looks to give back, TQ ♥️ — Jo Malone CBE (@JoMaloneCBE) June 24, 2019 Just catching up on this as away, but for what it’s worth @Schofe has always been the most charming, kind and friendly interviewer whenever I have had the pleasure of being on TV with him 🥰 https://t.co/0EfsUnxKWf — Jo Hemmings (@TVpsychologist) June 25, 2019 I’ll always support my fellow Oldhamer... you don’t stay at the top for so long if you’re not decent. 👍 — N-Trance (@ntrance) June 23, 2019 12 series... that 12 years on and off screen. Either on the ice or This Morning and never... not once have I seen nor heard a bad thing from you. Your spirit and professionalism has always been at the highest level. #keepthatchinup https://t.co/Xtg29bS13I — Matt Evers (@TheMattEvers) June 23, 2019 An interview This Morning presenter Rylan Clark-Neal gave earlier this year has reemerged in which he claimed he had worked with some unpleasant people in TV, although he named no names or shows. Story continues The former X Factor contestant and Big Brother host said: “People always ask me if I'm best friends with everyone I work with in telly – but no, not everyone you work with is your friend. "What's the point of pretending you're mates with everyone? I think I got where I have because of the way I treat everyone. "Some of the people I work with talk to people like s***, but I treat the runner on my TV shows exactly the same as I do the executive producers." Schofield, 57, and Holden, 48, have become embroiled in a public feud amid reports that he ‘blocked’ her from replacing Holly Willoughby as his guest co-host whilst she was in Australia presented I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Schofield told his Twitter followers at the weekend he had had enough, writing: “The end of another really sad weekend. When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless ‘sources’. Obviously I’ll take it on the chin.. I just hope you know me better.” The end of another really sad weekend. When you try for 35 years to be the easiest, most fun person to work with and you read such hurtful and wildly untrue stories from nameless ‘sources’. Obviously I’ll take it on the chin.. I just hope you know me better. — Phillip Schofield (@Schofe) June 23, 2019 Holden claimed on Monday she extended an olive branch to Schofield. Read more: Amanda Holden claims Phillip Schofield ignored ‘olive branch’ coffee invitation Speaking on her radio breakfast show on Heart FM Holden told co-host Jamie Theakston: “I’ve moved on from it, Jamie, you need to move on from it.” He replied: “You might have moved on but I just wanted to know, is there any more to the story?” She said: “I did offer to meet him for a coffee months ago, he didn’t reply to my text. What can I say?” Theakston said: “The olive branch had been extended,” to which she replied: “Oh yes.” Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
Blurred lines: Trump's UN choice and her coal magnate spouse WASHINGTON (AP) — The email went out from senior Environmental Protection Agency officials to Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, responding to questions she had about a funding matter. But the acknowledgment email the EPA got back a few hours later wasn't from the ambassador. It was from her husband, coal magnate Joseph Craft, a wealthy GOP donor who had been taking part in a months-long press by the coal industry for access and regulatory relief from the EPA and the Trump administration in general. The blurring of roles — and email accounts — by the Crafts this time and others since she began representing the U.S. is raising questions as senators consider her nomination by President Donald Trump to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That post would give her a prime seat at international talks to fight climate change, in part by encouraging limits on the burning of coal, with its heat-trapping emissions. "Thanks!!" the coal baron replied to the December 2017 email from EPA officials, which had been addressed to "Ambassador Craft." The agency was following up on a briefing she had gotten from then-EPA head Scott Pruitt on federal funding for cleaning up the Great Lakes, an issue of great interest to Canada. Joseph Craft sent the acknowledgment on his work email for his Tulsa, Oklahoma-based coal company, Alliance Resource Partners LP. His response ended with the breezy auto-tag from his cellphone: "Sent from my iPhone powered by coal!" In a statement Monday, the State Department said Joseph Craft had been copied in on the EPA response to his ambassador wife after her Great Lakes discussion with Pruitt because he "had played a role in facilitating the exchange." The statement did not elaborate, or say why his help was needed arranging a discussion between two government officials. "However, he does not play a role in official U.S. government business," the State Department said. Kelly Craft has fully complied with her ethics agreement as ambassador to Canada, the statement said. Story continues EPA spokesman Michael Abboud noted that Kelly Craft separately responded to the email, a few hours after her husband. The Sierra Club obtained the emails under the federal Freedom of Information Act and provided them to The Associated Press. Virginia Canter, chief ethics counsel at the nonprofit watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, reacted strongly when told Joseph Craft responded to a government email sent to his wife in her capacity as U.S. ambassador. "That's highly unusual. I've never heard of that," Canter said. The topic of the email exchange may not have been sensitive, "but he should not be accessing her official emails under any circumstances," however he came to reply to it, she said. "It's an indication that their interests are intertwined — his business interests and her government interests," Canter said. She noted the conflict that could raise in the U.N. job, given the international focus on climate change and coal, an objection also raised by Democratic lawmakers and others. The Sierra Club's climate policy director, Liz Perera, said in a statement: "It is deeply concerning that a coal executive is receiving and responding to correspondence intended for U.S. diplomats. With Trump, it is impossible to see where the coal industry ends and where the administration starts." Spouses of ambassadors typically are closely involved in the social, cultural and ceremonial aspects of a diplomat's job, reaching out on the soft power aspects of countries' charm offensives overseas. But emails and other dealings by the Crafts with Canadian and U.S. officials raise questions about their neutrality and possible overlaps of interest between government representative and coal tycoon, Canter and environmental advocates say. Kelly Craft's Twitter account for her post as ambassador to Canada also shows Joseph Craft joining her in meetings with leaders of Canada's parliament; Kelly Craft meeting at least twice with officials of Canadian utilities and energy companies; and Kelly Craft socializing at a University of Kentucky basketball game with Pruitt. Her husband at the time was contacting Pruitt and the EPA repeatedly as the U.S. coal industry pressed a successful campaign for regulatory rollbacks from the Trump administration. Two months after the exchange over the Great Lakes, Joseph Craft wrote Pruitt's aides from his same email account to ask Pruitt to come speak to his company's board and to a coal investment forum. The Crafts donated more than $2 million to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. At a hearing last week, Kelly Craft told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee she would recuse herself from U.N. matters dealing with coal and other fossil fuels, given her husband's coal interests. Not good enough, complained Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat on the panel. "It is lamentable that as the world faces an existential crisis in climate the Trump administration has nominated someone who is so clearly conflicted in her financial interests," he said in a statement afterward. Kelly Craft drew attention in 2017 when she told reporters in Canada there were "good scientists on both sides" of the climate change debate. The Trump administration has dismissed repeated warnings from government and other scientists about devastating effects of climate change from fossil fuel emissions. She has said since her U.N. nomination she accepts that humans and their burning of oil, gas and coal play a role in climate change. "Let there be no doubt: I take this matter seriously, and if confirmed, I will be an advocate for all countries to do their part in addressing climate change," she testified last week. Trump before and after taking office declared it his mission to save the declining U.S. coal industry and promote fossil fuels in general. He has acted to take the U.S. out of the Paris climate-change accord — a major topic for the country's next U.N. ambassador — and intervened against several Obama-era measures that aimed to rein in coal emissions. Records obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act show Joseph Craft repeatedly emailing, texting and meeting with Pruitt and other EPA officials as coal companies have pressed for relief from the government as competition from cheaper natural gas and from renewables has driven down U.S. demand for coal. ___ This story has corrected the spelling of Sierra Club official Perera.

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