News Heading into Friday July 24th 2020 NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT YOLO THE VARIOUS TICKERS WITHOUT DOING RESEARCH. THE TIME STAMPS ON THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES MAY BE LATER THAN OTHERS ON THE WEB. THE CREATOR OF THIS THREAD COMPILED THE FOLLOWING IN A QUICK MANNER AND DOES NOT ATTEST TO THE VERACITY OF THE INFORMATION BELOW. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VETTING YOUR OWN SOURCES AND DOING YOUR OWN DD.
China tells US to close consulate in Chengdu in growing spat
CSTR ($10.90) CapStar Financial Holdings and Gaylon Lawrence Announce Collaborative Agreement
IO) ($2.85) ION announces first 3D multi-client program in Mauritania
BKYI ($0.67) Identity, Security and Access Management Solutions Provider BIO-key Completes $24.8 Million Public Offering
DXC ENGIE IT Teams with DXC Technology and ServiceNow to Launch Certified Global Center of Excellence
MARA ($0.99) Marathon Patent Group Announces Pricing of $6.0 Million Upsized Underwritten Public Offering of Common Stock
APM ($3.66) Aptorum Group Becomes the First Nasdaq Listed Biopharmaceutical Company Admitted to Trading on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange Under the Ticker Symbol APM
OCX Oncocyte to Hold KOL Webinar Showcasing New Data and Real World Usage of DetermaRx™
RDUS ($13.90) Menarini Group and Radius Health Announce Global License Agreement for the Development and Commercialization of Elacestrant
THTX ($3.19) Theratechnologies Reports That Tesamorelin Improves Liver Health
UXIN ($1.42) Uxin Reports Unaudited Financial Results for the Transition Period from January 1 to March 31, 2020
BIOL ($0.45) reported (3) new insider trades (acquisitions) to the SEC
ENLC ($2.54) EnLink Midstream to Participate in Investor Conference
PSTV ($2,46) Plus Therapeutics to Present at the YAFO Access China Partnering Conference on July 30, 2020
BTE ($0.52) Baytex Conference Call and Webcast on Second Quarter 2020 Results to be Held on July 30, 2020
HEXO ($0.73) HEXO vapes now available across Canada
GWGH ($6.76) reported 6 new insider trades to the SEC
TGI ($7.77) Triumph Group to Webcast First Quarter Fiscal Year 2021 Earnings Conference Call
MYOK MyoKardia's mavacamten nabs accelerated review in U.S. for thickened heart muscle disorder
NVAX Novavax and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies Initiate Large Scale Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate
AAPL Apple Delaying 5G iPhone Launch Event To At Least Late October: Report
MYOK MyoKardia Announces Receipt of Breakthrough Therapy Designation from FDA for Mavacamten for the Treatment of Symptomatic, Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
MRNA Moderna loses challenge to Arbutus patent on vaccine technology
DUK Duke Energy Renewables brings another 200-MWac solar plant online in Texas
DIS Disney delays ‘Mulan’ indefinitely, Star Wars and Avatar movies pushed back a year (DIS, AMC)
FE FirstEnergy CEO says utility 'acted ethically' in support of nuclear power plant bailout
AES Brazilian power company Eneva proposes $1.4 billion tie-up with AES Tiete
TARO Taro Pharma to Pay More Than $200 Million to Settle Generic-Drug Price-Fixing Case
EVR Evercore Announces Strategic Alliance with Seneca Evercore in Brazil
ARCT Arcturus Therapeutics Announces Agreement with Israeli Ministry of Health to Supply COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, LUNAR-COV19
VSAT Viasat draws $175M equity investment from Intercorp, Baupost
VSAT Viasat Announces $175 Million Strategic Equity Investment
ENB Enbridge-contracted vessels may have caused Line 5 damage - report
LLNW ($6.12) reported 6 new insider trades to the SEC
U.S. Economy’s Recovery Is Stalling, and It Could Get Even Worse
Authentic Brands, Sycamore Partners Weigh Bids for Ann Taylor Parent (EV, SPG, ASNA)
HOTH ($2.88) reported 5 new insider trades (acquisition) to the SEC
SWIR ($12.50) Sierra Wireless Reaches Definitive Agreement to Divest Automotive Embedded Module Product Line for US$165 million
RDUS ($13.90) Menarini Group and Radius Health Announce Global License Agreement for the Development and Commercialization of Elacestrant
US Department of Defense awards new contracts to (UAVS, NOC, SRCI, BKH, SSB)
WABC Westamerica Bancorporation to buyback 1.75M shares
AMZN Amazon Air Launches Operations At New Florida Hub
DNKN Philip Auerbach Appointed to Newly Created Role of Dunkin' Chief Digital and Strategy Officer
CHTR Docket Established For Monitoring Compliance With The Conditions Imposed In The Charter Communications-Time Warner Cable-Bright House Networks Order
ORGO ($4.05) Latest Advanced Wound Care Innovations and Research from Organogenesis to be Highlighted at SAWC Spring | WHS 2020 Virtual Meeting
TLSA Exercise of Warrants and Issue of Equity and Total Voting Rights
TSLA Tesla's stock pares gains after blow out results, while a host of analysts boost price targets
TSLA Musk Reveals Tesla Will Have Local Battery Cell Production For Gigafactory Berlin
BMRN BioMarin Submits Marketing Authorization Application to European Medicines Agency for Vosoritide to Treat Children with Achondroplasia
Pool Companies Score With Covid-19 Recluses Looking to Beat Heat (PNR, TSCO, POOL)
LPRO reported 7 new insider trades (buys) to the SEC
PTSI Auto Manufacturing Woes Sink P.A.M. Transportation's Q2
DOX Amdocs to Acquire Openet to Accelerate the Pace of Taking the Communications Industry to the Cloud and Help Service Providers Differentiate in the 5G Era
GLT Glatfelter to Present at the Jefferies Virtual Industrials Conference on August 6th
DKNG DraftKings and Kambi in agreement for proprietary platform services migration
EHTH EHealth down double-digits as revenue gains, but cash flow remains negative
WBA Walgreens Supports INFORM Consumers Act Introduction in U.S. House of Representatives
AVNW Aviat Networks Launches New Hosted Offering for Interference Analysis on Microwave Spectrum
'Not much hope': Macau casinos see deepening losses as virus slams China travel (LVS, MLCO)
SCPL SciPlay Q2 net income up 86% driven by strong margins, shares +15% after-hours
FITB The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation of MB Financial and Fifth Third Bancorp on Behalf of Investors
MJCO Majesco Announces New and Innovative Updates for Majesco’s Billing for P&C
AUY Yamana Gold Raises Dividend by Further 12%; Fourth Dividend Increase Announced by the Company in the Past Year for a Cumulative Increase of 250%
Bubble%20%2D%2D%20Just%20three%20days,stocks%20are%20in%20a%20bubble.&text=The%20Nasdaq%20100%20was%20down,its%20gain%20for%20the%20week) Warnings Get Louder With Nasdaq Erasing Huge Monday Rally
YouTube Urges Court To Quash Cryptocurrency Scam Lawsuit, Citing Social Media Immunity (GOOGL, GOOG, AAPL, MSFT, TSLA)
RCL Return On Capital Employed Overview: Royal Caribbean Cruises
INWK ($2.75) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Continues Its Investigation on Behalf of InnerWorkings Investors
MOHO ($2.05) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Continues Its Investigation on Behalf of ECMOHO Investors
ET ($6.62) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation of Energy Transfer LP on Behalf of Investors
TSQ ($4.60) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Continues Its Investigation on Behalf of Townsquare Media Investors
ERII The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation of Energy Recovery on Behalf of Investors
COG Faruqi & Faruqi, is Investigating Cabot Oil & Gas on Behalf of its Shareholders
GDOT Green Dot to Announce Second Quarter 2020 Results on August 4th
OMC Omnicom Group Schedules Second Quarter and Year-to-Date 2020 Earnings Release and Conference Call
NSIT Insight Enterprises to Report Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results on August 6, 2020
GSHD Goosehead Insurance, Inc. to Report Second Quarter 2020 Results on Thursday, July 30, 2020
BANX StoneCastle Financial Corp. to Host the Second Fiscal Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call and Announces Net Asset Value as of June 30, 2020
It's a new month for Wall Street, but so far it appears it will begin the same way the old one ended — with losses. The Dow has now fallen for six consecutive weeks for the first time in eight years, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have posted four straight weekly declines, as ongoing tariff tensions with China and now Mexico as well as U.S. economic uncertainty loom. (CNBC)
Market drop in May felt serious, but it is normal for stocks (CNBC)
The Dow's Friday close was its lowest since Jan. 29, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at their lowest since March 8. And although the Nasdaq is still up more than 12% for the year, it is moving closer to correction with a nearly 9% decline from its May 3 record closing high. (CNBC)
Goldman Sachs (GS) sees increased risks of escalations of U.S. trade disputeswith China and Mexico. There is now a 60% chance of the U.S. placing a new 10% tariff on the final $300 billion of Chinese imports. There is now a 70% chance of Trump imposing 5% duties on Mexican goods and a 50% chance that goes to 10%. (CNBC)
US-China trade deal isn't likely at the G-20 summit this month, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley say (CNBC)
Morgan Stanley sees global recession 'in three quarters' if Trump escalates trade war (CNBC)
Top officials from the U.S. and Mexico are set to begin talks today over tariffs and border safety. "Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border," the president tweeted. "Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years. We want action, not talk." (AP)
On the economic calendar, at 10 a.m. ET, both the May ISM manufacturing index and April construction spending are out. Some of the nation's automakers issue May sales today, although Ford (F) and GM (GM) only report on a quarterly basis. There are no major earnings this morning. Box (BOX) releases its quarterly number after today's closing bell.
President Donald Trump arrived for his first state visit to Britain today. Cracks are starting to appear in the transatlantic relationship, with political analysts concerned that his "off-the-cuff" and "impulsive" leadership style could make matters worse over the coming days. (CNBC)
Trump calls London Mayor Sadiq Khan a 'stone cold loser' (CNBC)
Everything you need to know about Trump's state visit (CNBC)
Trump tweeted that White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett will "shortly" leave his post, but did not provide a reason. It's unclear who's set to takeover, in a time of drama between the U.S., China and Mexico. (Reuters)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the White House's Mideast peace plan is possibly "unexecutable" and might not "gain traction," according to an audio recording of the private meeting obtained by The Washington Post.
Trump administration says it will negotiate with Iran with 'no preconditions'(NY Times)
More than 300 Boeing (BA) 737 jets, including the Max, may have faulty wing parts that don't meet strength and durability standards, the FAA said, following a joint investigation with the aircraft manufacturer. The agency plans to order airlines to remove and replace the parts if their aircraft are affected. (CNBC)
Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google unit is the subject of an upcoming antitrust probeby the Justice Department, according to multiple reports. The probe will focus on Google's search and other businesses. (CNBC)
Apple (AAPL) is expected to launch the latest version of iOS, its software for the iPhone and iPad, today at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.The company has launched a new version of its iPhone software at WWDC every year since 2009, and analysts and reports don't expect this year to be any different. (CNBC)
Facebook (FB) has been in contact with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission about rolling out a digital currency, according to the Financial Times.
SoftBank's bid to raise a $100 billion fund is off to a rocky start, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some of the world's biggest money managers plan to make limited or no contributions to the Japanese technology giant.
Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) is discussing an improved bid for French carmaker Renault, according to Reuters, in order to win backing from the French government for a deal.
Goldman Sachs (GS) is buying Capital Vision Services, manager of the MyEyeDr optometry practices, from a private equity firm and a Canadian pension fund for $2.7 billion, including debt, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Apple – Apple holds its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday and is reportedly set to announce the end of its iTunes store. Bloomberg reports that iTunes functions will be divided among three newly developed applications.
Alphabet – Alphabet’s Google unit is the subject of an upcoming antitrust probe by the Justice Department, according to multiple reports. The probe will focus on Google’s search and other businesses.
Cypress Semiconductor – The chipmaker will be bought by Germany’s Infineon for $23.85 per share in cash, a 34 percent premium over Friday’s close. The deal is valued at $10.1 billion including assumed debt.
Humana – In an SEC filing, Humana said it did not intend to make a proposal to combine with health insurer Centene as an alternative to Centene’s planned acquisition of WellCare Health Plans. Humana said this statement was a one-time exception to its policy of not commenting on market rumors.
Goldman Sachs – Goldman is buying Capital Vision Services – manager of the MyEyeDr optometry practices – from a private equity firm and a Canadian pension fund. Goldman did not reveal financial details but the Wall Street Journal reports that the deal is worth $2.7 billion.
Blackstone Group – Blackstone is buying industrial warehouse assets from Singapore logistics provider GLP For $18.7 billion, in what Blackstone said is the largest-ever private real estate transaction.
Boeing - Some of Boeing’s 737 MAX jets may have faulty parts, according to the FAA. Boeing said it has identified 20 jets that most likely to have faulty parts and plans to check another 159 for the same parts.
Facebook – Facebook has been in contact with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission about rolling out a digital currency, according to the Financial Times.
Fiat Chrysler – Fiat Chrysler is discussing an improved bid for French carmaker Renault, according to Reuters, in order to win backing from the French government for a deal.
Merck, AstraZeneca – The drug makers reported upbeat study results involving their Lynparza drug. The treatment successfully stalled the advance of pancreatic cancer in certain patients.
Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands – These and other casino operators in Macau may see their stocks benefit after gaming revenue in Macau hit a five month high in May.
Waste Management – Waste Management was upgraded to “outperform” from “sector perform” at RBC Capital, which cited the company’s unique positioning within its sector.
Salesforce.com – J.P. Morgan Securities removed the stock from its “Analyst Focus List”, based on current valuation following a 2½ year gain of 121 percent.
bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums Stockaholics.net where this content was originally posted.
DISCUSS!
What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarket?
I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Monday, June 3rd, 2019! :)
原创翻译：龙腾网http://www.ltaaa.com%C2%A0 论坛地址：http://www.ltaaa.com/bbs/thread-336600-1-1.html .shao dongmingYouTube Shao Dongming is the CEO of Chinese property development company Dongding Investment, and he's one of richest men in Shanghai. 邵东明是中国一家地产开发公司东鼎投资的董事长，也是上海滩上最富有的人之一。 Unfortunately his luck has run out.不幸的是，他的好运到头了。译文来源:龙腾网 HTTP://WWW.LTAAA.COMShao is being investigated for corruption in the country's ongoing, far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Specifically, the government is looking into the $160 million worth of gambling debts he's racked up in Macau. According to reports, Shao refused to pay these debts when his creditors tried to call them in, and he reportedly even threatened representatives of his creditors with bodily harm. 中国正刮起一场大范围的反腐风暴，邵东明正因腐败问题受到调查。政府特别关注他在澳门欠下的1.6亿美元赌债。据报道，债主打电话给邵东明催款时，他不但拒不还钱，还威胁要修理债主的代理人。His story is a reflection of a new China. 邵的故事反映出中国的新环境。Two years ago, this probably wouldn't have been a problem, but with a national anti-corruption campaign afoot in China — in which President Xi Jinping vowed to go after lowly "flies" and powerful "tigers" — and Macau's casino industry going through a massive slowdown, there is no longer any tolerance for the red king's excesses. 2年前，这可能不会成为问题，但是随着中国反腐运动愈演愈烈——*河蟹*誓要将"苍蝇"和"老虎"一起打——澳门的赌博业受到很大影响，不会再容忍红色赌王的大额欠债。 MacaoKin Cheun/AP People walk across a road in front of the Venetian Macao casino resorts. 澳门，人们走过威尼斯赌场门前。There's also little tolerance for his pride. A report from China's NDTV noted that Shao bragged that "anyone creating trouble for him would end up in jail." He has close ties to the mayor of Shanghai, and he has held high-level positions within the Communist Party. 他的傲慢也不被见容。中国NDTV的一份报道称邵东林吹嘘"谁找我麻烦，我让他进监狱。"邵与上海市长关系密切，在党的队伍中占据高位。No matter. He's still going to get a "string ent inspection," according to the Party.但是不管怎样，他都将受到"严肃调查"。It's about more than Shao 不仅仅是邵Now, the fact that Shao's being targeted for corruption is not the only way his case reflects Xi's new China. His investigation may spell more trouble for the country's slowing housing market and show that an already dire situation in Macau isn't getting any better.邵被调查不仅仅是反映了习领导下的中国新环境，对邵的调查也许会给中国已然放缓的房地产市场雪上加霜，同时澳门的悲惨处境也不会变好。Overall, Shao's business has seen better days. Chinese housing is facing its roughest patch since 2011. New home prices fell 5.1% in January from the same time the year before. In December that figure was 4.3%.邵的企业曾经辉煌过。中国的房地产业现在正面临自2011年来最严峻的形势。1月份一手房的价格同比下跌了5.1%。而12月份同比跌幅是4.3%。Last month, massive property development company Kaisa defaulted , and now $2 billion worth of its assets are frozen. Naturally, having a billionaire property developer under investigation won't help matters. 上个月，大型开发商凯撒股份违约，现在其20亿美元的资产被冻结。显然，一个房地产界的亿万富翁被调查只会使情况更糟。As for Macau, the fact that Shao's debts are being called in at all is a sign of weakness, especially for the island's high roller segment. Coming off of the worst year since it opened to western casino operators, analysts think that the global gambling hub will continue to slow. Foot traffic is up slightly among retail gamblers, but it's not nearly enough to make up for the loss of high rollers, who've been scared off by Xi's corruption crack down.而对于澳门来说，邵被催偿赌债这件事说明了澳门的衰落，特别是大赌场。自从澳门开放给西方赌场以来，这是最糟糕的一年，分析师认为澳门会继续走下坡路。小赌场的客流量稍有上升，但是远不够弥补大赌场的客流减少，大赌客都被*河蟹*的反腐给吓跑了。Moreover, one would think Chinese New Year would be a boon for Macau, but it hasn't been.更糟的是，一般认为春节能给澳门带来一波火爆生意，但是也没有。"Based on checks through February 22, we believe Chinese New Year (CNY) revenue trends have been soft to date. Our checks suggest that revenue trends in both the VIP and mass segments have been soft. Notably, there were a number of mass tables empty on the third and fourth days of CNY," wrote Wells Fargo analyst Cameron McKnight in a recent note. "Continue to expect -35% to - 45% growth for February.""根据2月22号的支票，相信农历新年的收入会比较疲弱。大户和散客的收入都不高。特别是在春节长假的第三、四天，散客桌空了很多。"Wells Fargo 的分析师 Cameron McKnight称，"预计2月份收入会减少35-45%。"What's more, reports indicate that the Chinese government is looking to cap the number of visitors to Macau — period. That means the end of the islands massive boom, and the beginning of what McKnight calls a "new normal."并且，有报道称，中国政府将限制访问澳门的人数。这意味着澳门的大繁荣到头了，取而代之的是McKnight所说的"新常态"。Oh and there's this: "our analysis shows a 95% correlation between Chinese home price growth and VIP volume growth," McKnight wrote in a note.哦还有："我们的分析发现，中国房价增长和大户业务量增长有95%的相关性。"McKnight在他的文章中说。So if the ship starts to go down, it all goes down together.所以如果船要沉了，那就是全体下沉。
U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher "quadruple witching"Friday open on Wall Street, with investors welcoming positive signs in U.S. trade talks with China. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were tracking for a positive week. (CNBC)
The U.S. and China are making "concrete progress" on the text of their trade agreement, Chinese state media reported Friday. President Donald Trump said the U.S. will probably know in the next three or four weeks about a possible deal with China. (South China Morning Post & CNBC)
The New York Fed's Empire State manufacturing index is out at 8:30 a.m. EDT. The Federal Reserve releases February industrial production. The University of Michigan releases its preliminary March consumer sentiment index and the government issues its January JOLTS, job opportunities and labor turnover, report. (CNBC)
Forty-nine people were killed today when at least one shooter opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Authorities charged one man in his late 20s with murder. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls the terrorist attacks "one of New Zealand's darkest days." (CNBC)
Gunman streamed what appeared to be helmet camera video on Facebook (NY Times)
Microsoft (MSFT) denied any connection with a Chinese facial recognition app that rights groups claim is being used by Beijing to track minority Muslims in China. The app, called SenseNets, sells facial recognition and crowd analysis technology designed to detect unusual behavior. (CNBC)
Facebook (FB) announced the departure of Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp division head Chris Daniels. Cox did not explicitly mention CEO Mark Zuckerberg's shift in focus to private messaging. (CNBC)
Apple (AAPL) refuted Spotify's (SPOT) complaint to European regulators, which claims the App Store creates unfair competition, saying the music streaming rival's goal is to "make more money off others' work." Apple said Spotify is seeking all the benefits of a free app, without being free. (CNBC)
Apple released its first commercial about privacy: Watch it here(CNBC)
Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its Model Y crossover SUV, with CEO Elon Musk saying last night that deliveries would begin in the fall of 2020 for configurations between $47,000 and $60,000. The base $39,000 Model Y won't be ready until spring of 2021. (CNBC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is suing German automaker Volkswagen and ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn, alleging in a court filing that they "perpetrated a massive fraud" and repeatedly lied to U.S. investors in connection with the so-called dieselgate scandal. (CNBC)
Uber is planning to kick off its initial public offering in April, putting it close on the heels of its smaller rival Lyft. Next month, the ride-hailing company plans to launch its investor roadshow. Uber and Lyft are joining a number of expected tech IPOs, including Slack, Pinterest and Palantir. (Reuters)
Closing pop-up stores, pushing the grocery business, and focusing on advertising all will help Amazon (AMZN) boost profits, KeyBanc analysts said as they boosted the online retailer's price target to $2,100 per share, nearly 25 percent higher than Thursday's close. (CNBC)
Facebook — Facebook announced the departure of Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp division head Chris Daniels. Cox said a shift in Facebook's focus would benefit from new leadership, although he did not explicitly mention CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to emphasize private messaging.
Oracle — Oracle reported adjusted quarterly profit of 87 cents per share, 3 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat Wall Street forecasts and the business software company forecast current-quarter revenue below estimates, citing the strengthening dollar.
Adobe Systems — Adobe beat estimates by 9 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.71 per share. The software provider's revenue also topped the Street, however Adobe issued lower-than-expected current-quarter guidance.
Newell Brands — CEO Michael Polk will retire at the end of the second quarter after serving in that role since 2011. During Polk's tenure, the household goods company had been accused by activist investors Starboard Value and Carl Icahn of missteps, and eventually agreeing to give them board seats and accelerate a turnaround plan.
Amazon.com — In contrast to BMO's move, Amazon was upgraded to "overweight" from "sector weight" at KeyBanc, which pointed to Amazon's moves to improve profitability at its core retail operation.
AT&T — Raymond James upgraded AT&T to "outperform" from "market perform," citing the prospect of improved earnings growth and the delivering of AT&T's balance sheet.
Jabil — Jabil came in 3 cents a share above estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of 64 cents per share. The electronics manufacturer's revenue was essentially in line with expectations.
Ulta Beauty — Ulta reported quarterly profit of $3.61 per share, 5 cents a share above estimates. The cosmetics retailer's revenue was slightly above analysts' forecasts. Comparable sales jumped 9.4 percent on an increase in customer traffic.
Broadcom — Broadcom exceeded analysts' forecasts by 32 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $5.55 per share. The chipmaker's revenue came in below estimates, however, amid a slowdown in its China business.
Apple — Apple responded to Spotify Technology's European Union complaint that it unfairly limits rivals to its own streaming music service, Apple Music. Apple said it had approved nearly 200 updates to Spotify's app, and only requested changes when Spotify tried to sidestep platform rules.
Rent-A-Center — Rent-A-Center was within its rights to abandon a merger deal with private-equity firm Vintage Capital in 2018, according to a ruling by a Delaware state court. The rent-to-own company also says Vintage owes it a $126.5 million termination fee, but that issue has not been decided yet by the court.
Zumiez —The action sports retailer earned $1.18 per share for its latest quarter, 7 cents a share above estimates. Revenue came in below analysts' forecasts and Zumiez forecast a current-quarter loss of 7 to 13 cents per share, compared with a consensus estimate of a 7 cents a share loss.
bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums Stockaholics.net where this content was originally posted.
DISCUSS!
What's on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarket?
I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Friday, March 15th, 2019! :)
Your AM Global Stocks Preview and a whole lot more news that you need to read: Global stocks surging following “truce” in US-China trade dispute
US Stocks
Global stocks are surging on news that the US and China will attempt to negotiate through their dispute on trade over the next 90 days rather than escalate tensions between the two trading partners
US index futures are jumping this morning, pointing to a positive start to December with front-month Dow Jones minis +0.79%, S&P500 minis +0.82% and Nasdaq 100 minis +0.79%
US President Donald Trump formally proclaims a “truce” in the trade dispute between the US and China following his dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina
According to an analysis by Bloomberg, the S&P500 has posted an average return of +1.61% in December as far back as 1950
The VIX is moving down this morning and is currently at 16.3 after closing at 18.07 last week
General Electic (GE) December 07 & January 2019 PTM Puts, SPY December 07 OTM Calls, QQQ January 2019 OTM Puts and FXI December 07 & December 221 OTM Calls are some of the most heavily traded options in the US pre-market
US 10-Year Treasury Bonds are lower with yields up 3.99 basis points to 3.0278%
The US Treasury 2s-10s Spread has narrowed 0.48 basis points to 0.2%
WTI Crude is currently up 3.96% to USD$52.93/bbl with the Brent-WTI spread up USD1.11 to USD$8.80/bbl
Global oil prices are rallying on news that Russia and Saudi Arabia renewed their agreement to work together to manage the global oil market – no production cuts have been announced yet
Gold is currently up 0.65% to USD$1228.5/oz
Stocks Trending in the News
Click name for Q-Factor breakdown, latest price details, more financial info and sentiment data.
Apple (AAPL) will not introduce an iPhone that can use 5G services until 2020 according to a report from Bloomberg today. Apple will wait until almost a year after the introduction of 5G technology to take advantage of the new, faster technology, the same way it did when 4G was introduced. Apple did this in the past to avoid the inevitable early problems with the new service, preferring to wait until it is fully introduced. Apple is rated “Attractive” in our US Large-Cap and US Information Technology Global Top Stock Ideas.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (DB: BMW), Daimler AG (XTRA: DAI), Volkswagen AG (XTRA: VOW3), and other global automobile manufacturer shares are trading higher after US President Donald Trump and China agreed to remove tariffs on American-made cars that severely hindered the global automobile manufacturing industry. BMW is rallying the most in three years on the news. BMW is rated “Unattractive” in our European Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas. Daimler is rated “Top Short” in our European Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas. Volkswagen is rated “Neutral” in our European Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
Former General Electric (GE) employees are cited in a Wall Street Journal report that alleges General Electric’s insurance business of failing to acknowledge worsening results over recent years, leading to the turmoil surrounding the large conglomerate. The Wall Street Journal additionally reports that federal investigators are questioning these former General Electric employees in relation to a probe of the conglomerate. General Electric is rated “Top Short” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas and “Unattractive” in our US Industrials Global Top Stock Ideas.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc (LSE: GSK) shares are trading lower after announcing the acquisition of Tesaro Inc. (TSRO) for GBP 4bn (USD$5.1bn). The acquisition price, which translates to an offer price of USD$75/share, is a roughly 62% premium on Tesaro’s Friday’s close. The move to acquire Tesaro, whose stock is down 44% YTD, is a move by CEO Emma Walmsley to revitalize the company’s cancer drug pipeline. GlaxoSmithKline Plc is rated “Top Buy” in our United Kingdom All-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas. Tesaro is rated “Unattractive” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
Lululemon (LULU) is in talks to join a Chinese investor group attempting a takeover of Amer Sports Oyj (AMEAS FH) according to a report in Bloomberg today. The report states that Lululemon is in talks to take about 20% of the deal, though nothing has been confirmed officially. Lululemon is rated “top Buy” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas. Amer Sports Oyj is rated “Attractive” in our European SMID-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
MGM China (2282 HK) shares were up strong overnight on a report from JP Morgan. JP Morgan said the November gaming revenue growth was impressive, growing at 8.5% in November. JP Morgan said most important is that the strong numbers bear estimates that were increased recently, the median consensus was for 4% growth. MGM China is rated “Neutral” in our China All-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
Qualcomm (QCOM) said it has ruled out any other bids for NXP Semiconductor (NXPI) after the US and Chinese negotiations appeared to open the way to potentially approve the deal. Qualcomm, in a note to the market, said it was grateful for the work of both the countries but that it has abandoned the deal and has no plans to revisit it. It said, “Qualcomm considers the matter closed”. Qualcomm is rated “Neutral” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas and “Top Buy” in our US Information Technology Global Top Stock Ideas. NXP Semiconductors is not rated in our Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
Unilever (UNA NA) agreed to buy GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK LN) Indian consumer business for US$3.8 billion. Unilever is looking to expand its presence in the fast growing economy. Unilever has been looking to expand further in emerging markets, where it already gets two-thirds of its revenue. Unilever is rated “Top Buy” in our European Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas. GlaxoSmithKline is rated “Top Buy” in our European Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
Sands China (SEHK: 1928) shares are trading higher by double-digits after Macau casinos announced November revenue that topped analyst estimates. Macau saw gross casino revenues grow 8.5% y/y to 25bn patacas (USD$3.1bn) while analysts expected growth of just 4%. Analysts had already revised estimates upward in weeks leading up to the announcement, adding to the magnitude of the beat. Sands China is rated “Attractive” in our China All-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) will abandon Comcast Corporation’s (CMCSA) FreeWheel advertising platform in favor of Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Ad Manager in relation to its video streaming service. The trend towards digitally native advertising solutions is one being seen across the online television advertising space. Of late, Alphabet has signed deals with CBC, A&E Networks, and AMC Networks to use its Google Ad Manager service. Disney is rated “Top Buy” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas and “Top Buy” in our US Consumer Discretionary Global Top Stock Ideas. Comcast is rated “Neutral” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas and “Attractive” in our US Consumer Discretionary Global Top Stock Ideas. Alphabet is rated “Neutral” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas and “Attractive” in our US Information Technology Global Top Stock Ideas.
Verizon (VZ) has been downgraded by JP Morgan to neutral from outperform. Verizon’s price target was reiterated at USD$62. Verizon has outperformed the SP500 by 13% recently and JP Morgan highlighted this when downgrading the stock. Verizon is fully valued at this point, in JP Morgan’s opinion. Verizon is rated is rated “Top Buy” in our US Large-Cap Global Top Stock Ideas.
European Stocks
European stocks are advancing this morning in sympathy with Asian stocks
The Euro Stoxx 600 is currently up +1.6%, the FTSE 100 is higher by +2.13%, the DAX has advanced +2.4%, and the CAC 40 has risen +1.47%
Investor sentiment for European stocks is positive with the advance/decline ratio for the Euro Stoxx 600 currently at 4.61x
Oil & Gas (+2.75%), Telecommunications (-0.09%), and Basic Resources (+4.96%) stocks are the top performers in the Euro Stoxx 600 today
Automobiles & Parts (+3.88%), Food & Beverage (-0.15%), and Utilities (+0.55%) stocks are the worst performers in the Euro Stoxx 600 today
30 stocks in the Euro Stoxx 600 are at 4-week highs while 74 stocks are at 4-week lows
13 stocks in the Euro Stoxx 600 are overbought while 33 stocks are oversold according to the 16-day RSI Measure
VSTOXX, the European stocks equivalent of the VIX, is moving down this morning and is currently at 16.58 after closing at 18.49 yesterday
EUR€ is currently little changed against the USD$ at 1.1322
GBP£ is currently down -0.235% against the USD$ to 1.2719
CHF is currently little changed against the USD$ at 1.0011
German 10-Year Bunds are lower with yields up 0.6 basis points to 0.319%
UK 10-Year GILTs are higher with yields down -1.6 basis points to 1.348%
Asian Stocks
Asia stocks rallied in overnight trading to start the month of December on a positive footing following news that the US will delay implementation of additional tariffs on Chinese imports following the dinner between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina during the G20 Summit
The Nikkei 225 finished up +1%, the Hang Seng ended up +2.55%, the Hang Seng China Enterprise up +2.45%, and the CSI 300 was +2.78%
Bloomberg estimates USD$325 billion in market capitalization was added to large-cap Asian stocks overnight with investor sentiment turning positive
The CNY has strengthened over 1% this morning to 6.8897 RMB/USD, the biggest one day move in the Renminbi since February 2016
Investor sentiment for Japanese stocks finished positive with the advance/decline ratio for the Nikkei 225 closing at 4x
32 stocks in the Nikkei 225 hit 4-week highs while 7 stocks reached 4-week lows
8 stocks in the Nikkei 225 closed overbought while 7 stocks closed oversold according to the 16-day RSI Measure
Investor sentiment for Hong Kong stocks finished positive with the advance/decline ratio for the Hang Seng closing at 9x
3 stocks in the Hang Seng hit 4-week highs while 0 stocks reached 4-week lows
0 stocks in the Hang Seng closed overbought while 0 stocks closed oversold according to the 16-day RSI Measure
Japan 2-Year Government Bonds are higher with yields down -0.1 basis points to -0.13%
Japan 10-Year Government Bonds are higher with yields down -0.6 basis points to 0.086%
JGBs 2s-10s Spread has narrowed 0.5 basis points to 0.22%
JPY¥ is currently little changed against the USD$ at 113.59
Good morning traders of the StockMarket sub! Welcome to Thursday! Happy first trading day of the new month! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news this AM-
President Donald Trump said the number of military troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexican border could reach 15,000, roughly double the number the Pentagon said it currently plans for a mission whose dimensions are shifting daily. (AP)
In an interview with Axios that will premiere on Sunday, Trump said railing against his enemies in the media helped him win the election, and that his supporters like him more when he cranks up the "enemy of the people" rhetoric.
Trump ripped House Speaker Paul Ryan, a day after Ryan said the president could not eliminate birthright citizenship with an executive order. Ryan, a prolific party fundraiser, is retiring and not seeking re-election. (CNBC)
With less than a week left before Election Day, Democrats are leaving nothing to chance in the final leg of the midterm election campaign, outspending Republicans by a wide margin in the parties' battle for control of the House. (CNBC)
Republicans pin election hopes on Trump's rallies (WSJ)
Pelosi confident Dems will gain seats and flip the House (CNBC)
Today is the beginning of the second Affordable Care Act enrollment season under Trump, and things are pretty stable. People will also be able to buy skimpy, inexpensive "short-term" plans as an alternative to ACA coverage. (Axios)
Hundreds of Google employees in more than 20 offices around the world are staging walk-outs today to protest for more transparency amid complaints of sexism, racism and unchecked executive power in their workplace. (CNBC)
Apple (AAPL) is exploring a tie-up with the largest U.S. radio group, iHeartMedia, to try and boost its streaming service, according to the Financial Times. Talks between the two companies are reportedly at a preliminary stage.
CVS (CVS) is piloting a program in Boston that includes free delivery on most prescriptions and online purchases, access to a pharmacist helpline, a 20 percent discount on all CVS-branded products and a monthly $10 coupon. (CNBC)
Billionaire investor David Einhorn's hedge fund Greenlight Capital posted a small gain in October, when stocks tumbled, but is still nursing some of the industry's biggest losses for the year. Greenlight is traditionally one of the first firms to notify investors of its performance. (Reuters)
DowDupont – The chemical maker beat estimates by 3 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of 74 cents per share. Revenue was slightly below forecasts, however. Its results were helped by strength in its cosmetics, paints, and packaging products. The company also announced a new $3 billion stock buyback program.
Newfield Exploration – Newfield agreed to be bought by Canadian oil and gas producer Encana in an all-stock deal valued at C$5.5 billion, or $4.2 billion in U.S. dollars. Encana plans to raise its dividend by 25 percent and expand its share buyback program once the deal closes.
Apple – Apple is in talks to buy a stake in radio station operator iHeartMedia, according to the Financial Times. The paper said Apple could also announce a marketing partnership rather than an investment.
Cigna – The insurance company reported adjusted quarterly profit of $3.84 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $3.44 a share. Revenue also beat forecasts, thanks in part to a drop in medical costs for its government health-care plans.
Teva Pharmaceutical – The drugmaker beat Street forecasts by 14 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of 68 cents per share. Revenue also topped forecasts, and Teva raised its full-year forecasts as key drugs continue to post strong sales.
Spotify – The music streaming service posted an unexpected profit for its latest quarter, with analysts having anticipated a loss. Revenue also exceeded forecasts, and Spotify's monthly average users jumped 28 percent to 191 million.
Generac – The maker of home and commercial power generators beat consensus estimates by 35 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.43. Revenue also beat Wall Street forecasts. Generac saw strength in all its markets, as well as an increase in profit margins.
Tempur Sealy – The mattress retailer fell 16 cents short of estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.02 per share, while revenue also missed Street forecasts. The company also cut its earnings forecast.
Hanesbrands – The apparel maker matched Street forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of 55 cents per share, but revenue fell short of estimates. The company said overall performance was partly impacted by the Sears bankruptcy, but gave what it calls a "confident" outlook.
AIG – AIG lost an adjusted 34 cents per share for the third quarter, surprising analysts who had expected a profit of 6 cents per share. The insurance company's results were impacted by significant catastrophe losses in North America and Japan.
Fitbit – Fitbit earned an adjusted 4 cents per share for its latest quarter, compared to expectations of a 1 cent per share loss. The wearable fitness device maker's revenue also topped estimates, although the company did give mixed current-quarter guidance.
Roku – Wedbush upgraded the maker of streaming video devices to "outperform" from "neutral," saying a recent pullback in the stock was overdone and that it has built an exceptional platform to support its players.
Allstate – Allstate reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.93 per share, shy of the $2.21 a share consensus estimate. The insurer's revenue came in above Street forecasts, however, and the company also announced a new $3 billion stock buyback plan.
Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts — Shares in the casino operators may benefit from the news that gambling revenue in Macau rose 2.6 percent in October from a year earlier to about $3.4 billion, the highest monthly figure in four years. Gambling revenue in the Chinese territory has now risen for 27 straight months.
Pfizer – Pfizer was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at BMO Capital Markets in what the firm said is a valuation call. The drugmaker's stock is up almost 19 percent so far this year.
SeaWorld Entertainment – SeaWorld was upgraded to "overweight" from "sector weight" at Keybanc, which cites higher confidence that the theme park operator will have a successful turnaround.
bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums Stockaholics.net where this content was originally posted.
DISCUSS!
What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarket?
I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Thursday, November 1st, 2018! :)
Casinos 2019 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR (%) and Forecast to 2025
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President Donald Trump issued a strong statement of support for protesters in Iran as a crackdown intensified against anti-government demonstrations. Police have arrested more than 450 people and there have been at least 20 deaths. (WSJ & Reuters)
Democrats in high-tax states are reportedly plotting to blunt the impact of the Republicans' newly passed tax bill. Officials object to the law's cap on state and local tax deductions, in particular, which were previously unlimited. (NY Times)
New year, new tax brackets. Here's where you stand (CNBC)
Bone-chilling cold gripped much of the central U.S. as 2018 began this week, breaking century-old records, icing over some New Year's celebrations and leading to at least two deaths attributed to exposure to the elements. (AP)
Powerful Hollywood women have formed an initiative called "Time's Up" to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue collar workplaces nationwide. It came after a number of sexual misconduct allegations against men in the entertainment industry. (NY Times)
Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, ended 2017 with 650 murders, 15 percent fewer than a year earlier. It's a sign of improvement as Trump has ridiculed Chicago officials for doing too little to stem the violence. (USA Today)
South Korea today offered talks with North Korea amid a standoff over the latter's weapons program. It came a day after Kim Jong Un said he was open to negotiations, but that his country would push ahead with "mass producing" nuclear warheads. (Reuters)
Kim Jong Un declares North Korea is a nuclear power, says 'button' is on his desk (AP) Immigration desk computers at various airports went down for about two hours Monday, which caused long lines for travelers coming into the U.S. Customs gave no explanation for the disruption and said travelers were processed using alternative procedures. (Reuters)
Johnson & Johnson – The stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "overweight" at JPMorgan Chase. The firm's view on J&J is still upbeat, but it sees more upside potential in other large-cap names.
Lennar – Wells Fargo upgraded the home builder to "outperform" from "market perform," citing both tax law changes and prospects for improved profits from its planned purchase of CalAtlantic.
Abbott Labs – The drugmaker was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at JPMorgan Chase, and also received upgrades from Morgan Stanley and Guggenheim. Analysts are encouraged by the prospects for Abbott's product pipeline.
Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts – These and other casino companies with operations in Macau could benefit, following news that gaming revenue in the Chinese territory rose 19 percent in 2017. That was the first annual revenue gain in three years.
Sears Holdings – Sears has not run any paid national television commercials since late November, according to The Wall Street Journal. The parent of Sears and Kmart has run no national TV ads since late November, compared to $8.4 million a year earlier for the Sears brand and $6.5 million for the company's Kmart division.
L Brands – The apparel retailer was upgraded to "outperform" from "neutral" at Baird, which said it believes the Victoria's Secret unit is turning the corner under new leadership.
Altice USA – Altice pulled the Starz and Encore movie channels from its cable lineup after the two sides could not come to an agreement on a new carriage contract.
Apple – Apple is offering $29 replacement batteries immediately, a month earlier than planned. That comes after Apple's admission that iOS software may slow down older iPhones in order to prevent spontaneous shutdowns due to battery wear.
Alibaba – Alibaba's UC Browser is overtaking Alphabet's Google Chrome in some of Asia's fastest-growing markets, according to The Wall Street Journal. Users tell the paper that the Alibaba browser works better in companies where mobile service is spotty and low-end smartphone use is prominent.
Genesco – Genesco was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, which also increased its price target on the specialty retailer's stock to $40 from $27.
Allstate – Allstate was downgraded to "underperform" from "market perform" at Keefe Bruyette & Woods, which also cut the price target on the insurer's stock to $93 from $103. KBW notes decelerating rate increases and auto segment profit margin pressures.
Walt Disney – Disney's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" stayed on top of the holiday weekend box office, ringing up another $68.4 million in North American ticket sales. That brings its domestic total to $533.1 million.
Nordstrom – The retailer's stock was upgraded to "neutral" from "underweight" at JPMorgan Chase, which notes Nordstrom's strong finish to 2017 and the best holiday season in three years.
Planet Fitness – The fitness center operator's stock was downgraded to "hold" from "buy" at Jefferies, which calls the shares expensive and said that competition is increasing.
Deckers Outdoor – Jefferies cut its rating on the footwear retailer to "hold" from "buy," citing the current valuation and saying that an upbeat winter season for the Uggs maker is already priced in.
Sirius XM – The satellite radio operator's stock was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" at JPMorgan Chase, following the assessment of higher royalty rates beginning this year. JPMorgan feels the higher rates will impact profit margins and possibly subscriber growth rates.
bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums Stockaholics.net where this content was originally posted.
DISCUSS!
What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarket?
I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018! :)
U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher "quadruple witching"Friday open on Wall Street, with investors welcoming positive signs in U.S. trade talks with China. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were tracking for a positive week. (CNBC)
The U.S. and China are making "concrete progress" on the text of their trade agreement, Chinese state media reported Friday. President Donald Trump said the U.S. will probably know in the next three or four weeks about a possible deal with China. (South China Morning Post & CNBC)
The New York Fed's Empire State manufacturing index is out at 8:30 a.m. EDT. The Federal Reserve releases February industrial production. The University of Michigan releases its preliminary March consumer sentiment index and the government issues its January JOLTS, job opportunities and labor turnover, report. (CNBC)
Forty-nine people were killed today when at least one shooter opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Authorities charged one man in his late 20s with murder. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls the terrorist attacks "one of New Zealand's darkest days." (CNBC)
Gunman streamed what appeared to be helmet camera video on Facebook (NY Times)
Microsoft (MSFT) denied any connection with a Chinese facial recognition app that rights groups claim is being used by Beijing to track minority Muslims in China. The app, called SenseNets, sells facial recognition and crowd analysis technology designed to detect unusual behavior. (CNBC)
Facebook (FB) announced the departure of Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp division head Chris Daniels. Cox did not explicitly mention CEO Mark Zuckerberg's shift in focus to private messaging. (CNBC)
Apple (AAPL) refuted Spotify's (SPOT) complaint to European regulators, which claims the App Store creates unfair competition, saying the music streaming rival's goal is to "make more money off others' work." Apple said Spotify is seeking all the benefits of a free app, without being free. (CNBC)
Apple released its first commercial about privacy: Watch it here(CNBC)
Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its Model Y crossover SUV, with CEO Elon Musk saying last night that deliveries would begin in the fall of 2020 for configurations between $47,000 and $60,000. The base $39,000 Model Y won't be ready until spring of 2021. (CNBC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is suing German automaker Volkswagen and ex-CEO Martin Winterkorn, alleging in a court filing that they "perpetrated a massive fraud" and repeatedly lied to U.S. investors in connection with the so-called dieselgate scandal. (CNBC)
Uber is planning to kick off its initial public offering in April, putting it close on the heels of its smaller rival Lyft. Next month, the ride-hailing company plans to launch its investor roadshow. Uber and Lyft are joining a number of expected tech IPOs, including Slack, Pinterest and Palantir. (Reuters)
Closing pop-up stores, pushing the grocery business, and focusing on advertising all will help Amazon (AMZN) boost profits, KeyBanc analysts said as they boosted the online retailer's price target to $2,100 per share, nearly 25 percent higher than Thursday's close. (CNBC)
Facebook — Facebook announced the departure of Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp division head Chris Daniels. Cox said a shift in Facebook's focus would benefit from new leadership, although he did not explicitly mention CEO Mark Zuckerberg's move to emphasize private messaging.
Oracle — Oracle reported adjusted quarterly profit of 87 cents per share, 3 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat Wall Street forecasts and the business software company forecast current-quarter revenue below estimates, citing the strengthening dollar.
Adobe Systems — Adobe beat estimates by 9 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.71 per share. The software provider's revenue also topped the Street, however Adobe issued lower-than-expected current-quarter guidance.
Newell Brands — CEO Michael Polk will retire at the end of the second quarter after serving in that role since 2011. During Polk's tenure, the household goods company had been accused by activist investors Starboard Value and Carl Icahn of missteps, and eventually agreeing to give them board seats and accelerate a turnaround plan.
Amazon.com — In contrast to BMO's move, Amazon was upgraded to "overweight" from "sector weight" at KeyBanc, which pointed to Amazon's moves to improve profitability at its core retail operation.
AT&T — Raymond James upgraded AT&T to "outperform" from "market perform," citing the prospect of improved earnings growth and the delivering of AT&T's balance sheet.
Jabil — Jabil came in 3 cents a share above estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of 64 cents per share. The electronics manufacturer's revenue was essentially in line with expectations.
Ulta Beauty — Ulta reported quarterly profit of $3.61 per share, 5 cents a share above estimates. The cosmetics retailer's revenue was slightly above analysts' forecasts. Comparable sales jumped 9.4 percent on an increase in customer traffic.
Broadcom — Broadcom exceeded analysts' forecasts by 32 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $5.55 per share. The chipmaker's revenue came in below estimates, however, amid a slowdown in its China business.
Apple — Apple responded to Spotify Technology's European Union complaint that it unfairly limits rivals to its own streaming music service, Apple Music. Apple said it had approved nearly 200 updates to Spotify's app, and only requested changes when Spotify tried to sidestep platform rules.
Rent-A-Center — Rent-A-Center was within its rights to abandon a merger deal with private-equity firm Vintage Capital in 2018, according to a ruling by a Delaware state court. The rent-to-own company also says Vintage owes it a $126.5 million termination fee, but that issue has not been decided yet by the court.
Zumiez —The action sports retailer earned $1.18 per share for its latest quarter, 7 cents a share above estimates. Revenue came in below analysts' forecasts and Zumiez forecast a current-quarter loss of 7 to 13 cents per share, compared with a consensus estimate of a 7 cents a share loss.
Good morning traders of the StockMarket sub! Welcome to Tuesday and the first trading day of May! Here are your pre-market stock movers & news this morning-
President Donald Trump postponed the deadline on steel and aluminum tariffs for some allies, including the European Union, for 30 days to allow further discussions. The tariffs are already in effect against China, Japan, Russia and others. (CNBC)
Trump pushes back tariff exemptions but Europe is still not happy(CNBC)
The New York Times obtained a list of questions special counsel Robert Mueller has for Trump as part of his ongoing investigation into the 2016 presidential election. * The series of open-ended questions include the president's firing of former FBI director James Comey.
Comey: Trump should submit to Mueller interview (Axios)
GOP Senator Marco Rubio told the Economist magazine there is "no evidence whatsoever" the new tax law significantly helped U.S. workers. Rubio, who voted for the proposal, said instead corporations bought back shares and gave out bonuses.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked the United Nations to help verify North Korea's planned shutdown of its nuclear test site. The North, several days before the historic summit between Moon and Kim Jong Un, had promised to dismantle its site. (Reuters)
Mnuchin: 'No question' Trump sanctions brought North Korea to negotiating table (CNBC)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a cache of files he claimed were obtained from Iran and proved the country ran a secret program to build nuclear weapons. Trump must decide in two weeks whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Porn star Stormy Daniels filed a new lawsuit against Trump, accusing him of defaming her in a tweet that said she was pulling a "con job" on the news media. Daniels already was suing Trump seeking to void a nondisclosure agreement she signed. (CNBC)
Actress Ashley Judd sued disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, alleging he tried to destroy her acting career after she refused his sexual advances. The lawsuit said Weinstein's actions prevented her from working in an Oscar-winning film franchise. (USA Today)
The co-founder of WhatsApp, the messaging service Facebook (FB) bought for $19 billion in 2014, is leaving the company at a time when Facebook reels from revelations of Russian election manipulation, fake news, and data leaks. (CNBC)
Facebook privacy changes leave developers steaming ahead of today's conference (NY Times) T* witter (TWTR) will bring original shows from Comcast's (CMCSA) NBCUniversal, Disney (DIS) and Viacom (VIA), among others, to its platform. The company also announced it's launching a division to help online influencers make scripted series. (CNBC)
Medicare chief Seema Verma exclusively told CNBC it's time that health care catches up with other industries when it comes to providing consumers greater transparency about prices. The agency proposed earlier this week that hospitals post their prices online.
Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron (REGN) have agreed to lower the price of their cholesterol medicine in exchange for easier access for patients covered by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts (ESRX), the first of a number of deals the drugmakers hope to strike to increase use of their drug. (CNBC)
Boeing (BA) will buy aircraft parts maker KLX (KLX) for about $3.2 billion in cash or $63 per share. KLX had said it would review strategic options in December. KLX shares were losing about 10 percent in the premarket, though still trading above the offer price. (Reuters)
Merck – The drugmaker beat estimates by 5 cents a share, with adjusted first-quarter profit of $1.05 per share. Revenue was very slightly below forecasts. Merck's results were powered by strong growth in sales of its cancer drug Keytruda, an it also raised its earnings forecast for the year.
Pfizer – Pfizer reported adjusted quarterly profit of 77 cents per share, beating estimates by 3 cents a share. Revenue was slightly below forecasts, but Pfizer's bottom line benefited from stronger sales of breast cancer drug Ibrance.
Apple – DA Davidson initiated coverage on Apple with a "buy" rating, saying although the company faces challenges, its huge free cash flow allows it both to return increasing amounts of money to shareholders and make strategic acquisitions.
Under Armour – The athletic apparel maker reported a break-even quarter on an adjusted basis, compared to analyst forecasts of a 5 cents per share loss. Revenue beat forecasts, helped by stronger international sales.
Archer-Daniels Midland – The grain processor beat estimates by 18 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of 68 cents per share. Revenue also topped forecasts. The company said market conditions have improved for many of its businesses, and that it is even more confident about 2018 full year performance.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi – The drug companies announced they would cut the price of the cholesterol drug Praluent for Express Scripts customers, in exchange for greater patient access.
Facebook – Wedbush added Facebook to its "Best Ideas" list, saying the company would weather the controversy surrounding the Cambridge Analytica data breach.
WellCare Health Plans – The health insurer reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $2.47 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $2.02 a share. Revenue was essentially in line. WellCare raised its full-year forecast, based on strong performance across all its business lines.
Akamai Technologies – Akamai reported adjusted quarterly profit of 79 cents per share, 9 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat forecasts. The provider of internet content delivery technology saw its results boosted by its push into cloud security.
Texas Roadhouse – Texas Roadhouse matched forecasts with quarterly profit of 76 cents per share, with its revenue slightly above estimates. Comparable-restaurant sales were higher by 4.9 percent at company-owned restaurants and 3.9 percent at franchised locations.
Cognex – Cognex came in 4 cents a share above Street forecasts, with adjusted quarterly profit of 24 cents per share. The maker of machine vision technology saw revenue miss forecasts and it also gave weaker-than-expected full-year guidance.
Tenet Healthcare – Tenet reported an unexpected quarterly profit, with revenue also beating forecasts. The hospital operator also issued strong full-year guidance as it benefited from lower costs and a jump in patient visits.
KLX – Boeing will buy the aircraft parts maker for about $3.2 billion in cash, or $63 per share. KLX had said it would review strategic options in December, and The Wall Street Journal had reported last week that a deal was near.
Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts – The casino operators are on watch as gambling revenue in the Chinese territory of Macau rose a better-than-expected 28 percent in April. Gaming revenue in Macau has now risen for 21 consecutive months.
Intel – The chipmaker will receive $380 million from the Israeli government to expand its manufacturing operations in that country, according to Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist.
Citrix Systems – Citrix was added to the "Conviction Buy" list at Goldman Sachs, which notes stronger pricing in the software company's CSS support services offering.
US Foods – US Foods was downgraded to "sector perform" from "outperform" at RBC Capital, which points to overall food distribution industry stagnation.
NutriSystem – NutriSystem earned 9 cents per share for its latest quarter, beating forecasts by 3 cents a share. The diet plan provider also saw revenue come in above estimates. NutriSystem also raised its full-year forecast.
Roku – KeyBanc rates the maker of streaming video devices a "buy" in new coverage, saying it provides a unique platform in the growing streaming video market.
bigbear0083 has no positions in any stocks mentioned. Reddit, moderators, and the author do not advise making investment decisions based on discussion in these posts. Analysis is not subject to validation and users take action at their own risk. bigbear0083 is an admin at the financial forums Stockaholics.net where this content was originally posted.
DISCUSS!
What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at StockMarket?
I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Tuesday, May 1st, 2018! :)
Blockchain Start-Up - how come you aren't taking it to the Casinos?
I've always wondered why companies aren't utilizing BOTH sides of blockchain (finance and data) in the world of casinos. I wrote this in the hopes that someone will step up and introduce blockchain as a way to replace the current TITO systems in place in casinos. First, what is TITO? A system for slot machine play through the use of a barcoded paper ticket. The ticket may be purchased in advance of slot machine play, or issued from the slot machine if there are credits remaining at the conclusion of the patron’s gaming session. When the patron has completed his play, balances on the ticket can be redeemed for cash at a kiosk or the casino cage or used for further play at the casino that issued the ticket Where did it come from? In consideration of the potential use of blockchain to phase-out the TITO, we must understand the nuances around which TITO was adopted. This entails understanding how TITO helps to solve the problem of data collection in the casino industry. Ticket-in, ticket out (TITO) machines are used in casino slot machines to print out a slip of paper with a barcode indicating the amount of money represented. These can in turn be redeemed for cash at an automated kiosk, or be used for game play at other slot machines. The machines utilize a barcode scanner built into the bill acceptor, a thermal ticket printer in place of a coin hopper (some rare machines are set up to pay with coins if the payout is less than the payout limit, and to print a ticket in situations where a hand pay would normally be required) and a network interface to communicate with a central system that tracks tickets. MGM was in the middle of construction of its major hotel in Las Vegas and invited several gaming machine manufacturers to join a consortium for its Cashless Casino experiment. In the group were Bally Gaming, IGT, Sigma Games, Universal and several others. They were all presented with the MGM UIB Protocol documents and were aided in the realization of the protocol on their gaming platforms. The first trial of the system was actually at the Desert Inn property. MGM Had situated several trailers in the parking lot where the manufacturers could bring their gaming devices for test before being installed on the Field Trial at the Desert Inn. On or about March of 1992 Applied Computer Technology began evaluating software that was developed for Five Star Solutions and subsequently sold to MGM Grand Hotels, Inc. for a slot monitoring and accounting system. Applied Computer Technology began to modify software and specify a new hardware platform for MGM to use in order to implement its designed system and to allow expansion of its current capabilities at the time. On June 30, 1992, Applied Computer Technology, Inc. issued a quotation to MGM Grand, Inc. to engineer and design a Universal Interface Board or UIB for MGM Grand to be installed into slot machines for the purpose of monitoring critical machine status and components, displaying messages to the user of the slot machine, reading magnetic strip cards and communicating messages to and from a host mainframe computer. On or about July of 1992 the quotation was expanded to include the printing of Bar Codes on a receipt ticket printer manufactured by Star Micronics Inc, model #sp300. MGM Grand provided them with a model printing algorithm in BASIC source code as an example of how to print the ticket which we used to develop the algorithm. This saved a lot of development time since the code they provided already had been developed. They were also presented at that time with a sample ticket. On or about August of 1992, they received word from MGM that they had located a bill validator that was capable of reading the tickets that Applied Computer Technology was currently printing, and for ACT to start writing preliminary code for the validation of tickets to and from the mainframe computer so that when the unit did arrive ACT would be ready in a short time to test their protocols. On or about October 22 of 1992 ACT received a prototype Bill Validator from MGM Grand hotel who had received it from Pat Green of Triad Design. The Bill Validator was special in that it not only was able to validate currency but also to validate coupons with bar coded tickets on them. Mr. Green was using a second parties Bill Validator outfitted with his own special circuitry which incorporated a laser bar code reading system. The following in an excerpt of the very first functioning version of code #nointerleave /* so compiler does not interleave */ //#nodebug /* disable debug mode */ /* debug tools */ #define dbugport 1 /* if def using debugger serial port */ //#define fakestrat 1 /* if faking stratus mainframe */ //#define romver 1 /* if compiling for rom */ #define disp 0xA0 #define ledon IRES(PIODA,1; /* macro to turn on led */) #define ledoff ISET(PIODA,1; /* macro to turn off led */) /* TUI.C -- Universal Interface Board program for Z-World Tiny Giant */ /* Copyright (C 1992, 1993, Applied Computer Technology */) /* Author: Peter Filiberti */ /* Revision History Rev 1.01 5/20/92 Fixed do_sds_pend( incorrect indexing bug.) Rev 1.02 6/04/93 Added check for end_TX in Do_Stratus_Xmt to make sure that previous xmit ended before new one begins. Also remmed out old drop ticket print string and added new one that doesn't display cash amounts. As can be seen by the above section of program highlighted in blue and titled Revision History, an entry was made on June 5, 1992 repairing a section of the program with the function name do_sds_pend(). This section upon further examination shows that the program at that time was capable of handling pending transactions for cashouts, and jackpots whereas the program would receive a cashout signal from the gaming device, transmit the amount of cashout or handpay to the mainframe computer, and await a command from the mainframe to print a ticket worth a set amount of credits/coins and finally signal the gaming machine after the ticket was printed that the pending state was complete and to continue its operations as normal. TITO USE The concept of Ticket In / Ticket Out (TITO), as described above was a boon to the Casino Slots Departments and the estates they manage. TITO enabled the phase-out of mechanical machine hoppers, prone to jamming, and requiring constant replenishment which tied up considerable sums of cash which was open to theft as it crossed the casino floor instead of being secured in a vault. Today, the TITO voucher is ubiquitous and the ability to track them across the gaming floor is increasingly prized in its ability to address: When there is theft, to rapidly determine who the perpetrator is for swift apprehension. To issue alerts when more than a certain value, or vouchers in a certain combination, are cashed in. To detect patterns of activity when vouchers close to expiry, or multiple small “remainder” values are cashed. To track the preference of players who move from machine to machine and measure time of play. However, for all the benefits TITO brought to the casino floor, it is not without it’s pitfalls and weaknesses which provide opportunities for improvements in the system or, potentially a phased replacement of the entire TITO system. TITO VULNERABILITIES Partial Payouts: A partial payout occurs when a ticket is inserted into a machine, with an amount that is not supported by the denomination. For example, a ticket valued at $148 is inserted into a $10 per spin slot. In this instance, the machine will print a ticket for the remaining $8.00. Quite often, patrons unfamiliar with the process, will assume the machine is out of order, taking the $8.00 and leaving. Ticket Theft: At first, this may seem rare. However in the casino environment, designed to distract patrons and guide their eyes elsewhere and combined with comped alcohol, it happens more often than assumed. This is not just theft from the patron however. Ticket Theft uses casino resources as they are often asked to investigate lost or stolen tickets. A stolen ticket for $20 to a patron, may cost a casino $75 in labor to resolve. Money Laundering: Casinos have always been an ideal location to change illegal money. With the advent of TITO, it’s never been easier. Though FinCEN has tasked gaming operators with the responsibility of reporting suspicious transactions, with so many events happening on the casino floor, this activity remains difficult to prevent. Suspicious activity involving TITO usage can be any, all, or hybrids of the following two examples: a. Placing currency in a slot machine, then cashing out after minimal or no play and redeeming the TITO ticket at a kiosk on the gaming floor (“bill stuffing); b. Patrons pass a large quantity of chips, cash or TITO tickets between themselves in an apparent effort to conceal the ownership of the chips, cash or TITO tickets; if patrons are closely related, such activity may not be seen as suspicious. Employee Collusion/Reprinting: Employee theft accounts for the majority of loss throughout all industries, and casino gaming is no exception. Most lost or stolen tickets are reported, but some remain unclaimed. Each TITO ticket is created with an expiration date. If they are not redeemed within 60 days of their creation, the funds are returned to the house. Employees with sufficient access are able to run reports of unclaimed tickets which are about to expire then reprint and pass them to a non-employee for redemption. Theft of Time: TITO incidents are frequent. The investigation on them is time consuming. Each time a ticket is inserted into a machine, the system generates a new ticket number. A single TITO ticket may have a dozen or more events. Manually referring to slot location, time of ticket event, and pulling up the correlated video takes dozens of man-hours each week. Exploiting reporting times in ticket creation with the mainframe disseminating the ticket information to the slot control system and kiosk systems allows a window for patrons to copy and cashout a ticket more than once. Tickets are often counterfeited with advanced processes or fake tickets are created and sold at a discount to unknowing patrons. While this doesn’t seem to effect the casino, it does, as any money a player loses on the street, is money the casino loses an opportunity to win on house edge. CASINO ANALYTICS IN THE PAST Understanding the why, behind the advent of TITO requires a bit more knowledge of how operations in both cash handling as well as data was collected during the past. To start, as late as the 1980’s, the ubiquitous presence of computers and smart-phones with which we are all so familiar were unknown because, for the most part, they did not exist. This meant that most analytics were done manually, if at all. Typically, this meant that they were not really done, and people relied upon superstition verging upon Witchcraft and "gut feel" for the decisions that they made. There was no data available to help in this decision making and no simple way to analyze or to interpret it even if the data had been available. Back in the day, "the Count", where one emptied the Gaming Table drop boxes and counted out the money and checked out the Fill and Credit paperwork, was critical. Only at these times was the Operation really aware of what they were winning and losing and until the money was actually counted then everything else was little better than guesswork. By the time the 1990’s rolled around, we might term the epoch the near past. In the near past, computers existed and within a few years after mobile phones of the most basic sort were becoming common. By this time, Microsoft Office had revolutionized office productivity and Excel actually meant that a normal person could produce graphs that looked professional. Indeed, by this point, a huge share of the (still very small amount) data analysis conducted was processed in Excel while simple Access databases accounted for much of the rest. There were, of course, more complex analytic tools out there, but my they were not commonly employed and were all but invisible to the majority of employees. At least some of this was due to the staff still employed and rising to the top ranks of the industry. With some notable and far sighted exceptions, the majority had "grown up" in the Gaming Industry, especially the Table Games portion of it, without analytics and reliant upon the "gut feel" method of working out what was going on; many of them distrusted technology and of the work and training they would need to be able to get the most out of even the basic tools available to them at this time. Analysis was lacking in almost every aspect of the Table Games Operation. This could, of course, be contrasted with the Slots Departments who were beginning to reap the benefits of mechanization and the analysis that could be applied to the early electro-mechanical and increasingly purely electronic slots systems. So, in Slots, you could say there were the beginnings of the "Siloed systems", that is systems that gathered data and allowed analysis solely within their own bounded confines (or with Excel); while for Table games there was nothing...unless enterprising staff entered the data themselves. CASINO ANALYTICS IN THE PRESENT If we skip forward from the 1990’s, to around 2011 when Galaxy Macau opened, a cornerstone of the largest and most vital Table Gaming market the world had ever seen, much had changed. By this time, analytics systems, even for Table Games had become ubiquitous and pioneering companies were beginning to go further and to promise real, timely, actionable intelligence from the deluge of data that had flourished in the sixteen years between these dates. Indeed, it is easy to argue that the actual collection of data, the easy bit, had completely outstripped the ability to suitably organize, analyze and act on the data being recorded and stored: the hard bit. The growth of data and the formation of the silo systems themselves seemed almost designed to stymie efforts to draw anything meaningful from the awful weight of what was being collected. This is not to denigrate the Silo Systems in use at the time. Indeed, this whole era might be handily subtitled the Silo Systems Age even as the period before this could be considered the Data Dark Ages. The silo systems had been spectacularly productive in what they were designed to do and, in earlier periods of this age, had given unprecedented insight into operations, within the siloed data itself. While data flows were, relatively speaking, low and what needed to be known or understood strictly circumscribed they worked very well indeed. But the very strength of systems designed to store data within limited parameters and to analyze and interpret this data inevitably meant that these systems could not consider data from outside their silo. Nor, as it increasingly became apparent, were they entirely well suited to the increasing data flows coming from larger and more data intensive operations and from the increases in the areas from which data was being collected. The answer to this always seemed to be to add more independent siloes, but it seemed that as quickly as these were added, they were being filled up by what data was being collected and they were being superseded in what Operations Management wished was being collected. To even attempt to consider data across the growing numbers of siloes in use, it was back to Excel for the enterprising staff member brave, or fool-hardy, enough to try to sift the deluge of data for the nuggets of information buried within. It was a period that could, for our nascent data explorer, be characterized by the printout and the highlighter pen. Forests of print outs for the siloed data were produced; much of which could not be extracted in any other way as this feature had never been considered when the silo was constructed. Then the explorer sat down and tried to impose order upon the chaos of the data and to consider events on printout "A" that might illuminate detail on printout "B" before typing everything into Excel and trying to graph or pivot table it. CASINO ANALYTICS IN THE FUTURE The future will be a world without siloed systems. Or rather, since it will take a while for the current siloed systems to be replaced, it will become like that after having gone through a transitional period where there are overarching systems binding the siloes together and taking data from all of them. We have already reached a stage where cross-silo systems exist and are looking at data, and more importantly the connections between data in different siloes collected for different purposes, in new and illuminating ways. There are some very exciting technologies out there that are examining data in entirely new and unprecedented ways; giving insights into things people have long believed and confirming some ideas even while they debunk others. Now data can be examined from IoT style devices on the gaming floor and combined with data from Ratings and Food and Beverage systems to give a far more detailed and nuanced picture of a Patron and their interaction with the Operation. Similarly, data can be taken on dealer performance and ratings to determine how they interact with Patrons, how efficiently they perform their duties and even such things as how they impact upon Patron dwell tie at their tables. In a business such as Casino Table Games where rewarding Patrons through reinvestment has to be balanced against making sure that they actually add value to the Operation by their wager amounts and style of play and where customer service must be balanced against sufficient game-pace to make margin there are myriad areas where data analytics can be beneficial. Bringing this data together from the siloes within which it is stored and analyzing it in context can already provide incredible business insights. The idea that there has to be only one provider, that one company, supplier or organization can do everything end-to-end, is a holdover from the Silo Age. The Future of Gaming Analytics will be one of best-of-breed suppliers of the basic building blocks of data collecting feeding into similar providers of data analytics and the entirety of this analysis and output being available on whatever medium best suits the individual planning to consume it. OK, BUT NONE OF THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH BLOCKCHAIN... Well, it does now - and it's under the guise of how Casinos know their players - be patient... Without knowing your players, there is no real way a casino can best serve them. They can’t be sure what it is they like, or how they are expected to play. The concern being that if competition has a better grasp on player identity and behavior, there is every reason for a casino’s players to defect to another property. When this occurs, and it does, casinos begin to “buy their business” by offering higher promotional levels in an effort to entice the return of their once loyal players. So, how can technologies be deployed to aid a casino in their quest for information regarding their players and understanding what they like and what their actions are on the casino floor? There is, unsurprisingly, a considerable overlap with the data that is used to determine the best optimization of Table Games. Rating data as it currently exists is the obvious starting point. This gives the casino a picture of what their staff and systems believe is happening, and while it may not (and almost certainly isn't) completely accurate it does do a very good job of determining Gaming Preference. Data from smart IoT enabled devices, such as Smart Shoes are currently determining actual game pace, determining what is really going on at the Gaming Table level. Next Generation sensors, already in "real world" deployments, can determine both the location of any wagers made and with increasing accuracy the cash values of these wagers. Data from Venue, Hotel and POS systems can be linked to create a Patron profile of what they are doing when they are not wagering on the Gaming Tables. Where are they interacting with the broader Casino offering? How are they paying for this interaction? What are their non-gaming preferences? Geo-location sensors can be deployed, via opt-in applications, to track Patron movements about the property. Where are they going when they do not interact with the wider offering? From the sum of this data, again gathered from across the various siloes in which it currently resides, a more complete and more holistic picture of the Patron as an autonomous actor can be determined. A combination of bet recognition and game pace can determine their real, as opposed to assumed, value to the operation. What is meant by this is the real House Advantage maintained by the Casino against their play (for any Table Game type where this can be a variable). It can issue alerts when play exceeds certain thresholds, or changes in marked ways. For the first time an accurate appraisal of what they like to do in addition to their Gaming can be determined. This enables enhanced market segmentation and a fuller picture of the likes and dislikes of the patron in question. If he or she only goes to the seafood restaurant, why would a casino send them a voucher for a steak? If they like the Spa, why reward them with a buffet voucher? Offers can be made "on the fly" when the Patron is in proximity with something a casino now recognizes that they enjoy doing. Subtly rewarding them for brand loyalty to the casino and explicitly discouraging them from gaming somewhere that does not know them as well. An increasingly non-siloed, data-rich and free data environment is a picture of the future when customers are more reliant on technology. So while no-one knows for sure in what precise direction technology will shape how the Casino Industry will face the future, the broad trends are sufficiently established to be knowable. What is required therefore is the ability to do this, before the competition does? AGAIN, WHAT ABOUT BLOCKCHAIN? Any Blockchain solution company, in evaluating the potential for casino penetration should take into heavy consideration the history of TITO, how and why it was developed, and the continued lean on knowing the players. Combining that with how a wallet/ledger solution would solve the 7 identified TITO vulnerabilities above will give you a solid approach in both development and marketing efforts. It should be obvious to those of us involved in Blockchain tech how, the implementation of an enterprise level, patron utilized wallet which communicates with not only slots, but casino credit mechanisms would be of tremendous asset in combating fraud while generating new player data casinos have never had access to. The value proposition lies within cost savings, player retention, player information and habit knowledge, and anti-theft. The question is not will Blockchain replace TITO, but who is willing to step up and begin that process?
Gambling is one of the most essential industries of Macao. Over 58,000 people were employed in the gaming and gambling industry, and about 98 percent of them are working in casinos. In 2019, the... The analysis reveals that stereotypical portrayals of gender roles persist in Macau’s casino ads, which privilege the male tourist gaze and reproduce the gender power relations within the hetero-patriarchal system. Despite the trend of women’s involvement in public gambling, casino gambling continues to be upheld as a masculine activity in Macau. The study argues that the casino space is The purpose of this analysis is to determine the attractiveness of the Casino industry by investigating five specific forces that have the potential to drive down profitability. The Casino industry is composed of firms operating primarily in providing gambling activities and games to consumers while also supplying hotel services and other commodities. Firms that exclusively operate non Macao, the world’s casino capital, had 41 casinos as of 2019. In 2019, the city generated gross revenue of 36.7 billion U.S. dollars from gaming and gambling. As the only part of China where Keywords destination market analysis, Macao, gaming, casino industry, hotel industry, Chinese tourism Breitbart.com. 2008 . Macao chief forecasts 13% drop in casino net profits in 2009+. Although Macau continues to face challenges since late 2014, the prospect of Macau gambling industry is still optimistic in the long term, as there are emerging positive catalysts which will boost Macau is the richest casino hub on the planet, but it isn’t immune to economic market conditions. VIP play crashed in July amid a slowing economy and the ongoing trade war between the China and US.... Competitive Analysis The strategy would be to expand into the already lucrative Macau casino market with one of are most successful casino/resort in the Las Vegas area, the Bellagio. MGM already has a foothold hold in Macau Market, which is provided due to a partnership with Pansy Ho and the successful MGM Macau. The main competition in this area is: Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVSC), which have 7 Presently, Macau is the largest casino destination in the world followed by Las Vegas (most popular casino destination). In 2002, when the Macau government ended its monopoly over the gambling industry, few major casino operators from Las Vegas entered the market and made Macau the world's top casino hub in terms of revenue, surpassing Las Vegas in 2005. Macro Analysis Of Casino Industry. Casino Industry Case Analysis Casinos revenues and profits are having problems due to the bad economy. However estimates indicate that revenue and profits will grow in the future. But even though the economy gets better competition plays and important role in this situation since now new casinos are allowed in different states.
Khaosan Road After Midnight - RAW and UNFILTERED - YouTube
The casino magnate's monopoly ended in 2002, when Macao opened up the industry to foreign players and allowed US giants such as Wynn (WYNMF) and Sands (LVS) to enter the market. Students at the Center for Gaming Innovation at UNLV have big plans to shake up the casino world. They'll be presenting their ideas at Global Gaming Expo this week, which is attended by over ... My client flew in all the way from Europe to work with me and today I’m walking you through what a full day session of working with me looks like. If you want to apply to work with me click here ... Khaosan Road After Midnight - RAW and UNFILTERED - Bangkok Vlog 222* Camera used in this video: http://amzn.to/2oT5fmJ* Best Thai Dating Site: https://tinyur... ‘Junket’ is an area or a room in a casino leased by operators who invest and manage these venues as independent profit centers. So-called ‘Elite Gamers’ are ... Lots of people to see, lots of things to do in South Africa... so much so that I wasn't able to crank out any vlogs while I was there! Let's recap the entire... Bangkok After Midnight - Raw and Unfiltered Important: If you are thinking of booking any hotel through agoda, please book direct through the links on www.ba... I'm a songwriter, lyricist, and playwright working on musicals and other live shows. I've written two musicals, been an improv keyboardist, and even performed in a poetry slam with a jazz band ... Macao, a Chinese special administrative region on the western side of the Pearl River estuary. What do the uber rich splash their cash on? And why does it at... Welcome to the Macau vlogs! There are only two episodes in this series :D_____🥔 FOLLOW US!! 🥔Instagram: ...
