5 ETF Gateways for This Memorial Day

In this article, we will take a look at the 11 best airline stocks to invest in right now. To see more such companies, go directly to 5 Best Airline Stocks to Buy Now. Air travel industry is in recovery mode with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the opening of the global economy. Unlike […] In this article, we will take a look at the 11 best airline stocks to invest in right now. To see more such companies, go directly to 5 Best Airline Stocks to Buy Now. Air travel industry is in recovery mode with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the opening of the global economy. Unlike in the past three years, there has been a shift with most travelers opting for international travel, something that is helping airlines draw in big revenues from air travel fees and ticket sales. The pandemic brought many challenges as the travel industry came to a standstill. Many airlines plunged into debt and lost a combined $200 billion between 2020 and 2022. It’s only now that most are slowly returning to profitability as they salivate to serve travel-deprived consumers with the easing of travel restrictions worldwide. Major airlines led by United Airlines, Delta, and American Airlines continue to rake in huge profits owing to passengers’ willingness to pay higher fares supported by increasing travel demand. The airlines have also benefited from a shortage of airplanes and pilots, allowing them to charge a premium on travel fees without much resentment. Nevertheless, the increase in consumer spending on travel and entertainment remains one of the biggest catalysts for the airline industry. The average cost of flying in the US has increased significantly to historic highs in the industry, bouncing back from the pandemic turmoil. The consumer price index for airline tickets is already up by more than 20% for the year, representing the largest jump since the Federal Reserve started racking the index. Executives from the major airlines expect air travel fares to continue increasing in response to the high demand amid a shortage of planes. Similarly, the executive expects demand for air travel to surge despite the ever-growing risk of recession. Despite the high cost of traveling amid the high inflation and interest rate environment, people continue to make travel arrangements. A Bank of America study showed that spending at airlines and travel agencies is already by more than 60% for the year as more people continue to make travel arrangements. Nearly two out of every adults plan to take a vacation before year-end, with most shrugging off the rising prices and interest rates. “This year, as prices and interest rates continue to push higher, we’re seeing more signals that vacationers are adapting their plans. Many are still going somewhere, but they’re being more thoughtful about how they’re spending,” said Ted Rossman Bankrate, senior industry analyst  The surge in air travel fares has to do with many carriers needing to improve in rebuilding their pre-pandemic flight schedules. A global shortage of aircraft has seen a reduction in aircraft in the tarmacs needed to address the influx of air travel demand. A restricted supply of seats amid high demand is expected to support prices that should allow airlines to continue generating more revenues. On the other hand, the biggest risk to the airline industry is the rising cost of jet fuel. Energy prices have increased significantly in recent months, with crude oil rallying to ten-month highs of $90 a barrel. The increasing energy costs are likely to trigger higher inflation, something that could affect consumer purchasing power, prompting most of them to shelve their travel plans. Nevertheless, the increase in international travel costs due to higher jet fuel could take a toll on the sector that is still in recovery mode from the COVID-19 triggered slowdown. According to Peter McNally of Third Bridge Global Sector lead for Industrials Materials and Energy, airplane capacity issues could become rampant as travel costs soar due to higher jet fuel costs. Some airlines have already started cutting guidance due to the higher fuel costs. For instance, American Airlines expects its Q3 earnings to range between $0.20 and $0.30 a share below the previous guidance of between $0.85 and $0.95. Amid the cuts, most airlines are expected to pass the elevated costs due to high fuel costs, labor issues, and strong dollar to customers owing to the high demand in the market. Waning travel demand is another issue that could batter the sector heading into year-end. Southwest Airlines has already embarked on aggressive marketing campaigns as it looks to get more people booking for its flights. The airline offers triple Companion Pass qualifying points per flight for people looking through its business channels. The easier way to earn the points signifies the ever-growing need to fill seats not just this year but into 2024. Source:pixabay Despite the concerns, the air travel industry remains on course to finish the year on a high as airlines continue charging premium fares. As the air travel industry continues to rebound from the pandemic slowdown and airlines report record revenues and profits, tremendous investment opportunities continue cropping up, with most airline stocks trading at highly discounted levels. The U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS), which offers exposure to passenger airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and airport operators, is flat for the year, signaling how investors have shunned the sector despite the solid fundamentals. Morningstar expects the operating environment in the US airline sector to continue improving and return to more normalized competitive dynamics once supply constraints moderate. Declining fuel costs in a consolidated industry and robust demand for air travel should offer the much-needed support. Our Methodology While relentless travel demand has sent bookings in major US carriers soaring and leading to bumper earnings, the same is yet to reflect in stock valuations. Most stocks appear to be trading at great discounts, therefore offering a high-risk reward opportunity. We have combined the best airline stocks to invest in, as listed in the U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS), based on their underlying fundamentals. We looked at the data of 910 hedge funds that we track at Insider Monkey as of the end of Q2 2023 and ranked the airline stocks that they invested in. The more hedge funds invested in a stock, the higher its rank. Best Airline Stocks to Invest In Right Now  11. Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31 Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) is a passenger airline company that offers scheduled flights in the U.S. and nearby regions. It had 770 Boeing 737 planes and flew to 121 places in 42 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and ten other countries, such as Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, Cuba, and more, by the end of 2022. A total of 31 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database had stakes in Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) as of the end of the second quarter of 2023. The biggest stakeholder of the company is Oldfield Partners of Richard Oldfield, with a $99.61 million stake. Citi analyst Stephen Trent cut Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV)’s price target to $32.75 from $36 on September 12, citing labor cost uncertainty. The firm maintained a ‘Neutra’l rating and was more bearish than others. 10. Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34 Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA) is an airline company that flies to 78 places in the Americas and the Caribbean from Panama City. It has 97 planes, mostly Boeing 737s, including 20 737-MAX. On September 18, 2023, JPMorgan analyst Guilherme Mendes maintained an ‘Overweight’ rating on Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA) and increased his price target from $160 to $170. In the second quarter of 2023, 34 hedge funds had a stake in Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA) compared to 33 in the previous quarter. In Q2, the company’s biggest hedge fund holder, Citadel Investment Group owned 899,199 shares of the company worth $99.43 million. 9. Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33 Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) is an online travel company that provides travel guidance products and services worldwide. It has three segments: Tripadvisor Core, Viator, and TheFork. The Tripadvisor Core segment lets travelers share ratings and reviews for various travel-related items. The Viator segment offers online booking for tours and activities. The TheFork segment operates an online restaurant reservation platform. As of Q2 2023, 33 out of the 910 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s database had bought a stake in Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP). Out of these, the firm’s largest investor is Paul Reeder And Edward Shapiro’s PAR Capital Management with an $89.05 million stake. On September 17, 2023, Truist Financial reduced Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP)’s price target from $18 to $17, indicating a potential 7.80% increase from the previous close. Here is what Rowan Street Capital said about Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) in its second quarter 2023 investor letter: “Now, the bottom 3 performers from all the companies that we’d sold were Docusign (DOCU) -76%, Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) -59% and Under Armour (UA) -57%. These represent the losses we would have incurred had we held on to these positions until now. We must note that all 3 of these were sold for purely fundamental reasons and we ended up being correct on all of them.” 8. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35 American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) is a network air carrier that flies passengers and cargo through its hubs in nine U.S. cities and partner gateways in six other countries. It had 925 mainline planes at the end of 2022. After sifting through 910 hedge funds for their June quarter of 2023 investments, Insider Monkey discovered that 35 had bought and owned the firm’s shares. D. E. Shaw’s D E Shaw is American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL)’s largest shareholder since it owns a stake worth $219.61 million. On September 18, 2023, Citigroup reduced American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL)’s price target from $16.60 to $15.25 while maintaining a ‘Neutral’ rating. 7. United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40 United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL) is an airline company that flies people and cargo in various regions of the world. It has mainline and regional fleets. It also provides catering, ground handling, training, and maintenance services. As of the end of the second quarter of 2023, 40 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey had stakes in United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL). The biggest stakeholder of United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL) was Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group which owns a $272.45 million stake in the company. On August 7, 2023, Redburn analyst James Goodall upgraded United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE:UAL) from ‘Neutral’ to Buy’ and set a price objective of $80. 6. Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44 Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) is a travel service provider that offers various travel-related services in China and abroad. It helps customers book accommodations, transportation, tours, and corporate travel. On September 7, TD Cowen revised its price target on Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) from $44 to $45 and retained an ‘Outperform’ rating. As of the end of the second quarter of 2023, 44 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey have stakes in Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM). The biggest stakeholder of Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM) is Richard S. Pzena’s Pzena Investment Management which owns a $230.07 million stake in the company. In its fourth-quarter 2022 investor letter, Artisan Partners made the following comments about Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM): “Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ:TCOM), a Chinese online travel agency, was the second-largest contributor to return in 2022. Trip.com is the dominant supplier of online travel reservations and is expected to benefit from China’s loosening COVID-19 restrictions on both domestic and international travel. Management of Trip.com has wisely spent the COVID-19 lockdown period reinforcing and improving the company’s market position and reducing unnecessary costs. We expect earnings to boom over the next year as travel picks up. Other investors appeared to agree, pushing the share price up 42% in 2022.” Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Airline Stocks to Invest In Right Now. Suggested articles: 15 Worst Performing Currencies of 2023 10 Recent IPOs in Micro Cap Stocks Semiconductor Market Share By Company: Top 12 Disclosure: None. 11 Best Airline Stocks to Invest In Right Now is originally published on Insider Monkey......»»

Days after Prigozhin's short-lived uprising, Wagner Group's leaders visited the Kremlin for what may have been the meeting that sealed his fate. Portraits of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin at a makeshift memorial at the Wagner office in Novosibirsk on August 24.Vladimir Nikolayev/AFP via Getty Images On August 23, two months after his brief rebellion, Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash. The cause is unclear, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is suspected of orchestrated the crash. If so, the process of removing Prigozhin may have begun at a Kremlin meeting days after his uprising. Two months to the day after his brief uprising against Russia's leadership, Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash near Moscow alongside senior members of his Wagner Group private military company on August 23.While the cause is still unclear, Russian President Vladimir Putin is strongly suspected of orchestrating the death of the mercenary leader who had been challenging Moscow for months. A dramatic meeting at the Kremlin shortly after the failed rebellion suggests Putin was biding his time until he could ensure a smooth takeover of Wagner, which had become an important player in Russian foreign policy.On June 29, five days after the rebellion was called off, Putin gathered Prigozhin and his commanders in the Kremlin, according to a report in the Russian outlet Kommersant.Putin asked the group if they would serve under a new leader, Alexei Troshev. The commanders nodded affirmatively, but Prigozhin, who couldn't see their response since they were behind him, was adamant: "No, the guys won't agree to that," he said, according to Kommersant.That meeting may have sealed Prigozhin's fate.Emergency responders carry a body bag from the wreckage of a jet linked to Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at a crash site in the Tver region on August 24.Reuters"The June 29 meeting between Putin and Wagner leaders and Prigozhin was intended to show the disagreement between Prigozhin and the group's commanders about the organization's future and thereby prepare experienced leaders of the group for Prigozhin's elimination," Matthew Orr, a Eurasia analyst at the risk-intelligence company RANE, told Insider."Reports of the meeting — and the lack of notable cases of dissension following Prigozhin's death — suggest that the meeting likely achieved its goals," Orr said.Two other key Wagner figures, Dmitry Utkin and Valery Chekalov, also died in the August 23 crash. Utkin, believed to be the group's cofounder, was immensely popular among its old guard and much of the rank-and-file. Chekalov, a senior deputy to Prigozhin, oversaw logistics, coordinating numerous Wagner activities and operations in Libya and Syria.With these three men out of the picture it could be easier to bring Wagner more firmly under state control, as Putin can now prevent commanders who are more aligned with their views from assuming control amid the turmoil of the reorganization.Orr said Moscow will most likely use its security and intelligence services, primarily the GRU and FSB, to "solidify control over" Wagner commanders and regional leaders to ensure their operations align with Russian state interests while "technically remaining a private organization."An undated photo of Russian mercenaries boarding a helicopter in northern Mali.French Army via Associated Press"Wagner's operations in Africa in the medium- to long-term may face increased competition from — or eventual absorption by — other PMCs closely associated with Russia's Ministry of Defense, such as PMC Convoy and PMC Redut," Orr said, referring to private military companies.Reports suggest those other groups recently began "recruiting for potential operations in Africa, where they could compete with Wagner and eventually have the option of phasing out Wagner entirely — which would further serve the purpose of reinforcing the Kremlin's control," Orr added.Other reporting indicates Russian military officials began moving to assume control of Wagner operations and shore up relations with partners in the Middle East and Africa weeks before Prigozhin's death, doing so even as Prigozhin toured the region to assert control of his organization.Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar with the Middle East Institute's Syria program, said it was "obvious" the Kremlin would not side with Prigozhin in his dispute with the Ministry of Defense for several reasons, including "the specific alignment" of Russia elites, "which a priori was not" with Prigozhin."Wagner's autonomous existence was ruled out because, together with Prigozhin, the group posed a serious danger to Moscow," Mardasov told Insider."Moreover, Prigozhin violated the agreement from the very beginning, leaving himself many loopholes in business, and it was clear that he would not sit quietly," Mardasov said, pointing to videos Prigozhin released from Belarus and Africa in the weeks before his death as confirmation.Putin with African leaders and heads of delegations at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg on July 28.ALEXEY DANICHEV/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesUnder Prigozhin, Wagner amassed a business empire using lucrative concessions from governments and backers in the countries where it operated. The group's profitability allowed it to sustain its operations in sub-Saharan Africa, a huge benefit for the organization and something Moscow will likely seek to preserve.Orr said Wagner's new leaders, or the group's replacement, will likely be "even more keen to demonstrate their activities" are beneficial to the Russian state instead of "serving (the) parochial economic interests of its owners."The Kremlin sought to portray Prigozhin's "alleged greed and selfishness" as the reason for his downfall, Orr said, and consequently, "replacement groups may further emphasize their commitment to the common task of furthering the interests of the Russian state."Despite the Kremlin's years of denials, officials in the Middle East and Africa saw Wagner as a valuable partner because of perceptions that the Russian government backed its operations, Orr said.Moscow will now be keen to show "strong backing" for whichever organizations replace Wagner, but it is likely to avoid assuming formal control of their missions, which could entail deploying Russian troops to replace the mercenaries, as doing so would be "politically undesirable" amid the war in Ukraine, Orr added.Mardasov, who is also a military affairs analyst, said the Kremlin likely believed it was extremely unrealistic that Wagner's senior leaders would work under closer government oversight, with attempts to create such an arrangement meeting "serious resistance" from Prigozhin and his closest people.A Wagner Group member conducts trains Belarusian soldiers at a range near the town of Osipovichi in Belarus on July 14.Voen Tv/Belarusian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS"Moreover, the Wagner PMC is not just a group of mercenaries. It is a structure based on a number of Prigozhin's business assets, which has political strategists, consulting, intelligence, and so on," Mardasov said. "It is impossible to simply change the owner since military intelligence will not engage in consulting and political technologies, and for the SVR [Russia's foreign intelligence service], such a huge power tool is redundant."Prigozhin's death has already affected Russia's position in Syria and other countries, including in Libya, a hub for Wagner's operations in Africa and where Russian military leaders are reportedly seeking naval access.For now, the mercenaries have some leverage, as their departure would create a gap that Moscow is still unsure how to fill "since there is essentially no real working plan to replace Wagner with an expeditionary force" from PMCs over which the military has more influence, Mardasov said.But Wagner and other PMCs rely on Russia's Ministry of Defense for transportation and other support, and the recent moves by Russian officials suggest they are trying to ensure no such gap opens."Among the Wagner Group, there is still hope for an autonomous existence under the leadership of Prigozhin's son Pavel and commanders who really control the situation," Mardasov said. "But this situation cannot last long, especially since the MoD issues ultimatums and the department has leverage over mercenaries."Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications focused on the region.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Ken Harbaugh, producer of the new film "Against All Enemies," said veterans looking for a sense of purpose after war are targeted by extremist groups. Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes, who was charged with seditious conspiracy in the January 6 investigation, is a US Army veteran.Photo by Philip Pacheco/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A new documentary, "Against All Enemies," explores the link between military veterans and extremism. Producer Ken Harbaugh told Insider veterans looking for purpose are at risk of radicalization. Groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters attempt to recruit veterans. Of the more than 1,000 people who were charged with a crime for their participation in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, nearly 1 in 5 was a US military veteran.While leaders of extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were ultimately convicted for seditious conspiracy for their deliberate attempts to breach the Capitol, critics argue their influence on military veterans — and the subsequent impact on society — has not yet been fully realized due to the adoption of their radical ideology by mainstream Republican politicians."Against All Enemies," a documentary that explores the risk of veterans being radicalized by extremist groups, was featured at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, earning glowing reviews from critics. Variety called the documentary "a grim diagnosis of a fast-spreading cancer," that "may provide much less reassurance than cause for alarm, but its wakeup call is certainly worth heeding."Ken Harbaugh, a former Navy pilot, cofounder of Team Rubicon, and producer of the new documentary, spoke with Insider about why being aware of the problem is only the first step toward a solution. "Against All Enemies" will have its theatrical release in early 2024.Tell me about how "Against All Enemies" came about as a project and the road it took you down.I'm a military vet and spent a lot of my time after the service trying to figure out how to productively engage veterans making that transition from military to civilian life through my work co-founding Team Rubicon, an NGO that mobilizes veterans to aid in disaster response. And on January 6, I just recall stopping the car in the driveway and listening in horror to the coverage as it played out, and in the days afterward, realizing how many of my brothers-in-arms were involved. The numbers do suggest that veterans were disproportionately represented, but the real data point that I think is lost in all of that noise is why veterans are so specifically targeted for recruitment by groups like the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and Proud Boys.Why are veterans targeted as recruits for this kind of radical ideology? It's because, in military speak, they act as force multipliers. The same reason that Fortune 500 companies and elite nonprofits and Ivy League programs try to recruit veterans is why the Oath Keepers try to recruit them: because when they set their sights on a mission, they go after it. They know how to organize; they know how to plan and lead. And that is great to have if GE or Amazon can recruit them. But it is incredibly dangerous if where they wind up is with the Proud Boys.Can you tell me why the path toward the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, or the Three Percenters might be an attractive one for a veteran?That's not mysterious. People join the military for a variety of reasons, but a universal experience of being in the military is the feeling of camaraderie, a sense of purpose and mission. The desire for it doesn't disappear along with the uniform, and people look to recapture that in other ways. I remember my own experience with that, literally at the stroke of a pen when I signed the form that got me out of the military after nine years; in an instant, my identity was gone. I had been a Navy pilot. That's who I was. That's how I thought about myself. And I was lucky. I had a family to support me, I had a pretty clear pathway into civilian life, and even then, I had this crisis of identity. And then you think about all the 20-somethings who are experiencing this and who've gone through years of combat, and it is a real crisis.What patterns do you see in the direction that things are going for veterans in the wake of pulling out of Afghanistan?There's a variety of overlapping patterns, there are good patterns and bad ones. On the good side, there are several organizations that have stepped up and tried to fill this void, like Team Rubicon. On the other side, you have groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters who have also stepped into this void, and they are picking off veterans who are vulnerable to the kind of misinformation that is just so ubiquitous now. These misinformation echo chambers can drag people down these rabbit holes and into these communities that are incredibly toxic and destructive and lead nowhere good. In the aftermath of every American military misadventure, membership in extremist organizations spikes. We saw it after World War I with the resurgence of the KKK, we saw it after Korea and Vietnam. What we don't know as a society is what happens to that phenomenon after the longest wars in American history: Iraq and Afghanistan. We do know the answer is nothing good. But I think we're beginning to see some of the fruits of that.Are there commonalities in the ideology among extremist groups recruiting online in the ways they attract veterans for membership?Well, I think the starting point is often a grievance narrative. A feeling of disenchantment or loss of community or anger at the government. And some of that anger is entirely appropriate, but that's often the start of it, and that anger and disenchantment can be amped up in some of these chat rooms that tell you that your problems are the fault of George Soros — or whatever their chosen code word is. And those are gateways into the deeper pits that are just filled with racism and antisemitism. Often it doesn't start that way. It starts with, "Hey, why don't you join this group that wants to take care of you, wants to restore that sense of brotherhood and camaraderie." And the deeper you get into it, the worse it gets.From your perspective, what does the anti-democracy side stand to gain from continuing to push this this narrative to veterans?I think there are a lot of individual motivations, and you have to look at each of them to get a real understanding. Mike Flynn's motivations are probably different than someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene's. I think the former realizes that his best chance of avoiding real jail time is continuing to advance the Big Lie in hopes of animating his base and getting Trump reelected. But the real tragedy for me is that many of the foot soldiers of this movement, the people you saw charging the barricades on January 6, actually believe in the cause. They actually think they're on the right side of the Constitution. And it's because people like Josh Hawley, who was at Yale Law School at the same time I was, and JD Vance, who was there slightly before me, keep on feeding them these lies that they know are lies. And those are the real villains in my book. What is the significance of January 6 in this conversation? I mean, you cannot do a film about extremism in this country and the way veterans are attracted to it without talking about January 6, but the critical point we make is that January 6 wasn't some crescendo of violence. It was a dry run. And a lot of the times when I see some of these prosecutions — which has to happen, we have to hold people accountable — it makes me wonder about all the people who aren't being rounded up. And there's a footnote to that, which I think is the scariest aspect of all of this, which is that the real provocateurs, the instigators, may never be held accountable because they hold senior positions in a major American political party. You have to go back to one of the later iterations of the KKK in the '20s in the Deep South to find an era in American politics where a violent insurrectionist movement captured a major political party. And that led to just generations of terror locally, but there's the potential for that nationally if a violent movement can co-opt enough of a major American political party.Is something that you're concerned about from your vantage point?Everyone should be. I mean, how much clearer of a signal can you get? A major party is being co-opted by terrorists and the leader of that party is telling the members of that terrorist movement to stand back and stand by in case he is not reelected. Proud Boys were told on a presidential debate stage to stand back and stand by. This is an organization that's been declared a terrorist outfit by Canada, our closest ally, and the President of the United States told them to stand by. Add to that all of the other signals we're getting from senior influencers and people with actual elected positions within the Republican Party, calling the January 6 rioters political prisoners. You have people like Sarah Palin warning about civil war. Mike Huckabee just said if Trump is denied another win, the next election is not going to be decided at the ballot box, it will be decided by bullets. You have Mike Flynn saying, we need a coup in this country like they had in Myanmar. This is not me paraphrasing or exaggerating. These are clarion calls for violence coming from senior figures on the right, influential figures, mainstream figures. These aren't fringe characters; they are representative of the mainstream, and that's scary.How do you combat that toxic rhetoric and the mentality of political persecution that further entrenches people into that ideology?Well, it depends on who I'm talking to. When trying to counter the deep state paranoia, or talking to conspiracy theorists, there's nothing you can do or say because any evidence you provide is just evidence of an even deeper conspiracy. Some people are unreachable. There isn't a middle ground when you're talking about autocracy and democracy; there isn't a halfway point. It's like arguing with flat earthers. The truth isn't somewhere between a round earth and a flat earth. When you look at January 6, I think the only answer to people like Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde, who said it was just a "normal tourist visit" is: You are lying. You are a vet. You know better. You helped barricade the house galley and you were screaming and pointing in a photo with Capitol policemen who had their guns drawn, pointing at that single point of entry. And yet, a few days later, you're on TV, calling it a peaceful tourist visit? I think the only way to counter something like that is to call it what it is: disinformation.Are you hopeful about people responding well to the lies being called out?I'm always hopeful. I am always bullish on America. I think we have been through a few things worse. The scary thing about saying that is, you know, people point to the 1860s and say, "Hey, we've survived worse before" and yes, we did. But we fought a civil war over it. I think this will only get better if people stand up en masse and say the election wasn't stolen. Your grievances are made up. You're not the ones defending the Constitution; you're actually undermining it. We need not just those lone voices in the wilderness like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who are brave enough to tell the truth and lose their jobs for it, but we need a chorus of those kinds of influencers saying that there really is only one side of this pro-democracy argument. And that's the pro-democracy side.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Comtech's (CMTL) DCP will facilitate seamless integration of traditionally disparate satellite systems and ground station infrastructure for the dissemination of novel cloud-based applications, waveforms and services in a network-agnostic manner. Comtech Telecommunications Corp. CMTL recently added a new dimension to its business model by launching a network-agnostic cloud solution. With the availability of its Dynamic Cloud Platform (DCP) for commercial and government satellite service providers across the globe, the company has extended its footprint in the satellite and space market while generating incremental revenues to fuel its long-term growth.Leveraging indigenous technologies, Comtech’s DCP will facilitate seamless integration of traditionally disparate satellite systems and ground station infrastructure for the dissemination of novel cloud-based applications, waveforms and services in a network-agnostic manner. This, in turn, will enable the fast-track deployment of ubiquitous, smart-enabled connectivity across private, public and hybrid cloud-based networks.The company is currently undergoing extensive field trials for the successful deployment of multiple satellite-based waveforms using DCP across different cloud-based infrastructures. Leveraging a unique satellite-based software development kit, the DCP will enable the integration of virtualized ground stations and other applications in cloud networks with ease. This is likely to help in the transition to cloud networking solutions for mission-critical communication and services for increased efficiency and data security.    Headquartered in Melville, NY, Comtech offers terrestrial and wireless network solutions, next-generation 9-1-1 emergency services, satellite and space communications technologies and cloud native solutions to commercial and government customers worldwide. The company is expected to benefit from a healthy demand trajectory in the Satellite Earth Station business, accentuated by the new Heights product, potential new deals, the UHB acquisition and rising demand for bandwidth. Continuous infrastructure upgrade by carriers further offers an upside potential for the company.With more than two decades of industry experience, Comtech has been making necessary efforts to provide critical location and messaging solutions for enterprises, governments and mobile network operators. Its innovative location and messaging solutions are particularly designed to support interconnected, cloud-based applications across several business verticals.To boost global security and improve public safety with high-performance satellite communications equipment, Comtech created a niche market for secure wireless solutions. The company continues to provide market-leading products for messaging, location and deployable wireless communications. It offers services to integrate networks, servers, gateways and intelligent peripherals, and provides transmission responses to users.The stock has lost 26.1% in the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 10.2%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchComtech presently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Key PicksArista Networks, Inc. ANET, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), is likely to benefit from strong momentum and diversification across its top verticals and product lines. The company has a software-driven, data-centric approach to help customers build their cloud architecture and enhance their cloud experience. Arista has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 18.7% and delivered an earnings surprise of 12.8%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.It holds a leadership position in 100-gigabit Ethernet switching share in port for the high-speed datacenter segment. Arista is increasingly gaining market traction in 200- and 400-gig high-performance switching products and remains well-positioned for healthy growth in data-driven cloud networking business with proactive platforms and predictive operations.AudioCodes Ltd. AUDC is a Zacks Rank #2 stock. It has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 4.3% and delivered an earnings surprise of 2.2%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.Headquartered in Lod, Israel, AudioCodes offers advanced communications software, products, and productivity solutions for the digital workplace. It provides a broad range of innovative products, solutions and services that are used by large multi-national enterprises and leading tier-1 operators around the world.Motorola Solutions, Inc. MSI, carrying a Zacks Rank #2, delivered an earnings surprise of 5.62%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. In the last reported quarter, it pulled off an earnings surprise of 5.58%.Motorola provides services and solutions to government segments and public safety programs, along with large enterprises and wireless infrastructure service providers. It develops and services both analog and digital two-way radio, voice and data communications products and systems for private networks, wireless broadband systems and end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions to a wide range of enterprise markets. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom. With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI): Free Stock Analysis Report Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (CMTL): Free Stock Analysis Report AudioCodes Ltd. (AUDC): Free Stock Analysis Report Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research.....»»

Thursdays are all about longform links on Abnormal Returns. You can check out last week’s linkfest including a look at OpenAI’s big... BooksAn excerpt from "Writing for Busy Readers" by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink (behavioralscientist.org)An except from “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier” by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey. (wsj.com)A Q&A with Jennifer Breheny Wallace author of "Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic - What We Can Do About It." (greatergood.berkeley.edu)An excerpt from "Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future Of Our Planet" by Ben Goldfarb. (theatlantic.com)An excerpt from "Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet" by Taylor Lorenz. (rollingstone.com)HousingHow investor-owned single-family homes can transform a neighborhood. (indystar.com)The roadblocks from towns in the American West from building more homes. (businessinsider.com)GriefHow singer/songwriter Ben Kweller is dealing with unspeakable grief. (texasmonthly.com)Why a small town in Ireland has a memorial to 343 firefighters who died on 9/11. (nytimes.com)Vitaliy Katsenelson remembers his father. (vitaliy.substack.com)LongreadsCould FTX have happened if SBF didn't have influential parents? (bloomberg.com)How a small town policeman brought down a global tennis match fixing ring. (wapo.st)Colleges have a man problem, i.e. not enough of them. (nytimes.com)Focus is a superpower. (neckar.substack.com).....»»

The addition of new features to SASE product is a direct result of user feedback, highlights Lumen (LUMN). Lumen Technologies LUMN recently added new enhancements to its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions to make it simpler and more flexible for clients. These solutions are designed to enhance enterprise SASE’s purchase, configuration and management digitally.With increasing adoption of hybrid work and cloud-based services, security has become a massive concern for businesses. The addition of these new features is a direct result from user feedback, stated Lumen. Feedback from users highlighted the need for gaining more control over access to cloud applications on both approved and unapproved devices. Users also needed access to security services within a centralized and cloud-based experience.Lumen Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus Lumen Technologies, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Lumen Technologies, Inc. QuoteAmong the new features added, SASE includes Security Service Edge (SSE) and cloud-hosted gateways. SSE is an assortment of integrated, cloud-centric security capabilities that offer secure access to websites.SSE also provides safe access and sharing of data and user permission management for software-as-a-service applications, which are provided by prominent SD-WAN and security partners.It further mentioned that Lumen-hosted gateways will aid clients in adopting a "grow as they go" network and security management capabilities while eliminating need for premise-based equipment.By using Lumen-hosted gateways clients will be able to migrate off shared gateways onto a dedicated node, thereby improving security and reliability across the nation. It will also offer flexible and centralized security services with dedicated cloud hosting at “predictable pricing”.Lumen-hosted gateways will aid in secure remote access from anywhere to the customer’s data and cloud applications.Also, domestic clients can now deploy premise-based SASE services to locations in Canada, and Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.Lumen offers a wide array of integrated services like wholesale network access, high-speed Internet access, managed hosting and colocation services etc. to its business and residential customers.The company continues to invest heavily in the Quantum fiber business. LUMN had 877,000 quantum fiber subscribers at the end of the second quarter. It is gaining by incorporating AI in sales platform and digital marketing campaigns.LUMN currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have lost 84.1% compared with the sub-industry’s decline of 3.1% in the past year.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks worth consideration in the broader technology space are Badger Meter BMI, Synopsys SNPS and Adobe ADBE. While Synopsys sports a Zacks Rank #1, Badger Meter and Adobe carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Badger Meter’s 2023 EPS has increased 5.1% in the past 60 days to $2.86. BMI’s earnings beat estimates in the last four quarters, the average surprise being 6.7%. Shares of BMI have surged 70.2% in the past year.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Synopsys’ fiscal 2023 EPS is pegged at $11.09, up 2.5% in the past 60 days. The long-term earnings growth rate is anticipated to be 16.4%.SNPS’ earnings surpassed estimates in the last four quarters, the average beat being 4.2%. Shares of SNPS have rallied 40.5% in the past year.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Adobe’s fiscal 2023 EPS has remained unchanged in the past 60 days at $15.70. ADBE’s earnings outshined estimates in the last four quarters, the average surprise being 3.1%. Shares of ADBE have jumped 45.9% in the past year. Top 5 ChatGPT Stocks Revealed Zacks Senior Stock Strategist, Kevin Cook names 5 hand-picked stocks with sky-high growth potential in a brilliant sector of Artificial Intelligence. By 2030, the AI industry is predicted to have an internet and iPhone-scale economic impact of $15.7 Trillion. Today you can invest in the wave of the future, an automation that answers follow-up questions … admits mistakes … challenges incorrect premises … rejects inappropriate requests. As one of the selected companies puts it, “Automation frees people from the mundane so they can accomplish the miraculous.”Download Free ChatGPT Stock Report Right Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI): Free Stock Analysis Report Adobe Inc. (ADBE): Free Stock Analysis Report Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS): Free Stock Analysis Report Lumen Technologies, Inc. (LUMN): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research.....»»

In this article, we will talk about the 25 biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Biggest Web3.0 Companies In The World. Demystifying Web3.0 Web3.0, a cutting-edge technology that could redefine the digital frontiers, has gained massive popularity over time. The […] In this article, we will talk about the 25 biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Biggest Web3.0 Companies In The World. Demystifying Web3.0 Web3.0, a cutting-edge technology that could redefine the digital frontiers, has gained massive popularity over time. The rising concerns about privacy and the centralization of the internet have fuelled the Web3.0 hype. Web3.0 is basically a vision for the future of the internet that is decentralized and based on blockchain technology. Web3.0 offers more ownership to the users while enabling them to perform all tasks they can currently perform on the current version of the internet, Web2. Web3.0 refers to a change in the nature of the internet where ownership by corporate networks is substituted by users. It represents the idea where blockchain technology and decentralized systems take center stage, and the users would be empowered in ways they never deemed possible. The shift in ownership and decentralization is the primary distinguishing feature between Web2 and Web3.0. Web3.0 is also closely linked with metaverse. Metaverse is envisioned as a decentralized space that users can access through extended reality tech such as AR and VR. Metaverse enables users to trade various digital products and assets which requires the use of blockchains. Blockchains and immersive technology are significant central features of Web3.0. Even though the vision of Web3.0 sounds promising, influential figures like Elon Musk have dismissed the possibility of its existence. Although a complete transformation to Web3.0 seems far-fetched, it is undeniable that Web3.0 is stirring some form of transformation. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global Web3.0 market was valued at $2.25 billion in 2023 and has been estimated to grow to $33.53 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 47.1%. Increased use of the latest technologies like 5G and enhanced consciousness about privacy are expected to contribute to this growth. In 2022, North America dominated the Web3.0 market, accounting for a global revenue share of over 37.0%. However, the Asia Pacific region has been estimated to have the highest projected growth rate during the forecast period. Incorporating Web3.0 into industries like finance and retail, along with rising traction around blockchain, has been estimated to contribute greatly to this growth. Web3.0 Revolution: Disrupting Industries Web3.0 is often touted as the future of the internet. The internet interwinds with almost all industries and businesses today. The introduction and adoption of Web3.0 would cause a fundamental shift in how businesses operate. One of the defining features of Web3.0 is decentralization, it would bring blockchains to the mainstream. Web3.0 could revolutionize how the finance industry operates. On July 26, CNBC reported that banking giants like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citi want to put Wall Street on blockchain, where they can tokenize various assets. Blockchains can be used to maintain a decentralized and distributed ledger. If Wall Street is shifted to blockchain, it will make the role of third parties like market makers and brokers redundant, changing the fundamental structure of the financial sector. Payment giant Visa Inc (NYSE:V) is also embracing this change. It started testing stablecoin settlement on the issuance side in 2021. It has since expanded to other blockchains that can send and receive stablecoins faster and lower costs. On September 5, Visa Inc (NYSE:V) announced that it has expanded its stablecoin capabilities to the Solana network as it was previously limited to the Ethereum blockchain network. Visa Inc (NYSE:V) has transacted millions of USDC, the second largest stablecoin since 2021, between its partners to settle fiat-denominated payments authorized over VisaNet. The clothing industry is likewise benefiting from this new technology, using it to advance marketing and branding. Many brands have been exploring immersive reality experiences to interact with their customers. More than 50 brands were a part of the Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week that was held in March including Adidas, Coach, and Diesel. The fashion week was for brands to showcase their digital fashion items and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The Metaverse fashion show operated in a similar way to regular fashion weeks. Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX), primarily a gaming platform, facilitates the creation of decentralized virtual worlds. Users can interact with each other and trade NFTs. Gucci has a dedicated Gucci Garden in the Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) universe. Players can trade special Gucci NFTs in this metaverse. Similarly, Nikeland in the Roblox Metraverse enables users to dress their avatars in Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) products. Metaverse has gained massive popularity over the past few years. The rebranding of Facebook as Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) contributed greatly to this popularity. Metaverse is an online space where instead of being a passive viewer the user is an active part of the virtual reality. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is investing heavily in mixed reality technology influencing how users interact with tech today. On June 1, the company announced that it will be releasing its new VR headset, Meta Quest 3, this year. The headset would enable users to perform a variety of activities including access to various immersive worlds. Many companies are entering the mixed reality space, including the iPhone maker Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). On June 5, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) introduced its spatial computing headset, Apple Vision Pro. The headset enables users to interact seamlessly with virtual objects in augmented reality. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) also launched an AI-assisted avatar creator tool enabling users to create photorealistic avatars. The avatars resemble closely to the users and can even match their body types. Users can browse their favorite designer items and try them on their avatars before buying. We have made a list of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world which include big tech companies such as Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL). Halfpoint/Shutterstock.com Our Methodology  To make our list of the 25 biggest Web3.0 companies in the world, we initially made a list of prominent companies in the Web3.0 arena. Since Web3.0 is more of a concept and vision than a distinct product, we have considered companies that either work on it directly or develop technologies essential to Web3.0. Based on this premise, we formed our initial list from the holdings of BWEB Holdings. To quantify a company as ‘big’ we have used their market cap as our metric. We have ranked the companies in ascending order from the smallest market cap to the largest. 25 Biggest Web3.0 Companies In The World 25. Cipher Mining Inc (NASDAQ:CIFR) Market Cap: $755.378 Million Cipher Mining Inc (NASDAQ:CIFR) mines many cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin. It provides computing power that facilitates users to access Web3.0 applications and protocols. Cipher Mining Inc (NASDAQ:CIFR) also provides hosting services to Web3.0 miners allowing them to operate their mining rigs. 24. Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd (OTCMKTS:BRPHF) Market Cap: $1.64 Billion Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd (OTCMKTS:BRPHF) is a financial company specializing in digital assets and blockchain technology. Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd (OTCMKTS:BRPHF) provides various services and products facilitating trade and management of digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Galaxy Ventures, a venture capital arm of the company, invests in Web3.0 startups and companies. 23. Riot Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:RIOT) Market Cap: $2.046 Billion Riot Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:RIOT) is a bitcoin mining company that supports the bitcoin blockchain through rapidly expanding large-scale mining. Cryptocurrencies are one of the most significant elements in Web3.0. Riot Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:RIOT) has North America’s single largest Bitcoin mining and hosting facility. 22. Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MARA) Market Cap: $2.091 Billion Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MARA) is one of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:MARA) is rapidly developing crypto mining technology, an essential technology for Web3.0. 21. GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) Market Cap: $5.614 Billion GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) is a significant player in the Web3.0 marketplace. The company is renowned for its Web3.0 games, including Overworld, Undead Blocks, and Kiraverse. ImmutableX is a leading layer 2 Ethereum scaling solution that is now available on the GameStop NFT marketplace. ImmutableX by GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) is used to build Web3.0 games and facilitate NFT trading. 20. Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) Market Cap: $10.125 Billion Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) has emerged as one of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. Robinhood Wallet enables users to access Web3.0 to store and manage their cryptocurrencies on various networks. Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) gives users complete control over their crypto by giving them private keys linked to their assets. Robinhood Connect, another feature by the company, enables users to fund their Web3.0 wallets. 19. Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U) Market Cap: $14.222 Billion Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U) provides developers with the resources to connect with Web3.0 gaming. Unity Asset Store by Unity Software Inc (NYSE:U) is a decentralization storefront that facilitates developers to build in various blockchain technologies. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) are some of the prominent companies leading in the Web3.0 industry. 18. Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) Market Cap: $15.983 Billion Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) is one of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. The company aims to create the world’s most distributed platforms. Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) acquired Linode, a company providing developer-friendly cloud computing services, in March 2022. In the outlook of the Linode Acquisition, the company stated that their edge computing platform would facilitate developers worldwide to create and run applications in Web3.0. 17. Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) Market Cap: $17.541 Billion Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) is one of the most significant metaverse platforms. It enables developers to create their games. Roblox Corporation (NYSE:RBLX) facilitates developing ‘limited items’, similar to NFTs, that are traded in Roblox marketplaces. The development of trading platforms and decentralized metaverse are pertinent to the growth of Web3.0. 16. Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) Market Cap: $18.497 Billion Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) is among the list of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) enables users to access decentralized apps (dApps) through its mobile app. Coinbase Wallets is the ‘key to Web3.0’ that allows users to trade NFTs and earn with decentralized finance (DeFi). 15. Cloudflare Inc (NYSE:NET) Market Cap: $21.387 Billion Cloudflare Inc (NYSE:NET) has many products and services that enable users to create and access Web3.0 services. Cloudflare Web3.0, an important Web3.0 product by Cloudflare Inc (NYSE:NET), facilitates users to develop Web3.0 applications without worrying about running infrastructure. The company also provides a variety of Web3.0 gateways, providing users with easy access to Web3.0 networks. 14. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) Market Cap: $24.087 Billion Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) is one of the most significant names in the gaming industry with popular games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) sees Web3.0 as a significant business opportunity, as displayed by its acquisition of Zynga in May 2022. Zynga is a giant in the mobile gaming industry and is making progress in the web3 gaming industry with its new web3 game, Sugartown. 13. Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) Market Cap: $32.656 Billion Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) is a giant in the gaming industry. The company is ambitious about Web3.0 technology and is working to develop Web3.0 gaming further. Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:EA) partnered with Nike (NYSE:NKE) on Swoosh, a Web3.0 platform enabling users to create and buy unique sneaker designs. 12. Block Inc (NYSE:SQ) Market Cap: $35.488 Billion Block Inc (NYSE:SQ) is one of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. The company is investing heavily in the development of Web3.0. Spiral, a subsidiary of Block Inc (NYSE:SQ), focuses on building Web3.0 products and services. The company also has a cash app that has integrated support for Bitcoin. 11. Equinix Inc (NASDAQ:EQIX) Market Cap: $72.749 Billion Equinix Inc (NASDAQ:EQIX) is developing essential technologies fundamental to Web3.0. Equinix Fabric, a platform by Equinix Inc (NASDAQ:EQIX), enables businesses to connect to the cloud directly, privately, and securely. This platform is significant for businesses developing Web3.0 applications. Equinix SmartKey, another product by the company, facilitates businesses by providing them with a secure way to store and manage their cryptographic keys. 10. Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP) Market Cap: $85.574 Billion Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP) is a cloud-based commerce platform. Shopify Inc (NYSE:SHOP) is developing interesting technologies significant to the growth and development of Web3.0. Shopify Payments enables merchants to accept cryptocurrencies for their products and services. Shopify App Store facilitates the integration of Web3.0 tech into the storefront, enabling them to trade NFTs and accept payment in cryptocurrencies. 9. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) Market Cap: $38.293M Billion Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) is one the first major companies that have embraced Web3.0 and is employing it to its benefit. Swoosh, a Web3.0 platform by Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), has exclusive membership, enabling users to create unique virtual sneakers and trade them as digital assets. The company is using the Web3.0 platform to boost quality customer service. 8. Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) Market Cap: $235.701 Billion Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) is one of the biggest companies in the Web3.0 space. The company provides various products and services that facilitate the development of Web3.0 technologies. Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform by Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO), has various features designed to help businesses manage their Web3.0 infrastructure, including blockchains. 7. Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE) Market Cap: $256.711 Billion Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE) is a giant in the creative industry, providing software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The company develops and distributes Web3.0 content and experience. Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE) Creative Cloud Express enables users to design and distribute Web3.0 content, including NFTs. 6. Tencent Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:TCEHY) Market Cap: $403.231 Billion Tencent Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:TCEHY) is one of the biggest Web3.0 companies in the world. The company provides support and tools vital to developing Web3.0 applications and services. Tencent Cloud offers various blockchain API services businesses can use to build their Web3.0 applications. Tencent Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:TCEHY) provides Web3.0 businesses with solutions, facilitating them to build secure and scalable products. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL). are some of the most prominent companies developing and delivering Web3.0 products. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Biggest Web3.0 Companies In The World. Suggested articles: 18 Biggest Generative AI Companies In The World 12 States With The Largest Refining Capacity 25 Most Illiterate States in America Disclosure: None. 25 Biggest Web3.0 Companies In The World was originally published on Insider Monkey......»»

In second half of the 19th century, after the conclusion of the Civil War and into the 20th century, there was a major influx of immigrants looking for work, as well as advances in technology. This boom happened faster than safety measures like labor laws and fire codes could advance to anything like what we […] In second half of the 19th century, after the conclusion of the Civil War and into the 20th century, there was a major influx of immigrants looking for work, as well as advances in technology. This boom happened faster than safety measures like labor laws and fire codes could advance to anything like what we have today. As a result, many of the most catastrophic fires and explosions in American history happened.  To identify the deadliest fires and explosions in U.S. history, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on fire casualties from the National Fire Protection Association. Fires and explosions were ranked on an estimated number of deaths. (It is important to note that death estimates for these disasters may sometimes vary by source.) Dates, casualty estimates, and locations came from NFPA. Data is current through December 2022. Six of the most catastrophic fires and explosions in U.S. history happened from 1865 to 1900. Two of these incidents still rank among the top five deadliest: the Sultana steamboat fire of April 27, 1865, in the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee, and the Peshtigo forest fire in northwestern Wisconsin on Oct. 8, 1871. These disasters claimed 1,547 and 1,152 lives, respectively. (These are the 13 most destructive wildfires in U.S. history.) Five major fires or explosions took place in the United States from 1903 to 1909, making the first decade of the 20th century the deadliest for major U.S. fires and explosions. One of these disasters, another steamboat fire, still ranks among the top five deadliest: the General Slocum steamboat disaster in the East River of New York City on June 15, 1904. Named after a Civil War general who would later represent Brooklyn in Congress, the wooden triple-deck paddler was chartering a large group of German immigrant Lutherans when it caught fire between Queens and Manhattan, killing more than 1,000 passengers and instigating a national dialogue about steamboat safety. In 1906, the city erected a memorial fountain to serve as a reminder of the tragedy in the Lower East Side’s Tompkins Square Park. It still stands today. Other than steamboat and forest fires, the list includes four mining disasters, several building fires (including a school, theaters, and nightclub), disasters at ports, and an industrial fire. An earthquake was the cause of the disaster in San Francisco in 1906. (These are 10 of the deadliest natural disasters in the world since 1980.) Only one of the 20 deadliest fires and explosions in U.S. history happened since 1947 – and it was caused by a group of radical hijackers who sent two planes into the World Trade Center towers, killing thousands of people on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, including hundreds of first responders. Here are the deadliest fires and explosions in U.S. history. Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now......»»

CEOs might be the best place to start when it comes to automating roles with artificial intelligence. Inside the upheaval at Flexport. Samantha Lee/Business Insider This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter. Sign up here. Welcome back. Today is always a difficult day, particularly here in New York, as we remember the innocent lives lost 22 years ago. If you only read one piece on the incredible acts of heroism that took place, I recommend this profile of Rick Rescorla. As a VP of security at Morgan Stanley, Rescorla developed an evacuation plan prior to 9/11 that saved thousands of lives. He died while helping people exit the South Tower. In today's big story, we're looking at why the best place for AI to start automating roles should be at the very top of a company. — Dan DeFrancescoWhat's on deck: Markets: Arm and Instacart's big public debuts won't kickstart the IPO market.Tech: ChatGPT is already starting to lose some steam.Business: Four traits every great leader should have.But first, ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.Arantza Pena Popo/InsiderThe big storyHow the tables have turned…Just about everyone has spent at least some time wondering if their jobs are at risk of being automated away by artificial intelligence.But the group that seems immune to those concerns — CEOs — is primed for being usurped by robots, writes Ed Zitron. Ed's argument is straightforward: CEOs get paid a lot despite not providing much value for their companies. For all the talk of CEOs being transformational leaders full of business ingenuity, many are nothing more than figureheads. They don't have any responsibility or accountability, and their job boils down to boring media interviews and regurgitating ideas from consultants.(I might be inclined to apologize to CEOs reading this, but the bad ones are too busy preparing their next TED Talk or drafting an uninspiring LinkedIn post.)Maybe you don't entirely buy the idea that AI could do a CEO's job. It's true that a lot of being a CEO is buzzword bingo — "Let's nab a quick win by doing a deep dive on synergies that can unlock efficiencies in our workflows!" — but it still seems like they do something, you say. And if nothing else, you need someone at the top who will shoulder the blame when things go wrong, right?So about that...Last year was undeniably a bad year for most industries. With that in mind, one might expect leadership changes. In reality, it was the exact opposite. The number of CEO exits last year (1,235) was actually down 8% from the previous year, according to a report from executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Not only that, but it was the lowest CEO turnover number since 2017. To be clear, I'm not suggesting the role of CEO is entirely useless. (Neither is Ed, who previously wrote about how the modern CEO job is just broken.) But I don't see any harm in the boss realizing tech could replace them. After all, if they're willing to do it to us, they should know the same could be said for them. Read the full story. 3 things in marketsThe current IPO slump has parallels to the one that followed the dot-com bust.STAN HONDA / GettyArm and Instacart's IPOs might not have the strength to save the public markets. Expectations are high that the upcoming IPOs could open the floodgates for other companies. But they might be outliers instead of catalysts that can end the IPO drought.Bill Ackman sounds off. The billionaire hedge fund manager foresees challenges for regional banks and commercial real estate, but thinks Elon Musk's X will ultimately succeed. Here are six of his best quotes from a recent interview.  A China economic downturn could hit these stocks the worst. A Bank of America note highlighted 10 stocks with the greatest revenue exposure to China. From Wynn Resorts to Broadcom, these stocks have the most on the line regarding the state of China's economy.3 things in techOpenAI CEO Sam Altman also attended the Sun Valley conference.Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesChatGPT is losing its hype. Traffic fell for the third month in a row. Although it could be linked to students on summer break, researchers have also found that the chatbot is becoming less accurate. All the Flexport drama. Right before the CEO abruptly left last week — just one year into his role — the company experienced an exec exodus. Now, Flexport is telling employees to expect cost-cutting measures and a possible workforce reduction. Plus, Ryan Petersen, Flexport's founder who has now reprised his role as CEO, announced he was rescinding job offers for candidates joining as soon as Monday.Apple's $200 billion drop may foreshadow a post-US tech future. The tech world is experiencing a vibe shift. China, which is an important market for US tech companies, is becoming increasingly technologically independent.3 things in businessArantza Pena Popo/InsiderThe strange, twisted reason why college is so expensive. All the talk of wiping out student debt does nothing for the underlying problem — the astronomical price of higher education. It's a market-driven model that has a massive gap between the sticker price and what the average student actually pays. Managers are getting crushed by under-the-radar burnout. A new study found that managers are looking for new roles at a higher rate than non-managers are. They're experiencing higher levels of burnout and disengagement in their roles. Microsoft's former VP of HR reveals traits of outstanding leaders. Chris Williams said that most of the great leaders he's encountered shared four common traits, including team focus and candor.In other newsHow Parrot Analytics shook up Hollywood by picking streaming hits.A 10-year retrospective on "One Direction: This is Us."These are the five sports betting battlegrounds to keep an eye on this year.A Stanford MBA student and TikToker shared her spreadsheet to stay organized and productive.Nancy Pelosi, who is 83 years old, announced that she will run for another term in Congress.Ocean explorers are puzzled by a golden orb resting on the Alaskan seafloor.What's happening todayAnniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Pentagon, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and other institutions will hold commemoration ceremonies. President Joe Biden will participate in a memorial ceremony in Alaska with military members and their families.The New York Jets compete at home against the Buffalo Bills. Bills safety Damar Hamlin is expected to compete. This would be his first regular-season game since January, when he suffered a cardiac arrest on the football field.Earnings today: Oracle, Bovis Homes Group, and other companies.I spent about $65 on seasonal fall snacks from Trader Joe's and reviewed them.Savanna Swain-WilsonFor your bookmarks"I tried 38 of Trader Joe's fall foods." The reporter said she would probably buy 28 of the items again — but not the pumpkin gnocchi or caramel-apple-flavored granola.The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor and anchor, in New York City. Diamond Naga Siu, senior reporter, in San Diego. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

In this article, we will look at the top 20 AI and robotics companies transforming the agriculture sector. If you want to skip our detailed industry analysis, head straight to the Top 5 AI and Robotics Companies Transforming the Agriculture Sector.  The global agriculture market, as of 2023, has witnessed huge growth, with a market […] In this article, we will look at the top 20 AI and robotics companies transforming the agriculture sector. If you want to skip our detailed industry analysis, head straight to the Top 5 AI and Robotics Companies Transforming the Agriculture Sector.  The global agriculture market, as of 2023, has witnessed huge growth, with a market size increasing from $12.25 trillion in 2022 to $13.40 trillion in 2023 and marked a 9.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), as noted by Research and Markets. This expansion can be attributed to several factors, like the increasing global population, which is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050 and has led a to heightened food demand. Crop production, a major component of agriculture, has seen considerable growth, with global cereal production expected to increase by 13% by 2027. Agribusiness companies are also actively acquiring arable land to boost crop production and meet the rising demands. It is also worth highlighting that owing to the rising demand of labor in agriculture, farming has emerged as one of the most respected professions in the world. How Is Artificial Intelligence Transforming the Agriculture Industry? We have already established many industries are being revolutionzed by AI and automation technologies and hence, agriculture industry is no exception. It is also worth mentioning that Agricultural Robots, Predictive Analytics, and, Crop and Soil Monitoring are the three most popular applications of AI in agriculture.   Smart farming, powered by IoT technology, is revolutionizing agriculture by leveraging sensors, gateways, and data analysis to optimize crop management. These sensors capture essential data from fields, which is then stored and analyzed on cloud platforms. This enables farmers to access real-time insights through user-friendly dashboards, facilitating more efficient and informed decision-making. To read more about Iot, check out our article on Biggest Internet of Things Companies in the World. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), one the key artificial intelligence companies in USA, is actively contributing to the transformative trend of smart farming through its Azure Data Manager for Agriculture. This innovative solution by Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) addresses critical challenges in the agriculture industry by harnessing data and technology. Azure Data Manager for Agriculture connects data sources across farms, breaking down data silos and provides valuable insights into soil health, weather patterns, waste tracking, and carbon sequestration. Hence, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) is undoubtedly one of the top AI companies transforming the agriculture sector.  Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s collaboration with industry leaders like Bayer and Land O’Lakes demonstrates the practical application of this technology. For example, Bayer utilizes Azure Data Manager to offer insights to farmers through its FieldView platform, enhancing yield predictions and crop health monitoring. Land O’Lakes uses the tool to empower farmers to adopt sustainable practices through its Truterra sustainability tool, which tracks environmental impacts.  Similarly, International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM)’s Environmental Intelligence Suite has revolutionized agriculture with AI-driven solutions. It provides real-time weather data and machine learning-powered forecasting for precise crop management, supply chain optimization, and market demand predictions. This empowers agribusinesses to navigate the challenges of climate change and food security by making informed decisions.  This suite by International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) offers hyper-local weather data for customized farming applications, helping with planting, feeding, spraying, and irrigation scheduling. A number of case studies have proven its  impact, from reducing power outages in India to enhancing water usage insights for Texan farmers. International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM)’s suite equips the agriculture industry with the tools to thrive in the digital age. On the other hand, precision agriculture is becoming increasingly vital in modern farming, as it offers huge benefits and is on the rise despite its high associated costs. With technological developments, farmers can now measure and manage specific segments of their fields in real-time that results in improved efficiency. For instance, farmers like Bret Johnson have reported huge gains in yield and resource management through precision agriculture, with the ability to reduce nitrogen usage from the average of 1.2 pounds per bushel to as little as half a pound per bushel.  Moreover, precision agriculture tools can identify and address plant and insect diseases that improve the overall crop health. However, widespread adoption of the technology faces hurdles due to substantial initial investments, such as tens of thousands of dollars for tools like yield monitors, guidance systems, and drones, along with ongoing subscription fees and training costs. Nonetheless, for early adopters, precision agriculture is indispensable for risk mitigation and improved farm management. Deere & Co (NYSE:DE)  is spearheading a revolution in precision farming by harnessing advanced technologies to optimize agricultural practices. Through the integration of space technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics, Deere & Co (NYSE:DE) is providing farmers with invaluable insights. They utilize satellite imagery to monitor crops more effectively, pinpointing variations in soil moisture, nutrient levels, and plant health with precision. This data-driven approach minimizes resource wastage and maximizes yields, ultimately benefitting both farmers and the environment. Furthermore, Deere & Co (NYSE:DE) has invested in electric tractors that boast low maintenance costs, a testament to their commitment to sustainability. These tractors are powered by batteries and reduce emissions and operating costs for farmers. Additionally, Deere & Co (NYSE:DE)’s foray into AI and machine learning helps farmers make informed decisions.  The pinnacle of their innovation is the fully autonomous tractor, a result of 20 years of AI development, which ensures tasks are completed efficiently and to a high standard. Through these technologies, Deere & Co (NYSE:DE) is not only improving farming productivity but also reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Kletr/Shutterstock.com Our Methodology To list the top AI and robotics companies transforming the agriculture sector, we have included companies that have been actively involved in contributing innovative solutions for agriculture with the help of automation and AI. We have ranked the companies in order of number of employees, as the list is presented in ascending order. The workforce here has been taken as a proxy for companies’ scale. For privately held companies, the number of employees has been estimated using data from their official LinkedIn profiles. Here is a list of the Top 20 AI and Robotics Companies Transforming the Agriculture Sector. 20. Harvest CROO Robotics, LLC Number of Employees: (est) 50 Harvest CROO Robotics is revolutionizing agriculture with its autonomous strawberry harvesting technology. They utilize LIDAR, AI, and machine learning that enables precise, efficient, and safe berry picking. The technology not only reduces labor dependency and increases yield but is also potentially setting a new standard in fruit harvesting practices. 19. AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc (NYSE:UAVS) Number of Employees: (est) 150 AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc (NYSE:UAVS) contributes to the agriculture sector by offering drone-based data solutions that enable farmers and professionals to improve crop management, reduce input costs, and increase yields through precise insights and monitoring. It is one of the top AI and robotics companies transforming the agriculture sector. 18. Blue River Technology Inc Number of Employees: (est) 180  Blue River Technology is bringing a revolution in the sector by introducing intelligent machinery in agriculture and combining computer vision and machine learning to optimize crop management and sustainable solutions. They develop software, robotics, and precision weed control technology to address herbicide resistance and improve farming practices, all while prioritizing environmental and economic sustainability.  17. Clearpath Inc Number of Employees: (est) 250 Clearpath Inc. was founded in 2009. Clearpath robotics plays a pertinent role in the manufacturing of farming equipment. It is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, and focuses mainly on streamlining field robotics research for a number of universities. It is one of the most innovative robotics companies for agriculture.  16. AppHarvest, Inc (OTC:APPH) Number of Employees: (est) 300 AppHarvest, Inc (OTC:APPH) is a U.S.-based food production company that specializes in the development and management of indoor farms located in the Appalachian region. One of its prominent facilities is a 60-acre tomato farm situated in Morehead, Kentucky, with aims to establish three more farms throughout the state. AppHarvest, Inc (OTC:APPH) also aims to utilize Kentucky’s strategic central location to minimize carbon emissions by supplying fresh produce to markets in the Midwest and along the East Coast. In 2021, AppHarvest, Inc (OTC:APPH) acquired Root AI, an agricultural robotics firm to boost their efficiency and expand technological capabilities in their indoor farming operations.  15. Plenty Number of employees: (est) 350 Plenty, a vertical farming company, utilizes AI and robotics to revolutionize agriculture by managing environmental variables such as water, light, and temperature to optimize crop growth. This technology enables them to produce substantially more food per acre while using 99% less land and 95% less water compared to traditional farming methods. 14. Benson Hill Inc (NYSE:BHIL) Number of Employees: 450 Benson Hill Inc (NYSE:BHIL) employs AI-driven technology called Cloud Biology and CropOS to enhance plant science and breeding processes. Hence, Benson Hill Inc (NYSE:BHIL) enables precise and efficient plant breeding that reduces costs and environmental impact while optimizing crop traits for improved nutrition, taste, and sustainability from seed to ingredient production. 13. Bowery Farming Number of employees: (est) 750 Bowery Farming employs AI, automation, sensors, and robotics, including their proprietary system BoweryOS, to monitor and analyze crops in real-time. This enables precise, pesticide-free cultivation in vertical farms across multiple locations, serving major retailers like Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) and Whole Foods to improve local and fresh produce supply. 12. Raven Industries, Inc (NASDAQ:RAVN) Number of Employees: 1,251 Raven Industries, Inc (NASDAQ:RAVN) is known for improving agriculture through autonomous and automated precision technology solutions. Raven Industries Inc (NASDAQ:RAVN)’s products simplify farming tasks, increase efficiency, and improve profitability. These innovations include autonomous farming, connectivity, guidance systems, application controls, displays, and operator performance. 11. Trimble, Inc (NASDAQ:TRMB) Number of Employees: 11,931 Trimble Inc (NASDAQ:TRMB) utilizes AI and precision technology for farming and agriculture through a range of solutions. These include guidance displays, controllers, and receivers that calculate equipment positions, steering systems for precise equipment control, flow and application control systems for accurate input application, and water management solutions. Trimble Inc (NASDAQ:TRMB) is one of the top precision agriculture companies.  10. Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA) Number of employees: 21,000 Corteva Inc (NYSE:CTVA)’s agri uses AI in its digital tools to provide farmers with actionable data and agronomic insights. AI aids in data analytics and predictive agriculture tools and thus, enables more informed decisions for improved crop performance, sustainability, and profitability. Corteva Inc (NYSE:CTVA) is one of the top agribusiness companies in the world by revenue.  9. AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) Number of Employees: 23,000 AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) is a prominent agricultural machinery manufacturer in the US. AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO) specializes in the design, production, and distribution of various farming equipment like tractors, combines, foragers, hay tools, self-propelled sprayers, smart farming technologies, seeding machinery, and tillage equipment. 8. Syngenta Number of Employees: 30,000 Syngenta is a Swiss-based ag-tech company focused on sustainable agriculture. They innovate in crop protection and seed development with a vision to provide safe and nutritious food. Syngenta has recently collaborated with Insilico Medicine to leverage AI and deep learning for discovering new, eco-friendly molecules in agriculture. It is one of the top ai and robotics companies transforming the agriculture sector.  7. CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) Number of Employees: 40,070 CNH Industrial is integrating AI and robotics into agriculture through its investment in Stout Industrial Technology. Stout’s AI-powered smart implements, like the Smart Cultivator, use cameras and proprietary vision technology to identify crops and weeds that enable simultaneous cultivation and weed removal without chemicals. This technology enhances efficiency and sustainability in farming practices.  6. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE:ADM) Number of employees: 42,001 Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (NYSE: ADM) has recently collaborated with Brightseed to develop synbiotic products using artificial intelligence (AI) to explore the interactions between dietary plants, gut microbes, and human health. Their goal is to create science-backed solutions that improve microbiome health and produce functional ingredients by 2025. Click here to see the Top 5 AI and Robotics Companies Transforming the Agriculture Sector. Suggested Articles: Top 15 IoT Companies in the World 15 Biggest Internet Companies in the World 25 Biggest Cloud Providers by Revenue Disclosure: None. Top 20 AI and Robotics Companies Transforming the Agriculture Sector is originally published on Insider Monkey......»»

Mastercard (MA) partners KredX to launch an enhanced payments solution to ensure hassle-free business payments and promote greater digitization across the B2B space. Mastercard Incorporated MA recently teamed up with the supply chain finance platform, KredX, in order to devise an innovative business-to-business (B2B) payments solution for enhancing the operational efficiency of businesses.The solution will be powered by Mastercard’s commercial payment solutions expertise and the proprietary technology of KredX with the ulterior motive to ease B2B digital payments for both enterprises and vendors. The new platform is infused with beneficial features, such as dynamic discounting, early payment and price discovery, which may offer an opportunity to enterprises and vendors to boost their cash flows and gain greater access to working capital.Meanwhile, the payments solution will serve the purpose of a complete procure-to-pay offering for businesses, which, in turn, is expected to impart more efficiency in invoice matching and processing. In view of a rapidly growing digital economy, small businesses may often find it difficult to adopt digital means due to the dearth of finances and resources.Consequently, the new platform may also prove to be a blessing in disguise for small vendors and save a substantial portion of their expenses, which would have been exhausted in technology upgradation. It will enable such businesses to seamlessly receive payments without the need of in-house payment gateways and point-of-sale machines.The latest partnership reflects Mastercard’s sincere efforts to roll out cutting-edge solutions and streamline digital payments acceptance by businesses of all sizes.  Such moves also highlight MA’s endeavor to bolster its B2B products and services portfolio as well as widen its customer base.Simultaneously, the tech giant collaborated with KredX to remove the frequent hurdles, which crop up while making B2B payments, with a particular focus on easing the card-enabled ones. Mastercard’s efforts to modernize the evolving B2B payments landscape with the new platform is a dire need as a number of intricacies related to time-consuming accounting and reconciliation processes, low vendor acceptance, frequent chargeback and currency variations continue to linger across the market.Apart from launching solutions, Mastercard has been partnering with several organizations to benefit the worldwide B2B payments space. The tech giant has been investing heavily in the B2B payments space and real-time payments functionality.Shares of Mastercard have gained 25.2% in the past year compared with the industry’s 13.1% growth. MA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the Business Services space are Limbach Holdings, Inc. LMB, Trane Technologies plc TT and APi Group Corporation APG. While Limbach sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Trane Technologies and APi Group carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The bottom line of Limbach outpaced estimates in each of the last four quarters, the average surprise being 81.40%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LMB’s 2023 earnings is pegged at $1.36 per share, which has more than doubled from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark for revenues suggests growth of 0.8% from the year-ago reported number. The consensus mark for LMB’s 2023 earnings has moved 21.4% north in the past 30 days.Trane Technologies’ earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 7.30%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TT’s 2023 earnings suggests an improvement of 19.8% from the year-ago reported figure. The same for revenues suggests growth of 10% from the year-ago reported number. The consensus mark for TT’s 2023 earnings has moved 0.6% north in the past 30 days.The bottom line of APi Group outpaced estimates in three of the last four quarters and matched the mark once, the average surprise being 9.85%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APG’s 2023 earnings suggests an improvement of 13.5% from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark for revenues suggests growth of 7.9% from the year-ago reported number. The consensus mark for APG’s 2023 earnings has moved 0.7% north in the past 60 days.Shares of Limbach, Trane Technologies and APi Group have gained 317.5%, 24.4% and 72.7%, respectively, in the past year. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom. With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Mastercard Incorporated (MA): Free Stock Analysis Report Trane Technologies plc (TT): Free Stock Analysis Report Limbach Holdings, Inc. (LMB): Free Stock Analysis Report APi Group Corporation (APG): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research.....»»

In this article, we will look at the 15 highest paying countries for architects. We have also highlighted the importance of architecture for economies, and hence businesses. If you want to skip our in-depth industrial analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Architects.  Architecture is not merely a profession; it is an […] In this article, we will look at the 15 highest paying countries for architects. We have also highlighted the importance of architecture for economies, and hence businesses. If you want to skip our in-depth industrial analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Architects.  Architecture is not merely a profession; it is an art form that shapes our world, both physically and culturally. Architects are the visionary creators behind the structures that define our cities and societies. With the power to blend functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability, they sculpt the landscapes we inhabit. It is worth noting that while architects are one of the most respected professions in the world, commercial architects and historic preservation architects are amongst the highest paid types of architects.  Global Industrial Outlook for Architectural Services The global architectural services market is projected to experience substantial growth, with an expected market size of $523.2 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% from 2023 to 2030, per Grand View Research. This expansion is attributed to several key factors like the rapid urbanization occurring in countries like South Korea, Brazil, and India that had led to an increased demand for smart homes.  Furthermore, industrial and commercial or even residential building restoration projects worldwide are driving the need for planning, design, and consulting services, further supporting market growth. For example, the Grand Hotel restoration project in Nieuwpoort, Belgium that began in 2019, is scheduled for completion in 2024. The goal is to convert the hotel into residential space while preserving its historic significance. To read more about architecture in different countries, check out our article on Countries with the Best Architecture.  Architectural firms are also focusing on creating smart buildings to optimize space usage, and governments worldwide are initiating smart city programs which boosts the demand for urban planning services. However, it’s worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the architectural services market, causing delays in ongoing projects and a decrease in demand. In terms of market segments, construction and project management services are expected to account for 34.0% of revenue share in 2022 due to rising global construction activity. The Asia Pacific region is projected to exhibit significant growth with a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period, driven by increased development activities in healthcare and housing sectors.  How is Architecture Important for Economies? We understand that architects play a crucial role in facilitating trade and boosting the economy by designing efficient and aesthetically appealing infrastructure. Well-designed buildings and infrastructure attract businesses, tourism, and investment, creating job opportunities and increasing property values.  An exemplary case is the involvement of Jacobs Solutions Inc (NYSE:J) in the King Abdulaziz Port Mega-Container Hub Transformation in Saudi Arabia, where they expand the port’s capacity to 7.5 million TEU annually. Jacobs Solutions Inc (NYSE:J)’s contributions encompass repairs, renovations, and construction which are crucial for encouraging trade and logistics capabilities and for positioning Saudi Arabia as a key global trade player.  Moreover, Jacobs Solutions Inc (NYSE:J) has also been instrumental in the preservation and enhancement of the National Parks in the United States. With over 52 years of experience working with the National Park Service (NPS), Jacobs Solutions Inc (NYSE:J) has undertaken 188 projects across more than 30 national parks, including iconic destinations like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. The redevelopment and maintenance of these parks is the reason why they attract millions of visitors every year which in return generates revenue for the governments and corporations.  It is also worth noting that AECOM (NYSE:ACM) played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the World Trade Center which was a project of paramount economic value for the United States. Their expertise speaks for themselves as they were majorly involved in the original World Trade Center and their subsequent construction of towers One, Three, Four, and Seven, along with the Vehicular Security Center and retail program. In 2013, the completion of One World Trade Center, standing proudly at 1,776 feet, not only symbolized resilience but also reignited Lower Manhattan’s economic vitality. Similarly, AECOM (NYSE:ACM)’s integral role in the Crossrail project, Europe’s largest construction project, largely contributed to the economic prosperity of the UK. With more than 35 million work hours completed, Crossrail increased London’s rail capacity by 10%, reducing congestion and facilitating more comfortable journeys. The project generated over 75,000 opportunities for businesses, supported the equivalent of 55,000 full-time jobs, and engaged over 260 apprentices. As a transformative infrastructure initiative connecting major economic hubs and international gateways, the Crossrail project by AECOM (NYSE:ACM) stood as a key player in boosting London’s global competitiveness and driving economic development. Pixabay/Public domain Our Methodology To list the highest paying countries for architects, we identified the countries with the highest demand for architects and then made a list for 27 countries with the average salaries for architects. Of those 27, the 15 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of architects for each country from ERI Economic Research Institute. The list is presented in ascending order.  Here is a list of the 15 highest paying countries for architects 15. United Kingdom Average Salary: $72,557 The UK has a rich architectural heritage with iconic structures like the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. The UK’s vast architectural landscape provides a perfect canvas for architects to showcase their talent. The rising demand for architectural expertise in urban planning, historic preservation, and sustainable design makes it a suitable country for architect jobs with competitive salaries. Moreover, since the UK is one of the top countries with the best education, it is also one of the best countries for studying architecture. 14. France Average Salary: $73,627 France is renowned for its exquisite architecture with its iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Palace of Versailles. France is one of the highest paying countries for architects. It is also one of the highest paying countries for nurses. 13. Finland Average Salary: $76,279 Finnish architecture is celebrated for its innovative and sustainable designs, with notable projects like the Helsinki Central Library and Kamppi Chapel setting global standards. Finland’s strong focus on environmental responsibility often aligns with the architectural community’s commitment to sustainable practices.  12. Canada Average Salary: $78,019 Becoming an architect in Canada typically involves completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture from a university program accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB). Following education, aspiring architects must gain practical experience through an internship program and pass a licensing examination. Licensure ensures that architects adhere to high professional standards and are qualified to practice architecture in their respective provinces or territories. Additionally, there are opportunities for alternative paths, such as the RAIC Syllabus Program. Canada is one of the highest paying countries for architects.  11. United Arab Emirates Average Salary: $79,274 Pursuing the field of architecture in the UAE offers the opportunity to contribute to the rapid development of iconic structures in a dynamic, globally recognized environment. The country’s booming construction sector and high demand for architectural talent that translates into high salaries with no income tax, make UAE one of the best places for architects.  10. Netherlands Average Salary: $82,893 The Netherlands offers architects a perfect destination as it has a rich architectural history, innovative and modern design culture of the 21st century, and commitment to sustainability. It is also one of the highest paying countries for graphic designers. 9. Norway Average Salary: $83,515 Notable architects in Norway like Snøhetta have gained international acclaim for their groundbreaking work, such as the Oslo Opera House. Norway’s architectural fame also stems from its emphasis on social inclusivity and environmentally friendly practices, making it a global leader in designing sustainable, functional, and aesthetically captivating structures. Norway is one of the best countries for architects to work. 8. Australia Average Salary: $84,230 In Australia, becoming a practicing architect involves five years of tertiary education (a 3-year Bachelor’s and a 2-year Master’s degree), followed by passing the Architectural Practice Examination and registering with the Architect Registration Board. Moreover, the profession is expected to grow by 16% over the next five years in Australia. It is one of the countries with a shortage of architects.  7. Germany Average Salary: $84,679 Germany has a strong economy that fuels a continuous demand for innovative construction projects, providing architects with abundant opportunities to leave their mark on the urban landscape. Germany’s architectural education is world-class, with universities offering internationally recognized programs, ensuring a solid foundation for aspiring architects. Prominent German architectural firms like GRAFT, Snøhetta, and Herzog & de Meuron, among others, have gained global recognition for their groundbreaking designs. 6. Belgium Average Salary: $87,626 Belgium’s architectural heritage, ranging from Gothic masterpieces like the Brussels Town Hall to contemporary marvels like the Atomium, provides a stimulating environment for architects. The country’s central location in Europe also exposes architects to a plethora of design influences and international collaborations. Belgium is one of the highest paying countries for architects in Europe. Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Architects. Suggested Articles: 15 Highest Paying Countries for Data Scientists 15 Highest Paying Countries Software Engineers 15 Highest Paying Countries for Engineers Disclosure: None. 15 Highest Paying Countries for Architects is originally published on Insider Monkey. .....»»

Hundreds of Russian mourners gathered at a Moscow memorial after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash, the New York Times reported. This photograph taken on August 27, 2023, shows a portrait of late head of Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin displayed at a makeshist memorial in Moscow.NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images Hundreds of mourners gathered in Moscow to mourn the death of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin, who led a mutiny against Russia's military, was killed last week after a jet crashed outside Moscow. The public mourning of Prigozhin shows how his popularity endures even after clashing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  In the aftermath of Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's death in a plane crash, hundreds of Russian mourners gathered at a makeshift memorial in Moscow to pay their respects to the founder of the paramilitary organization, according to the New York Times. Heartbroken grievers praised Prigozhin, with one person comparing the 62-year-old Russian billionaire tycoon — who staged a short-lived mutiny against Russia's military two months ago — to the likes of Soviet leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. The public mourning of Prigozhin near Moscow's Red Square shows how the mercenary chief's popularity hasn't waned, even after he clashed with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who described Wagner's armed rebellion in June as a "betrayal."  People pay tribute to late head of Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin at a makeshift memorial in Moscow, on August 27, 2023.NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty ImagesA mourner named Alyona told the Times that Prigozhin was feared."That alone is worth respecting. He didn't just make people fear him, he created a system that no one else had, did something that no one else had done," she said. Alyona added, "In our history, there was only one Lenin, one Stalin, and one Prigozhin."Another mourner who paid tribute, a 23-year-old student only identified as Sergei, told the Times that Prigozhin won his respect for the "simple fact that he went against this system."Even some Wagner fighters appeared at the makeshift memorial to pay their respects to Prigozhin. Prigozhin and nine others were killed last week when a Wagner-linked private jet crashed outside of Moscow. Preliminary information from the US intelligence community suggests the plane crashed as the result of an intentional explosion.The Kremlin has denied allegations that it had anything to do with the crash.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

NETGEAR, Inc. (NTGR) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues. It has been about a month since the last earnings report for NETGEAR, Inc. (NTGR). Shares have lost about 8.9% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is NETGEAR, Inc. due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. NETGEAR Posts Loss in Q2, Revenues Beat EstimatesNETGEAR reported second-quarter 2023 non-GAAP loss of 16 cents per share compared with the non-GAAP loss of 19 cents recorded in the year-ago quarter. The reported figure was also narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 35 cents per share.NETGEAR generated net revenues of $173.4 million, down 22.3% year over year. The downtick resulted from inventory reduction by CHP retail as well as SMB business partners amid volatile macroeconomic environment. However, the top line beat the consensus estimate by 10.8%.NTGR noted sales to the service provider partners outperformed anticipation and are now somewhat stabilized due to increased demand.  Region-wise, net revenues from the Americas were $116.6 million (67% of total revenues), down 19% year over year. Europe, the Middle East and Africa generated revenues (21%) of $36.2 million, down 19.6%. Revenues from the Asia Pacific region (12%) were down 39.7% to $20.6 million.NETGEAR ended the quarter with 804,000 paid service subscribers, up 22.9% year over year.Segmental PerformanceConnected Home (including Orbi, Nighthawk, Nighthawk Pro Gaming, Armor, and Meural Brands) delivered revenues of $98.4 million, down 23.6% year over year. The downtick was due to softness in the retail and service business, which had witnessed pandemic-led elevated consumer demand in the prior-year period. Our estimate for the segment’s revenues was pegged at $75.4 million. Continued momentum in premium CHP products, like Orbi 8, Orbi 9 Wi-Fi mesh and 5G mobile hotspots acted as a tailwind.NETGEAR holds about 37% share in the U.S. retail Wi-Fi market including mesh, routers, gateways and extenders.Despite strong demand for ProAV-managed switched products, revenues from SMB declined 20.5% year over year to $75 million. The downtick was caused by continued channel inventory reductions by partners, owing to a volatile macroeconomic environment. Our estimate for segmental revenues was $80.7 million.Other DetailsAdjusted gross margin increased to 31.6% from 27.7% year over year. Non-GAAP operating loss was $10.7 million compared with operating loss of $4.2 million in the year-ago quarter.Cash Flow & LiquidityFor Q2, NETGEAR used $34.6 million in cash from operations. It also had $106.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $264.4 million of total current liabilities compared with $143.2 million and $317.7 million, respectively, in the quarter that ended Apr 2, 2023.NTGR did not repurchase any shares in the quarter under review.Q3 OutlookFor the third quarter of 2023, NETGEAR anticipates net revenues in the range of $175-$190 million. Management remains optimistic owing to healthy underlying demand trends in the SMB segment and the premium portion of CHP business amid volatile macroeconomic conditions.GAAP operating margin is estimated to be between (7)% and (4)%. Non-GAAP operating margin is expected in the (4)-(1)% band.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates revision have trended downward during the past month.The consensus estimate has shifted -357.14% due to these changes.VGM ScoresAt this time, NETGEAR, Inc. has a poor Growth Score of F, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, NETGEAR, Inc. has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months. Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double" From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time. This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NETGEAR, Inc. (NTGR): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research.....»»

While Putin's spokesperson denied that he'd killed Prigozhin, a former Kremlin official told Insider that the rebellion made his death "inevitable." A portrait of Yevgeny Prigozhin at a memorial for the dead Wagner Group leader in Moscow. A former senior Kremlin official told Insider that Prigozhin's death was "inevitable" after his June rebellion.Contributor/GettyOn Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie."But a former senior official who served at the highest levels of the Russian government told Insider a different story. "The rebellion was an anomaly," they wrote. "But the consequences were indeed inevitable."In other words: The crash was no accident. It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. The march was a stunningly open challenge to the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the man who had found Prigozhin when he was running a string of Saint Petersburg restaurants and made him into one of Russia's most feared power brokers, trafficking in weaponry, gold, and armed men across three continents.As for Prigozhin himself, the former Kremlin official scoffed at the idea that his death was an untimely surprise."His death could not have been more timely," they wrote. "His life was that of Chekov's gun. When his blank was fired, there was nothing left to do but be swept behind the curtain and let the play carry on."By invoking Chekhov's gun, the official was suggesting that any private military force that refused to submit to Putin's direct control was destined to be crushed by him.That famous storytelling principle — a gun innocently hanging on the wall in a play's first act will be fired in its third — is one of Russian literature's great contributions to world culture. But the story of Prigozhin's rise and fall can also be told through a trove of internal files that exposed the inner workings of his corporate empire in the months before his death. Those files included dozens of detailed spreadsheets showing how Prigozhin's Wagner Group tracked and spent its money:Wages for a Nigerian gig worker to push Kremlin memes through a troll farm — $276. Fuel to light up a famous hillside sign in the Central African Republic — $791.Worldwide promotion budget for "Tourist," a feature film depicting heroic Russian mercenaries who save an African government from local bandits and European elites, including ads on TikTok, YouTube, and Google — 29 million rubles, or roughly $300,000.Those files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. They show why Prigozhin was so useful to Russian President Vladimir Putin, not only in the invasion of Ukraine, but in surreptitious campaigns to influence US politics and extend Russia's reach throughout the Middle East and Africa. Even before we reviewed evidence of Wagner troops engaging in rape, beheadings, and other war crimes, Prigozhin was known to be a bloodthirsty warlord, an ex-convict and Saint Petersburg restaurateur who had taken the brutal logic that he'd learned during his years in the Russian prison system to the global stage.But the spreadsheets showed us that Prigozhin was more than that. He was a bloodthirsty warlord who knew how to stretch a buck. The tiny amounts of money that we saw meticulously accounted for in the Wagner Group's monthly budgets and expense reports were a fraction of what American or European would have spent on similar overseas operations. Of course, that money was supplemented by pillage and extortion. The files included a shakedown letter Prigozhin had sent to the Syrian government, demanding oil revenue from a tract of land that his men had taken back from ISIS.Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Though often referred to as a private military company — mercenaries — Wagner's brutal methods, semi-official status, and appetite for resource extraction makes them something closer to 16th-century privateers. For so long as he remained loyal, Prigozhin was a perfect instrument for Putin to build up Russia's superpower status despite having an economy less than a tenth the size of China or the US.  During the two months between the time that Prigozhin marched on Moscow and the explosion onboard his private plane, it wasn't impossible to imagine that Prigozhin had made himself so indispensable to Putin that he might be forgiven. Putin had already shown a remarkable tolerance of Prigozhin's grandiosity and his propensity to take to social media and publicly castigate the Kremlin's favorite generals for bad strategy and supply problems in Ukraine. Prigozhin's death suggests that Putin has accepted a setback in Russia's global ambitions in favor of ensuring the stability of his own regime. Of course, he'd prefer to have both. New reporting by the Wall Street Journal shows how vigorously Putin was attempting to supplant Prigozhin's authority during the final weeks of his life, maintaining Wagner's African shadow empire while centralizing control, and how Prigozhin continued to antagonize the Kremlin by refusing to fade into the background. After the mutiny, Russian authorities punched back, raiding Wagner's offices, blocking their social media channels, and releasing photographs of Prigozhin's lavish apartment filled with cash, gold, and guns. What they did not do was file criminal charges against Prigozhin or his Wagner minions, despite the fact that they'd killed some 15 Russian service members during their aborted march to Moscow. This led some to believe that Putin and Prigozhin could come to terms, including Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, who fancied himself a peacemaker between the two men. But in fact, Putin appears to have busied himself with absorbing the Wagner empire into the Russian state while plotting his revenge. Russia's Ministry of Defence reportedly sent emissaries to the foreign governments that Wagner had been propping up, informing them that they should now talk directly to the Kremlin. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit. Regardless of who does it, rebuilding Prigozhin's intricate country-by-country network of bribes, propaganda, and fear will take years. Gen. James Clapper, the former head of the US intelligence community, told Insider that the apparent decision to kill Prigozhin was unsurprising given his priorities."Putin — typically and consistently — has chosen his personal stature, prestige, and power over everything else," Clapper wrote in an email. "I don't think he gave overseas activities a thought." As for Russia's future, "I think we'll just have another strongman as successor to Putin. Just more of the same."Mattathias Schwartz is Insider's chief national security correspondent. He can be reached by email at schwartz79@protonmail.com.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Watch: Fleeing Motorcyclist Killed When NYPD Cop Throws Picnic Cooler A New York City police sergeant has been suspended without pay after throwing a picnic cooler filled with sodas and water at a motorcyclist fleeing a drug bust on Wednesday, causing a crash that killed the suspect. The NYPD has warned its officers to prepare for possible unrest in the wake of the death.  The action began around 5:30pm, as undercover cops conducted a buy-and-bust operation near 192nd Street and Aqueduct Avenue. After a man named Eric Duprey allegedly sold drugs to the cops, they attempted to arrest him. However, an unidentified man brought a "limited-use motorcycle" (or moped) with a top speed of 30 mpg to Duprey, who took off down Aqueduct Avenue.   Near the intersection with 190th Street, Duprey drove onto the sidewalk and toward a group of nearly a dozen people sitting around a table. NYPD Sergeant Erik Duran seized a picnic cooler from the table and hurled it at Duprey at point-blank range. "The cop...took my cooler, which was filled with soda cans, water bottles, and hit him," said a 42-year-old witness, who asked the New York Daily News not to use his name.  Duprey immediately lost control of the motorcycle and hit a tree. In a video of the crash, Duprey can be seen tumbling off the bike and down the street. EMS arrived quickly, but pronounced Duprey dead just four minutes later.  "Suspect Fatally Crashes While Fleeing Drug Bust on Scooter: NYPD Undercover Officer Throws Cooler" pic.twitter.com/Jvdl8xX3Qr — LLN NYC (@loudlabsnyc) August 24, 2023 A 30-year-old Bronx resident, Duprey has been arrested at least twice before. One was a drug charge. In an eerie parallel to the strange circumstances of his death, he's also the subject of an open felony assault case for allegedly throwing a two-liter soda bottle through the driver-side window of vehicle, sources told the New York Post.  A memorial to Duprey promptly sprang up at the scene of his death, complete with some 200 candles and bouquets of carnations. The New York Times reports that he was married and had two children, ages 5 and 3. "Officers are supposed to be protecting people, not killing people for no reason," said his wife, Orlyanis Velez. "I want justice for my husband." Duprey's mother told Associated Press the police account was "all lies," claiming she was in the midst of a video chat with Duprey when he was killed. "He wasn’t fleeing. He wasn’t fleeing. He was just on the motorcycle talking to me on the video chat. And he passed by that place when all of a sudden the call cut out,” she said. She said Duprey was also father to a 9-year-old, in addition to the two children reported by the Times.  The late Eric Duprey (Matthew McDermott via New York Post) Thirty-five-year-old Duran has served on the NYPD for 13 years, and is approaching one year on the Narcotics Bureau Bronx, the New York Times reports. The investigation of Duran's actions will be led by the office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James. He was the subject of a 2022 complaint that he abused his authority during a traffic stop; the complaint was determined to be "substantiated." He also has 38 citations for excellent or meritorious service. The cooler heard 'round the borough (via Daily Mail)  The suspension without pay will surely cause discontent among NYPD cops. However, some top brass were quick to throw Duran under the moped bus. “The use of force here is not consistent with our guidelines,” an anonymous NYPD official told the Daily News. “We don’t train officers to pick up something and throw it at a suspect.” Really? If it's true that he was speeding on a motorcycle down an occupied sidewalk, Duprey presented a risk of death or great bodily harm to the public. Whatever your feelings about the morality of the drug-law enforcement that precipitated the wild episode, an intervention that posed the same risk of death or great bodily harm to Duprey seems warranted.  Tyler Durden Fri, 08/25/2023 - 12:05.....»»

Some security officials and Soviet experts have said they believe Putin likely ordered the assassination out of revenge for Prigozhin's failed mutiny. People lay carnations to a memorial as they pay tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on August 24, 2023.Vladimir Alexandrov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a mutiny against Russia's military, is thought dead after a plane crash. Some security officials and Soviet experts said Putin is likely behind the crash. But a Kremlin spokesperson told the BBC on Friday that the accusations are an "absolute lie." Russia said Friday that it is an "absolute lie" that President Vladimir Putin ordered the death of Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call that there was "lots of speculation" around the fiery plane crash that killed seven passengers and three crew members in the Tver region outside of Moscow on Wednesday. Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on the private plane."In the West of course this speculation comes from a certain angle," Peskov, according to the BBC. "It's all an absolute lie. Of course, when we talk about this issue we should be guided only by facts.""We don't have many facts at the moment, the facts need to be clarified during the official investigation which is being carried out now," he added.It is unclear how the jet crashed, but there has been long-standing suspicion that Prigozhin could face revenge from Putin after the Wagner chief led a short-lived armed uprising in June against Russia's military.The mutiny failed, and while Prigozhin was exiled to Belarus, he continued to do business with his catering company in Russia. After a day of silence, Putin spoke on the suspected death of Prigozhin on Thursday, saying in a televised Kremlin meeting that the Wagner leader, who was once his ally, was a "man of complicated fate" who made "serious mistakes.""I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims, this is always a tragedy," Putin also said, according to CNN, adding, "Preliminary information suggests that Wagner Group employees were also on board."Few in the West believe that Putin was not behind Prigozhin's suspected death.The UK Ministry of Defense on Friday said it was "highly likely" that Prigozhin died in the plane crash, although it said there was no "definitive proof" the warlord was aboard the flight. US officials also said they are still working on the assumption that Putin was behind the crashed flight. An assassination ordered by Putin represents the "best explanation" for Wednesday's plane crash, experts previously told Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 6.6 million Jews perished in the Holocaust – some 63% of the 10.4 million in Europe at the time. Nazi Germany tried to impose its “Final Solution” – complete extermination of the Jewish population – on 22 of the nations it occupied or was allied with. The […] According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 6.6 million Jews perished in the Holocaust – some 63% of the 10.4 million in Europe at the time. Nazi Germany tried to impose its “Final Solution” – complete extermination of the Jewish population – on 22 of the nations it occupied or was allied with. The results of this attempted systematic slaughter of the Jews varied by nation. In some countries, the percentage of Jewish deaths nearly fulfilled the Nazis’ quest; in others, a combination of authorities flouting orders, refuge provided by sympathetic non-Jews, and good fortune prevented annihilation. (These are the countries that suffered the most civilian casualties in WWII.) To determine which countries lost the largest portion of their Jewish populations, 24/7 Tempo sourced data from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Its information is based on estimates and cannot take into account the unknown number of Holocaust victims whose bodies were never recovered or for whom there were no records. Even though the Nazis kept detailed accounts of the people who passed through the camps, they destroyed materials related to the Holocaust in the closing days of World War II. The population data given below ranges from 1937 to 1941. In nine of the countries on our list, the percentage of Jewish deaths exceeded 68%. Six of these nations were in Eastern and Central Europe, where collaborators or national auxiliaries worked with Nazi death squads assigned to execute Jews. (Many Jews were deported to one of these 25 infamous Nazi concentration camps.) Not all occupied nations completely knuckled under. Many Jews in Norway received advance warnings of the roundups and fled to neutral Sweden. Forty-two Norwegians have been honored by Yad Vashem, the official Israeli memorial top Holocaust victims, as “Righteous Among the Nations.” When Danes found out that the Nazis planned to deport the country’s 7,500 Jews, they helped nearly all of them  escape to neutral Sweden. Italian authorities in Italy and in countries it occupied dragged their feet on deporting Jews even though Italy was allied with Germany.  Click here to see the countries whose Jewish populations suffered the most in the Holocaust It is worth noting that three European nations with Jewish populations that were either occupied or affiliated with Nazi Germany – Albania, Bulgaria, and Finland – did not lose any of their Jewish citizens to the Holocaust.  Sponsored: Tips for Investing A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit......»»

As Wagner Fighters Threaten New 'March On Moscow', Putin Says Prigozhin Was "Talented" Man Who Made "Mistakes" Wagner supporters inside Russia have set up makeshift memorials as they mourn the loss of their leader Yevegny Prigozhin, even as speculation continues that he could still be alive. More importantly, some are threatening a new 'march of Moscow' to express rage at ruling powers in Moscow and commanders in the defense ministry. August 24, it should be noted, is precisely two months since the Wagner uprising of June 23, which resulted in several deaths of regular Russian troops. Makeshift memorial in front of the PMC Wagner office in Novosibirsk, via AFP. Wagner Telegram channels have reported Prigozhin's death, and that of his right-hand man Dmitry Utkin in the same crash outside of Moscow Wednesday. UK media has meanwhile referenced Wagner social media statements to suggest some among the mercenary outfit may be attempting to organize a new march or large-scale protest aimed at Moscow, or at least they've issued a new threat of a "march": A Wagner address last night, reported by the Sun, stated: 'We directly say that we suspect the Kremlin officials led by Putin of an attempt to kill him!'. 'If the information about Prigozhin's death is confirmed, we will organize a second March of Justice on Moscow!' Meanwhile armed men claiming to be from the unit warned Putin in a video shared online: 'There's a lot of talk right now about what the Wagner Group will do. We can tell you one thing.  'We are getting started, get ready for us.'  In St. Petersburg, flowers were laid out in front of Wagner headquarters, with one mourner quoted as saying, "It's like losing a father. He was everything to us." According to more from the scene: Makeshift memorials appeared outside the private military group's former headquarters around midnight Thursday, with footage showing mourners bringing flowers, candles and patches featuring Wagner’s skull logo. Similar memorials were spotted in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, according to the news website Sota. At least one supporter staged a one-man picket in the city of Yaroslavl, the news website 7x7 reported. "Guys, we just have no words right now," said one masked man, who claimed to be a member of Wagner, according to AFP journalists. "Let's support Yevgeny Viktorovich [Prigozhin] and all our commanders. We need your support now." Wagner fighter cries at the memorial to Prigozhin in Novisbirsk pic.twitter.com/2NwhAQb0pK — Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) August 24, 2023 On Thursday President Putin belatedly addressed the reported death of Prigozhin for the first time, vowing to see a criminal investigation through to completion, and hailing him as a "talented businessman" who made "mistakes". According to a state media translation of the fresh Putin remarks: Yevgeny Prigozhin was a man of many talents who made a “significant contribution” to the struggle against neo-Nazis in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, commenting on the plane crash that reportedly killed the Wagner Group head. Speaking with journalists at the Kremlin, Putin said that he had known Prigozhin since the early 1990s, and described him as “a man of complicated destiny.” “He’d made serious mistakes in his life, but also got results. For himself as well as our common cause, when I asked it of him in these last months,” Putin added. He described Prigozhin as “a talented businessman” who worked in Russia as well as in Africa dealing with oil, gas, precious metals and gems. Vladimir Putin confirms Yevgeny Prigozhin died when the Wagner founder's plane crashed yesterday. " I knew Prigozhin for a long time, from the early 1990s. He had a difficult path and made serious mistakes in his life. But he got results – for himself, and when I asked him." pic.twitter.com/dYZTRVOW5q — max seddon (@maxseddon) August 24, 2023 Meanwhile the US has said it believes the Wagner private jet was shot down with a surface-to-air missile that originated from within Russia. If true, this would point to Putin or the military chain of command having made the decision to take the plane out. Tyler Durden Thu, 08/24/2023 - 15:20.....»»

Increasing focus on cloud computing, network security, big data and cloud storage is expected to boost the performance of these stocks. Increasing focus on cloud computing, network security, big data and cloud storage is expected to boost the performance of the Zacks Computer – Networking industry participants. Accelerated deployment of 5G is driving the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) devices and 5G smartphones, calling for solid networking infrastructure. This spurted the demand for networking products, favoring the prospects of prominent industry players like Cisco CSCO, Extreme Networks EXTR and RADCOM Ltd RDCM. However, negative impacts stemming from the lingering supply chain disruptions and component shortages will likely be a concern in the near term. Weak global economic conditions and rising inflation are likely to act as additional headwinds. Industry Description The Zacks Computer – Networking industry comprises companies that offer networking and Internet-connected products, including wireless (WiFi and Long-Term Evolution or LTE), Ethernet and powerline, focusing on dependability and ease of use. The products are available in numerous configurations to cater to the changing requirements of consumers in each geographic territory where it operates for smooth network connectivity and broadband access. Some industry players also provide mission-critical IoT solutions and network security services to help clients build next-generation connected products and implement and manage critical communications infrastructures in demanding environments with enhanced levels of safety. Focus on developing IoT sensors, drones and wearables amid increasing demand for cloud computing-based contact tracing applications is driving the industry 4 Trends Influencing the Industry’s Future Rapid Deployment of 5G to Boost Growth Prospects: Adopting a hybrid/flexible work model has triggered demand for network-intensive applications like video conferencing and cloud services. This is anticipated to accelerate 5G deployment through 2023 and beyond. The impending 5G boom will likely propel the industry to newer heights. The success of 5G technology hinges on substantial investments to upgrade infrastructure in the core fiber backhaul network to support growth in data services. More efforts to develop smart connected homes, hospitals, factories, buildings, cities and self-driving vehicles bode well for industry players. These firms invest heavily in LTE, broadband and fiber to provide additional capacity and improve Internet and wireless networks. These initiatives hold promise. The Uptick in Wi-Fi 6 Networking to Drive Momentum: Brisk technological advancement, dynamic products, high-speed connectivity, low latency and evolving industry standards define the Computer Networking industry. The growing clout of the latest Wi-Fi 6-compliant residential gateways, Wi-Fi routers, set-top boxes and wireless range extenders is a testament to the same. Wi-Fi 6 — the latest 802.11ax wireless standard — is estimated to offer 30% faster network speed over 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5). This is anticipated to bolster the industry participants’ top line. Innovation in Networking Technologies is Opening New Business Avenues: Growing clout of Smart Home and Internet-connected products such as Smart TVs, game consoles, High Definition (HD) streaming players, security cameras, thermostats and smoke detectors continue to drive innovations in networking. The rapid proliferation of IoT, the increasing popularity of smart connected devices and the growing adoption of cloud computing in network security fuel the demand for an efficient network support infrastructure. The advancements in AI and ML and the high adoption of cloud applications hold immense potential for companies in the industry. Enterprises are striving to manage fixed and wireless devices in a secured infrastructure. To address the demand, industry firms are driving innovation in networking technologies, including network virtualization and Software-Defined Networking (SDN), which favors growth prospects. Increase in IT Spending Amid Economic Turmoil Bodes Well: Per a Gartner report, worldwide IT spending is expected to increase 4.3% in 2023 from 2022 levels and reach around $4.7 trillion. The report added that despite macroeconomic headwinds, enterprises are increasing spending on digital business initiatives, which bodes well for industry participants. Gartner states that the software segment is likely to witness double-digit growth in the current year. However, consumers are deferring spending on the purchase of devices, which will likely affect the IT spending growth to an extent in 2023. Gartner expects the devices segment to decline by nearly 8.6% in 2023. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Near-Term Prospects The Zacks Computer – Networking Industry is housed within the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 28, positioning it in the top 11% of more than 252 Zacks industries. The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. The industry’s positioning in the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries results from a positive aggregate earnings outlook for the constituent companies. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, analysts are optimistic about this group’s earnings growth potential. The industry’s earnings estimate for 2023 has improved to earnings of $3.09 against a loss of $2.95 as of Jan 31, 2023. Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, considering bright prospects, let us look at the industry’s recent stock-market performance and valuation picture. Industry Outperforms both S&P 500 & the Sector The Zacks Computer – Networking industry has outperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector in the past year. The industry is up 16% over this period compared with the broader sector’s gain of 13.9%. The S&P 500 has gained 6.9% over the same time frame. Industry’s Current Valuation On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), which is a common multiple for valuing Computer – Networking stocks, we see that the industry is currently trading at 15.58X compared with the S&P 500’s 19.10X. It is also below the sector’s forward-12-month P/E of 23.93X. In the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 20.33X and as low as 12.56X, with media being at 15.64X. 3 Computer – Networking Stocks to Keep an Eye on Extreme Networks: Based in Morrisville, NC, Extreme Networks provides next-generation switching solutions that cater to the increasing requirements of enterprise local area networks or LAN, internet service and content providers. Higher deployment of 5G base stations on accelerated demand for 5G networking is expected to boost growth prospects. Acquisitions like Ipanema bode well in the long haul. Earlier in the year, the company unveiled the ExtremeCloud Edge platform that covers public to private to edge cloud deployments and aids customers in lowering operating costs related to the management of many cloud platforms. The company expects new product innovations like universal hardware, end-to-end cloud management and enhanced AI to boost growth prospects. Extreme Networks carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 is pegged at $1.55 per share, indicating an increase of 42.2% year over year. Shares have increased 99.6% in the past year. RADCOM: This Tel Aviv, Israel-based company specializes in providing cloud-native, automated service assurance offerings for telecommunication operators for 5G networks. The company recently reported its second-quarter 2023 results, with revenues totaling $12.4 million, up 11% on a year-over-year basis. The company recently unveiled a 5G assurance solution on Google Cloud. The company noted that availability on Google Cloud will extend availability of 5G assurance solutions to clients to help them streamline 5G rollouts. RADCOM carries a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2023 earnings is pegged at 39 cents per share, up 30% in the past 60 days. Cisco: Headquartered in San Jose, CA, Cisco provides performance management, cybersecurity and DDoS protection solutions. Cisco is riding on the growing demand for its security products. Its security portfolio benefits from the launch of new data loss prevention, firewall and zero trust capabilities. Zero Trust portfolio is riding on strong demand for its Duo offering. Optimized application experience is benefiting from strong demand for ThousandEyes. Its investments across the security business, focusing on cloud-based and AI-driven offerings, are expected to drive growth. Expanding growth opportunities for low-power-consuming technologies, including IoT, Silicon One and Power over Ethernet, bodes well for Cisco. Cisco carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2024 earnings is pegged at $4.04 per share. Shares have increased 16.9% in the past year. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO): Free Stock Analysis Report Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR): Free Stock Analysis Report Radcom Ltd. (RDCM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research This article originally appeared on Zacks Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. 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