Category Archives: Technology

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Do you like roller coasters? According to Deutsche Bank, were looking at some roller coaster volatility for the next few months, with near-term gains likely, followed by a Q2 retreat, and second-half gains. The firm expects share values to fall in the next three months, perhaps by as much as 5% to 10%, for several reasons laid out by the firms strategist Binky Chadha. The more front-loaded the impact of the stimulus, and the direct stimulus checks at around a quarter of the new package clearly are one off, the sharper the peak in growth is likely to be. The closer this peak in macro growth is to warmer weather (giving retail investors something else to do); and to an increased return to work at the office, the larger we expect the pullback to be, Chadha noted. Thats the mid-term. In the longer view, Chadha expects markets to strengthen by years end, and has put a 4,100 target on the S&P 500. This is up from his previous 3,950 target, and suggests potential gains of 4% from current levels. So, for investors, were looking at a rocky summer and fall, with some dips and gains likely in the markets. In that environment, a defensive stock play makes sense; it provides some stability to the portfolio, as well as some insurance should the gains not materialize. Reliable dividend stocks, with their regular payouts, provide an income stream thats independent of the share price appreciation, as well as a share profile that is less volatile to begin with, making them the ideal move for investors worried about keeping up returns while coping with high macro volatility. To that end, weve used the TipRanks database to pull up three high-yield dividend stocks that share a profile: a Buy-rating from the Streets analyst corps; considerable upside potential; and a reliable dividend yielding over 8%. Lets see what Wall Streets pros have to say about them. Monroe Capital (MRCC) We'll start with Monroe Capital, a private equity firm invested in the health care, media, retail, and tech sectors. Monroe is focusing its business on minority and women-owned companies, or on companies with employee stock ownership plans. Monroe offers these sometimes underserved demographics access to capital resources for business development. Monroe has shown two contradictory trends so far this year: declining revenues and earnings, along with rising share value. The companys top line, at $12.6 million, was down 6% from Q3, and 25% year-over-year, while EPS fell 40% sequentially to 42 cents. Year-over-year, however, EPS more than doubled. Looking at share price, Monroes stock has gained 60% in the past 12 months. On the dividend front, Monroe paid out 25 cents per share in December; the next is scheduled, at the same amount, for the end of this month. With an annualized payment of $1, the dividend yields a strong 9.8%. This compares favorably to the 2% average yield found among peer companies. The dividend attracted attention from Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski, rated 5-stars by TipRanks. We continue to see a runway to eventual dividend coverage with full fees expensed as management grows the portfolio to its target 1.11.2x leverage (from 1.0x currently) and redeploys funds currently tied up in non-accruals once resolved... The primary driver of return for a BDC is its dividend payout over time, and we have confidence that MRCC's new $1.00 distribution (equating to a ~10% yield) is sustainable, Kotowski noted. In line with his comments, Kotowski rates MRCC an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $12 price target suggests it has room to grow 25% in the year ahead. (To watch Kotowskis track record, click here) The analyst reviews on MRCC break down 2 to 1 in favor of Buy versus Holds, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. The shares have a trading price of $9.59, and their $11.13 average target implies an upside of 16% in the year ahead. (See MRCC stock analysis on TipRanks) Eagle Point Credit Company (ECC) Lets stick with the middle-market financial sector. Eagle Point is another of the capital investment companies that seeks to turn middle-market debt into returns for investors. The company invests in CLO equity, and focuses on current income generation in other words, ensuring a return for its own investors. While Eagle Point is a small-cap player, the company does boast $3 billion in assets under management showing that it punches above its weight. Last month, Eagle Point reported 4Q20 earnings, with EPS of 24 cents, below the expectation of 29 cents. However, the current earnings just edged into growth quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, as 3Q20 and 4Q19 both came in at 23 cents. Turning to the dividend, we find that Eagle Point does something slightly unusual. The company pays out a monthly dividend, rather than quarterly. The current payment, at 8 cents per common share, has been held steady for over a year now, and the company has not missed a distribution. At 96 cents per common share annually, the dividend yields is 8.4%. This is robust by any standard. B. Rileys 5-star analyst Randy Binner covers Eagle Point, and he notes that the company should have no problem in maintaining its dividend coverage moving forward. The companys reported quarterly recurring CLO cash flows averaged $0.75/share over the last 12 months. Similar levels of recurring cash flows would leave a large cushion to service the $0.24 quarterly dividend going forward. The company announced $29.5M of cash on the balance sheet as of February 9. This balance sheet cash and serviceable quarterly dividend of $0.24 contribute to a favorable liquidity position, Binner wrote. Binners comments back up a Buy rating on the stock, and his $14 price target implies a 12-month upside of 23%. (To watch Binners track record, click here) Wall Street takes the same stance on ECC that it did on MRCC: a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on a 2-1 split between Buy and Hold reviews. ECC shares have an average price target of $14, matching Binners, and the shares are trading for $11.41. (See ECC stock analysis on TipRanks) Hess Midstream Operations (HESM) Midmarket financials are not the only place to find strong dividends. Wall Street pros also recommend the energy sector, and that is where we now turn. Hess Midstream is one of many companies in the midstream sector of the energy industry, providing and supporting the infrastructure needed to gather, process, store, and transport a fossil fuel products from the well heads into the distribution network. Hess has a range of midstream assets in the North Dakota Bakken formation, moving crude oil and natural gas, along with their derivatives. Hess reported results for 4Q20 earlier this year, showing $266 million at the top line and EPS of 36 cents per share. Revenues were up 5% year-over-year, and relatively flat from Q3. EPS rose 20% quarter-over-quarter, but were down sharply compared to the 87 cents reported in 4Q19. Of interest to investors, the company reported over $126 million in free cash flow, which it used to fund the dividend. Hess pays out its dividend quarterly, and has a reputation for not missing payments. The company has been raising the payment regularly for the past four years, and most recent dividend, at 45 cents per common share, was paid out in February. This dividend is considered safe, as the company expects to generate between $610 million and $640 million in free cash flow next year. Those funds will fully cover the dividend, with approximately $100 million left over. Writing from Scotiabank, analyst Alonso Guerra-Garcia sees the free cash flow as Hesss priority going forward. We expect the focus this year to be on the harvesting of free cash flow (FCF) with deployment toward buybacks and further de-leveraging. Improved FCF profiles this year also better position the group for a 2H21 demand recovery. Continued energy policy changes and the energy transition may be headwinds this year, but we continue to prefer exposure to the more diversified companies with FCF after dividend (FCFAD) optionality and torque to a recovery, the analyst opined. To this end, Guerra-Garcia rates HESM an Outperform (i.e. Buy), with a $27 price target indicating a potential upside of 26% by years end. (To watch Guerra-Garcias track record, click here) All in all, there are only 2 reviews on this small-cap energy company, and they are evenly split one Buy and one Hold giving Hess a Moderate Buy rating. The shares are trading for $21.41 and their $27 average price target suggests a one-year upside of 26%. (See HESM stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Is Amkor Technology (AMKR) Outperforming Other Computer and Technology Stocks This Year? - Yahoo Finance

Stuck in quarantine over the summer, 16-year-old Diya Hundiwala felt driven to do something to give back to her Warrington, PA, community in Bucks County.

Given pandemic restrictions, she knew she couldnt be of service in-person, so she started thinking of other ways she could be helpfuland an experience shed just had teaching her grandmother new ways of communicating during the pandemic spurred her on.

When Covid-19 started, my grandmother wanted to learn more and connect with us more, Hundiwala says. After seeing how she quickly adapted to texting and WhatsApp all the way in India, I realized that a lot of other seniors might benefit from overcoming trouble with technology.

A Google search led Hundiwala to discover a group called Teens Teach Technology (TTT), a youth organization that aims to help seniors learn the ins and outs of the internet; teens conduct lessons virtually, from home, while seniors join in from their own home.

Lessons range from setting up social media accounts to using Spotify or Netflix, to spotting scam emails and avoiding computer viruses. And the sessions are taught entirely by tech-savvy high schoolers over Zoom, in collaboration with libraries and nursing homes who spread the word to interested seniors.

Recognizing that there was no Teens Teach Tech chapter in Pennsylvania, Hundiwala decided to launch one in August, with the help of peers at her school, Central Bucks High School South.

Now, the Pennsylvania chapterof which Hundiwala is presidenthas 19 members.

The first chapter of Teens Teach Technology started in New York last March, with the goal of keeping seniors connected to their family and friends despite the limitations posed by the pandemic. It now exists in eight other states, including California, Hawaii, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Washington and Texas.

With teaching sessions held over Zoom, students teach seniors across the country; Hundiwala has taught participants in New York, while others in the Pennsylvania chapter have reached seniors in places as far away as Hawaii.

Sophomores Katherine He and Chakrika Aluri do public relations for the group and schedule sessions for libraries and nursing homes across the state. [Katherine] He says she joined TTT because of her desire, like Hundiwalas, to help her community.

During this time when were all so spread apart, its especially difficult for those who dont necessarily have as much of a grasp on technology as younger generations, says Katherine He. We really wanted to help those who are struggling contact their families and friends.

During this time when were all so spread apart, its especially difficult for those who dont necessarily have as much of a grasp on technology as younger generations, she says. We really wanted to help those who are struggling contact their families and friends.

Aluri says that the pandemic made the need for Teens Teach Technologys work feel particularly pressing. I definitely would not have joined something like this or found something like this if it wasnt for Covid, she says. With everything in-person being shut down right now, its especially helpful to do things online.

Central Bucks High School South junior Ellie Perrin says the at-home nature of TTT has been key.

During the pandemic, its been really hard to find volunteer work that you can do from home, and this program offers the opportunity to do a lot, she says. Shes on Teens Teach Technologys social media committee, which involves regularly posting stories, news and updates.

RELATED FROM THE CITIZENPhilly company OneClick.chatstarted by a millennial and a boomertakes on social isolation by providing an easy platform for 50,000 older adults worldwide to connect

The Zoom sessions themselves can consist of one of three different series, each with their own lessons. The first series covers day-to-day technology, which includes lessons on social media, creating a Twitter account, daily applications, how to order food through Doordash, entertainment, setting up a Netflix account.

There is also a series on internet safety, spotting scam emails and scam calls, and a series on Google applications, teaching seniors how to use apps like Google calendar and Google maps.

To date, Teens Teach Technology has drawn instructors exclusively from high school students, but Hundiwala says shed be interested in possibly expanding outreach to include middle school or college students.

Theres a meta-level to the work of Teens Teach Technology, of course: The sessions take place over Zoom, but many seniors who want to participate are not particularly Zoom-savvy. Pivoting in response to that, TTT has added Zoom lessons into their sessions.

And while platforms like Zoom may turn away some would-be participantsseveral of the libraries to which Teens Teach Technology did outreach were unable to attract participantsthere is still widespread demand for the program. Hundiwala says her chapter has booked appointments in Pennsylvania through June. To date, the entire program has reached 213 seniors and counting.

Due to the pandemic, its even more important for these seniors to feel connected, as many are feeling more isolated due to Covid-19 restrictions, which makes a program like TTT helpful by providing a place for both social interaction and education.

And it seems the seniors think so too, as one senior in PA, Maya Jagtiani, sent written feedback after a Teens Teach Technology session saying, Thank you all the Teen Teachers for taking time to arrange this seminar for the older population, that was a great idea and I appreciate their effort very much.

RELATED FROM THE CITIZENThe founder of a community-building storytelling nonprofit explains why now is the time to fight the growing scourge of loneliness in America

At the Gladwyne Library in Lower Merion, library assistant Brian Howe recruited five seniors to show up for sessions throughout October, saying that the cohort was very active and engaged, and interested in possibly attending more events in the future.

Throughout the sessions in which Hundiwala has participated, she felt that being able to educate seniors about technology taught her just as many valuable lessons.

It was a great way to learn to be patient, and learn to cooperate with people who may not be as adaptive to all this new technology that we have, she says. And the most rewarding part was to see how grateful and thankful they were for all of that we taught them.

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Citizens of the Week: Teens Teach Technology - The Philadelphia Citizen

'HealthWise' is providing free weekly virtual training for older adults who need help with using technology.

NORFOLK, Va. Many older adults have been suffering from the new virtual lifestyle brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some local groups are working to fix that.

Groups such as the Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, Primeplus Senior Centers, Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Birdsong Foundation have partnered up on a new free program to help seniors with technology, the HealthWise Connectivity Project.

This is happening to help individuals in the 60 and up age group, that were negatively affected by the pandemic.

It will not only help them stay socially connected with friends and family, but it will help them to stay updated with their medical networks.

Officials are currently looking for older adults who want to participate to receive the assistance as well as volunteers who are willing to coach.

Participating seniors will receive one-on-one training with their coaches twice a week for three months at no cost. This will include practice with WiFI, Zoom, Telehealth, email, the Birdsong App and more.

If you would like to register for assistance or become a volunteer with HealthWise, please call Lucy Fyfe at 757-542-1646 and leave a detailed message.

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Seniors receiving free virtual coaching on learning how to use technology - 13newsnow.com WVEC

Top players highlighted in the FinFet Technology report are Atomera, Xilinx, United Microelectronics Corporation, Apple Inc., Qualcomm Technologies, Samsung Electronics, ARM Limited, Huawei Technologies, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Intel Corporation, NVIDIA Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Broadcom Inc., Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, MediaTek

Pune, India, March 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Analysis The FinFet technology market is anticipated to grow at a stellar 40.3% CAGR over the forecast period (2019- 2025), reveals the current Market Research Future (MRFR) report. FinFet technology, or Fin Field Effect Transistor, simply put, is a technology that is built on 3D transistors to design modern processors for tablets, TVs, computers, and smartphones, and other wearable devices. The name FinFet comes from its design that is akin to a fishs back fin.

Enhancing Features that Bolster Market GrowthAccording to the MRFR report, there are numerous factors that are propelling the FinFet market growth. Some of these include the growing need for high-performance chips, integration of the technology with wearable devices and smartphones, the growing IC industry, advances in FinFet technology, increase in performance of devices, booming consumer electronics and smartphones market, high performance with low current leakage than the bulk technology, and growing need for miniaturized semiconductors. The additional factors fuelling the market growth include the increased device performance, and technological advances.

On the flip side, the self-heating issues, and complexities in the design process may limit the global FinFet technology market growth over the forecast period.

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COVID-19 Analysis Several companies have faced the brunt of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, with the FinFet technology market being no exception. This pandemic has led to temporary lockdowns and social distancing trends, which resulted in an economic slowdown, disruptions in demand and supply chain, and shutdown of manufacturing plants and industries. All these have impacted the FinFet technology market growth.

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Market Segmentation The Market Research Future report offers an inclusive analysis of the FinFet technology market based on end user, application, and technology.

By technology, the FinFet technology market is segmented into 22nm, 20nm, 16nm, 14nm, 10nm, 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm. Of these, the 10nm segment will lead the market over the forecast period.

By application, the FinFet technology market is segmented into network processor, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), system on chip (SoC), graphics processing unit (GPU), and central processing unit (CPU). Of these, the SoC application segment will dominate the market over the forecast period.

By end user, the FinFet technology market is segmented into automotive, IoT/consumer electronics, cloud-server/high-end networks, mobile, and others. Of these, the IoT/consumer electronics segment will spearhead the market over the forecast period.

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (235 pages) on FinFet Technology Industry:https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/finfet-technology-market-6724

Regional Analysis North America to Sway FinFet Technology Market Geographically, the global FinFet technology market is bifurcated into Europe, the Asia Pacific (APAC), North America, and Rest of the World (RoW). Of these, North America will sway the market over the forecast period. The rising ownership of smartphones, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), growing FinFet technology applications in different end use industries, and use of FinFet in CPU processors and memory units in smartphones by key mobile manufacturers to support multiple mobile and 5G applications are adding to the global FinFet technology market growth in the region. Besides, evolved perspective towards the perks of using newer technologies, growing smartphone owners, and development of novel technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning (ML) in different end use applications are also adding market growth.

APAC to Have Healthy Growth in FinFet Technology Market The FinFet technology market in Europe is predicted to have the second-largest share over the forecast period, followed by the APAC region that is predicted to have healthy growth over the forecast period. Fast urbanization and industrialization in countries such as China, Japan, and India, increase in manufacturing activities in China and India, and prolific deployment of advanced smartphones and automotive CPUs are adding to the global FinFet technology market growth in the APAC region.

The FinFet technology market in RoW is predicted to have sound growth over the forecast period.

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Competitive Landscape The prominent players profiled in the FinFet technology market report include

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Inc. (US)

NVIDIA Corporation (US)

Broadcom Inc. (US)

Apple Inc. (US)

United Microelectronics Corporation (Taiwan)

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd (China)

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (China)

Atomera, Inc. (US)

MediaTek, Incorporated (Taiwan)

ARM Limited (UK)

Xilinx, Inc. (US)

GLOBALFOUNDRIES (US)

Samsung Electronics Corporation Ltd (South Korea)

Intel Corporation (US)

Qualcomm Technologies Inc. (US)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (Taiwan)

The global FinFet technology market is highly fragmented and competitive with the presence of several international and domestic market players. These players have incorporated several strategies to stay at the forefront and also cater to the customers growing needs, such as contracts, collaborations, joint ventures, and partnerships, and others. Besides, they are also investing in research and development activities to strengthen their portfolios and also create hold in the market.

Industry Updates

July 2020- GlobalFoundries has announced its 12nm FinFet technology that is all set for production. The technology as per the company is optimized for AI accelerator applications and will be ideal for power-efficient, high-performance SoC applications.

April 2019- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd has developed a 5nm technology that is ready for design. It will offer advanced logic to cater to the burgeoning need for computer power-driven by 5G and AI.

April 2019- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has completed the development of 5 nanometer FinFet process technology that is based on EUV (extreme ultraviolet) advanced nodes. It will offer extra efficiency of up to 25% in the logical region, 10% higher output, and 20% lower consumption of power over other FinFet process technology.

February 2019- Intel Corporation has launched a 22 nanometer-based embedded MRAM for the internet of things devices. This MRAM device is all set for large-scale production and is likely to be highly beneficial for the internet of things applications.

Browse Related Reports:Global IoT in Consumer Electronics Market research report by product (smart TV, smart phones, wearable devices, kitchen appliances, printers), deployment (on-cloud, on-premise), connectivity ( NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zwave, ZigBee)

Global Consumer Robotics Market Research Report: By Type (Task Robots, Surveillance), Components (Microcontrollers, Displays,), Verticals (Marketing, Data Visualization), End-Users (Education, Healthcare)

Global System-On-Chip Market Research Report, Type (Digital Signal, Analog Signal, Mixed Signal), Application (Consumer Electronics, Healthcare, Telecommunication, Automotive and Others)

Global System on Module Market Research Report: By Type (X86 Architecture, ARM Architecture and Power Architecture), By Application (Industrial Automation, Medical, Entertainment, Transportation, Test & Measurement, Others) and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Rest of the World) - Forecast till 2026

Global Hardware Acceleration Market Research Report: by Type (Graphics Processing Unit, Video Processing Unit, AI Accelerator, Regular Expression accelerator, Cryptographic Accelerator and others), by Application (Deep Learning Training, Public Cloud Inference, Enterprise Inference and others), by End User (Information Technology and Telecommunication, BFSI, Retail, Hospitality, Logistics, Automotive, Healthcare, Energy and others) and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Central and South America) - Forecast till 2025

Global Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Market: By Configuration (Low-End FPGA, Mid-Range FPGA, High-End FPGA), By Node Size (Less than 28 nm, 28–90 nm, More than 90 nm), By Technology (SRAM, FLASH, Antifuse Technologies), By Application (FPGA synthesis flow, Applied cryptography, Algorithmic cryptographic security, Others) and By Region - Forecast till 2025

About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

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FinFet Technology Market is Anticipated to Touch USD 268.66 Million by 2025 Growing at 40.3% CAGR | Market Research Future (MRFR) - Yahoo Finance

PROVO A new type of facial recognition technology designed by a Brigham Young University professor could make facial identification unlocking methods less vulnerable to hackers and it isn't just for your phone.

By now, we've all heard of Face ID, and some of us might even have it on our phones. You hold the phone up to your face, it recognizes you and then lets you unlock your device.

The technology does have downsides like it could be used by another person pointing a camera at someone while the user is sleeping. BYU computer and electrical engineering professor D.J. Lee decided to add another layer of protection into the face identification technology to create a two-factor verification process. Instead of simply a face as the access code, it's a face doing a unique movement.

Unlike fingerprint and retina scans, the Concurrent Two-Factor Identity Verification requires users to do something unique with their face for the device to unlock. It can be a raised eyebrow, a tongue sticking out, or some combination of a few different things.

The camera will take a 1-2 second video of the person, turn it into dots on a map, and then each time the person creates that face it will identify the person.

"That's a very good feature to have to make sure it's intentional, so the user is basically aware and conscious," Lee explained.

In the preliminary study for the project, Lee and his Ph.D. student Zheng Sun created a dataset using 8,000 recordings they took from 50 participants doing a quick and unique facial motion or combination of motions.

The dataset analyzed which matched to show how accurate the technology was and found that it was working with more than 90% accuracy. The dataset was small, but the researchers think with a higher sampling, the number of positive matches will remain high.

To ensure privacy concerns are met, Lee said the camera wouldn't store the video initially taken but instead stores the unique data it converted the video into. It cannot be reverse-engineered back into a video of someone's face.

The technology isn't just for smartphones, either; it can be used for pretty much anything, Lee said. In fact, he has a lot of different application ideas from hotel room entry to starting your car.

"We don't want to compete with iPhone or mobile devices. We want to look at other applications," Lee explained.

As with any biometric option to security, another added benefit is there's no risk of losing a key or forgetting a passcode.

"It makes it easier that you just carry your face around, but then also it's better than the existing technology because you also have this unique facial movement that only you know," Lee said.

Adding the facial movement ID to something like personal banking getting money at an ATM machine, for example can also be more secure with the technology, Lee said.

"If you have a face, plus your facial movement, that's going to be harder to break in other than just the PIN code," he explained.

While the technology is still in its early stages of development, there are even broader applications that it could be used for aside from personal identification and security methods. The facial movement features could be used to develop communication features to help increase accessibility for those in the disability community, so a person could control a computer by moving different facial muscles.

Depending on what the technology is used for, the camera can be adjusted to make it either more strict or less sensitive. In a high security area, it would probably be better to have a strict requirement where the facial movement needs to be precise and match nearly perfectly.

Right now, Lee and his team are working on commercializing the technology and looking for individuals interested in allowing the technology to be tested on their products. Lee filed a provisional patent this year for the technology, a customary practice for new technology developed at the university.

In the end, Lee hopes the technology can be used in a variety of different ways to help make it harder for hackers to steal someone's identity or information.

"We were focused on solving ... unintentional identity verification," he said. "We use a password, and the password could be lost or stolen. And we use fingerprints and fingerprints sometimes could be fabricated, and also could be done unintentionally because, for example when you're sleeping. ... We want to find a solution that can address this big issue that is to make sure the identity verification process is intentional."

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This BYU facial recognition technology is designed with hackers and accessibility in mind - KSL.com

Israeli tech companies have recently joined the wave of initial public offerings on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. This is not the first time tech companies have gone public on the TASE and it will take some time to see if this is a real trend or a temporary phenomenon motivated by the tide of capital markets activity in the coronavirus era. Still, the growing number of high-tech companies wishing to go public, together with the ongoing overhaul of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, may indicate that local offerings will become a sustainable addition to Israeli high-techs known exit optionsM&A or IPO on the US markets.

Either way, an IPO of an Israeli high-tech company on the TASE is no less than a meeting of cultures. It requires some level of adaptation, both on the part of the capital market, which takes on a company with unique characteristics, and on the part of the companies, which must adjust to the status of a public company.

The Israeli capital market is accustomed to closely held companies controlled by an individual, family, or holding company. Such controlling shareholders sell a minority stake to the public and leave control in their own hands, along with the freedom to steer the company as they wish. The corporate regime governing Israeli public companies has developed around protection of the public against the controlling partys power. Such protections are irrelevant to most high-tech companies, whose holding structure is decentralized, after rounds of capital raising and share allocations to employees.

Thus, for example, tech companies with dispersed shareholding need to provide solutions for a different concern. The fear there is that shortly after the IPO, the companys entrepreneurs and primary shareholders may sell their holdings and leave the public with an empty shell. This concern has led underwriters to make new IPOs contingent upon stricter lock-up periods (which bar post-IPO sales by existing shareholders), beyond the existing Israeli regulatory requirements.

For high-tech companies, the road to the TASE requires many more changes. In these companies, the custom, developed over decades, has been to adapt their corporate structure to that common in the international technology investments market. As early as day one, companies adopt English language corporate documents in anticipation of welcoming foreign investors. Later, they prepare for the possibility of merger and acquisition transactions, be it to an investment entity or a strategic buyer.

Companies and investors also prepare for the possibility of an exit by means of an IPO in the United States. Preparation for the possibility of a public offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with its unique characteristics, never even used to be considered.

Tech companies arriving at the IPO phase need to make three significant changescapital structure, corporate regime, and transparency.

Companies usually attempt an IPO after a series of capital raisings that create different classes of shares. The classes of shares form a hierarchy of rights, with recent investors at the top and entrepreneurs and employees at the bottom. A TASE IPO involves forgoing excess rights attached to different classes of shares and flattening the companys capital structure to a single class of share.

The more differences exist between the shares rights, the greater the conflicts of interest and the potential for disputes among the shareholders, when they consider initiating the IPO and consolidating the companys capital structure.

Another challenge presented by the capital structure of tech companies going public is the number of existing shareholders. Tech companies may have aggregated dozens of shareholdersentrepreneurs and investors, as well as employees and consultants who hold options and shares. That number may be even greater, for instance in companies who raised capital through crowdfunding. Managing the IPO process with a large number of shareholders, interested parties, and parties with various degrees of involvement may be particularly difficult and may even jeopardize the IPOs success.

The corporate regime of a high-tech company is enshrined in its articles of association, and is built gradually over the capital raising rounds undertaken by the company. This regime includes allocation of representation in the companys board of directors between the entrepreneurs and the investors. It also grants special rights to investor groups whose consent is required on important matters and secures their rights in the course of future capital raisings.

The offering and registration process on the TASE involves elimination of the previous corporate regime and replacing it with a regime of public companies. There will no longer be a board of directors comprised of holders of rights granted through past capital raising rounds. Instead, there will be a board of directors elected annually with external directors appointed by a special majority for a three year term. This also nullifies special decision-making rights, with decisions now to be made by a regular majority or a supermajority, where the law requires such.

Finally, companies also need to become transparent. Tech companies are clandestine creatures by nature. They take care to keep their affairs secret. From the companys value during capital raisings to strategic agreements and business results, few are privy to such information. Only board of director members and large investors are entitled to information. No one else, including shareholders and employees, is exposed to it.

An IPO, however, exposes a company. The primary theme of an IPO prospectus is full disclosure, centered on bringing all relevant information to the public. As a result, employers, customers, suppliers, and competitors may benefit from the disclosure of company secrets.

Here, too, it is possible not all interested parties will be equally welcoming of exposure. Since the rules of disclosure are strict, the choice may be between avoiding the IPO and a conflict with some of the companys shareholders, investors, customers, or strategic partners.

While we wait to see if the Start-Up Nation establishes roots in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, it is important to understand that these tech companies entry into the Israeli capital market requires adjustments from both parties, the local market itself and the companies and their shareholders.

For shareholders, the challenge is uncertainty. For them, a public offering is not in and of itself an exit event, but only a hope for the future. As a first step, in order to make the IPO possible, they should make a series of adjustments that involve forgoing their rights. They do so with the hope that when the lock-up period ends they will be able to trade their shares, if at that time the companys performance and marketability will be favorable. The assumption is that the advantages of the offeringmaking the company accessible to public capital raisings and creating the possibility for shareholders to realize their investmentsoutweigh the disadvantages associated with uncertainty.

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Technology IPOs A Meeting of Cultures at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange - JD Supra

BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ:QTRX), a company digitizing biomarker analysis to advance the science of precision health, today announced that its ultra-sensitive Simoa technology and various blood-based neurology biomarker assays were used by leading research teams to power 30 total oral and poster presentations at this years AD/PD 2021. The research efforts further underscore the vast utility of several blood-based biomarkers offered through Quanterix Neurology kits, including phosphorylated tau at threonine 181 (p-tau181), phosphorylated tau at threonine 231 (p-tau231), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Neurofilament light chain (NfL). Notable findings showcased at the conference validate the potential of these markers as pre-screening tools prior to costly PET scans, as secondary endpoints of drug efficacy, and as important tools for the recruitment and disease stratification of pre-symptomatic patients into clinical trials through non-invasive methods.

This years AD/PD presentations amplified the transformative potential of blood-based biomarkers to help researchers advance therapies for Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative diseases, said Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Quanterix, and Founder of Powering Precision Health (PPH), Kevin Hrusovsky. The ability to detect and quantify biomarkers indicative of cognitive performance non-invasively through the blood is game-changing for many of our academic and industry partners. Theyre witnessing firsthand the potential to leverage these markers to see signs of Alzheimers Disease (AD) prior to symptoms and enter patients into trials sooner, without the need for costly PET scans or spinal taps. We also observed an array of other applications made possible by Simoas extremely high sensitivity and multiplexing capabilities, including the development of robust blood biomarker panels to determine neurodegeneration early and discriminate between different forms of cognitive impairment. We anticipate expanding our growing menu of blood based neuro biomarkers for Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease and feel these advances represent an important opportunity for drug developers to increase their probability of getting an approval over the next several years.

During this years conference, researchers from institutions across the globe demonstrated the promise of Quanterix industry leading plasma biomarkers to aid in screening, diagnosing and informing therapy for various neurological conditions. In a presentation entitled, Blood Biomarkers For Alzheimers Disease The Promise For Screening, Diagnostics And Therapy Monitoring, Kaj Blennow, professor and chief physician in Neurochemistry laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Gothenburg University, demonstrated the ability to harness blood biomarkers to accurately detect core AD pathologies, including amyloid deposition, tau pathology and neurodegeneration, using easily accessible blood tests. Blennows colleague, Henrick Zetterberg, professor and chief physician, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenberg, further explored the role of blood biomarkers in clinical practice in his talk entitled, Blood Biomarkers For Alzheimers Disease And Other Neurodegenerative Diseases Utility In Clinical Trials And Practice.

Nicholas J. Ashton, assistant professor at the University of Gothenburgs Department of Pyschiatry and Neurochemistry presented another notable paper, Novel Plasma P-Tau231 In Alzheimer Disease: Early Increase Indicates Utility For Preventive Trial Selection, detailing the development and validation of a novel plasma p-tau231 assay using Simoa assays for the preclinical assessment of AD.

Additional Simoa-powered papers highlighted the role of markers such as GFAP and NfL in neurogdegenerative disease research. These include two studies from Andrea L. Benedet, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Gothenburg and Claudia Cicognola, assistant researcher at Clinical Memory Research, Lund University, which examined GFAPs utility as a biomarker for amyloid pathology in the AD spectrum and clinical evolution to AD, respectively. Daniele D. Urso, clinical research fellow at Kings College London and the Parkinsons Foundation Centre of Excellence, Kings College Hospital, London, also presented findings that suggest serum NfL could be utilized as a non-invasive clinical marker for worsening non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinsons Disease (PD) progression. Finally, several presentations demonstrated the role of blood based biomarkers, such as NfL, as secondary endpoints in ongoing Alzheimers drug trials.

Hrusovsky hosted a panel discussion highlighting more insights from the AD/PD 2021 conference, with Dr. Andreas Jeromin, Independent Medical Advisor, Dr. Mark Roskey, SVP, Quanterix and Dr. Paula Perin, Principal Application Scientist, Quanterix. The discussion can be viewed here. Hrusovsky also plans to present advances and host additional panel discussions with industry thought leaders in upcoming podcasts.

For a full list of Simoa-powered oral and poster presentations, visit https://www.quanterix.com/conferences/15th-international-conference-on-parkinsons-and-alzheimers-diseases/.

To learn more about Quanterix technology, visit https://www.quanterix.com/simoa-technology/.

About Quanterix

Quanterix is a company thats digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health. The companys digital health solution, Simoa, has the potential to change the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. Quanterix technology is designed to enable much earlier disease detection, better prognoses and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for research applications in several therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. The company was established in 2007 and is located in Billerica, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit https://www.quanterix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend" and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are based on Quanterix expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause Quanterix actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in Quanterix filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors" sections contained therein. Except as required by law, Quanterix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available.

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Quanterix' Simoa Technology Accelerates Critical Plasma Biomarker Research Presented at the 15th International Conference on Parkinson's &...

DALLAS & LEUSDEN, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Transplace, the leading provider of advanced logistics technology and solutions, opened its first European office to better serve its customers while also extending its industry-leading supply chain strategies for global shippers. Located in Leusden, Netherlands, the new office is situated at the logistics gateway of Europe.

As our customers continue to expand their businesses internationally, there has been a growing need for our tech-enabled solutions to drive optimization and visibility across their global networks, said Frank McGuigan, CEO of Transplace. Were confident that by opening the Leusden office we can support these requirements with our logistics platform and solutions.

Transplace is well positioned for growth in Europe and expects to have $300MM / 250MM in freight under management by midyear. Powering the largest transportation and logistics network, Transplaces global repository of transportation data offers standardization across the world to optimize service delivery, lower operational risk and reduce costs.

Data fragmentation is a major issue for supply chain professionals in Europe as many shippers do not have a single platform that provides pan-European visibility for logistics, including services levels, costs and trends, said Etienne Visser, Managing Director of Transplaces European business. Our international logistics platform for North America and Europe combined with our passionate team of experts, continues to drive supply chain agility, efficiency and predictability for global shippers.

To learn more about innovations in logistics management services in Europe and North America, connect with a Transplace expert: transplace.com/contact/connect-with-an-expert/

About Transplace

Transplace is a technology and services company that hosts a proprietary logistics platform and provides engineering and execution services for global shippers. The platform and service offering deliver process automation, network optimization, and transparency driving an improved service and cost position. Transplace also provides value-added services through our strategic capacity services business (truck brokerage and intermodal) and our border management business, which includes customs brokerage and logistics services on the Mexican border. With over 1,000 customers and $11 billion of Freight Under Management (FUM) in North America alone, and a growing client base in Europe, Transplace continues to deliver the intelligent solutions that grow and differentiate the supply chains of its customers.

Follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, Transplace.com and the Transplace Industry Blog.

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Transplace Expands Logistics Technology Platform to Europe with its Newest Technology Release and the Opening of an Office in the Netherlands -...

But Is Outsourcing Marketing Technology Right for Your Firm?

There are many factors to consider before deciding to outsource CRM, eMarketing or Data Quality functions. To help determine if outsourcing marketing technology support is right for you, consider these four questions:

If your existing staff is too busy with day-to-day tasks, processes and requests to focus on more strategic initiatives or goals, or if gaps in knowledge are preventing you from realizing the benefits of your marketing and business development technology systems, your team could likely reap a significant return from outsourcing.

Mapping out your goals and/or identifying problem areas in advance can help to clarify your needs and ensure that you enlist the right assistance.

Hiring marketing technology support staff with the necessary experience and training can be prohibitively expensive, and finding good candidates can be challenging. If hiring or training are not viable options for filling your in-house skills gap, outsourcing is a good alternative and will likely even bring added value.

Outsourcing can bridge gaps when there are staffing transitions or skill deficiencies, fill needs related to special projects and help the in-house team to meet critical deadlines. Outsourcing can also provide the additional capacity to manage routine tasks and operations when teams are focused on major projects or organizational change.

For firms considering outsourcing marketing technology support for the first time, a measured approach might be beneficial. Start by outsourcing some routine but essential functions such as CRM contact record cleanup and deduplication. Then, as confidence in outsourcing builds, you may want to tackle bigger projects such as industry categorizing for key companies, data migration from other systems into the CRM or categorizing key company records to help target and segment lists. In fact, many firms have been so pleased with the results and benefits of outsourcing for a project or initiative that they keep their outsourced staff on for a longer-term or even permanent basis.

With a reliable external team to handle specific essential functions, firms also experience fewer disruptions and gain operational stability and consistency and more streamlined workload management. These operational efficiencies lead to greater productivity and returns on marketing spend meaning greater profitability for the firm.

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Outsourcing Marketing Technology Support To Boost Efficiency and Profits - Part 2 - JD Supra

Long before the current pandemic, the likelihood that an individual would experience positive or negative health outcomes could vary greatly depending on his or her education, income level, environment, and other social determinants of health (SDoH). In addition, historically, certain minority races and ethnic groups suffer health inequities leading to poorer health and health outcomes a point that has been underscored since the emergence of Covid-19.

Medical care is estimated to account for only 10 to 20% of healthcare outcomes, which is one reason healthcare leaders seeking to deliver high quality care must consider other elements impacting patient health including income, racial discrimination, access to healthcare, dietary intake, and adequate medication.

Consider, for example, diabetes, which impacts Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans at higher rates than white populations. Known risk factors for diabetes include certain SDoH, such as limited access to healthy foods, barriers to physical activity, high stress levels, and social isolation. By understanding the clinical, economic, and social factors impacting a patients health, clinicians are better positioned to identify at-risk patients and take early action to mitigate disease complications.

The challenge of identifying SDoHWhile SDoH can provide a wealth of information about non-clinical factors impacting a patients overall well-being, identifying a patients SDoH can be challenging because the details arent always easily accessible, especially when clinicians are making important treatment decisions. SDoH data often reside in EHRs but are essentially trapped as unstructured text within clinical notes, patient-reported data, secure email exchanges, patient portal messages and telehealth transcripts. In fact, an estimated 80% of clinical data is stored in an unstructured format that is difficult to search and access. As a result, clinicians are often unaware of key SDoH details that impact decision-making and patient outcomes.

To unlock insights from unstructured data and improve patient care, healthcare organizations can leverage the power of AI-based technologies, such as natural language processing (NLP). With NLP, providers can eliminate manual and time-consuming chart reviews to find critical patient information. Large volumes of unstructured clinical information can be automatically reviewed to identify and extract key concepts, including specific SDoH details. Such tools can be particularly powerful when combined with structured data to create a more complete 360-degree view of patients.

The disproportional impact of Covid-19Consider how Covid-19 has disproportionally impacted populations already suffering health inequities. Lower-income individuals, people of color, and those without ready-access to healthcare have suffered greater rates of Covid-19 infections, complications, and death. In fact, findings published in the NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery show that groups who are socially disadvantaged because of race/ethnicity, social position, and/or economic status have an increased risk of exposure to the virus that causes the disease and are more likely to have impaired immune systems that could lead to worse health outcomes.

Researchers note that Covid-19 infections in predominately black counties across the country are threefold higher and mortality rates are sixfold higher, compared to predominately white counties. And in New York City, mortality rates for African Americans and Latinos diagnosed with Covid-19 are 1.6 to 2 times higher than those of whites.

In addition, certain populations are at increased risk of Covid-19 exposure, including those whose employment prevents them from working from home, who rely on public transportation, who depend on childcare outside the home, and who live in larger households. Economically disadvantaged groups are at higher risk because they are less likely to have a primary care provider, medical home, or regular access to care, which may limit access to Covid-19 testing and treatment.Reducing health inequities with technologyThough a clinician can easily search structured data in EHRs to identify a patients weight, race, and age, critical SDoH risk factors are often less obvious because they are usually noted as free text in a chart note, perhaps mentioned only once in a single encounter long ago. Even the most conscious physician may overlook the red flags that suggest patients are at higher risk of infection, such as those living or working in crowded conditions where social distancing is difficult, or lacking access to personal protective equipment at work, or living in an area with high levels of pollution which is associated with higher Covid-19 mortality rates.

To reduce the systemic health inequities that have put so many individuals at higher risk of getting sick and dying from Covid-19, healthcare organizations must leverage advanced technologies such as NLP to identify SDoH and other critical information from unstructured notes. Using such tools, organizations can more accurately and efficiently assess high-risk patients. Providers can then take proactive measures to connect patients with additional resources, such as financial assistance for medication, educational materials on infection control, or health screenings to identify underlying health conditions that could promise outcomes, should a patient contract Covid-19.

All of us look forward to the day when the current health crisis is behind us. With the right technologies, healthcare leaders can also take action to put an end to health inequities and advance better patient care and outcomes for all.

Photo: Irina Shatilova, Getty Images

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Leveraging AI/NLP technology to reduce health inequities and improve patient outcomes - MedCity News