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<p /> <p>Image source: Stockmonkeys.com via Flickr.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Short sellers have been betting against an FDA approval of Sarepta Therapeutics' (NASDAQ: SRPT) Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) drug, eteplirsen, and I can't say I blame them.</p> <p>Sarepta Therapeutics has been hoping for accelerated approval of eteplirsen, which means that an FDA decision is being based on phase 2 trials that included only a dozen patients and that evaluated efficacy versus a historical control, rather than a placebo.</p> <p>Those trial results failed to persuade a key FDA advisory committee that reviewed eteplirsen in April. The committee voted 7-to-6 that Sarepta Therapeutics failed to demonstrate that eteplirsen boosts dystrophin to levels high enough to extrapolate a clinical effect, and it voted 7-to-3 that the company failed to demonstrate that eterplirsen effectively treats DMD patients.</p> <p>Following the committee's decision,the FDA decided to indefinitely delay its official go/no-go decision while it digests and debates more data.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>In most cases, a history like that would be the undoing of a drug. However, eteplirsen isn't just any drug. DMD is a hard-to-treat, life-threatening disease, with a poor prognosis, and a big need for new treatment options.</p> <p>Nevertheless, eteplirsen's stumbles make it unsurprising thatshort sellers have amassed a 16.2 million-share bet against the company. Heading into today, 38% of Sarepta Therapeutics shares available for trading were being held in the hands of bears.</p> <p>What may be surprising, however, is how quickly that big short position caused a run-up in Sarepta Therapeutics' share price today. Following news that one of eteplirsen's chief critics, Ron Farkas, left his job at the FDA, Sarepta Therapeutics shares jumped 25%.</p> <p>As team leader, Farkas was responsible for digesting eteplirsen's phase 2 data and producing the briefing materials that were used by the FDA's advisory committee to make their recommendation against an early approval.</p> <p>In those briefing documents, Farkas argued that the FDA needs to follow an order of operations that places efficacy ahead of an evaluation of a drug's benefit-to-risk profile. Sarepta Therapeutics bulls have argued that standard led committee members to focus too much on the phase 2 trial results and not enough on eteplirsen's relative safety and evidence of efficacy provided by patients at the committee's hearing.</p> <p>I'm unsure how much of today's spike in share price is due to short covering (that information isn't available yet), but it wouldn't shock me if some of the 15.8 million shares changing hands today were bears buying in a scramble to unwind positions.Over the past three months, Sarepta Therapeutics' average daily trading volume is only 2.3 million shares.</p> <p>It's anyone's guess if short covering will continue, but today's moveshould be considered in relation to eteplirsen's sales potential. Sarepta Therapeutics' market cap eclipses $1.5 billion now and that could be a bit high given that eteplirsen can only be used in about 13% of what is already a small patient population.</p> <p>Eteplirsen could haul in nine figures in revenue annually if it gets approval, but the range of sales could be in the low nine figures, not the high nine figures.</p> <p>PTC Therapeutics' (NASDAQ: PTCT) Translarna, which isn't available in the U.S. but is available in the European Union, treats DMD patients in a way that's similar to eteplirsen.Translarna costs more than $300,000 per year, and PTC Therapeutics estimates it will generate sales of less than $90 million in 2016.Since the population of DMD patients in the EU is similar to the population in the U.S., Translarna may offer a hint at eteplirsen's future.</p> <p>The EU is notoriously more hawkish on prices than the U.S., we don't know how much of a discountPTC Therapeutics is giving to individual EU member countries, and Translarna isn't available in every EU country yet, but even if we say that eteplirsen can bring in $200 million in sales, it would still mean that Sarepta Therapeutics is being valued at nearly 8 times revenue.</p> <p>Of course, no one knows what's going to happen with eteplirsen.Farkas' exit may smooth a path to approval, but it doesn't guarantee it. Farkas wasn't the only one questioning eteplirsen's efficacy and the FDA has already rejected BioMarin'scompeting drug, drisapersen,which was evaluated in far more patients, and it's so far opted against reviewing Translarna for approval.</p> <p>Overall, Sarepta Therapeutics' run-up today can't be ignored, but investorsshouldn't race to conclusions that the shares will continue higher. An approval could lead to revenuesoon, but sales aren't likely to trickle down to the bottom line for a while. Sarepta Therapeutics is spending $60 million per quarter on operating costs, and given that and the question marks associated with eteplirsen still, investors might be better off leaving this one to the speculators.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2518&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned.Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/ebcapital" type="external">@ebcapital Opens a New Window.</a>to see more articles like this.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source stockmonkeyscom via flickr continue reading short sellers betting fda approval sarepta therapeutics nasdaq srpt duchenne muscular dystrophy dmd drug eteplirsen cant say blame sarepta therapeutics hoping accelerated approval eteplirsen means fda decision based phase 2 trials included dozen patients evaluated efficacy versus historical control rather placebo trial results failed persuade key fda advisory committee reviewed eteplirsen april committee voted 7to6 sarepta therapeutics failed demonstrate eteplirsen boosts dystrophin levels high enough extrapolate clinical effect voted 7to3 company failed demonstrate eterplirsen effectively treats dmd patients following committees decisionthe fda decided indefinitely delay official gonogo decision digests debates data advertisement cases history like would undoing drug however eteplirsen isnt drug dmd hardtotreat lifethreatening disease poor prognosis big need new treatment options nevertheless eteplirsens stumbles make unsurprising thatshort sellers amassed 162 millionshare bet company heading today 38 sarepta therapeutics shares available trading held hands bears may surprising however quickly big short position caused runup sarepta therapeutics share price today following news one eteplirsens chief critics ron farkas left job fda sarepta therapeutics shares jumped 25 team leader farkas responsible digesting eteplirsens phase 2 data producing briefing materials used fdas advisory committee make recommendation early approval briefing documents farkas argued fda needs follow order operations places efficacy ahead evaluation drugs benefittorisk profile sarepta therapeutics bulls argued standard led committee members focus much phase 2 trial results enough eteplirsens relative safety evidence efficacy provided patients committees hearing im unsure much todays spike share price due short covering information isnt available yet wouldnt shock 158 million shares changing hands today bears buying scramble unwind positionsover past three months sarepta therapeutics average daily trading volume 23 million shares anyones guess short covering continue todays moveshould considered relation eteplirsens sales potential sarepta therapeutics market cap eclipses 15 billion could bit high given eteplirsen used 13 already small patient population eteplirsen could haul nine figures revenue annually gets approval range sales could low nine figures high nine figures ptc therapeutics nasdaq ptct translarna isnt available us available european union treats dmd patients way thats similar eteplirsentranslarna costs 300000 per year ptc therapeutics estimates generate sales less 90 million 2016since population dmd patients eu similar population us translarna may offer hint eteplirsens future eu notoriously hawkish prices us dont know much discountptc therapeutics giving individual eu member countries translarna isnt available every eu country yet even say eteplirsen bring 200 million sales would still mean sarepta therapeutics valued nearly 8 times revenue course one knows whats going happen eteplirsenfarkas exit may smooth path approval doesnt guarantee farkas wasnt one questioning eteplirsens efficacy fda already rejected biomarinscompeting drug drisapersenwhich evaluated far patients far opted reviewing translarna approval overall sarepta therapeutics runup today cant ignored investorsshouldnt race conclusions shares continue higher approval could lead revenuesoon sales arent likely trickle bottom line sarepta therapeutics spending 60 million per quarter operating costs given question marks associated eteplirsen still investors might better leaving one speculators secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window todd campbell opens new window position stocks mentionedtodd owns eb capital markets llc eb capitals clients may positions companies mentionedlike article follow ontwitter goes handle ebcapital opens new windowto see articles like thisthe motley fool position stocks mentioned try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>For income-seeking investors, high-yield dividend stocks are often a great solution. In addition to generating income, they often sport nice growth potential as well. However, sometimes a high yield is the result of the stock itself underperforming. The lower the stock price, the higher the payout, expressed as a percentage.</p> <p>Unfortunately for existing shareholders, there are a number of high-dividend stocks today that fall into the "iffy" category. For instance:&amp;#160;Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), IBM (NYSE: IBM) and General Electric (NYSE: GE). Not that these companies can't get things turned around; they may. The question is: Will they?</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>As shareholders of Qualcomm know, last quarter was an eye-opening example of its ongoing legal troubles. Even if we set aside the courtroom squabble with longtime customer Apple, other legal troubles cost Qualcomm big in its fiscal third quarter.</p> <p>Qualcomm wrote two large checks to settle a couple of its outstanding court-imposed fines, which had a severe impact on its earnings results. The first &amp;#160;was a $940 million payment to resolve a long-standing dispute with BlackBerry. That payment alone shaved $0.48 a share off Qualcomm's bottom line.</p> <p>The other fine required Qualcomm to fork out $927 million to a South Korean regulatory agency, which alleged the same thing so many others&amp;#160;have: Qualcomm's licensing fees are anticompetitive. As for the Apple dispute, it caused Qualcomm's most profitable segment, licensing revenue, to drop 42% year over year to $1.17 billion, and impacted the unit's earnings before taxes a negative 51%.</p> <p>Qualcomm's 4.4% dividend yield is nice, but the company's <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/29/the-chinese-buyout-of-imagination-is-bad-news-for.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">could face increasing competition Opens a New Window.</a> on top of its current legal troubles, making it far from a sure thing for the immediate future.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>IBM is on a roll, but not in a good way. Last quarter's $19.3 billion in revenue was a 5% drop year over year, marking the 21st&amp;#160;straight quarter of total sales declines. While that got most of the headlines, more concerning was the slowing growth of IBM's strategic-imperatives revenue.</p> <p>CEO Ginni Rometty has gone all-in on IBM's transition from legacy hardware to its <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/26/ibm-ceo-defends-watson-against-critics.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">strategic imperatives Opens a New Window.</a>, which include the cloud, data analytics, mobile, and cybersecurity. Naturally, a transformation of that magnitude takes time, so a bump or two along the way is expected. But the meager growth in several of IBM's core segments is disconcerting, to say the least.</p> <p>Cloud sales continued to climb, rising 15% to $3.9 billion, an exemplary performance. However, analytics -- a segment in which IBM has invested billions of dollars over the last two years -- increased just 4%, as did security sales. Mobile revenue jumped 27%, but as the smallest contributor to total strategic-imperatives sales, that result was just a consolation.</p> <p>Though I remain bullish on IBM, and its&amp;#160;4.1% dividend yield is enticing, the company has to do a lot to return to its winning ways.</p> <p>As is the case with IBM, GE's 3.9% dividend yield isn't in serious danger, but the conglomerate's underlying results have been nothing short of disastrous for a long time. To its credit, GE shaved $1.63 billion in overhead compared to 2016's second quarter, but that wasn't nearly enough to overcome the 12% drop in revenue to $29.56 billion.</p> <p>On the bottom line, things look even worse. Last quarter's $0.13 a share was a disappointing 57% decline compared to last year's $0.30 a share. And if analyst expectations are close to actual results, the current quarter will be <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/09/27/general-electric-sells-its-underperforming-industr.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">even more depressing Opens a New Window.</a> for shareholders. Consensus estimates are for earnings per share of $0.05, a significant decline from the $0.32 a share GE reported a year ago.</p> <p>Not all is lost, however. GE's renewable energy unit&amp;#160;&amp;#160;reported a 17% rise in revenue to $2.46 billion and a 5% increase to $6.97 billion from its largest division, power. It should be noted that much of the EPS hit was due to a one-time "corporate items" charge of $1.58 billion. But with GE's repeated negative results, investors should be wary as the company meanders through its personal minefield.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than IBMWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=89bb698a-4620-47f2-ae7e-440ddcfbf47c&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and IBM wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=89bb698a-4620-47f2-ae7e-440ddcfbf47c&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/timbrugger/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Tim Brugger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Qualcomm and has the following options: long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple and short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=385c22e0-a917-11e7-9760-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

incomeseeking investors highyield dividend stocks often great solution addition generating income often sport nice growth potential well however sometimes high yield result stock underperforming lower stock price higher payout expressed percentage unfortunately existing shareholders number highdividend stocks today fall iffy category instance160qualcomm nasdaq qcom ibm nyse ibm general electric nyse ge companies cant get things turned around may question continue reading shareholders qualcomm know last quarter eyeopening example ongoing legal troubles even set aside courtroom squabble longtime customer apple legal troubles cost qualcomm big fiscal third quarter qualcomm wrote two large checks settle couple outstanding courtimposed fines severe impact earnings results first 160was 940 million payment resolve longstanding dispute blackberry payment alone shaved 048 share qualcomms bottom line fine required qualcomm fork 927 million south korean regulatory agency alleged thing many others160have qualcomms licensing fees anticompetitive apple dispute caused qualcomms profitable segment licensing revenue drop 42 year year 117 billion impacted units earnings taxes negative 51 qualcomms 44 dividend yield nice companys could face increasing competition opens new window top current legal troubles making far sure thing immediate future advertisement ibm roll good way last quarters 193 billion revenue 5 drop year year marking 21st160straight quarter total sales declines got headlines concerning slowing growth ibms strategicimperatives revenue ceo ginni rometty gone allin ibms transition legacy hardware strategic imperatives opens new window include cloud data analytics mobile cybersecurity naturally transformation magnitude takes time bump two along way expected meager growth several ibms core segments disconcerting say least cloud sales continued climb rising 15 39 billion exemplary performance however analytics segment ibm invested billions dollars last two years increased 4 security sales mobile revenue jumped 27 smallest contributor total strategicimperatives sales result consolation though remain bullish ibm its16041 dividend yield enticing company lot return winning ways case ibm ges 39 dividend yield isnt serious danger conglomerates underlying results nothing short disastrous long time credit ge shaved 163 billion overhead compared 2016s second quarter wasnt nearly enough overcome 12 drop revenue 2956 billion bottom line things look even worse last quarters 013 share disappointing 57 decline compared last years 030 share analyst expectations close actual results current quarter even depressing opens new window shareholders consensus estimates earnings per share 005 significant decline 032 share ge reported year ago lost however ges renewable energy unit160160reported 17 rise revenue 246 billion 5 increase 697 billion largest division power noted much eps hit due onetime corporate items charge 158 billion ges repeated negative results investors wary company meanders personal minefield 10 stocks like better ibmwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right ibm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns september 5 2017 tim brugger opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends apple motley fool owns shares qualcomm following options long january 2020 150 calls apple short january 2020 155 calls apple motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>The KKK, neo-Nazis and assorted white racial nationalists are politically irrelevant, said Rush Limbaugh on Friday.</p> <p>Limbaugh rejected the narrative framing the aforementioned groups as a sizeable political force aligned with President Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and the broader right.</p> <p>Despite news media and political hyping of &#8220;white supremacy,&#8221; the primary threat to the survival of America is coming from Democrats and the broader left, argued Limbaugh.</p> <p>Limbaugh&#8217;s key points:</p> <p>Assorted white racial nationalists are numerically, financially, politically, and culturally irrelevant;</p> <p>The threat to American national continuity and human freedom presented by the left eclipses that of white racial nationalists;</p> <p>The left and its news media allies deliberately amplify the significance of the white racial nationalists to deceive naive observers;</p> <p>The left seeks to use universal opposition to white racial nationalists as pretext to build popular support against the values of free speech and expression;</p> <p>The left offers support for totalitarian ideologies supported by violent and criminal movements such as &#8220;Black Lives Matter&#8221; and &#8220;Antifa.&#8221;</p> <p>Listen to Limbaugh's comments below:</p> <p>Partial <a href="https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2017/08/18/america-is-under-attack-from-within/" type="external">transcript</a> below.</p> <p>This bunch of people down in Charlottesville, this ragtag bunch of Nazis and Klan members and white supremacists? There&#8217;s not enough of those people to affect any kind of change whatsoever. Not systemic change. Not enough of those people to elect enough people to matter. There aren&#8217;t enough of those people to matter, period.</p> <p>They are not the problem. They don&#8217;t have power in America today. They don&#8217;t have any, compared to the people opposing them. How many people show up at a Klan rally these days if they have one? The media doesn&#8217;t show you because it&#8217;s so tiny. The media wants you to think the Klan elected Donald Trump. The media wants you to think the Klan, the Nazis, and the white supremacists elected Donald Trump and that Steve Bannon put &#8217;em all together and grew them. There aren&#8217;t enough of those people to elect a member of Congress, much less a president.</p> <p>They are not the problem. The problem is on the other side. The problem comes from people who do have power &#8212; and what power they have! They have the power to shut down free speech on campus. They have the power to totally corrupt the movie, the book, the music and TV industries. They have real power! The anarchists, the anti-Americans, the Antifa, the Occupy Wall Street, the Black Lives Matter, the United States mainstream media, the Democrat Party, they have power. They are leading the effort that is attempting to teach that America is unjust and immoral and illegal.</p> <p>These little hapless people marching around wearing white hoods couldn&#8217;t stop diddly-squat. They don&#8217;t have any power. They&#8217;ve been shamed into practically nonexistence. Yet they are hoisted up. They are portrayed as the people running this country &#8212; or the people who used to run this country and they ran it for all these years, and now they are losing it, justifiably, and they are panicked and causing trouble. They don&#8217;t have any power compared to the people that I&#8217;m talking about. You think the Klan can compare to the mainstream media?</p> <p>You think the Nazis, however many of them there are &#8212; or few &#8212; can compare to the media and academia and Hollywood? It&#8217;s a joke! The same thing with the Nazis and the same thing with the white supremacists. But when you talk Black Lives Matter, when you talk Occupy Wall Street or any of these other left-wing groups that end up rioting and protesting, they are the military wing of the people with power in this country. These people run the Washington establishment. You don&#8217;t find in you Klansmen there, and you don&#8217;t find any Nazis there, because there aren&#8217;t enough of those people to matter a hill of beans.</p> <p>But yet look how they are portrayed. None of these people run institutions of higher learning. None of these people are in charge of massive amounts of money donated by other wealthy people and then redistributed to advance the leftist cause. They don&#8217;t have anything like that. They&#8217;re not the people to worry about. And yet, turn on the news, and the only people to worry about &#8212; and the reason why America must be reconstituted, the reason why America is unjust and illegitimate &#8212; is because of a bunch of people who wouldn&#8217;t fill a phone booth in a proportional illustration of the population of this country.</p> <p>In the process, the American people are being misdirected and told to fear the wrong people. At the same time, they&#8217;re being told to believe and appreciate &#8220;the right people,&#8221; and the right people are the people who really wield the power and who really have, as their objectives, to undermine and overthrow the Constitution of this country and create something different that will end up nullifying the whole concept of individual liberty and freedom. You already see this on the internet. The internet is unregulated, and that&#8217;s good.</p> <p>But look what has happened here. Do you think the Klan can hold a candle to PayPal? Can the Nazis hold a candle to Facebook? Can white supremacists in any way compete in terms of power with Twitter? There&#8217;s no way. So those websites have all decided amongst themselves &#8212; the CEOs of those websites have unilaterally decided &#8212; they are not gonna allow any speech they don&#8217;t like. Now, they do this under the guise of banning hate speech from the Nazis and related websites, white supremacist websites and so forth. And it&#8217;s applauded.</p> <p>But these guys are admitting the only reason they&#8217;re doing it is &#8217;cause they don&#8217;t like these guys and they don&#8217;t want to have to see them their sites. What if they wake up tomorrow and don&#8217;t like you? They are in effect saying that due to their own sensibilities of what&#8217;s right and wrong and just and unjust, they are gonna decide who has the ability to think and say whatever is thought and said on their platforms. Do you agree with that or not? Do you think that&#8217;s okay?</p> <p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p>

kkk neonazis assorted white racial nationalists politically irrelevant said rush limbaugh friday limbaugh rejected narrative framing aforementioned groups sizeable political force aligned president donald trump republican party broader right despite news media political hyping white supremacy primary threat survival america coming democrats broader left argued limbaugh limbaughs key points assorted white racial nationalists numerically financially politically culturally irrelevant threat american national continuity human freedom presented left eclipses white racial nationalists left news media allies deliberately amplify significance white racial nationalists deceive naive observers left seeks use universal opposition white racial nationalists pretext build popular support values free speech expression left offers support totalitarian ideologies supported violent criminal movements black lives matter antifa listen limbaughs comments partial transcript bunch people charlottesville ragtag bunch nazis klan members white supremacists theres enough people affect kind change whatsoever systemic change enough people elect enough people matter arent enough people matter period problem dont power america today dont compared people opposing many people show klan rally days one media doesnt show tiny media wants think klan elected donald trump media wants think klan nazis white supremacists elected donald trump steve bannon put em together grew arent enough people elect member congress much less president problem problem side problem comes people power power power shut free speech campus power totally corrupt movie book music tv industries real power anarchists antiamericans antifa occupy wall street black lives matter united states mainstream media democrat party power leading effort attempting teach america unjust immoral illegal little hapless people marching around wearing white hoods couldnt stop diddlysquat dont power theyve shamed practically nonexistence yet hoisted portrayed people running country people used run country ran years losing justifiably panicked causing trouble dont power compared people im talking think klan compare mainstream media think nazis however many compare media academia hollywood joke thing nazis thing white supremacists talk black lives matter talk occupy wall street leftwing groups end rioting protesting military wing people power country people run washington establishment dont find klansmen dont find nazis arent enough people matter hill beans yet look portrayed none people run institutions higher learning none people charge massive amounts money donated wealthy people redistributed advance leftist cause dont anything like theyre people worry yet turn news people worry reason america must reconstituted reason america unjust illegitimate bunch people wouldnt fill phone booth proportional illustration population country process american people misdirected told fear wrong people time theyre told believe appreciate right people right people people really wield power really objectives undermine overthrow constitution country create something different end nullifying whole concept individual liberty freedom already see internet internet unregulated thats good look happened think klan hold candle paypal nazis hold candle facebook white supremacists way compete terms power twitter theres way websites decided amongst ceos websites unilaterally decided gon na allow speech dont like guise banning hate speech nazis related websites white supremacist websites forth applauded guys admitting reason theyre cause dont like guys dont want see sites wake tomorrow dont like effect saying due sensibilities whats right wrong unjust gon na decide ability think say whatever thought said platforms agree think thats okay follow robert kraychik twitter

<p /> <p>Small business owners face a New Year filled with uncertainty as 2013 begins. The Federal Reserve predicts the economy to grow at a rate somewhere between 2.1 and 3 percent in 2013. &amp;#160;That's better than the GDP growth rate we experienced in the first half of 2012, but not what we need to turn the economy around.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Startups and growing businesses create most of the country's private sector jobs and continue to play an important role in the American economy. Securing financing became easier in the past 12 months, but companies must still be diligent in preparing to obtain capital.</p> <p>We avoided going over the Fiscal Cliff with a New Year's Day deal. President Obama got his way in raising taxes on individuals who make more $400,000 and households earning more than $450,000 annually. However, the new legislation -- combined with the end of the payroll tax cut and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act -- produces a triple whammy on many small business owners.</p> <p>Here are my financial predictions for small business in 2013.</p> <p>Tax Increases Impact Small Business Decisions</p> <p>If you are a small business owner earning more than $400,000, you will see a hike in your rates, thanks to the last minute deal to avoid the Fiscal Cliff. &amp;#160;We saw this coming.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Surprisingly, no one seems to be talking about the fact that Congress did not extend the payroll tax cut. Thus, the tax rates on earners' first $100,000 in income will climb to 6.2% from 4.2%, and employers pay a portion of these taxes on behalf of their employees. Thus, the change will impact every small business owner who pays the taxes -- payroll, unemployment, and others -- associated with having workers. Ultimately, these increased costs could negatively impact hiring.</p> <p>Congress and the President reached a deal on taxation, but there is still debate over the spending cuts needed to reduce the federal deficit. Some people call for a reduction in military spending, and it seems like an easy answer. But what happens if an army base closes? &amp;#160;Small businesses in the local economy will suffer. The service men and women will no longer be in the area to buy lunch, rent apartments and purchase gas and groceries. Consumer spending will drop. This negatively impacts small business owners. &amp;#160; Obamacare Hinders Hiring</p> <p>Many questions remain about the impact of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") on small companies. Numerous business owners that I have spoken to during the past few months say that they have refrained from hiring until it is clear what the cost implications will be.</p> <p>Obamacare requires companies with more than 50 employees to offer health insurance by Jan. 1, 2014. Businesses that employ just under 50 workers, will think long and hard about adding new staff. For those who must comply with the law, national and state "health exchanges" will be established. Through them, small business owners will figure out their rates insurance plans and pricing. The costs are yet to be determined. Some small company owners may opt to instead to pay a $2,000-per-employee fine imposed for not offering coverage rather than pay for health insurance, which will be much more costly than the Obamacare penalty.</p> <p>Alternative Lenders Continue to Impact Small Business Lending</p> <p>The small business lending climate improved overall in 2012, but uncertainty in the economy continues to curtail the flow of capital. When there is uncertainty, small business owners and budding entrepreneurs are more reluctant to borrow money for fear of not being able to repay it.</p> <p>According to the monthly Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index, big banks (defined as having $10 billion+ in assets) are approving a little more than 10 percent of small business loan requests. That's much better than in the dark days of 2008-09, but still far off from times prior. &amp;#160;Smaller banks are granting about half of the requests for capital that they receive and are increasing the number of SBA-backed loans they make. Meanwhile, credit unions approve slightly more than that.</p> <p>It is still far from easy to get a loan, particularly if the business is a startup. Alternative lenders, which grant almost two-thirds of funding requests, will continue to grow during the foreseeable future. Crowdsourcing still strikes me as something of a fad.</p> <p>Use of Smart Phone Technology Will Increase in Small Business</p> <p>Entrepreneurs, many of them young and entrepreneurial, are conducting more and more transactions via their smart phones. I expect that small business owners will increasingly apply for business loans online and via their phones instead of walking into their banks or credit unions. &amp;#160;Technology streamlines the process and enables quicker approvals of funding requests -- a reality that benefits both borrowers and lenders.</p> <p>Small companies are the engine of the economy, and they are being hit three ways in 2013: increased payroll taxes, higher personal taxes (for those making $400K or more), and healthcare costs and fees associated with Obamacare. With these disincentives for entrepreneurs, some people may feel they are better off having a corporate job than starting a business.</p> <p>My hope for 2013 is that the new laws and regulations do not hinder small business growth and that technological advances will continue to streamline access to capital. Being fiscally responsible is important, but we must also remember that this country's entrepreneurial spirit makes it great. Our decisions should be ones that help keep the American Dream alive.</p> <p>This opinion column was written by Rohit Arora, co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.biz2credit.com/" type="external">Biz2Credit Opens a New Window.</a>, an online resource that connects small business owners with 1,100+ lenders, credit rating agencies, and service providers such as CPAs and attorneys via its Internet platform. Since 2007, Biz2Credit has secured more than $600 million in funding for thousands of small businesses across the U.S.</p>

small business owners face new year filled uncertainty 2013 begins federal reserve predicts economy grow rate somewhere 21 3 percent 2013 160thats better gdp growth rate experienced first half 2012 need turn economy around continue reading startups growing businesses create countrys private sector jobs continue play important role american economy securing financing became easier past 12 months companies must still diligent preparing obtain capital avoided going fiscal cliff new years day deal president obama got way raising taxes individuals make 400000 households earning 450000 annually however new legislation combined end payroll tax cut implementation affordable care act produces triple whammy many small business owners financial predictions small business 2013 tax increases impact small business decisions small business owner earning 400000 see hike rates thanks last minute deal avoid fiscal cliff 160we saw coming advertisement surprisingly one seems talking fact congress extend payroll tax cut thus tax rates earners first 100000 income climb 62 42 employers pay portion taxes behalf employees thus change impact every small business owner pays taxes payroll unemployment others associated workers ultimately increased costs could negatively impact hiring congress president reached deal taxation still debate spending cuts needed reduce federal deficit people call reduction military spending seems like easy answer happens army base closes 160small businesses local economy suffer service men women longer area buy lunch rent apartments purchase gas groceries consumer spending drop negatively impacts small business owners 160 obamacare hinders hiring many questions remain impact affordable care act obamacare small companies numerous business owners spoken past months say refrained hiring clear cost implications obamacare requires companies 50 employees offer health insurance jan 1 2014 businesses employ 50 workers think long hard adding new staff must comply law national state health exchanges established small business owners figure rates insurance plans pricing costs yet determined small company owners may opt instead pay 2000peremployee fine imposed offering coverage rather pay health insurance much costly obamacare penalty alternative lenders continue impact small business lending small business lending climate improved overall 2012 uncertainty economy continues curtail flow capital uncertainty small business owners budding entrepreneurs reluctant borrow money fear able repay according monthly biz2credit small business lending index big banks defined 10 billion assets approving little 10 percent small business loan requests thats much better dark days 200809 still far times prior 160smaller banks granting half requests capital receive increasing number sbabacked loans make meanwhile credit unions approve slightly still far easy get loan particularly business startup alternative lenders grant almost twothirds funding requests continue grow foreseeable future crowdsourcing still strikes something fad use smart phone technology increase small business entrepreneurs many young entrepreneurial conducting transactions via smart phones expect small business owners increasingly apply business loans online via phones instead walking banks credit unions 160technology streamlines process enables quicker approvals funding requests reality benefits borrowers lenders small companies engine economy hit three ways 2013 increased payroll taxes higher personal taxes making 400k healthcare costs fees associated obamacare disincentives entrepreneurs people may feel better corporate job starting business hope 2013 new laws regulations hinder small business growth technological advances continue streamline access capital fiscally responsible important must also remember countrys entrepreneurial spirit makes great decisions ones help keep american dream alive opinion column written rohit arora cofounder ceo biz2credit opens new window online resource connects small business owners 1100 lenders credit rating agencies service providers cpas attorneys via internet platform since 2007 biz2credit secured 600 million funding thousands small businesses across us

<p /> <p>Image source: Flickr user Moodboard.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The path to retirement is believed to be pretty straightforward. If we work for a few decades, save up our money, and make solid investments we should be able to reap the rewards of our disciplined lifestyle during retirement. But rarely do things go as planned. Life's twists and turns, such as starting a family, paying for college, buying a home, or covering expenses tied to an unexpected illness, can derail our perfectly envisioned plan. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop our pursuit of the so-called "finish line."</p> <p>Knowing that reaching retirement is a key life goal of most Americans, Merrill Edge, which is a component of Bank of America, <a href="http://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/press-releases/consumer-banking/millennials-reshaping-path-retirement" type="external">commissioned a study</a> on more than 1,000 mass affluent Americans (most of which have $50,000-plus in investable assets, or $20,000-plus and annual income of more than $50,000). The purpose of this study was to discover what it is that today's millennials are seeking in retirement, as well as get perspective from today's retirees to find out what retirement has been like for them.</p> <p>The findings, especially when contrasting the differences between millennials and current retirees, was eye-opening.</p> <p>Retirement, as envisioned by millennials More than half (53%) of all millennials in the survey viewed retirement as something exciting, which is not what was noted among current retirees. Millennials were more likely to pursue a passion, further their education, or start their own business in retirement, when questioned.</p> <p>When surveyed about what expenses might be like in retirement, 28% of millennials cited daily expenses as their projected dominant cost, ahead of managing healthcare expenses and housing expenses, which each earned 17% of the millennial responses.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As the report points out, "For millennials, retirement is more than a time for rest and relaxation -- it's a time full of possibilities."</p> <p>Image source: Flickr user Erin Nekervis.</p> <p>What retirement is really like, as told by retireesMerrill Edge's survey also questioned retirees to get a feel for what surprises they may have encountered. One particular question concerning what they'd done that they didn't expect to do in retirement was very telling. A whopping 30% of retirees (the top response by far) announced that they'd "spent more money than they anticipated." Another 19% moved to a new location and 18% proclaimed feeling a "lack of purpose."</p> <p>Retirees' top priorities were also markedly different from millennials who expect a world of possibilities to await them in retirement. The top priorities of retirees included simply maintaining their current standard of living (29%), spending time with loved ones (27%), and maintaining their health (23%). Further, of the nearly one-in-five millennials that hoped to make world travel a priority in retirement, just 5% of today's retirees have prioritized traveling.</p> <p>A common denominator? If there is a common denominator among millennials and today's retirees, it may be that quite a few aren't/didn't prioritize saving and investing enough.</p> <p>In fact, Merrill Edge's survey approached this by asking everyone what aspect of their life they're most insecure about. Pretty much half (48%) of those surveyed chose some aspect of their finances, such as their financial future, retirement savings, or income, as the biggest insecurity. Retirement savings was among the top individual insecurities if we narrow things down a bit, with about one in five (21%) respondents listing it as a major concern.</p> <p>Furthermore, when questioning millennials about their financial discipline and resolve, only 18% would give themselves a grade of "A" when it comes to prioritizing retirement savings. On the flip side, more than double (38%) would give themselves a grade of "C" or lower when it comes to being proactive about their retirement planning.</p> <p>Three retirement issues that millennials clearly need to work onWhat Merrill Edge's survey shows us is that while expectations for retirement continue to evolve, mistakes continue to be made. There are three major "kinks" that millennials will need to focus on if they don't want to wind up like the majority of today's retirees who appear to be less than excited with the way things turned out.</p> <p>Image source: Pixabay.</p> <p>1. Getting the most out of your budget First, as you probably surmised from the discussion above on retirement savings proactivity, today's millennials need to do more to be better savers.</p> <p>To some extent millennials deserve some credit, as T. Rowe Price's Retirement Savings and Spending Study released last year showed that three-quarters of millennials closely track their spending, with 67% sticking to a budget. That was a notably higher figure than baby boomers. However, a third of millennials not budgeting their money, or sticking to their budget, still leaves us with a non-passing grade and plenty of room for improvement. If millennials don't have a good grasp on their cash flow, they won't be able to optimize their saving or investing habits.</p> <p>The easiest way to rectify this is by taking around 30 minutes each month to understand your income and expenses so you can optimize your ability to save with a budget. The best news of all is that budgeting software can help tackle the unpleasant components of budgeting (i.e., the adding and subtracting), leaving you to simply enter the data and decide how to set as much as possible aside for future investment.</p> <p>It also may not hurt to keep money for separate categories (i.e., entertainment, food, and so on) in a separate account, so you don't feel tempted to spend it. If you operate your budget and savings from a single bank account, it can make it difficult for consumers to separate the two, thus making it hard to stick to your budget. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly automatic withdrawals to an investment account may help as well.</p> <p>2. Reviewing your goals early and often Secondly, Merrill Edge's study suggests that millennials need to be better about regularly reviewing their financial goals.</p> <p>Image source: Flickr user ITU Pictures.</p> <p>In the past, financial goals could be established when you were entering the workforce. Today, though, with life expectancies increasing nearly every year and retirement priorities shifting, millennials have to be more proactive about revisiting their financial goals to ensure they remain on track to hit their retirement number.</p> <p>If you've been maintaining and sticking to a budget, I'd suggest you're probably on par or ahead of your peers in terms of reaching your retirement goal. But remember that budgets aren't static. Your expenses can change for a variety of reasons, as can your income, which means your budget may need some active tweaking on a month-to-month basis. In other words, you need to remain an active rather than passive participant in your own retirement.</p> <p>How do you do that? Ideas here might include visiting with a financial advisor once, or a few times, annually to discuss your retirement goals and the actions taken to reach those goals. Also consider bouncing ideas off close friends and family members who may also need that extra reminder. Just remember that no matter who you bounce your ideas off, you remain in control of the path your retirement takes.</p> <p>3. Consider your various tax implicationsFinally, the fact that nearly one in five retirees in Merrill Edge's study said they moved to a new location could signify that they did so for cost and/or tax purposes (note, Merrill's report didn't specify the reason for the move, so this is pure speculation on my part).</p> <p>Image source: Pixabay.</p> <p>Taxes can catch retirees off-guard if they aren't ready for them, which means it's probably a smart move for millennials to begin thinking about minimizing their exposure to taxes during retirement as early as possible. For example, a Roth IRA allows Americans to invest for their retirement and not owe a single cent in taxes on investment gains. The catch? You'll have to wait until age 59 1/2 before you can begin making withdrawals, and you'll need to meet <a href="https://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Plan-Participant,-Employee/Amount-of-Roth-IRA-Contributions-That-You-Can-Make-for-2016" type="external">certain income requirements</a> that tend to adjust with inflation. If you net $1 million in investment income over a four-decade period, we could be talking about $200,000 or more in tax savings with a Roth IRA.</p> <p>Deferring your taxable income in a 401(k) or Traditional IRA can also be helpful to allow your money to grow. However, it'll mean you'll need to plan your withdrawals carefully in retirement to ensure you don't withdraw too much each year and put yourself into a higher income tax bracket.</p> <p>Millennials should also take into consideration that where they retire can affect their tax situation. Certain states tax Social Security and retirement benefits heavily, while others don't tax them at all. Understanding how the state where you choose to retire taxes various components of your retirement income can have an impact on your nest egg.</p> <p>The good news is, millennials do have time to turn things around to get the retirement they desire, but the longer they wait, the harder it's going to be.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/general/2016/04/23/your-vision-of-retirement-and-reality-could-be-wor.aspx" type="external">Your Vision of Retirement and Reality Could Be Worlds Apart, Study Shows</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFUltraLong/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Sean Williams</a>owns shares of Bank of America, but has no material interest in any other companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name <a href="http://caps.fool.com/player/tmfultralong.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">TMFUltraLong</a>, track every pick he makes under the screen name <a href="http://caps.fool.com/player/trackultralong.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">TrackUltraLong</a>, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/TMFUltraLong" type="external">@TMFUltraLong</a>.The Motley Fool recommends Bank of America. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p>

image source flickr user moodboard continue reading path retirement believed pretty straightforward work decades save money make solid investments able reap rewards disciplined lifestyle retirement rarely things go planned lifes twists turns starting family paying college buying home covering expenses tied unexpected illness derail perfectly envisioned plan nonetheless doesnt stop pursuit socalled finish line knowing reaching retirement key life goal americans merrill edge component bank america commissioned study 1000 mass affluent americans 50000plus investable assets 20000plus annual income 50000 purpose study discover todays millennials seeking retirement well get perspective todays retirees find retirement like findings especially contrasting differences millennials current retirees eyeopening retirement envisioned millennials half 53 millennials survey viewed retirement something exciting noted among current retirees millennials likely pursue passion education start business retirement questioned surveyed expenses might like retirement 28 millennials cited daily expenses projected dominant cost ahead managing healthcare expenses housing expenses earned 17 millennial responses advertisement report points millennials retirement time rest relaxation time full possibilities image source flickr user erin nekervis retirement really like told retireesmerrill edges survey also questioned retirees get feel surprises may encountered one particular question concerning theyd done didnt expect retirement telling whopping 30 retirees top response far announced theyd spent money anticipated another 19 moved new location 18 proclaimed feeling lack purpose retirees top priorities also markedly different millennials expect world possibilities await retirement top priorities retirees included simply maintaining current standard living 29 spending time loved ones 27 maintaining health 23 nearly oneinfive millennials hoped make world travel priority retirement 5 todays retirees prioritized traveling common denominator common denominator among millennials todays retirees may quite arentdidnt prioritize saving investing enough fact merrill edges survey approached asking everyone aspect life theyre insecure pretty much half 48 surveyed chose aspect finances financial future retirement savings income biggest insecurity retirement savings among top individual insecurities narrow things bit one five 21 respondents listing major concern furthermore questioning millennials financial discipline resolve 18 would give grade comes prioritizing retirement savings flip side double 38 would give grade c lower comes proactive retirement planning three retirement issues millennials clearly need work onwhat merrill edges survey shows us expectations retirement continue evolve mistakes continue made three major kinks millennials need focus dont want wind like majority todays retirees appear less excited way things turned image source pixabay 1 getting budget first probably surmised discussion retirement savings proactivity todays millennials need better savers extent millennials deserve credit rowe prices retirement savings spending study released last year showed threequarters millennials closely track spending 67 sticking budget notably higher figure baby boomers however third millennials budgeting money sticking budget still leaves us nonpassing grade plenty room improvement millennials dont good grasp cash flow wont able optimize saving investing habits easiest way rectify taking around 30 minutes month understand income expenses optimize ability save budget best news budgeting software help tackle unpleasant components budgeting ie adding subtracting leaving simply enter data decide set much possible aside future investment also may hurt keep money separate categories ie entertainment food separate account dont feel tempted spend operate budget savings single bank account make difficult consumers separate two thus making hard stick budget weekly biweekly monthly automatic withdrawals investment account may help well 2 reviewing goals early often secondly merrill edges study suggests millennials need better regularly reviewing financial goals image source flickr user itu pictures past financial goals could established entering workforce today though life expectancies increasing nearly every year retirement priorities shifting millennials proactive revisiting financial goals ensure remain track hit retirement number youve maintaining sticking budget id suggest youre probably par ahead peers terms reaching retirement goal remember budgets arent static expenses change variety reasons income means budget may need active tweaking monthtomonth basis words need remain active rather passive participant retirement ideas might include visiting financial advisor times annually discuss retirement goals actions taken reach goals also consider bouncing ideas close friends family members may also need extra reminder remember matter bounce ideas remain control path retirement takes 3 consider various tax implicationsfinally fact nearly one five retirees merrill edges study said moved new location could signify cost andor tax purposes note merrills report didnt specify reason move pure speculation part image source pixabay taxes catch retirees offguard arent ready means probably smart move millennials begin thinking minimizing exposure taxes retirement early possible example roth ira allows americans invest retirement owe single cent taxes investment gains catch youll wait age 59 12 begin making withdrawals youll need meet certain income requirements tend adjust inflation net 1 million investment income fourdecade period could talking 200000 tax savings roth ira deferring taxable income 401k traditional ira also helpful allow money grow however itll mean youll need plan withdrawals carefully retirement ensure dont withdraw much year put higher income tax bracket millennials also take consideration retire affect tax situation certain states tax social security retirement benefits heavily others dont tax understanding state choose retire taxes various components retirement income impact nest egg good news millennials time turn things around get retirement desire longer wait harder going article vision retirement reality could worlds apart study shows originally appeared foolcom sean williamsowns shares bank america material interest companies mentioned article follow caps screen name tmfultralong track every pick makes screen name trackultralong check twitter goes handle tmfultralongthe motley fool recommends bank america try foolish newsletter services free 30 days fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy

<p>President Donald Trump and Steve Bannon stand triumphant over the prostrate body of conservatism.</p> <p>This is the narrative we&#8217;ve been reading for the past several weeks as Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have announced their unwillingness to run for re-election, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell&#8217;s (R-KY) hand-picked and Trump-backed incumbent Alabama Senate candidate, Luther Strange, went down in flames to Roy Moore.</p> <p>The media have handed all credit for these shifts to Trump and Bannon. Flake himself has done the same, suggesting that conservatism is in retreat and Trumpism is on the rise. The day of Flake&#8217;s Senate speech ripping into Trump, Huffington Post ran a banner headline crediting Bannon for Flake&#8217;s decision to opt out of a re-election bid. Today, <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/establishment-republicans-agree-steve-bannon-is-kicking-our-ass" type="external">The Daily Beast</a> published a piece titled, &#8220;Establishment Republicans Agree: Steve Bannon Is Kicking Our Ass.&#8221;</p> <p>There are several problems with this take.</p> <p>First, the evidence that Trump himself is the deciding factor in primary races is weak at best. Luther Strange provides the best example &#8212; Trump backed him to the hilt, and Strange got crushed anyway. And Breitbart backed Mo Brooks, who finished third in the first round of the primaries, earlier in the Senate race. Bannon is backing a slate of anti-establishment candidates who may or may not win their primaries, but few of whom are political unknowns (Chris McDaniel ran and nearly beat Thad Cochrane in 2014 in Mississippi; Kelli Ward had been running a competitive race against Flake in Arizona long before Bannon got involved; Moore was the most famous name in Alabama for years; Michael Grimm was a high-profile congressman in New York before he went to jail; Danny Tarkanian has run for Senate once and the House twice, and is the son of famed coach Jerry Tarkanian).</p> <p>So if Trump and Bannon aren&#8217;t providing the material support on the ground for these candidates, are Trumpism and/or Bannonism ascendant? Not really. The polls don&#8217;t show any serious changes in Republican support levels for traditional conservative policies &#8212; and furthermore, Bannon and Trump aren&#8217;t supporting a slate of candidates who mirror a consistent philosophy. Bannon says he&#8217;s going to put everyone on notice except for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) &#8212; but Cruz couldn&#8217;t be much more dissimilar from Roy Moore, and Moore is highly dissimilar from both Tarkanian and Grimm.</p> <p>So, what do all of these candidates have in common? What do Trump and Bannon have in common? What&#8217;s driving all of this ire?</p> <p>Anti-establishment anger.</p> <p>And that anti-establishment anger has been on full display since 2009, when conservatives, frustrated at the impotence of their leadership, began showing up at Tea Party rallies and protesting against stimulus packages and Obamacare. Bannon didn&#8217;t build that movement; he&#8217;s getting high off its fumes. Trump didn&#8217;t build that movement; he ably channeled the movement&#8217;s anger without actually agreeing with its policies.</p> <p>And herein lies the problem.</p> <p>Long before he wrote Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin wrote a creepy short story called &#8220;The Monkey Treatment.&#8221; The story revolves around a morbidly obese man named Kenny Dorchester, who stumbles on an old friend, Henry Moroney &#8212; a former fat man who has suddenly shed enormous numbers of pounds. Moroney recommends a solution: the monkey treatment. What is the monkey treatment? As it turns out, the monkey treatment is literally that: a monkey placed on your back that grabs food out of your hands and eats it. By the end of the story, Kenny is skinny, but the monkey is enormous. &#8220;There in the mirror stood a gaunt, gray, skeletal-looking fellow, hunched over and sickly,&#8221; Martin writes. &#8220;On his back, grinning, was a thing the size of a gorilla. A very obese gorilla ... It was &#8230; attached to him now, growing right out of his back.&#8221;</p> <p>This the story of the modern Republican Party. It was flabby, obese, immobile. It was squishy. It made too many deals, caved into many times. And the solution was anger, it appeared. Much of that anger was justified. And the anger brought some wonderful victories: it brought us Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz and the House and the Senate and 1,000 legislative seats in the states and a dozen governorships. But the anger wasn&#8217;t limited to any specific cause or fight. It just kept growing. And now it&#8217;s directed at both good and bad causes; worthwhile candidates can still take advantage of that anger, but so can terrible ones.</p> <p>The anger drives the boat. And anyone who can channel that angry, anti-establishment attitude &#8212; or at least mimic the brusque machismo of anger &#8212; has an advantage. Swagger matters. Policy is secondary, at best. Flake isn't gone because he was too much of a squish on policy (though his immigration positions didn't help him). He's gone because he seemed like a squish. The same is true of Strange and Corker.</p> <p>That doesn&#8217;t mean that conservatism must be reduced to secondary status, while anger continues to grow atop its back. In the Martin story, Kenny ends up hurling himself out an eighth-story window in order to crush the monster. He survives, but goes directly back to eating enormous amounts of food. That&#8217;s no solution for the GOP. Instead, the GOP must somehow channel anger in the proper directions. That means not humoring anger for its own sake, or using it as a drug to obscure the issues. It also means refusing to allow conservatism to be cast aside in favor of anger, or pretending that anti-conservatism is the new order of the day.</p> <p>So no, Trump and Bannon aren&#8217;t behind a movement and a feeling that have long pre-existed both of them. But if conservatism doesn&#8217;t channel anger properly, that monkey on the GOP&#8217;s back will grow and grow, rather than being kept in check.</p>

president donald trump steve bannon stand triumphant prostrate body conservatism narrative weve reading past several weeks senators bob corker rtn jeff flake raz announced unwillingness run reelection senate majority leader mitch mcconnells rky handpicked trumpbacked incumbent alabama senate candidate luther strange went flames roy moore media handed credit shifts trump bannon flake done suggesting conservatism retreat trumpism rise day flakes senate speech ripping trump huffington post ran banner headline crediting bannon flakes decision opt reelection bid today daily beast published piece titled establishment republicans agree steve bannon kicking ass several problems take first evidence trump deciding factor primary races weak best luther strange provides best example trump backed hilt strange got crushed anyway breitbart backed mo brooks finished third first round primaries earlier senate race bannon backing slate antiestablishment candidates may may win primaries political unknowns chris mcdaniel ran nearly beat thad cochrane 2014 mississippi kelli ward running competitive race flake arizona long bannon got involved moore famous name alabama years michael grimm highprofile congressman new york went jail danny tarkanian run senate house twice son famed coach jerry tarkanian trump bannon arent providing material support ground candidates trumpism andor bannonism ascendant really polls dont show serious changes republican support levels traditional conservative policies furthermore bannon trump arent supporting slate candidates mirror consistent philosophy bannon says hes going put everyone notice except senator ted cruz rtx cruz couldnt much dissimilar roy moore moore highly dissimilar tarkanian grimm candidates common trump bannon common whats driving ire antiestablishment anger antiestablishment anger full display since 2009 conservatives frustrated impotence leadership began showing tea party rallies protesting stimulus packages obamacare bannon didnt build movement hes getting high fumes trump didnt build movement ably channeled movements anger without actually agreeing policies herein lies problem long wrote game thrones george rr martin wrote creepy short story called monkey treatment story revolves around morbidly obese man named kenny dorchester stumbles old friend henry moroney former fat man suddenly shed enormous numbers pounds moroney recommends solution monkey treatment monkey treatment turns monkey treatment literally monkey placed back grabs food hands eats end story kenny skinny monkey enormous mirror stood gaunt gray skeletallooking fellow hunched sickly martin writes back grinning thing size gorilla obese gorilla attached growing right back story modern republican party flabby obese immobile squishy made many deals caved many times solution anger appeared much anger justified anger brought wonderful victories brought us marco rubio ted cruz house senate 1000 legislative seats states dozen governorships anger wasnt limited specific cause fight kept growing directed good bad causes worthwhile candidates still take advantage anger terrible ones anger drives boat anyone channel angry antiestablishment attitude least mimic brusque machismo anger advantage swagger matters policy secondary best flake isnt gone much squish policy though immigration positions didnt help hes gone seemed like squish true strange corker doesnt mean conservatism must reduced secondary status anger continues grow atop back martin story kenny ends hurling eighthstory window order crush monster survives goes directly back eating enormous amounts food thats solution gop instead gop must somehow channel anger proper directions means humoring anger sake using drug obscure issues also means refusing allow conservatism cast aside favor anger pretending anticonservatism new order day trump bannon arent behind movement feeling long preexisted conservatism doesnt channel anger properly monkey gops back grow grow rather kept check

<p /> <p>Image source: Netflix.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Cord-cutting gets all the headlines and no company sees more of the responsibility for the trend than Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX). The streaming video company is a force to be reckoned with in the television industry as it grows its audience and engagement every year.</p> <p>The losers in the cord-cutting trend are often categorized as the cable companies like Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA). But Comcast has managed to start growing its video subscriber base again and the proliferation of Netflix and other streaming services has only bolstered its broadband internet service. The cable giant also owns NBCUniversal, which is more of rival to Netflix than its parent company.</p> <p>Both companies are leaders in their respective markets, which have a significant amount of overlap. If you could only buy one of them, which should it be?</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Netflix stock and Comcast stock are two very different beasts. Netflix is still heavily investing in growing its subscriber base while Comcast is working to extract the most cash out of its existing subscribers.</p> <p>Netflix is burning cash to grow, particularly outside of the United States. It just expanded from around 60 countries to over 190 countries at the beginning of the year. As such, it requires a lot of new investments in content to fill the catalogs of the 130 countries it just added. Netflix has been moving toward more global licensing agreements with media companies, but,for the most part, content is limited in most of the new countries.</p> <p>Netflix's biggest investments going forward will be in more original content. In the company's second-quarter shareholder letter management noted, "Our capital requirements continue to be driven by our investment in original content, particularly programming that we produce, which requires more cash upfront relative to licensed content."</p> <p>The investment in originals is certainly worth it, albeit expensive. Management pointed out numerous benefits in the letter, including "new programming that debuts on Netflix, exclusivity, greater creative and business control, global rights and brand halo." But the result of such heavy upfront investment means negative cash flow.</p> <p>Netflix is hoping its investments will help propel subscriber growth. Last quarter was extremely disappointing, however, when Netflix added just 1.7 million new members worldwide -- 160,000 in the U.S. and 1.52 million internationally. Analysts and Netflix itself were expecting more. If Netflix is going to justify its growing content expenditures, it will need to see better subscriber growth.</p> <p>Comcast, meanwhile, is starting to add video customers after a decade of battling telecom companiesfor subscribers. The major competition has largely switched directions, and Comcast is benefiting. The company added 90,000 net new video subscribers over the last 12 months. It also continues to grow its broadband subscription base, which is nearing 24 million after the second quarter.</p> <p>Comcast's cash flow continues to expand significantly. Through the first six months of the year, operating cash flow increased 4.9% year over year. Free cash flow has lagged as the company makes investments in new technology and content, but the company still brought in $1.4 billion in free cash flow last quarter.</p> <p>Comcast is working to make its video service stickier with the introduction of X1, its new set-top box. It says nearly 40% of customers have X1, and it plans to get it into 50% of its customers' households by the end of the year. Comcast hopes X1 will prevent customers from cutting the cord while enabling it to continue increasing its average revenue per customer.</p> <p>The problem with Comcast is that its moat is relatively narrow. It has a huge customer base of broadband subscribers to sell its more valuable video service, but it no longer has the moat it once did. For a long time, Comcast benefited from minimal competition and high costs of entry. The entry of telecom companies into Comcast's territory showed that competition is quite capable of taking subscribers.</p> <p>With the introduction of more digital streaming television services like Sling TV or the upcoming service from Hulu, Comcast will start to face more competition than it's ever seen.</p> <p>While Comcast still maybe able to own the broadband connection required for those new services, it's facing potential competition on that front as well. Again, telecoms are the main competitors, with plans to use the next-generation network, 5G, to provide broadband internet to the home. Telecoms have the budgets to build out the necessary infrastructure to compete with Comcast.</p> <p>In comparison, Netflix has a relatively wide moat. As it mentioned in its letter to shareholders, its original content provides it with exclusive content that premiers on Netflix and is available everywhere in the world. Its subscriber base of over 83 million provides it with a lot incoming cash to spend on more exclusive content, producing a virtuous cycle. It does have strong competitors with other sources for revenue, though.</p> <p>Last quarter's results show that switching costs are still extremely low, however, as Netflix saw an increase in churn after increasing its pricing on a large portion of customers. While Netflix doesn't have unlimited pricing power, it's been able to successfully use price increases over the last two years to help grow its revenue outside of simply adding new subscribers.</p> <p>So, which is the better buy? It really depends on what kind of investment you're looking for. If you want a growth stock that could potentially outpace the market for several more years, Netflix is your choice here. If you want a steady grower that spits out tons of cash every quarter, Comcast is a good buy.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2667&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/adamlevy/info.aspx" type="external">Adam Levy Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source netflix continue reading cordcutting gets headlines company sees responsibility trend netflix nasdaq nflx streaming video company force reckoned television industry grows audience engagement every year losers cordcutting trend often categorized cable companies like comcast nasdaq cmcsa comcast managed start growing video subscriber base proliferation netflix streaming services bolstered broadband internet service cable giant also owns nbcuniversal rival netflix parent company companies leaders respective markets significant amount overlap could buy one advertisement netflix stock comcast stock two different beasts netflix still heavily investing growing subscriber base comcast working extract cash existing subscribers netflix burning cash grow particularly outside united states expanded around 60 countries 190 countries beginning year requires lot new investments content fill catalogs 130 countries added netflix moving toward global licensing agreements media companies butfor part content limited new countries netflixs biggest investments going forward original content companys secondquarter shareholder letter management noted capital requirements continue driven investment original content particularly programming produce requires cash upfront relative licensed content investment originals certainly worth albeit expensive management pointed numerous benefits letter including new programming debuts netflix exclusivity greater creative business control global rights brand halo result heavy upfront investment means negative cash flow netflix hoping investments help propel subscriber growth last quarter extremely disappointing however netflix added 17 million new members worldwide 160000 us 152 million internationally analysts netflix expecting netflix going justify growing content expenditures need see better subscriber growth comcast meanwhile starting add video customers decade battling telecom companiesfor subscribers major competition largely switched directions comcast benefiting company added 90000 net new video subscribers last 12 months also continues grow broadband subscription base nearing 24 million second quarter comcasts cash flow continues expand significantly first six months year operating cash flow increased 49 year year free cash flow lagged company makes investments new technology content company still brought 14 billion free cash flow last quarter comcast working make video service stickier introduction x1 new settop box says nearly 40 customers x1 plans get 50 customers households end year comcast hopes x1 prevent customers cutting cord enabling continue increasing average revenue per customer problem comcast moat relatively narrow huge customer base broadband subscribers sell valuable video service longer moat long time comcast benefited minimal competition high costs entry entry telecom companies comcasts territory showed competition quite capable taking subscribers introduction digital streaming television services like sling tv upcoming service hulu comcast start face competition ever seen comcast still maybe able broadband connection required new services facing potential competition front well telecoms main competitors plans use nextgeneration network 5g provide broadband internet home telecoms budgets build necessary infrastructure compete comcast comparison netflix relatively wide moat mentioned letter shareholders original content provides exclusive content premiers netflix available everywhere world subscriber base 83 million provides lot incoming cash spend exclusive content producing virtuous cycle strong competitors sources revenue though last quarters results show switching costs still extremely low however netflix saw increase churn increasing pricing large portion customers netflix doesnt unlimited pricing power able successfully use price increases last two years help grow revenue outside simply adding new subscribers better buy really depends kind investment youre looking want growth stock could potentially outpace market several years netflix choice want steady grower spits tons cash every quarter comcast good buy secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window adam levy opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends netflix try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Investors today can earn a roughly 2% annual yield by purchasing an index fund that tracks the broader market. Yet there are far bigger payouts available among individual stocks.</p> <p>Below, Motley Fool investors offer up Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), Procter &amp;amp; Gamble (NYSE: PG), and CoreCivic (NYSE: CXW) as good options for achieving higher dividend yields -- without taking on too much additional risk.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> (Qualcomm): Technology companies haven't historically been known for their dividends, but the sector has generally seen a big boost in the amount of dividend income that big tech players pay out to their shareholders. Qualcomm is one example of that trend, with the chipmaker having quadrupled its dividend payments in less than a decade. Although dividend growth has slowed somewhat as its payout has grown, Qualcomm now sports a more than 4% yield despite its share price having enjoyed huge gains over the past year.</p> <p>Qualcomm has been the subject of intense scrutiny lately. On one hand, Broadcom&amp;#160;made an unsolicited bid to buy the chipmaker, and although Qualcomm rejected the initial offer, it might be open to a more generous follow-up bid. On the other hand, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/11/28/will-2018-be-qualcomm-incs-best-year-yet.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Qualcomm faces some legal issues Opens a New Window.</a> that could pose a threat to future growth, and it has also had to deal with adverse decisions from regulators internationally that have resulted in substantial fines. All told, the company has a lot going for it, and in a red-hot environment for the technology sector, Qualcomm appears to be well-positioned to keep taking advantage of plentiful opportunities to expand its business and reward its shareholders through both dividend payments and share-price appreciation.</p> <p><a href="http://www.fool.com/about/staff/RichDuprey/author.htm?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Rich Duprey Opens a New Window.</a> (Core Civic): The election of Donald Trump as president last year was seen as a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/30/better-buy-for-a-trump-presidency-gun-stocks-or-pr.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">boon to private prison operators Opens a New Window.</a> like CoreCivic, whose stock, along with shares of industry peer GEO Group, soared on the results. The previous administration had begun the process of winding down usage of private contractors for inmate facilities, but Trump's hardline stance on immigration was seen as necessitating continuing the use of private contractors to house illegal immigrants who were detained.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>A Homeland Security report found last year that 65% of all such detainees were housed in facilities owned or operated by private, for-profit contractors, and that such use would need to be continued.</p> <p>However, things haven't quite worked out as anticipated as some contracts were not renewed, like CoreCivic's contract for its Eden, Texas, facility that ended April 30 as the Federal Bureau of Prisons decided to close the prison. That caused revenues to drop by tens of millions of dollars each quarter, and after hitting a new 52-week high in March, CoreCivic's stock has tumbled 35%. However, CoreCivic has also won additional contracts from various levels of government since then and has made strategic acquisitions, too, to help shore up the shortfall.</p> <p>The private prison operator is structured as a real estate investment trust, which means it pays out almost all of its profits as dividends to investors, but over the past year, it has had to cut its payout. It maintains a targeted payout ratio of approximately 80% of adjusted funds from operations per share, which is equal to about 75% of CoreCivic's normalized FFO per share.</p> <p>CoreCivic says that commitment "demonstrates our confidence in the business and provides sufficient flexibility," and with the current dividend yielding 7.3%, it remains a hardy player in the space.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Demitri Kalogeropoulos Opens a New Window.</a> (Procter &amp;amp; Gamble): Its 3.1% payout might not sound massive, but P&amp;amp;G yields a full percentage point above what the broader market pays today. That's unusual, considering that the consumer products titan also boasts one of the longest-running dividend growth streaks around, at 61 years and counting.</p> <p>In buying that historic dividend, income investors have to hope that P&amp;amp;G's future will be brighter than its recent past. Organic growth inched higher by just 2% last year, and while that was an improvement over the prior year's 1% uptick, the gains weren't enough to protect overall market share. Thus, P&amp;amp;G continued to struggle against branded and value-based competition that's reduced the dominance of global franchises like Gillette.</p> <p>The company recently slashed prices in the shaving product line, and in so doing, chose to direct a portion of its savings from aggressive cost cuts toward achieving market share growth. At the same time, management believes the company's newly focused portfolio, now limited to just the biggest and most profitable franchises (like Tide, Gillette, Bounty, and Pampers), should lift operating results in the years ahead. It's not clear that this strategy will work, though, so investors willing to bet on it can benefit from a market-thumping yield from a true industry titan.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than QualcommWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=2e824e42-a3c7-44bd-885b-85f317f0887b&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Qualcomm wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=2e824e42-a3c7-44bd-885b-85f317f0887b&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Demitrios Kalogeropoulos Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFCop/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Rich Duprey Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom Ltd. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=f2fdcb2c-d3aa-11e7-a979-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

investors today earn roughly 2 annual yield purchasing index fund tracks broader market yet far bigger payouts available among individual stocks motley fool investors offer qualcomm nasdaq qcom procter amp gamble nyse pg corecivic nyse cxw good options achieving higher dividend yields without taking much additional risk continue reading dan caplinger opens new window qualcomm technology companies havent historically known dividends sector generally seen big boost amount dividend income big tech players pay shareholders qualcomm one example trend chipmaker quadrupled dividend payments less decade although dividend growth slowed somewhat payout grown qualcomm sports 4 yield despite share price enjoyed huge gains past year qualcomm subject intense scrutiny lately one hand broadcom160made unsolicited bid buy chipmaker although qualcomm rejected initial offer might open generous followup bid hand qualcomm faces legal issues opens new window could pose threat future growth also deal adverse decisions regulators internationally resulted substantial fines told company lot going redhot environment technology sector qualcomm appears wellpositioned keep taking advantage plentiful opportunities expand business reward shareholders dividend payments shareprice appreciation rich duprey opens new window core civic election donald trump president last year seen boon private prison operators opens new window like corecivic whose stock along shares industry peer geo group soared results previous administration begun process winding usage private contractors inmate facilities trumps hardline stance immigration seen necessitating continuing use private contractors house illegal immigrants detained advertisement homeland security report found last year 65 detainees housed facilities owned operated private forprofit contractors use would need continued however things havent quite worked anticipated contracts renewed like corecivics contract eden texas facility ended april 30 federal bureau prisons decided close prison caused revenues drop tens millions dollars quarter hitting new 52week high march corecivics stock tumbled 35 however corecivic also additional contracts various levels government since made strategic acquisitions help shore shortfall private prison operator structured real estate investment trust means pays almost profits dividends investors past year cut payout maintains targeted payout ratio approximately 80 adjusted funds operations per share equal 75 corecivics normalized ffo per share corecivic says commitment demonstrates confidence business provides sufficient flexibility current dividend yielding 73 remains hardy player space demitri kalogeropoulos opens new window procter amp gamble 31 payout might sound massive pampg yields full percentage point broader market pays today thats unusual considering consumer products titan also boasts one longestrunning dividend growth streaks around 61 years counting buying historic dividend income investors hope pampgs future brighter recent past organic growth inched higher 2 last year improvement prior years 1 uptick gains werent enough protect overall market share thus pampg continued struggle branded valuebased competition thats reduced dominance global franchises like gillette company recently slashed prices shaving product line chose direct portion savings aggressive cost cuts toward achieving market share growth time management believes companys newly focused portfolio limited biggest profitable franchises like tide gillette bounty pampers lift operating results years ahead clear strategy work though investors willing bet benefit marketthumping yield true industry titan 10 stocks like better qualcommwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right qualcomm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns november 6 2017 dan caplinger opens new window position stocks mentioned demitrios kalogeropoulos opens new window position stocks mentioned rich duprey opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares qualcomm motley fool recommends broadcom ltd motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Raj Sodhi, his wife, Lucia Cascio and their 11-year-old twins turned into nomads for more than three weeks after a wildfire gutted their California wine country home &#8212; living in a hotel room and the homes of a friend, a boss's boss and then another friend.</p> <p>"The camping trip from which you never come home," Sodhi said at the latest home where his family stayed while trying to find a new rental in a region that had a housing shortage and some of the highest rents and home prices in the nation even before the fires.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The most destructive wildfires in California's history killed 43 people and have left thousands of people in the fire zone north of San Francisco scrambling for shelter.</p> <p>Some fire victims have doubled up in bedrooms or slept on living room floors at the homes of friends or family. Others have placed ads on Craigslist, seeking land where they could park a trailer temporarily or pitch a tent.</p> <p>"Lost everything in fires," one person posted. "Looking for a place to put a travel trailer for little while until I can get back on my feet."</p> <p>Many have struggled to find permanent or even temporary housing in a booming rental market that faced a shortage even before the blazes took out more than 6,000 homes.</p> <p>"I heard of stories where people would show up to the open house and offer multiples of the rent," Sodhi, 43, an engineer at a technology firm, said. "It's not just expensive, but it's also hard to get the expensive places."</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Sodhi and his family were staying last week with his wife's friend and her two children in an ample split-level home in a tree-lined subdivision in Santa Rosa.</p> <p>The bass Sodhi plays in a jazz group was on the living room floor, one of the few things he and the family grabbed as they escaped the flames. His son, Jaco, was sharing a room with the family's son, while the family's daughter had moved to the master bedroom and given her room to Sodhi's daughter, Sofia.</p> <p>The kids and a babysitter lay on the floor in a circle playing a board game in the den.</p> <p>"I wish I didn't have to burden her," Cascio said about living at her friend's house. She said everyone who has taken the family in has been extremely gracious, but she's sensitive to the strain house guests can create.</p> <p>The rental vacancy rate in Sonoma County before the fires was 3 percent and a mere 1 percent in Santa Rosa. Then the city lost an estimated 5 percent of its housing stock to the flames.</p> <p>County officials do not have figures on how many people are in temporary housing and how many people have found long-term solutions.</p> <p>But unlike in other disasters, few people have lingered in shelters &#8212; just 132 people in Sonoma County late last week, down from a peak of nearly 5,000 on October 10, according to county officials. The majority of those still in the shelters were previously homeless, said Red Cross spokeswoman Cynthia Shaw.</p> <p>In contrast, a month after Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas, more than 1,300 people were living in shelters. Nearly 15,000 people remained in shelters six weeks after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans in August 2005.</p> <p>The hurricanes each displaced far more people than California's recent wildfires.</p> <p>Still, experts say the relatively smaller percentage of victims remaining in shelters may reflect the prosperity of the people living in the fire area on the northern edge of the booming San Francisco Bay Area, and the nature of the disaster.</p> <p>Flood victims often have homes that are salvageable and stay in shelters at night, commuting to their homes until they have made them habitable enough to sleep in, Shaw said.</p> <p>Shannon Van Zandt, a professor at Texas A&amp;amp;M University who has studied how communities recover after natural disasters, said the region where the fire struck is also relatively affluent &#8212; meaning people are more likely to have insurance and savings to pay for temporary housing.</p> <p>"They also have greater social resources. They have friends with homes big enough to have an extra bedroom," she added.</p> <p>Sonoma County supervisors voted last week to temporarily block new vacation rental permits and allow travel trailers and other recreational vehicles to function as homes on all residential lots outside fire-damaged sites without county approval.</p> <p>They also approved the use of guest houses and pool houses as rental units for fire victims.</p> <p>Those efforts and other housing solutions the county is pursuing may not be enough to keep some people from leaving the region, said Margaret Van Vliet, executive director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission.</p> <p>"People are going to go, 'This is too hard. It's too painful. I'm going to take my settlement and go to Tucson or something,'" she said.</p> <p>Richard Konopelski, 56, lost his home in Santa Rosa and said his family's search for a new rental home felt like "The Hunger Games" trilogy.</p> <p>"We showed up at one open house, and there were probably 20 couples there looking at the same house," he said.</p> <p>New homes that came on the market after the fires had substantially higher rents, he said.</p> <p>After two weeks of 12-hour days visiting leasing offices and filling out rental applications, Konopelski found a four-bedroom, three-bath home near Santa Rosa for $6,800 a month.</p> <p>Sodhi also found a home that he planned to move into on Thursday.</p> <p>The lease for the three-bedroom house is $4,500 a month, but he expected insurance to pick up the tab for two years while he rebuilds on the land where his home burned.</p>

raj sodhi wife lucia cascio 11yearold twins turned nomads three weeks wildfire gutted california wine country home living hotel room homes friend bosss boss another friend camping trip never come home sodhi said latest home family stayed trying find new rental region housing shortage highest rents home prices nation even fires continue reading destructive wildfires californias history killed 43 people left thousands people fire zone north san francisco scrambling shelter fire victims doubled bedrooms slept living room floors homes friends family others placed ads craigslist seeking land could park trailer temporarily pitch tent lost everything fires one person posted looking place put travel trailer little get back feet many struggled find permanent even temporary housing booming rental market faced shortage even blazes took 6000 homes heard stories people would show open house offer multiples rent sodhi 43 engineer technology firm said expensive also hard get expensive places advertisement sodhi family staying last week wifes friend two children ample splitlevel home treelined subdivision santa rosa bass sodhi plays jazz group living room floor one things family grabbed escaped flames son jaco sharing room familys son familys daughter moved master bedroom given room sodhis daughter sofia kids babysitter lay floor circle playing board game den wish didnt burden cascio said living friends house said everyone taken family extremely gracious shes sensitive strain house guests create rental vacancy rate sonoma county fires 3 percent mere 1 percent santa rosa city lost estimated 5 percent housing stock flames county officials figures many people temporary housing many people found longterm solutions unlike disasters people lingered shelters 132 people sonoma county late last week peak nearly 5000 october 10 according county officials majority still shelters previously homeless said red cross spokeswoman cynthia shaw contrast month hurricane harvey devastated texas 1300 people living shelters nearly 15000 people remained shelters six weeks hurricane katrina flooded new orleans august 2005 hurricanes displaced far people californias recent wildfires still experts say relatively smaller percentage victims remaining shelters may reflect prosperity people living fire area northern edge booming san francisco bay area nature disaster flood victims often homes salvageable stay shelters night commuting homes made habitable enough sleep shaw said shannon van zandt professor texas aampm university studied communities recover natural disasters said region fire struck also relatively affluent meaning people likely insurance savings pay temporary housing also greater social resources friends homes big enough extra bedroom added sonoma county supervisors voted last week temporarily block new vacation rental permits allow travel trailers recreational vehicles function homes residential lots outside firedamaged sites without county approval also approved use guest houses pool houses rental units fire victims efforts housing solutions county pursuing may enough keep people leaving region said margaret van vliet executive director sonoma county community development commission people going go hard painful im going take settlement go tucson something said richard konopelski 56 lost home santa rosa said familys search new rental home felt like hunger games trilogy showed one open house probably 20 couples looking house said new homes came market fires substantially higher rents said two weeks 12hour days visiting leasing offices filling rental applications konopelski found fourbedroom threebath home near santa rosa 6800 month sodhi also found home planned move thursday lease threebedroom house 4500 month expected insurance pick tab two years rebuilds land home burned

<p>Takeover bid for Qualcomm shifts into higher gear with plans for board candidates</p> <p>This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (December 5, 2017).</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Broadcom Ltd. opened the next front in its $105 billion takeover bid for Qualcomm Inc., saying Monday it plans to submit its own candidates to sit on its target's board.</p> <p>Nominees are due by the end of the week. Broadcom said it intends to propose 11 new independent directors, and would support expanding the board to reappoint three outside directors who were added as part of a mid-2015 deal with activist investor Jana Partners.</p> <p>Broadcom didn't signal whether it intends to raise its offer beyond the initial $70 a share. The company likely will do so before Qualcomm's annual shareholder meeting, expected in March, according to a person familiar with Broadcom's strategy.</p> <p>In a statement, Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan said his company has "repeatedly attempted to engage with Qualcomm, and despite stockholder and customer support for the transaction, Qualcomm has ignored those opportunities."</p> <p>Qualcomm said Broadcom's proposal faces several challenges, including financing and the prospective acquirer's current domicile in Singapore. Mr. Tan, shortly before submitting his bid, said he planned to move Broadcom's headquarters to the U.S. but didn't set a firm schedule for doing so.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>San Diego-based Qualcomm also touted its leadership in innovative markets such as automotive and next-generation cellular technologies -- an apparent shot at Broadcom's strategy of focusing on predictable markets.</p> <p>"Qualcomm stockholders expect a board that will support this innovation while evaluating objectively the full range of opportunities available to maximize value for all Qualcomm stockholders," Tom Horton, Qualcomm's presiding director, said in a statement.</p> <p>Broadcom's announcement Monday wasn't a surprise. Qualcomm's directors in mid-November rejected Broadcom's offer unanimously, and a person familiar with the matter had said Broadcom would consider its own directors if met with resistance.</p> <p>Broadcom, which is scheduled to release fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday after the market closes, said it hopes to complete a deal on friendly terms. Still, its move to pack Qualcomm's board pushes the effort into a more aggressive phase.</p> <p>"Now the clock is running," said Marcel Kahan, a law professor at New York University. "The vote can be postponed by days or weeks, but they can't drag it out forever."</p> <p>Nominating directors is a common tactic used to pressure a reluctant target into talks. Seldom does it result in the election of hostile directors, as the parties usually either strike a deal, the acquirer withdraws its bid or a third party makes a competitive offer.</p> <p>Broadcom's slate includes Samih Elhage, a former Nokia Corp. executive; Raul J. Fernandez, vice chairman at Monumental Sports &amp;amp; Entertainment; Michael S. Geltzeiler, former financial chief at ADT LLC; Stephen J. Girsky, managing partner at VectoIQ; David G. Golden, managing partner at Revolution Ventures; Veronica M. Hagen, former CEO of Polymer Group Inc., later renamed Avintiv Specialty Materials Inc.; Julie A. Hill, owner of Hill Co.; John H. Kispert, managing partner at Black Diamond Ventures; Gregorio Reyes, former board chairman at Dialog Semiconductor PLC and LSI Corp.; Thomas S. Volpe, managing member of Volpe Investments LLC.; and Harry L. You, finance chief at GTY Technology Holdings Inc.</p> <p>The three directors Broadcom would seek to reappoint are Mark D. McLaughlin, CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc.; Anthony J. "Tony" Vinciquerra, chief of Sony Pictures Entertainment; and Jeffrey W. Henderson, an advisory director at Berkshire Partners LLC. Broadcom hasn't had any discussions with the three, a person familiar with the matter said.</p> <p>Together, Broadcom and Qualcomm would be the third-largest semiconductor supplier by revenue and a dominant maker of chips for a wide range of communications functions.</p> <p>"The numbers make sense," said Mike Walkley of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., whether or not Qualcomm completes its proposed purchase of NXP Semiconductors NV for $39 billion, which Qualcomm has said it expects to close by early next year. Even without NXP, the combination could add 40% to Broadcom's adjusted 2018 per-share earnings at the current bid of $70 a share, and a high single-digit percentage even at $100 a share, he said.</p> <p>Integrating two companies the size of Broadcom and Qualcomm would be difficult enough. Beyond that, the companies have different corporate cultures and management styles.</p> <p>Mr. Tan is known for buying technology leaders in established markets and slashing costs. Broadcom this year is expected to post an operating margin of 45%, according to Mr. Walkley. Qualcomm, by contrast, focuses on developing technology to extend existing markets and open new ones. Its chip division achieved an operating margin of roughly 17% in 2017.</p> <p>Mr. Tan likely would try to raise Qualcomm's chip margins by lowering operating expenses including research and development, Mr. Walkley said.</p> <p>Allison Prang contributed to this article</p> <p>Write to Ted Greenwald at Ted.Greenwald@wsj.com</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>December 05, 2017 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)</p>

takeover bid qualcomm shifts higher gear plans board candidates article republished part daily reproduction wsjcom articles also appeared us print edition wall street journal december 5 2017 continue reading broadcom ltd opened next front 105 billion takeover bid qualcomm inc saying monday plans submit candidates sit targets board nominees due end week broadcom said intends propose 11 new independent directors would support expanding board reappoint three outside directors added part mid2015 deal activist investor jana partners broadcom didnt signal whether intends raise offer beyond initial 70 share company likely qualcomms annual shareholder meeting expected march according person familiar broadcoms strategy statement broadcom chief executive hock tan said company repeatedly attempted engage qualcomm despite stockholder customer support transaction qualcomm ignored opportunities qualcomm said broadcoms proposal faces several challenges including financing prospective acquirers current domicile singapore mr tan shortly submitting bid said planned move broadcoms headquarters us didnt set firm schedule advertisement san diegobased qualcomm also touted leadership innovative markets automotive nextgeneration cellular technologies apparent shot broadcoms strategy focusing predictable markets qualcomm stockholders expect board support innovation evaluating objectively full range opportunities available maximize value qualcomm stockholders tom horton qualcomms presiding director said statement broadcoms announcement monday wasnt surprise qualcomms directors midnovember rejected broadcoms offer unanimously person familiar matter said broadcom would consider directors met resistance broadcom scheduled release fourthquarter earnings wednesday market closes said hopes complete deal friendly terms still move pack qualcomms board pushes effort aggressive phase clock running said marcel kahan law professor new york university vote postponed days weeks cant drag forever nominating directors common tactic used pressure reluctant target talks seldom result election hostile directors parties usually either strike deal acquirer withdraws bid third party makes competitive offer broadcoms slate includes samih elhage former nokia corp executive raul j fernandez vice chairman monumental sports amp entertainment michael geltzeiler former financial chief adt llc stephen j girsky managing partner vectoiq david g golden managing partner revolution ventures veronica hagen former ceo polymer group inc later renamed avintiv specialty materials inc julie hill owner hill co john h kispert managing partner black diamond ventures gregorio reyes former board chairman dialog semiconductor plc lsi corp thomas volpe managing member volpe investments llc harry l finance chief gty technology holdings inc three directors broadcom would seek reappoint mark mclaughlin ceo palo alto networks inc anthony j tony vinciquerra chief sony pictures entertainment jeffrey w henderson advisory director berkshire partners llc broadcom hasnt discussions three person familiar matter said together broadcom qualcomm would thirdlargest semiconductor supplier revenue dominant maker chips wide range communications functions numbers make sense said mike walkley canaccord genuity group inc whether qualcomm completes proposed purchase nxp semiconductors nv 39 billion qualcomm said expects close early next year even without nxp combination could add 40 broadcoms adjusted 2018 pershare earnings current bid 70 share high singledigit percentage even 100 share said integrating two companies size broadcom qualcomm would difficult enough beyond companies different corporate cultures management styles mr tan known buying technology leaders established markets slashing costs broadcom year expected post operating margin 45 according mr walkley qualcomm contrast focuses developing technology extend existing markets open new ones chip division achieved operating margin roughly 17 2017 mr tan likely would try raise qualcomms chip margins lowering operating expenses including research development mr walkley said allison prang contributed article write ted greenwald tedgreenwaldwsjcom end dow jones newswires december 05 2017 0247 et 0747 gmt

<p /> <p>The average <a href="https://www.credit.com/personal-finance/retirement-are-you-financially-ready/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_1&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">retirement Opens a New Window.</a> age in the United States is 63, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. If you are part of that trend, get ready to have your financial world turned upside down in your 60s.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>As you trade in your office keys and a steady paycheck for a pension (if you&#8217;re lucky), investment income and Social Security, you shift from an accumulation phase to a distribution phase. Once you do, many of the engrained investment lessons you learned no longer apply. While the most important retirement-based IRS rules come into play during your 50s and 70s, in your 60s you must learn about (and try to understand) government&amp;#160;programs, such as Social Security and Medicare.</p> <p>As you shift from accumulation to distribution, volatility becomes trouble. While market turmoil is tough to stomach whether you&#8217;re in your working years or retired, those wild swings can actually be beneficial for employees. If you participate in an employer-based <a href="https://www.credit.com/personal-finance/retirement-planning-lingo-terms-to-know/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_2&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">retirement plan Opens a New Window.</a>, you have a forced discipline to buy securities even when the market is down. You are practicing dollar-cost averaging, which, over long periods of time, can help you buy at a lower cost per share. The day you turn on that &#8220;income&#8221; switch, that volatility exposes you to sequence-of-return risk. In other words, the average return of your investments is not the only factor anymore. When you are living off your investments, the timing of returns is also critical. The earlier in retirement you take a big hit, the worse off you&#8217;ll be.</p> <p>Financing Life After Retirement&amp;#160;</p> <p>Now that we know we want to reduce volatility as well as sequence-of-return risk, we must think about solutions. Not to sound like a broken record, but the first step is to diversify. Imagine retiring in 2000 with large tech holdings or 2008 with large amounts of real estate. To spread the risk, cut your pie into many pieces.</p> <p>Once you have a diversified, retirement-appropriate portfolio, you must decide which pieces and how much to sell in order to make your money last. Here are two out-of-date strategies that I wouldn&#8217;t fully depend on.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>1. Living Off Dividends</p> <p>Living completely off your dividends is probably unrealistic and irresponsible, unless you are very wealthy. In today&#8217;s low-yield environment, you are likely to get a dividend around 2%. If you&#8217;re invested 100% in stocks (also irresponsible for many), that means you&#8217;ll need a $5 million portfolio to draw $100,000 a year before taxes are taken out.&amp;#160;The other risk is that if you are properly diversified, you are drawing only from the stock side, which means the bonds will become too heavily weighted. A better strategy is to sell by rebalancing. Every year decide how much money you will need and sell from the portion of the portfolio that has gone up. This will bring your portfolio back into balance and help you avoid selling at a loss.</p> <p>2. Using the 4% Rule of Thumb</p> <p>The&amp;#160;4% rule &#8212; often used to determine how much money you withdraw from a retirement account each year &#8212; was created for much less healthy people in a much healthier market. The amount you can safely pull out of your portfolio depends on the return you are earning and your life expectancy, which should make you skeptical of any one-size-fits-all strategy.</p> <p>When to Take Government Retirement Benefits</p> <p>Now that we have handled the complexities of <a href="https://www.credit.com/personal-finance/5-habits-of-successful-savers-investors/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_3&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">investing Opens a New Window.</a> as a retiree, we can dip a toe into the murky, complex waters of government programs. Regardless of your birth year, you can claim Social Security retirement benefits early at age 62. However, you will be permanently penalized for doing so. If your full retirement age is 66 (if you were born in 1943-1954), you will receive 25% less in benefits every month if you claim at 62. The opposite is true if you wait. You will get delayed retirement credits (income increases) of 8% per year until age 70.</p> <p>The first step to figuring out Social Security is to learn the language (PIA, AIME, DRC, FICA, etc.). Next, find an advocate. Whether they&#8217;re&amp;#160;a financial planner or not, you need someone sitting on the same side of the table as you when you make the very important decision about when to claim. Lastly, if you&#8217;re married, you must plan as a couple. Survivor benefits can be permanently reduced or increased depending on when your spouse claims benefits. Social Security should be simple &#8212; in fact, it&#8217;s anything but.</p> <p>It used to be that Social Security&#8217;s full retirement age and Medicare eligibility aligned at age 65 and you could knock out both benefit applications at once.&amp;#160;However, now you&#8217;re eligible to apply for Medicare up to 3&amp;#160;months before you turn 65, and that enrollment period is open for 7&amp;#160;months. You should apply ASAP, at least for Part A, in order for your coverage to begin the first day of the month of your 65th&amp;#160;birthday. If you are still working, you&#8217;ll need to decide whether it&#8217;s worth picking up parts B and D or whether you have adequate, affordable coverage through your employer. Once you retire, you&#8217;ll have 8&amp;#160;months to get full Medicare coverage before your premiums are increased by penalties.</p> <p>While traditional Medicare will likely cover the expenses of many of your medical needs in retirement, it will not cover long-term care expenses, except for short stays in a skilled nursing facility. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70% of those turning 65 will need some type of long-term care (LTC) services during their lifetime. Therefore, it&#8217;s a good idea to stress-test your financial plan to help ensure that you can afford a LTC service if needed. If you choose to buy long-term care insurance, you must factor that into your monthly or annual expenses to see if you can afford what are likely to be increasing premiums. If you decide to roll the dice, you want to be sure you have enough in assets and/or income to cover the cost.</p> <p>Don&#8217;t Forget About Taxes</p> <p>You&#8217;ve heard the saying that in life only two things are certain: death and <a href="https://www.credit.com/taxes/how-to-file-your-taxes-for-free/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_4&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">taxes Opens a New Window.</a>. While we don&#8217;t know when the former will come, we know that the tax man comes every year. That&#8217;s true even in retirement. The common assumption &#8212; and sometimes misconception &#8212; is that you will <a href="https://www.credit.com/taxes/quick-guide-common-tax-deductions-exemptions/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_5&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">pay less in taxes Opens a New Window.</a> once you have retired. That is another belief that depends totally on you, where you live and fiscal policy at the time. Your Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes will likely disappear in retirement, but so will many of your work-related deductions, including your <a href="https://www.credit.com/personal-finance/401k-maximize-yours/?utm_source=Fox&amp;amp;utm_medium=content&amp;amp;utm_content=IB_6&amp;amp;utm_campaign=60_something_retirement" type="external">401K Opens a New Window.</a>, health savings accounts, etc. My advice: Plan conservatively. You don&#8217;t want a tax hike in retirement to change your lifestyle.</p> <p>There are many things to think about as you transition from your working years to your fun retirement years. Planning is advised; rolling the dice is not.</p> <p>Remember, the opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.&amp;#160;There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="http://blog.credit.com/2016/08/critical-financial-considerations-to-make-in-your-60s-152612/" type="external">Credit.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p />

average retirement opens new window age united states 63 according us census bureau data part trend get ready financial world turned upside 60s continue reading trade office keys steady paycheck pension youre lucky investment income social security shift accumulation phase distribution phase many engrained investment lessons learned longer apply important retirementbased irs rules come play 50s 70s 60s must learn try understand government160programs social security medicare shift accumulation distribution volatility becomes trouble market turmoil tough stomach whether youre working years retired wild swings actually beneficial employees participate employerbased retirement plan opens new window forced discipline buy securities even market practicing dollarcost averaging long periods time help buy lower cost per share day turn income switch volatility exposes sequenceofreturn risk words average return investments factor anymore living investments timing returns also critical earlier retirement take big hit worse youll financing life retirement160 know want reduce volatility well sequenceofreturn risk must think solutions sound like broken record first step diversify imagine retiring 2000 large tech holdings 2008 large amounts real estate spread risk cut pie many pieces diversified retirementappropriate portfolio must decide pieces much sell order make money last two outofdate strategies wouldnt fully depend advertisement 1 living dividends living completely dividends probably unrealistic irresponsible unless wealthy todays lowyield environment likely get dividend around 2 youre invested 100 stocks also irresponsible many means youll need 5 million portfolio draw 100000 year taxes taken out160the risk properly diversified drawing stock side means bonds become heavily weighted better strategy sell rebalancing every year decide much money need sell portion portfolio gone bring portfolio back balance help avoid selling loss 2 using 4 rule thumb the1604 rule often used determine much money withdraw retirement account year created much less healthy people much healthier market amount safely pull portfolio depends return earning life expectancy make skeptical onesizefitsall strategy take government retirement benefits handled complexities investing opens new window retiree dip toe murky complex waters government programs regardless birth year claim social security retirement benefits early age 62 however permanently penalized full retirement age 66 born 19431954 receive 25 less benefits every month claim 62 opposite true wait get delayed retirement credits income increases 8 per year age 70 first step figuring social security learn language pia aime drc fica etc next find advocate whether theyre160a financial planner need someone sitting side table make important decision claim lastly youre married must plan couple survivor benefits permanently reduced increased depending spouse claims benefits social security simple fact anything used social securitys full retirement age medicare eligibility aligned age 65 could knock benefit applications once160however youre eligible apply medicare 3160months turn 65 enrollment period open 7160months apply asap least part order coverage begin first day month 65th160birthday still working youll need decide whether worth picking parts b whether adequate affordable coverage employer retire youll 8160months get full medicare coverage premiums increased penalties traditional medicare likely cover expenses many medical needs retirement cover longterm care expenses except short stays skilled nursing facility according us department health human services 70 turning 65 need type longterm care ltc services lifetime therefore good idea stresstest financial plan help ensure afford ltc service needed choose buy longterm care insurance must factor monthly annual expenses see afford likely increasing premiums decide roll dice want sure enough assets andor income cover cost dont forget taxes youve heard saying life two things certain death taxes opens new window dont know former come know tax man comes every year thats true even retirement common assumption sometimes misconception pay less taxes opens new window retired another belief depends totally live fiscal policy time federal insurance contributions act fica taxes likely disappear retirement many workrelated deductions including 401k opens new window health savings accounts etc advice plan conservatively dont want tax hike retirement change lifestyle many things think transition working years fun retirement years planning advised rolling dice remember opinions voiced material general information intended provide specific advice recommendations individual strategy assures success protects loss160there guarantee diversified portfolio enhance overall returns outperform nondiversified portfolio diversification protect market risk article originally appeared creditcom opens new window

<p>I spoke too soon. In the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/05/these-3-stocks-just-raised-their-dividends.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">previous installment of this series Opens a New Window.</a>, I stated that we were about to enter a fallow post-earnings season period with fewer dividend raises.</p> <p>Whoops. Last week we saw a fresh batch of raises, including three top names in their respective industries -- consumer-goods giant Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL), high-rolling casino operator Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN), and powerhouse chipmaker Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM). Read on for the details.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Saying that Colgate-Palmolive is raising its quarterly dividend is almost like saying the grass is green. The consumer-goods megalith is one of the most regal of the <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-dividend-aristocrat.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Dividend Aristocrats Opens a New Window.</a>, with an annual dividend raise streak that stretches back over 50 years. The latest in a very long line of increases will see the company lift its payout by 5% to $0.42 per share.</p> <p>That's the good news. The bad news is the company's recent performance. In all, 2017 was a relatively weak year. Net sales inched up by only 1.7% to $15.5 billion, while adjusted net profit increased by over 4% to land at $2.5 billion. Cost-cutting and increased advertising spend were two of the key reasons for these fairly modest increases.</p> <p>My colleague Brian Stoffel has speculated that Colgate-Palmolive's long-established <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/07/death-of-big-brands-5-safe-dividend-stocks-that-co.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">dividend might be at risk Opens a New Window.</a> because of changes in technology and the shifting tastes of consumers. I think he's got a good argument there; although the company has sufficient cash flow to keep up those dividend raises for the time being, I'm not 100% sure this is a buy-and-hold-forever income play.</p> <p>Colgate-Palmolive's upcoming distribution is to be handed out on on May 15 to stockholders of record as of April 20. Its payout ratio is 56%, and it would yield 2.4% on the most recent closing stock price -- comfortably above the current 1.8% average yield of dividend-paying stocks on the S&amp;amp;P 500.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>2018 has already been quite a year for Wynn Resorts. The company's top global region is on a serious upswing, yet its founder and namesake, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/16/steve-wynn-is-losing-control-of-wynn-resorts.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Steve Wynn Opens a New Window.</a>, stepped down abruptly, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Nonetheless, Wynn Resorts declared a dividend increase, saying its quarterly distribution would get a hefty 50% increase to $0.75 per share.</p> <p>These days, most of Wynn's take comes from the busy Chinese gaming enclave of Macau. After years of serious revenue declines because of a government crackdown on casino junket operators, the region has come roaring back. Its full-year 2017 take was 19% higher on a year-over-year basis, the first annual increase since 2013.</p> <p>This propelled Wynn's revenue 44% higher to just over $6.3 billion, while adjusted net profit rose by 62% to over $560 million.</p> <p>The loss of Steve Wynn, a towering figure in the industry, is going to sting. But the company is well primed for future growth; Macau should remain a vibrant market, while a new casino near Boston is scheduled to open its doors next year. But Wynn the company has a bright future ahead of it. Barring another government crackdown in Macau, I'd bet that the new dividend will at least be maintained for now.</p> <p>Wynn hasn't yet set the record and payment dates for the new dividend. Regardless, it would yield 1.6% and boast a payout ratio of only 36%.</p> <p>Qualcomm is dialing up a new quarterly dividend. The company has declared that its next payout will be $0.62 per share, a 9% increase.</p> <p>Qualcomm is very profitable, netting $1.5 billion in profit on $6 billion in revenue in its most recently reported quarter. It's a power player in the field of chips for mobile devices, and it draws much of its revenue from technology licensing activities.</p> <p>That's not what has driven up the stock's price over the past few months, however. In late 2017, acquisitive Asian chipmaker Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) made a play to buy out Qualcomm with a mix of cash and stock. This and a subsequent higher bid from Broadcom were rejected, but the soap opera is still playing out.</p> <p>Complicating matters is Qualcomm's own acquisition activity. Apparently, it's about to <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/09/qualcomms-nxp-semiconductors-offer-finally-looks-l.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">land its own large takeover target Opens a New Window.</a>, auto-computing specialist NXP Semiconductors.</p> <p>So there are deals whipsawing back and forth, and we don't yet know how the whole mess is going to settle. As for Qualcomm's internal resources, it has more than enough free cash flow to pay for this raised dividend, plus a round of share buybacks. Still, given that the company's future ownership and structure is up in the air, it's hard to gauge the viability of this new payout. Income investors should exercise caution here.</p> <p>The new $0.62-per-share amount will, in the company's words "be effective for quarterly dividends payable after March 21, 2018." It didn't get more specific. The theoretical yield is 3.9%, while the payout ratio stands at 63%.</p> <p>I like it when my pessimistic assumptions turn out wrong. Last week turned out to be another good one for dividend increases, after all. 2018 has been a great year for lifts so far. Let's hope that trend will last.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than QualcommWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3e956f77-36ad-4c70-a1ad-3cbdff9ea2a5&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Qualcomm wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3e956f77-36ad-4c70-a1ad-3cbdff9ea2a5&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of March 5, 2018</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVolkman/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Eric Volkman Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom Ltd and NXP Semiconductors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

spoke soon previous installment series opens new window stated enter fallow postearnings season period fewer dividend raises whoops last week saw fresh batch raises including three top names respective industries consumergoods giant colgatepalmolive nyse cl highrolling casino operator wynn resorts nasdaq wynn powerhouse chipmaker qualcomm nasdaq qcom read details continue reading saying colgatepalmolive raising quarterly dividend almost like saying grass green consumergoods megalith one regal dividend aristocrats opens new window annual dividend raise streak stretches back 50 years latest long line increases see company lift payout 5 042 per share thats good news bad news companys recent performance 2017 relatively weak year net sales inched 17 155 billion adjusted net profit increased 4 land 25 billion costcutting increased advertising spend two key reasons fairly modest increases colleague brian stoffel speculated colgatepalmolives longestablished dividend might risk opens new window changes technology shifting tastes consumers think hes got good argument although company sufficient cash flow keep dividend raises time im 100 sure buyandholdforever income play colgatepalmolives upcoming distribution handed may 15 stockholders record april 20 payout ratio 56 would yield 24 recent closing stock price comfortably current 18 average yield dividendpaying stocks sampp 500 advertisement 2018 already quite year wynn resorts companys top global region serious upswing yet founder namesake steve wynn opens new window stepped abruptly following allegations sexual misconduct nonetheless wynn resorts declared dividend increase saying quarterly distribution would get hefty 50 increase 075 per share days wynns take comes busy chinese gaming enclave macau years serious revenue declines government crackdown casino junket operators region come roaring back fullyear 2017 take 19 higher yearoveryear basis first annual increase since 2013 propelled wynns revenue 44 higher 63 billion adjusted net profit rose 62 560 million loss steve wynn towering figure industry going sting company well primed future growth macau remain vibrant market new casino near boston scheduled open doors next year wynn company bright future ahead barring another government crackdown macau id bet new dividend least maintained wynn hasnt yet set record payment dates new dividend regardless would yield 16 boast payout ratio 36 qualcomm dialing new quarterly dividend company declared next payout 062 per share 9 increase qualcomm profitable netting 15 billion profit 6 billion revenue recently reported quarter power player field chips mobile devices draws much revenue technology licensing activities thats driven stocks price past months however late 2017 acquisitive asian chipmaker broadcom nasdaq avgo made play buy qualcomm mix cash stock subsequent higher bid broadcom rejected soap opera still playing complicating matters qualcomms acquisition activity apparently land large takeover target opens new window autocomputing specialist nxp semiconductors deals whipsawing back forth dont yet know whole mess going settle qualcomms internal resources enough free cash flow pay raised dividend plus round share buybacks still given companys future ownership structure air hard gauge viability new payout income investors exercise caution new 062pershare amount companys words effective quarterly dividends payable march 21 2018 didnt get specific theoretical yield 39 payout ratio stands 63 like pessimistic assumptions turn wrong last week turned another good one dividend increases 2018 great year lifts far lets hope trend last 10 stocks like better qualcommwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right qualcomm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns march 5 2018 eric volkman opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares qualcomm motley fool recommends broadcom ltd nxp semiconductors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Dividend stocks are often the foundation upon which great retirement portfolios are built.</p> <p>Generally speaking, dividend stocks offer four key advantages over companies that don't pay a dividend. To begin with, the business models of dividend-paying companies are often time-tested; otherwise the company wouldn't regularly pay out a percentage of its income to investors. Secondly, dividend payments can help hedge against inevitable stock market corrections. Third, dividend stocks have historically outperformed non-dividend-paying stocks over the long run. And finally, dividend payments offer the opportunity to set up a dividend reinvestment plan, or DRIP, whereby your payout is reinvested in more shares of a dividend-paying stock, which leads to the ownership of more shares of stock and thus a bigger dividend payout -- it's a virtuous cycle.</p> <p>Investing in dividend stocks and setting up DRIPs is a common way seasoned money managers make bank for their clients over the long run -- and outpace the return of the broader market.</p> <p>However, "dividend stock" is a pretty broad term. Right now, there are 1,180 publicly traded companies with a market cap of at least $2 billion that have paid a dividend to investors at some point over the trailing-12-month period (note: This includes one-time special dividends as well). And not all dividend stocks are created equally.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>On one end of the spectrum are stocks with high yields of more than 4%, as well as about 50 so-called Dividend Aristocrats that have raised their payouts for at least 25 years straight. These are the types of stocks that can provide peace of mind and a healthy income stream for investors. On the other end of the spectrum we have the "why even bother" dividend stocks. These are companies that have ample cash flow and presumably strong profitability, yet pay a shamefully small dividend to their shareholders.</p> <p>Here are three companies that fall into the latter crowd -- "dividend stocks" that should really be ashamed of their current payout.</p> <p>In some respects, I can understand why an oil producer would decline to lift its dividend, given that crude prices have been so volatile over the past three years. However, Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD) isn't your average driller, and its current payout of $0.08 per share a year (a 0.04% yield) is an embarrassment considering how healthy its balance sheet is and how profitable it's expected to be at $55-per-barrel oil.</p> <p>Over the last couple of years, pretty much all drillers have struggled to some degree, but not Permian Basin-based Pioneer Natural Resources. Pioneer aggressively hedged a lot of its production, minimizing its exposure to market fluctuations in crude pricing. It has also been selling off a number of its non-core assets in an attempt to minimize its debt and focus only on its top-producing wells in Spraberry/Wolfcamp. What we're left with is a company with net debt-to-book capitalization of just 3% and the expectation that debt to EBITDA will remain below one through 2020 as long as oil remains around $55 a barrel.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Here are just some of the ridiculous growth expectations Pioneer brings to the table with oil at just $55 (remember, we were talking about $100 oil just a few years ago):</p> <p>These figures from Pioneer's December presentation suggest the company is in great shape compared to its peers -- though its dividend would suggest otherwise. Despite Wall Street estimates of nearly $12 in EPS and more than $33 in cash flow per share in 2019, Pioneer continues to pay a dismal dividend. Perhaps it's time to fix that, Pioneer!</p> <p>CIGNA (NYSE: CI), one of the nation's biggest national health insurance providers, has found itself on a rollercoaster ride over the past couple of years thanks to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, best known as Obamacare. Initially, Obamacare was expected to bring CIGNA and its peers millions of new enrollees, but initial enrollment estimates from the Congressional Budget Office proved too aggressive, and young adults who are vital to the sustainability of the ACA never welcomed the new health law with open arms. For most insurers, including CIGNA, the ACA has been a money-losing venture.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>But here's the thing about CIGNA: Obamacare enrollment makes up only a small fraction of its total enrollment. Commercial insurance deals are CIGNA's bread and butter, and it's having no issues passing along higher premiums and gaining new members in its commercial segment. Even with ACA uncertainty and subpar Medicare Part D reimbursement growth, CIGNA's profits are pushing higher. CIGNA wound up netting 328,000 new medical customers as of Q3 2016, and the company's somewhat recent decision to reduce its county-based Obamacare coverage by nearly 70% should result in higher margins in the quarters to come.</p> <p>Despite this fact, CIGNA's current dividend yield of 0.03% is downright insulting to income seekers. Wall Street estimates that CIGNA will grow its full-year EPS from nearly $8 in 2016 to $12.47 by 2019, all while generating more than $12 in cash flow per share in fiscal 2017. And you're telling me this "dividend stock's" management can only spare $0.04 per year for shareholders? This Fool believes CIGNA's management team should consider rewarding investors for their considerable patience.</p> <p>A final dividend stock that deserves a vigorous finger wag is predictive data analytics companyFair Isaac Corporation (NYSE: FICO). More commonly known as FICO, the company produces the credit scores that are so near and dear to our hearts.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Like most finance-based data analytics companies, FICO is cyclical, meaning the Great Recession really sacked new bookings. However, FICO has been benefiting from a multiyear bull market, and the company's fiscal 2016 results show it. For the year, FICO's transactional and maintenance segment, by far its largest, generated nearly $606 million in revenue -- a $41.7 million improvement from the prior year. Almost the entirety of that increase came from its "Scores" division. Professional services was a standout as well, with growth of $18 million, or 12%. Revenue growth for fiscal 2017 looks to be on the order of 5%.</p> <p>More recently, we've also witnessed the U.S. economy improving. Third-quarter GDP growth came in at 3.5%, which is the strongest pace in two years. A more confident growth environment could spur bigger deals and longer booking terms for FICO.</p> <p>Despite the economy working in FICO's favor, the company is currently paying out a paltry $0.02 per share each quarter, which amounts to an annual dividend yield of 0.07%! Mind you, Wall Street expects FICO to rake in $3.44 in EPS in fiscal 2017 and approach $5 in EPS by 2019. That works out to a current-year payout ratio of just over 2%! With FICO's higher-margin businesses firing on all cylinders and the U.S. economy finally cooperating, it's time for Fair Isaac to give shareholders a much-deserved dividend hike.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Cigna When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=90f6230a-4e98-4e47-8f2e-55c3a2572ea4&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now...and Cigna wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=90f6230a-4e98-4e47-8f2e-55c3a2572ea4&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFUltraLong/info.aspx" type="external">Sean Williams Opens a New Window.</a>has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name <a href="http://caps.fool.com/player/tmfultralong.aspx" type="external">TMFUltraLong Opens a New Window.</a>, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/TMFUltraLong" type="external">@TMFUltraLong Opens a New Window.</a>.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source getty images continue reading dividend stocks often foundation upon great retirement portfolios built generally speaking dividend stocks offer four key advantages companies dont pay dividend begin business models dividendpaying companies often timetested otherwise company wouldnt regularly pay percentage income investors secondly dividend payments help hedge inevitable stock market corrections third dividend stocks historically outperformed nondividendpaying stocks long run finally dividend payments offer opportunity set dividend reinvestment plan drip whereby payout reinvested shares dividendpaying stock leads ownership shares stock thus bigger dividend payout virtuous cycle investing dividend stocks setting drips common way seasoned money managers make bank clients long run outpace return broader market however dividend stock pretty broad term right 1180 publicly traded companies market cap least 2 billion paid dividend investors point trailing12month period note includes onetime special dividends well dividend stocks created equally advertisement image source getty images one end spectrum stocks high yields 4 well 50 socalled dividend aristocrats raised payouts least 25 years straight types stocks provide peace mind healthy income stream investors end spectrum even bother dividend stocks companies ample cash flow presumably strong profitability yet pay shamefully small dividend shareholders three companies fall latter crowd dividend stocks really ashamed current payout respects understand oil producer would decline lift dividend given crude prices volatile past three years however pioneer natural resources nyse pxd isnt average driller current payout 008 per share year 004 yield embarrassment considering healthy balance sheet profitable expected 55perbarrel oil last couple years pretty much drillers struggled degree permian basinbased pioneer natural resources pioneer aggressively hedged lot production minimizing exposure market fluctuations crude pricing also selling number noncore assets attempt minimize debt focus topproducing wells spraberrywolfcamp left company net debttobook capitalization 3 expectation debt ebitda remain one 2020 long oil remains around 55 barrel image source getty images ridiculous growth expectations pioneer brings table oil 55 remember talking 100 oil years ago figures pioneers december presentation suggest company great shape compared peers though dividend would suggest otherwise despite wall street estimates nearly 12 eps 33 cash flow per share 2019 pioneer continues pay dismal dividend perhaps time fix pioneer cigna nyse ci one nations biggest national health insurance providers found rollercoaster ride past couple years thanks implementation affordable care act best known obamacare initially obamacare expected bring cigna peers millions new enrollees initial enrollment estimates congressional budget office proved aggressive young adults vital sustainability aca never welcomed new health law open arms insurers including cigna aca moneylosing venture image source getty images heres thing cigna obamacare enrollment makes small fraction total enrollment commercial insurance deals cignas bread butter issues passing along higher premiums gaining new members commercial segment even aca uncertainty subpar medicare part reimbursement growth cignas profits pushing higher cigna wound netting 328000 new medical customers q3 2016 companys somewhat recent decision reduce countybased obamacare coverage nearly 70 result higher margins quarters come despite fact cignas current dividend yield 003 downright insulting income seekers wall street estimates cigna grow fullyear eps nearly 8 2016 1247 2019 generating 12 cash flow per share fiscal 2017 youre telling dividend stocks management spare 004 per year shareholders fool believes cignas management team consider rewarding investors considerable patience final dividend stock deserves vigorous finger wag predictive data analytics companyfair isaac corporation nyse fico commonly known fico company produces credit scores near dear hearts image source getty images like financebased data analytics companies fico cyclical meaning great recession really sacked new bookings however fico benefiting multiyear bull market companys fiscal 2016 results show year ficos transactional maintenance segment far largest generated nearly 606 million revenue 417 million improvement prior year almost entirety increase came scores division professional services standout well growth 18 million 12 revenue growth fiscal 2017 looks order 5 recently weve also witnessed us economy improving thirdquarter gdp growth came 35 strongest pace two years confident growth environment could spur bigger deals longer booking terms fico despite economy working ficos favor company currently paying paltry 002 per share quarter amounts annual dividend yield 007 mind wall street expects fico rake 344 eps fiscal 2017 approach 5 eps 2019 works currentyear payout ratio 2 ficos highermargin businesses firing cylinders us economy finally cooperating time fair isaac give shareholders muchdeserved dividend hike 10 stocks like better cigna investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right nowand cigna wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns january 4 2017 sean williams opens new windowhas material interest companies mentioned article follow caps screen name tmfultralong opens new window check twitter goes handle tmfultralong opens new windowthe motley fool position stocks mentionedthe motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>When Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) sought Justice Department approval to acquire SABMiller in a $100 billion merger, one of the stipulations it agreed to was it would stop trying to <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/25/is-anheuser-busch-inbev-sa-adr-trying-to-snuff-out.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">snuff out Opens a New Window.</a> craft beer competition. The global brewing giant had been buying up craft brewers and their distributors, while encouraging others to carry only Anheuser-Busch brands, but the antitrust agency said if it wanted the deal to go through, it would have to halt such practices.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>There's immense satisfaction from brewing small-batch beers in your kitchen or basement, but Anheuser-Busch InBev's purchase of two home-brewing suppliers may sour the effort. Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Although A-B InBev assented to the demand, apparently the macro brewer has found a way to comply with the dictate while also doing an end run around it. A seemingly innocuous acquisition of twohome-brewing suppliers could be Anheuser-Busch's most pointed threat to craft beer industry yet.</p> <p>According to the Brewers Association (which represents the craft beer industry), with more than 4,200 craft breweries operating in the U.S. today, an 18% increase from the year-ago period, there are more breweries in America now <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/18/dont-believe-the-hype-craft-beer-isnt-dying.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">than ever before Opens a New Window.</a> and there are many more planning to open in the future.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Many, if not most of those craft breweries started off as a homebrewers crafting beer in their basement 5 gallons at a time, and giving away the product to family and friends. For example, Dogfish Head Brewery founder Sam Calagione first brewed beer at home, then opened a brew pub in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in 1995. Today it is one of the top 20 craft brewers in the country. Same with New Belgium Brewing, which got its start in Fort Collins, Colorado.</p> <p>And, of course, Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM), which is arguably still the face of the craft beer industry despite its size, began in founder Jim Koch's parents' kitchen in Boston. Last year it shipped 4.2 million barrels and generated almost $1 billion in revenue.Just a fraction of that business is the kind of success many home and smaller craft brewers aspire to.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>The Brewers Association says craft beer now accounts for more than 12% of all beer produced. Where mass-produced suds barely register any growth at all, craft breweries have been growing volumes at double-digit rates.</p> <p>Anheuser-Busch hasn't been blind to the trend. It launched its Shock Top "craft" beer brand in response to the success MillerCoors -- now wholly owned by Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) following A-B's merger with Miller -- enjoyed with its Blue Moon brand. It also <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/08/should-budweiser-buy-samuel-adams.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">began acquiring Opens a New Window.</a> over a dozen craft breweries, too, including Goose Island Brewery, Elysian Brewing, and its most recent acquisition earlier this year of Devil's Backbone Brewing.</p> <p>That's when A-B InBev also decided it needed to <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/25/is-anheuser-busch-inbev-sa-adr-trying-to-snuff-out.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">game the system Opens a New Window.</a> in its favor. A year ago it bought two Colorado-based distributors and was quoted as saying, "American Eagle currently sells approximately 20 non-AB brands. We are seeking to keep a handful of local brands, pending supplier approval." A lot of craft beers felt distributors were going to drop them.</p> <p>A-B InBev then began incentivizing other distributors to carry only its brands, agreeing to pay most of their marketing costs if 90% or more of the brands they carried were Anheuser-Busch brands. That's when the Justice Department stepped in with its investigation and delivered its cease-and-desist ultimatum.</p> <p>Now Anheuser-Busch has purchased the two biggest suppliers to the homebrew market, Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies, through its venture capital arm, ZX Ventures, which describes itself as a global disruptive growth group and incubator.The deal with the suppliers was for an undisclosed sum.</p> <p>Northern Brewer founder Chris Farley wrote on his company's blog that the deal is all about growing the business and that both management and the business will remain independent.Yet by Anheuser-Busch effectively acquiring the suppliers that many craft brewers today once used to get their start comes with it certain implications. The simple fact of the matter is that AB InBev will have an even stronger hold on beer consumption in the U.S.</p> <p>Many big craft breweries got started in the kitchens, basements, and college dorm rooms of their founders, buying gear from the biggest suppliers in the market. Image source: Flickr user Joe Lipson.</p> <p>According to the American Homebrewers Association, 815 local homebrewing stores sold $764 million worth of beer-making supplies last year to the country's estimated 1.2 million homebrewers. They also say that's likely a conservative number, because a lot of homebrewing equipment is now available at retailers other than specialty local homebrewing stores.</p> <p>Northern Brewer isestimated to generate some $50 million in annual sales, meaning that at a little more than 6% of the industry total, the industry remains highly fragmented.</p> <p>Still, it's possible the purchase won't sit well with many homebrewers who make their own beer because of a love for the craft behind it. While Northern Brewer's distribution will improve as a result of the acquisition, making equipment available to more people, homebrewers might not like their money supporting Anheuser-Busch or mass-produced beer, which is anathema to the craft brew ethic.</p> <p>Of course, we've heard complaints before when a craft brewer sells out to a mass beer maker. Not only has A-B been buying craft breweries, but so has Heineken,which acquired a 50% stake in Lagunitas, andConstellation Brands, which <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/11/29/1-billion-for-this-tiny-craft-brewer-what-does-i-2.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">spent $1 billion Opens a New Window.</a> buying Ballast Point Brewing &amp;amp; Spirits.</p> <p>Ultimately, homebrewers may not care where they get their supplies from so long as they're able to continue making good, small-batch beer. And that means Anheuser-Busch InBev will have wormed its way into the craft beer market by buying up the stepping stone that many brewers utilize before they go pro.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2667&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFCop/info.aspx" type="external">Rich Duprey Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and Boston Beer. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

anheuserbusch inbev nyse bud sought justice department approval acquire sabmiller 100 billion merger one stipulations agreed would stop trying snuff opens new window craft beer competition global brewing giant buying craft brewers distributors encouraging others carry anheuserbusch brands antitrust agency said wanted deal go would halt practices continue reading theres immense satisfaction brewing smallbatch beers kitchen basement anheuserbusch inbevs purchase two homebrewing suppliers may sour effort image source getty images although ab inbev assented demand apparently macro brewer found way comply dictate also end run around seemingly innocuous acquisition twohomebrewing suppliers could anheuserbuschs pointed threat craft beer industry yet according brewers association represents craft beer industry 4200 craft breweries operating us today 18 increase yearago period breweries america ever opens new window many planning open future advertisement many craft breweries started homebrewers crafting beer basement 5 gallons time giving away product family friends example dogfish head brewery founder sam calagione first brewed beer home opened brew pub rehoboth beach delaware 1995 today one top 20 craft brewers country new belgium brewing got start fort collins colorado course boston beer nyse sam arguably still face craft beer industry despite size began founder jim kochs parents kitchen boston last year shipped 42 million barrels generated almost 1 billion revenuejust fraction business kind success many home smaller craft brewers aspire image source getty images brewers association says craft beer accounts 12 beer produced massproduced suds barely register growth craft breweries growing volumes doubledigit rates anheuserbusch hasnt blind trend launched shock top craft beer brand response success millercoors wholly owned molson coors nyse tap following abs merger miller enjoyed blue moon brand also began acquiring opens new window dozen craft breweries including goose island brewery elysian brewing recent acquisition earlier year devils backbone brewing thats ab inbev also decided needed game system opens new window favor year ago bought two coloradobased distributors quoted saying american eagle currently sells approximately 20 nonab brands seeking keep handful local brands pending supplier approval lot craft beers felt distributors going drop ab inbev began incentivizing distributors carry brands agreeing pay marketing costs 90 brands carried anheuserbusch brands thats justice department stepped investigation delivered ceaseanddesist ultimatum anheuserbusch purchased two biggest suppliers homebrew market northern brewer midwest supplies venture capital arm zx ventures describes global disruptive growth group incubatorthe deal suppliers undisclosed sum northern brewer founder chris farley wrote companys blog deal growing business management business remain independentyet anheuserbusch effectively acquiring suppliers many craft brewers today used get start comes certain implications simple fact matter ab inbev even stronger hold beer consumption us many big craft breweries got started kitchens basements college dorm rooms founders buying gear biggest suppliers market image source flickr user joe lipson according american homebrewers association 815 local homebrewing stores sold 764 million worth beermaking supplies last year countrys estimated 12 million homebrewers also say thats likely conservative number lot homebrewing equipment available retailers specialty local homebrewing stores northern brewer isestimated generate 50 million annual sales meaning little 6 industry total industry remains highly fragmented still possible purchase wont sit well many homebrewers make beer love craft behind northern brewers distribution improve result acquisition making equipment available people homebrewers might like money supporting anheuserbusch massproduced beer anathema craft brew ethic course weve heard complaints craft brewer sells mass beer maker ab buying craft breweries heinekenwhich acquired 50 stake lagunitas andconstellation brands spent 1 billion opens new window buying ballast point brewing amp spirits ultimately homebrewers may care get supplies long theyre able continue making good smallbatch beer means anheuserbusch inbev wormed way craft beer market buying stepping stone many brewers utilize go pro secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window rich duprey opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends anheuserbusch inbev nv boston beer try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Imation (IMN) has shipped the world&#8217;s first wireless USB hard drive, the Pro WX Wireless USB Hard Drive, finally implementing a technology that&#8217;s been in development for several years.&amp;#160;FOXBusiness.com had the opportunity to take the new device for a spin.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Wireless USB is a new standard for USB. It promises theoretical speeds of up to 60MB/s.&amp;#160;Its actual transfer rate will vary but typically goes up to 38MB/s.&amp;#160;It has a maximum range of 10 meters.</p> <p>801.11n is the most recent standard for Wi-Fi networks.&amp;#160;Its theoretical cap is 38MB/s, but in real-world situations runs at 9MB/s.&amp;#160;Meant to be used as a network connection, 802.11n is designed to reach up to 100 meters.</p> <p>USB 2.0&#8217;s theoretical maximum speed is 60MB/s but typically performs at around 30MB/s.&amp;#160;This is a wired connection, however, and can only go as far as the cable extends (usually 5 meters at most).</p> <p>Imation&#8217;s WUSB drive is definitely a looker.&amp;#160;It has an Apple-esque white front with a glowing Imation logo.&amp;#160; On the sides, it&#8217;s black giving it more of a professional look.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The device is the size of most external hard drives but can stand vertically to save space with two <a href="" type="internal">chrome</a> legs that flip out from the bottom, making it ideal for placement on a bookshelf or a desktop.</p> <p>The Wireless USB adapter is slightly larger than a USB thumb drive and includes a swivel adapter to keep it out of the way. Imation also includes a USB cable for backing up the largest files.</p> <p>The drive, which holds a massive 1.5TB, features plug and play functionality in Windows XP, Vista, 7 and Mac OS X (10.4 and above).</p> <p>Although Wireless USB supports faster speeds, the Pro WX offers up to 15 MB/s in real-world speeds, according to Imation.</p> <p><a href="" type="internal">See FOXBusiness.com's personal technology page for the latest news and videos on gadgets and tech.</a></p> <p>The USB adapter was quickly recognized and installed automatically after being plugged into a Windows 7 laptop.&amp;#160;The drive immediately popped up in Windows Explorer and was ready for use.</p> <p>A quick test revealed that the speed is certainly there.&amp;#160;At a distance of just under 7 feet from the hard drive, copying 100MB of music files to the drive took just 18 seconds.</p> <p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/imation-pro-wx-wireless-usb-hard-drive-reviewed/" type="external">Engadget did much more extensive speed tests Opens a New Window.</a> than I was able to and found that the drive lives up to its said maximum speed of 15MB/s.</p> <p>The Pro WX includes backup software from Memeo that is simple to install and use.&amp;#160;No CD is even necessary, as the software&#8217;s setup files are on the drive.</p> <p>The software has presets to back up typical personal files and settings but is not designed to perform a full system backup.</p> <p>Using Memeo, I backed up and verified 2GB of data in about 7 minutes, and the system was completely useable during the process.&amp;#160;In the case of slowdown, Memeo can also be minimized to run in the background and allow more system resources to other tasks.</p> <p>It&#8217;s worth pointing out that the software stores multiple versions of files, so they can be restored to former states at a later time, much like OS X&#8217;s Time Machine feature, which the Imation Pro WX is fully compatible with.&amp;#160;More on that later.</p> <p>I had some connectivity issues with the drive using Windows 7.&amp;#160;At one point it appeared to disconnect after a few minutes into a backup using the Memeo software.&amp;#160;Fixing this required powering off the hard drive and disconnecting the USB dongle,&amp;#160;then reattaching the USB adapter and turning the drive back on.&amp;#160; I found that keeping the drive closer to the computer prevented this from happening.&amp;#160;Interference might be to blame.</p> <p>In terms of range, the hard drive performed at its best in a range of less than 10 feet.&amp;#160;Moving farther away slowed its speed markedly and eventually the connection was lost. The signal was not able to penetrate a wall to allow for backing up from another room.&amp;#160;But, to the Pro WX&#8217;s credit, wireless USB was not designed to be used at large distances.&amp;#160;According to Imation, the drive can be up to 30 feet from the host computer.</p> <p>In order to use the Pro WX on a Macintosh, setup files for the Mac version of the Memeo software had to be copied onto the computer.&amp;#160;Then the drive itself needed to be formatted for use on a Mac.&amp;#160;Using OS X&#8217;s Disk Utility can accomplish this, but the process could be intimidating for an inexperienced user.</p> <p>The drive worked at similar speeds on a Mac when copying and backing up personal files with the Memeo software.</p> <p>Imation&#8217;s Wireless USB drive is also fully compatible with OS X&#8217;s Time Machine application, which is a full system image backup.&amp;#160;Time Machine&#8217;s heavy level of integration with OS X makes it a preferable option for backing up a hard drive than using the Memeo software on a Mac.</p> <p>A typical USB 2.0 external hard drive will work at much faster speeds than any wireless solution.&amp;#160;But that speed comes at a cost of less convenience.&amp;#160;While we&#8217;re supposed to frequently back up our data, if a user always needs to manually connect a drive to his laptop, how often will he or she go through the hassle?&amp;#160;With a wireless connection, the user doesn&#8217;t even need to think to backup the drive with the appropriate automatic backup software.</p> <p>What about a Wi-Fi-based solution like Apple&#8217;s (AAPL) Time Capsule?&amp;#160;While this wireless network drive makes backing require little user intervention beyond its initial setup, the real-world 802.11n transfer rate of 9MB/s leaves something to be desired, especially when copying large files, which is clearly the case with backing up a computer.&amp;#160;However, one huge benefit to using Wi-Fi technology is its range and ability to penetrate through walls.</p> <p>Imation&#8217;s implementation of wireless USB technology provides speeds that are faster than those of Wi-Fi, which is clearly beneficial for transferring larger files within a short range.&amp;#160;This is more convenient than having to physically plug a USB hard drive to a laptop or desktop computer and makes backing up a computer much easier.</p> <p>However, there are some drawbacks, depending on a user&#8217;s individual preferences.&amp;#160;The Pro WX does not have a huge range due to limitations in wireless USB technology.&amp;#160;It also probably won&#8217;t be backing up your laptop if you take it into another room.&amp;#160;And finally, the USB dongle used to connect to the drive can sometimes get in the way, despite the swivel adapter.</p> <p>As wireless USB technology becomes mainstream, there will be less need for a USB adapter.&amp;#160;Indeed, Imation says the Pro WX can work with computers that have built-in wireless USB capabilities.</p> <p>In the end, whether this drive is for you depends on individual needs and preferences.&amp;#160; If range and mobility are top concerns, Wi-Fi technology might be a better bet.&amp;#160;But for the top wireless transfer speeds currently available in a backup solution, the Imation Pro WX Wireless USB Hard Drive is just what you need.</p>

imation imn shipped worlds first wireless usb hard drive pro wx wireless usb hard drive finally implementing technology thats development several years160foxbusinesscom opportunity take new device spin continue reading wireless usb new standard usb promises theoretical speeds 60mbs160its actual transfer rate vary typically goes 38mbs160it maximum range 10 meters 80111n recent standard wifi networks160its theoretical cap 38mbs realworld situations runs 9mbs160meant used network connection 80211n designed reach 100 meters usb 20s theoretical maximum speed 60mbs typically performs around 30mbs160this wired connection however go far cable extends usually 5 meters imations wusb drive definitely looker160it appleesque white front glowing imation logo160 sides black giving professional look advertisement device size external hard drives stand vertically save space two chrome legs flip bottom making ideal placement bookshelf desktop wireless usb adapter slightly larger usb thumb drive includes swivel adapter keep way imation also includes usb cable backing largest files drive holds massive 15tb features plug play functionality windows xp vista 7 mac os x 104 although wireless usb supports faster speeds pro wx offers 15 mbs realworld speeds according imation see foxbusinesscoms personal technology page latest news videos gadgets tech usb adapter quickly recognized installed automatically plugged windows 7 laptop160the drive immediately popped windows explorer ready use quick test revealed speed certainly there160at distance 7 feet hard drive copying 100mb music files drive took 18 seconds engadget much extensive speed tests opens new window able found drive lives said maximum speed 15mbs pro wx includes backup software memeo simple install use160no cd even necessary softwares setup files drive software presets back typical personal files settings designed perform full system backup using memeo backed verified 2gb data 7 minutes system completely useable process160in case slowdown memeo also minimized run background allow system resources tasks worth pointing software stores multiple versions files restored former states later time much like os xs time machine feature imation pro wx fully compatible with160more later connectivity issues drive using windows 7160at one point appeared disconnect minutes backup using memeo software160fixing required powering hard drive disconnecting usb dongle160then reattaching usb adapter turning drive back on160 found keeping drive closer computer prevented happening160interference might blame terms range hard drive performed best range less 10 feet160moving farther away slowed speed markedly eventually connection lost signal able penetrate wall allow backing another room160but pro wxs credit wireless usb designed used large distances160according imation drive 30 feet host computer order use pro wx macintosh setup files mac version memeo software copied onto computer160then drive needed formatted use mac160using os xs disk utility accomplish process could intimidating inexperienced user drive worked similar speeds mac copying backing personal files memeo software imations wireless usb drive also fully compatible os xs time machine application full system image backup160time machines heavy level integration os x makes preferable option backing hard drive using memeo software mac typical usb 20 external hard drive work much faster speeds wireless solution160but speed comes cost less convenience160while supposed frequently back data user always needs manually connect drive laptop often go hassle160with wireless connection user doesnt even need think backup drive appropriate automatic backup software wifibased solution like apples aapl time capsule160while wireless network drive makes backing require little user intervention beyond initial setup realworld 80211n transfer rate 9mbs leaves something desired especially copying large files clearly case backing computer160however one huge benefit using wifi technology range ability penetrate walls imations implementation wireless usb technology provides speeds faster wifi clearly beneficial transferring larger files within short range160this convenient physically plug usb hard drive laptop desktop computer makes backing computer much easier however drawbacks depending users individual preferences160the pro wx huge range due limitations wireless usb technology160it also probably wont backing laptop take another room160and finally usb dongle used connect drive sometimes get way despite swivel adapter wireless usb technology becomes mainstream less need usb adapter160indeed imation says pro wx work computers builtin wireless usb capabilities end whether drive depends individual needs preferences160 range mobility top concerns wifi technology might better bet160but top wireless transfer speeds currently available backup solution imation pro wx wireless usb hard drive need

<p>( <a href="https://www.intellihub.com/red-alert-fbi-investigating-the-alternative-media-for-exposing-hillary-clinton/" type="external">INTELLIHUB</a>) &#8212; In a stunning turn of events, the FBI is now apparently investigating multiple alternative news outlets for <a href="" type="internal">supposed Russian connections</a>, according to&amp;#160;deep state operatives who gave the information to McClatchy News in an obvious attempt to undermine the growing power of the anti-establishment media.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article139695453.html" type="external">report</a>,&amp;#160;completely sourced by globalist operatives, claims that federal investigators are examining (see making up out of thin air) whether &#8220;far-right&#8221; news sites played any role in the Russian cyber operation that some in the&amp;#160;intelligence community claim widened the reach of news stories that favored Donald Trump.</p> <p>According to the anonymous sources in the McClatchy report, operatives for Russia strategically timed computer commands or &#8220;bots&#8221; to flood social media with links to pro-Trump stories, including those that appeared on sites like Infowars and Breitbart.</p> <p>&#8220;The bots&#8217; end products were largely millions of Twitter and Facebook posts carrying links to stories on conservative internet sites such as Breitbart News and InfoWars, as well as on the Kremlin-backed RT News and Sputnik News, the sources said. Some of the stories were false or mixed fact and fiction, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the bot attacks are part of an FBI-led investigation into a multifaceted Russian operation to influence last year&#8217;s elections,&#8221; reads the <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article139695453.html" type="external">McClatchy disinformation piece.</a></p> <p>When reading through the piece it becomes clear that these news outlets are not actually being targeted because of Russian connections (there literally is none) but because they were critical of failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton throughout the election which is somehow being framed as the work of Russian operatives when in reality it was patriotic Americans who were fed up with the open corruption of the entire Clinton family.</p> <p>The McClatchy report continued, &#8220;A top priority of investigators is to determine who delivered those hacked emails to WikiLeaks, a London-based transparency site that published them online, the sources said. News stories about the emails embarrassed Clinton at key points in the campaign. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has denied that the Russian government was the source of the email dump.&#8221;</p> <p>&#8220;As for the bots, they carried links not only to news stories but also to Democratic emails posted on WikiLeaks, especially those hacked from Podesta and made public in October, said Philip Howard, a professor at the Oxford University Internet Institute who has researched the bot attacks.&#8221;</p> <p>So there you have it. Legitimate independent news outlets are Russian agents because they wrote about the hacked emails published by Wikileaks. In the new red-scare America you literally cannot be critical of Hillary Clinton without being accused of being a Russian operative.</p> <p>Amazingly, the McClatchy piece even quotes Clinton operative John Podesta and disgraced Democratic operative&amp;#160;Donna Brazile as if that somehow gives the article more credibility when in reality it shows who this attack is meant to help by literally quoting the people who were exposed&amp;#160;by the Wikileaks release in the first place.</p> <p>Keep in mind that thanks to the more recent Vault 7 Wikileaks release we already know that the intelligence community has the ability to carry out hack attacks and pin the blame on foreign nations, including the Russian Federation.</p> <p>As I <a href="https://www.intellihub.com/the-cia-umbrage-group-can-stage-russian-hacking/" type="external">wrote at the time</a> of their release, &#8220;Among the startling revelations coming out through the Wikileaks &#8220; <a href="" type="internal">Vault 7</a>&#8221; release is the shocking fact that the CIA has the ability to &#8220;misdirect attribution&#8221; of a hack, effectively making it look as if a country such as Russian was the culprit when in reality it was forces within the Central Intelligence Agency itself.&#8221;</p> <p>Now all of a sudden the American people are supposed to believe that Russian bot attacks were used to spread alternative news reports when we already know for a FACT that outlets such as Infowars have absolutely no connection to Russia?!</p> <p>Make no mistake, this is about scaring and possibly censoring news outlets that do not spread the establishment narrative in yet another attack on the free press in the wake of Donald Trump&#8217;s stunning election victory. (News outlets such as McClatchy are openly doing the dirty work for the deep state.)</p> <p>Another key element of this attack is the fact that we now know that FBI director James Comey is absolutely 100% a globalist operative who is not only working directly against the president but&amp;#160;also using the power of his position to target news outlets that are not on board with the 24/7 anti-Trump attacks seen throughout the mainstream media.</p> <p>Unfortunately, no one ever said the deep state operatives working against Trump were stupid and they have now put Comey in a position where he can basically do whatever he wants without being fired due to the fact that he is investigating <a href="https://www.infowars.com/intelligence-hearing-reveals-no-trump-russia-connections/" type="external">the fake ties</a> between Trump and Russia and his firing would be seen as an act to cover-up those allegations.</p> <p>While Trump may not be able to fire him at this moment, the American people can surely make their voices heard and DEMAND that Comey stop using FBI resources for a political witch-hunt that targets the foes of the establishment. We truly CANNOT stay quiet as this attack could be the beginning of the end of the real free press in America.</p> <p>It is also important to note that while Infowars and Breitbart were the outlets named, its highly likely that the FBI is targeting numerous other outlets including any number of websites that were originally listed as Russian agents in the failed ProporNot list published by the Washington Post. (Which includes Intellihub.)</p> <p /> <p>Alex Thomas is an opinion journalist and editor for Intellihub News. He was a founding member of what later became <a href="https://www.intellihub.com/" type="external">Intellihub.com</a> and an integral part&amp;#160;of the team that destroyed the mainstream media blockade on Bilderberg in 2012. You can&amp;#160; <a href="mailto:alex@intellihub.com" type="external">contact him here.</a></p> <p /> <p />

intellihub stunning turn events fbi apparently investigating multiple alternative news outlets supposed russian connections according to160deep state operatives gave information mcclatchy news obvious attempt undermine growing power antiestablishment media report160completely sourced globalist operatives claims federal investigators examining see making thin air whether farright news sites played role russian cyber operation the160intelligence community claim widened reach news stories favored donald trump according anonymous sources mcclatchy report operatives russia strategically timed computer commands bots flood social media links protrump stories including appeared sites like infowars breitbart bots end products largely millions twitter facebook posts carrying links stories conservative internet sites breitbart news infowars well kremlinbacked rt news sputnik news sources said stories false mixed fact fiction said sources spoke condition anonymity bot attacks part fbiled investigation multifaceted russian operation influence last years elections reads mcclatchy disinformation piece reading piece becomes clear news outlets actually targeted russian connections literally none critical failed presidential candidate hillary clinton throughout election somehow framed work russian operatives reality patriotic americans fed open corruption entire clinton family mcclatchy report continued top priority investigators determine delivered hacked emails wikileaks londonbased transparency site published online sources said news stories emails embarrassed clinton key points campaign wikileaks founder julian assange denied russian government source email dump bots carried links news stories also democratic emails posted wikileaks especially hacked podesta made public october said philip howard professor oxford university internet institute researched bot attacks legitimate independent news outlets russian agents wrote hacked emails published wikileaks new redscare america literally critical hillary clinton without accused russian operative amazingly mcclatchy piece even quotes clinton operative john podesta disgraced democratic operative160donna brazile somehow gives article credibility reality shows attack meant help literally quoting people exposed160by wikileaks release first place keep mind thanks recent vault 7 wikileaks release already know intelligence community ability carry hack attacks pin blame foreign nations including russian federation wrote time release among startling revelations coming wikileaks vault 7 release shocking fact cia ability misdirect attribution hack effectively making look country russian culprit reality forces within central intelligence agency sudden american people supposed believe russian bot attacks used spread alternative news reports already know fact outlets infowars absolutely connection russia make mistake scaring possibly censoring news outlets spread establishment narrative yet another attack free press wake donald trumps stunning election victory news outlets mcclatchy openly dirty work deep state another key element attack fact know fbi director james comey absolutely 100 globalist operative working directly president but160also using power position target news outlets board 247 antitrump attacks seen throughout mainstream media unfortunately one ever said deep state operatives working trump stupid put comey position basically whatever wants without fired due fact investigating fake ties trump russia firing would seen act coverup allegations trump may able fire moment american people surely make voices heard demand comey stop using fbi resources political witchhunt targets foes establishment truly stay quiet attack could beginning end real free press america also important note infowars breitbart outlets named highly likely fbi targeting numerous outlets including number websites originally listed russian agents failed propornot list published washington post includes intellihub alex thomas opinion journalist editor intellihub news founding member later became intellihubcom integral part160of team destroyed mainstream media blockade bilderberg 2012 can160 contact

<p /> <p>NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) recently unveiled Spot, a $50 golf ball-sized microphone which can be plugged into any electrical socket. The device picks up speech up to 20 feet away and synchronizes with NVIDIA's Shield TV set-top box to control smart home devices.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The NVIDIA Spot. Image source: NVIDIA.</p> <p>But instead of building an ecosystem from scratch, NVIDIA has tethered Spot to Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google Assistant and Samsung's SmartThings as a "universal remote" for both platforms. The Spot and Shield TV will be compatible with Google AI out of the box, but customers need to purchase an additional dongle to add SmartThings compatibility. The Spot will also only be compatible with the Shield TV, and not other hubs like Google Home.</p> <p>NVIDIA's approach is interesting, but can it help the GPU giant gain ground in the highly competitive smart home market? Or will it be overshadowed by more widely recognized products like Google Home and Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) Echo devices?</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>After NVIDIA's Tegra CPUs failed to gain ground in the smartphone and tablet markets, the chipmaker launched the Shield family of devices (a handheld, gaming tablet, and set-top box) to showcase the Tegra's capabilities.</p> <p>Those devices didn't gain much mainstream momentum, but they appealed to niche users who wanted to play Android games on multiple screens or stream PC games to other devices. More importantly, the Shield gaming tablet got the attention of Nintendo, which had NVIDIA supply custom Tegra processors forits new Switch consoles.</p> <p>NVIDIA's Shield TV. Image source: NVIDIA.</p> <p>Despite that progress, the Tegra's core market remains the automotive one, where it powers infotainment and navigation systems in high-end cars. That's why NVIDIA's automotive revenue rose 61% annually last quarter and accounted for6% of its top line.</p> <p>But the ties between smart homes and connected cars are already appearing. Amazon, for example, is working with Fordto haveits cars "talk" to its smart homes via Echo and vice versa. Ford's Sync connect system enables car owners to remotely start their cars from inside the house, turn off lights from inside the car, and check the status of their computer-monitored components via Alexa.</p> <p>Therefore, NVIDIA's move into the smart home market could be an attempt to establish similar connections between its Tegra-powered vehicles, Spot, and Shield TV devices. It certainly could leverage its strength in the automotive market to do so, but Amazon, Google, Samsung, and others might have a better starting position from inside the house.</p> <p>Each of these smart home players has unique advantages. Amazon's robust sales of cheap Echo devices, its prisoner-taking Prime ecosystem, and the gradual introduction of Dash buttons and DRS-enabled appliances make it a natural fit for linking homes to the internet. Amazon's Echo Dot costs the same as NVIDIA's Spot, but doesn't require an additional set-top box like the Shield TV -- which starts at$200.</p> <p>Google Home, which costs $130, is more expensive than the Spot but doesn't require an additional set-top box. That could make it the ideal choice for customers who are heavily dependent on Google's massive ecosystem of services. Meanwhile, Samsung's SmartThings customers might already own the SmartThings hub, which lets them control their smart appliances via a mobile app -- which makes the Spot and Shield TV combination seem redundant.</p> <p>Investors also shouldn't forget about Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which has already tethered plenty of home automation devices to its HomeKit platform. Apple is also reportedly planning to launch a Siri-powered smart speaker tocompete against Home and Echo. Looking further ahead, Facebookwill launch its home automation platform Jarvis, which couldextend the social network's reach into your connected appliances. Therefore, NVIDIA's Spot could easily be left behind as these tech titans battle it out for control of the smart home market.</p> <p>Research firm Markets and Markets estimates that the smart home market couldgrow from $47 billion in 2015 to $122 billion by 2022. But investors should take that bullish forecast with a grain of salt, since security issues, privacy concerns, and the challenge of changing everyday routines could easily throttle the market's growth.</p> <p>Therefore, NVIDIA's expansion into the smart home market deserves attention, but it won't likely become a pillar of growth anytime soon. Instead, investors should focus on its growth in gaming GPUs, data center GPUs (for machine learning), and automotive CPUs instead.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Nvidia When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=b27826e2-255f-41da-8819-7421f9f83077&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Nvidia wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=b27826e2-255f-41da-8819-7421f9f83077&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017</p> <p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon.com and Ford. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook, Ford, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

nvidia nasdaq nvda recently unveiled spot 50 golf ballsized microphone plugged electrical socket device picks speech 20 feet away synchronizes nvidias shield tv settop box control smart home devices continue reading nvidia spot image source nvidia instead building ecosystem scratch nvidia tethered spot alphabets nasdaq goog nasdaq googl google assistant samsungs smartthings universal remote platforms spot shield tv compatible google ai box customers need purchase additional dongle add smartthings compatibility spot also compatible shield tv hubs like google home nvidias approach interesting help gpu giant gain ground highly competitive smart home market overshadowed widely recognized products like google home amazons nasdaq amzn echo devices advertisement nvidias tegra cpus failed gain ground smartphone tablet markets chipmaker launched shield family devices handheld gaming tablet settop box showcase tegras capabilities devices didnt gain much mainstream momentum appealed niche users wanted play android games multiple screens stream pc games devices importantly shield gaming tablet got attention nintendo nvidia supply custom tegra processors forits new switch consoles nvidias shield tv image source nvidia despite progress tegras core market remains automotive one powers infotainment navigation systems highend cars thats nvidias automotive revenue rose 61 annually last quarter accounted for6 top line ties smart homes connected cars already appearing amazon example working fordto haveits cars talk smart homes via echo vice versa fords sync connect system enables car owners remotely start cars inside house turn lights inside car check status computermonitored components via alexa therefore nvidias move smart home market could attempt establish similar connections tegrapowered vehicles spot shield tv devices certainly could leverage strength automotive market amazon google samsung others might better starting position inside house smart home players unique advantages amazons robust sales cheap echo devices prisonertaking prime ecosystem gradual introduction dash buttons drsenabled appliances make natural fit linking homes internet amazons echo dot costs nvidias spot doesnt require additional settop box like shield tv starts at200 google home costs 130 expensive spot doesnt require additional settop box could make ideal choice customers heavily dependent googles massive ecosystem services meanwhile samsungs smartthings customers might already smartthings hub lets control smart appliances via mobile app makes spot shield tv combination seem redundant investors also shouldnt forget apple nasdaq aapl already tethered plenty home automation devices homekit platform apple also reportedly planning launch siripowered smart speaker tocompete home echo looking ahead facebookwill launch home automation platform jarvis couldextend social networks reach connected appliances therefore nvidias spot could easily left behind tech titans battle control smart home market research firm markets markets estimates smart home market couldgrow 47 billion 2015 122 billion 2022 investors take bullish forecast grain salt since security issues privacy concerns challenge changing everyday routines could easily throttle markets growth therefore nvidias expansion smart home market deserves attention wont likely become pillar growth anytime soon instead investors focus growth gaming gpus data center gpus machine learning automotive cpus instead 10 stocks like better nvidia investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right nvidia wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns january 4 2017 suzanne frey executive alphabet member motley fools board directors leo sun opens new window owns shares amazoncom ford motley fool owns shares recommends alphabet shares alphabet c shares amazoncom apple facebook ford nvidia motley fool following options long january 2018 90 calls apple short january 2018 95 calls apple motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>The energy market is still trying to move past the aftermath of the oil market downturn. That said, while crude is down about 50% from its peak, companies have cut costs and repaired their balance sheets, which suggests smoother sailing ahead even if oil remains low. However, despite the increasing likelihood that the worst is in the rearview mirror, many energy stocks trade at dirt-cheap valuations, with some of the deepest values found with energy infrastructure companies.</p> <p>Because of that, investors can pick up some impressive dividend yields that appear to be on solid ground. Two that stand out as being absurdly cheap despite offering well-supported payouts are Corenergy Infrastructure Trust (NYSE: CORR) and Crestwood Equity Partners (NYSE: CEQP).</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Corenergy Infrastructure Trust currently yields an eye-catching 9%. One of the reasons it pays so well is that the company has chosen to structure itself as a <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/reit.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">real estate investment trust Opens a New Window.</a> (REIT), which requires it to pay out the bulk of its earnings to investors. What's different about Corenergy compared to other REITs is that instead of owning apartment buildings or office complexes, it owns infrastructure assets like pipelines, gathering systems, and terminals that it leases to tenants under long-term contracts.</p> <p>The company currently expects these contracts to generate about $4 per share in adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) this year. That number is noteworthy for two reasons. First, it provides ample coverage for the dividend, which is currently $3 per share. Second, at the company's recent $34 stock price, Corenergy Infrastructure Trust trades at just 8.5 times its projected AFFO, which is about half the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/31/3-value-stocks-for-shrewd-investors.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">multiple that many other REITs trade at these days Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Typically, when a company trades at such a depressed valuation, it's because of some underlying financial problem. However, that's not the case with Corenergy, since its adjusted total debt to total capitalization ratio is currently 21%, which is well below its 25% to 50% target range. Instead, the driving force seems to be the fact that two of its top tenants went bankrupt during the oil market downturn. However, both continued to pay their leases throughout the process and have since reemerged without making any changes to the contracts since they are critical to their operations. Because of that, Corenergy should continue to generate more than enough cash flow to cover its dividend. Additionally, it has ample financial flexibility to make acquisitions that would diversify its tenant base and increase revenue, which could eventually enable the company to raise its payout.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Crestwood Equity Partners offers a similarly impressive high yield that's currently up to 9.4%. Like Corenergy, one of the factors driving its higher payout is the company's chosen corporate structure. As a <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-master-limited-partnership.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">master limited partnership Opens a New Window.</a> (MLP), Crestwood distributes the bulk of its earnings back to investors.</p> <p>The company currently expects to generate about $3.12 per unit in distributable cash flow this year at the midpoint of its guidance. That forecast means it will produce enough money to cover the $2.40 per unit it plans to distribute to investors by 1.3 times. Furthermore, at the company's current trading price of $25, it sells at a mere eight times distributable cash flow. For comparison's sake, fellow MLPs Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE: MMP) and MPLX (NYSE: MPLX) trade at 16.9 and 12.5 times distributable cash flow, respectively. That's despite the fact that both have lower coverage ratios, since Magellan's is 1.2 times while MPLX's is 1.25 times.</p> <p>Not only does Crestwood have a well-supported payout, but it has a solid financial position, too. The company expects to get 85% of its earnings from stable take-or-pay and fixed-fee contracts this year, which is comparable to Magellan's 87% fee-based earnings, though MPLX is much higher at 95% this year. Another factor supporting Crestwood's payout is its balance sheet. While the company doesn't have an investment-grade credit rating, it does have good credit metrics. Its leverage ratio was 4.0 last quarter, and it's expected to stay below 4.5 this year and should eventually head below 4.0 once its current slate of growth projects come online. While that's a bit above MPLX's 3.8 times leverage ratio and Magellan's 3.4 level, it's not nearly as high as others in the sector.</p> <p>Furthermore, not only should Crestwood's stable financial position enable the company to maintain its current payout rate, but its backlog of growth projects positions the company to increase it in the second half of next year.</p> <p>More often than not, when a dividend yield approaches&amp;#160;the double digits, it's a signal that something is wrong. However, in the case of Crestwood Equity Partners and Corenergy Infrastructure Trust, the only thing that seems to be off is the market's view of these companies, since both inexplicably sell for dirt-cheap valuations. Because of that, investors have a rare opportunity to scoop up some well-supported ultra-high yields that both companies appear poised to grow in the coming years.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than CorEnergy Infrastructure TrustWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=70e2a6fe-bd69-4754-a1b9-bd082ee04c8d&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=70e2a6fe-bd69-4754-a1b9-bd082ee04c8d&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Matthew DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust. The Motley Fool recommends Magellan Midstream Partners. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=6dbbacfe-a3a8-11e7-b23c-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

energy market still trying move past aftermath oil market downturn said crude 50 peak companies cut costs repaired balance sheets suggests smoother sailing ahead even oil remains low however despite increasing likelihood worst rearview mirror many energy stocks trade dirtcheap valuations deepest values found energy infrastructure companies investors pick impressive dividend yields appear solid ground two stand absurdly cheap despite offering wellsupported payouts corenergy infrastructure trust nyse corr crestwood equity partners nyse ceqp continue reading corenergy infrastructure trust currently yields eyecatching 9 one reasons pays well company chosen structure real estate investment trust opens new window reit requires pay bulk earnings investors whats different corenergy compared reits instead owning apartment buildings office complexes owns infrastructure assets like pipelines gathering systems terminals leases tenants longterm contracts company currently expects contracts generate 4 per share adjusted funds operations affo year number noteworthy two reasons first provides ample coverage dividend currently 3 per share second companys recent 34 stock price corenergy infrastructure trust trades 85 times projected affo half multiple many reits trade days opens new window typically company trades depressed valuation underlying financial problem however thats case corenergy since adjusted total debt total capitalization ratio currently 21 well 25 50 target range instead driving force seems fact two top tenants went bankrupt oil market downturn however continued pay leases throughout process since reemerged without making changes contracts since critical operations corenergy continue generate enough cash flow cover dividend additionally ample financial flexibility make acquisitions would diversify tenant base increase revenue could eventually enable company raise payout advertisement crestwood equity partners offers similarly impressive high yield thats currently 94 like corenergy one factors driving higher payout companys chosen corporate structure master limited partnership opens new window mlp crestwood distributes bulk earnings back investors company currently expects generate 312 per unit distributable cash flow year midpoint guidance forecast means produce enough money cover 240 per unit plans distribute investors 13 times furthermore companys current trading price 25 sells mere eight times distributable cash flow comparisons sake fellow mlps magellan midstream partners nyse mmp mplx nyse mplx trade 169 125 times distributable cash flow respectively thats despite fact lower coverage ratios since magellans 12 times mplxs 125 times crestwood wellsupported payout solid financial position company expects get 85 earnings stable takeorpay fixedfee contracts year comparable magellans 87 feebased earnings though mplx much higher 95 year another factor supporting crestwoods payout balance sheet company doesnt investmentgrade credit rating good credit metrics leverage ratio 40 last quarter expected stay 45 year eventually head 40 current slate growth projects come online thats bit mplxs 38 times leverage ratio magellans 34 level nearly high others sector furthermore crestwoods stable financial position enable company maintain current payout rate backlog growth projects positions company increase second half next year often dividend yield approaches160the double digits signal something wrong however case crestwood equity partners corenergy infrastructure trust thing seems markets view companies since inexplicably sell dirtcheap valuations investors rare opportunity scoop wellsupported ultrahigh yields companies appear poised grow coming years 10 stocks like better corenergy infrastructure trustwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right corenergy infrastructure trust wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns september 5 2017 matthew dilallo opens new window owns shares corenergy infrastructure trust motley fool recommends magellan midstream partners motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Whether you own a neighborhood caf&#233; or do business around the globe, there are some easy things you can do to boost returns from your advertising investments.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Get Inspiration, Advice or Services from ProfessionalsWith the advent of mobile technology and GPS-enabled apps, there are more advertising choices than ever. Which ones are right for you, and where do you start? One of the best ways to minimize risk and get the most bang for your buck is to get informed. <a href="" type="internal">Google</a> whatever topic you need help with, and you'll find white papers, statistics and specifics offered through various professional groups. You'll find advertising and marketing-related forums, chat rooms and groups on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" type="external">Facebook Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.marketingprofs.com/" type="external">MarketingProfs Opens a New Window.</a> and <a href="http://www.advertisingage.com/" type="external">Advertising Age Opens a New Window.</a>, as well as industry-focused organizations such as the <a href="http://www.tastingtable.com/" type="external">Tasting Table Opens a New Window.</a> and <a href="http://www.plateonline.com/" type="external">PlateOnline Opens a New Window.</a> (for food-service professionals). Ask questions, read up on specific best practices, and find out what similar businesses are doing.</p> <p>Once you've gotten up to speed, you can implement campaigns on your own or work with specialists. The obvious reason to hire pros? They know stuff you don't and can accomplish a range of tasks better, faster and perhaps even cheaper than less-skilled in-house help.</p> <p>Your personal advertising/marketing team can help you develop a strong brand, produce targeted messaging and choose smart ad venues. It should include graphic and web designers, a marketing consultant/project manager and a creative wordsmith/copywriter.</p> <p>Consider connecting with some online marketing whiz kids, too . . . people who play hardball in pay-per-click and search engine optimization. While I give workshops on social networking and winning websites, outlining both SEO and PPC basics, I handle just the basics myself and outsource the big stuff to a wonderful woman in New Hampshire, Barb Young of <a href="http://www.ppc-strategies.com/" type="external">ppc-Strategies Opens a New Window.</a>, for top-notch advice and campaign help. Her help has definitely boosted <a href="http://www.womencentric.net/" type="external">WomenCentric Opens a New Window.</a>'s brand reach, traffic, click-throughs and calls.</p> <p>Besides local networking groups, print and online resources, attend a web marketing conference; I'll be covering one of the best-- <a href="http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/sanfrancisco/" type="external">SES SF Opens a New Window.</a>--which is happening this month in San Francisco during <a href="http://www.connectedmarketingweek.com/" type="external">Connected Marketing Week Opens a New Window.</a> from August 16-20.&amp;#160; I highly recommend attending one of these multi-day programs, which are held all over the United States and abroad nine times a year, at venues including New York, Chicago and London. Different tracks are tailored to developers, business owners and web marketing professionals. If you're like me, your head will spin from the breadth of information they cover, but it's a sure bet you'll have a better understanding of all your options, discover what you don't know and get breaking news and advice about new and emerging tech tools.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The DIY Route Can Pay Off, TooA few years ago, a knowledge-thirsty dynamo attended one of my web marketing talks in Charleston, S.C. At the time, <a href="http://www.drannwellness.com/" type="external">Ann Kulze Opens a New Window.</a>, a physician and health and wellness expert, had about 250 people on her contact list. After hearing about the results she could get from an e-zine, Kulze went to work producing a newsletter filled with healthy eating/lifestyle tips. In just two-and-a-half years, she grew her list to more than 8,100 people, with 44 percent open rates and click-through rates averaging 52 percent.</p> <p>"My newsletter has become the lifeblood of my business. My product is content and intellectual property that people are dying to have: How can I get healthy, lose weight, avoid cancer and stay healthy? I know what will help them and what they want. I select seven or eight short, to-the-point articles that pertain to healthy living and have links to all different things on my website. I throw in webinar info, sales on DVD and health products," says Kulze. However, 90 percent of the newsletter is what she considers "soft" editorial vs. advertorial content.</p> <p>Kulze is lucky. She happens to be a decent writer and sticks to a 90/10 editorial format, which focuses heavily on offering great advice--not selling. Of course she's interested in making money, too, so she produced a range of proprietary healthy living support tools, from laminated shopping lists to webinars and DVDs. Her upbeat approach and targeted advice have helped her secure speaking engagements in a variety of places, and an invitation to author her second book in collaboration with <a href="http://www.welcoa.org/" type="external">Welcoa Opens a New Window.</a> (Wellness Council of America). Kulze's savvy brand- and sales-boosting advertising efforts involve face and net-space connection points. People see her at the talks, read her newsletters, see her featured in articles like this one and buy her support tools online at her website, <a href="http://www.drannwellness.com/" type="external">DrAnnWellness.com Opens a New Window.</a>. Now that's smart (and profitable) advertising at work.</p> <p>Attention to Detail and Web Tools: Tasty Recipe for SuccessCarol Fair, a former interior designer, and partner Bradley Morrow, a former dog trainer, wanted their respective children to eat healthier school meals. Their personal interest became the inspiration for <a href="http://www.schoolhousefare.com/" type="external">Schoolhouse Fare Opens a New Window.</a>, a full-service school lunch management company based in Charleston, S.C. Schoolhouse Fare takes the administrative burden away from the school. Its "family dining" structure allows kids to choose from a greater variety of menus with healthier choices (no fast-food companies here). Another plus: All menus are reviewed and approved by Ann Kulze, M.D., before they go into rotation. The best part: Fair and Morrow seek out and engage the services of nearby eateries, which helps support the local economy.</p> <p>Despite their unique business model--there's no charge to the schools for their service, and they give a small percentage of revenue back to the school--it's still not a slam-dunk to attract new clients.</p> <p>That's where a mix of self-promotional channels and professional resources kicks in.</p> <p>Their advertising toolkit includes their website, regular e-mail marketing, an e-newsletter, a PowerPoint presentation, attendance at teacher/school conferences, cold calling, SEO and PPC, as well as a lean suite of printed materials (business cards and a brochure). They handle some of this on their own, but they outsource tech-heavy tasks and projects.</p> <p>"When we first started, we were not computer-savvy, so we did not use the computer a lot and had printed materials. Now we advertise our company via personal contact, e-mail, an e-newsletter and our website," Fair says.</p> <p>"We have four levels of clients to satisfy: The schools have to be happy with us, the kids have to like the food, the parents have to like dealing with us, and the restaurants have to feel like we know what we're doing."</p> <p>While calls are coming in from Georgia, Colorado and other parts of the country, thanks to their current systems and increased online ad campaigns, Fair and Morrow know they have to ramp up their efforts to grow their business and get to where they want to be. "We need to step up our marketing, get more sophisticated and keep up with technology. We have a new marketing person/designer looking at our website to bring it up to date, and we will be getting into the mainstream of social media ( <a href="" type="internal">Facebook</a>, etc.) as well as blogging," says Fair, who intends to engage a web marketing pro to help on that score.</p> <p>So if you'd like better performance from your advertising, do some homework. Take a hard look at your current campaigns, as well as your products/services and identified target markets. Make sure your brand, messaging and advertising platforms are on point. Do what you're good at, reach out to experts to do the rest--and you'll be on your way to boosting your returns.</p> <p>Do you have a unique advertising vehicle that worked for your business? Post your story here.</p>

whether neighborhood café business around globe easy things boost returns advertising investments continue reading get inspiration advice services professionalswith advent mobile technology gpsenabled apps advertising choices ever ones right start one best ways minimize risk get bang buck get informed google whatever topic need help youll find white papers statistics specifics offered various professional groups youll find advertising marketingrelated forums chat rooms groups linkedin opens new window facebook opens new window marketingprofs opens new window advertising age opens new window well industryfocused organizations tasting table opens new window plateonline opens new window foodservice professionals ask questions read specific best practices find similar businesses youve gotten speed implement campaigns work specialists obvious reason hire pros know stuff dont accomplish range tasks better faster perhaps even cheaper lessskilled inhouse help personal advertisingmarketing team help develop strong brand produce targeted messaging choose smart ad venues include graphic web designers marketing consultantproject manager creative wordsmithcopywriter consider connecting online marketing whiz kids people play hardball payperclick search engine optimization give workshops social networking winning websites outlining seo ppc basics handle basics outsource big stuff wonderful woman new hampshire barb young ppcstrategies opens new window topnotch advice campaign help help definitely boosted womencentric opens new windows brand reach traffic clickthroughs calls besides local networking groups print online resources attend web marketing conference ill covering one best ses sf opens new windowwhich happening month san francisco connected marketing week opens new window august 1620160 highly recommend attending one multiday programs held united states abroad nine times year venues including new york chicago london different tracks tailored developers business owners web marketing professionals youre like head spin breadth information cover sure bet youll better understanding options discover dont know get breaking news advice new emerging tech tools advertisement diy route pay tooa years ago knowledgethirsty dynamo attended one web marketing talks charleston sc time ann kulze opens new window physician health wellness expert 250 people contact list hearing results could get ezine kulze went work producing newsletter filled healthy eatinglifestyle tips twoandahalf years grew list 8100 people 44 percent open rates clickthrough rates averaging 52 percent newsletter become lifeblood business product content intellectual property people dying get healthy lose weight avoid cancer stay healthy know help want select seven eight short tothepoint articles pertain healthy living links different things website throw webinar info sales dvd health products says kulze however 90 percent newsletter considers soft editorial vs advertorial content kulze lucky happens decent writer sticks 9010 editorial format focuses heavily offering great advicenot selling course shes interested making money produced range proprietary healthy living support tools laminated shopping lists webinars dvds upbeat approach targeted advice helped secure speaking engagements variety places invitation author second book collaboration welcoa opens new window wellness council america kulzes savvy brand salesboosting advertising efforts involve face netspace connection points people see talks read newsletters see featured articles like one buy support tools online website drannwellnesscom opens new window thats smart profitable advertising work attention detail web tools tasty recipe successcarol fair former interior designer partner bradley morrow former dog trainer wanted respective children eat healthier school meals personal interest became inspiration schoolhouse fare opens new window fullservice school lunch management company based charleston sc schoolhouse fare takes administrative burden away school family dining structure allows kids choose greater variety menus healthier choices fastfood companies another plus menus reviewed approved ann kulze md go rotation best part fair morrow seek engage services nearby eateries helps support local economy despite unique business modeltheres charge schools service give small percentage revenue back schoolits still slamdunk attract new clients thats mix selfpromotional channels professional resources kicks advertising toolkit includes website regular email marketing enewsletter powerpoint presentation attendance teacherschool conferences cold calling seo ppc well lean suite printed materials business cards brochure handle outsource techheavy tasks projects first started computersavvy use computer lot printed materials advertise company via personal contact email enewsletter website fair says four levels clients satisfy schools happy us kids like food parents like dealing us restaurants feel like know calls coming georgia colorado parts country thanks current systems increased online ad campaigns fair morrow know ramp efforts grow business get want need step marketing get sophisticated keep technology new marketing persondesigner looking website bring date getting mainstream social media facebook etc well blogging says fair intends engage web marketing pro help score youd like better performance advertising homework take hard look current campaigns well productsservices identified target markets make sure brand messaging advertising platforms point youre good reach experts restand youll way boosting returns unique advertising vehicle worked business post story

<p /> <p>Hillary Clinton is vowing anew to respond to foreign hacking the same as any other attack against the United States. When she openly blamed Russia for recent U.S. cyber break-ins, Donald Trump wondered whether to blame overseas governments or overweight hackers working from home.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>"She's saying Russia, Russia, Russia, but I don't &#8212; maybe it was. I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China," Trump said during this week's presidential debate. "It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, OK?"</p> <p>These are the unanswered questions about how the U.S. government should defend itself after an attack in the internet age: Whether to fire back, how to fire back, and at whom? The Obama administration is still writing its rulebook.</p> <p>A lingering challenge involves identifying whose hands were on the keyboard: Foreign hacker spies, cybercriminals, disgruntled insiders or bored teenagers? Skilled hackers can cover their tracks, use software tools traceable to others and feign their location across borders or continents.</p> <p>On Wednesday, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said during a congressional hearing that it was "now the clear consensus of the intelligence community that the Russian government was behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee and not, as some suggested, somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."</p> <p>The White House has not officially declared Russia responsible and it's unclear whether or when it might, since blaming Russia &#8212; with whom the U.S. is locked in a bitter dispute over fighting in Syria &#8212; would probably require plans for a response.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Clinton has raised eyebrows among some cybersecurity experts with her hawkish language on the campaign trail about retaliating with political, economic or even military means. Her aggressive policy proposal is especially notable since the State Department, which she led during President Barack Obama's first term, traditionally has a vested interest in avoiding overt conflict since it might complicate diplomatic efforts.</p> <p>"We're going to have to make it clear that we don't want to use the kinds of tools that we have. We don't want to engage in a different kind of warfare. But we will defend the citizens of this country," Clinton said during the presidential debate, when asked how she would respond to cyberattacks.</p> <p>For the first time, cybersecurity led the national security portion of the presidential debate, demonstrating its political stakes and the fact that the next president will shape 21st century cyberwarfare policies, setting rules about how the U.S. responds to foreign hackers.</p> <p>Trump has not released an official position on cybersecurity. Clinton tackles the issue in one-and-a-half pages of her 288-page campaign book. At the debate Trump mentioned "the cyber" without detailing specifics.</p> <p>"We should be better than anybody else, and perhaps we're not," Trump said. "The security aspect of cyber is very, very tough. And maybe it's hardly doable."</p> <p>The high-profile discussion came amid a presidential race that has been punctuated by hacks that cybersecurity firms, Democrats and the Clinton campaign have pinned on Russia, as well as multiple security breaches and data leaks. The White House is grappling over how to respond to hacking that some lawmakers have said is attempting to undermine voter confidence in the election.</p> <p>"We're in the process now, really the very early stages of developing those norms by virtue of the types of attacks we're seeing," said Matt Olsen, a former general counsel for the National Security Agency.</p> <p>Olsen said responding is a challenge: "How do you know who's responsible for the attack (and) to what extent are the cyber actors even susceptible to the normal responses like economic or diplomatic pressure?"</p> <p>Clinton's cybersecurity stance tracks with work she started while at the State Department. Even back in 2010, she said countries or individuals who hack "should face consequences and international condemnation" and that "an attack on one nation's networks can be an attack on all." In the State Department, she created the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues to deal with global diplomacy and cyber rules.</p> <p>"There was no other office in the world like mine when it was created five years ago," said Christopher Painter, who's served as the office's coordinator since its inception. "Now we have 25 counterparts around the world and more on the way. That really indicates something that was a huge priority in foreign policy."</p> <p>But Clinton is hardly a technology expert herself, once struggling with how to operate a fax machine or connect a new iPad to Wi-Fi. And her cybersecurity record at the State Department is spotty. The FBI said there was no evidence her private email server in her home's basement was hacked, but agents concluded that it was possible that hackers broke into her personal email account. At the end of her term as secretary, Clinton left behind an agency with one of the lowest scores in government for its compliance with a federal information security law.</p> <p>Many of the most noteworthy cyberattacks &#8212; and the administration's policy for dealing with them &#8212; occurred after Clinton left the State Department. The Obama administration has in recent years adopted a "name and shame" policy for state-sponsored hackers. It criminally charged five Chinese military officials with stealing secrets from nuclear power and solar companies and Iranian hackers with attacks on financial institutions and a small New York dam. In 2014, the U.S. publicly accused North Korea of hacking Sony Pictures and placed sanctions on the already isolated nation.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams</p>

hillary clinton vowing anew respond foreign hacking attack united states openly blamed russia recent us cyber breakins donald trump wondered whether blame overseas governments overweight hackers working home continue reading shes saying russia russia russia dont maybe mean could russia could also china trump said weeks presidential debate could also lots people also could somebody sitting bed weighs 400 pounds ok unanswered questions us government defend attack internet age whether fire back fire back obama administration still writing rulebook lingering challenge involves identifying whose hands keyboard foreign hacker spies cybercriminals disgruntled insiders bored teenagers skilled hackers cover tracks use software tools traceable others feign location across borders continents wednesday rep john conyers dmich said congressional hearing clear consensus intelligence community russian government behind hack democratic national committee suggested somebody sitting bed weighs 400 pounds white house officially declared russia responsible unclear whether might since blaming russia us locked bitter dispute fighting syria would probably require plans response advertisement clinton raised eyebrows among cybersecurity experts hawkish language campaign trail retaliating political economic even military means aggressive policy proposal especially notable since state department led president barack obamas first term traditionally vested interest avoiding overt conflict since might complicate diplomatic efforts going make clear dont want use kinds tools dont want engage different kind warfare defend citizens country clinton said presidential debate asked would respond cyberattacks first time cybersecurity led national security portion presidential debate demonstrating political stakes fact next president shape 21st century cyberwarfare policies setting rules us responds foreign hackers trump released official position cybersecurity clinton tackles issue oneandahalf pages 288page campaign book debate trump mentioned cyber without detailing specifics better anybody else perhaps trump said security aspect cyber tough maybe hardly doable highprofile discussion came amid presidential race punctuated hacks cybersecurity firms democrats clinton campaign pinned russia well multiple security breaches data leaks white house grappling respond hacking lawmakers said attempting undermine voter confidence election process really early stages developing norms virtue types attacks seeing said matt olsen former general counsel national security agency olsen said responding challenge know whos responsible attack extent cyber actors even susceptible normal responses like economic diplomatic pressure clintons cybersecurity stance tracks work started state department even back 2010 said countries individuals hack face consequences international condemnation attack one nations networks attack state department created office coordinator cyber issues deal global diplomacy cyber rules office world like mine created five years ago said christopher painter whos served offices coordinator since inception 25 counterparts around world way really indicates something huge priority foreign policy clinton hardly technology expert struggling operate fax machine connect new ipad wifi cybersecurity record state department spotty fbi said evidence private email server homes basement hacked agents concluded possible hackers broke personal email account end term secretary clinton left behind agency one lowest scores government compliance federal information security law many noteworthy cyberattacks administrations policy dealing occurred clinton left state department obama administration recent years adopted name shame policy statesponsored hackers criminally charged five chinese military officials stealing secrets nuclear power solar companies iranian hackers attacks financial institutions small new york dam 2014 us publicly accused north korea hacking sony pictures placed sanctions already isolated nation ___ follow tami abdollah twitter httpstwittercomlatams

<p>Dow could close higher for an 11th straight session, longest streak since February</p> <p>U.S. stocks pivoted to session highs Tuesday, putting the Dow and S&amp;amp;P 500 on track to log another round of all-time highs as financials, energy, and technology stocks led on the day.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 51 points, or 0.2%, to 22,170, while the S&amp;amp;P 500 index added 9 points, or 0.3%, to 2,489. The financials sector, up 0.8%, topped the S&amp;amp;P 500's 11 sectors, with 0.5% gain in energy stocks and a 0.5% climb in tech names also contributing to a small rise. The Nasdaq Composite Index added 34 points, or 0.5%, for 6,418.</p> <p>With the day's gains, the Dow is on track for its 11th straight daily rise, as well as its 10th straight record close. Those are its longest such streaks since February. Both the S&amp;amp;P 500 and the Nasdaq are on track for their third straight daily rises.</p> <p>Related:Dow's 35 all-time-high closes in 2017 put it halfway toward a record number of records (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-dow-is-halfway-toward-having-a-record-number-of-records-2017-08-08)</p> <p>"The backdrop is great: earnings are good, the dollar is weak, and both rates and inflation are low. If that continues, there should continue to be a slog higher," said James Meyer, chief investment officer at Tower Bridge Advisors.</p> <p>While recent market action has had a modest upside bias, the moves have been muted; by one metric, this is the quietest market since 1965 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-market-hasnt-been-this-quiet-since-lyndon-b-johnson-was-president-2017-07-12). The S&amp;amp;P 500 hasn't had a session where it moved 0.5%, in either direction, since July 19, an abnormally long time. The CBOE Volatility index recently traded near its all-time lows.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Financials were the day's biggest gainers, up 0.8%. Among the top-performing stocks in the industry, Fifth Third Bancorp(FITB) rose 2.9% while Capital One Financial(COF) was up 2.4%. J.P. Morgan Chase &amp;amp; Co. (JPM) was up 1.1%.</p> <p>Investors have become increasingly bullish on the group. Wells Fargo on Monday reiterated that it was one of four sectors--along with consumer discretionary, health care, and tech--that "currently appear poised for the biggest outperformance."</p> <p>Separately, Oppenheimer noted that the group had been "the top-performing sector against falling interest rates since May, when the 10-year US Treasury yield peaked at 2.4%," adding, "We view positive reactions to bearish information as a sign that the bad news has been discounted and the underlying asset is primed to rally."</p> <p>Goldman Sachs listed five reasons why portfolio managers were "ignoring the micro story" of financials, suggesting that even though they are the top-performing sector over the past 12 months--up more than 30%--they still had room to grow. The five reasons include their trading at a relative valuation discount, deregulation tailwinds that weren't priced into shares, and increases in both buybacks and dividends, which the investment bank said would rise at three times the pace of the overall S&amp;amp;P 500.</p> <p>Individual movers: Shares in Avis Budget Group Inc.(CAR) fell 7.6% after the car rental company late Monday posted quarterly results that missed Wall Street's expectations (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/avis-shares-down-10-after-company-misses-eps-sales-forecasts-2017-08-07).</p> <p>Marriott International Inc.(MAR) shed 2.1% after the hotelier posted a quarterly earnings beat, but guided profit for the current quarter (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marriott-earnings-beat-but-stock-falls-2-2017-08-07) slightly below analysts' forecasts.</p> <p>CBS Corp.(CBSA) rose 2.6% after the media giant also reported results late Monday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cbs-earnings-boosted-by-twin-peaks-final-four-2017-08-07), with revenue topping expectations.</p> <p>Drugstore operator CVS(CVS) posted earnings and revenue that beat estimates (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cvs-health-shares-rise-after-earnings-and-revenue-beat-estimates-2017-08-08). Shares fell 1.9%.</p> <p>Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.(KORS) soared 20% as profit at the clothing and accessories company's beat views (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/michael-kors-shares-spike-after-earnings-beat-2017-08-08). Ralph Lauren Corp(RL) jumped about 10% on its own results.</p> <p>"I don't know that these companies have bright futures, but the results weren't as dismal as many people thought," Meyer said. "If expectations get low enough, you can beat them."</p> <p>Drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.(VRX.T) gained 8.5% as its quarterly revenue topped forecasts (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/valeant-reports-q2-loss-cuts-2017-revenue-guidance-2017-08-08).</p> <p>Dairy giant Dean Foods Co. (DF) plummeted 18% lower after its earnings disappointed (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dean-foods-ceo-not-satisfied-with-q2-earnings-that-were-well-below-expectations-2017-08-08), while theme park operator SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.'s (SEAS)revenue missed views (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/seaworld-swings-to-loss-and-revenue-misses-expectations-2017-08-08). Shares of SeaWorld lost 8.1%.</p> <p>Economic news: Sentiment among small-business owners jumped in July (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/small-business-sentiment-rises-in-july-after-five-month-rut-nfib-2017-08-08), the National Federation of Independent Business said early Tuesday.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday that the number of job openings in June vaulted to 6.16 million (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm)from 5.7 million in May.</p> <p>Check out:MarketWatch's Economic Calendar (http://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic)</p> <p>Other markets:Oil futures (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-tug-lower-on-doubts-opec-meeting-will-deliver-2017-08-08) traded 0.1% higher while gold (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gold-prices-score-a-lift-as-dollar-softens-2017-08-08)slipped 0.4%. A key dollar index was 0.4% higher.</p> <p>European equities (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-edge-lower-on-downbeat-german-chinese-export-data-2017-08-08) tilted down Tuesday, as disappointing trade data from Germany and China pulled down on key sectors. Asian markets closed mostly lower (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/asian-markets-slip-amid-weakening-dollar-2017-08-07).</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>August 08, 2017 12:05 ET (16:05 GMT)</p>

dow could close higher 11th straight session longest streak since february us stocks pivoted session highs tuesday putting dow sampp 500 track log another round alltime highs financials energy technology stocks led day continue reading dow jones industrial average rose 51 points 02 22170 sampp 500 index added 9 points 03 2489 financials sector 08 topped sampp 500s 11 sectors 05 gain energy stocks 05 climb tech names also contributing small rise nasdaq composite index added 34 points 05 6418 days gains dow track 11th straight daily rise well 10th straight record close longest streaks since february sampp 500 nasdaq track third straight daily rises relateddows 35 alltimehigh closes 2017 put halfway toward record number records httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorythedowishalfwaytowardhavingarecordnumberofrecords20170808 backdrop great earnings good dollar weak rates inflation low continues continue slog higher said james meyer chief investment officer tower bridge advisors recent market action modest upside bias moves muted one metric quietest market since 1965 httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorystockmarkethasntbeenthisquietsincelyndonbjohnsonwaspresident20170712 sampp 500 hasnt session moved 05 either direction since july 19 abnormally long time cboe volatility index recently traded near alltime lows advertisement financials days biggest gainers 08 among topperforming stocks industry fifth third bancorpfitb rose 29 capital one financialcof 24 jp morgan chase amp co jpm 11 investors become increasingly bullish group wells fargo monday reiterated one four sectorsalong consumer discretionary health care techthat currently appear poised biggest outperformance separately oppenheimer noted group topperforming sector falling interest rates since may 10year us treasury yield peaked 24 adding view positive reactions bearish information sign bad news discounted underlying asset primed rally goldman sachs listed five reasons portfolio managers ignoring micro story financials suggesting even though topperforming sector past 12 monthsup 30they still room grow five reasons include trading relative valuation discount deregulation tailwinds werent priced shares increases buybacks dividends investment bank said would rise three times pace overall sampp 500 individual movers shares avis budget group inccar fell 76 car rental company late monday posted quarterly results missed wall streets expectations httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryavissharesdown10aftercompanymissesepssalesforecasts20170807 marriott international incmar shed 21 hotelier posted quarterly earnings beat guided profit current quarter httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorymarriottearningsbeatbutstockfalls220170807 slightly analysts forecasts cbs corpcbsa rose 26 media giant also reported results late monday httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorycbsearningsboostedbytwinpeaksfinalfour20170807 revenue topping expectations drugstore operator cvscvs posted earnings revenue beat estimates httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorycvshealthsharesriseafterearningsandrevenuebeatestimates20170808 shares fell 19 michael kors holdings ltdkors soared 20 profit clothing accessories companys beat views httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorymichaelkorssharesspikeafterearningsbeat20170808 ralph lauren corprl jumped 10 results dont know companies bright futures results werent dismal many people thought meyer said expectations get low enough beat drugmaker valeant pharmaceuticals international incvrxt gained 85 quarterly revenue topped forecasts httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryvaleantreportsq2losscuts2017revenueguidance20170808 dairy giant dean foods co df plummeted 18 lower earnings disappointed httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorydeanfoodsceonotsatisfiedwithq2earningsthatwerewellbelowexpectations20170808 theme park operator seaworld entertainment incs seasrevenue missed views httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryseaworldswingstolossandrevenuemissesexpectations20170808 shares seaworld lost 81 economic news sentiment among smallbusiness owners jumped july httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorysmallbusinesssentimentrisesinjulyafterfivemonthrutnfib20170808 national federation independent business said early tuesday meanwhile labor department reported tuesday number job openings june vaulted 616 million httpswwwblsgovnewsreleasejoltsnr0htmfrom 57 million may check outmarketwatchs economic calendar httpwwwmarketwatchcomeconomypoliticscalendarseconomic marketsoil futures httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryoilpricestuglowerondoubtsopecmeetingwilldeliver20170808 traded 01 higher gold httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorygoldpricesscorealiftasdollarsoftens20170808slipped 04 key dollar index 04 higher european equities httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryeuropeanstocksedgelowerondownbeatgermanchineseexportdata20170808 tilted tuesday disappointing trade data germany china pulled key sectors asian markets closed mostly lower httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryasianmarketsslipamidweakeningdollar20170807 end dow jones newswires august 08 2017 1205 et 1605 gmt

<p /> <p>After hitting the big time with its IPO, Shake Shack's stock has tumbled hard. It still has a bright future, but there are better investments out there. Image source: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sackerman519/17192233455/in/photolist-scdG3c-qbRdVK-5jyDqW-rbFKwN-k6vEE-oYWK9h-o8WkeM-eHm1Yk-eE1KC-bCvmNL-5Hz2bz-7uuJHg-pUr67e-iF6eNh-acDteV-rzahRz-o7cdoQ-bE7U5E-7uyyCS-9V2BdX-oMWyEi-j7UgkQ-hkJKkK-FtAJT-6B1dxc-q7rXG-duXhZK-3FkxS-5hNdmk-iF2jir-3FkxR-ay8JLh-iF3Za1-kXiSVX-7PpMy4-oQNHy6-6nFPUL-aySajh-5jyCFE-qG1Yp1-qGa7mp-6Ts5wG-fSmsGm-74PRPr-959Fw8-f7NZJM-8GtBUQ-94dibV-nRKrz7-9RHqwU" type="external">Sarah Ackerman Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Although Shake Shack's stock has sharply corrected from the highs it hit soon after its IPO last year, the "better burger" restaurant remains 76% above its offering price, an enviable performance regardless, particularly for a chain that only has a few dozen locations and a seemingly long runway for future growth.</p> <p>Yet despite analysts expecting the Shack's earnings to grow 25% annually over the next five years, compared to less than 15% for its industry (and just 5% for the S&amp;amp;P 500), the market is already paying up for those profits with a PEG ratio of 3.9. But growth is slowing and the torrid rate of sales expansion it experienced last year can't be maintained.</p> <p>Now tasked with running its business in the public eye in a niche that's growing ever more crowded, the job will become increasingly difficult. Even Chipotle Mexican Grillhinted it was going to join in the fray filing an application to trademark the words "better burger" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.</p> <p>Shake Shack isn't a bad company, or even a bad investment, but I think investors looking for other solid restaurant plays should consider three other chains as better bets:Darden Restaurants , Sonic , and -- dare I say it? -- McDonald's .</p> <p>Darden RestaurantsThis was a restaurant group that not too long ago was being dragged down by two well-known, but faltering chains: Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Even though it had other healthy chains on the menu, it was not enough to offset the drag by the seafood and Italian food eateries because they comprised such a big portion of its business.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>A tumultuous year followed that saw Red Lobster sold off, the old management team ousted, and a new management team brought on board with a focus on fixing Olive Garden. As well they should: It remains the company's most important concept, contributing more than half its total revenue and generating three times more profits than the next closest chain. And it looks like they may have finally succeeded.</p> <p>Darden recently reported third-quarter earnings showing the Italian restaurant'ssame-store sales rose 6.8% over the year-ago period, one of the better performances seen across all its concepts. Sure, part of the growth was having an extra week in the calendar, but even adjusting for that comps were still almost 5% higher. It did get a boost from raising its prices, but it's starting to record more traffic, too, and that bodes well for continuing to turn around.</p> <p>CEO Jeff Smith, the activist investor that overthrew the old management team, is confident enough in Olive Garden's positioning to step away from the company, suggesting he thinks the company is healthy enough he no longer needs to have day-to-day oversight of its operations. Investors may find themselves equally assured.</p> <p>"Do one thing and do it well" seems to be the mantra of drive-thru chain Sonic, which continues to post record growth. Image source: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/14230125181/in/photolist-nFt7rT-omZLxK-aLG14z-oDs4UL-bFRXvc-5u4UNB-eCruq-82MoYx-aNaFVz-2yYBFz-c2Eep1-6Hp1gK-6bhmc2-aym6X3-6PjHGL-7gAL4w-aC6YPp-43y5F-eCvKQ-byKVmW-5BjzDn-8ppreU-22g1a-6s25Wv-ZmCQ4-6s27aV-6KK4oL-23KBwm-a9Ngv-7miGXu-7rm8yc-aCabhK-3fRTa-6bhkZc-EJQvN-8mBE3n-ajBzEk-7vbUas-aDNdiu-pwjTXa-22fZG-56NzrD-7gwQ4i-i7APc-aDNgzd-8rFCsy-4QzS1o-aNE1cB-b3ooE2-ajE9UY" type="external">Mike Mozart Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>SonicUnlike McDonald's, which has sought to downplay its fast food heritage by going all millennial and adding trendy superfoods like kale bowls to its menu, Sonic seems to revel in the fact that it makes fast food. A fairly focused menu on core items like burgers, fries, and shakes has served the drive-thru chain well, allowing it to report a 57% increase in net income in the fiscal 2016 second quarter as sales rose 5% to $133 million on a 6.5% jump in comps. And it was able to achieve that growth as it lapped its strongest same-store sales comparison.</p> <p>As noted, Sonic is a drive-thru chain, which, though you don't think about it quite as much, puts it on a similar footing with McDonald's, as the Golden Arches derives as much as 70% of its $6.3 billion in annual revenues from its <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/11/30/mcdonalds-is-finally-fixing-the-things-that-matter.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">drive-thru window Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>At 26 times earnings and 23 times estimates, Sonic isn't exactly cheap, but with 3,500 mostly franchised drive-thrus, it's got a low-overhead business model that should be able to continue replicating its success much as it's done for the past 60 years. Unlike other fast-food joints that have stumbled as McDonald's has regained some strength, Sonic has not faltered and keeps gaining new adherents.</p> <p>McDonald'sWhich brings us to McDonald's, the burger chain that for the past several years seemingly could do nothing right. But for the past two quarters, it has managed to post back-to-back periods of same-store sales growth.</p> <p>There is still a lot wrong with the burger chain and it could take a few lessons from Sonic, such as reducing the complexity of its menu and stop trying to appeal to everyone, but though its often seems to take one step forward and two steps back, McDonald's is starting to do a few things right. It introduced its all-day breakfast promotion, which is something that customers have clamored for years to have, and it's taken steps to ensure order accuracy at its drive-thrus.</p> <p>It's probably the riskiest recommendation of the three, as its stock has already gained 37% over the past year and it's improved by some 50% from where it traded at its recent lows. Still, it carries a valuation similar to Sonic, and if can ease up on pursuing customers that left for better burger shops like Shake Shack, and instead concentrate more fully on those who visit it for the value it offers, McDonald's could very well capitalize on the gains it's booked and run higher still in the future.</p> <p>Don't dismiss Shake Shack out of handWhile the fast-casual burger niche is crowded and getting more so, Shake Shack seems to be the one that has the most conservative plans for growth without saturating the market. But it also risks getting lost in the tumult, and with a valuation that puts it in nosebleed territory, investors will likely be better served searching out more grounded opportunities.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/14/ignore-shake-shack-inc-here-are-x-better-stocks.aspx" type="external">Ignore Shake Shack Inc.: Here Are 3 Better Stocks Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFCop/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Rich Duprey Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

hitting big time ipo shake shacks stock tumbled hard still bright future better investments image source sarah ackerman opens new window continue reading although shake shacks stock sharply corrected highs hit soon ipo last year better burger restaurant remains 76 offering price enviable performance regardless particularly chain dozen locations seemingly long runway future growth yet despite analysts expecting shacks earnings grow 25 annually next five years compared less 15 industry 5 sampp 500 market already paying profits peg ratio 39 growth slowing torrid rate sales expansion experienced last year cant maintained tasked running business public eye niche thats growing ever crowded job become increasingly difficult even chipotle mexican grillhinted going join fray filing application trademark words better burger us patent trademark office shake shack isnt bad company even bad investment think investors looking solid restaurant plays consider three chains better betsdarden restaurants sonic dare say mcdonalds darden restaurantsthis restaurant group long ago dragged two wellknown faltering chains red lobster olive garden even though healthy chains menu enough offset drag seafood italian food eateries comprised big portion business advertisement tumultuous year followed saw red lobster sold old management team ousted new management team brought board focus fixing olive garden well remains companys important concept contributing half total revenue generating three times profits next closest chain looks like may finally succeeded darden recently reported thirdquarter earnings showing italian restaurantssamestore sales rose 68 yearago period one better performances seen across concepts sure part growth extra week calendar even adjusting comps still almost 5 higher get boost raising prices starting record traffic bodes well continuing turn around ceo jeff smith activist investor overthrew old management team confident enough olive gardens positioning step away company suggesting thinks company healthy enough longer needs daytoday oversight operations investors may find equally assured one thing well seems mantra drivethru chain sonic continues post record growth image source mike mozart opens new window sonicunlike mcdonalds sought downplay fast food heritage going millennial adding trendy superfoods like kale bowls menu sonic seems revel fact makes fast food fairly focused menu core items like burgers fries shakes served drivethru chain well allowing report 57 increase net income fiscal 2016 second quarter sales rose 5 133 million 65 jump comps able achieve growth lapped strongest samestore sales comparison noted sonic drivethru chain though dont think quite much puts similar footing mcdonalds golden arches derives much 70 63 billion annual revenues drivethru window opens new window 26 times earnings 23 times estimates sonic isnt exactly cheap 3500 mostly franchised drivethrus got lowoverhead business model able continue replicating success much done past 60 years unlike fastfood joints stumbled mcdonalds regained strength sonic faltered keeps gaining new adherents mcdonaldswhich brings us mcdonalds burger chain past several years seemingly could nothing right past two quarters managed post backtoback periods samestore sales growth still lot wrong burger chain could take lessons sonic reducing complexity menu stop trying appeal everyone though often seems take one step forward two steps back mcdonalds starting things right introduced allday breakfast promotion something customers clamored years taken steps ensure order accuracy drivethrus probably riskiest recommendation three stock already gained 37 past year improved 50 traded recent lows still carries valuation similar sonic ease pursuing customers left better burger shops like shake shack instead concentrate fully visit value offers mcdonalds could well capitalize gains booked run higher still future dont dismiss shake shack handwhile fastcasual burger niche crowded getting shake shack seems one conservative plans growth without saturating market also risks getting lost tumult valuation puts nosebleed territory investors likely better served searching grounded opportunities article ignore shake shack inc 3 better stocks opens new window originally appeared foolcom rich duprey opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends chipotle mexican grill try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Many investors who watched Fitbit (NYSE: FIT) and GoPro (NASDAQ: GPRO) <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/08/the-3-problems-under-armour-fitbit-and-gopro-all-s.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">crash and burn Opens a New Window.</a> may believe that demand for wearable devices -- like fitness trackers and action cameras -- is fading. Indeed, earlier estimates for these markets were far too bullish.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Back in 2014, Morgan Stanley estimated thatApple would sell up to 60 million Apple Watches in the first year. The actual number, according to IDC, wasjust under 12 million. In early 2015, Research and Markets estimated that the global action camera market would grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22% between 2014 and 2019. Yet market leader GoPro's revenue still fell27% in 2016.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>However, investors shouldn't completely ignore the growth potential of other wearable makers. Let's take a closer look at three companies -- Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN), Taser International (NASDAQ: TASR), and Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) -- which could still benefit from high sales of wearable devices even as market leaders like Fitbit and GoPro struggle with sluggish growth.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Garmin's fitness trackers and GPS watches have become major pillars of growth in recent quarters. Last quarter, its Fitness revenue rose20% annually and accounted for 32% of its top line, fueled by strong demand for its Vivofit products and newer devices equipped with its Elevate heart rate tracking technology. Garmin's Connect IQ app store has also encouraged developers to create custom apps for its devices -- an ecosystem which Fitbit notably <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/17/fitbit-inc-is-running-out-of-room-to-growwhats-nex.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">still lacks Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Garmin's Outdoor revenue rose 46% during the quarter and accounted for 20% of its top line, thanks to strong sales of its high-end Fenix 5 heart rate tracking GPS watches. Its Marine and Aviation GPS revenues also rose by the double digits. Garmin's only soft spot was the Automotive business, which posted a 17% decline in revenues due to the rise of smartphone-based GPS solutions. However, Garmin's total revenue still rose 10% annually during the quarter.</p> <p>Garmin's Fenix 5 GPS watches. Image source: Garmin.</p> <p>Garmin's top line growth is expected to remain flat in 2017 and earnings are expected to drop 6% (on higher taxes and weakness in the auto market), but its growing dependence on wearable devices is expected to respectively boost its sales and earnings by 2% and3% in fiscal 2018.</p> <p>Taser is generally known for its namesake electric weapons, but most of its growth comes from its Axon body cameras and related software services. The Axon body cameras are frequently used by law enforcement officials, and demand for the devices has been rising due to a series of controversial police shootings across America.</p> <p>Taser's Axon 2 body camera. Image source: Taser.</p> <p>Axon's cloud platform also backs up the captured footage, and it recently beefed up that service with the acquisitions of computer vision company Dextro and a computer vision team from Fossil Group. Together, those businesses form the new "Axon AI" group, which will help law enforcement agencies "quickly isolate and analyze the most important seconds offootage" from the accumulated videos.</p> <p>Last quarter, Taser's total revenues rose46% annually. Taser sales, which accounted for 71% of that total, rose 25%. Axon sales, which accounted for the remaining 29%, soared 154%. Analysts expect Taser's revenue and earnings to respectively rise 20% and 25% this year.</p> <p>Ambarella is generally known for making image processing SoCs for GoPro. GoPro is still Ambarella's top customer, but the chipmaker's dependence on the struggling action camera maker is declining. That's because Ambarella also provides image processing SoCs for a wide range of other customers, including drone makers like DJI, security camera makers like Hikvision, as well as Taser's Axon body cams and Snap's Spectacles.</p> <p>Image source: Ambarella.</p> <p>Ambarella also supplies SoCs to GoPro's biggest rivals, like Xiaomi-backed Yi Technology and Garmin, which launched itsfirst 4K action camera last year. This means that GoPro's pain, which dragged down Ambarella stock in the past, won't necessarily hurt the chipmaker anymore. This shift was reflected in Ambarella's year-over-year revenue growth over the past two quarters.</p> <p>Ambarella's revenue still dipped 2% infiscal 2017, and analysts expect its revenue to remain flat this year with a double-digit drop in earnings. But as the chipmaker pivots away from GoPro, its revenue and earnings are expected to respectively rise 14% and 16% next year.</p> <p>Garmin, Taser, and Ambarella all look like better long-term wearables plays than GoPro or Fitbit, but investors should be mindful of their shortcomings. Garmin's wearables business is booming, but it must maintain its current growth rate to offset the ongoing declines in its automotive business.</p> <p>Taser's growth numbers look great, but the stock trades at a whopping 70 times earnings -- which is much higher than its industry average of 19. Ambarella has a well-diversified customer base, but rising competition from bigger chipmakers like Qualcomm could throttle its growth. Therefore, investors should carefully weigh these pros and cons before buying these stocks as long-term plays on the wearables market.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Taser InternationalWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=7eb6686e-8db8-4f6b-a366-45acd1a9e17a&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Taser International wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=7eb6686e-8db8-4f6b-a366-45acd1a9e17a&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ambarella, Apple, Fitbit, GoPro, and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple, short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple, short January 2019 $12 calls on GoPro, and long January 2019 $12 puts on GoPro. The Motley Fool recommends Fossil Group, Inc. and Taser International. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

many investors watched fitbit nyse fit gopro nasdaq gpro crash burn opens new window may believe demand wearable devices like fitness trackers action cameras fading indeed earlier estimates markets far bullish continue reading back 2014 morgan stanley estimated thatapple would sell 60 million apple watches first year actual number according idc wasjust 12 million early 2015 research markets estimated global action camera market would grow compound annual growth rate 22 2014 2019 yet market leader gopros revenue still fell27 2016 image source getty images however investors shouldnt completely ignore growth potential wearable makers lets take closer look three companies garmin nasdaq grmn taser international nasdaq tasr ambarella nasdaq amba could still benefit high sales wearable devices even market leaders like fitbit gopro struggle sluggish growth advertisement garmins fitness trackers gps watches become major pillars growth recent quarters last quarter fitness revenue rose20 annually accounted 32 top line fueled strong demand vivofit products newer devices equipped elevate heart rate tracking technology garmins connect iq app store also encouraged developers create custom apps devices ecosystem fitbit notably still lacks opens new window garmins outdoor revenue rose 46 quarter accounted 20 top line thanks strong sales highend fenix 5 heart rate tracking gps watches marine aviation gps revenues also rose double digits garmins soft spot automotive business posted 17 decline revenues due rise smartphonebased gps solutions however garmins total revenue still rose 10 annually quarter garmins fenix 5 gps watches image source garmin garmins top line growth expected remain flat 2017 earnings expected drop 6 higher taxes weakness auto market growing dependence wearable devices expected respectively boost sales earnings 2 and3 fiscal 2018 taser generally known namesake electric weapons growth comes axon body cameras related software services axon body cameras frequently used law enforcement officials demand devices rising due series controversial police shootings across america tasers axon 2 body camera image source taser axons cloud platform also backs captured footage recently beefed service acquisitions computer vision company dextro computer vision team fossil group together businesses form new axon ai group help law enforcement agencies quickly isolate analyze important seconds offootage accumulated videos last quarter tasers total revenues rose46 annually taser sales accounted 71 total rose 25 axon sales accounted remaining 29 soared 154 analysts expect tasers revenue earnings respectively rise 20 25 year ambarella generally known making image processing socs gopro gopro still ambarellas top customer chipmakers dependence struggling action camera maker declining thats ambarella also provides image processing socs wide range customers including drone makers like dji security camera makers like hikvision well tasers axon body cams snaps spectacles image source ambarella ambarella also supplies socs gopros biggest rivals like xiaomibacked yi technology garmin launched itsfirst 4k action camera last year means gopros pain dragged ambarella stock past wont necessarily hurt chipmaker anymore shift reflected ambarellas yearoveryear revenue growth past two quarters ambarellas revenue still dipped 2 infiscal 2017 analysts expect revenue remain flat year doubledigit drop earnings chipmaker pivots away gopro revenue earnings expected respectively rise 14 16 next year garmin taser ambarella look like better longterm wearables plays gopro fitbit investors mindful shortcomings garmins wearables business booming must maintain current growth rate offset ongoing declines automotive business tasers growth numbers look great stock trades whopping 70 times earnings much higher industry average 19 ambarella welldiversified customer base rising competition bigger chipmakers like qualcomm could throttle growth therefore investors carefully weigh pros cons buying stocks longterm plays wearables market 10 stocks like better taser internationalwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right taser international wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns february 6 2017 leo sun opens new window owns shares qualcomm motley fool owns shares recommends ambarella apple fitbit gopro qualcomm motley fool following options long january 2018 90 calls apple short january 2018 95 calls apple short january 2019 12 calls gopro long january 2019 12 puts gopro motley fool recommends fossil group inc taser international motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>From the North comes an army of ice zombies. From the East, an armada led by the "Mother of Dragons." In the South, an evil queen plots world domination.</p> <p>The world of Game of Thrones may not sound much like our own. But after watching HBO's hit series for six seasons, we've found some striking similarities.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The lords, ladies and common folk of Westeros are confronting some familiar-sounding problems: Only the wealthy seem stay afloat financially, no matter how reckless they are. Gridlock, infighting and incompetence define the government. Many in power turn a blind eye to the existential threat of climate change.</p> <p>As fans count down the days to the HBO series' seventh season, scheduled to begin July 16 in the United States and July 17 in the United Kingdom, The Associated Press is looking at the show through a unique lens: Its economy.</p> <p>Listen to our new online audio series, "The Wealth of Westeros." Every week, we'll be diving into the latest plot twists and analyzing the economic forces driving the story.</p> <p>Even in a world with magic, dragons and deadly supernatural White Walkers, the popular show has plenty of economic lessons. Here are five key takeaways:</p> <p>&#8212; THE IMPORTANCE OF BANKS</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Most fans know about the Iron Bank of Braavos. It's so secretive and powerful that Goldman Sachs looks like an investing club for elderly retirees by comparison. But rather than open a branch in Westeros, the Iron Bank operates across the Narrow Sea in Essos. This effectively leaves all of Westeros without a major bank &#8212; which makes it harder to save money, borrow for wars or even invest in businesses that would hire and innovate.</p> <p>After the 2008 financial crisis, many Americans naturally thought of bankers as villains. But Westeros shows the trouble of a world without financiers or transparent lending &#8212; debts forever build for governments, while few citizens are able to invest in themselves.</p> <p>&#8212; STAGNANT ECONOMIES WERE THE NORM FOR CENTURIES</p> <p>In the United States, the economy is growing at only 2 percent, instead of its post-World War II average of 3 percent. That's sparked political controversy and contributed to the rise of politicians like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.</p> <p>Westeros wishes it was so lucky.</p> <p>Westeros appears to have made zero economic progress over several centuries and have arguably regressed. During 300 years in the United States, people got indoor plumbing, electric lights and cars. But Westeros' experience is much closer to human history. Data tracked by the late economist Angus Maddison suggests that growth in Western Europe from 1000 to 1500 AD averaged a barely there 0.3 percent a year.</p> <p>&#8212; MAGIC ISN'T HELPING INNOVATION</p> <p>Westeros has seen little technological progress over its previous 8,000 years. That's strange because developing airplanes or ballistic missiles would be a natural counter to a fearsome beast like Drogon, the biggest dragon on Game of Thrones.</p> <p>"The existence of these weapons should spur an offsetting arms race," says Lyman Stone, an economist who has written extensively about the show.</p> <p>But in Westeros there appears to be a shortage of proven technology, let alone research for new tools. No one appears to have mass produced Valyrian steel or dragonglass &#8212; two materials that can kill the ghostly White Walkers from the North.</p> <p>&#8212; WHERE VIOLENCE OCCURS, GROWTH SLOWS</p> <p>In Game of Thrones, entire societies live mostly by plundering others.</p> <p>Adam Smith, the godfather of modern economics, says violence in medieval societies killed off growth. Anyone who thrived, he noted, would become a target for parasites like the Greyjoys.</p> <p>Barry Weingast, a political scientist at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, found that the poorest 10 percent of nations experience a coup, on average, nearly every year.</p> <p>Of course, some wars can lead to faster growth by sweeping away old social and economic structures and spurring innovation. But that hasn't happened in Westeros. The same families &#8212; the Starks, the Tyrells, the Lannisters &#8212; have held onto the bulk of wealth and power for centuries.</p> <p>&#8212;THEY'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT</p> <p>There's an army of ice-zombies coming with the White Walkers, but most of the lords and ladies of Westeros can't be bothered. They're too busy with jousting tournaments, pleasure houses and fine wine &#8212; or scheming to grab the Iron Throne for themselves.</p> <p>Economists call this a "collective action problem" &#8212; a situation in which everyone faces the same threat, but no one individual has an incentive to address or even admit the problem. Those who let others sacrifice to solve common problems are called "free riders."</p> <p>Charli Carpenter, a political scientist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has called Game of Thrones "a collective action story."</p> <p>"Planetary forces are moving slowly but inexorably toward climatic catastrophe as the infighting among kings and queens distracts them from the bigger picture," she wrote in the journal Foreign Affairs in 2012.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Follow Christopher S. Rugaber on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ChrisRugaber</p> <p>Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP</p> <p>Follow Josh Boak on Twitter at https://twitter.com/joshboak</p> <p>___</p> <p>Listen to the 'Wealth of Westeros' audio series: https://soundcloud.com/user-186673023/sets/wealth-of-westeros-the-economy</p>

north comes army ice zombies east armada led mother dragons south evil queen plots world domination world game thrones may sound much like watching hbos hit series six seasons weve found striking similarities continue reading lords ladies common folk westeros confronting familiarsounding problems wealthy seem stay afloat financially matter reckless gridlock infighting incompetence define government many power turn blind eye existential threat climate change fans count days hbo series seventh season scheduled begin july 16 united states july 17 united kingdom associated press looking show unique lens economy listen new online audio series wealth westeros every week well diving latest plot twists analyzing economic forces driving story even world magic dragons deadly supernatural white walkers popular show plenty economic lessons five key takeaways importance banks advertisement fans know iron bank braavos secretive powerful goldman sachs looks like investing club elderly retirees comparison rather open branch westeros iron bank operates across narrow sea essos effectively leaves westeros without major bank makes harder save money borrow wars even invest businesses would hire innovate 2008 financial crisis many americans naturally thought bankers villains westeros shows trouble world without financiers transparent lending debts forever build governments citizens able invest stagnant economies norm centuries united states economy growing 2 percent instead postworld war ii average 3 percent thats sparked political controversy contributed rise politicians like donald trump bernie sanders westeros wishes lucky westeros appears made zero economic progress several centuries arguably regressed 300 years united states people got indoor plumbing electric lights cars westeros experience much closer human history data tracked late economist angus maddison suggests growth western europe 1000 1500 ad averaged barely 03 percent year magic isnt helping innovation westeros seen little technological progress previous 8000 years thats strange developing airplanes ballistic missiles would natural counter fearsome beast like drogon biggest dragon game thrones existence weapons spur offsetting arms race says lyman stone economist written extensively show westeros appears shortage proven technology let alone research new tools one appears mass produced valyrian steel dragonglass two materials kill ghostly white walkers north violence occurs growth slows game thrones entire societies live mostly plundering others adam smith godfather modern economics says violence medieval societies killed growth anyone thrived noted would become target parasites like greyjoys barry weingast political scientist stanford university senior fellow hoover institution found poorest 10 percent nations experience coup average nearly every year course wars lead faster growth sweeping away old social economic structures spurring innovation hasnt happened westeros families starks tyrells lannisters held onto bulk wealth power centuries theyre together whether know theres army icezombies coming white walkers lords ladies westeros cant bothered theyre busy jousting tournaments pleasure houses fine wine scheming grab iron throne economists call collective action problem situation everyone faces threat one individual incentive address even admit problem let others sacrifice solve common problems called free riders charli carpenter political scientist university massachusettsamherst called game thrones collective action story planetary forces moving slowly inexorably toward climatic catastrophe infighting among kings queens distracts bigger picture wrote journal foreign affairs 2012 ___ follow christopher rugaber twitter httpstwittercomchrisrugaber follow paul wiseman twitter httpstwittercompaulwisemanap follow josh boak twitter httpstwittercomjoshboak ___ listen wealth westeros audio series httpssoundcloudcomuser186673023setswealthofwesterostheeconomy

<p /> <p>No one should celebrate the slow-motion demise of once-venerable retailer Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD), but it's been a long time since the department store was where America shopped. And because Sears and Kmart are merely shells of their former selves after they <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/23/after-20-straight-quarterly-losses-sears-holdings.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">destroyed so much value Opens a New Window.</a> over the years for employees, customers, and investors, there may be a group of stakeholders secretly hoping the end comes soon: shopping malls.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Sears Holdings is sitting on a lot of prime real estate that it rents for cheap. Malls might want to get hold of that property and rent it out again at a higher price. Image source: Mike Mozart via Flickr.</p> <p>Anchor stores were once the lifeblood of the shopping mall, drawing both customers and other tenants. But retail and the malls have changed a lot since then, and anchor stores today exist more in name only. Consumers are more likely to shop the smaller retailers in the mall than stop in at the big department stores.</p> <p>The chains themselves realize this, which is why they're closing down <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/22/retailers-are-going-to-shrink-a-lot-thanks-to-amaz.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">hundreds of stores Opens a New Window.</a>. Macy's (NYSE: M) announced in August it would be closing 100 stores in early 2017, on top of the dozens of others it closed over the past few years. J.C. Penney has closed 74 stores over the past two years. Kohl's closed 18 stores in 2016. Wal-Mart said a year ago it would be closing 154 stores in the U.S., though most were its small-footprint Express stores.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Real estate information firm CoStar has estimated nearly 1 billion square feet of retail space will need to be "rationalized" over the next few years. This could take the form of store closures, conversion to another use, or "rent roll downs." CoStar has reported that annual department-store retail sales tumbled 28% from their peak in 1999 to 2015. Sales per square foot have reportedly fallen to $330 from $350 a decade ago and many retailers want to get a break on the rent they pay.</p> <p>Certainly, mall operators such as General Growth Properties, Simon Property Group, and Macerich might agree to rent reductions for some of their tenants to help them survive the transition of retail from physical locations to online -- some analysts estimate half of all retail sales may come from the online channel by 2030 -- but they might also be rooting for anchors like Sears Holdings to go bankrupt so they can rent the space for more money.</p> <p>Image source: Nicholas Eckhart via Flickr.</p> <p>Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG), the real estate investment trust that Sears Holdings Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert created in 2015 to serve as the vehicle to help the retailer <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/10/without-real-estate-what-does-sears-holdings-corp.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">monetize its asset portfolio Opens a New Window.</a>, is making a mint off the company's woes.</p> <p>The REIT is taking Sears stores and carving them up into smaller parcels and renting out the space to other retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), Petsmart, and outlet department stores such as Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off 5th. But where a Sears or Kmart store paid bargain-basement rents of just $4.39 per square foot, it's turning around and jacking the rents up on the new tenants.</p> <p>According to the REIT's last quarterly SEC filing, Seritage is getting rent that averages $12.24 per square foot, while on the most recent leases it's signed with tenants who haven't yet moved in -- some 55 leases in all -- it is getting $19.25 per square foot.</p> <p>Sears is also doing that with some of its stores, leasing out space to third-party retailers, and Macy's has entered into a strategic alliance with Brookfield Asset Management to map out a "predevelopment plan" for half of the 100stores it will be closing.</p> <p>This was obviously a good deal for Seritage, but it does come with substantialrisk because the REIT's operations are predicated on Sears' continuing to exist and pay it rent, which it uses to finance its redevelopment projects. A bankruptcy by the retailer could cause the whole strategy to implode.</p> <p>A Sears store transformed. Image source: Heritage Growth Properties.</p> <p>Not necessarily so with the malls that Sears and Kmart occupy. While a Sears Holdings bankruptcy might lead malls to suddenly face the prospect of being flooded with zombie retail space, they would have the chance to redevelop the stores themselves and attract new tenants who would pay them, and not Seritage, significantly higher rents.</p> <p>Of course, a Sears Holdings bankruptcy carries risks for them, too. As noted, many retailers are reducing their footprints, not expanding them, so filling up the space may not be so simple, and for malls not in desirable locations, Sears Hodlings' demise could be catastrophic. Credit Suisse says some 184 malls can be classified as "least valuable property" -- meaning at risk of shutting down -- and, concernedly, Sears is the anchor store in 110 of them. A Sears Holdings bankruptcy and the wave of store closings that would follow could very well jeopardize their existence.</p> <p>Even so, Seritage reports that its stores enjoy a 99.3% occupancy rate.Of course, that's because most of the properties are still occupied by Sears, but its experience demonstrates there is pent-up demand for the retailer's vacated stores. In fact, in 31 properties, Seritage has joint venture agreements with the mall operators themselves, so they're already realizing some of the benefits from Sears Holdings' slow death.</p> <p>An orderly exit would likely produce the best result for everyone involved, but if Sears Holdings' precarious financial situation finally overwhelms it, you might not find as many mall operatorslamenting the outcome as expected.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Sears Holdings When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=140e5424-2de1-4a27-ac8c-38ba9bfa671b&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Sears Holdings wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=140e5424-2de1-4a27-ac8c-38ba9bfa671b&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFCop/info.aspx" type="external">Rich Duprey Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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one celebrate slowmotion demise oncevenerable retailer sears holdings nasdaq shld long time since department store america shopped sears kmart merely shells former selves destroyed much value opens new window years employees customers investors may group stakeholders secretly hoping end comes soon shopping malls continue reading sears holdings sitting lot prime real estate rents cheap malls might want get hold property rent higher price image source mike mozart via flickr anchor stores lifeblood shopping mall drawing customers tenants retail malls changed lot since anchor stores today exist name consumers likely shop smaller retailers mall stop big department stores chains realize theyre closing hundreds stores opens new window macys nyse announced august would closing 100 stores early 2017 top dozens others closed past years jc penney closed 74 stores past two years kohls closed 18 stores 2016 walmart said year ago would closing 154 stores us though smallfootprint express stores advertisement real estate information firm costar estimated nearly 1 billion square feet retail space need rationalized next years could take form store closures conversion another use rent roll downs costar reported annual departmentstore retail sales tumbled 28 peak 1999 2015 sales per square foot reportedly fallen 330 350 decade ago many retailers want get break rent pay certainly mall operators general growth properties simon property group macerich might agree rent reductions tenants help survive transition retail physical locations online analysts estimate half retail sales may come online channel 2030 might also rooting anchors like sears holdings go bankrupt rent space money image source nicholas eckhart via flickr seritage growth properties nyse srg real estate investment trust sears holdings chairman ceo eddie lampert created 2015 serve vehicle help retailer monetize asset portfolio opens new window making mint companys woes reit taking sears stores carving smaller parcels renting space retailers like dicks sporting goods nyse dks petsmart outlet department stores nordstrom rack saks 5th sears kmart store paid bargainbasement rents 439 per square foot turning around jacking rents new tenants according reits last quarterly sec filing seritage getting rent averages 1224 per square foot recent leases signed tenants havent yet moved 55 leases getting 1925 per square foot sears also stores leasing space thirdparty retailers macys entered strategic alliance brookfield asset management map predevelopment plan half 100stores closing obviously good deal seritage come substantialrisk reits operations predicated sears continuing exist pay rent uses finance redevelopment projects bankruptcy retailer could cause whole strategy implode sears store transformed image source heritage growth properties necessarily malls sears kmart occupy sears holdings bankruptcy might lead malls suddenly face prospect flooded zombie retail space would chance redevelop stores attract new tenants would pay seritage significantly higher rents course sears holdings bankruptcy carries risks noted many retailers reducing footprints expanding filling space may simple malls desirable locations sears hodlings demise could catastrophic credit suisse says 184 malls classified least valuable property meaning risk shutting concernedly sears anchor store 110 sears holdings bankruptcy wave store closings would follow could well jeopardize existence even seritage reports stores enjoy 993 occupancy rateof course thats properties still occupied sears experience demonstrates pentup demand retailers vacated stores fact 31 properties seritage joint venture agreements mall operators theyre already realizing benefits sears holdings slow death orderly exit would likely produce best result everyone involved sears holdings precarious financial situation finally overwhelms might find many mall operatorslamenting outcome expected 10 stocks like better sears holdings investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right sears holdings wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 rich duprey opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool position stocks mentioned motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The U.S. population is aging rapidly, and investors have a few ways to try to capitalize on this trend. One way would be through a real estate investment trust (REIT) like Welltower (NYSE: HCN), which owns a portfolio of healthcare properties. Or you could choose a more direct investment approach, through a senior-housing operator like Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD). Here's what you need to know about these two companies, and which could be the best bet for your portfolio.</p> <p>Welltower is the largest REIT specializing in healthcare properties, and currently owns more than 1,400 properties in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., all of which have favorable <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/25/3-reasons-to-invest-in-health-care-real-estate-wit.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">demographic trends Opens a New Window.</a> for healthcare real estate. Specifically, the 75-and-over population of the three markets is expected to double over the next 20 years, and healthcare spending is forecast to rise.</p> <p>Image source: Welltower investor presentation.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As of this writing, Welltower's portfolio consists of 64% senior-housing properties, 20% long-term and post-acute-care facilities, and 16% outpatient medical properties. The business model is relatively simple: Welltower's focus is to acquire properties that are better-quality than those offered by competitors and are located in desirable markets, then partner with some of the best facilities operators in the business (including Brookdale) to run them.</p> <p>The results of this strategy have been nothing short of spectacular. In its 45-year history, Welltower has managed to increase its impressive dividend (currently yielding 5%) at an annualized rate of 5.8%. Even more impressively, the company's total return has averaged 15.8% throughout its history -- meaning that people who bought Welltower shares in 1971 are sitting on a 73,600% gain today, provided that they reinvested their dividends.</p> <p>Image source: Welltower investor presentation.</p> <p>Like most other stocks that have consistently produced market-beating returns, Welltower is rather expensive. Funds from operations (FFO) is the "earnings" metric of the REIT industry, and Welltower trades for 15.4 times its projected 2016 FFO. This actually isn't too expensive relative to most companies in the S&amp;amp;P 500, but it is historically pricey for Welltower, and is much higher than Brookdale's valuation, which we'll get to shortly.</p> <p>Welltower and Brookdale Senior Living's businesses are intertwined. Brookdale is one of Welltower's largest operating partners, operating more than 7% of the REIT's portfolio. In fact, a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/09/instant-analysis-welltower-plunges-10-after-weak-r.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">poor quarterly report Opens a New Window.</a> from Brookdale earlier this year caused Welltower shares to plunge. In other words, Brookdale's performance should be of interest to Welltower investors, whether or not they're directly invested in Brookdale as well.</p> <p>Brookdale generates the bulk of its revenue (84% so far in 2016) from its facilities and their residents.And the senior-housing business has faced some headwinds lately, including declining occupancy and Medicare uncertainty, both of which are primary reasons for the stock's 33% decline over the past year.</p> <p>Although Brookdale isn't technically a REIT, real estate does make up a large part of the company's business model, as Brookdale owns about 40% of its facilities. Therefore, shareholders should focus on FFO as opposed to net income -- so don't let those negative earnings fool you. In fact, Brookdale is projecting CFFO (cash from facility operations -- a very similar metric to FFO) in the $2.45 to $2.55 range, meaning that shares trade for just 6.2 times the midpoint of the guidance. From a valuation perspective, Brookdale is cheap.</p> <p>Brookdale does benefit from the same demographic trends I mentioned in the Welltower discussion, but there are a few things investors should know. First, Brookdale has a much higher debt load relative to its size. As of the second quarter, Brookdale has a total of $7.5 billion in liabilities listed on its balance sheet. For comparison, Welltower's total debt is about $12.6 billion, but Welltower's market cap is about nine times that of Brookdale.</p> <p>Another reason for the low valuation isthe Medicare uncertainty mentioned earlier. The government is actively trying to curb Medicare reimbursements to private companies, which could create pressure on Brookdale's revenue going forward.</p> <p>These companies are two different ways to play the aging U.S. population, and as such are completely different kinds of investments. Welltower is a tried-and-true dividend machine, acquiring properties, leasing them out, and collecting a steady stream of rental income. On the other hand, Brookdale is a more direct play on senior housing, actually providing senior-living services and aiming to make a profit from those services.</p> <p>I personally prefer Welltower out of the two, as it has a history of reliable performance and dividend growth, while at the same time delivering market-beating total returns. In fact, Welltower is one of the largest stock holdings in my retirement account. While Brookdale could indeed produce solid performance in the years ahead if things go well for the senior-housing business, I prefer to stick with the company with a stellar 45-year track record.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! 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image source getty images continue reading us population aging rapidly investors ways try capitalize trend one way would real estate investment trust reit like welltower nyse hcn owns portfolio healthcare properties could choose direct investment approach seniorhousing operator like brookdale senior living nyse bkd heres need know two companies could best bet portfolio welltower largest reit specializing healthcare properties currently owns 1400 properties us canada uk favorable demographic trends opens new window healthcare real estate specifically 75andover population three markets expected double next 20 years healthcare spending forecast rise image source welltower investor presentation advertisement writing welltowers portfolio consists 64 seniorhousing properties 20 longterm postacutecare facilities 16 outpatient medical properties business model relatively simple welltowers focus acquire properties betterquality offered competitors located desirable markets partner best facilities operators business including brookdale run results strategy nothing short spectacular 45year history welltower managed increase impressive dividend currently yielding 5 annualized rate 58 even impressively companys total return averaged 158 throughout history meaning people bought welltower shares 1971 sitting 73600 gain today provided reinvested dividends image source welltower investor presentation like stocks consistently produced marketbeating returns welltower rather expensive funds operations ffo earnings metric reit industry welltower trades 154 times projected 2016 ffo actually isnt expensive relative companies sampp 500 historically pricey welltower much higher brookdales valuation well get shortly welltower brookdale senior livings businesses intertwined brookdale one welltowers largest operating partners operating 7 reits portfolio fact poor quarterly report opens new window brookdale earlier year caused welltower shares plunge words brookdales performance interest welltower investors whether theyre directly invested brookdale well brookdale generates bulk revenue 84 far 2016 facilities residentsand seniorhousing business faced headwinds lately including declining occupancy medicare uncertainty primary reasons stocks 33 decline past year although brookdale isnt technically reit real estate make large part companys business model brookdale owns 40 facilities therefore shareholders focus ffo opposed net income dont let negative earnings fool fact brookdale projecting cffo cash facility operations similar metric ffo 245 255 range meaning shares trade 62 times midpoint guidance valuation perspective brookdale cheap brookdale benefit demographic trends mentioned welltower discussion things investors know first brookdale much higher debt load relative size second quarter brookdale total 75 billion liabilities listed balance sheet comparison welltowers total debt 126 billion welltowers market cap nine times brookdale another reason low valuation isthe medicare uncertainty mentioned earlier government actively trying curb medicare reimbursements private companies could create pressure brookdales revenue going forward companies two different ways play aging us population completely different kinds investments welltower triedandtrue dividend machine acquiring properties leasing collecting steady stream rental income hand brookdale direct play senior housing actually providing seniorliving services aiming make profit services personally prefer welltower two history reliable performance dividend growth time delivering marketbeating total returns fact welltower one largest stock holdings retirement account brookdale could indeed produce solid performance years ahead things go well seniorhousing business prefer stick company stellar 45year track record secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window matthew frankel opens new window owns shares welltower motley fool recommends welltower try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p><a href="//videos/37/64539" type="external" /></p> <p>RUSH: Okay. So let me see if I get this straight. The same journalists and the same pundits who are happy to see Brian Williams suspended six months without pay for making up the news, for making up stories, are now shedding tears about Jon Stewart, who made up news and did fake news, leaving Comedy Central.</p> <p>These people have got to be twisted and flaked and formed into such pretzel positions as to not know which day it is or which direction is up or down. What kind of confusion must these people &#8212; they&#8217;re wringing their hands, oh, my God, it&#8217;s media implosion, liberal media implosion out there. And I could make the case that that is exactly what&#8217;s happening, and maybe I&#8217;ll give it a shot.</p> <p>Anyway, greetings and great to have you. Rush Limbaugh back at it, off and running. Another exciting excursion into broadcast excellence. 800-282-2882. The e-mail address, <a href="mailto:elrushbo@eibnet.com" type="external">ElRushbo@eibnet.com</a>.</p> <p>I remember when this program first started, and for the first two years intensely, but even the first four or five, Drive-By journalists would want to interview me. They&#8217;d say, &#8220;We never heard a program like this.&#8221; David Brinkley interviewed me for This Week. He said, &#8220;There&#8217;s nobody like you. What is it you&#8217;re doing?&#8221; All that was happening on this program was something that was not present everywhere. And I told everybody, I mean, the Drive-Bys that are trying to figure it out, and everybody.</p> <p>What this program was and is &#8212; this is how it started &#8212; combined two elements that were not combined anywhere else in the media: satire and parodic humor, along with a serious discussion of issues, with the host, being me, maintaining credibility no matter what. Credibility telling jokes, doing satire, doing humor, credibility during serious discussion. I said, &#8220;You never know what&#8217;s gonna happen because both those elements are mixed.&#8221; And I said, &#8220;They&#8217;ve never been combined in major media before.&#8221;</p> <p>And they said, &#8220;What do you mean?&#8221;</p> <p>And I said, &#8220;Well, let me give you an example. If you turn on The Tonight Show tonight &#8211;&#8221; Johnny Carson was still on &#8220;&#8211; if you turn on The Tonight Show and Johnny Carson comes out and instead of a monologue he gives you a serious commentary, you&#8217;re gonna get a little uncomfortable and say, &#8216;I&#8217;m not watching this for that. I&#8217;m here to be entertained. I want to hear jokes.&#8217; By the same token, if Ted Koppel, who was hosting Nightline, if Ted Koppel opened Nightline with a 10-minute joke routine, you&#8217;d say, &#8216;Wow, that is not what I&#8217;m here for, Ted Koppel. I&#8217;m here for serious interviews and so forth.'&#8221;</p> <p>But this program combined both, and it&#8217;s what led to so much confusion and head-scratching on the part of the left and the media trying to pigeonhole it and figure it out. Plus the fact that there weren&#8217;t any guests. I mean, that didn&#8217;t compute. They couldn&#8217;t figure that out. And as I listen to all of these pundits and all these Drive-Bys wring their hands over what&#8217;s going on in their precious media &#8212; you know, I read my little technical blogs, it&#8217;s my hobby, keeping up with the latest in gadgets and gizmos. There are a couple of these tech blogs that actually delve deep, blog posts here and there, into our culture. I find it fascinating as a study because they&#8217;re Millennials for the most part, and one line that I saw last night almost made me want to just &#8212; well, not cry, but I guess I&#8217;ll admit it was a little bit frustrating because these are otherwise smart people.</p> <p>This guy said &#8212; I don&#8217;t know who it was, doesn&#8217;t matter. I don&#8217;t even remember the blog. Anyway, the last line of this guy&#8217;s little tear-filled post was, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, but the powers that be had better figure out real fast that the fake news and the satire news was often more real to us than the real news.&#8221; And I said, &#8220;That&#8217;s it.&#8221; The satire news and the fake news was often more real. Oh, and more accurate. The satire news was more accurate than the real news. And of course all of this fascinates me because media is how people end up being informed in this country, and this program&#8217;s purpose is to create as large a bloc of informed, participating people who also like to be entertained at the same time. That&#8217;s the objective.</p> <p>I study how it is people consume media and how it is they see it, and I&#8217;m always fascinated by it. You people have spoiled me. I&#8217;m gonna be very up front and honest. This is not pandering, and this is not sucking up because I don&#8217;t have to. But I&#8217;ve always, from day one of the program, I have always treated the audience, you, yes, you&#8217;re a group, but to me I&#8217;m talking to you as one individual to another. And I&#8217;ve always, always assumed you are all really smart. I have never felt the need to go first grade on you and explain the most basic concepts before I delve deeper into a subject.</p> <p>I&#8217;ve always assumed the intelligence of people in this audience because it&#8217;s valid. I have never pandered to it, and I&#8217;ve always respected it. This is another thing that I think distances this program and others like it from others in the Drive-By Media. The Drive-By Media does not look at their audience that way. The Drive-By Media, no matter whether telling jokes or whether doing serious commentary, the Drive-By Media, the entertainment media looks down on their audience. They don&#8217;t think their audience is all that bright. They think they can use them, manipulate them, and in some cases have outright contempt for them.</p> <p>You ever called a television station or a newspaper to complain about something in the news, and they&#8217;ll tell you basically, &#8220;Well, you know, you don&#8217;t understand what we do here. That&#8217;s not bias. We&#8217;re not liberally bias. You just don&#8217;t understand what we do.&#8221; The news business is the only business I know of where the customer is always wrong, by definition. But not here. And I say you all have spoiled me because I treat this audience as just as smart as any group of people in this country that I could encounter, and in many cases, smarter. I deal with you and I treat you that way.</p> <p>And, believe me, folks, it&#8217;s a blessing to have what I consider to be an intelligent audience and not have to sit here and pretend &#8212; not pretend, not to sit here and talk to people in a kindergarten or grade school level. You do not know what a blessing that is for me.</p> <p>BREAK TRANSCRIPT</p> <p>RUSH: Literally make the point that the liberal media is imploding. Some of the best evidence of this is NBC News. When you get right down to it, NBC, I don&#8217;t think, is a news organization anymore. And I wonder if it ever will be again. It hasn&#8217;t been a news organization for a long time, and it&#8217;s not going to be one in the foreseeable future.</p> <p>Brian Williams is not the problem. And you&#8217;re gonna read and hear all kinds of things about Brian Williams from people that knew him, that didn&#8217;t know him, from serious hand-wringing pundits and analysts to people that thought he was the greatest guy in the world and just had one too many whoppers you but by golly, by gosh, we hope he comes back from it.</p> <p>But I&#8217;ll tell you, he isn&#8217;t the problem. Brian Williams is a symptom. Brian Williams may have some complex problems about being insufficient as a human being and needs to constantly exaggerate, but the fact that he felt he could get away with this on the NBC Nightly News, he felt he could get away with it and continue to do it, says something about NBC.</p> <p>BREAK TRANSCRIPT</p> <p>RUSH: Any supposed, so-called news organization that seriously considered hiring an admitted satirist, who made his bones with fake news, Jon Stewart, any network seriously considering hiring him to moderate Meet the Press isn&#8217;t what it claims to be. NBC is not a news organization anymore, and I don&#8217;t know if they&#8217;re going to be in the foreseeable future.</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" />Not only was there a serious effort made to hire a comedian, satirist, whatever, to moderate the venerable Meet the Press, there is also even as we speak serious discussion in the news business, serious discussion among journalist professionals, serious discussion among pundits that the satirist and the comedian would be ideal to replace Brian Williams on the NBC Nightly News. Fine, whatever floats your boat, but don&#8217;t call it news if you&#8217;re gonna put a comedian in. It isn&#8217;t news, and it certainly isn&#8217;t journalism.</p> <p>NBC&#8217;s free to do what they want and they can try to convince people that what they&#8217;re doing is news. They&#8217;re free to use any marketing PR jazz they want. They&#8217;re free to try to fool as many people as they want, but people need to be aware that when they tune in to NBC, it isn&#8217;t about journalism, and it isn&#8217;t about the news. Brian Williams isn&#8217;t the problem. The fact that Brian Williams was allowed to stay in that anchor chair while executives at NBC were fully aware of his embellishments and lies and made-up events tells you all you need to know. Brian Williams knew that they knew.</p> <p>Now, we&#8217;re told that people took him aside and said, &#8220;Brian, you need to dial this back a little bit, buddy.&#8221; Nothing happened to him as he didn&#8217;t dial it back. And had it not been for some military personnel who finally heard one too many versions of something blowing the whistle on it, he&#8217;d still be there, with the full knowledge of the news professionals and the news executives at NBC News.</p> <p>So it&#8217;s fine for them to act all outraged now, these executives, and it&#8217;s fine for them to act as though they are desperately concerned about the damage done to their credible news organization. But they sat there for years and put the guy on the air every night knowing full well not only what he had done and kept doing, but was capable of continuing to do. So you can&#8217;t blame him per se. The signal was sent that he was okay. He should have been suspended or fired the moment they first heard about this. That didn&#8217;t happen.</p> <p>In a way it&#8217;s somewhat analogous to the Republicans telling Obama that they&#8217;re not gonna impeach him, they&#8217;re not gonna do anything to stop him. They pretty much signaled that, as far as Obama&#8217;s concerned, he doesn&#8217;t have to obey the Constitution because the Republicans are not going to enforce it. The Republicans have said over and over again that they&#8217;re not going to even consider articles of impeachment. Well, that&#8217;s the only way you can stop an out-of-control president, built right into the Constitution. The only means &#8212; well, maybe a couple of others, but it&#8217;s the big one. And if the opposition party tells the man who is ignoring the Constitution every day that they&#8217;re gonna do nothing to stop him, why should he stop?</p> <p>Well, by the same token, there might have been some elbows in the room say, &#8220;Brian, you gotta dial it back, man, can&#8217;t keep doing that.&#8221; But he was not punished for it until the suits became embarrassed. And that only happened when the military people finally piped up, &#8220;Hey, you know what? This didn&#8217;t happen.&#8221; Then the hotel manager in New Orleans piped up, &#8220;You know what? I think he misremembered this dead body floating down the street. That didn&#8217;t happen.&#8221;</p> <p>So now everybody&#8217;s wringing their hands all righteously offended and worried and concerned when all of this was going on with their full knowledge every night. They had a ticking time bomb on the air for a half hour every night, not sure where he was gonna go or what he was gonna make up or what he was gonna lie about, and as long as the numbers stayed at the top, they rolled the dice.</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" />NBC also has bought totally into crony socialism, crony capitalism, almost a varying degree of fascism, if you will. But they clearly are not news. <a href="" type="internal">When you go out and hire Chelsea Clinton</a>, who has never been in the news business, Chelsea Clinton, whose only experience with a news camera was being hidden away from them. Chelsea Clinton, the closest she ever got to a journalist was if she snuck out of the White House and happened to walk past one trying to get away from the Secret Service, because her mom and dad shielded her and protected her and told the news people to leave her alone, and they dutifully obeyed.</p> <p>Then out of the blue one day we&#8217;re told that NBC hires Chelsea Clinton. She&#8217;s never had a second&#8217;s worth of experience. There are people in the news business and in journalism slaving away in small towns and medium-size towns all over the country, and they&#8217;re sweating and they&#8217;re working hard and they&#8217;re doing everything they can to climb the ladder of broadcast journalism. And out of the blue, here comes a former president and potentially future president&#8217;s daughter being hired to do some interviews of people on magazine type shows at NBC News.</p> <p>Plus, this woman, Chelsea Clinton, who&#8217;d had not a second&#8217;s worth of experience in the business, was paid $600,000. The mistake everybody made in analyzing that was, Chelsea Clinton was not hired. NBC News was buying access. NBC News was buying an insurance policy. If Mrs. Clinton became president, fine, NBC&#8217;s hired their daughter, so they&#8217;re gonna get preferential treatment maybe, maybe access, and if we have a very powerful government that wants to come down on the news media someday, maybe they&#8217;ll leave NBC alone because NBC gave their daughter a chance.</p> <p>Same thing with Al Sharpton. There&#8217;s no reason Al Sharpton has a television show except for the fact that NBC bought access, and in this case, they were actually paying protection money. Al Sharpton owes the IRS four and a half million dollars. IRS has got a trail of bad debt all over this country. Al Sharpton is Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton perpetrates frauds. Al Sharpton perpetrates hoaxes. There he is every night on MSNBC, part of the NBC umbrella, and he&#8217;s got his own show, and he&#8217;s able to take that show to every hot spot in the country, be it Ferguson, Missouri, or to New York City.</p> <p>Wherever there is any racial strife that needs to be profited from, Al Sharpton takes his NBC show right to it. Well, I don&#8217;t know what it is, but it isn&#8217;t news, it isn&#8217;t journalism. NBC was paying Al Sharpton protection money, the way he and his Justice Brother, the Reverend Jackson, have secured protection money for decades. You don&#8217;t want us to organize protests against your business, fine, pay up. You don&#8217;t want us to organize boycotts of your business? Fine, pay up. Paying up in this case was giving the Reverend Sharpton a show and then letting him take that show wherever he wanted and letting Al Sharpton conduct business under the rubric of NBC News. Well, I don&#8217;t know what it is, but it isn&#8217;t journalism, and it isn&#8217;t news.</p> <p>Let me ask you what&#8217;s worse. You plug Brian Williams into all this and ask, what&#8217;s worse here? Embellishing an anchor&#8217;s experience, tolerating an anchor making things up, tolerating an anchor lying, placing himself in events he wasn&#8217;t, what&#8217;s worse, letting an anchor insert himself into news story after news story and let him get away with it, or virtually ignoring every Obama scandal since day one? What&#8217;s worse, sit idly by and let your anchor make it up, let your anchor insert himself into whatever story he wants to insert himself. Or is it worse to totally ignore, say, what happened in Benghazi, to totally ignore the details and facts of Fast and Furious, to totally ignore the Obama administration using the IRS to harass and intimidate and scare, dare I say abuse, American citizens?</p> <p>NBC ignored that story. They still don&#8217;t get excited about it. You may not, if you watch NBC News, you may not have even heard the name Lois Lerner. If you watch NBC News, you may not know what&#8217;s gone on in Benghazi. If you watch NBC News, you may not know about Fast and Furious, except that maybe a bunch of conservative wackos think it&#8217;s a big deal, but you laugh about it. What&#8217;s worse, letting an anchor go on the air every night and make it up, invent things, place himself in stories that he wasn&#8217;t a part of, or sitting there and cheerleading this fraudulent government program called Obamacare and all of the ongoing corruption involved in that? Not reporting all of the times the president of the United States has violated the Constitution and has utilized authority that he does not have, you ignore all that, what&#8217;s worse?</p> <p>What&#8217;s NBC so profoundly embarrassed about today? What are they quaking in fear over, their credibility? They&#8217;ve got an anchor out of control. That&#8217;s what bothers them more than totally ignoring all the real news and all the real scandals that have played a serious role in the destruction and damage done to the culture and the society of our country. The problem with NBC News is the problem with journalism. But whatever they are, a news organization they are not.</p>

rush okay let see get straight journalists pundits happy see brian williams suspended six months without pay making news making stories shedding tears jon stewart made news fake news leaving comedy central people got twisted flaked formed pretzel positions know day direction kind confusion must people theyre wringing hands oh god media implosion liberal media implosion could make case exactly whats happening maybe ill give shot anyway greetings great rush limbaugh back running another exciting excursion broadcast excellence 8002822882 email address elrushboeibnetcom remember program first started first two years intensely even first four five driveby journalists would want interview theyd say never heard program like david brinkley interviewed week said theres nobody like youre happening program something present everywhere told everybody mean drivebys trying figure everybody program started combined two elements combined anywhere else media satire parodic humor along serious discussion issues host maintaining credibility matter credibility telling jokes satire humor credibility serious discussion said never know whats gon na happen elements mixed said theyve never combined major media said mean said well let give example turn tonight show tonight johnny carson still turn tonight show johnny carson comes instead monologue gives serious commentary youre gon na get little uncomfortable say im watching im entertained want hear jokes token ted koppel hosting nightline ted koppel opened nightline 10minute joke routine youd say wow im ted koppel im serious interviews forth program combined led much confusion headscratching part left media trying pigeonhole figure plus fact werent guests mean didnt compute couldnt figure listen pundits drivebys wring hands whats going precious media know read little technical blogs hobby keeping latest gadgets gizmos couple tech blogs actually delve deep blog posts culture find fascinating study theyre millennials part one line saw last night almost made want well cry guess ill admit little bit frustrating otherwise smart people guy said dont know doesnt matter dont even remember blog anyway last line guys little tearfilled post dont know powers better figure real fast fake news satire news often real us real news said thats satire news fake news often real oh accurate satire news accurate real news course fascinates media people end informed country programs purpose create large bloc informed participating people also like entertained time thats objective study people consume media see im always fascinated people spoiled im gon na front honest pandering sucking dont ive always day one program always treated audience yes youre group im talking one individual another ive always always assumed really smart never felt need go first grade explain basic concepts delve deeper subject ive always assumed intelligence people audience valid never pandered ive always respected another thing think distances program others like others driveby media driveby media look audience way driveby media matter whether telling jokes whether serious commentary driveby media entertainment media looks audience dont think audience bright think use manipulate cases outright contempt ever called television station newspaper complain something news theyll tell basically well know dont understand thats bias liberally bias dont understand news business business know customer always wrong definition say spoiled treat audience smart group people country could encounter many cases smarter deal treat way believe folks blessing consider intelligent audience sit pretend pretend sit talk people kindergarten grade school level know blessing break transcript rush literally make point liberal media imploding best evidence nbc news get right nbc dont think news organization anymore wonder ever hasnt news organization long time going one foreseeable future brian williams problem youre gon na read hear kinds things brian williams people knew didnt know serious handwringing pundits analysts people thought greatest guy world one many whoppers golly gosh hope comes back ill tell isnt problem brian williams symptom brian williams may complex problems insufficient human needs constantly exaggerate fact felt could get away nbc nightly news felt could get away continue says something nbc break transcript rush supposed socalled news organization seriously considered hiring admitted satirist made bones fake news jon stewart network seriously considering hiring moderate meet press isnt claims nbc news organization anymore dont know theyre going foreseeable future serious effort made hire comedian satirist whatever moderate venerable meet press also even speak serious discussion news business serious discussion among journalist professionals serious discussion among pundits satirist comedian would ideal replace brian williams nbc nightly news fine whatever floats boat dont call news youre gon na put comedian isnt news certainly isnt journalism nbcs free want try convince people theyre news theyre free use marketing pr jazz want theyre free try fool many people want people need aware tune nbc isnt journalism isnt news brian williams isnt problem fact brian williams allowed stay anchor chair executives nbc fully aware embellishments lies madeup events tells need know brian williams knew knew told people took aside said brian need dial back little bit buddy nothing happened didnt dial back military personnel finally heard one many versions something blowing whistle hed still full knowledge news professionals news executives nbc news fine act outraged executives fine act though desperately concerned damage done credible news organization sat years put guy air every night knowing full well done kept capable continuing cant blame per se signal sent okay suspended fired moment first heard didnt happen way somewhat analogous republicans telling obama theyre gon na impeach theyre gon na anything stop pretty much signaled far obamas concerned doesnt obey constitution republicans going enforce republicans said theyre going even consider articles impeachment well thats way stop outofcontrol president built right constitution means well maybe couple others big one opposition party tells man ignoring constitution every day theyre gon na nothing stop stop well token might elbows room say brian got ta dial back man cant keep punished suits became embarrassed happened military people finally piped hey know didnt happen hotel manager new orleans piped know think misremembered dead body floating street didnt happen everybodys wringing hands righteously offended worried concerned going full knowledge every night ticking time bomb air half hour every night sure gon na go gon na make gon na lie long numbers stayed top rolled dice nbc also bought totally crony socialism crony capitalism almost varying degree fascism clearly news go hire chelsea clinton never news business chelsea clinton whose experience news camera hidden away chelsea clinton closest ever got journalist snuck white house happened walk past one trying get away secret service mom dad shielded protected told news people leave alone dutifully obeyed blue one day told nbc hires chelsea clinton shes never seconds worth experience people news business journalism slaving away small towns mediumsize towns country theyre sweating theyre working hard theyre everything climb ladder broadcast journalism blue comes former president potentially future presidents daughter hired interviews people magazine type shows nbc news plus woman chelsea clinton whod seconds worth experience business paid 600000 mistake everybody made analyzing chelsea clinton hired nbc news buying access nbc news buying insurance policy mrs clinton became president fine nbcs hired daughter theyre gon na get preferential treatment maybe maybe access powerful government wants come news media someday maybe theyll leave nbc alone nbc gave daughter chance thing al sharpton theres reason al sharpton television show except fact nbc bought access case actually paying protection money al sharpton owes irs four half million dollars irs got trail bad debt country al sharpton al sharpton al sharpton perpetrates frauds al sharpton perpetrates hoaxes every night msnbc part nbc umbrella hes got show hes able take show every hot spot country ferguson missouri new york city wherever racial strife needs profited al sharpton takes nbc show right well dont know isnt news isnt journalism nbc paying al sharpton protection money way justice brother reverend jackson secured protection money decades dont want us organize protests business fine pay dont want us organize boycotts business fine pay paying case giving reverend sharpton show letting take show wherever wanted letting al sharpton conduct business rubric nbc news well dont know isnt journalism isnt news let ask whats worse plug brian williams ask whats worse embellishing anchors experience tolerating anchor making things tolerating anchor lying placing events wasnt whats worse letting anchor insert news story news story let get away virtually ignoring every obama scandal since day one whats worse sit idly let anchor make let anchor insert whatever story wants insert worse totally ignore say happened benghazi totally ignore details facts fast furious totally ignore obama administration using irs harass intimidate scare dare say abuse american citizens nbc ignored story still dont get excited may watch nbc news may even heard name lois lerner watch nbc news may know whats gone benghazi watch nbc news may know fast furious except maybe bunch conservative wackos think big deal laugh whats worse letting anchor go air every night make invent things place stories wasnt part sitting cheerleading fraudulent government program called obamacare ongoing corruption involved reporting times president united states violated constitution utilized authority ignore whats worse whats nbc profoundly embarrassed today quaking fear credibility theyve got anchor control thats bothers totally ignoring real news real scandals played serious role destruction damage done culture society country problem nbc news problem journalism whatever news organization

<p>The biotech sector isn't for the faint of heart. While investors can <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/19/heres-why-colucid-pharmaceuticals-inc-popped-yeste.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">strike it rich Opens a New Window.</a> if they get lucky, they can also <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/12/why-ophthotech-is-being-obliterated-today.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">lose a bundle Opens a New Window.</a> if things don't go according to plan. Given the risk, it can take a lot of courage to put money to work in the sector.</p> <p>Which biotech stocks do we think are smart picks for investors who are willing to accept some&amp;#160;risk? We asked that question to a team of healthcare investors and they picked&amp;#160;Edge Therapeutics (NASDAQ: EDGE),&amp;#160;Aratana Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PETX)&amp;#160;and Alkermes&amp;#160;(NASDAQ: ALKS).</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p><a href="https://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGBudwell/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">George Budwell Opens a New Window.</a>&amp;#160;(Edge Therapeutics): Enterprising investors on the hunt for sizable returns may want to check out the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/19/how-to-value-clinical-stage-biotech-stocks.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">clinical-stage biotech</a> Edge Therapeutics. Edge is developing a late-stage product dubbed "EG-1962," which is aimed at improving the delivery of nimodipine&amp;#160;in patients with&amp;#160;aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) resulting from a ruptured brain aneurysm.</p> <p>The short version of the story is that orally administered&amp;#160;nimodipine in aSAH patients is known to induce a motley crew of serious side effects, and places a heavy burden on nurses to maintain a patient on an oral regimen over the span of several weeks. Edge is hoping to solve these problems with its proprietary, programmable, biodegradable polymer-based development platform known as Precisa.</p> <p>In effect, this novel polymer-based delivery method allows for a far more targeted and sustained release of&amp;#160;nimodipine, which should substantially reduce side effects, cost of care, and increase the drug's effectiveness. The point is that EG-1962 could eventually become the new standard of care for this deadly brain injury.</p> <p>Looking ahead, Edge is expected to release top-line data from&amp;#160;EG-1962's ongoing pivotal-stage trial in late 2018. The company is, perhaps, two years away from transforming into a commercial-stage operation.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>While EG-1962 should be able to generate considerable revenue if approved, the downside is that Edge's value proposition relies heavily on this drug's clinical fate. The company, after all, lacks a well-diversified pipeline beyond EG-1962. Put simply, this high-risk, high-reward biotech stock is arguably only suited for ultra-aggressive investors willing to sacrifice safety for the chance to generate unusually high returns on capital.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFUltraLong/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Sean Williams Opens a New Window.</a> (Aratana Therapeutics): Investors with initiative who are looking to nab an intriguing growth stock in the biotech industry would be wise to take a peek at Aratana Therapeutics, which develops medicines for companion animals, such as cats and dogs.</p> <p>The allure of a company like Aratana can be seen in <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/11/08/these-statistics-demonstrate-the-staggering-and-un.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">pet ownership statistics Opens a New Window.</a>. According to American Pet Products Association (APPA), the amount Americans have spent annually on their pets has quintupled from $17 billion in 1994 to an estimated $69.4 billion in 2017. Of this $69.4 billion, it's estimated that we'll spend $16.6 billion just on veterinary care and another $14.9 billion on over-the-counter medicines and supplies this year.</p> <p>It's also worth noting that, despite two recessions over the past 20 years, pet sales have grown each and every year, per the APPA. With a 2012 Harris Interactive poll also showing that 91% of pet households consider their four-legged friend as part of the family, it only makes sense to assume they'll spend whatever is necessary to ensure the health and happiness of their pets.</p> <p>That's where Aratana comes in. As a drug developer specifically focused on companion pets, it has access to the 68% of households that now own pets, and along with that, excellent pricing power. According to Wall Street's projections, sales for the company are expected to grow at a blistering pace, from $23 million in 2017 to $129 million by 2020. Recurring profitability is also expected to occur in late 2019 or early 2020.</p> <p>Aratana currently has only a small number of approved drugs, perhaps the most notable being Galliprant, which is a first-in-class treatment for canine osteoarthritis. This drug landed Aratana a licensing partnership with Elanco, the animal-health division of Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), providing Aratana with $45 million in upfront cash and the potential to earn $83 million in future milestone revenue, in addition to net-sale royalties.</p> <p>Aratana's pipeline consists of about a half-dozen ongoing studies in dogs and cats. These include feline herpes virus (AT-006), and management of weight loss in cats with chronic kidney disease (AT-002). Chronic kidney disease is a common cause of death for felines, so AT-002 could show promise in improving the quality of life.</p> <p>Add the pet ownership statistics, pricing power, organic sales growth, and pipeline together, and we have what should be a very successful company with tons of paw-tential.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> (Alkermes):&amp;#160;Alkermes isn't a typical biopharmaceutical company, but that's a good thing. Rather than focus on developing its own products, the company got its&amp;#160;start by helping other pharmaceutical companies extend the life of their hit drugs. One of Alkermes' tricks was to reformulate the drugs for extended release. In exchange for its services, Alkermes got a cut of the reformulated drug's sales through royalty payments.</p> <p>This is a solid business in its own right -- Alkermes generated $487 million in sales last year from manufacturing and royalty revenues -- but Alkermes has been dreaming bigger lately. The company launched two wholly owned drugs in recent years -- Vivitrol, a drug used to treat opioid and alcohol dependence, and Aristada, an extended-release version of the popular schizophrenia drug Abilify -- that have had a lot of success. Last quarter, sales of these drugs jumped by <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/28/alkermes-continues-to-execute.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">40% and 120% Opens a New Window.</a>, respectively, bringing in more than $88 million in total revenue. Those gains are more than offsetting some of the weakness that it's seeing from its legacy business.</p> <p>Looking ahead, Alkermes is doubling down on its proprietary drug business. The company has four products in late-stage clinical trials that promise to meaningfully increase sales over the coming years. The most advanced compound is called ALKS 5461, which is a hopeful treatment for depression. The company plans on submitting a rolling application&amp;#160;to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the next few weeks.</p> <p>Management believes that this drug holds blockbuster potential, so it could meaningfully impact the company's financial statements if it wins approval. Other potential blockbusters waiting in the wings include ALKS 3831, a hopeful treatment for schizophrenia, and ALKS 8700, a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis.</p> <p>Between its royalty business, products already on the market, and its exciting late-stage pipeline, Alkermes offers biotech investors steadily improving financial statements and the potential for meaningful upside if a few of its pipeline products work out. That makes this a great stock for growth-focused biotech investors to get to know.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than AlkermesWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=4f825455-4479-4992-9c60-9d8fd69a3783&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Alkermes wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=4f825455-4479-4992-9c60-9d8fd69a3783&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of July 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/gbudwell/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">George Budwell Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFUltraLong/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Sean Williams Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alkermes. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=5a771450-720f-11e7-a76e-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

biotech sector isnt faint heart investors strike rich opens new window get lucky also lose bundle opens new window things dont go according plan given risk take lot courage put money work sector biotech stocks think smart picks investors willing accept some160risk asked question team healthcare investors picked160edge therapeutics nasdaq edge160aratana therapeutics nasdaq petx160and alkermes160nasdaq alks continue reading george budwell opens new window160edge therapeutics enterprising investors hunt sizable returns may want check clinicalstage biotech edge therapeutics edge developing latestage product dubbed eg1962 aimed improving delivery nimodipine160in patients with160aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage asah resulting ruptured brain aneurysm short version story orally administered160nimodipine asah patients known induce motley crew serious side effects places heavy burden nurses maintain patient oral regimen span several weeks edge hoping solve problems proprietary programmable biodegradable polymerbased development platform known precisa effect novel polymerbased delivery method allows far targeted sustained release of160nimodipine substantially reduce side effects cost care increase drugs effectiveness point eg1962 could eventually become new standard care deadly brain injury looking ahead edge expected release topline data from160eg1962s ongoing pivotalstage trial late 2018 company perhaps two years away transforming commercialstage operation advertisement eg1962 able generate considerable revenue approved downside edges value proposition relies heavily drugs clinical fate company lacks welldiversified pipeline beyond eg1962 put simply highrisk highreward biotech stock arguably suited ultraaggressive investors willing sacrifice safety chance generate unusually high returns capital sean williams opens new window aratana therapeutics investors initiative looking nab intriguing growth stock biotech industry would wise take peek aratana therapeutics develops medicines companion animals cats dogs allure company like aratana seen pet ownership statistics opens new window according american pet products association appa amount americans spent annually pets quintupled 17 billion 1994 estimated 694 billion 2017 694 billion estimated well spend 166 billion veterinary care another 149 billion overthecounter medicines supplies year also worth noting despite two recessions past 20 years pet sales grown every year per appa 2012 harris interactive poll also showing 91 pet households consider fourlegged friend part family makes sense assume theyll spend whatever necessary ensure health happiness pets thats aratana comes drug developer specifically focused companion pets access 68 households pets along excellent pricing power according wall streets projections sales company expected grow blistering pace 23 million 2017 129 million 2020 recurring profitability also expected occur late 2019 early 2020 aratana currently small number approved drugs perhaps notable galliprant firstinclass treatment canine osteoarthritis drug landed aratana licensing partnership elanco animalhealth division eli lilly nyse lly providing aratana 45 million upfront cash potential earn 83 million future milestone revenue addition netsale royalties aratanas pipeline consists halfdozen ongoing studies dogs cats include feline herpes virus at006 management weight loss cats chronic kidney disease at002 chronic kidney disease common cause death felines at002 could show promise improving quality life add pet ownership statistics pricing power organic sales growth pipeline together successful company tons pawtential brian feroldi opens new window alkermes160alkermes isnt typical biopharmaceutical company thats good thing rather focus developing products company got its160start helping pharmaceutical companies extend life hit drugs one alkermes tricks reformulate drugs extended release exchange services alkermes got cut reformulated drugs sales royalty payments solid business right alkermes generated 487 million sales last year manufacturing royalty revenues alkermes dreaming bigger lately company launched two wholly owned drugs recent years vivitrol drug used treat opioid alcohol dependence aristada extendedrelease version popular schizophrenia drug abilify lot success last quarter sales drugs jumped 40 120 opens new window respectively bringing 88 million total revenue gains offsetting weakness seeing legacy business looking ahead alkermes doubling proprietary drug business company four products latestage clinical trials promise meaningfully increase sales coming years advanced compound called alks 5461 hopeful treatment depression company plans submitting rolling application160to food drug administration fda next weeks management believes drug holds blockbuster potential could meaningfully impact companys financial statements wins approval potential blockbusters waiting wings include alks 3831 hopeful treatment schizophrenia alks 8700 potential 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<p /> <p>Nobody takes to October like Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>&amp;#160;Bumgarner pitched a four-hitter for his latest postseason gem, outlasting Noah Syndergaard in a classic duel between aces, and injury substitute Conor Gillaspie hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning that sent San Francisco to a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets in the NL wild-card game Wednesday night.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"This game was everything we thought. Two really outstanding pitchers going at it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "One of the best postseason games I've been a part of."</p> <p>&amp;#160;Gillaspie connected off All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, who led the majors this year with a club-record 51 saves while allowing only one home run.</p> <p>&amp;#160;With their ninth consecutive victory when facing postseason elimination, Bochy and the Giants advanced to play the NL Central champion Cubs in a best-of-five Division Series. Game 1 is Friday night at venerable Wrigley Field in Chicago.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"I like our chances," Bumgarner said.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>&amp;#160;The good news for the Cubs as they attempt to end a championship drought that dates to 1908 is this: Bumgarner probably won't start until Game 3 -- and would only be available once on full rest.</p> <p>&amp;#160;The big left-hander has been untouchable under pressure.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"It's unbelievable what he's done," Gillaspie said.</p> <p>&amp;#160;The last time Bumgarner was on the mound in the postseason, he saved Game 7 of the 2014 World Series in Kansas City with five scoreless innings on two days' rest to cap one of the greatest playoff performances in baseball history.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Including his four-hit shutout at Pittsburgh in the 2014 wild-card game, he has tossed 23 straight scoreless innings in winner-take-all games -- all on the road.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Sandy Koufax. Bob Gibson. Whitey Ford -- Bumgarner ranks right up there with any of `em when it comes to October clutch.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"He's one of the game's great big-game pitchers," Mets manager Terry Collins said.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Asked how he wants to be remembered, Bumgarner said: "I'm a winner. That's all anybody wants to be."</p> <p>&amp;#160;After having the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, San Francisco was 26-42 in the second half before finishing with a four-game winning streak to hold off St. Louis by one game for the final NL playoff spot.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Now, the Giants have a chance to extend their pattern of even-year titles after winning World Series crowns in 2010, `12 and `14.</p> <p>&amp;#160;In a matchup between the past two NL champions, Syndergaard struck out 10 in seven innings of two-hit ball. Familia entered in the ninth and Brandon Crawford lined a leadoff double. Angel Pagan struck out after failing to get a bunt down, and Joe Panik walked.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Gillaspie, starting at third base for injured All-Star Eduardo Nunez and playing his first postseason game, drove a 96 mph pitch to right field and pumped his arm as he rounded first.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"I don't know what I was thinking. Normally I'm not a fired-up guy. I let some frustration out from the first six innings with that swing," said Gillaspie, who was 7 for 14 with five RBIs in his final five games of the regular season.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Before he connected, the Giants had a pinch-hitter on deck to bat for Bumgarner.</p> <p>&amp;#160;When the ball cleared the fence, it stunned a revved-up, orange towel-waving crowd of 44,747 that sank into its Citi Field seats with a collective groan.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"I missed the location," Familia said simply.</p> <p>&amp;#160;With the Giants finally ahead, Bochy sent Bumgarner back out. He closed with a 1-2-3 ninth against the 3-4-5 hitters and smacked his glove in triumph when rookie T.J. Rivera flied out to end it.</p> <p>&amp;#160;San Francisco players hugged each other behind the mound and headed for the clubhouse to celebrate with bubbly, cheered by a happy contingent of Giants fans behind their dugout.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"Bum just did his thing," Bochy said. "We won the game because of him."</p> <p>&amp;#160;With his sizzling fastball clocking 99 mph and long, blond locks dangling down his neck, Syndergaard held San Francisco hitless until Denard Span's two-out single in the sixth.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Mets center fielder Curtis Granderson kept the game scoreless with a courageous grab of Brandon Belt's deep drive, crashing hard with his left shoulder into the padded fence 408 feet from home plate and tumbling to the warning track.</p> <p>&amp;#160;Syndergaard simply overpowered the Giants at times, but Bumgarner kept the Mets off balance by mixing pinpoint pitches and changing speeds from around 93 mph down to 77 mph.</p> <p>&amp;#160;New York came out swinging after Collins said before the game his hitters had seen enough video of Bumgarner over the past two days to know he would challenge them. But the aggressive approach played right into the hands of Bumgarner and the Giants, who never had to use a shaky bullpen that struggled badly down the stretch.</p> <p>&amp;#160;The big lefty was able to get quick outs early and went the distance on 119 pitches, striking out six and walking two -- one intentional. He needed only seven pitches to get through each of the first three innings, with the help of a double play.</p> <p>&amp;#160;"I really thought, `Hey look, if we can get to him early,"' Collins said. "We probably need to do a little better job of working the count."</p>

nobody takes october like madison bumgarner san francisco giants continue reading 160bumgarner pitched fourhitter latest postseason gem outlasting noah syndergaard classic duel aces injury substitute conor gillaspie hit threerun homer ninth inning sent san francisco 30 victory new york mets nl wildcard game wednesday night 160this game everything thought two really outstanding pitchers going giants manager bruce bochy said one best postseason games ive part 160gillaspie connected allstar closer jeurys familia led majors year clubrecord 51 saves allowing one home run 160with ninth consecutive victory facing postseason elimination bochy giants advanced play nl central champion cubs bestoffive division series game 1 friday night venerable wrigley field chicago 160i like chances bumgarner said advertisement 160the good news cubs attempt end championship drought dates 1908 bumgarner probably wont start game 3 would available full rest 160the big lefthander untouchable pressure 160its unbelievable hes done gillaspie said 160the last time bumgarner mound postseason saved game 7 2014 world series kansas city five scoreless innings two days rest cap one greatest playoff performances baseball history 160including fourhit shutout pittsburgh 2014 wildcard game tossed 23 straight scoreless innings winnertakeall games road 160sandy koufax bob gibson whitey ford bumgarner ranks right em comes october clutch 160hes one games great biggame pitchers mets manager terry collins said 160asked wants remembered bumgarner said im winner thats anybody wants 160after best record majors allstar break san francisco 2642 second half finishing fourgame winning streak hold st louis one game final nl playoff spot 160now giants chance extend pattern evenyear titles winning world series crowns 2010 12 14 160in matchup past two nl champions syndergaard struck 10 seven innings twohit ball familia entered ninth brandon crawford lined leadoff double angel pagan struck failing get bunt joe panik walked 160gillaspie starting third base injured allstar eduardo nunez playing first postseason game drove 96 mph pitch right field pumped arm rounded first 160i dont know thinking normally im firedup guy let frustration first six innings swing said gillaspie 7 14 five rbis final five games regular season 160before connected giants pinchhitter deck bat bumgarner 160when ball cleared fence stunned revvedup orange towelwaving crowd 44747 sank citi field seats collective groan 160i missed location familia said simply 160with giants finally ahead bochy sent bumgarner back closed 123 ninth 345 hitters smacked glove triumph rookie tj rivera flied end 160san francisco players hugged behind mound headed clubhouse celebrate bubbly cheered happy contingent giants fans behind dugout 160bum thing bochy said game 160with sizzling fastball clocking 99 mph long blond locks dangling neck syndergaard held san francisco hitless denard spans twoout single sixth 160mets center fielder curtis granderson kept game scoreless courageous grab brandon belts deep drive crashing hard left shoulder padded fence 408 feet home plate tumbling warning track 160syndergaard simply overpowered giants times bumgarner kept mets balance mixing pinpoint pitches changing speeds around 93 mph 77 mph 160new york came swinging collins said game hitters seen enough video bumgarner past two days know would challenge aggressive approach played right hands bumgarner giants never use shaky bullpen struggled badly stretch 160the big lefty able get quick outs early went distance 119 pitches striking six walking two one intentional needed seven pitches get first three innings help double play 160i really thought hey look get early collins said probably need little better job working count

<p /> <p>On its website, Kellogg touted a distinguished-sounding "Breakfast Council" of "independent experts" who helped guide its nutritional efforts.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Nowhere did it say this: The maker of Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes paid the experts and fed them talking points, according to a copy of a contract and emails obtained by The Associated Press.</p> <p>The company paid the experts an average of $13,000 a year, prohibited them from offering media services for products "competitive or negative to cereal" and required them to engage in "nutrition influencer outreach" on social media or with colleagues, and report back on their efforts.</p> <p>"I'm still feeling great from my bowl of cereal &amp;amp; milk this morning! Mini-Wheats are my fave," a council member posted during a Twitter chat with Kellogg about the benefits of cereal. Kellogg introduced the dietitian as a "Breakfast Council Member."</p> <p>Without noting her relationship with Kellogg, another council member and dietitian chimed in to say Mini-Wheats were her favorite, too. She included a photo of Frosted Mini-Wheats.</p> <p>For Kellogg, the breakfast council &#8212; in existence between 2011 and this year &#8212; deftly blurred the lines between cereal promotion and impartial nutrition guidance. The company used the council to teach a continuing education class for dietitians, publish an academic paper on breakfast, and try to influence the government's dietary guidelines.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The Kellogg's Breakfast Council included a professor of nutrition, a pediatrician and dietitians. Kellogg said the council's activities were clearly sponsored.</p> <p>Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert at the University of Ottawa who writes about industry influence in nutrition, said he did not believe it was clear to the public that the council members were compensated, especially since Kellogg described them as "independent."</p> <p>"It's not an automatic leap. I don't think people think about these conflicts that deeply," he said.</p> <p>Dayle Hayes, a dietitian who participated in the Twitter chat in 2014, said in an email that she prides herself on her ethics and transparency, and that her disclosure practices have changed with evolving standards. Based on current standards, she said she would include the word "ad" in tweets referencing Kellogg products. She said she did not share any information without appropriate disclosures.</p> <p>Sylvia Klinger, the dietitian who shared the photo of Mini-Wheats, did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <p>Kellogg Co. said it used the council for academic insight and guidance. It said the experts contributed to most the materials they shared, and that they disclosed their affiliation in public engagements.</p> <p>Still, the company said it could see how its description of the experts as "independent" could create confusion. It later told the AP it had been reviewing its nutrition work, and decided not to continue the council. The breakfast council page is no longer online.</p> <p>"ARE THOSE REGULAR FRITOS?"</p> <p>Kellogg said on its website that the breakfast council helped guide the company. But it wasn't always clear who was providing the guidance.</p> <p>When Kellogg sent the council research it commissioned, Hayes and Klinger expressed enthusiasm and requested language to share the information.</p> <p>"Would love Tweets with URLS," Hayes wrote. Hayes and Klinger posted the lines Kellogg provided verbatim. Hayes included the word "advisor," while Klinger included the word "client."</p> <p>Kellogg also supplied the experts with a "toolkit" of tweets for a promotional event in New York, where a costumed Tony the Tiger character mingled with guests. When the council members received an email from someone they did not know criticizing their work with Kellogg, the company suggested a response for that, too.</p> <p>"I appreciate and share you(r) interest in the health of our children," the suggestion read. "It's for this very reason that I work with Kellogg." The experts decided not to respond.</p> <p>The breakfast council was also a way to patrol for naysayers. After an advocacy group issued a report criticizing sugary cereals, Sarah Woodside, a Kellogg employee, sent the council an email explaining why it was unfair and asked them to alert her if they noticed any discussions about it.</p> <p>Disclosures by the council could be confusing. When two of the experts taught a class for dietitians on the "science behind breakfast," an introduction said they were members of Kellogg's Breakfast Council, then said they had no conflicts of interest. It said Kellogg funded the class, but had no input into its content.</p> <p>Critics also say words such as "advisor" can leave the impression that a health professional simply provides expertise to the company, rather than communicates publicly as part of a financial arrangement.</p> <p>Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, said health experts usually have good intentions when working with companies, and may not realize they're being used for their credibility.</p> <p>It isn't unusual for companies to enlist dietitians.</p> <p>Coca-Cola has paid health experts who wrote columns that casually mention a mini-soda as a snack idea. Disclosures at the bottom said the author is a "consultant" for food and beverage companies, "including Coca-Cola." Last year, the Atlanta-based beverage maker said it was halting such work as it reassessed its health efforts.</p> <p>Jessica Levinson, a dietitian who has appeared in TV news segments for Coke and PepsiCo's Frito-Lay, told the AP that producers were told if her healthy eating tips were sponsored. Yet the disclosures weren't always shared with viewers.</p> <p>In a segment on NBC Baltimore on "dos and don'ts" for holiday parties in 2009, Levinson presented bags of Fritos with dip &#8212; as an example of a "do."</p> <p>"Are those regular Fritos?" asked the reporter, indicating her surprise.</p> <p>"KEY MESSAGES"</p> <p>One of the breakfast council's most notable achievements was publishing a paper defining a "quality breakfast" in a nutrition journal. Kellogg touted the paper in its newsletter as being written by "our independent nutrition experts." Dietitians could earn continuing education credits from the publisher for taking a quiz about the paper.</p> <p>Kellogg didn't describe its own role in overseeing editing and providing feedback, such as asking for the removal of a line saying a recommendation that added sugar be limited to 25 percent of calories might be "too high."</p> <p>The company said in a statement that its involvement should have been clear since the paper was a supplement. It noted an acknowledgement at the end of the paper that said the initial draft was written by an agency that represents Kellogg.</p> <p>A funding disclosure said the paper was supported by an "unrestricted educational grant" from Kellogg.</p> <p>The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said editorial standards for supplements are the same as for regular articles. As with those articles, the paper underwent peer review, and an editor suggested reducing or eliminating the detailed discussion of cereal, especially since the sponsor was a cereal company.</p> <p>To amplify the paper, Kellogg planned to reference it in comments submitted to the government for its updated dietary guidelines, according to emails obtained through a records request with Louisiana State University, where one of the breakfast council members is a professor.</p> <p>Kellogg also sent the council a plan with "Key Messages" to promote the paper. One of them: "A variety of Kellogg's products and tools make it easier to enjoy a quality breakfast."</p> <p>___</p> <p>Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi</p>

website kellogg touted distinguishedsounding breakfast council independent experts helped guide nutritional efforts continue reading nowhere say maker froot loops frosted flakes paid experts fed talking points according copy contract emails obtained associated press company paid experts average 13000 year prohibited offering media services products competitive negative cereal required engage nutrition influencer outreach social media colleagues report back efforts im still feeling great bowl cereal amp milk morning miniwheats fave council member posted twitter chat kellogg benefits cereal kellogg introduced dietitian breakfast council member without noting relationship kellogg another council member dietitian chimed say miniwheats favorite included photo frosted miniwheats kellogg breakfast council existence 2011 year deftly blurred lines cereal promotion impartial nutrition guidance company used council teach continuing education class dietitians publish academic paper breakfast try influence governments dietary guidelines advertisement kelloggs breakfast council included professor nutrition pediatrician dietitians kellogg said councils activities clearly sponsored yoni freedhoff obesity expert university ottawa writes industry influence nutrition said believe clear public council members compensated especially since kellogg described independent automatic leap dont think people think conflicts deeply said dayle hayes dietitian participated twitter chat 2014 said email prides ethics transparency disclosure practices changed evolving standards based current standards said would include word ad tweets referencing kellogg products said share information without appropriate disclosures sylvia klinger dietitian shared photo miniwheats respond requests comment kellogg co said used council academic insight guidance said experts contributed materials shared disclosed affiliation public engagements still company said could see description experts independent could create confusion later told ap reviewing nutrition work decided continue council breakfast council page longer online regular fritos kellogg said website breakfast council helped guide company wasnt always clear providing guidance kellogg sent council research commissioned hayes klinger expressed enthusiasm requested language share information would love tweets urls hayes wrote hayes klinger posted lines kellogg provided verbatim hayes included word advisor klinger included word client kellogg also supplied experts toolkit tweets promotional event new york costumed tony tiger character mingled guests council members received email someone know criticizing work kellogg company suggested response appreciate share interest health children suggestion read reason work kellogg experts decided respond breakfast council also way patrol naysayers advocacy group issued report criticizing sugary cereals sarah woodside kellogg employee sent council email explaining unfair asked alert noticed discussions disclosures council could confusing two experts taught class dietitians science behind breakfast introduction said members kelloggs breakfast council said conflicts interest said kellogg funded class input content critics also say words advisor leave impression health professional simply provides expertise company rather communicates publicly part financial arrangement marion nestle professor nutrition new york university said health experts usually good intentions working companies may realize theyre used credibility isnt unusual companies enlist dietitians cocacola paid health experts wrote columns casually mention minisoda snack idea disclosures bottom said author consultant food beverage companies including cocacola last year atlantabased beverage maker said halting work reassessed health efforts jessica levinson dietitian appeared tv news segments coke pepsicos fritolay told ap producers told healthy eating tips sponsored yet disclosures werent always shared viewers segment nbc baltimore dos donts holiday parties 2009 levinson presented bags fritos dip example regular fritos asked reporter indicating surprise key messages one breakfast councils notable achievements publishing paper defining quality breakfast nutrition journal kellogg touted paper newsletter written independent nutrition experts dietitians could earn continuing education credits publisher taking quiz paper kellogg didnt describe role overseeing editing providing feedback asking removal line saying recommendation added sugar limited 25 percent calories might high company said statement involvement clear since paper supplement noted acknowledgement end paper said initial draft written agency represents kellogg funding disclosure said paper supported unrestricted educational grant kellogg journal academy nutrition dietetics said editorial standards supplements regular articles articles paper underwent peer review editor suggested reducing eliminating detailed discussion cereal especially since sponsor cereal company amplify paper kellogg planned reference comments submitted government updated dietary guidelines according emails obtained records request louisiana state university one breakfast council members professor kellogg also sent council plan key messages promote paper one variety kelloggs products tools make easier enjoy quality breakfast ___ follow candice choi wwwtwittercomcandicechoi

<p>When President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act five years ago, he visualized a time when the political hyperbole would be silenced and ordinary people would see that the health care law improved their lives.</p> <p>The White House ceremony on March 23, 2010, was an applause-filled celebration. "When I sign this bill," Obama said, "all of the overheated rhetoric over reform will finally confront the reality of reform."</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>But the polemic around "Obamacare" hasn't cooled much, and the permanence of the president's achievement remains in question as the nation awaits the outcome of a Supreme Court case that could jeopardize insurance for nearly 8 million people.</p> <p>Here's a look at the health care law, then and now:</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: 49.9 million people were uninsured in 2010, according to the Census Bureau.</p> <p>Now: That's down significantly, to somewhere between 30 million and 40 million people.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The administration recently estimated that 16.4 million adults have gained insurance since the law's coverage provisions took effect.</p> <p>Measuring differently, data from a large daily survey called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index suggests a more modest impact: The uninsured rate dropped from 16.3 percent in early 2010 to 12.3 percent this year among adults 18-64, which translates to about 9.7 million fewer uninsured.</p> <p>But the law's precise impact may not be clear for a few years, partly because census surveys take time.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: Insurers could deny coverage to people with health conditions or charge them higher premiums.</p> <p>Now: Insurers can't ask about someone's medical history. But they can charge smokers more.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: Health insurance was available to most people, but the government didn't require them to have it.</p> <p>Now: The law requires nearly all Americans to have coverage, either through an employer, a government program or by buying their own policies. The uninsured risk IRS fines.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: In April 2010, 46 percent had a favorable view of the law, while 40 percent had an unfavorable opinion, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll.</p> <p>Now: Naysayers have an edge. Forty-three percent have an unfavorable opinion, while 41 percent have a favorable view, according to Kaiser's latest poll.</p> <p>About 3 in 5 said the law has had no impact on their family. The rest are divided almost equally between the 19 percent who said they were helped and the 22 percent who said they have been hurt.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: Democrats ran both chambers of Congress. Nancy Pelosi was speaker of the House and Harry Reid was Senate majority leader.</p> <p>Now: Republicans are back in charge after Democratic losses in the 2010 and 2014 midterm elections. Opposition to "Obamacare" was a motivator for conservative voters. Pelosi and Reid are minority leaders in their respective chambers.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: Losing health insurance was a rite of passage for young adults; insurers routinely dropped them from parental coverage.</p> <p>Now: Young adults can remain on a parent's plan until they turn 26, whether or not they are students.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: People who bought their own health insurance had to pay the full cost - making it unaffordable for many.</p> <p>Now: Insurance exchanges like HealthCare.gov offer subsidized coverage.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: The final legislation cut a provision that would have authorized Medicare to pay doctors for counseling patients about what kind of care they would want in the last stages of a serious illness.</p> <p>Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin asserted that would lead to "death panels." Palin's accusation was widely debunked, but not before it created a furor.</p> <p>Now: Medicare is considering a regulation to allow payment for end-of-life counseling and has asked for public comment. Such counseling would be voluntary, and the idea has wide support in the medical community.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: At a rally near Cleveland days before the bill passed in 2010, Obama claimed employers would see premiums plummet, "which means they could give you a raise."</p> <p>That year, annual premiums for employer-sponsored insurance averaged $5,049 for employee-only coverage and $13,770 for a family plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's employer survey.</p> <p>Now: Premiums for job-based insurance have gone up.</p> <p>They averaged $6,025 for employee-only coverage in 2014, the most recent year available from Kaiser. Family coverage averaged $16,834. The employee share also went up.</p> <p>Supporters of the law say premiums have risen more slowly than would have otherwise been the case.</p> <p>But employers have kept shifting costs to workers. The average annual deductible for single coverage was $1,217 in 2014, up from $917 in 2010.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: The 2010 Medicare trustees report estimated that spending cuts and tax increases in the health care law would extend the life of the program's giant hospital trust fund to 2029. Before, it was expected to run out in 2017.</p> <p>Now: The 2014 Medicare trustees report estimated that the trust fund will be exhausted in 2030. Slowing medical inflation has helped Medicare, even as baby boomers reaching age 65 are flocking to enroll.</p> <p>The health care law's cuts haven't had the dire consequences that many seniors feared. Congress has passed even more spending reductions since 2010.</p> <p>Medicare's long-term future remains uncertain.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Then: Even before Obama signed the law, conservatives were preparing a constitutional challenge to its requirement that individuals carry health insurance. A divided Supreme Court upheld the mandate in 2012, ruling that the penalty for not complying works like a tax. However, the court gave states the option to reject the law's Medicaid expansion.</p> <p>Now: A decision in the latest case brought by opponents is expected in late June.</p>

president barack obama signed affordable care act five years ago visualized time political hyperbole would silenced ordinary people would see health care law improved lives white house ceremony march 23 2010 applausefilled celebration sign bill obama said overheated rhetoric reform finally confront reality reform continue reading polemic around obamacare hasnt cooled much permanence presidents achievement remains question nation awaits outcome supreme court case could jeopardize insurance nearly 8 million people heres look health care law ___ 499 million people uninsured 2010 according census bureau thats significantly somewhere 30 million 40 million people advertisement administration recently estimated 164 million adults gained insurance since laws coverage provisions took effect measuring differently data large daily survey called galluphealthways wellbeing index suggests modest impact uninsured rate dropped 163 percent early 2010 123 percent year among adults 1864 translates 97 million fewer uninsured laws precise impact may clear years partly census surveys take time ___ insurers could deny coverage people health conditions charge higher premiums insurers cant ask someones medical history charge smokers ___ health insurance available people government didnt require law requires nearly americans coverage either employer government program buying policies uninsured risk irs fines ___ april 2010 46 percent favorable view law 40 percent unfavorable opinion according kaiser family foundation tracking poll naysayers edge fortythree percent unfavorable opinion 41 percent favorable view according kaisers latest poll 3 5 said law impact family rest divided almost equally 19 percent said helped 22 percent said hurt ___ democrats ran chambers congress nancy pelosi speaker house harry reid senate majority leader republicans back charge democratic losses 2010 2014 midterm elections opposition obamacare motivator conservative voters pelosi reid minority leaders respective chambers ___ losing health insurance rite passage young adults insurers routinely dropped parental coverage young adults remain parents plan turn 26 whether students ___ people bought health insurance pay full cost making unaffordable many insurance exchanges like healthcaregov offer subsidized coverage ___ final legislation cut provision would authorized medicare pay doctors counseling patients kind care would want last stages serious illness former gop vice presidential candidate sarah palin asserted would lead death panels palins accusation widely debunked created furor medicare considering regulation allow payment endoflife counseling asked public comment counseling would voluntary idea wide support medical community ___ rally near cleveland days bill passed 2010 obama claimed employers would see premiums plummet means could give raise year annual premiums employersponsored insurance averaged 5049 employeeonly coverage 13770 family plan according kaiser family foundations employer survey premiums jobbased insurance gone averaged 6025 employeeonly coverage 2014 recent year available kaiser family coverage averaged 16834 employee share also went supporters law say premiums risen slowly would otherwise case employers kept shifting costs workers average annual deductible single coverage 1217 2014 917 2010 ___ 2010 medicare trustees report estimated spending cuts tax increases health care law would extend life programs giant hospital trust fund 2029 expected run 2017 2014 medicare trustees report estimated trust fund exhausted 2030 slowing medical inflation helped medicare even baby boomers reaching age 65 flocking enroll health care laws cuts havent dire consequences many seniors feared congress passed even spending reductions since 2010 medicares longterm future remains uncertain ___ even obama signed law conservatives preparing constitutional challenge requirement individuals carry health insurance divided supreme court upheld mandate 2012 ruling penalty complying works like tax however court gave states option reject laws medicaid expansion decision latest case brought opponents expected late june

<p>Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCK) (NASDAQ: LMCA) approached Pandora (NYSE: P) with a buyout offer, and multiple signs suggest that Pandora is now open to taking it up on it. It wouldn't be Liberty's first foray into the music business -- the company already owns a majority of Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: SIRI), and the two companies have the same chairman.</p> <p>In this clip from <a href="http://www.fool.com/podcasts/industry-focus?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Industry Focus: Tech Opens a New Window.</a>,Dylan Lewis and David Kretzmann talk about a potential deal.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>A full transcript follows the video.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Sirius XM Radio When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=f4c3e5fe-952b-4487-98ae-c8f438f3cb0c&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Sirius XM Radio wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=f4c3e5fe-952b-4487-98ae-c8f438f3cb0c&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p>This podcast was recorded on Dec. 9, 2016.</p> <p>Dylan Lewis:Sirius has not been quiet about seeing the difference in how Pandora operatesrelative to the other streamers, and saying they like it. Actually, at a June investor conference, Sirius XM's chief financial officer, David Frear, said, "Among the streaming companies,Pandora has a betteropportunity for a solid business model."I don't know if the idea there is, theircontent library doesn't need to be nearly as bigbecause it's not on-demand? They're still paying per stream for fees, which can make it tough. I mean, I think royalty payments make up about half of their revenue. So, it's really tough to make the numbers work. By contrast, I think for Sirius, it's 11% or something like that. Huge difference there. But they see something. Idon't know if it's valid with what they see,but they seem compelled with the type of business model that they have.</p> <p>David Kretzmann:It would beinteresting to see if they see any sort of,I'm going to use the word synergies, between the content that they have with Sirius, and the content of Pandora, or if they would want Pandora to be a stand-alone offering.I look at it now, and similar to you,it clearly hasn't worked up to this point, financially. Something has to give for the company to actually become cash-positive and profitable on a consistent basis. So,maybe there is some way that they can combine the two and make it work. Another reason that this should be taken seriously is, the board of directors at Sirius is just stacked with media heavyweights. You have John Malone, who's obviously themogul behind Liberty Media. But you also have former presidents and CEOs -- and current CEOs, in some cases -- ofESPN, DirecTV, Discovery. So, Sirius has,as far as a board of directors go, and if thisboard of directors is interested, that should be taken seriously. Theyobviously see something with Pandora. To me, it's still not completely clearwhat that is. But if they can spell it out and make a compelling case, then I think shareholders would be on board, because it is asubstantial financial commitment for Sirius. It'll be interesting to seeif we learn anything more.</p> <p>Lewis:Yeah. You mentioned John Malone. That's where there's some nuance here that gets beyond just what we see in the headlines. This time around, I've seen Greg Maffei and he's billed as "chairman of Sirius" approaching Pandora for an inquisition. Last time around, it was Greg Maffei, "CEO of Liberty." So, it's curious to see how they decide to go about this,because strategically, it might be a little bit different if Liberty is pulling the strings and ultimately winds up making the deal happen. Sirius is majority-owned by Liberty, like we talked about. Liberty could decide to basically pair that streaming service, Pandora, with the concert and ticket business,Live Nation, which they own about one third of,basically. Pandora has seen a ton ofsuccess in using its platform tosell concert tickets throughTicketfly, which theyacquired a little while back. That's a very smallpart of their business now, but you see those types of pairings, and an acquisition makes more sense. It's just, how involved in the other Liberty properties might Pandora be, once it's under their umbrella? Or, will it be something that is siloed to Sirius, because they're the acquirer, and that's it. I doubt it. I think they'd probably explore pretty much anything and everything. But that's certainly a cool thing to watch. When you start thinking about it that way, a deal makes a lot more sense.</p> <p>Kretzmann:Definitely. And it's not surprising to see those nuances here, because John Malone and Liberty, they are the kings of spinoffs, mergers, all sorts of wonky deals to maximize the financial value of any sort of transactions like this. But that is a really interesting point. When you'reapproaching this acquisition, how can you make Pandoradifferent from other streaming options? Andwhether it's through Liberty or Sirius, I think there aresome ways that you could see that happening. Exactly what route they take, I think that's the question that'll be on shareholders' minds,if the offer is indeed made. But there are a lot of properties under that Liberty umbrella, beyond even Live Nation or Sirius, that could build more of a moat around thatPandora listener experience.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFPencils/info.aspx" type="external">David Kretzmann Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Sirius XM Radio. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFlewis/info.aspx" type="external">Dylan Lewis Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Pandora Media. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Pandora Media. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

liberty media nasdaq lmck nasdaq lmca approached pandora nyse p buyout offer multiple signs suggest pandora open taking wouldnt libertys first foray music business company already owns majority sirius xm holdings nasdaq siri two companies chairman clip industry focus tech opens new windowdylan lewis david kretzmann talk potential deal continue reading full transcript follows video 10 stocks like better sirius xm radio investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right sirius xm radio wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks advertisement stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 podcast recorded dec 9 2016 dylan lewissirius quiet seeing difference pandora operatesrelative streamers saying like actually june investor conference sirius xms chief financial officer david frear said among streaming companiespandora betteropportunity solid business modeli dont know idea theircontent library doesnt need nearly bigbecause ondemand theyre still paying per stream fees make tough mean think royalty payments make half revenue really tough make numbers work contrast think sirius 11 something like huge difference see something idont know valid seebut seem compelled type business model david kretzmannit would beinteresting see see sort ofim going use word synergies content sirius content pandora would want pandora standalone offeringi look similar youit clearly hasnt worked point financially something give company actually become cashpositive profitable consistent basis somaybe way combine two make work another reason taken seriously board directors sirius stacked media heavyweights john malone whos obviously themogul behind liberty media also former presidents ceos current ceos cases ofespn directv discovery sirius hasas far board directors go thisboard directors interested taken seriously theyobviously see something pandora still completely clearwhat spell make compelling case think shareholders would board asubstantial financial commitment sirius itll interesting seeif learn anything lewisyeah mentioned john malone thats theres nuance gets beyond see headlines time around ive seen greg maffei hes billed chairman sirius approaching pandora inquisition last time around greg maffei ceo liberty curious see decide go thisbecause strategically might little bit different liberty pulling strings ultimately winds making deal happen sirius majorityowned liberty like talked liberty could decide basically pair streaming service pandora concert ticket businesslive nation one third ofbasically pandora seen ton ofsuccess using platform tosell concert tickets throughticketfly theyacquired little back thats smallpart business see types pairings acquisition makes sense involved liberty properties might pandora umbrella something siloed sirius theyre acquirer thats doubt think theyd probably explore pretty much anything everything thats certainly cool thing watch start thinking way deal makes lot sense kretzmanndefinitely surprising see nuances john malone liberty kings spinoffs mergers sorts wonky deals maximize financial value sort transactions like really interesting point youreapproaching acquisition make pandoradifferent streaming options andwhether liberty sirius think aresome ways could see happening exactly route take think thats question thatll shareholders mindsif offer indeed made lot properties liberty umbrella beyond even live nation sirius could build moat around thatpandora listener experience david kretzmann opens new window owns shares sirius xm radio dylan lewis opens new window owns shares pandora media motley fool owns shares recommends pandora media try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Royal Saudi Land Forces show off one of their bigger guns. Image source: Tech. Sgt. H. Deffner for <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AuF1_of_Saudi_Arabia.JPEG#/media/File:AuF1_of_Saudi_Arabia.JPEG" type="external">Defense Visual Information Center Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>In 2010, Saudi Arabiasigned on to the single <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/09/15/biggest-defense-deal-ever.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">biggest foreign arms contract in U.S. history Opens a New Window.</a>. The deal's exact size is in flux, as it keeps expanding to accommodate new weapons that the Saudis want to add to their shopping list. But when all's said and done, this arms deal could range anywhere from $30 billion to $90 billion in size.</p> <p>If that sounds to you like a lot more money than one single desert kingdom should be able to afford to spend on weapons, consider this: Saudi Arabia is currently the fourth-largest weapons buyer in the world. With $80.8 billion invested in defense in 2014, Saudi Arabia was outspent only by the Russia, China, and the United States. And Saudi Arabia is just one country in the oil-rich, and constantly warring, Middle East.</p> <p>A red-hot market in the desertHere in the U.S., <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/27/marco-rubio-vs-john-kasich-who-is-better-for-defen.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">defense spending plummeted 19% Opens a New Window.</a> between 2010 and 2015. But over in Saudi Arabia, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or <a href="http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/milex_database" type="external">SIPRI Opens a New Window.</a>, show a 78% increase in defense spending between 2010 and 2014, the most recent year on record.</p> <p>And Saudi Arabia wasn't alone. Across the length and breadth of the Middle East, SIPRI data shows similar spending surges among Saudi Arabia's neighbors. Tiny Bahrain, for example, grew its defense spending 70% from 2010 to 2014. Oman's arms purchases were up 96%. Iraqi spending on its military nearly tripled in size -- up 266%!</p> <p>Clearly, if you're in the defense business, this is the business you want to be in -- selling weapons to the Middle East.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Who's who in the Middle EastIt's been a good six months <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/09/12/meet-the-military-industrial-complexs-bff.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">since we last checked in Opens a New Window.</a> on how America's various big defense contractors are doing at capitalizing on this crucial export market. It's high time we take another look, and see if the pole positions have changed. Luckily, most of the major players have now filed their full-year fiscal 2015 financial statements, giving us good data on the winners and losers.</p> <p>Here's how they stack up, based on the latest data from <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/" type="external">S&amp;amp;P Global Market Intelligence Opens a New Window.</a>:</p> <p>Data sources: <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/" type="external">S&amp;amp;P Global Market Intelligence Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1039101/000119312516480793/d30820d10k.htm" type="external">SEC filings Opens a New Window.</a>. "Increase" is in percentage of revenue derived from the respective market, versus six months ago. *Saudi Arabia only. ND = no data. bp = basis points.</p> <p>What these numbers meanThere are a couple of broad conclusions we can draw from this data. Most notable is the fact that the relative positions have not changed. Six months ago, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) led the pack, getting the largest share of its revenues from Middle East arms sales -- and this remains true today. Back then, General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) and L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) were also emphasizing this market, and they still do.</p> <p>What has changed is that all three of these companies -- and presumably, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, as well, although we can't tell for sure because they do not break out their sales by region in this way -- are growing their Mideast businesses. In each of the three cases for which we have granular data on Mideast arms sales, these businesses have expanded -- and the expansion is both rapid and significant in size. All three companies "moved the needle" appreciably during just six months' time.</p> <p>All three companies, incidentally, also appear to be growing their international businesses in general, and not just in the Middle East. And they're moving faster to take advantage of international opportunities than are rivals Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.</p> <p>The upshot for investors: If you're looking for companies capable of dodging the downturn in U.S. defense spending, and nimble enough to take advantage of opportunities to grow their businesses abroad -- these are <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/06/19/the-3-best-defense-stocks-to-watch.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">three good stocks to watch Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Defense spending is down big-time from its highs of 2010 -- here. But it's very clearly not down "over there." IMAGE SOURCE: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/FY16-Budget" type="external">U.S. PENTAGON Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/07/which-defense-stocks-dominate-middle-east.aspx" type="external">Which Defense Stocks Dominate the All-Important Middle East Market? Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDitty/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Rich Smith Opens a New Window.</a>owns shares of Raytheon. You can find him on <a href="http://caps.fool.com/?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Motley Fool CAPS Opens a New Window.</a>, publicly pontificating under the handle <a href="http://caps.fool.com/ViewPlayer.aspx?t=01002844399633209838&amp;amp;source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">TMFDitty Opens a New Window.</a>, where he's currently ranked No. 270 out of more than 75,000 rated members.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

royal saudi land forces show one bigger guns image source tech sgt h deffner defense visual information center opens new window continue reading 2010 saudi arabiasigned single biggest foreign arms contract us history opens new window deals exact size flux keeps expanding accommodate new weapons saudis want add shopping list alls said done arms deal could range anywhere 30 billion 90 billion size sounds like lot money one single desert kingdom able afford spend weapons consider saudi arabia currently fourthlargest weapons buyer world 808 billion invested defense 2014 saudi arabia outspent russia china united states saudi arabia one country oilrich constantly warring middle east redhot market deserthere us defense spending plummeted 19 opens new window 2010 2015 saudi arabia data stockholm international peace research institute sipri opens new window show 78 increase defense spending 2010 2014 recent year record saudi arabia wasnt alone across length breadth middle east sipri data shows similar spending surges among saudi arabias neighbors tiny bahrain example grew defense spending 70 2010 2014 omans arms purchases 96 iraqi spending military nearly tripled size 266 clearly youre defense business business want selling weapons middle east advertisement whos middle eastits good six months since last checked opens new window americas various big defense contractors capitalizing crucial export market high time take another look see pole positions changed luckily major players filed fullyear fiscal 2015 financial statements giving us good data winners losers heres stack based latest data sampp global market intelligence opens new window data sources sampp global market intelligence opens new window sec filings opens new window increase percentage revenue derived respective market versus six months ago saudi arabia nd data bp basis points numbers meanthere couple broad conclusions draw data notable fact relative positions changed six months ago raytheon nyse rtn led pack getting largest share revenues middle east arms sales remains true today back general dynamics nyse gd l3 communications nyse lll also emphasizing market still changed three companies presumably lockheed martin northrop grumman well although cant tell sure break sales region way growing mideast businesses three cases granular data mideast arms sales businesses expanded expansion rapid significant size three companies moved needle appreciably six months time three companies incidentally also appear growing international businesses general middle east theyre moving faster take advantage international opportunities rivals lockheed martin northrop grumman upshot investors youre looking companies capable dodging downturn us defense spending nimble enough take advantage opportunities grow businesses abroad three good stocks watch opens new window defense spending bigtime highs 2010 clearly image source us pentagon opens new window article defense stocks dominate allimportant middle east market opens new window originally appeared foolcom rich smith opens new windowowns shares raytheon find motley fool caps opens new window publicly pontificating handle tmfditty opens new window hes currently ranked 270 75000 rated membersthe motley fool position stocks mentioned try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p /> <p>Behind closed doors forces from within not only American and foreign corporations as well as multiple intelligence agencies and fraudulent Civil Rights groups have been trying to shut down the resurgence in American Nationalism and the ever growing White Nationalist and Ethno State ideologies.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>It seems like a never ending impartial battle to protect the rights of all people being treated equally under the law, while some groups of people are not afforded the same protections because of their skin color.</p> <p /> <p /> <p>August 12. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UniteTheRight?src=hash" type="external">#UniteTheRight</a>.Charlottesville,VA.You Will Not Replace Us. <a href="https://t.co/vde9F5UVL7" type="external">pic.twitter.com/vde9F5UVL7</a></p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Recently, the AltRight and the various factions which support the movement have promised a massive rally in Charlottesville, Virginia titled "Unite The Right".</p> <p /> <p>People from all across the country will be in attendance which clearly has globalists and cultural marxists fearing for the future of their failed Communist agendas, as was in full display today after Airbnb, a popular airline, decided to work behind closed doors to kick off passengers who were to be in attendance at the event.</p> <p /> <p>The company released a statement regarding their discrimination against the AltRight saying the following:</p> <p /> <p>"When through out background check processes or from input of our community we identify and determine that there are those who would be pursuing behavior on the platform that would be antithetical to the Airbnb Community Commitment, we seek to take appropriate action including, as in this case, removing them from the platform."</p> <p /> <p>This has evoked rage from the attendants and the organizers behind Unite The Right, and rightfully so. Can you imagine the outrage if an airline threw off African American customers who were headed to a Black Lives Matter rally? It's clearly bigoted and bias.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>"This is outrageous and should be grounds for a lawsuit," Jason Kessler, the rally's organizer, told The Washington Post in an email Monday night. "It's the racial targeting of white people for their ethnic advocacy." Kessler added the rally "is opposed to the historical and demographic displacement of white people. Would Airbnb cancel the service of black nationalists or Black Lives Matter activists for their social media activity? Of course not!"</p> <p /> <p>The widely acclaimed rally was supposed to occur at Emancipation Park, which until February, the 45,435 square foot public space was originally known as Robert E. Lee Park.</p> <p /> <p>Some of the anger over this decision towards the Charlottesville City Council was a reason the location was chosen for the event. Earlier this year the council also voted to remove the statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee, but it currently remains in place due to a court injunction that halted its removal temporarily while further measures can be taken.</p> <p /> <p>There's literally a war against Whites in America right now, and a war to destroy tradition and culture. Whites are often treated unfairly and impartial and not given the same protections that each and every other ethnic group is afforded under the Constitution.</p> <p /> <p>This has created a fire that's rising in America, a new tide of Nationalists and far right groups that is gaining support from every aspect of society including minorities who see what's occurring and how it's unfair and impartial to all Americans who are supposed to be equal under the law.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Charlottesville city governance has also attempted to shut down the event entirely by attempting to refuse to grant a permit to the AltRight to hold the rally, which is ignorant and bias to begin with considering they didn't have to ask, they have the Constitutional right to organize and protest but they were trying to respect the city.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Lead voice <a href="http://AltRight.com" type="external">AltRight.com</a> Richard Spencer has recently stated that they will not to submit to the city and the event will happen as originally planned regardless of what the city tried to do in order to prevent it from occurring.</p> <p>Hunter Wallace, of <a href="http://occidentaldissent.com" type="external">occidentaldissent.com</a> has also pointed out that the Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville, Wes Bellamy has a history of Anti-White tweets, further underscoring the left leaning parasitic nature of the council which clearly influenced its attempt to silence free speech.</p> <p /> <p /> <p>Wes Bellamy, the Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville, has a greatest hits collection of racist, anti-White tweets <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UniteTheRight?src=hash" type="external">#UniteTheRight</a> <a href="https://t.co/727nkeHGGT" type="external">pic.twitter.com/727nkeHGGT</a></p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>What's happened since the election of President Donald Trump in this country is extraordinary in the terms of chaos that the left has continued to push against the democratically elected President of the United States of America, and the supporters of President Trump are continuously physically and verbally attacked to the point that they're fighting back.</p> <p /> <p /> <p>Patreon, GoFundMe, Google, PayPal, Facebook, Twitter, AirBnb - all of these companies have "values" far to the left of the average American</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Many men and women on the right were once left of center and even more were once Democrats, but after months of brutal assaults and being portrayed as Nazis and racists and whatever derogatory slang they could be labeled as, they're all going further right.</p> <p /> <p /> <p>Charlottesville City Council Cancels <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UniteTheRight?src=hash" type="external">#UniteTheRight</a> Permit, Demands Relocation Of Festivities <a href="https://t.co/n1aOGhimyy" type="external">https://t.co/n1aOGhimyy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AltNews?src=hash" type="external">#AltNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/ygViTbCN7I" type="external">pic.twitter.com/ygViTbCN7I</a></p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The resurgence of Nationalism and the underlying support for traditional values is a direct response to the war against society and standards and the attacks on Whites in general.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Many groups such as the ADL have published "lists of hate groups", and placed almost all prowhite voices from the right onto those groups.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>However they've also placed Jewish men and woman on that list as well, which is amusing considering the group is supposed to stand against antisemitism by definition.</p> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>One has to wonder why it's only Whites who are targeted for being proud of their heritage and culture, and why the continued assault on the right and traditional values is occurring when it's clearly only pushing people further to the right to begin with.</p> <p /> <p>What's certain is that in America, everyone has the right to free speech. It's also preposterous to not be proud of who you are, your culture, your values, and your beliefs, regardless of what color your skin is or what your ethnic background is. There is no shame in being proud.</p> <p /> <p>Source: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/08/airbnb-boots-white-nationalists-headed-to-unite-the-right-rally-in-charlottesville/" type="external">washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/08/08/airbnb-boots-white-nationalists-headed-to-unite-the-right-rally-in-charlottesville</a></p>

behind closed doors forces within american foreign corporations well multiple intelligence agencies fraudulent civil rights groups trying shut resurgence american nationalism ever growing white nationalist ethno state ideologies seems like never ending impartial battle protect rights people treated equally law groups people afforded protections skin color august 12 unitetherightcharlottesvillevayou replace us pictwittercomvde9f5uvl7 recently altright various factions support movement promised massive rally charlottesville virginia titled unite right people across country attendance clearly globalists cultural marxists fearing future failed communist agendas full display today airbnb popular airline decided work behind closed doors kick passengers attendance event company released statement regarding discrimination altright saying following background check processes input community identify determine would pursuing behavior platform would antithetical airbnb community commitment seek take appropriate action including case removing platform evoked rage attendants organizers behind unite right rightfully imagine outrage airline threw african american customers headed black lives matter rally clearly bigoted bias outrageous grounds lawsuit jason kessler rallys organizer told washington post email monday night racial targeting white people ethnic advocacy kessler added rally opposed historical demographic displacement white people would airbnb cancel service black nationalists black lives matter activists social media activity course widely acclaimed rally supposed occur emancipation park february 45435 square foot public space originally known robert e lee park anger decision towards charlottesville city council reason location chosen event earlier year council also voted remove statue confederate general robert e lee currently remains place due court injunction halted removal temporarily measures taken theres literally war whites america right war destroy tradition culture whites often treated unfairly impartial given protections every ethnic group afforded constitution created fire thats rising america new tide nationalists far right groups gaining support every aspect society including minorities see whats occurring unfair impartial americans supposed equal law charlottesville city governance also attempted shut event entirely attempting refuse grant permit altright hold rally ignorant bias begin considering didnt ask constitutional right organize protest trying respect city lead voice altrightcom richard spencer recently stated submit city event happen originally planned regardless city tried order prevent occurring hunter wallace occidentaldissentcom also pointed vicemayor charlottesville wes bellamy history antiwhite tweets underscoring left leaning parasitic nature council clearly influenced attempt silence free speech wes bellamy vicemayor charlottesville greatest hits collection racist antiwhite tweets unitetheright pictwittercom727nkehggt whats happened since election president donald trump country extraordinary terms chaos left continued push democratically elected president united states america supporters president trump continuously physically verbally attacked point theyre fighting back patreon gofundme google paypal facebook twitter airbnb companies values far left average american many men women right left center even democrats months brutal assaults portrayed nazis racists whatever derogatory slang could labeled theyre going right charlottesville city council cancels unitetheright permit demands relocation festivities httpstcon1aoghimyy altnews pictwittercomygvitbcn7i resurgence nationalism underlying support traditional values direct response war society standards attacks whites general many groups adl published lists hate groups placed almost prowhite voices right onto groups however theyve also placed jewish men woman list well amusing considering group supposed stand antisemitism definition one wonder whites targeted proud heritage culture continued assault right traditional values occurring clearly pushing people right begin whats certain america everyone right free speech also preposterous proud culture values beliefs regardless color skin ethnic background shame proud source washingtonpostcomamphtmlnewsmorningmixwp20170808airbnbbootswhitenationalistsheadedtounitetherightrallyincharlottesville

<p /> <p>Mark your calendars, folks. On March 16, 2017, one era of space travel ended and another one began.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>On that date at 2 a.m. EDT, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/01/spacex-begins-selling-used-rocket-rides.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">reusable rocket pioneer Opens a New Window.</a> SpaceX launched EchoStar Corporation's (NASDAQ: SATS) EchoStar XXIII communications satellite into high geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in preparation for its final transition into a geosynchronous orbit (GEO).And in a development that would never have merited a headline as recently as 16 months ago, SpaceX did not then proceed to reland its rocket on a drone barge at sea.</p> <p>Take one last look at EchoStar XXIII's Falcon rocket, folks, because you'll never see this one again. Image source: SpaceX.</p> <p>This happened because the Falcon 9 rocket that lifted EchoStar XXIII into GTO was not designed and equipped to reland. It was also the last rocket SpaceX has in inventory that's not designed for relanding. While it's theoretically possible that the company will build more such "expendable" rockets in the future, that's not the plan.Instead, this is the plan...</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Ever since SpaceX landed its first Falcon 9R reusable rocket on a landing pad back on Earth in December 2015, the company has been working toward the goal of making all its rockets reusable. Its aim: to quit throwing away expensive rocket ships, drive the cost of space launch down to a few percentage points over the cost of launch fuel, and thereby <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/29/can-spacex-cut-cost-of-space-travel-75-percent.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">cut the cost of space travel by 75%, or more Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>In the course of doing so, the company could very well drive all of its competitors, including Airbus (NASDAQOTH: EADSY), Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), completely out of the space business -- but that's just a side benefit. The real goal is to make space cheap enough for a whole lot of other companies that don't receive <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/03/15/spacex-could-steal-1-billion-in-business-from-boei.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">$1 billion in government subsidies Opens a New Window.</a>to participate in the space economy.</p> <p>If the aim is to land all rockets back on Earth, then why didn't SpaceX try to do this with the EchoStar XXIII's Falcon? The answer goes like this.</p> <p>Even for SpaceX, a rocket's ability to reland depends on three things: the size of the payload, the distance it must travel, and the rocket's capacity to carry enough fuel to both lift the payload to the desired orbit and then lower itself back down safely to Earth. These three constraints conspired to make EchoStar XXIII's rocket un-relandable. Simply put, (a) the satellite was too big, (b) the GTO orbit was too high, and (c) the Falcon 9 rocket's fuel tanks were too small to carry enough fuel to both put the satellite in orbit and then power the rocket's descent back to Earth.</p> <p>But that's not a problem SpaceX expects to encounter in the future. The reason, as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explained on Twitter back in January, is that going forward, SpaceX will use either an upgraded Falcon 9 with more fuel capacity (for smaller payloads), or the company's new Falcon Heavy lift vehicle. The latter was designed from the ground up to lift very heavy payloads into space and still have enough fuel left to land <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/31/spacex-to-triple-its-rate-of-rocket-recoveries.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Falcon Heavy's three first-stage boosters Opens a New Window.</a> back on Earth.</p> <p>It will no longer need to build disposable rockets.</p> <p>It's hard to overemphasize how significant this development will be -- even to the extent of changing the language we use to describe spaceflight. Historically, all rockets going to space have been basically one-shot deals. You build a rocket, you launch it, you build another rocket. Going forward though, space writers and space investors will have to distinguish between rockets that are launched with the intention of relanding them (SpaceX reusable rockets), and everything else -- because no one else in all of spaceflight has a working rocket capable of delivering payloads to orbit and then landing back on Earth ( <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/06/blue-origin-boss-jeff-bezos-lays-out-his-plan-for.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">although Blue Origin is working on it Opens a New Window.</a>).</p> <p>In the future, when you talk about reusable rockets, you'll be talking about SpaceX -- out of necessity. Everyone else's rockets -- what we used to just simply call"rockets" -- will be relegated to a class that's expendable, disposable, and somehow "less than" SpaceX's Falcons.</p> <p>But these other rockets will also be "more than" -- in that they'll cost more than SpaceX's rockets. Already, SpaceX's rockets are cheaper than anything else on the market -- with the possible exception of India's PSLV. And with SpaceX promising <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/17/how-profitable-is-spacex-how-much-more-profitable.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">price cuts of as much as 30% Opens a New Window.</a> for customers riding reused rockets, the spread between SpaceX's launch costs and everyone else's is only going to grow.</p> <p>Granted, the jury's still out on whether SpaceX will be able to earn aprofitat the low, low prices it's charging, and at the even lower prices it intends to charge. What is certain, though, is that by underpricing the competition and igniting a price war, SpaceX is making it harder than ever for companies like Boeing, Lockheed, and Airbus to earn profits of their own from space operations.</p> <p>Investors in these other stocks should take heed. Unless Boeing, Lockheed, and Airbus figure out a way to compete with SpaceX on price -- and soon -- they may find themselves unable to compete with the new leader in reusable rockets.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than EchoStarWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=1510b28b-68ab-4b74-a218-08140b4eb586&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and EchoStar wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=1510b28b-68ab-4b74-a218-08140b4eb586&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDitty/info.aspx" type="external">Rich Smith Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

mark calendars folks march 16 2017 one era space travel ended another one began continue reading date 2 edt reusable rocket pioneer opens new window spacex launched echostar corporations nasdaq sats echostar xxiii communications satellite high geostationary transfer orbit gto preparation final transition geosynchronous orbit geoand development would never merited headline recently 16 months ago spacex proceed reland rocket drone barge sea take one last look echostar xxiiis falcon rocket folks youll never see one image source spacex happened falcon 9 rocket lifted echostar xxiii gto designed equipped reland also last rocket spacex inventory thats designed relanding theoretically possible company build expendable rockets future thats planinstead plan advertisement ever since spacex landed first falcon 9r reusable rocket landing pad back earth december 2015 company working toward goal making rockets reusable aim quit throwing away expensive rocket ships drive cost space launch percentage points cost launch fuel thereby cut cost space travel 75 opens new window course company could well drive competitors including airbus nasdaqoth eadsy boeing nyse ba lockheed martin nyse lmt completely space business thats side benefit real goal make space cheap enough whole lot companies dont receive 1 billion government subsidies opens new windowto participate space economy aim land rockets back earth didnt spacex try echostar xxiiis falcon answer goes like even spacex rockets ability reland depends three things size payload distance must travel rockets capacity carry enough fuel lift payload desired orbit lower back safely earth three constraints conspired make echostar xxiiis rocket unrelandable simply put satellite big b gto orbit high c falcon 9 rockets fuel tanks small carry enough fuel put satellite orbit power rockets descent back earth thats problem spacex expects encounter future reason spacex ceo elon musk explained twitter back january going forward spacex use either upgraded falcon 9 fuel capacity smaller payloads companys new falcon heavy lift vehicle latter designed ground lift heavy payloads space still enough fuel left land falcon heavys three firststage boosters opens new window back earth longer need build disposable rockets hard overemphasize significant development even extent changing language use describe spaceflight historically rockets going space basically oneshot deals build rocket launch build another rocket going forward though space writers space investors distinguish rockets launched intention relanding spacex reusable rockets everything else one else spaceflight working rocket capable delivering payloads orbit landing back earth although blue origin working opens new window future talk reusable rockets youll talking spacex necessity everyone elses rockets used simply callrockets relegated class thats expendable disposable somehow less spacexs falcons rockets also theyll cost spacexs rockets already spacexs rockets cheaper anything else market possible exception indias pslv spacex promising price cuts much 30 opens new window customers riding reused rockets spread spacexs launch costs everyone elses going grow granted jurys still whether spacex able earn aprofitat low low prices charging even lower prices intends charge certain though underpricing competition igniting price war spacex making harder ever companies like boeing lockheed airbus earn profits space operations investors stocks take heed unless boeing lockheed airbus figure way compete spacex price soon may find unable compete new leader reusable rockets 10 stocks like better echostarwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right echostar wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns february 6 2017 rich smith opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool position stocks mentioned motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>In the past few years, Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) has become the most profitable airline in the U.S. It's keeping up the momentum in 2016 despite a massive surge in competition in its markets. Over the past 12 months, Alaska Air has generated a stellar 24.8% pre-tax margin.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Looking ahead, Alaska Air plans to dramatically expand its presence in California by buying smaller rival Virgin America (NASDAQ: VA). It hopes to close that acquisition by the end of 2016, but must first resolve an ongoing antitrust review by federal regulators as well as a separate antitrust lawsuit brought by private citizens.</p> <p>Alaska Air hopes to finalize its merger with Virgin America soon. Image source: Alaska Airlines.</p> <p>Whether or not Alaska manages to close the Virgin America merger in the next few months, the company is on track to continue posting strong results in 2017 and beyond. Let's take a look at how it will do so.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>After two years of benefiting from sharp fuel price declines, airlines (including Alaska Airlines) are starting to face year-over-year fuel price increases. However, offsetting this, Alaska has been improving its fuel efficiency by about 2% annually by replacing its oldest planes with modern Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737s.</p> <p>In total, Alaska improved its fuel efficiency by 25% between 2004 and 2015. In 2017, Alaska will complete the process of replacing all of its previous-generation 737-400s with new Boeing 737-900ERs. (Alaska Air CFO Brandon Pedersen quipped last week that the 737-900ER is like a Prius with wings; it uses less fuel than a 737-400 despite having 25% more seats!)</p> <p>The other benefit of retiring the last 16 737-400s is that it will simplify Alaska's maintenance operations. That will offer an additional cost reduction opportunity.</p> <p>Alaska Airlines' fuel-efficiency gains will slow down after 2017, but they won't stop. Beginning in early 2018, Alaska will add Boeing's 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 to its fleet. According to Boeing, those models will offer double-digit fuel efficiency improvements relative to the 737-800 and 737-900ER.</p> <p>Alaska Airlines will add the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 to its fleet in early 2018. Image source: Boeing.</p> <p>Boosting non-ticket revenue has been a key focus for most airlines, and Alaska is no exception. Earlier this year, it revised its co-branded credit card agreement in order to provide more benefits for cardholders and bring in more revenue. The company expects credit card-related revenue to continue growing in the years ahead.</p> <p>Additionally, Alaska Airlines has started to retrofit its fleet with a new section of extra-legroom seats, dubbed "Premium Class." Tickets for the new seats will go on sale next month for flights starting in early January. Alaska plans to finish the retrofit program by the end of 2017.</p> <p>Alaska Air executives have forecast that this initiative will add $50 million of incremental operating profit in 2017. By 2018, the annualized impact will be more than $85 million.</p> <p>For the past several years, competitors have been growing rapidly in Alaska Airlines' markets. Indeed, since early 2015, Alaska has consistently reported double-digit increases in competitive capacity. Not surprisingly, this growing competition has driven fares lower. Alaska's ability to maintain its stellar profitability during this period has been remarkable.</p> <p>In 2017, Alaska Airlines may finally get a respite from this competitive capacity growth. Based on currently published schedules, Alaska is set to face a 9% uptick in competitive capacity in Q1 2017 but a modest 1% increase by Q2. (For comparison, competitive capacity surged 13% year over year last quarter.)</p> <p>If competitive capacity growth really does sink to low single-digit levels by Q2 2017, it will set the stage for a return to solid unit revenue growth at Alaska Airlines.</p> <p>The combination of steadily improving fuel efficiency, rising ancillary revenue, and a tamer competitive environment should help Alaska Air offset much of the headwind from rising oil prices in 2017 and beyond.</p> <p>Completing the Virgin America merger would be the icing on the cake. When the merger was first announced, Alaska estimated that the Virgin America acquisition would add $100 million in pre-tax income immediately. By 2020, when all the merger synergies would be realized, the Virgin America acquisition should add $325 million to Alaska's pre-tax income.</p> <p>Thus, it's obvious why Alaska Air is eager to address any antitrust issues and complete the merger. However, the nice thing for investors is that the company has plenty of room for long-term profit growth even without the benefits of the merger.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! 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past years alaska air nyse alk become profitable airline us keeping momentum 2016 despite massive surge competition markets past 12 months alaska air generated stellar 248 pretax margin continue reading looking ahead alaska air plans dramatically expand presence california buying smaller rival virgin america nasdaq va hopes close acquisition end 2016 must first resolve ongoing antitrust review federal regulators well separate antitrust lawsuit brought private citizens alaska air hopes finalize merger virgin america soon image source alaska airlines whether alaska manages close virgin america merger next months company track continue posting strong results 2017 beyond lets take look advertisement two years benefiting sharp fuel price declines airlines including alaska airlines starting face yearoveryear fuel price increases however offsetting alaska improving fuel efficiency 2 annually replacing oldest planes modern boeing nyse ba 737s total alaska improved fuel efficiency 25 2004 2015 2017 alaska complete process replacing previousgeneration 737400s new boeing 737900ers alaska air cfo brandon pedersen quipped last week 737900er like prius wings uses less fuel 737400 despite 25 seats benefit retiring last 16 737400s simplify alaskas maintenance operations offer additional cost reduction opportunity alaska airlines fuelefficiency gains slow 2017 wont stop beginning early 2018 alaska add boeings 737 max 8 737 max 9 fleet according boeing models offer doubledigit fuel efficiency improvements relative 737800 737900er alaska airlines add new boeing 737 max 8 fleet early 2018 image source boeing boosting nonticket revenue key focus airlines alaska exception earlier year revised cobranded credit card agreement order provide benefits cardholders bring revenue company expects credit cardrelated revenue continue growing years ahead additionally alaska airlines started retrofit fleet new section extralegroom seats dubbed premium class tickets new seats go sale next month flights starting early january alaska plans finish retrofit program end 2017 alaska air executives forecast initiative add 50 million incremental operating profit 2017 2018 annualized impact 85 million past several years competitors growing rapidly alaska airlines markets indeed since early 2015 alaska consistently reported doubledigit increases competitive capacity surprisingly growing competition driven fares lower alaskas ability maintain stellar profitability period remarkable 2017 alaska airlines may finally get respite competitive capacity growth based currently published schedules alaska set face 9 uptick competitive capacity q1 2017 modest 1 increase q2 comparison competitive capacity surged 13 year year last quarter competitive capacity growth really sink low singledigit levels q2 2017 set stage return solid unit revenue growth alaska airlines combination steadily improving fuel efficiency rising ancillary revenue tamer competitive environment help alaska air offset much headwind rising oil prices 2017 beyond completing virgin america merger would icing cake merger first announced alaska estimated virgin america acquisition would add 100 million pretax income immediately 2020 merger synergies would realized virgin america acquisition add 325 million alaskas pretax income thus obvious alaska air eager address antitrust issues complete merger however nice thing investors company plenty room longterm profit growth even without benefits merger secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window adam levineweinberg opens new window owns shares alaska air group boeing motley fool position stocks mentioned try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>The Advisory Board Co. will be split up and sold in a deal worth around $2.21 billion, with its health-care business going to UnitedHealth Group Inc. and its education unit to private-equity firm Vista Partners LLC.</p> <p>The consulting and software company had announced in February that its board was exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale. That move came after activist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. said it and related entities had bought about 8.3% of the company's shares, saying at the time that they were undervalued and it wanted to engage in a dialogue with the company's board.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The companies said that the total value of the deal was around $2.58 billion, a figure that includes the assumption of debt. Advisory Board shareholders will get approximately $54.29 in cash per share, which includes a fixed payment of $52.65 per share in addition to the estimated after-tax value of the Advisory Board's stake in Evolent Health Inc.</p> <p>Vista will pay about $1.55 billion for EAB, the education unit, which focuses largely on colleges and universities. After that deal closes, UnitedHealth will complete its acquisition of the Advisory Board's health operation, which goes by the name of the parent company, paying $1.3 billion including the assumption of debt.</p> <p>The Advisory Board, which is a well-known name in the hospital industry, had around $803 million in revenue last year. For the second quarter of 2017, it reported net income of $14.7 million, or 36 cents per share, compared with $7.5 million, or 18 cents a share, a year earlier. Shares closed at $49.85 on Monday.</p> <p>The Advisory Board becomes the latest high-profile takeover for UnitedHealth's Optum health-services arm. Optum has grown rapidly over the years with an aggressive spate of acquisitions, bolting together everything from a burgeoning network of doctor practices to a major pharmacy-benefit manager to a large outpatient surgery company.</p> <p>Eric Murphy, the chief executive of OptumInsight, the unit that will absorb Advisory Board, said there are "terrific synergies" between the two companies, with the acquisition bringing research and other capabilities that Optum doesn't currently have.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>UnitedHealth said Robert Musslewhite, who is the chief executive of the Advisory Board parent company, will continue to lead its consulting work within Optum.</p> <p>The acquisition may raise questions among some Advisory Board clients, who entrust their data to the firm and may rely on its work in their pricing negotiations with big insurers like UnitedHealthcare, the insurance unit of UnitedHealth.</p> <p>Michael J. Dowling, chief executive of Northwell Health, a huge New York hospital system that is an Advisory Board client, said before the deal was announced that he would want to understand the details. "It would all depend as to what the nature of the relationship would be," he said. "You'd want to be able to be sure....that the data is protected and doesn't bleed into other entities." Northwell already has a good relationship with Optum, which he expects to continue, he said.</p> <p>Optum itself is already a major adviser to hospitals, as well as insurers that compete directly with UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealth has always said that Optum clients' information is walled off completely from the company's corporate sibling, and Optum has long been able to win business despite the relationship. Mr. Musslewhite said it expected questions from some clients about the UnitedHealthcare relationship, but "we'll be able to answer that question easily." He said Optum has "been able to demonstrate a lot of proof of the fact that they guard that very seriously."</p> <p>UnitedHealth said it expects to close the acquisition in late 2017 or early next year.</p> <p>Vista Equity Partners invests in a software, data and technology-focused companies -- including a major education-related firm, PowerSchool, which provides software for the K-12 market. The investment firm recently closed its largest buyout fund, collecting over $11 billion in capital -- making it one of the largest technology-focused vehicles ever. Across its differentiated funds, the firm has raised over $30 billion to pursue deals.</p> <p>With a large war chest, Vista has been active on the acquisition trail. After several deals to take companies private last year, the firm agreed to take-private Canadian financial technology company D+H Corp. for 2.7 billion Canadian dollars in March to merge with its portfolio company Misys Group Ltd. It also recently agreed to sell the communities and sports divisions of its portfolio company Active Network Inc. to Global Payments Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at roughly $1.2 billion.</p> <p>Write to Anna Wilde Mathews at anna.mathews@wsj.com and Laura Cooper at laura.cooper@wsj.com</p> <p>The Advisory Board Co. will be split up and sold in a deal valued at around $2.21 billion, with its health-care business going to UnitedHealth Group Inc. and its education unit to private-equity firm Vista Equity Partners Management LLC.</p> <p>The consulting and software company had announced in February that its board was exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale. That move came after activist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. said it and related entities had bought about 8.3% of the company's shares, saying at the time they were undervalued and it wanted to engage in a dialogue with the company's board.</p> <p>The companies said the total value of the deal was around $2.58 billion, a figure that includes the assumption of debt. Advisory Board shareholders will get approximately $54.29 in cash per share, which includes a fixed payment of $52.65 per share in addition to the estimated after-tax value of the Advisory Board's stake in Evolent Health Inc.</p> <p>Vista will pay about $1.55 billion for EAB, the education unit, which focuses largely on colleges and universities. After that deal closes, UnitedHealth will complete its acquisition of the Advisory Board's health operation, which goes by the name of the parent company, paying $1.3 billion including the assumption of debt.</p> <p>The Advisory Board, which is a well-known name in the hospital industry, had around $803 million in revenue last year. For the second quarter of 2017, it reported net income of $14.7 million, or 36 cents per share, compared with $7.5 million, or 18 cents a share, a year earlier. Shares closed at $49.85 on Monday.</p> <p>The Advisory Board becomes the latest high-profile takeover for UnitedHealth's Optum health-services arm. Optum has grown rapidly over the years with an aggressive spate of acquisitions, bolting together everything from a burgeoning network of doctor practices to a major pharmacy-benefit manager to a large outpatient surgery company.</p> <p>Eric Murphy, the chief executive of OptumInsight, the unit that will absorb Advisory Board, said there are "terrific synergies" between the two companies, with the acquisition bringing research and other capabilities that Optum doesn't currently have.</p> <p>UnitedHealth said Robert Musslewhite, who is the chief executive of the Advisory Board parent company, will continue to lead its consulting work within Optum.</p> <p>The acquisition may raise questions among some Advisory Board clients, who entrust their data to the firm and may rely on its work in their pricing negotiations with big insurers such as UnitedHealthcare, the insurance unit of UnitedHealth.</p> <p>Michael J. Dowling, chief executive of Northwell Health, a big New York hospital system that is an Advisory Board client, said before the deal was announced that he would want to understand the details. "It would all depend as to what the nature of the relationship would be," he said. "You'd want to be able to be sure...that the data is protected and doesn't bleed into other entities." Northwell already has a good relationship with Optum, which he expects to continue, he said.</p> <p>Rod Hochman, chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Health in Seattle, a 50-hospital system that is a customer of Advisory Board consulting, said he received a flurry of emails from Advisory Board after the deal was announced Tuesday seeking to reassure customers. Providence St. Joseph Health also sells health insurance in Oregon and Texas, making it a competitor of UnitedHealth.</p> <p>Mr. Hochman said Advisory Board must assure customers that consultants will maintain their independence from UnitedHealth's diverse businesses.</p> <p>"We would want to make sure they keep their advice neutral," he said. "I think time will tell."</p> <p>Optum itself is already a major adviser to hospitals, as well as insurers that compete directly with UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealth has always said that Optum clients' information is walled off completely from the company's corporate sibling, and Optum has long been able to win business despite the relationship. Mr. Musslewhite said it expected questions from some clients about the UnitedHealthcare relationship, but "we'll be able to answer that question easily." Optum has "been able to demonstrate a lot of proof of the fact that they guard that very seriously," he said.</p> <p>UnitedHealth said it expects to close the acquisition in late 2017 or early next year.</p> <p>Vista Equity Partners invests in a software, data and technology-focused companies -- including a major education-related firm, PowerSchool, which provides software for the K-12 market. The investment firm recently closed its largest buyout fund, collecting over $11 billion in capital -- making it one of the largest technology-focused vehicles ever. Across its differentiated funds, the firm has raised over $30 billion to pursue deals.</p> <p>With a large war chest, Vista has been active on the acquisition trail. After several deals to take companies private last year, the firm agreed to take-private Canadian financial technology company D+H Corp. for 2.7 billion Canadian dollars in March to merge with its portfolio company Misys Group Ltd. It also recently agreed to sell the communities and sports divisions of its portfolio company Active Network Inc. to Global Payments Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at roughly $1.2 billion.</p> <p>Melanie Evans contributed to this article.</p> <p>Write to Anna Wilde Mathews at anna.mathews@wsj.com and Laura Cooper at laura.cooper@wsj.com</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>August 29, 2017 14:39 ET (18:39 GMT)</p>

advisory board co split sold deal worth around 221 billion healthcare business going unitedhealth group inc education unit privateequity firm vista partners llc consulting software company announced february board exploring strategic alternatives including possible sale move came activist hedge fund elliott management corp said related entities bought 83 companys shares saying time undervalued wanted engage dialogue companys board continue reading companies said total value deal around 258 billion figure includes assumption debt advisory board shareholders get approximately 5429 cash per share includes fixed payment 5265 per share addition estimated aftertax value advisory boards stake evolent health inc vista pay 155 billion eab education unit focuses largely colleges universities deal closes unitedhealth complete acquisition advisory boards health operation goes name parent company paying 13 billion including assumption debt advisory board wellknown name hospital industry around 803 million revenue last year second quarter 2017 reported net income 147 million 36 cents per share compared 75 million 18 cents share year earlier shares closed 4985 monday advisory board becomes latest highprofile takeover unitedhealths optum healthservices arm optum grown rapidly years aggressive spate acquisitions bolting together everything burgeoning network doctor practices major pharmacybenefit manager large outpatient surgery company eric murphy chief executive optuminsight unit absorb advisory board said terrific synergies two companies acquisition bringing research capabilities optum doesnt currently advertisement unitedhealth said robert musslewhite chief executive advisory board parent company continue lead consulting work within optum acquisition may raise questions among advisory board clients entrust data firm may rely work pricing negotiations big insurers like unitedhealthcare insurance unit unitedhealth michael j dowling chief executive northwell health huge new york hospital system advisory board client said deal announced would want understand details would depend nature relationship would said youd want able surethat data protected doesnt bleed entities northwell already good relationship optum expects continue said optum already major adviser hospitals well insurers compete directly unitedhealthcare unitedhealth always said optum clients information walled completely companys corporate sibling optum long able win business despite relationship mr musslewhite said expected questions clients unitedhealthcare relationship well able answer question easily said optum able demonstrate lot proof fact guard seriously unitedhealth said expects close acquisition late 2017 early next year vista equity partners invests software data technologyfocused companies including major educationrelated firm powerschool provides software k12 market investment firm recently closed largest buyout fund collecting 11 billion capital making one largest technologyfocused vehicles ever across differentiated funds firm raised 30 billion pursue deals large war chest vista active acquisition trail several deals take companies private last year firm agreed takeprivate canadian financial technology company dh corp 27 billion canadian dollars march merge portfolio company misys group ltd also recently agreed sell communities sports divisions portfolio company active network inc global payments inc cashandstock deal valued roughly 12 billion write anna wilde mathews annamathewswsjcom laura cooper lauracooperwsjcom advisory board co split sold deal valued around 221 billion healthcare business going unitedhealth group inc education unit privateequity firm vista equity partners management llc consulting software company announced february board exploring strategic alternatives including possible sale move came activist hedge fund elliott management corp said related entities bought 83 companys shares saying time undervalued wanted engage dialogue companys board companies said total value deal around 258 billion figure includes assumption debt advisory board shareholders get approximately 5429 cash per share includes fixed payment 5265 per share addition estimated aftertax value advisory boards stake evolent health inc vista pay 155 billion eab education unit focuses largely colleges universities deal closes unitedhealth complete acquisition advisory boards health operation goes name parent company paying 13 billion including assumption debt advisory board wellknown name hospital industry around 803 million revenue last year second quarter 2017 reported net income 147 million 36 cents per share compared 75 million 18 cents share year earlier shares closed 4985 monday advisory board becomes latest highprofile takeover unitedhealths optum healthservices arm optum grown rapidly years aggressive spate acquisitions bolting together everything burgeoning network doctor practices major pharmacybenefit manager large outpatient surgery company eric murphy chief executive optuminsight unit absorb advisory board said terrific synergies two companies acquisition bringing research capabilities optum doesnt currently unitedhealth said robert musslewhite chief executive advisory board parent company continue lead consulting work within optum acquisition may raise questions among advisory board clients entrust data firm may rely work pricing negotiations big insurers unitedhealthcare insurance unit unitedhealth michael j dowling chief executive northwell health big new york hospital system advisory board client said deal announced would want understand details would depend nature relationship would said youd want able surethat data protected doesnt bleed entities northwell already good relationship optum expects continue said rod hochman chief executive providence st joseph health seattle 50hospital system customer advisory board consulting said received flurry emails advisory board deal announced tuesday seeking reassure customers providence st joseph health also sells health insurance oregon texas making competitor unitedhealth mr hochman said advisory board must assure customers consultants maintain independence unitedhealths diverse businesses would want make sure keep advice neutral said think time tell optum already major adviser hospitals well insurers compete directly unitedhealthcare unitedhealth always said optum clients information walled completely companys corporate sibling optum long able win business despite relationship mr musslewhite said expected questions clients unitedhealthcare relationship well able answer question easily optum able demonstrate lot proof fact guard seriously said unitedhealth said expects close acquisition late 2017 early next year vista equity partners invests software data technologyfocused companies including major educationrelated firm powerschool provides software k12 market investment firm recently closed largest buyout fund collecting 11 billion capital making one largest technologyfocused vehicles ever across differentiated funds firm raised 30 billion pursue deals large war chest vista active acquisition trail several deals take companies private last year firm agreed takeprivate canadian financial technology company dh corp 27 billion canadian dollars march merge portfolio company misys group ltd also recently agreed sell communities sports divisions portfolio company active network inc global payments inc cashandstock deal valued roughly 12 billion melanie evans contributed article write anna wilde mathews annamathewswsjcom laura cooper lauracooperwsjcom end dow jones newswires august 29 2017 1439 et 1839 gmt

<p>The circumstances of U.S. Border Patrol agent Rogelio Martinez's death this week remain murkier than the Rio Grande River.</p> <p>Agent Martinez succumbed to critical head injuries early Sunday morning. An unnamed partner, who came to Martinez's aid after he radioed for help from a remote area of the Big Bend sector in Texas, also suffered serious wounds. Whether by deliberate ambush or accident, one of our border enforcers is dead and the other hospitalized.</p> <p>This much is clear: Dumb sensors + depleted forces = deadly border disorder.</p> <p>Agent Martinez had ventured out alone to check on a ground sensor to determine who or what had set it off. He confirmed to his colleagues that human activity had activated the alarm before he died.</p> <p>Here's the scandal: Our federal government has been squandering billions of dollars on inferior border technology for years. It's a monumental waste of taxpayer funds and a dangerous redistribution of wealth to crony contractors, whose ineffective pet projects are putting our men and women on the front lines at risk.</p> <p>Nearly 14,000 ground sensors have been littered along the southern border over the past several decades -- some dating back to the Vietnam War era. Untold numbers have simply been buried and lost by federal workers who failed to record where they put them. Twelve years ago, a Department of Homeland Security inspector general's report found that agents couldn't determine the cause of 62 percent of the sensor alerts because they were "unable to respond to the dispatch, or it took the agent too long to get to the sensor location."</p> <p>Compounding staff shortages are outdated sensors unable to distinguish between humans, vehicles and animals. They can't tell cows from criminals or wild boars from dirty bombers. Thirty-four percent of alerts were confirmed false alarms in the 2005 review. Only 2 percent resulted in apprehensions of immigrants in this country illegally, the feds admitted.</p> <p>The Arizona Republic reported that "a possible false alarm from a ground sensor, and faulty radio communications, may have contributed to the death of Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie in a friendly-fire incident" in 2012. "(A)gents didn't detect anyone but each other when they arrived. Ivie, responding separately, apparently mistook the other agents for smugglers and opened fire. One of the agents shot and killed him."</p> <p>A $1 billion integrated fixed tower project, fronted by Boeing, was supposed to remedy the flaws of the ground sensor system. A surveillance program along the southwest border in Arizona, the IFT systems "are fixed surveillance assets that provide long-range persistent surveillance" using radars that send pictures back to a central hub to monitor illegal crossings and criminal activity.</p> <p>But the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general reported this summer that the towers had never been properly tested for suitability and operational effectiveness. Its successors haven't fared much better.</p> <p>On a trip to the Sierra Vista, Arizona, region earlier this summer for my CRTV.com show, "Michelle Malkin Investigates," I talked to ranchers who pointed out fancy new towers with fatal blind spots, out of reach of deep washes and heavy forests where illegal immigrants and drug smugglers travel.</p> <p>"We have $50 million of infrastructure on this ranch now," fourth-generation Arizona rancher John Ladd told me during a tour of his property, "and none of it has worked. Camera towers, radar, fence, roads, street lights." All the technology in the world is useless, he has long pointed out to politicians and bureaucrats, without boots on the ground. And Border Patrol agents parked in air-conditioned cubicles hours from the border don't count.</p> <p>"You got 600 (agents) in Tucson" who "take 6 hours to get to the border. Move them down! You got Nogales ... and Naco and Douglas that are within a mile of the border," Ladd points out. "All the rest of them are more than 50 miles north. Why do we have that? What good is that?"</p> <p>Longtime illegal immigration activist and systems engineer Glenn Spencer, who I first met in California in the 1990s, has lived and worked on the Arizona border for more than decade. He patented and tested a pilot system of seismic detection and ranging on 1.5 miles of his friend John Ladd's property called Seidarm and paired it with a drone, dubbed Hermes, which automatically launches when border activity is detected within 500 feet of the smart sensors. It can be manufactured and built at a fraction of the cost of the big defense contractors' systems. Unlike much of the government's gold-plated technology, Ladd said: "It worked."</p> <p>"If they had SEIDARM/HERMES installed, they could have checked out the ground sensor without putting the agent in jeopardy," Spencer told me after Agent Martinez's death hit the news this week.</p> <p>But politicians in both parties have spurned Ladd's pleas and Spencer's proposals. Special interests have raided public coffers to fund border security Kabuki theater and stave off meaningful assessments. Spencer doesn't mince words:</p> <p>"They don't want to measure it; they don't want to secure the border; they want to make it LOOK like they are."</p> <p>Beltway business as usual. Another agent's life sacrificed. President Trump, the clock is ticking.</p> <p>Michelle Malkin is host of "Michelle Malkin Investigates" on CRTV.com. Her email address iswritemalkin@gmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.</p> <p>COPYRIGHT 2017 CREATORS.COM</p>

circumstances us border patrol agent rogelio martinezs death week remain murkier rio grande river agent martinez succumbed critical head injuries early sunday morning unnamed partner came martinezs aid radioed help remote area big bend sector texas also suffered serious wounds whether deliberate ambush accident one border enforcers dead hospitalized much clear dumb sensors depleted forces deadly border disorder agent martinez ventured alone check ground sensor determine set confirmed colleagues human activity activated alarm died heres scandal federal government squandering billions dollars inferior border technology years monumental waste taxpayer funds dangerous redistribution wealth crony contractors whose ineffective pet projects putting men women front lines risk nearly 14000 ground sensors littered along southern border past several decades dating back vietnam war era untold numbers simply buried lost federal workers failed record put twelve years ago department homeland security inspector generals report found agents couldnt determine cause 62 percent sensor alerts unable respond dispatch took agent long get sensor location compounding staff shortages outdated sensors unable distinguish humans vehicles animals cant tell cows criminals wild boars dirty bombers thirtyfour percent alerts confirmed false alarms 2005 review 2 percent resulted apprehensions immigrants country illegally feds admitted arizona republic reported possible false alarm ground sensor faulty radio communications may contributed death border patrol agent nicholas ivie friendlyfire incident 2012 agents didnt detect anyone arrived ivie responding separately apparently mistook agents smugglers opened fire one agents shot killed 1 billion integrated fixed tower project fronted boeing supposed remedy flaws ground sensor system surveillance program along southwest border arizona ift systems fixed surveillance assets provide longrange persistent surveillance using radars send pictures back central hub monitor illegal crossings criminal activity department homeland securitys inspector general reported summer towers never properly tested suitability operational effectiveness successors havent fared much better trip sierra vista arizona region earlier summer crtvcom show michelle malkin investigates talked ranchers pointed fancy new towers fatal blind spots reach deep washes heavy forests illegal immigrants drug smugglers travel 50 million infrastructure ranch fourthgeneration arizona rancher john ladd told tour property none worked camera towers radar fence roads street lights technology world useless long pointed politicians bureaucrats without boots ground border patrol agents parked airconditioned cubicles hours border dont count got 600 agents tucson take 6 hours get border move got nogales naco douglas within mile border ladd points rest 50 miles north good longtime illegal immigration activist systems engineer glenn spencer first met california 1990s lived worked arizona border decade patented tested pilot system seismic detection ranging 15 miles friend john ladds property called seidarm paired drone dubbed hermes automatically launches border activity detected within 500 feet smart sensors manufactured built fraction cost big defense contractors systems unlike much governments goldplated technology ladd said worked seidarmhermes installed could checked ground sensor without putting agent jeopardy spencer told agent martinezs death hit news week politicians parties spurned ladds pleas spencers proposals special interests raided public coffers fund border security kabuki theater stave meaningful assessments spencer doesnt mince words dont want measure dont want secure border want make look like beltway business usual another agents life sacrificed president trump clock ticking michelle malkin host michelle malkin investigates crtvcom email address iswritemalkingmailcom find michelle malkin read features creators syndicate writers cartoonists visit creators syndicate webpage wwwcreatorscom copyright 2017 creatorscom

<p /> <p>Credit cards can be convenient tools, wielding the power to help cardholders <a href="https://www.fool.com/credit-cards/best-balance-transfer-credit-cards/?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">pay down debt faster with balance-transfer credit card Opens a New Window.</a>strategies. Credit cards can also make sense for a number of everyday and less common purchases, especially when savvy budgeting mixes with prudent card use.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>With this in mind, Motley Fool credit card expert Nathan Hamilton and Deputy Managing Editor Michael Douglass discuss, in the video below, two types of purchases that may make sense to put on credit.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score Over 800!Increasing your credit score above 800 will put you in rare company. So rare that only 1 in 9 Americans can claim they're members of this elite club. But contrary to popular belief, racking up a high credit score is a lot easier than you may have imagined following 5 simple, disciplined strategies. You'll find a full rundown of each inside our <a href="http://www.fool.com/ecap/the_motley_fool/mortgage-creditscore/?ftm_cam=the-motley-fool&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;source=ic3editxt0000001&amp;amp;aid=8985&amp;amp;ftm_pit=6983&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">FREE credit score guide Opens a New Window.</a>. It's time to put your financial future first and secure a lifetime of savings by increasing your credit score. Simply <a href="http://www.fool.com/ecap/the_motley_fool/mortgage-creditscore/?ftm_cam=the-motley-fool&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;source=ic3editxt0000001&amp;amp;aid=8985&amp;amp;ftm_pit=6983&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">click here Opens a New Window.</a>to claim a copy 5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score over 800.</p> <p>Douglass:Folks talk a lot about things you shouldn't put on your credit cards. Let's talk about things that, generally speaking, you should.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Hamilton:Let's not be Debbie Downers...</p> <p>Douglass:Right. Personal finance can be so negative, sometimes.</p> <p>Hamilton:Yes.</p> <p>Douglass:Let's try to be a little bit positive for a while.</p> <p>Hamilton:We've got to be fun.</p> <p>Douglass:A little extra sunshine.</p> <p>Hamilton:Yes.</p> <p>Douglass:And of course, the caveat here is, don't put anything on your credit card that you can't pay off.</p> <p>Hamilton:A pretty simple one.</p> <p>Douglass:Basically immediately. Don't spend more than you have.</p> <p>Hamilton:It warrants mentioning because it is something that you and I [know]. It's really hard to maintain a budget, and you have to work to do so. Credit cards are convenient. They're easy to use. It's just a matter that, to reap the most value from a credit card -- say, to earn 2% cash back and avoid interest charges -- you've got to pay your bills monthly. Otherwise, you're getting charged, say 18% or 20%-plus for credit card interest and earning 2% rewards. It's not really a money-making proposition for us.</p> <p>Douglass:Right. Absolutely. So let's talk, first off, about tax-deductible business expenses.</p> <p>Hamilton:This is one expense that business owners should consider putting on credit cards. The reason is, as a business owner at the end of the year filing your taxes, you have to put together all you're reporting, and so forth, seeing what expenses [of yours] are deductible. Some people are good at keeping their receipts... are good at tracking those throughout the year.</p> <p>Douglass:Right.</p> <p>Hamilton:It does take some extra work, but credit cards are a convenient way to have a trackable record and say: "Here are my specific expenses. I can just look at the statement easily. It's easy to compile my tax return when I'm filing it." And it is, as I mentioned, a convenient way to do so.</p> <p>Douglass:Absolutely. Let's talk about online purchases, too. You're online and there's one of those 10%-off coupons. You just have to buy whatever it is.</p> <p>Hamilton:There's a few things that make sense for online purchases and credit cards. One is some cards actually offer price matching or price guarantees, where they'll scour the internet and look for a better price on that purchase, and file the claim to reimburse you the difference, and so forth. So that's definitely a value-add for online purchases.</p> <p>Douglass:Nice.</p> <p>Hamilton:The second part is many credit cards offer fraud and ID protection that may be better than what you would get with your existing bank account debit card. So it's worth reviewing the details of each credit card to figure out, "Is this better or not? Does it make sense to buy online with these purchases?" But if you're earning rewards... there are some cards on Amazon that are 5%-10% cash back for Amazon purchases. It very well could make sense to earn those rewards, get better ID protection, and also pay your bills off so you're taking advantage of it.</p> <p>Douglass:Absolutely. And finally, recurring bills.</p> <p>Hamilton:Yes.</p> <p>Douglass:Again, these are recurring bills that you're able to pay off, which hopefully is the case for all recurring bills.</p> <p>Hamilton:And I should say, recurring bills and normal expenses.</p> <p>Douglass:Sure.</p> <p>Hamilton:So assuming you're maintaining your budget, there's no reason for your cable bill or for your cellphone bill... if it's something you're going to be paying with cash from your bank account anyways, you might as well earn some rewards on it and pay with a credit card.</p> <p>It does take a little bit more management, because you pay with credit and then you have to pay off the credit card. There's two different transactions, but the time is generally worth it. It's an easy recurring expense that you're paying anyways. Take advantage, earn some rewards, get a little more cash in your pocket. Spend it however you determine is relevant for your budget...</p> <p>Douglass:Right.</p> <p>Hamilton:If it's investing in the market, that's what we say is the best way to go, but if you want to have some fun, we won't be a Debbie Downer. Make a purchase and use those rewards for it. Sure, go ahead.</p> <p>Douglass:That makes sense. And as always, all these things depend on your personal circumstances, and what makes sense for you, but the fact of the matter is, these are ways to get a little bit of that extra juice for that squeeze when you're making these purchases.</p> <p>Hamilton:Mm-hmm.</p> <p>Douglass:For more on budgeting, for more on credit cards, for more on how to work your way through this complicated personal finance topic, check us out at fool.com/credit cards. Again, that's fool.com/credit cards. There's a wealth of information there, including a number of free guides and The Motley Fool's picks for the best credit cards of 2017.</p> <p>Hamilton:The best.</p> <p>Douglass:All right. Thanks much, Nathan.</p> <p>Hamilton:Thanks.</p> <p>[End]</p> <p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

credit cards convenient tools wielding power help cardholders pay debt faster balancetransfer credit card opens new windowstrategies credit cards also make sense number everyday less common purchases especially savvy budgeting mixes prudent card use continue reading mind motley fool credit card expert nathan hamilton deputy managing editor michael douglass discuss video two types purchases may make sense put credit image source getty images 5 simple tips skyrocket credit score 800increasing credit score 800 put rare company rare 1 9 americans claim theyre members elite club contrary popular belief racking high credit score lot easier may imagined following 5 simple disciplined strategies youll find full rundown inside free credit score guide opens new window time put financial future first secure lifetime savings increasing credit score simply click opens new windowto claim copy 5 simple tips skyrocket credit score 800 douglassfolks talk lot things shouldnt put credit cards lets talk things generally speaking advertisement hamiltonlets debbie downers douglassright personal finance negative sometimes hamiltonyes douglasslets try little bit positive hamiltonweve got fun douglassa little extra sunshine hamiltonyes douglassand course caveat dont put anything credit card cant pay hamiltona pretty simple one douglassbasically immediately dont spend hamiltonit warrants mentioning something know really hard maintain budget work credit cards convenient theyre easy use matter reap value credit card say earn 2 cash back avoid interest charges youve got pay bills monthly otherwise youre getting charged say 18 20plus credit card interest earning 2 rewards really moneymaking proposition us douglassright absolutely lets talk first taxdeductible business expenses hamiltonthis one expense business owners consider putting credit cards reason business owner end year filing taxes put together youre reporting forth seeing expenses deductible people good keeping receipts good tracking throughout year douglassright hamiltonit take extra work credit cards convenient way trackable record say specific expenses look statement easily easy compile tax return im filing mentioned convenient way douglassabsolutely lets talk online purchases youre online theres one 10off coupons buy whatever hamiltontheres things make sense online purchases credit cards one cards actually offer price matching price guarantees theyll scour internet look better price purchase file claim reimburse difference forth thats definitely valueadd online purchases douglassnice hamiltonthe second part many credit cards offer fraud id protection may better would get existing bank account debit card worth reviewing details credit card figure better make sense buy online purchases youre earning rewards cards amazon 510 cash back amazon purchases well could make sense earn rewards get better id protection also pay bills youre taking advantage douglassabsolutely finally recurring bills hamiltonyes douglassagain recurring bills youre able pay hopefully case recurring bills hamiltonand say recurring bills normal expenses douglasssure hamiltonso assuming youre maintaining budget theres reason cable bill cellphone bill something youre going paying cash bank account anyways might well earn rewards pay credit card take little bit management pay credit pay credit card theres two different transactions time generally worth easy recurring expense youre paying anyways take advantage earn rewards get little cash pocket spend however determine relevant budget douglassright hamiltonif investing market thats say best way go want fun wont debbie downer make purchase use rewards sure go ahead douglassthat makes sense always things depend personal circumstances makes sense fact matter ways get little bit extra juice squeeze youre making purchases hamiltonmmhmm douglassfor budgeting credit cards work way complicated personal finance topic check us foolcomcredit cards thats foolcomcredit cards theres wealth information including number free guides motley fools picks best credit cards 2017 hamiltonthe best douglassall right thanks much nathan hamiltonthanks end motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>The market has shown little appreciation for the acquisitive discipline Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) has displayed this year. The stock has lost about 25% of its value in 2016, and management has taken advantage of the plunge by repurchasing about 100 million shares of its own stock.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>While it's nice to know the shares were purchased at knockdown prices, it's hard to remain cheerful when your stock price is sinking. Should Gilead's extensive buybacks help turn those frowns upside down? Let's have a closer look to find out.</p> <p>Investors are generally of two minds when it comes to share buybacks. In the "pros" column, they're a fine way to return cash to long-term shareholders with a couple of benefits over dividend payments. Since profits used for buybacks aren't actually distributed, shareholders avoid paying higher taxes on realized capital gains as long as they hang on to their shares.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>By lowering the number of shares outstanding, buybacks also boost earnings per share. At the end of September, Gilead's buybacks had reduced the outstanding share count by 7% compared with the end of 2015. Without this year's buybacks, third-quarter earnings of $2.52 per share would have come in at just $2.32 per share.</p> <p>Buyback "pros" offer little comfort in the face of some disturbing trends on the company's recent income statements. Despite a lower share count, earnings per share during the first nine months of the year fell 24% compared with the same period last year, as sales of Gilead's hepatitis C antivirals lost some pricing power to incoming competition from AbbVieand Merck.</p> <p>In addition to shrinking sales of commercial-stage products, it's also run into a string of <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/23/when-will-gilead-sciences-unlucky-streak-end.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">bad luck Opens a New Window.</a> in the clinic. Late-stage flops from a myelofibrosis drug and a heart rhythm drug stung investors recently, and there have been too many early- to mid-stage disappointments to count this year. As a result, Gilead's stock has been beaten down to an eyebrow-raising 7 times trailing earnings at recent prices.</p> <p>There has been no shortage of criticism heaped at the company for shoveling excess cash at its own stock instead of using it to make exciting acquisitions. It doesn't help that its peers have been engaged in an M&amp;amp;A frenzy.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>For example, AbbVie made a splashy move last year with a $21 billion acquisition of Pharmacyclics for rights to about half of Imbruvica sales, which might eventually add about $8 billion to its top line each year, and it was back in action again this spring with a $10.2 billion deal for Stemcentrx in order to secure rights to five cancer candidates still in early- to mid- stage clinical development. More recently, Pfizer shelled out $14 billion for Medivation, which included its prostate cancer <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-blockbuster-drug.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">blockbuster Opens a New Window.</a> Xtandi, and a couple of late-clinical-stage candidates.</p> <p>Gilead's operations generated a stunning $12.6 billion in free cash flow during the first nine months of 2016, so it certainly has the means to make big acquisitions. When asked why it isn't following in its peers' footsteps, management boldly <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/05/1-quote-reveals-why-gilead-sciences-hasnt-bought-a.aspx%20?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">states Opens a New Window.</a> that the market is simply too dear.</p> <p>We know the company has what it takes to spot a winner and race it through the regulatory process at breakneck speed. In many ways, this is the same biotech that risked $11 billion to acquire the compound that forms the backbone of its multibillion-dollar hepatitis C antiviral franchise today. However, that was in 2011, and a 178% rise in the industry-tracking iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology index since it announced the Pharmasset acquisition certainly supports management's austere stance.</p> <p>Although Gilead has shied away from outright acquisitions, it has engaged companies such as Galapagos NV with collaboration deals that involve little upfront but could be worth much more if they pan out in the clinic. Through the Galapagos partnership, Gilead has advanced filgotinib into late-stage studies for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. If successful, peak annual sales of the drug could reach $3 billion, despite risking just $725 million upfront.</p> <p>Further ahead, the company has three separate mid-stage candidates that comprise what is arguably the best shot at becoming the first effective treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. This underserved population represents a market estimated at about $15 billion annually.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>In the near term, America's largest <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-pharmacy-benefit-manager.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">pharmacy benefit manager Opens a New Window.</a>, which once shunned Gilead's best-selling hepatitis C antiviral to date, has recently agreed to add the drug to its 2017 formulary.</p> <p>These lights ahead won't send Gilead Sciences investors laughing all the way to the bank, but the company's future isn't nearly as grim as its ultra-low valuation suggests. Truckloads of free cash flow have to go somewhere, and I'd much rather see it spent repurchasing beaten-down stock than chasing overpriced biotechs.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Gilead Sciences When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=9360c84f-1ecd-4d4f-a1c9-6f9564c951de&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Gilead Sciences wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=9360c84f-1ecd-4d4f-a1c9-6f9564c951de&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/crenauer/info.aspx" type="external">Cory Renauer Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Gilead Sciences. You can follow Cory on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=coryrenauer" type="external">@coryrenauer Opens a New Window.</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/coryrenauer" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a> for more healthcare investing insight.</p> <p>The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

market shown little appreciation acquisitive discipline gilead sciences nasdaq gild displayed year stock lost 25 value 2016 management taken advantage plunge repurchasing 100 million shares stock continue reading image source getty images nice know shares purchased knockdown prices hard remain cheerful stock price sinking gileads extensive buybacks help turn frowns upside lets closer look find investors generally two minds comes share buybacks pros column theyre fine way return cash longterm shareholders couple benefits dividend payments since profits used buybacks arent actually distributed shareholders avoid paying higher taxes realized capital gains long hang shares advertisement lowering number shares outstanding buybacks also boost earnings per share end september gileads buybacks reduced outstanding share count 7 compared end 2015 without years buybacks thirdquarter earnings 252 per share would come 232 per share buyback pros offer little comfort face disturbing trends companys recent income statements despite lower share count earnings per share first nine months year fell 24 compared period last year sales gileads hepatitis c antivirals lost pricing power incoming competition abbvieand merck addition shrinking sales commercialstage products also run string bad luck opens new window clinic latestage flops myelofibrosis drug heart rhythm drug stung investors recently many early midstage disappointments count year result gileads stock beaten eyebrowraising 7 times trailing earnings recent prices shortage criticism heaped company shoveling excess cash stock instead using make exciting acquisitions doesnt help peers engaged mampa frenzy image source getty images example abbvie made splashy move last year 21 billion acquisition pharmacyclics rights half imbruvica sales might eventually add 8 billion top line year back action spring 102 billion deal stemcentrx order secure rights five cancer candidates still early mid stage clinical development recently pfizer shelled 14 billion medivation included prostate cancer blockbuster opens new window xtandi couple lateclinicalstage candidates gileads operations generated stunning 126 billion free cash flow first nine months 2016 certainly means make big acquisitions asked isnt following peers footsteps management boldly states opens new window market simply dear know company takes spot winner race regulatory process breakneck speed many ways biotech risked 11 billion acquire compound forms backbone multibilliondollar hepatitis c antiviral franchise today however 2011 178 rise industrytracking ishares nasdaq biotechnology index since announced pharmasset acquisition certainly supports managements austere stance although gilead shied away outright acquisitions engaged companies galapagos nv collaboration deals involve little upfront could worth much pan clinic galapagos partnership gilead advanced filgotinib latestage studies rheumatoid arthritis crohns disease ulcerative colitis successful peak annual sales drug could reach 3 billion despite risking 725 million upfront ahead company three separate midstage candidates comprise arguably best shot becoming first effective treatment nonalcoholic steatohepatitis underserved population represents market estimated 15 billion annually image source getty images near term americas largest pharmacy benefit manager opens new window shunned gileads bestselling hepatitis c antiviral date recently agreed add drug 2017 formulary lights ahead wont send gilead sciences investors laughing way bank companys future isnt nearly grim ultralow valuation suggests truckloads free cash flow go somewhere id much rather see spent repurchasing beatendown stock chasing overpriced biotechs 10 stocks like better gilead sciences investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right gilead sciences wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 cory renauer opens new window owns shares gilead sciences follow cory twitter coryrenauer opens new window linkedin opens new window healthcare investing insight motley fool owns shares recommends gilead sciences try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Nine years ago, Christopher Mirasolo, 27, raped a woman. She got pregnant as a result of the alleged crime. Now, Mirasolo&#8212;a convicted rapist&#8212;has been&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/10/06/rape-victim-attacker-joint-child-custody/106374256/" type="external">awarded joint legal custody of the child</a>&amp;#160;by Detroit Judge Gregory S. Ross following a DNA paternity test which showed him to be the child&#8217;s father.</p> <p>Yes, you read that correctly. The man who made a child through rape, was convicted of rape, and served time for rape, will now be granted joint custody of the child born from rape.</p> <p>The victim&#8217;s attorney, Rebecca Kiessling, is now asking for special protection afforded to her client under the federal&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/0604/With-new-US-law-more-funding-to-protect-women-who-have-children-after-rape" type="external">Rape Survivor Child Custody Act</a>. The Act, which President Obama signed the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act into law on May 29, 2015, terminates the parental rights of any parent who raped the opposite sex. The decision to terminate the parental rights must be based on clear and convincing evidence that the resulting child was conceived through rape.</p> <p>Kiessling filed objections last Friday against Ross&#8217; decision to award custody to the parent who&#8217;s believed to have raped the lady whose identity must be kept confidential because of the nature of the crime. Kiessling remarked:</p> <p>This is insane&#8230;Nothing has been right about this since it was originally investigated. He was never properly charged and should still be sitting behind bars somewhere, but the system is victimizing my client, who was a child herself when this all happened.</p> <p>So apparently angered by Ross&#8217; decision, the rape victim&#8217;s attorney continued by accusing the court of implementing deception to make the ruling.</p> <p>An assistant prosecutor on this, Eric Scott, told me she had granted her consent, which was a lie &#8212; she has never been asked to do this and certainly never signed anything</p> <p>In granting parental rights to Mirasolo, Ross has prevented the woman from fleeing the presence of her alleged attacker. In other words, the rape victim now has to be within driving distance of her rapist at all times. And in a bizarre and some would say ironic turn of events,&amp;#160;the rape victim may, in fact, go to jail if she does not comply with the court&#8217;s demands.</p> <p>Kiessling remarked that her client is,&amp;#160;&#8220;not allowed to move 100 miles from where she had been living when the case was filed, without court consent.&#8221; If she does not comply with the order, she can be locked up. &#8220;So the prosecutor told her she had to come home immediately or she would be held in contempt of court,&#8221; the rape victim&#8217;s lawyer said.</p> <p>For anyone who may be wondering about the details of the alleged rape, the lawyer provided a glimpse into the kind of horrific and violent torture the rape victim allegedly endured. She said Mirasolo raped her client when her client was just 12 and the man was 18. She described the incident in detail.</p> <p>She, her 13-year-old sister and a friend all slipped out of their house one night to meet a boy and the boy&#8217;s older friend, Mirasolo, showed up and asked if they wanted to go for a ride&#8230;They thought they were going to McDonald&#8217;s or somewhere&#8230;Instead, he tossed their cellphones away, drove to Detroit where he stole gas from a station and then drove back to Sanilac County, where he kept them captive for two days in a vacant house near a relative, finally releasing the older sister in a park. He threatened to kill them if they told anyone what happened.</p> <p>Instead of prosecuting Mirasolo to the fullest extent of the law, he was offered a plea deal for being a first-time offender and was back on the streets after less than 7 months in jail. He went on to commit another rape on a young teenager in 2010 and served only four years for the second rape. Now, Judge Ross has given him parental rights to his first victim.</p> <p>Barbara Yockey, Mirasolo&#8217;s attorney did not indicate her client had any intention of being a parent to the child who happens to be the product of a reportedly brutal rape. Yockey said the paternity test and subsequent custody proceedings were initiated after the other parent applied for state services.</p> <p>Chris was notified of the paternity matter and an order of filiation was issued last month by the court saying he had joint legal custody and reasonable visitation privileges&#8230;He never initiated this. It was something routinely done by the prosecutor&#8217;s office when a party makes application for state assistance.</p> <p>The Detroit News also spoke with the mother. She, too, was unaware of the court&#8217;s proceedings. She said;</p> <p>I think this is all crazy&#8230;They (officials) never explained anything to me. I was receiving about $260 a month in food stamps for me and my son and health insurance for him. I guess they were trying to see how to get some of the money back.</p> <p>Following the horrific rape, the victim dropped out of school and moved in with relatives in Florida. She went to a government office to change her address and was notified she had a court order demanding her return to Detroit.</p> <p>Part of me didn&#8217;t want to come back home&amp;#160;because I was scared&#8230;I would&#8217;ve got contempt of court if I hadn&#8217;t shown. I would&#8217;ve been thrown in jail.</p> <p>With respect to the rape itself, she said:</p> <p>I didn&#8217;t talk about it, I tried to put it behind me, but that&#8217;s never possible. You never forget what happens.</p> <p>Tiffany, the name she gave to the hosts, which is not her real name, gave her opinion about Ross&#8217; decision to put her rapist&#8217;s name on her son&#8217;s birth certificate.</p> <p>(I&#8217;d been told), he&#8217;d have to fight for any kind of rights&#8230;Then this judge just hands him these rights, like he deserves them.</p> <p>She&#8217;s not alone in her belief that Mirasolo should&amp;#160;be denied parental rights.&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/10/09/rapist-child-custody-second-victim-similarities/106482954/" type="external">The convicted rapist&#8217;s second victim</a>&amp;#160;shares her sentiments. She told reporters:</p> <p>When I read&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/10/06/rape-victim-attacker-joint-child-custody/106374256/" type="external">the (Detroit News) article</a>, I was disgusted&#8230;I guess there is no way they can do anything to him, because he has already served sentences in both cases. But there is no way he should have custody&#8230;And I don&#8217;t think he should even be allowed around any children without supervision.</p> <p>Yes, America, this is the judicial state of affairs in which many of our residents currently endure. A convicted rapist is given parental rights he didn&#8217;t want, to a woman who didn&#8217;t want him to have any association with her or her child, and who&#8217;d even relocated out of state.</p> <p>The woman was ordered to return to the state where she was raped and forced to live within two hours drive of the perpetrator (100 miles). Worse still, she may actually be forced to confront her attacker when and if he ever wants to spend time with his biological child.</p> <p>Courtesy of <a href="http://thefreethoughtproject.com/court-give-pedophile-rape-custody/" type="external">The Free Thought Project</a></p> <p>Jack Burns is an educator, journalist, investigative reporter, and advocate of natural medicine.</p> <p /> <p />

nine years ago christopher mirasolo 27 raped woman got pregnant result alleged crime mirasoloa convicted rapisthas been160 awarded joint legal custody child160by detroit judge gregory ross following dna paternity test showed childs father yes read correctly man made child rape convicted rape served time rape granted joint custody child born rape victims attorney rebecca kiessling asking special protection afforded client federal160 rape survivor child custody act act president obama signed rape survivor child custody act law may 29 2015 terminates parental rights parent raped opposite sex decision terminate parental rights must based clear convincing evidence resulting child conceived rape kiessling filed objections last friday ross decision award custody parent whos believed raped lady whose identity must kept confidential nature crime kiessling remarked insanenothing right since originally investigated never properly charged still sitting behind bars somewhere system victimizing client child happened apparently angered ross decision rape victims attorney continued accusing court implementing deception make ruling assistant prosecutor eric scott told granted consent lie never asked certainly never signed anything granting parental rights mirasolo ross prevented woman fleeing presence alleged attacker words rape victim within driving distance rapist times bizarre would say ironic turn events160the rape victim may fact go jail comply courts demands kiessling remarked client is160not allowed move 100 miles living case filed without court consent comply order locked prosecutor told come home immediately would held contempt court rape victims lawyer said anyone may wondering details alleged rape lawyer provided glimpse kind horrific violent torture rape victim allegedly endured said mirasolo raped client client 12 man 18 described incident detail 13yearold sister friend slipped house one night meet boy boys older friend mirasolo showed asked wanted go ridethey thought going mcdonalds somewhereinstead tossed cellphones away drove detroit stole gas station drove back sanilac county kept captive two days vacant house near relative finally releasing older sister park threatened kill told anyone happened instead prosecuting mirasolo fullest extent law offered plea deal firsttime offender back streets less 7 months jail went commit another rape young teenager 2010 served four years second rape judge ross given parental rights first victim barbara yockey mirasolos attorney indicate client intention parent child happens product reportedly brutal rape yockey said paternity test subsequent custody proceedings initiated parent applied state services chris notified paternity matter order filiation issued last month court saying joint legal custody reasonable visitation privilegeshe never initiated something routinely done prosecutors office party makes application state assistance detroit news also spoke mother unaware courts proceedings said think crazythey officials never explained anything receiving 260 month food stamps son health insurance guess trying see get money back following horrific rape victim dropped school moved relatives florida went government office change address notified court order demanding return detroit part didnt want come back home160because scaredi wouldve got contempt court hadnt shown wouldve thrown jail respect rape said didnt talk tried put behind thats never possible never forget happens tiffany name gave hosts real name gave opinion ross decision put rapists name sons birth certificate id told hed fight kind rightsthen judge hands rights like deserves shes alone belief mirasolo should160be denied parental rights160 convicted rapists second victim160shares sentiments told reporters read160 detroit news article disgustedi guess way anything already served sentences cases way custodyand dont think even allowed around children without supervision yes america judicial state affairs many residents currently endure convicted rapist given parental rights didnt want woman didnt want association child whod even relocated state woman ordered return state raped forced live within two hours drive perpetrator 100 miles worse still may actually forced confront attacker ever wants spend time biological child courtesy free thought project jack burns educator journalist investigative reporter advocate natural medicine

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Last quarter was one of the worst for T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) in recent history. It added just 890,000 postpaid customers, 646,000 of which were phone connections.</p> <p>Now, that is more than all of its major competitors combined. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) added 615,000 postpaid customers (86,000 phones); AT&amp;amp;T (NYSE: T) added 72,000 (lost 180,000 phones); Sprint (NYSE: S) added 180,000 postpaid customers (173,000 phones). But T-Mobile had been on a streak of seven straight quarters in which it added over 1 million postpaid customers.</p> <p>T-Mobile performs best when there's a high amount of consumer switching. Last quarter, the industry reached a 15-year low in customer switching, according to <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/583bd702-55a5-11e6-9664-e0bdc13c3bef.html#axzz4HQIBsnpV" type="external">The Financial Times Opens a New Window.</a> [subscription required]. Although T-Mobile isn't struggling to add new customers, the low amount of switching will make its job harder going forward. Here's how it plans to continue grabbing market share.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>T-Mobile has expanded its LTE network to include 311 million people in its coverage area. That puts it nearly in line with AT&amp;amp;T and Verizon.</p> <p>Just as importantly, if not more so, T-Mobile is rapidly deploying its low-band spectrum this year. Low-band spectrum covers wider ranges and provides better in-building cell service. T-Mobile is already covering an area with more than 200 million people with its 700 MHz low-band spectrum and has plans to expand to bring 70 million more into the area. T-Mobile VP of Investor Relations Nils Paellmann said recently that it will expand to about 60 million more before the end of the year.</p> <p>However, T-Mobile's network expansion has outpaced its ability to market and serve customers in the new areas where it has coverage. T-Mobile had 3,600 storefronts at the end of last year, which reached about 230 million people. T-Mobile plans to open 400 new stores this year. Paellmann told analysts at Oppenheimer's annual tech conference earlier this month that the increased store count will expand its marketing and distribution footprint to another 30 million to 40 million people by the middle of next year.</p> <p>Those stores represent a big opportunity for T-Mobile to grab new customers. "If you think about it, in those new territories we essentially have zero ... penetration today," Paellmann told the audience at the conference. "So there's a significant opportunity here to get new customers in those areas."</p> <p>One area of focus for T-Mobile is in family plans. The company heavily promotes its family plan of four lines with 6 GB of data each for $120 per month. Comparable plans at AT&amp;amp;T and Verizon are $235and $170, respectively -- although AT&amp;amp;T is offering unlimited data on four lines for $180 if you're a TV customer.</p> <p>T-Mobile believes it can do more with family plans. That's evidenced by the fact that its customers per account were only 2.6 as of the end of the second quarter. While that's an improvement from the 2.4 customers per account T-Mobile had at the end of the first quarter in 2015, it's still well behind Verizon's three per account.</p> <p>Family plans require coordination of multiple customers to switch. That makes them harder to take away from competitors. But T-Mobile is offering better pricing, a solid network, and additional benefits like BingeOn and Music Freedom in an attempt to win the valuable customers.</p> <p>There's been a lot of debate about whether the iPhone 7 -- rumored to be released next month -- will sell well. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had blockbuster sales two years ago with the iPhone 6. "It's the two-year anniversary of the [iPhone] 6, which obviously was a real big one," Paellmann told analysts at Oppenheimer. "So that alone, I think, will drive some upgrade decisions I would think, and with it some switching decisions."</p> <p>Apple reportedly will release the newest iPhone on Sept. 7, so we'll be able to find out soon what kind of demand there is for the latest device. Early reports are that the latest update is more incremental compared with previous new-number iterations. And with customers holding on to their devices longer and paying off their equipment installment plans, it's possible carriers could see fewer upgrades with the latest iPhone. Customers may well wait another year for a more significant update.</p> <p>Even so, the newest iPhone is bound to drive a large amount of upgrades even if it's not the same as the past few years. And since customers are most likely to switch carriers when upgrading devices, that's an opportunity for T-Mobile, as it's typically a share-taker in situations where customers switch carriers. It maintained positive porting ratios with all of its major competitors last quarter.</p> <p>So between the improved network and store count expansion, the heavy family plan promotions, and the potential demand for new iPhones, T-Mobile is positioned to continue adding more customers than are all of its competitors combined.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! 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image source getty images continue reading last quarter one worst tmobile nasdaq tmus recent history added 890000 postpaid customers 646000 phone connections major competitors combined verizon nyse vz added 615000 postpaid customers 86000 phones atampt nyse added 72000 lost 180000 phones sprint nyse added 180000 postpaid customers 173000 phones tmobile streak seven straight quarters added 1 million postpaid customers tmobile performs best theres high amount consumer switching last quarter industry reached 15year low customer switching according financial times opens new window subscription required although tmobile isnt struggling add new customers low amount switching make job harder going forward heres plans continue grabbing market share advertisement tmobile expanded lte network include 311 million people coverage area puts nearly line atampt verizon importantly tmobile rapidly deploying lowband spectrum year lowband spectrum covers wider ranges provides better inbuilding cell service tmobile already covering area 200 million people 700 mhz lowband spectrum plans expand bring 70 million area tmobile vp investor relations nils paellmann said recently expand 60 million end year however tmobiles network expansion outpaced ability market serve customers new areas coverage tmobile 3600 storefronts end last year reached 230 million people tmobile plans open 400 new stores year paellmann told analysts oppenheimers annual tech conference earlier month increased store count expand marketing distribution footprint another 30 million 40 million people middle next year stores represent big opportunity tmobile grab new customers think new territories essentially zero penetration today paellmann told audience conference theres significant opportunity get new customers areas one area focus tmobile family plans company heavily promotes family plan four lines 6 gb data 120 per month comparable plans atampt verizon 235and 170 respectively although atampt offering unlimited data four lines 180 youre tv customer tmobile believes family plans thats evidenced fact customers per account 26 end second quarter thats improvement 24 customers per account tmobile end first quarter 2015 still well behind verizons three per account family plans require coordination multiple customers switch makes harder take away competitors tmobile offering better pricing solid network additional benefits like bingeon music freedom attempt win valuable customers theres lot debate whether iphone 7 rumored released next month sell well apple nasdaq aapl blockbuster sales two years ago iphone 6 twoyear anniversary iphone 6 obviously real big one paellmann told analysts oppenheimer alone think drive upgrade decisions would think switching decisions apple reportedly release newest iphone sept 7 well able find soon kind demand latest device early reports latest update incremental compared previous newnumber iterations customers holding devices longer paying equipment installment plans possible carriers could see fewer upgrades latest iphone customers may well wait another year significant update even newest iphone bound drive large amount upgrades even past years since customers likely switch carriers upgrading devices thats opportunity tmobile typically sharetaker situations customers switch carriers maintained positive porting ratios major competitors last quarter improved network store count expansion heavy family plan promotions potential demand new iphones tmobile positioned continue adding customers competitors combined secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window adam levy opens new window owns shares aapl vz motley fool owns shares recommends aapl vz motley fool following options long january 2018 90 calls aapl short january 2018 95 calls aapl motley fool recommends tmus try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>We recently reported how anti-Jihad websites were the subject of attempts to deprive them of funding and internet access as a result of appearing on &#8220;hate&#8221; lists from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League.</p> <p>PayPal cut them off after outreach from ProPublica, as discussed in our post,&amp;#160; <a href="" type="internal">Charlottesville is being exploited to attack freedom of speech and internet freedom.</a></p> <p /> <p>This is part of a broader threat to free speech and internet freedom. As documented in my post&amp;#160; <a href="" type="internal">Gathering Storms And Threats to Liberty</a>, even internet gatekeepers, such as domain registrars, are being pressured to remove &#8220;hate&#8221; groups from the internet.</p> <p>The problem, of course, it that &#8220;hate&#8221; group is a subjective standard, and at least as far as the SPLC and ADL lists are concerned, includes non-violent political opponents of the liberal creators of the lists. For my prior reporting on the SPLC lists, see my post&amp;#160; <a href="" type="internal">Southern Poverty Law Center &#8220;extremist&#8221; lists used &#8220;to silence speech and speakers&#8221;</a>.</p> <p>The&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/08/fighting-neo-nazis-future-free-expression" type="external">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a>&amp;#160;sounded the alarm about this trend:</p> <p>Even for free speech advocates, this situation is deeply fraught with emotional, logistical, and legal twists and turns. All fair-minded people must stand against the hateful violence and aggression that seems to be growing across our country. But we must also recognize that on the Internet, any tactic used now to silence neo-Nazis will soon be used against others, including people whose opinions we agree with. Those on the left face calls to characterize&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/news/2016/07/19/black-lives-matter-not-hate-group" type="external">the Black Lives Matter movement as a hate group</a>. In the Civil Rights Era cases that formed the basis of today&#8217;s protections of freedom of speech,&amp;#160; <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/357/449/" type="external">the NAACP&#8217;s voice was the one attacked</a>.</p> <p>Protecting free speech is not something we do because we agree with all of the speech that gets protected. We do it because we believe that no one&#8212;not the government and not private commercial enterprises&#8212;should decide who gets to speak and who doesn&#8217;t.</p> <p>I can now report that two anti-Jihad websites that were cut off by PayPal have been restored, Robert Spencer&#8217;s Jihad Watch and Pamela Geller&#8217;s American Freedom Defense Initiative.</p> <p>Spencer writes,&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/08/victory-paypal-removes-ban-on-jihad-watch" type="external">Victory: PayPal removes ban on Jihad Watch</a>:</p> <p>Congratulations, lovers of freedom: your messages to PayPal and your cancellations of your account worked: PayPal has restored the Jihad Watch account&#8230;.</p> <p>The Left, seeing a golden opportunity when a Nazi psychopath plowed his car into a crowd of Leftists in Charlottesville, tried to use the moment as its Reichstag Fire, and crush all dissent from the hard-Left line. And there is no doubt that initiative will continue. But in banning Jihad Watch, PayPal overreached, and encountered a crowd of free citizens.</p> <p>I have no intention of restoring the PayPal buttons on Jihad Watch. I know where they stand now, and do not intend to place myself at their mercy again. But nonetheless, this is a victory. Free people still exist in the United States, and the fascists who call themselves anti-fascists will not prevail.</p> <p>Geller writes, <a href="https://pamelageller.com/2017/08/excelsior-paypal-restores-afdi.html/" type="external">EXCELSIOR! PAYPAL RESTORES AFDI</a>:</p> <p>Paypal has restored AFDI&#8217;s account. Thank YOU for calling and writing. YOU made the difference. YOU made it happen. These leftists must be exposed and held accountable.</p> <p>Thousands of retweets, I don&#8217;t know how many phone calls and emails &#8211; but an hour after I posted the suspension, they reversed themselves. Excelsior!</p> <p>We will use multiple payment providers so they never have us on the ropes again.</p> <p>ProPublica and the authors of the ProPublica article about Jihad Watch did not respond to a request for comment.</p> <p>This &#8220;victory&#8221; is not about Jihad Watch or AFDI &#8211; it&#8217;s about the weaponization of internet companies to restrict online freedom under pressure from left-wing groups.</p> <p>Long before Jihad Watch and AFDI were targeted, groups like Media Matters targeted advertisers for conservative media personalities like Glenn Beck, Fox News, and Rush Limbaugh. Current campaigns are underway to drive advertisers away from Breitbart, Gateway Pundit and Canada&#8217;s Rebel Media. Whether offline or online, the goal is the same: to silence opposing voices.</p> <p>The targeting of anti-Jihad websites is very strategic, as Ben Weingarten writes at PJ Media, <a href="https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/08/22/tech-blacklisting-counterjihadists-muslim-brotherhood-seeks-sabotage-hands/" type="external">Tech Blacklisting of Counterjihadists Is What Muslim Brotherhood Seeks: Sabotage by Our Hands</a>:</p> <p>When one thinks of the embodiment of &#8220;hate,&#8221; modern-day jihadists are perhaps without equal&#8230;.</p> <p>But when today&#8217;s sophist Left thinks of &#8220;hate,&#8221; it focuses its sights not on jihadists, but on those who forthrightly discuss the jihadist threat, among other advocates of non-leftist views.</p> <p>That is the sad reality in light of the emerging story of the blacklisting of such individuals and organizations by major technology platforms.</p> <p>While there may be isolated &#8220;victories,&#8221; the growing censorship of the internet by tech giants goes on. Aaron Renn writes in The NY Post&amp;#160; <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/08/21/how-apple-and-google-are-censoring-the-mobile-web/" type="external">How Apple and Google are censoring the mobile&amp;#160;Web:</a></p> <p>Google and Apple, with a combined 98 percent market share in mobile-phone operating systems, have banned Gab, an upstart Twitter competitor with a free-speech policy quaintly modeled on the First Amendment itself, from their app stores. Google cited &#8220;hate speech&#8221; as its reason for exclusion; Gab doesn&#8217;t censor&#8230;.</p> <p>It&#8217;s difficult to credit Gab as a white-supremacist site when its cofounder is a Turkish Kurd and Muslim. B&#252;y&#252;kkaya, who says &#8220;I&#8217;ve never supported Trump for a minute in my entire life,&#8221; is concerned about speech repression in his part of the world &#8212; for good reason, as Turkey is infamous for its violations of free speech and for locking up journalists. Gab spokesman Sanduja is a South Asian Hindu from Canada.</p> <p>The reality is that Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter and a handful of other tech giants are so dominant, and so dominated by the left, that there is a de facto chill on speech, but only speech that is hostile to progressive talking points. Can anyone name a group on the far left that has been banned, had its domains shut down, or had its advertisers come under sustained attack? If there are such examples, they are isolated in comparison.</p> <p>Building alternatives makes sense, but it&#8217;s easier said than done. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/silicon-valley-escalates-its-war-on-white-supremacy-despite-free-speech-concerns/2017/08/16/842771b8-829b-11e7-902a-2a9f2d808496_story.html?utm_term=.ff8de016fd46" type="external">The Washington Post</a> reports:</p> <p>&#8230; the actions are also heightening concerns over&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/for-facebook-erasing-hate-speech-proves-a-daunting-challenge/2017/07/31/922d9bc6-6e3b-11e7-9c15-177740635e83_story.html?tid=a_inl&amp;amp;utm_term=.17af057a8fd4" type="external">how tech companies are becoming the arbiters of free speech</a>&amp;#160;in America. And in response, right-wing technologists are building parallel digital services that cater to their own movement.</p> <p>Gab.ai, a social network for promoting free speech, was founded in August 2016 by Silicon Valley engineers alienated by the region&#8217;s liberalism. Other conservatives have founded Infogalactic, a Wikipedia for the alt-right, as well as crowdfunding tools Hatreon and WeSearchr. The latter was used to raise money for James Damore, a white engineer who was fired after criticizing Google&#8217;s diversity policy.</p> <p>&#8220;If there needs to be two versions of the Internet so be it,&#8221; Gab.ai tweeted Wednesday morning. The company&#8217;s spokesman, Utsav Sanduja, later warned of a &#8220;revolt&#8221; in Silicon Valley against the way tech companies are trying to control the national debate.</p> <p>&#8220;There will be another type of Internet who is run by people politically incorrect, populist, and conservative,&#8221; Sanduja said.</p> <p>The concerns come not only from the right. In addition to the Electronic Frontier Foundation quoted above, Jillian York at <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/jillianyork/silicon-valleys-nazi-purge?utm_term=.btADm3YYk#.vfjr5ewwk" type="external">Buzzfeed</a> writes of the tech social media giants:</p> <p>The truth is companies get these decisions wrong a lot of the time. And because they&#8217;re not transparent about how their rules are enforced or about how much content is taken down, we only hear about the bad decisions when they make headlines. That is happening increasingly often these days, as those in media circles take more interest in the issue&#8230;.</p> <p>I&#8217;m not so worried about companies censoring Nazis, but I am worried about the implications it has for everyone else. I&#8217;m worried about the unelected bros of Silicon Valley being the judge and jury, and thinking that mere censorship solves the problem. I&#8217;m worried that, just like Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince woke up one morning and&amp;#160; <a href="https://gizmodo.com/cloudflare-ceo-on-terminating-service-to-neo-nazi-site-1797915295" type="external">decided he&#8217;d had enough of the Daily Stormer</a>, some other CEO might wake up and do the same for Black Lives Matter or antifa&#8230;.</p> <p>At some point there will be a sufficient backlash against Silicon Valley&#8217;s stranglehold on and strangling of free speech, to make a difference. But &#8220;hopefully&#8221; does not offer much protection right now.</p>

recently reported antijihad websites subject attempts deprive funding internet access result appearing hate lists southern poverty law center antidefamation league paypal cut outreach propublica discussed post160 charlottesville exploited attack freedom speech internet freedom part broader threat free speech internet freedom documented post160 gathering storms threats liberty even internet gatekeepers domain registrars pressured remove hate groups internet problem course hate group subjective standard least far splc adl lists concerned includes nonviolent political opponents liberal creators lists prior reporting splc lists see post160 southern poverty law center extremist lists used silence speech speakers the160 electronic frontier foundation160sounded alarm trend even free speech advocates situation deeply fraught emotional logistical legal twists turns fairminded people must stand hateful violence aggression seems growing across country must also recognize internet tactic used silence neonazis soon used others including people whose opinions agree left face calls characterize160 black lives matter movement hate group civil rights era cases formed basis todays protections freedom speech160 naacps voice one attacked protecting free speech something agree speech gets protected believe onenot government private commercial enterprisesshould decide gets speak doesnt report two antijihad websites cut paypal restored robert spencers jihad watch pamela gellers american freedom defense initiative spencer writes160 victory paypal removes ban jihad watch congratulations lovers freedom messages paypal cancellations account worked paypal restored jihad watch account left seeing golden opportunity nazi psychopath plowed car crowd leftists charlottesville tried use moment reichstag fire crush dissent hardleft line doubt initiative continue banning jihad watch paypal overreached encountered crowd free citizens intention restoring paypal buttons jihad watch know stand intend place mercy nonetheless victory free people still exist united states fascists call antifascists prevail geller writes excelsior paypal restores afdi paypal restored afdis account thank calling writing made difference made happen leftists must exposed held accountable thousands retweets dont know many phone calls emails hour posted suspension reversed excelsior use multiple payment providers never us ropes propublica authors propublica article jihad watch respond request comment victory jihad watch afdi weaponization internet companies restrict online freedom pressure leftwing groups long jihad watch afdi targeted groups like media matters targeted advertisers conservative media personalities like glenn beck fox news rush limbaugh current campaigns underway drive advertisers away breitbart gateway pundit canadas rebel media whether offline online goal silence opposing voices targeting antijihad websites strategic ben weingarten writes pj media tech blacklisting counterjihadists muslim brotherhood seeks sabotage hands one thinks embodiment hate modernday jihadists perhaps without equal todays sophist left thinks hate focuses sights jihadists forthrightly discuss jihadist threat among advocates nonleftist views sad reality light emerging story blacklisting individuals organizations major technology platforms may isolated victories growing censorship internet tech giants goes aaron renn writes ny post160 apple google censoring mobile160web google apple combined 98 percent market share mobilephone operating systems banned gab upstart twitter competitor freespeech policy quaintly modeled first amendment app stores google cited hate speech reason exclusion gab doesnt censor difficult credit gab whitesupremacist site cofounder turkish kurd muslim büyükkaya says ive never supported trump minute entire life concerned speech repression part world good reason turkey infamous violations free speech locking journalists gab spokesman sanduja south asian hindu canada reality google apple facebook twitter handful tech giants dominant dominated left de facto chill speech speech hostile progressive talking points anyone name group far left banned domains shut advertisers come sustained attack examples isolated comparison building alternatives makes sense easier said done washington post reports actions also heightening concerns over160 tech companies becoming arbiters free speech160in america response rightwing technologists building parallel digital services cater movement gabai social network promoting free speech founded august 2016 silicon valley engineers alienated regions liberalism conservatives founded infogalactic wikipedia altright well crowdfunding tools hatreon wesearchr latter used raise money james damore white engineer fired criticizing googles diversity policy needs two versions internet gabai tweeted wednesday morning companys spokesman utsav sanduja later warned revolt silicon valley way tech companies trying control national debate another type internet run people politically incorrect populist conservative sanduja said concerns come right addition electronic frontier foundation quoted jillian york buzzfeed writes tech social media giants truth companies get decisions wrong lot time theyre transparent rules enforced much content taken hear bad decisions make headlines happening increasingly often days media circles take interest issue im worried companies censoring nazis worried implications everyone else im worried unelected bros silicon valley judge jury thinking mere censorship solves problem im worried like cloudflare ceo matthew prince woke one morning and160 decided hed enough daily stormer ceo might wake black lives matter antifa point sufficient backlash silicon valleys stranglehold strangling free speech make difference hopefully offer much protection right

<p /> <p>Germany-World finance chiefs struggled during a weekend of tense talks to find common ground on boosting trade in a global economy that is finally showing faint signs of momentum.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, rejecting a concerted effort by rivals here, got finance officials to drop a disavowal of protectionism from a closely watched policy statement issued by the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations.</p> <p>For Washington, the watered-down language that emerged in their communiqu&#233; ensures the U.S. can still use sanctions or other policy tools to punish trade partners and thwart economic policies the Trump administration believes to be unfair.</p> <p>Despite the pressure Mr. Mnuchin faced, Washington showed it still holds significant sway as the world's consumer of last resort: The G-20 adopted a pledge to promote fairness as it pursued economic growth.</p> <p>G-20 officials warned the U.S. risks starting a tit-for-tat trade war if it acts too aggressively, but Mr. Mnuchin said Washington wants to avoid trade wars while seeking to rebalance off-kilter economic relationships.</p> <p>German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who chairs the G-20 this year, signaled her frustration with global tensions over trade on Sunday, two days after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, which at times appeared strained. Mr. Trump said after that meeting that he supported free and fair trade, but talks on a trans-Atlantic deal between the U.S. and European Union appear stalled.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>"In times when we have to fight with many people about free trade, open borders, democratic values, it's a good sign that Germany and Japan don't fight," she said after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Hannover, Germany.</p> <p>Without mentioning the U.S. or Mr. Trump, her remarks seemed to be directed that way. "We want free, open markets.&#8230; We don't want to build up any barriers," Ms. Merkel said.</p> <p>Mr. Trump has made trade a centerpiece of his economic agenda-vowing to win better treatment from rivals including Germany, China and Mexico.</p> <p>"The United States has been treated very, very unfairly by many countries over the years," Mr. Trump said in Washington on Friday before meeting with Ms. Merkel. "That's going to stop."</p> <p>But the president hasn't made it clear how hard he will push to win better trade terms or what tactics he will employ, leaving U.S. trade partners uncertain and at times frustrated.</p> <p>Mr. Trump has vowed to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement and has threatened different measures-including tariffs on U.S. imports and punishment for U.S. companies that outsource jobs-to improve the U.S. trade position.</p> <p>Saturday's G-20 statement dropped an earlier commitment to "resist all forms of protectionism," wording that appeared in a similar communiqu&#233; forged by finance officials in Chengdu, China, last July.</p> <p>Most other G-20 officials pressed Mr. Mnuchin at the meeting to preserve that reference, but failed, a senior G-20 official said.</p> <p>"It was not the best communiqu&#233; that was ever produced by the G-20, certainly," the EU's economics commissioner, Pierre Moscovici, said in an interview.</p> <p>Although the G-20's commitments aren't binding, the promises made member countries lend the group power through diplomatic peer pressure. Past U.S. administrations believe, for example, the G-20 was effective in prodding China to appreciate its exchange rate and nudging the European Union to build a better financial firewall against sovereign-debt risks.</p> <p>At a press conference on Saturday, Mr. Mnuchin said earlier language on protectionism "was not necessarily relevant from my standpoint." He also said some global trade agreements weren't being enforced, and that the new administration would be aggressive in doing so.</p> <p>Cross-border trade terms can be beneficial to both the U.S. and other nations, Trump's economic envoy said. "We can do that in a way that's good for the American worker, good for our companies and that's good for our counterparties," he said.</p> <p>German Finance Minister Wolfgang Sch&#228;uble, who hosted the Baden-Baden gathering, had hoped Mr. Trump's top economic envoy would offer a vision of U.S. trade policy that tempered the most aggressive threats by the president and White House officials, including unilateral tariffs and other punitive sanctions against trade partners.</p> <p>But the G-20 treasury chiefs reached an impasse.</p> <p>Mr. Sch&#228;uble said at a press conference that Mr. Mnuchin appeared to have no mandate to negotiate any new or creative commitments on trade.</p> <p>"Sometimes you have to limit yourself at such a meeting to not asking too much of one partner. You can't ask too much of him anyway because he would then simply not agree to it," Mr. Sch&#228;uble said.</p> <p>In failing to secure a written agreement from the U.S. that would repeat past G-20 vows to reject protectionism in all its forms, many officials said they were departing confused about where the Trump administration will ultimately land on trade policy.</p> <p>The Treasury secretary advanced his boss's view, promoting "free and fair trade."</p> <p>Mr. Moscovici, a former French finance minister, described Mr. Mnuchin as "a man who wants constructive engagement," who came to Europe "in listening mode." He said the meeting wasn't confrontational, and that it was a time "to try to identify with the new administration."</p> <p>Still, Mr. Moscovici regretted the absence of a clearer mention of fighting protectionism or climate change, and pledged that the EU would push back against measures that undermined open and functioning markets.</p> <p>At the meeting, Brazil Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles told the G-20 about his country's own experience with protectionism, as the country has just experienced its worst recession on record.</p> <p>"We had adopted during the last years some protectionist measures for some sectors of the economy and the net result was not positive," Mr. Meirelles said in an interview. "At the end of the day, the products became more expensive and Brazil&#8230;became less competitive. In Brazil, we are moving toward a more open trade policy."</p> <p>China was among the most vocal advocates for preserving the protectionist language, even though the country's industries, cross-border cash flows and exchange rate are still tightly managed by the Communist Party.</p> <p>"China is positioning itself as an advocate for a free and open economy," said former top U.S. Treasury diplomat Nathan Sheets. "But in order for that to be credible, China would have to complement it with true steps to open up and liberalize its economy."</p> <p>G-20 officials said they see both a new U.S. administration struggling to get up and running and competing power centers with different views on trade.</p> <p>"Nobody knows what the endgame is," a senior G-20 official said. "Either the meeting is several months too early or it's perfect timing," giving the G-20 an opportunity to help temper U.S. policy before it is cemented.</p> <p>Investors are still confused, for example, about the administration's dollar policy, having been given different signals from Mr. Trump and his lieutenants.</p> <p>Asked who markets should heed, Mr. Mnuchin said: "They should listen to the president first and listen to me as well."</p> <p>Evidence that it may just be too soon for the U.S. to offer the G-20 anything substantive on trade, financial regulation, tax overhauls and other policies, Mr. Mnuchin relied on senior civil servants to conduct much of the detailed negotiations at the meeting. The secretary's international diplomats have only recently been nominated and still must go through a lengthy confirmation process.</p> <p>If trade czar Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser and self-described economic nationalist, have their way, many officials fear the White House could trigger a trade war. The administration has advocated applying unilateral actions that eschew a rules-based multilateral order, including submission to the World Trade Organization's authority.</p> <p>Others in the administration, including Mr. Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, hold a more internationalist view of the world. If they prevail in guiding administration policy, many G-20 officials see fiery campaign rhetoric being tamed in the coming months.</p> <p>Mr. Sch&#228;uble said all G-20 delegations had agreed on opposing protectionism, but that it wasn't always clear what they meant.</p> <p>Some countries are worried that failure to temper aggressive trade policy could not only trigger a round of retaliatory tariffs and a rise in other trade barriers that would damage global growth, but it also could exacerbate geopolitical tensions.</p> <p>Last week, for example, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised the option of a pre-emptive strike against North Korea because Pyongyang's nuclear-missile program poses a growing threat to U.S. ally South Korea.</p> <p>China traditionally is able to strong-arm Pyongyang into cooling hostilities. But if U.S.-China trade tensions escalate, Beijing may in the future be less cooperative in playing that role, some analysts warn, raising the risk of a dangerous regional conflict.</p> <p>The U.S. delegation found a rare ally in Japan, which came to Mr. Mnuchin's defense, saying talks over American protectionism were overblown.</p> <p>"I feel that many of those talks are exaggerated and made up," Finance Minister Taro Aso said, adding that a summit meeting held earlier this year between Messrs. Trump and Abe involved "no discussions whatsoever that smacked of protectionism."</p> <p>Still, the International Monetary Fund is worried.</p> <p>"We should collectively avoid self-inflicted injuries," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned the group. Global cooperation can boost world growth, she said, but "the wrong ones could stop the new momentum in its tracks."</p>

germanyworld finance chiefs struggled weekend tense talks find common ground boosting trade global economy finally showing faint signs momentum continue reading us treasury secretary steven mnuchin rejecting concerted effort rivals got finance officials drop disavowal protectionism closely watched policy statement issued group 20 industrialized developing nations washington watereddown language emerged communiqué ensures us still use sanctions policy tools punish trade partners thwart economic policies trump administration believes unfair despite pressure mr mnuchin faced washington showed still holds significant sway worlds consumer last resort g20 adopted pledge promote fairness pursued economic growth g20 officials warned us risks starting titfortat trade war acts aggressively mr mnuchin said washington wants avoid trade wars seeking rebalance offkilter economic relationships german chancellor angela merkel chairs g20 year signaled frustration global tensions trade sunday two days meeting us president donald trump times appeared strained mr trump said meeting supported free fair trade talks transatlantic deal us european union appear stalled advertisement times fight many people free trade open borders democratic values good sign germany japan dont fight said meeting japanese prime minister shinzo abe hannover germany without mentioning us mr trump remarks seemed directed way want free open markets dont want build barriers ms merkel said mr trump made trade centerpiece economic agendavowing win better treatment rivals including germany china mexico united states treated unfairly many countries years mr trump said washington friday meeting ms merkel thats going stop president hasnt made clear hard push win better trade terms tactics employ leaving us trade partners uncertain times frustrated mr trump vowed rewrite north american free trade agreement threatened different measuresincluding tariffs us imports punishment us companies outsource jobsto improve us trade position saturdays g20 statement dropped earlier commitment resist forms protectionism wording appeared similar communiqué forged finance officials chengdu china last july g20 officials pressed mr mnuchin meeting preserve reference failed senior g20 official said best communiqué ever produced g20 certainly eus economics commissioner pierre moscovici said interview although g20s commitments arent binding promises made member countries lend group power diplomatic peer pressure past us administrations believe example g20 effective prodding china appreciate exchange rate nudging european union build better financial firewall sovereigndebt risks press conference saturday mr mnuchin said earlier language protectionism necessarily relevant standpoint also said global trade agreements werent enforced new administration would aggressive crossborder trade terms beneficial us nations trumps economic envoy said way thats good american worker good companies thats good counterparties said german finance minister wolfgang schäuble hosted badenbaden gathering hoped mr trumps top economic envoy would offer vision us trade policy tempered aggressive threats president white house officials including unilateral tariffs punitive sanctions trade partners g20 treasury chiefs reached impasse mr schäuble said press conference mr mnuchin appeared mandate negotiate new creative commitments trade sometimes limit meeting asking much one partner cant ask much anyway would simply agree mr schäuble said failing secure written agreement us would repeat past g20 vows reject protectionism forms many officials said departing confused trump administration ultimately land trade policy treasury secretary advanced bosss view promoting free fair trade mr moscovici former french finance minister described mr mnuchin man wants constructive engagement came europe listening mode said meeting wasnt confrontational time try identify new administration still mr moscovici regretted absence clearer mention fighting protectionism climate change pledged eu would push back measures undermined open functioning markets meeting brazil finance minister henrique meirelles told g20 countrys experience protectionism country experienced worst recession record adopted last years protectionist measures sectors economy net result positive mr meirelles said interview end day products became expensive brazilbecame less competitive brazil moving toward open trade policy china among vocal advocates preserving protectionist language even though countrys industries crossborder cash flows exchange rate still tightly managed communist party china positioning advocate free open economy said former top us treasury diplomat nathan sheets order credible china would complement true steps open liberalize economy g20 officials said see new us administration struggling get running competing power centers different views trade nobody knows endgame senior g20 official said either meeting several months early perfect timing giving g20 opportunity help temper us policy cemented investors still confused example administrations dollar policy given different signals mr trump lieutenants asked markets heed mr mnuchin said listen president first listen well evidence may soon us offer g20 anything substantive trade financial regulation tax overhauls policies mr mnuchin relied senior civil servants conduct much detailed negotiations meeting secretarys international diplomats recently nominated still must go lengthy confirmation process trade czar peter navarro steve bannon top trump adviser selfdescribed economic nationalist way many officials fear white house could trigger trade war administration advocated applying unilateral actions eschew rulesbased multilateral order including submission world trade organizations authority others administration including mr mnuchin gary cohn director national economic council hold internationalist view world prevail guiding administration policy many g20 officials see fiery campaign rhetoric tamed coming months mr schäuble said g20 delegations agreed opposing protectionism wasnt always clear meant countries worried failure temper aggressive trade policy could trigger round retaliatory tariffs rise trade barriers would damage global growth also could exacerbate geopolitical tensions last week example us secretary state rex tillerson raised option preemptive strike north korea pyongyangs nuclearmissile program poses growing threat us ally south korea china traditionally able strongarm pyongyang cooling hostilities uschina trade tensions escalate beijing may future less cooperative playing role analysts warn raising risk dangerous regional conflict us delegation found rare ally japan came mr mnuchins defense saying talks american protectionism overblown feel many talks exaggerated made finance minister taro aso said adding summit meeting held earlier year messrs trump abe involved discussions whatsoever smacked protectionism still international monetary fund worried collectively avoid selfinflicted injuries imf managing director christine lagarde warned group global cooperation boost world growth said wrong ones could stop new momentum tracks

<p /> <p>The IBM Watson research center. Image source: Simon Greig, IBM Yorktown Heights, via <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/32563803@N00/2478142363" type="external">Flickr Opens a New Window.</a>. Shared under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" type="external">Creative Commons Attributions Opens a New Window.</a> license.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>IBM (NYSE: IBM) is closing the books on a strong year. IBM shares have gained 21% in 2016, or about twice the gains seen in the S&amp;amp;P 500 market benchmark.</p> <p>I have already explained <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/27/will-2017-be-international-business-machines-corpo.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">why IBM investors shouldn't fear a total meltdown Opens a New Window.</a> in 2017. Here's the other side of that story -- is IBM headed toward great results and market returns next year?</p> <p>CEO Ginni Rometty has been reshaping IBM's business model since taking office five years ago. The company has been shedding operations not closely tied to the slate of "strategic imperatives," with negative effects on IBM's reported revenues, but stable cash profits. The transformation continues to this day, as IBM continues to search for that game-changing breakthrough that makes the whole strategic makeover ordeal worthwhile.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>It's fair to say that IBM's strategic-imperatives focus has gained some traction already. These operations of central importance now account for 40% of the company's trailing sales, up from 35% at the end of 2015 and 27% in 2014. If IBM had been tracking these target markets as a group in 2010, they would have amounted to just 13% of total sales.</p> <p>Management describes the new IBM as a cognitive-solutions company, which is a hard shift from the old model of providing top-to-bottom computing hardware and IT services. The focus is tighter, and as a direct result, gross margins are on the rise.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/20/ibms-watson-could-be-a-game-changer-in-iot.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Watson Opens a New Window.</a> system, designed to let computers answer questions posed in regular human languages such as English, is the foundation of IBM's cognitive operations today. When paired with <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/29/10-cloud-computing-stats-that-will-blow-you-away.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">cloud-computing Opens a New Window.</a> concepts, Watson-powered computing tools can deliver deep-analysis results to any connected device. That includes traditional workstations, but also smaller devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearable gadgets, and embedded devices from the Internet of Things family.</p> <p>These ideas may have sounded crazy five years ago, but it is becoming obvious that IBM chose the correct way forward. Big Blue hopes to become the very heart of the burgeoning <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/13/what-is-the-internet-of-things.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Internet of Things Opens a New Window.</a> megatrend, while also turning traditional business-grade data analysis on its head.</p> <p>So yeah, I would say that IBM's makeover has started to pay dividends. There's still more work to do, but the company is going places. So is the stock.</p> <p>In all fairness, it would be extremely difficult for any year to count as the best in IBM's centennial history. The company has survived world wars, technological paradigm shifts, and every recession along the way, only to remain one of the world's largest and most important information businesses.</p> <p>On the flip side, Big Blue has also seen its fair share of positive shocks. It invented the mainframe computer and the modern PC, led the way in technologies for speech recognition and data storage, has produced more patents than anyone else in each of the last 23 years, and much more. I don't mean to sound like a promotional tape from IBM itself, but it's a darn impressive business record. And IBM's stock has enjoyed top-shelf surges to match that record.</p> <p>In the last 15 years alone, IBM shares have surged at least 25% higher from one New Year's holiday to the next. 2016 will probably fall a little bit short of that target, currently tracking 21% higher year to date.</p> <p>But Rometty has built a lean, mean cash machine here. Investors and analysts started to take notice in 2016, and the same foundation will support the business in 2017, as well. Big Blue wants the Internet of Things to go mainstream in a big way, reaping the business rewards of collecting and analyzing the surging data streams from billions of consumer-facing devices.</p> <p>If 2017 turns out to be the hockey-stick moment for that multi-industry trend, then IBM and its share prices should follow suit. As a shareholder myself, I could live with another couple of years at lower prices so that the reinvested dividends can buy more stock at lower prices, but I'll also cheer when the big breakthrough finally arrives.</p> <p>2017 could be that year. Don't hold your breath waiting for the surge, because trying to time business events is an unpredictable hobby. But you don't want to be left on the sidelines when the big day arrives, so this would be a great time to stake out your first IBM investment.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than IBM When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=905d0908-c905-4c53-9cf5-f79313bc42be&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and IBM wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=905d0908-c905-4c53-9cf5-f79313bc42be&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFZahrim/info.aspx" type="external">Anders Bylund Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of IBM. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

ibm watson research center image source simon greig ibm yorktown heights via flickr opens new window shared creative commons attributions opens new window license continue reading ibm nyse ibm closing books strong year ibm shares gained 21 2016 twice gains seen sampp 500 market benchmark already explained ibm investors shouldnt fear total meltdown opens new window 2017 heres side story ibm headed toward great results market returns next year ceo ginni rometty reshaping ibms business model since taking office five years ago company shedding operations closely tied slate strategic imperatives negative effects ibms reported revenues stable cash profits transformation continues day ibm continues search gamechanging breakthrough makes whole strategic makeover ordeal worthwhile advertisement fair say ibms strategicimperatives focus gained traction already operations central importance account 40 companys trailing sales 35 end 2015 27 2014 ibm tracking target markets group 2010 would amounted 13 total sales management describes new ibm cognitivesolutions company hard shift old model providing toptobottom computing hardware services focus tighter direct result gross margins rise watson opens new window system designed let computers answer questions posed regular human languages english foundation ibms cognitive operations today paired cloudcomputing opens new window concepts watsonpowered computing tools deliver deepanalysis results connected device includes traditional workstations also smaller devices smartphones tablets wearable gadgets embedded devices internet things family ideas may sounded crazy five years ago becoming obvious ibm chose correct way forward big blue hopes become heart burgeoning internet things opens new window megatrend also turning traditional businessgrade data analysis head yeah would say ibms makeover started pay dividends theres still work company going places stock fairness would extremely difficult year count best ibms centennial history company survived world wars technological paradigm shifts every recession along way remain one worlds largest important information businesses flip side big blue also seen fair share positive shocks invented mainframe computer modern pc led way technologies speech recognition data storage produced patents anyone else last 23 years much dont mean sound like promotional tape ibm darn impressive business record ibms stock enjoyed topshelf surges match record last 15 years alone ibm shares surged least 25 higher one new years holiday next 2016 probably fall little bit short target currently tracking 21 higher year date rometty built lean mean cash machine investors analysts started take notice 2016 foundation support business 2017 well big blue wants internet things go mainstream big way reaping business rewards collecting analyzing surging data streams billions consumerfacing devices 2017 turns hockeystick moment multiindustry trend ibm share prices follow suit shareholder could live another couple years lower prices reinvested dividends buy stock lower prices ill also cheer big breakthrough finally arrives 2017 could year dont hold breath waiting surge trying time business events unpredictable hobby dont want left sidelines big day arrives would great time stake first ibm investment 10 stocks like better ibm investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right ibm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 anders bylund opens new window owns shares ibm motley fool position stocks mentioned try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>$900,000 study&#8217;s hired actors clogged VA health system with phony maladies</p> <p>(Disabledveterans.org) &#8211; Congress called out the VA last night over a questionable, surreptitious VA recording program where VA employees solicit veterans to wire up like snitches to spy on VA doctors.</p> <p>The program received $900k and used actors who took up needed health care slots to fulfill research goals that will inevitably be used to benefit large corporate hospitals and insurance agencies. The program was and is being implemented at Jesse Brown VAMC and Hines VA Hospital. It now uses just veterans without informed consent (a signed writing) or pay for their involvement in the project. The program did do both for the actors, but I guess veterans do not deserve the same consideration.</p> <p>How typical, a VA research / QI program deems veterans as deserving less than actors faking being veterans? Whose health care is actually at risk for participating?</p> <p><a href="http://thecrux.com/dyncontent/psi-5-book_lookwhosgoingbankruptnextinamerica_cid_03022015/?cid=MKT015071&amp;amp;eid=MKT041077&amp;amp;snaid=&amp;amp;step=start" type="external">Special Headline: Guess Who&#8217;s About To Go Bankrupt in America [Learn More]</a></p> <p>Rep. Mike Coffman from the House Committee on Veterans Affairs called on Under Secretary Carolyn Clancy to answer questions about a program using VA research funding to finance recording veterans with their doctors.</p> <p>Before you clamor for joy about recording your doctor in the program, there is something you need to know. The recordings cannot be used in court. They cannot be used in a medical malpractice case. You cannot get copies of the recordings, and you will never know what VA does with the data. Instead, the recordings are aggregated to &#8220;improve care&#8221; for veterans.</p> <p>Last month, I went to Chicago last month to find out more about the issue and was allowed to participate in negotiations on the subject and even wrote about whistleblower problems at Hines VA.</p> <p>At the time, I had a chance to talk through the research with Dr. Saul Weiner, creator of the program. He created a clever &#8220;contextual red flag&#8221; system that I hope to modify to fit checklists for veterans to use when they come up against unethical VA employees.</p> <p>As for secret recordings that disrupt the physician &#8211; client relationship, I have serious reservations. The program does not get informed consent from veterans, and in Illinois, where the program is run, it is illegal to record another person without their knowledge AND consent. Further, the program claims to not be conducting research while it is in fact doing exactly that and likely for the benefit of provide corporate interests later.</p> <p><a href="" type="internal">SPECIAL: We must declare war on those who want to desecrate on our Constitution and eradicate our freedoms. Please sign your TEA PARTY WAR PLEDGE and donate to fund our continuing fight!</a></p> <p>For more on that check out what Rep. Mike Coffman wrote::</p> <p>Dear Dr. Clancy,</p> <p>According to a letter from Dr. Jeffrey A. Murawsky (former VISN 12 Network Director), dated December 21, 2012, VA approved a quality improvement grant to VA employee, Dr. Saul Weiner, to be used at the Edward Hines, Jr. VAMC, the Jesse Brown VAMC, and other VA health care facilities. This work is purportedly at a cost of at least $900,000. The purpose of the quality improvement study is &#8220;To improve staff and provide attention to Veterans&#8217; individual circumstances and needs, or &#8216;contest,&#8217; when assisting them or planning their care.&#8221; Dr. Weiner&#8217;s overall research on the patient/physician experience has been ongoing since 2006, and his work has been published in the&amp;#160;Annals of Internal Medicine&amp;#160;(20 July 2010, Vol. 153. No.2), a peer reviewed journal.&amp;#160;&amp;#160; See enclosures.</p> <p>The Committee has learned that, according to Dr. Weiner&#8217;s own admission, actors were hired to portray Veterans throughout this study. The actors wore hidden microphones to capture the physician-patient interaction; feigned symptoms that took real appointment slots from Veterans and tied up facility resources, such as lab tests, while health care professionals sought answers to the actors&#8217; fake maladies.&amp;#160;&amp;#160; VA physicians were forewarned that &#8220;patients&#8221; would be &#8220;wired&#8221; in order to capture the physician-patient dialogue.</p> <p>As the study progressed and after concerns were voiced by Veterans about the misuse of resources, Dr. Weiner purportedly began enlisting actual Veterans from facility waiting rooms. According to complaints filed with the local union, some Veterans did not want to participate, but in at least one instance, a Veteran was badgered at least four times to do so. Veterans noted concerns that, if they did not participate, they would be &#8220;flagged&#8221; as uncooperative and might be retaliated against by the facility. In these instances, those Veterans who did participate alerted the physician by handwritten note that they were being recorded during the physician-patient interaction. Apparently, none of the Veterans used in this study signed a consent form to participate.</p> <p>I wanted to bring this situation to your attention for a number of reasons. Firstly, the improper use of VA resources for actors&#8217; fake maladies is beyond comprehension given VA&#8217;s wait times scandal and wasteful spending scandal, both problems that continue to occur across VA.</p> <p>Secondly, the potential that a VA employee received a $900,000 grant to perform a study on the quality of VA&#8217;s physician-patient experience is questionable at best given other priorities.</p> <p>Thirdly, Dr. Weiner&#8217;s research, presumably for publication in a peer review journal, is based on the conversations between physicians and patients, the former who were alerted that patients would be wearing a microphone, thus introducing a bias into the outcome of the study. Finally, one thing that is not measurable, and is apparently not even a consideration in the conduct of this study, is the damage done to the physician-patient trust relationship.</p> <p>Within the Department&#8217;s limited resources, how did this project receive approval since it was determined that an Institutional Review Board was not required? Also, how will you address this issue moving forward?</p> <p>If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Eric Hannel, Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, at (202) 225-3569.</p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>Mike Coffman</p> <p>http://www.disabledveterans.org/2015/06/04/congress-calls-out-questionable-va-recording-program/</p>

900000 studys hired actors clogged va health system phony maladies disabledveteransorg congress called va last night questionable surreptitious va recording program va employees solicit veterans wire like snitches spy va doctors program received 900k used actors took needed health care slots fulfill research goals inevitably used benefit large corporate hospitals insurance agencies program implemented jesse brown vamc hines va hospital uses veterans without informed consent signed writing pay involvement project program actors guess veterans deserve consideration typical va research qi program deems veterans deserving less actors faking veterans whose health care actually risk participating special headline guess whos go bankrupt america learn rep mike coffman house committee veterans affairs called secretary carolyn clancy answer questions program using va research funding finance recording veterans doctors clamor joy recording doctor program something need know recordings used court used medical malpractice case get copies recordings never know va data instead recordings aggregated improve care veterans last month went chicago last month find issue allowed participate negotiations subject even wrote whistleblower problems hines va time chance talk research dr saul weiner creator program created clever contextual red flag system hope modify fit checklists veterans use come unethical va employees secret recordings disrupt physician client relationship serious reservations program get informed consent veterans illinois program run illegal record another person without knowledge consent program claims conducting research fact exactly likely benefit provide corporate interests later special must declare war want desecrate constitution eradicate freedoms please sign tea party war pledge donate fund continuing fight check rep mike coffman wrote dear dr clancy according letter dr jeffrey murawsky former visn 12 network director dated december 21 2012 va approved quality improvement grant va employee dr saul weiner used edward hines jr vamc jesse brown vamc va health care facilities work purportedly cost least 900000 purpose quality improvement study improve staff provide attention veterans individual circumstances needs contest assisting planning care dr weiners overall research patientphysician experience ongoing since 2006 work published the160annals internal medicine16020 july 2010 vol 153 no2 peer reviewed journal160160 see enclosures committee learned according dr weiners admission actors hired portray veterans throughout study actors wore hidden microphones capture physicianpatient interaction feigned symptoms took real appointment slots veterans tied facility resources lab tests health care professionals sought answers actors fake maladies160160 va physicians forewarned patients would wired order capture physicianpatient dialogue study progressed concerns voiced veterans misuse resources dr weiner purportedly began enlisting actual veterans facility waiting rooms according complaints filed local union veterans want participate least one instance veteran badgered least four times veterans noted concerns participate would flagged uncooperative might retaliated facility instances veterans participate alerted physician handwritten note recorded physicianpatient interaction apparently none veterans used study signed consent form participate wanted bring situation attention number reasons firstly improper use va resources actors fake maladies beyond comprehension given vas wait times scandal wasteful spending scandal problems continue occur across va secondly potential va employee received 900000 grant perform study quality vas physicianpatient experience questionable best given priorities thirdly dr weiners research presumably publication peer review journal based conversations physicians patients former alerted patients would wearing microphone thus introducing bias outcome study finally one thing measurable apparently even consideration conduct study damage done physicianpatient trust relationship within departments limited resources project receive approval since determined institutional review board required also address issue moving forward questions please contact mr eric hannel staff director subcommittee oversight investigations 202 2253569 sincerely mike coffman httpwwwdisabledveteransorg20150604congresscallsoutquestionablevarecordingprogram

<p>Snap (NYSE: SNAP), the maker of the ephemeral messaging app Snapchat, has had a rough five months. Snap went public at $17 per share in early March, briefly surged to $27, then plunged to about $13 on major concerns about its growth plans, financial discipline, and its ability to survive a prolonged battle with Facebook (NASDAQ: FB).</p> <p>But as Snap searches for a bottom, contrarian investors might be tempted to pick up some shares. Let's take a closer look at this hated stock to see how risky that bet could be.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>At first glance, Snap's numbers don't look that bad. Its revenue surged 153% annually to $181.7 million last quarter, but that missed expectations by almost $5 million. However, its average revenue per user more than&amp;#160;doubled annually to $1.05, while its daily active users (DAUs) rose 21% to 173 million. Users under 25 were spending over 40 minutes on the app per day, while users over 25 were using it for over 20 minutes daily.</p> <p>Unfortunately, Snap's non-GAAP net loss widened from $107.4 million to $195.5 million, or $0.16 per share -- missing estimates by two cents. Its GAAP net loss looked even worse, widening from $115.9 million to $443.1 million during that period -- mostly due to stock-based compensation expenses, which gobbled up 135% of its total revenues.</p> <p>Over the past 12 months, Snap spent a whopping $2.24 billion on stock-based compensation expenses while generating just $331.3 million in revenues. This paints a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/17/4-signs-snap-inc-needs-new-management.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">clear picture Opens a New Window.</a> of insiders enriching themselves at the expense of investors. Snap's cash and equivalents rose from $150 million at the end of 2016 to $502 million at the end of last quarter (thanks to its IPO), but it also had a negative free cash flow of $229 million.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Snap needs more cash to counter Facebook's Instagram Stories, which has added features that mirror Snapchat's popular ephemeral messages, camera filters, and "storytelling" features. In late June, Facebook revealed that&amp;#160;Instagram Stories already had 250 million DAUs and a million advertisers.</p> <p>Snap's response has been to buy smaller companies,&amp;#160;like geofilter maker Placed and social map app&amp;#160;maker Zenly, along with some geofilter patents. It's also reportedly developing a new version of its&amp;#160;Spectacles <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/17/will-snapchat-spectacles-succeed-where-google-glas.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">smart glasses Opens a New Window.</a>, but the devices remain niche "toys" that haven't really caught on among mainstream users.</p> <p>Snap CEO Evan Spiegel liberally uses the term "growth hacking" -- the rapid use of experiential marketing techniques across multiple channels -- to explain how Snapchat can expand. Unfortunately, Snap doesn't seem to have the users or cash cushion to pursue that scattershot strategy. As a result, many analysts and investors simply see Snap as a deer caught in the headlights of Instagram Stories' stunning growth.</p> <p>Even though Snap trades at a 24% discount to its IPO price, the stock remains extremely expensive. It trades at a whopping 24 times sales, compared to&amp;#160;the industry average of 6 for internet information providers.</p> <p>To make matters worse, Snap's sales growth is slowing down. Its triple-digit year-over-year growth last quarter looks impressive, but it only represents 21% growth from the previous quarter. The same goes for its DAUs, which rose just 4% sequentially. Those numbers indicate that Snapchat's DAUs might never catch up to Instagram Stories' numbers.</p> <p>Some analysts suggest that Snap could be bought out, but its $15 billion market cap and lofty valuations indicate that it needs to fall a lot further before potential suitors will show up. Based on Snap's current P/S ratio and slowing growth rates, it's highly likely that the stock could be cut in half.</p> <p>I've been bearish on Snap ever since its IPO, and the facts all indicate that the company should probably have stayed private until it figured out a long-term roadmap for growth. Instead, Snap looks like a company that rushed toward an IPO to enrich insiders, but failed to develop a cohesive defense strategy against behemoths like Facebook. Therefore, Snap still isn't a contrarian play -- it's a falling knife that should be avoided.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Snap Inc.When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=25b768d4-070e-4dd8-ad33-780d85b305ee&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Snap Inc. wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=25b768d4-070e-4dd8-ad33-780d85b305ee&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of August 1, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Facebook. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=06a991e8-82fb-11e7-9f06-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

snap nyse snap maker ephemeral messaging app snapchat rough five months snap went public 17 per share early march briefly surged 27 plunged 13 major concerns growth plans financial discipline ability survive prolonged battle facebook nasdaq fb snap searches bottom contrarian investors might tempted pick shares lets take closer look hated stock see risky bet could continue reading first glance snaps numbers dont look bad revenue surged 153 annually 1817 million last quarter missed expectations almost 5 million however average revenue per user than160doubled annually 105 daily active users daus rose 21 173 million users 25 spending 40 minutes app per day users 25 using 20 minutes daily unfortunately snaps nongaap net loss widened 1074 million 1955 million 016 per share missing estimates two cents gaap net loss looked even worse widening 1159 million 4431 million period mostly due stockbased compensation expenses gobbled 135 total revenues past 12 months snap spent whopping 224 billion stockbased compensation expenses generating 3313 million revenues paints clear picture opens new window insiders enriching expense investors snaps cash equivalents rose 150 million end 2016 502 million end last quarter thanks ipo also negative free cash flow 229 million advertisement snap needs cash counter facebooks instagram stories added features mirror snapchats popular ephemeral messages camera filters storytelling features late june facebook revealed that160instagram stories already 250 million daus million advertisers snaps response buy smaller companies160like geofilter maker placed social map app160maker zenly along geofilter patents also reportedly developing new version its160spectacles smart glasses opens new window devices remain niche toys havent really caught among mainstream users snap ceo evan spiegel liberally uses term growth hacking rapid use experiential marketing techniques across multiple channels explain snapchat expand unfortunately snap doesnt seem users cash cushion pursue scattershot strategy result many analysts investors simply see snap deer caught headlights instagram stories stunning growth even though snap trades 24 discount ipo price stock remains extremely expensive trades whopping 24 times sales compared to160the industry average 6 internet information providers make matters worse snaps sales growth slowing tripledigit yearoveryear growth last quarter looks impressive represents 21 growth previous quarter goes daus rose 4 sequentially numbers indicate snapchats daus might never catch instagram stories numbers analysts suggest snap could bought 15 billion market cap lofty valuations indicate needs fall lot potential suitors show based snaps current ps ratio slowing growth rates highly likely stock could cut half ive bearish snap ever since ipo facts indicate company probably stayed private figured longterm roadmap growth instead snap looks like company rushed toward ipo enrich insiders failed develop cohesive defense strategy behemoths like facebook therefore snap still isnt contrarian play falling knife avoided 10 stocks like better snap incwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right snap inc wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns august 1 2017 leo sun opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends facebook motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p><a href="//videos/37/62117" type="external" /></p> <p>RUSH: So I checked the e-mail again, and I can guarantee what&#8217;s gonna happen. When I quote an e-mail asking me, &#8220;Why aren&#8217;t you doing X?&#8221; then the, &#8220;Why aren&#8217;t you doing Y?&#8221; crowd shows up, and the next crowd asks, &#8220;Why aren&#8217;t you spending more time talking about what Obama&#8217;s doing in Syria with ISIS and ISIL?&#8221; I&#8217;ll tell you why. Because I don&#8217;t think he even cares what he&#8217;s doing!</p> <p>This is an absolute joke. <a href="" type="internal">John Kerry gets up there and says absolutely inane things</a>. He was taken to down by Bob Corker yesterday, sent Boxer shuttering away in tears. We got the sound bites coming up. Kerry doesn&#8217;t know what he&#8217;s talking about. Hagel doesn&#8217;t know what he&#8217;s talking about. The generals know what they&#8217;re talking about, and they&#8217;re actively being ignored.</p> <p>This isn&#8217;t about beating ISIS, is why.</p> <p>This is all <a href="" type="internal">because Obama&#8217;s poll numbers are falling</a>.</p> <p>I&#8217;m not gonna get roped into talking about this the way the soap opera writers demand that it be talked about. &#8220;Can this revive the Obama presidency?&#8221; Screw that! That&#8217;s not what this is about. We&#8217;re sending 3,000 troops to fight Ebola? We won&#8217;t send 3,000 troops to protect our border! We won&#8217;t send 3,000 troops there &#8212; we won&#8217;t admit that that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re doing &#8212; to stop terrorists that want to wipe us out.</p> <p>We&#8217;re gonna send the Iraqi army and the Syrian army, who are supposedly somehow gonna become loyal to us? What the hell? It&#8217;s stupid, folks. It is asinine. The generals know it&#8217;s stupid, but they can&#8217;t just out and say it. They&#8217;re getting as close to try to tell everybody how literally wacko this is out actually saying it because they can&#8217;t be insubordinate. But, for crying out loud, Barack Obama, commander-in-chief?</p> <p>That&#8217;s scary. John Kerry has already demonstrated that he is clueless. Chuck Hagel, ditto. We knew that back when he was a proud Republican. But the whole motivation behind this is once again to improve Obama&#8217;s chops in the polls. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re doing this. Three weeks ago, he didn&#8217;t have a strategy. Three weeks ago, they were the JV team. Now we&#8217;ve done a 180.</p> <p>When there&#8217;s something relevant, really important about this to talk about, you can count I&#8217;m gonna be right there. But I&#8217;m not gonna get roped in to talking about this in identically the same way you see it on cable news or standard news, wherever you see it. Because it&#8217;s all being talked about in the same way. The same questions are being asked by the same people about the same people.</p> <p>The same analysts are coming up with the same opinions about this or that, but nobody will tell you that this is an absolute embarrassment and that the only reason this policy is being undertaken is because of the November elections.</p> <p>BREAK TRANSCRIPT</p> <p>RUSH: Here is John, Jefferson City, Missouri. Welcome, sir, to the EIB Network. Hello.</p> <p>CALLER: Hello, Rush. Thank you very much for taking my call today.</p> <p>RUSH: Yeah, you bet.</p> <p>CALLER: I just wanted to comment on how right you are about everything you say about how you know Democrats like every square inch of your glorious naked body and everything, and it&#8217;s basically based on your excellent observational skills.</p> <p>RUSH: Yeah?</p> <p>CALLER: But just to put make a point about what we&#8217;re seeing currently with Obama and with Hillary and the way they use the military as far as like what happened in Benghazi. The narrative was &#8220;Osama is dead and Al-Qaeda&#8217;s on the run&#8221; and everything, and they would not let anything in that interrupted that narrative. If you remember back in, like, I think it was &#8217;93, &#8217;94, whenever we were pulling out of Somalia, Les Aspin was the defense secretary at the time if I recall correctly.</p> <p>RUSH: Right.</p> <p>CALLER: Bill Clinton was president, and I remember the military at the time was calling for armor to help them get out of there successfully, and that was going to go against the narrative. I remember it was overruled by either Bill Clinton or Les Aspin. Right about that same time, Black Hawk Down went down or occurred, and they didn&#8217;t have an M1 Abrams tank, a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle to go and rescue those guys. They were going in with unarmored Humvees, and like we&#8217;re seeing today &#8212; as you say about liberals and Democrats &#8212; they are the smartest people in the rooms, they think. But they don&#8217;t listen to their experts like they should, and they play a very cynical and risky game with our troops&#8217; lives.</p> <p>RUSH: Well, the Somalia thing is interesting, because Clinton actually didn&#8217;t start that. That was started with George H. W. Bush.</p> <p>CALLER: Correct.</p> <p>RUSH: He was reacting to a single photo on the front page of the New York Times. But you&#8217;re right. The public story was it was Les Aspin who refused the request for more money and armaments, weaponry, what have you, because it wasn&#8217;t going well. I mean, Mohammed Farrah Aideed Skyhook was winning. It was embarrassing, and finally the last straw &#8212; and this is what Osama Bin Laden told ABC News about when he saw this. Remember the two naked Rangers, Special Forces Army people dragged through downtown Mogadishu?</p> <p>CALLER: Oh, yes.</p> <p>RUSH: That&#8217;s when we cut and ran.</p> <p>CALLER: Yes.</p> <p>RUSH: That&#8217;s when Osama Bin Laden, talking to John Miller &#8212; who was at the time working for ABC &#8212; said when he saw that is when he began to believe the United States was a paper tiger and could be defeated. Clinton&#8230; I mean, I don&#8217;t think Aspin called for it. Clinton made the call on that, but Aspin took the heat for it. He&#8217;s secretary of defense.</p> <p>CALLER: Correct.</p> <p>RUSH: But he got out of there. It wasn&#8217;t Clinton&#8217;s mission, it wasn&#8217;t going well, and it involved black people. There was nothing in this for Clinton. At the time the US military&#8230; Remember we were getting stories already that Hillary was disrespecting the uniformed Marine guards at the White House.</p> <p>CALLER: Yes.</p> <p>RUSH: Clinton had protested the Vietnam War. There was no love lost between the two, and it was cut their losses and get out of there</p> <p>CALLER: Yeah. We&#8217;re just seeing the same thing again, and I just fear that this mission is going to be compromised. They&#8217;re gonna play it up for the public consumption.</p> <p>RUSH: Well, look, it&#8217;s real simple what the generals are saying. From Ray Odierno to Martin Dempsey, the generals are saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t care what you think, you cannot win this with bombs. I don&#8217;t care what you think, we&#8217;re not gonna wipe ISIS out &#8212; we&#8217;re not gonna have what we consider a decisive defeat and victory &#8212; with air power and a ragtag ground force that&#8217;s not even ours and that&#8217;s advised by us. The only way this is gonna happen is with boots on the ground.&#8221;</p> <p>This is not what Obama wants to hear.</p> <p>It&#8217;s not what Chuck Hagel wants to hear.</p> <p>It&#8217;s not what John Kerry wants to hear.</p> <p>The generals, nevertheless, are saying it, but stories are replete that Obama doesn&#8217;t listen to the generals. See, this is why this whole subject, to me, is really frustrating. Because in the deep, dark crevices of the White House and the defense department/State Department, this is a political operation. It&#8217;s being done out of political necessity. There&#8217;s a whole different definition for victory here.</p> <p>The definition for victory that Obama and the rest have attached to this mission is the November election results. So the optics of whatever&#8217;s gonna happen are what matter. All that really matters is that Obama is now seen as steeled and determined and committed to get ISIS. By the way, do you know why he keeps calling them ISIL and not ISIS? ISIL, Levant?</p> <p>That includes Israel in the equation. ISIS, as a name, doesn&#8217;t. It&#8217;s a real inside baseball thing. &#8220;The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.&#8221; Believe me, ISIS, it&#8217;s word games that he&#8217;s playing. It&#8217;s along the lines of George H. W. Bush never would pronounce Saddam Hussein&#8217;s name &#8220;Sah-dahm.&#8221; He pronounced it &#8220;Sad-um.&#8221; In that world, in Iraq, pronouncing Saddam as &#8220;Sad-um&#8221; was a profound insult.</p> <p>It was the equivalent of calling him a shoeshine guy, I think I read. If not that, it was something bad. There was a reason. (interruption) It was adog or something. It&#8217;s the reason why he called him &#8220;Sad-um.&#8221; It&#8217;s like George H. W. Bush never called &#8220;Pete&#8221; DuPont &#8220;Pete. &#8221; He called him &#8220;Pierre.&#8221; (interruption) Oh, yeah, he called him Pierre, so that people would think, &#8220;Pierre? Only rich snobs are named Pierre!&#8221;</p> <p>He never would call him Pete. Pierre every time he mentioned his name, and &#8220;Sah-dahm&#8221; instead of &#8220;Sah-dahm.&#8221; Well, Obama&#8217;s doing the same thing with ISIS and ISIL. But this whole thing is supposed to produce enough results to show Obama as ready and willing and able, and therefore the Democrats are worthy of getting votes. Look, I have sound bites on this. I&#8217;ll tell you what.</p> <p>I wasn&#8217;t gonna do it. Cookie gave me a lot of good sound bites on the roster. I was gonna stay away from it for stuff that&#8217;s interesting. But now that I&#8217;ve made it interesting, I&#8217;ll get to the sound bites in the next half hour.</p>

rush checked email guarantee whats gon na happen quote email asking arent x arent crowd shows next crowd asks arent spending time talking obamas syria isis isil ill tell dont think even cares hes absolute joke john kerry gets says absolutely inane things taken bob corker yesterday sent boxer shuttering away tears got sound bites coming kerry doesnt know hes talking hagel doesnt know hes talking generals know theyre talking theyre actively ignored isnt beating isis obamas poll numbers falling im gon na get roped talking way soap opera writers demand talked revive obama presidency screw thats sending 3000 troops fight ebola wont send 3000 troops protect border wont send 3000 troops wont admit thats stop terrorists want wipe us gon na send iraqi army syrian army supposedly somehow gon na become loyal us hell stupid folks asinine generals know stupid cant say theyre getting close try tell everybody literally wacko actually saying cant insubordinate crying loud barack obama commanderinchief thats scary john kerry already demonstrated clueless chuck hagel ditto knew back proud republican whole motivation behind improve obamas chops polls thats three weeks ago didnt strategy three weeks ago jv team weve done 180 theres something relevant really important talk count im gon na right im gon na get roped talking identically way see cable news standard news wherever see talked way questions asked people people analysts coming opinions nobody tell absolute embarrassment reason policy undertaken november elections break transcript rush john jefferson city missouri welcome sir eib network hello caller hello rush thank much taking call today rush yeah bet caller wanted comment right everything say know democrats like every square inch glorious naked body everything basically based excellent observational skills rush yeah caller put make point seeing currently obama hillary way use military far like happened benghazi narrative osama dead alqaedas run everything would let anything interrupted narrative remember back like think 93 94 whenever pulling somalia les aspin defense secretary time recall correctly rush right caller bill clinton president remember military time calling armor help get successfully going go narrative remember overruled either bill clinton les aspin right time black hawk went occurred didnt m1 abrams tank bradley infantry fighting vehicle go rescue guys going unarmored humvees like seeing today say liberals democrats smartest people rooms think dont listen experts like play cynical risky game troops lives rush well somalia thing interesting clinton actually didnt start started george h w bush caller correct rush reacting single photo front page new york times youre right public story les aspin refused request money armaments weaponry wasnt going well mean mohammed farrah aideed skyhook winning embarrassing finally last straw osama bin laden told abc news saw remember two naked rangers special forces army people dragged downtown mogadishu caller oh yes rush thats cut ran caller yes rush thats osama bin laden talking john miller time working abc said saw began believe united states paper tiger could defeated clinton mean dont think aspin called clinton made call aspin took heat hes secretary defense caller correct rush got wasnt clintons mission wasnt going well involved black people nothing clinton time us military remember getting stories already hillary disrespecting uniformed marine guards white house caller yes rush clinton protested vietnam war love lost two cut losses get caller yeah seeing thing fear mission going compromised theyre gon na play public consumption rush well look real simple generals saying ray odierno martin dempsey generals saying dont care think win bombs dont care think gon na wipe isis gon na consider decisive defeat victory air power ragtag ground force thats even thats advised us way gon na happen boots ground obama wants hear chuck hagel wants hear john kerry wants hear generals nevertheless saying stories replete obama doesnt listen generals see whole subject really frustrating deep dark crevices white house defense departmentstate department political operation done political necessity theres whole different definition victory definition victory obama rest attached mission november election results optics whatevers gon na happen matter really matters obama seen steeled determined committed get isis way know keeps calling isil isis isil levant includes israel equation isis name doesnt real inside baseball thing islamic state iraq levant believe isis word games hes playing along lines george h w bush never would pronounce saddam husseins name sahdahm pronounced sadum world iraq pronouncing saddam sadum profound insult equivalent calling shoeshine guy think read something bad reason interruption adog something reason called sadum like george h w bush never called pete dupont pete called pierre interruption oh yeah called pierre people would think pierre rich snobs named pierre never would call pete pierre every time mentioned name sahdahm instead sahdahm well obamas thing isis isil whole thing supposed produce enough results show obama ready willing able therefore democrats worthy getting votes look sound bites ill tell wasnt gon na cookie gave lot good sound bites roster gon na stay away stuff thats interesting ive made interesting ill get sound bites next half hour

<p>With the killing of Osama bin Laden, the United States has &#8220;kept its commitment to see that justice is done,&#8221; President Obama said Monday.</p> <p>&#8220;The world is safer &#8212; it is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden,&#8221; Mr. Obama said at an event conferring the Medal of Honor on two soldiers who died in the Korean War.&amp;#160;</p> <p>&#8220;Today we are reminded that, as a nation, there&#8217;s nothing we can&#8217;t do when we put our shoulders to the wheel, when we work together. And we remember the sense of unity that defines us as Americans.&#8221;</p> <p>He said that sense of unity is reflected in the enthusiasm of people who gathered outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York to celebrate the death of the al Qaeda leader.</p> <p>&#8220;People are proud to live in the United States of America,&#8221; he said.</p> <p /> <p>The successful raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed bin Laden on Sunday &#8220;would not have happened&#8221; without the efforts of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, Joint Chiefs vice chairman, Mr. Obama said, praising all members of the nation&#8217;s armed forces.</p> <p>&#8220;As commander-in-chief, I could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>The president awarded the medals to the families of Army Pfcs. Anthony T. Kaho&#8217;ohanohano and Henry Svehla, both of whom sacrificied themselves to save other soldiers during the Korean war.</p> <p>Bin Laden&#8217;s body was buried at sea after he was killed by U.S. forces in a surprise attack Sunday on the compound where he had been living in Pakistan, U.S. officials said as new details emerged about the dramatic operation that brings to an end a decade-long manhunt for the world&#8217;s top terrorist.</p> <p>Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said information gained from interrogations of suspected terrorists led to persons close to bin Laden, which culminated in the Sunday raid on the compound.</p> <p>President Obama signed off on the raid Friday morning at 8:20 a.m., ordering his national security team to draft formal orders before he left for Alabama to tour the tornado damage there, according to a senior administration official.</p> <p>At 2 p.m. Sunday, the commander-in-chief reviewed final preparations for a special forces raid on the highly fortified compound in Pakistan. He was then notified at 3:50 p.m. that bin Laden, the founder of al Qaeda, had been &#8220;tentatively identified,&#8221; and he received additional briefings in the White House situation room throughout the night, the official said.</p> <p>Officials briefing reporters early Monday described the operation as &#8220;a surgical raid by a small team&#8221; that lasted under 40 minutes. In addition to bin Laden, three men &#8212; believed to be his son and two couriers &#8212; were killed, as well as a woman who was used as a shield by one of the men.</p> <p>Officials said bin Laden fired a weapon at the American forces, but no U.S. troops were harmed.</p> <p>Meanwhile, at the State Department on Monday morning, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton said bin Laden&#8217;s killing should be a warning to the Taliban forces in Afghanistan that they &#8220;cannot wait us out.&#8221;</p> <p>Late Sunday night, Mr. Obama was able to announce to a waiting country that the decade-long manhunt was over.</p> <p>&#8220;Justice has been done,&#8221; Mr. Obama said in a somber speech from the White House&#8217;s East Room.</p> <p>&#8220;His demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity,&#8221; the president said.</p> <p>He said bin Laden was killed in a compound in Abbottobad, about 60 miles from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where he apparently had been for months. Mr. Obama said he first was briefed last August on intelligence suggesting bin Laden&#8217;s location.</p> <p>&#8220;A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability,&#8221; Mr. Obama said. &#8220;After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.&#8221;</p> <p>Bin Laden&#8217;s death is the biggest victory the U.S. has scored in the decade-old war on terrorism and comes at a time when Mr. Obama is trying to chart a way forward on the war in Afghanistan.</p> <p>The 2001 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. Ten years later, the effects of the attacks are visible everywhere in American life &#8212; from the security measures on the streets of the nation&#8217;s capital to the intensive screening at airports and the terrorist detention center at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.</p> <p>&#8220;Bin Laden&#8217;s death is the greatest victory for the U.S. in the war on terror since the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq. There is no better symbolic victory in this war than the defeat of the terrorist network&#180;s leader,&#8221; said Charlie Szrom, an international-affairs analyst with D.C. International Advisory.</p> <p>Outside the White House, a celebratory crowd had gathered spontaneously even before the president spoke and could be heard from inside the White House, chanting, &#8220;U.S.A., U.S.A.&#8221;</p> <p>By the time the president had finished, there were several thousand people outside the White House gates &#8212; chanting, firing off hockey-goal horns, and flying or wearing American flags. In the crowd there could be seen at least one Iraqi flag being waved in the crowd and a Bush-Cheney sign.</p> <p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve never been so proud of us,&#8221; one woman said as she waded into the rally.</p> <p>A spontaneous rally also erupted in New York&#8217;s Times Square.</p> <p>The congratulations quickly began pouring in from across the political spectrum &#8212; former President George W. Bush; House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican; and Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican &#8212; had issued statements within minutes of the end of the Obama speech.</p> <p>&#8220;Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden. &#8230; I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. &#8230; They have our everlasting gratitude,&#8221; said Mr. Bush, who held office on the day of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and launched the war on terror.</p> <p>Added New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: &#8220;The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation &#8212; and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.&#8221;</p> <p>But the State Department issued a sobering reminder that the war on terrorism continues just after the speech was over, putting U.S. embassies on alert and warning Americans traveling worldwide of the possibility of reprisal attacks from al Qaeda.</p> <p>Bin Laden had been in hiding for most of the last decade after apparently escaping from American forces in the battle of Tora Bora in late 2001, and hiding out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.</p> <p>The wealthy, Saudi-born bin Laden founded al Qaeda and helped finance the organization&#8217;s repeated terrorist attacks. It has been blamed for the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen; the 2005 London bus and subway bombings; and a series of other attacks.</p> <p>Offshoot groups have also conducted attacks in al Qaeda&#8217;s name, and the killing of bin Laden raises the question of who will be the future leaders of the organization.</p> <p>Regional leaders of terrorist groups affiliated with al Qaeda that could provide future leadership include U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki and Nasir al Wuhayshi in Yemen and Sirajuddin Haqqani in Pakistan.</p> <p>U.S. intelligence thought it killed bin Laden&#8217;s son, Saad bin Laden, in 2010, though reports have surfaced that he may still be alive. He had traveled to Pakistan from Iran in 2009</p> <p>Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, director of the Center for the Study of Terrorist Radicalization at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, said the death of bin Laden would hurt al Qaeda operationally, even beyond the obvious symbolic value.</p> <p>&#8220;Osama bin Laden was more operationally relevant to al Qaeda, even in recent years, than many analysts understood. This is an enormous blow to the jihadi network in multiple ways,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>Still, Mr. Gartenstein-Ross cautioned, the death of bin Laden &#8220;does not kill al Qaeda.&#8221;</p> <p>&#8220;The jihadi group possesses other rather prominent leaders who can step in to serve as figureheads for the group, along with pairing militant skill sets with operatives, financing and other essentials in order to execute terrorist plots and undertake other militant activities,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>He also warned about the precedent from the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, which quickly overthrew the Taliban regime that had sheltered bin Laden and let al Qaeda set up bases and a network. However, bin Laden himself slipped away.</p> <p>&#8220;Al Qaeda also has numerous affiliate groups that will remain alive and relevant. So this development is highly significant, full stop. But we took our eye off the ball in 2001, thinking al Qaeda was functionally dead when it was anything but. Let&#8217;s not make the same mistake again,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>Mr. Szrom agreed, adding that &#8220;the war on terror will not be won until the U.S. and its allies decrease the control al Qaeda and its affiliates have in safe havens around the world. The networks and individuals that operate in these territories will continue to plot terror attacks against the West.&#8221;</p> <p>Copyright &#169; 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/xGjXcUKYsKxMeCUl1" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p>

killing osama bin laden united states kept commitment see justice done president obama said monday world safer better place death osama bin laden mr obama said event conferring medal honor two soldiers died korean war160 today reminded nation theres nothing cant put shoulders wheel work together remember sense unity defines us americans said sense unity reflected enthusiasm people gathered outside white house ground zero new york celebrate death al qaeda leader people proud live united states america said successful raid compound pakistan killed bin laden sunday would happened without efforts defense secretary robert gates adm mike mullen chairman joint chiefs staff marine corps gen james e cartwright joint chiefs vice chairman mr obama said praising members nations armed forces commanderinchief could prouder men women uniform said president awarded medals families army pfcs anthony kahoohanohano henry svehla sacrificied save soldiers korean war bin ladens body buried sea killed us forces surprise attack sunday compound living pakistan us officials said new details emerged dramatic operation brings end decadelong manhunt worlds top terrorist officials speaking condition anonymity said information gained interrogations suspected terrorists led persons close bin laden culminated sunday raid compound president obama signed raid friday morning 820 ordering national security team draft formal orders left alabama tour tornado damage according senior administration official 2 pm sunday commanderinchief reviewed final preparations special forces raid highly fortified compound pakistan notified 350 pm bin laden founder al qaeda tentatively identified received additional briefings white house situation room throughout night official said officials briefing reporters early monday described operation surgical raid small team lasted 40 minutes addition bin laden three men believed son two couriers killed well woman used shield one men officials said bin laden fired weapon american forces us troops harmed meanwhile state department monday morning secretary hillary rodham clinton said bin ladens killing warning taliban forces afghanistan wait us late sunday night mr obama able announce waiting country decadelong manhunt justice done mr obama said somber speech white houses east room demise welcomed believe peace human dignity president said said bin laden killed compound abbottobad 60 miles pakistani capital islamabad apparently months mr obama said first briefed last august intelligence suggesting bin ladens location small team americans carried operation extraordinary courage capability mr obama said firefight killed osama bin laden took custody body bin ladens death biggest victory us scored decadeold war terrorism comes time mr obama trying chart way forward war afghanistan 2001 attacks killed nearly 3000 people new york pentagon field pennsylvania united airlines flight 93 crashed ten years later effects attacks visible everywhere american life security measures streets nations capital intensive screening airports terrorist detention center us naval base guantanamo bay cuba bin ladens death greatest victory us war terror since defeat al qaeda iraq better symbolic victory war defeat terrorist networks leader said charlie szrom internationalaffairs analyst dc international advisory outside white house celebratory crowd gathered spontaneously even president spoke could heard inside white house chanting usa usa time president finished several thousand people outside white house gates chanting firing hockeygoal horns flying wearing american flags crowd could seen least one iraqi flag waved crowd bushcheney sign ive never proud us one woman said waded rally spontaneous rally also erupted new yorks times square congratulations quickly began pouring across political spectrum former president george w bush house majority leader eric cantor virginia republican sen marco rubio florida republican issued statements within minutes end obama speech earlier evening president obama called inform american forces killed osama bin laden congratulated men women military intelligence communities devoted lives mission everlasting gratitude said mr bush held office day sept 11 terrorist attacks launched war terror added new york mayor michael r bloomberg killing osama bin laden lessen suffering new yorkers americans experienced hands critically important victory nation tribute millions men women armed forces elsewhere fought hard nation state department issued sobering reminder war terrorism continues speech putting us embassies alert warning americans traveling worldwide possibility reprisal attacks al qaeda bin laden hiding last decade apparently escaping american forces battle tora bora late 2001 hiding along afghanistanpakistan border wealthy saudiborn bin laden founded al qaeda helped finance organizations repeated terrorist attacks blamed 1998 bombings us embassies nairobi kenya dar es salaam tanzania 2000 attack uss cole yemen 2005 london bus subway bombings series attacks offshoot groups also conducted attacks al qaedas name killing bin laden raises question future leaders organization regional leaders terrorist groups affiliated al qaeda could provide future leadership include us citizen anwar alawlaki nasir al wuhayshi yemen sirajuddin haqqani pakistan us intelligence thought killed bin ladens son saad bin laden 2010 though reports surfaced may still alive traveled pakistan iran 2009 daveed gartensteinross director center study terrorist radicalization foundation defense democracy said death bin laden would hurt al qaeda operationally even beyond obvious symbolic value osama bin laden operationally relevant al qaeda even recent years many analysts understood enormous blow jihadi network multiple ways said still mr gartensteinross cautioned death bin laden kill al qaeda jihadi group possesses rather prominent leaders step serve figureheads group along pairing militant skill sets operatives financing essentials order execute terrorist plots undertake militant activities said also warned precedent 2001 usled invasion afghanistan quickly overthrew taliban regime sheltered bin laden let al qaeda set bases network however bin laden slipped away al qaeda also numerous affiliate groups remain alive relevant development highly significant full stop took eye ball 2001 thinking al qaeda functionally dead anything lets make mistake said mr szrom agreed adding war terror us allies decrease control al qaeda affiliates safe havens around world networks individuals operate territories continue plot terror attacks west copyright 2018 washington times llc click reprint permission 160

<p>___</p> <p>Zuckerberg says company working with Mueller probe</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AP) &#8212; Apologetic Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told senators Tuesday it had been "clearly a mistake" to believe the Trump-linked data-mining company Cambridge Analytica had discarded data that it had harvested from social media users in an attempt to sway 2016 elections. He also said Facebook is "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Is Facebook really changing? Or just trimming its data haul?</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) &#8212; The debate over Facebook user data may miss a more fundamental question: Is the company really changing its relationship with users, or just tinkering with its insatiable appetite for data? Facebook's latest round of privacy changes don't address the core of its business model, which relies on users to share information that can be used to sell ads. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify to Congress starting Tuesday.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>China president's conciliatory trade gesture raises optimism</p> <p>BEIJING (AP) &#8212; Investors and China watchers welcomed President Xi Jinping's promise to open his country's market wider to foreign competition, hoping it will defuse a trade dispute with Washington that has unsettled financial markets and could jeopardize a global economic expansion.</p> <p>___</p> <p>McConnell says he's open to paring back US spending bill</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AP) &#8212; The Senate's top Republican says he's open to a proposal from the White House to pare back a hard-fought spending package that has come under assault from party conservatives. But at the same time, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell said the idea of cutting billions of dollars of just-approved spending may not have enough support to pass the Senate. The idea is being floated by the Trump White House with support from top Republicans like House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Under Trump, a voice for the American consumer goes silent</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) &#8212; In the 135 days since the Trump administration took control of the nation's consumer watchdog agency, it has not recorded a single enforcement action against banks, credit card companies, or any finance companies whatsoever. That's likely no fluke: Mick Mulvaney, appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in November, promised to shrink the bureau's mandate and take a softer approach to enforcement.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Facebook sends privacy alerts to affected users</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) &#8212; Facebook has begun alerting some users that their data was swept up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A notification that appeared on Facebook for some users Tuesday told them that "one of your friends" used Facebook to log into a now-banned personality quiz app called "This Is Your Digital Life." Facebook has said as many as 87 million users were affected.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Trump slump? International arrivals data may be wrong</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) &#8212; That "Trump slump" in travel may not be as bad it seems. The U.S. Department of Commerce says government statistics showing a drop in international arrivals may have undercounted some foreigners. Publication of the data has been suspended pending revision. Travel experts applauded the effort to get it right. Tourism Economics President Adam Sacks says his data shows international arrivals to the U.S. increased 2 percent in 2017, but that's still "underperforming" compared with other markets.</p> <p>___</p> <p>EPA to clean up toxic Texas site damaged by Hurricane Harvey</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AP) &#8212; Federal environmental regulators have reached a long-awaited agreement with the owners of a polluted toxic waste site in Texas that was damaged during Hurricane Harvey. The Environmental Protection Agency says it reached a deal with International Paper Co. and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. to remove dioxin-contaminated materials from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund site in the Houston area. The companies say they look forward to working with EPA to protect the community.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Fed proposes streamlining annual stress tests for banks</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AP) &#8212; The Federal Reserve is proposing to streamline the annual stress tests that it conducts to see if the nation's largest financial firms can survive a severe recession. Randal Quarles, selected by President Donald Trump to be the Fed's vice chairman for financial supervision, says the change is being put forward in an effort to ensure that the Fed's regulatory measures are as "simple and transparent" as possible.</p> <p>___</p> <p>Stock indexes rally as China's president eases trade fears</p> <p>NEW YORK (AP) &#8212; U.S. stocks jump after Chinese President Xi Jinping makes conciliatory remarks on trade, easing the market's fears about U.S.-China trade tensions. China's leader proposed reducing tariffs on autos, which sent automakers higher. Energy and technology companies also made outsize gains. Facebook surged as CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the Senate.</p> <p>___</p> <p>The Standard &amp;amp; Poor's 500 index surged 43.71 points, or 1.7 percent, to 2,656.87. The Dow gained 428.90 points, or 1.8 percent, to 24,408. Shortly before noon it rose as much as 532 points. The Nasdaq composite added 143.96 points, or 2.1 percent, to 7,094.30. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks advanced 28.97 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,543.43.</p> <p>Benchmark U.S. crude rose 3.3 percent to $65.51 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 3.5 percent to $71.04 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline rose 2.9 percent to $2.04 a gallon. Heating oil added 3.4 percent to $2.06 a gallon. Natural gas lost 1.4 percent to $2.66 per 1,000 cubic feet.</p>

___ zuckerberg says company working mueller probe continue reading washington ap apologetic facebook ceo mark zuckerberg told senators tuesday clearly mistake believe trumplinked datamining company cambridge analytica discarded data harvested social media users attempt sway 2016 elections also said facebook working special counsel robert muellers russia probe ___ facebook really changing trimming data haul new york ap debate facebook user data may miss fundamental question company really changing relationship users tinkering insatiable appetite data facebooks latest round privacy changes dont address core business model relies users share information used sell ads ceo mark zuckerberg scheduled testify congress starting tuesday ___ advertisement china presidents conciliatory trade gesture raises optimism beijing ap investors china watchers welcomed president xi jinpings promise open countrys market wider foreign competition hoping defuse trade dispute washington unsettled financial markets could jeopardize global economic expansion ___ mcconnell says hes open paring back us spending bill washington ap senates top republican says hes open proposal white house pare back hardfought spending package come assault party conservatives time kentucky sen mitch mcconnell said idea cutting billions dollars justapproved spending may enough support pass senate idea floated trump white house support top republicans like house majority leader kevin mccarthy ___ trump voice american consumer goes silent new york ap 135 days since trump administration took control nations consumer watchdog agency recorded single enforcement action banks credit card companies finance companies whatsoever thats likely fluke mick mulvaney appointed acting director consumer financial protection bureau november promised shrink bureaus mandate take softer approach enforcement ___ facebook sends privacy alerts affected users new york ap facebook begun alerting users data swept cambridge analytica scandal notification appeared facebook users tuesday told one friends used facebook log nowbanned personality quiz app called digital life facebook said many 87 million users affected ___ trump slump international arrivals data may wrong new york ap trump slump travel may bad seems us department commerce says government statistics showing drop international arrivals may undercounted foreigners publication data suspended pending revision travel experts applauded effort get right tourism economics president adam sacks says data shows international arrivals us increased 2 percent 2017 thats still underperforming compared markets ___ epa clean toxic texas site damaged hurricane harvey washington ap federal environmental regulators reached longawaited agreement owners polluted toxic waste site texas damaged hurricane harvey environmental protection agency says reached deal international paper co mcginnes industrial maintenance corp remove dioxincontaminated materials san jacinto river waste pits superfund site houston area companies say look forward working epa protect community ___ fed proposes streamlining annual stress tests banks washington ap federal reserve proposing streamline annual stress tests conducts see nations largest financial firms survive severe recession randal quarles selected president donald trump feds vice chairman financial supervision says change put forward effort ensure feds regulatory measures simple transparent possible ___ stock indexes rally chinas president eases trade fears new york ap us stocks jump chinese president xi jinping makes conciliatory remarks trade easing markets fears uschina trade tensions chinas leader proposed reducing tariffs autos sent automakers higher energy technology companies also made outsize gains facebook surged ceo mark zuckerberg testifies senate ___ standard amp poors 500 index surged 4371 points 17 percent 265687 dow gained 42890 points 18 percent 24408 shortly noon rose much 532 points nasdaq composite added 14396 points 21 percent 709430 russell 2000 index smallercompany stocks advanced 2897 points 19 percent 154343 benchmark us crude rose 33 percent 6551 barrel new york brent crude used price international oils rose 35 percent 7104 barrel london wholesale gasoline rose 29 percent 204 gallon heating oil added 34 percent 206 gallon natural gas lost 14 percent 266 per 1000 cubic feet

<p>I spoke too soon. In the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/05/these-3-stocks-just-raised-their-dividends.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">previous installment of this series Opens a New Window.</a>, I stated that we were about to enter a fallow post-earnings season period with fewer dividend raises.</p> <p>Whoops. Last week we saw a fresh batch of raises, including three top names in their respective industries -- consumer-goods giant Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL), high-rolling casino operator Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN), and powerhouse chipmaker Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM). Read on for the details.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Saying that Colgate-Palmolive is raising its quarterly dividend is almost like saying the grass is green. The consumer-goods megalith is one of the most regal of the <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-dividend-aristocrat.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Dividend Aristocrats Opens a New Window.</a>, with an annual dividend raise streak that stretches back over 50 years. The latest in a very long line of increases will see the company lift its payout by 5% to $0.42 per share.</p> <p>That's the good news. The bad news is the company's recent performance. In all, 2017 was a relatively weak year. Net sales inched up by only 1.7% to $15.5 billion, while adjusted net profit increased by over 4% to land at $2.5 billion. Cost-cutting and increased advertising spend were two of the key reasons for these fairly modest increases.</p> <p>My colleague Brian Stoffel has speculated that Colgate-Palmolive's long-established <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/07/death-of-big-brands-5-safe-dividend-stocks-that-co.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">dividend might be at risk Opens a New Window.</a> because of changes in technology and the shifting tastes of consumers. I think he's got a good argument there; although the company has sufficient cash flow to keep up those dividend raises for the time being, I'm not 100% sure this is a buy-and-hold-forever income play.</p> <p>Colgate-Palmolive's upcoming distribution is to be handed out on on May 15 to stockholders of record as of April 20. Its payout ratio is 56%, and it would yield 2.4% on the most recent closing stock price -- comfortably above the current 1.8% average yield of dividend-paying stocks on the S&amp;amp;P 500.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>2018 has already been quite a year for Wynn Resorts. The company's top global region is on a serious upswing, yet its founder and namesake, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/16/steve-wynn-is-losing-control-of-wynn-resorts.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Steve Wynn Opens a New Window.</a>, stepped down abruptly, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Nonetheless, Wynn Resorts declared a dividend increase, saying its quarterly distribution would get a hefty 50% increase to $0.75 per share.</p> <p>These days, most of Wynn's take comes from the busy Chinese gaming enclave of Macau. After years of serious revenue declines because of a government crackdown on casino junket operators, the region has come roaring back. Its full-year 2017 take was 19% higher on a year-over-year basis, the first annual increase since 2013.</p> <p>This propelled Wynn's revenue 44% higher to just over $6.3 billion, while adjusted net profit rose by 62% to over $560 million.</p> <p>The loss of Steve Wynn, a towering figure in the industry, is going to sting. But the company is well primed for future growth; Macau should remain a vibrant market, while a new casino near Boston is scheduled to open its doors next year. But Wynn the company has a bright future ahead of it. Barring another government crackdown in Macau, I'd bet that the new dividend will at least be maintained for now.</p> <p>Wynn hasn't yet set the record and payment dates for the new dividend. Regardless, it would yield 1.6% and boast a payout ratio of only 36%.</p> <p>Qualcomm is dialing up a new quarterly dividend. The company has declared that its next payout will be $0.62 per share, a 9% increase.</p> <p>Qualcomm is very profitable, netting $1.5 billion in profit on $6 billion in revenue in its most recently reported quarter. It's a power player in the field of chips for mobile devices, and it draws much of its revenue from technology licensing activities.</p> <p>That's not what has driven up the stock's price over the past few months, however. In late 2017, acquisitive Asian chipmaker Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) made a play to buy out Qualcomm with a mix of cash and stock. This and a subsequent higher bid from Broadcom were rejected, but the soap opera is still playing out.</p> <p>Complicating matters is Qualcomm's own acquisition activity. Apparently, it's about to <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/09/qualcomms-nxp-semiconductors-offer-finally-looks-l.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">land its own large takeover target Opens a New Window.</a>, auto-computing specialist NXP Semiconductors.</p> <p>So there are deals whipsawing back and forth, and we don't yet know how the whole mess is going to settle. As for Qualcomm's internal resources, it has more than enough free cash flow to pay for this raised dividend, plus a round of share buybacks. Still, given that the company's future ownership and structure is up in the air, it's hard to gauge the viability of this new payout. Income investors should exercise caution here.</p> <p>The new $0.62-per-share amount will, in the company's words "be effective for quarterly dividends payable after March 21, 2018." It didn't get more specific. The theoretical yield is 3.9%, while the payout ratio stands at 63%.</p> <p>I like it when my pessimistic assumptions turn out wrong. Last week turned out to be another good one for dividend increases, after all. 2018 has been a great year for lifts so far. Let's hope that trend will last.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than QualcommWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3e956f77-36ad-4c70-a1ad-3cbdff9ea2a5&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Qualcomm wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3e956f77-36ad-4c70-a1ad-3cbdff9ea2a5&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of March 5, 2018</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVolkman/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Eric Volkman Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom Ltd and NXP Semiconductors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=344f25a1-58ba-47e7-adfb-d48ab089d4c2&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

spoke soon previous installment series opens new window stated enter fallow postearnings season period fewer dividend raises whoops last week saw fresh batch raises including three top names respective industries consumergoods giant colgatepalmolive nyse cl highrolling casino operator wynn resorts nasdaq wynn powerhouse chipmaker qualcomm nasdaq qcom read details continue reading saying colgatepalmolive raising quarterly dividend almost like saying grass green consumergoods megalith one regal dividend aristocrats opens new window annual dividend raise streak stretches back 50 years latest long line increases see company lift payout 5 042 per share thats good news bad news companys recent performance 2017 relatively weak year net sales inched 17 155 billion adjusted net profit increased 4 land 25 billion costcutting increased advertising spend two key reasons fairly modest increases colleague brian stoffel speculated colgatepalmolives longestablished dividend might risk opens new window changes technology shifting tastes consumers think hes got good argument although company sufficient cash flow keep dividend raises time im 100 sure buyandholdforever income play colgatepalmolives upcoming distribution handed may 15 stockholders record april 20 payout ratio 56 would yield 24 recent closing stock price comfortably current 18 average yield dividendpaying stocks sampp 500 advertisement 2018 already quite year wynn resorts companys top global region serious upswing yet founder namesake steve wynn opens new window stepped abruptly following allegations sexual misconduct nonetheless wynn resorts declared dividend increase saying quarterly distribution would get hefty 50 increase 075 per share days wynns take comes busy chinese gaming enclave macau years serious revenue declines government crackdown casino junket operators region come roaring back fullyear 2017 take 19 higher yearoveryear basis first annual increase since 2013 propelled wynns revenue 44 higher 63 billion adjusted net profit rose 62 560 million loss steve wynn towering figure industry going sting company well primed future growth macau remain vibrant market new casino near boston scheduled open doors next year wynn company bright future ahead barring another government crackdown macau id bet new dividend least maintained wynn hasnt yet set record payment dates new dividend regardless would yield 16 boast payout ratio 36 qualcomm dialing new quarterly dividend company declared next payout 062 per share 9 increase qualcomm profitable netting 15 billion profit 6 billion revenue recently reported quarter power player field chips mobile devices draws much revenue technology licensing activities thats driven stocks price past months however late 2017 acquisitive asian chipmaker broadcom nasdaq avgo made play buy qualcomm mix cash stock subsequent higher bid broadcom rejected soap opera still playing complicating matters qualcomms acquisition activity apparently land large takeover target opens new window autocomputing specialist nxp semiconductors deals whipsawing back forth dont yet know whole mess going settle qualcomms internal resources enough free cash flow pay raised dividend plus round share buybacks still given companys future ownership structure air hard gauge viability new payout income investors exercise caution new 062pershare amount companys words effective quarterly dividends payable march 21 2018 didnt get specific theoretical yield 39 payout ratio stands 63 like pessimistic assumptions turn wrong last week turned another good one dividend increases 2018 great year lifts far lets hope trend last 10 stocks like better qualcommwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right qualcomm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns march 5 2018 eric volkman opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares qualcomm motley fool recommends broadcom ltd nxp semiconductors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Rapid top- and bottom-line growth, bullet proof balance sheets, and innovation-first management teams make Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), and Celgene Corp.(NASDAQ: CELG) incredibly intriguing stocks to buy in portfolios.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Amazon.com is dominating online retail, yet its sales would need to nearly triple to match bricks-and-mortar giant Wal-Mart Stores, and investments in innovation could help this company become much, much bigger in the coming decade.</p> <p>IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.</p> <p>In the past year, Amazon's sales surged 27% higher to $136 billion, and this year, industry watchers think that Amazon's revenue could jump again to $165 billion.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Driving the company's growth is CEO Jeff Bezos unwavering focus on new products and services that can make Amazon more meaningful to consumers. Thanks to Bezos vision, Amazon Prime has become a leading source for consumer entertainment, and Amazon's devices, including tablets and, more recently, virtual assistants, are providing increasingly more ways for Amazon to cozy up with consumers.</p> <p>As Amazon introduces increasingly more relevent products and solutions to consumers, and it discovers new ways to deliver those solutions more quickly, I believe its bottom-line will soar. Already, we're seeing evidence of this. Net income grew far more quickly than revenue last year, and as higher revenue is leveraged against fixed costs, that trend should continue. I'm not alone in that thinking. Industry watchers believe Amazon's sales will grow more than 20% in both 2017 and 2018, and they forecast EPS growth will double and triple their sales growth projections, respectively.</p> <p>AUTHOR'S CHART.</p> <p>Facebook can't have any more room for growth, can it? After all, you have to try pretty hard to find someone that's unfamiliar with the social media Goliath. Yet, CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks his company's monthly active users can more than double fromabout 2 billion today to 5 billion by 2030.</p> <p>Resting on Facebook's laurels won't help him hit that target, so Zuckerberg's committing big money to expanding Facebook's services into adjacent markets, such as messaging, video, search, and gaming. Zuckerberg's acquisition of Oculus VR, and rumors of forthcoming consumer electronics devices suggest that Facebook plans on riding tailwinds associated with next-generation technology too, including the Internet of Things.</p> <p>While those investments ingrain Facebook more deeply into current user's lives, big picture projects, such as delivering Wi-Fi to far flung regions of the world, introduce Facebook to new, heavily populated markets, like Africa.</p> <p>Funding all of these projects isn't cheap, butFacebook's massive size means it's got the financial firepower necessary. The company's sales surged 57% to $26.9 billion in 2016, and momentum has folks pegging revenue of $37.9 billion in 2017. Net income jumped an eye-popping 177% to $10.2 billion in 2016, and if the company hits sales targets this year, EPS could climb to $5.42 from $3.49 in 2016.</p> <p>Only time will tell if Facebook's user base grows the way Zuckerberg hopes it will, but given his track-record, a massive installed base already, and an increasingly attractive income statement, I'm betting on him, not against him.</p> <p>The biotech industry is notoriously hit and miss, but Celgene's track record has undeniably been dominated by the former. Celgene established itself as a biotech leader when it launched the multiple myeloma drug Revlimid in 2005, and today, Revlimid is one of the world's top selling drugs. It's the market-share leading first- and second-line therapy used in the indication, and research that's expanded its use to more patients translated into $7 billion in sales in 2016.</p> <p>Over the years, Celgene's successfully added not one, but three additional blockbusters to its product portfolio. In 2012, it launched the lung cancer and pancreatic cancer drug Abraxane, in 2013, it launched the third-line multiple myeloma drug Pomalyst, and in 2014, it launched the psoriasis drug Otezla. Last year, sales of those drugs totaled $973 million, $1.3 billion, and $1 billion, respectively.</p> <p>Soon, Celgene may be able to count two more drugs as top-sellers. Earlier this year, management reported results from a clinical trial of ozanimod in multiple sclerosis that were impressive, and the FDA is already reviewing a new leukemia drug -- enasidenib -- that Celgene co-developed with Agios. If ozanimod wins FDA approval next year, its arguably best-in-class safety could propel it to one billion dollars in sales quickly. Meanwhile, a decision on enasineb is expected on Aug. 30, and that means Celgene could add a new source of sales as soon as the third quarter of 2016.</p> <p>Given the company's R&amp;amp;D prowess (and its high-profile collaborations), it's not surprising that management's got high hopes for revenue and profit growth. This year, it's forecasting sales will climb 18% to at least $13 billion in 2016. It also thinks EPS will jump 21% to $7.10. That's impressive growth, but even more impressive is management's outlook for 2020. While regulatory rejections or trial failures could derail its forecast, it's targeting sales of over $21 billion and EPS of over $13 that year. With an outlook like that, it seems smart to be shareholder.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than CelgeneWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=f2949a4f-07fb-44d3-be8d-170ae05d6528&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Celgene wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=f2949a4f-07fb-44d3-be8d-170ae05d6528&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon, Celgene, and Facebook. His clients may have positions in the companies mentioned.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Celgene, and Facebook. 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rapid top bottomline growth bullet proof balance sheets innovationfirst management teams make amazoncom nasdaq amzn facebook nasdaq fb celgene corpnasdaq celg incredibly intriguing stocks buy portfolios continue reading amazoncom dominating online retail yet sales would need nearly triple match bricksandmortar giant walmart stores investments innovation could help company become much much bigger coming decade image source getty images past year amazons sales surged 27 higher 136 billion year industry watchers think amazons revenue could jump 165 billion advertisement driving companys growth ceo jeff bezos unwavering focus new products services make amazon meaningful consumers thanks bezos vision amazon prime become leading source consumer entertainment amazons devices including tablets recently virtual assistants providing increasingly ways amazon cozy consumers amazon introduces increasingly relevent products solutions consumers discovers new ways deliver solutions quickly believe bottomline soar already seeing evidence net income grew far quickly revenue last year higher revenue leveraged fixed costs trend continue im alone thinking industry watchers believe amazons sales grow 20 2017 2018 forecast eps growth double triple sales growth projections respectively authors chart facebook cant room growth try pretty hard find someone thats unfamiliar social media goliath yet ceo mark zuckerberg thinks companys monthly active users double fromabout 2 billion today 5 billion 2030 resting facebooks laurels wont help hit target zuckerbergs committing big money expanding facebooks services adjacent markets messaging video search gaming zuckerbergs acquisition oculus vr rumors forthcoming consumer electronics devices suggest facebook plans riding tailwinds associated nextgeneration technology including internet things investments ingrain facebook deeply current users lives big picture projects delivering wifi far flung regions world introduce facebook new heavily populated markets like africa funding projects isnt cheap butfacebooks massive size means got financial firepower necessary companys sales surged 57 269 billion 2016 momentum folks pegging revenue 379 billion 2017 net income jumped eyepopping 177 102 billion 2016 company hits sales targets year eps could climb 542 349 2016 time tell facebooks user base grows way zuckerberg hopes given trackrecord massive installed base already increasingly attractive income statement im betting biotech industry notoriously hit miss celgenes track record undeniably dominated former celgene established biotech leader launched multiple myeloma drug revlimid 2005 today revlimid one worlds top selling drugs marketshare leading first secondline therapy used indication research thats expanded use patients translated 7 billion sales 2016 years celgenes successfully added one three additional blockbusters product portfolio 2012 launched lung cancer pancreatic cancer drug abraxane 2013 launched thirdline multiple myeloma drug pomalyst 2014 launched psoriasis drug otezla last year sales drugs totaled 973 million 13 billion 1 billion respectively soon celgene may able count two drugs topsellers earlier year management reported results clinical trial ozanimod multiple sclerosis impressive fda already reviewing new leukemia drug enasidenib celgene codeveloped agios ozanimod wins fda approval next year arguably bestinclass safety could propel one billion dollars sales quickly meanwhile decision enasineb expected aug 30 means celgene could add new source sales soon third quarter 2016 given companys rampd prowess highprofile collaborations surprising managements got high hopes revenue profit growth year forecasting sales climb 18 least 13 billion 2016 also thinks eps jump 21 710 thats impressive growth even impressive managements outlook 2020 regulatory rejections trial failures could derail forecast targeting sales 21 billion eps 13 year outlook like seems smart shareholder 10 stocks like better celgenewhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right celgene wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns april 3 2017 todd campbell opens new window owns shares amazon celgene facebook clients may positions companies mentionedthe motley fool owns shares recommends amazon celgene facebook motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Real estate investment trusts, or REITs, did not have a great year in 2016. While there may be some company-specific reasons for individual REITs' performance, for the most part, the decline had nothing to do with the businesses themselves. Instead, the decline was due to the forecast for higher interest rates, which has created some nice opportunities to scoop up high-dividend REITs at a discount. Here are two of my personal favorites that are on my watch list as we head into 2017.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Image Source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM), with a 6.6% dividend yield, is in the business of information storage and management. This includes storage of records and data in its facilities, as well as a document-shredding service that makes up about one-tenth of the company's revenue.</p> <p>One of my favorite things about Iron Mountain is its incredibly diverse and stable tenant base. The company has more than 220,000 customers, including 94% of the Fortune 1000. The company's operations are in 45 countries on six continents around the world.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Furthermore, Iron Mountain's storage facilities (which account for the bulk of its revenue) are an extremely low-maintenance type of property. Not only does the space generate more revenue per square foot than self-storage and industrial real estate, but its ongoing expenses are much less. To put it in perspective, I've written about how low-cost the self-storage business is. The average self-storage operator pays 5% of its net operating income in maintenance expenditures. Iron Mountain pays just 2%. In fact, Iron Mountain's storage facility net operating margin of 81% beats the self-storage average of 68% handily.</p> <p>In addition, while most self-storage tenants are on month-to-month leases, Iron Mountain's leases are in terms of years -- three, on average, for its large tenants, and the average item in storage has been there for 15 years.</p> <p>As far as risk factors go, the company derives nearly 40% of its revenue from services, not storage, and this revenue stream could be vulnerable in tough economic times. And, the company has a slightly higher leverage ratio (debt) than I'd like to see, however Iron Mountain seems to agree, having set in motion plans to decrease its leverage significantly by 2020.</p> <p>I've written many times about healthcare REITs as excellent long-term investments, and there are several that are, but Welltower (NYSE: HCN),with its 5% yield, is still my hands-down favorite of the group. Not only is it the largest player in the space with more geographical diversification than most, but there are a few other reasons to love the company.</p> <p>First, here's why I love healthcare real estate in general. For starters, it's a defensive asset class that should do just fine during recessions. After all, healthcare is one thing people need no matter how the economy is performing. Furthermore, the U.S. population is aging rapidly, with the 65+ age group expected to roughly double by 2050 and older age groups growing even faster. Older people use healthcare more, and spend more (either out of pocket or through insurance) than the rest of the population. The average person in the 65-84 group spends more than double the national average, while those in the 85-and-up group spend nearly five times the average American.</p> <p>Image Source: Welltower.</p> <p>Additionally, the healthcare real estate market is highly fragmented and in the early stages of REIT consolidation. No REIT has a higher market share than Welltower does at 3% of the industry, and less than 15% of all healthcare properties are owned by REITs. For other property types, such as malls and hotels, the figure is closer to 50%. In a nutshell, not only is there a growing market, but there's lots of existing opportunity as well.</p> <p>I like Welltower in particular for its focus on stable, private-pay (as opposed to government reimbursement) assets. In fact, the company recently announced a significant <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/03/welltower-incs-best-moves-in-2016.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">portfolio repositioning Opens a New Window.</a> that will increase the concentration of private-pay assets to 92% and set up the portfolio to take advantage of the higher-spending aging population with a greater concentration of senior housing.</p> <p>Like Iron Mountain, Welltower isn't without risk, and I recently wrote an article on Welltower's risk factors which you can read <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/09/how-risky-is-welltower-inc.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>To be perfectly clear, I'm saying that I would buy these stocks right now as long-term investments only. If you don't have a minimum of five years to hold these stocks, you're probably better off looking elsewhere.</p> <p>As I alluded to in the introduction, REITs can be vulnerable to forces beyond their control, specifically interest rates. Just the thought that interest rates were about to start rising was a big reason for the sector's decline in the second half of 2016, and for these two stocks' poor performance. In fact, both stocks underperformed the S&amp;amp;P 500 significantly over the past six months -- Welltower by about 16% and Iron Mountain by 23%.</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/HCN" type="external">HCN</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>Interest rates are bad for REIT prices, as when rates rise, investors expect higher yields from "riskier" investments (as compared to things like Treasury bonds) such as REITs, which creates selling pressure on share prices. It's entirely possible that these two could go down further in the next few years, and if President-elect Trump is successful in creating the type of economic growth he claims he will and rates spike faster than the market anticipates, that's exactly what I expect.</p> <p>In a nutshell, these two stocks could go up and down significantly over shorter periods of time, but over the long run, these businesses are rock-solid winners. Invest with the long term in mind, and you should be just fine with these high-dividend REITs.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Iron Mountain When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=e0c6bf0f-3aea-4fe9-922e-14a822abd1af&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Iron Mountain wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=e0c6bf0f-3aea-4fe9-922e-14a822abd1af&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/KWMatt82/info.aspx" type="external">Matthew Frankel Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Welltower. The Motley Fool recommends Welltower. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

real estate investment trusts reits great year 2016 may companyspecific reasons individual reits performance part decline nothing businesses instead decline due forecast higher interest rates created nice opportunities scoop highdividend reits discount two personal favorites watch list head 2017 continue reading image source getty images iron mountain nyse irm 66 dividend yield business information storage management includes storage records data facilities well documentshredding service makes onetenth companys revenue one favorite things iron mountain incredibly diverse stable tenant base company 220000 customers including 94 fortune 1000 companys operations 45 countries six continents around world advertisement furthermore iron mountains storage facilities account bulk revenue extremely lowmaintenance type property space generate revenue per square foot selfstorage industrial real estate ongoing expenses much less put perspective ive written lowcost selfstorage business average selfstorage operator pays 5 net operating income maintenance expenditures iron mountain pays 2 fact iron mountains storage facility net operating margin 81 beats selfstorage average 68 handily addition selfstorage tenants monthtomonth leases iron mountains leases terms years three average large tenants average item storage 15 years far risk factors go company derives nearly 40 revenue services storage revenue stream could vulnerable tough economic times company slightly higher leverage ratio debt id like see however iron mountain seems agree set motion plans decrease leverage significantly 2020 ive written many times healthcare reits excellent longterm investments several welltower nyse hcnwith 5 yield still handsdown favorite group largest player space geographical diversification reasons love company first heres love healthcare real estate general starters defensive asset class fine recessions healthcare one thing people need matter economy performing furthermore us population aging rapidly 65 age group expected roughly double 2050 older age groups growing even faster older people use healthcare spend either pocket insurance rest population average person 6584 group spends double national average 85andup group spend nearly five times average american image source welltower additionally healthcare real estate market highly fragmented early stages reit consolidation reit higher market share welltower 3 industry less 15 healthcare properties owned reits property types malls hotels figure closer 50 nutshell growing market theres lots existing opportunity well like welltower particular focus stable privatepay opposed government reimbursement assets fact company recently announced significant portfolio repositioning opens new window increase concentration privatepay assets 92 set portfolio take advantage higherspending aging population greater concentration senior housing like iron mountain welltower isnt without risk recently wrote article welltowers risk factors read opens new window perfectly clear im saying would buy stocks right longterm investments dont minimum five years hold stocks youre probably better looking elsewhere alluded introduction reits vulnerable forces beyond control specifically interest rates thought interest rates start rising big reason sectors decline second half 2016 two stocks poor performance fact stocks underperformed sampp 500 significantly past six months welltower 16 iron mountain 23 hcn data ycharts opens new window interest rates bad reit prices rates rise investors expect higher yields riskier investments compared things like treasury bonds reits creates selling pressure share prices entirely possible two could go next years presidentelect trump successful creating type economic growth claims rates spike faster market anticipates thats exactly expect nutshell two stocks could go significantly shorter periods time long run businesses rocksolid winners invest long term mind fine highdividend reits 10 stocks like better iron mountain investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right iron mountain wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns january 4 2017 matthew frankel opens new window owns shares welltower motley fool recommends welltower motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>On Thursday night, during a Black Lives Matter protest against law enforcement held in Dallas, Texas, five police officers were <a href="" type="internal">murdered</a>. At least seven other officers and two civilians were shot.</p> <p>The situation is fluid, with new information still being learned with regard to motive and details surrounding the massacre. But thus far, here&#8217;s what we know:</p> <p>1. White cops were targeted; one suspect sympathized with Black Lives Matter.</p> <p>In total, 12 police officers were shot, tragically leaving five dead. According to <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12125740/dallas-shooting-police-protests" type="external">Vox</a>, four officers were from the Dallas Police Department with the other officer from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).</p> <p>One suspect, who was eventually killed by police after negotiations broke down, told police officers that he was angry over the two recent police shootings and wanted to kill cops, especially white cops, according to Dallas Police Chief David Brown. The suspect also sympathized with Black Lives Matter and felt "upset" for them.</p> <p>"The suspect said he was upset about Black Lives Matter; he said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers," Brown told reporters.</p> <p>It has also been <a href="file:///C:/Users/Joe/Desktop/It%20appeared%20to%20be%20the%20deadliest%20attack%20on%20law%20enforcement%20in%20the%20U.S.%20since%20the%209/11%20attacks." type="external">reported</a> that at least one suspect yelled "more cops will die" and &#8220;this is the end&#8221; for law enforcement, during the massacre.</p> <p>2. A black power group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, vowing to assassinate more police officers.</p> <p>As James Barrett of the Daily Wire <a href="" type="internal">reported</a>on Friday morning, the "Black Power Political Organization" claimed credit for the slaughter of innocent cops, posting the following message on Facebook following the shooting.</p> <p>#BlackPower! #BlackKnights! Sniper Assassins Take Down Five Police Officers! And More Will Be Assassinated In The Coming Days! Do You Like The Work Of Our Assassins? Get Your Own Sniper Rifle And Join Our Thousands Of Sniper Assassins Worldwide In the Fight Against Oppression!</p> <p>As noted by Barrett, the post has since been removed.</p> <p>According to The Mirror, the same group also posted the message below just days before the police massacre:</p> <p>"Don't worry my people! Justice will be served for Alton Sterling!</p> <p>"We contacted the police chief Carl Dabadie Jr. He already know what will happen to him, his wide Carla Settoon Dabadie, and his two sons, if he don't do what we want.</p> <p>"So continue to support us, and (Black Knights) sniper assassin group."</p> <p>3. Four reported suspects in total.</p> <p>According to <a href="http://whotv.com/2016/07/08/police-suspect-that-killed-5-dallas-officers-died-from-bomb-detonated-by-authorities/" type="external">WhoTV</a>, &#8220;Authorities say three people are in custody and one suspect is dead.&#8221;</p> <p>4. This was a coordinated attack; shooters were sniping police officers.</p> <p>As reported by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/08/like-a-little-war-snipers-shoot-11-police-officers-during-dallas-protest-march-killing-five/" type="external">The Washington Post</a>:</p> <p>Dallas Police Chief David Brown...believes the four suspects worked together with rifles, &#8220;triangulated at elevated positions at difference places in the downtown area&#8221; to attack police officers.</p> <p>The suspect in the El Centro garage said &#8220;there are bombs all over this place, in the garage and downtown,&#8221; according to Brown. FBI and ATV are on scene, canvassing for explosives.</p> <p>5. A suspicious package was found by law enforcement officers.</p> <p>"A suspicious package was found, and is being examined by the Dallas Police bomb squad," notes The Washington Post.</p> <p>&#8220;We are being very careful with our tactics, so we don&#8217;t injure or put any of our citizen&#8217;s in harm&#8217;s way,&#8221; said Chief Brown.</p> <p>6. No suspects committed suicide.</p> <p>It was <a href="" type="internal">reported</a>that one suspect committed suicide after carrying out the attack, this is inaccurate. According to Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown, that suspect was taken out by police officers and did not commit suicide.</p> <p>&#8220;We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was. Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger. The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb,&#8221; <a href="http://whotv.com/2016/07/08/police-suspect-that-killed-5-dallas-officers-died-from-bomb-detonated-by-authorities/" type="external">said</a> Brown.</p> <p>7. Dallas issued to be on lockdown Friday morning; the threat is not completely neutralized.</p> <p>The city of Dallas was issued to be lockdown Friday morning; Police Chief Brown said that cannot say for certain that the threat has been completely neutralized.</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash" type="external">#BREAKING</a>: Downtown <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dallas?src=hash" type="external">#Dallas</a> is in lockdown.</p> <p>Per Brown, other people affiliated with the attack may still be at large.</p> <p>Police Chief Brown: We will find you, prosecuted you and bring you to justice (to any potential additional suspects at large) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dallas?src=hash" type="external">#Dallas</a></p> <p>8. Cops were ambushed, murdered executions-style and shot at point-black range.</p> <p>As <a href="" type="internal">reported</a>by the Daily Wire on Friday morning, horrific video surfaced showing a cop being gunned down from behind at point-blank range.</p> <p>(Warning: Video contains graphic content)</p> <p>GRAPHIC VIDEO.. What appears to be suspect shooting at police <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DallasPoliceShooting?src=hash" type="external">#DallasPoliceShooting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/breaking?src=hash" type="external">#breaking</a> <a href="https://t.co/yiCbR92O02" type="external">pic.twitter.com/yiCbR92O02</a></p> <p>Other cops were reportedly ambushed and murdered execution-style.</p> <p>9. One of the murdered officers has been identified.</p> <p>&#8220;The deceased DART officer has been officially identified as Officer Brent Thompson, age 43, who joined DART in 2009. He is the first DART officer to have been killed in the line of duty, according to DART,&#8221; <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12125740/dallas-shooting-police-protests" type="external">reports</a> Vox.</p> <p>10. Early on, media outlets named a man as a suspect who now has been cleared of wrong doing.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/08/during-deadly-dallas-shooting-confusion-swirled-around-armed-man-carrying-a-rifle/" type="external">The Washington Post</a>, a man by the name of Mark Hughes was identified by the Dallas Police Department as a possible suspect. The man has since been cleared of any wrongdoing.</p> <p>Organizer of protest says the man police call a suspect is his brother and says his brother didn't shoot anyone. <a href="https://t.co/NJ5eFLrD7X" type="external">pic.twitter.com/NJ5eFLrD7X</a></p> <p>11. This is the <a href="file:///C:/Users/Joe/Desktop/It%20appeared%20to%20be%20the%20deadliest%20attack%20on%20law%20enforcement%20in%20the%20U.S.%20since%20the%209/11%20attacks." type="external">deadliest attack</a> on American law enforcement since 9/11.</p> <p>Below is a video provided by an eye-witness attending the protest against law enforcement. As seen, utter chaos ensues when gun shots are initially heard.</p> <p>On Friday morning, just hours after rebuking American law enforcement, President Obama condemned the attack on police as "vicious, despicable and calculated." <a href="" type="internal">Click here</a> to view his remarks.</p>

thursday night black lives matter protest law enforcement held dallas texas five police officers murdered least seven officers two civilians shot situation fluid new information still learned regard motive details surrounding massacre thus far heres know 1 white cops targeted one suspect sympathized black lives matter total 12 police officers shot tragically leaving five dead according vox four officers dallas police department officer dallas area rapid transit dart one suspect eventually killed police negotiations broke told police officers angry two recent police shootings wanted kill cops especially white cops according dallas police chief david brown suspect also sympathized black lives matter felt upset suspect said upset black lives matter said upset recent police shootings suspect said upset white people suspect stated wanted kill white people especially white officers brown told reporters also reported least one suspect yelled cops die end law enforcement massacre 2 black power group claimed responsibility deadly attack vowing assassinate police officers james barrett daily wire reportedon friday morning black power political organization claimed credit slaughter innocent cops posting following message facebook following shooting blackpower blackknights sniper assassins take five police officers assassinated coming days like work assassins get sniper rifle join thousands sniper assassins worldwide fight oppression noted barrett post since removed according mirror group also posted message days police massacre dont worry people justice served alton sterling contacted police chief carl dabadie jr already know happen wide carla settoon dabadie two sons dont want continue support us black knights sniper assassin group 3 four reported suspects total according whotv authorities say three people custody one suspect dead 4 coordinated attack shooters sniping police officers reported washington post dallas police chief david brownbelieves four suspects worked together rifles triangulated elevated positions difference places downtown area attack police officers suspect el centro garage said bombs place garage downtown according brown fbi atv scene canvassing explosives 5 suspicious package found law enforcement officers suspicious package found examined dallas police bomb squad notes washington post careful tactics dont injure put citizens harms way said chief brown 6 suspects committed suicide reportedthat one suspect committed suicide carrying attack inaccurate according dallas police chief david brown suspect taken police officers commit suicide saw option use bomb robot place device extension detonate suspect options would exposed officers grave danger suspect deceased result detonating bomb said brown 7 dallas issued lockdown friday morning threat completely neutralized city dallas issued lockdown friday morning police chief brown said say certain threat completely neutralized breaking downtown dallas lockdown per brown people affiliated attack may still large police chief brown find prosecuted bring justice potential additional suspects large dallas 8 cops ambushed murdered executionsstyle shot pointblack range reportedby daily wire friday morning horrific video surfaced showing cop gunned behind pointblank range warning video contains graphic content graphic video appears suspect shooting police dallaspoliceshooting breaking pictwittercomyicbr92o02 cops reportedly ambushed murdered executionstyle 9 one murdered officers identified deceased dart officer officially identified officer brent thompson age 43 joined dart 2009 first dart officer killed line duty according dart reports vox 10 early media outlets named man suspect cleared wrong according washington post man name mark hughes identified dallas police department possible suspect man since cleared wrongdoing organizer protest says man police call suspect brother says brother didnt shoot anyone pictwittercomnj5eflrd7x 11 deadliest attack american law enforcement since 911 video provided eyewitness attending protest law enforcement seen utter chaos ensues gun shots initially heard friday morning hours rebuking american law enforcement president obama condemned attack police vicious despicable calculated click view remarks

<p>Any sense of optimism surrounding Twitter's (NYSE: TWTR) <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/22/investors-should-love-twitters-nba-streaming-deal.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recent momentum Opens a New Window.</a> was sapped earlier this week.</p> <p>As you can infer, Twitter's second-quarter 2016 earnings results disappointed investors, triggering the customary earnings-fueled sell-off in its shares, adding to what has already proven a trying year for CEO Jack Dorsey and company. To make matters worse, Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) shares continue to soar on the strength of its increasingly ironclad grip on the social-media marketing world.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/TWTR" type="external">TWTR</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>So are things over for good at Twitter? Let's take a look.</p> <p>In dissecting any company's earnings report, an investor should look forthe source of the market's joy or consternation. With Twitter, the cause of its consternation quickly jumps out: weaker-than-expected guidance.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As part of its earnings release, Twitter stated it expected third-quarter sales to range between $590 million and $610 million, which, at the midpoint of its guidance, translates to an increase of just 5.4% versus last year's third quarter. That's an ugly number any way you slice it, and one that justifiably spooked investors. For some extra context, prior to the report the average analyst estimate called for Twitter's Q3 sales to total $678 million,so the company considerably missed those expectations.</p> <p>In actual Q2 performance, Twitter also came up well short of consensus expectations. The company lost $0.15 per share on sales of $602 million, while Wall Street called for earnings per share of $0.10 from $607 million in revenue.</p> <p>Image source: Twitter.</p> <p>Perhaps most importantly, Twitter added three million users during the quarter, bringing its total count of monthly active users (MAUs) to 313 million. This 1% sequential user growth is rather anemic -- particularly with the pretense that Twitter remains a growth stock, a tenuous claim at this point. This paltry user growth has called its product strategy into sharper focus: It is imperative that Twitter continues to court new users, in order to strengthen its network and expand its financial footprint.</p> <p>In recent weeks, Twitter inked a number of <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/17/is-live-streaming-twitters-ticket-to-growth.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">live-streaming deals Opens a New Window.</a>, mostly centered around major sports leagues, to air games and some exclusive content over the service. Though certainly no given, the assumption is that combining Twitter's forum for live discussions with footage of popular events will broaden the appeal of the service to new users.</p> <p>Conceptually, this seems to hold water. As a relatively tech-savvy consumer, I'm certainly open to the idea of tuning into an NBA or NFL game over Twitter to catch the game and the discussion surrounding it. That's what a lot of users do already, just via two separate screens. Of course, Twitter will need to nail the user experience in order to attract users, but the strategy itself seems plausible enough.</p> <p>At the same time, Twitter's current suite of deals will more likely serve as case studies on the efficacy of augmenting live programming with Twitter's platform. To truly achieve its desired result, Twitter will need to secure much more live programming catering to audiences outside of sports fans.</p> <p>However, it also bears noting that Twitter isn't the only social network targeting live programming. Facebook has repeatedly signaled it sees live content as perhaps its most important strategic priority. In fact, Facebook went so far as to alter its Newsfeed algorithm to give live video broadcasts outsized priority when determining content rankings.</p> <p>Thus far, Facebook hasn't moved headlong into live cable-grade broadcasts, and that might be by design. After its earnings blowout, though, Facebook is undoubtedly the stronger of the two social networks. However, Facebook's strength is more tilted toward social networking among friends, family and peers, while Twitter seems the more optimal place to view and participate in a public discussion.</p> <p>Either way, it will be fascinating to see: Can Twitter continue to utilize its place as digital town square? Or will it fail to grow beyond its current footprint, likely to its shareholders' dismay?</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2668&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTheDude/info.aspx" type="external">Andrew Tonner Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Facebook and Twitter. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

sense optimism surrounding twitters nyse twtr recent momentum opens new window sapped earlier week infer twitters secondquarter 2016 earnings results disappointed investors triggering customary earningsfueled selloff shares adding already proven trying year ceo jack dorsey company make matters worse facebooks nasdaq fb shares continue soar strength increasingly ironclad grip socialmedia marketing world continue reading twtr data ycharts opens new window things good twitter lets take look dissecting companys earnings report investor look forthe source markets joy consternation twitter cause consternation quickly jumps weakerthanexpected guidance advertisement part earnings release twitter stated expected thirdquarter sales range 590 million 610 million midpoint guidance translates increase 54 versus last years third quarter thats ugly number way slice one justifiably spooked investors extra context prior report average analyst estimate called twitters q3 sales total 678 millionso company considerably missed expectations actual q2 performance twitter also came well short consensus expectations company lost 015 per share sales 602 million wall street called earnings per share 010 607 million revenue image source twitter perhaps importantly twitter added three million users quarter bringing total count monthly active users maus 313 million 1 sequential user growth rather anemic particularly pretense twitter remains growth stock tenuous claim point paltry user growth called product strategy sharper focus imperative twitter continues court new users order strengthen network expand financial footprint recent weeks twitter inked number livestreaming deals opens new window mostly centered around major sports leagues air games exclusive content service though certainly given assumption combining twitters forum live discussions footage popular events broaden appeal service new users conceptually seems hold water relatively techsavvy consumer im certainly open idea tuning nba nfl game twitter catch game discussion surrounding thats lot users already via two separate screens course twitter need nail user experience order attract users strategy seems plausible enough time twitters current suite deals likely serve case studies efficacy augmenting live programming twitters platform truly achieve desired result twitter need secure much live programming catering audiences outside sports fans however also bears noting twitter isnt social network targeting live programming facebook repeatedly signaled sees live content perhaps important strategic priority fact facebook went far alter newsfeed algorithm give live video broadcasts outsized priority determining content rankings thus far facebook hasnt moved headlong live cablegrade broadcasts might design earnings blowout though facebook undoubtedly stronger two social networks however facebooks strength tilted toward social networking among friends family peers twitter seems optimal place view participate public discussion either way fascinating see twitter continue utilize place digital town square fail grow beyond current footprint likely shareholders dismay secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window andrew tonner opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends facebook twitter try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>At 4.1%, Philip Morris International's dividend is quite tempting. But much like its cigarettes, it may not be what's best for you. That's because when you invest in Philip Morris, or any cigarette stock for that matter, you're investing against a major trend: the decline in smoking rates in many areas of the world. The impact of this can be seen in Philip Morris' cigarette sales volumes, which have <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/11/2-stocks-id-never-touch.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">declined in each of the past three years Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>In my experience as an analyst and <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/07/05/how-tier-1-crushed-the-market-and-you-can-too.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">market-beating portfolio manager Opens a New Window.</a>, I find it's much easier -- and profitable -- to invest in businesses that are positioned to benefit from powerful long-term trends. In this regard, Philip Morris investors may wish to consider swapping their shares for those of Starbucks .</p> <p>Image source: Starbucks.</p> <p>At 1.4%, Starbucks' dividend is currently significantly lower than that of Philip Morris. Yet unlike the cigarette maker, Starbucks -- and its shareholders -- are profiting from two major growth trends. The first is a multi-decade increase in coffee consumption around the world.</p> <p>Image source: International Coffee Organization.</p> <p>In fact, global demand for coffee is likely to rise nearly 25% from 2015's levels by 2020, according to the International Coffee Organization. Developing nations are leading the charge, as coffee drinking is becoming <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/20/can-china-still-fuel-starbucks-growth-ambitions.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">increasingly popular Opens a New Window.</a> in massive, but still largely untapped, markets such as China and India.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Starbucks is moving quickly to capitalize on this profit opportunity. The coffee king plans to open 500 cafes annually in China over the next five years. During Starbucks' 2016 shareholder meeting, CEO Howard Schultz went so far as to say: "I wouldn't be surprised if one day our business in China is bigger than the U.S. market. It's that big an opportunity."</p> <p>But it's not only coffee that will drive Starbucks' growth in the years and decades ahead; the company is also well positioned to benefit from the rising popularity of tea. Starbucks is rolling out its Teavana line of beverages in India this year -- a massive market that management believes holds tremendous potential for growth. "Starbucks will have a major business in India and the number of stores here will rival many of the large markets we have around the world," said Schultz.</p> <p>Yet another intriguing market for tea can be found right here in the United States. The U.S. market for tea has grown exponentially over the last 25 years -- from less than $2 billion in 1990 to an estimated $11.5 billion in 2015, according tothe U.S. Tea Association.Even better, plenty of growth still lies ahead, with total retail sales for tea expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5% to6% over the next five years, as per the Beverage Marketing Corporation.</p> <p>Within the past year, Starbucks has sold more than $1 billion of Teavana beverages in the U.S., representing year-over-year growth of 11%. To capture more of this fast-growing market, Starbucks just recently announced <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/04/instant-analysis-starbucks-and-anheuser-busch-to-t.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">a new partnership Opens a New Window.</a> with Anheuser-Busch InBev to launch the first Teavana ready-to-drink teas in the United States. The deal will give Starbucks access to Anheuser-Busch's massive wholesaler network, and Anheuser-Busch will lead the production, bottling, and distribution of Teavana RTD beverages to retailers nationwide. As such, this deal has the potential to significantly increase Starbucks' and Anheuser-Busch's share of the U.S. premium RTD tea category -- a market that already exceeds $1 billion in annual sales.</p> <p>All told, Starbucks gives its shareholders many ways to win. With the long-term growth of both coffee and tea consumption set to propel its revenue and earnings higher in the decade ahead -- and with a payout ratio of only around 40% -- Starbucks is well positioned to grow its dividend at a rate of 10% to 15% annually for the foreseeable future. Contrast that with Philip Morris, whose declining sales and profits -- and sky high payout ratio of more than 95% -- could make it difficult for the company to maintain its dividend, much less raise it in the coming years. As such, Starbucks appears poised to significantly outperform Philip Morris on a total return basis (share price appreciation plus dividends) in the years ahead. Investors in the cigarette titan may wish to consider swapping their shares for those of the coffee king.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/08/forget-philip-morris-international-inc-this-divide.aspx" type="external">Forget Philip Morris International Inc: This Dividend Stock Is a Better Buy Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGuardian/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Joe Tenebruso Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

41 philip morris internationals dividend quite tempting much like cigarettes may whats best thats invest philip morris cigarette stock matter youre investing major trend decline smoking rates many areas world impact seen philip morris cigarette sales volumes declined past three years opens new window continue reading experience analyst marketbeating portfolio manager opens new window find much easier profitable invest businesses positioned benefit powerful longterm trends regard philip morris investors may wish consider swapping shares starbucks image source starbucks 14 starbucks dividend currently significantly lower philip morris yet unlike cigarette maker starbucks shareholders profiting two major growth trends first multidecade increase coffee consumption around world image source international coffee organization fact global demand coffee likely rise nearly 25 2015s levels 2020 according international coffee organization developing nations leading charge coffee drinking becoming increasingly popular opens new window massive still largely untapped markets china india advertisement starbucks moving quickly capitalize profit opportunity coffee king plans open 500 cafes annually china next five years starbucks 2016 shareholder meeting ceo howard schultz went far say wouldnt surprised one day business china bigger us market big opportunity coffee drive starbucks growth years decades ahead company also well positioned benefit rising popularity tea starbucks rolling teavana line beverages india year massive market management believes holds tremendous potential growth starbucks major business india number stores rival many large markets around world said schultz yet another intriguing market tea found right united states us market tea grown exponentially last 25 years less 2 billion 1990 estimated 115 billion 2015 according tothe us tea associationeven better plenty growth still lies ahead total retail sales tea expected grow compounded annual growth rate 5 to6 next five years per beverage marketing corporation within past year starbucks sold 1 billion teavana beverages us representing yearoveryear growth 11 capture fastgrowing market starbucks recently announced new partnership opens new window anheuserbusch inbev launch first teavana readytodrink teas united states deal give starbucks access anheuserbuschs massive wholesaler network anheuserbusch lead production bottling distribution teavana rtd beverages retailers nationwide deal potential significantly increase starbucks anheuserbuschs share us premium rtd tea category market already exceeds 1 billion annual sales told starbucks gives shareholders many ways win longterm growth coffee tea consumption set propel revenue earnings higher decade ahead payout ratio around 40 starbucks well positioned grow dividend rate 10 15 annually foreseeable future contrast philip morris whose declining sales profits sky high payout ratio 95 could make difficult company maintain dividend much less raise coming years starbucks appears poised significantly outperform philip morris total return basis share price appreciation plus dividends years ahead investors cigarette titan may wish consider swapping shares coffee king article forget philip morris international inc dividend stock better buy opens new window originally appeared foolcom joe tenebruso opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends starbucks motley fool recommends anheuserbusch inbev nv try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Legendary investor Warren Buffett told us to "be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful."</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Well, there's plenty of fear to go around in the energy industry these days, from persistently low oil prices to geopolitical concerns. And the stock prices of big oil companies have taken big hits. Is it time for smart investors to start getting greedy and buy? Let's check on beaten-down big oil stocksExxonMobil(NYSE: XOM),BP(NYSE: BP), andRoyal Dutch Shell(NYSE: RDS-A) (NYSE: RDS-B) to see which -- if any -- look like bargains right now.</p> <p>It's been stormy weather for big oil stocks in recent years. Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Despite some pretty solid fundamentals, industry behemoth ExxonMobil has taken its lumps along with the rest of the integrated majors since the current weak oil market began in 2014:</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM" type="external">XOM</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Starting in 2016, the stock began to show some life, before sinking lower again this year. This despite Exxon's status asthe only integrated major with positive free cash flow and its best-in-class credit ratings of Aaa fromMoody'sand AA+ fromStandard &amp;amp; Poor's.The company's return metrics, like return on equity and return on capital employed, are among the industry's highest, a sign of good management.</p> <p>So, Exxon may be strong, but is it a "bargain?" Traditional earnings ratios are of limited help here, because sector earnings have fallen to a degree that such metrics -- like the PE ratio -- look sky-high across the industry, or are unavailable because a company's earnings are in negative territory.</p> <p>A good proxy metric, though, is dividend yield, which gives us a sense of how cheap the stock is relative to its dividend. And ExxonMobil's dividend payout hasn't been cut during the recent slump, which would drastically alter the yield.</p> <p>In fact, as you can see from the chart below, ExxonMobil's current yield of about 3.7% is near the high end of its 10-year range, indicating that the stock may indeed be in bargain territory right now:</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM/dividend_yield" type="external">XOM Dividend Yield (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p> <p>Like Exxon, BP's dividend yield is also at the high end of its range, although in 2010, the company slashed its then-record-high dividend back in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizons oil spill. At nearly 7%, BP's yield is nearly twice that of ExxonMobil's. But that doesn't necessarily mean BP's stock is twice as cheap.</p> <p>You see, BP has a problem Exxon doesn't: It can't seem to get its breakeven point low enough. The breakeven point for an oil company is the oil price point above which the company earns a profit. Some big oil companies have gotten their breakeven points down to $50/barrel,and luckily for them, oil prices have been hovering just north of that level so far this year.</p> <p>But BP has announced its breakeven point will rise to $60/barrel this year, which means it isn't profitable at today's oil prices (or at the oil prices of the last two years).After a public backlash, BP CEO Bob Dudley reassured investors that the breakeven price would drop to $35/barrel-$40/barrel by 2021.That's a long time to wait, though, even with a 7% dividend in return for your patience. As a result, BP isn't looking like as much of a bargain as Exxon at the moment.</p> <p>Royal Dutch Shell's breakeven price is far lower than BP's. In fact, many of the company's newer deepwater oil projects -- including those in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil -- are below $40/barrel. While Shell's CEO Ben Van Beurden hasn't given a specific breakeven price, some industry analysts put it and Exxon's at about $50/barrel.</p> <p>However, Royal Dutch Shell combines Exxon's breakeven price with a best-in-class dividend yield of about 7.4%. That dividend is also near a record high, indicating that Shell, too, may currently be in bargain territory.</p> <p>There's another question mark when it comes to evaluating Shell. The companyis <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/28/how-safe-is-royal-dutch-shell-plc-and-its-dividend.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">wrapping up the integration Opens a New Window.</a> of its recent major purchase, gas giant BG Group. While this gives the company additional exposure to the booming liquefied natural gas market -- for which global demand is expected to increase by 4% to 5% per year through 2030 -- it will also force Shell to sell off more than $30 billion in assets by 2018.Like Shell's breakeven point, those assets haven't been identified. They'll probably be some of the company's less profitable assets, but nobody knows for sure.</p> <p>All of this makes Shell a probable bargain at its current prices, but it's not a stock without risk.</p> <p>Indeed, where the price of oil goes over the next decade is going to be one of the biggest determinants of the success -- or failure -- of these and other big oil companies. And nobody knows where that price is heading. If per-barrel oil prices collapse, say, below $30, nobody is going to think these stocks are bargains at today's prices. On the other hand, if oil prices jump to $75/barrel, people who jumped into these stocks now will be hailed as geniuses for getting in when they did.</p> <p>That said, ExxonMobil is looking like one of the best big oil bargains right now, with Shell probably a bargain as well. BP might be a bargain if it can get its breakeven point under control, but the other two are probably better bets for the time being.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than ExxonMobilWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=a7a044d3-346d-40b4-b7c7-27601f79b515&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now...and ExxonMobil wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=a7a044d3-346d-40b4-b7c7-27601f79b515&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/Truth2Power/info.aspx" type="external">John Bromels Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of BP. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool recommends Chevron and Total. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

legendary investor warren buffett told us fearful others greedy greedy others fearful continue reading well theres plenty fear go around energy industry days persistently low oil prices geopolitical concerns stock prices big oil companies taken big hits time smart investors start getting greedy buy lets check beatendown big oil stocksexxonmobilnyse xombpnyse bp androyal dutch shellnyse rdsa nyse rdsb see look like bargains right stormy weather big oil stocks recent years image source getty images despite pretty solid fundamentals industry behemoth exxonmobil taken lumps along rest integrated majors since current weak oil market began 2014 advertisement xom data ycharts opens new window starting 2016 stock began show life sinking lower year despite exxons status asthe integrated major positive free cash flow bestinclass credit ratings aaa frommoodysand aa fromstandard amp poorsthe companys return metrics like return equity return capital employed among industrys highest sign good management exxon may strong bargain traditional earnings ratios limited help sector earnings fallen degree metrics like pe ratio look skyhigh across industry unavailable companys earnings negative territory good proxy metric though dividend yield gives us sense cheap stock relative dividend exxonmobils dividend payout hasnt cut recent slump would drastically alter yield fact see chart exxonmobils current yield 37 near high end 10year range indicating stock may indeed bargain territory right xom dividend yield ttm data ycharts like exxon bps dividend yield also high end range although 2010 company slashed thenrecordhigh dividend back aftermath deepwater horizons oil spill nearly 7 bps yield nearly twice exxonmobils doesnt necessarily mean bps stock twice cheap see bp problem exxon doesnt cant seem get breakeven point low enough breakeven point oil company oil price point company earns profit big oil companies gotten breakeven points 50barreland luckily oil prices hovering north level far year bp announced breakeven point rise 60barrel year means isnt profitable todays oil prices oil prices last two yearsafter public backlash bp ceo bob dudley reassured investors breakeven price would drop 35barrel40barrel 2021thats long time wait though even 7 dividend return patience result bp isnt looking like much bargain exxon moment royal dutch shells breakeven price far lower bps fact many companys newer deepwater oil projects including gulf mexico brazil 40barrel shells ceo ben van beurden hasnt given specific breakeven price industry analysts put exxons 50barrel however royal dutch shell combines exxons breakeven price bestinclass dividend yield 74 dividend also near record high indicating shell may currently bargain territory theres another question mark comes evaluating shell companyis wrapping integration opens new window recent major purchase gas giant bg group gives company additional exposure booming liquefied natural gas market global demand expected increase 4 5 per year 2030 also force shell sell 30 billion assets 2018like shells breakeven point assets havent identified theyll probably companys less profitable assets nobody knows sure makes shell probable bargain current prices stock without risk indeed price oil goes next decade going one biggest determinants success failure big oil companies nobody knows price heading perbarrel oil prices collapse say 30 nobody going think stocks bargains todays prices hand oil prices jump 75barrel people jumped stocks hailed geniuses getting said exxonmobil looking like one best big oil bargains right shell probably bargain well bp might bargain get breakeven point control two probably better bets time 10 stocks like better exxonmobilwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right nowand exxonmobil wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns april 3 2017 john bromels opens new window owns shares bp motley fool owns shares exxonmobil motley fool recommends chevron total motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Recently, I wrote about <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2014/09/29/networking-strategies-can-help-you-overcome-fear/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">networking strategies that can help advance your career Opens a New Window.</a>, and that got me to wondering what a "typical" career looks like these days. How have careers been affected by the Great Recession? Are people able to stay in a job and retire if they love it, or is the job market more chaotic than that? And what does it say about you either way? For instance, are there certain features of someone's resume that might identify them as a baby boomer, Gen X, or millennial? Could that even pose an advantage or disadvantage for them?</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Lifetime Careers and Pensions Have Gone the Way of the Dodo</p> <p>People often fall prey to the "rosy retrospection" bias or fallacy, where they have a tendency to remember the past as being better than it actually was. So while your parents' or grandparents' generation would likely have said differently at the time, if you ask folks today about those past decades, they would tell you that it was a stable time when it wasn't too hard to stay with one employer for all or the majority of their careers and retire with a fat pension.</p> <p>Whether or not that was actually people's lived experience, it is generally acknowledged that the <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2012/06/07/the-retirement-outlook-for-20-somethings/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">retirement outlook for 20-somethings Opens a New Window.</a> today is quite different. It is expected now that individuals will hold numerous jobs throughout their lifetimes. In fact, people may have not only different jobs, but different careers over the course of their working years.</p> <p>Note: I'm defining "job" here as a particular position with a particular company and "career" as a job or series of jobs in the same industry or job-type. Using this definition, someone who went from being a bank teller to a similar position at another bank would be staying on one career path. Someone who went from being a bank teller to being a real estate agent would be switching not only jobs, but careers. A bank teller who was promoted to a position where s/he supervised all the tellers at a particular branch would also be switching careers, even if s/he remained at the same company. It's imprecise; but in the absence of rigid definitions, it's the best I can do.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>So if 50 years and a gold watch aren't the standard anymore, with what have they been replaced? To try and understand that, I turned to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to their website, "the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy."</p> <p>Tenure is Trending Up</p> <p>When it comes to the number of jobs held throughout a working lifetime, the data are fuzzy. The BLS admits that "To determine the number of jobs in a lifetime, one would need data from a longitudinal survey that tracks the same respondents over their entire working lives. So far, no longitudinal survey has ever tracked respondents for that long." However, they have assembled some data on baby boomers and, according to their study, "younger baby boomers held an average of 11.3 jobs from ages 18 to 46."</p> <p>This means that over a 28-year period, this group switched jobs, on average, every two and a half years. The BLS estimates that tenure (the length of time a worker stays with one employer) has been trending up over the past decade. They attribute some of this trend to the aging of the workforce because tenure tends to increase with age -- that is, younger employees switch jobs more frequently than older employees do.</p> <p>Obviously, tenure also tends to vary by industry, and I think most of us would argue that the Great Recession has led to longer tenure. The people that were lucky enough to get or keep their jobs when the economy tanked seem to have been a little gun-shy and may be reluctant to leave their current positions. <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2013/09/18/changing-careers-the-grass-isnt-always-greener?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">When you are changing careers, the grass isn't always greener Opens a New Window.</a>, after all. However, I'm wondering what message of tenure length sends to potential future employers.</p> <p>When Is Tenure Length a Resume Boost and When Does It Count Against You?</p> <p>There are a number of ways to view someone's tenure length, whether it be longer or shorter than average. For example, if someone has a long tenure length (say, five years or more), a potential employer might assume the following about that individual:</p> <p>On the other hand, the following assumptions could be made about someone with a "short" tenure length (say, two years or less):</p> <p>What pros and cons do you associate with a tenure length that is longer or shorter than average? What industries do you think might have a shorter or longer average tenure, and why? And, more importantly, how can you take this knowledge into consideration when it comes to <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/10/31/career-moves-how-to-win-the-office-politics-game-part-two/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">playing the office politics game Opens a New Window.</a> and making decisions that impact your own career and ability to gain employment?</p> <p>Strategizing Your Tenure Length</p> <p>On the one hand, using tenure length as the sole barometer for deciding whether or not to get a new job is silly; however, depending on your industry, it may be an important factor to consider. The longer you stay in the same job, the harder it may be to successfully <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/10/04/how-to-ask-for-a-raise-in-a-bad-job-market/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">ask for a raise Opens a New Window.</a>. If your job description isn't changing, how can you demonstrate that the value you provide to the company is increasing? Not all employers provide cost of living adjustments (COLA) and, even if they do, their effect on your compensation is only intended to adjust your salary for inflation. It is not a merit increase. You may be able to <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2013/03/17/negotiating-for-perks-when-raises-are-off-the-table/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">negotiate for perks if a raise is off the table Opens a New Window.</a>, but even that may only get you so far for so long.</p> <p>And I would argue further that job searching can be divided into offensive and defensive categories. Someone on the offensive might be seeking greater responsibility and compensation (i.e., they're ambitious). Someone on the defensive might know their current job is in jeopardy or demonstrate some of the <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2013/08/28/4-signs-youre-over-your-job-5-things-you-can-do-about-it/?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">four signs you're over your job Opens a New Window.</a> and need to do something about it. However, I would also argue that potential employers will respond better to an applicant they perceive as being on the offensive and that job seekers may want to present themselves accordingly.</p> <p>What is your average tenure length, and what factors contributed to your tenure? Are you an offensive or defensive job seeker?</p> <p>The original article can be found at GetRichSlowly.org: <a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/what-does-your-job-tenure-say-about-you.html?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-190902510" type="external">What Does Your Job Tenure Say About You? Opens a New Window.</a></p>

recently wrote networking strategies help advance career opens new window got wondering typical career looks like days careers affected great recession people able stay job retire love job market chaotic say either way instance certain features someones resume might identify baby boomer gen x millennial could even pose advantage disadvantage continue reading lifetime careers pensions gone way dodo people often fall prey rosy retrospection bias fallacy tendency remember past better actually parents grandparents generation would likely said differently time ask folks today past decades would tell stable time wasnt hard stay one employer majority careers retire fat pension whether actually peoples lived experience generally acknowledged retirement outlook 20somethings opens new window today quite different expected individuals hold numerous jobs throughout lifetimes fact people may different jobs different careers course working years note im defining job particular position particular company career job series jobs industry jobtype using definition someone went bank teller similar position another bank would staying one career path someone went bank teller real estate agent would switching jobs careers bank teller promoted position supervised tellers particular branch would also switching careers even remained company imprecise absence rigid definitions best advertisement 50 years gold watch arent standard anymore replaced try understand turned bureau labor statistics bls according website bureau labor statistics us department labor principal federal agency responsible measuring labor market activity working conditions price changes economy tenure trending comes number jobs held throughout working lifetime data fuzzy bls admits determine number jobs lifetime one would need data longitudinal survey tracks respondents entire working lives far longitudinal survey ever tracked respondents long however assembled data baby boomers according study younger baby boomers held average 113 jobs ages 18 46 means 28year period group switched jobs average every two half years bls estimates tenure length time worker stays one employer trending past decade attribute trend aging workforce tenure tends increase age younger employees switch jobs frequently older employees obviously tenure also tends vary industry think us would argue great recession led longer tenure people lucky enough get keep jobs economy tanked seem little gunshy may reluctant leave current positions changing careers grass isnt always greener opens new window however im wondering message tenure length sends potential future employers tenure length resume boost count number ways view someones tenure length whether longer shorter average example someone long tenure length say five years potential employer might assume following individual hand following assumptions could made someone short tenure length say two years less pros cons associate tenure length longer shorter average industries think might shorter longer average tenure importantly take knowledge consideration comes playing office politics game opens new window making decisions impact career ability gain employment strategizing tenure length one hand using tenure length sole barometer deciding whether get new job silly however depending industry may important factor consider longer stay job harder may successfully ask raise opens new window job description isnt changing demonstrate value provide company increasing employers provide cost living adjustments cola even effect compensation intended adjust salary inflation merit increase may able negotiate perks raise table opens new window even may get far long would argue job searching divided offensive defensive categories someone offensive might seeking greater responsibility compensation ie theyre ambitious someone defensive might know current job jeopardy demonstrate four signs youre job opens new window need something however would also argue potential employers respond better applicant perceive offensive job seekers may want present accordingly average tenure length factors contributed tenure offensive defensive job seeker original article found getrichslowlyorg job tenure say opens new window

<p /> <p>Robert Lighthizer has long complained that the United States dithered in the face of abusive Chinese trade policies, allowing its trade gap with Beijing to explode and American factories to close.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Now, the veteran trade lawyer may have a chance to do something about it.</p> <p>As President Donald Trump's choice to be U.S. trade representative, the 69-year-old Lighthizer would be empowered to renegotiate and enforce trade deals, many of which the new president has condemned as destroyers of American jobs. On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on Lighthizer's nomination.</p> <p>(His confirmation has been held up by a political dispute over whether he needs a congressional waiver because he has worked for foreign companies. The delay means Lighthizer isn't in his job as Trump prepares to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.)</p> <p>A fixture in Washington trade policy circles for nearly four decades, Lighthizer has built a reputation as a shrewd negotiator. And like the president who chose him, Lighthizer represents a departure for a Republican Party that for decades favored the free flow of global trade as a boon to economic growth.</p> <p>"I agree with President Trump that we should have an 'America First' trade policy," Lighthizer said at his committee hearing last month. "And that we can do better in negotiating our trade agreements and be stronger at enforcing our trade laws."</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>His nomination sends another signal that the Trump administration intends to upend decades of U.S. policy and act aggressively to block imports when it deems other countries to be acting unfairly.</p> <p>"He's a trade realist," Paul Rosenthal, a trade lawyer at the firm Kelley Drye &amp;amp; Warren. "He doesn't necessarily subscribe to free trade as a religion as some people do."</p> <p>Lighthizer's philosophy, Rosenthal suggests, essentially boils down to: "How can we afford to be unilateral free traders when the Chinese don't reciprocate?"</p> <p>Drawing from experience in trade law and his work in the Reagan administration in countering Japanese imports, Lighthizer will likely try to force China and other competitors to end what the Trump team sees as unfair trade.</p> <p>Supporters of free trade, such as analysts at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, argue that a Trump-Lighthizer combative approach could backfire. Blocking or taxing imports would raise prices of imports for American consumers and provoke retaliation. The result could potentially be a trade war that would hurt U.S. farmers and companies &#8212; from Boeing to Caterpillar &#8212; that depend on exports.</p> <p>Lighthizer won't be the administration's only trade policy heavyweight. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor, is expected to involve himself in trying to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico and other trade issues. And Trump named Peter Navarro, a vociferous critic of Chinese trade policy, to lead a new White House National Trade Council.</p> <p>Could Lighthizer be overshadowed?</p> <p>"The words 'overshadow' and 'Bob Lighthizer' shouldn't appear in the same sentence," says Clyde Prestowitz, a Commerce official in the Reagan administration and a longtime critic of U.S. trade policy.</p> <p>Lighthizer has more congressional contacts and more experience with the fine points of trade law than Navarro or Ross. In 2008, he wrote a column in The New York Times criticizing Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, for his unstinting support of free trade. Lighthizer noted that "conservative statesmen from Alexander Hamilton to Ronald Reagan sometimes supported protectionism."</p> <p>"They always understood that trade policy was merely a tool for building a strong and independent country with a prosperous middle class," he wrote.</p> <p>Lighthizer's confirmation vote had been delayed by a political rift: Some Democrats argued that he must obtain a waiver from Congress because he has worked in the past for foreign clients. They said they would support the waiver only if Republicans pass an unrelated bill to protect the endangered pension and health care benefits of retired coal miners.</p> <p>Lighthizer served as a top aide on the Senate Finance Committee under Sen. Bob Dole in the late 1970s and early 1980s and later as treasurer of Dole's 1996 Republican presidential campaign. (The 93-year-old Dole introduced Lighthizer at his committee hearing.)</p> <p>Under Reagan, Lighthizer served as deputy trade representative. Despite Reagan's reputation as a stalwart supporter of free trade, his administration seldom hesitated to pressure U.S. trade partners if it thought American manufacturers were being hurt.</p> <p>Lighthizer played a key role, for example, in strong-arming Japan into limiting auto exports in the 1980s. That move eventually led Japanese automakers to open plants in the United States, thereby creating U.S. jobs, instead of shipping all its cars from Japan.</p> <p>Later in private practice &#8212; he became a senior partner in international trade at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &amp;amp; Flom &#8212; Lighthizer represented U.S. steel companies that complained that China and other countries were dumping underpriced steel on the U.S. market.</p> <p>In 2010 testimony to U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, he lambasted U.S. trade officials as too passive in the face of China's economic rise. When it negotiated China's 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization &#8212; which sets trade rules and mediates disputes &#8212; Washington naively assumed that China was "merely a more exotic version of Canada" and would learn to live within WTO rules and open its market to American exports, Lighthizer argued.</p> <p>Instead, he contended, China limited foreign competition, manipulated its currency and subsidized its exporters to give them a price advantage. The notion that having China in the WTO would benefit Americans, Lighthizer concluded, "was simply wrong. Our trade deficit with China has exploded, millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost."</p> <p>Trump campaigned on a promise to renegotiate or withdraw from agreements that he says failed American workers. But Dean Pinkert, formerly of the U.S. International Trade Commission, says he thinks Lighthizer will seek better ways to use existing agreements before tearing them up. In his 2010 testimony, Lighthizer had said the U.S. should more aggressively scour WTO rules for new ways to bring cases against China &#8212; for manipulating its currency, say.</p> <p>Alan Wolff, a deputy U.S. trade representative in the Carter administration, says China and other U.S. trading partners should brace themselves.</p> <p>Under Lighthizer, Wolff says, "trade policy is going to get a lot more muscular."</p>

robert lighthizer long complained united states dithered face abusive chinese trade policies allowing trade gap beijing explode american factories close continue reading veteran trade lawyer may chance something president donald trumps choice us trade representative 69yearold lighthizer would empowered renegotiate enforce trade deals many new president condemned destroyers american jobs thursday senate finance committee expected vote lighthizers nomination confirmation held political dispute whether needs congressional waiver worked foreign companies delay means lighthizer isnt job trump prepares meet chinese president xi jinping maralago florida fixture washington trade policy circles nearly four decades lighthizer built reputation shrewd negotiator like president chose lighthizer represents departure republican party decades favored free flow global trade boon economic growth agree president trump america first trade policy lighthizer said committee hearing last month better negotiating trade agreements stronger enforcing trade laws advertisement nomination sends another signal trump administration intends upend decades us policy act aggressively block imports deems countries acting unfairly hes trade realist paul rosenthal trade lawyer firm kelley drye amp warren doesnt necessarily subscribe free trade religion people lighthizers philosophy rosenthal suggests essentially boils afford unilateral free traders chinese dont reciprocate drawing experience trade law work reagan administration countering japanese imports lighthizer likely try force china competitors end trump team sees unfair trade supporters free trade analysts peterson institute international economics argue trumplighthizer combative approach could backfire blocking taxing imports would raise prices imports american consumers provoke retaliation result could potentially trade war would hurt us farmers companies boeing caterpillar depend exports lighthizer wont administrations trade policy heavyweight commerce secretary wilbur ross billionaire investor expected involve trying renegotiate north american free trade agreement canada mexico trade issues trump named peter navarro vociferous critic chinese trade policy lead new white house national trade council could lighthizer overshadowed words overshadow bob lighthizer shouldnt appear sentence says clyde prestowitz commerce official reagan administration longtime critic us trade policy lighthizer congressional contacts experience fine points trade law navarro ross 2008 wrote column new york times criticizing sen john mccain republican presidential candidate unstinting support free trade lighthizer noted conservative statesmen alexander hamilton ronald reagan sometimes supported protectionism always understood trade policy merely tool building strong independent country prosperous middle class wrote lighthizers confirmation vote delayed political rift democrats argued must obtain waiver congress worked past foreign clients said would support waiver republicans pass unrelated bill protect endangered pension health care benefits retired coal miners lighthizer served top aide senate finance committee sen bob dole late 1970s early 1980s later treasurer doles 1996 republican presidential campaign 93yearold dole introduced lighthizer committee hearing reagan lighthizer served deputy trade representative despite reagans reputation stalwart supporter free trade administration seldom hesitated pressure us trade partners thought american manufacturers hurt lighthizer played key role example strongarming japan limiting auto exports 1980s move eventually led japanese automakers open plants united states thereby creating us jobs instead shipping cars japan later private practice became senior partner international trade skadden arps slate meagher amp flom lighthizer represented us steel companies complained china countries dumping underpriced steel us market 2010 testimony uschina economic security review commission lambasted us trade officials passive face chinas economic rise negotiated chinas 2001 entry world trade organization sets trade rules mediates disputes washington naively assumed china merely exotic version canada would learn live within wto rules open market american exports lighthizer argued instead contended china limited foreign competition manipulated currency subsidized exporters give price advantage notion china wto would benefit americans lighthizer concluded simply wrong trade deficit china exploded millions us manufacturing jobs lost trump campaigned promise renegotiate withdraw agreements says failed american workers dean pinkert formerly us international trade commission says thinks lighthizer seek better ways use existing agreements tearing 2010 testimony lighthizer said us aggressively scour wto rules new ways bring cases china manipulating currency say alan wolff deputy us trade representative carter administration says china us trading partners brace lighthizer wolff says trade policy going get lot muscular

<p>Americans buying seafood for dinner may inadvertently have subsidized the North Korean government as it builds its nuclear weapons program, an Associated Press investigation has found. Their purchases may also have supported forced labor.</p> <p>At a time when North Korea is banned from selling almost anything, the country is sending tens of thousands of workers worldwide to bring in an estimated $200 million to $500 million a year. That could account for a sizable portion of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, which South Korea says have cost more than $1 billion.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>While North Korean workers have been documented overseas, the AP investigation reveals that some products they make go to the United States. AP also tracked products made by North Korean workers to Canada, Germany and elsewhere in the European Union.</p> <p>In response to the investigation, Senate leaders said Wednesday that the U.S. needs to keep products made by North Koreans out and get China to refuse to hire North Korean workers.</p> <p>"The (Trump) administration needs to ramp up the pressure on China to crack down on trade with North Korea across the board," said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer.</p> <p>At Chinese factories, North Korean workers aren't allowed to leave their compounds without permission, and must step from housing to factories in pairs or groups, with North Korean minders. They receive a fraction of their salaries, while the rest &#8212; as much as 70 percent &#8212; is taken by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government.</p> <p>John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute, urged its 300 members, including the largest seafood importers in the U.S., to "ensure that wages go to the workers, and are not siphoned off to support a dangerous dictator."</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Besides seafood, AP found North Korean laborers making wood flooring and sewing garments in Chinese factories. Those industries also export to the U.S., but AP did not track specific shipments except for seafood.</p> <p>American companies aren't allowed to import products made by North Korean workers anywhere in the world, and companies doing business with them could face criminal charges for using North Korean workers or materially benefiting from their work. (The AP employs a small number of support staff in its Pyongyang bureau under a waiver granted by the U.S. government to allow the flow of news and information.)</p> <p>U.S. Customs and Border Protection, responsible for enforcing the law, did not respond to requests for comment.</p> <p>"This is a state-sponsored scheme to export folks who are in bonded labor," said Luis CdeBaca, former U.S. ambassador for human trafficking issues. "It's supporting a repressive regime."</p> <p>Western companies involved that responded to AP said forced labor and potential support for North Korea was unacceptable in their supply chains. They said they'd investigate, and some said they'd already cut off ties with suppliers.</p> <p>Meanwhile, as many as 100,000 North Koreans continue to work in construction in the Gulf states, shipbuilding in Poland, logging in Russia and on fishing boats in Uruguay. New U.N. sanctions bar countries from expanding their North Korean workforce. Despite the pay and restrictions, the jobs abroad are highly coveted among North Koreans.</p> <p>Roughly 3,000 North Koreans are believed to work in Hunchun, a Chinese industrial hub near the North Korean and Russian borders.</p> <p>At some factories, laborers work hunched over tables as North Korean political slogans blasted from loudspeakers. When a reporter approached a group of North Koreans &#8212; women in tight, bright polyester clothes preparing a meal at a garment factory &#8212; one confirmed that she and some others were from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. Then a minder arrived, ordering: "Don't talk to him!"</p> <p>It's unknown what conditions are like in every factory, but AP reporters saw North Korean laborers living and working in several facilities, including joint venture Hunchun Dongyang Seafood Industry &amp;amp; Trade Co. Ltd. &amp;amp; Hunchun Pagoda Industry Co. Ltd., distributed globally by Ocean One Enterprise; Yantai Dachen Hunchun Seafood Products, and Yanbian Shenghai Industry &amp;amp; Trade Co. Ltd.</p> <p>They're getting their seafood from China, Russia and the U.S.</p> <p>Despite AP seeing North Korean workers, Hunchun Dongyang's manager Zhu Qizhen denied that they hire them and refused to give details. The other Chinese companies didn't comment.</p> <p>Shipping records show more than 100 cargo containers of seafood were sent to the U.S. and Canada this year from the factories where North Koreans were working in China, including packages of snow crab, salmon fillets and squid rings.</p> <p>One importer, The Fishin' Company in Munhall, Penn., said it cut ties with Hunchun processors and got its last shipment this summer. Seafood can remain in the supply chain for more than a year.</p> <p>Often the fish arrives in generic packaging. But some were already branded in China with familiar names like Walmart or Sea Queen, which is sold exclusively at ALDI supermarkets. There's no way to say where a particular package ends up, nor what percentage of a factory's products wind up in the U.S.</p> <p>Walmart spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said company officials banned their suppliers from getting seafood processed at a Hunchun plant a year ago after an audit revealed potential issues with migrant workers.</p> <p>"Combatting forced labor is a complex problem that no one company, industry, or government can tackle alone," she said.</p> <p>ALDI did not comment.</p> <p>Some U.S. companies had indirect ties to North Korean laborers in Hunchun. Customs records indicate that Chicken of the Sea, owned by Thai Union, did business with sister companies of the Hunchun factories in another part of China. Thai Union said the sister company they do business with meets all of their fair labor standards, and should not be penalized just because they have the same owner.</p> <p>Boxes at the factories also had markings from several major German supermarket chains and brands. REWE Group, which owns REWE markets and the Penny chain, said their contract has expired with Hunchun Dongyang. All the companies that responded said suppliers were forbidden to use forced labor. Shipments also went to two Canadian importers, Morgan Foods and Alliance Seafood, which did not respond to requests for comment about who processes their seafood in China.</p> <p>As the late summer chill set in one evening, a dozen or so women from Hunchun Pagoda played volleyball in the quiet road in front of the compound's gate.</p> <p>A train horn blew. The women shouted to one another. A car with a foreigner drove by. One laughingly called out: "Bye-bye!"</p> <p>___</p> <p>Associated Press journalists Leonardo Haberkorn in Uruguay, Han Guan Ng and researcher Fu Ting in China, Kelvin K. Chan in Hong Kong, Frank Jordans in Germany and Jon Gambrell in United Arab Emirates contributed to this report. Mendoza reported from California.</p>

americans buying seafood dinner may inadvertently subsidized north korean government builds nuclear weapons program associated press investigation found purchases may also supported forced labor time north korea banned selling almost anything country sending tens thousands workers worldwide bring estimated 200 million 500 million year could account sizable portion north koreas nuclear weapons missile programs south korea says cost 1 billion continue reading north korean workers documented overseas ap investigation reveals products make go united states ap also tracked products made north korean workers canada germany elsewhere european union response investigation senate leaders said wednesday us needs keep products made north koreans get china refuse hire north korean workers trump administration needs ramp pressure china crack trade north korea across board said top senate democrat chuck schumer chinese factories north korean workers arent allowed leave compounds without permission must step housing factories pairs groups north korean minders receive fraction salaries rest much 70 percent taken north korean leader kim jong uns government john connelly president national fisheries institute urged 300 members including largest seafood importers us ensure wages go workers siphoned support dangerous dictator advertisement besides seafood ap found north korean laborers making wood flooring sewing garments chinese factories industries also export us ap track specific shipments except seafood american companies arent allowed import products made north korean workers anywhere world companies business could face criminal charges using north korean workers materially benefiting work ap employs small number support staff pyongyang bureau waiver granted us government allow flow news information us customs border protection responsible enforcing law respond requests comment statesponsored scheme export folks bonded labor said luis cdebaca former us ambassador human trafficking issues supporting repressive regime western companies involved responded ap said forced labor potential support north korea unacceptable supply chains said theyd investigate said theyd already cut ties suppliers meanwhile many 100000 north koreans continue work construction gulf states shipbuilding poland logging russia fishing boats uruguay new un sanctions bar countries expanding north korean workforce despite pay restrictions jobs abroad highly coveted among north koreans roughly 3000 north koreans believed work hunchun chinese industrial hub near north korean russian borders factories laborers work hunched tables north korean political slogans blasted loudspeakers reporter approached group north koreans women tight bright polyester clothes preparing meal garment factory one confirmed others pyongyang north korean capital minder arrived ordering dont talk unknown conditions like every factory ap reporters saw north korean laborers living working several facilities including joint venture hunchun dongyang seafood industry amp trade co ltd amp hunchun pagoda industry co ltd distributed globally ocean one enterprise yantai dachen hunchun seafood products yanbian shenghai industry amp trade co ltd theyre getting seafood china russia us despite ap seeing north korean workers hunchun dongyangs manager zhu qizhen denied hire refused give details chinese companies didnt comment shipping records show 100 cargo containers seafood sent us canada year factories north koreans working china including packages snow crab salmon fillets squid rings one importer fishin company munhall penn said cut ties hunchun processors got last shipment summer seafood remain supply chain year often fish arrives generic packaging already branded china familiar names like walmart sea queen sold exclusively aldi supermarkets theres way say particular package ends percentage factorys products wind us walmart spokeswoman marilee mcinnis said company officials banned suppliers getting seafood processed hunchun plant year ago audit revealed potential issues migrant workers combatting forced labor complex problem one company industry government tackle alone said aldi comment us companies indirect ties north korean laborers hunchun customs records indicate chicken sea owned thai union business sister companies hunchun factories another part china thai union said sister company business meets fair labor standards penalized owner boxes factories also markings several major german supermarket chains brands rewe group owns rewe markets penny chain said contract expired hunchun dongyang companies responded said suppliers forbidden use forced labor shipments also went two canadian importers morgan foods alliance seafood respond requests comment processes seafood china late summer chill set one evening dozen women hunchun pagoda played volleyball quiet road front compounds gate train horn blew women shouted one another car foreigner drove one laughingly called byebye ___ associated press journalists leonardo haberkorn uruguay han guan ng researcher fu ting china kelvin k chan hong kong frank jordans germany jon gambrell united arab emirates contributed report mendoza reported california

<p /> <p>Alternative lending solutions are cropping up as the answer for small business owner&#8217;s battling the tight credit market. Banks continue to be tight fisted with loans, and owners face lengthy approval waiting periods&#8212;something that most small businesses can&#8217;t afford. In response, a new breed of lenders are hitting the market that rely on small business&#8217; cash flow and payment history rather than just credit scores. These lenders say they're willing to take a risk on these companies and give them swifter, simpler access to cash within days.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Noah Breslow, COO of <a href="http://www.ondeckcapital.com/our-loans/overview" type="external">On Deck Capital Opens a New Window.</a>, an alternative lending company for small businesses, said his company is a product of banks' sinking confidence in a post-credit crisis world.</p> <p>"Nine out of ten businesses try to go to a bank first," Breslow said. "They have this idea that they should walk into a local bank branch because it&#8217;s the fastest and most effective way. Banks are diverting their attention away, trying to fix other things in their business, and they&#8217;re not focused on growing their small business lending portfolio."</p> <p>According to Breslow, the online lending service has loaned out $200 million over four and a half years to more than 6,000 businesses. Breslow said the average loan is around $30,000 and can be accessed in no more than seven days. The interest rates on loans are high-- 18% to 36%--but Breslow said the loan terms are shorter, with payment periods from three to 18 months. The company also tells business owners what their lending options are based on their ability to pay including Small Business Administration and bank loans in the mix.</p> <p>"If you are a retailer buying inventory for the spring season, and will sell it in a few months, we are a good fit," he said.</p> <p>Glenn Goldman, CEO of <a href="http://www.capitalaccessnetwork.com/" type="external">Capital Access Network Opens a New Window.</a> (CAN) said his company can weed good candidates from the bad.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>"FICO looks at somebody's score and says, 'We believe they have either a high or low ability to repay this loan,'" Goldman said. "We look at the behavioral analysis of these small businesses and say, 'Based on our understanding of your business, it will look like this and grow and thrive.' If you look like your business is declining, we can't do business with you."</p> <p>CAN provides working capital and loans to small businesses through its proprietary "risk-scoring models" which assess social and behavior profiles, historical merchant demographics and other data, within 48 hours. The company recently announced a $30 million investment from Accel Partners to retool its online merchant platform, which will debut in April.</p> <p>The company has lent out $2.4 billion in 10 years to 40,000 customers, Goldman said. The repayment process is done through a daily remittance, which takes out different percentages of daily sales, allowing the business to ebb and flow with the seasons. He declined to give the percentages deducted and said each loan or advance is different, as is the repayment process.</p> <p>"Rather than asking for a big check each month, a small percentage of their sales are directed to us until we receive the $25,000 loan back," he said. "Daily remittance is product and price agnostic. We have some at a 6% interest rate or some at a 20% or 25% rate."</p> <p>Goldman said banks rely too heavily on credit scores, and said they miss out on the opportunity to help promising companies. Goldman said 75% of eligible customers come back for multiple loans and advances.</p> <p>"We turn down people with FICO scores of 800 and say yes to people that have 400 FICO scores.&#8221;</p> <p>For e-commerce entrepreneurs, <a href="https://www.kabbage.com/" type="external">Kabbage.com Opens a New Window.</a> provides approved merchants cash advances right into their PayPal accounts. The Atlanta-based company&#8217;s CEO, Rob Frohwein, said traditional bank loans often take too much time, and many of his clients are looking for faster cash in small amounts.</p> <p>Banks are relying on antiquated technology to evaluate businesses that are moving too quickly, Frohwein said. When a small business owner applies for a cash advance, Kabbage.com evaluates its marketplace activity at online marketplaces sites like <a href="" type="internal">eBay</a> (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Etsy, as well as their PayPal account. Within minutes, the site will present businesses with an offer and with interest rates ranging from 2% to 18% for up to six months to repay, and the cash is taken straight from the business' PayPal account.</p> <p>In the past six months, the company has put out more than $10 million to more than 15,000 businesses and is growing by 35% month-over-month, he said.</p> <p>"The goal here is not to cut off what might be a lifeline of money, because a business needs cash to grow," he said. "But we make sure we understand the nature of how they are using the cash. We track the cash to see if the business is down or flat, and there may be a 'No' for providing future cash."</p> <p>Looking Before You Leap</p> <p>Like with any loan, Ray Keating, chief economist for the Small Business &amp;amp; Entrepreneurship Council, said the burden to assess risk falls on the business itself. Owners should acknowledge what is at stake if he or she fails to repay or properly use the loan.</p> <p>"Even in the best of times, it's difficult to walk into a bank as a startup and get a loan," Keating said. "The more options out there for firms, the better it is."</p> <p>Gretchen Maser, 51, has owned her business, <a href="http://www.christinamaser.com/blog/about/" type="external">Christina Maser Opens a New Window.</a>, for the past 12 years. Her soy candles, soaps, jams and jellies are sold in WholeFoods (NYSE:WFMI), West Elm and were even included in SAG Awards swag bags this year.</p> <p>Maser has a line of credit with Graystone Bank in Lancaster, Pa. The kind of growth her business has seen can either make or break a small company, depending on access to capital, she said.</p> <p>"It&#8217;s the kind of account that rocks your world. If I had to, I would try all [lending] options. Compared to the alternative of 'Maybe this business doesn't happen.'"</p> <p>At the moment, she would steer clear of alternative lending, she said.</p> <p>"I don't know that I am that big of a risk taker," Maser said. "The whole world of money is changing&#8212;it&#8217;s not simple math anymore."</p> <p>If $25,000 in seven minutes sounds too good to be true, Kabbage.com&#8217;s Frohwein said there is the same amount of risk at stake for his company when lending to smaller, newer businesses.</p> <p>"It doesn't help us when one of our customers gets into trouble," he said."It doesn't benefit anyone when businesses get into trouble."</p> <p>Keating said the lender is putting a lot at stake in approving loans, but smart choices on both sides of the spectrum will help to weed out those who don't make the cut.</p> <p>"If the lender doesn't do their vetting process properly, they will go under, and if the business [doesn't borrow properly] it will go under. The market does work."</p>

alternative lending solutions cropping answer small business owners battling tight credit market banks continue tight fisted loans owners face lengthy approval waiting periodssomething small businesses cant afford response new breed lenders hitting market rely small business cash flow payment history rather credit scores lenders say theyre willing take risk companies give swifter simpler access cash within days continue reading noah breslow coo deck capital opens new window alternative lending company small businesses said company product banks sinking confidence postcredit crisis world nine ten businesses try go bank first breslow said idea walk local bank branch fastest effective way banks diverting attention away trying fix things business theyre focused growing small business lending portfolio according breslow online lending service loaned 200 million four half years 6000 businesses breslow said average loan around 30000 accessed seven days interest rates loans high 18 36but breslow said loan terms shorter payment periods three 18 months company also tells business owners lending options based ability pay including small business administration bank loans mix retailer buying inventory spring season sell months good fit said glenn goldman ceo capital access network opens new window said company weed good candidates bad advertisement fico looks somebodys score says believe either high low ability repay loan goldman said look behavioral analysis small businesses say based understanding business look like grow thrive look like business declining cant business provides working capital loans small businesses proprietary riskscoring models assess social behavior profiles historical merchant demographics data within 48 hours company recently announced 30 million investment accel partners retool online merchant platform debut april company lent 24 billion 10 years 40000 customers goldman said repayment process done daily remittance takes different percentages daily sales allowing business ebb flow seasons declined give percentages deducted said loan advance different repayment process rather asking big check month small percentage sales directed us receive 25000 loan back said daily remittance product price agnostic 6 interest rate 20 25 rate goldman said banks rely heavily credit scores said miss opportunity help promising companies goldman said 75 eligible customers come back multiple loans advances turn people fico scores 800 say yes people 400 fico scores ecommerce entrepreneurs kabbagecom opens new window provides approved merchants cash advances right paypal accounts atlantabased companys ceo rob frohwein said traditional bank loans often take much time many clients looking faster cash small amounts banks relying antiquated technology evaluate businesses moving quickly frohwein said small business owner applies cash advance kabbagecom evaluates marketplace activity online marketplaces sites like ebay nasdaqebay etsy well paypal account within minutes site present businesses offer interest rates ranging 2 18 six months repay cash taken straight business paypal account past six months company put 10 million 15000 businesses growing 35 monthovermonth said goal cut might lifeline money business needs cash grow said make sure understand nature using cash track cash see business flat may providing future cash looking leap like loan ray keating chief economist small business amp entrepreneurship council said burden assess risk falls business owners acknowledge stake fails repay properly use loan even best times difficult walk bank startup get loan keating said options firms better gretchen maser 51 owned business christina maser opens new window past 12 years soy candles soaps jams jellies sold wholefoods nysewfmi west elm even included sag awards swag bags year maser line credit graystone bank lancaster pa kind growth business seen either make break small company depending access capital said kind account rocks world would try lending options compared alternative maybe business doesnt happen moment would steer clear alternative lending said dont know big risk taker maser said whole world money changingits simple math anymore 25000 seven minutes sounds good true kabbagecoms frohwein said amount risk stake company lending smaller newer businesses doesnt help us one customers gets trouble saidit doesnt benefit anyone businesses get trouble keating said lender putting lot stake approving loans smart choices sides spectrum help weed dont make cut lender doesnt vetting process properly go business doesnt borrow properly go market work

<p /> <p>Image source: Texas Instruments.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>ChipmakersInvenSense (NYSE: INVN) and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) have led diverging paths in the component space. While InvenSense tethered itself primarily to sales to Apple, Texas Instruments has diversified itself among the automotive, industrial, consumer electronics, and enterprise segments.</p> <p>As a result, Texas Instruments has been able to grow over the past year -- while InvenSense has been stumbling. Let's take a brief look at what each company is doing, and find out why TI appears to be the better long-term bet.</p> <p>InvenSense makes motion sensors, mainly for the mobile market, that allow devices to interpret their orientation. These gyroscopes and accelerometers are often referred to as micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS, and the company makes some of the best in the business.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Apple uses them in its iPhones, and up until very recently Samsung was a major customer as well. Apple accounted for 58% of InvenSense's total revenue in the fiscal second quarter 2017, and 53% of its revenue over the past six months. InvenSense's <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/08/invensense-incs-risky-reliance-on-apple-inc.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">dependence on Apple Opens a New Window.</a> has hurt the average selling prices of its components and left the company's revenue vulnerable to Apple's device sales.</p> <p>InvenSense's total revenue fell by 29% in fiscal Q2 2017 on a year-over-yearbasis, and the company said the decline was "primarily due to lower volume shipments to manufacturers of smartphones, tablet devices, and camera modules incorporating optimal image stabilization, combined with lower per-unit average selling prices."The company is trying to expand into new markets, like the Internet of Things, but hasn't made inroads fast enough for many investors, and the company's stock price has suffered as a result.</p> <p>The 19%stock-price drop year to date wouldn't be as bad if InvenSense were diversifying revenue quickly, but that's not happening quite yet. A recent deal with the world's fourth-largest smartphone maker, Oppo, could help bring in more revenue from the company's electronic image stabilization sensors, but it's not a sure bet.</p> <p>For now, investors are left with falling revenue and a falling stock price, overexposure to Apple, and no immediate saving grace on the horizon.</p> <p>Like InvenSense, TI hasn't been immune to Apple's recent slump. The company made about 11% of its total revenue from sales to the iPhone maker in 2015, but it's tied to a lot of other industries as well.</p> <p>Texas Instruments' analog and embedded chips are found in connected cars, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and enterprise devices. This means that the company doesn't suffer as much if one of its customers isn't doing well. Nor is it as vulnerable to one customer putting pricing pressure on its chips (I'm looking at you, Apple).</p> <p>In the third quarter 2016, TI managed to grow revenue 7% year over year, to $3.68 billion, and increase net income by 21% and earnings per share 24%, year over year.</p> <p>This has helped boost investor confidence in the company, and has pushed the company's stock price up nearly 32% year to date.</p> <p>TI isn't without its potential problems, of course. The company faces increasing competition as Qualcomm is in the process of buying NXP Semiconductors, which will make Qualcomm the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/05/qualcomm-just-made-a-big-play-in-driverless-cars.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">largest maker of automotive semiconductors Opens a New Window.</a>. TI earned 46% of its total revenue from the automotive and industrial segments, so investors should keep a close eye on any increasing competition in the automotive space.</p> <p>Texas Instruments' growing revenue and diversified revenue streams give the company a leg up over InvenSense. TI has been able to handle instability in the mobile market because of its exposure to other segments, and that looks like it'll stay intact for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, InvenSense is still relying too much on Apple for the majority of its business -- and that doesn't appear to be changing fast enough. For those reasons, I think Texas Instruments looks like a better long-term bet for investors.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Texas Instruments When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=4625a741-4544-4941-a6d8-ff98cd9edfb3&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now and Texas Instruments wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=4625a741-4544-4941-a6d8-ff98cd9edfb3&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFNewsie/info.aspx" type="external">Chris Neiger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of InvenSense. The Motley Fool owns shares of, recommends, and has the following options on Apple: long January 2018 $90 calls and short January 2018 $95 calls. The Motley Fool recommends NXP Semiconductors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source texas instruments continue reading chipmakersinvensense nyse invn texas instruments nasdaq txn led diverging paths component space invensense tethered primarily sales apple texas instruments diversified among automotive industrial consumer electronics enterprise segments result texas instruments able grow past year invensense stumbling lets take brief look company find ti appears better longterm bet invensense makes motion sensors mainly mobile market allow devices interpret orientation gyroscopes accelerometers often referred microelectromechanical systems mems company makes best business advertisement apple uses iphones recently samsung major customer well apple accounted 58 invensenses total revenue fiscal second quarter 2017 53 revenue past six months invensenses dependence apple opens new window hurt average selling prices components left companys revenue vulnerable apples device sales invensenses total revenue fell 29 fiscal q2 2017 yearoveryearbasis company said decline primarily due lower volume shipments manufacturers smartphones tablet devices camera modules incorporating optimal image stabilization combined lower perunit average selling pricesthe company trying expand new markets like internet things hasnt made inroads fast enough many investors companys stock price suffered result 19stockprice drop year date wouldnt bad invensense diversifying revenue quickly thats happening quite yet recent deal worlds fourthlargest smartphone maker oppo could help bring revenue companys electronic image stabilization sensors sure bet investors left falling revenue falling stock price overexposure apple immediate saving grace horizon like invensense ti hasnt immune apples recent slump company made 11 total revenue sales iphone maker 2015 tied lot industries well texas instruments analog embedded chips found connected cars industrial equipment consumer electronics enterprise devices means company doesnt suffer much one customers isnt well vulnerable one customer putting pricing pressure chips im looking apple third quarter 2016 ti managed grow revenue 7 year year 368 billion increase net income 21 earnings per share 24 year year helped boost investor confidence company pushed companys stock price nearly 32 year date ti isnt without potential problems course company faces increasing competition qualcomm process buying nxp semiconductors make qualcomm largest maker automotive semiconductors opens new window ti earned 46 total revenue automotive industrial segments investors keep close eye increasing competition automotive space texas instruments growing revenue diversified revenue streams give company leg invensense ti able handle instability mobile market exposure segments looks like itll stay intact foreseeable future meanwhile invensense still relying much apple majority business doesnt appear changing fast enough reasons think texas instruments looks like better longterm bet investors 10 stocks like better texas instruments investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right texas instruments wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 chris neiger opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends qualcomm motley fool owns shares invensense motley fool owns shares recommends following options apple long january 2018 90 calls short january 2018 95 calls motley fool recommends nxp semiconductors try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Make no mistake -- investing can be risky. But it doesn't have to be too risky. Warren Buffett once said that rule No. 1 for investing is to "never lose money," with rule No. 2 being "never forget rule No. 1."</p> <p>Even Buffett hasn't been able to totally adhere to those rules in his investing career. There are some stocks that improve your chances of doing so, though. If you're a risk-averse investor, Buffett's own Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B), along with Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) and Waste Management (NYSE: WM), are top stocks to make solid returns over the long run.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Berkshire Hathaway's risk advantage stems from its diversification. It's not really just one company. Instead, more than 60 different companies fall under Berkshire's umbrella. These include insurers such as Geico and GenRe, retailers such as Borsheims Fine Jewelry and See's Candies, and manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore and Precision Castparts, in addition to companies in several other industries.</p> <p>Those are just the companies that are part of Berkshire. It also owns stakes in more than 40 publicly traded companies across multiple industries.</p> <p>Warren Buffett's strategy has certainly worked in the past for Berkshire Hathaway. The stock has generated compound annual returns of nearly 21% since 1965 -- more than doubling the return of the S&amp;amp;P 500 index during that period. Those gains aren't just a thing of the past: Berkshire stock <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/11/17/heres-how-berkshire-hathaway-crushed-it-in-2017.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">has enjoyed a terrific year in 2017 Opens a New Window.</a>, with its share price up almost 21% year to date.</p> <p>Will Berkshire produce market-beating returns year in and year out? Probably not. Over the long run, though, the company's diversification and shrewd investing strategy should help investors abide by Buffett's top two rules more often than not.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Iron Mountain has a different kind of diversification. The records and data storage company counts more than 230,000 organizations as customers. That list includes around 95% of the Fortune 1,000.</p> <p>Aside from this huge customer base that continues to grow, Iron Mountain's business itself helps reduce risk for investors. The company provides services that will only increase in demand. Organizations continue to generate more records and data than ever before. They must retain these records and data for legal reasons. As a dominant player in the records and data storage market, Iron Mountain is often the first provider these customers turn to.</p> <p>When customers pick Iron Mountain, they tend to remain customers for quite a while. Half of the boxes stored in Iron Mountain's facilities have been there for 15 years. One-quarter of the boxes have been there for 22 years. That excellent customer retention stems from the simple fact that it's too much of a hassle for most customers to move their records somewhere else.</p> <p>There's also one other reason Iron Mountain is less risky than most stocks: its dividend. As a <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/reit.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">real estate investment trust (REIT) Opens a New Window.</a>, the company must return at least 90% of its earnings to shareholders in the form of dividends. Iron Mountain's dividend yield currently stands at 5.8%, giving shareholders a nice cushion even if the stock declines. No cushion has been needed in 2017, though. Iron Mountain stock is up 25% so far this year.</p> <p>In a way, Waste Management's low risk level comes from the exact opposite reason than that of Iron Mountain. Instead of succeeding because customers need to hold on to records, Waste Management thrives because they need to discard them -- as well as lots of other things.</p> <p>Waste Management is the&amp;#160;leading provider of comprehensive waste management environmental services in North America. The company owns or operates 248 landfill sites and manages&amp;#160;310 transfer stations that consolidate, compact, and transport waste.</p> <p>While Waste Management's business might not be the most glamorous, it's certainly lucrative. The company is on track to generate revenue of around $14.4 billion in 2017, with earnings of close to $1.4 billion. In the third quarter, Waste Management's management said its <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/11/16/5-things-waste-management-inc-wants-you-to-know.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">cash flow reached all-time high levels Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>More good news for investors is that Waste Management like to return some of that impressive cash flow to its shareholders. The company's dividend currently yields north of 2%. Future dividend increases seem likely.</p> <p>It should be noted that lower risk doesn't mean no risk. All three of these companies face some threats that could derail their stocks. Deteriorating economic conditions in the U.S. could cause problems for each of the stocks. Because Wall Street places a heavy emphasis on quarterly results, a significant earnings miss could make any of these stocks drop.</p> <p>Those risks are temporary in nature, though. Berkshire Hathaway, Iron Mountain, and Waste Management have solid business models and strong financial positions that should make them great -- and relatively low risk -- picks over the long run.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Berkshire Hathaway (A shares)When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=785b4825-0203-4eff-8450-63006d35d3c3&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Berkshire Hathaway (A shares) wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=785b4825-0203-4eff-8450-63006d35d3c3&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of December 4, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFFishBiz/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Keith Speights Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;referring_guid=a80c6baa-d91d-11e7-9287-0050569d4be0&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

make mistake investing risky doesnt risky warren buffett said rule 1 investing never lose money rule 2 never forget rule 1 even buffett hasnt able totally adhere rules investing career stocks improve chances though youre riskaverse investor buffetts berkshire hathaway nyse brka nyse brkb along iron mountain nyse irm waste management nyse wm top stocks make solid returns long run continue reading berkshire hathaways risk advantage stems diversification really one company instead 60 different companies fall berkshires umbrella include insurers geico genre retailers borsheims fine jewelry sees candies manufacturers benjamin moore precision castparts addition companies several industries companies part berkshire also owns stakes 40 publicly traded companies across multiple industries warren buffetts strategy certainly worked past berkshire hathaway stock generated compound annual returns nearly 21 since 1965 doubling return sampp 500 index period gains arent thing past berkshire stock enjoyed terrific year 2017 opens new window share price almost 21 year date berkshire produce marketbeating returns year year probably long run though companys diversification shrewd investing strategy help investors abide buffetts top two rules often advertisement iron mountain different kind diversification records data storage company counts 230000 organizations customers list includes around 95 fortune 1000 aside huge customer base continues grow iron mountains business helps reduce risk investors company provides services increase demand organizations continue generate records data ever must retain records data legal reasons dominant player records data storage market iron mountain often first provider customers turn customers pick iron mountain tend remain customers quite half boxes stored iron mountains facilities 15 years onequarter boxes 22 years excellent customer retention stems simple fact much hassle customers move records somewhere else theres also one reason iron mountain less risky stocks dividend real estate investment trust reit opens new window company must return least 90 earnings shareholders form dividends iron mountains dividend yield currently stands 58 giving shareholders nice cushion even stock declines cushion needed 2017 though iron mountain stock 25 far year way waste managements low risk level comes exact opposite reason iron mountain instead succeeding customers need hold records waste management thrives need discard well lots things waste management the160leading provider comprehensive waste management environmental services north america company owns operates 248 landfill sites manages160310 transfer stations consolidate compact transport waste waste managements business might glamorous certainly lucrative company track generate revenue around 144 billion 2017 earnings close 14 billion third quarter waste managements management said cash flow reached alltime high levels opens new window good news investors waste management like return impressive cash flow shareholders companys dividend currently yields north 2 future dividend increases seem likely noted lower risk doesnt mean risk three companies face threats could derail stocks deteriorating economic conditions us could cause problems stocks wall street places heavy emphasis quarterly results significant earnings miss could make stocks drop risks temporary nature though berkshire hathaway iron mountain waste management solid business models strong financial positions make great relatively low risk picks long run 10 stocks like better berkshire hathaway shareswhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right berkshire hathaway shares wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns december 4 2017 keith speights opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends berkshire hathaway b shares motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>In many cases in investing, boring is beautiful. This maxim certainly holds true for consumer-staples stocks. "Consumer staples" are the products that people need in their everyday lives and will frequently purchase regardless of the state of the economy.</p> <p>Generally speaking, consumer-staples companies sell items like toothpaste, razors, laundry detergent, tobacco products, and the like. Here's a quick snapshot of some of the largest companies in the consumer-staples sector today:</p> <p>Data source: Google Finance.</p> <p>As the name suggests, consumer-staples stocks offer investors relatively consistent performance. In fact, their consistent and typically profitable operations often make these some of the most potent dividend-paying stocks on the market.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Let's take a more in-depth look at three consumer-staples names that are particularly deserving of investors' attention right now.</p> <p>It's hard to walk through a store in the U.S. and not encounter at least one brand owned by Procter &amp;amp; Gamble (NYSE: PG). All told, the consumer-staples titan controls around 70 brands and an astounding 22 brands that each generate annual sales of $1 billion or greater. This apparent omnipresence has helped make Procter &amp;amp; Gamble an incredible stock for long-term investors, particularly dividend investors. In fact, P&amp;amp;G has managed to increase its annual dividend payments every year for the last 59 years, a streak only matched or bested by five other companies in the U.S. The same fantastic economics that have powered its prominence as a dividend-paying stock have also enabled P&amp;amp;G to handily outperform the S&amp;amp;P 500 since at least the late 1970s.</p> <p>However, over the past five years, Procter &amp;amp; Gamble has attempted to revive its growth engine amid a number of headwinds which have caused its shares to meaningfully underperform the market averages. The recent strength of the U.S. dollar has crimped top-line results in recent quarters. What's more, P&amp;amp;G has witnessed increased competition in areas like hair care and shaving products, translating to market-share losses across several important product categories. However, with its multiple structural advantages, Procter &amp;amp; Gamble appears well suited to overcome its more recent issues.</p> <p>Much like Procter &amp;amp; Gamble, longtime market-beater Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has struggled to keep pace with the major indices in recent years, as it battles to overcome key secular headwinds facing the soft-drink industry. An increasingly robust body of research has linked regular soft-drink consumption to elevated risk for several chronic health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, helping to drive soda consumption in the U.S. to a 30-year low this year. Against this backdrop, Coke has seen its sales decline in three consecutive years.</p> <p>The company has been working to optimize its cost structure by selling off some bottling operations, which has helped buoy profits in the face of falling sales. However, Coke will inevitably need to address the continued decline in soft-drink consumption by acquiring emerging, healthier brands. Its 2011 purchase of Honest Tea can serve as a useful model, leveraging Coca-Cola's world-class distribution system to connect new, healthier beverages to a mass-market audience.</p> <p>Having increased its dividends in each of the last 53 years, Coca-Cola stock remains a fantastic option for long-term income investors. However, much as with P&amp;amp;G, investors need to weigh the company's long-term risks against its possible upside before purchasing.</p> <p>Few activities are more universal than enjoying a cold beer after a long day's work, which bodes particularly well for shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD). The company dominates the global brewing market, selling one in every five beers consumed worldwide. Once its merger with SABMiller closes, Anheuser-Busch InBev will control a portfolio of over 200 beer brands and account for 30% of the global beer market.</p> <p>Already extremely profitable on an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) basis, the post-merger Anheuser-Busch should be able to even more effectively leverage its massive economies of scale to the benefit of its shareholders. Thanks to its majority ownership by 3G Capital -- the notoriously cost-conscious Brazilian private equity giant that has partnered with Warren Buffett in recent years -- it seems the company's dividend growth outlook remains as favorable as ever. With its shares currently yielding 3.7%, Anheuser-Busch InBev looks like an incredibly compelling consumer-staples stock today.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2667&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTheDude/info.aspx" type="external">Andrew Tonner Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Coca-Cola, and Procter and Gamble. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source getty images continue reading many cases investing boring beautiful maxim certainly holds true consumerstaples stocks consumer staples products people need everyday lives frequently purchase regardless state economy generally speaking consumerstaples companies sell items like toothpaste razors laundry detergent tobacco products like heres quick snapshot largest companies consumerstaples sector today data source google finance name suggests consumerstaples stocks offer investors relatively consistent performance fact consistent typically profitable operations often make potent dividendpaying stocks market advertisement lets take indepth look three consumerstaples names particularly deserving investors attention right hard walk store us encounter least one brand owned procter amp gamble nyse pg told consumerstaples titan controls around 70 brands astounding 22 brands generate annual sales 1 billion greater apparent omnipresence helped make procter amp gamble incredible stock longterm investors particularly dividend investors fact pampg managed increase annual dividend payments every year last 59 years streak matched bested five companies us fantastic economics powered prominence dividendpaying stock also enabled pampg handily outperform sampp 500 since least late 1970s however past five years procter amp gamble attempted revive growth engine amid number headwinds caused shares meaningfully underperform market averages recent strength us dollar crimped topline results recent quarters whats pampg witnessed increased competition areas like hair care shaving products translating marketshare losses across several important product categories however multiple structural advantages procter amp gamble appears well suited overcome recent issues much like procter amp gamble longtime marketbeater cocacola nyse ko struggled keep pace major indices recent years battles overcome key secular headwinds facing softdrink industry increasingly robust body research linked regular softdrink consumption elevated risk several chronic health conditions including type 2 diabetes heart disease helping drive soda consumption us 30year low year backdrop coke seen sales decline three consecutive years company working optimize cost structure selling bottling operations helped buoy profits face falling sales however coke inevitably need address continued decline softdrink consumption acquiring emerging healthier brands 2011 purchase honest tea serve useful model leveraging cocacolas worldclass distribution system connect new healthier beverages massmarket audience increased dividends last 53 years cocacola stock remains fantastic option longterm income investors however much pampg investors need weigh companys longterm risks possible upside purchasing activities universal enjoying cold beer long days work bodes particularly well shares anheuserbusch inbev nyse bud company dominates global brewing market selling one every five beers consumed worldwide merger sabmiller closes anheuserbusch inbev control portfolio 200 beer brands account 30 global beer market already extremely profitable ebitda earnings interest taxes depreciation amortization basis postmerger anheuserbusch able even effectively leverage massive economies scale benefit shareholders thanks majority ownership 3g capital notoriously costconscious brazilian private equity giant partnered warren buffett recent years seems companys dividend growth outlook remains favorable ever shares currently yielding 37 anheuserbusch inbev looks like incredibly compelling consumerstaples stock today secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window andrew tonner opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool recommends anheuserbusch inbev nv cocacola procter gamble try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>It's never easy finding great stocks trading at reasonable prices and&amp;#160;sporting high yields. You have to wait for a market downturn or find companies that are out of favor for some reason. Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne, Inc. (NYSE: HP) and International Business Machines Corp (NYSE: IBM) are two high-yielding dividend stocks that fall into the latter category. They're both smart choices to juice the tax-free income you get out of your Roth IRA.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne yields an impressive 6.2% today. That's largely because it operates in the oil and natural gas drilling business, which is highly cyclical and currently out of favor. But here's the really exciting&amp;#160;thing: The company has increased its dividend every year for 44 consecutive years despite operating in a cycle-driven industry.&amp;#160;</p> <p>To be fair, there are real things to worry about. For example, Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne only has about half of its U.S. onshore drilling fleet working today. This business accounts for roughly 90% of its rigs. However, the 52% utilization rate in the fiscal third quarter was more than double the 24% experienced in the same quarter a year ago. So the worst of the downturn appears over. &amp;#160;</p> <p>Another positive is Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne's industry position. It is the market-share leader in the U.S. onshore market with the most modern fleet of rigs. That's important because its customers have increasingly been shifting toward alternating current (AC)&amp;#160;rigs, which are more efficient and flexible than older rigs. With more AC rigs, Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne is in position to serve customers looking to stay on the cutting edge. And, for better or worse, it has more idle AC rigs than its direct peers, too, meaning that <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/28/helmerich-payne-couldnt-get-over-the-profit-hurdle.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">it could gain even more share if drilling activity continues to pick up Opens a New Window.</a>. &amp;#160;</p> <p>You might still be worried about getting into a highly cyclical industry. That's reasonable, but also consider that Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne's balance sheet is rock solid. Long-term debt makes up only around 10% of the capital structure and the <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-the-current-ratio.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">current ratio Opens a New Window.</a>&amp;#160;-- a measure of a company's ability to pay near-term bills -- is a robust 3.7. There's definitely risk here, but the high yield, long history of annual dividend hikes, and solid balance sheet should help calm your nerves. &amp;#160;</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The next candidate to consider for your Roth IRA is tech titan IBM. The company currently yields 4.1% and boasts a 22-year history of annual dividend hikes. That, of course, is the good news. The bad news is that the yield is so high because IBM is going through a painful business transition. &amp;#160; &amp;#160;</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/IBM/dividend_per_share" type="external">IBM Dividend Per Share (Quarterly) Opens a New Window.</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>How bad is it? Revenue has declined for 21 consecutive quarters. That's more than five years of falling sales because the revenue from new businesses hasn't been able to offset the loss of revenue from sold and declining businesses.&amp;#160;Investors are clearly worried that IBM isn't going to be able to right the ship. And if you take a cursory look at the balance sheet, long-term debt makes up a worrying two-thirds of the capital structure! A falling top line and a heavy debt load are not good signs. &amp;#160; &amp;#160;</p> <p>Let's address those issues one at a time starting with the easy one: debt. Around 80% of IBM's long-term debt is <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/11/how-safe-is-ibms-dividend.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">related to the tech giant's financing arm Opens a New Window.</a>. This business supports the company's sales. There's a risk that these loans won't get paid, of course, but this debt is backed by sales and long-term contracts. Pull that debt out and long-term debt only makes up around 30% of the capital structure.&amp;#160;That's a completely reasonable number. Meanwhile, the current ratio is a healthy 1.25. IBM is in solid financial shape with plenty of room to maneuver. &amp;#160;</p> <p>The business transition is a little more complicated. For starters, IBM is a massive ship to turn around. So it's not surprising that a big makeover would be slow moving. As for the likelihood of success, IBM is more than 100 years old -- it's successfully transformed its business before. There's no reason to doubt that it won't be able to do it again, as it continues to shifts from older businesses, like making computers, toward new businesses like security, cloud computing, data analytics (Watson), social, and mobile.</p> <p>One good sign that it hasn't lost its edge is its continued lead in annual patent wins. It's been awarded more patents than any other company for 24 consecutive years, besting the runner-up's tally last year by a massive 45%. Although many of these patents are related to technology that we won't see for years into the future, this is a clear demonstration that IBM is still the type of company that can, and is, driving change in the technology industry.&amp;#160; &amp;#160;&amp;#160;</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/IBM/normalized_eps_annual" type="external">IBM Normalized Diluted EPS (Annual) Opens a New Window.</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a></p> <p>And then there's the company's profitability. Despite a falling top line, robust profit margins and stock buybacks continue to support IBM's earnings. Over the past decade, revenues are down around 20% but earnings have gone up over 75% despite relatively weak bottom line results in the last few years. With regard to the dividend, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/11/how-safe-is-ibms-dividend.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">fellow Fool Keith Noonan recently noted Opens a New Window.</a> that the tech giant's free cash flow easily covers its dividend payments. Put it all together and IBM still looks like a leading technology company with the financial strength to change with the times -- even if the process is taking longer than investors would like. &amp;#160; &amp;#160;</p> <p>There's no question that there are risks at Helmerich &amp;amp; Payne and IBM. They wouldn't be offering investors such high yields if there weren't. However, when you dig into the businesses a little bit, the risks start to look less frightening, which makes the high yields each offers even more enticing. If you stick this pair into a Roth IRA, you'll be able to use them to generate a healthy stream of tax-free income.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than IBMWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=478c4309-714d-455c-b369-038789a41260&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and IBM wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=478c4309-714d-455c-b369-038789a41260&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of August 1, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFReubenGBrewer/info.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Reuben Gregg Brewer Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of IBM. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;uuid=1f92e52c-8cbc-11e7-bc50-0050569d32b9&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

never easy finding great stocks trading reasonable prices and160sporting high yields wait market downturn find companies favor reason helmerich amp payne inc nyse hp international business machines corp nyse ibm two highyielding dividend stocks fall latter category theyre smart choices juice taxfree income get roth ira continue reading helmerich amp payne yields impressive 62 today thats largely operates oil natural gas drilling business highly cyclical currently favor heres really exciting160thing company increased dividend every year 44 consecutive years despite operating cycledriven industry160 fair real things worry example helmerich amp payne half us onshore drilling fleet working today business accounts roughly 90 rigs however 52 utilization rate fiscal third quarter double 24 experienced quarter year ago worst downturn appears 160 another positive helmerich amp paynes industry position marketshare leader us onshore market modern fleet rigs thats important customers increasingly shifting toward alternating current ac160rigs efficient flexible older rigs ac rigs helmerich amp payne position serve customers looking stay cutting edge better worse idle ac rigs direct peers meaning could gain even share drilling activity continues pick opens new window 160 might still worried getting highly cyclical industry thats reasonable also consider helmerich amp paynes balance sheet rock solid longterm debt makes around 10 capital structure current ratio opens new window160 measure companys ability pay nearterm bills robust 37 theres definitely risk high yield long history annual dividend hikes solid balance sheet help calm nerves 160 advertisement next candidate consider roth ira tech titan ibm company currently yields 41 boasts 22year history annual dividend hikes course good news bad news yield high ibm going painful business transition 160 160 ibm dividend per share quarterly opens new window data ycharts opens new window bad revenue declined 21 consecutive quarters thats five years falling sales revenue new businesses hasnt able offset loss revenue sold declining businesses160investors clearly worried ibm isnt going able right ship take cursory look balance sheet longterm debt makes worrying twothirds capital structure falling top line heavy debt load good signs 160 160 lets address issues one time starting easy one debt around 80 ibms longterm debt related tech giants financing arm opens new window business supports companys sales theres risk loans wont get paid course debt backed sales longterm contracts pull debt longterm debt makes around 30 capital structure160thats completely reasonable number meanwhile current ratio healthy 125 ibm solid financial shape plenty room maneuver 160 business transition little complicated starters ibm massive ship turn around surprising big makeover would slow moving likelihood success ibm 100 years old successfully transformed business theres reason doubt wont able continues shifts older businesses like making computers toward new businesses like security cloud computing data analytics watson social mobile one good sign hasnt lost edge continued lead annual patent wins awarded patents company 24 consecutive years besting runnerups tally last year massive 45 although many patents related technology wont see years future clear demonstration ibm still type company driving change technology industry160 160160 ibm normalized diluted eps annual opens new window data ycharts theres companys profitability despite falling top line robust profit margins stock buybacks continue support ibms earnings past decade revenues around 20 earnings gone 75 despite relatively weak bottom line results last years regard dividend fellow fool keith noonan recently noted opens new window tech giants free cash flow easily covers dividend payments put together ibm still looks like leading technology company financial strength change times even process taking longer investors would like 160 160 theres question risks helmerich amp payne ibm wouldnt offering investors high yields werent however dig businesses little bit risks start look less frightening makes high yields offers even enticing stick pair roth ira youll able use generate healthy stream taxfree income 10 stocks like better ibmwhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right ibm wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns august 1 2017 reuben gregg brewer opens new window owns shares ibm motley fool position stocks mentioned motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>On July 4, 2015, 22 year-old <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lane.pittman?fref=nf" type="external">Lane Pittman</a> decided to take his electric guitar and play the Star Spangled Banner on the street outside his friend&#8217;s house in Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville.</p> <p><a href="http://www.local10.com/news/jacksonville-musician-arrested-after-playing-national-anthem/34057668" type="external">Pittman says</a> that after a police officer asked him to stop, he asked if it was okay to play on the sidewalk, and was told that was okay. And play he did:</p> <p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think I ever played that song as good in my life as I did on that day. It felt right. It was an emotional roller coaster.&#8221;</p> <p>The crowd topped 200 people, spilling onto the street around him:</p> <p /> <p>Then Pittman&amp;#160;was, <a href="http://www.local10.com/news/jacksonville-musician-arrested-after-playing-national-anthem/34057668" type="external">to his surprise, arrested</a> for breaching the peace:</p> <p /> <p>Pittman said what happened next took him completely by surprise. The officers handcuffed him and drove him to the police station.</p> <p>&#8220;He goes, &#8216;Spread your legs. Put your hands behind your back,&#8217; and that was when I was like, &#8216;Oh my gosh. Is he serious? I&#8217;m getting arrested for this after I was told I could do it?'&#8221; Pittman said.</p> <p>&#8220;Out of respect for the national anthem, they let them finish the National Anthem,&#8221; Neptune Beach Police Chief David Sembach said. &#8220;He was told he was going to have to stop playing. He went to the sidewalk and continued playing, and it was only after that that the crowd was getting hostile, so the only way to stop it, since he wasn&#8217;t going to stop playing, was to take him out of the location.&#8221;</p> <p>This image from the video shows Pittman being approached by police just after he finished playing:</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> <p>According to <a href="http://www.local10.com/news/jacksonville-musician-arrested-after-playing-national-anthem/34057668" type="external">local news reports</a>, the police intended to keep Pittman in jail overnight, but ended up giving him a Notice to Appear when they realized they didn&#8217;t have a place to hold him.</p> <p /> <p>The incident garnered a fair amount of social media attention at the time, with the video of Pittman playing his guitar having over 200,000 views.</p> <p>The Neptune Beach Police apparently received a lot of hostile messages, leading it to issue a statement <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=969917439725835&amp;amp;id=534017019982548" type="external">on Facebook</a>, which reads in part:</p> <p>To all interested folks &#8211;</p> <p>July 10, 2015</p> <p>It is of no surprise that the story of Lane Pittman has gone viral within Social Media, local news and even now national news. We totally understand, but do not agree with, the rush to judgment reaction from all corners. This case was never about someone playing the &#8220;Star Spangled Banner&#8221; &#8211; what freedom loving American would object to that? This case was about the police having the responsibility to keep roadways and sidewalks traversable and as safe as possible. From our perspective, Mr. Pittman was the catalyst of the large group of people who had gathered in the roadway and sidewalks. This prohibited or severely delayed the response of emergency personnel. If we let the guitar playing continue and something terrible happened, we would be criticized for that as well. The way it was handled, no one was hurt and no property was destroyed&#8230;.</p> <p>I would like to personally thank Lane Pittman for being one of the few people who did not call, email, text, or Facebook the NBPD with hate filled diatribe toward the Neptune Beach Police Department &#8211; The calls for us to &#8220;Die&#8221; were particularly interesting.</p> <p>In closing, we understand that Mr. Pittman is what many people describe as a &#8220;Great Dude&#8221;. We don&#8217;t dispute that. Moving forward we wish Mr. Pittman the best of luck with his entertainment career. If you are interested in his aspirations follow him on Instagram @thebigguy904 or FaceBook @Lane Pittman for Jaxson DeVille.</p> <p>Sincerely, David Sembach, Chief of Police</p> <p>[&#8220;Jaxson de Ville&#8221; is the mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a position to which <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152352258021724&amp;amp;set=a.434825351723.214245.542376723&amp;amp;type=1&amp;amp;theater" type="external">Pittman aspires</a>]</p> <p>Pittman appeared in court on July 27, 2015, and was offered a &#8220;diversion&#8221; plea deal, which normally involves community service after which the charges are dropped.</p> <p>Pittman rejected the plea deal, and posted this message and image <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153007615831724&amp;amp;set=a.10150813585666724.407519.542376723&amp;amp;type=1&amp;amp;theater" type="external">on Facebook</a>:</p> <p>UPDATE: just got out of court and they have decided to push back the situation to ANOTHER court date on Aug. 27th. During the time in between this, the State Attorney will decide to either file this or not. They gave me a diversion deal to where I could do a bunch of community service and the arrest goes away and I said no. To me, that is admitting guilt. I would be admitting a guilt that is nonexistent. Thank you everyone for the prayers and support! Praying God is glorified through all of this no matter what the outcome is!!</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> <p>Not everyone is thrilled with Pittman. He was accused by North Florida <a href="https://twitter.com/folioweekly" type="external">FOLIO Weekly</a>&amp;#160;author <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aggancarski" type="external">AG Gancarski</a> of having <a href="http://folioweekly.com/GUITAR-ZERO,13062" type="external">White Skin Privilege</a>:</p> <p>You know what else is quintessentially American? Small town police reactions.</p> <p>Apple pie, Mark McGwire, Tiger Woods, Union Carbide and Anthony Weiner all rolled up into a sucrose surprise in a fluffy pastry shell.</p> <p>So American, and it got served up to Lane Pittman.</p> <p>Pittman got a few notes in, and then a peace officer played Name That Tune.</p> <p>&#8220;He said &#8216;if you want to go to jail then you will keep playing,&#8221; said Pittman in that same FCN dispatch. &#8220;And, I was, like, are you serious? He said you can&#8217;t play in the middle of the street. I said, can I move it back to the sidewalk?&#8221;</p> <p>The art of getting to yes. Pittman, who looks like a cross between Randee of the Redwoods and Don&#8217;t Tase Me Bro, somehow thought he could negotiate with a police officer. Ask D&#8217;Angelo. Ask Devanta. Ask PINAC. Ask the Jax 19.</p> <p>Clearly, Pittman doesn&#8217;t watch the news. Failing that, he clearly doesn&#8217;t get that his act isn&#8217;t nearly as cute as he thought it was.</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> <p>But mostly Pittman has received enormous community support. He&#8217;s being invited to repeat his guitar solo at many events:</p> <p /> <p>Pittman&#8217;s lawyer, <a href="http://www.blumeandrowland.com/caleb-d-rowland-esquire.html" type="external">Caleb D. Rowland</a>, would not comment directly on plea negotiations, but did confirm that the offer of diversion made in court was rejected outright by Pittman, and added:</p> <p>&#8220;Mr. Pittman is committed to seeing this through trial, if necessary. He believes, and I completely agree, he did nothing illegal, and was simply celebrating his freedoms as an American by playing one hell of a version of the National Anthem on Independence Day.&#8221;</p> <p>Pittman is <a href="http://jacksonville.suntimes.com/jax-news/7/115/225169/sidewalk-musician-arrested-playing-star-spangled-banner" type="external">not a likely candidate</a> for legal trouble: &#8220;He has no criminal record, plays in his church&#8217;s band, is a high school lacrosse coach and well-known in the community.&#8221;</p> <p>A motion to dismiss the charge as legally insufficient has been filed. A new court date of August 27 is scheduled, by which time the prosecution will have to decide to move forward with the Notice of Appearance, file a new criminal Information, or drop the charges.</p> <p>Neither the prosecuting attorney nor the Neptune Beach Police responded as of this writing to emails asking for comment.</p> <p>Legal Insurrection reader Robert Bleakney, who alerted me to this story, sums up the case this way:</p> <p>Surely this case warrants a legal insurrection, as defined on your Web site! And surely citizens have a right to use the public sidewalk as an open forum to celebrate the Fourth of July&#8230;.</p> <p>&#8230; the just powers of the police, like those of all government officials, are derived from the consent of the governed, and thus constitutionally limited, as the people retain an unalienable right to peaceably assemble in celebration of patriotic expression on the Fourth of July.</p> <p>UPDATE 7-31-2015 10:50 a.m. Eastern &#8212; I just heard back from the prosecuting attorney&#8217;s office with the following statement in response to my question whether the prosecution will move forward with charges:</p> <p>&#8220;The case is being reviewed.&#8221;</p> <p>UPDATE 8-1-2015 &#8212; Legal Insurrection&#8217;s coverage is being picked up and getting the message out, including at <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/07/30/man-cited-for-playing-the-national-anthem-on-the-fourth-of-july-rejects-community-service-deal-to-me-that-is-admitting-guilt/" type="external">The Blaze</a>, <a href="http://www.brobible.com/life/article/cited-by-cops-for-playing-national-anthem/" type="external">BroBible</a> and <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/07/31/guitarist-wont-take-plea-deal-charges-stemming-national-anthem-performance" type="external">Fox and Friends</a>:</p> <p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> <p><a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/4392082130001/guitarist-cited-for-playing-anthem-rejects-plea-deal/?#sp=show-clips" type="external">Fox News video</a>:</p> <p>Watch the latest video at &amp;lt;a href="http://video.foxnews.com"&amp;gt;video.foxnews.com&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

july 4 2015 22 yearold lane pittman decided take electric guitar play star spangled banner street outside friends house neptune beach near jacksonville pittman says police officer asked stop asked okay play sidewalk told okay play dont think ever played song good life day felt right emotional roller coaster crowd topped 200 people spilling onto street around pittman160was surprise arrested breaching peace pittman said happened next took completely surprise officers handcuffed drove police station goes spread legs put hands behind back like oh gosh serious im getting arrested told could pittman said respect national anthem let finish national anthem neptune beach police chief david sembach said told going stop playing went sidewalk continued playing crowd getting hostile way stop since wasnt going stop playing take location image video shows pittman approached police finished playing according local news reports police intended keep pittman jail overnight ended giving notice appear realized didnt place hold incident garnered fair amount social media attention time video pittman playing guitar 200000 views neptune beach police apparently received lot hostile messages leading issue statement facebook reads part interested folks july 10 2015 surprise story lane pittman gone viral within social media local news even national news totally understand agree rush judgment reaction corners case never someone playing star spangled banner freedom loving american would object case police responsibility keep roadways sidewalks traversable safe possible perspective mr pittman catalyst large group people gathered roadway sidewalks prohibited severely delayed response emergency personnel let guitar playing continue something terrible happened would criticized well way handled one hurt property destroyed would like personally thank lane pittman one people call email text facebook nbpd hate filled diatribe toward neptune beach police department calls us die particularly interesting closing understand mr pittman many people describe great dude dont dispute moving forward wish mr pittman best luck entertainment career interested aspirations follow instagram thebigguy904 facebook lane pittman jaxson deville sincerely david sembach chief police jaxson de ville mascot jacksonville jaguars position pittman aspires pittman appeared court july 27 2015 offered diversion plea deal normally involves community service charges dropped pittman rejected plea deal posted message image facebook update got court decided push back situation another court date aug 27th time state attorney decide either file gave diversion deal could bunch community service arrest goes away said admitting guilt would admitting guilt nonexistent thank everyone prayers support praying god glorified matter outcome everyone thrilled pittman accused north florida folio weekly160author ag gancarski white skin privilege know else quintessentially american small town police reactions apple pie mark mcgwire tiger woods union carbide anthony weiner rolled sucrose surprise fluffy pastry shell american got served lane pittman pittman got notes peace officer played name tune said want go jail keep playing said pittman fcn dispatch like serious said cant play middle street said move back sidewalk art getting yes pittman looks like cross randee redwoods dont tase bro somehow thought could negotiate police officer ask dangelo ask devanta ask pinac ask jax 19 clearly pittman doesnt watch news failing clearly doesnt get act isnt nearly cute thought mostly pittman received enormous community support hes invited repeat guitar solo many events pittmans lawyer caleb rowland would comment directly plea negotiations confirm offer diversion made court rejected outright pittman added mr pittman committed seeing trial necessary believes completely agree nothing illegal simply celebrating freedoms american playing one hell version national anthem independence day pittman likely candidate legal trouble criminal record plays churchs band high school lacrosse coach wellknown community motion dismiss charge legally insufficient filed new court date august 27 scheduled time prosecution decide move forward notice appearance file new criminal information drop charges neither prosecuting attorney neptune beach police responded writing emails asking comment legal insurrection reader robert bleakney alerted story sums case way surely case warrants legal insurrection defined web site surely citizens right use public sidewalk open forum celebrate fourth july powers police like government officials derived consent governed thus constitutionally limited people retain unalienable right peaceably assemble celebration patriotic expression fourth july update 7312015 1050 eastern heard back prosecuting attorneys office following statement response question whether prosecution move forward charges case reviewed update 812015 legal insurrections coverage picked getting message including blaze brobible fox friends fox news video watch latest video lta hrefhttpvideofoxnewscomgtvideofoxnewscomltagt

<p /> <p>&#8220;The issue here is not gonna be a list of accomplishments. As you said yourself, Steve, you know, I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president &#8211; with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln.&#8221; &#8212; <a href="" type="internal">Barack Obama</a></p> <p>As future generations of Americans look back at the Obama years, perhaps as they search for some sort of explanation for why so many of them are living in huts and paying a 70% income tax rate when the country used to be so rich, they&#8217;ll be looking for some key dates and facts. So, in an effort to help future generations, here is a straightforward, entirely factual account of some of the most important moments of the Obama years.</p> <p>1) Barack Obama Inaugurated (January 20, 2009): Oh, it was such a hopeful, glorious, unified moment. Cats and dogs, Fox and MSNBC, Republicans and Democrats &#8212; we were all in it together and rooting Obama on towards victory&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.which brings up some obvious questions like: How did Barack Obama squander so much goodwill and what did he do to make so many Americans hate him?</p> <p>2) Barack Obama throws out the first pitch at the All-Star game (July 14, 2009): On this date, the hippest man ever to occupy the White House revolutionized fashion in America at Major League Baseball&#8217;s All-Star game. Ever heard of mom jeans? Well, Barack Obama wore them to the All-Star game and that, combined with his girlish throwing motion, caused moms across America to copy the mom-in-chief &#8212; and that is how Barack Obama created mom jeans!</p> <p>3) Obamacare passes (March 21, 2010): In one fell swoop, Barack Obama managed to cripple American healthcare, put the medical insurance industry on suicide watch, stall the economy, and empower the IRS and unelected death panels to get involved in your health care. If you were looking for comparable bad decisions from other world leaders, you&#8217;d probably need to go back to Napoleon&#8217;s decision to invade Russia during the winter or Nero&#8217;s decision to play the lyre on his balcony while Rome was burning instead of organizing a fire brigade. (In all fairness to Nero, that may be a rumor. For any future generations that are wondering what went so wrong with healthcare, contrary to what your liberal schoolteachers are telling you, George W. Bush was not responsible for &#8220;Obamacare.&#8221; It really was Obama.)</p> <p>4) Osama Bin Laden (May 2, 2011) was killed: In what undoubtedly was Barack Obama&#8217;s greatest moment, a bunch of scared, wimpy SEALs came to him and said, &#8220;We&#8217;ve figured out where Osama Bin Laden is, but we think we shouldn&#8217;t go get him because we&#8217;re afraid!&#8221; That was undoubtedly how most other Americans would have felt as well because as Obama&#8217;s team has told us constantly, he made a &#8220;gutsy call&#8221; to kill Osama. So obviously, those SEAL pansies had to be pushed into killing him, a wimp like John McCain wouldn&#8217;t have done it, and hundreds of millions of Americans who were angry about 9/11 wouldn&#8217;t have had cojones as big as President Mom-Jeans since he made such an incredibly &#8220;gutsy call.&#8221;</p> <p>John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.</p> <p>5) NASA had its last manned space flight (July 21, 2011): America&#8217;s &#8220;science President&#8221; moved America &#8220;forward&#8221; by cancelling our manned space program, which actually takes us all the way &#8220;backward&#8221; to 1960, the year before this country had its first crewed spaceflight. Hooray! We&#8217;ve gone backwards fifty years under Obama which takes us &#8220;forward&#8221;&#8230;or something.</p> <p>6) America loses its AAA credit rating (August 5, 2011): For the first time since 1917, America had its credit rating downgraded from AAA by Standard &amp;amp; Poor&#8217;s. Despite Barack Obama&#8217;s call telling S&amp;amp;P that Tea Partiers must have spent all those trillions of dollars while he was out of the White House golfing and his promise that &#8220;We&#8217;ll pay it all back when our next paycheck comes in, we swear&#8221;, S&amp;amp;P refused to take Obama&#8217;s record-breaking deficit numbers off the books.</p> <p>7) Barack Obama increases the national debt more in 3 years and 2 months than George Bush did in two terms (March 18, 2012): Despite delivering the &#8220; <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/economic-recovery-weakest-since-world-war-ii-152031546--finance.html" type="external">feeblest economic recovery since the Great Depression</a>,&#8221; Barack Obama managed to rack up more debt in 38 months than George W. Bush did in 96 months. That&#8217;s sort of like putting down enough money to buy a Lamborghini and getting a used Dukes of Hazzard remote control toy car in return.</p> <p>8) &#8220;You didn&#8217;t build that.&#8221; (July 13, 2012): In a revolutionary speech &#8212; well, for the President of a capitalistic country anyway &#8212; Barack Obama explained how the markets work. Apparently, the government provides roads, street signs, and regulations and in response, small businesses spring up to provide jobs and tax revenue without any individual effort, sort of like mushrooms after a night of hard rain.</p> <p>9) Barack Obama&#8217;s had a Las Vegas Fundraiser (September 12, 2012): One day after Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died because the Obama Administration ignored numerous warnings that they were in danger, Barack Obama jetted off to a fundraiser in Las Vegas. There were fears that four Americans dying because of Obama&#8217;s incompetence might spoil the mood, but all reports seem to indicate that a good time was had by all.</p> <p>10) Barack Obama gets demolished in his first head-to-head debate with Mitt Romney (October 3, 2012): Surprisingly, Barack Obama, whom the mainstream media has christened as the most warm, charismatic, cool, confident, competent and good looking President in American history, was soundly defeated (as in Genghis Khan&#8217;s forces managed to soundly defeat the unarmed farmers who opposed him) by Mitt Romney, who is often fondly described as &#8220;robotic, but in a good way&#8221; by his supporters. The explanations for this inexplicable defeat ranged from &#8220;The air in Denver was too thin for him,&#8221; to &#8220;Jim Lehrer didn&#8217;t ask Obama enough questions about how wonderful he is,&#8221; to &#8220;Do you think he&#8217;s high again? I mean, I wouldn&#8217;t put it past him &#8212; and, wow, would it explain a LOT OF THINGS about his presidency.&#8221;</p>

issue gon na list accomplishments said steve know would put legislative foreign policy accomplishments first two years president possible exceptions johnson fdr lincoln barack obama future generations americans look back obama years perhaps search sort explanation many living huts paying 70 income tax rate country used rich theyll looking key dates facts effort help future generations straightforward entirely factual account important moments obama years 1 barack obama inaugurated january 20 2009 oh hopeful glorious unified moment cats dogs fox msnbc republicans democrats together rooting obama towards victorywhich brings obvious questions like barack obama squander much goodwill make many americans hate 2 barack obama throws first pitch allstar game july 14 2009 date hippest man ever occupy white house revolutionized fashion america major league baseballs allstar game ever heard mom jeans well barack obama wore allstar game combined girlish throwing motion caused moms across america copy mominchief barack obama created mom jeans 3 obamacare passes march 21 2010 one fell swoop barack obama managed cripple american healthcare put medical insurance industry suicide watch stall economy empower irs unelected death panels get involved health care looking comparable bad decisions world leaders youd probably need go back napoleons decision invade russia winter neros decision play lyre balcony rome burning instead organizing fire brigade fairness nero may rumor future generations wondering went wrong healthcare contrary liberal schoolteachers telling george w bush responsible obamacare really obama 4 osama bin laden may 2 2011 killed undoubtedly barack obamas greatest moment bunch scared wimpy seals came said weve figured osama bin laden think shouldnt go get afraid undoubtedly americans would felt well obamas team told us constantly made gutsy call kill osama obviously seal pansies pushed killing wimp like john mccain wouldnt done hundreds millions americans angry 911 wouldnt cojones big president momjeans since made incredibly gutsy call john hawkinss book 101 things young adults know filled lessons newly minted adults need order get life gleaned lifetime trial error writing hawkins provides advice everyone benefit short digestible chapters 5 nasa last manned space flight july 21 2011 americas science president moved america forward cancelling manned space program actually takes us way backward 1960 year country first crewed spaceflight hooray weve gone backwards fifty years obama takes us forwardor something 6 america loses aaa credit rating august 5 2011 first time since 1917 america credit rating downgraded aaa standard amp poors despite barack obamas call telling sampp tea partiers must spent trillions dollars white house golfing promise well pay back next paycheck comes swear sampp refused take obamas recordbreaking deficit numbers books 7 barack obama increases national debt 3 years 2 months george bush two terms march 18 2012 despite delivering feeblest economic recovery since great depression barack obama managed rack debt 38 months george w bush 96 months thats sort like putting enough money buy lamborghini getting used dukes hazzard remote control toy car return 8 didnt build july 13 2012 revolutionary speech well president capitalistic country anyway barack obama explained markets work apparently government provides roads street signs regulations response small businesses spring provide jobs tax revenue without individual effort sort like mushrooms night hard rain 9 barack obamas las vegas fundraiser september 12 2012 one day libyan ambassador chris stevens three americans died obama administration ignored numerous warnings danger barack obama jetted fundraiser las vegas fears four americans dying obamas incompetence might spoil mood reports seem indicate good time 10 barack obama gets demolished first headtohead debate mitt romney october 3 2012 surprisingly barack obama mainstream media christened warm charismatic cool confident competent good looking president american history soundly defeated genghis khans forces managed soundly defeat unarmed farmers opposed mitt romney often fondly described robotic good way supporters explanations inexplicable defeat ranged air denver thin jim lehrer didnt ask obama enough questions wonderful think hes high mean wouldnt put past wow would explain lot things presidency

<p>Sign up: With one click, get this newsletter delivered to your inbox.</p> <p>Electronics supply chains that Apple Inc. has helped build across Asia are shuddering at the cutback in production of the latest iPhone. Apple is slashing its plans for making iPhone X handsets by half, to 20 million, in the current quarter, the WSJ's Yoko Kubota and Tripp Mickle report. Orders for components could be cut even more, by perhaps 60%, as reductions ripple across the broad eco-system of electronics manufacturing and distribution that Apple products have fostered. The latest reduction, the result of disappointing sales of the latest generation of the iPhone, is a new example of how companies in Apple's orbit can rise and fall as the company builds up new technology and then moves on or sees some features grow stale. Just last month, shares in Dialog Semiconductor, whose chips control power use in Apple products, fell by a quarter when it said its main client "has the resources and capability" to make its own power-management chips.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Harley-Davidson Inc. is scaling down its U.S. supply chain as sales of its iconic motorcycles sag inside the country and abroad. The company is closing its assembly plant in Kansas City, Mo., and consolidating that production into one of its three remaining U.S. factories, the WSJ's Andrew Tangel reports, a step back for the manufacturing sector that follows recent announcements of new factory investments. Harley's problems look bigger than broad changes in the American economy that have fueled other factory expansion, however: The company's revenue from motorcycle sales fell 6.8% last year, and sales of its signature Hog line declined for the third straight year as it loses market share to overseas competitors. Harley has been looking to get more global its production. The company said last year it would put a plant in Thailand, in part to get tax breaks for motorcycles it ships to other Southeast Asian countries. Harley will see lower taxes in the U.S., of course, but what it needs now are more sales.</p> <p>The era of driverless cars and delivery vehicles is well underway as far as some architects and developers are concerned. Planners in cities in North America, Europe and Asia are drawing up designs for streets with curbside drop-off areas for e-commerce deliveries and passengers rather than parking spaces, the WSJ's Peter Grant writes, while architects are laying out office and residential buildings with space for stacking up packages and delivery lockers. The goal for many planners, says an executive at one architecture firm, is to "future-proof" everything from roads to parking garages against what they say is an upheaval in transportation of goods and people. Real-estate developers and architects are thinking about a driverless future today because many of the structures and streets they're designing will still be around decades from now. They want to include flexibility so they can later adapt to changing transportation and shipping patterns with limited cost.</p> <p>TRANSPORTATION</p> <p>The very meager production of Tesla Inc. Model 3 sedans has created an unusual , big-money market for the electric cars. A shortage of the vehicles is fueling a frenzy among curious competitors, the WSJ's Tim Higgins reports, with some automotive companies paying upward of $500,000 to get their hands on the car billed as Tesla's entry into mass-market sales. The Model 3 so far hasn't worked out that way, with supply chain problems and production bottlenecks leaving fewer than 2,000 of the cars rolling out over the past two quarters. That's made the sedan a kind of model for the impact of supply scarcity in a market, with competitors and analysts scrambling to get their hands on the car. For some, it's purely a business decision. Engineering firm Caresoft Global Inc. has bought three Model 3s for around three times the list price each. They're in it not for the ride but for the technical analysis that Caresoft believes it can sell to competitors.</p> <p>QUOTABLE</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>IN OTHER NEWS</p> <p>President Donald Trump called for spending of "at least $1.5 trillion" on infrastructure but offered scant details on his State of the Union address on how to fund such a program. (WSJ)</p> <p>U.S. consumer confidence rose in January. (WSJ)</p> <p>A revival of the French economy helped the eurozone clock its strongest growth in a decade last year. (WSJ)</p> <p>Mexico's economy expanded at its fastest pace in more than a year in the fourth quarter. (WSJ)</p> <p>The U.S. homeownership rate rose in 2017 for the first time in 13 years. (WSJ)</p> <p>Growth in U.S. home prices accelerated in November on tight supply. (WSJ)</p> <p>Amazon.com Inc., Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase &amp;amp; Co. are forming a company looking to reduce health-care costs for their U.S. employees. (WSJ)</p> <p>Pfizer Inc. plans to invest $5 billion in manufacturing and other capital projects in the U.S. over the next five years. (WSJ)</p> <p>McDonald's Corp. gained sales again by luring core customers to its cheapest meals and drinks. (WSJ)</p> <p>Nikola Motor Co. chose the Phoenix area for a $1 billion manufacturing plant for its hydrogen-fueled heavy-duty trucks. (Reuters)</p> <p>Sequoia Capital led a $21 million funding round for online freight marketplace Next Trucking. (VentureBeat)</p> <p>U.S. steel imports rose 15.4% last year from the year before. (Northwest Indiana Times)</p> <p>An investigation shows drug distributors sent 20.8 million prescription pain killers to a West Virginia town with 2,900 residents. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)</p> <p>Uber Technologies Inc. reportedly looked at buying Chicago-based freight broker Load Delivered Logistics to bolster its Uber Freight service. (Recode)</p> <p>Truckload carrier Werner Enterprises Inc.'s fourth-quarter operating profit soared 29% on a 9% gain in overall revenue. (Omaha World-Herald)</p> <p>Covenant Transportation Group Inc. expects a measure of truck pricing to rise at a mid to high single-digit percentage rate this year. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)</p> <p>CMA CGM Group is starting a incubator called Ze Box for digital shipping technology startups. (American Shipper)</p> <p>India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port will open its fourth container terminal this week. (DNA India)</p> <p>French logistics group Bollor&#233; Logistics acquired majority control of Danish freight forwarder Global Solutions. (The Loadstar)</p> <p>Private equity group Leonard Green &amp;amp; Partners bought packaging machinery manufacturer ProMach. (Business Journals)</p> <p>Parcel volume at U.K. delivery company Hermes expanded 12% year-over-year during the holiday peak season. (Motor Transport)</p> <p>Colombian authorities seized 185 kilos of cocaine and arrested 10 suspected drug smugglers aboard a Hapag-Lloyd AG container ship. (Splash 14/7)</p> <p>ABOUT US</p> <p>Paul Page is deputy editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Follow him at @PaulPage, and follow the entire WSJ Logistics Report team: @brianjbaskin , @jensmithWSJ and @EEPhillips_WSJ. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.</p> <p>Write to Paul Page at paul.page@wsj.com</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>January 31, 2018 07:13 ET (12:13 GMT)</p>

sign one click get newsletter delivered inbox electronics supply chains apple inc helped build across asia shuddering cutback production latest iphone apple slashing plans making iphone x handsets half 20 million current quarter wsjs yoko kubota tripp mickle report orders components could cut even perhaps 60 reductions ripple across broad ecosystem electronics manufacturing distribution apple products fostered latest reduction result disappointing sales latest generation iphone new example companies apples orbit rise fall company builds new technology moves sees features grow stale last month shares dialog semiconductor whose chips control power use apple products fell quarter said main client resources capability make powermanagement chips continue reading harleydavidson inc scaling us supply chain sales iconic motorcycles sag inside country abroad company closing assembly plant kansas city mo consolidating production one three remaining us factories wsjs andrew tangel reports step back manufacturing sector follows recent announcements new factory investments harleys problems look bigger broad changes american economy fueled factory expansion however companys revenue motorcycle sales fell 68 last year sales signature hog line declined third straight year loses market share overseas competitors harley looking get global production company said last year would put plant thailand part get tax breaks motorcycles ships southeast asian countries harley see lower taxes us course needs sales era driverless cars delivery vehicles well underway far architects developers concerned planners cities north america europe asia drawing designs streets curbside dropoff areas ecommerce deliveries passengers rather parking spaces wsjs peter grant writes architects laying office residential buildings space stacking packages delivery lockers goal many planners says executive one architecture firm futureproof everything roads parking garages say upheaval transportation goods people realestate developers architects thinking driverless future today many structures streets theyre designing still around decades want include flexibility later adapt changing transportation shipping patterns limited cost transportation meager production tesla inc model 3 sedans created unusual bigmoney market electric cars shortage vehicles fueling frenzy among curious competitors wsjs tim higgins reports automotive companies paying upward 500000 get hands car billed teslas entry massmarket sales model 3 far hasnt worked way supply chain problems production bottlenecks leaving fewer 2000 cars rolling past two quarters thats made sedan kind model impact supply scarcity market competitors analysts scrambling get hands car purely business decision engineering firm caresoft global inc bought three model 3s around three times list price theyre ride technical analysis caresoft believes sell competitors quotable advertisement news president donald trump called spending least 15 trillion infrastructure offered scant details state union address fund program wsj us consumer confidence rose january wsj revival french economy helped eurozone clock strongest growth decade last year wsj mexicos economy expanded fastest pace year fourth quarter wsj us homeownership rate rose 2017 first time 13 years wsj growth us home prices accelerated november tight supply wsj amazoncom inc berkshire hathaway jpmorgan chase amp co forming company looking reduce healthcare costs us employees wsj pfizer inc plans invest 5 billion manufacturing capital projects us next five years wsj mcdonalds corp gained sales luring core customers cheapest meals drinks wsj nikola motor co chose phoenix area 1 billion manufacturing plant hydrogenfueled heavyduty trucks reuters sequoia capital led 21 million funding round online freight marketplace next trucking venturebeat us steel imports rose 154 last year year northwest indiana times investigation shows drug distributors sent 208 million prescription pain killers west virginia town 2900 residents charleston gazettemail uber technologies inc reportedly looked buying chicagobased freight broker load delivered logistics bolster uber freight service recode truckload carrier werner enterprises incs fourthquarter operating profit soared 29 9 gain overall revenue omaha worldherald covenant transportation group inc expects measure truck pricing rise mid high singledigit percentage rate year chattanooga times free press cma cgm group starting incubator called ze box digital shipping technology startups american shipper indias jawaharlal nehru port open fourth container terminal week dna india french logistics group bolloré logistics acquired majority control danish freight forwarder global solutions loadstar private equity group leonard green amp partners bought packaging machinery manufacturer promach business journals parcel volume uk delivery company hermes expanded 12 yearoveryear holiday peak season motor transport colombian authorities seized 185 kilos cocaine arrested 10 suspected drug smugglers aboard hapaglloyd ag container ship splash 147 us paul page deputy editor wsj logistics report follow paulpage follow entire wsj logistics report team brianjbaskin jensmithwsj eephillips_wsj follow wsj logistics report twitter wsjlogistics write paul page paulpagewsjcom end dow jones newswires january 31 2018 0713 et 1213 gmt

<p /> <p>Image source: Pixabay.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Most of us would love to retire early, but it can be hard to think of how to pull that off. After all, an early retirement means even more years in which we will have to support ourselves with our savings and whatever income streams we have. Still, it's not an impossible dream -- if you think it through carefully and come up with a smart plan. The following three ways to retire early can help you get there.</p> <p>Image source: Pixabay</p> <p>: If early retirement is your goal, then you should put all of your effort into saving as much as you can as early as you can. The big benefit to doing so will put the power of compounding returns on your side, which is the closest thing we have in this world to financial <a href="http://www.fool.com/how-to-invest/thirteen-steps/step-1-change-your-life-with-one-calculation.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">magic Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>To illustrate the power of this amazing concept, let's assume that a new investor starts with $0 in savings and is able to invest $5,000 per year. This investor doesn't do anything fancy and earns a solid 9% annualized rate of return. That's a hair below the historic long-term rate of return of the S&amp;amp;P 500.</p> <p>Depending on when they began socking away that annual $5,000, here's a look at what this investor's net worth would be at age 55, which represents retiring a full 10 years early:</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As you can see, the earlier you start, the larger your nest egg will become, and that's not just because of the extra contributions. In fact, there's only a $25,000 contribution difference between each of these starting ages ($5,000 times five years), but you can see what amassive difference in net worth that translates to down the road.</p> <p>Another great point to keep in mind is that the investor who started at age 20 can expect their net worth to rise by more than $105,000 in when they turn 56, assuming they continue to generate that 9% return. That's more than 21 times the investor's annual contribution amount, all thanks to the power of compounding. Of course, you may be a few years past age 20 when you're reading this. Up your annual savings amount and you can still accumulate a lot.</p> <p>The takeaway here is clear: If you want to retire early, you've got to get started investing early.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSelena/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Selena Maranjian Opens a New Window.</a>: One smart strategy to help you retire early is shrinking your spending. Spending less can help you save more and can enable your retirement accounts to grow bigger sooner. Better still, if you continue spending less in retirement, the money you've saved will last longer. How might you spend less, then? Here are a bunch of ideas.</p> <p>Consider downsizing into a smaller home, which should cost you less in taxes, utilities, maintenance, and more. You might even move to a less expensive region. The median home value in New Jersey, for example, was recently about $320,000, but it was only $130,000 in Nebraska. Set up a budget and stick to it. Studies have shown that paying for many things with cash can help you spend less, too. Can your household get by with just one car? That will save on insurance, repairs, and fuel. Use coupons you clip from newspapers and mailings and ones you find online. Saving just $25 per week amounts to $1,300 per year.</p> <p>Get rid of your cable TV subscription or downsize your channel package, as you can probably find plenty to watch via streaming services. Do an energy audit of your home. Energy-efficient appliances, windows, and/or insulation can pay for themselves and save you money. Use less heat in winter and less air conditioning in summer. Drop your gym membership and exercise with weights at home and other inexpensive means. Downsize the gifts you give, perhaps making some yourself. Brown-bag many lunches and brew your own coffee at home. Cancel subscriptions you don't use.</p> <p>You might even make it all a little fun by competing with other household members to see who can cut their spending more.</p> <p>Image source: Pixabay.</p> <p>:Following Selena's advice is crucial. Such a goal is only attainable if you spend less than you earn and wisely design a life that fits well within your means.</p> <p>But I'd like to offer a different take: One way to retire early is simply to redefine what "early retirement" means to you. For too many, the image of sitting at home, watching TV in your pajamas until noon comes to mind. While that may occasionally be an enjoyable activity, you're likely to be bored stiff if that's your routine.</p> <p>Instead, achieving financial independence or even quasi-financial independence is a much better goal than early retirement. This means that you still have the time -- and desire --to pursue your interests, but you're beholden to no boss or coworkers. You have absolute autonomy over your time.</p> <p>I know a number of people who have even short-circuited this route. After working hard for 10 years out of college, saving up and investing as much as they can, they call it quits. These folks don't have enough to never need more money again, but they have enough to cut their working hours in half, perhaps by freelancing or getting a part-time job.They devote the extra time to raising kids or pursuing a bold new idea that has always captivated them. For many, that's as good as an early retirement.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/06/18/3-ways-to-retire-early.aspx" type="external">3 Ways to Retire Early Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p>Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source pixabay continue reading us would love retire early hard think pull early retirement means even years support savings whatever income streams still impossible dream think carefully come smart plan following three ways retire early help get image source pixabay early retirement goal put effort saving much early big benefit put power compounding returns side closest thing world financial magic opens new window illustrate power amazing concept lets assume new investor starts 0 savings able invest 5000 per year investor doesnt anything fancy earns solid 9 annualized rate return thats hair historic longterm rate return sampp 500 depending began socking away annual 5000 heres look investors net worth would age 55 represents retiring full 10 years early advertisement see earlier start larger nest egg become thats extra contributions fact theres 25000 contribution difference starting ages 5000 times five years see amassive difference net worth translates road another great point keep mind investor started age 20 expect net worth rise 105000 turn 56 assuming continue generate 9 return thats 21 times investors annual contribution amount thanks power compounding course may years past age 20 youre reading annual savings amount still accumulate lot takeaway clear want retire early youve got get started investing early image source getty images selena maranjian opens new window one smart strategy help retire early shrinking spending spending less help save enable retirement accounts grow bigger sooner better still continue spending less retirement money youve saved last longer might spend less bunch ideas consider downsizing smaller home cost less taxes utilities maintenance might even move less expensive region median home value new jersey example recently 320000 130000 nebraska set budget stick studies shown paying many things cash help spend less household get one car save insurance repairs fuel use coupons clip newspapers mailings ones find online saving 25 per week amounts 1300 per year get rid cable tv subscription downsize channel package probably find plenty watch via streaming services energy audit home energyefficient appliances windows andor insulation pay save money use less heat winter less air conditioning summer drop gym membership exercise weights home inexpensive means downsize gifts give perhaps making brownbag many lunches brew coffee home cancel subscriptions dont use might even make little fun competing household members see cut spending image source pixabay following selenas advice crucial goal attainable spend less earn wisely design life fits well within means id like offer different take one way retire early simply redefine early retirement means many image sitting home watching tv pajamas noon comes mind may occasionally enjoyable activity youre likely bored stiff thats routine instead achieving financial independence even quasifinancial independence much better goal early retirement means still time desire pursue interests youre beholden boss coworkers absolute autonomy time know number people even shortcircuited route working hard 10 years college saving investing much call quits folks dont enough never need money enough cut working hours half perhaps freelancing getting parttime jobthey devote extra time raising kids pursuing bold new idea always captivated many thats good early retirement article 3 ways retire early opens new window originally appeared foolcom try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>TIDMEMG TIDMTSCO</p> <p>FORM 8.3</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY</p> <p>A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE</p> <p>Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")</p> <p>1. KEY INFORMATION</p> <p>(a) Full name of discloser: Man Group Plc</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>(b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions N/A</p> <p>disclosed, if different from 1(a):</p> <p>(c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant Tesco plc</p> <p>securities this form relates:</p> <p>(d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, N/A</p> <p>state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:</p> <p>(e) Date position held/dealing undertaken: 15(th) November 2017</p> <p>(f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the YES / NO / N/A</p> <p>discloser making disclosures in respect of any other If YES, specify which:</p> <p>party to the offer? Booker Group plc</p> <p>2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE</p> <p>(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of</p> <p>the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the</p> <p>dealing (if any)</p> <p>Class of relevant security: 5p ordinary</p> <p>Interests Short positions</p> <p>Number % Number %</p> <p>(1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 26,922,109 0.3287 0 0</p> <p>(2) Cash-settled derivatives: 35,425,793 0.4325 23,970,008 0.2926</p> <p>(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options)</p> <p>and agreements to purchase/sell: 25,484,000 0.3111 10,030,000 0.1225</p> <p>TOTAL: 87,831,902 1.0723 34,000,008 0.4151</p> <p>All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.</p> <p>Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded</p> <p>options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should</p> <p>be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).</p> <p>(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors'</p> <p>and other employee options)</p> <p>Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription</p> <p>right exists:</p> <p>Details, including nature of the rights concerned</p> <p>and relevant percentages:</p> <p>3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE</p> <p>Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant</p> <p>securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b),</p> <p>(c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant</p> <p>security dealt in.</p> <p>The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.</p> <p>(a) Purchases and sales</p> <p>Class of relevant Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit</p> <p>security</p> <p>(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions</p> <p>Class of Nature of dealing Number of</p> <p>relevant Product description e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing reference Price per unit</p> <p>security e.g. CFD a long/short position securities (GBP)</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 5,200 1.84850</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 59,302 1.84850</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 596 1.84910</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 336 1.84950</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 26,927 1.84910</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 36,745 1.84910</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 314 1.84850</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 5,216 1.84850</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 7,410 1.84910</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 701 1.84950</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,279 1.85130</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 34,823 1.88560</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 41,276 1.87830</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 42,309 1.86760</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 45,277 1.85460</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 61,035 1.85190</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 49,057 1.85200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,888 1.84950</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 16,394 1.84600</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 8,863 1.84040</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 83,735 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 171,159 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 15,721 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 78,044 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 131,294 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 131,295 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,205 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 9,560 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 842 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 16,167 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 17,847 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,175 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 41,086 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 202,377 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 92,621 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 227,857 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 227,856 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,828 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 16,590 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 1,462 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 28,056 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 30,972 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 19,394 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 71,304 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 351,216 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 160,741 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 27,209 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 135,070 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 294,996 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,389 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 16,828 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,973 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 19,974 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 28,311 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 28,311 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 475 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,061 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 181 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,486 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,848 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,409 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 8,860 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 43,642 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 10,736 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 53,304 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 4,910 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 24,378 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 41,020 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 41,020 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 688 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,986 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 262 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 5,050 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 5,576 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,491 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 12,837 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 63,232 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 28,941 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 53,130 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 18,432 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 1,451 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 7,205 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,269 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,269 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 189 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 820 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 72 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 1,387 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 1,531 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 959 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,527 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 17,372 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 7,952 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 45,745 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 4,223 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 20,969 1.84380</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 35,724 1.85240</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 35,724 1.85180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 599 1.84060</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 2,601 1.84200</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 228 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 4,398 1.84070</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 4,856 1.84090</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 3,040 1.84050</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,180 1.84180</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 55,069 1.84410</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 25,205 1.83650</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 18,191 1.85030</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Opening a short position 10,300 1.84930</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 23,700 1.85280</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 11,600 1.85280</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Opening a short position 5,900 1.84930</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 7,800 1.85280</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary CFD Increasing a long position 35,100 1.85280</p> <p>(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)</p> <p>(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying</p> <p>Class of Product Writing, Number of Exercise Type Expiry Option</p> <p>relevant description purchasing, securities price e.g. American, European etc. date money</p> <p>security e.g. call selling, to which per paid/</p> <p>option varying option unit received</p> <p>etc. relates per</p> <p>unit</p> <p>(ii) Exercise</p> <p>Class of Product description Exercising/ Number of Exercise</p> <p>relevant e.g. call option exercised securities price per</p> <p>security against unit</p> <p>(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)</p> <p>Class of relevant Nature of dealing Details Price per unit</p> <p>security e.g. subscription, conversion (if applicable)</p> <p>4. OTHER INFORMATION</p> <p>(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements</p> <p>Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or</p> <p>any agreement or understanding, formal or informal,</p> <p>relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement</p> <p>to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the</p> <p>person making the disclosure and any party to the</p> <p>offer or any person acting in concert with a party</p> <p>to the offer:</p> <p>Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should</p> <p>not be included. If there are no such agreements,</p> <p>arrangements or understandings, state "none"</p> <p>None</p> <p>(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to</p> <p>options or derivatives</p> <p>Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding,</p> <p>formal or informal, between the person making the</p> <p>disclosure and any other person relating to:</p> <p>(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under</p> <p>any option; or</p> <p>(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal</p> <p>of any relevant securities to which any derivative</p> <p>is referenced:</p> <p>If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings,</p> <p>state "none"</p> <p>None</p> <p>(c) Attachments</p> <p>Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? YES/NO</p> <p>Date of disclosure: 16(th) November 2017</p> <p>Contact name: Matthew Irwin</p> <p>Telephone number: 02071447255</p> <p>Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory</p> <p>Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at</p> <p>monitoring@disclosure.org.uk. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is</p> <p>available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure</p> <p>requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.</p> <p>The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at</p> <p>www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.</p> <p>SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8 (OPEN POSITIONS)</p> <p>DETAILS OF OPEN STOCK-SETTLED DERIVATIVE (INCLUDING OPTION) POSITIONS,</p> <p>AGREEMENTS TO PURCHASE OR SELL ETC.</p> <p>Note 5(i) on Rule 8 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")</p> <p>1. KEY INFORMATION</p> <p>Full name of person making disclosure: Man Group Plc</p> <p>Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant Tesco plc</p> <p>securities the disclosure relates:</p> <p>2. STOCK-SETTLED DERIVATIVES (INCLUDING OPTIONS)</p> <p>Product Exercise</p> <p>Class of description price</p> <p>relevant e.g. call Written or Number of securities to which option or derivative per Type Expiry</p> <p>security option purchased relates unit e.g. American, European etc. date</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 347 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 1,654 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 806 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 402 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 689 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 1,290 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 2,215 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 2,237 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 3,847 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 278 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 476 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 371 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 600 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 115 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Call Option Purchased 197 1.95 American 19/01/2018</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 2,747 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 4,769 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 592 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 858 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 247 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Purchased 747 1.7 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 2,767 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 4,804 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 596 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 863 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 248 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>5p</p> <p>ordinary Put Option Written 752 1.8 American 17/11/2017</p> <p>3. AGREEMENTS TO PURCHASE OR SELL ETC.</p> <p>Full details should be given so that the nature of</p> <p>the interest or position can be fully understood:</p> <p>It is not necessary to provide details on a Supplemental Form (Open</p> <p>Positions) with regard to cash-settled derivatives.</p> <p>The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.</p> <p>The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in</p> <p>relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.</p> <p>The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at</p> <p>www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.</p> <p>This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf</p> <p>of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.</p> <p>The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely</p> <p>responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information</p> <p>contained therein.</p> <p>Source: Man Group PLC via Globenewswire</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>November 16, 2017 08:12 ET (13:12 GMT)</p>

tidmemg tidmtsco form 83 continue reading public opening position disclosuredealing disclosure person interests relevant securities representing 1 rule 83 takeover code code 1 key information full name discloser man group plc advertisement b owner controller interests short positions na disclosed different 1a c name offerorofferee relation whose relevant tesco plc securities form relates exempt fund manager connected offerorofferee na state specify identity offerorofferee e date position helddealing undertaken 15th november 2017 f addition company 1c yes na discloser making disclosures respect yes specify party offer booker group plc 2 positions person making disclosure interests short positions relevant securities offeror offeree disclosure relates following dealing class relevant security 5p ordinary interests short positions number number 1 relevant securities owned andor controlled 26922109 03287 0 0 2 cashsettled derivatives 35425793 04325 23970008 02926 3 stocksettled derivatives including options agreements purchasesell 25484000 03111 10030000 01225 total 87831902 10723 34000008 04151 interests short positions disclosed details open stocksettled derivative positions including traded options agreements purchase sell relevant securities given supplemental form 8 open positions b rights subscribe new securities including directors employee options class relevant security relation subscription right exists details including nature rights concerned relevant percentages 3 dealings person making disclosure dealings one class relevant securities offeror offeree named 1c copy table 3a b c appropriate additional class relevant security dealt currency prices monetary amounts stated purchases sales class relevant purchasesale number securities price per unit security b cashsettled derivative transactions class nature dealing number relevant product description eg openingclosing longshort position increasingreducing reference price per unit security eg cfd longshort position securities gbp 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 5200 184850 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 59302 184850 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 596 184910 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 336 184950 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 26927 184910 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 36745 184910 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 314 184850 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 5216 184850 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 7410 184910 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 701 184950 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3279 185130 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 34823 188560 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 41276 187830 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 42309 186760 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 45277 185460 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 61035 185190 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 49057 185200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3888 184950 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 16394 184600 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 8863 184040 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 83735 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 171159 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 15721 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 78044 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 131294 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 131295 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 2205 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 9560 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 842 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 16167 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 17847 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11175 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 41086 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 202377 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 92621 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 227857 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 227856 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3828 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 16590 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 1462 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 28056 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 30972 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 19394 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 71304 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 351216 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 160741 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 27209 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 135070 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 294996 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3389 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 16828 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11973 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 19974 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 28311 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 28311 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 475 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 2061 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 181 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3486 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3848 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 2409 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 8860 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 43642 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 10736 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 53304 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 4910 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 24378 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 41020 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 41020 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 688 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 2986 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 262 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 5050 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 5576 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3491 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 12837 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 63232 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 28941 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 53130 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 18432 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 1451 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 7205 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11269 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11269 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 189 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 820 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 72 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 1387 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 1531 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 959 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3527 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 17372 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 7952 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 45745 185030 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 4223 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 20969 184380 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 35724 185240 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 35724 185180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 599 184060 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 2601 184200 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 228 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 4398 184070 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 4856 184090 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 3040 184050 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11180 184180 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 55069 184410 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 25205 183650 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 18191 185030 5p ordinary cfd opening short position 10300 184930 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 23700 185280 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 11600 185280 5p ordinary cfd opening short position 5900 184930 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 7800 185280 5p ordinary cfd increasing long position 35100 185280 c stocksettled derivative transactions including options writing selling purchasing varying class product writing number exercise type expiry option relevant description purchasing securities price eg american european etc date money security eg call selling per paid option varying option unit received etc relates per unit ii exercise class product description exercising number exercise relevant eg call option exercised securities price per security unit dealings including subscribing new securities class relevant nature dealing details price per unit security eg subscription conversion applicable 4 information indemnity dealing arrangements details indemnity option arrangement agreement understanding formal informal relating relevant securities may inducement deal refrain dealing entered person making disclosure party offer person acting concert party offer irrevocable commitments letters intent included agreements arrangements understandings state none none b agreements arrangements understandings relating options derivatives details agreement arrangement understanding formal informal person making disclosure person relating voting rights relevant securities option ii voting rights future acquisition disposal relevant securities derivative referenced agreements arrangements understandings state none none c attachments supplemental form 8 open positions attached yesno date disclosure 16th november 2017 contact name matthew irwin telephone number 02071447255 public disclosures rule 8 code must made regulatory information service must also emailed takeover panel monitoringdisclosureorguk panels market surveillance unit available consultation relation codes disclosure requirements 44 020 7638 0129 code viewed panels website wwwthetakeoverpanelorguk supplemental form 8 open positions details open stocksettled derivative including option positions agreements purchase sell etc note 5i rule 8 takeover code code 1 key information full name person making disclosure man group plc name offerorofferee relation whose relevant tesco plc securities disclosure relates 2 stocksettled derivatives including options product exercise class description price relevant eg call written number securities option derivative per type expiry security option purchased relates unit eg american european etc date 5p ordinary call option purchased 347 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 1654 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 806 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 402 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 689 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 1290 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 2215 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 2237 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 3847 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 278 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 476 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 371 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 600 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 115 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary call option purchased 197 195 american 19012018 5p ordinary put option purchased 2747 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option purchased 4769 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option purchased 592 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option purchased 858 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option purchased 247 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option purchased 747 17 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 2767 18 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 4804 18 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 596 18 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 863 18 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 248 18 american 17112017 5p ordinary put option written 752 18 american 17112017 3 agreements purchase sell etc full details given nature interest position fully understood necessary provide details supplemental form open positions regard cashsettled derivatives currency prices monetary amounts stated panels market surveillance unit available consultation relation codes disclosure requirements 44 020 7638 0129 code viewed panels website wwwthetakeoverpanelorguk announcement distributed nasdaq corporate solutions behalf nasdaq corporate solutions clients issuer announcement warrants solely responsible content accuracy originality information contained therein source man group plc via globenewswire end dow jones newswires november 16 2017 0812 et 1312 gmt

<p /> <p>While Americans were cheering the idea of Saudi Arabian women being allowed to drive, Arabic Twitter and Facebook were posting the truth, and laughing at yet another scam to fool westerners.</p> <p>Hullabaloo over Saudi Women driving was meant to keep you from learning about Saudi war crimes and Shi&#8217;a ties to Christianity&#8230;</p> <p>The official Saudi decree made last week only called for the creation of a committee that would then make recommendations regarding how to implement driver&#8217;s licenses to women.</p> <p>Women will not be able to obtain a driver&#8217;s license until June of 2018. Meanwhile, the committee will decide the &#8220;rules&#8221;, including what the qualifications will be, and, whether they must be accompanied by a male guardian when they drive.</p> <p>Currently, it is still illegal for women to drive and is punishable according to Saudi laws. But the real issue, which will be decided some time before June 2018, is whether women will be permitted to drive alone.</p> <p>It is illegal for a Saudi Arabian woman to leave the house without permission of a male guardian. And, when she does get this permission she must be accompanied by a male guardian.</p> <p>So, will the committee keep these laws in regards to driving?</p> <p>Will she need permission from a male guardian to drive, even if she obtains a driver&#8217;s license? Will she be allowed to drive alone? And, what happens if she stops at the market? How can she get out of the car alone without a male guardian?</p> <p>How will allowing women to get a driver&#8217;s license remain in keeping with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s extremely strict Guardianship Laws?</p> <p>This misleading hullabaloo over women being allowed to drive came at the exact time that the UN&#8217;s Human Rights Council was deciding whether to investigate war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. This was no coincidence. The hullabaloo was meant to deter the western public from knowing the Truth about Saudi Arabian war crimes, and not just in Yemen, but inside Saudi Arabia.</p> <p>Most western media gave credit for the idea of allowing women to drive to Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman. Western media portrays Prince Salman positively, calling him the &#8220;Reform Prince&#8221;. But Salman is responsible for the war crimes in Yemen, the bombing of schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure, and resulting in mass civilian death and enormous outbreaks of disease due to the destruction of hospitals and infrastructure (Yemenis live in rubble, trash and their own waste products).</p> <p>Western media also never mentions the enormous rise of Saudi civilian anger regarding the ethnic cleansing of the Shi&#8217;a population inside Saudi Arabia at the hands of Prince Salman.</p> <p>Salmon has been making the decisions in Saudi Arabia because of the current King&#8217;s ongoing health issues and his bouts of Alzheimer&#8217;s. Prince Salman will officially be replacing his father very soon. And this is partly the reason for this push to see Prince Salman as a &#8220;reformer&#8221; &#8212; a good guy &#8212; when he most certainly isn&#8217;t.</p> <p>This last week, Saudi Arabia threatened 47 members of&amp;#160;the United Nations Human Rights Council if they voted in&amp;#160;favor of&amp;#160;a resolution to&amp;#160;launch a UN-supervised investigation into Yemen. Saudi Arabia has demanded that Saudi Arabia investigate war crimes in Yemen. Yes, the perpetrator of the war crimes wants to investigate the war crimes themselves!</p> <p>The U.S. and UK were &#8220;silent&#8221; and did not back an international investigation of&amp;#160;rights abuses and war crimes in&amp;#160;Yemen. Might this be because the U.S. and UK are the major suppliers of&amp;#160;weapons for&amp;#160;the Saudi-led campaign in&amp;#160;Yemen?</p> <p>Thus, the U.S. and UK were the biggest to promote the hullabaloo over women driving in Saudi Arabia, although it is still against the law, hasn&#8217;t been decided whether they will need &#8220;permission&#8221;, and, whether they will be able to get out of the car without a guardian.</p> <p>The U.S. is also silent in regards to the genocide occurring inside Saudi Arabia. This, too, is because the U.S. is supplying the weapons used to conduct the genocide.</p> <p>Saudi Arabia is targeting Shi&#8217;a villages in the country, bulldozing the villages, displacing the people, and killing large numbers of them.</p> <p>The attacks on Shi&#8217;a in Saudi Arabia started in 2011, when Sunni Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood wanted to wipe out Shi&#8217;a everywhere possible. The MB in Egypt massacred large numbers of Shi&#8217;a in 2012 when they took power.</p> <p>Starting in 2011, Muslim Brotherhood leaders began making announcements to their members in 80 different countries via their official website to kill Shi&#8217;a where ever they find them. Shi&#8217;a are considered to be infidels.</p> <p>Why are they infidels? Because they have similarities to Christianity. And, they often live in villages (peacefully) side by side with Christians. Similar to Christianity, Shi&#8217;a have special Saints they believe in, and they pray to these Saints, to name only a few things that irk Sunni Islamists.</p> <p>Most all middle eastern countries were predominantly Christian at one point. Yes, there were still pockets of paganism, Zoroastrianism, and of course Judaism, but those were small minorities. Christians were the majority throughout the mid-east and north Africa.</p> <p>From 200-400 AD/CE, Egyptian Christians corresponded often with the Christians of Yemen. There is a wealth of documentation that Christianity was the majority, was widespread, and that Christians corresponded with each other, even very long distance. Syria also is intensely rich with Christianity&#8217;s history.</p> <p>The split in Islam that Muslims talk about is &#8220;created&#8221; (made up). The truth is, many pagan Arab tribes that began migrating out of Arabia and into Syria, Yemen and the Near East, converted to Christianity. The first Arab governor in Syria was Christian. The &#8220;split&#8221; wasn&#8217;t about Islamic Doctrine, it was about Christian Doctrine. Christian Doctrine was being fought over during the period when Arabs migrated out of Arabia and into the Levant.</p> <p>Was Christ both human and divine in one person? What was the nature of Christ? And what about the Trinity? This period of time was intense with debate and it was during this period that the idea of &#8216;There is no God but God&#8217; came about&#8211;this statement was not created via Islam as Muslims will tell you, but created by Christians in the Levant.</p> <p>Christians in Syria (and the Levant), Yemen and Egypt were against the doctrine that was believed by, and enforced by, their Byzantine rulers. The Byzantine church held the doctrine of Dyophysitism (that Christ had two separate natures, divine and human). But the majority of the Near East held the Monophysite doctrine (that Christ had one nature, the divine and the human miraculously joined). Arab Christians took part in this religious split and took sides.</p> <p>Some 200 years later, Muslim writers called this split Shi&#8217;a vs. Sunni and changed the true history of what actually took place.</p> <p>Now, where ever you find Shi&#8217;a, Sunnis want to kill them off, because Shi&#8217;a history shows they were Christian in origin.</p> <p>Starting in the 1960&#8217;s and into the early 1970&#8217;s, both western and Muslim archeologists went to Mecca to see what they could dig up. They discovered that there was no Mecca before, during, or during the first 200 years after the alleged life of Muhammad.</p> <p>Thus a ban began about 50 years ago that no one could do archeological digs in Mecca. They didn&#8217;t want the truth to be known&#8211;that Mecca did not exist before, during, or the period after the life of Muhammad when supposedly Islam was well-established.</p> <p>The oldest mosque in Yemen was renovated in the 1970&#8217;s and scholars from Europe were invited to help decipher what was found sealed up in an attic of the mosque. Old Qurans were found, scientifically dated about 671 AD/CE. But they weren&#8217;t really Qurans. They were what&#8217;s called palimpsests.</p> <p>In those days people wrote on top of other manuscripts because they didn&#8217;t have paper and to preserve papyrus they reused it over and over, smearing/covering the old, and writing on top of it.</p> <p>The scholars found writings on top of writings that documented the evolution of the Quran. It began as Christian liturgy. This is why the Quran has much reference to Christian and Judaic history in it (though changed over time to suit Islam).</p> <p>Over time, the Quran evolved from Christian liturgy to an Islamic ideology of dominance and power via violence and holy war (jihad). They kept re-writing it, getting rid of Christianity and changing it, resulting in what is now the Quran as we know it today.</p> <p>The Quran was never revelations from Allah given to Muhammad.</p> <p>This is why Saudi Arabia is trying to destroy Yemen, who houses these ancient Qurans, and why Saudi Arabia is trying to totally destroy Yemen&#8217;s history&#8211;including its Christian roots that document the Quran&#8217;s true origin and history.</p> <p>And, this is why Saudi Arabia is killing off their own Shi&#8217;a population. The villages that Prince Salman orders to be bulldozed and destroyed are areas where Christian Arabs lived (who became what we call Shi&#8217;a). These areas have ancient artifacts that prove the true history of Islam.</p> <p>Originally posted on <a href="http://www.cheriberens.net/hullabaloo-over-saudi-women-driving-was-meant-to-keep-you-from-knowing-about-saudi-war-crimes-and-genocide.html" type="external">CheriBerens.net.</a>&amp;#160;See Notes, References, and Sources there.</p>

americans cheering idea saudi arabian women allowed drive arabic twitter facebook posting truth laughing yet another scam fool westerners hullabaloo saudi women driving meant keep learning saudi war crimes shia ties christianity official saudi decree made last week called creation committee would make recommendations regarding implement drivers licenses women women able obtain drivers license june 2018 meanwhile committee decide rules including qualifications whether must accompanied male guardian drive currently still illegal women drive punishable according saudi laws real issue decided time june 2018 whether women permitted drive alone illegal saudi arabian woman leave house without permission male guardian get permission must accompanied male guardian committee keep laws regards driving need permission male guardian drive even obtains drivers license allowed drive alone happens stops market get car alone without male guardian allowing women get drivers license remain keeping saudi arabias extremely strict guardianship laws misleading hullabaloo women allowed drive came exact time uns human rights council deciding whether investigate war crimes committed saudi arabia yemen coincidence hullabaloo meant deter western public knowing truth saudi arabian war crimes yemen inside saudi arabia western media gave credit idea allowing women drive saudi crown prince mohammad bin salman western media portrays prince salman positively calling reform prince salman responsible war crimes yemen bombing schools hospitals civilian infrastructure resulting mass civilian death enormous outbreaks disease due destruction hospitals infrastructure yemenis live rubble trash waste products western media also never mentions enormous rise saudi civilian anger regarding ethnic cleansing shia population inside saudi arabia hands prince salman salmon making decisions saudi arabia current kings ongoing health issues bouts alzheimers prince salman officially replacing father soon partly reason push see prince salman reformer good guy certainly isnt last week saudi arabia threatened 47 members of160the united nations human rights council voted in160favor of160a resolution to160launch unsupervised investigation yemen saudi arabia demanded saudi arabia investigate war crimes yemen yes perpetrator war crimes wants investigate war crimes us uk silent back international investigation of160rights abuses war crimes in160yemen might us uk major suppliers of160weapons for160the saudiled campaign in160yemen thus us uk biggest promote hullabaloo women driving saudi arabia although still law hasnt decided whether need permission whether able get car without guardian us also silent regards genocide occurring inside saudi arabia us supplying weapons used conduct genocide saudi arabia targeting shia villages country bulldozing villages displacing people killing large numbers attacks shia saudi arabia started 2011 sunni islamist groups like muslim brotherhood wanted wipe shia everywhere possible mb egypt massacred large numbers shia 2012 took power starting 2011 muslim brotherhood leaders began making announcements members 80 different countries via official website kill shia ever find shia considered infidels infidels similarities christianity often live villages peacefully side side christians similar christianity shia special saints believe pray saints name things irk sunni islamists middle eastern countries predominantly christian one point yes still pockets paganism zoroastrianism course judaism small minorities christians majority throughout mideast north africa 200400 adce egyptian christians corresponded often christians yemen wealth documentation christianity majority widespread christians corresponded even long distance syria also intensely rich christianitys history split islam muslims talk created made truth many pagan arab tribes began migrating arabia syria yemen near east converted christianity first arab governor syria christian split wasnt islamic doctrine christian doctrine christian doctrine fought period arabs migrated arabia levant christ human divine one person nature christ trinity period time intense debate period idea god god came aboutthis statement created via islam muslims tell created christians levant christians syria levant yemen egypt doctrine believed enforced byzantine rulers byzantine church held doctrine dyophysitism christ two separate natures divine human majority near east held monophysite doctrine christ one nature divine human miraculously joined arab christians took part religious split took sides 200 years later muslim writers called split shia vs sunni changed true history actually took place ever find shia sunnis want kill shia history shows christian origin starting 1960s early 1970s western muslim archeologists went mecca see could dig discovered mecca first 200 years alleged life muhammad thus ban began 50 years ago one could archeological digs mecca didnt want truth knownthat mecca exist period life muhammad supposedly islam wellestablished oldest mosque yemen renovated 1970s scholars europe invited help decipher found sealed attic mosque old qurans found scientifically dated 671 adce werent really qurans whats called palimpsests days people wrote top manuscripts didnt paper preserve papyrus reused smearingcovering old writing top scholars found writings top writings documented evolution quran began christian liturgy quran much reference christian judaic history though changed time suit islam time quran evolved christian liturgy islamic ideology dominance power via violence holy war jihad kept rewriting getting rid christianity changing resulting quran know today quran never revelations allah given muhammad saudi arabia trying destroy yemen houses ancient qurans saudi arabia trying totally destroy yemens historyincluding christian roots document qurans true origin history saudi arabia killing shia population villages prince salman orders bulldozed destroyed areas christian arabs lived became call shia areas ancient artifacts prove true history islam originally posted cheriberensnet160see notes references sources

<p /> <p>It's always a good idea to track what leading investors are doing on a quarterly basis. Investors in Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO)likely won't be pleased to hear that two hedge funds founded by billionaire investors (Moore Capital Management and Tudor Investment Corp.) reduced their positions in the last quarter.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>While I don't believe in blindly following billionaires, their moves give investors cause toconsider whetherthe stock is worth continuing to hold. Let's take a closer look at the buy and sell cases for Cisco Systems stock.</p> <p>Cisco Systems keeps corporations connected. Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>History is littered with former stock market darlings that disappointed investors, and the key causes are usually a fundamental decline in the company's core end market. Cisco is best known for its IT hardware -- switches and routers that provide the backbone for business communication -- but these products (responsible for around 45% of its fiscal 2016 sales) are facing two existential threats.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>First, increasing use of network virtualization could result in reduced sales of Cisco's switches and routers. If a corporation is managing its network using software in the cloud, then it's less likely to need Cisco's expensive switches.</p> <p>Second, if network virtualization leads to the usage of less sophisticated routers and switches, then Cisco's market position could come under threat from competitors like China's Huawei or ZTE, particularly in emerging markets.</p> <p>Indeed, a quick look at Cisco's switching and routing revenue growth shows the stagnation in switching and routing sales in recent years.</p> <p>Data source: Cisco Systems presentation. Chart source: Author.</p> <p>All told, the bearish case highlights the risk of long-term decline in Cisco's core end markets. Given Cisco's patchy record of making acquisitions in non-core areas -- previous CEO John Chambers hardly covered himself in glory with the acquisitions of Scientific-Atlanta, Pure Digital Technologies and Tandberg -- doubts exist about whether the company can successfully use its cash to reposition itself for future growth.</p> <p>Investing isn'tonly about buyinga well-runcompany, it's also about buying a company at the right price, whether it's well run or not. In this line of reasoning, Cisco is an attractive stock.</p> <p>There are three key arguments for buying the stock.</p> <p>First, as you can see below, the company remains a prodigious generator of free cash flow. Moreover, the price you pay for the stock -- measured by enterprise value (market cap plus net debt) of 9.67 times free cash flow -- looks cheap.</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/CSCO/free_cash_flow_ttm" type="external">CSCO Free Cash Flow (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>To put this into context, Cisco is currently generating around 10.3% of its enterprise value in free cash flow; theoretically, it could use this annual cash to make acquisitions and buy itself into future growth.</p> <p>Second, even as growth in switching and routing stagnates, Cisco is still generating overall revenue growth:</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/CSCO/operating_revenue_growth_annual" type="external">CSCO Operating Revenue (Annual YoY Growth)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p> <p>Analysts have the company growing revenue at 1.1% in the current fiscal year, with 2.9% forecast for next year. In other words, Cisco's revenue growth is expected to keep track with inflation, while free cash flow generation remains significant. Moreover, Cisco's stock comes with a current dividend yield of 3.3% -- not bad when compared to the current U.S. 10-year Treasury yield of just 1.6%.</p> <p>Third, the company is undergoing a transition toward being a more software- and service-oriented business. As a recent analysis of <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/18/cisco-systems-earnings-show-a-company-in-transitio.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Cisco's earnings Opens a New Window.</a> shows, its reported revenue growth is not entirely demonstrative of the company's growth; moving toward a software and subscription business model usually entails shifting upfront product revenue toward longer-term recurring revenue.</p> <p>Data source: Cisco Systems presentation. Chart source: Author.</p> <p>Meanwhile, management announced plans to cut costs by downsizing the workforce in response to low growth in its core businesses, as its emphasis shifts toward investing in Cisco'sfaster-growth, non-core businesses.</p> <p>No. While Cisco's switching and routing growth looks challenged, so far, it doesn't look anything like the precipitous structural decline suffered by, say, HP'sprinter business. After all, corporations will still need communications networks, and need to replace existing networks.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Cisco has the cash reserves and current cash flow to buy its way to growth. Chambers' track record of acquisitions may be uninspiring, but current CEO Chuck Robbins should be given the benefit of the doubt. All told, I think Cisco's cash generation and dividend make it worthy of a position in a diversified portfolio for value-oriented investors -- just keep an eye on its switching and routing businesses.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2691&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSaintGermain/info.aspx" type="external">Lee Samaha Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

always good idea track leading investors quarterly basis investors cisco systems nasdaq cscolikely wont pleased hear two hedge funds founded billionaire investors moore capital management tudor investment corp reduced positions last quarter continue reading dont believe blindly following billionaires moves give investors cause toconsider whetherthe stock worth continuing hold lets take closer look buy sell cases cisco systems stock cisco systems keeps corporations connected image source getty images history littered former stock market darlings disappointed investors key causes usually fundamental decline companys core end market cisco best known hardware switches routers provide backbone business communication products responsible around 45 fiscal 2016 sales facing two existential threats advertisement first increasing use network virtualization could result reduced sales ciscos switches routers corporation managing network using software cloud less likely need ciscos expensive switches second network virtualization leads usage less sophisticated routers switches ciscos market position could come threat competitors like chinas huawei zte particularly emerging markets indeed quick look ciscos switching routing revenue growth shows stagnation switching routing sales recent years data source cisco systems presentation chart source author told bearish case highlights risk longterm decline ciscos core end markets given ciscos patchy record making acquisitions noncore areas previous ceo john chambers hardly covered glory acquisitions scientificatlanta pure digital technologies tandberg doubts exist whether company successfully use cash reposition future growth investing isntonly buyinga wellruncompany also buying company right price whether well run line reasoning cisco attractive stock three key arguments buying stock first see company remains prodigious generator free cash flow moreover price pay stock measured enterprise value market cap plus net debt 967 times free cash flow looks cheap csco free cash flow ttm data ycharts opens new window put context cisco currently generating around 103 enterprise value free cash flow theoretically could use annual cash make acquisitions buy future growth second even growth switching routing stagnates cisco still generating overall revenue growth csco operating revenue annual yoy growth data ycharts analysts company growing revenue 11 current fiscal year 29 forecast next year words ciscos revenue growth expected keep track inflation free cash flow generation remains significant moreover ciscos stock comes current dividend yield 33 bad compared current us 10year treasury yield 16 third company undergoing transition toward software serviceoriented business recent analysis ciscos earnings opens new window shows reported revenue growth entirely demonstrative companys growth moving toward software subscription business model usually entails shifting upfront product revenue toward longerterm recurring revenue data source cisco systems presentation chart source author meanwhile management announced plans cut costs downsizing workforce response low growth core businesses emphasis shifts toward investing ciscosfastergrowth noncore businesses ciscos switching routing growth looks challenged far doesnt look anything like precipitous structural decline suffered say hpsprinter business corporations still need communications networks need replace existing networks meanwhile cisco cash reserves current cash flow buy way growth chambers track record acquisitions may uninspiring current ceo chuck robbins given benefit doubt told think ciscos cash generation dividend make worthy position diversified portfolio valueoriented investors keep eye switching routing businesses secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window lee samaha opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool recommends cisco systems try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>The unexpected death of Michael Jackson Thursday prompted an outpouring of disbelief, nostalgia and sincere mourning among his fans - in real life, in the cyberworld, and on the radio.</p> <p>In Washington, D.C.&#8217;s bustling U Street area, once known as the city&#8217;s black entertainment mecca, patrons who filtered into restaurants and bars were stunned and overwhelmed by the shocking news.</p> <p>&#8220;Oh my God, I can&#8217;t believe he&#8217;s dead!&#8221; exclaimed Virginia Ali, 75, co-owner of the iconic Ben&#8217;s Chili Bowl. &#8220;I&#8217;m just shocked and saddened &#8230; what was he, 50? I listened to his music when he was a kid. It&#8217;s so shocking, you know? He was coming back. We knew him as a kid when he was on Ed Sullivan.&#8221;</p> <p>The mood was equally somber at other U Street mainstays. Kelly and Maze Tesfaye, both 55 and owners of Twins Jazz, wept openly as they pondered Mr. Jackson&#8217;s death.</p> <p>RELATED STORIES: &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">What caused Michael Jackson&#8217;s death?</a> &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is dead</a> &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">Jackson legacy spans years of signature moves, grooves</a> &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">Bizarre acts, scandals plagued pop king</a> &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">Death video, photos radiate as media, Internet go viral</a> &#8226; <a href="" type="internal">Jackson 911 tapes released</a></p> <p>&#8220;A legend is gone,&#8221; Kelly Tesfaye sobbed.</p> <p>&#8220;From when he was young until now he was big [but] he was in trouble. Why was there no doctor? Why was there no nurse? Why did they find him in a corner?&#8221; Kelly Tesfaye said of Mr. Jackson&#8217;s last moments. &#8220;Where was everybody to save this person, this king? At this age he shouldn&#8217;t die at all.&#8221;</p> <p /> <p>Said W. Ellington Felton, 32, a local soul singer, &#8220;I cried when I found out,&#8221; as he prepared to take the stage at the Bohemian Caverns for a Thursday night performance.</p> <p>&#8220;I can say &#8216;Man, where were you on June 25 when Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died on the same day.&#8217; It&#8217;s like JFK&#8217;s death. Everyone&#8217;s gonna remember what they were doing,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>In Lansing, Mich., Drew Bossler, 28, general manager of Troppo restaurant near the statehouse, quickly put on a Motown compilation CD with &#8216;60s and &#8216;70s Jackson music to remember the fallen entertainer as his death was confirmed by television reporters.</p> <p>News of Mr. Jackson&#8217;s passing trickled through the upscale eatery as guests in the bar area watched the grim broadcast on Fox News.</p> <p>&#8220;We just thought it would be appropriate,&#8221; he said, as strains of the songs &#8220;Ben&#8221; and &#8220;Got to Be There&#8221; played out on the stereo system.</p> <p>In New York&#8217;s Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends via cell phone.</p> <p>&#8220;No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow,&#8221; Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. &#8220;It&#8217;s like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died.&#8221;</p> <p>Word of Mr. Jackson&#8217;s hospitalization sent millions of Americans to celebrity Web sites. So many rushed at once that many Internet connections were broken or slowed considerably. And within an hour of the first reports that Mr. Jackson had died, the event had taken over social networking sites.</p> <p>Before 8 p.m., nine of the top 10 &#8220;Trending Topics&#8221; on twitter.com were Jackson-related - &#8220;Thriller,&#8221; &#8220;MJ,&#8221; &#8220;RIP Michael Jackson&#8221; and others. The only exception was another recent celebrity death - &#8220;Ed McMahon.&#8221;</p> <p /> <p>YouTube.com set up a special &#8220;Spotlight: RIP Michael Jackson&#8221; section and Mr. Jackson&#8217;s music videos were uploaded dozens of times to the site Thursday. In a single minute, shortly before 8 p.m., more than a dozen new videos with &#8220;Michael Jackson&#8221; in the tags were uploaded to the site. Fans also posted on blogs and Twitter their favorite songs and television moments of the pop icon.</p> <p>News channels interrupted regularly scheduled programs to go wall-to-wall with Jackson remembrances. Fox News Channel even ran complete Jackson videos next to a live shot of crowds gathering outside the Los Angeles hospital where he died.</p> <p>Several radio stations turned their programming over mostly or exclusively to Jackson songs, including at least two in the Washington market - 97.1 WASH-FM and WIHT 99.5. Even stations whose format didn&#8217;t fit Mr. Jackson&#8217;s music and didn&#8217;t play his songs - such as WWDC 101.1 - had his death leading their Web sites.</p> <p>A broken-voiced Larry King said on CNN he would run his live show for two hours and, contrary to earlier plans to devote it to Thursday&#8217;s death of Farrah Fawcett, &#8220;It&#8217;s an all Michael Jackson night.&#8221;</p> <p>Mr. King also predicted round-the-clock coverage for some time related to the circumstances surrounding his death.</p> <p>&#8220;You think the stories about Anna Nicole [Smith] were big - this is gonna&#8221; blow that away, said Mr. King, making a blowing sound.</p> <p>Other people remembered the biggest stain on the Jackson legacy - his bizarre lifestyle and multiple charges of child molestation.</p> <p>&#8220;As someone who served as Michael Jackson&#8217;s publicist during the first child molestation incident, I must confess I am not surprised by today&#8217;s tragic news. Michael has been on an impossibly difficult and often self-destructive journey for years. His talent was unquestionable but so too was his discomfort with the norms of the world. A human simply can not withstand this level of prolonged stress,&#8221; said Michael Levine, a Los Angeles publicist.</p> <p>William McKeen, an author who served as editor of the anthology &#8220;Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay,&#8221; said he would &#8220;try to remember him for &#8216;Off the Wall&#8217; and &#8216;Thriller,&#8217; one of the great one-two punches in popular music history.&#8221;</p> <p>&#8220;When we first saw him, as a child, he was singing songs that were both nursery rhymes and love songs. Though he obviously sang with the voice of a child, his phrasing and delivery were those of a mature singer. That was a gift,&#8221; he said.</p> <p>For his life away from the stage, Mr. McKeen says he&#8217;s recalling a quote from the poet William Carlos Williams that now seems most appropriate in defining Mr. Jackson&#8217;s life. &#8220;The pure products of America go crazy,&#8221; Mr. Williams wrote.</p> <p>&#8220;I&#8217;m having death-of-Elvis flashbacks. Though there&#8217;s much more baggage with Michael&#8217;s death, I recognize this as another generational shock wave, a reminder of our mortality,&#8221; Mr. McKeen said.</p> <p>Many fans and friends expressed anger and disappointment that he will be unable to do his comeback tour.</p> <p>&#8220;It was clearly evident that this was going to be a whole new chapter. He was going to get back on top. I was hoping his kids would see him back on top,&#8221; Debra Opri, a family friend and attorney to Mr. Jackson, told Fox News Channel.</p> <p>Kevin Holmes, a 17-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who had filtered into Ben&#8217;s with the after-work crowd, told The Times that Mr. Jackson &#8220;was trying to change and stuff, trying to make a comeback. He didn&#8217;t have a chance to redeem himself. The last image people have of him wasn&#8217;t as good as it could have been.&#8221;</p> <p>Andrea Billups in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.</p> <p>Copyright &#169; 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2009/jun/26/mourning-from-u-street-to-la/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p>

unexpected death michael jackson thursday prompted outpouring disbelief nostalgia sincere mourning among fans real life cyberworld radio washington dcs bustling u street area known citys black entertainment mecca patrons filtered restaurants bars stunned overwhelmed shocking news oh god cant believe hes dead exclaimed virginia ali 75 coowner iconic bens chili bowl im shocked saddened 50 listened music kid shocking know coming back knew kid ed sullivan mood equally somber u street mainstays kelly maze tesfaye 55 owners twins jazz wept openly pondered mr jacksons death related stories caused michael jacksons death michael jackson king pop dead jackson legacy spans years signature moves grooves bizarre acts scandals plagued pop king death video photos radiate media internet go viral jackson 911 tapes released legend gone kelly tesfaye sobbed young big trouble doctor nurse find corner kelly tesfaye said mr jacksons last moments everybody save person king age shouldnt die said w ellington felton 32 local soul singer cried found prepared take stage bohemian caverns thursday night performance say man june 25 farrah fawcett michael jackson died day like jfks death everyones gon na remember said lansing mich drew bossler 28 general manager troppo restaurant near statehouse quickly put motown compilation cd 60s 70s jackson music remember fallen entertainer death confirmed television reporters news mr jacksons passing trickled upscale eatery guests bar area watched grim broadcast fox news thought would appropriate said strains songs ben got played stereo system new yorks times square low groan went crowd screen flashed jackson died people began relaying news friends via cell phone joke king pop wow michael harris 36 new york city read text message friend sent telephone like kennedy assassinated always remember times square michael jackson died word mr jacksons hospitalization sent millions americans celebrity web sites many rushed many internet connections broken slowed considerably within hour first reports mr jackson died event taken social networking sites 8 pm nine top 10 trending topics twittercom jacksonrelated thriller mj rip michael jackson others exception another recent celebrity death ed mcmahon youtubecom set special spotlight rip michael jackson section mr jacksons music videos uploaded dozens times site thursday single minute shortly 8 pm dozen new videos michael jackson tags uploaded site fans also posted blogs twitter favorite songs television moments pop icon news channels interrupted regularly scheduled programs go walltowall jackson remembrances fox news channel even ran complete jackson videos next live shot crowds gathering outside los angeles hospital died several radio stations turned programming mostly exclusively jackson songs including least two washington market 971 washfm wiht 995 even stations whose format didnt fit mr jacksons music didnt play songs wwdc 1011 death leading web sites brokenvoiced larry king said cnn would run live show two hours contrary earlier plans devote thursdays death farrah fawcett michael jackson night mr king also predicted roundtheclock coverage time related circumstances surrounding death think stories anna nicole smith big gon na blow away said mr king making blowing sound people remembered biggest stain jackson legacy bizarre lifestyle multiple charges child molestation someone served michael jacksons publicist first child molestation incident must confess surprised todays tragic news michael impossibly difficult often selfdestructive journey years talent unquestionable discomfort norms world human simply withstand level prolonged stress said michael levine los angeles publicist william mckeen author served editor anthology rock roll stay said would try remember wall thriller one great onetwo punches popular music history first saw child singing songs nursery rhymes love songs though obviously sang voice child phrasing delivery mature singer gift said life away stage mr mckeen says hes recalling quote poet william carlos williams seems appropriate defining mr jacksons life pure products america go crazy mr williams wrote im deathofelvis flashbacks though theres much baggage michaels death recognize another generational shock wave reminder mortality mr mckeen said many fans friends expressed anger disappointment unable comeback tour clearly evident going whole new chapter going get back top hoping kids would see back top debra opri family friend attorney mr jackson told fox news channel kevin holmes 17yearold university pennsylvania student filtered bens afterwork crowd told times mr jackson trying change stuff trying make comeback didnt chance redeem last image people wasnt good could andrea billups lansing mich contributed report copyright 2018 washington times llc click reprint permission 160

<p>The Trump administration is taking retaliatory action against Canada over a trade dispute, moving to impose a 20% tariff on softwood lumber that is typically used to build single-family homes.</p> <p>In an interview Monday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariff will be applied retroactively and imposed on Canadian exports to the U.S. of about $5 billion a year. He said the dispute centers on Canadian provinces that have been allegedly allowing loggers to cut down trees at reduced rates and sell them at low prices.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>The determination that Canada improperly subsidizes its exports is preliminary, and the Commerce Department will need to make a final decision. In addition, the U.S. International Trade Commission will need to find that the U.S. industry has suffered injury. But even a preliminary decision has immediate real-world consequences, by discouraging importers from buying lumber from Canada.</p> <p>"We tried to negotiate a settlement but we were unable," Mr. Ross said, adding that previous administrations have also been unsuccessful in resolving the dispute.</p> <p>He said the Trump administration has notified Canada of its decision.</p> <p>A spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is in charge of U.S.-Canada relations, wasn't immediately available for comment. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that, when it comes to trade irritants, from lumber to dairy, he would present the facts to Washington and aim to work constructively on making improvements to the North American Free Trade Agreement.</p> <p>Cameron Krauss, senior vice president of legal affairs at the U.S. Lumber Coalition said, "We appreciate today's actions by the Department of Commerce." The group represents large and small American lumber producers.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The trade row between the U.S. and Canada over lumber dates back decades, although the countries struck a deal in 2006 that stopped the U.S. from imposing additional duties. Under that arrangement, which expired in late 2015, Canadian forest producers agreed to accept either a quota on U.S.-bound exports or pay a tax on goods shipped to the U.S. in exchange for no tariffs.</p> <p>The U.S. lumber industry filed a complaint last fall to the Commerce Department, alleging that Canadian lumber is unfairly dumped -- or sold at less than market value -- into the U.S. market. The complaint also alleges that Canada heavily subsidizes its timber industry by offering Pacific Coast producers access to wood from government-owned land at below-market prices.</p> <p>The prospect of U.S. duties on Canadian lumber imports has roiled prices so far this year. Lumber futures rose more than 25% in the early months of 2017, peaking at their highest point in over 12 years.</p> <p>President Donald Trump's heightened rhetoric over Canada's treatment of U.S. lumber and dairy producers in recent days marked a sharp pivot on America's northern neighbor and its second-largest two-way trading partner, after China, with nearly $545 billion in goods and services crossing the border in 2016.</p> <p>During the election campaign and in the weeks following, Mr. Trump focused much of his trade ire against Mexico, China and Germany. When Mr. Trudeau visited the White House in February, Mr. Trump spoke of the U.S.'s "outstanding" trade relationship with Canada and how only some tweaking would be required to Nafta when it came to Canada.</p> <p>But pointed comments -- in particular Mr. Trump's dislike of how Canada restricts U.S. producers in accessing its dairy market -- and his move Monday to slap a new tariff on Canadian lumber suggest Nafta's renegotiation could be more complicated than initially believed.</p> <p>Mr. Ross said those disputes illustrate the shortcomings of the free-trade agreement, which he said has restricted dairy products that Americans can export to Canada, yet allowed Canada to "dump lumber here."</p> <p>"That is not a very satisfactory agreement," Mr. Ross said.</p> <p>In 2016, the U.S. ran a trade deficit of $5.28 billion with Canada on products from sawmills. That is a category that includes softwood lumber.</p> <p>In the lead-up to the decision on lumber duties, U.S.-Canada trade watchers said the Trump administration's move on timber could serve as an opening gambit in laying out what Mr. Trump wants Canada to put on the table as part of the Nafta renegotiations, which have yet to begin in earnest.</p> <p>The president "is using his skills as a negotiator to set the bar very high and highlight a problematic area for U.S.-Canada trade," said Laura Dawson, director of the Canada Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank.</p> <p>The issue is important for U.S. lawmakers in the Pacific Northwest, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees trade policy -- and the panel that has delayed a vote on Mr. Trump's nominee for U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer.</p> <p>A spokesman for Mr. Wyden didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.</p> <p>The Canada dairy dispute has also caught the attention of powerful lawmakers in border states, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader.</p> <p>The Commerce Department handled subsidies and dumping cases in the Obama administration with little fanfare, but Mr. Ross has sought to raise the profile of these ordinary industry cases and work toward filing unilateral cases against trading partners.</p> <p>Write to Peter Nicholas at peter.nicholas@wsj.com and Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>April 24, 2017 20:28 ET (00:28 GMT)</p>

trump administration taking retaliatory action canada trade dispute moving impose 20 tariff softwood lumber typically used build singlefamily homes interview monday commerce secretary wilbur ross said tariff applied retroactively imposed canadian exports us 5 billion year said dispute centers canadian provinces allegedly allowing loggers cut trees reduced rates sell low prices continue reading determination canada improperly subsidizes exports preliminary commerce department need make final decision addition us international trade commission need find us industry suffered injury even preliminary decision immediate realworld consequences discouraging importers buying lumber canada tried negotiate settlement unable mr ross said adding previous administrations also unsuccessful resolving dispute said trump administration notified canada decision spokesman canadian foreign minister chrystia freeland charge uscanada relations wasnt immediately available comment canadian prime minister justin trudeau said last week comes trade irritants lumber dairy would present facts washington aim work constructively making improvements north american free trade agreement cameron krauss senior vice president legal affairs us lumber coalition said appreciate todays actions department commerce group represents large small american lumber producers advertisement trade row us canada lumber dates back decades although countries struck deal 2006 stopped us imposing additional duties arrangement expired late 2015 canadian forest producers agreed accept either quota usbound exports pay tax goods shipped us exchange tariffs us lumber industry filed complaint last fall commerce department alleging canadian lumber unfairly dumped sold less market value us market complaint also alleges canada heavily subsidizes timber industry offering pacific coast producers access wood governmentowned land belowmarket prices prospect us duties canadian lumber imports roiled prices far year lumber futures rose 25 early months 2017 peaking highest point 12 years president donald trumps heightened rhetoric canadas treatment us lumber dairy producers recent days marked sharp pivot americas northern neighbor secondlargest twoway trading partner china nearly 545 billion goods services crossing border 2016 election campaign weeks following mr trump focused much trade ire mexico china germany mr trudeau visited white house february mr trump spoke uss outstanding trade relationship canada tweaking would required nafta came canada pointed comments particular mr trumps dislike canada restricts us producers accessing dairy market move monday slap new tariff canadian lumber suggest naftas renegotiation could complicated initially believed mr ross said disputes illustrate shortcomings freetrade agreement said restricted dairy products americans export canada yet allowed canada dump lumber satisfactory agreement mr ross said 2016 us ran trade deficit 528 billion canada products sawmills category includes softwood lumber leadup decision lumber duties uscanada trade watchers said trump administrations move timber could serve opening gambit laying mr trump wants canada put table part nafta renegotiations yet begin earnest president using skills negotiator set bar high highlight problematic area uscanada trade said laura dawson director canada institute washingtonbased wilson center nonpartisan think tank issue important us lawmakers pacific northwest including sen ron wyden ore top democrat senate committee oversees trade policy panel delayed vote mr trumps nominee us trade representative robert lighthizer spokesman mr wyden didnt immediately respond request comment canada dairy dispute also caught attention powerful lawmakers border states including house speaker paul ryan wisconsin republican sen chuck schumer new york senate democratic leader commerce department handled subsidies dumping cases obama administration little fanfare mr ross sought raise profile ordinary industry cases work toward filing unilateral cases trading partners write peter nicholas peternicholaswsjcom paul vieira paulvieirawsjcom end dow jones newswires april 24 2017 2028 et 0028 gmt

<p /> <p>The prepaid debit card industry is undergoing a transformation, and this makeover is looking good for consumers.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Bankrate's 2014 Prepaid Debit Cards Survey shows that while prepaid card offerings continue to vary widely, the industry is moving toward lower fees and more transparency as it becomes a more mainstream product.</p> <p>"Prepaid cards initially were rife with all kinds of ancillary charges," says Bankrate chief financial analyst Greg McBride. "The evolution of the marketplace over the past couple years has not only brought fees down, but also made them more transparent."</p> <p><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/credit-cards/credit-card-results.aspx?pid=p:foxbz?CCType=TYPE&amp;amp;CCProductId=103&amp;amp;ec_id=" type="external">Find the best prepaid and debit cards Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>The evolution of the prepaid business</p> <p>For years, the prepaid card business was relegated to the periphery of the financial sector, seen by those in the industry as mostly a product for underbanked or unbanked consumers, people who rarely use traditional banking services.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>But while the financial industry may have seen reloadable prepaid cards as a fringe product, the average consumer did not, says Ben Jackson, a senior analyst at Mercator Advisory Group.</p> <p>Between 2009 and 2012, prepaid card payments increased faster than credit, debit and check payments, according to a 2013 report by the Federal Reserve. Consumers loaded an estimated $71.6 billion onto general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards in 2013, according to the research firm Mercator, up from $56.8 billion in 2011. Mercator forecasts that number to jump to $97.9 billion by 2016.</p> <p>Companies are taking note by ratcheting up their prepaid card offerings, catering to different niches of customers.</p> <p>"This product really went from a fringe product to, 'Oh, no, wait, this can be a tool for the mainstream,'" Jackson says. "That was a cardholder-driven trend."</p> <p>Some fees are marginalized</p> <p>The increased competition has helped marginalize some of the fees associated with general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards, McBride says.</p> <p>Of the 30 cards examined in Bankrate's 2014 survey -- conducted Feb. 10 to Feb. 19 -- 77% do not charge for declined transactions under any circumstances, while 10% charge $1 to $2 for transactions declined at an ATM.</p> <p>Only 17% charge a fee for making a PIN-based point-of-sale purchase, although 7% of the prepaid cards don't allow users to make PIN-based transactions.</p> <p><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/video/banking/prepaid-debit-cards-fees.aspx?pid=p:foxbz" type="external">Watch Greg McBride's analysis of the survey results Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>None of the cards surveyed charge bill payment or reload fees, and 83% don't charge an inactivity fee. As much as 73% of the cards in the survey do not charge for phone customer service. That's an increase from last year's survey, when 67% of the 24 cards surveyed offered free phone customer service.</p> <p>Other prepaid fees still abound</p> <p>Still, fees and offerings vary widely depending on the cards, the survey data show. And many other types of charges are still common. For instance, most of the cards surveyed charge a monthly fee, although 33% will waive that fee, typically based on the amount loaded onto the card.</p> <p>About half the cards have a one-time activation fee, and all charge a fee for using the card at an out-of-network ATM.</p> <p>"There's tremendous variation (among different cards)," McBride says. "You have to shop around and be mindful of those other, ancillary charges that can crop up. That can really increase your total monthly cost."</p> <p>Differences in fees</p> <p>Mercator's Jackson says the difference in fees among the various cards is based on the companies behind the cards and the audience being targeted.</p> <p>While the overall trend is lower fees for prepaid cards thanks to increased competition, there's no standard fee structure for cards, he says. Instead, companies set fees based on the audience they're reaching and where the prepaid cards fit into their business models, he says.</p> <p>Wal-Mart in 2009 dramatically lowered the fees on its prepaid debit cards, but the move did not spark a price war because the prepaid debit card market is more about features than about price, Jackson says.</p> <p>For instance, if a consumer wants a prepaid card to be used in lieu of a checking account, he or she will look for features such as where the card is accepted, how easy it is to load cash onto the card and what the network of ATMs looks like, Jackson says.</p> <p>A consumer will look for different features if he or she just wants to use the prepaid card for traveling, or to shop online or to give to a college-aged child.</p> <p>"Consumers should shop around based on how they think they're going to use the card," Jackson says.</p> <p>A replacement for checking accounts?</p> <p>The Pew Charitable Trusts recently published a couple of reports on the prepaid card industry noting that, in many instances, a prepaid card can be more affordable than a basic checking account, especially if a consumer tends to overdraft his or her account.</p> <p>Bankrate's McBride says one of the advantages for consumers using certain prepaid cards is in knowing how much in fees will be charged each month. In contrast, if a consumer overdraws a checking account more than once in a month, it's unclear how much could be charged in total, since the overdrafts keep piling up until you discover the problem.</p> <p>But it's important to be clear on exactly what fees are involved in a prepaid card, especially given the differences in fee structures. A 2014 Pew survey found that only 32% of consumers compare terms before choosing a prepaid card.</p> <p>Are prepaid fees transparent?</p> <p>Making matters worse, fee transparency in the prepaid industry comes up short, says Susan Weinstock, director of Pew's safe checking project. Pew examined 66 of the most popular prepaid cards and found that, while disclosure is improving, some cards still don't disclose fees for particular services.</p> <p>Weinstock says Pew bought five cards, cut open the packaging and read the disclosures. She says a card's monthly fee and activation fee often are printed on the package, but other fees are only in the document, "which you can't get to unless you purchase the card."</p> <p>She adds that the disclosure documents are often long. "They're dense. Some of them are on onion skin paper," Weinstock says.</p> <p>Pew has created a model disclosure form it wants to see all prepaid card providers adopt so consumers can easily see various fees and comparison shop. JPMorgan Chase and Co. has adopted Pew's form for its Liquid prepaid card.</p> <p>Looking to the future</p> <p>Weinstock says Pew would like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to require adoption of this disclosure form and provide other protections to consumers using prepaid cards, such as mandating that all be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.</p> <p>For its part, the CFPB posted a blog in March saying it is developing a model disclosure form and is working on a proposed rule about prepaid cards and consumer protection. It is soliciting comments from the public on the disclosure form.</p> <p>Jackson and McBride say the industry is already moving toward more transparency.</p> <p>"They want to have customers that use their cards," Jackson says.</p> <p>But when consumers are tagged by a surprise fee, they may walk away from the card. "All of a sudden, it's going to be, 'You ripped me off,'" Jackson says. "The industry doesn't want that."</p> <p>Copyright 2014, Bankrate Inc.</p>

prepaid debit card industry undergoing transformation makeover looking good consumers continue reading bankrates 2014 prepaid debit cards survey shows prepaid card offerings continue vary widely industry moving toward lower fees transparency becomes mainstream product prepaid cards initially rife kinds ancillary charges says bankrate chief financial analyst greg mcbride evolution marketplace past couple years brought fees also made transparent find best prepaid debit cards opens new window evolution prepaid business years prepaid card business relegated periphery financial sector seen industry mostly product underbanked unbanked consumers people rarely use traditional banking services advertisement financial industry may seen reloadable prepaid cards fringe product average consumer says ben jackson senior analyst mercator advisory group 2009 2012 prepaid card payments increased faster credit debit check payments according 2013 report federal reserve consumers loaded estimated 716 billion onto generalpurpose reloadable prepaid cards 2013 according research firm mercator 568 billion 2011 mercator forecasts number jump 979 billion 2016 companies taking note ratcheting prepaid card offerings catering different niches customers product really went fringe product oh wait tool mainstream jackson says cardholderdriven trend fees marginalized increased competition helped marginalize fees associated generalpurpose reloadable prepaid cards mcbride says 30 cards examined bankrates 2014 survey conducted feb 10 feb 19 77 charge declined transactions circumstances 10 charge 1 2 transactions declined atm 17 charge fee making pinbased pointofsale purchase although 7 prepaid cards dont allow users make pinbased transactions watch greg mcbrides analysis survey results opens new window none cards surveyed charge bill payment reload fees 83 dont charge inactivity fee much 73 cards survey charge phone customer service thats increase last years survey 67 24 cards surveyed offered free phone customer service prepaid fees still abound still fees offerings vary widely depending cards survey data show many types charges still common instance cards surveyed charge monthly fee although 33 waive fee typically based amount loaded onto card half cards onetime activation fee charge fee using card outofnetwork atm theres tremendous variation among different cards mcbride says shop around mindful ancillary charges crop really increase total monthly cost differences fees mercators jackson says difference fees among various cards based companies behind cards audience targeted overall trend lower fees prepaid cards thanks increased competition theres standard fee structure cards says instead companies set fees based audience theyre reaching prepaid cards fit business models says walmart 2009 dramatically lowered fees prepaid debit cards move spark price war prepaid debit card market features price jackson says instance consumer wants prepaid card used lieu checking account look features card accepted easy load cash onto card network atms looks like jackson says consumer look different features wants use prepaid card traveling shop online give collegeaged child consumers shop around based think theyre going use card jackson says replacement checking accounts pew charitable trusts recently published couple reports prepaid card industry noting many instances prepaid card affordable basic checking account especially consumer tends overdraft account bankrates mcbride says one advantages consumers using certain prepaid cards knowing much fees charged month contrast consumer overdraws checking account month unclear much could charged total since overdrafts keep piling discover problem important clear exactly fees involved prepaid card especially given differences fee structures 2014 pew survey found 32 consumers compare terms choosing prepaid card prepaid fees transparent making matters worse fee transparency prepaid industry comes short says susan weinstock director pews safe checking project pew examined 66 popular prepaid cards found disclosure improving cards still dont disclose fees particular services weinstock says pew bought five cards cut open packaging read disclosures says cards monthly fee activation fee often printed package fees document cant get unless purchase card adds disclosure documents often long theyre dense onion skin paper weinstock says pew created model disclosure form wants see prepaid card providers adopt consumers easily see various fees comparison shop jpmorgan chase co adopted pews form liquid prepaid card looking future weinstock says pew would like consumer financial protection bureau require adoption disclosure form provide protections consumers using prepaid cards mandating insured federal deposit insurance corp part cfpb posted blog march saying developing model disclosure form working proposed rule prepaid cards consumer protection soliciting comments public disclosure form jackson mcbride say industry already moving toward transparency want customers use cards jackson says consumers tagged surprise fee may walk away card sudden going ripped jackson says industry doesnt want copyright 2014 bankrate inc

<p /> <p>Arizona is one of the most gun friendly states in America. &amp;#160;A Constitutional carry state freely allowing open carry with no registration scheme in place. &amp;#160;So it was with surprise that I learned of the following story in which 8 foreign students from China who were truly enjoying the freedom here in America that would get them executed back in China were jammed up and had their firearms confiscated for apparently getting the wrong type of hunting license.</p> <p>Unfortunately, it seems that a large number of gun grabbing Obama hold overs still occupy positions of authority in the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms Tobacco and Explosives. &amp;#160;Because the reasoning as to why these students got jammed up is laughable and comes down to a glorified clerical error and money.</p> <p>Yifei Gong was among the 8 students who had their firearms seized after they had gotten a residential hunting permit. &amp;#160;The residential hunting permit is for people who have lived in the state of Arizona for 6 months and don&#8217;t have a residence in another state or jurisdiction. &amp;#160;Gong has lived in Arizona in an off campus apartment for 2 years while he attends the University of Arizona. &amp;#160;Another international student told him that if he goes to Wal-Mart and gets himself a hunting license he can buy some guns and go shooting. &amp;#160;Everything sounds good to go.</p> <p>Remember, Gong is from a Communist Authoritarian country where such a liberty is non existent. &amp;#160;I completely understand why Gong and the 7 other students would want to get some trigger time in on the desert. &amp;#160;As Gong recounts:&amp;#160;In China, &#8220;it&#8217;s totally not possible,&#8221; (of his prospects of ever owning a gun in China) &#8220;You probably won&#8217;t have a firearm for your life. That&#8217;s why most people want a firearm in China.&#8221;</p> <p>So armed with the information that he found from other international students and from online, Gong went to the local Wal-Mart, told them he was a student at the University of Arizona and lived in the state for 2 years and got himself the hunting license they offered him in November. &amp;#160;Then he went and got himself a sweet semi automatic Century Arms RAS47. &amp;#160;Basically an AK-47 mimic. &amp;#160;Then he to the local range a couple of times and had a grand old time. &amp;#160;Because even though self defense was a reason for Gong&#8217;s purchase he himself claims that it was mostly for fun. &amp;#160;And for anyone who has shot an AK-47 or one of its many clones knows that Yifei Gong has the right of it.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s where the catch comes in,&amp;#160;one of the requirements of an F-1 student visa is maintaining &#8220;a residence abroad which you have no intention of giving up.&#8221; &amp;#160;So the logic behind the BATFE is that even though Gong and the other students have been going to school and living full time in Arizona for YEARS, they are not allowed a resident hunting license because they will eventually be leaving. &amp;#160;Seems pretty thin to me.</p> <p>And even a high ranking officer from the BATFE acknowledged that there was &#8220;no malicious intent&#8221; but then rattled off things about loopholes and other regular gun controller faire.</p> <p>Irregardless, on December 6th ICE, Fish and Game and all the other jackbooted thugs came a knocking on Gong&#8217;s off campus apartment and seized&amp;#160;his firearm and charged him with a class 2 misdemeanor for fraudulently obtaining the hunting permit. He plead guilty and paid a fine and is in no other sort of trouble.</p> <p>The fraudulently obtaining the hunting permit charge is weak. &amp;#160;And it is even MORE ridiculous when illegal aliens in nearby California (among other states) are knowingly being issued driver&#8217;s licenses by those states.</p> <p>Here comes the real frustrating part. &amp;#160;Yifei Gong and the other 7 students were NOT even barred from getting a hunting license and then buying the guns they did, they simply got the WRONG type of hunting license.</p> <p>When Mark Hart, spokesman for the Arizona Game and Fish department, was asked about the situation he revealed a rather shocking truth: &#8220;Nonresident Arizona hunting licenses (while significantly more expensive than resident tags) can be purchased by non-immigrant visa holders in Arizona. It&#8217;s legal for such license holders to buy and own a firearm until the license expires, at which time they become a prohibited possessor.&#8221;</p> <p>What&#8217;s the difference between a residential hunting permit and a non residential permit? &amp;#160;$123.</p> <p>Once again it all comes down to money.</p> <p>A residential hunting permit is $37 and a non residential hunting and fishing (they don&#8217;t offer just the one) is $160.</p> <p>If there was any justice in this scenario, especially since NO ONE thinks that Gong or the other 7 had any interest other than exercising a right they are denied back home, the powers that be would have charged them the $123 difference and let them keep their guns.</p> <p>We should be encouraging and exporting freedom and liberty whenever we can. &amp;#160;Enough foreign students fall in love with the 2nd Amendment here, perhaps over time liberty and freedom will begin to take firmer root when they go home.</p> <p>Alas, the gun control section of the government wants to disabuse everyone of the notion that guns are good and fun and useful.</p> <p>Now, if you are a gangbanging illegal alien in California or New York, by all means here&#8217;s a driver&#8217;s license and a voting card and we&#8217;ll protect you from those meanies at ICE.</p> <p>Foreign college student here legally who wants to own a gun? RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!!</p> <p>Hopefully with Trump securing the borders and strengthening the 2nd Amendment both of the previous sentiments will be set straight soon enough.</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p> <p>&amp;#160;</p> <p /> <p /> <p>&amp;#160;</p> <p>We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.</p>

arizona one gun friendly states america 160a constitutional carry state freely allowing open carry registration scheme place 160so surprise learned following story 8 foreign students china truly enjoying freedom america would get executed back china jammed firearms confiscated apparently getting wrong type hunting license unfortunately seems large number gun grabbing obama hold overs still occupy positions authority bureau alcohol firearms tobacco explosives 160because reasoning students got jammed laughable comes glorified clerical error money yifei gong among 8 students firearms seized gotten residential hunting permit 160the residential hunting permit people lived state arizona 6 months dont residence another state jurisdiction 160gong lived arizona campus apartment 2 years attends university arizona 160another international student told goes walmart gets hunting license buy guns go shooting 160everything sounds good go remember gong communist authoritarian country liberty non existent 160i completely understand gong 7 students would want get trigger time desert 160as gong recounts160in china totally possible prospects ever owning gun china probably wont firearm life thats people want firearm china armed information found international students online gong went local walmart told student university arizona lived state 2 years got hunting license offered november 160then went got sweet semi automatic century arms ras47 160basically ak47 mimic 160then local range couple times grand old time 160because even though self defense reason gongs purchase claims mostly fun 160and anyone shot ak47 one many clones knows yifei gong right heres catch comes in160one requirements f1 student visa maintaining residence abroad intention giving 160so logic behind batfe even though gong students going school living full time arizona years allowed resident hunting license eventually leaving 160seems pretty thin even high ranking officer batfe acknowledged malicious intent rattled things loopholes regular gun controller faire irregardless december 6th ice fish game jackbooted thugs came knocking gongs campus apartment seized160his firearm charged class 2 misdemeanor fraudulently obtaining hunting permit plead guilty paid fine sort trouble fraudulently obtaining hunting permit charge weak 160and even ridiculous illegal aliens nearby california among states knowingly issued drivers licenses states comes real frustrating part 160yifei gong 7 students even barred getting hunting license buying guns simply got wrong type hunting license mark hart spokesman arizona game fish department asked situation revealed rather shocking truth nonresident arizona hunting licenses significantly expensive resident tags purchased nonimmigrant visa holders arizona legal license holders buy firearm license expires time become prohibited possessor whats difference residential hunting permit non residential permit 160123 comes money residential hunting permit 37 non residential hunting fishing dont offer one 160 justice scenario especially since one thinks gong 7 interest exercising right denied back home powers would charged 123 difference let keep guns encouraging exporting freedom liberty whenever 160enough foreign students fall love 2nd amendment perhaps time liberty freedom begin take firmer root go home alas gun control section government wants disabuse everyone notion guns good fun useful gangbanging illegal alien california new york means heres drivers license voting card well protect meanies ice foreign college student legally wants gun release hounds hopefully trump securing borders strengthening 2nd amendment previous sentiments set straight soon enough 160 160 160 160 160 tolerance comments containing violence racism vulgarity profanity caps discourteous behavior thank partnering us maintain courteous useful public environment engage reasonable discourse

<p>Americans are getting older, but not this old: Social Security records show that 6.5 million people in the U.S. have reached the ripe old age of 112.</p> <p>In reality, only few could possibly be alive. As of last fall, there were only 42 people known to be that old in the entire world.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>But Social Security does not have death records for millions of these people, with the oldest born in 1869, according to a report by the agency's inspector general.</p> <p>Only 13 of the people are still getting Social Security benefits, the report said. But for others, their Social Security numbers are still active, so a number could be used to report wages, open bank accounts, obtain credit cards or claim fraudulent tax refunds.</p> <p>"That is a real problem," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. "When you have a fake Social Security number, that's what allows you to fraudulently do all kinds things, claim things like the earned income tax credit or other tax benefits."</p> <p>Johnson is chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which plans a hearing Monday on problems with death records maintained by the Social Security Administration.</p> <p>The agency said it is working to improve the accuracy of its death records. But it would be costly and time-consuming to update 6.5 million files that were generated decades ago, when the agency used paper records, said Sean Brune, a senior adviser to the agency's deputy commissioner for budget, finance, quality and management.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>"The records in this review are extremely old, decades-old, and unreliable," Brune said.</p> <p>The internal watchdog's report does not document any fraudulent or improper payments to people using these Social Security numbers. But it raises red flags that it could be happening.</p> <p>For example, nearly 67,000 of the Social Security numbers were used to report more than $3 billion in wages, tips and self-employment income from 2006 to 2011, according to the report. One Social Security number was used 613 different times. An additional 194 numbers were used at least 50 times each.</p> <p>People in the country illegally often use fake or stolen Social Security numbers to get jobs and report wages, as do other people who do not want to be found by the government. Thieves use stolen Social Security numbers to claim fraudulent tax refunds.</p> <p>The IRS estimated it paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent tax refunds in 2013 because of identity theft. The head of the Justice Department's tax division described how it's done at a recent congressional hearing.</p> <p>"The plan is frighteningly simple - steal Social Security numbers, file tax returns showing a false refund claim, and then have the refunds electronically deposited or sent to an address where the offender can access the refund checks," said acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline Ciraolo.</p> <p>In some cases, she said, false tax returns are filed using Social Security numbers of deceased taxpayers or others who are not required to file.</p> <p>The Social Security Administration generates a list of dead people to help public agencies and private companies know when Social Security numbers are no longer valid for use. The list is called the Death Master File, which includes the name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death for people who have died.</p> <p>The list is widely used by employers, financial firms, credit reporting agencies and security firms. Federal agencies and state and local governments rely on it to police benefit payments.</p> <p>But none of the 6.5 million people cited by the inspector general's report was on the list. The audit analyzed records as of 2013, looking for people with birth dates before 1901.</p> <p>President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, and the first old-age monthly benefit check was paid in 1940.</p> <p>Many of the people cited in the inspector general's report never received benefits, though they were assigned Social Security numbers so spouses and children could receive them, presumably after they died.</p> <p>The agency says it has corrected death information in more than 200,000 records. But fixing the entire list would be costly and time-consuming because Social Security needs proof that a person is dead to add them to the death list, said Brune, the agency official.</p> <p>Brune noted that the inspector general's report did not verify that any of the 6.5 million people are actually dead. Instead, the report assumed they are dead because of their advanced age.</p> <p>"We can't post information to our records based on presumption," Brune said. "We post information to our records based on evidence, and in this case it would be evidence of a death certificate."</p> <p>"Some of those records may not even exist," Brune added.</p> <p>Nearly all the Social Security numbers are from paper records generated before the agency started using electronic records in 1972, Brune said. Many of the records contain errors, with multiple birthdates and bits of information about different family members.</p> <p>"We did transcribe paper records into the electronic system and over time that information's been purified," Brune said.</p> <p>"But our focus right now is to make sure our data is as accurate and complete as it can be for our current program purpose," Brune said. "Right now, we're focused on making sure we're paying beneficiaries properly, and that's how we're investing our resources at this time."</p> <p>___</p> <p>Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap</p>

americans getting older old social security records show 65 million people us reached ripe old age 112 reality could possibly alive last fall 42 people known old entire world continue reading social security death records millions people oldest born 1869 according report agencys inspector general 13 people still getting social security benefits report said others social security numbers still active number could used report wages open bank accounts obtain credit cards claim fraudulent tax refunds real problem said sen ron johnson rwis fake social security number thats allows fraudulently kinds things claim things like earned income tax credit tax benefits johnson chairman senate committee homeland security governmental affairs plans hearing monday problems death records maintained social security administration agency said working improve accuracy death records would costly timeconsuming update 65 million files generated decades ago agency used paper records said sean brune senior adviser agencys deputy commissioner budget finance quality management advertisement records review extremely old decadesold unreliable brune said internal watchdogs report document fraudulent improper payments people using social security numbers raises red flags could happening example nearly 67000 social security numbers used report 3 billion wages tips selfemployment income 2006 2011 according report one social security number used 613 different times additional 194 numbers used least 50 times people country illegally often use fake stolen social security numbers get jobs report wages people want found government thieves use stolen social security numbers claim fraudulent tax refunds irs estimated paid 58 billion fraudulent tax refunds 2013 identity theft head justice departments tax division described done recent congressional hearing plan frighteningly simple steal social security numbers file tax returns showing false refund claim refunds electronically deposited sent address offender access refund checks said acting assistant attorney general caroline ciraolo cases said false tax returns filed using social security numbers deceased taxpayers others required file social security administration generates list dead people help public agencies private companies know social security numbers longer valid use list called death master file includes name social security number date birth date death people died list widely used employers financial firms credit reporting agencies security firms federal agencies state local governments rely police benefit payments none 65 million people cited inspector generals report list audit analyzed records 2013 looking people birth dates 1901 president franklin roosevelt signed social security act 1935 first oldage monthly benefit check paid 1940 many people cited inspector generals report never received benefits though assigned social security numbers spouses children could receive presumably died agency says corrected death information 200000 records fixing entire list would costly timeconsuming social security needs proof person dead add death list said brune agency official brune noted inspector generals report verify 65 million people actually dead instead report assumed dead advanced age cant post information records based presumption brune said post information records based evidence case would evidence death certificate records may even exist brune added nearly social security numbers paper records generated agency started using electronic records 1972 brune said many records contain errors multiple birthdates bits information different family members transcribe paper records electronic system time informations purified brune said focus right make sure data accurate complete current program purpose brune said right focused making sure paying beneficiaries properly thats investing resources time ___ follow stephen ohlemacher twitter httptwittercomstephenatap

<p /> <p>Since Donald Trump was elected president, financial stocks have gone straight up. There is good reason for this -- Trump's pro-growth policies and his opposition to regulation are a combination that can produce an excellent environment for banks to make money. Here's why the next several years could be good for banks, plus three choices that could be a great fit for your portfolio.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>In a nutshell, banks have rallied recently for two main reasons, both of which have to do with Trump's election and the Republican majorities in Congress.</p> <p>First, Trump has been outspoken about his opposition to regulation, and few industries are more burdened by regulation than banks -- particularly the big banks. Trump has pledged to repeal or modify Dodd-Frank and generally make it easier for the banks to do business, which would save the banks significant money in complying with regulations.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Second, Trump's tax cuts and other pro-growth policies could create an environment that is ideal for banks to make money. They are widely expected to lead to higher interest rates, which generally translates to higher profit margins for banks. Also, lower taxes mean more money in people's pockets, which means more deposits in the banks.</p> <p>Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) had an interesting 2016, to say the least. Rocked by the infamous "fake accounts" <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/09/2-million-accounts-wrongly-opened-at-wells-fargo.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">scandal Opens a New Window.</a> when it was revealed in September, the bank's shares sold off initially. Then, the stock rebounded and more -- up 15% in November alone and reaching a new 52-week high in December, mainly thanks to the election-related boost I discussed earlier.</p> <p>In addition, the election and ensuing bank rally got the media attention off Wells Fargo, as my colleague John Maxfield pointed out in a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/04/wells-fargos-shares-rose-15-last-month-heres-why.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recent article Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Even though Wells Fargo certainly did a bad thing, and there could still be fallout from the scandal to come, it's important to keep the big picture in mind. Wells Fargo is still the best-run big bank in the business in terms of risk management and efficiency, and the fact that it continuously earns better returns on equity and assets than the rest of the "big four" banks is proof of this.</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/WFC/return_on_equity" type="external">WFC Return on Equity (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>At the end of the day, Wells Fargo <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/19/this-survey-explains-why-wells-fargos-customers-wo.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">isn't likely Opens a New Window.</a> to lose a significant number of customers over the scandal. Also, remember that the 2 million fake accounts weren't generating any real revenue for the bank -- if anything, they may have cost Wells Fargo money in the form of employee incentives for meeting sales targets.</p> <p>Wells Fargo's largest shareholder is Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway, and Buffett has said he hasn't sold a single share of Wells Fargo in the wake of the scandal, and has no plans to do so. Buffett went on to call Wells Fargo an "incredible institution," and that he still has faith in the company. Wells Fargo remains the most rock-solid of the U.S. banking giants and is worth a look.</p> <p>If you have a little bit more appetite for risk, consider Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), which accidentally became my largest stock holding over the past few months. I say "accidentally" because when the stock was trading in the $11-13 range earlier in 2016, I jumped on the opportunity to add some shares to my position. Now that it's doubled, my position has grown accordingly.</p> <p>However, even with the recent gain, I have no plans to sell a single share. The recent Federal Reserve interest rate hike is a positive catalyst for all banks, but Bank of America stands to benefit more than most. Even more importantly, the slightly improved forecast of three more rate hikes in 2017, two or three in 2018, and three in 2019, with a longer-term target of 3%, is a good indicator that the bank's profitability could grow more than the market thinks.</p> <p>In a recent SEC filing, Bank of America estimated that a 100-basis-point move in interest rates would add $7.5 billion in net interest income per year. So, it's fair to say that if the Fed is correct in its projections, Bank of America's annual net interest income could easily rise by an 11-figure sum. And if President-elect Trump's economic policies and infrastructure investment generate as much growth as he claims, the Fed's forecast could prove to be quite modest.</p> <p>Finally, keep in mind that even though it's doubled in price since early 2016, Bank of America's stock still trades for a discount to its book value of $24.19 per share.</p> <p>As a final suggestion, if you have a long investment time frame and want to potentially get in on the future of banking, you might want to take a look at BofI (NASDAQ: BOFI), which stands for <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/09/29/investors-are-betting-big-against-bofi-holding-why.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Bank of Internet Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>As the name implies, BofI does its business exclusively online -- it has a single office location in California, and no branches whatsoever. Through its internet-only platform, BofI offers a full range of banking products, such as checking and savings accounts, mortgages, CDs, auto loans, and more.</p> <p>The bank's business model is simple. Online and mobile banking is rapidly growing in popularity, and non-branch transactions are much cheaper, so the bank aims to operate more efficiently than its competitors. Over the past few years, the bank has successfully transitioned away from a CD-based model to a more traditional portfolio of checking and savings products. As a result, deposits have nearly tripled since 2013.</p> <p>It appears to be working so far. The company's growth over the past few years has been spectacular. In fact, BofI's EPS has grown at an impressive 32% annualized rate over the past five years, and despite this growth, the stock trades for less than 15 times trailing-12-month earnings.</p> <p>Also, despite the rapid growth, the bank's charge-offs and non-performing loans are well below the industry average, and it holds more than enough in loan loss reserves to cover itself even if every non-performing loan ended up defaulting.</p> <p>As far as efficiency is concerned, the bank's profitability metrics speak for themselves:</p> <p>Data source: BOFI investor presentation.</p> <p>The bottom line is that there is a bank stock for you to buy in 2017, whether you prefer the stable, tried-and-true banks, have a little more risk tolerance, or want to potentially get in on the next big thing.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Bank of America When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3038861e-7f09-46f3-9d72-7e72a1847d8a&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Bank of America wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=3038861e-7f09-46f3-9d72-7e72a1847d8a&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/KWMatt82/info.aspx" type="external">Matthew Frankel Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Bank of America and BRK-B. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends BRK-B and BofI Holding. The Motley Fool owns shares of Wells Fargo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

since donald trump elected president financial stocks gone straight good reason trumps progrowth policies opposition regulation combination produce excellent environment banks make money heres next several years could good banks plus three choices could great fit portfolio continue reading image source getty images nutshell banks rallied recently two main reasons trumps election republican majorities congress first trump outspoken opposition regulation industries burdened regulation banks particularly big banks trump pledged repeal modify doddfrank generally make easier banks business would save banks significant money complying regulations advertisement second trumps tax cuts progrowth policies could create environment ideal banks make money widely expected lead higher interest rates generally translates higher profit margins banks also lower taxes mean money peoples pockets means deposits banks wells fargo nyse wfc interesting 2016 say least rocked infamous fake accounts scandal opens new window revealed september banks shares sold initially stock rebounded 15 november alone reaching new 52week high december mainly thanks electionrelated boost discussed earlier addition election ensuing bank rally got media attention wells fargo colleague john maxfield pointed recent article opens new window even though wells fargo certainly bad thing could still fallout scandal come important keep big picture mind wells fargo still bestrun big bank business terms risk management efficiency fact continuously earns better returns equity assets rest big four banks proof wfc return equity ttm data ycharts opens new window end day wells fargo isnt likely opens new window lose significant number customers scandal also remember 2 million fake accounts werent generating real revenue bank anything may cost wells fargo money form employee incentives meeting sales targets wells fargos largest shareholder warren buffettled berkshire hathaway buffett said hasnt sold single share wells fargo wake scandal plans buffett went call wells fargo incredible institution still faith company wells fargo remains rocksolid us banking giants worth look little bit appetite risk consider bank america nyse bac accidentally became largest stock holding past months say accidentally stock trading 1113 range earlier 2016 jumped opportunity add shares position doubled position grown accordingly however even recent gain plans sell single share recent federal reserve interest rate hike positive catalyst banks bank america stands benefit even importantly slightly improved forecast three rate hikes 2017 two three 2018 three 2019 longerterm target 3 good indicator banks profitability could grow market thinks recent sec filing bank america estimated 100basispoint move interest rates would add 75 billion net interest income per year fair say fed correct projections bank americas annual net interest income could easily rise 11figure sum presidentelect trumps economic policies infrastructure investment generate much growth claims feds forecast could prove quite modest finally keep mind even though doubled price since early 2016 bank americas stock still trades discount book value 2419 per share final suggestion long investment time frame want potentially get future banking might want take look bofi nasdaq bofi stands bank internet opens new window name implies bofi business exclusively online single office location california branches whatsoever internetonly platform bofi offers full range banking products checking savings accounts mortgages cds auto loans banks business model simple online mobile banking rapidly growing popularity nonbranch transactions much cheaper bank aims operate efficiently competitors past years bank successfully transitioned away cdbased model traditional portfolio checking savings products result deposits nearly tripled since 2013 appears working far companys growth past years spectacular fact bofis eps grown impressive 32 annualized rate past five years despite growth stock trades less 15 times trailing12month earnings also despite rapid growth banks chargeoffs nonperforming loans well industry average holds enough loan loss reserves cover even every nonperforming loan ended defaulting far efficiency concerned banks profitability metrics speak data source bofi investor presentation bottom line bank stock buy 2017 whether prefer stable triedandtrue banks little risk tolerance want potentially get next big thing 10 stocks like better bank america investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right bank america wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 matthew frankel opens new window owns shares bank america brkb motley fool owns shares recommends brkb bofi holding motley fool owns shares wells fargo try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Facebook powers all types of ads. Image source: Facebook.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>A little more than two years ago, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) launched the Facebook Audience Network, or FAN. The ad network extended Facebook ads to other apps, providing app developers a new way to monetize their apps. With over 3 million advertisers working with Facebook, FAN offers developers an opportunity to tap into that huge pipeline of ads.</p> <p>FAN competes directly with Google's AdMob, which has been a boon to the Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) company as more of its revenue comes from mobile. With the recent expansion of FAN to mobile websites, it will also compete against Google's AdSense ads on third-party publishers' websites. These are multibillion-dollar products for Google.</p> <p>But Facebook investors shouldn't expect billions to come pouring in from FAN. Even after reaching a $1 billion run rate in the fourth quarter of last year, Facebook's Audience Network will only add a few hundred million to the company's top line. Here's why.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Facebook CFO Dave Wehner told investors on the company's second-quarter earnings call that the company is accounting for revenue from FAN on a net basis instead of a gross basis. It won't account for the portion of ad revenue that goes to the publisher at all.</p> <p>This method stands in contrast to Google, which uses gross revenue and then tells investors exactly what its traffic acquisition costs were. For example, last quarter Google's ad network generated $3.7 billion in gross ad revenue, and network members kept 70% or $2.6 billion of that. That $3.7 billion counts toward Google's revenue, and the $2.6 billion counts toward its operating expenses.</p> <p>Under Facebook's accounting, using the $3.7 billion figure, it would have just registered the $1.1 billion in net revenue. Investors will never see the other portion of revenue on Facebook's earnings report unless the company specifically discloses those numbers for some reason.</p> <p>Google is providing a bit more transparency with Alphabet investors by disclosing exactly what percentage of its network revenue it keeps and what it pays out to publishers. Google is generally upfront in its terms with AdSense and AdMob participants in what percentage of revenue it shares, so it's not hurting anything by disclosing those details in its quarterly reports.</p> <p>Facebook is a bit more opaque when it comes to the revenue share with FAN. In its FAQ, Facebook simply says "we cannot commit to a specific revenue share at this point." If it reported its traffic acquisition costs, developers and publishers would have a good idea of whether they're on the high or low end of Facebook's revenue share terms, and that could have negative consequences for Facebook.</p> <p>When it comes down to it, the difference in revenue reporting won't affect Facebook's bottom line. In fact, some investors may prefer the way Facebook reports to the way Google reports its revenue, and it's highly unlikely Facebook will break out its network revenue like Google does.</p> <p>Reporting network revenue on a net basis should have a much smaller impact on Facebook's operating margin than if it reported gross revenue and lumped publishers' revenue share into its cost of revenue. In that way, investors who see a continued increase in revenue don't have to worry whether that revenue is coming from FAN or its owned and operated properties.</p> <p>Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) saw its cost of revenue balloon last year as more of its revenue started coming from its ad network. Forty percent of the increase in Twitter's cost of revenue for 2015 was attributed to increased traffic acquisition costs. Overall cost of revenue grew to 33% of total revenue, compared with 32% in the prior year. Going forward, traffic acquisition costs may have <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/08/1-metric-for-twitter-investors-to-pay-attention-to.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">a bigger impact on Twitter's margins Opens a New Window.</a> as it starts to account for a larger percentage of revenue growth.</p> <p>Facebook investors won't have to worry about that kind of margin dilution because of the way the company is choosing to report its ad network revenue. While it doesn't provide the same transparency as Google or even Twitter, investors don't have to worry about the minimal impact the product is having on the company's top line.</p> <p>This is yet another conservative accounting maneuver from Facebook, as it follows the company's decision to start reporting its results on a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/19/facebook-is-now-focused-on-gaap-results.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">GAAP (unadjusted) basis Opens a New Window.</a>, while its peers continue to use non-GAAP measurements. These conservative moves show confidence in the company's ability to continue growing revenue and earnings at a strong clip for the foreseeable future, with no need to juice numbers with revenue that it never really sees in the first place.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2668&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/adamlevy/info.aspx" type="external">Adam Levy Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Facebook, and Twitter. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

facebook powers types ads image source facebook continue reading little two years ago facebook nasdaq fb launched facebook audience network fan ad network extended facebook ads apps providing app developers new way monetize apps 3 million advertisers working facebook fan offers developers opportunity tap huge pipeline ads fan competes directly googles admob boon alphabet nasdaq goog nasdaq googl company revenue comes mobile recent expansion fan mobile websites also compete googles adsense ads thirdparty publishers websites multibilliondollar products google facebook investors shouldnt expect billions come pouring fan even reaching 1 billion run rate fourth quarter last year facebooks audience network add hundred million companys top line heres advertisement facebook cfo dave wehner told investors companys secondquarter earnings call company accounting revenue fan net basis instead gross basis wont account portion ad revenue goes publisher method stands contrast google uses gross revenue tells investors exactly traffic acquisition costs example last quarter googles ad network generated 37 billion gross ad revenue network members kept 70 26 billion 37 billion counts toward googles revenue 26 billion counts toward operating expenses facebooks accounting using 37 billion figure would registered 11 billion net revenue investors never see portion revenue facebooks earnings report unless company specifically discloses numbers reason google providing bit transparency alphabet investors disclosing exactly percentage network revenue keeps pays publishers google generally upfront terms adsense admob participants percentage revenue shares hurting anything disclosing details quarterly reports facebook bit opaque comes revenue share fan faq facebook simply says commit specific revenue share point reported traffic acquisition costs developers publishers would good idea whether theyre high low end facebooks revenue share terms could negative consequences facebook comes difference revenue reporting wont affect facebooks bottom line fact investors may prefer way facebook reports way google reports revenue highly unlikely facebook break network revenue like google reporting network revenue net basis much smaller impact facebooks operating margin reported gross revenue lumped publishers revenue share cost revenue way investors see continued increase revenue dont worry whether revenue coming fan owned operated properties twitter nyse twtr saw cost revenue balloon last year revenue started coming ad network forty percent increase twitters cost revenue 2015 attributed increased traffic acquisition costs overall cost revenue grew 33 total revenue compared 32 prior year going forward traffic acquisition costs may bigger impact twitters margins opens new window starts account larger percentage revenue growth facebook investors wont worry kind margin dilution way company choosing report ad network revenue doesnt provide transparency google even twitter investors dont worry minimal impact product companys top line yet another conservative accounting maneuver facebook follows companys decision start reporting results gaap unadjusted basis opens new window peers continue use nongaap measurements conservative moves show confidence companys ability continue growing revenue earnings strong clip foreseeable future need juice numbers revenue never really sees first place secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window suzanne frey executive alphabet member motley fools board directors adam levy opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends alphabet shares alphabet c shares facebook twitter try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) will report a net loss this year, making 2016 the fifth consecutive year that AMD has failed to turn a profit. 2017 is shaping up to be better for AMD, with the launch of its new Ryzen CPUs and high-end Vega GPUs on the horizon. The success of those products will determine whether AMD will return to profitability next year and beyond.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>AMD investors are no doubt looking forward to 2017, and the company made some good moves this year that have improved its chances of success. The balance sheet is stronger and its prospects are brighter thanks to AMD's best moves of 2016.</p> <p>Image source: Advanced Micro Devices.</p> <p>At the end of the first quarter of 2016, AMD's balance sheet was looking stretched. The company's cash balance was barely above $700 million, near the low end of its target range, and debt topped $2.2 billion. Book value had plunged to negative $500 million thanks to years of losses.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>In April, AMD sold its semiconductor assembly and test assets into a joint venture with Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics, retaining a 15% stake and receiving about $320 million in cash, net of taxes and other expenses. This deal provided AMD with some much-needed cash as it was preparing to launch Polaris, its mainstream-orientated GPU.</p> <p>Around the same time, AMD signed a deal with Tianjin Haiguang Advanced Technology Investment Co. to form another JV, this one focused on bringing x86 server SoCs to the Chinese server market. AMD licensed its high-performance processor and SoC technology to the JV, receiving a $293 million licensing payment with the potential for additional royalty payments in the future.</p> <p>These two deals greatly strengthened AMD's balance sheet, giving it the necessary resources to forge ahead with its turnaround plan.</p> <p>Shares of AMD <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/17/3-reasons-amd-stock-could-fall-after-gaining-280-i.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">have soared Opens a New Window.</a> this year, driven higher by optimism that the company's new products will drive revenue and earnings growth. The stock is up nearly 300% year to date, reflecting an extreme shift in investor sentiment.</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/AMD" type="external">AMD</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>AMD took advantage of its soaring stock price in August when it announced that it was selling $600 million of new shares of its common stock, along with $700 million of 2.125% notes. The company planned to use the proceeds to knock down some of its debt, thus reducing its annual interest payments and making the path to profitability a little bit easier. AMD paid $160 million in interest payments in 2015.</p> <p>AMD now has $1.26 billion of cash on its balance sheet, and it has reduced its total debt to about $1.63 billion. The company's financial situation, precarious earlier this year, is now much stronger, giving it the resources to launch its new CPUs and GPUs next year. Existing investors were diluted by the stock sale, but they should be thrilled that AMD used the opportunity to raise cash.</p> <p>For those wanting to utilize graphics cards in the cloud, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has long been the only real option. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and IBM Cloud all offer NVIDIA's Tesla GPUs exclusively. The company's focus over the past few years on deep learning and GPU compute has paid off. NVIDIA's data center business is nearing a $1 billion annual revenue run rate, with third-quarter sales nearly tripling year over year.</p> <p>AMD's GPUs aren't available on any of those platforms, and it's fallen far behind NVIDIA in the market for accelerators. An analyst at Nomura estimates that NVIDIA controls 80% of the accelerator market, with AMD and Intel fighting for the scraps.</p> <p>Image source: Google.</p> <p>AMD made some headway in 2016. Alphabet's Google announced in November that it planned to offer AMD's FirePro GPUs through its cloud platform, along with NVIDIA's Tesla GPUs as well. While this is win for both AMD and NVIDIA, it narrows the gap a little between the two companies.</p> <p>AMD built on this momentum with the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/15/heres-what-amd-is-up-against-in-the-ai-market.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">announcement of Radeon Instinct Opens a New Window.</a> in December, the company's upcoming line of graphics cards built specifically for deep learning. The company is playing catch-up in this area, but the potential opportunity to accelerate A.I. workloads is significant. NVIDIA is still the undisputed leader in the accelerator market, but AMD made some noise in 2016.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Advanced Micro Devices When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=47060a76-aed0-4cd3-87fd-62c431d771bf&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Advanced Micro Devices wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=47060a76-aed0-4cd3-87fd-62c431d771bf&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p> <p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBargainBin/info.aspx" type="external">Timothy Green Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of IBM. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Intel. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

advanced micro devices nasdaq amd report net loss year making 2016 fifth consecutive year amd failed turn profit 2017 shaping better amd launch new ryzen cpus highend vega gpus horizon success products determine whether amd return profitability next year beyond continue reading amd investors doubt looking forward 2017 company made good moves year improved chances success balance sheet stronger prospects brighter thanks amds best moves 2016 image source advanced micro devices end first quarter 2016 amds balance sheet looking stretched companys cash balance barely 700 million near low end target range debt topped 22 billion book value plunged negative 500 million thanks years losses advertisement april amd sold semiconductor assembly test assets joint venture nantong fujitsu microelectronics retaining 15 stake receiving 320 million cash net taxes expenses deal provided amd muchneeded cash preparing launch polaris mainstreamorientated gpu around time amd signed deal tianjin haiguang advanced technology investment co form another jv one focused bringing x86 server socs chinese server market amd licensed highperformance processor soc technology jv receiving 293 million licensing payment potential additional royalty payments future two deals greatly strengthened amds balance sheet giving necessary resources forge ahead turnaround plan shares amd soared opens new window year driven higher optimism companys new products drive revenue earnings growth stock nearly 300 year date reflecting extreme shift investor sentiment amd data ycharts opens new window amd took advantage soaring stock price august announced selling 600 million new shares common stock along 700 million 2125 notes company planned use proceeds knock debt thus reducing annual interest payments making path profitability little bit easier amd paid 160 million interest payments 2015 amd 126 billion cash balance sheet reduced total debt 163 billion companys financial situation precarious earlier year much stronger giving resources launch new cpus gpus next year existing investors diluted stock sale thrilled amd used opportunity raise cash wanting utilize graphics cards cloud nvidia nasdaq nvda long real option amazon web services microsoft azure ibm cloud offer nvidias tesla gpus exclusively companys focus past years deep learning gpu compute paid nvidias data center business nearing 1 billion annual revenue run rate thirdquarter sales nearly tripling year year amds gpus arent available platforms fallen far behind nvidia market accelerators analyst nomura estimates nvidia controls 80 accelerator market amd intel fighting scraps image source google amd made headway 2016 alphabets google announced november planned offer amds firepro gpus cloud platform along nvidias tesla gpus well win amd nvidia narrows gap little two companies amd built momentum announcement radeon instinct opens new window december companys upcoming line graphics cards built specifically deep learning company playing catchup area potential opportunity accelerate ai workloads significant nvidia still undisputed leader accelerator market amd made noise 2016 10 stocks like better advanced micro devices investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right advanced micro devices wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns nov 7 2016 suzanne frey executive alphabet member motley fools board directors timothy green opens new window owns shares ibm motley fool owns shares recommends alphabet shares alphabet c shares amazoncom nvidia motley fool recommends intel try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>The idea of going to a bank and waiting in line to talk to a bank teller is starting to sound not only inconvenient, but outdated. As fewer Americans use cash and more do their banking on smartphones and computers, traditional banking is feeling more and more antiquated. It's also generally more expensive, and except for the free lollipops, it's quite unenjoyable.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>When you're fed up with your bank, what are your low-fee banking alternatives? Thanks to technology, there are a few options.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p><a href="https://www.chimebank.com/" type="external">Chime Bank Opens a New Window.</a> is an all-digital bank that offers a debit card, FDIC-protected savings accounts, and a network of over 24,000 ATMs. Every time you use a Chime card to make a purchase, the bank rounds the price up to the nearest dollar and deposits the extra into your account. These micro-deposits can really add up over time, giving your savings an automatic boost without the sting of big deposits.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>While digital banks like Chime make it easier and cheaper to save and invest, it's important to be aware of all the fees involved. Chime charges no minimum, monthly, or overdraft fees. A $2.50 fee transaction for ATMs outside of the MoneyPass network applies. There are also fees for uncommon transactions, such as a 3% fee on international transactions.</p> <p><a href="https://www.acorns.com/" type="external">Acorns Opens a New Window.</a> is another all-digital product. Acorns specializes in micro-investing and lets users automatically invest spare change, much like Chime Bank's strategy but for investing, rather than saving. You connect your credit and debit cards to your Acorns profile, and every time you make a purchase, Acorn rounds up your transaction to the nearest dollar and deposits the excess into your investment account.</p> <p>Your investment account is a wrap account of exchange-traded funds (ETF) chosen based on your financial situation and financial goals. Acorns uses the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/13/a-fool-goes-to-english-class-on-the-origins-of-the.aspx?source=isesitlnk0000001&amp;amp;mrr=1.00&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Modern Portfolio Theory Opens a New Window.</a> developed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. Harry Markowitz to invest your money.</p> <p>Acorns' accounts are free for up to four years after registration for college students with a valid ".edu" email addresses. Accounts with $5,000 or more pay 0.25% per year. Accounts with less than $5,000 pay a $1-per-month fee.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ally.com/" type="external">Ally Bank Opens a New Window.</a> is positioning itself as the best online-only bank in North America. Think about everything a bank does -- savings accounts, checking accounts, certificates of deposit, auto and home loans -- and Ally Bank does it.</p> <p>Ally offers all its banking products and services completely online.Don't want to walk into an Ally Bank? Perfect. You can't. For those rare circumstances when you need to talk with a human, Ally offers 24/7 telephone and online chatting. If you want to know how long you'll be on hold after you dial Ally's 800 number, Ally tells you on its website. As of this writing, the hold time is one minute.</p> <p>Ally's accounts have no minimum monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirement. It offers access to over 40,000 ATMs that you can use free of charge. Ally also offers up to $10 in reimbursementsper month for ATMs used outside of its network.</p> <p>Online banking, bill pay, and standard checks are free. Ally does charge for less frequent services, such as wire transfers, which cost $20 a pop -- a fair fee for this service relative to Ally's competitors.</p> <p>Basic checking accounts with traditional banks, such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, may be out of reach for some people. Accounts without a lot of bells and whistles, such as higher interest savings rates, dedicated customer service lines, and fee waivers that require high minimum monthly balances, can cost $10 to $15 per month unless certain requirements are met.</p> <p>Prepaid debit cards look and feel like standard credit and debit cards. Unlike credit and debit cards, however, prepaid debit cards can only be used to spend the amount of money added to them by users. The maximum amount of money that can be withdrawn is the amount of money a user loads onto their prepaid card. If you load $500 and spend it, that's all the money you can spend until you load more money onto the card.</p> <p>Contrary to popular belief, people who use prepaid debit cards aren't always using them because they don't have access to regular bank accounts. Some people use prepaid debit cards as a budgeting tool because they can only spend what they load onto their card. Other people use prepaid debit cards because some offer advance payroll deposit, which helps them pay bills on time.</p> <p>Nevertheless, anytime you use a prepaid debit card, pay close attention to the fees that come with your card. There is no such thing as a fee-free prepaid debit card.</p> <p><a href="https://www.prosper.com/" type="external">Prosper Marketplace Opens a New Window.</a> describes itself as "America's first marketplace lending platform." Prosper is essentially a peer-to-peer lending platform. Borrowers can get loans between $2,000 and $35,000, and investors can invest as little as $25 in each loan they select</p> <p>Want to consolidate your debt, fix up your home, or get a new car? If you have a good credit score, you may qualify for an unsecured loan with a reasonable rate from Prosper.</p> <p>Want to make some money by helping borrowers consolidate debt, fix up their homes, or get new cars? You can become an investor at Prosper for as little as $25. Lending through Prosper is a means to diversify investment portfolios of stocks and bonds.</p> <p>It's important to understand all your investment purchases and not take on more risk than you and your portfolio can absorb.To help protect investors, Prosper limits purchases to 10% of an investor's net worth, and it rates investments with letter grades rangingfrom AA (low risk and low return) to HR (high risk and high return).</p> <p>Prosper also offers an app calledProsper Daily(formerly BillGuard) that lets borrowers monitor their loan payments and track their spending habits with its advanced spending analytics. Another perk of is that it offers 100% free credit-score tracking through TransUnion. And the best money-saving feature of Prosper Daily is that it tracks your recurring spending; all your subscriptions and regular payments are tracked, and you're notified when any recurring fees sneakily increase.</p> <p>Many banks are trying to evolve to keep up with such banking competitors. Banking regulations, however, hamper the progress of traditional banks. Meanwhile, these newer companies' business models are already based on the needs of today's banking clients. Though many of these and similar alternative solutions have fees, their fees are often lower, because they use technology to reduce their overhead and their need for big capital investments like local branches.</p> <p>If your banking needs don't require in-person interaction (and lollipops), then investigate these alternative solutions and others in order to find the perfect banking experience for you.</p> <p>The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

idea going bank waiting line talk bank teller starting sound inconvenient outdated fewer americans use cash banking smartphones computers traditional banking feeling antiquated also generally expensive except free lollipops quite unenjoyable continue reading youre fed bank lowfee banking alternatives thanks technology options image source getty images chime bank opens new window alldigital bank offers debit card fdicprotected savings accounts network 24000 atms every time use chime card make purchase bank rounds price nearest dollar deposits extra account microdeposits really add time giving savings automatic boost without sting big deposits advertisement digital banks like chime make easier cheaper save invest important aware fees involved chime charges minimum monthly overdraft fees 250 fee transaction atms outside moneypass network applies also fees uncommon transactions 3 fee international transactions acorns opens new window another alldigital product acorns specializes microinvesting lets users automatically invest spare change much like chime banks strategy investing rather saving connect credit debit cards acorns profile every time make purchase acorn rounds transaction nearest dollar deposits excess investment account investment account wrap account exchangetraded funds etf chosen based financial situation financial goals acorns uses modern portfolio theory opens new window developed nobel prizewinning economist dr harry markowitz invest money acorns accounts free four years registration college students valid edu email addresses accounts 5000 pay 025 per year accounts less 5000 pay 1permonth fee ally bank opens new window positioning best onlineonly bank north america think everything bank savings accounts checking accounts certificates deposit auto home loans ally bank ally offers banking products services completely onlinedont want walk ally bank perfect cant rare circumstances need talk human ally offers 247 telephone online chatting want know long youll hold dial allys 800 number ally tells website writing hold time one minute allys accounts minimum monthly maintenance fees minimum balance requirement offers access 40000 atms use free charge ally also offers 10 reimbursementsper month atms used outside network online banking bill pay standard checks free ally charge less frequent services wire transfers cost 20 pop fair fee service relative allys competitors basic checking accounts traditional banks wells fargo bank america may reach people accounts without lot bells whistles higher interest savings rates dedicated customer service lines fee waivers require high minimum monthly balances cost 10 15 per month unless certain requirements met prepaid debit cards look feel like standard credit debit cards unlike credit debit cards however prepaid debit cards used spend amount money added users maximum amount money withdrawn amount money user loads onto prepaid card load 500 spend thats money spend load money onto card contrary popular belief people use prepaid debit cards arent always using dont access regular bank accounts people use prepaid debit cards budgeting tool spend load onto card people use prepaid debit cards offer advance payroll deposit helps pay bills time nevertheless anytime use prepaid debit card pay close attention fees come card thing feefree prepaid debit card prosper marketplace opens new window describes americas first marketplace lending platform prosper essentially peertopeer lending platform borrowers get loans 2000 35000 investors invest little 25 loan select want consolidate debt fix home get new car good credit score may qualify unsecured loan reasonable rate prosper want make money helping borrowers consolidate debt fix homes get new cars become investor prosper little 25 lending prosper means diversify investment portfolios stocks bonds important understand investment purchases take risk portfolio absorbto help protect investors prosper limits purchases 10 investors net worth rates investments letter grades rangingfrom aa low risk low return hr high risk high return prosper also offers app calledprosper dailyformerly billguard lets borrowers monitor loan payments track spending habits advanced spending analytics another perk offers 100 free creditscore tracking transunion best moneysaving feature prosper daily tracks recurring spending subscriptions regular payments tracked youre notified recurring fees sneakily increase many banks trying evolve keep banking competitors banking regulations however hamper progress traditional banks meanwhile newer companies business models already based needs todays banking clients though many similar alternative solutions fees fees often lower use technology reduce overhead need big capital investments like local branches banking needs dont require inperson interaction lollipops investigate alternative solutions others order find perfect banking experience 16122 social security bonus retirees completely overlook youre like americans youre years behind retirement savings handful littleknown social security secrets could help ensure boost retirement income example one easy trick could pay much 16122 year learn maximize social security benefits think could retire confidently peace mind simply click discover learn strategies opens new window motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Lachlan Markay</a> June 6, 2013 9:00 am</p> <p>Through lobbying, media, and public statements, the left-wing Center for American Progress (CAP) routinely used its influence to push for legislation that benefitted its major corporate donors, a Washington Free Beacon analysis has found.</p> <p>The confluence of CAP&#8217;s work and the financial and political interests of its major financial supporters could undermine the group&#8217;s insistence that it is "fiercely and proudly independent," as CAP vice president of communications Andrea Purse recently claimed.</p> <p>Purse offered that assessment while criticizing a <a href="http://www.thenation.com/print/article/174437/secret-donors-behind-center-american-progress-and-other-think-tanks" type="external">recent article in the Nation</a> that revealed details of CAP&#8217;s Business Alliance fundraising program. The effort offered corporations and their executives access to CAP staffers and public officials in exchange for five- and six-figure contributions.</p> <p>"The inference at the heart of the author&#8217;s story is that corporate donations shape or drive the content of CAP and [the Center for American Progress Action Fund]," Purse wrote. "That assertion is baseless and completely false."</p> <p>However, publicly available information shows that the liberal think tank and its "Action" activist arm frequently worked to advance the interests of high-profile Business Alliance donors.</p> <p>In numerous instances, CAP and its corporate donors lobbied Congress on the same pieces of legislation.</p> <p>One CAP senior fellow was also employed as a lobbyist for defense contractor and Business Alliance donor Lockheed Martin: Ralph Scott Lilly was paid $221,000 for lobbying work on Lockheed&#8217;s behalf while employed by CAP.</p> <p>Lilly frequently lobbied Congress on Lockheed&#8217;s behalf on the issue of "Foreign Military Sales"&#8212;listed on at least 18 of Lilly&#8217;s disclosure filings. Lockheed is a major foreign military sales <a href="http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/business/lockheed-martin-gets-199-million-foreign-military-/nP3jC/" type="external">contractor</a>.</p> <p>Meanwhile, ThinkProgress, the blog of CAP&#8217;s Action Fund, <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/security/2010/01/28/175870/looking-toward-a-future-gulf-security-architecture/" type="external">advocated</a> increased use of the Foreign Military Sales program as a means to stabilize the Gulf region following the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.</p> <p>Disclosure forms show that CAP and Lockheed both lobbied Congress on 18 of the same pieces of legislation throughout 2010 and 2011.</p> <p>ThinkProgress has also covered Lockheed positively, praising its <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/05/28/204157/concentrated-solar-power-csp-storage-lockheed-martin/" type="external">support</a> for "green energy" and its <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/08/03/557781/pro-lgbt-businesses-pacs-help-bankroll-anti-lgbt-us-representatives/" type="external">treatment</a> of gay and lesbian employees. CAP has praised Lockheed&#8217;s <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/news/2012/06/12/11773/conservatives-disregard-traditional-allies-to-oppose-the-law-of-the-sea/" type="external">support</a> for the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.</p> <p>Lockheed declined to comment on its relationship with the Center for American Progress.</p> <p>The only Business Alliance donor that returned requests for comment was General Electric (GE).</p> <p>GE spokesman Sebastien Duchamp told the Free Beacon that it has "not worked directly with [CAP] on any specific pieces of legislation but rather around big issues such as skills, advanced manufacturing and energy issues."</p> <p>ThinkProgress <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/07/08/511981/will-there-ever-be-a-steve-jobs-of-sustainability/" type="external">wrote</a> in 2012 that GE is one of a handful of companies that "have shown that integrating sustainability can be good for a business&#8217;s bottom line."</p> <p>However, much of GE&#8217;s green energy profitability has come by way of federal market interventions often praised and supported by CAP.</p> <p>CAP lobbyist Jack Swetland <a href="http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&amp;amp;filingID=93f9b9b3-a04d-4392-8df2-bfd8d7380419&amp;amp;filingTypeID=69" type="external">reported</a> lobbying Congress in 2011 on the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act. The legislation is <a href="http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/government-electric-light-bulbs/Content?oid=2168389" type="external">expected</a> to benefit GE by effectively banning the use of incandescent light bulbs, and giving compact fluorescent bulbs, which GE manufactures, a larger market share.</p> <p>CAP also <a href="http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&amp;amp;filingID=411deb98-b6a3-4df8-a11f-6d1b434ab7cc&amp;amp;filingTypeID=51" type="external">lobbied</a> for cap and trade legislation in 2009. While <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/03/31/203890/waxman-markey-energy-global-warming-bill/?mobile=nc" type="external">ThinkProgress</a> and <a href="http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/green/news/2009/05/18/6143/10-reasons-to-support-the-waxman-markey-energy-bill/" type="external">CAP proper</a> frequently lauded the legislation. ThinkProgress was also outspoken in <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/05/05/204058/james-hansen-waxman-markey-carbon-tax-cap-and-trade/" type="external">opposition</a> to a carbon tax as an alternative to a cap and trade scheme.</p> <p>GE would have benefitted tremendously from a greenhouse gas credit trading system, which the 2009 cap and trade bill would have established, due to its <a href="http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/03/07/ge-and-aess-big-investment-shows-carbon-captures-future" type="external">Greenhouse Gas Services</a> venture. That business was set up to create and trade the greenhouse gas credits that the bill would have made mandatory for all carbon-emitting industries.</p> <p>Because a carbon tax does not require the trading of those credits, such a proposal, which ThinkProgress <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/05/05/204058/james-hansen-waxman-markey-carbon-tax-cap-and-trade/" type="external">derided</a> as "woefully inadequate and incomplete," would not have as financially beneficial for the company.</p> <p>ThinkProgress has also vehemently fought efforts to reduce funding for the Export-Import Bank, which finances purchases of U.S. exports. GE has been a <a href="http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/tpa-047.pdf" type="external">top beneficiary</a> of Ex-Im loans and loan guarantees.</p> <p>That is not the only Ex-Im tie to the Business Alliance.</p> <p>Business Alliance donor Boeing reportedly accounts for <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-gives-83-of-export-loan-guarantees-to-boeing/article/2514674" type="external">more than 80 percent</a> of Ex-Im financing. First Solar, a Business Alliance donor that a CAP executive praised in congressional testimony last year, has also <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/07/21/first-solar-to-benefit-from-573m.html" type="external">benefitted</a> from Ex-Im loans.</p> <p>ThinkProgress has extolled the benefits of the bank without disclosing its donors&#8217; financial stakes in its continued operation.</p> <p>The CAP Action Fund blog has <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/16/446179/delta-cantor-export-bank/" type="external">accused</a> Republicans of "trying to strangle U.S. exports" for their attempts to reduce funding for the bank.</p> <p>ThinkProgress <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/16/446179/delta-cantor-export-bank/" type="external">suggested</a> that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) opposed reauthorization to satisfy campaign donors despite its own donors benefitting from the continued operation of the bank.</p> <p>President Barack Obama, who in 2008 called the Ex-Im bank "little more than a fund for corporate welfare," <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/30/obama-reauthorizes-export-import-bank-despite-earl/?page=all" type="external">signed</a> a measure reauthorizing the bank in May 2012. Ex-Im <a href="http://www.exim.gov/newsandevents/releases/2012/Laura-Tyson-to-Address-2013-ExIm-Bank-Annual-Conference.cfm" type="external">announced</a> in December that CAP president Neera Tanden would speak at its next annual conference.</p> <p>The previous year&#8217;s reauthorization came after Boeing paid at least $200,000 to the Podesta Group&#8212;the lobbying firm co-founded by CAP chairman John Podesta and run by his brother Tony&#8212;to push for its passage.</p> <p>As Obama&#8217;s transition team chief, John Podesta was <a href="http://swampland.time.com/2012/09/05/stimulus-may-be-only-chance-for-quick-action-how-the-clintonites-launched-obamanomics/" type="external">involved</a> in crafting the 2009 stimulus bill. Business Alliance donor Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&amp;amp;E) would eventually receive <a href="" type="internal">nearly $50 million</a> in grants and contracts through the stimulus.</p> <p>Green energy companies that received a combined <a href="" type="internal">$5.5 billion</a> in taxpayer-backed loans planned to sell power to PG&amp;amp;E. According to the Energy Department, the company is the sole power purchaser for a number of taxpayer-financed green energy producers.</p> <p>First Solar <a href="http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=706184" type="external">reached a deal</a> to sell power to PG&amp;amp;E in 2012.</p> <p>PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s large stake in green energy gives it a financial incentive to support strict emissions reduction measures, which affect competitors that buy power from coal energy producers. The CAP-supported cap and trade bill also would have had a smaller impact on PG&amp;amp;E than its competitors.</p> <p>CAP&#8217;s persistent lobbying for and public statements in support of such measures therefore served PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s bottom line.</p> <p>"We are well-positioned vis-&#224;-vis the carbon question," <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;amp;sid=abqxem6Ylt1E" type="external">explained</a> former PG&amp;amp;E CEO Peter Darbee after the company announced it would leave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce due to its opposition to cap and trade legislation.</p> <p>CAP would later <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/10/05/121701/foreign-chamber-commerce/?mobile=nc" type="external">attack</a> the Chamber with unproven accusations that it was funneling foreign money into U.S. elections.</p> <p>PG&amp;amp;E and CAP both lobbied for a 2009 measure that would require strict emissions reductions for power plants, subsidies for investment in and production of wind energy, incentives for energy efficient housing retrofits, and efforts to adopt more strict environmental building codes, in addition to a dozen other pieces of legislation.</p> <p>The Center for American Progress routinely failed to disclose the conflicts of interest mentioned in this story.</p> <p>CAP did not respond to a request for comment on this story.</p>

lachlan markay june 6 2013 900 lobbying media public statements leftwing center american progress cap routinely used influence push legislation benefitted major corporate donors washington free beacon analysis found confluence caps work financial political interests major financial supporters could undermine groups insistence fiercely proudly independent cap vice president communications andrea purse recently claimed purse offered assessment criticizing recent article nation revealed details caps business alliance fundraising program effort offered corporations executives access cap staffers public officials exchange five sixfigure contributions inference heart authors story corporate donations shape drive content cap center american progress action fund purse wrote assertion baseless completely false however publicly available information shows liberal think tank action activist arm frequently worked advance interests highprofile business alliance donors numerous instances cap corporate donors lobbied congress pieces legislation one cap senior fellow also employed lobbyist defense contractor business alliance donor lockheed martin ralph scott lilly paid 221000 lobbying work lockheeds behalf employed cap lilly frequently lobbied congress lockheeds behalf issue foreign military saleslisted least 18 lillys disclosure filings lockheed major foreign military sales contractor meanwhile thinkprogress blog caps action fund advocated increased use foreign military sales program means stabilize gulf region following us troop withdrawal iraq disclosure forms show cap lockheed lobbied congress 18 pieces legislation throughout 2010 2011 thinkprogress also covered lockheed positively praising support green energy treatment gay lesbian employees cap praised lockheeds support un convention law sea lockheed declined comment relationship center american progress business alliance donor returned requests comment general electric ge ge spokesman sebastien duchamp told free beacon worked directly cap specific pieces legislation rather around big issues skills advanced manufacturing energy issues thinkprogress wrote 2012 ge one handful companies shown integrating sustainability good businesss bottom line however much ges green energy profitability come way federal market interventions often praised supported cap cap lobbyist jack swetland reported lobbying congress 2011 better use light bulbs act legislation expected benefit ge effectively banning use incandescent light bulbs giving compact fluorescent bulbs ge manufactures larger market share cap also lobbied cap trade legislation 2009 thinkprogress cap proper frequently lauded legislation thinkprogress also outspoken opposition carbon tax alternative cap trade scheme ge would benefitted tremendously greenhouse gas credit trading system 2009 cap trade bill would established due greenhouse gas services venture business set create trade greenhouse gas credits bill would made mandatory carbonemitting industries carbon tax require trading credits proposal thinkprogress derided woefully inadequate incomplete would financially beneficial company thinkprogress also vehemently fought efforts reduce funding exportimport bank finances purchases us exports ge top beneficiary exim loans loan guarantees exim tie business alliance business alliance donor boeing reportedly accounts 80 percent exim financing first solar business alliance donor cap executive praised congressional testimony last year also benefitted exim loans thinkprogress extolled benefits bank without disclosing donors financial stakes continued operation cap action fund blog accused republicans trying strangle us exports attempts reduce funding bank thinkprogress suggested house majority leader eric cantor r va opposed reauthorization satisfy campaign donors despite donors benefitting continued operation bank president barack obama 2008 called exim bank little fund corporate welfare signed measure reauthorizing bank may 2012 exim announced december cap president neera tanden would speak next annual conference previous years reauthorization came boeing paid least 200000 podesta groupthe lobbying firm cofounded cap chairman john podesta run brother tonyto push passage obamas transition team chief john podesta involved crafting 2009 stimulus bill business alliance donor pacific gas electric pgampe would eventually receive nearly 50 million grants contracts stimulus green energy companies received combined 55 billion taxpayerbacked loans planned sell power pgampe according energy department company sole power purchaser number taxpayerfinanced green energy producers first solar reached deal sell power pgampe 2012 pgampes large stake green energy gives financial incentive support strict emissions reduction measures affect competitors buy power coal energy producers capsupported cap trade bill also would smaller impact pgampe competitors caps persistent lobbying public statements support measures therefore served pgampes bottom line wellpositioned visàvis carbon question explained former pgampe ceo peter darbee company announced would leave us chamber commerce due opposition cap trade legislation cap would later attack chamber unproven accusations funneling foreign money us elections pgampe cap lobbied 2009 measure would require strict emissions reductions power plants subsidies investment production wind energy incentives energy efficient housing retrofits efforts adopt strict environmental building codes addition dozen pieces legislation center american progress routinely failed disclose conflicts interest mentioned story cap respond request comment story

<p /> <p>Shares of AT&amp;amp;T (NYSE: T) recently hit a 16-year high, but that rally has raised concerns that the market is too optimistic about this slow growth stock. The bears note thatAT&amp;amp;T's sluggish growth in postpaid wireless customers, the return of <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/21/should-att-worry-about-the-unlimited-data-blitz.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">unlimited data plans Opens a New Window.</a>, its elevated debt levels, and uncertainties regarding its <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/31/will-atts-85-billion-purchase-of-time-warner-backf.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">proposed buyout Opens a New Window.</a> of Time Warner (NYSE: TWX)could all make the stock a risky bet.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>While investors should certainly take note of those headwinds, I believe that AT&amp;amp;T remains a solid long-term play for most investors for four simple reasons.</p> <p>AT&amp;amp;T's flagship store in San Francisco. Image source: AT&amp;amp;T.</p> <p>Many investors, including myself, own AT&amp;amp;T for its dividend. The company has raised its dividend annually for over three decades, making it an elite "dividend aristocrat" which has hiked its payout annually for over 25 years. AT&amp;amp;T's 4.6% dividend makes it the highest paying income stock inthat elite group. Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) 4.7% yield is slightly higher, but it's only raised its dividend annually for ten straight years.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>AT&amp;amp;T has a payout ratio of 92%, meaning that it spent that percentage of its earnings on dividends over the past 12 months. AT&amp;amp;T's dividend will remain rock solid as long as that percentage remains below 100%. Even if that ratio briefly rises about 100%, AT&amp;amp;T will likely fund the dividends out of it own pockets to retain its "aristocrat" title.</p> <p>Over the past few years, many blue chip dividend stocks climbed to historical highs as their valuations rose, meaning their yields dropped to historical lows. Some analysts attributed that shift to low interest rates making bonds look less attractive than dividend stocks. As interest rates rise, those investors may sell their overvalued dividend stocks in exchange for the fixed income security of bonds.</p> <p>I might be worried if AT&amp;amp;T traded at historically high multiples, but that's not the case. Its P/E of 20 remains much lower than its industry average of 25, as well as the mid-30s it reached in late 2015. Analysts expect AT&amp;amp;T to grow its annual earnings at an average rate of 8% over the next five years, giving it a 5-year PEG ratio of 1.8. That isn't below a ratio of 1 -- which would be considered "cheap" -- but it's much lower than Verizon's PEG ratio of 6.6, which is calculated from its estimated 5-year annual growth rate of just 2%.</p> <p>Some investors assume that AT&amp;amp;T's "wireless" business only refers to the smartphone market, which is slowing down due to competition and the saturation of the North American market. But that business is still growing -- AT&amp;amp;T added 9.5 million wireless customers (6.2 million in the U.S. and 3.3 million in Mexico) infiscal 2016, which boosted its North American mobile customer base to 147 million.</p> <p>To reduce its dependence on smartphones, AT&amp;amp;T has expanded its wireless ecosystem to include connected wearables, drones, Internet of Things gadgets, and connected cars. The connected car market remains a major growth market for AT&amp;amp;T. Last January, it announced that it would connect upto 10 million Ford vehicles in North America by 2020. A month later, it tested theworld's first LTE-connected drones with Intel. AT&amp;amp;T is adding these devices to its multi-device plans, which could increase its revenue per customer while widening its competitive moat.</p> <p>Intel and AT&amp;amp;T's test drone for LTE networks. Image source: Intel.</p> <p>Lastly, AT&amp;amp;T's proposed acquisition of Time Warner will likely be approved, because theFCC -- which the Trump Administration reportedly pushed to block the deal -- isn't overseeing the regulatory review. That's because AT&amp;amp;T and Time Warner structured the deal in a way which avoids the transfer of any FCC licenses. Meanwhile, the Republican-led FTC recently ruled thatAT&amp;amp;T and Verizon's " <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/18/will-att-and-verizons-sponsored-data-dreams-be-cru.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">zero-rated Opens a New Window.</a>" sponsored videos (which don't count toward data caps) didn't violate net neutrality -- indicating that regulators could retain a soft stance toward the megamerger.</p> <p>AT&amp;amp;T may need to make some concessions to clear the regulatory hurdles, but the acquisition could enable AT&amp;amp;T to build a zero-rated video ecosystem -- greatly strengthened by Time Warner's media portfolio -- on top of its own wireless networks. When AT&amp;amp;T links that ecosystem to DirecTV, it will control both the content and the pipes in a way that could be tough for <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/30/could-atts-purchase-of-time-warner-crush-netflix.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">rivals like Opens a New Window.</a> <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/30/could-atts-purchase-of-time-warner-crush-netflix.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Netflix Opens a New Window.</a> and Verizon to counter.</p> <p>AT&amp;amp;T is currently my biggest stock holding and accounts for nearly 7% of my portfolio, so I'm confident in the telco's long-term prospects. The company certainly faces near-term headwinds, but I believe that its dividend, valuations, and the expansion of its ecosystem still make it a solid play for conservative income investors.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than AT and TWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=44b19533-8545-4021-9106-45eef51b7ad9&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and AT and T wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=44b19533-8545-4021-9106-45eef51b7ad9&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of AT and T and F. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends F, NFLX, and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends INTC and Time Warner. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

shares atampt nyse recently hit 16year high rally raised concerns market optimistic slow growth stock bears note thatatampts sluggish growth postpaid wireless customers return unlimited data plans opens new window elevated debt levels uncertainties regarding proposed buyout opens new window time warner nyse twxcould make stock risky bet continue reading investors certainly take note headwinds believe atampt remains solid longterm play investors four simple reasons atampts flagship store san francisco image source atampt many investors including atampt dividend company raised dividend annually three decades making elite dividend aristocrat hiked payout annually 25 years atampts 46 dividend makes highest paying income stock inthat elite group verizons nyse vz 47 yield slightly higher raised dividend annually ten straight years advertisement atampt payout ratio 92 meaning spent percentage earnings dividends past 12 months atampts dividend remain rock solid long percentage remains 100 even ratio briefly rises 100 atampt likely fund dividends pockets retain aristocrat title past years many blue chip dividend stocks climbed historical highs valuations rose meaning yields dropped historical lows analysts attributed shift low interest rates making bonds look less attractive dividend stocks interest rates rise investors may sell overvalued dividend stocks exchange fixed income security bonds might worried atampt traded historically high multiples thats case pe 20 remains much lower industry average 25 well mid30s reached late 2015 analysts expect atampt grow annual earnings average rate 8 next five years giving 5year peg ratio 18 isnt ratio 1 would considered cheap much lower verizons peg ratio 66 calculated estimated 5year annual growth rate 2 investors assume atampts wireless business refers smartphone market slowing due competition saturation north american market business still growing atampt added 95 million wireless customers 62 million us 33 million mexico infiscal 2016 boosted north american mobile customer base 147 million reduce dependence smartphones atampt expanded wireless ecosystem include connected wearables drones internet things gadgets connected cars connected car market remains major growth market atampt last january announced would connect upto 10 million ford vehicles north america 2020 month later tested theworlds first lteconnected drones intel atampt adding devices multidevice plans could increase revenue per customer widening competitive moat intel atampts test drone lte networks image source intel lastly atampts proposed acquisition time warner likely approved thefcc trump administration reportedly pushed block deal isnt overseeing regulatory review thats atampt time warner structured deal way avoids transfer fcc licenses meanwhile republicanled ftc recently ruled thatatampt verizons zerorated opens new window sponsored videos dont count toward data caps didnt violate net neutrality indicating regulators could retain soft stance toward megamerger atampt may need make concessions clear regulatory hurdles acquisition could enable atampt build zerorated video ecosystem greatly strengthened time warners media portfolio top wireless networks atampt links ecosystem directv control content pipes way could tough rivals like opens new window netflix opens new window verizon counter atampt currently biggest stock holding accounts nearly 7 portfolio im confident telcos longterm prospects company certainly faces nearterm headwinds believe dividend valuations expansion ecosystem still make solid play conservative income investors 10 stocks like better twhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns february 6 2017 leo sun opens new window owns shares f motley fool owns shares recommends f nflx verizon communications motley fool recommends intc time warner motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>As they joined Republicans on Tuesday in bashing the Internal Revenue Service for targeting conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status, Senate Democrats had another target: the regulations that require the U.S. tax agency to weigh the political activity of such groups.</p> <p>Beyond the question of what led still-unidentified IRS agents to use what an audit called "inappropriate" criteria in reviewing conservative groups, the rise of tax-exempt groups in American politics is at the core of the scandal.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>At issue is how people on both sides of the nation's political divide have formed hundreds of nonprofit, tax-exempt groups under Section 501(c)(4) of the IRS Code. U.S. law does not require them to disclose their donors and says they must operate "exclusively for the promotion of social welfare."</p> <p>Under Treasury regulations used for decades, however, the law has been defined to mean that such groups must "primarily" be concerned with social welfare causes, such as "bringing about civic betterments."</p> <p>That has created enough wiggle room for a new generation of 501(c)(4) groups that are largely dedicated to political causes - their version of "civic betterment" - without specifically endorsing any political candidates, which the IRS forbids.</p> <p>Such 501(c)(4) groups have been big players in recent elections, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to influence voters.</p> <p>A deluge of applications from conservatives in the last three years led the IRS to inappropriately target groups with names such as "Tea Party" and "Patriots" for extra scrutiny.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As the Senate Finance Committee grilled outgoing IRS chief Steven Miller and former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman on Tuesday, Democrats on the panel said that expecting the IRS to determine whether groups are too political to be tax-exempt was too much to ask the tax agency.</p> <p>They said the law should be interpreted as it was originally intended, and that "social welfare" groups should not be allowed to be political at all.</p> <p>"Notwithstanding the troubling and unacceptable conduct of the IRS, if political organizations do not want to be scrutinized by the government, they shouldn't seek privileges like tax-free status and anonymity for their donors," Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said.</p> <p>Wyden added that it has become apparent that groups that ought to be "527" organizations - tax-exempt, politically active groups that must disclose their donors - are applying for 501(c)(4) status to avoid having to reveal their contributors.</p> <p>"That's a loophole the Congress ought to close," Wyden said.</p> <p>'TWO SCANDALS HERE'</p> <p>As Republicans continued to press Miller and Shulman over whether partisanship was behind the agency's actions, other Democrats on the Senate panel echoed Wyden.</p> <p>"I think there are two scandals here," New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez said. "One is the (IRS') management failures and the whole process of singling out specific groups. The other is how we take statutory authority and then extrapolate it differently than what the Congress meant."</p> <p>Conservative leaders such as Karl Rove - a Republican strategist who helped found Crossroad GPS, the nonprofit that spent more than $50 million on the 2012 elections - have said they view 501(c)(4) groups essentially as equalizers for conservatives: a way to help them match Democrats' fundraising from organized labor and other big groups.</p> <p>J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general who last week issued the audit that described the inappropriate conduct by the IRS, told the Senate panel that his office was launching a broader probe into the IRS' oversight of 501(c)(4) groups.</p> <p>Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat and chairman of the panel, said recent elections have shown that, "clearly, a Mack truck is being driven through the 501(c)(4) loophole."</p> <p>Baucus then chided Shulman, whom the senator accused of not responding to senators' concerns in 2010 about how 501(c)(4) groups would be handled.</p> <p>"You were on notice, and you did acknowledge you're on notice, but nobody did anything about it," Baucus said. "I'm just quite disappointed."</p> <p>Shulman responded by calling for clearer laws and regulations regarding tax-exempt groups, a rare moment of agreement between him and senators.</p> <p>"The IRS is given a very, very difficult task of trying to go in and figure out" whether groups are involved in too much political activity to remain tax-exempt, Shulman said.</p> <p>"The confusion and breakdown that you saw happen in the Cincinnati office is inexcusable, but ... at least this is my belief, that part of it was because of the very difficult task given to these people."</p> <p>A LOW REJECTION RATE</p> <p>According to a recent report by the Center for Responsive Politics, the IRS' rate of rejection of applications for groups seeking tax-exempt status is low.</p> <p>From January 2007 through September 2012, the center estimates, 26 to 28 applications were denied, though other groups may have withdrawn their applications if a rejection were pending.</p> <p>The IRS' 2012 Data Book indicates that it rejected eight of 2,774 applications from such groups that year.</p> <p>Conservative groups have complained to Congress about overly aggressive enforcement by the IRS, including demands from the tax agency that the groups answer questions about their donors and any members' plans to run for public office.</p> <p>But advocates of greater scrutiny of tax-exempt groups fear that the IRS scandal will discourage the tax agency from aggressively challenging applications for tax-exempt status.</p> <p>"The institutional lesson (the IRS) is learning is that when they push on something in the political sphere, they get smacked," said Arn Pearson, vice president for policy and litigation at Common Cause, a liberal advocacy group. "My concern is that what they're going to do is just really back off, and not do any meaningful enforcement."</p>

joined republicans tuesday bashing internal revenue service targeting conservative groups sought taxexempt status senate democrats another target regulations require us tax agency weigh political activity groups beyond question led stillunidentified irs agents use audit called inappropriate criteria reviewing conservative groups rise taxexempt groups american politics core scandal continue reading issue people sides nations political divide formed hundreds nonprofit taxexempt groups section 501c4 irs code us law require disclose donors says must operate exclusively promotion social welfare treasury regulations used decades however law defined mean groups must primarily concerned social welfare causes bringing civic betterments created enough wiggle room new generation 501c4 groups largely dedicated political causes version civic betterment without specifically endorsing political candidates irs forbids 501c4 groups big players recent elections spending hundreds millions dollars influence voters deluge applications conservatives last three years led irs inappropriately target groups names tea party patriots extra scrutiny advertisement senate finance committee grilled outgoing irs chief steven miller former irs commissioner douglas shulman tuesday democrats panel said expecting irs determine whether groups political taxexempt much ask tax agency said law interpreted originally intended social welfare groups allowed political notwithstanding troubling unacceptable conduct irs political organizations want scrutinized government shouldnt seek privileges like taxfree status anonymity donors democratic sen ron wyden oregon said wyden added become apparent groups ought 527 organizations taxexempt politically active groups must disclose donors applying 501c4 status avoid reveal contributors thats loophole congress ought close wyden said two scandals republicans continued press miller shulman whether partisanship behind agencys actions democrats senate panel echoed wyden think two scandals new jersey senator robert menendez said one irs management failures whole process singling specific groups take statutory authority extrapolate differently congress meant conservative leaders karl rove republican strategist helped found crossroad gps nonprofit spent 50 million 2012 elections said view 501c4 groups essentially equalizers conservatives way help match democrats fundraising organized labor big groups j russell george treasury inspector general last week issued audit described inappropriate conduct irs told senate panel office launching broader probe irs oversight 501c4 groups senator max baucus montana democrat chairman panel said recent elections shown clearly mack truck driven 501c4 loophole baucus chided shulman senator accused responding senators concerns 2010 501c4 groups would handled notice acknowledge youre notice nobody anything baucus said im quite disappointed shulman responded calling clearer laws regulations regarding taxexempt groups rare moment agreement senators irs given difficult task trying go figure whether groups involved much political activity remain taxexempt shulman said confusion breakdown saw happen cincinnati office inexcusable least belief part difficult task given people low rejection rate according recent report center responsive politics irs rate rejection applications groups seeking taxexempt status low january 2007 september 2012 center estimates 26 28 applications denied though groups may withdrawn applications rejection pending irs 2012 data book indicates rejected eight 2774 applications groups year conservative groups complained congress overly aggressive enforcement irs including demands tax agency groups answer questions donors members plans run public office advocates greater scrutiny taxexempt groups fear irs scandal discourage tax agency aggressively challenging applications taxexempt status institutional lesson irs learning push something political sphere get smacked said arn pearson vice president policy litigation common cause liberal advocacy group concern theyre going really back meaningful enforcement

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) has lots of cash, and the business produces massive amounts of money on a recurrent basis. This could sound like the typical "nice problem to have" situation -- however, that money is not currently being used very efficiently.</p> <p>If management wanted to go shopping for high-growth companies in the tech sector, players such as Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) could be interesting candidates to consider.</p> <p>According to financial reports for the second quarter of 2016, Alphabet has nearly $78.46 billion in cash and equivalents plus marketable securities on its balance sheet. The business is also a cash-generating machine: Free cash flow over the trailing-12-month period ended in June 2016 amounted to $19.96 billion, a strong increase of 24% year over year.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/GOOG/free_cash_flow_ttm" type="external">GOOG Free Cash Flow (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>It makes sense to keep some cash at hand in case of a rainy day, but Alphabet is well beyond covering liquidity needs, especially since the business generates strong and growing free cash flows year after year. The company's cash hoard is mostly invested in low-risk assets such as U.S. government notes, and these kinds of securities are currently paying historically low interest rates.</p> <p>Since Alphabet doesn't really need to keep all that money in cash, investing in smaller companies with attractive growth potential could be a far more profitable idea. Especially when it comes to companies such as Netflix and Twitter, which have a lot to offer in terms of synergies.</p> <p>Netflix could be an interesting acquisition target for Alphabet, and a deal between the two companies would surely change the competitive landscape in online streaming. To begin with, Netflix has a market capitalization around $41.2 billion at current prices, meaning that Alphabet has enough financial firepower to swallow Netflix and even pay a substantial premium over current market value.</p> <p>Buying Netflix would allow Alphabet to make big inroads in online video, a key growth area in which Alphabet is already a top player thanks to its ubiquitous YouTube platform. Alphabet's Google launched its YouTube Red subscription service in October of last year, showing that the company is clearly interested in exploring new video monetization venues beyond advertising.</p> <p>Netflix ended the second quarter of 2016 with 83.2 million members globally. The company has the first-mover advantage in streaming, and a valuable library of content including both licensed and original productions. Netflix and Google together would own two of the most powerful platforms in streaming, a remarkably promising business with <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/13/its-official-the-tv-industry-is-dying.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">spectacular potential Opens a New Window.</a> for growth over the long term.</p> <p>Content is a key differentiating factor in the industry, and it requires massive amounts of money. Netflix is reportedly planning to spend nearly $5 billion in programming during 2016. By joining forces with Alphabet and its deep pockets, Netflix would have access to plenty of cash to invest in this crucial area.</p> <p>There has been plenty of speculation on the possibility of Alphabet buying Twitter lately, and such a move would make sense from multiple points of view. Twitter stock is down by more than 30% in the last 12 months on the back of disappointing user growth over the past several quarters. The company has market capitalization around $13.4 billion at current prices, which makes it quite affordable for a tech juggernaut such as Alphabet.</p> <p>Twitter has 313 million monthly users as of the second quarter of 2016, and the user base expanded by a modest 3% year over year last quarter. Alphabet's Google has seven different services and applications with over 1 billion monthly users each: Google search, Gmail, Chrome, Android, Maps, YouTube, and Google Play. Integrating the two companies could do wonders for Twitter in terms of jump-starting user growth.</p> <p>Google is also the undisputed leader in online advertising, so there could be clear synergies from a fusion in terms of joined monetization strategies. Besides, Google has failed to make inroads in social media, as its Google Plus platform has never really gained much traction among users. Buying Twitter would give Alphabet a strong foothold in social media and access to valuable data on trending topics and consumers' behavior which Twitter has collected over the years.</p> <p>Capital allocation can have a considerable impact on a company and its performance for investors over the years. Alphabet's cash would arguably be much better invested in high-growth companies such as Netflix or Twitter than in fixed-income securities paying minuscule interest rates.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2667&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/acardenal/info.aspx" type="external">Andrs Cardenal Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Netflix, and Twitter. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source getty images continue reading alphabet nasdaq goog nasdaq googl lots cash business produces massive amounts money recurrent basis could sound like typical nice problem situation however money currently used efficiently management wanted go shopping highgrowth companies tech sector players netflix nasdaq nflx twitter nyse twtr could interesting candidates consider according financial reports second quarter 2016 alphabet nearly 7846 billion cash equivalents plus marketable securities balance sheet business also cashgenerating machine free cash flow trailing12month period ended june 2016 amounted 1996 billion strong increase 24 year year advertisement goog free cash flow ttm data ycharts opens new window makes sense keep cash hand case rainy day alphabet well beyond covering liquidity needs especially since business generates strong growing free cash flows year year companys cash hoard mostly invested lowrisk assets us government notes kinds securities currently paying historically low interest rates since alphabet doesnt really need keep money cash investing smaller companies attractive growth potential could far profitable idea especially comes companies netflix twitter lot offer terms synergies netflix could interesting acquisition target alphabet deal two companies would surely change competitive landscape online streaming begin netflix market capitalization around 412 billion current prices meaning alphabet enough financial firepower swallow netflix even pay substantial premium current market value buying netflix would allow alphabet make big inroads online video key growth area alphabet already top player thanks ubiquitous youtube platform alphabets google launched youtube red subscription service october last year showing company clearly interested exploring new video monetization venues beyond advertising netflix ended second quarter 2016 832 million members globally company firstmover advantage streaming valuable library content including licensed original productions netflix google together would two powerful platforms streaming remarkably promising business spectacular potential opens new window growth long term content key differentiating factor industry requires massive amounts money netflix reportedly planning spend nearly 5 billion programming 2016 joining forces alphabet deep pockets netflix would access plenty cash invest crucial area plenty speculation possibility alphabet buying twitter lately move would make sense multiple points view twitter stock 30 last 12 months back disappointing user growth past several quarters company market capitalization around 134 billion current prices makes quite affordable tech juggernaut alphabet twitter 313 million monthly users second quarter 2016 user base expanded modest 3 year year last quarter alphabets google seven different services applications 1 billion monthly users google search gmail chrome android maps youtube google play integrating two companies could wonders twitter terms jumpstarting user growth google also undisputed leader online advertising could clear synergies fusion terms joined monetization strategies besides google failed make inroads social media google plus platform never really gained much traction among users buying twitter would give alphabet strong foothold social media access valuable data trending topics consumers behavior twitter collected years capital allocation considerable impact company performance investors years alphabets cash would arguably much better invested highgrowth companies netflix twitter fixedincome securities paying minuscule interest rates secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window suzanne frey executive alphabet member motley fools board directors andrs cardenal opens new window owns shares alphabet shares alphabet c shares netflix motley fool owns shares recommends alphabet shares alphabet c shares netflix twitter try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>UPDATE 7:10 PM PT</p> <p>Trump talks about increasing the military budget. He says we have to give them the tools they need to prevent war, and if they have to fight, to win. Trump says he's called for one of the largest increases for national defense in American history, and increases funding for our veterans, and "now we must deliver for them." At this, finally, the Democrats clap.</p> <p>Trump points out a Gold Star widow, name-checks her husband. She weeps in the audience and mouths "I love you baby" to heaven. Trump says her husband was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of intelligence. "Ryan's legacy is etched into eternity," Trump says. His wife cries and she looks to heaven again. A nearly-endless round of applause. Terrific, terrific moment.</p> <p>Trump says our foreign policy calls for robust American leadership. He says we strongly support NATO, an alliance that dethroned fascism and defeated communism. Trump says that based on our strong and frank discussions, NATO is beginning to meet its commitment -- "the money is pouring in, very nice." Trump says they will pay their fair share of the cost. We will respect historic institutions, but we will respect the foreign rights of all nations, and they must respect our rights also. "Free nations are the best vehicle for respecting the will of the people, and American supports the right of nations to find their own path -- my job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the USA."</p> <p>Trump says he wants to create humanitarian conditions that allow refugees to return home and rebuild. "America is willing to find new friends and forge new partnerships where shared interests align...we want peace wherever peace can be found. America is friends today with former enemies. Some of our closest allies today fought on the opposite sides of these terrible, terrible wars."</p> <p>Trump: tonight is when this new chapter in American greatness began. The time for small thinking is over; the time for trivial fights is behind us. He says the words hopes, dreams, and souls in some order or another.</p> <p>Trump says he asks all members of Congress to join him in dreaming big and bold for our country, and says everyone should believe in themselves and their futures, and believe once more in America.</p> <p>The Democratic women in white walk out without clapping.</p> <p>UPDATE 7:00 PM PT</p> <p>Trump calls education the civil rights issue of our time. He wants school choice, including for minority children. Trump says people should be able to choose the school that is right for them.</p> <p>Trump points out Denisha Merriweather, a young woman who failed third grade twice before going to a private learning center with the help of a tax credit. She's now a graduate of college, and will get her masters in social work.</p> <p>Trump talks about an increase in the murder rate, says it experienced its greatest increase in half a century. "This is not acceptable in our society," Trump says. Trump says we must work with -- not against -- the men and women of law enforcement. Great move from Trump. Trump says we have to unify around police and sheriffs. They're men and women, friends and neighbors, sons and daughters. "We must support the incredible men and women of law enforcement."</p> <p>Trump says he wants an office to serve American victims -- Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE). Democrats boo. He wants to provide a voice for those silenced by our media. He points out "brave Americans whose government failed them." Their relatives are victims of crime from illegal immigrants. Trump points out a girl whose father was killed in the line of duty as a cop, and says the entire country supports and prays for her.</p> <p>UPDATE 6:50 PM PT</p> <p>Trump says he's calling on Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare. Democrats give that line the thumbs down. Trump says he wants to lower cost, create better options, and provide better healthcare. He says mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for our country. Trump says premiums are rising everywhere. He says Obamacare is failing in Kentucky, costs have risen in Arizona. All of this is great stuff.</p> <p>So, what's the solution?</p> <p>Trump says he wants to work with Democrats to avoid the Obamacare disaster. Good luck with that.</p> <p>Trump says he wants to ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable transition for people enrolled in health care exchanges. He says Americans should be able to purchase their own coverage through tax credits and health savings accounts, but it must be the plan of their choice, not a plan forced on them by government. He calls for subsidies to state Medicaid for high-risk pools, essentially. He says patients and doctors should be protected from unnecessary costs, and bring down the artificially high price of drugs. Americans, Trump says, should be able to buy health insurance across state lines.</p> <p>Trump says everything that is broken can be fixed, every problem can be solved, every person healing can find hope.</p> <p>Yeah, good luck with that.</p> <p>Trump calls for paid family leave. Ryan is clapping. What the hell is going on?</p> <p>UPDATE 6:40 PM PT</p> <p>Trump rips into trade, says he wants to make it harder for companies to leave our countries. He says he wants to lower taxes on American companies (good!). But he also wants to restrict trade, ripping our foreign trade partners and railing against the trade deficit (economically illiterate!). Trump says he wants to provide massive tax relief to the middle class.</p> <p>Trump speaks in favor of tariffs. He says that Harley Davidson was kept alive through tariffs. He quips, "They wanted me to ride one, I said no thank you." He says that Harley Davidson has been so mistreated for so long, and other countries tax our goods at a high rate. He cites some unnamed country that taxes motorcycles at 100%. "They're not asking for a change, but I am," Trump says. Trump says, "it's been a long time since we had fair trade." He cites Lincoln in favor of tariffs.</p> <p>Ryan is grinning because he thinks Trump's talking about a border adjustment tax. We'll soon find out.</p> <p>Trump says we need a merit-based immigration system. That's exactly right.</p> <p>Trump says Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades. Is that his big hint at immigration reform?</p> <p>Trump calls for massive infrastructure spending, everybody cheers. He says we've spent $6 trillion in the Middle East, let's spend it on state and local roads. He says we could have built everything three times over if we had somebody who could negotiate. He wants a plan to produce $1 trillion in infrastructure spending. Clapping from the same Republicans who ripped Obama for spending $787 billion on stimulus.</p> <p>Trump concludes that he wants to buy American and hire American.</p> <p>UPDATE 6:30 PM PT</p> <p>Trump says that his administration has answered the pleas for immigration enforcement. He says we'll make communities safer and raise wages while saving on cost. Trump says, "We want all Americans to succeed, but that can't happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law at our borders." Pence stands -- after a few moments, Ryan stands too.</p> <p>Trump says he'll begin construction of a "great, great wall." Democrats remain seated. Republicans come to their feet.</p> <p>Trump: "What would you say to the American family who loses their job, their income, or their loved one because American refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?" This doesn't square with Trump floating stuff about legalizing illegal immigrants early today.</p> <p>Trump says he'll fight radical Islamic terrorism. He says that the vast majority of terrorists came from outside our country. He says we have seen attacks all over the world. "It is not compassionate but reckless to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur." Trump adds, "We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorists to form inside our nation, we cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists."</p> <p>Trump says he directed the Defense Department to destroy ISIS, a network of savages that has slaughtered Muslims, Christians, etc. He says that he will work with allies, including Muslim allies, to "extinguish this vile enemy from our planet." Big words -- Obama said the same. Tougher to do.</p> <p>Trump says that he supports our unbreakable alliance with the state of Israel.</p> <p>Finally, Trump says, he has appointed a true conservative to the court, Neil Gorsuch.</p> <p>UPDATE 6:20 PM PT</p> <p>Trump talks a lot about infrastructure spending. He then says he'll keep promises to the American people, and gives a list of promises he's kept. He says that since his election, Ford, Lockheed, Walmart and others have said they'll invest billions in the United States and create tens of thousands of new American jobs. He also talks about regulatory freezes and bans on lobbyists. All of this is great stump speech material. Some of this is exaggerated. It doesn't matter -- it's great material.</p> <p>Trump talks about the Keystone XL Pipeline, and he says that all American pipelines be made with American steel (at taxpayer cost, of course). Democrats are having a tough time here, because they're obviously failing to clap at anything. It's not a good optic.</p> <p>Trump talks about withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, to weaker applause. He adds that the DOJ will be looking to dismantle criminal cartels and stand up for police, and will work to stop drugs pouring into the country.</p> <p>UPDATE 6:10 PM PT</p> <p>Trump is supposedly going to reach across the aisle tonight. One rumor, spread apparently by Trump himself: that he wants a pathway to legalization for illegal immigrants. That would be a major slap in the face to his crowd.</p> <p>The applause upon Trump entering is more subdued than usual, an indicator of how much Democrats despise Trump. There are a lot of empty seats along the aisles, where usually they're crowded with Congresspeople looking for photo ops with the president. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Vice President Mike Pence have color coordinated their ties.</p> <p>All the Democratic women are wearing white and sitting silently. The last time this many Democrats wore white was the 1924 Democratic Convention, aka the Klanbake.</p> <p>Trump says we're witnessing the renewal of the American spirit, and says our allies will find America is once again ready to lead. Again, smart, unifying language.</p> <p>Trump says he will not allow the mistakes of recent decades to define the course of our future. "For too long, we've watched our middle class shrink," he says. That's not true -- the middle class has largely become upper middle class. Trump says we spent too much abroad while ignoring infrastructure at home.</p> <p>Then Trump says that a quiet rebellion began. Trump says that the ground shifted beneath our feet in 2016. "Then the quite voices became a loud chorus," Trump says. He's posing himself at the head of a great movement, usual campaign language. "The chorus became an earthquake," he says. "America must put its own citizens first, because only then can we truly Make America Great Again," Trump says.</p> <p>ORIGINAL 6:00 PM PT</p> <p>On Tuesday night, President Trump will give an address to a joint session of Congress. In non-election years, this is generally called a State of the Union address, although Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) chose not to call it that this year out of tradition.</p> <p>So, what can we expect? We can expect loads of bloviating, as we do from every other president -- Trump is supposed to go on for at least an hour. We can expect things that are tremendous, huge, and big league. We can't expect a lot of specifics.</p> <p>We can expect some pretty crappy writing:</p> <p>Who penned this crap, Joan Baez?</p> <p>Trump's been practicing on the way over:</p> <p>Here's the good news: at least we can't expect Obama.</p> <p>That's pretty great news, actually.</p>

update 710 pm pt trump talks increasing military budget says give tools need prevent war fight win trump says hes called one largest increases national defense american history increases funding veterans must deliver finally democrats clap trump points gold star widow namechecks husband weeps audience mouths love baby heaven trump says husband part highly successful raid generated large amounts intelligence ryans legacy etched eternity trump says wife cries looks heaven nearlyendless round applause terrific terrific moment trump says foreign policy calls robust american leadership says strongly support nato alliance dethroned fascism defeated communism trump says based strong frank discussions nato beginning meet commitment money pouring nice trump says pay fair share cost respect historic institutions respect foreign rights nations must respect rights also free nations best vehicle respecting people american supports right nations find path job represent world job represent usa trump says wants create humanitarian conditions allow refugees return home rebuild america willing find new friends forge new partnerships shared interests alignwe want peace wherever peace found america friends today former enemies closest allies today fought opposite sides terrible terrible wars trump tonight new chapter american greatness began time small thinking time trivial fights behind us says words hopes dreams souls order another trump says asks members congress join dreaming big bold country says everyone believe futures believe america democratic women white walk without clapping update 700 pm pt trump calls education civil rights issue time wants school choice including minority children trump says people able choose school right trump points denisha merriweather young woman failed third grade twice going private learning center help tax credit shes graduate college get masters social work trump talks increase murder rate says experienced greatest increase half century acceptable society trump says trump says must work men women law enforcement great move trump trump says unify around police sheriffs theyre men women friends neighbors sons daughters must support incredible men women law enforcement trump says wants office serve american victims victims immigration crime engagement voice democrats boo wants provide voice silenced media points brave americans whose government failed relatives victims crime illegal immigrants trump points girl whose father killed line duty cop says entire country supports prays update 650 pm pt trump says hes calling congress repeal replace obamacare democrats give line thumbs trump says wants lower cost create better options provide better healthcare says mandating every american buy governmentapproved health insurance never right solution country trump says premiums rising everywhere says obamacare failing kentucky costs risen arizona great stuff whats solution trump says wants work democrats avoid obamacare disaster good luck trump says wants ensure americans preexisting conditions access coverage stable transition people enrolled health care exchanges says americans able purchase coverage tax credits health savings accounts must plan choice plan forced government calls subsidies state medicaid highrisk pools essentially says patients doctors protected unnecessary costs bring artificially high price drugs americans trump says able buy health insurance across state lines trump says everything broken fixed every problem solved every person healing find hope yeah good luck trump calls paid family leave ryan clapping hell going update 640 pm pt trump rips trade says wants make harder companies leave countries says wants lower taxes american companies good also wants restrict trade ripping foreign trade partners railing trade deficit economically illiterate trump says wants provide massive tax relief middle class trump speaks favor tariffs says harley davidson kept alive tariffs quips wanted ride one said thank says harley davidson mistreated long countries tax goods high rate cites unnamed country taxes motorcycles 100 theyre asking change trump says trump says long time since fair trade cites lincoln favor tariffs ryan grinning thinks trumps talking border adjustment tax well soon find trump says need meritbased immigration system thats exactly right trump says republicans democrats work together achieve outcome eluded country decades big hint immigration reform trump calls massive infrastructure spending everybody cheers says weve spent 6 trillion middle east lets spend state local roads says could built everything three times somebody could negotiate wants plan produce 1 trillion infrastructure spending clapping republicans ripped obama spending 787 billion stimulus trump concludes wants buy american hire american update 630 pm pt trump says administration answered pleas immigration enforcement says well make communities safer raise wages saving cost trump says want americans succeed cant happen environment lawless chaos must restore integrity rule law borders pence stands moments ryan stands trump says hell begin construction great great wall democrats remain seated republicans come feet trump would say american family loses job income loved one american refused uphold laws defend borders doesnt square trump floating stuff legalizing illegal immigrants early today trump says hell fight radical islamic terrorism says vast majority terrorists came outside country says seen attacks world compassionate reckless allow uncontrolled entry places proper vetting occur trump adds allow beachhead terrorists form inside nation allow nation become sanctuary extremists trump says directed defense department destroy isis network savages slaughtered muslims christians etc says work allies including muslim allies extinguish vile enemy planet big words obama said tougher trump says supports unbreakable alliance state israel finally trump says appointed true conservative court neil gorsuch update 620 pm pt trump talks lot infrastructure spending says hell keep promises american people gives list promises hes kept says since election ford lockheed walmart others said theyll invest billions united states create tens thousands new american jobs also talks regulatory freezes bans lobbyists great stump speech material exaggerated doesnt matter great material trump talks keystone xl pipeline says american pipelines made american steel taxpayer cost course democrats tough time theyre obviously failing clap anything good optic trump talks withdrawing transpacific partnership weaker applause adds doj looking dismantle criminal cartels stand police work stop drugs pouring country update 610 pm pt trump supposedly going reach across aisle tonight one rumor spread apparently trump wants pathway legalization illegal immigrants would major slap face crowd applause upon trump entering subdued usual indicator much democrats despise trump lot empty seats along aisles usually theyre crowded congresspeople looking photo ops president speaker house paul ryan vice president mike pence color coordinated ties democratic women wearing white sitting silently last time many democrats wore white 1924 democratic convention aka klanbake trump says witnessing renewal american spirit says allies find america ready lead smart unifying language trump says allow mistakes recent decades define course future long weve watched middle class shrink says thats true middle class largely become upper middle class trump says spent much abroad ignoring infrastructure home trump says quiet rebellion began trump says ground shifted beneath feet 2016 quite voices became loud chorus trump says hes posing head great movement usual campaign language chorus became earthquake says america must put citizens first truly make america great trump says original 600 pm pt tuesday night president trump give address joint session congress nonelection years generally called state union address although speaker house paul ryan rwi chose call year tradition expect expect loads bloviating every president trump supposed go least hour expect things tremendous huge big league cant expect lot specifics expect pretty crappy writing penned crap joan baez trumps practicing way heres good news least cant expect obama thats pretty great news actually

<p /> <p>Next month Americans will experience the fifteenth anniversary of the time that the President of the United States shook his finger at the country and informed it, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never."</p> <p>Bill Clinton was lying. But the lie was more significant than the thing that he was lying about.</p> <p>When the lie came crashing down, Clinton and his defenders deconstructed the English language, questioning the meaning of every word in his sentence rather than admit that the lie was a lie.&amp;#160;</p> <p>Given a choice between telling the truth or challenging the definitions of such words as "sex" and "is," they decided to burn their dictionary.</p> <p>Clinton's antics set the stage for a current administration which can never be caught in a lie because it's lying all the time. <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2014/11/900-documented-examples-obamas-lawbreaking-lying-corruption-cronyism-hypocrisy-waste/" type="external">Obama and his people don't just lie</a>, they <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2014/11/really-surprised-lies-obamacare/" type="external">lie about the lies</a> and then they <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2014/11/democrats-lie-theyre-too-arrogant-not-to/" type="external">lie about those lies</a>. Bringing them in to testify just clogs the filters with an <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2014/12/obamacare-architect-gruber-gets-gowdyed/" type="external">extra layer of lies</a>.</p> <p>Invite Gruber to testify about the time that he admitted that the administration had been lying and the only thing that will happen is more lies being told by a man who is there only because he lied.&amp;#160;</p> <p>Like the old lady who explained her cosmology to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bertrand-Russell/e/B000AP6YJG/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;camp=1789&amp;amp;creative=390957&amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;amp;qid=1418655683&amp;amp;sr=8-2-ent&amp;amp;tag=freedomoutpos-20&amp;amp;linkId=ZQGPLRRZATLLQ7AG" type="external">Bertrand Russell</a> as being "turtles all the way down," with modern progressives it's lies all the way down.</p> <p>Lena Dunham served up a rape accusation against a conservative Republican named Barry only to hide behind the ambiguity of being an unreliable narrator. The unreliable narrator likewise takes the stage at the University of Virginia where a high profile case has dissolved into contradictory stories in which it becomes difficult to tell whether it was the reporter or her subject who was doing the lying.</p> <p>The unreliable narrator has crossed over from a fictional device in novels to memoirs, journalism and into politics. Journalists repeatedly dismissed ObamaCare scandals by arguing that no one could have taken Obama's claims at face value anyway. When <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/obamacare-about-that-whole-if-you-like-your-health-care-plan-you-can-keep-it-thing/" type="external">Obama promised Americans that they could keep their doctors</a>, the housewife in Topeka, the freelance programmer in San Francisco and the geologist in Tulsa were supposed to be as knowing as the Washington press corps and realize that he didn't mean it.</p> <p>Like Lena Dunham, Obama was an unreliable narrator. No one was ever supposed to expect the truth from him. The significance of Bill Clinton was not in his affairs, but in his cynicism. He got away with lying by dismissing the idea that anyone should have ever expected the truth from him. Obama expanded on his work by eliminating the base truth underneath the lies.</p> <p>The device of the unreliable narrator puts truth out of reach. It says that there is no such thing as truth, only various perspectives on an event.</p> <p>Lena Dunham doesn't claim to be providing facts, only different versions of a story. The facts themselves cannot be retrieved because there are no facts. The man in question is no longer named Barry. Every descriptive detail about him might be equally false. The whole thing may never have happened, but it's important to believe that it happened without ever expecting it to be true.</p> <p>This is the Doublethink state of our progressive Oceania. We are expected to believe a lie while remembering that it's a lie and therefore never really fooled us or caused anyone any harm.&amp;#160;</p> <p>We were supposed to believe Obama's assurances about ObamaCare while knowing them not to be true. We are supposed to believe Lena Dunham and Jackie and <a href="http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2014/11/obamacare-architect-stupidity-american-voter-helped-us-pass-law/" type="external">Gruber</a> while disbelieving them. "The essential act of the Party is to use conscious deception while retaining the firmness of purpose that goes with complete honesty," <a href="http://www.amazon.com/George-Orwell/e/B000AQ0KKY/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;amp;camp=1789&amp;amp;creative=390957&amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;amp;qid=1418655943&amp;amp;sr=8-2-ent&amp;amp;tag=freedomoutpos-20&amp;amp;linkId=Q7QRGZ7TGO6PHP4G" type="external">Orwell</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451524934/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;camp=1789&amp;amp;creative=390957&amp;amp;creativeASIN=0451524934&amp;amp;linkCode=as2&amp;amp;tag=freedomoutpos-20&amp;amp;linkId=LIIXNPISZ72WEUDJ" type="external">wrote</a>.</p> <p>The conscious deceptions of the modern Doublethinkers depend on them telling a lie in the service of the greater truth. That pursuit of a greater truth built out of lies is what motivated a Rolling Stone article about fraternity rapists that even Mike Nifong would have turned his nose up at or Gruber's arrogant truths about lying. The greater truth gives them the firmness of purpose and the complete honesty.</p> <p>Lena Dunham in BuzzFeed, the apologists for ObamaCare and the <a href="" type="internal">activist cheerleaders for Rolling Stone</a>, insist that the facts are a technicality that is obstructing the greater truth. And the greater truth is a worldview that is out of the reach of facts and can never be disproven.</p> <p>Bill Clinton and his allies deconstructed the English language rather than admit a lie. Their successors deconstruct reality. They deny that objective truth exists or even matters. They didn't lie because there is no such thing as truth. There are perspectives, some of which agree with Bill Clinton's version of reality or Lena Dunham's version of reality. And then there is Obama's version of reality.&amp;#160;</p> <p>Obama is the nexus of Doublethink. He is the man whom reporters have denounced as the greatest enemy of press freedom in a generation and whom they compulsively defend with every possible lie. Why do journalists protect and serve the man who threatened them, bugged and even tried to lock them up? They too have long ago become unreliable narrators of their own profession.</p> <p>In the absence of facts, there can be no reality. There is only ideology.</p> <p>Obama doesn't simply lie. He exists in a truth-free zone. He doesn't stumble with any construction as clumsy as Kerry's "I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it." He does not start with truthful facts. His starting point is in an imaginary territory. It ends in an imaginary territory. If the two imaginary territories are different, it scarcely matters because neither place was ever real.</p> <p>When he came into office, Obama insisted that we had to pivot to fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan even though it was no longer in Afghanistan. He went on claiming victory over an enemy that didn't exist while dismissing <a href="https://freedomoutpost.com/2014/08/white-house-press-secretary-dodges-question-whether-isis-jv-team/" type="external">ISIS as a jayvee team</a> even when it was capturing entire cities in Iraq.</p> <p>These weren't mere lies. This was a foreign policy being conducted in an imaginary territory. It was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0780622561/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;camp=1789&amp;amp;creative=390957&amp;amp;creativeASIN=0780622561&amp;amp;linkCode=as2&amp;amp;tag=freedomoutpos-20&amp;amp;linkId=MWSWUIC4S4WTUF3O" type="external">Wag the Dog</a> being played out in real life. But then again what is real around Obama anyway?</p> <p>Bill Clinton lied. Obama tells stories. None of these stories have anything to do with reality. Lena Dunham's biography is a peek into a disordered mind that is incapable of grasping the concept of truth. In her world there are no facts, only stories that elicit emotional reactions. Obama's entire career rests on the same technique of telling stories for emotional effect without any regard for reality.</p> <p>ObamaCare was an ugly, collectivist, bureaucratic dinosaur clothed in imaginary stories. The stories about it, about the economy, about the war are still being told. Added to it are <a href="http://sonsoflibertymedia.com/2014/11/ferguson-conspiracy-exposed/" type="external">new stories about racism</a>. The stories are passionate, compelling and appealing. They are also completely unreal.&amp;#160;</p> <p>Progressives don't only live in a post-American world; they live in a post-Truth world. A world without facts and without truth is one in which the America that was cannot exist.&amp;#160;</p> <p>America had prospered because of a firm belief in a discoverable and exploitable reality. That was the country that could build skyscrapers and fleets in a year. Post-Truth America has little interest in big buildings because it's too busy enacting a psychodrama in which the earth is about to be destroyed. And fleets, like horses and bayonets and facts, are 19th century toys that are much less interesting than the manipulation of people through lies and deceit.</p> <p>Lena Dunham's Barry and Obama's Barry are both imaginary creatures. They are the sophisticated products of disordered minds and a disordered civilization whose leading figures lie as instinctively and as shamelessly as any pre-rational culture that could not distinguish between lies and truth.</p> <p><a href="http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2014/12/life-in-post-truth-america.html" type="external">Source</a></p>

next month americans experience fifteenth anniversary time president united states shook finger country informed sexual relations woman miss lewinsky never told anybody lie single time never bill clinton lying lie significant thing lying lie came crashing clinton defenders deconstructed english language questioning meaning every word sentence rather admit lie lie160 given choice telling truth challenging definitions words sex decided burn dictionary clintons antics set stage current administration never caught lie lying time obama people dont lie lie lies lie lies bringing testify clogs filters extra layer lies invite gruber testify time admitted administration lying thing happen lies told man lied160 like old lady explained cosmology bertrand russell turtles way modern progressives lies way lena dunham served rape accusation conservative republican named barry hide behind ambiguity unreliable narrator unreliable narrator likewise takes stage university virginia high profile case dissolved contradictory stories becomes difficult tell whether reporter subject lying unreliable narrator crossed fictional device novels memoirs journalism politics journalists repeatedly dismissed obamacare scandals arguing one could taken obamas claims face value anyway obama promised americans could keep doctors housewife topeka freelance programmer san francisco geologist tulsa supposed knowing washington press corps realize didnt mean like lena dunham obama unreliable narrator one ever supposed expect truth significance bill clinton affairs cynicism got away lying dismissing idea anyone ever expected truth obama expanded work eliminating base truth underneath lies device unreliable narrator puts truth reach says thing truth various perspectives event lena dunham doesnt claim providing facts different versions story facts retrieved facts man question longer named barry every descriptive detail might equally false whole thing may never happened important believe happened without ever expecting true doublethink state progressive oceania expected believe lie remembering lie therefore never really fooled us caused anyone harm160 supposed believe obamas assurances obamacare knowing true supposed believe lena dunham jackie gruber disbelieving essential act party use conscious deception retaining firmness purpose goes complete honesty orwell wrote conscious deceptions modern doublethinkers depend telling lie service greater truth pursuit greater truth built lies motivated rolling stone article fraternity rapists even mike nifong would turned nose grubers arrogant truths lying greater truth gives firmness purpose complete honesty lena dunham buzzfeed apologists obamacare activist cheerleaders rolling stone insist facts technicality obstructing greater truth greater truth worldview reach facts never disproven bill clinton allies deconstructed english language rather admit lie successors deconstruct reality deny objective truth exists even matters didnt lie thing truth perspectives agree bill clintons version reality lena dunhams version reality obamas version reality160 obama nexus doublethink man reporters denounced greatest enemy press freedom generation compulsively defend every possible lie journalists protect serve man threatened bugged even tried lock long ago become unreliable narrators profession absence facts reality ideology obama doesnt simply lie exists truthfree zone doesnt stumble construction clumsy kerrys actually vote 87 billion voted start truthful facts starting point imaginary territory ends imaginary territory two imaginary territories different scarcely matters neither place ever real came office obama insisted pivot fighting al qaeda afghanistan even though longer afghanistan went claiming victory enemy didnt exist dismissing isis jayvee team even capturing entire cities iraq werent mere lies foreign policy conducted imaginary territory wag dog played real life real around obama anyway bill clinton lied obama tells stories none stories anything reality lena dunhams biography peek disordered mind incapable grasping concept truth world facts stories elicit emotional reactions obamas entire career rests technique telling stories emotional effect without regard reality obamacare ugly collectivist bureaucratic dinosaur clothed imaginary stories stories economy war still told added new stories racism stories passionate compelling appealing also completely unreal160 progressives dont live postamerican world live posttruth world world without facts without truth one america exist160 america prospered firm belief discoverable exploitable reality country could build skyscrapers fleets year posttruth america little interest big buildings busy enacting psychodrama earth destroyed fleets like horses bayonets facts 19th century toys much less interesting manipulation people lies deceit lena dunhams barry obamas barry imaginary creatures sophisticated products disordered minds disordered civilization whose leading figures lie instinctively shamelessly prerational culture could distinguish lies truth source

<p /> <p>Image source: Nordson Corporation.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Nordson Corporationis set to release fiscal second-quarter 2016 results on Monday, May 23, 2016, after the market close, with a conference call scheduled to discuss those results the following morning. With shares of the adhesive-dispensing products company up roughly 17% year to date on the heels of its encouraging quarterly report in February -- which saw management predict solid organic growth going forward -- it's time for investors to start thinking about what to expect.</p> <p>But if one thing seems certain this time around, it's that global macroeconomicuncertainty will come into play once again. Even so, when discussing Nordson's outlook last quarter, CEO Michael Hilton insisted his company remains "well positioned to capture growth opportunities when and where they occur."</p> <p>In the meantime for fiscal Q2, Nordson's guidance calls for revenue to increase 2% to 6% over the same year-ago period, which equates to a range of roughly $408.7 million to to $424.8 million.This assumes organic growth of 1% to 5%, a 2% contribution from the first-year effect of acquisitions, and a 1% headwind from the negative effects of foreign currency exchange.</p> <p>Nordson will also break out its top line on a segment and geographical basis. Regarding the former last quarter, for example, adhesive dispensing systems sales volume climbed 12%, comprised of 11% organic growth and 1% from first-year contributions of its acquisition of screw and cylinder manufacturer WAFO. Next, advanced technology sales volume decreased 8%, including a 15% decline in organic volume and a 7% increase from Nordson's acquisitions of X-ray inspection system company MatriX and dispensing system specialist Liquidyn, as well as 3% negative impact from currencies. Finally, Nordson's industrial coating systems segment saw sales volume climb 2% organically, which was offset by a 5% negative impact from foreign exchange.</p> <p>Speaking of organic growth, investors should watch for color in Nordson's breakdown of its order rates and backlog, which can offer crucial insight to future results. Last quarter, for example, order rates for the 12 weeks ending February 14, 2016 rose 1% on a constant currency basis, while backlog for the quarter had risen 10% year over year, to $247 million. The latter was comprised of healthy 8% organic growth, and a 2% contribution from acquisitions.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>For perspective on a geographic basis, of Nordson's $372.2 million in total sales last quarter, roughly 31.5% came from the U.S., 7.2% came from the rest of the Americas, 32.2% came from Europe, 5.2% originated in Japan, and the remaining 23.9% was generated by the Asia Pacific region. This quarter, the composition should be roughly similar barring any unexpected changes in order timing or regional demand.</p> <p>Trending toward the bottom line, the mid-point of revenue guidance would result in operating margin of roughly 19%. And based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Nordson's guidance says, that should translate to earnings per diluted share of $0.85 to $0.95, which includes a charge of $0.02 per share for one-time items.</p> <p>Relatedly, whether Nordson lives up to profitability expectations will depend in part on the progress of its ongoing margin enhancement initatives -- or, as management affectionately describes them, "continuous improvement" initiatives -- including footprint consolidation, strategically limiting headcount growth, and reducing other spending where appropriate. Last quarter, Nordson's one-time charges included roughly $1 million related to this effort, primarily for integration activities within its adhesive segment. At the same time, CFO Gregory Thaxton has repeatedly warned investors during each quarterly conference call that the timing of these non-recurring charges this fiscal year will be "difficult to estimate precisely." Overall, however, they should be significantly below similar costs incurred last fiscal year.</p> <p>Finally, listen for any updates regarding Nordson's fiscal third-quarter and full-year 2016 guidance. If history serves as any indication, the former should encompass expected per-share earnings and revenue growth, including both organic volume growth and contributions from acquisitions, as well as the expected (likely negative, however temporary) impact of foreign currency exchange. Full-year guidance will be more vague given Nordson's current lack of long-term visibility, focusing instead on progress and the impact of continuous improvement initiatives as it strives to continue delivering top-line growth in excess of GDP.</p> <p>To be fair, that might drive analysts crazy as they work to accurately model Nordson's financial results each quarter. But as long as Nordson continues to deliver on its promises as these difficult industry headwinds persist, long-term investors should be more than pleased with the end result.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/20/what-to-watch-when-nordson-reports-earnings.aspx" type="external">What to Watch When Nordson Reports Earnings Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSymington/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Steve Symington Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Nordson. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source nordson corporation continue reading nordson corporationis set release fiscal secondquarter 2016 results monday may 23 2016 market close conference call scheduled discuss results following morning shares adhesivedispensing products company roughly 17 year date heels encouraging quarterly report february saw management predict solid organic growth going forward time investors start thinking expect one thing seems certain time around global macroeconomicuncertainty come play even discussing nordsons outlook last quarter ceo michael hilton insisted company remains well positioned capture growth opportunities occur meantime fiscal q2 nordsons guidance calls revenue increase 2 6 yearago period equates range roughly 4087 million 4248 millionthis assumes organic growth 1 5 2 contribution firstyear effect acquisitions 1 headwind negative effects foreign currency exchange nordson also break top line segment geographical basis regarding former last quarter example adhesive dispensing systems sales volume climbed 12 comprised 11 organic growth 1 firstyear contributions acquisition screw cylinder manufacturer wafo next advanced technology sales volume decreased 8 including 15 decline organic volume 7 increase nordsons acquisitions xray inspection system company matrix dispensing system specialist liquidyn well 3 negative impact currencies finally nordsons industrial coating systems segment saw sales volume climb 2 organically offset 5 negative impact foreign exchange speaking organic growth investors watch color nordsons breakdown order rates backlog offer crucial insight future results last quarter example order rates 12 weeks ending february 14 2016 rose 1 constant currency basis backlog quarter risen 10 year year 247 million latter comprised healthy 8 organic growth 2 contribution acquisitions advertisement perspective geographic basis nordsons 3722 million total sales last quarter roughly 315 came us 72 came rest americas 322 came europe 52 originated japan remaining 239 generated asia pacific region quarter composition roughly similar barring unexpected changes order timing regional demand trending toward bottom line midpoint revenue guidance would result operating margin roughly 19 based generally accepted accounting principles gaap nordsons guidance says translate earnings per diluted share 085 095 includes charge 002 per share onetime items relatedly whether nordson lives profitability expectations depend part progress ongoing margin enhancement initatives management affectionately describes continuous improvement initiatives including footprint consolidation strategically limiting headcount growth reducing spending appropriate last quarter nordsons onetime charges included roughly 1 million related effort primarily integration activities within adhesive segment time cfo gregory thaxton repeatedly warned investors quarterly conference call timing nonrecurring charges fiscal year difficult estimate precisely overall however significantly similar costs incurred last fiscal year finally listen updates regarding nordsons fiscal thirdquarter fullyear 2016 guidance history serves indication former encompass expected pershare earnings revenue growth including organic volume growth contributions acquisitions well expected likely negative however temporary impact foreign currency exchange fullyear guidance vague given nordsons current lack longterm visibility focusing instead progress impact continuous improvement initiatives strives continue delivering topline growth excess gdp fair might drive analysts crazy work accurately model nordsons financial results quarter long nordson continues deliver promises difficult industry headwinds persist longterm investors pleased end result article watch nordson reports earnings opens new window originally appeared foolcom steve symington opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares nordson try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is the nation's largest health insurer, and that means Obamacare's repeal could make it an interesting year for the company. Can UnitedHealth's financials capitalize on what's bound to be a big year of change?</p> <p>In this clip from the Motley Fool's <a href="http://www.fool.com/podcasts/industry-focus?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Industry Focus: Healthcare Opens a New Window.</a> podcast, analyst Kristine Harjes and healthcare journalist Todd Campbell discuss UnitedHealth Group's recent financials and how the company can navigate choppy industry waters this year.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>A full transcript follows the video.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than UnitedHealth Group When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=25cec6b5-1ae5-4cc5-90e3-d6dc317f1486&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and UnitedHealth Group wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=25cec6b5-1ae5-4cc5-90e3-d6dc317f1486&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017</p> <p>This podcast was recorded on Jan. 18, 2017.</p> <p>Kristine Harjes: Are you ready for earnings season?</p> <p>Todd Campbell: I'm about as ready as I'm going to get.</p> <p>Harjes: Good, because even if you're not ready, it's ready for you. [laughs]</p> <p>Campbell: Here it comes! It's coming on fast.</p> <p>Harjes: It is. UnitedHealth Group reported on Tuesday Morning, yesterday morning.</p> <p>Campbell: Yeah. This is one of those companies that we're going to be laser-focused on in 2017 for a lot of different reasons, some industry-oriented and some stock-specific, and of course, some political.</p> <p>Harjes: Absolutely. It's the biggest health insurer in the United States, so it definitely is a company to watch if you're interested in this changing healthcare landscape in America.</p> <p>Campbell: Yeah. As the largest U.S. health insurance player, UnitedHealth made a lot of news last year when they came out and said, "Guess what, we're losing a boatload of money in selling our insurance plans on the Obamacare Affordable Care Act exchanges, so in 2017, we're going to back substantially away from that program." That kicked off a whole lot of activity within the industry, with a number of other insurers saying, "Yeah, we're losing money too, maybe we're going to walk it back, too." Now, with the election of Donald Trump in November and plans to repeal and replace, the health insurance market is going through a major transition over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, as all of the people who have been covered on the Affordable Care Act now have to seek out coverage through some other venue. What will that venue look look like? How will UnitedHealth profit from whatever change occurs? All of that is going to have to be carefully watched over the course of the next year.</p> <p>Harjes: Absolutely. Management does expect that they'll post 2017 revenue between $197 billion to $199 billion. This is a humongous company. That would work out to the growth rate of about 6.5% to 7.5%, compared to the finish of 2016. That's still pretty solid growth. In particular, I would say watch out for the Optum segment. The way that this company works is they have the health insurer, which is the UnitedHealthcare insurance segment, and then they also have the Optum part, which has a whole bunch of different things involved in it. It has their pharmacy benefits manager, Optum Rx, data analytics, whole bunch of stuff going on in Optum, and it's been growing like a weed. Interestingly, in Q4, revenue from the insurance segment jumped over 15%. Meanwhile, the Optum revenue actually only inched upwards by a little over 1%.</p> <p>Campbell: Yeah. There's a couple things that investors are going to have to remember here to keep it weighed as they're comparing year-over-year comparisons over the coming quarters. One of them is going to be, what is the impact of the drawdown, or exiting, these other markets in the individual marketplace? How will that affect revenue? It's almost like, when you're looking at insurers, because they're so big and the margins are so thin, it's less important what their top line is doing than it is what their bottom line is doing. If you look at the Q4 numbers, UnitedHealth's top line grew 9% to $47 billion, which is amazing. But maybe more important is to look at the adjusted EPS number for the quarter, which was up 50% to $2.11. The same thing with the 2016 full-year numbers, you had revenue surge. A lot of that was because of marketplace plans it turned out they were losing money on. So, revenue for the full year was $184 billion, up 18%. That sounds great, but they were losing money on some of that growth. So, when you're looking at that 2017 forecast, and you say, "Yeah, but revenue is only going to grow 6.5% this year, versus last year, and last year grew much faster," you have to remember that that revenue growth is going to be more profitable revenue growth than it was in 2016.</p> <p>Harjes: Yes, absolutely. If you look at their earnings guidance, they're guiding for 15% to 19% bottom line growth.</p> <p>Campbell: Right, very hard to argue with a stodgy, old, big insurer that can grow earnings by double-digit percentages. That's pretty compelling.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFAnchor/info.aspx" type="external">Kristine Harjes Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

unitedhealth group nyse unh nations largest health insurer means obamacares repeal could make interesting year company unitedhealths financials capitalize whats bound big year change clip motley fools industry focus healthcare opens new window podcast analyst kristine harjes healthcare journalist todd campbell discuss unitedhealth groups recent financials company navigate choppy industry waters year continue reading full transcript follows video 10 stocks like better unitedhealth group investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right unitedhealth group wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks advertisement stock advisor returns january 4 2017 podcast recorded jan 18 2017 kristine harjes ready earnings season todd campbell im ready im going get harjes good even youre ready ready laughs campbell comes coming fast harjes unitedhealth group reported tuesday morning yesterday morning campbell yeah one companies going laserfocused 2017 lot different reasons industryoriented stockspecific course political harjes absolutely biggest health insurer united states definitely company watch youre interested changing healthcare landscape america campbell yeah largest us health insurance player unitedhealth made lot news last year came said guess losing boatload money selling insurance plans obamacare affordable care act exchanges 2017 going back substantially away program kicked whole lot activity within industry number insurers saying yeah losing money maybe going walk back election donald trump november plans repeal replace health insurance market going major transition course next 12 18 months people covered affordable care act seek coverage venue venue look look like unitedhealth profit whatever change occurs going carefully watched course next year harjes absolutely management expect theyll post 2017 revenue 197 billion 199 billion humongous company would work growth rate 65 75 compared finish 2016 thats still pretty solid growth particular would say watch optum segment way company works health insurer unitedhealthcare insurance segment also optum part whole bunch different things involved pharmacy benefits manager optum rx data analytics whole bunch stuff going optum growing like weed interestingly q4 revenue insurance segment jumped 15 meanwhile optum revenue actually inched upwards little 1 campbell yeah theres couple things investors going remember keep weighed theyre comparing yearoveryear comparisons coming quarters one going impact drawdown exiting markets individual marketplace affect revenue almost like youre looking insurers theyre big margins thin less important top line bottom line look q4 numbers unitedhealths top line grew 9 47 billion amazing maybe important look adjusted eps number quarter 50 211 thing 2016 fullyear numbers revenue surge lot marketplace plans turned losing money revenue full year 184 billion 18 sounds great losing money growth youre looking 2017 forecast say yeah revenue going grow 65 year versus last year last year grew much faster remember revenue growth going profitable revenue growth 2016 harjes yes absolutely look earnings guidance theyre guiding 15 19 bottom line growth campbell right hard argue stodgy old big insurer grow earnings doubledigit percentages thats pretty compelling kristine harjes opens new window position stocks mentioned todd campbell opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool recommends unitedhealth group motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>When the Web was born 25 years ago this week, it opened doors for brilliant technological minds and drove innovation and advancement that forever altered humanity.</p> <p>Today, a quarter of the world's population is on the Internet -- a number that grows every day as accessibility improves.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>"The Web is humanity connected," said Anne Jellema, CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation. "Twenty-five years since the birth of the Web, we&#8217;re only just beginning to scratch the surface of the social benefits [it] can deliver."</p> <p>However, before the cloud became dinner table conversation and mobile phones evolved into extensions of human hands, the Web faced a rollercoaster adolescence.</p> <p>Here are some of the Web&#8217;s lowest, and most shining, moments.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Around the year 1990, the World Wide Web was born, the brainchild of British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee who first proposed it in March 1989.</p> <p>The inventor on Wednesday renewed his call for an Internet that is open, global, accessible and free of censorship. He promoted a new petition dubbed the &#8220;Web We Want,&#8221; urging &#8220;freedom of speech and belief and freedom from want and fear.&#8221;</p> <p>In the early 1980's the term Silicon Valley was coined for the region outside of San Francisco where early tech companies flocked and launched innovative products. While many other tech hubs have since emerged, Silicon Valley remains a driving force of technological advancement, housing some of the world's biggest tech companies.</p> <p>While AOL (NYSE:AOL) today serves as a multibillion-dollar media conglomerate, it got its start in the early 1990s as a &#8220;walled garden&#8221; software ecosystem that users had to access through a dial-up connection -- a long cord connecting the computer to the public switched telephone network.</p> <p>At its peak, AOL had 30 million members as part of the enclosed subscription-based community, and in that respect it played a key role in shaping the Internet and giving Millenials their first taste of what would eventually become the high-speed broadband Internet we know today.</p> <p>AOL went public in 1992 and is now worth $3.3 billion by market cap.</p> <p>Since e-mail's invention in 1993, it has become a powerful communication tool. An overwhelming majority of e-mail traffic now comes from businesses, which account for more than 100 billion emails sent and received every day.</p> <p>In 1998, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan starred in the romantic comedy &#8220;You've Got Mail,&#8221; a love story of two people who built a relationship through e-mail, which marked one of the first times the Internet and e-mail played a key role in influencing pop culture.</p> <p>As of the end of 2013 there were an estimated 3.9 billion global e-mail accounts, a number tech market research firm Radicati predicts will grow to 4.9 billion by the end of 2017.</p> <p>Google&#8217;s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Gmail became the world&#8217;s biggest e-mail service in 2012 with more than 425 million active users worldwide.</p> <p>Prior to the advent of the Internet, stockbrokers actually had to place an order over the phone and use ticker tape to monitor stock prices. Shudder.</p> <p>Today, trades occur instantaneously via the Internet, and there are even robots that conduct high-speed trades to the tune of millions a second. What&#8217;s more, the Internet has enabled retail traders to more easily get into the game, enabling them to use online brokers such as E*Trade (NASDAQ:ETFC) to pick their own stocks and manage their portfolios.</p> <p>Online trading was born in 1994 when Aufhauser &amp;amp; Co., later acquired by TD Ameritrade (NASDAQ:AMTD), became the first brokerage to offer online trading via its &#8220;WealthWEB&#8221; platform.</p> <p>In 1994 and 1995, the founding of e-commerce giant Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and online marketplace eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) forever changed the way consumers would eventually shop for anything from electronics to clothing.</p> <p>The term &#8220;Cyber Monday,&#8221; the first Monday after Black Friday weekend, was coined in 2005 by Shop.org as the working population began scouring the Internet for holiday deals.</p> <p>In 2013, online sales on Cyber Monday hit a record high, surging 20% to almost $2 billion, according to comScore. In fact, online shopping has become so popular, a late-season surge during the 2013 holiday caused a number of packages delivered through Amazon and by FedEx (NYSE:FDX) to be delayed until after Christmas.</p> <p>In September of 1997, Google.com was registered as a domain by startup whiz kids Larry Page and Sergey Brin from Stanford University.</p> <p>Named after the word &#8220;googol,&#8221; a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeroes, Google would go on to become the world&#8217;s largest search engine and a hub for innovation.</p> <p>In 2004, Google began trading at $85 a share. In 2006, the word &#8220;Google&#8221; was added to the dictionary. And today, shares of Google are valued at $1,207.30 each, putting the company's market cap at a whopping $400 billion.</p> <p>Pets.com is one of the most well-known Internet companies to flop in 2000 when the Internet bubble burst. The online pet food and supply company failed in November 2000, just nine months after its IPO, when it lost $147 million and failed to raise more money from investors.</p> <p>The dotcom bubble lasted from 1997 through 2000 following an Internet boom in the mid-1990s and several tech IPOs, including the food delivery service Webvan.com, which had its market debut in the summer of 1999 only to fail two years later. EToys.com had the same lifespan.</p> <p>The crash rattled the markets heading into the 2000's and taught investors to be wary of companies that grow too fast without solid financial backing and operational structure.</p> <p>There are new fears that a second dotcom bubble is brewing with social networking companies like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. However, they have thrived so far.</p> <p>In 2004, the second wave of the Internet&#8217;s evolution began with the emergence of social networking companies.</p> <p>With the founding of LinkedIn and Myspace in 2003, consumers for the first time began openly sharing private information about themselves over the Internet. Today, this data is coveted among next-generation tech companies, which make money by selling targeted ads to brands using the personal information provided willingly by their users.</p> <p>LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD) became one of the first social stocks to go public in 2011 and today is valued at close to $24 billion. Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) are among the many that have followed.</p> <p>When Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first-generation iPhone in 2003, consumers were quick to covet its touchscreen and palm-sized computer functionality.</p> <p>Within a year it became hip to have a smartphone. It has since become a cultural necessity.</p> <p>The iPhone followed several less-developed predecessors, including a BlackBerry pager launched in 1999 that could receive push email. However, once the iPhone was born, the smartphone market took off with rivals from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to Samsung flooding the market.</p> <p>Smartphone penetration in the U.S. today sits at 60%.</p> <p>One of the biggest headaches of the Internet has been its use in crime and the industry&#8217;s inability to keep pace with its advancement.</p> <p>Hackers and thieves have stolen billions of dollars and hundreds of millions of identities through phishing and other schemes. They&#8217;ve used DDoS attacks to bring down major corporate sites and have snuck onto secure systems to nab secret state and corporate data.</p> <p>In 2012, Wall Street was served a reality check when a number of attacks took the sites of major banks including Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) temporarily offline. A number of high-profile attacks since then, notably Target (NYSE:TGT), have triggered Washington to act, and it currently is considering several proposals that would improve the nation&#8217;s cyber defenses.</p> <p>Among the Internet&#8217;s greatest achievements is its ability to enable people to communicate efficiently and on a global scale. This in late 2010 triggered a wave of social movements across the Middle East in what has become known as the Arab Spring.</p> <p>Young revolutionaries with repressive governments have rallied other likeminded individuals to revolt on a massive scale against authoritarian regimes. This led to the overthrow of long-time commander Hosni Mubarak in 2011, and similar movements are now occurring across the world.</p> <p>In Venezuela, the hashtag #16FVnzlaEnlaCalleNicolasPaElConoTeVas has gained steam and is now a hub for protest-related information- and picture-sharing.</p> <p>With the Internet&#8217;s greatest attributes also comes harsh criticism over its role in overreach and privacy. In a post 9/11 era that requires the government to use extreme measures to protect U.S. borders, documents provided by Wikileaks and rogue former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have shined light on the U.S. National Security Agency&#8217;s intrusive monitoring tactics.</p> <p>Via Skype interview earlier this week from his asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange told South by Southwest festival attendees that the NSA has grown to be a &#8220;rogue agency.&#8221; Washington has defended its actions.</p> <p>This has sparked Silicon Valley to be more transparent about the information companies like Facebook, Google and Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) share with the government.</p> <p>Oh the elusive cloud. Cloud computing is a new type of computing that enables data to be stored in a digital network accessible from any Internet-enabled machine. This has given way to massive data centers capable of processing and storing unfathomable amounts of data.</p> <p>Over the last few years, major companies began investing in their cloud operations. It has become an invaluable service for companies looking to stay competitive in an increasingly mobile world.</p> <p>The cloud and big data also played a crucial role in the development of IBM&#8217;s Watson cognitive computer, which introduced to the world to a new type of intelligent computing capable of competing with the best human minds.</p> <p>The Internet in its most recent form has given birth to new digital, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin that are virtually untraceable and for now, unregulated. Digital currency, which can be purchased using traditional money, has been touted as the future of payment.</p> <p>However, it still has a fair share of flaws to work out. Two weeks ago Mt. Gox, formally Bitcoin&#8217;s biggest exchange, filed for bankruptcy after admitting to losing $409 million worth of investor money to a multi-year scheme.</p> <p>Yet, several online retailers now accept the digital currency, including Overstock.com, which earlier this month surpassed $1 million in Bitcoin purchases. The online retailer also attributed a spike in new users to the untraceable currency.</p> <p>Over the next few years, the so-called Internet of Things and wearable computing are going to make digital waves. Tech experts foresee a future where everything a person does &#8211; from checking their cholesterol to locking the doors to their home -- is tied to the web.</p> <p>From robots that can think creatively to cars that can drive themselves, the Internet is an adolescent on the cusp of maturing into adulthood. Technological advancement has only just touched the surface of what is to come.</p>

web born 25 years ago week opened doors brilliant technological minds drove innovation advancement forever altered humanity today quarter worlds population internet number grows every day accessibility improves continue reading web humanity connected said anne jellema ceo world wide web foundation twentyfive years since birth web beginning scratch surface social benefits deliver however cloud became dinner table conversation mobile phones evolved extensions human hands web faced rollercoaster adolescence webs lowest shining moments advertisement around year 1990 world wide web born brainchild british computer scientist tim bernerslee first proposed march 1989 inventor wednesday renewed call internet open global accessible free censorship promoted new petition dubbed web want urging freedom speech belief freedom want fear early 1980s term silicon valley coined region outside san francisco early tech companies flocked launched innovative products many tech hubs since emerged silicon valley remains driving force technological advancement housing worlds biggest tech companies aol nyseaol today serves multibilliondollar media conglomerate got start early 1990s walled garden software ecosystem users access dialup connection long cord connecting computer public switched telephone network peak aol 30 million members part enclosed subscriptionbased community respect played key role shaping internet giving millenials first taste would eventually become highspeed broadband internet know today aol went public 1992 worth 33 billion market cap since emails invention 1993 become powerful communication tool overwhelming majority email traffic comes businesses account 100 billion emails sent received every day 1998 tom hanks meg ryan starred romantic comedy youve got mail love story two people built relationship email marked one first times internet email played key role influencing pop culture end 2013 estimated 39 billion global email accounts number tech market research firm radicati predicts grow 49 billion end 2017 googles nasdaqgoog gmail became worlds biggest email service 2012 425 million active users worldwide prior advent internet stockbrokers actually place order phone use ticker tape monitor stock prices shudder today trades occur instantaneously via internet even robots conduct highspeed trades tune millions second whats internet enabled retail traders easily get game enabling use online brokers etrade nasdaqetfc pick stocks manage portfolios online trading born 1994 aufhauser amp co later acquired td ameritrade nasdaqamtd became first brokerage offer online trading via wealthweb platform 1994 1995 founding ecommerce giant amazoncom nasdaqamzn online marketplace ebay nasdaqebay forever changed way consumers would eventually shop anything electronics clothing term cyber monday first monday black friday weekend coined 2005 shoporg working population began scouring internet holiday deals 2013 online sales cyber monday hit record high surging 20 almost 2 billion according comscore fact online shopping become popular lateseason surge 2013 holiday caused number packages delivered amazon fedex nysefdx delayed christmas september 1997 googlecom registered domain startup whiz kids larry page sergey brin stanford university named word googol mathematical term number represented numeral 1 followed 100 zeroes google would go become worlds largest search engine hub innovation 2004 google began trading 85 share 2006 word google added dictionary today shares google valued 120730 putting companys market cap whopping 400 billion petscom one wellknown internet companies flop 2000 internet bubble burst online pet food supply company failed november 2000 nine months ipo lost 147 million failed raise money investors dotcom bubble lasted 1997 2000 following internet boom mid1990s several tech ipos including food delivery service webvancom market debut summer 1999 fail two years later etoyscom lifespan crash rattled markets heading 2000s taught investors wary companies grow fast without solid financial backing operational structure new fears second dotcom bubble brewing social networking companies like facebook linkedin twitter however thrived far 2004 second wave internets evolution began emergence social networking companies founding linkedin myspace 2003 consumers first time began openly sharing private information internet today data coveted among nextgeneration tech companies make money selling targeted ads brands using personal information provided willingly users linkedin nasdaqlnkd became one first social stocks go public 2011 today valued close 24 billion facebook nasdaqfb twitter nysetwtr among many followed apple nasdaqaapl ceo steve jobs introduced firstgeneration iphone 2003 consumers quick covet touchscreen palmsized computer functionality within year became hip smartphone since become cultural necessity iphone followed several lessdeveloped predecessors including blackberry pager launched 1999 could receive push email however iphone born smartphone market took rivals microsoft nasdaqmsft samsung flooding market smartphone penetration us today sits 60 one biggest headaches internet use crime industrys inability keep pace advancement hackers thieves stolen billions dollars hundreds millions identities phishing schemes theyve used ddos attacks bring major corporate sites snuck onto secure systems nab secret state corporate data 2012 wall street served reality check number attacks took sites major banks including bank america nysebac jpmorgan chase nysejpm wells fargo nysewfc temporarily offline number highprofile attacks since notably target nysetgt triggered washington act currently considering several proposals would improve nations cyber defenses among internets greatest achievements ability enable people communicate efficiently global scale late 2010 triggered wave social movements across middle east become known arab spring young revolutionaries repressive governments rallied likeminded individuals revolt massive scale authoritarian regimes led overthrow longtime commander hosni mubarak 2011 similar movements occurring across world venezuela hashtag 16fvnzlaenlacallenicolaspaelconotevas gained steam hub protestrelated information picturesharing internets greatest attributes also comes harsh criticism role overreach privacy post 911 era requires government use extreme measures protect us borders documents provided wikileaks rogue former nsa contractor edward snowden shined light us national security agencys intrusive monitoring tactics via skype interview earlier week asylum ecuadorian embassy london wikileaks founder julian assange told south southwest festival attendees nsa grown rogue agency washington defended actions sparked silicon valley transparent information companies like facebook google yahoo nasdaqyhoo share government oh elusive cloud cloud computing new type computing enables data stored digital network accessible internetenabled machine given way massive data centers capable processing storing unfathomable amounts data last years major companies began investing cloud operations become invaluable service companies looking stay competitive increasingly mobile world cloud big data also played crucial role development ibms watson cognitive computer introduced world new type intelligent computing capable competing best human minds internet recent form given birth new digital cryptocurrencies bitcoin virtually untraceable unregulated digital currency purchased using traditional money touted future payment however still fair share flaws work two weeks ago mt gox formally bitcoins biggest exchange filed bankruptcy admitting losing 409 million worth investor money multiyear scheme yet several online retailers accept digital currency including overstockcom earlier month surpassed 1 million bitcoin purchases online retailer also attributed spike new users untraceable currency next years socalled internet things wearable computing going make digital waves tech experts foresee future everything person checking cholesterol locking doors home tied web robots think creatively cars drive internet adolescent cusp maturing adulthood technological advancement touched surface come

<p>U.S. oil prices jump to highest level in more than 2 years; Fed rate call due</p> <p>U.S. stock-market indexes traded in record territory after opening gains on Wednesday on the back of strong corporate results and hopes for tax cuts out of Washington.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Markets were also buoyed by a rebound in private-sector employment (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/adp-says-235000-jobs-added-in-october-2017-11-01)last month as employers added 235,000 jobs. An upbeat set of manufacturing data from China, as well as a rally in oil prices, which continued to push above a two-year high supported global equity markets.</p> <p>What are stocks doing?</p> <p>The S&amp;amp;P 500 advanced 12 by points, or 0.5%, to 2,587.37, setting an intraday record at 2,587.49. Energy and financials were leading the gains, while utilities lagged.</p> <p>Read:Wall Street's strong October suggests happy holidays ahead--and beyond (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wall-streets-strong-october-suggests-happy-holidays-aheadand-beyond-2017-10-31)</p> <p>Also see:Why the stock-market rally may be entering the anxiety-driven stage (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/and-now-for-the-fomo-portion-of-the-stock-market-rally-2017-10-31)</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>The Nasdaq Composite Index added 28 points, or 0.5%, to 6,756 and set an intraday record at 6,759.66.</p> <p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 117 points, or 0.5%, to 23,496, trading above its previous closing record.</p> <p>The upbeat mood comes after U.S. stocks closed higher on Tuesday (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nasdaq-ready-to-lead-us-stocks-up-end-october-on-a-high-note-2017-10-31), closing out October on a positive note, with their biggest monthly percentage gains since February.</p> <p>What's driving the markets?</p> <p>A whole range of things. First, all the earnings season has been strong, with 75% of the S&amp;amp;P companies that have reported so far beating earnings estimates, according to FactSet data.</p> <p>Hopes for pass of a tax package that includes corporate tax cuts has also provided support. The tax bill was planned for release on Wednesday, but has been postponed by a day (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/house-gop-delays-tax-bill-plans-to-keep-top-individual-rate-of-396-2017-10-31) to iron out unresolved issues. The Republicans plan to drop the corporate tax rate to 20% and delay a planned repeal of estate tax, according to people close to the matter.</p> <p>Check out:8 most important things to know about the GOP tax plan (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/8-most-important-things-to-know-about-the-gop-tax-plan-2017-11-01)</p> <p>Additionally, all eyes are on the Federal Reserve. The central bank is widely expected to keep rates on hold, but keep the door open for a December rate hike, when it announces its policy decision at 2 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday.</p> <p>Read:Fed statement may have treats for both hawks and doves (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-statement-may-have-treats-for-both-hawks-and-doves-2017-10-27)</p> <p>The rate decision, however, is likely to be overshadowed by speculation of who will become the next Fed chair. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to name his pick on Thursday, with all indications so far pointing to current Fed Governor Jerome Powell as the choice.</p> <p>Outside the U.S., traders welcomed the latest Caixin China manufacturing purchasing managers index reading, which showed factory activity in the world's second largest economy continued to expand at a steady pace in October (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-caixin-manufacturing-pmi-holds-steady-2017-10-31).</p> <p>What earnings are in focus?</p> <p>In another busy day on the earnings calendar, Est&#233;e Lauder Cos (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/estee-lauders-stock-rallies-after-revenue-beat-upbeat-outlook-2017-11-01).(EL) climbed 11% and Clorox Co (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clorox-earnings-and-revenue-beat-estimates-2017-11-01).(CLX) added 3% after each beat revenue estimates.</p> <p>New York Times Co.(NYT) reported earnings above expectations thanks to increase in digital subscriptions, but shares dropped 2.8%.</p> <p>Allergan PLC(AGN) reported profit and revenue ahead of Wall Street forecasts, but shares, which were higher premarket, dropped nearly 5%.</p> <p>And after the market closes, Facebook Inc.(FB), Tesla Inc.(TSLA) and Kraft Heinz Co.(KHC) are on the docket. Qualcomm Inc.(QCOM), MetLife Inc.(MET) and Allstate Corp.(ALL) are also expected to release earnings after hours.</p> <p>Read:Tesla earnings--Model 3 production, demand under the microscope (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tesla-earnings-model-3-production-demand-under-the-microscope-again-2017-10-25)</p> <p>And see:EarningsWatch: Apple, Tesla and Facebook are post-Halloween treats (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/earningswatch-apple-tesla-and-facebook-are-post-halloween-treats-2017-10-30)</p> <p>Which stocks are in focus?</p> <p>Shares of United States Steel Corp.(X) jumped 14% after the steelmaker's quarterly results and outlook out late Tuesday topped Wall Street estimates (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-steel-shares-rally-on-earnings-beat-outlook-2017-10-31).</p> <p>Electronic Arts Inc.(EA) dropped 5% after the video-game maker reported a second-quarter loss (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/electronic-arts-shares-drop-in-the-extended-session-after-second-quarter-results-2017-10-31) after Tuesday's closing bell.</p> <p>Envision Healthcare Corp.(EVHC) tumbled 32% after hospital company late Tuesday revealed weaker than expected earnings and said it would review strategic alternatives (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/envision-healthcare-plummets-after-earnings-miss-may-consider-sale-2017-10-31) that could include a sale.</p> <p>What are strategists saying?</p> <p>"Investor sentiment is generally strong right now and with progress being made on tax reform, the momentum remains with the rally at the moment. Risks obviously remain, but until they rear their ugly head once again, which I'm sure they will, these gradual and consistent gains can easily continue," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at Oanda, in emailed comments.</p> <p>"The U.S. stock markets have got many reasons to attract global investors at the moment. A strong and sustained positive trend since a year, backed by solid 3Q earnings and spiced up with optimism on tax reforms," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at London Capital Group</p> <p>"Facebook earnings release is due later today and the expectations are positive in the continuation of a solid 3Q earnings season. My only concern is the conflict among the Republicans regarding the tax reforms. If we do not hear anything concrete within a couple of days, the optimism could leave its place to a correction," she said in emailed comments.</p> <p>What economic data are in focus?</p> <p>Private-sector employment bounced back in October as employers added 235,000 jobs, ADP reported Wednesday.</p> <p>The Markit manufacturing PMI for the same month came in at 54.6. The October ISM manufacturing index and September construction spending data are due at 10 a.m. Eastern.</p> <p>Monthly auto sales numbers will trickle out through the day.</p> <p>What are other markets doing?</p> <p>Oil prices continued to rally (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-oil-jumps-to-2-year-high-on-signs-opec-deal-is-working-2017-11-01) on optimism that the OPEC deal to cut production is working. West Texas Intermediate crude oil up 1.2% at $55.02 a barrel, to trade around the highest level since the summer of 2015.</p> <p>Gold was also rising, up 0.5% at $1,276.70 an ounce.</p> <p>In currencies, the pound jumped to $1.3301 from $1.3283 late Tuesday in New York. The upbeat sterling mood came on signs London and Brussels are determined to make progress in the Brexit talks, while investors also looked ahead to the Bank of England's policy meeting on Thursday. The U.K. central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in more than a decade (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-things-investors-need-to-know-as-the-bank-of-england-prepares-for-historic-rate-hike-2017-10-31).</p> <p>The dollar traded mixed against other major currencies, with the ICE Dollar Index up 0.1% at 94.614.</p> <p>Stocks in Asia closed firmly higher (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikkei-kospi-jump-more-than-1-to-lead-asia-pacific-stock-gains-2017-10-31), and European markets (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-leap-to-2-year-high-as-commodity-shares-march-up-2017-11-01) mirrored the same mood.</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>November 01, 2017 09:58 ET (13:58 GMT)</p>

us oil prices jump highest level 2 years fed rate call due us stockmarket indexes traded record territory opening gains wednesday back strong corporate results hopes tax cuts washington continue reading markets also buoyed rebound privatesector employment httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryadpsays235000jobsaddedinoctober20171101last month employers added 235000 jobs upbeat set manufacturing data china well rally oil prices continued push twoyear high supported global equity markets stocks sampp 500 advanced 12 points 05 258737 setting intraday record 258749 energy financials leading gains utilities lagged readwall streets strong october suggests happy holidays aheadand beyond httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorywallstreetsstrongoctobersuggestshappyholidaysaheadandbeyond20171031 also seewhy stockmarket rally may entering anxietydriven stage httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryandnowforthefomoportionofthestockmarketrally20171031 advertisement nasdaq composite index added 28 points 05 6756 set intraday record 675966 dow jones industrial average gained 117 points 05 23496 trading previous closing record upbeat mood comes us stocks closed higher tuesday httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorynasdaqreadytoleadusstocksupendoctoberonahighnote20171031 closing october positive note biggest monthly percentage gains since february whats driving markets whole range things first earnings season strong 75 sampp companies reported far beating earnings estimates according factset data hopes pass tax package includes corporate tax cuts also provided support tax bill planned release wednesday postponed day httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryhousegopdelaystaxbillplanstokeeptopindividualrateof39620171031 iron unresolved issues republicans plan drop corporate tax rate 20 delay planned repeal estate tax according people close matter check out8 important things know gop tax plan httpwwwmarketwatchcomstory8mostimportantthingstoknowaboutthegoptaxplan20171101 additionally eyes federal reserve central bank widely expected keep rates hold keep door open december rate hike announces policy decision 2 pm eastern time wednesday readfed statement may treats hawks doves httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryfedstatementmayhavetreatsforbothhawksanddoves20171027 rate decision however likely overshadowed speculation become next fed chair us president donald trump expected name pick thursday indications far pointing current fed governor jerome powell choice outside us traders welcomed latest caixin china manufacturing purchasing managers index reading showed factory activity worlds second largest economy continued expand steady pace october httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorychinacaixinmanufacturingpmiholdssteady20171031 earnings focus another busy day earnings calendar estée lauder cos httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryesteelaudersstockralliesafterrevenuebeatupbeatoutlook20171101el climbed 11 clorox co httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorycloroxearningsandrevenuebeatestimates20171101clx added 3 beat revenue estimates new york times conyt reported earnings expectations thanks increase digital subscriptions shares dropped 28 allergan plcagn reported profit revenue ahead wall street forecasts shares higher premarket dropped nearly 5 market closes facebook incfb tesla inctsla kraft heinz cokhc docket qualcomm incqcom metlife incmet allstate corpall also expected release earnings hours readtesla earningsmodel 3 production demand microscope httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryteslaearningsmodel3productiondemandunderthemicroscopeagain20171025 seeearningswatch apple tesla facebook posthalloween treats httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryearningswatchappleteslaandfacebookareposthalloweentreats20171030 stocks focus shares united states steel corpx jumped 14 steelmakers quarterly results outlook late tuesday topped wall street estimates httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryussteelsharesrallyonearningsbeatoutlook20171031 electronic arts incea dropped 5 videogame maker reported secondquarter loss httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryelectronicartssharesdropintheextendedsessionaftersecondquarterresults20171031 tuesdays closing bell envision healthcare corpevhc tumbled 32 hospital company late tuesday revealed weaker expected earnings said would review strategic alternatives httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryenvisionhealthcareplummetsafterearningsmissmayconsidersale20171031 could include sale strategists saying investor sentiment generally strong right progress made tax reform momentum remains rally moment risks obviously remain rear ugly head im sure gradual consistent gains easily continue said craig erlam senior market analyst oanda emailed comments us stock markets got many reasons attract global investors moment strong sustained positive trend since year backed solid 3q earnings spiced optimism tax reforms said ipek ozkardeskaya senior market analyst london capital group facebook earnings release due later today expectations positive continuation solid 3q earnings season concern conflict among republicans regarding tax reforms hear anything concrete within couple days optimism could leave place correction said emailed comments economic data focus privatesector employment bounced back october employers added 235000 jobs adp reported wednesday markit manufacturing pmi month came 546 october ism manufacturing index september construction spending data due 10 eastern monthly auto sales numbers trickle day markets oil prices continued rally httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryusoiljumpsto2yearhighonsignsopecdealisworking20171101 optimism opec deal cut production working west texas intermediate crude oil 12 5502 barrel trade around highest level since summer 2015 gold also rising 05 127670 ounce currencies pound jumped 13301 13283 late tuesday new york upbeat sterling mood came signs london brussels determined make progress brexit talks investors also looked ahead bank englands policy meeting thursday uk central bank widely expected raise interest rates first time decade httpwwwmarketwatchcomstory5thingsinvestorsneedtoknowasthebankofenglandpreparesforhistoricratehike20171031 dollar traded mixed major currencies ice dollar index 01 94614 stocks asia closed firmly higher httpwwwmarketwatchcomstorynikkeikospijumpmorethan1toleadasiapacificstockgains20171031 european markets httpwwwmarketwatchcomstoryeuropeanstocksleapto2yearhighascommoditysharesmarchup20171101 mirrored mood end dow jones newswires november 01 2017 0958 et 1358 gmt

<p /> <p>The restaurant industry has gotten extremely competitive in recent years. Well-established player Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), which is the driving force behind KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, has seen competition from up-and-coming burger specialist Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK), which went public only a couple of years ago. As consumers take sides on which approach to convenient meals is better, investors want to know which of these two stocks would make a smarter pick for their portfolios.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Let's look more closely at Shake Shack and Yum! Brands, using a set of key metrics to decide which one compares more favorably.</p> <p>Image source: Shake Shack.</p> <p>Yum! Brands and Shake Shack have seen their stocks move in opposite directions over the past year. Yum! Brands has been a big winner, posting a total return of 34% since February 2016. By contrast, Shake Shack investors have suffered a 6% loss over the same time period.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Yet even with Yum! having outpaced Shake Shack lately, the Taco Bell operator retains a clear valuation advantage using simple earnings-based metrics. When you look at trailing earnings over the past 12 months, Yum! Brands stock trades currently at a multiple of around 16. That compares to a high price tag of 82 times trailing earnings for Shake Shack.</p> <p>Admittedly, Yum! Brands has enjoyed unusually strong bottom-line results due to some one-time factors. But even when you look at valuations based on future earnings prospects, the gap remains. Yum! has a valuation of about 21 times forward earnings compared to a forward multiple of more than 60 for Shake Shack. Based on valuation, Yum! Brands looks like the more cheaply priced stock.</p> <p>For dividend investors, there's only one choice between these two restaurant giants. Shake Shack doesn't pay a dividend, but Yum! Brands rewards shareholders with a yield of 1.8%.</p> <p>Even though it wins by default, Yum! Brands has put together an impressive track record of dividend growth. For 13 straight years, the fast-food giant boosted its payout, with a late 2016 increase of almost 11% being typical for the company. With the spinoff of its Yum China unit, Yum! Brands' quarterly payout shrank, but it still represents a similar yield to its pre-spinoff level.</p> <p>If you like portfolio income, Yum! is the obvious choice. Shake Shack likely has a long road ahead of it before it chooses to divert capital away from internal growth toward returning shareholder capital.</p> <p>The restaurant business has been tough lately, and both of these companies have had their ups and downs. For Yum! Brands, 2016 was a solid year for the company, but there were definite signs of challenges. Same-restaurant sales for the entire network were up 1%, led by the strength of the KFC and Taco Bell concepts. However, the Pizza Hut unit saw comps fall 2%, and competition throughout the space threatened to hold back some of Yum!'s overall growth prospects.</p> <p>The spinoff of Yum China will make Yum! Brands a more asset-light company, in large part because many company-owned restaurants have been in the Chinese market. Indeed, Yum!'s management expects to have all but about 2% of stores under franchise models by next year, and that will allow the company to cut its capital spending and boost capital return to shareholders.</p> <p>Shake Shack, meanwhile, is still in the early stages of its high-growth phase. The company's launch of its first chicken sandwich about a year ago has gone well, giving customers an alternative to the old burger-heavy menu. Store opening activity levels have been on the uptick, and Shake Shack understands that it needs to expand and reach critical mass quickly in order to avoid losing any more time while its restaurant concept is popular.</p> <p>Key initiatives, like rolling out its mobile ordering app and considering catering and delivery as options, could bolster growth going forward. But some investors are nervous about the staying power of the burger chain, and that explains, in part, why the stock has languished.</p> <p>Yum! Brands looks like the smarter pick for investors in the restaurant industry right now, because Yum! sports lower valuations, a dividend, and clearer growth opportunities. That's not to say that Shake Shack doesn't have any chance of doing well, but based on current conditions, Yum! claims the top spot.</p> <p>10 stocks we like better than Yum! BrandsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p> <p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=a6813023-6b45-4069-b01e-7e564081c3b9&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Yum! Brands wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p> <p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;amp;impression=a6813023-6b45-4069-b01e-7e564081c3b9&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p> <p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool is short Shake Shack. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

restaurant industry gotten extremely competitive recent years wellestablished player yum brands nyse yum driving force behind kfc taco bell pizza hut seen competition upandcoming burger specialist shake shack nyse shak went public couple years ago consumers take sides approach convenient meals better investors want know two stocks would make smarter pick portfolios continue reading lets look closely shake shack yum brands using set key metrics decide one compares favorably image source shake shack yum brands shake shack seen stocks move opposite directions past year yum brands big winner posting total return 34 since february 2016 contrast shake shack investors suffered 6 loss time period advertisement yet even yum outpaced shake shack lately taco bell operator retains clear valuation advantage using simple earningsbased metrics look trailing earnings past 12 months yum brands stock trades currently multiple around 16 compares high price tag 82 times trailing earnings shake shack admittedly yum brands enjoyed unusually strong bottomline results due onetime factors even look valuations based future earnings prospects gap remains yum valuation 21 times forward earnings compared forward multiple 60 shake shack based valuation yum brands looks like cheaply priced stock dividend investors theres one choice two restaurant giants shake shack doesnt pay dividend yum brands rewards shareholders yield 18 even though wins default yum brands put together impressive track record dividend growth 13 straight years fastfood giant boosted payout late 2016 increase almost 11 typical company spinoff yum china unit yum brands quarterly payout shrank still represents similar yield prespinoff level like portfolio income yum obvious choice shake shack likely long road ahead chooses divert capital away internal growth toward returning shareholder capital restaurant business tough lately companies ups downs yum brands 2016 solid year company definite signs challenges samerestaurant sales entire network 1 led strength kfc taco bell concepts however pizza hut unit saw comps fall 2 competition throughout space threatened hold back yums overall growth prospects spinoff yum china make yum brands assetlight company large part many companyowned restaurants chinese market indeed yums management expects 2 stores franchise models next year allow company cut capital spending boost capital return shareholders shake shack meanwhile still early stages highgrowth phase companys launch first chicken sandwich year ago gone well giving customers alternative old burgerheavy menu store opening activity levels uptick shake shack understands needs expand reach critical mass quickly order avoid losing time restaurant concept popular key initiatives like rolling mobile ordering app considering catering delivery options could bolster growth going forward investors nervous staying power burger chain explains part stock languished yum brands looks like smarter pick investors restaurant industry right yum sports lower valuations dividend clearer growth opportunities thats say shake shack doesnt chance well based current conditions yum claims top spot 10 stocks like better yum brandswhen investing geniuses david tom gardner stock tip pay listen newsletter run decade motley fool stock advisor tripled market david tom revealed believe 10 best stocks opens new window investors buy right yum brands wasnt one thats right think 10 stocks even better buys click opens new window learn picks stock advisor returns february 6 2017 dan caplinger opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool short shake shack motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>The recent volatility in bond markets has stirred up old fears in Europe. Investors have long been concerned about the possible impact of the end of the European Central Bank's quantitative easing program on the eurozone's periphery, not least Italy -- the country long-regarded as too big to save. Now with markets abuzz with talk of central bank monetary policy "normalization," those concerns are once again front of mind: Without the fire blanket of ECB government bond-buying, will Italian borrowing costs soar once again, plunging the eurozone back into crisis?</p> <p>For the moment, there is no sign of any panic -- or any immediate cause for alarm. Italian 10-year government bond yields have risen sharply in the past two weeks to just over 2.2% in tandem with other eurozone government bond markets. But the spread between German and Italian bond yields -- a measure of the perceived riskiness of Italian bonds -- has widened only modestly to 1.7 percentage points, well below the recent peak of 2.2 percentage points ahead of May's French presidential election though still above the 1.3 percentage points a year ago before fears about Italian political risks started rising in the run-up to a November constitutional referendum.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Nonetheless, investors are wary because at some point rising Italian government bond yields run the risk of creating negative feedback loops into the real economy via higher domestic borrowing costs. With the trifecta of Italian government debt equivalent to 132% of gross domestic product, growth not expected to exceed 1.4% this year, and inflation still below 1%, any sharp rise in borrowing costs risks reviving questions over the sustainability of Italian debt. Italy can cope with bond yields rising above 2%, but what if they rise above 3% or 4%? asks Marchel Alexandrovich, European economist at Jefferies International.</p> <p>These concerns are shared by policy makers, though ECB officials say they won't allow this to influence its decision-making: the ECB's task is to set monetary policy conditions for the whole eurozone, not an individual country. Besides, there is no reason why any ECB decision to taper its purchases of government bonds should trigger a crisis. After all, the Italian government benefits from a deep and liquid domestic market for its bonds: the Italian household sector holds EUR3 trillion worth of liquid assets and is currently adding to those savings at an annualized rate equivalent to more than 8% of GDP.</p> <p>At the same time, the government is running a primary budget surplus which means that Rome only needs to issue new debt to roll over existing debt and cover its interest expense -- a task made easier by the Treasury's efforts to lock in current low-interest rates and extend the maturity profile of its debts. Policy makers also note that a rise in interest rates may not be as damaging as investors fear since higher household investment income could boost spending and growth.</p> <p>The real short-term risk is that ECB tapering might crystallize existing fears about Italian political risks ahead of the general election that must be held by the end of February. If the outcome was a populist 5 Star Movement committed to taking Italy out of the euro, the eurozone would be plunged into crisis from which there is no obvious escape. Under such circumstances, Rome is unlikely to request the kind of bailout program needed to unlock further ECB assistance.</p> <p>Yet even if the eurozone survives this test -- continuing this year's pattern of market-friendly political surprises -- policy makers fear that long-term political risks will continue to hang over the government debt market. True, Italy is currently enjoying a cyclical upswing, helped by a buoyant global economy. It should also reap some benefits from the recent, belated efforts finally to clean up its banking system and tackle the legacy of bad debts. Other recent overhauls should also contribute to stronger growth including reforms of the labor market, judiciary and new incentives to encourage equity investment which should help unlock access to capital markets.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>But these reforms are unlikely to lift Italy's long-term growth prospects to levels that would remove concerns about its long-term debt sustainability. In a recent speech, ECB executive director Beno&#238;t Coeur&#233; drew attention to the striking correlation between the quality of a country's institutions as measured by the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Index and its GDP/capita. Italy's position at the bottom of the eurozone governance league, ahead of only Greece, may partly explain why Italy's GDP/capita growth performance has also languished at the bottom of the European league, having remained stagnant for the best part of two decades.</p> <p>This suggests that the key to sustainably boosting Italy's long-term performance lies in deeper institutional overhauls that will speed up the reallocation of resources to the most productive sectors of the economy and discourage the kind of rent-seeking that continues to drag on productivity and GDP/capita. For that, Italy needs a stable government committed to delivering reforms. Without one, the specter of crisis will continue to stalk Italy -- and the eurozone.</p> <p>The recent volatility in bond markets has stirred up old fears in Europe. Investors have long been concerned about the possible impact of the end of the European Central Bank's quantitative easing program on the eurozone's periphery, not least Italy -- the country long-regarded as too big to save. Now with markets abuzz with talk of central bank monetary policy "normalization," those concerns are once again front of mind: Without the fire blanket of ECB government bond-buying, will Italian borrowing costs soar once again, plunging the eurozone back into crisis?</p> <p>For the moment, there is no sign of any panic -- or any immediate cause for alarm. Italian 10-year government bond yields have risen sharply in the past two weeks to just over 2.2% in tandem with other eurozone government bond markets. But the spread between German and Italian bond yields -- a measure of the perceived riskiness of Italian bonds -- has widened only modestly to 1.7 percentage points, well below the recent peak of 2.2 percentage points ahead of May's French presidential election though still above the 1.3 percentage points a year ago before fears about Italian political risks started rising in the run-up to a December 2016 constitutional referendum.</p> <p>Nonetheless, investors are wary because at some point rising Italian government bond yields run the risk of creating negative feedback loops into the real economy via higher domestic borrowing costs. With the trifecta of Italian government debt equivalent to 132% of gross domestic product, growth not expected to exceed 1.4% this year, and inflation still below 1%, any sharp rise in borrowing costs risks reviving questions over the sustainability of Italian debt. Italy can cope with bond yields rising above 2%, but what if they rise above 3% or 4%? asks Marchel Alexandrovich, European economist at Jefferies International.</p> <p>These concerns are shared by policy makers, though ECB officials say they won't allow this to influence its decision-making: the ECB's task is to set monetary policy conditions for the whole eurozone, not an individual country. Besides, there is no reason why any ECB decision to taper its purchases of government bonds should trigger a crisis. After all, the Italian government benefits from a deep and liquid domestic market for its bonds: the Italian household sector holds EUR3 trillion worth of liquid assets and is currently adding to those savings at an annualized rate equivalent to more than 8% of GDP.</p> <p>At the same time, the government is running a primary budget surplus which means that Rome only needs to issue new debt to roll over existing debt and cover its interest expense -- a task made easier by the Treasury's efforts to lock in current low-interest rates and extend the maturity profile of its debts. Policy makers also note that a rise in interest rates may not be as damaging as investors fear since higher household investment income could boost spending and growth.</p> <p>The real short-term risk is that ECB tapering might crystallize existing fears about Italian political risks ahead of the general election that must be held by the end of May 2018. If the outcome was a populist 5 Star Movement committed to taking Italy out of the euro, the eurozone would be plunged into crisis from which there is no obvious escape. Under such circumstances, Rome is unlikely to request the kind of bailout program needed to unlock further ECB assistance.</p> <p>Yet even if the eurozone survives this test -- continuing this year's pattern of market-friendly political surprises -- policy makers fear that long-term political risks will continue to hang over the government debt market. True, Italy is currently enjoying a cyclical upswing, helped by a buoyant global economy. It should also reap some benefits from the recent, belated efforts finally to clean up its banking system and tackle the legacy of bad debts. Other recent overhauls should also contribute to stronger growth including reforms of the labor market, judiciary and new incentives to encourage equity investment which should help unlock access to capital markets.</p> <p>But these reforms are unlikely to lift Italy's long-term growth prospects to levels that would remove concerns about its long-term debt sustainability. In a recent speech, ECB executive director Beno&#238;t Coeur&#233; drew attention to the striking correlation between the quality of a country's institutions as measured by the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Index and its GDP/capita. Italy's position at the bottom of the eurozone governance league, ahead of only Greece, may partly explain why Italy's GDP/capita growth performance has also languished at the bottom of the European league, having remained stagnant for the best part of two decades.</p> <p>This suggests that the key to sustainably boosting Italy's long-term performance lies in deeper institutional overhauls that will speed up the reallocation of resources to the most productive sectors of the economy and discourage the kind of rent-seeking that continues to drag on productivity and GDP/capita. For that, Italy needs a stable government committed to delivering reforms. Without one, the specter of crisis will continue to stalk Italy -- and the eurozone.</p> <p>Corrections &amp;amp; Amplifications</p> <p>This was corrected at 2:13 p.m. ET on Monday July 10, 2017 because the original incorrectly said in the second paragraph that Italy held a constitutional referendum in November 2016 as well as incorrectly says the Italian general election must be held by the end of February.</p> <p>"Investors Keep Wary Eye on Risky Italian Bond Yields" at 1:06 p.m. EDT on July 9 incorrectly said in the second paragraph that Italy held a constitutional referendum in November 2016. It was held in December 2016.</p> <p>Also, the sixth paragraph incorrectly says the Italian general election must be held by the end of February. It must be held by the end of May 2018.</p> <p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p> <p>July 10, 2017 14:24 ET (18:24 GMT)</p>

recent volatility bond markets stirred old fears europe investors long concerned possible impact end european central banks quantitative easing program eurozones periphery least italy country longregarded big save markets abuzz talk central bank monetary policy normalization concerns front mind without fire blanket ecb government bondbuying italian borrowing costs soar plunging eurozone back crisis moment sign panic immediate cause alarm italian 10year government bond yields risen sharply past two weeks 22 tandem eurozone government bond markets spread german italian bond yields measure perceived riskiness italian bonds widened modestly 17 percentage points well recent peak 22 percentage points ahead mays french presidential election though still 13 percentage points year ago fears italian political risks started rising runup november constitutional referendum continue reading nonetheless investors wary point rising italian government bond yields run risk creating negative feedback loops real economy via higher domestic borrowing costs trifecta italian government debt equivalent 132 gross domestic product growth expected exceed 14 year inflation still 1 sharp rise borrowing costs risks reviving questions sustainability italian debt italy cope bond yields rising 2 rise 3 4 asks marchel alexandrovich european economist jefferies international concerns shared policy makers though ecb officials say wont allow influence decisionmaking ecbs task set monetary policy conditions whole eurozone individual country besides reason ecb decision taper purchases government bonds trigger crisis italian government benefits deep liquid domestic market bonds italian household sector holds eur3 trillion worth liquid assets currently adding savings annualized rate equivalent 8 gdp time government running primary budget surplus means rome needs issue new debt roll existing debt cover interest expense task made easier treasurys efforts lock current lowinterest rates extend maturity profile debts policy makers also note rise interest rates may damaging investors fear since higher household investment income could boost spending growth real shortterm risk ecb tapering might crystallize existing fears italian political risks ahead general election must held end february outcome populist 5 star movement committed taking italy euro eurozone would plunged crisis obvious escape circumstances rome unlikely request kind bailout program needed unlock ecb assistance yet even eurozone survives test continuing years pattern marketfriendly political surprises policy makers fear longterm political risks continue hang government debt market true italy currently enjoying cyclical upswing helped buoyant global economy also reap benefits recent belated efforts finally clean banking system tackle legacy bad debts recent overhauls also contribute stronger growth including reforms labor market judiciary new incentives encourage equity investment help unlock access capital markets advertisement reforms unlikely lift italys longterm growth prospects levels would remove concerns longterm debt sustainability recent speech ecb executive director benoît coeuré drew attention striking correlation quality countrys institutions measured world banks worldwide governance index gdpcapita italys position bottom eurozone governance league ahead greece may partly explain italys gdpcapita growth performance also languished bottom european league remained stagnant best part two decades suggests key sustainably boosting italys longterm performance lies deeper institutional overhauls speed reallocation resources productive sectors economy discourage kind rentseeking continues drag productivity gdpcapita italy needs stable government committed delivering reforms without one specter crisis continue stalk italy eurozone recent volatility bond markets stirred old fears europe investors long concerned possible impact end european central banks quantitative easing program eurozones periphery least italy country longregarded big save markets abuzz talk central bank monetary policy normalization concerns front mind without fire blanket ecb government bondbuying italian borrowing costs soar plunging eurozone back crisis moment sign panic immediate cause alarm italian 10year government bond yields risen sharply past two weeks 22 tandem eurozone government bond markets spread german italian bond yields measure perceived riskiness italian bonds widened modestly 17 percentage points well recent peak 22 percentage points ahead mays french presidential election though still 13 percentage points year ago fears italian political risks started rising runup december 2016 constitutional referendum nonetheless investors wary point rising italian government bond yields run risk creating negative feedback loops real economy via higher domestic borrowing costs trifecta italian government debt equivalent 132 gross domestic product growth expected exceed 14 year inflation still 1 sharp rise borrowing costs risks reviving questions sustainability italian debt italy cope bond yields rising 2 rise 3 4 asks marchel alexandrovich european economist jefferies international concerns shared policy makers though ecb officials say wont allow influence decisionmaking ecbs task set monetary policy conditions whole eurozone individual country besides reason ecb decision taper purchases government bonds trigger crisis italian government benefits deep liquid domestic market bonds italian household sector holds eur3 trillion worth liquid assets currently adding savings annualized rate equivalent 8 gdp time government running primary budget surplus means rome needs issue new debt roll existing debt cover interest expense task made easier treasurys efforts lock current lowinterest rates extend maturity profile debts policy makers also note rise interest rates may damaging investors fear since higher household investment income could boost spending growth real shortterm risk ecb tapering might crystallize existing fears italian political risks ahead general election must held end may 2018 outcome populist 5 star movement committed taking italy euro eurozone would plunged crisis obvious escape circumstances rome unlikely request kind bailout program needed unlock ecb assistance yet even eurozone survives test continuing years pattern marketfriendly political surprises policy makers fear longterm political risks continue hang government debt market true italy currently enjoying cyclical upswing helped buoyant global economy also reap benefits recent belated efforts finally clean banking system tackle legacy bad debts recent overhauls also contribute stronger growth including reforms labor market judiciary new incentives encourage equity investment help unlock access capital markets reforms unlikely lift italys longterm growth prospects levels would remove concerns longterm debt sustainability recent speech ecb executive director benoît coeuré drew attention striking correlation quality countrys institutions measured world banks worldwide governance index gdpcapita italys position bottom eurozone governance league ahead greece may partly explain italys gdpcapita growth performance also languished bottom european league remained stagnant best part two decades suggests key sustainably boosting italys longterm performance lies deeper institutional overhauls speed reallocation resources productive sectors economy discourage kind rentseeking continues drag productivity gdpcapita italy needs stable government committed delivering reforms without one specter crisis continue stalk italy eurozone corrections amp amplifications corrected 213 pm et monday july 10 2017 original incorrectly said second paragraph italy held constitutional referendum november 2016 well incorrectly says italian general election must held end february investors keep wary eye risky italian bond yields 106 pm edt july 9 incorrectly said second paragraph italy held constitutional referendum november 2016 held december 2016 also sixth paragraph incorrectly says italian general election must held end february must held end may 2018 end dow jones newswires july 10 2017 1424 et 1824 gmt

<p>AP</p> <p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Adam Kredo</a> August 20, 2014 4:59 am</p> <p>The family of a Righteous-Gentile-turned-Israel-critic who was featured in a laudatory New York Times article failed to mention that a Hamas operative was in the family&#8217;s home at the time of an Israeli military strike, according to publicly available information not mentioned by the Times.</p> <p>The Times on Friday ran a <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/world/middleeast/henk-zanoli-israel-gaza-holocaust-ziadah.html?referrer=&amp;amp;_r=2" type="external">front-page profile</a> on <a href="http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/family.html?language=en&amp;amp;itemId=9120199" type="external">Henk Zanoli</a>, who was awarded a medal by Israel for his family&#8217;s efforts to save a Jewish family during the Holocaust. Zanoli recently opted to return his medal to Israel to protest an Israeli airstrike on a home in Gaza that killed six of his relatives by marriage, the Times reported.</p> <p>Not mentioned by Zanoli or the Times reporters is publicly available information published by a left-wing Israeli human rights group showing that a Hamas operative and member of the terror group&#8217;s militant wing was in the home at the time of the strike.</p> <p>The Aug. 15 profile of Zanoli&#8212;who was quoted saying that "none of his family members were militants"&#8212;was followed by another front-page profile on Sunday accusing Israel of organ harvesting.</p> <p>The traffic in human organs is a topic that is rarely covered by the Times&#8212;except when it comes to Israel.</p> <p>The two articles renewed <a href="https://twitter.com/rabbisacks/status/501396369308135424" type="external">concerns</a> about the paper&#8217;s coverage of Israel, which <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/16/The-Sad-Sad-Case-of-Henk-Zanoli-Righteous-Gentile-Turned-Israel-Hater" type="external">critics say</a> is increasingly marred by an anti-Israel bias and meant to delegitimize the Jewish state.</p> <p>The article about Zanoli&#8217;s transformation into a vociferous Israel critic, for example, barely mentions the circumstances of the Israeli strike, information needed to provide the story context.</p> <p>"On July 20, an Israeli airstrike flattened a house in the Gaza Strip, killing six of Mr. Zanoli&#8217;s relatives by marriage," write reporters Christopher Schuetze and Anne Barnard. "His grandniece, a Dutch diplomat, is married to a Palestinian economist, Ismail Ziadah, who lost three brothers, a sister-in-law, a nephew, and his father&#8217;s first wife&amp;#160;in the attack."</p> <p>However, according to information&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;view=article&amp;amp;id=10520:another-bloody-day-on-the-14th-day-of-the-israeli-offensive-complete-families-attack-while-inside-their-homes-rescue-crews-to-search-for-victims-in-al-shujaiya-neighborhood-more-palestinians-forcibly-displaced-in-border-areas&amp;amp;catid=36:pchrpressreleases&amp;amp;Itemid=194" type="external">published</a>&amp;#160;by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and&amp;#160; <a href="http://elderofziyon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-terrorist-in-righteous-gentile.html#.U_NmJY2wLbc" type="external">first noted</a>&amp;#160;by pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon,&amp;#160;a seventh person was in the home: Hamas militant and Al Qassam Brigades member Mohammed Mahmoud al-Maqadma.</p> <p>Israel&#8217;s left-wing B&#8217;Tselem&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/201407_families" type="external">listed the names</a> of those killed in the home and referred to al-Maqadma as a "military branch operative," Elder of Ziyon noted.</p> <p>The Al Qassam Brigades later published a " <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=790408587646673&amp;amp;set=a.616211921733008.1073741827.100000326162869&amp;amp;type=1" type="external">martyr poster</a>" that featured al-Maqadma&#8217;s image, Elder of Ziyon pointed out.</p> <p>While none of this information is featured in the Times&#8217; reporting, Zanoli&#8217;s accusations that Israel is an illegitimate state are featured prominently.</p> <p>"Against this background, it is particularly shocking and tragic that today, four generations on, our family is faced with the murder of our kin in Gaza. Murder carried out by the State of Israel," the Times quotes Zanoli as saying, a refrain that is repeated throughout the article.</p> <p>"I gave back my medal because I didn&#8217;t agree with what the state of Israel is doing to my family and to the Palestinians on the whole," Zanoli is later quoted as saying.</p> <p>Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan declined to comment on the factual omissions when reached by the Washington&amp;#160;Free Beacon.</p> <p>"Thanks for taking the time to write. The public editor prefers to let her posts and comments speak for themselves," a staffer in the Office of the Public Editor told the Free Beacon via email.</p> <p>Multiple Times spokesmen did not respond to&amp;#160;Free Beacon requests for comment on the Zanoli profile and the later piece on purported Israeli organ harvesting.</p> <p>Gilead Ini, a senior research analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), said a statistical study of the Times shows that it has an "obsession with indicting Israel."</p> <p>"We know that the New York Times has something of an obsession with indicting Israel, a phenomenon documented in CAMERA's six-month&amp;#160;study&amp;#160;of&amp;#160;Times reporting," Ini said, taking aim at the paper&#8217;s stories accusing Israel of harvesting organs.</p> <p>On Sunday, the Times featured a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/world/middleeast/transplant-brokers-in-israel-lure-desperate-kidney-patients-to-costa-rica.html" type="external">massive report</a> on organ trafficking in Israel, an issue that has been used for decades by Israel&#8217;s detractors and anti-Semites alike to portray the Jewish people in a negative light.</p> <p>"Israel&#8217;s irrepressible underground kidney market," the Times said, is among the largest in the world.</p> <p>"A Times analysis of major trafficking cases since 2000 suggests that Israelis have played a disproportionate role," the paper wrote.</p> <p>The timing and substance of the article drew much criticism from those who say that the Times is committed to running stories that delegitimize Israel.</p> <p>The paper, in an unusual move, repeatedly <a href="" type="internal">tweeted out</a> the article in a sensational manner under several of its social media accounts.</p> <p>The Times rarely writes about the&amp;#160;topic, a&amp;#160;Free Beacon&amp;#160;analysis shows.</p> <p>Less than a handful of articles have been published by the Times in the past several years on <a href="" type="internal">China&#8217;s massive organ harvesting operation</a>, which includes slicing organs out of political prisoners and others.</p> <p>One 2013 <a href="http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/no-quick-fixes-for-chinas-overwhelmed-organ-transplant-system/" type="external">blog post</a> on the issue neglects to mention some of the prisoners subjected by China to organ harvesting are <a href="" type="internal">political dissidents</a> who have committed no legitimate crimes.</p> <p>CAMERA&#8217;s Ini said the coverage "raises questions about the paper&#8217;s news judgment."</p> <p>"Sunday's&amp;#160;two stories aren't the first time the newspaper has singled out Israel when discussing organ purchases," he said. "So why has the newspaper never once mentioned Oman in connection with organ trading, even though the Gulf country plays an&amp;#160; <a href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/12/06-039370-table-T2.html" type="external">outsized</a>&amp;#160;role as an organ importer? Why&amp;#160;is the story of Israelis in the organ trade considered front-page news, while the Times&#8217; first mention of the flight of an estimated 200,000 Yazidi in Iraq was buried inside the newspaper, as was its first mention of ISIS's reported &#8216;convert or die' order targeting the Yazidi?"</p> <p>One senior official with a pro-Israel organization accused the Times of slandering Israel.</p> <p>"Originally the assumption was that the journalists in the New York Times&#8216; Jerusalem bureau just weren't very good. But the last few weeks have gone way beyond misreporting and well into slander," said the source.</p> <p>"There are days when the photos on the front page is indistinguishable from Hamas' webpage. The Israeli perspective is never, ever offered," the source added. "And now they're obsessively printing sensational stories about organ harvesting. The entire paper is developing a certain odor."</p>

ap adam kredo august 20 2014 459 family righteousgentileturnedisraelcritic featured laudatory new york times article failed mention hamas operative familys home time israeli military strike according publicly available information mentioned times times friday ran frontpage profile henk zanoli awarded medal israel familys efforts save jewish family holocaust zanoli recently opted return medal israel protest israeli airstrike home gaza killed six relatives marriage times reported mentioned zanoli times reporters publicly available information published leftwing israeli human rights group showing hamas operative member terror groups militant wing home time strike aug 15 profile zanoliwho quoted saying none family members militantswas followed another frontpage profile sunday accusing israel organ harvesting traffic human organs topic rarely covered timesexcept comes israel two articles renewed concerns papers coverage israel critics say increasingly marred antiisrael bias meant delegitimize jewish state article zanolis transformation vociferous israel critic example barely mentions circumstances israeli strike information needed provide story context july 20 israeli airstrike flattened house gaza strip killing six mr zanolis relatives marriage write reporters christopher schuetze anne barnard grandniece dutch diplomat married palestinian economist ismail ziadah lost three brothers sisterinlaw nephew fathers first wife160in attack however according information160 published160by palestinian centre human rights and160 first noted160by proisrael blogger elder ziyon160a seventh person home hamas militant al qassam brigades member mohammed mahmoud almaqadma israels leftwing btselem160 listed names killed home referred almaqadma military branch operative elder ziyon noted al qassam brigades later published martyr poster featured almaqadmas image elder ziyon pointed none information featured times reporting zanolis accusations israel illegitimate state featured prominently background particularly shocking tragic today four generations family faced murder kin gaza murder carried state israel times quotes zanoli saying refrain repeated throughout article gave back medal didnt agree state israel family palestinians whole zanoli later quoted saying times public editor margaret sullivan declined comment factual omissions reached washington160free beacon thanks taking time write public editor prefers let posts comments speak staffer office public editor told free beacon via email multiple times spokesmen respond to160free beacon requests comment zanoli profile later piece purported israeli organ harvesting gilead ini senior research analyst committee accuracy middle east reporting america camera said statistical study times shows obsession indicting israel know new york times something obsession indicting israel phenomenon documented cameras sixmonth160study160of160times reporting ini said taking aim papers stories accusing israel harvesting organs sunday times featured massive report organ trafficking israel issue used decades israels detractors antisemites alike portray jewish people negative light israels irrepressible underground kidney market times said among largest world times analysis major trafficking cases since 2000 suggests israelis played disproportionate role paper wrote timing substance article drew much criticism say times committed running stories delegitimize israel paper unusual move repeatedly tweeted article sensational manner several social media accounts times rarely writes the160topic a160free beacon160analysis shows less handful articles published times past several years chinas massive organ harvesting operation includes slicing organs political prisoners others one 2013 blog post issue neglects mention prisoners subjected china organ harvesting political dissidents committed legitimate crimes cameras ini said coverage raises questions papers news judgment sundays160two stories arent first time newspaper singled israel discussing organ purchases said newspaper never mentioned oman connection organ trading even though gulf country plays an160 outsized160role organ importer why160is story israelis organ trade considered frontpage news times first mention flight estimated 200000 yazidi iraq buried inside newspaper first mention isiss reported convert die order targeting yazidi one senior official proisrael organization accused times slandering israel originally assumption journalists new york times jerusalem bureau werent good last weeks gone way beyond misreporting well slander said source days photos front page indistinguishable hamas webpage israeli perspective never ever offered source added theyre obsessively printing sensational stories organ harvesting entire paper developing certain odor

<p /> <p>Welcome to Top 10, Recruiter.com's weekly rundown of the best&amp;#160;of the best in recruiting! Every Friday, we release a list of some of our favorite people, things, and ideas dominating the industry. From awesome tech tools and cool companies to great books and powerful trends, no stone in the recruiting space will be left unturned.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>This Week:&amp;#160;Top 10 HR Tech Startups</p> <p>What exactly is " <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/hr-software.html" type="external">HR tech Opens a New Window.</a>"? It's an admittedly wide umbrella, but the way we see it, it's all about technologically driven solutions to human resources problems.</p> <p>The word "startup," too, casts a wide net depending on whom you're talking to. Forbes writer Natalie Robehmed has written <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2013/12/16/what-is-a-startup/#3f6886c14c63" type="external">an interesting exploration of what it means to be a startup Opens a New Window.</a>, but for our purposes here, we've only considered companies that are six years old or younger. It's a semi-arbitrary cutoff, but in our unscientific opinion, most companies that have passed the six-year mark are on solid enough ground to no longer be considered to be in their early stages of life.</p> <p>Today's Top 10, then, is a celebration of young companies that are using technology to solve HR problems. From payroll and perks to onboarding new talent and closing the gender gap in professional services firms, the companies on our list are doing big things to make your HR department's life a little easier.</p> <p>1. Maestro Health</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Whatever your opinion on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is, there's probably one thing we can all agree on: Those insurance marketplaces are confusing as heck to navigate. Indeed, shopping for health care is pretty much always guaranteed to leave people baffled in some regard. It's a complicated system! If you work in HR, it's often your job to guide employees through benefits explanations and company insurance plans &#8211;&amp;#160;but what if you, like any normal person, are just as confused by it all?</p> <p>That's where maestroEDGE by Maestro Health comes into the picture. The platform is designed to simplify how employers and employees shop for and enroll in benefits programs. Going the self-funded route? MaestroEdge can help. Want to guide employees through the process of shopping for benefits? MaestroEdge can help there, too &#8211;&amp;#160;by suggesting personalized plans to your employees based on their histories, demographics, and lifestyles. The platform can even give you a hand in making sure your organization totally complies with the somewhat complex mandates of the ACA.</p> <p>If you're in need of some benefits management guidance, maestroEDGE is the place to start.</p> <p><a href="http://www.maestrohealth.com/maestroedge/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>2. Juggle</p> <p><a href="http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_457267/lang--en/index.htm" type="external">According to the International Labor Organization Opens a New Window.</a>, "women are losing ground in their quest for equality in the world of work." Juggle is a young company that aims to help in that regard by matching qualified, talented professional women with companies in need of talent.</p> <p>The gist is simple, but profound: Many women are forced to sideline their careers or leave the workforce altogether when they start families &#8211; a challenge that men with families don't often face. At the same time, flexible work arrangements have become increasingly popular. Juggle sees this trend as a potential solution to the challenges women face at work: By matching professional women with flexible work opportunities, Juggle aims not only to give employers access to top-tier talent, but also to help women juggle their personal and professional lives more successfully. It's a win for everyone involved.</p> <p><a href="http://www.jugglejobs.co.uk/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>3. People HR</p> <p>People HR is one of very few full HR systems that runs entirely in your browser. Not only does that mean easy access to your HR system no matter where you are, but it also means increased agility, convenience, and flexibility in all your HR needs.</p> <p>That being said, the coolest thing about People HR, in our opinion, is its "Missions" feature. These are 10 HR-related challenges that HR pros can embark on to improve their companies, earn recognition and rewards, and prove their value beyond a shadow of a doubt. With titles like "Creating Culture" and "Avoiding Disaster," People HR's "Missions" are an excellent way to make HR fun again.</p> <p>Bonus: People HR's company handbook is <a href="https://www.peoplehr.com/files/PeopleHandbook.pdf" type="external">publicly available Opens a New Window.</a>. We suggest you take a look. There's a lot we can all learn from the company's progressive, flat management structure.</p> <p><a href="https://www.peoplehr.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>4. Kin</p> <p>Kin was launched by Web design company <a href="http://wearemammoth.com/" type="external">We Are Mammoth Opens a New Window.</a> in 2012, when the company realized it couldn't find a simple, intuitive HR system to handle tasks like onboarding, data management, employee goals and objectives, and employee reviews. The platform is built for ease and agility, and it's perfect for organizations that lack dedicated HR staff thanks to its self-service functions.</p> <p>Kin's standout feature, in our opinion, is its personalized onboarding pages. These pages detail an individual new hire's tasks, offer tips, and collect important files all in one place &#8211;&amp;#160;plus, the clear, crisp design makes navigating the onboarding process a breeze.</p> <p><a href="https://kinhr.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>5. HR Company Store</p> <p>Billing itself as the "one stop HR shop," HR Company Store is a website that allows HR pros to find, rate, and review vendors in more than 70 categories, including employee benefits, risk management, recruiting, training and development, and more. It's essentially Yelp for B2B vendors, and it's changing the way HR pros find and purchase the services they need.</p> <p>Plus -- it's totally free for HR users.</p> <p><a href="https://www.hrcompanystore.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>6. Waggl</p> <p>The employee engagement and feedback tool Waggl makes it easy to stay updated on what's going on in your workforce. It only takes a couple minutes to create a brief survey &#8211;&amp;#160;or "pulse" in Waggl parlance &#8211;&amp;#160;surrounding any issue you'd like your employees' feedback on. Then, you can share the pulse via email, embeddable widget, or good, old-fashioned link.</p> <p>Unlike many other survey tools, Waggl allows employees to see answers their colleagues have given to open-ended questions (note that all answers are kept anonymous!) and then vote on which answers are, in their opinion, the best. So not only does Waggl allow you to solicit feedback from individual employees, but it also gives you some insight into the overarching consensus. Plus, Waggl also has a built-in infographic feature that quickly visualizes the data collected from any survey.</p> <p>(Full disclosure: We often use Waggl to insert reader surveys into our own articles &#8211; which is how we know Waggl is great tech.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.waggl.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>7. UrbanBound</p> <p>In our increasingly global economy, it's important for organizations to be on the lookout for the best talent available &#8211; no matter where that talent lives. And while communications technologies have made it easier than ever for employees to be hired and work remotely, sometimes, you need someone to come into the office.</p> <p>That's where UrbanBound comes in. This relocation management software &#8211; a category you may not have even realized existed &#8211; gives HR departments the ability to administer, track, and optimize relocation benefits. Handling everything from expense reimbursement and tax reporting to supplier integration and support for relocated employees, UrbanBound is an all-in-one platform that ups the ease and efficiency of the relocation process from start to finish.</p> <p><a href="http://www.urbanbound.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>8. Reflektive</p> <p>Reflektive aims to replace the yearly performance review with a more flexible performance management processes grounded in real-time feedback and a genuine dialogue between supervisor and employee.</p> <p>As HR consultant and founder/CEO of <a href="http://uniquelyhr.com/" type="external">uniquelyHR Opens a New Window.</a> Mikaela Kiner puts it, "Reflektive helps companies embrace the newest trends in performance management by encouraging and enabling continuous feedback. Millennials in particular have expressed fear and hatred of annual reviews. [There's] no need to log into a portal since feedback connects to your email interface. Great news for managers: You can search feedback using a number to easily review and sum up feedback for a team member on a particular topic like communication, delegation, etc."</p> <p>It's not a stretch to predict that real-time feedback will become the new performance management norm in the coming years, so why not be one of the first to hop on the wagon?</p> <p><a href="https://www.reflektive.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>9. Justworks</p> <p>As your startup grows, you'll need to start worrying more and more about those foundational needs like payroll, benefits, and compliance &#8211; you know, all the stuff that an HR department usually handles. Unfortunately, your young company may not be able to afford a dedicated HR professional just yet.</p> <p>Justworks is a platform that allows you to automate and streamline all of those foundational business needs, freeing you up to focus on the revenue-generating activities that sustain your organization's growth. Plus, Justworks offers support from lawyers, accountants, and HR experts at no additional cost. No more frantically searching Google for answers to your human resources questions!</p> <p><a href="https://justworks.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p> <p>10. Blueboard</p> <p>One of the most impactful drivers of employee engagement and motivation is recognition. When you recognize and reward employees for their hard work, they'll feel more valued, which leads to greater loyalty and an urge to keep achieving.</p> <p>Of course, it matters how you reward your employees. Cash bonuses are nice, but they don't have the same oomph as thoughtful, personalized rewards. Blueboard offers just such rewards through its experiential rewards program. If you partner with Blueboard, you can reward top employees with everything from jam-making lessons to an acrobatic flight session.</p> <p>Given that millennials &#8211; who now make up the largest portion of the workforce &#8211;&amp;#160; <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/i/experiential-rewards-for-a-better-employee-recognition-program-ditch-the-gift-cards/" type="external">tend to prefer experiences to material goods Opens a New Window.</a>, there's no reason not to add experiential rewards to your employee recognition program.</p> <p><a href="https://www.blueboard.com/" type="external">Learn more. Opens a New Window.</a></p>

welcome top 10 recruitercoms weekly rundown best160of best recruiting every friday release list favorite people things ideas dominating industry awesome tech tools cool companies great books powerful trends stone recruiting space left unturned continue reading week160top 10 hr tech startups exactly hr tech opens new window admittedly wide umbrella way see technologically driven solutions human resources problems word startup casts wide net depending youre talking forbes writer natalie robehmed written interesting exploration means startup opens new window purposes weve considered companies six years old younger semiarbitrary cutoff unscientific opinion companies passed sixyear mark solid enough ground longer considered early stages life todays top 10 celebration young companies using technology solve hr problems payroll perks onboarding new talent closing gender gap professional services firms companies list big things make hr departments life little easier 1 maestro health advertisement whatever opinion affordable care act aca theres probably one thing agree insurance marketplaces confusing heck navigate indeed shopping health care pretty much always guaranteed leave people baffled regard complicated system work hr often job guide employees benefits explanations company insurance plans 160but like normal person confused thats maestroedge maestro health comes picture platform designed simplify employers employees shop enroll benefits programs going selffunded route maestroedge help want guide employees process shopping benefits maestroedge help 160by suggesting personalized plans employees based histories demographics lifestyles platform even give hand making sure organization totally complies somewhat complex mandates aca youre need benefits management guidance maestroedge place start learn opens new window 2 juggle according international labor organization opens new window women losing ground quest equality world work juggle young company aims help regard matching qualified talented professional women companies need talent gist simple profound many women forced sideline careers leave workforce altogether start families challenge men families dont often face time flexible work arrangements become increasingly popular juggle sees trend potential solution challenges women face work matching professional women flexible work opportunities juggle aims give employers access toptier talent also help women juggle personal professional lives successfully win everyone involved learn opens new window 3 people hr people hr one full hr systems runs entirely browser mean easy access hr system matter also means increased agility convenience flexibility hr needs said coolest thing people hr opinion missions feature 10 hrrelated challenges hr pros embark improve companies earn recognition rewards prove value beyond shadow doubt titles like creating culture avoiding disaster people hrs missions excellent way make hr fun bonus people hrs company handbook publicly available opens new window suggest take look theres lot learn companys progressive flat management structure learn opens new window 4 kin kin launched web design company mammoth opens new window 2012 company realized couldnt find simple intuitive hr system handle tasks like onboarding data management employee goals objectives employee reviews platform built ease agility perfect organizations lack dedicated hr staff thanks selfservice functions kins standout feature opinion personalized onboarding pages pages detail individual new hires tasks offer tips collect important files one place 160plus clear crisp design makes navigating onboarding process breeze learn opens new window 5 hr company store billing one stop hr shop hr company store website allows hr pros find rate review vendors 70 categories including employee benefits risk management recruiting training development essentially yelp b2b vendors changing way hr pros find purchase services need plus totally free hr users learn opens new window 6 waggl employee engagement feedback tool waggl makes easy stay updated whats going workforce takes couple minutes create brief survey 160or pulse waggl parlance 160surrounding issue youd like employees feedback share pulse via email embeddable widget good oldfashioned link unlike many survey tools waggl allows employees see answers colleagues given openended questions note answers kept anonymous vote answers opinion best waggl allow solicit feedback individual employees also gives insight overarching consensus plus waggl also builtin infographic feature quickly visualizes data collected survey full disclosure often use waggl insert reader surveys articles know waggl great tech learn opens new window 7 urbanbound increasingly global economy important organizations lookout best talent available matter talent lives communications technologies made easier ever employees hired work remotely sometimes need someone come office thats urbanbound comes relocation management software category may even realized existed gives hr departments ability administer track optimize relocation benefits handling everything expense reimbursement tax reporting supplier integration support relocated employees urbanbound allinone platform ups ease efficiency relocation process start finish learn opens new window 8 reflektive reflektive aims replace yearly performance review flexible performance management processes grounded realtime feedback genuine dialogue supervisor employee hr consultant founderceo uniquelyhr opens new window mikaela kiner puts reflektive helps companies embrace newest trends performance management encouraging enabling continuous feedback millennials particular expressed fear hatred annual reviews theres need log portal since feedback connects email interface great news managers search feedback using number easily review sum feedback team member particular topic like communication delegation etc stretch predict realtime feedback become new performance management norm coming years one first hop wagon learn opens new window 9 justworks startup grows youll need start worrying foundational needs like payroll benefits compliance know stuff hr department usually handles unfortunately young company may able afford dedicated hr professional yet justworks platform allows automate streamline foundational business needs freeing focus revenuegenerating activities sustain organizations growth plus justworks offers support lawyers accountants hr experts additional cost frantically searching google answers human resources questions learn opens new window 10 blueboard one impactful drivers employee engagement motivation recognition recognize reward employees hard work theyll feel valued leads greater loyalty urge keep achieving course matters reward employees cash bonuses nice dont oomph thoughtful personalized rewards blueboard offers rewards experiential rewards program partner blueboard reward top employees everything jammaking lessons acrobatic flight session given millennials make largest portion workforce 160 tend prefer experiences material goods opens new window theres reason add experiential rewards employee recognition program learn opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source:Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) stock has nearly doubledin the past five years,withthe healthcare giant'spharmaceuticals division creating enough growth to keepinvestorshappily squirreling awaymore shares.Butwith pharma contributingalmost 45%of sales last year,thiscompany's future restsincreasingly ondrug development, which raises the big question of where it will get more fuel for growth.</p> <p>It turns out there's an answer to that. Oncology treatment is revving upat J&amp;amp;J, and itlookslikelyto superchargepharma growth for several years andprovide some needle-moving stock catalysts over the next 12 months.</p> <p>Not only didJ&amp;amp;J's oncology franchisefar outpace growth in any other category in the past two quarters, but it's accelerating.In Q1, J&amp;amp;J's oncology sales leapt 25.6% year over year. In Q2, growth accelerated to 28.8% -- an almost blistering pace for this usually slow-moving giant.By comparison, J&amp;amp;J's next best growth category, immunology,averaged 18.6% over those six fiscal months. Cardiovascular drugs achieved minuscule 2.7% growth over the same time period, and neuroscience drugs suffered a 4% drop.</p> <p>Better yet, thegrowth spurt is far from over. J&amp;amp;J has some very exciting oncology drugs up its sleeve -- or a few inches down its pipeline, if you like. Success in upcoming pivotal trialscould addmorelift to this stock, especially withImbruvica champing at the bit to bethenextcancer megablockbuster, andnewcomerDazalextearing up the multiple myeloma market.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Let's look more closely at how oncology could move the needle for the healthcare titanand its investors.</p> <p>J&amp;amp;J co-owned superstar drug Imbruvica was originally approved to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL),a type of blood cancer, in patients who had undergone at least one prior therapy. But the oral drug, with which J&amp;amp;J shares half of the rights with AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV), recently went through a paradigm-shifting clinical trial.</p> <p>The results from its RESONATE-2 trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, were extremely compelling. Imbruvica reduced the risk of death by 84% in 269 patients. After 18 months of treatment, an amazing 90% of patients experienced progression-free survival, compared with 52% in the chemotherapy arm.</p> <p>Based on the excellent trial results, the drug quickly achieved an important label expansion in March for front-line CLL use.</p> <p>But that's just the start. Imbruvica has also been approved for two other indications, and it's up for 10 other label expansions. Those include phase 3 trials for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, and follicular lymphoma. Add up the opportunities, and Imbruvica could end up being a $12 billion-per-year drug, with J&amp;amp;J reaping half of that haul.</p> <p>Two other cancer drugs offer significant opportunities for big growth: Darzalex and Yondelis. Darzalex was approved last November in the U.S. and got the EU's O.K. in May for refractory multiple myeloma. The drug has already contributed "two points to the U.S. pharmaceutical growth rate," J&amp;amp;J's management pointed out in the last earnings call. I expect Darzalex to keep dazzling and bring some needle-moving surprises as the drug moves through no fewer than five ongoing phase 3line-extension or combo drug trials.</p> <p>Although it was also recently approved, Yondelis didn't receive nearly as much attention in J&amp;amp;J's last earnings call. But don't blame J&amp;amp;J's management. The cancer drug has faced so many setbacks that its approval is something of a Pyrrhic victory.After three refusals, Yondelis finally won FDA approval for soft-tissue sarcomas and ovarian cancer. Because these are very challenging cancers with few effective therapeutic choices, Yondelis should be able to rack up peak sales of $1 billion-plus.</p> <p>But what about J&amp;amp;J's blockbuster prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, whose composition-of-matter patent expires at the end of 2016? In addition to the likelihood of generic competition, investors have feared that Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) competing drug, Xtandi, wouldstart eatingZytiga's lunch.</p> <p>Actually,J&amp;amp;J's highly lucrative prostate cancer franchise should still havea great future.While Zytiga may be powering down, J&amp;amp;J's super-smart acquisition of Aragon Pharmaceuticalsshould power things right back up again. J&amp;amp;J bagged Aragon'sleading-edge androgen receptor antagonist program, which includes what could be thebest second-generational androgen receptor inhibitor in development.That would be Aragon's drug ARN-509, which is currently in phase 3 trials. ARN-509may well prove to be a superior drug to Xtandi -- although you can be sure that Pfizer will turn this into a battle royale.</p> <p>J&amp;amp;J has several promising late-stage candidates in its oncology pipeline, including imetelstat for myelofibrosis and erdafitinib for urothelial cancer. But the company is wellbehind Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck and Co.,which already have immuno-oncology(IO) megablockbusters on the market.With thishot new arena in cancer treatmentforecast to reach $40 billion in sales in coming years, J&amp;amp;Jhas made IOa key area of development. Here what'sunder way.</p> <p>Image source: J&amp;amp;J investor presentation.</p> <p>While 15 compounds sounds impressive,investors should note that these projects are in early development. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see managementmake some acquisitions in IOin the next 12 months.Thus far, J&amp;amp;J hasn't ruled anything out. In fact, when asked about acquisitions in the Q1 earnings call, VP Dominic Carusosaid, "We're patient [and] disciplined, and we'll look for the right opportunity at the right time with the right valuation."</p> <p>Be that as it may, at close to 22 times earnings and with overall single-digit growth prospects, J&amp;amp;J looks fairly valued right now. But withthe global oncology market forecast tohit$100.5 billion by 2017, J&amp;amp;J's bright prospects in the field are just one more reason to hold on to those shares. After all,while this massive company with its global footprint will keep marching forward regardless, its great to know thatoncology couldadd a littlemore lift to its steps.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2518&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/CherylSwanson/info.aspx" type="external">Cheryl Swanson Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Johnson and Johnson. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson and Johnson. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image sourcegetty images continue reading johnson amp johnsons nyse jnj stock nearly doubledin past five yearswiththe healthcare giantspharmaceuticals division creating enough growth keepinvestorshappily squirreling awaymore sharesbutwith pharma contributingalmost 45of sales last yearthiscompanys future restsincreasingly ondrug development raises big question get fuel growth turns theres answer oncology treatment revving upat jampj itlookslikelyto superchargepharma growth several years andprovide needlemoving stock catalysts next 12 months didjampjs oncology franchisefar outpace growth category past two quarters acceleratingin q1 jampjs oncology sales leapt 256 year year q2 growth accelerated 288 almost blistering pace usually slowmoving giantby comparison jampjs next best growth category immunologyaveraged 186 six fiscal months cardiovascular drugs achieved minuscule 27 growth time period neuroscience drugs suffered 4 drop better yet thegrowth spurt far jampj exciting oncology drugs sleeve inches pipeline like success upcoming pivotal trialscould addmorelift stock especially withimbruvica champing bit bethenextcancer megablockbuster andnewcomerdazalextearing multiple myeloma market advertisement lets look closely oncology could move needle healthcare titanand investors jampj coowned superstar drug imbruvica originally approved treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia clla type blood cancer patients undergone least one prior therapy oral drug jampj shares half rights abbvie inc nyse abbv recently went paradigmshifting clinical trial results resonate2 trial published new england journal medicine extremely compelling imbruvica reduced risk death 84 269 patients 18 months treatment amazing 90 patients experienced progressionfree survival compared 52 chemotherapy arm based excellent trial results drug quickly achieved important label expansion march frontline cll use thats start imbruvica also approved two indications 10 label expansions include phase 3 trials diffuse large bcell lymphoma pancreatic cancer follicular lymphoma add opportunities imbruvica could end 12 billionperyear drug jampj reaping half haul two cancer drugs offer significant opportunities big growth darzalex yondelis darzalex approved last november us got eus ok may refractory multiple myeloma drug already contributed two points us pharmaceutical growth rate jampjs management pointed last earnings call expect darzalex keep dazzling bring needlemoving surprises drug moves fewer five ongoing phase 3lineextension combo drug trials although also recently approved yondelis didnt receive nearly much attention jampjs last earnings call dont blame jampjs management cancer drug faced many setbacks approval something pyrrhic victoryafter three refusals yondelis finally fda approval softtissue sarcomas ovarian cancer challenging cancers effective therapeutic choices yondelis able rack peak sales 1 billionplus jampjs blockbuster prostate cancer drug zytiga whose compositionofmatter patent expires end 2016 addition likelihood generic competition investors feared pfizers nyse pfe competing drug xtandi wouldstart eatingzytigas lunch actuallyjampjs highly lucrative prostate cancer franchise still havea great futurewhile zytiga may powering jampjs supersmart acquisition aragon pharmaceuticalsshould power things right back jampj bagged aragonsleadingedge androgen receptor antagonist program includes could thebest secondgenerational androgen receptor inhibitor developmentthat would aragons drug arn509 currently phase 3 trials arn509may well prove superior drug xtandi although sure pfizer turn battle royale jampj several promising latestage candidates oncology pipeline including imetelstat myelofibrosis erdafitinib urothelial cancer company wellbehind bristolmyers squibb merck cowhich already immunooncologyio megablockbusters marketwith thishot new arena cancer treatmentforecast reach 40 billion sales coming years jampjhas made ioa key area development whatsunder way image source jampj investor presentation 15 compounds sounds impressiveinvestors note projects early development thats wouldnt surprised see managementmake acquisitions ioin next 12 monthsthus far jampj hasnt ruled anything fact asked acquisitions q1 earnings call vp dominic carusosaid patient disciplined well look right opportunity right time right valuation may close 22 times earnings overall singledigit growth prospects jampj looks fairly valued right withthe global oncology market forecast tohit1005 billion 2017 jampjs bright prospects field one reason hold shares allwhile massive company global footprint keep marching forward regardless great know thatoncology couldadd littlemore lift steps secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window cheryl swanson opens new window owns shares johnson johnson motley fool recommends johnson johnson try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>According to some reports last week, Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) is interested in acquiring Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB). Enterprise's initial bid came shortly after Williams' merger with Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE: ETE) was terminated, following a bitterly fought court battle. While Williams reportedly rejected that initial bid and developed a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/04/williams-companies-incs-dividend-reduction-is-surp.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">new go-forward strategy Opens a New Window.</a>, that has not diminished Enterprise Products Partners' interest in pursuing a merger. That said, while the deal has merits, it has several obstacles to overcome.</p> <p>Enterprise Products Partners' interest in Williams Companies is about three things: value, optimization, and growth. Regarding value, Williams Companies' stock is down roughly 45% over the past year, as a result of its merger debacle with Energy Transfer Equity and the impact of the energy market downturn on its business. Meanwhile, Enterprise's unit price is roughly flat over that same time:</p> <p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/WMB" type="external">WMB</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Because of that value gap, the acquisition would likely be meaningfully accretive on a per-unit basis.</p> <p>Second, Williams' MLP Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) operates an excellent natural gas liquids (NGL) business in the Northeast, thanks to its prime position in the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/19/5-companies-dominating-the-marcellus-shale-play.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Marcellus shale Opens a New Window.</a>. Not only is that an area where Enterprise Products Partners lacks scale, but it also controls the ATEX pipeline, which takes NGLs from the Northeast to the Gulf Coast marketplace. It could generate significant revenue and cost synergies by linking those two businesses.</p> <p>Finally, Williams Companies and Williams Partners have more growth opportunities than they can fund at the moment. That is why Williams Companies cut its dividend and redirected that cash flow into its MLP, to provide it with some of the money it needs to fund its growth projects. Currently, Williams Partners has $5 billion in growth capital expenditure requirements through next year, which is just slightly less than the $5.6 billion that Enterprise Products Partners has under construction. That is worth noting because Williams Partners is about half the size of Enterprise Products Partners. Further, before the energy market downturn, Williams Companies estimated that it had over $30 billion of growth projects in its pipeline, which included potential projects and those under negotiation. That is a huge growth backlog that Enterprise Products Partners would love to have to itself.</p> <p>While there are three compelling reasons why Enterprise Products Partners would want to acquire Williams Companies, there are two big red flags that could make this pursuit end just as badly as Energy Transfer Equity's ill-fated attempt. First, Enterprise Products Partners prides itself on having one of the highest credit ratings among MLPs, at Baa1/BBB+. That strong credit rating could be at risk if Enterprise bid for Williams Companies because the latter company's BB/Ba1 credit rating is below investment grade, while Williams Partners' credit rating of BBB-/Baa3 is at the lowest level of investment grade.</p> <p>Having its credit rating downgraded could significantly increase Enterprise Products Partners' borrowing costs. For perspective, earlier this year it was able to borrow $1.25 billion, including pricing $575 million of 10-year debt at 3.95%. Williams Partners, on the other hand, issued $1 billion of 10-year debt earlier this year at a 7.85% interest rate. Enterprise Products Partners' stronger credit rating is a clear competitive advantage right now, and one it would not want to lose by acquiring Williams Companies.</p> <p>The second hurdle to overcome is the fact that Williams Companies is structured as a C Corporation, while Enterprise Products Partners is an MLP. That was an issue that MLP Energy Transfer Equity tried to address by creating a C-Corp entity to merge with Williams. However, Energy Transfer Equity's lawyers did not find that the deal structure freed investors from tax liabilities. As a result, a judge ruled that Energy Transfer Equity could terminate the merger.</p> <p>This suggests that Enterprise would need to take a different path, such as the one it made when it bought its general partner in 2010. However, such a deal structure would likely trigger taxes for Williams' investors, which might not be a palatable solution given what they have gone through over the past year. In other words, Enterprisemight need to pay up to convince Williams Companies' investors agree to a merger, but it needs to avoid taking on debt to do so, which was Energy Transfer Equity's downfall.</p> <p>While Enterprise Products Partners' interest in Williams Companies certainly makes sense from a strategic and value standpoint, the proposed combination still raises questions. Most pressing is whether Enterprise can structure a transaction to win the support of Williams' investors without tarnishing its prized credit rating. If it can figure out a way to appease everyone, then this combination could really pay off in both the short and long term.</p> <p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;amp;ftm_pit=2692&amp;amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx" type="external">Matt DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source getty images continue reading according reports last week enterprise products partners nyse epd interested acquiring williams companies nyse wmb enterprises initial bid came shortly williams merger energy transfer equity nyse ete terminated following bitterly fought court battle williams reportedly rejected initial bid developed new goforward strategy opens new window diminished enterprise products partners interest pursuing merger said deal merits several obstacles overcome enterprise products partners interest williams companies three things value optimization growth regarding value williams companies stock roughly 45 past year result merger debacle energy transfer equity impact energy market downturn business meanwhile enterprises unit price roughly flat time wmb data ycharts opens new window advertisement value gap acquisition would likely meaningfully accretive perunit basis second williams mlp williams partners nyse wpz operates excellent natural gas liquids ngl business northeast thanks prime position marcellus shale opens new window area enterprise products partners lacks scale also controls atex pipeline takes ngls northeast gulf coast marketplace could generate significant revenue cost synergies linking two businesses finally williams companies williams partners growth opportunities fund moment williams companies cut dividend redirected cash flow mlp provide money needs fund growth projects currently williams partners 5 billion growth capital expenditure requirements next year slightly less 56 billion enterprise products partners construction worth noting williams partners half size enterprise products partners energy market downturn williams companies estimated 30 billion growth projects pipeline included potential projects negotiation huge growth backlog enterprise products partners would love three compelling reasons enterprise products partners would want acquire williams companies two big red flags could make pursuit end badly energy transfer equitys illfated attempt first enterprise products partners prides one highest credit ratings among mlps baa1bbb strong credit rating could risk enterprise bid williams companies latter companys bbba1 credit rating investment grade williams partners credit rating bbbbaa3 lowest level investment grade credit rating downgraded could significantly increase enterprise products partners borrowing costs perspective earlier year able borrow 125 billion including pricing 575 million 10year debt 395 williams partners hand issued 1 billion 10year debt earlier year 785 interest rate enterprise products partners stronger credit rating clear competitive advantage right one would want lose acquiring williams companies second hurdle overcome fact williams companies structured c corporation enterprise products partners mlp issue mlp energy transfer equity tried address creating ccorp entity merge williams however energy transfer equitys lawyers find deal structure freed investors tax liabilities result judge ruled energy transfer equity could terminate merger suggests enterprise would need take different path one made bought general partner 2010 however deal structure would likely trigger taxes williams investors might palatable solution given gone past year words enterprisemight need pay convince williams companies investors agree merger needs avoid taking debt energy transfer equitys downfall enterprise products partners interest williams companies certainly makes sense strategic value standpoint proposed combination still raises questions pressing whether enterprise structure transaction win support williams investors without tarnishing prized credit rating figure way appease everyone combination could really pay short long term secret billiondollar stock opportunity worlds biggest tech company forgot show something wall street analysts fool didnt miss beat theres small company thats powering brandnew gadgets coming revolution technology think stock price nearly unlimited room run early intheknow investors one click opens new window matt dilallo opens new window owns shares enterprise products partners motley fool recommends enterprise products partners try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p /> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Healthcare might be the largest component of the 2016 federal budget, but as a single program Social Security takes the cake. In 2016, $944.3 billion was appropriated for benefit payments, which is around a quarter of the slightly more than $3.8 trillion federal budget. And Social Security is only expected to grow in importance in the years and decades ahead.</p> <p>As of the May snapshot from the Social Security Administration, 40.6 million retired workers were receiving benefits. This works out to about two-thirds of all Social Security beneficiaries. Gallup's latest poll tells us that about 3 in 5 seniors count on Social Security for a majority of their income during retirement, meaning that somewhere around 24 million seniors are heavily reliant on the program to meet their month-to-month expenses. By 2050, when the elderly population is expected to have nearly doubled to 83.7 million, we could be looking at approximately 50 million seniors reliant on Social Security income, assuming Gallup's poll data remains consistent.</p> <p>The implication is simple: Social Security needs to remain a solvent and financially healthy program for seniors to count on during retirement. Unfortunately, Social Security could be failing them in two specific ways.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>First, Social Security's long-term financial foundation is an issue. The program itself will remain solvent and continue paying benefits for a long time to come. However, the retirement of baby boomers in increasing numbers means more eligible beneficiaries to strain Social Security. The Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees' annual reports, released just two weeks ago, note that the trust funding benefit payments will burn through excess cash reserves of more than $2.8 trillion by 2034. As a worst-case scenario, benefits could be reduced by up to 21% across the board to keep the program solvent through 2090.</p> <p>Arguably an even bigger issue is the sad state of cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA, for the Social Security program.</p> <p>COLA is the annual "fix" the Social Security Administration applies to paid benefits that's designed to reflect the changing price of a basket of goods and services. Of course, the SSA doesn't simply make up a number and hope everything works out well. It uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W, to help it determine the annual COLA.</p> <p>The official COLA calculation uses the average CPI-W reading from the third quarter of the previous year as the baseline. In October of the current year, the SSA compares the average third-quarter CPI-W to the baseline reading. The percentage increase between the two represents the COLA that will be passed along to Social Security beneficiaries in the upcoming year. If, by some chance, the CPI-W falls on a year-over-year basis, then no COLA is awarded (i.e., Social Security benefits won't decline from one year to the next based on the CPI-W and COLA).</p> <p>Here's what the COLA has looked like since 1975.</p> <p>Data source: Social Security Administration.Chart by author.</p> <p>You'll note there's no 1983 in the above chart. That's because since 1982 COLAs have been effective with benefits payable for December, but received in January of the following year. Between 1975 and 1982 the SSA had made COLAs effective with benefits payable for June, but received in July.</p> <p>As you can see, the Social Security COLA has been relatively anemic for the past 20 years, with just five increases totaling 3% or higher. Worse yet, in three of the past seven years retired workers have received absolutely no COLA. In 2010 and 2011 this was a result of economic and pricing weakness following the Great Recession, and in 2016 plummeting crude oil (and thus gasoline) prices were to blame.</p> <p>If the CPI-W were reflective of the cost needs of seniors, there would be few concerns about relatively small inflationary adjustments. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. Based on data gathered by Forbes that compared the cumulative Consumer Price Index to healthcare cost inflation between 2005 and 2015 (2015's data was through May), healthcare inflation outpaced the CPI by at least 1% in six of those years, including two years where the difference was greater than 3%. As brand-name drug prices soar and surgical-procedure expenses rise, seniors are potentially being denied the income they need to meet these rising costs.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>A proposed solution that could help is switching from the current CPI-W calculation to the CPI-E, or Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. As the name implies, this index tracks the spending habits of adults aged 62 and up. Since Social Security is geared to protect retired workers, it would presumably make sense to reflecttheir spending habits. Comparing CPI-E data to the CPI-W shows us that seniors spend far more of their money on housing and medical care than do workers. Thus, using the CPI-E as the default COLA gauge could help seniors get more accurate inflationary adjustments from year to year, to cover rising housing and medical care costs.</p> <p>But there are downsides, too. The CPI-E factors in the spending of far fewer Americans (since most Americans are still working), meaning the CPI-W could be a much more accurate measure of inflation. Also, Medicare Part A expenses aren't factored into the CPI-E, and Part A expenses can be substantial. This means even if the SSA used the CPI-E as its benchmark, medical care inflation might still be underreported.</p> <p>Subpar COLA increases mean one thing for all Americans: They need to have a secondary or tertiary source of income during retirement. Benefit cuts in 2034 aside, relying solely on Social Security income simply isn't smart, nor is it potentially feasible given the state of COLA versus healthcare inflation.</p> <p>Image source: Getty Images.</p> <p>Instead, I would encourage today's working Americans to consider opening or contributing to a Roth IRA. There are a bounty of retirement tools available to workers to encourage them to save and invest, but none, in my opinion, offer the copious rewards of a Roth IRA.</p> <p>In addition to providing a much-needed source of retirement income beyond Social Security, a Roth IRA allows your money to grow completely tax-free over the life of the account. This means not having to fork over a red cent in taxes during your retirement for distributions, which can come in handy if you're not getting what you need from Social Security alone.</p> <p>Furthermore, a Roth IRA gives you unheralded financial flexibility. There's no age limit that stops you from making contributions (which isn't true for a Traditional IRA). And, on the flip side, there are no minimum required distributions; if you'd prefer to let your nest egg grow untouched, you can. You'll also have access to the money you've contributed, penalty-free, at any time for any reason, in case you find yourself in a cash pinch.</p> <p>Everyone should have a plan B available beyond Social Security income. If you don't, then perhaps it's time to start considering a Roth IRA.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/07/10/the-sad-state-of-social-securitys-cost-of-living-a.aspx" type="external">The Sad State of Social Security's Cost-of-Living Adjustments Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFUltraLong/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Sean Williams Opens a New Window.</a>has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name <a href="http://caps.fool.com/player/tmfultralong.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">TMFUltraLong Opens a New Window.</a>, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/TMFUltraLong" type="external">@TMFUltraLong Opens a New Window.</a>.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a>makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

image source getty images continue reading healthcare might largest component 2016 federal budget single program social security takes cake 2016 9443 billion appropriated benefit payments around quarter slightly 38 trillion federal budget social security expected grow importance years decades ahead may snapshot social security administration 406 million retired workers receiving benefits works twothirds social security beneficiaries gallups latest poll tells us 3 5 seniors count social security majority income retirement meaning somewhere around 24 million seniors heavily reliant program meet monthtomonth expenses 2050 elderly population expected nearly doubled 837 million could looking approximately 50 million seniors reliant social security income assuming gallups poll data remains consistent implication simple social security needs remain solvent financially healthy program seniors count retirement unfortunately social security could failing two specific ways image source getty images advertisement first social securitys longterm financial foundation issue program remain solvent continue paying benefits long time come however retirement baby boomers increasing numbers means eligible beneficiaries strain social security social security medicare boards trustees annual reports released two weeks ago note trust funding benefit payments burn excess cash reserves 28 trillion 2034 worstcase scenario benefits could reduced 21 across board keep program solvent 2090 arguably even bigger issue sad state costofliving adjustments cola social security program cola annual fix social security administration applies paid benefits thats designed reflect changing price basket goods services course ssa doesnt simply make number hope everything works well uses consumer price index urban wage earners clerical workers cpiw help determine annual cola official cola calculation uses average cpiw reading third quarter previous year baseline october current year ssa compares average thirdquarter cpiw baseline reading percentage increase two represents cola passed along social security beneficiaries upcoming year chance cpiw falls yearoveryear basis cola awarded ie social security benefits wont decline one year next based cpiw cola heres cola looked like since 1975 data source social security administrationchart author youll note theres 1983 chart thats since 1982 colas effective benefits payable december received january following year 1975 1982 ssa made colas effective benefits payable june received july see social security cola relatively anemic past 20 years five increases totaling 3 higher worse yet three past seven years retired workers received absolutely cola 2010 2011 result economic pricing weakness following great recession 2016 plummeting crude oil thus gasoline prices blame cpiw reflective cost needs seniors would concerns relatively small inflationary adjustments unfortunately may case based data gathered forbes compared cumulative consumer price index healthcare cost inflation 2005 2015 2015s data may healthcare inflation outpaced cpi least 1 six years including two years difference greater 3 brandname drug prices soar surgicalprocedure expenses rise seniors potentially denied income need meet rising costs image source getty images proposed solution could help switching current cpiw calculation cpie consumer price index elderly name implies index tracks spending habits adults aged 62 since social security geared protect retired workers would presumably make sense reflecttheir spending habits comparing cpie data cpiw shows us seniors spend far money housing medical care workers thus using cpie default cola gauge could help seniors get accurate inflationary adjustments year year cover rising housing medical care costs downsides cpie factors spending far fewer americans since americans still working meaning cpiw could much accurate measure inflation also medicare part expenses arent factored cpie part expenses substantial means even ssa used cpie benchmark medical care inflation might still underreported subpar cola increases mean one thing americans need secondary tertiary source income retirement benefit cuts 2034 aside relying solely social security income simply isnt smart potentially feasible given state cola versus healthcare inflation image source getty images instead would encourage todays working americans consider opening contributing roth ira bounty retirement tools available workers encourage save invest none opinion offer copious rewards roth ira addition providing muchneeded source retirement income beyond social security roth ira allows money grow completely taxfree life account means fork red cent taxes retirement distributions come handy youre getting need social security alone furthermore roth ira gives unheralded financial flexibility theres age limit stops making contributions isnt true traditional ira flip side minimum required distributions youd prefer let nest egg grow untouched youll also access money youve contributed penaltyfree time reason case find cash pinch everyone plan b available beyond social security income dont perhaps time start considering roth ira article sad state social securitys costofliving adjustments opens new window originally appeared foolcom sean williams opens new windowhas material interest companies mentioned article follow caps screen name tmfultralong opens new window check twitter goes handle tmfultralong opens new windowthe motley fool position stocks mentioned try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new windowmakes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window

<p>Apple is poised to reveal its next big thing Tuesday in a crucial attempt to prove its technological tastemakers still have the power to mesmerize the masses.</p> <p>The trend-setting company is expected to rouse the still-slumbering market for wearable computers with a smartwatch or bracelet equipped to monitor health, help manage homes and even buy merchandise.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Apple is a late arrival to this relatively new niche: several other companies already sell smartwatches that are being greeted with widespread indifference.</p> <p>If any company can transform the landscape, it's likely to be Apple Inc. after the company shifted the direction of digital technology with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Other MP3 music players, smartphones and tablet computers were first to market, but the devices didn't enthrall consumers until Apple imbued them with a sense of elegance, convenience and wizardry.</p> <p>"It means more to us to get it right than to be first," Apple CEO Tim Cook explained to analysts earlier this year.</p> <p>Apple is likely to provide the first peek at its wearable device at an event set to begin at 10 a.m. PDT in the same Silicon Valley auditorium where Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago.</p> <p>Rumors have been swirling that U2, one of Jobs' favorite musical groups, will perform live to promote its new album, as well as Apple's latest gadgetry, which is likely to include an iPhone with a larger screen.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>As usual, Apple hasn't said what's on tap, though the company's top executives have repeatedly promised major breakthroughs without providing any details.</p> <p>"The location suggests this will be a historic event and the historic aspect will be their movement into a new category," predicted technology analyst and longtime Apple watcher Tim Bajarin.</p> <p>After Tuesday's glimpse, it still may be several months before people get a chance to wear the device. There's speculation that the smartwatch won't be available until early next year, although Apple is expected to take orders during the holiday shopping season.</p> <p>A smartwatch or high-tech bracelet would mark the first time that Apple Inc. has rolled out a new product line since the iPad's release nearly four-and-half years ago. In that time, the Cupertino, California, company, has been sprucing up its selection of iPhones, iPads and Macs with new models each year since Jobs died in October 2011 after a long battle with cancer.</p> <p>The innovation void raised questions as to whether Apple's creativity was fading under Cook, Jobs' hand-picked successor.</p> <p>Those concerns have waned in recent months amid high hopes for the products Apple has lined up for the holiday shopping season. The fervor propelled Apple's stock to new highs last week, a dramatic swing in sentiment from 17 months ago when the shares were trading about 44 percent below current levels. The stock closed down less than 1 percent at $98.35 in Monday's trading.</p> <p>Even with all the anticipation surrounding the potential smartwatch, the next generation of the iPhone will still be the star of Tuesday's show, as well as the main source of Apple's profits for at least the next year.</p> <p>The device, likely to be called the iPhone 6, is expected to feature a screen spanning at least 4.7 inches diagonally, up from the 4-inch display on the previous models released during the past two years. Some analysts have speculated Apple may also offer an iPhone model with a 5.5-inch screen.</p> <p>Any significant increase in the iPhone's size would make the device more competitive with smartphones made by Samsung Electronics and other rivals, and virtually ensure that Apple would have one of the holiday season's hottest selling items. "There is incredible pent-up demand for a larger-screen iPhone," Bajarin said.</p> <p>Besides a larger screen, the new iPhone is expected to include a near-field communications chip that would enable the device to transmit payment information wirelessly to receivers at store check-in stands. The technology is expected to be accompanied with a mobile wallet feature that taps into the more than 800 million credit card account numbers that users store on Apple's remote servers to buy songs, video and apps from its iTunes stores. The mobile wallet could be secured with a fingerprint reader that Apple introduced last year on the iPhone 5S.</p> <p>The mobile wallet conceivably could also work on a smartwatch or high-tech bracelet.</p> <p>Apple's latest mobile software for the iPhone 6 and other recent models, iOS 8, also includes two features called HealthKit and HomeKit that represent the next step in the company's to play an even bigger role in the lives of the people tethered to its devices. The tools are designed to turn Apple's products into a suite of digital servants that do everything from monitoring a person's eating habits and exercise routines to turning on the coffee maker in the morning to turning off the lights at night.</p> <p>If Apple follows its recent traditions, the free iOS 8 software will be released shortly before the iPhone 6 goes on sale later this month.</p>

apple poised reveal next big thing tuesday crucial attempt prove technological tastemakers still power mesmerize masses trendsetting company expected rouse stillslumbering market wearable computers smartwatch bracelet equipped monitor health help manage homes even buy merchandise continue reading apple late arrival relatively new niche several companies already sell smartwatches greeted widespread indifference company transform landscape likely apple inc company shifted direction digital technology ipod iphone ipad mp3 music players smartphones tablet computers first market devices didnt enthrall consumers apple imbued sense elegance convenience wizardry means us get right first apple ceo tim cook explained analysts earlier year apple likely provide first peek wearable device event set begin 10 pdt silicon valley auditorium apples late cofounder steve jobs unveiled industryshifting mac computer 25 years ago rumors swirling u2 one jobs favorite musical groups perform live promote new album well apples latest gadgetry likely include iphone larger screen advertisement usual apple hasnt said whats tap though companys top executives repeatedly promised major breakthroughs without providing details location suggests historic event historic aspect movement new category predicted technology analyst longtime apple watcher tim bajarin tuesdays glimpse still may several months people get chance wear device theres speculation smartwatch wont available early next year although apple expected take orders holiday shopping season smartwatch hightech bracelet would mark first time apple inc rolled new product line since ipads release nearly fourandhalf years ago time cupertino california company sprucing selection iphones ipads macs new models year since jobs died october 2011 long battle cancer innovation void raised questions whether apples creativity fading cook jobs handpicked successor concerns waned recent months amid high hopes products apple lined holiday shopping season fervor propelled apples stock new highs last week dramatic swing sentiment 17 months ago shares trading 44 percent current levels stock closed less 1 percent 9835 mondays trading even anticipation surrounding potential smartwatch next generation iphone still star tuesdays show well main source apples profits least next year device likely called iphone 6 expected feature screen spanning least 47 inches diagonally 4inch display previous models released past two years analysts speculated apple may also offer iphone model 55inch screen significant increase iphones size would make device competitive smartphones made samsung electronics rivals virtually ensure apple would one holiday seasons hottest selling items incredible pentup demand largerscreen iphone bajarin said besides larger screen new iphone expected include nearfield communications chip would enable device transmit payment information wirelessly receivers store checkin stands technology expected accompanied mobile wallet feature taps 800 million credit card account numbers users store apples remote servers buy songs video apps itunes stores mobile wallet could secured fingerprint reader apple introduced last year iphone 5s mobile wallet conceivably could also work smartwatch hightech bracelet apples latest mobile software iphone 6 recent models ios 8 also includes two features called healthkit homekit represent next step companys play even bigger role lives people tethered devices tools designed turn apples products suite digital servants everything monitoring persons eating habits exercise routines turning coffee maker morning turning lights night apple follows recent traditions free ios 8 software released shortly iphone 6 goes sale later month

<p /> <p>Multibillion-dollar fund managers' investment decisions aren't always right, nor should investors blindly mirror a money manager's trades. However, it is intriguing to monitor what the big hitters are buying or selling each quarter, which they are required by SEC regulations to report in a quarterly 13F filing.</p> <p>Continue Reading Below</p> <p>Money managers couldn't seem to get enough of Facebook to kick off the year. With its stock price up over 14% year to date, Facebook has delivered a solid return for the eight billionaires who got on board in the first quarter. Despite the company's solid performance in 2016, the question is whether all those funds that poured literally billions of dollars into Facebook stock were right.</p> <p>Image source: <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2016/04/f8-2016-day-2/" type="external">Facebook Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>In what has become a recurring theme, Facebook blew away analyst expectations for earnings, revenue, and ongoing monthly active user (MAU) growth in Q1. Simply meeting sales and earnings-per-share (EPS) expectations of $5.25 billion and $0.62, respectively, would have been a banner quarter.</p> <p>Facebook's stellar results were led by its 57% jump in advertising sales. CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn't share specifics, but video spots and monetizing Instagram almost certainly played key roles in its $5.2 billion of ad revenue and in pushing total sales up 52%, to $5.38 billion.</p> <p>Advertisement</p> <p>Alphabet , the undisputed king of digital advertising, grew its ad revenue 16% in the first quarter. Of course, at $18 billion in ad revenue it takes a lot more to move Alphabet's needle than Facebook's, but with each successive quarter the gap between the two industry heavyweights is narrowing.</p> <p>The group of billionaires who bought a whopping 26,750,364 shares ahead of Facebook's Q1 earnings news, valued at $3.19 billion as of the close of trading May 27, certainly benefited from its impressive revenue growth. But top- and bottom-line financial improvements only tell part of Facebook's story, which is why -- in this case -- all those billionaires got it right.</p> <p>It wasn't long ago that pundits were lamenting Facebook's future. The concern was that Facebook's MAU penetration would become saturated, and retaining its impressive engagement levels would wane. The logic behind the bearish sentiments made sense, but Facebook "friends" clearly ignored those concerns.</p> <p>Last quarter ended with Facebook increasing its MAUs another 15% compared to the year-ago period, and now the platform boasts 1.65 billion users -- slightly more than half the world's Internet-connected population. The upside for investors -- billionaire or not -- is that Facebook's total MAUs weren't the best part of its user growth in Q1.</p> <p>It wasn't long ago that Facebook's lack of a mobile presence was also concerning for some. Of its MAUs, 1.51 billion now access Facebook via a mobile device. Safe to say, it's conquered its mobile problem. As for engagement, Facebook's daily active users (DAUs) is perhaps its most impressive Q1 result of all.</p> <p>Over 1 billion users access Facebook every day, including 989 million using a mobile device: That's an increase of 24% compared to a year ago. No social media site can touch that level of engagement, and ongoing efforts to enhance the Facebook experience should increase usage even further.</p> <p>The Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset garnered a lot of hype when it began shipping earlier this year, and it could prove to be a nice source of ancillary revenue. However, VR will likely play a larger role in driving Facebook's engagement levels and future ad sales, as outlined in Zuckerberg's original plans when Oculus was acquired for $2 billion in March of 2014.</p> <p>Zuckerberg conceded that VR gaming would be first in line when Rift was market-ready. But gaming was just the tip of the iceberg, as Facebook demonstrated at its recent F8 developer conference. In addition to artificial intelligence and connecting the world's under-served masses, among other initiatives, Facebook demonstrated Social VR that offers users an immersive, interactive experience.</p> <p>Monetizing Instagram and releasing Rift should help sales in 2016, and with WhatsApp, Messenger, and social VR on the horizon, there is no shortage of growth drivers long into the future. Billion-dollar fund managers don't always think long-term, but the eight that jumped on board in Q1 should hold on to their Facebook stock with an iron grip.</p> <p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/01/8-billionaires-just-bet-on-facebook-inc-stock.aspx" type="external">8 Billionaires Just Bet on Facebook Inc. Stock Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p> <p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/timbrugger/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Tim Brugger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Facebook. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> <p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>

multibilliondollar fund managers investment decisions arent always right investors blindly mirror money managers trades however intriguing monitor big hitters buying selling quarter required sec regulations report quarterly 13f filing continue reading money managers couldnt seem get enough facebook kick year stock price 14 year date facebook delivered solid return eight billionaires got board first quarter despite companys solid performance 2016 question whether funds poured literally billions dollars facebook stock right image source facebook opens new window become recurring theme facebook blew away analyst expectations earnings revenue ongoing monthly active user mau growth q1 simply meeting sales earningspershare eps expectations 525 billion 062 respectively would banner quarter facebooks stellar results led 57 jump advertising sales ceo mark zuckerberg doesnt share specifics video spots monetizing instagram almost certainly played key roles 52 billion ad revenue pushing total sales 52 538 billion advertisement alphabet undisputed king digital advertising grew ad revenue 16 first quarter course 18 billion ad revenue takes lot move alphabets needle facebooks successive quarter gap two industry heavyweights narrowing group billionaires bought whopping 26750364 shares ahead facebooks q1 earnings news valued 319 billion close trading may 27 certainly benefited impressive revenue growth top bottomline financial improvements tell part facebooks story case billionaires got right wasnt long ago pundits lamenting facebooks future concern facebooks mau penetration would become saturated retaining impressive engagement levels would wane logic behind bearish sentiments made sense facebook friends clearly ignored concerns last quarter ended facebook increasing maus another 15 compared yearago period platform boasts 165 billion users slightly half worlds internetconnected population upside investors billionaire facebooks total maus werent best part user growth q1 wasnt long ago facebooks lack mobile presence also concerning maus 151 billion access facebook via mobile device safe say conquered mobile problem engagement facebooks daily active users daus perhaps impressive q1 result 1 billion users access facebook every day including 989 million using mobile device thats increase 24 compared year ago social media site touch level engagement ongoing efforts enhance facebook experience increase usage even oculus rift virtual reality vr headset garnered lot hype began shipping earlier year could prove nice source ancillary revenue however vr likely play larger role driving facebooks engagement levels future ad sales outlined zuckerbergs original plans oculus acquired 2 billion march 2014 zuckerberg conceded vr gaming would first line rift marketready gaming tip iceberg facebook demonstrated recent f8 developer conference addition artificial intelligence connecting worlds underserved masses among initiatives facebook demonstrated social vr offers users immersive interactive experience monetizing instagram releasing rift help sales 2016 whatsapp messenger social vr horizon shortage growth drivers long future billiondollar fund managers dont always think longterm eight jumped board q1 hold facebook stock iron grip article 8 billionaires bet facebook inc stock opens new window originally appeared foolcom suzanne frey executive alphabet member motley fools board directors tim brugger opens new window position stocks mentioned motley fool owns shares recommends alphabet shares alphabet c shares facebook try foolish newsletter services free 30 days opens new window fools may hold opinions believe considering diverse range insights opens new window makes us better investors motley fool disclosure policy opens new window copyright 1995 2016 motley fool llc rights reserved motley fool disclosure policy opens new window