The Changing Face of Entertainment News and Reviews in the 21st Century

Whether it’s the latest album reviews or news about the big budget films that are about to hit the cinemas, the landscape of entertainment news throughout the industry changed irrevocably in the advent of the 21st century. Though the initial foundations for the massive shift were originally put in place from the mid to latter 1990s, the full effects of the shift have only started to hit fully throughout the 2000s. Now, in the teens of a whole new millennium the move is almost complete, bringing news and reviews on demand and online.Throughout the 1900s, entertainment news was largely the domain of print publications. Magazines and newspapers have been featuring the latest and greatest from the industry since before the First World War. However, it was the 50s and 60s that saw them come into their own, probably spurred on by the materialisation of in-home entertainment with the growth of television availability and the rock and roll explosion.Magazines like NME and Melody Maker had phenomenal readership figures in their early years and newspapers like the Sun in the United Kingdom achieved much of their success from covering the more glamorous side of life. However, as the home computer took hold in the latter stages of the 19th century, a new form of entertainment news provider started to materialise. The internet became a phenomenon overnight in the mid to late 90s and as more and more people logged on, more and more people found their news from online sources.Throughout the course of the dot.com boom and bust, websites sprang up at a ferocious pace to deliver the latest entertainment news to the masses. Quickly following these early innovators once the online phenomenon gained a little more stability, the original providers also set up sites to deliver their news and to promote their “for sale” offline productions. However, it didn’t take long for the masses themselves to realise that they could easily become the bastions of all things entertainment. Throughout the 2000s they simply set up their own blog or e-zine and started to log the news, web style. With millions live, everyone is talking about their favourite movies, albums and computer games from their very own site, interlinking to the more influential, bigger news sites, as well as the online, user generated encyclopaedic catacombs of Wikipedia.The area of biggest growth in the online entertainment news world is the growth of video content. People no longer have to go to the cinema to see the latest film trailer or wait for radio shows to listen to the latest album reviews, they can watch them whenever they want, months and even years in advance of a release thanks to the might of the likes of You Tube. With more video content than Saddam Hussein’s eldest son, You Tube is the internet’s largest video content distributor. Entertainment news, reviews and info has always been a big part of online video content, however, the likelihood is that it will grow into something even more significant over the course of the 21st century.The most recent addition to entertainment news delivery is the massive impact of social media. Together, people connected online can change the world, so something as simple as entertainment news was an early win for the social socialites. Whether it’s used to promote other online content like trailers, music releases or celebrity gossip, or literally just kids in their room tweeting about their latest favourite album, social media is one of the first places to hear the most up to date entertainment news.As the 21st century gathers pace, the online provision of entertainment news is creeping ever more firmly onto the toes of the old media concepts. When people want to know what’s happening they no longer wait for the morning paper, let alone next week’s magazine, they just go online and find it themselves.

10 Steps to Marketing Your Business Online

Are you ready to increase traffic to your websites? Then it is time for you to expand your online marketing. After years of spending thousands of dollars a year marketing my childcare business in telephone book ads, flyers and radio spots, I decided to reduce my advertising cost and market my businesses online.In fact, marketing my businesses online has expanded my network, increased my book sales, landed me writing assignments and increased my business sales. In fact, I am no longer limited to doing business in my state, I am now doing business all over the world.Here are 10 Ways to market your business online:1. Facebook. This is my favorite place to market my childcare businesses, my blogs and my articles. Facebook is the place to connect and share. Moreover, when you gain the credibility of your followers your chances of winning a sale increases. Many of my Mary Kay customers are my Facebook friends. They trust me and they buy from me.2. Twitter. I love to Tweet! In fact, the more that I tweet what my followers love, I notice that my followers keep increasing. The magic to twitter seems to be to tweet often and share good information that your followers want to read. This is also a great way to share a sentence about your product or service (in 140 characters or less) and then a link to your website.3. LinkedIn. Every business professional should be on LinkedIn. Furthermore, if you want to be found, then you must create a LinkedIn account. I have landed many writing assignments on LinkedIn and networked with many like-minded business professionals. Something to think about: Your next big sale could be a simple referral from a business colleague.4. Blogging. Do you have a blog? Don’t know what to blog about? Blog about your product or service. Moreover, blog about what you know. You will gain credibility with your followers; attract consumers to your website and eventually turn them into customers with every blog post.5.YouTube. It’s time to broadcast your business on You Tube. In fact, You Tube is the third most visited site on the internet. Want website traffic? Get your business on YouTube!6. Google: Having a Google profile is a great way to share content, link your social media pages to your Google profile and create web documents to share with your customers.7. Article Marketing. Do you desire to position yourself as an expert in your field? Then it’s time to write about what you know and educate your followers with your articles. This is another great way to gain new followers and connect with other article writers.8. Scribd. This is the world’s largest social media publishing company and it is a wonderful place to upload ebooks, newsletter, business forms and sale documents.9. Slide Share. If you have created power point presentations about your product or service, Slide Share is the place to upload those business presentations and gain new followers.10. Email Marketing. According to a Double Click Survey, 91% of Adult Internet users log online everyday to read their email. So, it’s time to market your business by email!I hope that you have been inspired to Market Your Business on a variety of online platforms. Moreover, if you have ever wanted to do business on an international level, expanding the places that you market your business online is the way to doing business on an International level!

Personal Loans – All You Wanted to Know

The main features are:
It is a unsecured loan suitable for any purpose Like:- Education
- Marriage
- Medical purpose
- Purchase of Property or Assets
- Repay old loans
- Investments
- Holidays
- Gifts…etc.It is hassle free. No guarantors or security /collateral required. Loans to salaried & self-employed. Special offers for Professionals like Doctors, Chartered accountants, Engineers, Architects, Company secretaries, MBA’s etc. Loans are available from Rs. 50, 000/- to Rs. 20 lakh. Repayment options from 12 to 60 months in easy EMI’s. Loans available against surrogate income of any auto, personal or home loan.Minimum documentation & fast approval. What are the Various types of personal loans available? Personal loans can be broadly divided into income based and non income based. Income based loans are given on the basis of income per month/per year for salaried and self employed respectively. Non income based loans also know as surrogate loans are given based on repayment track records of existing personal loans, car loans, home loans and Credit cards from approved banks. Minimum instalments paid/Months on books required is 9-12 months.WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIAS?
The eligibility criteria for salaried and self employed are:SALARIED:
Applicant should be Indian citizens working and residing in Mumbai.
Minimum age required is 21 years and Maximum 58/60 years.
Minimum Work Experience-1 month in current company and 3 years overall.
Minimum Net Take Home – Rs. 20, 000/- per month.
Residence-either Owned, rented or company provided.
Telephone/mobile mandatory at residence.
Currently most of the banks are providing unsecured personal loans only to employees of Private Ltd , Limited and multinational companies.SELF EMPLOYED:
Applicant should be Indian Citizens Working and residing in Mumbai.
Minimum age required is 23/25 years and Maximum 65 years.
Minimum 3 years experience in same business.
Minimum income Rs. 2. 50 lakh per anum.
Residence/Office -either Owned, rented or company provided. Either residence or office should be self owned.
Telephone/mobile mandatory at residence and office.
Partnership firms , Private Ltd. companies and deemed Limited companies are eligible.HOW IS ELIGIBILITY CALCULATED? Different banks have different ways of calculating the eligibility. In the case of Salaried generally most of the banks would calculate eligibility to be 1/1. 5 times of annual income. Factors such as existing loan liabilities , average bank balance, track record on existing loans , company profile & loan tenure also plays a part in deciding eligibility.
In the case of Self Employed’s the eligibility would depend on the turnover, existing track record, net profit, cash credit /overdraft limit enjoyed, line of business, cash flow, bank statement, existing loan liability amongst other things. Generally the loan amount is limited at 1. 25 to 4 times of cash profit generated less existing liabilities or a certain percentage of turnover less existing liabilities.WHAT IS THE LOAN TENURE?Loan tenure is the period within which the applicant wants to repay the loan. Loans can be repaid from 1 year to 5 years. The rule of the thumb being longer the tenure higher would be the loan eligibility and vice versa. The age of the applicant along with period of service left also influences the loan tenure.WHAT ARE SERVICE CHARGES?Service charges, loan processing charges , bank charges are various ways of describing the fees which the bank charges for processing and disbursing loans. It is deducted directly from the loan amount and is generally restricted to 2% to 3 % of the loan amount. It is a one time fee.WHAT ARE THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED?SALARIED:- Photograph.
- Pan card copy.
- Current residence proof.
- Salary slips for 3 months.
- Bank statement for 6 months.
- Appointment letter and proof of work experience.
- Sanction letters of existing/closed loans.SELF EMPLOYED:- Photograph.
- Pan card copy.
- Residence and office address proof(Either residence or
- Office should be self owned).
- IT Returns – CA certified copies for 2 years complete set.
- Business continuity/existence proof 3 years old.
- Business banking 6 months.
- All existing loan sanction letters.
- Qualification proof for professionals.WHAT IS THE LOAN PROCESS?One can apply for a personal loan any time in anticipation of a quick, hassle free and unsecured finance for any purpose. The verification process at residence and office is physically done within 2/3 days on submission of all documents required. There is a simultaneous credit check done to find out the credit history of the applicant in the bank applied as also other banks. If all the checks are positive the credit officer normally has either a telephonic or physical discussion with the applicant at his office/place of work.Subject to the discussion being positive the applicant has to sign an agreement and also hand over PDC’c(Post Dated Checks) or authorization for ECS(Electronic Clearing System). The applicant generally gets either a direct credit in his/her account or receives a Draft within 2/3 working days after executing the agreement. The entire Process may take 5/7 working days.WHO CAN APPLY?Salaried individuals and Self employed individuals, Partnership firms, Pvt. Ltd. and Deemed Ltd. companies can apply.What are the Income Criterias for Salaried?
A Salaried Individual needs to have Minimum NTH(Net Take Home Salary) Of Rs. 20000/- pm.What are the income criteria for self employed?
Minimum Income of Rs. 2. 5 to Rs. 3 lakh per annum is the accepted norm.What is the minimum and maximum loan amount?
The minimum loan amount for salaried is Rs. 50, 000/- and maximum Rs. 15 lakhs. For Self employed the minimum loan is Rs. 1 lakh and maximum 20 lakh.WHAT ARE THE AGE CRITERIAS?
For salaried the minimum age is 21 years and maximum 60 years.
For Self employed’s the Minimum age required is 25 years and maximum 65 years.Is a no income Proof loan available?
Yes, salaried individuals and self employed’s can apply on the basis of existing personal loan, auto loan & home loan tracks on which minimum 9/12 EMI’s have been paid.WHAT IS THE LOAN TENURE?
The minimum loan tenure is 1 year and maximum 5 years.Is securities or guarantors required for a personal loan?
No security, hypothecation, guarantors or mortgages is required in a personal Loan.Can a person staying on rent apply?
Yes, applicants staying either on owned, rented or company provided accommodation can apply. Permanent residence address proof may be required in case of rented/leased, company provided accommodation.WHAT ARE THE INTEREST CHARGES?
Interest charges depends on various factors like the Loan Amount, Company profile, qualification & Income etc. It could vary from 16 % to 26% on a monthly reducing basis.CAN THE LOAN BE PREPAID?
Yes, the loan can be prepaid after paying 6 installment.ARE THERE PREPAYMENT CHARGES?
Generally all banks charge 4% to 5% of the principle outstanding as prepayment charges.

Bad Credit Auto Loans Online

Yes there are bad credit auto loans online for people with a poor credit history and low FICO scores who need transportation, and need a fresh start in repairing their credit. Although it may seem hopeless if you have blemishes on your credit there is a solution. First you will want to get rate quotes from various sources. This is very important, you should shop around to find the best deal. However, keep in mind that there are different factors at play with each lender, as to whether or not you get a loan and if so at what interest rate.You can get approved for a auto loan. But lets be clear, obviously you are not going to get the preferred interest rate on a car loan that a person with A+ credit will receive. However with a little research, especially online, you can find the best auto rate quote that meets your circumstances.Most people just dive head first into the auto financing process when buying a car, giving no thought to how the auto loan interest rate affects the overall cost of the vehicle or monthly payment. With no plan of action or alternative financing source, this results in them receiving high interest rates and high processing fees which lead to high monthly payments.It is vital that you make a plan, especially if you carry a bad credit history. As you know, it can be difficult to finance a car with poor credit. Lack of proper planning only complicates the process. So before you go to a dealer get a copy of your credit report and FICO score so that you know whats on it, and that there are no errors. There are, however, auto loan companies and banks that are actually competing for your business and that offer bad credit car loans. Planning is essential.A history of bad credit leaves many individuals feeling hopeless in their ability to get reasonable auto loan quotes. Sometimes they fill out a loan application at one dealer and then are shown one or two vehicles that the dealer says they qualify for, with out even knowing the value of the car or the loan rate. You want to go to the dealer with a pre-approved auto loan quote and pick out what you really want. You have options available to you. Several auto lenders specialize in helping people start over regardless of their past credit history.However, you should compare three or more auto loan quotes in order to get the lowest auto loan rate and monthly payments. This can be done easily, you will find well known banks and reputable lenders that want your business have bad credit auto loan applications online that are simple and quick to fill out. You can complete one in minutes and get a response, if not in minutes in a few hours. Best of all there are no fees, most are free, and you are under no obligation to take a loan quote. But once you secure an car loan you like, you can then go to the dealer and purchase a car as if you have cash. This allows you negotiate the lowest price on the vehicle you want at the best possible rate.To really save you will need to get quotes from various lenders, whether or not they are online, credit unions are another good source. You should compare a minimum of three auto loan quotes. Of course, online quotes are easier to get since you do not have to leave your home or office to find them. Once you receive approvals, you will know what your options are, repayment options and monthly payments costs. The internet has made it ideal for you to find not one but many lenders that offer bad credit auto loans online. Pick the lowest and save.

S&P 500 Rallies As U.S. Dollar Pulls Back Towards Weekly Lows

Key Insights
The strong pullback in the U.S. dollar provided significant support to stocks.
Treasury yields have pulled back after touching new highs, which served as an additional positive catalyst for S&P 500.
A move above 3730 will push S&P 500 towards the resistance level at 3760.
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Pfizer Rallies After Announcing A Huge Price Hike For Its COVID-19 Vaccines
S&P 500 is currently trying to settle above 3730 as traders’ appetite for risk is growing. The U.S. dollar has recently gained strong downside momentum as the BoJ intervened to stop the rally in USD/JPY. Weaker U.S. dollar is bullish for stocks as it increases profits of multinational companies and makes U.S. equities cheaper for foreign investors.

The leading oil services company Schlumberger is up by 9% after beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Schlumberger’s peers Baker Hughes and Halliburton have also enjoyed strong support today.

Vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna gained strong upside momentum after Pfizer announced that it will raise the price of its coronavirus vaccine to $110 – $130 per shot.

Biggest losers today include Verizon and Twitter. Verizon is down by 5% despite beating analyst estimates on both earnings and revenue. Subscriber numbers missed estimates, and traders pushed the stock to multi-year lows.

Twitter stock moved towards the $50 level as the U.S. may conduct a security review of Musk’s purchase of the company.

From a big picture point of view, today’s rebound is broad, and most market segments are moving higher. Treasury yields have started to move lower after testing new highs, providing additional support to S&P 500. It looks that some traders are ready to bet that Fed will be less hawkish than previously expected.

S&P 500 Tests Resistance At 3730

S&P 500 has recently managed to get above the 20 EMA and is trying to settle above the resistance at 3730. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

If S&P 500 manages to settle above 3730, it will head towards the next resistance level at 3760. A successful test of this level will push S&P 500 towards the next resistance at October highs at 3805. The 50 EMA is located in the nearby, so S&P 500 will likely face strong resistance above the 3800 level.

On the support side, the previous resistance at 3700 will likely serve as the first support level for S&P 500. In case S&P 500 declines below this level, it will move towards the next support level at 3675. A move below 3675 will push S&P 500 towards the support at 3640.

SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls

Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio

By Rob Isbitts

Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.

The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.

SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.

Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.

Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense

Segment: Inverse Equity

Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500

Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)

Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)

Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.

Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.

Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.

Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.

Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.

Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy

Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy

Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.

ETF Investment Opinion

SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.

S&P 500 Biotech Giant Vertex Leads 5 Stocks Showing Strength

Your stocks to watch for the week ahead are Cheniere Energy (LNG), S&P 500 biotech giant Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Cardinal Health (CAH), Steel Dynamics (STLD) and Genuine Parts (GPC).

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While the market remains in correction, with analysts and investors wary of an economic downturn, these five stocks are worth adding to watchlists. S&P 500 medical giants Vertex and Cardinal Health have been holding up, as health-care related plays tend to do well in down markets.

Steel Dynamics and Genuine Parts are both coming off strong earnings as both the steel and auto parts industries report optimistic outlooks. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy saw sales boom in the second quarter as demand in Europe for natural gas continues to grow.

Major indexes have been making rally attempts with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 testing weekly support on Friday. With market uncertainty, investors should be ready for follow-through day breakouts and keep an eye on these stocks.

Cheniere Energy, Cardinal Health and VRTX stock are all on IBD Leaderboard.

Cheniere Energy Stock
LNG shares rose 1.1% to 175.79 during Friday’s market trading. On the week, the stock advanced 3.1%, not from highs, bouncing from its 21-day and 10-week lines earlier in the week.

Cheniere Energy has been consolidating since mid-September, but needs another week to forge a proper base, with a potential 182.72 buy point formed on Aug. 10.

Houston-based Cheniere Energy was IBD Stock Of The Day on Thursday, as the largest U.S. producer of liquefied natural gas eyes strong demand in Europe.

Even though natural gas prices are plunging in the U.S. and Europe, investors still see strong LNG demand for Cheniere and others.

The U.K. government confirmed last week that it is in talks for an LNG purchase agreement with a number of companies, including Cheniere.

In the first half of 2021, less than 40% of Cheniere’s cargoes of LNG landed in Europe. That jumped to more than 70% through this year’s second quarter, even as the company ramped up new export capacity. The urgency of Europe’s natural gas shortage only intensified last month. That is when an explosion disabled the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia that had once supplied 40% of the European Union’s natural gas.

In Q2, sales increased 165% to $8 billion and LNG earned $2.90 per share, up from a net loss of $1.30 per share in Q2 2021. The company will report Q3 earnings Nov. 3, with investors seeing booming profits for the next few quarters.

Cheniere Energy has a Composite Rating of 84. It has a 98 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share price movement with a 1 to 99 score. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 41.

Vertex Stock
VRTX stock jumped 3.4% to 300 on Friday, rebounding from a test of its 50-day moving average. Shares climbed 2.2% for the week. Vertex stock has formed a tight flat base with an official buy point of 306.05, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The stock has remained consistent over recent weeks, while the relative strength line has trended higher. The RS line tracks a stock’s performance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Vertex Q3 earnings are on due Oct. 27. Analysts see EPS edging up 1% to $3.61 per share with sales increasing 16% to $2.2 billion, according to FactSet.

The Boston-based global biotech company dominates the cystic fibrosis treatment market. Vertex also has other products in late-stage clinical development that target sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and certain genetically caused kidney diseases. That includes a gene-editing partnership with Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP).

In early August, Vertex reported better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised full-year sales targets.

S&P 500 stock Vertex ranks second in the Medical-Biomed/Biotech industry group. VRTX has a 99 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and its EPS Rating is 99.

CRISPR Stocks: Will Concerns Over Risk Inhibit Gene-Editing Cures?

Cardinal Health Stock
CAH stock advanced 3.2% to 73.03 Friday, clearing a 71.22 buy point from a shallow cup-with-handle base and hitting a record high. But volume was light on the breakout. CAH stock leapt 7.3% for the week.

Cardinal Health stock’s relative strength line has also been trending up for months.

The cup-with-handle base is part of a base-on-base pattern, forming just above a cup base cleared on Aug. 11.

Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio, offers a wide assortment of health care services and medical supplies to hospitals, labs, pharmacies and long-term care facilities. The company reports that it serves around 90% of hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies in the U.S.

S&P 500 stock Cardinal Health will report Q1 2023 earnings on Nov. 4. Analysts forecast earnings falling 26% to 96 cents per share. Sales are expected to increase 10% to $48.3 billion, according to FactSet.

Cardinal Health stock ranks first in the Medical-Wholesale Drug/Supplies industry group, ahead of McKesson (MCK), which is also showing positive action. CAH stock has a 94 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 97 Relative Strength Rating and an EPS rating of 73.

Steel Dynamics Stock
STLD shares shot up 8.5% to 92.92 on Friday and soared 19% on the week, coming off a Steel Dynamics earnings beat Wednesday night.

Shares blasted above an 88.72 consolidation buy point Friday after clearing a trendline Thursday. STLD stock is 17% above its 50-day line, definitely extended from that key average.

Steel Dynamics’ latest consolidation could be seen as part of a larger base going back six months.

Steel Dynamics topped Q3 earnings views with EPS rising 10% to $5.46 while revenue grew 11% to $5.65 billion. The steel producer’s outlook is optimistic despite weaker flat rolled steel pricing. STLD reports its order activity and backlogs remain solid.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company is among the largest producers of carbon steel products in the U.S. It engages in metal recycling operations along with steel fabrication and produces myriad steel products.

How Millett Grew Steel Dynamics From A Three Employee Business

STLD stock ranks first in the Steel-Producers industry group. STLD stock has a 96 Composite Rating out of 99. It has a 90 Relative Strength Rating, an exclusive IBD Stock Checkup gauge for share-price movement that tops at 99. The rating shows how a stock’s performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in IBD’s database. The EPS rating is 98.

Genuine Parts Stock
GPC stock gained 2.8% to 162.35 Friday after the company topped earnings views with its Q3 results on Thursday. For the week GPC advanced 5.1% as the stock held its 50-day line and is in a flat base.

GPC has an official 165.09 flat-base buy point after a three-week rally, according to MarketSmith analysis.

The relative strength line for Genuine Parts stock has rallied sharply to highs over the past several months.

On Thursday, the Atlanta-based auto parts company raised its full-year guidance on growth across its automotive and industrial sales.

Genuine Parts earnings per share advanced 19% to $2.23 and revenue grew 18% to $5.675 billion in Q3. GPC’s full-year guidance is now calling for EPS of $8.05-$8.15, up from $7.80-$7.95. The company now forecasts revenue growth of 15%-16%, up from the earlier 12%-14%.

During the Covid pandemic, supply chain constraints caused a major upheaval in the auto industry, sending prices for new and used cars to record levels. This has made consumers more likely to hang on to their existing vehicles for longer, driving mileage higher and boosting demand for auto replacement parts.

Fellow auto stocks O’Reilly Auto Parts (ORLY) and AutoZone (AZO) have also rallied near buy points amid the struggling market. O’Reilly reports on Oct. 26.

IBD ranks Genuine Parts first in the Retail/Wholesale-Auto Parts industry group. GPC stock has a 96 Composite Rating. Its Relative Strength Rating is 94 and it has an EPS Rating of 89.

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%

US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 1.14%. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 0.98% and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up by 0.71 per cent

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US Markets in green on Friday; Dow 30 up over 345 points, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 up nearly 1%
Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. Source: Reuters
US Markets were trading in the green on Friday with Dow 30 trading at 30,678.80, up by 345.25 points or1.14 per cent. While S&P 500 was trading at 3,701.66, up by 35.88 points or 0.98 per cent and Nasdaq Composite 10,690.60 was also up 75.75 points or 0.71 per cent. A Reuters report said that today’s strength was on the back of a report which said the Federal Reserve will likely debate on signaling plans for a smaller interest rate hike in December, reversing declines set off by social media firms after Snap Inc’s ad warning.

Source: Comex

Nasdaq Top Gainers and Losers

Source: Nasdaq

Earlier today, Indian stock markets ended the week on a winning note. It was the sixth straight gains for equity markets. The BSE Sensex ended at 59,307.15, up by 104.25 points or 0.18 per cent from the Thursday closing level. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 index closed at 17,590.00, higher by 26.05 points or 0.15 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex, 13 stocks gained while the remaining 17 ended on the losing side. In the 50-stock Nifty50, 21 stocks advanced while 29 declined.

Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?

There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.

In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.

But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.

Different Types of Financing

One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.

Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.

But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.

Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.

Alternative Financing Solutions

But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:

1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.

2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.

3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.

In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:

It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.

A Precious Commodity

Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).

Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.

Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?