Saturday, July 25, 2020
The following is the second edition of a monthly series chronicling the 2020 United States presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories.
This month’s spotlight on the campaign trail includes interviews with the vice presidential nominees of the Prohibition Party, Reform Party, and the Life and Liberty Party.
2009 Earnings Projections
by
Charles Rotblut
Profit forecasts for 2009 continue to be cut in large numbers. For every positive revision , there have been 6 cuts. The ratio is roughly the same whether the sample group is the S&P 500 or the larger Zacks Rank universe, which contains about 4400 stocks.
There is also quite a bit of difference in what analysts are forecasting. Last night, I calculated projected earnings growth for the S&P 500 based on the lowest, consensus and highest estimates. Here are the results based on a bottom-up calculation. Lowest estimate: $71.60 (-5.8%) Consensus estimate: $91.14 (+9.5%) Highest estimate: $111.14 (+20.7%) The bottom-up estimate is calculated by using the individual earnings estimates for each company and then applying an index-weight to it. The lowest estimate uses the lowest profit forecast for each company. The highest estimate uses the highest forecast for each company. It is possible that some of the highest forecasts are close to 90 days old, meaning that analysts have yet to adjust them for the credit crunch. The top-down forecasts, which are consensus estimates made for the S&P 500 as a whole, show a tighter range. Lowest estimate: $75.20 (+1.6%) Consensus estimate: $93.73 (+6.9%) Highest estimate: $108.00 (+7.5%) As I have said previously, these profit forecasts need to be taken with grain of salt. Brokerage analysts are doing their best to make educated guesses, but the assumptions used in their models could end up being very wrong. It’s not the analysts’ fault, but rather just current reality. Credit Markets The credit freeze is continuing to show signs of thawing, a positive. The 3-month London-Interbank Offered Rate (aka “LIBOR”) is down to 2.29% as of Friday morning. At the height of the credit crunch, the rate had reached 4.82%. This rate is used as the basis for many loan terms, including the interest rate on your and my credit cards. The TED Spread, which is the difference between the LIBOR rate and 3-month treasury bill rates, has also narrowed. Friday’s spread of 2% is well below the recent peak of 3.66%. Higher TED spreads imply greater credit risk. Prior to the current credit crunch, the TED spread was 0.11%. The Election and the Our Portfolios During the campaign, President-Elect Obama said that healthcare will be one his top priorities. Since the Focus List presently has a heavy weighting towards the medical sector, I want to address why I’m not concerned. Healthcare will be a major battle. There are too many players with high-powered lobbyists to allow true change to occur without a fight. Furthermore, even if the U.S. moves towards national health care, much of the existing system could be kept in place. Switzerland has universal coverage AND powerful insurance and pharmaceutical companies. In other words, I expect most companies within the medical sector to remain profitable long after President-Elect Obama leaves the White House. This said, we will monitor progress and make changes to the portfolio if legislation dictates it. The Markets Despite all of the volatility, we are still in one big trading range. The post-election pullback occured as the Dow was just above resistance and overbought on a short-term basis. There was a big rally headed into the election, so a sell on the news reaction was not surprising. In a monthly column that I write for SFO Magazine’s web site, I described the Dow’s range as between 8200-9450. We might see some intraday swings slightly outside these numbers, but I think it’s a close approximation. Though this is a big range, if the Dow can start to see more days with double-digit moves, as opposed to triple-digit moves, then investor confidence would be more fully restored. The Focus List We did not make any changes this week, but there are a few companies we are looking at closely. Our target is adding 2-3 companies per week. Perrigo’s (PRGO) earnings were a penny below expectations, but guidance seemed to be okay. We’re looking at the estimate revisions as they come out. McDonald’s (MCD) said the stronger dollar could hurt fourth-quarter earnings. I do think the company will benefit from more frugal consumers in the U.S., however. We’re going to monitor the estimates revisions.
Charles Rotblut is the Vice President of Web Content for Zacks Investment Research and the Senior Market Analyst for Zacks.com. He oversees the editorial staff, manages the market-beating Focus List, Timely Buys and Top 10 portfolios, and plays an instrumental role in the development of new products. For more information, visit http://www.zacks.com.
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2009 Earnings Projections
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The 2008 Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE 2008), organized by the Taipei Book Fair Foundation (TBFF), will start tomorrow and end next Monday (Feb. 18) at the Taipei World Trade Center in Hall 1 & 3 and in the Taipei Show (TWTC Hall 2). Before the opening of the main show, the TIBE changed significantly.
Since the Preview Exhibition was held in 1992 in Jhonghe City, Taipei County with the “History of books in China” theme, the preview exhibition wasn’t eventually held before the main show every year.
This pre-main-show exhibition style was replaced by a consuming battle between bookstores from actual to virtual (via Internet) and reading festivals from municipal libraries in Taiwan that the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China promoted. But in 2008, after the TBFF was regrouped last year, the preview exhibition finally returned on Feb 2 & 3 with the “Book Market” and “Arts and Crafts” in the Huashan Culture Park, Taipei. With the preview exhibition, the reading population is expected to expand rapidly and widely in Taiwan.
To gather on different cultures, the TBFF not only arranged a variety of seminars from book-cover designing, changes of publishing industry, publishing style, and strategies from global publishing industry, but also invited executives from the publishing industry worldwide such as Michel Le Bris, Gilles Lapouge, Shaun Tan, Markus Zusak, Tony Wheeler, and Maruen Wheeler and executives from the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Apart from seminars and executives, the Stiftung Buchkunst (Book Art Foundation) will showcase several awarded books from “Giant of Japanese Design” and some book design awards in the “Most Beautiful Book Designing” pavilion. Two book design awards by TBEE named the “2008 TIBE Prize” and “2008 Golden Butterfly Award” will be successively announced on Feb 13 & 14.
Not only on book-designing and pavilions, even though Australia was named as the main international pavilion, the TBFF chose the opening movie “What My Eyes Have Seen” from France and a closing movie named “The Edge of Heaven“ from Germany, those selected movies including the opening and closing ones will be screened at the movie pavilion. The Travel Literature Pavilion will show a different style varied from the 2007 Taipei International Travel Fair, not only just about traveling but also mixed with cultures and literature.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The One: Making a Music Star is a new reality show hosted by CBC personality George Stroumboulopoulos.
The show airs on ABC and on CBC.
It premiered yesterday and has sparked some controversy over the simulcast, which according to ABC’s schedule means displacing CBC’s The National for a U.S. program.
Over the past few weeks, CBC’s decision to simulcast The One has drawn criticism from a number of individuals and groups, including Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, NDP MP and federal heritage critic Charlie Angus, and a retired CBC journalist Knowlton Nash.
Since the show airs on Tuesday night, the episodes will bump The National to an earlier slot in Atlantic Canada and a later one in Ontario and Québec, which means it will air at 11:00 PM instead of 10:00 PM in Ontario and in Quebec. The Wednesday night editions will also bump The National to an earlier slot in Ontario and Quebec.
A Canadian version of the series will launch in the fall in another time slot, but a condition of the CBC’s franchise deal for this production was to simulcast the ABC production. This also represents the first time in over a decade that the CBC has scheduled an American-produced series in prime time.
The CBC’s will continue to show The National at different times on the main broadcast network and on CBC Newsworld. “We get discouraged that people don’t appreciate the fact that [The National] is on Newsworld. . . . People watch their news on the Internet, on cable, on broadcast and we’re giving it to them in all different kinds of ways. We’re very proud of The National. I just hope that gets across.” , said Kirstine Layfield, CBC’s executive director of network programming.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A gold mine collapse in Copiapó, Atacama Region, Chile has trapped 33 miners since last Thursday. Another collapse occurred on Saturday, that provoked temporary suspension of the rescue works.
Rescue efforts were first focused on a ventilation shaft, but attempts to reach the miners failed. Rescuers have been drilling into the mine since Sunday. “The situation is very complex, the mine continues to have collapses because there is a geological fault-line,” said Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile, who “pledged to do everything possible to get to the trapped miners,” but acknowledged he was pessimistic.
There is no certainty that the miners, who are trapped about 400 meters (1300 feet) below the ground, are still alive.
By Larry Donaldson
In need of cash but don’t have a checking account? You are not alone. These days, more and more people are being rejected for a new account – and the rejection is not for the reasons you might think (see below).
The taking out of short term loans is on the rise due to many people finding themselves in a cash pinch. The economy, personal misfortune, or just bad planning are all possible reasons why you may be running short on cash.
Here are 5 things you should know if you are interested in short terms loans without a bank account:
1. The vast majority of short term lenders require that you have a bank account.
Most short-term lenders require that you have a bank account. There are three main reasons for this:
a. usually, the lender will want you to write a post-dated check to them so that you can pay them back on your next pay day. And, a check requires a bank account!
b. having a checking account is a symbol your being a responsible person who can pay back the loan.
c. possessing a checking account also allows the bank to establish your identity, which builds trust.
2. Some lenders do not require an account.
There are some lenders who do not require that you have an account. However, these lenders will usually want you to put up some type of collateral in order to potentially cover any risk that your loan represents. And, that is not always easy to come up with.
3. Not having a checking account is frustrating for other reasons, as well:
Lacking access to your own checking is frustrating for many other reasons, besides not being able to get qualified for a loan. For example, having an account allows you to have a safe place to keep your money. It also allows you to write checks and make debit charges at almost any store, gas station, and service provider anywhere. Not only that, but checking accounts also allow you to manage your money through online banking. And, of course, it gives you access to your money through a network of ATM machines located anywhere you go.
4. Chex Systems: the reason you cannot get approved for a checking account.
Applying for a new checking account is a fairly easy process that can take 15 minutes or less. The bank will need to establish your identity and get you set up in their system. But, what if you have applied for one or more checking accounts but been rejected? This is a humiliating and frustrating experience.
The reason that 99% of people get rejected for a new checking account – to the surprise of many people – has NOTHING to do with your credit (FICO) score. Rather, it is because their name has been reported to a database called Chex Systems. Banks use this database to share information with each other about past customers whom they consider a banking risk. Currently, about 80-90% of banks refer to Chex Systems when considering new account applications.
5. Second chance checking accounts allow you to avoid the Chex Systems hassle.
Once your name has been reported to Chex Systems, there is no way to get it immediately removed. However, there is a silver lining to this cloud: there are a handful of banks that do not refer to Chex Systems when considering a new application. These banks are called “second chance checking” banks, for good reason: they give you a second chance when others won’t.
If you are looking for short term loans without a checking account, your best bet is to apply for a second chance checking account first. The approval process can take just minute, and you can find any number of lenders willing to extend to you a new loan.
About the Author: For a list of second chance checking banks in your area, check out:
squidoo.com/open-second-chance-checking-account-online
.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=501647&ca=Finances
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The polygamist family at the center of the new TLC reality television series Sister Wives are now the subject of a criminal investigation. Yesterday, following Sunday’s debut of Sister Wives, police in Lehi, Utah, where the show is set, announced they are investigating Kody Brown and his four wives for possible charges of bigamy.
Sister Wives focuses on Brown, his four wives—Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn—and his 13 children and three step-children. The family has said they are participating in the show to bring more public awareness to polygamist families and fight societal prejudices.
Brown has claimed the arrangement is not illegal because he is only legally married to Meri, and the other marriages are only spiritual unions. However, Lehi police said yesterday that state laws identify bigamy through cohabitation, not just legal contracts. The department plans to turn their findings over to the Utah Attorney General’s office at the conclusion of their investigation.
TLC contacted the state attorney general’s office before the series was broadcast in anticipation of potential legal issues. The office has not explicitly stated they will not charge the Browns, but has stated they do not have the resources to prosecute polygamists unless they are suspected of serious crimes, like child abuse and child trafficking.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
In February 2017, the Iranian Chess Federation announced two teenage chess players, Dorsa Derakhshani and her younger brother Borna Derakhshani, were banned from representing the national team. The federation announced their decision although Dorsa Derakhshani had previously decided and informed the chess federation she did not wish to play for Iran.
Dorsa Derakhshani is currently 21 years old and holds the International Master (IM) as well as Woman Grand Master (WGM) titles. Her brother, Borna, plays for the English Federation and holds the FIDE Master title.
Dorsa Derakhshani was banned since she did not wear a hijab, an Islamic headscarf, while competing at the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival in January 2017. Under the laws of Islamic Republic of Iran, hijab is a mandatory dress code. Her brother Borna Deraskhsani was banned for playing against Israeli Grand Master (GM) Alexander Huzman at the same tournament. Iran does not recognise the existence of Israel, and previously, Irani athletes have avoided playing against Israeli athletes.
Mehrdad Pahlavanzadeh, the president of the country’s chess federation, explained the decision to ban the players saying, “As a first step, these two will be denied entry to all tournaments taking place in Iran and in the name of Iran, they will no longer be allowed the opportunity to be present on the national team.” ((fa))Farsi language: ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ?? ?? ????? ? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??????? ? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ????. He further stated, “Unfortunately, something that should not have happened has happened and our national interest is paramount and we have reported this position to the Ministry of Sports.” ((fa))Farsi language: ????????? ?????? ?? ????? ????????? ?????? ??? ? ????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?????.
IM Dorsa Derakhshani, who currently studies at Saint Louis University in the United States and plays for the United States Chess Federation, discussed her chess career, time in Iran and the 2017 controversy, and her life in Saint Louis with a Wikinews correspondent.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A fast-moving fire engulfed the home of late singer Johnny Cash on Tuesday. The lake-side home, located in Hendersonville, Tennessee, was the home of the late singer and his wife, June Carter, from the late 1960s until their deaths in 2003.
The home was purchased by former Bee Gees singer Barry Gibb in 2006, and was undergoing renovations at the time. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but it is believed that a flammable wood preservative that construction workers had applied contributed to the speed in which the flames spread. Firefighters responded within 5 minutes of the fire breaking out. No workers were killed in the fire, but one firefighter suffered minor injuries.
“Maybe it’s the good Lord’s way to make sure that it was only Johnny’s house,” said Richard Sterban of The Oak Ridge Boys, who lived down the road from Cash. Neighbor Marty Stewart said “So many prominent things and prominent people in American history took place in that house—everyone from Billy Graham to Bob Dylan went into that house.” The home was where Cash wrote many of his hit songs, and appeared in the Cash music video for “Hurt“.
Trousers distinction is existent between male and female. Male and female body have relatively large differences, so the pants are cut in different ways, following a brief look will be said at the relationship between male and female pants and differences in their structure. The waist of the male body section is lower and the waist section of the female body is higher than the waist section of the male body, so they decided the person of the same height female pants are longer and the files are larger than male. The indentation in female waistband is more remarkable than men’s, and the difference between hipline and waist circumference is more large than the male body, the female rump is more well-rounded than the male, side hip is more outward ,the hip peak is more low-lying, so the female pants is bigger, longer than male and the skewed degree in rump is greater. At the same time the waistband outside the buttock is more potential than men’s trousers, what is more, the size of trousers waist is bigger. The physiological difference between men and women decide the depression in the front of trousers is bigger than man’s and also decide that top fly is always laid the front of central position. Female pants before and after can be arbitrarily set, and thus determine female pants can be designed around the placket but male trousers have not to be. Service tips of choosing trousers. It is necessary to try the pants when you buy it. You need keep your eyes open on the length of the trousers, and too short and too long is not suitable. Wearing long pants preferably selects shoes with heel, the length of the trousers is the best to the upper part of heel, both for the convenience of walking and making the legs look slender. Wearing with or without flange styles depends on the length of your legs, and slender legs are suitable to wear cuffed trousers. The inside disposition had better to be farther to tide, the conventional design and one can hide faults of pants are good selection.There are different kinds of pants. Cashmere trousers are knitted garments made from cashmere as raw material. According to category woolen yarn they are divided into two kinds of knitting and worsted; According to the proportion of raw materials it can be divided into pure wool and cashmere blends two kinds. There has cashmere itself crude color of white, green, purple, etc., and they can be colored too. It feels soft, smooth, glossy, warmth retention property good, wear comfortable, but strength is poorer. It mainly divided into plane pants, computer jacquard trousers, etc.Jeans is made of a indigo denim tailoring straight crotch pants, the legs narrow and will shrink after wash and feels like a tight package buttocks trousers. The origin of jeans: English name is called “Jeans”, the earliest recorder is in 1567 and is from auspicious of the merchant seamen wearing pants appellation in Genoa, a port city in Italy.The suit pants mainly indicate the collocation clothes of suits and coat. The origin of the suits is from Europe. 800×600 Normal 0 7.8 0 2 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:nhIn 1567, the first jean record appeared in Italy whichfamous for wearable. Today the popular jeans are here Abercrombieand Fitch Pants Jeans and HollisterDown Jackets.