Washington, UNITED STATES: The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) building is seen 19 September 2006 in Washington, DC. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images) The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed ban on noncompetes should be welcome news to the business community. Noncompete agreements stifle economic development, limit firms’ ability to hire and depress innovation and growth. A nationwide ban will fuel economic expansion and support competitive markets. Noncompetes are contracts that limit workers’ ability to work for a competitor after leaving their employer. They are extremely common . Research shows that 1 in 5 workers in the United States is currently subject to a noncompete — approximately 30 million workers. Noncompetes are especially prevalent among high-level employees, like executives, and in certain industry sectors, like technology. But they are also found in contracts with low-wage workers and those without a college degree. Surprisingly, such agreements are permissible under most states’ laws. This is because companies and lawmakers once thought noncompete contracts were good for business. The reasoning was that companies would invest in their workforce only if they could feel confident that their workers would not take their knowledge and skill to a competitor. But a decade of empirical research […]
Retail solutions company buys expansion facility for $5 million
East Fork Business Center, located at 910 Lila Ave., was sold to PG&A. (COLLIERS via CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER) CINCINNATI ( Cincinnati Business Courier /WKRC) – A retail solutions company bought an expansion facility in Greater Cincinnati for $5 million. Peter Gaietto & Associates purchased the East Fork Business Center from Messer Construction. Chuck Ackerman, Bill Keefer and Jeff Kroeger of Colliers International were the listing brokers. The 122,603-square-foot manufacturing facility is situated on over 11 acres of land in Milford. PG&A specializes in innovative retail solutions with grocer and consumer products. Subscribers to the Cincinnati Business Courier can read the full story. Cincinnati Business Courier is a Local 12 News partner
Need to learn Excel? Then this $99 training opportunity may be ideal
No matter what kind of career you go into, chances are good you’ll need at least a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel . But this software isn’t exactly the easiest to figure out on your own. This is why, if you need professional training, you should do yourself a favor and check out Excel Everest before you do anything else. Excel Everest is a web-based training platform that provides a better way to learn this all-encompassing spreadsheet software. Unlike physical classes which can often be boring and expensive, Excel Everest provides students with practical skills training via the web and then offers the opportunity to put those skills to use with fun, hands-on exercises. The end result is you’ll advance from beginner to expert status much faster than you otherwise could. Even better, the training is delivered in stages so there’s practically zero chance you’ll ever feel overwhelmed. And you can start at the level you’re most comfortable with too, which means it’s an ideal resource for virtually everyone. Click here to find out more about how it works. Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used software titles in the world. Don’t know how to use it? […]
Zscaler: Buying Opportunity Still In The Making
Michael Vi 1. Introduction The current shakeout on the stock market has particularly affected growth stocks – One of them is the cybersecurity company Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS ), which temporarily delivered insane returns of around 2,000% for its investors after its IPO until the end of 2022 (see chart). ZS price % change since IPO vs major indices (YCharts) Although the stock has lost about 72% from its all-time high and has thus underperformed all the major indices, such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq as well as the Russell 2000, it still delivered a whopping return of over 500% to its investors since its IPO (see chart). Price % off high – ZS vs indices (YCharts) Well, is it worth considering an investment in ZS taking into account the current selloff? 2. Valuation In terms of valuation, I have chosen two valuation models: the enterprise value-to-sales ratio (EV/S), which adds debt and preferred shares to the market cap and subtracts cash as well as the rule of 40 by using the revenue growth rate and EBITDA margin. With regard to the EV/S ratio and the quarterly sales trend, it is striking that the EV/S ratio has logically fallen sharply […]
OxyGo sees sleep market as ‘great opportunity’
ORLANDO, Fla. – OxyGo first started selling CPAP devices in 2021, when providers were struggling with inventory due to a major recall and supply chain challenges, then officially launched OxyGo SLEEP in late 2022. The company, which already sells portable oxygen concentrators, used its network to tap into a vendor overseas for CPAP devices that had been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under Emergency Use Authorization. “When we found it, we thought, ‘This is a great opportunity for us and for suppliers,’” said Victoria Marquard-Schultz, CEO. “It gave us something to sell and distribute and gave our customers the CPAPs they desperately needed. It was serendipitous, how it worked out.” OxyGo SLEEP includes CPAP devices, travel batteries, sanitizers and accessories, as well as a web-based compliance portal called CLOUD. As a small company in a market with well-established competitors, OxyGo’s strategy is not to compete on price but on service, Marquard-Schultz says. While its initial focus last year was to get CPAP devices into the hands of providers, regardless of the technology, it has since worked closely with providers to further develop the line, particularly CLOUD. OxyGo’s portal, for example, allows providers to segment out branches […]
Traders Are Sleeping on ‘Massive Opportunity’ for Bitcoin and Crypto Markets, According to Analyst Michaël van de Poppe
A widely followed crypto analyst is tracking where Bitcoin ( BTC ) may head next after its explosive rise above $19,000. Crypto trader Michaël van de Poppe tells his 644,700 Twitter followers that it is still unclear how long BTC’s current rally will last. “All the liquidity has been taken above the highs and that’s why we accelerated. Question is whether we’ll continue rallying towards $20,000-$21,000 or whether we’ll calm down for Bitcoin.” Source: Michaël van de Poppe/Twitter BTC is trading for $19,333 at time of writing, up 15% in the last week. Despite BTC still being down 72% from its November 2021 all-time highs, Van de Poppe still observes what he describes as “bull euphoria” on social media. “Funny though, if you look at social media, it’s bull euphoria. If you watch the chart, you have to zoom out a lot to see the entire chart. Bitcoin is still -$50,000 from 15 months ago.” Despite the positive sentiment, the crypto trader still thinks the majority of the world is bearish on BTC. However, he also thinks this presents traders with a golden opportunity. “Bitcoin might be hated by the majority and the majority might expect new lows and […]
Metro growth promises opportunity, conflicts for rural water utility
Xenia Rural Water System is trying to hold onto service territory as the Des Moines metro expands. (Photo via Canva) The expansion of Des Moines’ suburbs and nearby communities has provided a rich opportunity for the Xenia Rural Water District to add new, densely clustered customers. The water utility serves about 10,700 customers in parts of 11 counties west and north of Des Moines. That includes those in sparsely populated areas and, more recently, suburban residents. It’s less costly to provide water to thick residential areas than to isolated farmhouses. But the growth of those cities into Xenia’s service area have prompted territorial disputes and two federal lawsuits. “They just assume that as they grow and expand their borders and annex territory that they get the right to serve those customers with all of their own utilities,” said Royce Hammitt, Xenia’s chief executive. “And in fact, that’s not usually the case.” By state law, rural water utilities are generally precluded from providing service within two miles of cities, unless those cities agree to it. But Xenia has used rural development loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and still owes money on them — to install its service […]
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Ionis: Opportunity Abounds
whyframestudio/iStock via Getty Images I have been a follower and a fan of Ionis (NASDAQ: IONS ) since 04/2018’s Ionis article "Ionis: Cash, Catalysts And More". In 03/2022’s "Ionis: At A Show-Me Crossroads" (" Crossroads "), I reflected on why Ionis had fallen back from its glory days when it had showed promise of trading up to $100 and discussed its then forward prospects . In this article, I update Crossroads based on latest available Ionis developments, including its Q3,2022 Earnings call (the " Call ") and CEO Monia’s presentation at the 01/2023 41st Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (the " Presentation "). Ionis’ ALS SOD1 PDUFA is fast approaching. Ionis has long generated healthy royalty revenues from its SPINRAZA (nusinersen) deal with Biogen ( BIIB ). They totaled ~$268 million in 2021 compared to ~$287 million in 2020. Its Q3, 2022 10-Q reported its product revenues from Spinraza, and lesser revenues from WAYLIVRA and TEGSEDI as set out below: seekingalpha.com This off kilter tri-legged stool of product revenues, with SPINRAZA as the workhorse and TEGSEDI and WAYLIVRA as the distant also-rans, has been the case for several years. As described in Crossroads, Ionis has recently been on something […]
‘Opportunity, not a threat’: How do students and tech experts feel about ChatGPT in Qatar?
[Gizmodo] “We now have to do the essays in class under timed conditions,” one student told Doha News. As ChatGPT soars in popularity, some schools around the world have banned its use, and Microsoft has considered pouring $10 billion into the chatbots father company, OpenAI. Conversations about the chatbot have taken the internet by storm thanks to its impressive ability to generate stories, poems, coding solutions, and more. The education board of New York City has banned it from schools due to its potential to provide answers and simple solve students’ homework. The largest US school district’s decision to ban access to the ChatGPT website on school computers and networks may have repercussions on other campuses, sending teachers scrambling to come up with effective cheating prevention strategies. Although the free tool has only been available for five weeks, it is already posing difficult questions in Qatar and around the world about the use of AI in education, the tech sector, and a variety of other fields. Back to good ol’ papers Nathenael Gemechu, a student at Northwestern University in Qatar, told Doha News that conversations about ChatGPT have already started as the new semester kicked off. “One of our […]
INVESTOR DEADLINE: Southwest Airlines Co. Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Class Action Lawsuit – LUV
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV ) publicly traded securities between June 13, 2020 and December 31, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period") have until March 13, 2023 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Southwest Airlines class action lawsuit. Captioned Teroganesian v. Southwest Airlines Co. , No. 23-cv-00115 (S.D. Tex.), the Southwest Airlines class action lawsuit charges Southwest Airlines and certain of its top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Southwest Airlines class action lawsuit, please provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-southwest-airlines-co-class-action-lawsuit-luv.html You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at jsanchez@rgrdlaw.com . CASE ALLEGATIONS : Southwest Airlines is a major U.S.-based airline carrier. The Southwest Airlines class action lawsuit alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Southwest Airlines continuously downplayed or ignored the serious issues with the technology it used to schedule flights and crews, and how it stood […]