The hubbub around GameStop (GME) and Robinhood is sparking new (or renewed) interest in investing. Trading stocks is just one avenue. You can also use other investment vehicles, like mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, to get into the stock market.

But whether you want to invest in individual stocks, funds, or other securities, you'll need to open an investment account with a brokerage.

Here are some things to know before you get started:

What Is a Brokerage? A brokerage, or stockbroker, is a company thats licensed to buy and sell securities like stocks, bonds, and funds. Individuals can also be licensed stockbrokers. Most brokerages offer both retirement accounts and brokerage accounts, which are also referred to as taxable accounts. You'll owe taxes on any income that comes from investments in a taxable brokerage account. Retirement accounts, like traditional and Roth IRAs, are subject to different sets of rules.

While retirement accounts offer considerable benefits, many investors use brokerage accounts to buy and sell securities. Like a bank account, you can transfer money into and out of a brokerage account. You own the money and securities in your account, and you can sell your investments at any time. The brokerage acts as the middleman between you and the investments that you want to buy.

If you want to make your own investment decisions, setting up an account with an online broker is a great low-cost option.

How to Choose an Online Broker Not all online brokers are alike. Here are the questions you should consider when deciding where to open an account:

Understand Your Investment Options Most brokers have similar investment offerings, but check to make sure that you can purchase the kinds of securities that you want. Common investment types include stocks, options, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. Some brokerages will also give you access to futures and cryptocurrencies. It's important to understand what you'll be able to invest in before you go through the process of opening an account.

Though rarely done, a brokerage can restrict or adjust the menu of securities that you can buy using their platform. For example, Robinhood and a few other online brokers placed buying restrictions on GameStop and a handful of other stocks after they saw a huge surge in purchases. This move sparked a negative response from both investors and some politicians.

Look Out for Fees Commissions are fees that are charged when you buy or sell securities. They may vary by security type. While some online brokers still charge transaction fees, many have eliminated commissions altogether.

Beyond commissions, a brokerage may charge an annual fee to maintain your account. Be on the lookout for other fees as well. For example, you may be charged when you transfer money out of your account, or you may be charged a fee for inactivity. Find an online broker with small or zero annual fees and try to avoid those with inactivity fees.

Know What You Need for an Account Many online brokers don't have account minimums. That means you don't have to have a certain amount of money to open an account or start investing. If you can't or don't want to dedicate a large sum of money to your brokerage account, you'll want to find one that doesn't require a minimum.

If you're making your investing decisions on your own, it's important to have the resources you need to be informed. In addition to the tools you need to make trades, some brokerages offer educational materials. Whether you're an investing beginner or more experienced, look for an online broker whose resources meet your needs.

You Might Want to Talk to a Human One of the benefits of an online brokerage is that you can conveniently manage your account entirely online, but there might be times when you have questions or technology issues prevent you from accessing your account online or on the broker's app. If that happens, it's comforting to know that you can get someone on the phone.

Be Honest With Yourself Stock investing might not be right for you. You may not want to take the time to manage a brokerage account at all. If you want to take a more hands-off approach, you can use a full-service brokerage with an advisor who manages your account or a robo-advisor, a lower-cost alternative. Robo-advisors provide financial-planning services driven by computer algorithms. You may also consider simply investing in a target-date fund, whether in a retirement or a taxable brokerage account.

There are many ways to get started with investing. Find the path that works for you.

See original here:
Ready to Invest? Here's How to Get Started - Morningstar.com

Long-awaited investment in government technology is finally here in the United States and now we must act.President Joe Biden recently announced his administrations $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, and technologists rightly lauded his inclusion of $10 billion to modernize state systems and networks, improve cybersecurity, and fund the Technology Transformation Services. This acknowledges that governments are facing an unprecedented need to expand their digital and virtual services due to COVID-19.

The pandemic continues to create immediate demands for services, raises the governments technology risk profile, and changes long-term expectations for how government interacts with and delivers services. To make the most of the momentum for change thats now here, governments will have to look beyond 2021 and this crisis.

My hope is that this is the beginning of long-term sustained, strategic investment to establish resilient technology infrastructure and digital government.

Even prior to this crisis it was clear that governments faced high-stakes technology challenges. For example, with the onset of the long-anticipated silver tsunami retirements, IT departments face high levels of attrition, leaving them understaffed and with the loss of much institutional knowledge. Yet, the pressure to deliver quickly has led to an accumulation of technical debt, with the near term agenda being prioritized at the cost of sustainability. Legacy systems, running on hardware or software that is increasingly costly and difficult to support, present operational and security risks that must be addressed. Cyberattacks haverisen over the last year. The risks are not hypothetical; they are playing out at all levels of government in real time.

While there are pressing, immediate needs, the technology agenda cannot be short-sighted. To succeed, Governments must create long-term integrated plans that encompass enterprise architecture, funding, and policy support for scaling infrastructure, shared services automation, and workforce development/skills building.

Scaling Infrastructure

First and foremost, governments, as some already have, must adopt cloud-based infrastructure that scales. As legacy mainframes and servers are overwhelmed by people seeking aid from COVID-19 and the economic crisis, the challenge becomes a matter of global interest. Of course, governments arent going to switch to cloud infrastructure overnight. In the short-term, however, that means operating in a hybrid environment (part on-site, part cloud) while also planning for the future with supportive funding and policies that promote best practices in technology procurement and development.

Shared Services

Likewise, governments also often have multiple solutions that serve the same purpose due to being built over the course of 10 or 20 years without an overarching vision. This means more time in developing and managing applications that might no longer be needed, increased costs related to procuring software, and a confusing experience for people using government services. If governments treat their modernization projects as one-off rip and replace initiatives, these problems will recur again. Now is the moment to break out of that cycle and build for reuse across government.

Automation

IT organizations will have to balance pressure to automate things quickly and a need to set themselves up for long term success. The reality of COVID-19 means doing more with less. Many government agencies have embraced automated solutions to help fill gaps. Automated solutions can help streamline processes, lighten overhead, and provide for better data and tracking of operations. However, implementing automated solutions cannot be done without considering the processes and teams involved. TheFederal RPA Playbookis a great starting place for organizations looking to implement automation at scale.

Workforce Development

The success of almost every other program and investment noted above depends on investing in a workforce capable of supporting, maintaining, and growing it over time. Technology and workforce development plans must be developed hand-in-hand so that the workforce is prepared to execute on the organizations priorities.New approaches, such as The Digital Corps, to hiring can help getdiversetech talent in the door. Training and support for professional development ensure IT organizations have the skills they need and employees who buy-in to the long-term vision for the organization.

Its not just about funding, but also about supporting long-term plans with policies and processes that complement those investments. Without that supportive structure, even smart investments in technology will fail to have positive impacts. With funding and support, total,net costs will be lower, new software will be delivered more quickly, people will get their government services more easily, and technology will be more secure.

Organizationsall over the worldare putting together their plans for 2021, with a heavy emphasis on technologies that will help the ongoing response to COVID-19. NASCIO recently published itstop 10 priorities for 2021, The Commission for Smart Government in the U.K. just released acomprehensive list of recommendationsfor improving digital government, and articles calling for investments in key technologies have been published in countless outlets over the last ten months. Parlaying those short-term priorities into sustainable, long-term transformation is the next, crucial step on the path to better government technology.

Jeremy M. Goldberg is the former deputy secretary for technology and innovation for Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the interim-chief information officer at the State of New York.

Read more:
How Forward-Thinking Investments Will Build the Future of Digital Government - Nextgov

Lowell Votes responds to recent councilor statements regarding the Voting Rights Act lawsuit plaintiffs

To read the full letter: tinyurl.com/LV-Responds-12921

Lowell Votes would like to respond to insensitive and disrespectful comments made during the Jan. 26 City Council meeting. Lowells at-large voting system has contributed to a loss of trust and engagement in the local democratic process, and has systematically disenfranchised minority voters. Comments made by certain city councilors fail to recognize this. The new voting system taking effect this year is a result of the Voting Rights Act lawsuit settled in 2019. Though the final hybrid system was voted on by residents and finalized by City Council, conversations around how the mayor is elected have continued. However, only recently was the city solicitor instructed to approach the plaintiffs legal team to ask for their position. The plaintiffs response was inconclusive, frustrating certain councilors. The plaintiffs are not the enemy nor in opposition to the City Council, they are residents who have worked for nearly four years to ensure equitable representation at City Hall for all of Lowells residents. Yet the scorched earth language of the city councilors comments that plaintiffs were seeking to waste time, control the city, and play with our (the councilors) minds. seek to demonize the plaintiffs, and bring to mind toxic political rhetoric at the national level that is tearing our country and democracy apart. Their comments are also completely out of proportion to the plaintiffs very reasonable response. The plaintiffs stated they had no objection to exploring the possibility of changing how the mayor is elected, but wanted to ensure sufficient time for obtaining community input. That is how democracy is intended to work and is hardly deserving of such scorn and disrespect from our elected officials. This important decision must be made through a process of civic engagement and deliberation with community input at its core, particularly from historically under-engaged communities and non-English speaking residents. Our city leaders must innovate and adopt policies and practices that ensure transparent communication and accessible engagement, not rush decisions that will potentially disenfranchise communities further. First, help our communities transition to this new hybrid system. First, help Lowell build a more engaged electorate and a healthier democracy.

Mary Tauras Lowell Votes Coordinator

Invest in cultured meat

The United States government should follow the example of Spain and invest more money into cultured-meat development. For those who dont know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering animals. Spain recently granted BioTech Foods $6.3 million to study the health benefits of this revolutionary protein.

There are numerous such benefits. Cultured meat is produced in a sterile environment, as opposed to the filthy abattoirs where slaughtered meat is processed. Similarly, cultured meat isnt pumped full of artificial growth hormones and unnecessary antibiotics. The latter helps create antibiotic resistance in bacterial disease.

Additionally, cultured meat removes the risk of spreading zoonotic viruses. Were currently living through a global crisis created by one such disease, COVID-19. But a number of others have made the jump to humans in recent years. You might know them as swine flu or bird flu.

For these reasons and more, namely the animal-welfare and environmental benefits, we need further governmental investment in cultured-meat research. While Singapore has already granted regulatory approval to the new protein,it is significantly more expensive than slaughtered meat. This can be remedied with additional study.

Jon Hochschartner Granby

See more here:
Letters to the Editor: Lowell Votes responds; Invest in cultured-meat - Lowell Sun

For investors focused on income, agriculture offers an attractive proposition. Farms have been a part of society since the beginning, and tend to produce a steady stream of income year after year to help bolster a portfolio.

Alas, it's tough to go out and buy a farm just for the sake of the dividends.

In this video fromMotley Fool Live,recorded on Jan. 28,Industry Focus host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Lou Whiteman discuss ways individual investors can gain exposure to farms and farmland in their portfolio, and why it might be a good idea to do so.

Nick Sciple: Any advice for folks who are interested in investing in this kind of agriculture space? If you don't want to pick individual stocks, maybe ETFs to pay attention to, things like that.

Lou Whiteman: Yeah. I think if nothing else, the point I think we've tried to make here today is that there is value here, especially for income. There's the old expression that land is important, because they're not making more of it. It still applies. Agriculture is key to our existence. They're not making more land. This is a business that over the long term can work, but has a lot of risks. There are some interesting and awesomely tickered, I should say, ETFs in the sector. I'm really interested in the Market Vectors Agribusiness (NYSEMKT:MOO), which has a ticker of MOO, M-O-O. I like that it's got 60 or so stocks. You get some exposure to animal health, ZoetisandIdexx, some of those which I know are popular here. But you also get a lot of the seeds and chemicals in a pretty diverse basket. There's another one, VEGI (NYSEMKT:VEGI),which is an ETF that's a little more concentrated. Both of them have companies like John Deerein it too, which is one we didn't get to, but which is a service provider to ag, which is very interesting. The Farmland REITs, I think looking at that, I like land. There's also Farmland Partners (NYSE:FPI), which is FPI, which I think is the same idea although I don't know if it's worked out as Gladstone Land (NASDAQ:LAND), but this is just an area where the cloud isn't working so much or if you're looking for a little more income. Some way to get into this and have some exposure for a 20-30 year portfolio, I think makes a lot of sense and it's worth looking at.

Sciple:Absolutely. It gives you exposure, as we said earlier. This is an industry that is not going to trade correlated with the rest of the markets or particularly for an income investor, an area to pay attention to. Again, I don't think farming is going to go away. [laughs] An easy bet to predict. The beginning of civilization was farming. I think, if you're betting on civilization sticking around, farming is going to stick around too. Interesting area to invest in if you're looking for something uncorrelated that can give you some steady returns over time.

More here:
Want Income? Here Are the Best Ways to Invest in Agriculture - The Motley Fool

Looking down West Broadway in Missoula. The citys opportunity zone loosely extends from Orange Street to Reserve and from the Clark Fork River north to Interstate 90. (Martin Kidston/Missoula Current)

Several years after the Trump administration created opportunity zones to encourage investment in low-income census tracts across the county, Missoulas designated zone has attracted its share of projects.

This week, the largest such project made its debut in City Council where a local team announced its plans to develop nine acres off Scott Street into a mix of permanently affordable and market rate housing.

The project, which should close with the sale of property this summer, culminates years of work by the Missoula Economic Partnership and included funding from the Missoula Redevelopment Agency to help push the project forward.

We went through a process of almost two years going to conferences, touring communities, working with our partners at MRA and the city, said Grant Kier, CEO of the Missoula Economic Partnership. When we started that process, this was our vision. Talking with impact investors, Scott Street was the place wed have the best likelihood to succeed.

The Trump administration created opportunity zones in its 2017 tax plan. The tool enables an investor to defer capital gains on the sale of certain assets by investing those gains into an opportunity fund or opportunity zone.

The Scott Street housing project includes a pool of parties who have invested into an opportunity fund. Each fund has its own goals and outcomes, though a number of them also look to create a positive community impact.

Such outcome-based funds are often referred to as an impact fund, and its exactly what landed in Missoula to help push the Scott Street project forward. Once completed, it will result in around 70 permanently affordable homes built on a land trust held by a nonprofit, along with around six acres of market rate housing.

This is the result of a very remarkable partnership, said Mayor John Engen. We have an opportunity fund partner and an impact opportunity fund very interested in doing good. Its the kind of partner we hoped to find.

Like many other locations, it took time for Missoula to fully grasp the impacts and potential of an opportunity zone. Montana was allocated a limited number of zones, and former Gov. Steve Bullock designated one in Missoula.

The zone loosely extends from Orange Street to Reserve and from the Clark Fork River north to Interstate 90. A number of projects have utilized the opportunity benefits within the zone, including a $3 million office building by DJ&A and a $7 million medical clinic for gastroenterology.

But its the public-private partnership behind the Scott Street project that could provide the momentum the citys economic leaders have been looking for over the past several years.

It really showcases how to leverage public-private partnerships, said Julie Lacey, the economic development director at MEP. Were excited to see where that goes and what that means for other projects in the area. How do we take what weve learned and how do we engage outside partners and folks in Missoula and apply that to other sites?

Kier said interest in Missoula remains strong, even if the city represents a relatively small market and isnt widely known to large-scale investors. That makes it hard to attract the national capital needed to fund larger project, such as 9 acres of housing.

But the organizations networking paid off, and the citys ownership of the Scott Street property added some security to investors. The parcel, along with most others in the opportunity zone, also sits in one of Missoulas urban renewal districts, meaning public funding can be used to build the public infrastructure needed to accommodate the development.

We do feel that if this goes well, it will open the eyes of a new pool of potential investors into the kinds of projects we want to see in Missoula, Kier said. Were hoping this will be an opportunity to build momentum and replicate this as a way of partnering with the city or county and the private sector to move the needle on some of our bigger goals, rather than waiting for the private sector to just come along and take it on.

Kier said MEP continues to see investor interest in Missoula, both in and out of the opportunity zone. The Scott Street deal, fueled in part by an opportunity fund based in Salt Lake City, could prompt other investors to take a closer look.

As people have gotten to know us and learn more about whats happening in Missoula, were seeing more and more interest from people looking at opportunity zone investments, but who are also thinking about ways they can engage in new markets to deploy funding for capital investments and land, and commercial and residential real estate, Kier said.

The tax plan that created the opportunity zones also set a timeline for when investments can be withdrawn, and when investments can be made for the greatest return. The maximum benefit is coming to a close, though some tax benefits will continue.

MEP believes the benefit of the opportunity zone represents only a small fraction of the overall financing. As a result, Kier said, impact investments will likely continue.

The whole universe of what impact investors who are interested in both a financial return and achieving an important social outcome that group is sill out there. Our kinds of projects as a place and as a community will still appeal to those investors going forward, Kier said.

Even without the opportunity zone as the catalytic point, we can continue to attract community minded capital going forward.

City eyes opportunity zone investments to redevelop West Broadway corridor

MEP explores creative funding models for housing, retail in Missoulas opportunity zone

Original post:
After years of work, MEP finds success in netting opportunity zone investments - Missoula Current

It's PayPal earnings day, and the firm has released new details about its cryptocurrency plans.

These plans include a new dedicated business unit for PayPal's crypto ambitions, according to CEO Daniel Schulman, who spoke during PayPal's earnings call on Wednesday.

As he remarked:

"We all know the current financial system is antiquated, and we can envision a future where transactions are completed in seconds, not days; a future where transactions should be less expensive to complete; and a future that enables all people to be part of the digital economy, not just the affluent. We are significantly investing in our new crypto, blockchain, and digital currencies business unit in order to help shape this more inclusive future."

A source with knowledge of the plans described the business unit plan as PayPal "going all in" on such services.

Schulman also said that PayPal is "excited to build upon this early success by allowing customers to use their crypto balance as a funding source whenever they shop at our 29 million merchants."

"We anticipate the rollout of that capability to begin late this quarter, and we hope to launch our first international market in the next several months," he went on to explain. A Venmo integration with crypto is expected "in the coming months."

Schulman described such steps as "just the beginning of an extensive roadmap around crypto, blockchain, and digital currencies."

Among other factoids: per Schulman, "everyone who signed up for crypto is opening up their app two times as much as they previously did."

PayPal made its crypto services official last October with the launch of a partnership with industry startup Paxos, as reported at the time. The services officially went live in the days following that announcement, opening it up to eligible U.S.-based users on November 12.

The payments giant struck a bullish tone at the time, with Schulman noting at the time: "This is just the beginning of the opportunities we see as we work hand-in-hand with regulators to accept new forms of digital currencies." He also suggested that PayPal might one day integrate central bank digital currencies should those gather steam in the future.

Ryan Todd, Frank Chaparro and Aislinn Keely contributed reporting.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

2021 The Block Crypto, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Read the rest here:
PayPal is investing in a new business unit focused on crypto and digital currencies - The Block Crypto

TipRanks

Weve got a full month of 2021 behind us now, and a few trends are coming clearer. The coronavirus crisis may still be with us, but as vaccination programs expand, the end is in sight. With President Trump out of the picture, and the Democrats holding both Houses of Congress and the White House, politics is looking more predictable. And both of those developments bode well for an economic recovery this year. Looking back, at the year that was, we can also see some trends that stayed firm despite the pandemic, the shutdowns, and the supercharged election season. One of the most important is the ongoing rollout of 5G networking technology. These new networks bring with them a fuller realization of the promises inherent in the digital world. Faster connections, lower latency, higher online capacity, clearer signals all will strongly enhance the capabilities of the networked world. And it wont just be mundane things like telecommuting or remote offices that will benefit 5G will allow Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles to further develop their potential. There is even talk of medical applications, of remotely located doctors performing surgery via digitally controlled microsurgical tools. And these are just the possibilities that we can see from now. Who know what the future will really bring? To this end, we pulled up TipRanks database to learn more about three exciting plays in the 5G space. According to the Street, we are likely to see further interesting developments in the next few years as this technology takes over. Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) The first 5G name were looking at, Skyworks, is a semiconductor chip manufacturer that brought in $3.4 billion in total revenues for FY2020. Skyworks, which is a prime supplier of chips for Apples iPhone series, saw a massive 68% year-over-year increase in 1QFY21 revenues the top line reached $1.51 billion, a company record, and also much higher than analysts had forecast. Much of Skyworks fiscal Q1 sales success came after Apple launched the 5G-capable iPhone 12 line. Strong sales in the popular handset device meant that profits trickled down the supply line and Skyworks channels a disproportionate share of its business to Apple. In fact, Apple orders accounted for 70% of Skyworks revenue in the recent quarter. iPhone wasnt the only 5G handset on the receiving end of Skyworks chips, however the company is also an important supplier to Koreas Samsung and Chinas Xiaomi, and has seen demand rise as these companies also launch 5G-capable smartphones. Finally, Skyworks supplies semiconductor chip components to the wireless infrastructure sector, specifically to the small cell transmission units which are important in the propagation network of wireless signals. As the wireless providers switch to 5G transmission, Skyworks has seen orders for its products increase. In his note on Skyworks for Benchmark, 5-star analyst Ruben Roy writes: SWKS significantly beat consensus estimates and provided March quarter guidance that is also well ahead of consensus estimates as 5G related mobile revenue and broad-based segment revenue continued to accelerate In addition to continued strength of design win momentum and customer activity, we are encouraged with SWKS confident tone relative to the overall demand environment and content increase opportunities. In line with his comments, Roy rates SWKS a Buy along with a $215 price target. At current levels, this implies an upside of 20% for the coming year. (To watch Roys track record, click here) Roy is broadly in line with the rest of Wall Street, which has assigned SWKS 13 Buy ratings and 7 Holds over the past three month -- and sees the stock growing about 15% over the next 12 months, to a target price of $205.69.(See SWKS stock analysis on TipRanks) Qorvo, Inc. (QRVO) Qorvos chief products are chipsets used in the construction of radio frequency transmission systems that power wifi and broadband communication networks. The connection of this niche to 5G is clear as network providers upgrade their RF hardware to 5G, they also upgrade the semiconductor chips that control the systems. This chip maker has a solid niche, but it is not resting on its laurels. Qorvo is actively developing a range of new products specifically for 5G systems and deployment. This 5G radio frequency product portfolio includes phase shifters, switches, and integrated modules, and contains both infrastructure and mobile products. Qorvo posted $3.24 billion in total revenues for fiscal 2020. That revenue represents a 4.8% year-over-year increase and the companys sales have been accelerating in fiscal 2021. The most recent quarterly report, for the second fiscal quarter, showed $1.06 billion in revenues, a 31% yoy increase. Rajvindra Gill, 5-star analyst with Needham, is bullish on Qorvos prospects, noting: Qorvo reported strong sales and gross margins as 5G momentum rolls into CY21 on atypical seasonality... The company is planning for 500M 5G handsets to be manufactured in 2021, with an incremental $5-7 of content/unit from 4G to 5G. Management believes that ultra-wideband adoption will be a key growth driver in for smartphones going forward..." To this end, Gill puts a $220 price target on QRVO shares, suggesting room for 31% upside in 2021. Accordingly, he rates the stock a Buy. (To watch Gills track record, click here) What do other analysts have to say? 13 Buys and and 6 Holds add up to a Moderate Buy analyst consensus. Given the $192.28 average price target, shares could climb ~15% from current levels. (See QRVO stock analysis on TipRanks) Telefonakiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC) From chipsets, well move on to handsets. Ericsson, the Swedish telecom giant has long been a leader in mobile tech, and is well known for its infrastructure and software that make possible IP networking, broadband, cable TV, and other telecom services. Ericsson is the largest European telecom company, and the largest 2G/3G/4G infrastructure provider outside of China. But that is all in the background. Ericsson is also a leader in the rollout of Europes growing 5G networks. Ericsson is involved in 5G rollout in 17 countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and its product line includes infrastructure base units and handsets, giving the company an interest in all aspects of the new 5G networks. Ericssons revenue performance in 2020 was not notably distressed by the corona crisis. Yes, the top line dipped in Q1, but that was in line with the companys historical pattern of rising revenue from Q1 through Q4. While the companys 1H20 revenues showed small yoy declines, the 2H20 gains were higher. In Q3, the $6.48 billion top line was up 8.7% yoy, and Q4s $8.08 billion revenue was up 17% from the prior year. The companys shares have also performed well during the corona year, and show a 12 month gain of 64%. Raymond James 5-star analyst Simon Leopold bluntly assigns Ericssons recent gains to its participation in 5G rollouts. Japan's awaited 5G roll-out has started. Share gains continue as Ericsson benefits from challenges facing its biggest competitors and more operators embrace 5G it seems obvious that Ericsson should be gaining market share... Competitor Nokia shunned the Chinese 5G projects, citing profitability challenges, yet Ericsson appears to be profiting in the challenging region. Leopold rates this stock an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $15 price target implies an upside potential of ~14% for the year ahead. (To watch Leopolds track record, click here) The Raymond James analyst, while bullish on ERIC, is actually less so than the Wall Street consensus. The stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on a unanimous 5 reviews, and the $16.50 average price target indicates 25% growth potential from the share price of $13.19. (See ERIC stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for 5G stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Go here to see the original:
HAGENS BERMAN, NATIONAL TRIAL ATTORNEYS, Alerts Clovis Health Investments (CLOV) Investors: CLOV Admits Prior Knowledge of Undisclosed DOJ Inquiry...

The latest market research report entitled Global Anti-Transpirant Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 deeply attempts to determine relevant market and competitive insights as well as regional and consumer information. The report briefs market overview, development scope, market dynamics, growth challenges, and influencing factors. The report covers every aspect associated with the existing trends, profitability position, market share, market size, regional valuation, and business expansion plans of key players in the global Anti-Transpirant market. The research investigates the past market development, opportunities, and market risks that are covered during this study. Key market developments, absolute opportunity assessment, and competitors challenges are highlighted in this report.

The report provides an overview of the report to give an idea of the type and content of the study. The well-researched data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and the result of extensive research, including both primary and secondary. The report gives understanding about the global Anti-Transpirant market forces and how those can be exploited to create future opportunities from 2020 to 2025 time-period. It offers reliable information about every segment of growth, development, production, demand, types, application of the specific product. The reports also showcase market trends and forecasts.

NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/sample-request/33865

Segmentation Assessment:

The presented study encompasses numerous segments and offers a fair assessment of the supply-demand ratio of each segment. The following segments are explained in detailed:

The renowned players covered in this report are: Yates, Gallivan Corporation, Precision Laboratories, Gordon Corporation, Osho Chemical Limited

Product Segments: This part of the report shows the growth of the market for various types of products sold by the largest companies. Segment by type, the market is segmented into: PAM, Others

Application Segments: The analysts who have authored the report have thoroughly evaluated the market potential of the key applications and identified the future opportunities they should create in the global Anti-Transpirant market. Segment by application, the market is segmented into: Agriculture, Architecture

Market segment by regions, regional analysis covers: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

The report strategically profiles the key players and comprehensively analyzes global Anti-Transpirant market growth strategies. Moreover, the report presents a detailed dashboard overview of leading companies along with their successful marketing strategies, market contribution, and ongoing improvements in both historic and present surroundings. The report current market status is examined on both regional and local levels.

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/report/33865/global-anti-transpirant-market-2020-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Reasons for the market report:

This report provides an in-depth analysis of historical data & prediction for upcoming years on the basis of statistical information.

The report provides a forward-looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth & opportunities.

The report gives an in-depth analysis of market segments. It helps to understand the key product segments and their future prospects.

Region & country based detailed information is given that will give you current & future market situation

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team ([emailprotected]), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

About Us

MarketQuest.biz is a leading global Market Research agency providing expert research solutions, trusted by the best. We understand the importance of knowing what global consumers watch and buy, further using the same to document our distinguished research reports. MarketQuest.biz has worldwide presence to facilitate real market intelligence using latest methodology, best-in-class research techniques and cost-effective measures for worlds leading research professionals and agencies. We study consumers in more than 100 countries to give you the most complete view of trends and habits worldwide. MarketQuest.biz is a leading provider of Full-Service Research, Global Project Management, Market Research Operations and Online Panel Services.

Contact Us Mark Stone Head of Business Development Phone: +1-201-465-4211 Email: [emailprotected] Web: http://www.marketquest.biz

Other Related Reports:

Global Medical Grade Camera Market 2020 Industry Analysis Panasonic, Med X, Sony, Stryker, Imperx, Ikegami

Global Camera Heads Market 2020 Industry Analysis Olympus, WISAP Medical, Stryker, Karl Storz, ConMed, XION GmbH

Global SDHC Memory Card Market 2020 Industry Analysis SanDisk, TEAMGROUP, Verbatim, Panasonic, Kingston, Sony, Transcend, Toshiba

Global Onion Tanks Market 2020 Industry Analysis SEI Industries LTD., Seaman Corporation, Waterplex, Evenproducts, Canflex

Global Electronic Smart Door Lock Market 2020 Industry Analysis Spectrum Brands, Guangdong Be-Tech, Samsung, Master Lock, Dessmann, MIWA Lock, SALTO

https://neighborwebsj.com/

Read this article:
Global Anti-Transpirant Market 2020 Technology Development, Key Manufacturers, Forecast Based on Major Drivers and Trends Up to 2025 NeighborWebSJ -...

After three long weeks of competition in Thailand, the season concluded with five down-to-the-wire finals as BWF World Tour Finals champions were crowned. Re-live the day's action and reaction.

Welcome to the Olympic Channel live blog from Finals Day at the BWF World Tour Finals for the 2020 season in Bangkok, Thailand.

All times are Bangkok local time (GMT + 7 hours). If you missed any of the action as Tai Tzu-ying and Anders Antonsen claimed the singles titles, as well as from the three doubles finals, you can catch up below.

Watch the finals of the HSBC BWF Badminton World Tour Finals 2020 in Bangko...

What a day of badminton it has been.

Indeed, what a week or three weeks of badminton. Credit to the BWF and Thailand for successfully pulling off this bubble and three well-run tournaments.

The hosts have something to celebrate at the end of it all with Dechapol and Sapsiree winning the country's first Finals crown.

"I feel very happy and proud to be Thai," Sapsiree said. "Today we knew we could do it and have more confidence going forward. We will try our best at the next one too."

We were also treated to great performances in all five categories over the last three weeks.

This concludes the 2020 season, with the players due to begin the new World Tour season with the Swiss Open in Basel from 2-7 March.

Thanks for joining us this past week and see you soon! In the meantime, don't forget to check out all our badminton coverage on Olympic Channel.

The Thais gain match point after Dechapol deals well with a quick return at the net.

Unfortunately for them, Seo and Chae haven't really given a good account of themselves in this deciding game.

A looping shot from Dechapol to the far court and Chae sets up a hard return, but only into the net! Hosts Thailand have won a title!

Score: Seo/Chae 18-21, 21-8, 8-21 Dechapol/Sapsiree

Some words from the beaten men's singles finallist, Viktor Axelsen:

"I wouldn't say I'm as satisfied with my game as I have been the other days. There were way too many mistakes and bad decisions. I think mentally I've used up a lot of energy. Anders played really well and I want to congratulate him. It wasn't for me today, but I can still look back at a great three weeks."

11-2 in just nine minutes of this decider.

It's a long road back for Seo and Chae from here.

Well, well, well.

The Thais are out to a 7-1 lead in this decider. What has happened to Seo and Chae?

A 43-shot rally, the longest of the match, is won by the Thais as Dechapol smashes it just beyond Chae's reach.

Great play from the Thais.

Score: 18-21, 21-8, 1-3

If anything, it's Dechapol who's struggling more of the Thai pair, not Sapsiree.

Seo and Chae are controlling the rhythm and they're enjoying their badminton right now.

Game point up for the Koreans and Dechapol tamely returns the serve into the net.

Score: 18-21, 21-8

This is odd. Seo and Chae are not really under any pressure here from the Thais.

Is Sapsiree's hand giving her issues?

That's the interval. The Koreans lead by eight points.

Score: 18-21, 11-3

Anders Antonsen can't quite believe he's beaten Viktor Axelsen.

"I'm shocked and I'm so, so happy of course. It's overwhelming, I didn't expect to go all the way. It's amazing to get a title as big as this one. It's hard to process and I don't even know what to say. I've had a tough month, things have not been working well for me and I've been struggling a lot, so to win here is unreal."

A powerful smash from Dechapol is seen off by Chae. Sapsiree's return looks like it's going out, but Seo plays it and only finds the net.

Game to the Thais.

Score: 18-21

Runners-up at the 2019 world champs Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Youth Olympi...

Sapsiree is getting a cut on her right hand tended to.

The Thais are on game point.

Here we go six straight points for Seo and Chae.

All square at 18-18.

The Thais have strengthened their grip on this match and Seo/Chae look a bit lost right now.

A shot goes long from the Koreans and Dechapol/Sapsiree are up big.

Score: 12-18

It's Dechapol and Sapsiree ahead at the interval though as they string together a good series of points.

Score: 8-11

Seo and Chae have started well, and are looking bright. But the home pair no doubt cheered on by millions on TV are keeping things close.

Score: S/C 6-5 D/S

We've got one last match to wrap up the championships, Seo/Chae (KOR) v Dechapol/Sapsiree (THA) a re-match of their group stage meeting, which the Koreans won.

Dechapol and Sapsiree beat Seo and Chae in last week's Toyota Thailand Open final. Can Seo/Chae overturn that result?

Along with collecting his runner-up medal and trophies, Axelsen is receiving a prize for the best men's player through this Asian Leg of BWF World tour events.

Quick net play results in Axelsen sending a lazy-looking return wide and he walks away in disgust.

Antonsen sinks to his knees and lets out a big roar. Second game aside, he played well.

Score: Axelsen 16-21, 21-5, 17-21 Antonsen

Axelsen took a 17-16 lead but Antonsen has pegged him back.

Great flick of the wrist to hit a cross-court shot Axelsen couldn't get to.

Now it's championship point for Antonsen.

The world number three is hoping to tie his career head-to-head with Axelsen at 3-3 (Axelsen leads 3-2).

Axelsen, bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympics, still trails in the decider but he's closed the gap to 14-15.

They've swapped sides on court now at the interval in the third game.

Antonsen is 11-8 up.

This is better from the world no. 3, who's put that second game behind him.

That was a very weird performance in the second game but he doesn't seem hurt and he's forcing a nervous Axelsen into mistakes.

Antonsen ahead by three.

Score: 16-21, 21-5, 6-9

"Finally, I won. When I can remain calm and patient, I can win the game. In the end it was a tight game and I was tired and happy at the same time. For every match, I hope I can be patient in my style of play, so before this match today I kept telling myself that I had to play patiently."

Well Antonsen really had no answer there.

Axelsen blitzes through in less than 10 minutes. Is Antonsen hurt?

Score: 16-21, 21-5

Well this is a turn-up for the books. Antonsen has lost his concentration, perhaps?

Two failed video challenges in a row as well. They seemed like desperate challenges.

Axelsen is up by 10 at the towel break in this second game.

Score: 16-21, 11-1

An audacious between-the-legs shot from Antonsen and although Axelsen does well to recover, he loses the point.

Antonsen then takes the next point but loses a video review on game point.

On Axelsen's serve, however, Antonsen hits a forehand smash winner to take the first game.

Score: 16-21

Unlike the women's singles final, while this match is close, it's notably of a slightly lower quality.

Both men look nervous and neither wants to go on the aggressive. Too many errors.

Score: 14-17

Axelsen slips at the net and Antonsen hits an easy winner to take the lead.

A return from Axelsen off Antonsen's service goes long and the world no. 3 leads at the interval.

Score: 9-11

Antonsen is actually the higher-ranked player in the world rankings, at third compared to Axelsen's fourth.

Both men will be innately aware of the other's strengths and weaknesses as Danish teammates.

Early on in this first game and it's level.

Score: 7-7

Time for an all-Danish men's singles final between Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen.

Marn and Tai are on the verge. Aggressive from both. This looks like it's going long from Tai

But it's in! Marn left it thinking it was out but it lands in bounds and the Chinese Taipei world number 1 has her third Finals tournament title!

Score: Tai 14-21, 21-8, 21-19 Marn

Tai, who was five points back at one point, has match point as Marn can't deal with a drop shot!

19-19! Marn with an unforced error, returning into the net.

Wow!

Marn pulls a great save out of the bag on another long rally and she's two points away.

Marn gets a verbal warning from the chair umpire as the game starts to slip back in the other direction.

Tai is growing in confidence.

Score: 14-21, 21-8, 15-17

Some words from Tai's compatriot Wang Chi-lin, one half of the winning men's doubles pair from earlier.

See the article here:

AS IT HAPPENED - BWF World Tour Finals, Day 5: Finals day in Bangkok - Olympic Channel

No one is invincible as Carolina Marin and Viktor Axelsen fall in the final. Men's doubles pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin clinch three titles in a row.

After three consecutive weeks of world class badminton, the back-to-back tournaments in Bangkok concluded with the World Tour Finals to bring an end to the delayed 2020 season.

The earlier Super 1000 Thailand Open double headers had seen four repeat winners over a fortnight of action, with Viktor Axelsen, Carolina Marin, men's doubles pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin as well as mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai go into the season finale unbeaten.

However only Lee and Wang were able to remain unbeaten after all fifteen played in Bangkok. Anders Antonsen clinched his maiden World Tour Finals title, while Tai Tzu Ying finally beat Marin the third time of asking in Thailand to seal her third season ending honours.

South Korea' women's double pair of Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan reminded us that comebacks are possible while Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai appeased the home fans when they became the first Thai players in history to win the season ending tournament.

Here's what we learnt from the 2020 BWF World Tour Finals.

When Viktor Axelsen won both the preceding Super 1000 tournaments, he seemed in a league of his own. None of the players he faced were able to match the Dane on court as he finished off his rivals effortlessly.

During the course of three weeks he beat the likes of Jonatan Christie, Lee Zii Jia, Anthony Ginting and Chou Tien Chen, winning most of his matches in straight sets. Coming back from ankle surgery it is safe to say the Dane has raised his game and it will be great to see him take on the likes of Momota Kento, Shi Yuqi and Chen Long in his current form.

Axelsen's was one win shy of a clean sweep in Bangkok but was denied only by his compatriot Anders Antonsen. The 23-year-old who finished runners-up at the 2019 world championship has also seemed to find another level in his game over the period of lockdown in 2020.

Having won the Danish Open last October, he's now added a maiden World Tour Finals title under his belt. Antonsen is capable of beating the world's best as he proved by beating Momota to clinch the 2019 Indonesian Masters title. If he can work on his consistency throughout a tournament, he will be a serious contender for a medal at Tokyo 2020.

Have a listen to what both Antonsen and Axelsen had to say after their match below:

Two year ago, Carolina Marin collapsed on court with a torn ACL. Fast forward to the present and she won both the Thailand Open tournaments and was only one win away from clinching the World Tour Finals title. What a remarkable turnaround.

For the Spaniard who was only played a handful of tournaments since returning from injury, she was sent a clear warning to her rivals that her game is even better than before. In her three weeks in Bangkok, Marin convincingly trounced most of her opposition without even losing a game in either of the Super 1000 events.

The 27-year-old made winning look easy as she saw off seasoned tour veterans and fresh young talent alike. Rising star's like Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong and South Korean teenager An Se Young got a taste of what they are up against if they want to challenge Marin for her crown.

But even the triple-world champion showed she is only human. After playing their third final in a row, Marin fell to Tai Tzu Ying and will have to wait another season for a chance to clinch her maiden World Tour Final title. Nonetheless, Marin was upbeat about her month-long stay in Bangkok as you can hear below.

Tai meanwhile has given the rest of the field hope that there is a way through Marin's armour. But it took the Chinese Taipei player three tries to finally clinch victory in Thailand.

She will leave Bangkok with a clearer picture of what is needed to ensure that she can challenge for the title at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Meanwhile, reigning world Champion PV Sindhu has a dismal outing which included a first round defeat in the opening tournament. The Indian was a shadow of her former self on court, and has acknowledged that she will need to go away and dig deep if she wants to improve on her silver medal from Rio 2016.

Likewise, we got the sense that there is a lot more to come from the junior players on the circuit. Most notably from Chochuwong. The 23-year-old was thrust under the spotlight when she defeated her idol and senior, Ratchanok Intanon on the opening day of the World Tour Finals. She then went on to beat veteran Tai the following day to qualify for the semi-finals. Although she was beaten by Marin in the semis, the future of Thailand's women's singles seems bright.

Similarly for South Korea's An Se Young. At only eighteen years of age, she managed to reach the semi-finals of all three tournaments, displaying tremendous skill and consistency that was noticeably missing from some of the more senior women on tour. With such remarkable results, both An and Chochuwong have announced their arrival as serious title contenders.

Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin completed the perfect outing in Thailand, clinching both the Super 1000 and World Tour Finals titles on offer.

The Chinese Taipei pairing faced some serious opposition along the way and still managed to remain undefeated in all fifteen matches in Bangkok.

Missing from the field in Thailand were the world number one pairing of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo from Indonesia, as well as the top Japanese pairs, but that should not take off any of the shine from their victories.

Lee and Wang have certainly taken their game to a higher level and were able to beat reigning world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan which is never an easy feat. They explain the interview below how watching plenty of videos of the Indonesian veterans helped them to emerge victorious over their idols.

South Korea's World Tour Finals winners Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan will leave Bangkok with a lot more confidence than when they arrived.

The pair ousted their teammates Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong to the title, avenging the defeat they suffered at the hands of their compatriots in the second Thailand Open final.

With a title a piece, the pairs will have grown in their self-belief that they can take on the likes of Japanese reigning world champions Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana as well as Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka who have hogged the top spots of the ranking.

Indonesia's Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu who beat Lee and Shin to the opening title on offer in Bangkok, have also shown that they can rise to the occasion and will leave Thailand knowing which areas they need to focus on before that important flight to Japan this July.

Home heroes Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai lived up to their billing as the tournament favourites by bagging all three titles on offer.

The Thai pair proved they can handle the pressure and despite losing their final group stage match, Puavaranukroh and Taerattanachai turned it on when they needed to make a clean sweep of the titles on offer. And if you need more proof, have a watch of their Play of the Day below.

While we were deprived of seeing world number one and double world champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in action here in Bangkok, undoubtedly they would have been watching the field of contenders looking to topple them from the top spot with a keen eye.

Now retired Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir clinched gold for Indonesia at Rio 2016, and the results in Bangkok has shown that the current hopefuls of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti as well as Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to have any hopes of retaining the Olympic title for their country.

Read the rest here:

Badminton: What we learned from the 2020 World Tour Finals - Olympic Channel