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Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. (NWK) and BT Partner to Offer Simplified Unified Communications Solutions for Microsoft ® Lync 2010 Deployments
Network Equipment Technologies announced it would be entering into a strategic partnership with BT. This initiative will serve to considerably simplify the deployment and installation of Microsoft Lync 2010, significantly reducing the time and effort required for service providers and large enterprises to implement advanced unified communications (UC) solutions. With the use of NET’s Unified Exchange (UX) Series platform, BT will be capable of providing superior managed and professional solutions that enhance the performance of on-premise enterprise application systems.
“Businesses are seeking ways to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve customer service. Being able to communicate and collaborate with anyone at any time, whether you are using phone, e-mail, application sharing, messaging or conferencing is key to achieving these goals,” said Matthew Krueger, Vice President Business Development at NET. “The combined BT and NET solution offers customers an innovative option to the challenge of deploying UC and cloud-based managed services.”
NET’s UX Series cutting edge mediation platform is based on a modular 1U platform that was constructed for unified communications and enterprise session border controller applications. The UX Series session mediation platform makes the purchase of separate infrastructure components unnecessary, reducing both capital and operational expenses. The UX Series is qualified as an enterprise Survivable Branch Appliance for Microsoft® Lync™ 2010.
BT’s Managed Lync solution delivers the convenience of originally separate technologies onto one platform without the need for an entirely new infrastructure. The partnership between NET and BT will strengthen BT’s current global Managed Lync services. By merging voice and data communications onto a single platform, BT can offer customers higher efficiencies for their staff while also reducing the cost of call and data transmission and management.
“This initiative was designed to address the unique customer requirements for a Lync-based ‘cloud’ managed service,” said Randy Schrock, Vice President, Corporate Alliances, BT Global Services. “We’re excited to be able to introduce NET’s UX Series products as part of our Microsoft Lync solution strategy in order to help our customers benefit from improved unified communications productivity at substantially lower costs. This initiative with NET expands both our professional and managed service solutions we offer to U.S. domestic customers and complements our global strategic approach by continuing to drive innovation and business value into our core network services.”
RadNet, Inc. (RDNT) and Barnabas Health Form Joint Venture
Recently, RadNet and Barnabas Health announced that they have formed a multi-faceted Joint Venture to pursue opportunities in diagnostic imaging and related businesses within New Jersey. The Joint Venture is slated to begin operations this summer with 37 patient access points across the state of New Jersey.
The companies’ Joint Venture will establish a statewide diagnostic imaging network, exclusively contracting on behalf of its imaging network with regional payors, including commercial insurance companies, utilization and radiology benefit managers, workers compensation carriers, and all other health plans and local insurers. It will also provide management services to the existing RadNet and Barnabas imaging facilities to include information technology, marketing, utilization review, billing and collecting, transcription, medical records management, equipment maintenance, purchasing, and insurance.
Additionally, the Joint Venture will satisfy the companies’ ultimate objective of reducing costs and improving quality of service and patient care throughout their facilities. The companies anticipate that it can expand its management and contracting services to include third-party imaging centers and inpatient hospital radiology departments in the future. RadNet and Barnabas see opportunities to move into new markets through the Joint Venture, particularly in the fields of medical oncology, comprehensive breast disease management, teleradiology, information technology, and clinical trials work.
Dr. Howard Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer of RadNet, remarked, “We are very pleased to announce our new relationship with Barnabas Health. With the advent of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), whose goal it is to improve integration among healthcare providers, our venture is an important step towards delivering a fully integrated imaging network that provides convenient, high quality, cost effective and patient centric medical imaging solutions for the medical communities of New Jersey. Barnabas Health is a premier hospital system in New Jersey. By combining its existing market presence with RadNet’s expertise and existing New Jersey outpatient imaging centers, we are convinced that our collaboration will drive benefits to patient care. In the process, we believe that improving patient care will inure financial benefits to both RadNet and Barnabas Health.”
Barry H. Ostrowsky, Barnabas’ President and CEO, added, “Forming a Joint Venture with RadNet, an experienced leader in the field of diagnostic imaging, provides an exciting opportunity for Barnabas Health and the two million patients we serve annually. Our core values embrace high quality services, cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction. We have built our national reputation on providing best practices in medicine with the focus on ensuring patient access in urban and suburban, inpatient and outpatient settings. The Joint Venture with RadNet further strengthens our mission of providing the finest healthcare for all.”
AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (ADK) is Successful with Diverse Property Portfolio
AdCare Health Systems, an aggressively expanding owner and operator of living and care facilities in 7 states, believes that a significant part of its success is due to the fact that it treats every newly acquired property as a unique entity, requiring a unique approach to improve its operational income and ultimate value.
The company now controls approximately 44 properties in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma, with over 4,000 employees. The facilities are either owned or leased by AdCare, or, in some cases, they are managed for third parties such as corporations or independent owners. As a result, AdCare has garnered extensive experience in all aspects of senior living facility ownership and management, including operation, design, and development consultation, as well as in the provision of interim administrator and/or director of nursing, for all sizes and types of properties.
• Independent Living – AdCare’s independent campuses provide people the freedom in their retirement years to achieve personal goals.
• Assisted Living – Through their Hearth & Home design program, AdCare has created spaces where the individual spirit is nourished.
• Skilled Nursing – AdCare prides itself in the superior care and services provided by their nursing homes.
• Dementia Care – AdCare provides special programs for residents with dementia, offering the highest possible quality of life and care.
AdCare’s fast-paced acquisition run has targeted under-performing low-margin properties, which are then turned around, partly through transitioning them over to higher-margin acute care facilities. The management team, which controls over 25% of the company’s common stock, has worked hard to grow AdCare’s administrative infrastructure, so that they are always able to handle the growth.
It’s a formula that continues to work for AdCare, generating a string of record revenues and income. 2011 was the company’s best year ever, with revenue up 198% from 2010 and annual income from operations jumping to $2.7 million. So far, 2012 is on track to be even better.
For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.AdCareHealth.com
China TransInfo Technology Corp. (CTFO) Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Results
China TransInfo Technology Corp. is a leading provider of comprehensive intelligent urban and highway transportation systems in China. The company is a leading transportation information products and solutions vendor and aims to be the largest real-time transportation information and major fleet management service provider in China.
The company has successfully developed a first-generation vehicle monitoring and control platform for the Ministry of Transportation. To date, it has recorded more than 1.32 million vehicles registered on the platform and recorded roughly 460,000 active users. China TransInfo has also recently brought into operation its Freight Transport Safety Information Monitoring and Services System as well as the Passenger Coach Public Service Platform.
China TransInfo today announced financial results for both the fourth quarter and full year 2011. Revenues in the fourth quarter increased 24.3% year-over-year to $48.2 million from $38.8 million. The increase in revenue was driven primarily by a strong performance in the highway IT services division. That solid performance also drove full year revenues up by 36.1% to $167 million from $122.7 million in the year ago period. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter came in at $5.1 million or 20 cents per share. For 2011 as a whole, adjusted net income came in at $15.1 million or 60 cents a share.
The company has received a preliminary proposal from its chairman and CEO, Shudong Xia, to take the company private. He stated that he is willing to offer $5.65 a share in cash for all the outstanding shares. Mr. Xia already owns 27.85% of the common stock.
For additional information about China TransInfo Technology, please visit the company’s website at www.chinatransinfo.com
Pyramid Oil Company (PDO) Reports Strong Financials, Projects Further Growth amid Rising Oil Prices, Expanding Operations
Today, veteran oil and gas sector developer Pyramid Oil, which has been fielding acreage candidates and drilling wells since 1909, punched out some very nice FY11 and Q4 (ended Dec 31, 2011) financial data.
FY11 data offers a clear view of the company’s solid growth vector:
• Sales – up 26% to $5.7M (from $4.5M in 2010)
• Total Revenue – up 18% to $5.7M (from $4.8M)
• EPS – up 359% to $0.23 (from $0.05)
• Operating Cash Flow – up 47.1% to $2.5M (from $1.7M)
• Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-Term Investments – up 30.4% to $6M (from $4.6M)
• Long-Term Debt – under $25k
• Total Current Assets – $7.2M, with $6.5M in working capital and a ratio of 10:1
Sales rose on the strength of rising prices, which were up 38.8% per average BOE, to $104.78 (from $76.04 in 2010). Revenue data here is especially nice when considering that a portion of total revenue in 2010 was attributable to the $321k gain in Q3 from sale of a portion of PDO interests in a Texas gas venture.
Serious bottom-line growth was obtained by the company through this period, with operating income up sharply to $1.2M, compared to just $54k in 2010, even though there was some $727k in non-cash valuation allowances in 2011 (attributable to two new wells that failed to meet anticipated production results).
President and CEO of PDO, John Alexander, cited the sustained strength of the price environment for crude, combined with the company’s lean cost structure and production from PDO’s core properties, as making the 2011 report the most powerful in years. Projected exploratory operations and analysis of drilling prospects for 2012 on company leases in Kern County, CA, in conjunction with broader evaluation of external growth opportunities, will join with ongoing drilling at the company’s Carneros Creek property on Santa Fe #20 (started Q1 this year and projected to wrap up within days), leading to as many as three wells thus far PDO looks to drill this year (depending on rig availability).
The Q4 data rounds things out, with crude oil prices revenue and operating income in line with the year-long data:
• Total Revenue – up 18% to $1.4M (from $1.2M in Q4 FY10; 32.5% increase avg. BOE price)
• Operating Income – $435k compared to a loss of $91k
• Net Income and EPS – $344k, or $0.07/share, compared to a net loss of $27k, or $0.01/share
Even with ICE-traded oil futures for 2015 Brent off by almost $30, it is very clear that the underlying fundamentals do not support cheaper oil, and as we clear the middle of the week, France, the US, and the UK are even in talks about a possible release of strategic oil stocks. With Iran slated to drop serious capacity by the end of the month (as much as 14%), the EU embargo on Iranian oil only three months away, and US/EU sanctions being prepped with the aim of shutting down Iran’s nuclear program, the immediate vectors are clear. Even as crude throughput rises, serious shortfalls in global refining capacity continually crop up on the radar.
For more information on the financials, or to learn more about Pyramid Oil Company, please visit the company’s website at: www.PyramidOil.com
Vertex Energy, Inc. (VTNR) Posts Q4, FY 2011 Financial Results
Vertex Energy, a leading environmental services company that recycles industrial waste streams and off-specification commercial chemical products, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.
Fourth quarter revenue increased nearly 100 percent to $31.3 million for 2011 compared with $15.7 million in revenue reported for the fourth quarter of 2010.
Gross profit was $1.31 million compared with $1.48 million during the fourth quarter of 2010.
Income from operations was $235,829 compared with $510,205 during the fourth quarter of 2010.
Net income was $2.1 million compared to $467,280 in last year’s fourth quarter; $1.8 million of this increase is attributable to the tax benefit stemming from the net operating losses related largely to the World Waste Technologies merger.
Vertex’ sales volumes improved 29 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010.
“While the fourth quarter income results were behind last year’s fourth quarter, we are entering the new year in a position of strength. We believe improvements will continue into 2012, and expect the first quarter 2012 to outperform the first quarter of 2011,” Benjamin P. Cowart, CEO of Vertex stated in the press release.
Full-year 2011 revenues increased 89 percent to $109.7 million for the year ended 2011 compared with $58.1 million in 2010.
Gross profit increased to $8.1 million, a 90 percent increase over the $4.2 million reported in 2010.
Income from operations improved 247 percent to $4.0 million, compared with $1.1 million reported last year.
Net income improved to $5.8 million or $0.39 per fully diluted share, compared with net income of $1.2 million, or $0.09 per fully diluted share, reported in 2010; net income for the 2011 year includes a $1.8 million tax benefit, primarily stemming from the company’s net operating losses related to the 2009 World Waste Technologies merger.
Company-wide sales volumes increased 26 percent over 2010.
According to Cowart, Vertex is moving through 2012 with “relatively no long-term debt, significantly increased cash flow, and advantageous market conditions” as the company continues to explore strategic acquisitions for further growth.
For more information on the company visit www.vertexenergy.com
It is most likely because GlobalWise has only been trading for about 7 weeks. The company should definitely be included as it has clearly reached new all-time highs.
We will look into this.
AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (ADK) is Successful with Diverse Property Portfolio
AdCare Health Systems, an aggressively expanding owner and operator of living and care facilities in 7 states, believes that a significant part of its success is due to the fact that it treats every newly acquired property as a unique entity, requiring a unique approach to improve its operational income and ultimate value.
The company now controls approximately 44 properties in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma, with over 4,000 employees. The facilities are either owned or leased by AdCare, or, in some cases, they are managed for third parties such as corporations or independent owners. As a result, AdCare has garnered extensive experience in all aspects of senior living facility ownership and management, including operation, design, and development consultation, as well as in the provision of interim administrator and/or director of nursing, for all sizes and types of properties.
• Independent Living – AdCare’s independent campuses provide people the freedom in their retirement years to achieve personal goals.
• Assisted Living – Through their Hearth & Home design program, AdCare has created spaces where the individual spirit is nourished.
• Skilled Nursing – AdCare prides itself in the superior care and services provided by their nursing homes.
• Dementia Care – AdCare provides special programs for residents with dementia, offering the highest possible quality of life and care.
AdCare’s fast-paced acquisition run has targeted under-performing low-margin properties, which are then turned around, partly through transitioning them over to higher-margin acute care facilities. The management team, which controls over 25% of the company’s common stock, has worked hard to grow AdCare’s administrative infrastructure, so that they are always able to handle the growth.
It’s a formula that continues to work for AdCare, generating a string of record revenues and income. 2011 was the company’s best year ever, with revenue up 198% from 2010 and annual income from operations jumping to $2.7 million. So far, 2012 is on track to be even better.
ADK is Successful with Diverse Property Portfolio
AdCare Health Systems, an aggressively expanding owner and operator of living and care facilities in 7 states, believes that a significant part of its success is due to the fact that it treats every newly acquired property as a unique entity, requiring a unique approach to improve its operational income and ultimate value.
The company now controls approximately 44 properties in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma, with over 4,000 employees. The facilities are either owned or leased by AdCare, or, in some cases, they are managed for third parties such as corporations or independent owners. As a result, AdCare has garnered extensive experience in all aspects of senior living facility ownership and management, including operation, design, and development consultation, as well as in the provision of interim administrator and/or director of nursing, for all sizes and types of properties.
• Independent Living – AdCare’s independent campuses provide people the freedom in their retirement years to achieve personal goals.
• Assisted Living – Through their Hearth & Home design program, AdCare has created spaces where the individual spirit is nourished.
• Skilled Nursing – AdCare prides itself in the superior care and services provided by their nursing homes.
• Dementia Care – AdCare provides special programs for residents with dementia, offering the highest possible quality of life and care.
AdCare’s fast-paced acquisition run has targeted under-performing low-margin properties, which are then turned around, partly through transitioning them over to higher-margin acute care facilities. The management team, which controls over 25% of the company’s common stock, has worked hard to grow AdCare’s administrative infrastructure, so that they are always able to handle the growth.
It’s a formula that continues to work for AdCare, generating a string of record revenues and income. 2011 was the company’s best year ever, with revenue up 198% from 2010 and annual income from operations jumping to $2.7 million. So far, 2012 is on track to be even better.
SEFE, Inc. (SEFE) Set to Market Harmony III Commercial-Grade Atmospheric Power Collection and Generation System
SEFE has a remarkable proprietary system that utilizes a weather balloon-based platform and dynamic tethering system to send aloft a conductive line. The collector then harvests static electricity directly from the constantly recharged atmosphere, transforming it into current usable by generators and the existing power grid.
Working with consultants from FAA and the fabrication industry, SEFE has engineered a safe, fully FAA-compliant and affordable solution which can easily be deployed anywhere. The Harmony III is ideal for a variety of industrial, mining, military, and utility needs, promising to curb fossil fuel dependency while immediately contributing to carbon offset.
The components within the system’s architecture are very durable, and because the individual units are networked together remotely via secure encrypted wireless connection, it is very easy to maintain the entire grid of systems simultaneously or perform real-time diagnostics and status checks.
The most important component is the generator which is able to harvest and transform current into a usable format irrespective of the particular site demands. What makes this patented technology even more promising is its versatility and ability to meet future demands.
Just think of it, variations of the Harmony III, whose systems are backed by SEFE patents, could one day replace other forms of energy production; even renewables like wind, solar, and hydro-electric which bear major cost and logistical drawbacks compared to a network of SEFE units.
The global atmospheric electrical circuit is everywhere on earth and peak output occurs at varying altitudes. The SEFE unit is designed to dynamically adjust and find the “sweet spot” for maximum yield and unlike alternative energy is vastly more simple to deploy and connect.
The Harmony III might seem too good to be true but recent testing continues to produce data that not only is wattage available, even at low altitudes, but that the amount available increases sharply with altitude.
Output from the SEFE units is calculated as 1.01B kWh/year, enough to power 140 homes day and night, forever.
The impact of this technology is staggering and the implications should be readily apparent.
Asia Entertainment & Resources Ltd. (AERL) Shows Solid Financials, Growth-Driven VIP Gaming Model Focused on Booming Macau Casino Sector
Asia Entertainment & Resources has rapidly emerged as a premier organizer/promoter of VIP gaming, primarily in what is arguably the Las Vegas of South China, Macau. Macau has a relatively small population of just 540k but is only 37 miles across the Zhujiang River Estuary from Hong Kong and plays host to massive liquidity in the Chinese economy, making it a booming casino city.
The growing wealth, income gap, and relaxed monetary policies of modern China are priming the pump for explosive growth of the Casino/Gaming sector in Macau, and AERL is ideally positioned to profit from this growth. Investors are taking note of the potential AERL has as a leading promoter of VIP gaming, with solid ties to key locations in Macao’s hottest venues, like the Galaxy Star World Casino in downtown Macau (12 tables), in addition to the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (5 tables) and Galaxy Cotai (12 tables), both on the famous Cotai Strip.
The Cotai Strip is like the Las Vegas Strip and is the epicenter of tourism and gaming activity in Macau. A main reason for the company’s success has been to know where the action is and how to secure marketing/agreements. With 20-year veteran gaming industry management at the helm, AERL has been able to amass an impressive portfolio of over 1,600 agents/collaborators across Asia, crystallizing renewable agreements, yet achieving a very flexible, extensible framework for the business model.
Huge leeway to move to and add new casino locations, combined with a solid performance record, is generating substantial buzz for AERL. Top investment banking, securities, and investment management firm Maxim Group recently initiated coverage on AERL with a Buy rating and $12 price target, joining the list of other current Buy rating analysts at Janney Montgomery Scott, Sterne Agee, and Stifel Nicolaus.
A closer look at the annual audit and financial filings for fiscal 2011 confirm this solid outlook, with AERL reporting a 97% increase in revenues for the year over 2010 figures, with the two primary factors being a 91% jump in rolling chip turnover, and a 99% increase in adjusted net income (non-GAAP). Guidance offered indicates rolling chip turnover of $24.96B and adjusted net income (non-GAAP) in the $88-95M neighborhood for 2012.
That’s a very nice neighborhood to be in and the markets have taken note of the cherry fundamentals and obvious underlying dynamics, eyeing AERL as a perfect way to catch some of the heat from China’s overflowing economic cauldron.
The AERL Board approved a $0.10 per share semi-annual dividend after six-month financials were reported recently, subsequently also approving a 20% raise to $0.12, beginning with the first six-month dividend for 2012. Naturally, as this total dividend is some 15% of EBITDA, increased cash flows year-over-year will drive the figure higher, a likely possibility given the nature of the operations and AERL’s performance vectors.
Asia Entertainment & Resources is generating serious profitability and offers the kind of real discount profile that has investors buzzing (2.8x for 2012 P/E ratio). Maxim Group’s endorsement pegs the fundamentals as having a great future, and it is easy to see why the future of the gaming sector in Macau will continue to grow on the heels of burgeoning Chinese capitalism.
For more information on Asia Entertainment & Resources Ltd., please visit the company’s investor relations website at: www.ir.aerlf.com
Asia Entertainment & Resources Ltd. (AERL) Shows Solid Financials, Growth-Driven VIP Gaming Model Focused on Booming Macau Casino Sector
Asia Entertainment & Resources has rapidly emerged as a premier organizer/promoter of VIP gaming, primarily in what is arguably the Las Vegas of South China, Macau. Macau has a relatively small population of just 540k but is only 37 miles across the Zhujiang River Estuary from Hong Kong and plays host to massive liquidity in the Chinese economy, making it a booming casino city.
The growing wealth, income gap, and relaxed monetary policies of modern China are priming the pump for explosive growth of the Casino/Gaming sector in Macau, and AERL is ideally positioned to profit from this growth. Investors are taking note of the potential AERL has as a leading promoter of VIP gaming, with solid ties to key locations in Macao’s hottest venues, like the Galaxy Star World Casino in downtown Macau (12 tables), in addition to the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (5 tables) and Galaxy Cotai (12 tables), both on the famous Cotai Strip.
The Cotai Strip is like the Las Vegas Strip and is the epicenter of tourism and gaming activity in Macau. A main reason for the company’s success has been to know where the action is and how to secure marketing/agreements. With 20-year veteran gaming industry management at the helm, AERL has been able to amass an impressive portfolio of over 1,600 agents/collaborators across Asia, crystallizing renewable agreements, yet achieving a very flexible, extensible framework for the business model.
Huge leeway to move to and add new casino locations, combined with a solid performance record, is generating substantial buzz for AERL. Top investment banking, securities, and investment management firm Maxim Group recently initiated coverage on AERL with a Buy rating and $12 price target, joining the list of other current Buy rating analysts at Janney Montgomery Scott, Sterne Agee, and Stifel Nicolaus.
A closer look at the annual audit and financial filings for fiscal 2011 confirm this solid outlook, with AERL reporting a 97% increase in revenues for the year over 2010 figures, with the two primary factors being a 91% jump in rolling chip turnover, and a 99% increase in adjusted net income (non-GAAP). Guidance offered indicates rolling chip turnover of $24.96B and adjusted net income (non-GAAP) in the $88-95M neighborhood for 2012.
That’s a very nice neighborhood to be in and the markets have taken note of the cherry fundamentals and obvious underlying dynamics, eyeing AERL as a perfect way to catch some of the heat from China’s overflowing economic cauldron.
The AERL Board approved a $0.10 per share semi-annual dividend after six-month financials were reported recently, subsequently also approving a 20% raise to $0.12, beginning with the first six-month dividend for 2012. Naturally, as this total dividend is some 15% of EBITDA, increased cash flows year-over-year will drive the figure higher, a likely possibility given the nature of the operations and AERL’s performance vectors.
Asia Entertainment & Resources is generating serious profitability and offers the kind of real discount profile that has investors buzzing (2.8x for 2012 P/E ratio). Maxim Group’s endorsement pegs the fundamentals as having a great future, and it is easy to see why the future of the gaming sector in Macau will continue to grow on the heels of burgeoning Chinese capitalism.
For more information on Asia Entertainment & Resources Ltd., please visit the company’s investor relations website at: www.ir.aerlf.com
VolitionRX Ltd. (VNRX) to Advance Blood-Based Diagnostics for Cancer
VolitonRX, a life sciences company focused on the development of diagnostic blood tests, is developing its Nucleosomics™ technology to measure and identify the signatures of nucleosomes (a protein component of a chromosome containing a short length of DNA) that are released into the blood as cells die. The company believes its pioneering technology will help detect early stage diseases that are characterized by high cell turnover, such as cancer.
When a cell dies, individual nucleosomes are released into the blood to be recycled. It is well-known that high levels of nucleosomes are released into the blood stream as a result of the cell death associated with certain diseases and that the structure of nucleosomes is altered in the chromosomes of cancer cells. VolitonRX’s technology evaluates the amount and types of nucleosomes present in the blood to provide accurate diagnosis.
VolitionRX is currently in the process of developing a number of Nucleosomics™ tests for different types of nucleosomes and has conducted small pilot studies to investigate whether these nucleosomes are present in the blood of cancer patients and whether cancer nucleosomes are different to nucleosomes from healthy cells. Clearly, the chances of surviving cancer are greatly improved by early detection and diagnosis.
VolitionRX’s Chief Scientific Officer, Jake Micallef, advised that preliminary studies of VolitionRX’s Nucleosomics technology have provided positive data, spurring further development and progression to large-scale clinical studies to support its revolutionary diagnostic blood tests.
“Early stage results from our laboratory have exceeded our expectations, and we hope to see equally positive results in larger scale retrospective clinical studies and prospective clinical studies currently in the pipeline,” he said.
VolitionRX is now focused on validating the results provided by these preliminary studies through large scale clinical studies to ensure development of a blood-based diagnostic for cancer is advanced as quickly as possible. More information on the company and its cutting-edge technology can be found at the following website: www.volitionrx.com
Ever-Glory International Group, Inc. (EVK) Reports Fiscal Year 2011 Financial Results and 2012 Guidance
Ever-Glory International Group, a leading apparel supply chain manager and retailer in China, today reported its financial results for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, reflecting strong sales and expansion initiatives.
“We’re very pleased with the significant progress we made in 2011, as sales in both our retail and wholesale segments continued to increase,” Edward Yihua Kang, chairman of the board and CEO of Ever-Glory stated in the press release. “We are especially encouraged by achieving the objectives of LA GO GO store expansion. As of December 31, 2011, we had 467 LA GO GO stores in China; we surpassed our goal of opening an additional 80 to 100 new stores in 2011! We had 293 stores at the end of 2010.”
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, net sales increased 60.9 percent to $215.8 million from $134.1 million reported in 2010.
Total gross profit for 2011 increased 70.3 percent to $44.5 million from $26.2 million reported in 2010. Gross margin increased to 20.6 percent in 2011, compared to 19.5 percent in 2010.
Full-year 2011 income from operations increased 82.2 percent to $12.1 million from $6.6 million in 2010.
As of December 31, 2011, the Ever-Glory had approximately $8.8 million of cash and cash equivalents, compared to approximately $3.7 million as of December 31, 2010; working capital of approximately $34.7 million as of December 31, 2011; and outstanding bank loans of approximately $29.2 million as of December 31, 2011.
For the first quarter of 2012, Every-Glory forecast total net sales between $50 million and $60 million and net income between $1.8 million and $2.2 million. For full-year 2012, the company said it anticipates total net sales between $225 million and $260 million and net income between $9.5 million and $12 million.
“For 2012, we see our basic strategies of retail business as unchanged, we will continue to develop LA GO GO through perfecting design styles, improving store management efficiency and opening more stores in desired locations,” Kang stated. “We are confident that, continuing to pursue these measures, we can enhance same-store sales, expand LA GO GO’s market penetration and increase its brand position in China.”
For more information visit www.everglorygroup.com
Fortuna Silver Mines (FSM) Reports Updated Reserve and Resource Report
Fortuna Silver Mines released an updated mineral reserve and resources report on two of the company’s mines in South America. The properties produce gold, silver and other minerals.
Fortuna Silver Mines operates the Caylloma Mine located in Peru and reported that the mine contains 781,000 tons of proved and probable reserves located in various rock veins at the property. This was a 52% increase over the previous mineral reserves and resources report.
Fortuna Silver Mines said that contained silver in these veins increased to 9.4 million ounces, a 40% increase over last year. The company has additional proved and probable reserves in polymetallic veins at the Caylloma Mine.
Fortuna Silver Mines also operates the San Jose Mine located in Mexico and commenced production from here in September 2011. The company reported 3.6 million tons of proven and probable reserves at the San Jose Mine, including 23.6 million ounces of silver and 183,700 ounces of gold.
Fortuna Silver Mines is conducting additional exploration at the San Jose Mine in 2012 and expects to obtain approximately 15,000 meters of core samples at the property.
The updated resource and reserve estimates were supervised by E. Chapman and E. Vilela, two employees of the company that are considered Qualified Persons under the applicable regulations.
For more information on the company, go to www.fortunasilver.com
Echelon Corp. (ELON) and Holley Metering to Form Joint Venture Smart Grid Solutions Company in China
Echelon Corporation and Holley Metering Limited announced today an agreement between the two companies to form a joint venture company in China. Zhejiang Echelon-Holley Technology Co. Ltd. will focus on developing and selling advanced smart metering products for China.
Headquartered in Hangzhou, China, the new company will develop advanced smart metering and related solutions to deliver performance, reliability, and expanded functionality to China’s emerging smart grid – answering the mandate to connect 300 million homes and businesses to the country’s smart grid over the next five years. The partnership will combine the expertise of Echelon’s Silicon Valley energy control networking center, which retains two decades of experience in power line control and smart grid communications hardware and software platforms, with Holley Metering’s expanse of metering solutions, affordable manufacturing competencies and vast customer relationships.
This joint venture is majority owned by Echelon; both companies will contribute cash and resources to the new company. The joint venture is anticipated to be operational by the third quarter of 2012.
Echelon Corporation is a world leader in energy control networking for smart grid, smart city, and smart building applications. The company’s platform is embedded in more than 100 million devices, 35 million homes, and 300,000 buildings. Echelon helps customers’ reduce their operational costs, enhance safety, grow revenues and prepare for the future.
For more information about the company, visit www.echelon.com
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) Positioned to Profit from Strong Future for Nuclear Energy Production Industry
Uranium Energy has quickly developed an impressive portfolio of acreage, permits, and processing infrastructure in Texas and is shaping up to be a dominant leader in domestic uranium production for a growing global market that continues to crave nuclear as a means of satisfying the burgeoning demand for electricity.
PM Harper was on an Asian tour recently, capped off by attending the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, where there is a strong future for Canadian output, with Saskatchewan being most notable as a source of high-grade North American uranium. This subject was discussed in a recent Business News Network interview of Vancouver-based Casey Research guru (which is renowned for their sector analysis), Marin Katusa, where UEC was noted as being one of a handful of select domestic companies well-positioned to make serious moves off the prevailing dynamics.
One year post Fukushima we see Germany attempting to scale back nuclear output, despite the obviously unrealistic goal of closing nuclear plants down by 2022. Pre-Fukushima U3O8 yellow cake was around $70 with the spot price not uncommonly hitting the $75-77 range, but now were around $50 and stagnant one year hence. However, Japan, Korea, China, and even Russia have not only planned but already started production of new, large nuclear facilities.
This is a crucial phase for snap-back in U3O8 though as we are within 12 months of the US-Russian HEU (highly enriched uranium via large scale dismantling of former Soviet warheads) deal expiring, meaning momentum for the commodity should really start to pick up and that the entire sector looks charged with an energy world demanding more and more kilowatt hours.
With large Russian companies heavily investing in Africa and elsewhere, the Putin-led move to secure raw materials infrastructure is evident in the uranium sector, leading to a clear indicator for the global nuclear market that nuclear isn’t going anywhere. In fact the profile seems rather clear that not only is nuclear here to stay, but governments and industry across the globe will be looking to create modern infrastructure to avoid the pitfalls of TEPCO and Fukushima, with better equipment and facilities.
With Putin moving to secure stable supply lines via an off take agreement with China, or other, more permanent feed solutions, in order to crystallize long-term nuclear output for the Russian market, it looks like the future of demand for uranium in the U.S. (we import upwards of 92-95% of our uranium) is clear. It is increasingly clear that Russia, China, and India are holding many of the cards required to execute a competent nuclear strategy, with Russia being in an enviable, almost monopoly position as ongoing deals emerge.
That’s why a domestic ISR operation like UEC is so important and why investors are looking very closely at this rapidly growing uranium miner. The efficient, environmentally friendly ISR method (in-situ recovery is basically injected-solution mining, use pump-in and recovery/production wells across a grid on the acreage) of resource recovery employed by the company is just an excellent bonus. The future of US energy security depends on nuclear and on domestic uranium producers like UEC.
So the era of cheap HEU-derived yellow cake is drawing to a close and the spot price hasn’t moved upwards really since Fukushima, but the fundamentals are like an elephant in the room. That’s okay, UEC has an elephant gun: cheap, efficient, low-environmental impact, yet high-volume ISR of high-quality domestic uranium resources, along with a shrewdly located processing facility to handle production of the final product.
We lack the infrastructure to down-blend our own nuclear warheads like the Russians have done for the HEU program. We would have to send our warheads to Russia for them to down-blend, then ship back – this is a critical energy security vulnerability gap and few companies other than UEC possess the competencies, infrastructure, and capability to deliver domestically-sourced solutions. Katsua emphasized the global playing field and overall market vector, with 64 nuclear plants currently under construction, 150 planned, and 330 proposed as sufficient evidence to demand U.S. action addressing the problem of where exactly we intend to get the uranium we need to power 20% of our own electrical generation architecture.
Low cost producers like UEC, of which there are few, are in a prime position to experience strong growth as the underlying market dynamics progress in an energy-hungry, growing world, with the next twelve months being an obvious window of major activity as elements within the market prepare for the HEU-related falloff of inputs.
Katsua put a spotlight on UEC as a cherry pick for investors looking to play the uranium sector “split”. Texas location, permitting in-hand (or looking solid), extremely low-cost production method with dollars spent per quantity extracted among the lowest in the entire sector thanks in large part to ISRs efficiency and what UEC has done to revolutionize the technology, are all salient points for investors to examine closely.
The operational footprint UEC has amassed between the company’s four main sites in the heart of the South Texas Uranium Belt, where some of the highest-grade domestic uranium available exists, is impressive, and the company is constantly moving to secure additional acreage around its centrally-located Hobson Processing facility:
• Hobson Processing Plant
Operating – The Hobson ISR Processing Plant is central to Texas Operations and is designed to process uranium-loaded resins to final U3O8 product.
• Palangana Uranium Project
Producing – Satellite Project with a 2.2M lb Resource (NI 43-101).
• Goliad Uranium Project
Final Stage of Permitting – Satellite Project Amenable to ISR with a 6.9M lb Resource.
• Salvo Uranium Project
Phase One Drilling – Planned as a third Satellite Project with a 2.8M lb Resource.
• Nichols Uranium Project
Phase One Drilling – Planned as a fourth Satellite Project with a 1.31M lb Resource.
Famed mineral hound Mickey Fulp, The Mercenary Geologist, known for his sector analysis and newsletters said of UEC last year that it was one of the few companies he was bullish about. This is high praise from Mickey, who indicated having continued to buy UEC post-Fukushima.
For more information on Uranium Energy Corp., please visit the company’s website at: UraniumEnergy.com
GlobalWise Investments, Inc. (GWIV) Forges Channel Sales Partnership with National Business-to-Business Reseller of IT Hardware and Software
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems, announced the execution of a new Channel Sales Partnership with B2B Computer Products, LLC. With a foundation of deep IT industry experience, B2B Computer Products LLC was identified by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing businesses of its type in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010.
B2B Computer Products, LLC is a national business-to-business value-added reseller and service provider of computer hardware and software with over 35 distribution centers throughout the U.S. They are a client-focused technology provider with proven experience in design, product recommendation, and implementation of complex multi-vendor IT solutions. Through the newly announced partnership, B2B Computer will be able to add the cloud-based Intellivue™ ECM software to its vast array of service offerings and better serve its roster of over 24,000 clients.
“B2B Computer is thrilled to add the Intellivue™ suite of software services to our list of business solutions,” stated Rob Ince, Business Development Manager for B2B Computer. “Enterprise Content Management offers a natural extension to the server and storage solutions B2B Computer provides its customers. As a hosted service, Intellivue™ can also complement our Managed Print Service offering by using Multi-Function Device printers for scanning. The shared device approach combined with the efficiency gains inherent in routing documents electronically with the Intellivue™ workflow capability will equate to a quick ROI (Return on Investment) for our clients.”
“B2B Computer is a trusted name in the software and hardware business,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “They have a proven, solid track record with a large client base and can instantly go-to-market with our software offering as a natural extension of what they do every day. Having an affordable, enterprise class software solution to manage unstructured content and documents will be a huge benefit to B2B Computer’s clients. We are actively pursuing multiple new client sales opportunities that have already resulted from this partnership. Each of these opportunities average $40,000 per engagement. We look forward to growing our relationship and supporting B2B Computer in their daily business to acquire new ECM clients.”
Glowpoint, Inc. (GLOW) Announces Expanded Cloud B2B Exchange Services for Increased Intercompany Visual Communication
Yesterday, Glowpoint announced expanded B2B video exchange services that will enable business customers to easily and securely collaborate with more partners via visual communication from the cloud.
The OpenVideo cloud’s expanded B2B visual communication capabilities include seamless access on all leading multi-vendor global B2B exchanges, easy online scheduling for B2B calls, and B2B video call support for Cisco CTS systems. Glowpoint’s OpenVideo cloud platform supports and delivers all these new features and capabilities, including a new Multi-Protocol Video Trunk (MPVT) that provides a single connection to the cloud and expands access to customers and partners on other B2B exchanges.
The MPVT supports inbound and outbound video system calling over a single transport link, and it also enables businesses to register their entire private networks to the OpenVideo cloud rather than registering potentially hundreds of endpoints individually. This gives IT managers a more efficient method for providing B2B video calling capabilities, including ad-hoc point-to-point calling using simple DIDs and URIs.
Through its ongoing partnership with Tata Communications, Glowpoint will now offer direct B2B calling from the OpenVideo cloud on the Global Meeting Exchange (GMX), which will allow Glowpoint and Tata to give customers access to more partners for B2B video calling – eliminating the need for multiple connections to different B2B exchanges. The GMX additionally provides access to exchanges that are operated by other service providers.
Glowpoint is a global leader in providing cloud-managed video services that simplify the delivery of high-quality videoconferencing and telepresence service between any technology, network, and business. Glowpoint’s OpenVideo cloud architecture allows organizations to easily implement business-class video, instantly scale, and openly and securely collaborate across technology boundaries. Glowpoint is an active member of the Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC) and will be among the initial operators offering OVCC compliant B2B service in fall 2012.
For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.glowpoint.com
Delcath Systems, Inc. (DCTH) Bolsters Global Marketing Team with Strategic Pharma Oncology Hire
Delcath Systems announced the appointment of Jennifer Simpson, Ph.D., M.S.N., C.R.N.P., to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Marketing. Ms. Simpson will use her extensive pharmaceutical and oncology marketing background to lead Delcath’s global product marketing, brand management and reimbursement programs in the European Union, United States, and other key markets. In line with Ms. Simpson’s appointment, Agustin Gago, Delcath’s Executive Vice President for Global Sales & Marketing since 2009, will assume the new role of Executive Vice President, Global Sales. Ms. Simpson and Mr. Gago will both report to Eamonn P. Hobbs, President and CEO of Delcath. Both appointments were effective as of March 23, 2012.
Ms. Simpson has a wealth of experience in global product development in the oncology sector. Before bringing her talents and knowledge to Delcath, Ms. Simpson served as the Vice President, Global Marketing, Oncology Brand Lead at ImClone Systems, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company). As Vice President, she successfully handled all product commercialization activities and launch preparation for one of the late stage assets. During her time at ImClone, Ms. Simpson also excelled in various positions of increasing responsibility including Vice President, Product Champion and the Associate Vice President, Product Champion.
In addition to her successes at ImClone, Ms. Simpson held multiple leadership positions at Ortho Biotech (now Janssen Biotech), a Pennsylvania-based biotech company that focuses on innovative solutions in immunology, oncology, and nephrology. Before her stint at Ortho Biotech, Ms. Simpson acquired over 10 years of experience as an oncology-nurse practitioner and educator.
“The appointment of Jennifer Simpson adds significant oncology expertise and leadership to our marketing team,” said Mr. Hobbs, President and CEO of Delcath. “Over the last year, we’ve made a concerted effort to build our talent base in order to drive the launch of our CHEMOSAT system. Jennifer’s extensive experience in cancer treatment as a nurse, educator, marketer and strategic planner, combined with an intimate knowledge of the commercialization process makes her an ideal fit. We’re confident that she will help us realize the full global market potential of CHEMOSAT.”
“The planned transition of Mr. Gago to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Sales will allow him to fully devote his energies to the execution of our global commercial sales strategy. Through Mr. Gago’s sales leadership, we are successfully implementing our launch plan for CHEMOSAT in the EU, and will continue to expand the opportunity for CHEMOSAT in new markets around the world.”
Overland Storage, Inc. (OVRL) Hardware Product Recognized at 2012 Network Computing Awards
Global provider of data management and protection solutions, Overland Storage, announced that its SnapServer DX Series™ was named the ‘Hardware Product of the Year’ at the 2012 Network Computing Awards. The series also took the honor as runner up in the ‘Data Centre Product of the Year’ category. The awards were presented at a ceremony on 22nd March at Hotel Russell, London.
Launched in October 2011, the SnapServer DX Series is the ideal solution for modern business applications from virtualized server, Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL environments to digital imaging, web services, storage consolidation, and backup.
SnapServer DX offers a unified NAS and iSCSI SAN device that leverages the company’s DynamicRaid™ technology to completely eliminate the need to provision storage capacity. The SnapServer DX Series enables storage environments to effortlessly scale without downtime while ensuring maximum data protection.
Jeremy Zuber, product marketing manager, SnapServer® division at Overland Storage, remarked, “The SnapServer DX Series was built to have the best features and price of any NAS solution in its class, to enable businesses of all sizes to take advantage of its power, flexibility and ease of us. This award recognises our achievement in creating an ideal solution that offers effortless data management and protection to modern businesses.”
The Network Computing Awards are hosted by Network Computing Magazine in the UK. Now in its fifth year, the awards recognize the hardware, software, and services which have most impressed the publication’s readers.
Taser International, Inc. (TASR) Receives Two Significant Orders
Taser International, Inc. is the manufacturer of the world famous taser. It is a global provider of safety technologies that protect lives, help prevent conflicts, and resolve disputes. The company’s products are used in 107 countries around the globe by more than 16,700 public safety agencies.
The company announced today that it has received two significant orders for its new Taser X2 electronic control device (ECD). The first order came from the Michigan Department of Corrections for 242 of the devices with 242 Taser Cam HD recorders, 3,783 Taser cartridges, and various related accessories. The second order received came from the Fort Worth Texas Police Department for 200 Taser X2 ECDs with extended warranties, 1,385 Smart Cartridges, and accessories. These orders are expected to ship in the first quarter of 2012.
This successful new product – the Taser X2 – was launched in 2011 as the company’s next generation electronic control device. It provides a second shot capability, charged metering for improved safety, Trilogy logs with detailed firing and electrical pulse information, automatic shut off ability, compatibility with Taser Cam HD high definition color video camera system, and free data upload access to Taser’s Evidence.com secure, cloud-based data storage and management solution service.
For additional information about Taser International and its various products, please visit the company’s website at www.taser.com
UTStarcom Holdings Corp. (UTSI) IPTV Platform Receives Influential Award from Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology at Key Cable Industry Trade Show in Beijing
UTStarcom, which has developed a broad spectrum portfolio of IPTV solutions ranging from the mundane to advanced NGN (next generation network) frameworks, reported reception today of a key Innovation Award from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology for their integrated IPTV broadcasting control platform, which was designed around China’s network convergence goals set forth in the Triple Network Convergence Policy.
China’s Triple Network Convergence Policy seeks to fuse together cable, voice, and Internet networks. The UTSI platform was awarded during a top Chinese cable operator trade show, the 20th Annual China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) exhibition in Beijing, marking a serious win for the company that has also generated significant collateral buzz. Held at the prestigious China International Exhibition Center in the heart of the PRC’s capital, the CCBN was an ideal showcase for UTSI’s superb technology offerings.
And what’s not to like? UTSI is buzz-worthy, with a portfolio that covers the entire range of requisite technology competencies required to spearhead precisely this kind of government-led initiative to transform China’s infoscape. With vast territory in interactive IP-based network solutions that stretches well beyond IPTV, iDTV, and Internet TV, to Broadband for cable and telecoms, NGN solutions like IP telephony for next-gen voice/data networks, optical transport networks, and customer premise concepts like set-top boxes, UTSI is a serious industry force to be reckoned with.
The UTSI, IPTV broadcasting control platform was designed to destroy the competition and claim the prize, with full support capability for content distribution functions across IPTV, iDTV, and Internet TV, handling multiple output vectors to just about any networkable device from TVs and PCs, to tablets, mobiles, and smartphones. An initial twelve trial cities from 2010 in the first-phase roll out saw the installation of six IPTV platforms in key markets (Beijing, Hubei, Hunan, Shandong, Shenzhen, and Sichuan), with UTSI also setting up systems in key ancillary markets like Tianjin and Hangzhou, thus carving out a massive slice of the Chinese cable pie.
The Innovation Award is a coveted prize among leaders in the Chinese cable industry as a whole and UTSI was chosen due to the powerful design concept execution evident in their IPTV broadcasting control platform. Razor-sharp, cutting-edge technologies and a winning service envelope sealed the deal for UTSI at this year’s CCBN, making it the fourth time the company has received the award, a real testament to the continued success of UTStarcom at innovating in the field.
President and CEO or UTSI, Jack Lu, hailed the Chinese Ministry of Science for this continued recognition of the company’s ability to execute with exemplary solutions, pledging to ride the Chinese convergence wave to serious growth and ROI for investors in and beyond 2012.
Lu emphasized the 42 trial city, phase-two roll out announced at the end of last year as being fundamental to opening up new market opportunities for the proven model/portfolio, vowing to maintain that focus on the cable market which has spelled such success for UTSI thus far. Higher margins and higher bookings from sales in 2011 have underlined the value of the cable area for the company and with such solutions being light up by the bright lights of key industry awards, handed out by the agencies pushing convergence, UTSI is a smart move that is showing real growth potential as they hammer out a clear migration path to cost-effective, end-to-end IP network solutions.
For more information on the reception of this influential award, or to learn more about UTStarcom Holdings Corp., please visit the company’s website at: www.UTStar.com
Vermillion, Inc. (VRML) Posts Q4, FY Financial Results and Operational Achievements
Vermillion, a leading molecular diagnostics company, today reported its financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2011, reflecting significant revenue increases for both periods.
Total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011 increased 152 percent to $868,000 from $345,000 reported for the fourth quarter of 2010. Fourth-quarter revenues included $755,000 from product sales of OVA1 and $113,000 of license revenue related to certain milestones associated with the company’s amended strategic alliance agreement with Quest Diagnostics.
The company reported fourth quarter 2011 total operating expenses of $3.9 million, a decrease from $4.5 million reported in the same period a year ago.
Net loss for the fourth quarter was $3.1 million, or $(0.21) per share, as compared to $4.0 million, or $(0.38) per share, in the same year-ago quarter.
Total revenues for the full year 2011 increased 64 percent to $1.9 million from $1.2 million in 2010. Full-year revenues in 2011 included $1.5 million from product sales of OVA1 and $454,000 of license revenue.
Total operating expenses increased in 2011 to $19.4 million from $15.7 million in 2010.
Vermillion’s net loss for 2011 was $17.8 million, or $(1.25) per share, as compared to $19.0 million, or $(1.83) per share, reported in 2010.
As of December 31, 2011, the company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $22.5 million.
Operational achievements include a 147-percent increase in test volume of the company’s flagship diagnostic OVA1® for all of 2011. Test volume increased 40 percent year-over-year for the fourth quarter of 2011.
In December, Vermillion purchased substantially all of the assets associated with the ovarian cancer diagnostics business of Correlogic Systems, which included more than 1,800 prospectively collected diagnostic samples from ovarian tumor studies, three biomarker-related pending U.S. patents, proprietary software, and other intellectual property. The company is using these assets to advance its ovarian cancer franchise, including the development of OVA2™, its next-generation ovarian cancer test.
The company also strengthened its patent portfolio, receiving nine notices of allowance, including patents for breast cancer biomarkers, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and five biomarker patents related to peripheral artery disease (PAD).
In October, Vermillion released positive top-line data from a clinical study of the company’s PAD development program.
For more information visit www.vermillion.com
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARNA) Progressing With Major Weight Loss Candidate
Arena Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company involved in the development of oral drugs that target what are called “G protein-coupled receptors”, receptors that are able to sense molecules outside of the cell and trigger various cellular responses. It’s an important class of validated drug targets, and Arena is focused on four major associated therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, central nervous system, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases.
Well into the FDA approval process, Arena’s most advanced drug candidate is called lorcaserin, intended for weight management, including weight loss and maintenance in patients who are considered obese. Lorcasein is believed to act as a selective receptor antagonist for serotonin 2C, a receptor expressed in the brain, including the hypothalmus – an area thought to affect appetite and metabolism. Arena already has patents covering lorcaserin in the U.S. and elsewhere. The weight control market is, of course, vast with roughly 1/3 of the U.S. adult population defined as obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In such cases, even a weight loss of 5%-10% from baseline can represent a meaningful reduction in cardiovascular risk and type 2 diabetes.
In addition to lorcaserin, the company is focused on:
• APD811, an internally discovered, orally available agonist of the prostacyclin receptor intended for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension
• APD334, an internally discovered, orally available agonist of the S1P1 receptor intended for the treatment of a number of conditions related to autoimmune diseases
• Research programs on cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists, intended for the treatment of osteoarthritis and pain, and GPR119 agonists intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.ArenaPharm.com
Seeking Alpha Reaches One Millionth Member Milestone
Seeking Alpha announced that it just passed 1 million registered members and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace – adding over 2,000 new members every day the stock market is open. The well-respected website has become the largest publishing platform for finance professionals and other financial commentators. Latest statistics show that Seeking Alpha publishes about 250 articles per market day, after editorial selection, from about 900 active authors per month.
Recognized as the premier website for actionable stock market opinion and analysis, the website has a strong readership among money managers, research analysts, investment bankers, and serious individual investors. In less than two years, the website doubled its size. At the current growth rate, Seeking Alpha expects to double again in even less time.
MissionIR has been a key contributor to the site, connecting the investment community with companies that have great potential and a strong dedication to building shareholder value. Our team is dedicated to finding and evaluating companies that display extraordinary potential in promising sectors. You can connect with us on the site by visiting the following link: http://seekingalpha.com/author/missionir.
Seeking Alpha has achieved a major milestone and we congratulate them on their praiseworthy accomplishment!
GlobalWise Investments, Inc. (GWIV) Forges Channel Sales Partnership with National Business-to-Business Reseller of IT Hardware and Software
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems, announced the execution of a new Channel Sales Partnership with B2B Computer Products, LLC. With a foundation of deep IT industry experience, B2B Computer Products LLC was identified by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing businesses of its type in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010.
B2B Computer Products, LLC is a national business-to-business value-added reseller and service provider of computer hardware and software with over 35 distribution centers throughout the U.S. They are a client-focused technology provider with proven experience in design, product recommendation, and implementation of complex multi-vendor IT solutions. Through the newly announced partnership, B2B Computer will be able to add the cloud-based Intellivue™ ECM software to its vast array of service offerings and better serve its roster of over 24,000 clients.
“B2B Computer is thrilled to add the Intellivue™ suite of software services to our list of business solutions,” stated Rob Ince, Business Development Manager for B2B Computer. “Enterprise Content Management offers a natural extension to the server and storage solutions B2B Computer provides its customers. As a hosted service, Intellivue™ can also complement our Managed Print Service offering by using Multi-Function Device printers for scanning. The shared device approach combined with the efficiency gains inherent in routing documents electronically with the Intellivue™ workflow capability will equate to a quick ROI (Return on Investment) for our clients.”
“B2B Computer is a trusted name in the software and hardware business,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “They have a proven, solid track record with a large client base and can instantly go-to-market with our software offering as a natural extension of what they do every day. Having an affordable, enterprise class software solution to manage unstructured content and documents will be a huge benefit to B2B Computer’s clients. We are actively pursuing multiple new client sales opportunities that have already resulted from this partnership. Each of these opportunities average $40,000 per engagement. We look forward to growing our relationship and supporting B2B Computer in their daily business to acquire new ECM clients.”
GWIV Forges Channel Sales Partnership with National Business-to-Business Reseller of IT Hardware and Software
GlobalWise Investments and its wholly owned subsidiary Intellinetics, a leading-edge technology company focused on the design, implementation, and management of cloud-based Enterprise Content Management (“ECM”) systems, announced the execution of a new Channel Sales Partnership with B2B Computer Products, LLC. With a foundation of deep IT industry experience, B2B Computer Products LLC was identified by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing businesses of its type in the U.S. in 2009 and 2010.
B2B Computer Products, LLC is a national business-to-business value-added reseller and service provider of computer hardware and software with over 35 distribution centers throughout the U.S. They are a client-focused technology provider with proven experience in design, product recommendation, and implementation of complex multi-vendor IT solutions. Through the newly announced partnership, B2B Computer will be able to add the cloud-based Intellivue™ ECM software to its vast array of service offerings and better serve its roster of over 24,000 clients.
“B2B Computer is thrilled to add the Intellivue™ suite of software services to our list of business solutions,” stated Rob Ince, Business Development Manager for B2B Computer. “Enterprise Content Management offers a natural extension to the server and storage solutions B2B Computer provides its customers. As a hosted service, Intellivue™ can also complement our Managed Print Service offering by using Multi-Function Device printers for scanning. The shared device approach combined with the efficiency gains inherent in routing documents electronically with the Intellivue™ workflow capability will equate to a quick ROI (Return on Investment) for our clients.”
“B2B Computer is a trusted name in the software and hardware business,” commented William. J. “BJ” Santiago, CEO of GlobalWise. “They have a proven, solid track record with a large client base and can instantly go-to-market with our software offering as a natural extension of what they do every day. Having an affordable, enterprise class software solution to manage unstructured content and documents will be a huge benefit to B2B Computer’s clients. We are actively pursuing multiple new client sales opportunities that have already resulted from this partnership. Each of these opportunities average $40,000 per engagement. We look forward to growing our relationship and supporting B2B Computer in their daily business to acquire new ECM clients.”
American Energy Corp. (AEDC) Draws $1M from $7.8M Financing Agreement to Continue Drilling Programs
American Energy Development, an independent U.S. energy company focused on developing acreage in established oil and gas basins, today announced it has drawn $1 million from its previously announced $7.8 million financing agreement for the continued development of its Michigan assets.
The company recently commenced production of its Brown 2-12 well and is preparing to resume its drilling program in Michigan targeting Niagaran reef structures. The company also plans to continue its exploration for other opportunities in Michigan.
To execute its plans for continued growth, AED will allocate funds toward: the Dansville Drilling Development program located on 1,343 acres in Ingham County; the high-resolution 3D seismic survey on the 4,200 acre White-tail prospect in Northern Michigan; and securing new project inventory to ensure continued long-term growth.
“The cash drawdown will fund the next stage of our development program,” Joel Felix, AED’s CFO stated in the press release. “With production from the first well, Brown 2-12, generating revenue, we intend to allocate these new funds ‘through the drill bit’ in order to increase our oil resources and revenues, which we believe will ultimately deliver long-term shareholder value.”
Based on high-resolution 3D seismic data, AED has identified additional targets on its Dansville Prospect. The company has surveyed and bonded the Cremer 1-well, also on the Dansville prospect, and has obtained the necessary permitting from the State of Michigan to allow for drilling to commence.
AED’s expansion into Northern Michigan with the White-tail Prospect is located in an area with a proven reef play covering approximately 2.5 million acres in Northern Michigan. From the initial seismic survey, AED has identified five reefs on the White-tail Prospect and will now conduct a new high-resolution 3D seismic survey to further define each reef prospect.
For more information visit www.aed-corp.com
China XD Plastics Company Ltd. (CXDC) Posts Q4, FY 2011 Financial Results and Upward Guidance
China XD Plastics Company, one of China’s leading specialty chemical players engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of modified plastics primarily for automotive applications, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2011, and offered expectations of revenues for fiscal 2012 to range between $550 million and $580 million.
Revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 were $113.9 million, a year-over-year increase of 57.3 percent compared to $72.4 million reported in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010.
Fourth-quarter gross for 2011 was $29.3 million, up 57.7 percent from $18.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Gross margin was 25.7 percent, compared to 25.6 percent in the same period of the year prior.
China XD recorded operating income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 at $24.4 million, or 21.4 percent of revenues, an increase of 65.9 percent over operating income of $14.7 million, or 20.3 percent of revenues, reported for the fourth quarter of 2010.
Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 was $18.5 million, or basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.29, compared to a net income of $6.4 million, or basic earnings per share of $0.14 and diluted earnings per share of $0.09, for the same period of the prior year.
The company reported revenues for the fiscal year 2011 at $381.6 million, a year-over-year increase of 52.8 percent compared to $249.8 million reported in the fiscal year 2010.
Gross profit for the fiscal year 2011 was $95.8 million, up 55.7 percent from $61.5 million in the fiscal year 2010. Gross margin was 25.1 percent, compared to 24.6 percent in the same period of the prior year.
Operating income for the fiscal year 2011 was $76.8 million, or 20.1 percent of revenues, an increase of 128.0 percent over operating income of $33.7 million, or 13.5 percent of revenues, in the same period of the prior year.
Net income for the fiscal year 2011 was $60.5 million, or $1.17 basic and diluted earnings per share, compared to a net income of $28.8 million, or $1.16 basic and diluted earnings per share, for the same period of the prior year.
As of December 31, 2011, China XD Plastics had $135.5 million in cash and cash equivalents; $186.6 million in working capital; and a current ratio of 4.0. Stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2011, was $173.9 million, compared to $104.3 million as of December 31, 2010.
Jie Han, chairman and CEO of China XD Plastics, attributed the increases to strong demands of products spanning the company’s portfolio. The company also launched its third production base in December 2011, creating an additional 90,000 metric tons of annual production capacity across 20 new production lines.
“2011 marked another excellent year of performance for China XD Plastics in which we generated strong operational and financial results and further built on our leadership position in the marketplace. We are pleased with the development of our product mix and product certifications, both key areas we believe give us significant competitive advantages as we continue to expand our customer base and increase sales,” Han stated. “Looking ahead, we continue to be enthusiastic about the prospects for our business. Demand for our products remains strong, the implementation of additional capacity and product lines is on schedule, and we are making the necessary investments in R&D to ensure we are well positioned to leverage positive market dynamics both now and in the future. In light of our strong performance in 2011 and positive growth trends for the sector and our business we remain optimistic about business and growth in 2012.”
For more information visit www.chinaxd.net
SED International Holdings, Inc. (SED) Rolls Out $15M in Small-Medium Business Credit Availability for US Resellers
This morning, SED International Holdings, the preferred distributor for a wide range of cellular, computer hardware, consumer electronics, and small appliance offerings via a truly multinational footprint, which also provides tightly-integrated/customized supply chain management services, reported a swathe of new programs for Small-Medium Business (SMB) resellers that should accelerate financing in the space significantly.
Bringing together a robust mix of SMB reseller categories, from technology VARs (value added resellers) and system builders, to independent retailers, SED draws on a customer base of over 10k channel partners/retailers throughout the US and Latin America to launch this kind of program roll out into the stratosphere. SED is legendary among SMB resellers for optimum handling, with a keen emphasis on their high-touch model that includes size-irrespective, dedicated account representation for each customer.
The programs have two primary vectors:
• Increased credit lines for current domestic SED customers
A 50% jump for some 1.2k SMB customers
Some $15M in new credit availability
• No fee expedited set up of terms for new customers
Utilizes SED’s no fee one-page SMB Quick Terms application, providing a net terms decision within one business day on average
CFO and VP of Finance for SED, Lyle Dickler, underscored the significance of the company’s capacity to “continually equip” customers with the tools required in order to succeed, explaining that SMB financing is a crucial, high-stress aspect of operations, and that SED was here to help. Dickler further emphasized how SED has designed their entire platform to fully accommodate the requirements of customers, ensuring that growth can be aggressed confidently.
This is a huge boon to the SMB space, and SED customers in particular are going to be very pleased with this announcement as the infusion of credit availability, married to the company’s reputation for best-in-class customer service/support, will translate effectively into tremendous momentum potential for businesses. This is precisely the kind of SMB momentum injection the domestic economy is crying out for and to have an established player like SED swinging for the fences is a powerful sign that the inherent potential of relevant markets can be unleashed in 2012.
Dickler pointed to a 30-year track record of handing in rigorously detailed, customer-specific solutions that amply cater to the demands of the SMB space, and the philosophy at SED which drives the entire process, that the SMB customers bring immense value to the market. It is this drive to be a leader in the distribution of technology products and services that has served SED so well in its rise to prominence. A drive organically supplied with more and more fuel thanks to the logistical feedback from genuinely careful, customer-oriented services/strategies.
For more information on these new programs, or to learn more about SED International Holdings, please visit the company’s website at www.sedonline.com
Although we do not comment on the time or content of future releases, GlobalWise is committed to keeping shareholders updated and well-informed.
Stay tuned...
Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR) Reports Agreement to Purchase Natural Gas Processing Assets
Magnum Hunter Resources reported that the company has signed an agreement to purchase midstream assets from a privately held oil services company. The assets are located in the United States and are used to process and treat natural gas.
Eureka Hunter Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of the company, has agreed to pay total consideration of $58.5 million to TransTex Gas Services, LP for the assets. The amount is composed of $46.8 million in cash and common units of the company with a value of $11.7 million.
Magnum Hunter Resources will fund the cash portion of the purchase with capital provided by ArcLight Capital Partners. The asset purchase is expected to close in April 2012.
TransTex Gas Services, LP has gas treating assets in seven states, and the company services approximately 30 customers. These assets comprise well head separation equipment, storage tanks, sculpture separation equipment, and power generation units.
TransTex Gas Services, LP also has a fleet of 50 amine plants used to remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the natural gas stream.
Magnum Hunter Resources estimates that the assets purchased will generate $15.0 million in additional revenues in 2012, and an additional $7.5 million of EBITDA during the year.
For more information on the company, go to www.magnumhunterresources.com
BioClinica, Inc. (BIOC) Announces Partnership with NextDocs to Streamline Clinical Trial Submission Process
Friday, BioClinica announced a partnership with NextDocs, which is a global leader in providing life sciences organizations with Microsoft SharePoint-based compliance solutions – providing easier access to clinical trial information and decreasing the timeline for FDA submissions. Through their partnership, the two companies will offer integration that unites BioClinica’s OnPoint Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS) with NextDocs’ Electronic Trial Master Form (eTMF) products.
OnPoint CTMS empowers clinical trial sponsors and CROs to efficiently access, share, and analyze operational data through the power and ease of Microsoft SharePoint; eTMF gives customers a comprehensive document repository that streamlines essential trial documentation management and is Drug Information Association (DIA) reference model compliant. The joining of these two leading systems creates a highly flexible workflow that minimizes duplicate efforts and results in a seamless system for trial management and regulatory document routing. The two systems can also be deployed to the same SharePoint portal and sub-sites.
BioClinica and NextDocs are both Microsoft Gold-Certified partners. BioClinica has a longstanding reputation of industry-leading integration with Microsoft technology, providing study project managers with a comprehensive, real-time view into trial performance through the power of SharePoint and the Microsoft Office Suite. NextDocs is a worldwide leader in Microsoft SharePoint-based compliance solutions for life sciences organizations.
BioClinica’s world leadership in providing integrated, technology-enhanced clinical trial management solutions spans two decades. The company supports pharmaceutical and medical device innovation with imaging core lab, Internet image transport, electronic data capture, interactive voice and Web response, clinical trial management, and clinical supply chain design and optimization solutions. BioClinica has had more than 2,000 successful trials to date. The company has supported the clinical development of many new medicines, from early phase trials through final approval, and has state-of-the-art, regulatory-body-compliant imaging core labs on two continents. BioClinica also supports eClinical and data management services across the globe from its offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.bioclinica.com
AuthenTec, Inc. (AUTH) Will Feature Embedded Security Solutions and Speak at DESIGN West 2012
AuthenTec, a leading provider of mobile and network security, announced that it will exhibit at Booth #2045 at DESIGN West 2012, part of the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) being held from March 26-29 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California.
AuthenTec’s presentation will feature its mobile and network security products, including DRM Content Protection, Mobile VPN Client Solutions, Security Toolkits, Platform Security, and Security Hardware IP. Additionally, Steve Singer, Director of Systems Engineering, will speak in a session about “Challenges of Multi-Gigabit Security Acceleration in Modern Systems on a Chip (SoCs),” scheduled from 1:10 – 1:55 pm Pacific Time on March 27 at the Multi-core Developers Conference held in conjunction with DESIGN West 2012.
AuthenTec offers a complete, cutting-edge suite of security solutions for handset makers, mobile operators, and rich content providers, including fingerprint sensor hardware, identity management software, and embedded security. Over 15 million fingerprint sensors have been shipped by AuthenTec for use in mobile devices.
AuthenTec’s verified embedded security offering includes its proprietary DRM Fusion™ Agent. The Fusion™ Agent provides reliable content protection for multiple industry standards. The Company’s QuickSec™ Mobile VPN solution is customized for optimum integration with Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Apple iPhones and iPads.
For more information on the company, visit www.authentec.com
American Petro-Hunter, Inc. (AAPH) Goes Over 2012 Oklahoma Drilling Strategy, Plans Five Major Horizontal Wells for Oklahoma Mississippi Lime
Today, American Petro-Hunter, the domestic E&P squarely focused on becoming an intermediate level, 1k BOE producer, announced the 2012 development drilling program for both Oklahoma Mississippi Lime Projects, including plans for five more horizontal wells (two for the North Oklahoma Project leases and three for the South Oklahoma Project).
This means about one well every other month based on the 60-80 day timeframe demonstrated via the first three wells, taking each well from drilling through to fracking and commercial production. Rig availability and partner participation should also allow for development of several shallow offset wells, for which there is abundant potential. Additionally, a minimum of eight wells are slated for the Payne County leases, with at least two planned to go in this year.
President of AAPH, Robert McIntosh, noted the continual work in the Mississippi Lime reservoir as panning out into a real mastery of resource extraction from the area and emphasized the initial three productive wells as test cases. Completion of these initial wells demonstrated that the oil and gas will flow here almost straight away after the start of pumping back the frack loads.
Among the three wells going in at the South Oklahoma Project is the SOM-1H, originally planned to go in today, but postponed a week due to anomalous weather, with large amounts of dense spring rain in the vicinity hampering an optimal profile for the start of operations. The SOM-1H should be ready to go in next week, with site prep and well underway for that target and the drilling contractor just waiting for the ground to dry up enough (equipment should be on-site by the end of this month).
McIntosh was clearly pleased with the immediate revenue generation capability (from flush production) of the Mississippi Lime workings and underscored the enhanced payout time for these wells. Pointing to a ROI target less than a year away, McIntosh characterized the wells as having tremendous upside potential, both from initial work and long-term lifecycle production.
It is noteworthy as a kind of milestone that the lateral horizontal drill work for the SOM-1H will be the longest such drilling done by AAPH to date, featuring a 2k plus foot long lateral extension in the plans. Engineering looks solid and results should be in line with or exceed the NOM3H (initial production rates of 230 barrels and 470 MCF of gas per day), according to the company.
All the factors are coming together for a global market of potential $200 WTI crude according to some recent analyst buzz. Not too hard to imagine chasing at least half that move after the last few weeks, with WTI clocking in today over $107 (Brent around $125). We have the Iran situation amid an already disturbed market making things more and more tense as each day passes; this inescapable reality, combined with an energy hungry, and growing planet make the future of such E&P, especially domestic E&P, very clear, irrespective of overheating concerns about the global economy tipped off by China’s lower growth data. China is already moving to pump more into consumer growth and after the economic crisis-induced stupor wears off, the global economy could go parabolic on energy demand.
These planned horizontal wells AAPH has on the menu are appearing to offer a 4-10 month ROI payout window, beyond which these Mississippi reservoir sippers are projected to experience superb lifecycle returns, as vertical wells in the region have been producing for over two decades.
Not real complex story here, we have excellent targets and AAPH is moving to shore up production, adding that to the overall momentum of the company as they approach their goal of becoming a leading domestic producer.
More information on this and other news by American Petro-Hunter can be found at the company’s website www.AmericanPetroHunter.com
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) is “One to Watch”
Uranium Energy Corp. is a U.S.-based exploration and development company focused on uranium production in the U.S. The company’s operations are managed by professionals who have earned a reputable profile through many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development, and mining.
The company is the newest uranium producer in North America, operating the first new uranium mine in the U.S. in over 6 years. In 2011, Uranium Energy completed its first full year of production with a cumulative total of 236,000 lbs. of uranium produced at average cost of $16 per pound, which the company then sold at the current spot price of $52 per pound. Uranium utilizes the In-Situ Recovery (ISR) production method, which is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of mining uranium.
Well financed to execute on its key programs, the company controls 28 projects in the U.S. with total resources of more than 41.5M lbs. U3O8. Uranium Energy’s fully licensed and permitted Hobson processing facility is central to all of its projects in South Texas, eliminating the need to construct a new processing plant on site at each project.
Additionally, Uranium Energy controls one of the largest databases of historic uranium exploration and development in the nation. Using this knowledge base, the company has acquired and is advancing exploration properties of merit throughout the southwestern U.S., a region known as being the most concentrated area for uranium mining in the United States.
The company’s strategy of acquiring exploration databases and leveraging those databases to generate acquisition targets has proven to be effective thus far. With plans to continue aggressively pursuing this strategy, Uranium Energy Corp is well positioned to capitalize on the world’s overwhelming demand for more uranium, more energy, cheaper energy, and a cleaner environment.
China Sunergy Company Ltd. (CSUN) Signs Key Agreement with DuPont
China Sunergy Company is a specialized manufacturer of solar cell and module products in China for use both domestically and in export markets. The solar cells use crystalline silicon solar cell technology to convert sunlight into electricity.
The company announced today that, in conjunction with China Electric Equipment Group (CEEG), it had signed a letter of intent with DuPont China Holdings for strategic collaboration relating to solar technologies and materials, power transformers, insulation, and aircraft composite materials. The agreement with the subsidiary of one of the world’s most respected companies, DuPont (NYSE: DD), is for a period of three years.
DuPont has had a commercial relationship with CEEG for over 15 years. This company’s chairman, Tingxing Liu, also happens to be the chairman of China Sunergy, so China Sunergy’s collaboration with Dupont should be a smooth one.
The collaboration offers benefits to all three parties. It is hoped that this agreement will help advance the development of new and improved technologies and product quality improvements, further increasing efficiency and overall system cost reduction of China Sunergy’s products to help them reach grid parity pricing quicker. Grid parity – offering power at a price equal to or less than other sources – is the goal of all alternative energy projects.
For further information about China Sunergy and its products, please visit the company’s website at www.chinasunergy.com
MELA Sciences, Inc. (MELA) Signs Agreement with Quintiles Commercial Germany for Commercialization Support
Yesterday, MELA Sciences announced that it has entered into a two-year agreement with Quintiles Commercial Germany GmbH. As per the agreement, Quintiles will provide customer service, sales, and management support to MELA Sciences to supplement the commercialization and launch of MelaFind in Germany.
“We are enthusiastic to be working with Quintiles as we execute our commercialization strategy in Germany,” said Dr. Joseph V. Gulfo, President and CEO of MELA Sciences. “Quintiles is a premier contract sales organization (CSO) with a 20-year history of providing commercialization support in Germany. They are providing us a tailored, economical and expandable solution that is ideally suited to our controlled and deliberate strategy.”
MELA Sciences is a medical device company that is currently working towards commercializing its flagship product, MelaFind®. MelaFind is a non-invasive tool that provides additional information to dermatologists during melanoma skin examinations. The device uses light from visible to near-infrared wavelengths to evaluate skin lesions up to 2.5 mm beneath the skin, providing additional objective information that may be used by dermatologists in the biopsy decision-making process. MelaFind has been approved by the FDA for use in the U.S.
Why Uranium Stocks Are Poised To Profit From A Nuclear Renaissance
http://etfdailynews.com/2012/03/22/why-uranium-stocks-are-poised-to-profit-from-a-nuclear-renaissance-ura-ccj-uec-dnn-uuu-urz-urre/
Uranium stocks got hammered last year in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. But now, roughly one year later, uranium mining stocks have finally begun to bounce back… just like we told you they would.
After getting pummeled in 2011, shares of Cameco Corp. (NYSE:CCJ) – the world’s second-largest uranium miner – are up 32% year-to-date.
Meanwhile, Uranium Resources Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE) and Uranium Energy Corp. (AMEX:UEC) are each up about 30% since the start of the year. And the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSEARCA:URA) is up 25%.
But that’s just the beginning.
These stocks are all still about 50% below where they traded prior to Japan’s disaster.
And rising demand for nuclear energy and a dearth of uranium supplies will soon conspire to push these companies back to their pre-Fukushima levels.
You see, uranium miners cannot expand their operations – or even tread water – with uranium prices at $50.00-$60.00 per pound like they are currently.
They’d much rather have uranium prices of $70.00-$80.00 per pound. So right now there’s not enough uranium being produced to keep up with growing demand.
About 170 million pounds of uranium was consumed last year, but only 140 million pounds was produced. And when you look at the way nuclear power projects are coming back online, it’s obvious that the discrepancy will only get worse.
Global use of nuclear energy could increase by as much as 100% in the next two decades, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
A Nuclear Renaissance
In spite of the Fukushima disaster, the number of planned nuclear plants in the past year rose to from 156 to 163. In fact, globally, the number of nuclear reactors is still on track to swell from 434 today to 820 by 2030. And 96 reactors are set to come online by 2021.
China will be the driving force behind this growth. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, thanks to a battery of carbon-dioxide-spewing coal-fired power plants.
Indeed, coal supplies 80% of China’s power. And the fact is, windmills and solar panels don’t have enough juice to power a country home to more than 1 billion people and the world’s second-largest economy.
That makes nuclear power the country’s best option.
China is on track to build up to 100 nuclear reactors – nearly a quarter of the global total – by 2030.
Twenty-seven of those plants are already under construction, and an official recently told the China Daily that plans for “about 10? plants put on hold last year would soon be green-lit for construction.
China isn’t alone, either.
Many other countries around the world are putting their nuclear power programs back on track.
India has announced plans to grow its nuclear power capacity from 5,000 megawatts to 63,000 megawatts by 2030. And even smaller countries in Europe, such as Poland, France, and Great Britain are pushing ahead as well – much to the consternation of some of their neighbors.
In fact, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy last month signed a joint declaration of cooperation on nuclear power. France already gets 75% of its power from nuclear plants.
And while other countries like Germany have decided to purge themselves of nuclear power, their boycott will have only a limited effect.
The IAEA says that an accelerated phase-out of nuclear power in Germany, a government review of the planned expansion in Japan, and temporary delays elsewhere in the world will result in only a 7-8% drop in projected demand growth for 2030.
Meanwhile, global usage of nuclear energy will rise 35%-100% by then.
That’s good news for the long-term prices of both uranium and uranium mining stocks.
Cameco Corp. (NYSE:CCJ) and Uranium Energy Corp. (AMEX:UEC)
“Fukushima or no Fukushima, the world energy situation remains unchanged,” Cameco CEO Tim Gitzel told theCanadian Press. “Huge quantities of huge, reliable and affordable electricity will be needed to meet future demand.”
Since the 1980s, global electricity consumption has tripled and is expected to more than double again over the next two decades. Nearly two billion out of the world’s seven billion inhabitants don’t currently have access to electricity, Gitzel said.
“More reactors means more demand for uranium,” he said.
Cameco intends to double its uranium production by 2018. And earlier this month the company agreed to buy AREVA SA’s 27.94% stake in the Millennium project – a uranium mine in Canada’s Athabasca Basin. That will increase Cameco’s interest in the mine to 69.9%.
Cameco stock traded in the low-$40s prior to Fukushima and the mid-$50s when uranium prices peaked in 2007. So at its current level of about $23 a share, it looks like a bargain.
Another uranium miner trading at a steep discount is Uranium Energy Corp. Like Cameco, UEC is still 50% below its pre-Fukushima level even after an impressive surge to start the year.
UEC is the first company to start a new uranium mine in the United States in nearly six years. The Corpus Christi-based UEC aims to reach an initial production rate of 1 million pounds per year. Its processing plant in South Texas has the capacity to process up to three times that amount, which could nearly double what U.S. production is today.
Incidentally, U.S. regulators just approved the first new nuclear power station in more than 30 years – just as 15%-20% of the U.S. oil supply chain is being threatened by political disruptions in Iran.
Nuclear plants already produce about 20% of U.S. energy. In terms of uranium consumed by utilities, that translates into 55 million pounds of uranium per year. Currently, however, uranium mining in the U.S. only provides about 3.5 million-4 million pounds per year.
Both UEC and the Saskatoon-based Cameco will be prime beneficiaries of a nuclear revival. They’re also major holdings in the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSEARCA:URA).
Written By Jason Simpkins From Money Morning
We’re in the midst of the greatest investing boom in almost 60 years. And rest assured – this boom is not about to end anytime soon. You see, the flattening of the world continues to spawn new markets worth trillions of dollars; new customers that measure in the billions; an insatiable global demand for basic resources that’s growing exponentially; and a technological revolution even in the most distant markets on the planet. And Money Morning is here to help investors profit handsomely on this seismic shift in the global economy. In fact, we believe this is where the only real fortunes will be made in the months and years to come.