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Ut OH...:((
Heading into the $4.00...range...short term....HOLDING ALL!! Base getting stronger each day....
Will the new CEO have a positive Impact?
The arrival of Don Mattrick has instilled some confidence back into shareholders. Mattrick was quite successful in his previous tenures with Electronic Arts and Microsoft. At EA, he was best known for working on the development of blockbuster games like Need for Speed, FIFA and The Sims. During his reign at Microsoft, Xbox saw its user base increase from 10 million to more than 75 million. Mattrick was also responsible for adding Netflix and YouTube to the gaming console.
The company has struggled to develop chart-topping games and was even accused of copying others, which it openly admits to. With an amazing history of innovations, a character like Mattrick was exactly what Zynga needed. The company has over $1.5 billion in cash; therefore Mattrick will have ample resources to invest in new strategic initiatives.
Conclusion
Mattrick may take time to effect a turnaround at Zynga but the comeback plan as mentioned in this article looks well thought out and methodical. It would not be prudent to write-off the company completely since it has got a decent cash balance, is looking to cut down costs, and is headed by a creative mind who can provide the much-needed spark to kick start the business.
agree....and holding
TVIX Reverse Split—August 2013
Thursday, August 29th, 2013 | Vance Harwood
TVIX10-1
TVIX’s issuer, Credit Suisse announced that they will reverse split TVIX 10:1 effective 30-August-2013.
Lacking major volatility spikes the 2X leveraged short term volatility ETPs like VelocityShares’ TVIX and ProShares’ UVXY need to reverse split about every year to keep their products in a reasonable trading range. Lacking market panics they tend to be ravaged by contango at the rate of around 90% per year. In the past Credit Suisse allowed TVIX to drop below $1, but this time they didn’t wait as long, and thanks to a recent volatility bump they have a chance to trade above $20 for the first time since January 2012.
Event Dates Inception / Price when reverse split was announced Months since inception /last split
Inception 30-Nov-2013 112.35
1st Reverse Split 21-Dec-2012 0.9 24
2nd Reverse Split 30-Aug-2013 1.68 9
If you hold shares of TVIX there isn’t anything to worry about. The value of your investment stays the same through the reverse split process. You just have 10X fewer shares that are worth 10X more each. If your share holdings are not a multiple of ten, say 215 shares, you will get 21 reverse adjusted shares and a cash payout for the 5 remaining pre-split shares.
If you are short TVIX, same story, no material impact.
very low volume....
Is it just me?? or is TVIX trading wierd today??
Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) will release its Q2 2013 earnings on July 25, and we expect the company to post a decline in revenues and monthly active users. It is quite likely that the weakness in several gaming titles that was apparent in the first quarter might have carried on into Q2 as well. In addition, the company closed several underperforming games that will further impact results.
In early June, Zynga had announced that it would cut around 18% of its workforce, or approximately 520 people, for an estimated $70-$80 million in pre-tax savings for the company. The move will lower Zyngas headcount below what it had at the time of its IPO. This suggests that the kind of explosive growth that the company was expecting when it went public doesnt exist anymore. It will be interesting to see how this move impacts its Q2 profits. Zynga is going through a rough patch, and its financial performance is likely to fluctuate as it reorganizes its core business and invests in new growth avenues.
Gradual slow downward move...then a rush of sell...because of earnings after hours....which are expected to be negative...then rebuys...because of good future news rumors...My outlook...
Thinking it drops....$ high 3.20's- Low 3.30's...my prediction....Yesterday on CNBC....the bears said they saw it droping to the $2.50 area....I dont think it will go that low...since future news of the company is suppose to be very positive....
Took my profit....now will wait for the drop to re enter...
Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) will release its Q2 2013 earnings on July 25, and we expect the company to post a decline in revenues and monthly active users.
I agree...and China not looking to good...BEIJING | Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:09pm EDT
(Reuters) - Activity in China's vast manufacturing sector slowed to an 11-month low in July as new orders faltered and the job market weakened, a preliminary survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting the world's second-largest economy is still losing momentum.
The flash HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 47.7 from June's final reading of 48.2, a third straight month below the watershed 50 line which divides expansion from contraction and the weakest level since August 2012.
Also with Detroit filing bankruptcy.....Im thinking it opens the door to other cities that have been struggling...
Green? I prefer RED here in TVIX land. :)
NEWS!!
SessionM and Zynga Partner to Launch In-Game Real-World Rewards Program
9:01 AM ET 7/17/13 | Marketwire
SessionM, the leading mobile loyalty and ad platform, today announced a partnership with Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA), a leading provider of social game services. This first-time partnership will offer mPOINTS to Scramble with Friends players for unlocking in-game achievements and interacting with innovative new ad experiences as they play. mPOINTS will be redeemable for real-world rewards, such as iTunes and Amazon gift cards, as well as to be used to enter additional SessionM sweepstakes and contests.
Starting in July, players will see an icon within Scramble With Friends giving them the option to play for achievements and earn loyalty points, which they can collect and redeem for a real-world reward. The partnership will reward active, loyal players while giving brand advertisers new opportunities to deliver valuable engagement-based video ads that are entirely opt-in and add tangible value to players.
"Zynga is committed to delivering the most innovative and meaningful ways for our global network of players to engage with their favorite brands," said Adam Sussman, SVP of sales and distribution for Zynga. "Partnering with SessionM enables us to launch Zynga's first mobile real-world rewards program to benefit our players while providing a unique value to brands, which can engage directly with their target audience."
"We are delighted to add Zynga to our growing list of partners as we endeavor to build the world's largest mobile rewards network," said Bill Clifford, chief revenue officer, SessionM. "Zynga's massive, engaged audience will love being rewarded for their gameplay and brands will love the results they see from this proven platform. It's a true 'win' for both."
About SessionM Founded in 2011 by industry veterans of mobile technology companies, SessionM has built an innovative mobile loyalty and advertising platform that connects consumers with mobile content and advertising in fun and rewarding new ways. Clients include some of the most notable developers and advertisers in the world, including Viacom Interactive, The Weather Channel, Demand Media, PepsiCo, Universal, Volvo and Unilever. SessionM is funded by Charles River Ventures, Highland Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The company is part of the iFund initiative at KPCB. SessionM is headquartered in Boston with offices across the country. For more information on SessionM, visit www.sessionm.com.
Media Contacts
LaunchSquad for SessionM
Kristin Allaben or Brian Kramer
617-945-1915
sessionm@launchsquad.com
Here’s New Zynga CEO Don Mattrick’s First Letter to Employees
July 1, 2013 at 2:28 pm PT
DonMattrick
Quite a big day for Zynga employees, after co-founder and longtime CEO Mark Pincus formally announced that he would step down from his chief executive position, handing that title over to Microsoft Xbox chief Don Mattrick.
It is a very bold move for the ailing social gaming giant, whose share price has plummeted 68 percent since Zynga debuted on the Nasdaq in late 2011. Pincus will remain on board as chief product officer and chairman.
While Mattrick doesn’t start his new gig until next week, he sent out an email to Zynga’s 2,000-plus employees on Monday, an excited appeal to work with a company that is badly in need of a turnaround. Pincus sent out a blog post earlier about the appointment.
“I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark’s pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started,” Mattrick wrote.
Check out the entire letter, below:
Team,
By now, you’ve had a chance to read Mark’s email about my coming aboard. I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself and share with you how excited I am to be here.
I’ve admired Zynga for years. You have redefined entertainment and brought gaming to the mainstream.
Only Zynga combines engineering, industry-leading product management and analytics to deliver products that strike a chord with consumers and add real value in their lives.
More than 1 billion people have installed a Zynga game across web and mobile and popular franchises like FarmVille and Words With Friends are a daily habit for millions of people. It’s a staggering milestone that speaks to the mass market opportunity ahead of all of us.
I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark’s pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started. As Mark was recruiting me to come here, I was impressed by his creativity, drive and the clarity in which he sees the future of games and entertainment as a core consumer experience.
For the last 30 years, I’ve been fortunate to work with smart people on exciting projects. I’ve managed over 100 platform transitions and I’ve never lost my love for seeing products as creative experiences that bring people together.
I’ve had the chance to lead the teams behind brands and franchises like “Need for Speed,” “FIFA” and “The Sims” and networks and consumer services like Xbox and Kinect. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful franchises and networks can work together to deliver breakthrough value for consumers and drive sustainable growth. We too, have all the makings of a successful service and business and we have the opportunity to create lifelong relationships with our customers through our high quality products.
Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I’m really proud to partner with a product focused founder like Mark and work with the executive team to grow the DNA of the company and lead this transition.
I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at our All-Hands tomorrow. Please feel free to submit any questions you have for Mark and me here — see you soon.
Don
Zynga up PRE market.....anyone know why? Will Don Mattrick be speaking today?....??
The DeanBeat: How Zynga snared Xbox boss Don Mattrick as its CEO
Zynga
Don Mattrick (left) and Mark Pincus of Zynga.
July 5, 2013 8:00 AM
Dean Takahashi
The kingmaker has struck again.
bing-gordon
Matt Lynley
Bing Gordon
Bing Gordon, the former Electronic Arts chief creative officer and Zynga board member, introduced his former colleague, Don Mattrick, to Zynga’s CEO and founder, Mark Pincus. It happened a few years ago, and Gordon made it clear to Mattrick that Pincus was something special in the new world of gaming. Gordon felt like Pincus had the right vision and strategy for the future of games. As Zynga grew into a social gaming giant, Pincus and Mattrick began to talk regularly.
Back when Zynga had fewer than a hundred employees, Mattrick thought that Pincus had high energy and high intelligence. That was enough to plant the seed that sprouted as Zynga announced this week that Mattrick would become CEO of Zynga, while Pincus would stay on as chairman and chief product officer.
A lot of people point out that Mattrick will get $50 million in compensation at Zynga, but that’s only if he turns around the stock in a big way. The deal was in the works for a while. Starting in 2007, Pincus’s company was one of many social gaming startups on Facebook. But he managed to make Zynga the center of attention. Thanks to games like Zynga Poker and FarmVille, the company grew to $1 billion in revenues in just a few years, something that no other gaming company had ever done. He expanded the game industry to new players via casual games on Facebook, and he had an ambition of reaching more than a billion people through social games. In doing that, he stayed on the radar of Mattrick, a 30-year veteran who was running the multibillion-dollar Xbox business. In his post on joining Zynga, Mattrick said he had admired Zynga for years in its capability to bring gaming to the mainstream.
Gordon’s played kingmaker before, and he was patient. He had recruited seasoned game developers like Brian Reynolds to Zynga before, and he also played a role in getting John Schappert, EA’s former No. 2 executive, to become Zynga’s chief operating officer in June 2011.
At 3,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue in 2011, Zynga was sitting pretty. The company went public in the fall of 2011, raising $1 billion at a $9 billion valuation. But as Facebook’s fast growth ended, Zynga’s own growth slowed in mid-2012. Schappert stepped down in August, and an exodus of former EA executives also resigned from Zynga.
Pincus came under fire as Zynga’s growth slowed, but he had retained voting control of the stock and couldn’t be fired. Pincus’s strategic task was to generate more hits and revenues in mobile games, but it seemed like he had plenty of time to accomplish that, as mobile was still a fragmented, free-for-all market.
Gordon stayed in close touch with Mattrick; he brought him to our GamesBeat conference in July 2012, where Pincus gave the opening chat. While Pincus was open to the idea of giving up the reins, he wasn’t going to do it with just anyone. He had to find someone he trusted and someone who could bring more than he could to the role. He wanted to find someone who could accelerate the growth of the company and broaden its potential. Game pioneers discuss gaming's future
Mattrick usually lived his life in five-year cycles. At Microsoft, things couldn’t have gone better. Mattrick had grown sales from 10 million consoles in 2007 to 80 million in 2013. The number of Xbox Live members grew to 50 million. On top of that, developers were making more money on games on the Xbox 360 than they were on the PlayStation 3. He was the key driver behind Kinect, the motion-sensing system that launched in 2010 and became a big hit. Microsoft has sold more than 24 million Kinect sensors, and Kinect 2 is a cornerstone technology in the new Xbox One video game console.
Last year, Mattrick and his wife bought a new home in Silicon Valley, where his wife, Nanon de Gaspé Beaubien-Mattrick, had begun to visit more frequently. As president and founder of Beehive Holdings, she invested in women-owned startups. Both of them had good reasons to return to the San Francisco Bay area. The Mattricks also became empty-nesters. Those life events were big ones that shook Mattrick loose from his usual routine.
At Microsoft, Mattrick put a plan in place for the Xbox One game console that launches in November. His job wasn’t done, but the executive team had clear directions. They had to execute. John Riccitiello, who had been chief executive of EA since 2007, resigned from the top job in March. Mattrick had spent his career at EA from the time he sold his Distinctive Software to EA in 1991 until he left for one of the top game jobs at Microsoft in 2007. He had finished his tenure there as head at EA as head of worldwide studios.
But at Microsoft, Mattrick had peaked. He was president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, reporting to CEO Steve Ballmer. If Mattrick would have risen any higher, he would have had to manage businesses as diverse as enterprise software, Windows, and Office. That would have taken him away from the game business that he spent his career dedicated to.
Meanwhile, Zynga’s troubles worsened. The company expects to post a loss this year and lower revenues. In June, Zynga said it would lay off more than 500 employees, shut down a number of game studios, and closed games that were no longer generating revenues. Ko, now chief operations officer, had warned that the company had now put up “guard rails” to keep the company’s costs under control. More than half of the company’s remaining employees are focused on mobile, but some high-profile titles like Draw Something 2 have underperformed, and Zynga closed down the OMGPOP studio (acquired for $180 million) that made it.
This hard slog for Zynga in mobile is happening at a time when others are racing ahead. King’s Candy Crush Saga has become the biggest game on Facebook. Helsinki mobile game startup Supercell raised $130 million at a $770 million valuation on the strength of its hit game, Clash of Clans. Japan’s GungHo Entertainment may have a $1 billion game on its hands with Puzzle & Dragons. Other big rivals in mobile include Japan’s DeNA and Gree as well as Electronic Arts. And mobile games have taken off on new platforms such as the Kakao Talk and Line mobile messaging networks in Asia.
Against those successes, Zynga’s progress in mobile looks puny. Zynga has more than 70 million monthly active users on mobile (figures will be updated on July 25). All it would take at this point would be a single smash hit, but that hasn’t happened yet. That’s a little embarrassing, since Zynga probably has more mobile game developers than just about anybody else. While Zynga has often been accused of cloning, it has a wealth of talented veterans from the early days of social gaming and as well as the core console business.
To help solve that problem, Gordon went back to Mattrick. Pincus started a more intensive set of talks, laying out the challenge to Mattrick. Mattrick had the chops in game development, managing a large organization, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The fact that Mattrick had dropped out of college at 17 to start Distinctive Software was a real plus to Pincus. EA bought Distinctive in 1991, and it started Mattrick on his long road to being a CEO again.
In the end, that appeal of running a company again won out. This week, the news broke that Mattrick was leaving Microsoft in a report in AllThingsD.
The news of Mattrick’s appointment gave Zynga’s stock a big boost. Mattrick talked to employees on Tuesday. Analysts noted that Mattrick’s reputation would help Zynga, but his experience in mobile was limited. To turn Zynga around, Mattrick will have to come up with hits. It’s a tough business, but that’s entertainment.
Read more at http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/05/the-deanbeat-how-zynga-snared-don-mattrick-as-its-ceo/#cmXrcqo7cmZrh1bM.99
JMHO....I believe we should be hearing SOON...of what Don's expectations are for the company....I would think he would possibly put out a PR before....the report on July 25th...We will see....
I do believe that Don leaving Microsoft...was a planned move on the behalf of BOTH companies....Just curious how it will play out...JMHO...I am holding and adding on dips....I actually did not expect this opportunity to buy again in the 3.40's today!!...:) Happy Camper here...:)
Zynga...A good move...
After all the IPO/Cramer Hype dies down....My opinion...We drop into the 30's...I will be waiting for re-entry.
Subj: TVIX: Major hedge funds have suddenly turned...
3:34 PM Major hedge funds have suddenly turned bullish, reportedly buying massive amounts of OTC call options on the S&P 500 (SPY). The purchases have been large enough to send the VIX (VXX) higher even as stocks continue to gain. An important milestone - the implied volatility of S&P calls is now greater than that of puts, a true rarity since 2007.
Yes...:)...I did...and already traded today...$$ money in my pocket...:)....GLTY....
:)...Thats why...you trade it.....
TVIX @ HOD.
Thats the risk you take when you invest in ANY stocks. Just TRADE it...I trade half...hold half...
Where do you get your information?...Please back up your comment...with some concrete data/information.
Holding very nicely today on an UP Green market.
Are you trading TVIX?
Well...lol...that comment will not encourage buyers...:(
Just wondering....HOW LOW...TVIX will go....????
Sad...that we only could moved on such tragic news....And sad that we only stay up if the news seems to stay bad...:( Prayers to all that were somehow touch by this act of terror...:(
Next week 74 S&P companies are expected to report results, across a wide swath of sectors. Financials dominate the week, including reports from American Express Co (AXP.N), Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Bank of America (BAC.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N).
By Chuck Mikolajczak
NEW YORK | Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:48pm EDT
(Reuters) - The S&P 500 stock index's stunning run since the start of the year has made many bullish analysts look conservative.
As the benchmark S&P .SPX has roared to record highs this year with a gain of more than 11 percent, many Wall Street analysts have been forced to concede their prior targets were too low and adjust accordingly.
In fact, it has taken less than four months for the S&P to surpass year-end 2013 targets of about two-thirds of the strategists polled by Thomson Reuters in December. Of 47 analysts surveyed, 30 of them expected to see this year end at a level already exceeded by the index.
The midyear targets are even more lopsided, as the S&P is above the midyear forecast for 27 of the 28 analysts who estimated where the index would be by the end of June.
"When we started the year at 1,425 that implied about a 15 or 20 percent total return," said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist, at Federated Investors, in New York, who has a 1,660 year-end target for the index.
"Here we are now 3 1/2 months into the new year and stocks are up 11, 12 percent - there's not a whole lot left. Either there's going to be a pullback at some point, or maybe things really get even better than we thought and our 1,660 target is too low."
The more recent Reuters poll in March showed some analysts had revised targets following the strong start to the year, with the S&P above the midyear target for 21 of 34 analysts surveyed and the full-year target for 18 of 43 analysts surveyed.
The run has been notable for its resilience. As investors buy into weakness, dips are short-lived while bears are forced to cover short positions and asset managers chase performance.
So far this year, the S&P has only experienced three consecutive losing sessions once, and the deepest "correction" was a brief 2.8 percent slide in late February.
Thomas Lee, U.S. equity strategist at JPMorgan in New York, this week decided to throw in the towel on a call for a correction, saying in two recent notes to clients that his 1,580 target for the year-end S&P "seems low." Data in the last six weeks has not been as weak as some expected, and the equity market managed to look past it, anyway.
Lee, in his commentary, notes that JP Morgan estimates 2013 currently is the worst year for active-manager performance since 1995, with an estimated 68 percent of funds falling short of their benchmark. Fund managers, as a result, are taking on more risks in order to play catch-up, he wrote.
Now that Lee is more bullish, he noted the biggest risk to this new view is "that the market begins to correct just as we capitulate on it happening. That is potential irony."
Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D.A. Davidson & Co in Lake Oswego, Oregon, who is maintaining his target of 1,450 for midyear and 1,500 for the year-end sees a strong likelihood of a significant pullback, partly due to the current market structure which contains a large number of program-driven traders that follow trends.
"It will take a combination of fundamental events to pull people from a buying mode onto the sidelines and when that happens we will start to see prices decline. As those prices decline the program traders flip the switch from buy to sell or buy to short and you get a fairly rapid 8 to 10 percent decline," said Dickson.
One potential catalyst for a pullback could be company results as the pace of earnings season begins to pick up.
Earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to grow at a modest 1.1 percent in the first quarter, down from a January forecast of more than 4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Just 6 percent of companies have reported thus far, but companies so far have been notably pessimistic, with a 4.7-to-1 ratio of negative to positive warnings.
"The only thing that happens now is do we start to see something in the company earnings reports - these are really important because that is where the rubber meets the road," said Gordon Charlop, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities in New York.
Next week 74 S&P companies are expected to report results, across a wide swath of sectors. Financials dominate the week, including reports from American Express Co (AXP.N), Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Bank of America (BAC.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N).
Internet companies Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O), along with Dow components Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), Coca-Cola (KO.N), McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) and General Electric (GE.N) also report results.
In addition to earnings, investors will also scrutinize regional manufacturing data from the New York and Philadelphia Federal Reserve banks, the Fed's Beige Book and data on consumer inflation and housing starts.
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Additonal reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Kenneth Barry)
From Bloomberg:
Among the 10 most-owned VIX options, nine were betting on volatility gains. April $20 calls, with an exercise level 44 percent above the last close, had the largest open interest, according to the data.
“This earnings season isn’t as cut and dry as previous quarters,” Ioan Smith, a strategist at Knight Capital Europe Ltd. in London, said in an April 5 interview. “Expectations are being reined in somewhat, which may explain to some extent the continued demand for volatility. Given the increasingly uncertain macro environment, then there is a genuine concern that earnings beats may not be as frequent.”
It would be bad news for holders of VelocityShares Daily Inverse VIX Short-Term ETN (XIV) but a boost to the long-declining VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short-Term ETN (TVIX), ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY), and Barclays iPath S&P 500 Short-term VIX Futures ETN (VXX).
The last three are picking up fresh assets from nervous investors even though they’ve fallen in value by two thirds (TVIX and UVXY) and one-third (VXX) during 2013 — and can be expected to continue doing so, absent a big (negative) change in markets’ bullish tone.
Is there any place on the web that directly discusses the TVIX?..A daily blog....? somewhere besides here? Just curious...Thanks
I am baffled....;(
very possibly....but might be next week for larger rise...more big earnings out...
TVIX....holding the line...(so far)....$ 2.91...I added a few more...TVIX holding 2.91 even though market up...strong sign...now I pray....LOL
thank god!!...LOL