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MIVA (6.11)
!could be a big play, http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=21564313
IAO ? em
MZT ? em
Own a piece of China's Google wannabe
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China's No. 1 search engine, Baidu, holds huge growth potential as it prepares for an IPO. But it has to reckon with some fierce competitors -- and the Chinese authorities.
By Michael Brush
If you missed out on Google, take heart.
This summer, you may get a second chance to own an Internet search giant, since China's version of Google (GOOG, news, msgs) is going public in about a month.
For investors who get in early and think long term, China's most popular search engine, known as Baidu, has a chance to produce healthy gains. Whether its shares will match Google's 200% gain is another question.
Though doing business in China makes Baidu’s outlook as complex as it is promising, a few things are clear:
Baidu is the leading Internet search engine company in China.
It’s an early-stage company in an emerging Chinese Internet sector only beginning to tap into its potential. That spells plenty of growth ahead.
Baidu has years' worth of mistakes made by Western Internet companies to learn from.
To be sure, Baidu faces two tough challenges. It must deal with the nuances of being an information provider operating under the thumb of China’s Communist government. Next, it is going up against Google and other big search-engine powerhouses staking out territory in China -- like Yahoo! (YHOO, news, msgs) and Microsoft (MSFT, news, msgs), the parent of this Web site.
But the competitive landscape tells us that inside these challenges lurk forces that will actually help Baidu dominate the Chinese search space and reward shareholders for several years. Before we get to that, here’s a quick primer on Baidu. Start investing with $100.
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Baidu's basics
Pronounced "buy do" in English, the name of the company means “a hundred times.” It comes from a well-known ancient Chinese poem about a long but ultimately successful search for a beautiful woman in a teeming crowd.
Launched in 2000, Baidu turned profitable just over a year ago. It pulled in just $5.5 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2005 and $13.4 million in 2004. But it has the potential for rapid growth.
Like Google, Baidu sells advertising space on its search site. Ads pop up whenever people search for words similar to the products advertisers are selling. Baidu collects a small fee when users click through those ads.
Baidu unabashedly imitates Google. Its site -- www.baidu.com -- has the same clean, no-frills appearance. Its marketing tag line borrows from the now-common use of “Google” as a verb in English. Baidu's own ads say: “Got a question, Baidu it.”
The company runs over 820,000 message boards in a service called “Baidu Post Bar.” Baidu’s search box is also on more than 76,000 Web sites in China, in a network it calls “Baidu Union.” Click-through traffic from this network generates about a fourth of Baidu’s revenue. And many observers claim that Baidu does a better job with Chinese language search than Google.
And like Google, Baidu is a huge hit. It’s the leading search engine and second-most-used Web site in China, according to iResearch. It’s also the sixth most popular Web site in the world, according to Alexa, a company that tracks Internet usage.
Pirate trouble
Investors do worry that Baidu’s traffic may take a hit because nearly a quarter of its visitors seek places to download music and video files -- much of it pirated. Any kind of pressure, legal or otherwise, to curb the availability of links for sites selling bootlegs could hurt. Indeed, Baidu was reportedly pulling down links to pirated entertainment files last week, perhaps because the road show for the initial public offering is about to start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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• Time for another bite of Apple
• China: the dragon that isn't
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• 3 ways to profit from the overseas boom
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the long run, however, it probably doesn’t matter. “I am bullish on Baidu because the search market is ultimately going to be very big in China,” says Pacific Growth Equities analyst Jason Brueschke, who covers Chinese Internet stocks. “It is still early.” (Pacific Growth Equities is not involved in the Baidu IPO.)
For example, the number of Internet users in China should grow 24% a year from 2005 to 2007, according to iResearch, while the number of searches per day will increase 50% a year in the same time frame.
More startling: Just 7.3% of China's population uses the Internet, according to Internet World Stats, compared to 67.3% in the United States. That contrast gives you an idea of the potential for growth, especially when you remember that China has a population of 1.3 billion, compared to 295 million in the U.S.
The Chinese online advertising market was worth $283 million in 2004, or 3% of gross domestic product, compared to 5.7% of GDP in the U.S., says Adrian Au, a portfolio manager at Hamon Asset Management, which manages the Dreyfus Premier Greater China fund (DPCTX). “There is a lot of room to grow,” he says.
Another factor that will help Baidu: China’s economy should continue to expand a lot faster than the U.S. economy. China grew 9.5% in the second quarter. Skeptics wonder how long that can last, but Oak Associates economist Ed Yardeni has little doubt. He says the government has to keep stoking 9%-plus growth to reach its goal of creating eight million jobs a year -- part of its strategy for keeping political and social stability.
“Ten years from now China will have one of the largest middle classes on the planet,” agrees Brueschke. That group will be more likely to use the Internet he says, because it will be younger and more tech-savvy than the middle class in the U.S. or Europe.
Cheap, for now
Baidu is slated to start trading for $19 to $21 on Nasdaq under the ticker BIDU, in an IPO underwritten by Goldman Sachs (GS, news, msgs), Credit Suisse First Boston and Piper Jaffray.
In that range, Baidu will come public at about 35 times 2006 earnings, says Au of Hamon Asset Management. Assuming the stock does not pop too much on the IPO, that will make it look downright cheap compared with Google. Google has a forward price-earnings ratio of 45, but Baidu has faster growth.
The little red book and the red herring
As good as all this sounds, Baidu investors could face unpleasant surprises, thanks to the heavy hand of the Communist government in the Chinese economy.
Top on the list of potential problems: The government and the Communist Party of China tightly manage the flow of ideas on the Internet as a way to control the political climate. Basically, they don’t like references to anything subversive, including the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, the Falun Gong “spiritual group” or debates about taxes. Sign up now!
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Even publishing unauthorized news of changes in government personnel can spell trouble, says Xiao Qiang, a political refugee from China who runs the Berkeley China Internet Project, at the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. “The government has a very strict control mechanism to make sure certain content is filtered, and the search engines are one of the main targets,” says Xiao.
Step across the line, and business can suffer. Baidu, for example, was shut down for a week and fined in 2002 for a violation. Last year, the stocks of several Chinese wireless companies were hit when the government cracked down on them for transmitting horoscopes after officials decreed them a no-no because they are based on superstition.
Because of Chinese government restrictions on foreign ownership of Internet content providers, Baidu also has to use a convoluted ownership structure typical of Chinese Internet companies floating shares in the U.S.
Baidu is a Cayman Islands company that operates through subsidiaries in China and through contracts with a China-based company that actually owns the Web sites. This structure hasn’t burned investors so far. But there’s always a chance that the Chinese government could change the rules at any moment.
“No matter how you look at it, it is a potential risk for investment in these Chinese Internet companies,” says Mark Lebovitz, a portfolio manager and analyst at Munder Capital Management, which owns Chinese Internet companies.
Working under a government that has such a heavy hand in the economy, however, may actually help Baidu deal with foreign competitors. For example, the nuances of new government directives about what’s banned can be hard to follow. A company like Baidu with extensive government contacts could be more agile than foreigner competitors like Google when it comes to toeing the line, says Qiang.
China is sensitive about foreigners controlling Chinese companies. What’s more, it wants to have dominant national champions in key sectors like the Internet, says George Haley, a University of New Haven business school professor and author of "The Chinese Tao of Business: The Logic of Successful Business Strategy." This means if the Chinese government thinks Google is getting too big, the government could take steps to restrain Google and help Baidu, says Haley.
Google dollars at work
Google is still the far bigger fish in the search pond. For one thing, the company has huge financial resources compared to what Baidu will raise in the IPO, says Tom Taulli, an IPO expert at CurrentOfferings.com. “This is not a big capital raise. This is a small company, and Google has a ton of cash,” he says.
Baidu will collect about $54 million in the upcoming IPO. In its most recent quarter, Google had $590 million in cash flow on revenue of $1.38 billion. Meanwhile, Google is using that financial clout to open up a development center in China, led by Kai-Fu Lee, who was recently hired away from Microsoft.
But Baidu has a big lead in other ways, which should keep it safe in China for a while. “Baidu already has a rich network of advertising distributors that reaches deep into the business world,” says Robert Eu, an investment banker with WR Hambrecht + Co who works on Asian deals. It will take a while for Google to replicate that. “I don’t think the people at Baidu are panicked about Google,” agrees Brueschke.
Indeed, Brueschke says Google’s move into China will actually help Baidu investors because it legitimizes the Chinese search market. And despite potential government opposition, Brueschke doesn’t rule out a Google takeover of Baidu sometime down the road -- which could bring Baidu shareholders a juicy premium. Google already owns a 2.6% stake in the company. “That sends a signal that Google will consider buying Baidu at some point,” says Brueschke.
At the time of publication, Michael Brush did not own or control shares in any of the companies listed in this column.
Baidu.com catches Street eye
Internet search firm on deck in busy week
By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
Last Update: 11:06 AM ET Aug. 1, 2005
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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - With Google now trading at more than triple its IPO price, Wall Street is salivating over Baidu.com, the China-based Internet search firm lining up to float shares in the U.S. this week.
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Baidu.com (BIDU: news, chart, profile) plans to offer 3.7 million shares at $19 to $21 each in a bid to raise about $74 million with underwriters Goldman Sachs and CS First Boston.
IPO watchers expect the deal to price on Thursday night for a big stock market open on Friday.
IPO analyst John Fitzgibbon said he expects Baidu.com to trade at least $3 a share over its estimated price range.
"With all the hype this thing's getting, it'll probably get more," he said. "Everybody's talking about it. It's the second coming of Google (GOOG: news, chart, profile) .
With only 3.7 million shares in the IPO and Goldman Sachs (GS: news, chart, profile) leading the offering, the supply will quickly run low, Fitzgibbon said.
Compared to Google, Baidu.com still has much lower revenue, he pointed out.
Baidu.com's IPO may also get an extra boost from the currency market.
After the Chinese government's move to devalue the Chinese currency, Baidu may be seen as worth more than the $800 million market cap its bankers had been considering.
These companies would receive a currency benefit since they report in U.S. dollars. See Net Stocks on Baidu.
Overall, the IPO market continues to show signs of strength with at least a dozen possible deals on deck this week, led by a $450 million IPO from drilling supply firm Dresser-Rand and a $204 million IPO from shipping firm Golden Energy Marine. See full story.
added 510 XNN @ 1.98 em
BWEB (.57) BackWeb Substantially Reduces Q2 Net Loss on a 50% Year-over-Year Increase in Revenue
Monday August 1, 7:01 am ET
Balance Sheet Remains Solid with $9.1 Milliaon in Cash and Investments and No Long-Term Debt
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2005--BackWeb Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq:BWEB - News), a leading provider of offline and mobile web software, today reported financial results for its second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2005.
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BackWeb® reported Q2 2005 revenue rose 50% to $1.72 million compared to $1.15 million in the second quarter of 2004, and compared to revenue of $1.66 million in the first quarter of 2005. Higher license revenues in particular, as well as continued strength in maintenance renewal activity, drove the second quarter revenue increase. In addition to the Company's direct sales efforts, initial license sales were generated from channel relationships entered into this year, including systems integrator relationships launched in February, as well as an integration between BackWeb's Offline Access Server and the PeopleSoft® Enterprise ePerformance application from Oracle, announced in April.
BackWeb achieved continued success in expense management, reporting a substantially reduced net loss of $233,000, or $0.01 per share, for Q2 2005, compared to a net loss of $1.32 million, or $0.03 per share, in Q2 2004, and a net loss of $249,000, or $0.01 per share, in Q1 2005.
For the first six months of 2005, BackWeb's revenue rose 21% to $3.37 million compared to $2.79 million in the first six months of 2004. BackWeb reported a significantly lower net loss of $480,000, or $0.01 per share, for the first six months of 2005, compared to a net loss of $2.69 million, or $0.07 per share, in the first six months of 2004.
BackWeb's balance sheet and cash position continue to remain solid, with no long-term debt and cash and investments totaling approximately $9.1 million as of June 30, 2005.
BackWeb's Vice President Finance, Ken Holmes, commented, "Our Q2 revenue performance reflects initial success from our development of new sales channels. During the quarter, we recorded revenue from four new customers: Associated Merchandising Corporation (Target Stores), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Canada) and Safety-Kleen. Additionally, we made follow-on sales to existing customers such as Centocor Inc., a unit of Johnson & Johnson. We also recognized license revenue that was deferred from prior periods."
BackWeb's CEO, Bill Heye, commented, "Our growing base of customers provides BackWeb both commercial and technological validation for our offerings. We are pleased with the contributions from our recently launched strategic relationships. Our joint selling and servicing efforts with partners helps customers quickly realize complete solutions. Working with partners will be an important part of BackWeb's business model going forward.
"We believe our product and value proposition is being increasingly well-received by enterprise customers who want to make their existing enterprise web applications available for disconnected and synchronized use by their mobile field and management employees. Our product is a practical solution to their mobility needs as it does not require changes to their applications, application development or installation of complex software on end user PCs. We believe enterprises will increasingly recognize BackWeb as a cost-effective part of their plans to drive higher productivity from their mobile workforce. We will build on this positive market reception as we pursue our goal of establishing sustainable profitability."
About BackWeb Technologies:
BackWeb provides a simple and powerful solution for making existing web applications available to your mobile workforce, anytime, anywhere. The Company's software enables mobile professionals, who are either disconnected or occasionally connected (via WiFi and cellular wireless connections), to work with your existing enterprise web applications on their laptop or tablet PC without interruption, regardless of their connection status. BackWeb's patented web and polite synchronization mobile middleware software enables uninterrupted productivity by automatically synchronizing even large amounts of data in the background. The solution does so with minimal network requirements, and without requiring changes to the web application or installation of complex software on users' machines. The solution is commonly deployed to sales forces, field service and operations organizations, consultants and managers. Typical applications include enterprise web CRM and HR systems, document repositories, sales tools, product lifecycle management systems, and rich media content.
BackWeb customers include market leaders such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Eastman Kodak, GE Healthcare, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson, KLA Tencor, Lam Research, and Pfizer. BackWeb also serves customers through partnerships with BEA, Oracle Peoplesoft and SAP. BackWeb is headquartered in San Jose, California, and Rosh Ha 'ayin, Israel. Make every minute of your mobile professional's day productive; visit www.backweb.com or call (877) 222-5932.
© 2005 BackWeb Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. BackWeb is a registered trademark and Offline Access Server is a trademark of BackWeb Technologies Ltd. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Statements in this news release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements of beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding: BackWeb's business model of working with partners, an expected increase in the acceptance of BackWeb's solutions by enterprises and BackWeb's ability to achieve sustainable profitability. Actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company's new and existing sales personnel to effectively transition to the new sales execution model; the uncertainty of market acceptance of offline access products or our ability to license those products to customers; general economic conditions or any downturn in IT industry spending; the ability of the Company to develop innovative technology and deliver solutions that meet customer needs; and the potential emergence of competitive technologies or competitor companies. In addition, please refer to our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, which contain more detailed descriptions of the risk factors facing our business. BackWeb assumes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.
BackWeb Technologies Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
June 30, December 31,
2005 2004
Unaudited
--------------
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and investments $9,093 $10,320
Trade accounts receivable, net 1,218 1,677
Other current assets 178 378
-------------- --------------
Total current assets 10,489 12,375
Long-term investments and other assets 32 26
Property and equipment, net 210 154
-------------- --------------
Total assets $10,731 $12,555
============== ==============
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued
liabilities $1,557 $1,800
Deferred revenue 1,616 2,672
-------------- --------------
Total current liabilities 3,173 4,472
Long-term liabilities 33 145
Total shareholders' equity 7,525 7,938
-------------- --------------
Total liabilities and
shareholders' equity $10,731 $12,555
============== ==============
BackWeb Technologies Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)
Three months ended Six months ended
------------------- -------------------
June 30, June 30, June 30, June 30,
2005 2004 2005 2004
Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited Unaudited
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Revenue:
License $ 859 $ 250 $ 1,627 $ 919
Service 859 897 1,748 1,866
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Total revenue 1,718 1,147 3,375 2,785
Cost of revenue:
License 7 16 14 40
Service 193 221 350 614
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Total cost of revenue 200 237 364 654
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Gross profit 1,518 910 3,011 2,131
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Operating expenses:
Research and development 547 788 1,530 1,759
Sales and marketing 805 1,085 1,140 2,037
General and administrative 446 501 795 1,110
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Total operating expenses 1,798 2,374 3,465 4,906
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Loss from operations (280) (1,464) (454) (2,775)
Finance and other income, net 47 141 26 81
--------- --------- --------- ---------
Net loss $ (233) $(1,323) $ (480) $(2,694)
========= ========= ========= =========
Net loss per share $ (0.01) $ (0.03) $ (0.01) $ (0.07)
========= ========= ========= =========
Shares used in computing net
loss per share 40,993 40,745 40,923 40,669
========= ========= ========= =========
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
BackWeb Technologies Ltd.
Media
Rachel Clark, 408-933-1771
pr@backweb.com
or
Jaffoni & Collins
Investors
David Collins, 212-835-8500
bweb@jcir.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: BackWeb Technologies Ltd.
BIDU, chinese equiv of goog? ipo next week! IPO pace accelerates into August
Going-public deals line up ahead of seasonal lull
By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
Last Update: 12:24 PM ET July 29, 2005
E-mail it / Print / Discuss / Alert / Reprint /
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- In the face of bullish stock-market conditions, a string of August deals is lining up as the market for initial public offerings taps the gas pedal ahead of its traditional summer lull.
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A $450 million IPO from drilling supply firm Dresser-Rand and a $204 million IPO from shipping firm Golden Energy Marine are the richest of at least a dozen IPOs on deck in what's shaping up as the busiest week since last December.
The biggest gainer of the bunch could very well be Baidu.com, an Internet search firm drawing interest as, potentially, the Google of China.
Meanwhile, satellite-radio provider WorldSpace, which recently upped its price range, is on deck to raise $167 million.
Most of the other IPOs weigh in at the sub-$100 million level, coming from a variety of sectors including specialty finance, retail, tech and biotech.
"It's the end of the summer rush," said IPO analyst John Fitzgibbon, who said Baidu.com could post a big gain its opening day.
Currently, a total of 26 IPOs await the market in the next couple of weeks. After that, activity will likely die down at least until the weeks after Labor Day, Fitzgibbon said.
IPOs on deck for next week include:
Dresser-Rand Group (DRC: news, chart, profile) plans to offer 22.5 million shares at $19 to $21 each in a bid to raise $450 million with underwriters Morgan Stanley and Citigroup.
Golden Energy Marine (SHIP: news, chart, profile) aims to offer 8 million shares at $24 to $27 each in a bid to raise with underwriters Jefferies and CS First Boston.
WorldSpace (WRSP: news, chart, profile) plans to offer 8.82 million shares at $18 to $20 each in a bid to raise about $168 million with underwriter UBS Investment Bank.
Baidu.com (BIDU: news, chart, profile) plans to offer 3.7 million shares at $19 to $21 each in a bid to raise about $74 million with underwriters Goldman Sachs and CS First Boston.
Eschelon Telecom (ESCH: news, chart, profile) , a provider of voice and data services in several U.S. markets, plans to offer 4.69 million shares at $15 to $17 each in a bid to raise about $75 million with underwriters Lehman Brothers and Jefferies & Co.
Advanced Analogic Technologies (AATI: news, chart, profile) , a supplier of power-management semiconductors for mobile consumer electronics, plans to offer 10.6 million shares at $8.50 to $9.50 each in a bid to raise $95 million with underwriters Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.
Baby Universe (BUN: news, chart, profile) , a retailer of baby gear, plans to offer 2 million shares at $8 to $10 each in a bid to raise $18 million with underwriters Gunn Allen and Wedbush Morgan in one of the week's smaller IPOs.
Other IPOs include a $52 million deal from AtriCure (ATRC: news, chart, profile) , a $71 million deal from Bronco Drilling (BRNC: news, chart, profile) , a $33 million offering from Electro-Optical Sciences (MELA: news, chart, profile) , and a $50 million deal from Hoku Scientific (HOKU: news, chart, profile) .
Also on deck are a $48 million IPO from Unica (UNCA: news, chart, profile) , a $96 million IPO from The Republic Group (RUTX: news, chart, profile) and a $65 million IPO from MWI Veterinary Supply (MWIV: news, chart, profile) .
*DJ Metro One Telecom Unit In Pact With Wells Fargo Bk Unit
NXG(1.14)*DJ TD Ups Northgate Minerals Tgt To US$2.25 From US$2>NXG
07/29/2005
Dow Jones News Services
(Copyright © 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
07-29-05 0906ET
Copyright (c) 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
yep, thanks for replying split! em
haircut coming? Market Pulse: Metro One 2nd-period loss widened, revenue fell 54%
Friday July 29, 6:49 am ET
By Robert Daniel
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Metro One Telecommunications Inc., the Portland, Ore., provider of directory assistance and other telecom services, reported a wider second-quarter loss on 54% lower revenue. The loss reached $9.2 million, or 37 cents a share, from $5.5 million, or 22 cents, in the year-earlier quarter. The latest loss reflects a charge of 5 cents a share for cost cuts. Revenue fell to $20.1 million from $43.5 million because of reduced call volume -- reflecting the end of a contract with AT&T Wireless -- and a lower average price per call. Metro One's shares fell 2 cents to 86 cents on Thursday.
INFO earnings tomorrow fyi em
in 4535 XNN @ 1.95 ..
Found it through Gary @ the microcap kitchen board
http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=21551557
recent insider buy @ 2.05
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=XNN
Rainmaker Expands Service Offering to Sybase
Thursday July 28, 8:00 am ET
Rainmaker Expands Its Relationship With Sybase to Include Strategic Lead Generation
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rainmaker Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMKR - News), a leading outsource provider of integrated sales and marketing services, today announced the expansion of its relationship with Sybase to include strategic lead generation services. Sybase is the largest global enterprise software company exclusively focused on managing and mobilizing information from the data center to the point of action. Sybase provides open, cross-platform solutions that securely deliver information anytime, anywhere, enabling customers to create an information edge.
ADVERTISEMENT
This program is an extension of the successful programs that have been in place with Sybase since 1999, including Sybase license marketing and telesales programs and Sybase software Update Subscription Plan (USP) programs. Working primarily within the small and medium-size businesses segment, Rainmaker supports new-release launches and USP sales for Sybase application development tools PowerBuilder®, DataWindow.NET®, PocketBuilder® and EAServer®. Rainmaker also markets PowerDesigner®, an enterprise-modeling tool.
This program will represent Rainmaker's first lead generation engagement with Sybase and will encompass leveraging Rainmaker's Prospect Intelligence(TM) database of more than two million technology specifiers and executive decision makers, with an emphasis on senior level IT professionals. The initial program will focus on high transactional companies such as financial services companies.
"This program is a logical extension of our successful relationship with Rainmaker," said Jeff Machle, Senior Manager, Sybase. "We are looking forward to taking advantage of the company's outstanding lead generation capability to further serve our customer base."
"Rainmaker is excited about managing lead generation programs for Sybase," said Michael Silton, CEO, Rainmaker Systems. "We now have the opportunity to showcase our entire suite of service capabilities to Sybase and further develop our longstanding positive relationship."
About Rainmaker Systems
Rainmaker Systems is a leading outsource provider of sales and marketing services for companies that want to drive more sales. Rainmaker offers a closed-loop sales process and a comprehensive suite of services that ensures companies are both filling their sales pipelines with quality leads and closing them efficiently and cost effectively. Core services include telesales, integrated direct marketing and hosted e-commerce. Additional offerings include a proprietary database, customer database enhancement services, CRM technology integration and order management.
Rainmaker helps approximately 50 companies ranging from Fortune 500 to dynamic technology start-ups, grow their revenues and increase customer loyalty by providing lead generation and contract renewal sales solutions.
For more information, visit www.rmkr.com and www.sunsetdirect.com
NOTE: Rainmaker Systems, the Rainmaker logo, Sunset Direct and Contract Renewals Plus are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other service marks or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Sybase:
Sybase is the largest global enterprise software company exclusively focused on managing and mobilizing information from the data center to the point of action. Sybase provides open, cross-platform solutions that securely deliver information anytime, anywhere, enabling customers to create an information edge. The world's most critical data in commerce, communications, finance, government and healthcare runs on Sybase. For more information, visit the Sybase Web site: http://www.sybase.com .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Rainmaker Systems
Panasonic Chooses Loudeye to Power End-to-End Music Download Service
Thursday July 28, 3:05 am ET
Service Combines Next Generation Panasonic Music Devices with Customized Branded Music Download Service Powered by Loudeye
LONDON, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Loudeye Corp. (Nasdaq: LOUD - News), a worldwide leader in business-to-business digital media solutions, today announced it was chosen by Panasonic to create an end-to-end consumer digital music download service under the Panasonic brand.
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The new service, announced together with the launch of Panasonic's new MP3 players SVMP120 and SVMP110, means U.K. consumers will have one site where they can buy hardware along with high quality legal digital music.
The on-line Panasonic music store www.panasonicmusicstream.com powered by Loudeye combined with the next generation of Panasonic portable devices will create a complete music experience for consumers. To celebrate the launch of the site, Panasonic will offer several promotional opportunities through the site at www.panasonicmusicstream.com.
John Dixon, General Manager Brand Communication at Panasonic, said of the deal, "This is a tremendous new development we are offering our customers, and we were determined to offer them the very best service available. Loudeye was the natural choice for this collaboration and brought the expertise needed to launch a compelling consumer offer under our brand that adds value to the experience we are creating with our next generation of portable media devices."
Philip Shepherd, Loudeye Head of Strategic Partnerships for EMEA, said, "This is a very exciting deal for us and breaks new ground for our partners, as one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world deploys a customized music store on our platform. This service will offer the first complete end-to-end service powered by Loudeye enabling consumers to buy both hardware and legitimate downloads from the same site."
Panasonic -- a world leading manufacturer of consumer electronics
Panasonic is a brand name of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Founded in 1918, in Osaka, Japan, Matsushita has grown to be not only one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and business electronics but also one of the world's largest companies. Panasonic's vision is driven by the needs and aspirations of its millions of consumers and business customers around the world who use Panasonic products every day. As a result, the name Panasonic is synonymous with innovation, quality, performance and ease of use.
Panasonic UK was established in 1972, with headquarters located in Bracknell, Berkshire which is supported by a national Logistics Centre in Northampton. The company currently employs more than 500 people in the UK. For further information, visit www.panasonic.co.uk
About Loudeye Corp.
Loudeye is a worldwide leader in business-to-business digital media solutions and the outsourcing provider of choice for companies looking to maximize the return on their digital media investment. Loudeye combines innovative products and services with the world's largest digital music archive, a broad catalog of licensed digital music and the industry's leading digital media infrastructure enabling partners to rapidly and cost effectively launch complete, customized digital media stores and services. For more information, visit www.loudeye.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements in this release are based on current estimates and actual results may differ materially due to risks, including the possibility of adverse changes in the market for distribution of digital audio and video that Loudeye serves; adverse or uncertain legal developments with respect to copyrights surrounding the creation and distribution of digital content; pricing pressures and other activities by competitors; the failure of Loudeye's hosting infrastructure; the complexity of Loudeye's services and delivery networks; any problems or failures in the structure, complexities or redundancies of Loudeye's network infrastructure; failures in third party telecommunication and network providers to provide required transmission capacity; lack of market acceptance for Loudeye's products and services; the possible delay in the adoption of digital media or related applications on the web in general; and other risks set forth in Loudeye's most recent Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and other SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at www.sec.gov. These are among the primary risks we foresee at the present time. Loudeye assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Loudeye Corp.
silly, no on still owning HOM.. wish i did lol em
out 10k DYX .21-.22 from .195 em
out 200 TBWC 5.14 from 5.325.. didn't react like i thought em
house cleaning, out 5k UTYW .21 from .23 em
TBWC .10 vs .02 ->TB Wood's Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2005
Tuesday July 26, 8:30 pm ET
CHAMBERSBURG, PA--(MARKET WIRE)--Jul 26, 2005 -- TB Wood's Corporation (NasdaqNM:TBWC - News) announced today that net income for the second quarter ended July 1, 2005 was $0.5 million, or $0.10 per share compared to $0.1 million, or $0.02 per share, for the second quarter 2004. Revenues for the second quarter 2005 were $27.8 million, a 9% increase from $25.5 million for the prior year's second quarter.
For the six months ended July 1, 2005, net income was $0.9 million, or $0.17 per share compared to $0.2 million, or $0.04 per share, for the first half of 2004. Year-to-date revenues through the end of the second quarter 2005 were $55.6 million, an 8% increase from $51.5 million for the prior year.
William T. Fejes, President and CEO, said, "With the second quarter, we continue to show progress in improving the Company's financial performance. Our second quarter earnings increased 8 cents per share or 500% year-over-year on a 9% revenue increase. Sequentially our quarterly net income was up 3 cents per share or 40% on a slight increase in quarterly sales. We continue to accelerate our lean initiatives and invest in appropriate capital expenditures to support the improvement of our financial results."
The Company also announced that it was in discussions with the SEC in connection with a comment letter the Company received during the second quarter of 2005 with respect to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 regarding its accounting treatment in the fourth quarter of 2004 of its post-employment healthcare benefits plan. In the fourth quarter of 2004, the Company recognized a non-recurring, non-cash pre-tax gain of $9.26 million in its income statement for the effective termination of its post-employment healthcare benefits plan. Both the Company and its auditor, Grant Thornton LLP, believe this is the appropriate accounting treatment of this event. The Company is currently evaluating the SEC's position, which if adopted, could result in an adjustment to defer a portion of the non-recurring, non-cash pre-tax gain in the fourth quarter of 2004 into subsequent periods.
In addition, the Company announced that Company Director Craig R. Stapleton has been confirmed as the US Ambassador to France. As a result, Mr. Stapleton has resigned from the Company's Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has initiated a search to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Stapleton.
TB Wood's (www.tbwoods.com) is an established designer, manufacturer and marketer of electronic and mechanical industrial power transmission products, which are sold to North American and international manufacturers and users of industrial equipment. Headquartered in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the Company operates production facilities in the United States, Mexico, Germany, Italy and India.
This press release contains statements that are forward looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements include or imply projections of future performance that are based upon the Company's expectations and assumptions. These expectations and assumptions, as well as the Company's future performance, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results are discussed in various Company documents filed with the SEC.
TB Wood's Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Second quarter ended Six months ended
July 1, July 2, July 1, July 2,
2005 2004 2005 2004
------- ------- ------- -------
Net Sales $27,844 $25,459 $55,555 $51,540
Cost of Goods Sold 19,568 17,511 39,126 36,078
------- ------- ------- -------
Gross profit 8,276 7,948 16,429 15,462
Selling, general and
administrative expense 6,874 7,300 13,734 14,090
------- ------- ------- -------
Operating income 1,402 648 2,695 1,372
Interest expense and
other finance charges 524 378 1,140 747
------- ------- ------- -------
Income before provision
for income taxes 878 270 1,555 625
Provision for income taxes 381 175 686 396
------- ------- ------- -------
Net income $ 497 $ 95 $ 869 $ 229
======= ======= ======= =======
Per share amounts -
Basic and Diluted:
Basic net income per
common share $ 0.10 $ 0.02 $ 0.17 $ 0.04
======= ======= ======= =======
Diluted net income per
common share $ 0.10 $ 0.02 $ 0.17 $ 0.04
======= ======= ======= =======
Basic weighted average
shares of common stock
and equivalents
outstanding 5,183 5,161 5,181 5,161
======= ======= ======= =======
Diluted weighted average
shares of common stock
and equivalents
outstanding 5,183 5,165 5,181 5,165
======= ======= ======= =======
Contact:
Contact:
Joseph C. Horvath
Chief Financial Officer
(717) 264-7161, Extension 4465
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: TB Wood's Corporation
hmm.. just soldoff.. maybe not as good as i thought they were em
in 200 TBWC @ 5.325 avg on earnings em
out AFOP @ 1 from .99ish, earnings were mediocre em
AFOP Reports 2nd Quarter 2005 Results; Revenues Up 59% Year-Over-Year
Business Wire - July 26, 2005 16:05
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jul 26, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFOP), an innovative supplier of fiber optic components, subsystems and integrated modules for the optical network equipment market, today reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005.
Revenues for the second quarter of 2005 totaled $5,178,000, which represents a 3% increase over revenues of $5,006,000 reported in the previous quarter, and an increase of 59% over revenues of $3,252,000 reported in the second quarter of 2004. The Company recorded a net loss for the second quarter of 2005 of $720,000, or $0.02 per share based on 39.3 million shares outstanding. This compares to a net loss for the first quarter of 2005 of $812,000, or $0.02 per share based on 39.0 million shares outstanding, and a net loss for the second quarter of 2004 of $2,557,000, or $0.07 per share based on 38.7 million shares outstanding.
There were no deferred stock compensation charges for either the quarter ended June 30, 2005 or the quarter ended March 31, 2005. Included in the net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2004 are deferred stock compensation charges of $87,000.
Peter Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The second quarter of 2005 marked our 5th consecutive quarter of revenue growth and improved financial results. Second quarter 2005 revenue of $5.2 million grew by 59% from the year ago quarter, and by 3% sequentially. While revenues increased almost 60% from a year ago, our cost of revenues increased at approximately half of that rate, leading to a greatly improved gross profit margin of 21.3% in Q2 2005, versus 2.1% in Q2 2004. Also contributing to our quarterly results was a further reduction in operating expenses. Total second quarter operating expenses fell by 22% from a year ago, resulting in a net loss of $0.02 per share, which is an improvement of 72% from a year ago.
"We are pleased with our performance this quarter as our results reflect an improved sales environment for our products and our careful control of expenses. As we see evidence of major telecommunication providers committing to large FTTX deployments, we are encouraged by our future prospects. We believe our order trends and customer activity point to modest revenue growth and continuing bottom line improvement in the quarters ahead," concluded Mr. Chang.
Conference Call
Management will host a conference call at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on July 26, 2005 to discuss AFOP's second quarter 2005 financial results. To participate in AFOP's conference call, please call (800) 374-0514 at least ten minutes prior to the call in order for the operator to connect you. The confirmation number for the call is 7523298. AFOP will also provide a live webcast of its second quarter 2005 conference call at AFOP's website www.afop.com. The dial in for the instant replay is (800) 642-1687; confirmation number 7523298.
About AFOP
Founded in 1995, Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of high performance fiber optic components and integrated modules. AFOP's products are used by leading and emerging communications equipment manufacturers to deliver optical networking systems to the long-haul, enterprise, metropolitan and last mile access segments of the communications network. AFOP offers a broad product line of passive optical components including interconnect systems, couplers and splitters, thin film DWDM components and modules, fixed and variable optical attenuators, and depolarizers. AFOP is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with manufacturing and product development capabilities in the United States, Taiwan and China. AFOP's website is located at http://www.afop.com.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements as to our future prospects, our order trends and customer activity, and expected revenue growth and bottom-line improvement, are forward looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to general economic conditions and trends, the impact of competitive products and pricing, timely introduction of new technologies, timely design acceptance by our customers, the acceptance of new products and technologies by our customers, customer demand, the timing of customer orders, loss of key customers, ability to ramp new products into volume production, industry-wide shifts in supply and demand for optical components and modules, industry overcapacity, failure of cost control initiatives, financial stability in foreign markets, and other risks detailed from time to time in SEC reports, including AFOP's most recent Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. AFOP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
ALLIANCE FIBER OPTIC PRODUCTS, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
(Unaudited)
Jun. 30 Dec. 31,
2005 2004
--------- ---------
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and short-term investments $29,599 $31,456
Accounts receivable 2,805 2,322
Inventories 3,404 3,998
Other current assets 619 653
--------- ---------
Total current assets 36,427 38,429
Property and equipment, net 5,197 5,603
Other assets 145 121
--------- ---------
Total assets $41,769 $44,153
========= =========
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 1,685 $ 2,205
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 2,110 2,480
--------- ---------
Total current liabilities 3,795 4,685
Long-term liabilities 931 826
--------- ---------
Total liabilities 4,726 5,511
Stockholders' equity 37,043 38,642
--------- ---------
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $41,769 $44,153
========= =========
ALLIANCE FIBER OPTIC PRODUCTS, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended Six Months Ended
--------------------------- -----------------
Jun. 30 Mar. 31, Jun. 30 Jun. 30 Jun. 30
2005 2005 2004 2005 2004
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Revenues $5,178 $5,006 $ 3,252 $10,184 $ 6,241
Cost of revenues 4,077 4,075 3,185 8,152 6,299
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Gross profit/(loss) 1,101 931 67 2,032 (58)
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Operating expenses:
Research and
development 882 952 1,472 1,834 3,003
Sales and marketing 560 574 525 1,134 1,015
General and
administrative 713 750 770 1,463 1,671
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Total operating
expenses 2,155 2,276 2,767 4,431 5,689
Loss from operations (1,054) (1,345) (2,700) (2,399) (5,747)
Interest and other
income, net 334 533 143 867 384
-------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Net loss $ (720) $ (812) $(2,557) $(1,532) $(5,363)
======== ======== ======== ======== ========
Net loss per share --
basic and diluted $(0.02) $(0.02) $ (0.07) $ (0.04) $ (0.14)
Weighted average shares
outstanding 39,259 39,017 38,702 39,138 38,251
SOURCE: Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc.
Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc.
Anita Ho, 408-736-6900 ext. 168
Copyright Business Wire 2005 ********************************************************************** As of Friday, 07-22-2005 23:59, the latest Comtex SmarTrend(SM) Alert, an automated pattern recognition system, indicated an UPTREND on 06-24-2005 for AFOP @ $1.00. (C) 2005 Comtex News Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
*DJ Alliance Fiber Optic 2Q Losses 2c/Shr Vs 7c >AFOP
desc, new 52wh and earnings coming soon em
jazzy, no i don't.. but if you look at recent 10Q's and compare them to last year.... they have been improving recently em
thanks jazzy, DYX some decent action today as well em
thanks downtime! em
ot: how to post charts.. i seem to have forgotten.. i tried "[" followed by "chart" followed by "]" .. then the url... ending w/ "[/" followed by "chart" followed by "]"
but no go? what am i doing wrong?
TIA!
AFOP, earnings after bell http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.web?c=afop,uu[w,a]daclyyay[db][pb50!b200][vc60][iUg!La12,26,9]...
-rollin
out 8200 DYX .22 from .19 (10k remaining) em
just kidding, i'm up 70% since i bailed on dor, she's only up 30% from where i sold lol
sh*t!! i've held dor for a year.. just sold and now this
7:39AM DOR Biopharma signs joint development agreement with Dow Chemical re botulinum toxin (DOR) 0.33 :Co enters into a joint development agreement with a business unit of Dow Chemical (DOW) to advance the development of DOR's proprietary oral botulinum vaccine, BT-VACC. BT-VACC is designed to protect against exposure to botulinum toxin, which is one of five Category A bioterrorism threats identified by the US govt.
OT: lentiman, sorry about afop post.. it was as an earnings play that i think may be profitable- in the future i'll refrain from posting stocks until they 'are' profitable
i guess i should have read the ibox.. my bad
-rollin'
in 5k AFOP @ .98-1 for tomorrows earnings em
wow.. awesome.. i always wondered how people played the subs.. Saw alot of people talking about HISC from .0015 to .10 !! was like.. damn.. wish i had a couple million shares of that lol
g/l!
lol, i'm just hoping for a run soon when i'll flip out.. may or may not keep 5k long-term