DEADLINE ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That a Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

DEADLINE ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That a Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on behalf of investors that purchased Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE: COG) securities between October 23, 2015 and June 12, 2020 (the “Class Period”). Investors have until January 12, 2021 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Click here to participate in the action.

Cabot was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Cabot is an independent oil and gas company that explores for, exploits, develops, produces, and markets oil and gas properties in the U.S.

Cabot primarily focuses its oil and gas efforts on the Marcellus Shale located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Cabot’s gas procuring activities in Pennsylvania have been the subject of controversy for over a decade, with the Company repeatedly denying any responsibility for environmental damage observed in the state.

On July 26, 2019, Cabot filed a quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the SEC, reporting the Company’s financial and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 (the “2Q19 10-Q”). The 2Q19 10-Q disclosed that the Company had received two proposed Consent Order and Agreements (“CO&As”) related to two Notices of Violation (“NOVs”) it had received from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“PaDEP”) back in June and November, 2017, respectively, for failure to prevent the migration of gas into fresh groundwater sources in the area surrounding Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

Following the release of the 2Q19 10-Q, Cabot’s stock price fell $2.63 per share, or 12.07%, to close at $19.16 per share on July 26, 2019.

Then, on June 15, 2020, during pre-market hours, following a grand jury investigation, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office charged Cabot with fifteen criminal counts arising from its failure to fix faulty gas wells, thereby polluting Pennsylvania’s water supplies through stray gas migration.

On this news, Cabot’s stock price fell $0.67 per share, or 3.34%, to close at $19.40 per share on June 15, 2020.

The complaint, filed on August 13, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Cabot had inadequate environmental controls and procedures and/or failed to properly mitigate known issues related to those controls and procedures; (ii) as a result, Cabot, among other issues, failed to fix faulty gas wells, thereby polluting Pennsylvania’s water supplies through stray gas migration; (iii) the foregoing was foreseeably likely to subject Cabot to increased governmental scrutiny and enforcement, as well as increased reputational and financial harm; (iv) Cabot continually downplayed its potential civil and/or criminal liabilities with respect to such environmental matters; and (v) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

If you purchased Cabot Oil & Gas securities during the Class Period, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker, Melissa Fortunato, or Marion Passmore by email at [email protected], telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.

Brandon Walker, Esq.

Melissa Fortunato, Esq.

Marion Passmore, Esq.

(212) 355-4648

[email protected]

www.bespc.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America New York

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Legal Professional Services

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CME Group to Launch Six New Japanese Energy Futures Contracts on February 8

PR Newswire

CHICAGO and TOKYO, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced four new Japanese electricity futures contracts and two new LNG futures contracts will be available for trading on February 8, 2021, pending regulatory review.

The four new electricity futures contracts expand CME Group’s already robust suite of global power futures and options and fill a gap in the Japanese electricity futures market, providing traders a robust platform for block-trade submission to CME Clearing.  The two new LNG contracts provide Japanese power producers a more efficient tool to manage their price risk.

“The Japanese wholesale electricity market is now fully liberalized with hundreds of retail firms and producers, creating an opportunity for a more robust derivatives market alongside it. We are pleased to launch these new futures contracts that offer participants an efficient risk management tool,” said Izumi Kazuhara, CME Group Head of Japan. “At the same time, the launch of the two new yen-denominated LNG contracts will be relevant for market participants who want to trade the spread between LNG and electricity futures.”

The new electricity contracts include: Japanese power (Day-Ahead) Tokyo base-load futures, Japanese power (Day-Ahead) Tokyo peak-load futures, Japanese power (Day-Ahead) Kansai base-load futures, and Japanese power (Day-Ahead) Kansai peak-load futures.  They are financially-settled in Japanese yen using the arithmetic average of the 30-minute Spot Market (Day-Ahead) prices published by the Japan Wholesale Power Exchange (JEPX) for the relevant region (Tokyo or Kansai) based on base/peak loads over the period defined by the contract. 

The new LNG contracts will be denominated in Japanese yen and include the Japan/Korea Market (Platts) futures and the Japan Crude Cocktail (Detailed) futures. The former is a financially-settled contract based on the DES Japan/Korea daily LNG marker (JKM) by Platts, while the latter is a financially settled contract based on the average price of nine custom-cleared crude oils reported by the Japan Ministry of Finance and Customs.

CME Group’s Japanese electricity and LNG futures contracts will be available on CME Globex, for submission for clearing through CME ClearPort, and will be listed with and subject to the rules and regulations of NYMEX. For more information on the former, please visit https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/energy/global-power-futures.html and for more information on the latter, please visit https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/energy/global-natural-gas-futures.html.

As the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest ratesequity indexesforeign exchangeenergyagricultural products and metals.  The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex® platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform.  In addition, it operates one of the world’s leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.  With a range of pre- and post-trade products and services underpinning the entire lifecycle of a trade, CME Group also offers optimization and reconciliation services through TriOptima, and trade processing services through Traiana.

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and, E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec, EBS, TriOptima, and Traiana are trademarks of BrokerTec Europe LTD, EBS Group LTD, TriOptima AB, and Traiana, Inc., respectively. Dow Jones, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and S&P are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and S&P/Dow Jones Indices LLC, as the case may be, and have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

CME-G

 

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SOURCE CME Group

Addex Announces Pricing of $10.0 Million Global Offering

Geneva, Switzerland, January 7, 2021 Addex Therapeutics Ltd (SIX: ADXN and Nasdaq: ADXN), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company pioneering allosteric modulation-based drug discovery and development, announced today the pricing of an underwritten global offering of 6,000,000 registered shares (the New Shares) (including shares in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs) at a public offering price of approximately CHF1.47 per share or $10.00 per ADS. Each ADS represents the right to receive six shares of Addex.  The aggregate gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be $10.0 million, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by Addex. The offering is expected to close on or about January 11, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.

In connection with the offering, Addex has granted the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to additional 900,000 shares (or ADSs) at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The New Shares will be issued from existing authorized share capital of Addex under exclusion of the existing shareholders’ pre-emptive rights.

The New Shares, if issued, are expected to be listed and admitted to trading on SIX Swiss Exchange. The New Shares will rank pari passu with Addex’s existing shares.

The shares, including those to be settled in the form of ADSs, are being offered and sold pursuant to the Company’s previously filed registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-251322), as amended, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and declared effective by the SEC on January 6, 2021. The offering is being made by means of a prospectus. When available, an electronic copy of the final prospectus relating to, and describing the terms of, the offering may be obtained by contacting H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC at 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (646) 975-6996 or e-mail at [email protected] or on the SEC’s website at SEC.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. There is no intention or permission to publicly offer, solicit, sell or advertise, directly or indirectly, any securities of Addex Therapeutics Ltd in or into Switzerland within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”). Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to these securities, such as the shares, constitutes or will constitute a prospectus pursuant to the FinSA, and neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares constitutes a prospectus pursuant to the FinSA, and neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

About Addex Therapeutics:


Addex Therapeutics
is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of an emerging class of novel orally available small molecule drugs known as allosteric modulators for neurological disorders. Allosteric modulators offer several potential advantages over conventional non-allosteric molecules and may offer an improved therapeutic approach to conventional “orthosteric” small molecule or biological drugs. Addex’s allosteric modulator drug discovery platform targets receptors and other proteins that are recognized as essential for therapeutic intervention. Addex is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market and is trading under the ticker symbol “ADXN”.

Press Contacts:

Tim Dyer
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: +41 22 884 15 55
Email: [email protected]
Mike Sinclair
Partner, Halsin Partners
+44 (0)20 7318 2955
[email protected]

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including in respect of the anticipated closing of the offering described above. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release, such as the expected closing date, are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, uncertainties related to market conditions and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the global offering. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Addex Therapeutics’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on April 27, 2020, the preliminary prospectus related to the global offering and other filings that Addex Therapeutics may make with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Addex Therapeutics’ views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Addex Therapeutics explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.



Agree Realty Announces Pricing of Common Stock Offering

PR Newswire

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE: ADC) (the “Company”) today announced that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 3,000,000 shares of its common stock for expected gross proceeds of approximately $195 million, before deducting estimated offering expenses. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about January 11, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In connection with the offering, the Company expects to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of common stock.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to reduce amounts outstanding under its revolving credit facility, to fund property acquisitions and development activity, for working capital and for general corporate purposes. 

Citigroup is acting as the sole underwriter for the offering.

Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting: Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146).

The shares of common stock are being offered by the Company pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238729) and related prospectus which was filed by the Company on May 27, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and was automatically effective upon filing, and was amended by post-effective amendment no. 1 filed with the SEC on August 12, 2020. The offering of the securities will be made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered will be filed with the SEC. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About Agree Realty Corporation

Agree Realty Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust primarily engaged in the acquisition and development of properties net leased to industry leading retail tenants.  As of December 31, 2020, the Company owned and operated a portfolio of 1,129 properties, located in 46 states and containing approximately 22.7 million square feet of gross leasable area.  The Company’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ADC”. For additional information, please visit www.agreerealty.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements about the terms and size of the offering, the intended use of proceeds from the offering, if any, that represent the Company’s expectations and projections for the future. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Although these forward-looking statements are based on good faith beliefs, reasonable assumptions and the Company’s best judgment reflecting current information, you should not rely on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company’s control and which could materially affect the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance or future achievements or events. Currently, one of the most significant factors, however, is the potential adverse effect of the current pandemic of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, on the financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and performance of the Company and its tenants, the real estate market and the global economy and financial markets. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company and its tenants will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. Moreover, investors are cautioned to interpret many of the risks identified in the risk factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other SEC filings, as well as the risks set forth below, as being heightened as a result of the ongoing and numerous adverse impacts of COVID-19. Additional important factors, among others, that may cause the Company’s actual results to vary include the general deterioration in national economic conditions, weakening of real estate markets, decreases in the availability of credit, increases in interest rates, adverse changes in the retail industry, the Company’s continuing ability to qualify as a REIT and other factors discussed in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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SOURCE Agree Realty Corporation

Old Republic Special Dividend Letter To The Shareholders

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On December 18, 2020, the Board of Directors of Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) declared a special, one-time cash dividend of $1.00 per share payable on January 15, 2021 to shareholders of record on January 5, 2021.  The attached letter to shareholders provides further background and context to the Board’s evaluation relative to this special dividend.  The letter has also been posted to the ORI website.

About Old Republic

Chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is one of the nation’s 50 largest shareholder-owned insurance businesses. It is a member of the Fortune 500 listing of America’s largest companies. The Company is organized as an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries actively market, underwrite, and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages mostly in the general and title insurance fields. A long-term interest in mortgage guaranty and consumer credit indemnity coverages has devolved to a run-off operating mode in recent years. Old Republic’s general insurance business ranks among the nation’s 50 largest, while its title insurance operations are the third largest in its industry.

The nature of Old Republic’s business requires that it be managed for the long run, and its cash dividend policy reflects this long-term orientation. Here’s a summary of recent years’ total book and market returns, which includes the addition and reinvestment of cash dividend payments, in comparison with the financial performance of three selected indices similarly developed.

 

ORI

Selected Indices’ Compounded

Annual

Annual

Total Annual Returns

Book Value 

Market Value

Nominal  

S & P

Compounded

Compounded

Gross 

S & P

 P&C

Total

Total

Domestic  

500

Insurance

Return

Return

Product  

Index

Index

Ten Years 2000 – 2009

9.5%

7.4%

4.1%

-1.0%

4.7%

Ten Years 2010 – 2019

7.7%

14.8%

4.0%

13.6%

14.5%

Twenty Years 2000 – 2019

8.6%

11.0%

4.1%

6.1%

9.5%

 

According to the most recent edition of Mergent’s Dividend Achievers, Old Republic is listed in 58th place among just 113 qualifying publicly held companies, out of thousands considered, that have posted at least 25 consecutive years of annual dividend growth.


For Old Republic’s latest news releases and other corporate documents:


Please visit us at

www.oldrepublic.com


Alternatively, please write or call:  Investor Relations


Old Republic International Corporation


307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601


 (312) 346-8100

January 6, 2021

Dear Shareholders:

On January 15, 2021, all shareholders of record on January 5 will receive a one-time special cash dividend of $1.00 per share.  As this year begins, it seems a good time to tell you more about why we decided to return this significant amount of capital to investors.

Why the Board of Directors Declared this Special Dividend

Near the end of each year, Directors evaluate Old Republic’s capital position in relation to the business’s long-term strategy.

Nearly all of ORI’s capital is allocated and managed through 26 regulated insurance companies. Each focuses on offering many insurance and related products to core industries in the North American economy. State insurance regulations define the types of coverages our separately chartered companies may underwrite. We observe these regulatory distinctions and accounting conventions in our financial reports.

However, we manage the business as a whole. This means we consider two key factors. First: each subsidiary‘s underwriting disciplines and the balance sheet leverage that reflects its risk profile. Second: the risk management aspects of the entire enterprise. Here is some useful background and tables that describe how we do this.

We Have Sound Capital Allocation


Table A
reflects the past several years’ capital allocation trends for each of the regulatory groupings of insurance underwriting subsidiaries.

The Board and Senior Management use a number of Enterprise Risk Management tools and controls to evaluate our operations. These consider such important matters as maintaining high financial ratings, plus the financial and business expectations of each subsidiary’s customer base. As a result, we determined ORI has enough appropriately allocated capital in all regards, including a reasonable cushion.

In addition, several years of favorable operating results for most subsidiaries enabled them to safely raise their dividend payments to the ORI holding company. The funds have been used principally to 1) pay regular cash dividends to our shareholders, and 2) add equity capital to several startups or long-operating subsidiaries in periodic need of capital support.

These dividend receipts exceeded those outlays and generated excess funds. These favorable results and the current evaluation of capital levels enabled Directors to declare the additional special dividend.

It’s worth noting the table shows a continuing commitment of capital to a previously active operation-the RMIC mortgage guaranty group of companies. This was placed in run-off mode in 2012, and the business remains highly capitalized, at $435 million. As we’ve reported in the past, our objective is to manage RMIC in an economically efficient and rewarding manner by: 1) selling the business to a cash buyer interested in its re-activation, or 2) holding it for a few years until nearly all of the insurance risk in force dissipates. We’re confident that either scenario will allow us to recoup cash equal to any accumulated capital balance, plus more for a variety of meaningful intangible values. With necessary regulatory approvals, we expect to gradually extract and repurpose the capital it generates.

We Specialize in Major Industries


Table B
shows an average 91% of consolidated premium and fee revenue comes from three industry groupings. These account for nearly 55% of the nation’s GDP. Most major subsidiaries in the regulatory reporting segments contribute to the largest of those three industry groups (see Tables C and D).

Concentrating on industries we know well is at the core of our long-term strategy. Our primary goal is to achieve underwriting profitability over industry and economic cycles. Experience has shown that a greater possibility of long-term success rests on the following approaches to enterprise-wide, insurance risk management:

  • Select insurance coverages that are more counter-cyclical in product demand and market-pricing sensitivity
  • Select industries that tend to be counter-cyclical to achieve greater stability of revenue and profit
  • Combine industry specialization with expertise in selecting and pricing insurance coverages in which we have strong competencies

Our Approach to Underwriting Balances Profitability Over Cycles


Table C
shows the positive and steadying impact these underwriting approaches have on balancing our profitability over cycles. Together with the underlying strength of ORI’s balance sheet, our focused underwriting helped us weather many economic downturns, including the Great Recession. During those years and their aftermath (2008 to 2012), our balance sheet stood strong. This shows the necessity of a diversified book of business that advances ORI’s long-term objectives in the best interests of our shareholders and other stakeholders.


Table D
also shows the complementary and usually positive effects that the general economy and specific markets’ cyclical differences can have on overall underwriting profitability (see the first three columns in this table). ORI’s consolidated management of invested assets, corporate taxation, and capital resources is highly sensitive and responsive to those outcomes. They are primarily geared to individual underwriting subsidiaries’ needs and reliance on capital stability and growth to achieve their objectives in the interest of the entire enterprise.

We maintain a certain amount of permanent or debt capital for acquiring or starting new businesses. Our deep and continually updated knowledge of the insurance landscape gives us an edge in this regard. Lately, we have not seen any opportunities to purchase businesses that fit our competencies and culture. This means we’re largely focused on organic growth. We believe there are very good opportunities to: 1) retain our currently balanced, diversified book of underwriting exposures, 2) gain market share, and 3) participate in the growth of the industries we serve.

We Manage Our Business for the Long Run

In our many years’ stewardship, we have steadfastly managed our business for the long run. This recognizes its nature as a long-term undertaking that sustains resources essential to our business.  As a publicly traded company, however, we are keenly aware of the common and varying interests of our investors: individuals and large to small fiduciary institutions.

Throughout the years we have believed—and shown—that a meaningful measure of Old Republic’s stock performance is its total market return over five- to 10- year periods. This measure includes price appreciation, and intangible values that free markets may attribute at any point. We also measure our financial performance by calculating the total book return based on the actual, measurable results we can effect and achieve as business managers. The total book return calculation combines all cash dividends with the change in shareholders’ equity.


Table E
shows the 52 years since ORI became a publicly traded company. You can see the total market returns to shareholders exceeded those of generally accepted baseline indices most of the time. The returns have greatly benefitted all shareholders.  These include ORI’s intellectual capital providers who—together and through the Company’s Employees Savings and Stock Ownership Plan and other benefit plans, and the direct holdings of our senior officers and Board members—represent 8.9% of outstanding shares. For the group as a whole, these aggregate holdings of 27 million shares place them as the second largest shareholder group. This follows Black Rock, Inc., the world’s biggest money management institution and our largest stockholder.

We hope this letter provides timely and pertinent context to the thinking that led to the declaration of this latest special cash dividend.

Sincerely,
On behalf of Old Republic’s Board of Directors,                                                      

Craig R. Smiddy                                                   

Aldo C. Zucaro

President and Chief Executive Officer                  

Chairman of the Board


Table A



Capital Management: Trends and Objectives

  • Old Republic’s blended capital allocation process is principally driven by enterprise risk management considerations based on the attained and prospective growth of regulated insurance underwriting subsidiaries and the ensuing balance sheet leverage.

Capital Allocation Percentages by Regulatory Insurance Groups

Actual as of December 31,*

General

Title

Subtotal

Life &

Accident

Other

RFIG 
Run-off

Consolidated

2006

59.5%

8.6%

68.1%

2.2%

0.1%

29.6%

100.0%

2007

61.3%

8.8%

70.1%

2.4%

-0.1%

27.6%

100.0%

2008

62.7%

9.7%

72.4%

2.4%

0.3%

24.9%

100.0%

2009

68.3%

10.3%

78.6%

2.5%

1.3%

17.6%

100.0%

2010

71.0%

10.2%

81.2%

2.4%

3.0%

13.4%

100.0%

2011

80.0%

11.1%

91.1%

2.4%

2.0%

4.5%

100.0%

2012

83.7%

13.3%

97.0%

2.4%

2.0%

-1.4%

100.0%

2013

82.2%

13.7%

95.9%

2.1%

2.3%

-0.3%

100.0%

2014

78.0%

13.6%

91.6%

1.7%

2.3%

4.4%

100.0%

2015

78.2%

13.7%

91.9%

1.2%

1.6%

5.3%

100.0%

2016

78.0%

13.9%

91.9%

1.1%

0.5%

6.5%

100.0%

2017

76.5%

13.3%

89.8%

0.8%

1.8%

7.6%

100.0%

2018

76.5%

13.8%

90.3%

0.7%

0.9%

8.1%

100.0%

2019

75.5%

13.8%

89.3%

0.7%

2.4%

7.6%

100.0%

2020 – Nine Months

76.4%

14.8%

91.2%

0.8%

1.1%

6.9%

100.0%


Current Long-Term Objectives


82.5%


15.0%


N/A


1.0%


1.5%


0.0%


100.0%

* Percentages are inclusive of all capital instruments.

 


Table B



Insurance Underwriting Long-Focused on Industry Specialization

  • In addition to its insurance coverage concentrations (see Table D), Old Republic’s long-term underwriting success in its single business of insurance is most significantly due to its long history of specialization in cyclically heterogeneous industries that are at the core of the North American economy.

Percent of Premiums and Fees Volume by Industry Groupings Underlying Specialization

General

Natural

Banking,

Manufacturing

Energy

Construction,

& Services,

Resources

Finance,

Retail &

Subtotal

(Coal, Gas, Oil,

Years Ended

Housing &

Air, Land & Sea

Wholesale 

Top 3

Utlities, Wind

Education &

December 31,

Real Estate

Transportation

Trade

Industries

& Turbines)

Government

Health Care

All Other

Total

2006

53.6%

27.6%

8.0%

89.2%

4.0%

2.2%

0.2%

4.4%

100.0%

2007

54.8%

24.9%

9.9%

89.6%

3.7%

2.0%

0.2%

4.5%

100.0%

2008

53.5%

24.7%

12.8%

91.0%

4.0%

0.3%

0.2%

4.5%

100.0%

2009

54.7%

23.9%

13.5%

92.1%

3.4%

0.4%

0.5%

3.6%

100.0%

2010

55.5%

24.6%

11.9%

92.0%

2.9%

0.4%

0.8%

3.9%

100.0%

2011

51.6%

22.4%

16.4%

90.4%

2.7%

1.2%

2.4%

3.3%

100.0%

2012

52.5%

22.8%

14.9%

90.2%

2.7%

1.8%

2.4%

2.9%

100.0%

2013

54.0%

22.0%

15.2%

91.2%

2.6%

1.4%

2.2%

2.6%

100.0%

2014

49.7%

23.3%

17.5%

90.5%

3.0%

1.3%

2.5%

2.7%

100.0%

2015

50.9%

23.6%

17.4%

91.9%

2.5%

1.0%

2.4%

2.2%

100.0%

2016

50.3%

24.2%

17.0%

91.5%

2.2%

1.1%

2.1%

3.1%

100.0%

2017

48.5%

24.4%

18.6%

91.5%

2.2%

0.8%

1.8%

3.7%

100.0%

2018

47.7%

24.8%

18.8%

91.3%

2.4%

1.0%

1.6%

3.7%

100.0%

2019

47.6%

25.3%

18.5%

91.4%

2.3%

1.5%

1.3%

3.5%

100.0%

2020 *

Average

2006-2019

51.8%

24.2%

15.0%

91.0%

2.9%

1.2%

1.5%

3.5%

100.0%

Most Recent

GDP Industry

Distributions**

23.9%

3.6%

27.3%

54.8%

2.9%

11.8%

6.9%

23.6%

100.0%

     * Full year 2020 data not available but is not expected to reflect any significant departure from that of 2019.

     ** Derived from data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce at https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=150&step=2&isuri=1&categories=ugdpxind

 


Table C



Specialized Balance of Business:



     Leads to Greater Stability of Long-Term Operating Margins*

  • The long-term success of Old Republic’s single business of insurance underwriting has been due to the sale of insurance products delivered through four groups of state-regulated insurance underwriting subsidiaries (see Tables B and D for industry specialization and insurance coverages sold).

RFIG

Years Ended December 31,

General (**)

Title

Subtotal

Run-off (**)

Consolidated

2006

19.9%

3.2%

14.0%

49.1%

19.4%

2007

21.1%

-1.7%

14.2%

-14.8%

8.6%

2008

20.3%

-7.1%

13.0%

-83.2%

-10.0%

2009

18.7%

0.2%

12.3%

-78.0%

-8.3%

2010

18.7%

0.8%

11.2%

-69.0%

-2.3%

2011

16.8%

2.7%

11.2%

-144.6%

-8.7%

2012

11.2%

4.4%

8.4%

-123.9%

-3.9%

2013

11.5%

6.2%

9.1%

34.8%

10.7%

2014

8.1%

5.7%

7.1%

4.0%

7.0%

2015

11.6%

8.2%

10.2%

13.4%

10.4%

2016

10.9%

9.5%

10.3%

41.1%

11.5%

2017

10.9%

10.4%

10.7%

-59.8%

9.3%

2018

11.1%

9.4%

10.4%

65.7%

11.8%

2019

10.8%

9.3%

10.1%

51.2%

11.4%

2020 – Nine Months

12.0%

10.2%

11.2%

22.8%

11.9%


Latest 5 Years’ Average


11.1%


9.3%


10.3%


22.3%


10.9%


Latest 10 Years’ Average


12.2%


6.6%


9.9%


-18.7%


5.7%


OBJECTIVES 2020 – 2024


11.0% – 13.0%


7.0% – 11.0%


10.0% – 12.0%


N/A


10.0 – 12.0%

* Pretax operating income (loss) as a percentage of net premiums and fees earned.

** Effective July 1, 2019, immaterial results of the Consumer Credit Indemnity (CCI) run-off business have been classified within the General Insurance Group for all future periods.

 

 


Table D



Insurance Underwriting: Long-Focused on Selected Insurance Coverages Offered through 26 Regulated Insurers Assigned to Four Regulatory Defined Segments

  • The long-term success of Old Republic’s single business of insurance underwriting has resulted from the blending of industry specialization (see Table B), types of insurance coverages (see Tables C and D), and a capital allocation process that maximizes utilization among regulated insurance underwriting subsidiaries to promote greater operating returns (see Table C).

Combined Underwriting Ratios*

RFIG

Years Ended December 31,

General

Title

Subtotal

Run-off

Consolidated

2006

92.4%

99.5%

95.5%

64.2%

90.0%

2007

91.3%

104.7%

95.4%

126.0%

101.5%

2008

93.1%

110.6%

97.8%

194.1%

120.9%

2009

95.6%

101.7%

97.7%

189.1%

118.5%

2010

94.7%

101.0%

97.5%

182.3%

111.4%

2011

94.4%

99.0%

96.2%

252.6%

115.8%

2012

98.7%

96.8%

97.9%

232.2%

110.4%

2013

97.3%

94.7%

96.1%

76.9%

95.0%

2014

100.8%

95.6%

98.8%

106.7%

99.4%

2015

97.6%

93.2%

95.7%

98.0%

96.0%

2016

97.8%

91.7%

95.2%

72.6%

94.6%

2017

97.3%

90.9%

94.6%

177.5%

96.7%

2018

97.2%

92.1%

95.1%

60.9%

94.7%

2019

97.5%

92.2%

95.3%

78.5%

95.1%

2020 – Nine Months

96.5%

91.2%

94.0%

110.7%

94.2%


Average 2015 – 2020


97.3%


91.9%


95.0%


99.7%


95.2%


Average 2006 – 2020


96.1%


97.0%


96.2%


134.8%


102.3%


Long-Term Objectives


90.0% – 95.0%


90.0% – 95.0%


90.0% – 95.0%


N/A


90.0% – 95.0%

* Represents the sum of the ratio of claims & claim expenses and the ratio of general expenses, both taken as percentages of premiums and fees revenues.

 

 


Table E



Total Returns Compared to Nominal GDP & Selected S&P Indices’ Returns


Old Republic International Corporation (1)


Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP)(2)


S&P 500 Index (3)


S&P P&C Insurance Index (3)


Year


Year End Book Value


Year End Market Price


Annual Cash Dividend Declared


Total Book Value Annual & Compounded Return


Total Market Annual & Compounded Return


Total Annual & Compounded Return


Total Annual & Compounded Return


Total Annual & Compounded Return

1968

$0.280

$0.472

$0.007

18.2%

41.8%

9.4%

11.0%

1969

0.312

0.336

0.010

15.1%

-26.6%

8.2%

-8.4%

1970

0.360

0.528

0.012

19.2%

60.7%

5.5%

3.9%

1971

0.472

0.840

0.014

34.9%

61.7%

8.5%

14.3%

1972

0.480

1.240

0.016

5.1%

49.5%

9.8%

19.0%

1973

0.472

0.456

0.018

2.2%

-61.7%

11.4%

-14.7%

1974

0.376

0.408

0.020

-16.1%

-6.1%

8.4%

-26.5%

1975

0.288

0.440

0.020

-18.1%

12.7%

9.0%

37.2%

1976

0.560

0.624

0.011

98.3%

44.4%

11.2%

23.9%

1977

0.792

0.792

0.022

45.3%

30.4%

11.1%

-7.2%

1978

0.976

0.976

0.033

27.4%

27.4%

13.0%

6.6%

1979

1.080

1.112

0.052

16.0%

19.3%

11.7%

18.6%

10 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

17.6%

16.2%

9.9%

5.9%

1980

1.224

0.888

0.054

18.3%

-15.3%

8.8%

32.5%

1981

1.392

1.144

0.054

18.1%

34.9%

12.2%

-4.9%

1982

1.648

1.456

0.056

22.4%

32.2%

4.3%

21.6%

1983

1.888

2.353

0.058

18.1%

65.6%

8.7%

22.6%

1984

2.208

2.039

0.059

20.1%

-11.2%

11.1%

6.3%

1985

2.304

3.014

0.062

7.1%

51.4%

7.5%

31.7%

1986

2.528

2.316

0.065

12.5%

-21.0%

5.5%

18.7%

1987

2.952

1.861

0.068

19.5%

-16.7%

6.0%

5.3%

1988

3.152

2.345

0.071

9.2%

29.8%

7.9%

16.6%

1989

3.544

2.604

0.076

14.8%

14.3%

7.7%

31.7%

10 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

15.9%

12.6%

7.9%

17.6%

1990

3.920

2.465

0.081

12.9%

-2.2%

5.7%

-3.1%

-2.3%

1991

4.456

4.207

0.086

15.9%

-74.2%

3.3%

30.5%

25.3%

1992

5.072

5.896

0.094

15.9%

42.7%

5.9%

7.6%

17.2%

1993

5.744

5.363

0.102

15.3%

-7.3%

5.2%

10.1%

-1.8%

1994

6.112

5.037

0.111

8.3%

-4.0%

6.3%

1.3%

4.8%

1995

7.248

8.415

0.121

20.6%

70.1%

4.8%

37.6%

35.4%

1996

7.768

9.511

0.148

9.2%

15.1%

5.7%

23.0%

21.5%

1997

8.312

13.222

0.178

9.3%

41.2%

6.2%

33.4%

45.5%

1998

9.216

12.000

0.206

13.4%

-7.8%

5.7%

28.6%

-6.6%

1999

9.590

7.267

0.262

6.9%

-37.5%

6.3%

21.0%

-25.5%

10 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

12.7%

13.1%

5.5%

18.2%

10.8%

2000

11.000

17.066

0.294

17.8%

142.1%

6.5%

-9.1%

55.9%

2001

12.480

14.938

0.314

16.3%

-10.6%

3.2%

-11.9%

-8.1%

2002

13.960

14.934

0.336

14.6%

2.0%

3.4%

-22.1%

-11.0%

2003

15.650

20.288

0.890

 * 

18.5%

42.4%

4.8%

28.7%

26.4%

2004

16.940

20.240

0.403

10.8%

1.9%

6.6%

10.9%

10.4%

2005

17.530

21.008

1.312

 * 

11.2%

10.5%

6.7%

4.9%

15.1%

2006

18.910

23.280

0.590

11.2%

13.9%

6.0%

15.8%

12.8%

2007

19.710

15.410

0.630

7.6%

-31.5%

4.6%

5.6%

-14.0%

2008

15.910

11.920

0.670

-15.9%

-18.0%

1.8%

-37.0%

-29.4%

2009

16.490

10.040

0.680

7.9%

-10.1%

-1.8%

26.5%

12.4%

10 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

9.5%

7.4%

4.1%

-1.0%

4.7%

2010

16.160

13.630

0.690

2.2%

43.4%

3.8%

15.1%

8.9%

2011

14.760

8.920

0.700

-4.3%

-27.2%

3.7%

2.1%

-0.3%

2012

14.030

10.650

0.710

-0.1%

23.4%

4.2%

16.0%

20.1%

2013

14.640

17.270

0.720

9.5%

70.7%

3.6%

32.4%

38.3%

2014

15.150

14.630

0.730

8.5%

-11.2%

4.4%

13.7%

15.7%

2015

14.980

18.630

0.740

3.8%

33.4%

4.0%

1.4%

9.5%

2016

17.160

19.000

0.750

19.6%

6.2%

2.7%

11.9%

15.7%

2017

17.720

21.380

1.760

 * 

13.5%

16.9%

4.3%

21.8%

22.4%

2018

17.230

20.570

0.780

1.6%

4.8%

5.4%

-4.4%

-4.7%

2019

$19.980

$22.370

$1.800

 * 

26.4%

17.8%

4.0%

31.5%

25.9%

10 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

7.7%

14.8%

4.0%

13.6%

14.5%

52 Year Annual Compound Growth Rate

12.8%

12.4%

6.4%

10.2%

9.5%

Note: (*) Includes special cash dividends of $1.000, $1.000, $0.800, and $0.534 per share at September 2019 and December 2017, 2005, and 2003, respectively.

Sources: (1) Old Republic Database / (2) Nominal Gross Domestic Product from Federal Reserve Bank St. Louis. / (3) Standard & Poor’s Indices from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. Data for years 1989 and prior is not available for the S&P P&C Insurance Index.

 

Safe Harbor Statement

Historical data pertaining to the operating results, liquidity, and other performance indicators applicable to an insurance enterprise such as Old Republic are not necessarily indicative of results to be achieved in succeeding years. In addition to the factors cited below, the long-term nature of the insurance business, seasonal and annual patterns in premium production and incidence of claims, changes in yields obtained on invested assets, changes in government policies and free markets affecting inflation rates and general economic conditions, and changes in legal precedents or the application of law affecting the settlement of disputed and other claims can have a bearing on period-to-period comparisons and future operating results. Furthermore, due to the financial market and economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated governmental responses, it is therefore possible that Old Republic’s operating results, business and financial condition could be adversely affected in subsequent periods depending on the length and severity of these disruptions.

Some of the oral or written statements made in the Company’s reports, press releases, and conference calls following earnings releases, can constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Of necessity, any such forward-looking statements involve assumptions, uncertainties, and risks that may affect the Company’s future performance. With regard to Old Republic’s General Insurance segment, its results can be particularly affected by the level of market competition, which is typically a function of available capital and expected returns on such capital among competitors, the levels of investment yields and inflation rates, and periodic changes in claim frequency and severity patterns caused by natural disasters, weather conditions, accidents, illnesses, work-related injuries, and unanticipated external events. Title Insurance and RFIG Run-off results can be affected by similar factors, and by changes in national and regional housing demand and values, the availability and cost of mortgage loans, employment trends, and default rates on mortgage loans. Life and accident insurance earnings can be affected by the levels of employment and consumer spending, changes in mortality and health trends, and alterations in policy lapsation rates. At the parent holding company level, operating earnings or losses are generally reflective of the amount of debt outstanding and its cost, interest income on temporary holdings of short-term investments, and period-to-period variations in the costs of administering the Company’s widespread operations.

The General Insurance, Title Insurance, Corporate and Other Segments, and the RFIG Run-off business maintain customer information and rely upon technology platforms to conduct their business. As a result, each of them and the Company are exposed to cyber risk. Many of the Company’s operating subsidiaries maintain separate IT systems which are deemed to reduce enterprise-wide risks of potential cybersecurity incidents. However, given the potential magnitude of a significant breach, the Company continually evaluates on an enterprise-wide basis its IT hardware, security infrastructure and business practices to respond to these risks and to detect and remediate in a timely manner significant cybersecurity incidents or business process interruptions.

A more detailed listing and discussion of the risks and other factors which affect the Company’s risk-taking insurance business are included in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors, of the Company’s 2019 Form 10-K Annual Report filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is specifically incorporated herein by reference.

Any forward-looking statements or commentaries speak only as of their dates. Old Republic undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any and all such comments, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, and accordingly they may not be unduly relied upon.  


At Old Republic:


At Financial Relations Board:

Craig R. Smiddy: President and Chief Executive Officer

Analysts/Investors: Joe Calabrese 212/827-3772

 

Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/old-republic-special-dividend-letter-to-the-shareholders-301202403.html

SOURCE Old Republic International Corporation

GLOBAL UROLOGY LEADER ADVANCED MEDTECH LEADS DEVICARE’S USD$3 MILLION SERIES A FUNDRAISING TO BRING UROLOGICAL MEDICAL FOODS AND DIGITALIZED MANAGEMENT MEDICAL DEVICES TO MARKET

Singapore, Jan. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — — The strategic investment in Devicare complements Advanced MedTech’s product portfolio and strengthens its leadership in urology and kidney stone management


— Proceeds will be channelled towards the development of a digital pH meter and app that will allow patients to monitor the pH levels in their urine and adjust treatment accordingly

Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), Southeast Asia’s largest medical device business, today announced it has led a USD$3 million Series A funding in Devicare, a Barcelona-based startup, to support its development of innovative urological treatments that combines nutritional therapy with digital monitoring. Existing investors Emesa Capital and Juan Knuth participated in the funding round together with Ship2B through Equity4Good, its impact investment vehicle which is co-invested by the European Investment Fund (EIF).

The funds raised will be used to further develop Devicare’s Lit-Control® medical device for kidney stone patients and comprises of a pH meter connected via Bluetooth® to a mobile app. The pH meter is uniquely designed to deliver personalized medicine by digitally measuring patients’ urine pH and recommending the correct medication, then transmitting the information to an app that will adjust the dosage and allows doctors and patients to manage the condition remotely.  

The Lit-Control® medical device will join Devicare’s existing line of medical food products for kidney stone patients, that specializes in the treatment and prevention of kidney stones. These products are widely available in Spain, Portugal, France, UK, US and other territories.

Abel Ang, Group Chief Executive of Advanced MedTech, said “Advanced MedTech built the largest dedicated kidney stone online community in the world. This investment is part of our strategy to advance digital health and personalized medicine in the field of urology. Devicare’s  Lit-Control® product portfolio lends itself to non-invasive digital management of kidney stone disease. We are looking forward to working closely with the team to expand their offerings globally to alleviate the discomfort and pain faced by the kidney stone community around the world.”

Rosendo Garganta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Devicare, said “Our utmost priority is helping patients manage their urological health. Kidney stones have a recurrent rate of 60-80% in existing patients, which is a significant hindrance on patients. This strategic partnership with Advanced MedTech will enable us to accelerate the development of cutting-edge technology to deliver personalized medicine using digital tools to help patients and doctors manage kidney stone treatment more effectively.”


About Advanced MedTech Holdings

Advanced MedTech Holdings is a global medical technology leader with a core focus in urology devices and services. Headquartered in Singapore, with operations in US, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Malaysia and Japan, the Company serves millions of patients and physicians in 100 countries worldwide. Advanced MedTech Holdings makes strategic investments in disruptive medical technology companies, strengthening its portfolio of healthcare solutions for customers around the world. Advanced MedTech Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek. For more information on Advanced MedTech Holdings, please visit https://www.advanced-medtech.com/.

To find out more about the kidney stone community created and managed by Advanced MedTech and its subsidiary, Dornier MedTech, visit their Facebook page.


About Devicare

Devicare is a specialty biotech company dedicated to developing pathbreaking medical treatments in Urology combining the most recent scientific advances in nutritional therapy with digital technologies.

For more information on Devicare, please visit https://www.devicare.com/en/

Advanced MedTech Media Contacts:

Weikang Lee

Advanced MedTech Holdings
+65 6572 6074
[email protected]

Thomas Harding / Khushboo Tanna / Maryanne Lee
Spurwing Communications
+65 6751 2021
[email protected]

 



LG Display redefines the role of displays in the contactless era at CES 2021

PR Newswire

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced today it will unveil its latest display products and technologies under the theme of ‘Display, now the real world comes to you’ at CES 2021. The company will emphasize the redefined role of displays in the contactless era as well as presenting various display solutions optimized for the lifestyle of customers during CES.

LG Display will showcase cutting-edge display products through 11 lifestyle theme zones organized to not only demonstrate the excellent picture quality of OLED displays but also to introduce how displays can provide solutions for upgraded and more convenient lives. By doing so, the company will highlight three values of displays, which are ‘Natural Reality’, ‘Lifestyle in Harmony’, and ‘Better for People’. Furthermore, the company will stress the role of a ‘display that cares about people’ by showing functions that are safer and designed to protect users’ health.

LG Display will be introducing its latest innovations to the general public at CES for the first time during this year’s all-digital event. Those interested in LG Display’s OLED lifestyle solutions can gain access to the various conceptual exhibition zones via the event’s official site (https://ces.tech) and LG Display’s website (www.lgdisplay.com) from the opening day on Jan. 11.

  • ‘Natural Reality’ – The latest product
    s
    that offer realistic
    and natural
    picture quality with UHD OLED and premium IPS technology

LG Display will showcase an 88-inch 8K Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) and a 77-inch Wallpaper OLED. Through these products, the company is highlighting OLED as a display that delivers realistic and natural picture quality without any exaggeration.

In addition, the company will demonstrate a variety of professional display products for monitors and laptops, ranging from 15.6-inch to 27-inch to 31.5-inch displays. These are premium IT products incorporating high-definition IPS LCD technology, which has been recognized as being comfortable for the viewer’s eyes.

  • ‘Lifestyle in Harmony’ – OLED solutions optimized for various lifestyles

LG Display will introduce a variety of product lineups that can be used in people’s real lives through numerous experience zones designed with 11 concepts in mind, including a smart home, workplace, education, retail shop, fitness, metro, restaurant, and gaming. The company aims to use these exhibitions to offer flexible display solutions that improve user-convenience and naturally permeate the varied and changing lifestyles of customers amid the expansion of the contactless environment.

The ‘Smart Home Zone’ will feature a bed with a 55-inch Transparent OLED named ‘Smart Bed’, which you can use to check weather information or watch movies. At the push of a button, the Smart Bed’s 55-inch Transparent OLED display rises from its frame to show information or TV contents in various screen ratios without compromising its clear image quality. The Smart Bed display’s movable frame can easily be taken to various locations in a house to serve the diverse needs of users.

The ‘Game Zone’ will present the best gaming environment, providing the ultimate sense of realism with visual immersion and vivid sound through LG Display’s 48-inch Bendable Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) gaming TV, which is being unveiled for the first time in the world. It can be turned into a flat screen while watching TV or used as a curved screen while gaming for an extreme immersive viewing experience. With the company’s CSO technology, this OLED display vibrates and makes its own sound without the use of speakers.

Moreover, LG Display is proposing a new display concept needed for consumers in the contactless era caused by COVID-19. The ‘Restaurant Zone’ will recreate a sushi bar environment, in which a 55-inch Transparent OLED and a 23.1-inch in-TOUCH display are installed in the space between customers and chefs, allowing menu checking and ordering to be easily done via these displays.

In the case of the ‘Metro Zone’, it will give passengers the chance to check route maps or weather and regional information on a 55-inch Transparent OLED display installed on a subway train’s windows, while they will still be able to enjoy the view outside with high transparency.

The ‘Retail Zone’ will also introduce 29-inch and 23.1-inch in-TOUCH products, making it convenient to order and pay in a contactless environment at various consumer stores.

  • ‘Better for People’ – The superiority of OLED for eye health and safety

LG Display is focusing on promoting various OLED usage environments during CES 2021, emphasizing that OLED technology is helpful in promoting eye health and overall well-being, including safety.

As contactless societies become the norm, TV viewing time at home is increasing and online classes for children are expanding. As a result, displays that are easy on the eyes are becoming more and more important, and LG Display plans to underscore OLED as an optimal display in the post-coronavirus era.

LG Display’s OLED products have acquired certifications for low blue light emissions and flicker-free status from Germany’s TUV Rheinland and the U.S.-based safety agency UL (Underwriters Laboratories). By lowering the amount of blue light to the lowest level in the industry, the company has also obtained the “Eye-safe TV” certification from Eyesafe, an American eye health certification body. By obtaining these certifications, the company’s displays are recognized as being effective in promoting eye health.

About LG Display

LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, including thin-film transistor liquid crystal and OLED displays. The company manufactures display panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in TVs, notebook computers, desktop monitors, and various other applications, including tablets and mobile devices. LG Display currently operates manufacturing facilities in Korea and China, and back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China, and Vietnam. The company has approximately 60,000 employees operating worldwide. For more news and information about LG Display, please visit www.lgdisplay.com.


Media Contact:


Jean Lee, Senior Manager, Global Communications
LG Display
Email: [email protected]

Sue Kim, Executive Vice President
Insight Communications Consultants
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE LG Display

NetDragon’s Smart Classroom Solution Chosen by Malaysia’s Sarawak Ministry of Education for a Statewide Project

PR Newswire

HONG KONG, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (“NetDragon” or “the Company”, Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, wishes to announce the recent approval of the first phase statewide project to adopt NetDragon’s Education Technology Smart Classroom Solution by Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyin of Malaysia’s Sarawak Education, Science and Technological Research Ministry.

This partnership with the largest state of Malaysia follows the signing of a tripartite cooperation Memorandum of Understanding on digital education between NetDragon, Sarawak-based professional education institution SIIG Communications Sdn Bhd (Formerly Aspire Link Sdn BhD) and the Sarawak State Government of Malaysia in November 2018. This took place during a three-day official visit to Fujian province, where NetDragon is headquartered, by Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg aiming to pave the way for greater economic collaboration with the province. The three parties formally agreed to co-operate on the development and improvement of digital education in Sarawak.

The project seeks to provide equal access to digital education regardless of location and current internet availability. It will explore the effectiveness of digital education in equipping students with the required skills and competencies for 21st century society. It also aims to address the imbalance of science and mathematics education in rural schools due to the undersupply of teachers in those subjects, as underlined in the recent quote by Minister Datuk Seri Michael Manyi – “In some places, like in the urban schools, there are more science and mathematics teachers than in the rural school… The target for the whole of Malaysia is 60 per cent (enrolment) for pure science subjects at Form Four level, but as far as Sarawak is concerned, less than 25 per cent of the students are taking pure science subjects.”[1]

The project, which brings together an international and local team of experts, supported by SIIG Communications Sdn Bhd, will see 24 secondary schools across most regions in Sarawak engage in a first phase to explore the impact of digitizing classrooms on teaching and learning. Mr. Alvin Tan Beng Huat, COO of SIIG Communications Sdn Bhd says, we have been in close development of this project with the Ministry for a while and look forward to continuing at pace the implementation of Education technology into the state’s classrooms.

The first phase will run for 90 days, and on its successful completion NetDragon’s Smart Classroom Solution will be expanded to more schools in Sarawak.

The Smart Classroom Solution will bring together the best innovative offerings from NetDragon including: Promethean’s world leading ActivPanel for in-class instruction and lesson delivery; Edmodo Classroom the unique and interactive set of teaching tools to facilitate access to educational resources, remote lesson delivery and comprehensive assessment and analytical tools;  in-school AiStream Community Hubs to give high-speed, consistent and cost-free access to learning resources without internet access; Lenovo personal learning devices and NetDragon’s Mobile Device Management system to ensure the safety and security of devices while providing usage statistics and ease of maintenance of the ActivPanels and personal devices.

Datuk Dr Simon Leung, Vice Chairman of NetDragon, said, “NetDragon is happy to see the start of this innovative digital learning project in Sarawak. 2020 has presented society with some of the most challenging times in living memory during which school-aged learners are significantly impacted. Closing the learning gap and ensuring that all students, wherever they are in the country, get access to quality education has never been more important. We look forward to working with the Sarawak Ministry of Education to achieve this.”

About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
 

NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users, including previous establishments of China’s first online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China’s most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless.

Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved and Conquer Online. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management’s vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring the “classroom of the future” to every school around the world. For more information, please visit www.netdragon.com.

For investor enquiries, please contact:
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
Ms. Maggie Zhou
Senior Director of Investor Relations
Tel.: +852 2850 7266 / +86 591 8390 2825
Email: [email protected]
Website:  ir.nd.com.cn


[1]   “Sarawak Education, Science and Technological Research Ministry seeks RM9m from state govt to train Maths and Science teachers”, Malay Mail, 30 September 2020, https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/sarawak-education-science-technological-research-112612822.html

Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netdragons-smart-classroom-solution-chosen-by-malaysias-sarawak-ministry-of-education-for-a-statewide-project-301202137.html

SOURCE 网龙

KludeIn I Acquisition Corp. Announces Pricing of $150,000,000 Initial Public Offering

Berkeley, CA, Jan. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KludeIn I Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 15,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. The units will be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and trade under the ticker symbol “INKAU” beginning Thursday, January 7, 2021.

Each unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of the Company’s Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A common stock and warrants are expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbols “INKA” and “INKAW,” respectively. The initial public offering is expected to close on Monday, January 11, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Company is a newly incorporated blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company is led by Narayan Ramachandran, Chief Executive Officer and Sriram Raghavan, Co-President.

BTIG, LLC is acting as sole book-running manager and I-Bankers Securities, Inc. is acting as co-manager of the offering. The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 2,250,000 additional units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

The initial public offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from BTIG, LLC, 65 East 55th Street, New York, NY 10022, or by e-mail at [email protected].

A registration statement relating to the securities sold in the initial public offering has been filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on January 6, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. 

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the initial public offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the Company’s offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Contact 

KludeIn I Acquisition Corp.
1096 Keeler Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94708
[email protected]



ORTHOPEDIATRICS ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Is Investigating OrthoPediatrics Corp. on Behalf of OrthoPediatrics Stockholders and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

ORTHOPEDIATRICS ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Is Investigating OrthoPediatrics Corp. on Behalf of OrthoPediatrics Stockholders and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, is investigating potential claims against OrthoPediatrics Corp. (NASDAQ: KIDS) on behalf of OrthoPediatrics stockholders. Our investigation concerns whether OrthoPediatrics has violated the federal securities laws and/or engaged in other unlawful business practices.

Click here to participate in the action.

On December 2, 2020, Culper Research (“Culper”) published a report entitled “OrthoPediatrics Corp. (KIDS): Even Channel Stuffing Can’t Save This Company”. The Culper report described OrthoPediatrics as having “engaged in a channel stuffing scheme that has systematically and significantly overstated revenues.” Among other issues, the Culper report alleged that “the Company has abused its ability to book revenues upon shipment by selling and shipping excess product directly to its distributors, many of whom are exclusive to the Company” and described it as “concerning that many of the Company’s ‘exclusive distributors’ are simply former OrthoPediatrics employees who have formed their own distributorships, often while still employed at the Company.”

On this news, OrthoPediatrics’ stock price fell $4.12 per share, or 9.13%, to close at $41.02 per share on December 2, 2020.

Then, on December 30, 2020, Culper Research tweeted that “a recent [Freedom of Information Act] request suggests that the Company is under an active SEC investigation,” citing a letter from the SEC that it withheld certain records pursuant to an exemption that “protects from disclosure records compiled for law enforcement purposes, the release of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement activities.”

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $2.81, or 6%, to close at $43.57 per share on December 30, 2020.

Then, on December 31, 2020, OrthoPediatrics confirmed reports of an SEC investigation. The Company stated that it was “responding to a non-public, fact-finding inquiry” by the SEC, which had been initiated following Culper Research’s report on December 2, 2020.

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $2.32, or 5%, to close at $41.25 per share on December 31, 2020.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired OrthoPediatrics shares and suffered a loss, are a long term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker, Melissa Fortunato, or Marion Passmore by email at [email protected], or telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.

Brandon Walker, Esq.

Melissa Fortunato, Esq.

Marion Passmore, Esq.

(212) 355-4648

[email protected]

www.bespc.com

KEYWORDS: New York United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Legal Professional Services

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