Market Newsdesk

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Hello Pal International Inc. (“Hello Pal” or the “Company”) (CSE:HP) (Frankfurt:27H) (OTC:HLLPF), a provider of rapidly growing international live-streaming, social messaging and language learning mobile apps, is pleased to announce that it achieved over $1,550,717 CAD (7,869,088 CNY)  in revenue for the month of November.

Livestreaming Service

Hello Pal’s livestreaming service achieved yet another significant milestone in revenue for the month of November. Operating under a CAD/CNY exchange rate of 5.08 as of Dec 3, 2020, the company earned record revenue of $1,550,000 CAD.

The livestreaming service continues to be the main driving force providing a steady and growing source of income for the company. For 2020, Hello Pal has seen an average revenue  of approximately $1,000,000 CAD. (see chart ).

“Another significant milestone reached as our business continues to grow and evolve, we are pleased to reach a new all-time high for the company. We will continue to refine our user experience, roll out new products and features, and operate in increasingly efficient manner as Hello Pal continues its growth plans,” said KL Wong, Founder and Chairman of the Company.

User Base Performance

As of the date of the news release, Hello Pal’s registered user base is over 5.2 million users from over 200 countries and regions. The positive increase in registered users continues to be driven by our livestream service.

The livestreaming service continues to be active with over 15,000 active daily users interacting with one another. This is an increase of 5,000 daily users from previously reports from the company.

To download Hello Pal, Language Pal, Travel Pal or the proprietary Phrasebooks please visit the IOS or Android store. For information with respect to the Company or the contents of this news release, please contact the Company at (604) 683-0911 or visit the website at hellopal.com. Email inquiries can be directed to: [email protected].

About the Hello Pal Platform

The Hello Pal Platform is a proprietary suite of mobile applications built on a user-friendly messaging interface that focus on social interaction, language learning and travel. Hello Pal, has been designed from the ground up to be easy to use and enables users’ the freedom to speak in their own language regardless of the other person’s language they are speaking to. Hello Pal’s overriding mission is to bring the world closer together through social interaction, language learning and travel. By creating a platform where it is easy to instantly interact with others around the world and giving them the tools to communicate with each other in a joyful and fun way, we hope to do our part (however small) in fostering understanding and tolerance between all citizens of the world.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Hello Pal cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Hello Pal’s control. Such risks and uncertainties are described in Hello Pal’s annual and interim financial statements available on www.sedar.com. Although Hello Pal is currently generating revenues, Hello Pal remains in the growth stage and such revenues are yet to be profitable. Accordingly, actual, and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Hello Pal undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

*Non-IFRS Financial Measure

Readers are cautioned that “receipts” and “cash-flow positive” are a measure not recognized under IFRS. Total receipts includes the amount of cash received by the Company and its agents from the use of the Hello Pal app. Also, “cash-flow positive” means that the monthly cash flow generated by Hello Pal’s Asian subsidiary is sufficient to meet all ongoing obligations of Hello Pal’s Asian subsidiary. Under IFRS, total receipts may be higher than revenue as a portion of the revenue is received by agents of Hello Pal. However, the Company’s management believes that “receipts” and “cash-flow positive” provides investors with insight into management’s decision-making process because management uses this measure to run the business and make financial, strategic and operating decisions. Further, “receipts” and “cash-flow positive” also provides useful insight into the operating performance of the Hello Pal app. “Receipts” and “cash-flow positive” does not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Readers are cautioned that “receipts” and  are not an alternative to measures determined in accordance with IFRS and should not, on their own, be construed as indicators of performance, cash flow or profitability.

THE CSE HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

Hello Pal International

200 – 500 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC, V6G 3H1, Canada
p 604-683-0911

 

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SOURCE Hello Pal International Inc.

FORT LEE, N.J., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPSI) (“Pioneer Power” or the “Company”), a company engaged in the manufacture, sale and service of electrical transmission, distribution and on-site power generation equipment, today announced that it has secured a $3.5 million order from a large international container shipping company.

Pioneer Power will supply a highly customized energy solution, including two integrated power centers with redundant 15kv medium voltage switchgear, an integrated power control building and an integrated double-ended 750kva unit substation. This equipment will help deliver reliable and redundant power to the shipping company’s main terminal in Hawaii. The Company expects to ship the solution by June of 2021.

Nathan Mazurek, Pioneer Power’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Pioneer Power continues to win business because of our proven ability to customize solutions for unique electrical and mechanical applications. This order, combined with our existing backlog and growing demand for our expertise, gives us increased confidence that our switchgear business revenue and profit should grow notably during 2021 when compared to 2020.”

About Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc.
Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. manufactures, sells and services a broad range of specialty electrical transmission, distribution and on-site power generation equipment for applications in the utility, industrial, commercial and backup power markets. The Company’s principal products include switchgear and engine-generator controls, complemented by a national field-service network to maintain and repair power generation assets. To learn more about Pioneer, please visit its website at www.pioneerpowersolutions.com.

Safe Harbor Statement:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) the Company’s ability to successfully increase its revenue and profit in the future, (ii) general economic conditions and their effect on demand for electrical equipment, (iii) the effects of fluctuations in the Company’s operating results, (iv) the fact that many of the Company’s competitors are better established and have significantly greater resources than the Company, (v) the Company’s dependence on a single customer for a large portion of its business, (vi) the potential loss or departure of key personnel, (vii) unanticipated increases in raw material prices or disruptions in supply (viii) the Company’s ability to realize revenue reported in the Company’s backlog, (ix) future labor disputes, (x) changes in government regulations, (xi) the fact that the Company’s chairman, who controls a majority of the Company’s voting power, may develop interests that diverge from yours, (xii) the liquidity and trading volume of the Company’s common stock and (xiii) an outbreak of disease, epidemic or pandemic, such as the global coronavirus pandemic, or fear of such an event.

More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:

Brett Maas, Managing Partner
Hayden IR
(646) 536-7331
[email protected]

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SOURCE Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc.

ARMONK, N.Y., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) and eProvenance, a company specializing in monitoring and analyzing wine shipment conditions, today announced the availability of VinAssure™ from eProvenance: a new, IBM blockchain-powered platform that offers a smarter and highly secured way to track wines as they move through distribution from vineyard to consumer. By encouraging transparency, accountability and the rapid exchange of data, VinAssure™ helps ensure the exacting methods of the world’s best winemakers are not undermined by supply chain errors, misinformation or improper conditions during transit. VinAssure™ is designed to give rise to a new wine industry ecosystem that provides consumers more information at their fingertips to help assure the wines they buy meet their expectations.

VinAssure™ runs on IBM Cloud and is built on IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply, which is designed to use advanced technologies including blockchain, AI and cloud to optimize outcomes for all participants. With VinAssure™, this group includes wine producers, négociants, importers, transporters, distributors, restaurants and retailers – by helping increase traceability, efficiency and profitability in the wine supply chain through a permissioned, permanent and shared record of data.

The first member of VinAssure™ is De Maison Selections, a U.S. importer of responsibly-sourced wines, cider and spirits from independent producers in Spain and France. As VinAssure™ membership grows, supply chain members and consumers will be able to access information spanning from the vineyard through transport and delivery, which is validated and stored on the blockchain. Using existing identifiers, such as a QR code on the bottle, consumers can learn, for example, about the wine’s provenance and flavor profiles, or if it meets certification standards for organic, biodynamic or sustainability practices.

Other wine industry members intending to join VinAssure™ include Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Export Division, the third-largest premium winery in the USA, and Maison Sichel, a Bordeaux-based négociant and winemaker for seven generations. The portfolios of these three companies can represent millions of bottles of wines moving through the global supply chain and available around the world. 

VinAssure™ uses IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply, an innovative offering from IBM that enables organizations to rapidly build out their own sustainable blockchain-based ecosystem for improved supply chain operations, to promote transparency and collaboration and to create a permanent record of the history and lifecycle of physical and digital assets.

“We believe wine communicates a strong sense of the place and the culture of those who contributed to its creation. We honor our winemakers and their goods by protecting wines through temperature-controlled transport and storage from the cellar to our customers,” said André Tamers, owner of De Maison Selections. “We believe the future of the wine industry lies in verifiable provenance, transparency and traceability. VinAssure™ makes it possible for our distribution partners and end consumers to see, understand and appreciate what went into crafting the wines they buy and what it takes for us to maintain the wine’s quality from the vineyard to the glass.”

“No one wants to open a bottle of wine and discover it’s been cooked. When the supply chain fails to maintain proper temperature conditions, that’s precisely what can happen,” said Robin Grumman-Vogt, CEO of eProvenance. “VinAssure™ is designed to bring collaboration and clarity to an often-chaotic supply chain. The sensitivity of the product, the number of actors, the complex logistics challenges and a convoluted patchwork of regulations across the USA and from country to country, are all factors that play into the need for a wine industry ecosystem.”

The wine industry is complex and interconnected yet lacks the mechanisms to optimize its supply chains. There are also numerous and disparate regulations that a global industry ecosystem has the capacity to address.

“We craft ultra-premium wines from Washington, Oregon and California that fully reflect the unique growing conditions and individual winemaking practices of each estate.  Our site-specific wines display unique and extraordinary character, so we want to assure those wines arrive in perfect condition whatever their destination around the globe,” said Peter Click, Vice President, International, Saint Michelle Wine Estates. “VinAssure™ can help us share this compelling story with our supply chain and with our consumers.”

“As a negociant and winemaker, Maison Sichel is fully committed to sustainable practices and pours every drop of skill and knowhow into its brands,” said Allan Sichel, Managing Director of Maison Sichel. “VinAssure™ will amplify our efforts by making them all the more visible to our industry partners and customers.”

eProvenance is an established wine industry technology innovator—its proprietary, scientifically-based algorithm determines if wine is still fresh or if quality may have been compromised, not just whether inappropriate temperatures have been encountered, and the resulting eProvenance Score (0-100) clearly indicates if there are any changes in wine quality. eProvenance temperature monitoring services and the eProvenance Score are an integral part of VinAssure™, providing critical data on the quality of wine shipments from origin to end consumer.

“Blockchain is the ideal solution for bringing transparency to a supply chain as complicated as that of the wine industry, which involves numerous participants and where needs vary depending on the destination of the shipment,” according to Raj Rao, General Manager IBM Blockchain Platforms. “Having an immutable digital record of transactions and conditions simplifies process and represents the future of moving sensitive goods. It also provides the end consumer with greater information that the wine they purchased tastes as the winemaker intended and reflects the immense care that went into producing that wine.”

For information on IBM Blockchain Transparent Supply, please visit here.

About De Maison Selections
Founded by André Tamers in 1996, De Maison Selections is an importing company that specializes in unique, high-quality, boutique wines, ciders and spirits from Spain and France. The company strives to offer a diverse, mindful representation of the culture and history of the products it champions. De Maison Selections fosters innovation and inclusivity within its own business practices and within the beverage industry.

About eProvenance
A leader in the monitoring and analysis of wine shipment conditions, eProvenance offers innovative services to monitor sensitive goods at the container, pallet and case level. With solutions for monitoring shipment temperature, humidity, shock and geolocation to fit a wide range of needs and budgets, eProvenance has collected millions of data points for nearly 400 producers, 300 importers and 200 transporters in 65 countries. eProvenance delivers clear, actionable insights, which our clients use to assess the performance of their global distribution channels, assure quality and asset value, verify provenance, and make analytically informed decisions about shipments to protect their brand. The company has offices in the USA and France, and works with producers, importers, transporters and wine merchants globally. eProvenance holds trademarks and patents for its technology around the world. Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @eProvenance and at www.eprovenance.com

About IBM Blockchain

IBM is recognized as the leading enterprise blockchain provider. The company’s research, technical and business experts have broken barriers in transaction processing speeds, developed the most advanced cryptography to secure transactions, and are contributing millions of lines of open source code to advance blockchain for businesses. IBM is the leader in open-source blockchain solutions built for the enterprise. Since 2016, IBM has worked with hundreds of clients across financial services, supply chain, government, retail, digital rights management and healthcare to implement blockchain applications, and operates a number of networks running live and in production. The cloud-based IBM Blockchain Platform delivers the end-to-end capabilities that clients need to quickly activate and successfully develop, operate, govern and secure their own business networks. IBM is an early member of Hyperledger, an open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies. For more information about IBM Blockchain, visit https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/ or follow us on Twitter at @ibmblockchain.

eProvenance Media Contact
Louise Domenitz
[email protected]

IBM Media Contact
Anthony Colucci
[email protected]

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SOURCE IBM

WENZHOU, China, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — ZK International Group Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: ZKIN) (“ZKIN”, “ZK International” or the “Company”), a designer, engineer, manufacturer, and supplier of patented high-performance stainless steel and carbon steel pipe products primarily used for water and gas supplies, today announced that it signed a letter of intent with Tuopeng Industrial, a prominent construction and real estate company. ZK has worked with Tuopeng Industrial for more than 18 years, and together they will form a joint venture that would bid on the construction of a navigation and hydropower project with a total cost estimated to be 4.9 Billion RMB (approximately USD 0.7 Billion). The project is expected to be funded by the local government, which will be facilitated through the development and sales of the surrounding lands.

The government of Chongqing, the largest city in western China, is planning to build a Navigation and Hydropower Junction (the “Junction”) on Qu River to connect the river, whereby making it possible for ships to directly sail to Shanghai via Chongqing. The project is a new model of inland river development, which is designed to provide services beyond navigation, such as electricity generation, water supply, flood and drought management, irrigation, fisheries, environmental services, and recreational activities. Such projects will have significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the area.

Pursuant to the letter of intent, the Company will own 51% of the joint venture and Tuopeng Industrial will own 49%. The Company and Tuopeng Industrial have been negotiating with various levels of government and the deal depends on the completion of due diligence by all parties, the final approval of the government, and the board approval of both parties. If approved, the Company anticipates that this project will have a significant positive impact on the growth of the Company in 2021 and its expansion plans into the western China market will be underway.

About ZK International Group Co., Ltd.

ZK International Group Co., Ltd. is a China-based designer, engineer, manufacturer and supplier of patented high-performance stainless steel and carbon steel pipe products that require sophisticated water or gas pipeline systems. The Company owns 28 patents, 21 trademarks, 2 Technical Achievement Awards, and 10 National and Industry Standard Awards.  ZK International is preparing to capitalize on the $850 Billion commitment made by the Chinese Government to improve the quality of water, which in its current supply state is 70% unfit for human contact.  ZK International is Quality Management System Certified (ISO9001), Environmental Management System Certified (ISO1401), and a National Industrial Stainless Steel Production Licensee that is focused on supplying steel piping for the multi-billion dollar industries of Gas and Water sectors.  ZK has supplied stainless steel pipelines for over 2,000 projects, which include the Beijing National Airport, the “Water Cube” and “Bird’s Nest”, which were venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Emphasizing superior properties and durability of its steel piping, ZK International is providing a solution for the delivery of high quality, highly sustainable, environmentally sound drinkable water to not only to the China market but to international markets such as Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia.  

For more information please visit www.ZKInternationalGroup.com. Additionally, please follow the Company on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Weibo. For further information on the Company’s SEC filings please visit www.sec.gov.

Safe Harbor Statement 

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “estimate” or “continue” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of ZK International.  Actual results may differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties, as well as other risk factors that are included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although ZK International believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that the results contemplated in forward-looking statements will be realized.  In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking information included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by ZK International or any other person that their objectives or plans will be achieved. ZK International does not undertake any obligation to revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Investor Contact:

Sherry Zheng

Weitian Group LLC
Email: [email protected]  
Phone: +1 718-213-7386

 

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SOURCE ZK International Group Co., Ltd.

SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — ATIF Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: ATIF, the “Company”), a company providing business consulting and multimedia services in Asia and North America, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Leaping Group Co., Ltd. (“LGC”), a leading multimedia, advertising and theatre operating firm in Northeast China, is expected to achieve revenue boom from its box office and pre-movie advertising business in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, thanks to the coming major movie seasons, 2021 New Year and Chinese Spring Festival.

China’s film industry is in a period of vigorous recovery, and both advertisers and businesses in the film industry chain have increased their investment during this period. According to Beacon box office data, the total box office sales during the National Day holiday in October 2020 reached RMB3.96 billion, which shows a recovery of nearly 90% from last year’s record of RMB4.466 billion, and far exceeded the same period in 2017 and 2018. In addition, CTR Market Research shows that in the recent October, the proportion of movie advertising soared 224.7%, taking the top spot in channel advertising with an absolute lead and becoming the most intensive advertising channel.

As the year 2020 draws to a close, 2021 New Year and Chinese Spring Festival have officially kicked off, with outstanding movies making their debut in sequence. In December, there are more than 16 domestic and international blockbusters, including the much-anticipated “Wonder Woman 1984” and “The Rescue”. The 2021 Chinese Spring Festival is dubbed as most luxurious movie season in the industry, and the box office is expected to exceed RMB10 billion.

Mr. Tao Jiang, Chief Executive Officer and Director of LGC, commented, “We are expecting the upcoming 2021 New Year and Chinese Spring Festival to continue the momentum of the Golden Week Holiday of Chinese National Day and the greatest growth in movie advertising in 2021. For this reason, we have already entered into a ‘battle-ready’ mode to prepare for the arrival of the two major domestic advertising slots.”

About ATIF Holdings Limited

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, ATIF Holdings Limited (“ATIF”) is a company providing business consulting services to small and medium-sized enterprises in Asia  and North America, including going public consulting services, international business planning and consulting services, and financial media services. ATIF operates an internet-based financial consulting service platform IPOEX.com, which provides prestige membership services including online capital market information, pre-IPO education and matchmaking services between SMEs and financing institutions. ATIF has advised several enterprises in China in their plans to become publicly listed in the U.S. Through its majority-owned subsidiary, Leaping Group Co., Ltd., ATIF also provides multimedia services and is engaged in three major businesses, including multi-channel advertising, event planning and execution, film and TV program production and movie theater operations. ATIF operates the largest pre-movie advertising network in Heilongjiang Province and Liaoning Province of China and also provides advertising services in elevators and supermarkets. ATIF is often hired to plan both online and offline advertising campaigns and to produce related advertising material. In addition, ATIF invests in films and TV programs and distributes them in movie theaters or through online platforms. ATIF is also one of majority shareholders of AeroCentury Corp. (NYSE American: ACY) which is an independent global aircraft operating lessor and finance company specializing in leasing regional jet and turboprop aircraft and related engines to airlines and commercial users worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.atifchina.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantee of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, are: future financial and operating results, including revenues, income, expenditures, cash balances and other financial items; ability to manage growth and expansion; current and future economic and political conditions; ability to compete in an industry with low barriers to entry; ability to continue to operate through our VIE structure; ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures; ability to attract new clients and further enhance brand recognition; ability to hire and retain qualified management personnel and key employees; trends and competition in the financial consulting services industry; a pandemic or epidemic; and other factors listed in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions you that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.

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SOURCE ATIF Holdings Limited

SEATTLE, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — (NASDAQ: RDFN) — Pending home sales rose 54.1% year over year in U.S. counties with low concentrations of Covid-19 cases during the four-week period ending Dec. 1—outpacing the 45.1% growth in counties with high concentrations of Covid-19 cases—according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

This is based on an analysis of counties across 116 U.S. metropolitan areas. Redfin defines a high Covid-19 intensity county as a county where coronavirus cases per capita are at least 80% higher than the other counties in this analysis, while a low Covid-19 intensity county is one that ranks in the bottom 20% by cases per capita.

Home sales have been surging across the board due to record-low mortgage rates and a wave of migration fueled by remote work. Places with low concentrations of coronavirus cases have seen especially high sales growth, in part because they’ve experienced influxes of new residents during the pandemic, according to Redfin Senior Economist Reginald Edwards.

“Many of the counties with fewer coronavirus cases per capita happen to be the same suburban counties that people are moving to during the pandemic. Folks are migrating to these places because the crowded, expensive cities they used to live in no longer have as much to offer, with restaurants, entertainment and workplaces shut down,” Edwards said. “The counties with fewer cases per capita are also seeing higher growth in home listings, which is allowing home sales to flourish.”

New listings climbed 20.6% year over year in counties with low concentrations of Covid-19 cases during the four-week period ending Dec. 1, compared with 12.8% growth in counties with high concentrations of Covid-19 cases. The gap was even more stark back in April, likely because real estate activity was restricted in many places across the country at the beginning of the pandemic.

Redfin real estate agent Ali Schneider said one of her buyers recently viewed a home that they liked in Danville, CA, but the sellers then took it off the market after just a few weeks because they were worried they would be exposed to the coronavirus.

“They got nervous because so many prospective buyers were scheduling showings. Every day, people were coming through and touching their doorknobs,” Schneider said. “Some sellers are very reluctant to let people into their homes during this pandemic, which is why we’ve seen a lack of new listings here. Plus, not a lot of folks want to put their houses up for sale during the holidays.”

Massachusetts Redfin agent Alysandra Nemeth said she thinks new listings have taken a slight hit because people are spending so much time at home during the pandemic.

“A lot of homeowners can’t get their kids, dogs, and themselves out of the house for long enough to put their property on the market,” she said. “I also know people who are really nervous about having strangers touring their homes during a pandemic. It’s tough, because they also know that it’s the perfect time to sell—they’re going to get top-dollar for their home since there’s such a severe inventory shortage and everyone is moving.”

Active listings, a measure of housing inventory, fell 41.2% year over year in counties with low concentrations of Covid-19 cases during the four-week period ending Dec. 1—a more severe drop than the 33% decline in counties with high concentrations of Covid-19 cases.

The average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their asking prices, has also been on the rise in places with relatively few Covid-19 cases. It clocked in at 100.2% in counties with low concentrations of Covid-19 cases during the period ending Dec. 1, compared with 98.5% a year earlier. In counties with high concentrations of cases, the ratio stood at 99.1%, versus 98% a year earlier. A value above 100% indicates that homes are selling for more than their listing prices, while a value below 100% means that homes are selling for less.

“We’re seeing less demand for homes in places where coronavirus cases are high, which means sellers are more likely to have to drop their prices,” Edwards said. “Typically, homes only sell for more than what they’re listed for in places where there are bidding wars.”

To view the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/coronavirus-real-estate-market-impact

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered residential real estate company, redefining real estate in the consumer’s favor in a commission-driven industry. We do this by integrating every step of the home buying and selling process and pairing our own agents with our own technology, creating a service that is faster, better and costs less. We offer brokerage, iBuying, mortgage, and title services, and we also run the country’s #1 real estate brokerage search site, offering a host of online tools to consumers, including the Redfin Estimate. We represent people buying and selling homes in over 90 markets in the United States and Canada. Since our launch in 2006, we have saved our customers over $800 million and we’ve helped them buy or sell more than 235,000 homes worth more than $115 billion.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin’s press release distribution list, email [email protected]. To view Redfin’s press center, click here.

 

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SOURCE Redfin

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) (“SeaWorld” or the “Company”), a leading theme park and entertainment company, today announced its Board of Directors (the “Board”)  have elected Timothy Hartnett and Kimberly Schaefer to serve as Directors of the Company, effective December 9, 2020. These appointments increase the size of the Board from eight to ten Directors.

“We are pleased to welcome Tim and Kim to the Company’s Board,” said Scott Ross, Chairman of the SeaWorld Board and Managing Partner of Hill Path Capital. “Tim brings significant experience working with companies across industry sectors and brings unique skills, particularly in finance and accounting. Kim has significant experience in the leisure, hospitality and entertainment sectors and brings unique skills, particularly in operations and marketing. We are very fortunate to have Tim and Kim on our Board and look forward to their contributions.”

Hartnett is currently CEO of New Roc Management, a consulting firm focused on providing asset management and operational services and advice to a high net worth family.  From 1988 to 2013 he was employed by PricewaterhouseCoopers where he ultimately served as a partner and global leader of its private equity practice. He received a B.A. in Accounting from Boston College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia Business School.

Schaefer is President of Two Bit Circus, Inc., a startup concept focusing on social interactions using the latest in technology and gaming. From 2009 to 2015, Schaefer served as CEO and a Director of Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., and prior to that, as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Brand Officer. Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company and served on the Board of Education Realty Trust from 2016 to 2018. She graduated from Edgewood College with a B.A. in Accounting.

About SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter, and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world. The Company is one of the world’s foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld^® rescue team has helped more than 37,000 animals in need over the Company’s history.  SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld^®, Busch Gardens^®, Aquatica^®, Sesame Place^® and Sea Rescue^®. Over its more than 60-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection. The Company’s theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.

Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. can be obtained online at www.seaworldentertainment.com. Shareholders and prospective investors can also register to automatically receive the Company’s press releases, SEC filings and other notices by e-mail by registering at that website.

CONTACT:

Investor Relations:

Matthew Stroud

Vice President, Investor Relations
855-797-8625
[email protected]

Media:

Lindsay Walters

Vice President, Edelman
202-867-8014
[email protected]

 

 

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SOURCE SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) will present at the J.P. Morgan 39^th Annual Healthcare Conference on Thursday, January 14, 2021. Michael Goettler, chief executive officer, will make a formal presentation about the company at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Investors and the general public are invited to listen to a live webcast of the presentation at investor.viatris.com. An archived version also will be available following the live presentation and can be accessed at the same location for a limited time. 

Viatris also announced that it will hold its inaugural Investor Day virtually on Monday, March 1, 2021. Several members of the leadership team will present a deep dive into the Company’s strategy to deliver long-term value to shareholders, as well as details about Viatris’ Global Healthcare Gateway™. Viatris also intends to initiate and discuss its financial guidance for fiscal year 2021. 

Interested parties will be able to access a live webcast of the Investor Day event via the investor relations section of Viatris’ website at investor.viatris.com, with materials available at the start of the webcast. A replay and archived edition of the presentation will be available following the event.

About Viatris 
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a new kind of healthcare company, empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway™. Formed in November 2020 through the combination of Mylan and Pfizer’s Upjohn business, Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory, medical and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories. Viatris’ portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines, a growing portfolio of biosimilars and a variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With a global workforce of approximately 45,000, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

 

 

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SOURCE Viatris Inc.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Quantum Corp. (NASDAQ: QMCO) today announced that its ActiveScale^™ object storage platform automatically complies with the new strong consistency requirements for compatibility with Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) applications. To claim AWS S3 compliance following the recent S3 update, object storage systems must ensure strong consistency.

Strong Consistency and Why It Matters
Strong consistency refers to the availability of data objects in distributed storage systems. As many applications require that data is written and immediately read back, strong consistency ensures that the latest version of the data is immediately presented to the application with no impact on performance. All metadata instances are updated simultaneously so that the data is presented in a consistent state, no matter which node in a distributed cluster a request is sent to. Without this capability, data requests that go to a different node from where it was originally written are likely to return inaccurate data or result in the system being unable to locate the data at all.

“We made a conscious decision to design ActiveScale with data integrity and durability at its core, so strong consistency has always been one of the platform’s key capabilities,” said Bruno Hald, General Manager, Secondary Storage at Quantum. “Following AWS’ announcement of strong consistency on its S3 service, storage systems that don’t meet this standard can no longer be considered compliant. With ActiveScale, customers can be confident that strong consistency is assured, providing complete accessibility to their data at scale.”

ActiveScale Delivers Unique Architecture at Highest Levels of Resiliency, Durability
The ActiveScale architecture ensures strong consistency whether in a single site, 3-geo dispersed or local ingest, scalable to petabytes and thousands of objects. It’s also designed for the highest levels of data durability with ActiveScale’s Dynamic Data Placement and Dynamic Data Repair, providing resiliency with protection against drive, chassis, and site failures, and security with Object Lock for immutability and ransomware protection.

The ActiveScale platform was recently expanded with a focus on data security, increased capacity, efficiency and performance, empowering customers to handle massive unstructured data growth and extract value from data in order to stay competitive. Quantum continues to innovate and deliver data and storage management solutions addressing the most pressing challenges facing unstructured data.

Additional Resources

• For more about ActiveScale object storage: https://www.quantum.com/object-storage

About Quantum
Quantum technology and services help customers capture, create and share digital content – and preserve and protect it for decades.  With solutions built for every stage of the data lifecycle, Quantum’s platforms provide the fastest performance for high-resolution video, images, and industrial IoT.  That’s why the world’s leading entertainment companies, sports franchises, researchers, government agencies, enterprises, and cloud providers are making the world happier, safer, and smarter on Quantum.  Quantum is listed on Nasdaq (QMCO) and was added to the Russell 2000® Index in 2020. For more information visit www.quantum.com/

Quantum, the Quantum logo, are registered trademarks, and ActiveScale is a trademark of Quantum Corporation. Amazon Simple Storage Service and Amazon S3 are trademarks of Amazon.com or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements. Quantum advises caution in reliance on forward-looking statements. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Quantum Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Quantum”) may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding ActiveScale enabling customers to extract data to be competitive, and with ActiveScale customers can be assured of strong consistency. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the risk that Quantum’s latest versions of ATFS, StorNext and/or ActiveScale software are not accepted by the industry, including hybrid cloud and multi-cloud storage users, and other risks that are described herein, including but not limited to the items discussed in “Risk Factors” in Quantum’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Committee on August 6, 2019. Quantum expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Public Relations Contact:

Kerry Quintiliani

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
[email protected] 
t +1 310 773 3763

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SOURCE Quantum Corp.

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —  Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, (“KraneShares“), a global asset management firm known for its China-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and innovative China investment strategies, today announced the launch of the KraneShares CICC China Consumer Leaders ETF (Ticker: KBUY) on the New York Stock Exchange.

KBUY seeks to measure the performance of the CICC China Consumer Leaders Index. The index consists of the investable universe of publicly traded China-based companies whose primary business or businesses are in consumption-related industries such as home appliances, food & beverage, apparel & clothing, hotels, restaurants, and duty-free goods.

China is undergoing a fundamental change in its economy’s composition, shifting away from heavy industrial output to instead focus on expanding and advancing its services sector. Along with this change, retail sales have increased steadily. Total Chinese retail sales recently surpassed the US, reaching $5.8 trillion¹ in China compared to $5.5 trillion in the US in 2019².

Even with the world’s largest middle-class population, China still has immense potential for further consumption growth. Recent advancements in e-commerce platform technologies have helped domestic brands expand their reach to lower-tier cities and consumers within lower income brackets. Additionally, rising incomes in China have contributed to an overall consumption upgrade, consisting of a stronger preference for higher quality products, brand loyalty, and more luxury spending.

“China has a population of 1.4 billion consumers who have seen their per capita wealth climb steadily over the past decades. We believe there is a tremendous investment opportunity in owning the companies that are producing products that these consumers are purchasing every day,” said Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares. “We are proud to partner with the top-ranked research team at China International Capital Corporation (CICC) to develop the index for KBUY, which tracks companies that align with consumption habits of households in China.”

For more information about KBUY, visit kraneshares.com/kbuy, or talk to your financial advisor.

About KraneShares

Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. The firm focuses on providing investors with strategies to capture China’s importance as an essential element of a well-designed investment portfolio. KraneShares ETFs represent innovative, first-to-market strategies developed based on the firm and its partners’ in-depth knowledge of investing. These strategies allow investors to stay current on global market trends and provide meaningful diversification. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is majority-owned by China International Capital Corporation (CICC).

About China International Capital Corporation (CICC)
KBUY tracks an index developed by CICC Research. CICC is a leading, publicly-traded, Chinese financial services company with expertise in research, asset management, investment banking, private equity, and wealth management. In 2019, the CICC Research Team ranked #1 in Institutional Investor’s All-China Research Category for the eighth year in a row.³ Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is majority owned by CICC.

Citations:

1. National Bureau of Statistics in China, “Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods Went up by 8.0 percent in 2019” 1/19/2020. Note: Figures converted from Chinese Renminbi to USD as of 4/14/2020.
2. US Department of Commerce, “Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales 4^th Quarter 2019″, 2/19/2020.
3. Institutional Investor, “The All-China Research Team”, 2019.

Carefully consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and additional information can be found in the Funds’ full and summary prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting www.kraneshares.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Risk Disclosures:

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its stated objectives. The Funds are subject to political, social or economic instability within China which may cause decline in value. Fluctuations in currency of foreign countries may have an adverse effect to domestic currency values. Emerging markets involve heightened risk related to the same factors as well as increase volatility and lower trading volume.

Narrowly focused investments typically exhibit higher volatility. The Fund’s assets are expected to be concentrated in an industry or group of industries to the extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in a particular industry or group of industries. The securities of companies in an industry or group of industries could react similarly to market developments. Thus, the Fund is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect one industry or group of industries or sector. The fund is non-diversified.

The ability of the KraneShares CICC China Consumer Leaders ETF to achieve its investment objective is dependent on the continuous availability of A-Shares and the ability to obtain, if necessary, additional A-Shares quota. If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure due to the limited availability of A-Share quota, the Fund could seek exposure to the component securities of the Underlying Index by investing in other types of securities. The Fund may invest in derivatives, which are often more volatile than other investments and mat magnify the Fund’s gains or losses.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss.

The KraneShares ETFs are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Company (SIDCO), which is not affiliated with Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, the Investment Adviser for the Fund. [R_US_KS_SEI]

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SOURCE Krane Funds Advisors, LLC