Over 100 micro drones rise from the stage as Celine Dion raises her arms during a performance of her epic ballad My Heart Will Go On.

simon Szabo/Handout

Theres a buzz around Celine Dion these days, and were not talking her new album, Courage. For her current tour, during the epic ballad My Heart Will Go On, more than 100 microdrones rise from the stage like so many fireflies as the singer raises her arms. As the song reaches its crescendo, the hovering illumination devices turn blue and throng around Dion before descending back to the stage one by one. A remaining lit drone dips to the performer before flying off. The Disney-like moment is over Dions white dress might be a loaner from Cinderella but the singers heart, and the show, will go on.

Cline Dion, style icon: How the singers daring wardrobe has evolved and what to expect on her new world tour

The use of microdrones for indoor concerts is a recent innovation. Canadian fans may have been introduced to the dancing lights during Drakes Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, in which flying waves and a drone-swarm cloud were achieved during a pair of songs. Then again, the flying foam Ferrari (supported by a fleet of tiny drones controlled offstage) might have been more memorable than any floating lights.

For both the Drake tour and the Dion concerts, the drone technology was developed by Verity Studios AG, a Zurich-based pioneer in small autonomous copters. The effect is innovative, but is it worth the trouble and cost? Will we see more of it, or will this latest razzle-dazzle go the way of dry ice and drum solos?

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For Raffaello DAndrea, the sky is the limit for the developing technology. We see autonomous indoor drones as a platform that enables the movement of any payload in 3D space, says the Verity Studios chief executive and founder, who agreed to an e-mail interview with The Globe and Mail. Weve just released the Lucie mini beam, which is a miniature flying spotlight, and were playing with a variety of other effects."

The drone, equipped with powerful lights, can either follow preset choreography or fly autonomously. The sound the tiny device produces is quieter than conversational speech, according to DAndrea.

Veritys Lucie microdrone weighs 50 grams and is roughly the size of an adult hand. Speaking of which, Enrique Iglesiass right paw was bloodied by a larger, non-Verity device during a performance in Tijuana in 2015. The singer grabbed a camera-equipped drone, slicing a finger in the process. "Something went wrong and he had an accident, read a statement released by the singer after the concert.

Because of safety and insurance issues, some venues have instituted bans against drones. The consumer drone used in the outdoor Iglesias concert was significantly heavier than Veritys specialty indoor devices, which are, according, to DAndrea, considerably safer. We havent had any challenges with getting approvals for our drones, he says. Weve flown in more than 100 venues, many with no-drone policies, in almost 200,000 fully autonomous flights over people.

Front-of-house technician and show designer David Diamond says that drones are here to stay.

simon Szabo/Handout

In addition to the shows with Drake and Dion, Veritys drones have been used by Cirque du Soleil, Metallica and Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who employed the devices to portray a wave of flying trash for his conceptual stage show 2047 Apologue. It remains to be seen if drone lighting will become a standard effect on theatrical stages, or if the innovation will be reserved for extravaganzas.

Unless the choreographer wanted to see drones in the piece for some reason, I could never imagine the use for them, says American lighting designer David Finn, whose rsum includes work with the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada. "I would say that the use of drones is only interesting for rock 'n' roll or spectacle.

Veritys DAndrea would not disclose his prices publicly, but did allow that his flying machines arent cheap. Suffice it to say this is a high-end effect." It has been reported that for its 2016 Broadway show Paramour, Cirque du Soleil spent $500,000 for its flying lampshades.

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For big-ticket concert stages, one prominent designer sees the use of mini-drones as, literally, on the rise. It could be one drone lifting off a performers hand, to give the illusion of a star, or it could thousands of them, filling the area as a night sky, says David Diamond, a front-of-house technician and show designer who worked on the Drake tour. It adds a 3D dynamic that helps space, and I think, as prices come down, well see more of them."

Diamond says while Veritys drone system on the Drake tour wasnt perfect a few hiccups here and there the experience of working with the new technology was a fun challenge," and that drones are here to stay. The only limits, he believes, "are our creativity and our own minds.

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Mini-drone use on the rise to light up big concerts such as Celine Dion and Drake, but are they here to stay? - The Globe and Mail

MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --InfraRisk Pty Ltd. (InfraRisk), a leading supplier of credit management solutions in Australia, today announced it has expanded cooperation in auto financing with Toyota Financial Services to Germany and Austria to facilitate its credit process when lending to dealerships and large fleet customers.

Toyota Financial Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of the world's largest carmaker Toyota Motor Corp, specializing in offering a comprehensive financial services lineup that caters to customers' diverse needs while strengthening the core auto sales finance operation.

Nicholas Davies, founder and CEO of InfraRisk, said, "These two new European deployments complement existing ones in Europe and Australia demonstrating our platform's ability to operate across multiple geographies catering to a range of country specific factors including policies and languages, with modularity being the key architectural design."

InfraRisk has been in partnership with the car loan provider since 2016, offering them a fully featured credit management platform - Credit Value Maximiser, or CVX, to Toyota's broad base of customers.

The modularized tool is built around key origination functionalities, from profile to pricing, with each module connecting via defined APIs. By harnessing the power of big data analytics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, InfraRisk's auto financing solution will enable a more efficient and effective, as well as regulatory compliant credit process.

Meanwhile, InfraRisk announced today a new partnership with Taurus Motor Finance, a start-up car loans provider based in Australia with a digital, automated and real-time credit assessment and approval process. The lender is implementing InfraRisk's cloud-based and intelligent CVX platform to facilitate its commercial lending business as it looks to scale up operations.

"InfraRisk's deep experience in the auto finance sector along with the system readiness to manage the capture of industry specific data fields has grown us into a leading provider of auto finance SaaS solutions," said Victor Li, head of Pintec International Business. "We will continue to invest in the ongoing research and development with committed efforts and build the platform into a smarter and more advanced tool catering to particular ecosystems."

InfraRisk is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pintec Technology Holdings Limited ("Pintec",Nasdaq: PT), a leading fintech solutions provider that specializes in intelligent retail finance covering point-of-sale installment loans, personal loans, SME loans, corporate and commercial segments, wealth management and insurance services.

About InfraRisk

InfraRisk is a leading provider of credit management solutions in Australia. Incorporated in November 2008 and headquartered in Melbourne, InfraRisk has over 10 years of experience in providing services for financial institutions in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East. InfraRisk has been providing long-term services, primarily commercial and retail origination systems, to multiple banks and financial institutions including the big four banks in Australia and Toyota Finance.

Media inquiries, please contact:PintecGao JunPhone: +86 (10) 8564-3600E-Mail: jun.gao@pintec.com

SOURCE InfraRisk

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InfraRisk Expands Auto Financing Cooperation with Toyota Finance, Taurus Motor Finance - PRNewswire

The Global Architectural Glass Market Report Provides A Detailed Analysis of The Current Dynamics of The Market with An Extensive Focus on Secondary Research. It Also Studies the Current Situation of The Market Estimate, Share, Demand, Development Patterns, And Forecast in The Coming Years. The Report Likewise Offers A Total Architectural Glass Analysis of Things to Come Patterns and Improvements. It Likewise Examines at The Job of The Main Market Players Engaged with The Business Including Their Architectural Glass Corporate Review, Financial Summary and SWOT Analysis.

This Architectural Glass Market Report That Is Imagines That the Length of This Market Will Develop during The Time System While the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Development. The Architectural Glass Business Report Point Would Be the Economic Situations and Relating Orders and Takes the Market Players in Driving Fields Over the World.

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Market by TypeLow-eSpecialOthers

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The Report on Global Architectural Glass Market Studies the Strategy Pattern Adopted by Prominent International Players. Additionally, The Report Also Evaluates the Market Size in Terms of Revenue (USD MN) For the Forecast Period. All Data and Figures Involving Percentage Shares Splits, And Breakdowns Are Determined Using Secondary Sources and Verified Through Primary Sources.

About Us:Web: http://www.qurateresearch.comE-mail: [emailprotected]Ph: US +13393375221, IN +919881074592

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Architectural Glass: Market 2019 Will Generate New Growth Opportunities in The Upcoming Year to Expand its Size in Overseas Market by AGC,...

More than 100 people gathered at Ruth's Chris Steak House Monday to hear the announcement of the Best of Central Valley Business winners. Photo by Ram Reyes

published on December 5, 2019 - 2:42 PMWritten by Gabriel Dillard

Ruths Chris Steak House in Fresno was hopping Monday night as more than 100 of the leading local business owners and representatives gathered to hear the winners of the 2019 Best of Central Valley Business awards.

In its sixth year, the competition invites online readers of The Business Journal to vote for their favorite people, businesses and organizations in the Central Valley in 35 different categories.

From a humble start of 22,000 votes in the first year of competition, this year the program garnered nearly 160,000 votes from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.

The top three vote-getting finalists from each category were invited to the event.

Be sure to thumb through this Fridays issue of The Business Journal to read about the winners.

Best Politician on Business Issues:

Winner: Rep. Devin Nunes

1st Finalist: Assemblymember Jim Patterson

2nd Finalist: Rep. Jim Costa

Best Business Supporting Local Charities

Winner: Granville Homes

1st Finalist: De Young Properties

2nd Finalist: Tale Mountain Casino

Best Nonprofit

Winner: Marjaree Mason Center

1st Finalist: Hinds Hospice

2nd Finalist: Poverello House

Best Commercial Real Estate Company

Winner: Colliers International

1st Finalist: Fortune Associates

2nd Finalist: Stumpf and Co.

Best Residential Real Estate Company

Winner: London Properties

1st Finalist: Guarantee Real Estate

2nd Finalist: Realty Concepts

Best Real Estate Property Management Co.

Winner: Granville Homes, Inc.

1st Finalist: Manco Abbott

2nd Finalist: Regency Property Management

Best Architectural Firm

Winner: Darden Architects

1st Finalist: TETER

2nd Finalist: The Taylor Group

Best Engineering Firm:

Winner: Blair, Church, & Flynn

1st Finalist: Precision Civil Engineering, Inc.

2nd Finalist: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group

Best Homebuilder

Winner: Granville Homes

1st Finalist: DeYoung Properties

2nd Finalist: Wathen Castanos

Best Business Bank

Winner: Central Valley Community Bank

1st Finalist: Wells Fargo

2nd Finalist: Chase Bank

Best Employment Service

Winner: PrideStaff

1st Finalist: Denham Resources

2nd Finalist: Hire Up Staffing

Best Property/Casualty Insurance Co.

Winner: DiBuduo & DeFendis

1st Finalist: Der Manouel Insurance Group

2nd Finalist: Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.

Best Credit Union

Winner: Educational Employees Credit Union

1st Finalist: Noble Credit Union

2nd Finalist: Golden 1 Credit Union

Best Auto Dealership

Winner: Selma Auto Mall

1st Finalist: Hedricks Chevrolet

2nd Finalist: Haron Jaguar Land Rover Volvo

Best Accounting Firm

Winner: The Garabedian Group

1st Finalist: Moss Addams LLP

2nd Finalist: Moore Grider & Company

Best Law Firm

Winner: McCormick Barstow LLP

1st Finalist: Dowling, Aaron, Inc.

2nd Finalist: Baker Manock & Jensen

Best Advertising Agency

Winner: JP Marketing

1st Finalist: Jeffrey Scott Agency

2nd Finalist: Catalyst Marketing

Best Bar To Entertain Clients

Winner: Elbow Room

1st Finalist: Pismos Coastal Grill

2nd Finalist: Annex Kitchen

Best Hospital

Winner: Clovis Community Medical Center

1st Finalist: Valley Childrens Hospital

See the rest here:
Best of Central Valley Business winners unveiled - The Business Journal

(First of five parts)

Section 116 of the Revised Corporation Code (RCC) defines a One Person Corporation as a corporation with a Single Stockholder, who must either be a: (i) natural person; (ii) trust; or (iii) estate, and which shall be governed by a special set of provisions under its Chapter III, Title XIII. However, as will be demonstrated in the discussions below, it would be easier to view the Single Stockholder in a One Person Corporation (OPC) setting as simply a natural person.

By way of comparison, if the close corporation reflects the commercial medium of an incorporated partnership introduced into the Philippine setting by the old Corporation Code, then the OPC should be viewed as a new corporate medium of incorporated sole proprietorship introduced under the RCC to promote the ease of doing business (EODB). The provisions of Chapter III, Title XIII seek to extend the commercially advantageous features of separate juridical personality and limited liability to entrepreneurs and proprietors of micro-, small-, or medium-enterprises (MSMEs), and to promote the EODB.

The OPC is primarily a for-profit corporate vehicle and generally cannot be employed by a natural person as a means to practice a profession, unless expressly allowed by a special law. Although theoretically there can be a nonstock corporation with a single member, such an institution would not fall within the ambit of Chapter III, Title XIII of the RCC.

NATURAL PERSON AS THE SINGLE STOCKHOLDERAlthough Section 10 of the RCC (Number and Qualifications of Incorporators) expressly provides that a person, partnership, association or corporation, singly may organize a corporation for any lawful purpose or purposes, it nevertheless provides in its last paragraph that A corporation with a single stockholder is considered a One Person Corporation as described in Title XIII, Chapter III of this Code. However, not all corporations with a single stockholder would fall within the definition of an OPC that shall be governed under Chapter III of Title XIII, since Section 116 provides essentially that only a natural person may form an OPC.

a. OPC is Organized as a Stock Corporation. The language of Section 10 referring to a single stockholder, as well as the provisions under Chapter III of Title XIII clearly provides that an OPC can only be organized as a stock corporation with a single stockholder.

To illustrate, although Section 10 allows for a single incorporator, and the amendment reflected in Section 22 allows the Board of Trustees to be constituted of only one member even for nonstock corporation, nevertheless, when a single natural person incorporator organizes a nonstock corporation with a Board of only one member, such a nonstock corporation cannot be considered as governed by Chapter III of Title XIII of the RCC, but rather by Title XI that governs primarily nonstock corporations.

b. A Natural Person as the Single Stockholder Acting as Nominee. When an OPC is organized by a natural person, there is no provision in Chapter III of Title XIII to indicate that it would not qualify to be an OPC when the Single Stockholder is holding such shares as a nominee for another person or persons, or even when he/she holds the shares as nominee of a corporation or any other juridical entity.

This position is bolstered by the fact that Section 116 provides that a trust is qualified to be the single stockholder, even when the trustee clearly holds the trust properties for the benefit of several beneficiaries, or, for that matter, for the benefit of a juridical entity.

c. A Trust as the Single Stockholder. A trust arrangement is not a juridical entity, and having no capacity to contract as such, cannot legally assume the role of the Single Stockholder who holds title to the shares in the OPC.

What Section 116 must mean is that the trustee of the trust property, when he/she is a natural person (since a trustee can also be a juridical person) can qualify to incorporate the trust estate into an OPC, with the trustee as the Single Stockholder, even when expressly stating that he holds the shares in the OPC as trustee for the benefit of an identified beneficiary or beneficiaries.

Again, when the natural person incorporates an OPC in his name as the Single Stockholder, expressly stating that he holds the shares as trustee for an identified beneficiary, this should not disqualify the corporation from being an OPC governed by Chapter III of Title XIII, since the provision itself allows a trust to be incorporated as an OPC, regardless of the trustor/beneficiary of record. It is only when the trustee is a juridical person that it cannot incorporate the trust properties into an OPC with the trustee-corporation itself as the Single Stockholder.

d. An Estate as the Single Stockholder. Section 111(a) (on Articles of Incorporation) states that If the single stockholder is an estate, the name, nationality and residence of the administrator, executor, guardian, conservator, custodian, or other person exercising fiduciary duties together with the proof of such authority to act on behalf of the estate shall be contained in the OPCs articles of incorporation.

An estate cannot lawfully become a stockholder of any corporation, because it has no juridical capacity to act; only persons with capacity to contract may own properties (i.e., shares of stock) or become parties to contractual relationships (i.e., as subscriber to the shares of stock of a corporation). It may be true that the OPC may assume the name of the estate, say Estate of the Decedent Juan dela Cruz, OPC, but the Single Stockholder of record would be the fiduciary holding legal title to the estate properties.

What Sections 116 and 118(a) must mean when referring to an estate which may form an OPC is that whoever is the fiduciary holding title to the estate (whether as an administrator, executor, guardian, conservator, etc.) may validly incorporate the estate into an OPC, with a fiduciary natural person as the Single Stockholder of record. Again, such a fiduciary must be a natural person to constitute the corporation an OPC governed by Chapter III of Title XIII of the RCC.

As in the case of a trust, the single stockholder may validly indicate that he/she holds all of the shares in the OPC as fiduciary of an identified estate beneficiary. In the case of the conservator, he actually holds the title to properties that pertain to a corporate entity.

ENTERPRISE OR BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE PURSUED THROUGH AN OPCIf one were to evaluate the various provisions of the RCC, we can deduce the following rules on the types of enterprises or undertakings that may be pursued through the medium of the OPC, thus:

a. Practice of a Profession. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 10, a natural person can pursue the practice of his profession through an OPC (or an ordinary corporation) only when authorized by the special law that governs the practice of that particular profession.

An example of such a special law would be the Architecture Act of 2004 (R.A. 9266) that allows the registration with the SEC of architectural professional corporations.

b. Service Company. A natural person can pursue the rendering of his/her services, other than in the practice of a profession (i.e., a service that is not regulated by the Professional Regulations Commission), through an OPC which thereby retains him/her as an employee or a consultant.

c. Holding Company. Aside from the express power granted to a natural-person-trustee or natural-person-fiduciary to incorporate the trust properties or the estate into an OPC, there is no prohibition in Chapter III of Title XIII, for an OPC to be organized by a natural person Single Stockholder, not to operate a business, but merely to hold title to properties, real or personal; EXCEPT:

(i) When it comes to holding title to private lands, where the single stockholder must be a Filipino citizen; and

(ii) When holding shares in a corporation engaging in a nationalized business or industry, where, if the Single Stockholder is a foreigner, the amount of equity held in the corporation should not exceed 40% of the voting capital stock, nor more than 40% of the entire outstanding capital stock

d. All Other Lawful Business Enterprises May Be Pursued Through an OPC by the Single Stockholder; EXCEPT: As expressly provided in Section 116: (i) Banks and quasi-banks; (ii) Insurance, preneed and trust companies; (iii) Publicly-held and Publicly-listed companies; and (iv) Non-chartered GOCCs

e. Businesses Vested With Public Interests. Although not expressly stated in Chapter III of Title XIII (unlike in the case of close corporations), an OPC cannot be organized to undertake any business that has been classified by the SEC as being vested with public interests, because such classes of corporations are required to have at least 20% of the Board constituted of independent directors, which requirement an OPC, by its very nature, cannot legally comply with.

f. Mining and Oil Companies, Stock Exchanges, Public Utilities. If close corporations are expressly disqualified under Section 95 from engaging in these types of business, then policy considerations should also disqualify the OPC from engaging in such business activities.

(The article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines or the MAP)

Cesar L. Villanueva is Chair of the MAP Corporate Governance Committee, the Founding Partner of the Villanueva Gabionza & Dy Law Offices, and the former Chair of the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).

cvillanueva@vgslaw.com

map@map.org.ph

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Commentaries on the One Person Corporation under the Revised Corporation Code - BusinessWorld Online

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UAE-based facilities management provider, Emrill, has announced contract wins and renewals for the past year of over US$167m, setting a new record for the company with an increase of over 23 per cent compared to the previous year.

The announcement follows a string of new contract wins over the course of 2018 and 2019, including Marina Gate, Dubai Hills, Dubai Creek Residences and Downtown Dubai, where Emrill provides integrated facilities management to a diverse range of sectors including residential, commercial, retail and hospitality. During the period, Emrill secured over $44m in new project awards.

Commenting, Emrill CEO, Stuart Harrison, said a major factor in Emrills success in winning new business was its people. At every level of the organisation, we are committed to raising regional FM standards and redefining and improving the client experience one building, one community and one place at a time. We do this by building value partnerships with our clients, working with them to deliver long-term growth.

Our commitment to our partners success has enabled us to not only win a number of new major projects but also retain existing clients, with over 88 per cent of our new contract wins coming from existing clients.

Renewals for the period were 81 per cent higher than those in the previous year, totalling over $123m. Commercial contract renewals included Dubai International Terminal 3 and Dubai Opera. Residential contract renewals included Royal Amwaj Residences, 23 Marina and Princess Tower.

Philippa Carman, Emrills head of business development, commented on the recent Dubai Airports contract award: We were delighted to be awarded a six-year contract by Dubai Airports and to continue the excellent partnership we have built over the last four years. While the scope of work remains unchanged and will see our staff carrying out cleaning and janitorial services in passenger, stakeholder and logistics areas, we welcome the opportunity to expand our offering into concourse A in addition to concourses B and C.

Emrill will deploy over 1,000 cleaning staff at Dubai International Terminal 3 for the duration of the six-year contract, the longest contract Dubai Airports has awarded the company.

Speaking about current market conditions, Harrison said: While there is certainly pressure to reduce costs in certain price-sensitive sectors, the feedback we have received from our clients is they are still prioritising service quality and seeking out partners who can support their strategic aims. We have made substantial investment into FM innovation, and this approach has given our clients access to cutting-edge technology and enabled us to deliver operational efficiencies.

In 2018 and 2019, Emrill launched a number of technological firsts into the UAE market, launching the first efficiency-enhancing app of its kind, specifically designed to enhance and refine the delivery of soft FM services in both horizontal and high-rise communities. The company also mobilised the UAEs first and only CMAR street cleaner, significantly reducing water usage.

Carman explained: Technology has always played a big role in shaping the facilities management sector. In 2019, our goal has been to ensure we are future ready, both in our practices and procedures, as well as remaining ahead of the curve with the equipment we use. This technology-driven approach to soft FM services has enabled us to pass on this value-add to our clients.

Harrison added Emrills commitment to sustainability has also played a part in the companys success as clients are becoming more environmentally conscious. He said: We ensure sustainable practices are applied to all areas of the business and provide solutions that help our clients work towards carbon neutrality and sustainability. In 2018, we launched an organic vegetable garden in Dubai, accessible to 5,000 residents living in 1,500 apartments. We also developed a 700 square metre plot of sand into a sustainability park. The newly laid grass and shrubs were fertilised with recycled food waste.

Essentially, we have been able to grow year on year, retaining contracts and winning new contracts by being flexible and dynamic. Emrills Future Ready Programme was launched to build upon our existing company-wide culture of innovation and future proofing, enabling us to deliver innovations in technology and processes to achieve demonstrable productivity improvements. This is why our clients partner with us, Harrison concluded.

With over 7,500 directly employed staff, Emrill has operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and opened new offices in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah in the second half of 2019.

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Emrill announces record annual contract wins of over $US167m - Construction Business News

Brokerages predict that Apogee Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ:APOG) will report earnings of $0.76 per share for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Three analysts have made estimates for Apogee Enterprises earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $0.79 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.70. Apogee Enterprises posted earnings of $0.80 per share during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year over year growth rate of 5%. The firm is expected to announce its next earnings results on Thursday, December 19th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Apogee Enterprises will report full-year earnings of $3.04 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.01 to $3.07. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the business will report earnings of $3.57 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.45 to $3.66. Zacks Investment Researchs EPS averages are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that that provide coverage for Apogee Enterprises.

Apogee Enterprises (NASDAQ:APOG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 17th. The industrial products company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $357.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $353.62 million. Apogee Enterprises had a return on equity of 15.92% and a net margin of 3.14%. The companys revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.75 EPS.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. ValuEngine lowered Apogee Enterprises from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Wednesday. BidaskClub lowered Apogee Enterprises from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, TheStreet lowered Apogee Enterprises from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $43.50.

Shares of APOG traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $37.16. 53,400 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 89,896. Apogee Enterprises has a one year low of $26.38 and a one year high of $46.70. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $987.30 million, a PE ratio of 12.55, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.67.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 21st were issued a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 18th. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. Apogee Enterprisess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.65%.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of APOG. Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Apogee Enterprises in the second quarter worth about $5,524,000. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Apogee Enterprises by 492.9% in the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 147,702 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,537,000 after purchasing an additional 122,790 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in shares of Apogee Enterprises by 739.6% in the second quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 122,921 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,339,000 after purchasing an additional 108,280 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Apogee Enterprises in the second quarter worth about $4,483,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in shares of Apogee Enterprises by 32.7% in the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 356,874 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $15,503,000 after purchasing an additional 87,875 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.50% of the companys stock.

Apogee Enterprises Company Profile

Apogee Enterprises, Inc designs and develops glass and metal products and services in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. It operates through four segments: Architectural Framing Systems, Architectural Glass, Architectural Services, and Large-Scale Optical Technologies (LSO). The Architectural Framing Systems segment designs, engineers, fabricates, and finishes the aluminum frames used in customized aluminum and glass window, curtainwall, storefront, and entrance systems comprising the outside skin and entrances of commercial, institutional, and multi-family residential buildings.

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It's time to prepare your home against winter's harsh weather. Take a tip from the Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS - a few simple, precautionary steps can save money and add to the value of your home. Keep in mind the benefits of making the improvements and the risks involved in leaving some jobs unfinished.

Heating systems

Heating systems vary, but in general, industry standards advise a professional check-up every year for oil-powered units and every three years for those powered by gas. However, do-it-yourself maintenance is also advisable. With the furnace off, you should replace air filters, and vacuum dust from the blower, fan blades grills and air intakes. Replace any cracked or frayed belts.

If your furnace supplies heat using hot water in pipes or radiators, you may need to lubricate the motor that pushes water through the system. Remember: the efficiency of hot-water systems can be impaired if air gets caught within the systems, because air takes the place of hot water. Make sure the valve that lets air escape is working properly.

Chimney flues

Checking your chimney is another important weatherproofing task. If you are uncertain about the condition of a furnace or chimney flue, it's best to hire a chimney sweep to clear out creosote: the flammable oily residue that accumulates when wood is burned. If left uncleaned, creosote could be re-ignited, causing a chimney fire.

If you decide to clean out the furnace flue yourself, take apart exposed pipe sections and brush them outdoors. To clean a chimney flue, pull a sand-filled canvas bag back and forth through the opening, working from the roof. Make certain the flue is closed to keep soot from filtering inside the house.

Smoke detectors

Although battery-powered smoke detectors should be tested year round, it is crucial to test them in the winter, because sources of fire, such as fireplaces, wood stoves and portable heaters are used. Testing battery-powered units is simple make sure the batteries work. A unit connected to the electrical system should also be tested, but probably does not need any maintenance except, perhaps, a light dusting.

Air or water leaks

Look for air cracks around windows, doors, pipes, ducts and other openings. It is important to seal these leaks with flexible caulk. Seams where siding meets windows and doors should also be caulked. On brick siding, fill in eroded joints with mortar, to keep out air, water and snow.

Insulation

Check the attic to see if insulation needs to be added or replaced. This is the most significant area of heat loss in many homes, so it is also important to see that it has proper ventilation. Inadequate ventilation could lead to premature deterioration of the insulation materials. It may be necessary to check insulation in exterior walls, crawl spaces and along foundation walls, as well.

Gutter cleaning

Clean the leaves from all gutters. Then, make sure the drainage system works by running water through them.

Avoiding frozen pipes

Finally, here's 5 tips for avoiding frozen pipes this winter!

Turnon your faucetsif the temperatures have dropped into freezing and intend to stay there. Keep water moving at 5 drips per minute through your system to slow down the freezing process.

Open cabinet doors covering plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom for better circulation, and to help prevent the exposed piping from freezing. This can keep water moving and limit the dangerous effects of freezing weather.

If your pipes are already freezing, wrap them with warm towels and then pour boiling water on top, or use already-wet towels (use gloves for this) to help loosen the ice inside and get your system running again.

Pull out your hair dryer when your pipes are freezing and try blowing hot air directly on the pipes. Do NOT use a blow torch or anything that produces direct flames, which can damage your pipes and turn a frozen pipe into an even worse disaster.

Shut off the water if pipes are frozen, and close off any external water sources like garden hose hookups. This will prevent more water from filling the system, which will add more ice to the pile and eventually burst your pipes the worst-case scenario. This also will help when the water thaws; the last thing you want after finally fixing your frozen pipes is for water to flood the systemand thus, your home.

Preparing your home for winter is a smart way to cut energy costs and make sure your home is safe. It's a job that is well worth the time and effort.

Visit our web site at http://www.easternctrealtors.com.

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Weatherproof your home for the winter - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com

Though its not as pleasant, ensuring that your car stays clean in the chills of winter can be more essential than keeping it pristine during the height of summer.

As a result of gritters being on the road as well as general muck and dirt finding its way onto our highways, winter can be a tough time for cars. If you want to keep your cars bodywork in a good condition, its paramount that you give it a bit of regular maintenance. Heres how.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Giving your car a thorough rinse before anything else gets rid of surface grime and loose materials, as well as washing any salt from rust-prone areas like the wheelarches and sills.

Dont be shy with the pressure washer, either; concentrate on areas like the grille, front splitter and under-boot section. Youd be surprised where salt and grit manages to get to.

Applying a pre-wash can make the whole process easier. A product like snow foam or a designated cleaner can strip the grime and muck off a car and ensure that the most amount of grit and salt is taken away.

Allow it to sit for a good amount of time before rinsing off and carrying forward to the next step.

The next part of the process is to apply plenty of car shampoo. Dont ever attempt this with household dish soap itll do more bad than good, as it can strip a lot of the protective coating on a paint.

Leave it on for a little while, too. Allow it to work its way into all of the difficult areas, and dont be tempted to rinse it off too early. Then, get scrubbing with a soft microfibre mitt.

Give the whole car a thorough rinse once youre all done scrubbing. Concentrate on fiddly areas like the wheels and brakes, as well as in gutter sections and in the wing mirrors.

Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth to remove all of the excess water from the cars bodywork.

This not only takes off the last of the surface grime that the scrub may have missed, but it also means the car isnt covered in streaks as it dries.

A finishing touch, but a worthwhile one, spraying a wax or sealant is a great way of prolonging the shine youve worked so hard to create.

I always forget just how utterly grim the roads are in Yorkshire until you come back to a town and get people staring at how dirty your car is. Thankfully sorted now pic.twitter.com/nFVZXpVBiS

Ted Welford (@TedWelford) December 2, 2019

Apply a coat of your favourite product and itll make cleaning dirt and grime off next time a little easier, too.

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How to clean grime off your car this winter - AOL UK

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Though the Bay Area has some of the nations wealthiest communities, its also home to dozens of high-poverty neighborhoods that have been hit hard by rising housing costs.

With two exceptions, the regions 10 poorest neighborhoods all are in the East Bay. On average, nearly 52 percent of residents in these neighborhoods earned less than 200 percent of the poverty threshold, the measure we chose as the basis for our analysis to account for the regions high cost of living. For a family of four, that was $50,188 in 2017, the most recent data available by ZIP code.

By comparison, just 21 percent of residents in the nine-county Bay Area and Santa Cruz fall below that mark.

Oakland has the largest share of the Bay Areas 10 poorest neighborhoods, with six ZIP codes on the list. Richmond has one. The areas surrounding Watsonvilles Municipal Airport and San Joses 95110 ZIP code encompassing Guadalupe River Park and that citys airport are the only ones on the list that arent in the East Bay.

At the top of the list is Berkeleys 94704, which surrounds U.C. Berkeley on its western and southern side. There, more than 67 percent of residents live below 200 percent of the poverty level, largely due to the high population of students.

In these poorest 10 ZIP codes, housing costs increased more than they did in the rest of the Bay Area. Between 2012 and fall of 2019, median mortgage payments increased on average nearly 56 percent among all Bay Area ZIP codes. But among the 10 highest poverty ZIP codes, they rose 105 percent.

The full Price We Pay series on the Bay Areas housing crisis is available to subscribers here. Not a subscriber? For a special offer that includes unlimited access to the series and our websites, click here for The Mercury News or here for the East Bay Times.

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The Bay Areas 10 poorest neighborhoods - The Mercury News