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FineMark Holdings Inc operates as a bank holding company. Along with its subsidiaries, the bank offers a comprehensive array of banking, trust & investment services. Services offered by the bank include wealth management, personal banking, business banking, lending, financial planning, & investments. It also offers online access which comprises personal online banking, business online banking, client point, personal credit card, business platinum credit card, & business world credit card. The majority of the Company's revenues come from interest income and financial assets including loans, securities, derivatives, bank-owned life insurance, gain on sales of debt securities available for sale, and the gain on the termination of swap agreements outside the scope of the accounting guidance.

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

2020 was a year of divergence in markets. Some industries, like health care and e-commerce, benefited greatly from the effects of the pandemic. Others, like energy and travel, did not. 

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Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the best-selling book &#8220;Rich Dad Poor Dad,&#8221; has predicted a significant surge in the prices of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), gold, and silver if former President Donald Trump wins <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">the 2024 election</a>.
What Happened: Kiyosaki took to X to share his forecast. He suggested that a Trump presidency would lead to a weaker dollar, boosting exports and job creation, and consequently driving up the prices of assets like Bitcoin, gold, and silver. Kiyosaki also predicted a decrease in oil prices if Trump is re-elected, further contributing to the rise in asset prices.
Kiyosaki compared Trump&#8217;s policies to those of President Joe Biden, stating that Biden&#8217;s actions led to a significant increase in oil prices, causing inflation that adversely affected the poor and middle class.
Kiyosaki wrote that Trump will &#8220;Make America Great Again.&#8221; The author predicted that the former president <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39853222/trump-blasts-crazy-nancy-pelosi-vows-to-end-inflation-and-claims-kim-jong-un-misses-him-in-rnc-addre">would adopt the slogan</a> &#8220;Drill, baby, drill,&#8221; a line echoed during Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Why GOLD, SILVER, BITCOIN will rise in price when TRUMP becomes President again. Trump wants a weaker dollar so America will begin export more than import. With a weaker dollar jobs will come back and assets will go up in price. Trump is going to drill, drill, drill for oil…
&mdash; Robert Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/theRealKiyosaki/status/1815607168940617813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39872368/mark-cuban-says-trumps-re-election-wont-impact-bitcoins-price-dogecoin-killer-shiba-inus-b?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Cuban Says Trump&#8217;s Re-Election Won&#8217;t Impact Bitcoin&#8217;s Price, &#8216;Dogecoin Killer&#8217; Shiba Inu&#8217;s Burn Rate Increases And More: This Week In Cryptocurrency</a>
He concluded his post by predicting that the price of gold would rise from $2,400 an ounce to $3,300, silver from $29.00 an ounce to $79.00, and Bitcoin from $67,400 per coin to $105,000 by August 2025 if Trump is re-elected.
Why It Matters: Kiyosaki&#8217;s predictions are rooted in his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39722140/rich-dad-poor-dad-author-robert-kiyosaki-bats-for-bitcoin-even-as-his-350k-prediction-for-">long-standing advocacy for Bitcoin</a> and precious metals. Recently, he urged investors to buy more Bitcoin and precious metals to &#8220;turn a bad hand into a great hand.&#8221; He warned that millions could lose out if they don&#8217;t heed his advice.
The potential impact of Trump&#8217;s policies on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39810934/trumps-second-term-could-trigger-global-inflation-warn-analysts-2024-2025-is-going-to-be-very-differ">global markets is significant</a>. Analysts have warned that a second term for Trump could trigger global inflation, driven by his &#8220;America-first&#8221; policies. These policies, characterized by high tariffs and low taxes, could have a more pronounced inflationary effect if repeated.
Moreover, Trump&#8217;s comments on Taiwan and Biden&#8217;s trade restriction plans have already <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39829923/trumps-taiwan-talk-bidens-trade-restriction-plans-trigger-nvidia-amd-and-other-semiconductor-sel">caused a selloff in semiconductor</a> stocks, highlighting the market&#8217;s sensitivity to geopolitical developments.
It&#8217;s worth noting that Kiyosaki and Trump have a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/01/36597818/donald-trump-and-rich-dad-poor-dad-author-robert-kiyosaki-teamed-up-to-write-a-book-and-make-financi">history of collaboration</a>, having co-authored a book and produced financial education videos together. Their shared views on real estate and economic policies have been well-documented.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/07/39877083/elon-musk-may-have-endorsed-trump-but-tesla-would-have-done-even-worse-without-bidens-7-5k-ev-tax-cr?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk May Have Endorsed Trump, But Tesla Would Have Done &#8216;Even Worse&#8217; Without Biden&#8217;s $7.5K EV Tax Credit, Says Fund Manager</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using photos on Flickr and Shutterstock
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Kaustubh-Bagalkote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>

Politics

Economics

$BTC

'Rich Dad Poor Dad' Author Robert Kiyosaki Predicts Bitcoin, Gold, And Silver Prices Will Soar If Trump Wins 2024 Election, Says King Crypto Will Reach $105K

Baird analyst Rob Oliver initiates coverage on Monday.Com (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MNDY#NASDAQ">MNDY</a>) with a Neutral rating and announces Price Target of $250.

Price Target

Initiation

Analyst Ratings

MNDY

Baird Initiates Coverage On Monday.Com with Neutral Rating, Announces Price Target of $250

In a significant strategic move, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>) has announced plans to repurchase ¥806.8 billion ($5.2 billion) of its shares from key Japanese banks and insurers. The move is part of a broader strategy to untangle its shareholdings with financial partners.
What Happened: The shares will be bought back from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MUFG#NYSE">MUFG</a>), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMFG#NYSE">SMFG</a>), Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TKOMY#OTC">TKOMY</a>), and MS&amp;AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSADY#OTC">MSADY</a>) at ¥2,781 each, an 11% discount to their closing price on Tuesday, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39228602/japanese-mega-banks-plan-8-5b-toyota-stake-sale-report">reported</a> on Tuesday.
This move is part of a ¥1 trillion ($6.4 billion) repurchase plan announced by Toyota in May, aimed at satisfying the Japanese government&#8217;s push for large corporations to unwind cross-held shareholdings. The deal could potentially trigger a broader wave of looser equity ties in Japan.
Why It Matters: This strategic move is a response to the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39228602/japanese-mega-banks-plan-8-5b-toyota-stake-sale-report"> Japanese government&#8217;s push</a> for corporations to dismantle their extensive network of cross-held shares. Toyota&#8217;s share buyback initiative, announced in May, is a significant increase from previous repurchases.
Toyota&#8217;s shares have climbed 26% this year, following a 43% rally in 2023. The banks and insurers plan to divest their Toyota shareholdings over a few years, significantly reducing their stakes or divesting them entirely.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39871513/trump-pours-cold-water-on-industry-tesla-falls-ahead-of-earnings-week-fords-step-back-in-ev-plan?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Pours Cold Water On Industry, Tesla Falls Ahead Of Earnings Week, Ford&#8217;s Step-back In EV Plans And More: Biggest EV Stories Of The Week</a>
Recently, Toyota has announced that its internal investigation into car model certification applications has not uncovered any further <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39640788/toyota-says-it-has-not-found-any-further-wrongdoing-in-certification-applications-beyond-those-repor">instances of misconduct</a>, beyond those previously reported. This investigation was initiated in response to an industry-wide directive from the Japanese transport ministry, following a safety test scandal at Toyota's Daihatsu compact car unit.
Furthermore, Toyota&#8217;s electric vehicle (EV) sales <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/penny-stocks/24/07/39671005/toyota-has-finally-hit-the-accelerator-on-its-ev-journey">quadrupled in the second quarter,</a> with the company selling almost 250,000 hybrid and electric models. This represents a year-over-year rise of 63%, representing almost 40% of the group&#8217;s total volume. EVs and PHEVs are undoubtedly Toyota's fastest-growing segment.
Price Action: Toyota Motor stock closed at $200.14 on Monday, according to<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com"> Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39878361/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-clarifies-he-has-literally-zero-business-interests-in-russia-slams-podcast-host?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla CEO Elon Musk Clarifies He Has &#8216;Literally Zero&#8217; Business Interests In Russia, Slams Podcast Host Sam Harris: &#8216;Pompous Hypocrite…&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by josefkubes on Shutterstock
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Pooja-Rajkumari" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pooja Rajkumari</a>

Asia

Buybacks

MSADY

MUFG

SMFG

TKOMY

Toyota Announces $5.2B Share Buyback From Japanese Banks And Insurers

Baird analyst Matthew Krueger initiates coverage on AZZ (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZZ#NYSE">AZZ</a>) with a Neutral rating and announces Price Target of $90.

Baird Initiates Coverage On AZZ with Neutral Rating, Announces Price Target of $90

Baird analyst Rob Oliver initiates coverage on Vertex (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VERX#NASDAQ">VERX</a>) with a Outperform rating and announces Price Target of $43.

VERX

Baird Initiates Coverage On Vertex with Outperform Rating, Announces Price Target of $43

EV giant Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has started rolling out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39855931/elon-musk-says-tesla-will-deploy-fsd-in-cybertrucks-with-version-12-5-stays-mum-on-fresh-timeline-af">version 12.5 of its full self-driving (FSD)</a> driver assistance software to select drivers but it doesn&#8217;t allow drivers to wear sunglasses still.
What Happened: While the newly rolled-out version is yet to allow users to wear sunglasses or enable complete hands-off driving on highways, those features will be deployed in future versions of the software, a senior Tesla executive confirmed on X. 
&#8220;End-to-end on the highway is coming in follow-up 12.5.x releases. So is driver monitoring support for sun glasses,&#8221; Ashok Elluswamy wrote. Elluswamy is Tesla's Director of Autopilot software. 
FSD currently does not work well with sunglasses as its attention monitoring system tracks eye movements to ensure users are paying attention to the road and are ready to take over as required.
However, the issue should be solved with version 12.5 of the software, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39877043/tesla-fsd-to-allow-users-to-wear-sunglasses-starting-with-version-12-5-elon-musk-tells-quake-video-g">Musk told video game developer</a> John Carmack on Saturday.
Tesla did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga&#8217;s</a> request for comment.
Why It Matters:&nbsp;Tesla is attempting to improve its FSD software to enable vehicles to operate without human intervention. However, it presently requires active driver supervision.
In May, Musk said that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39855931/elon-musk-says-tesla-will-deploy-fsd-in-cybertrucks-with-version-12-5-stays-mum-on-fresh-timeline-af" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">version 12.5 of FSD</a> will start rolling out in late June. However, there seems to have been a delay with the software rolling out to select Tesla drivers only on Monday. 
While many Tesla customers are on version 12.4 of the software, some are on further older versions.
Musk has previously also said that the company will start deploying FSD on its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39808526/cybertruck-curiosity-grips-tesla-shareholders-as-elon-musk-led-ev-giant-starts-taking-questions-for" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cybertruck vehicles&nbsp;</a>with version 12.5. It is unclear if any Cybertruck drivers have gotten access as of today. 
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read More:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39899497/spacex-bags-113m-nasa-contract-to-launch-satellite-system-for-monitoring-earths-environment">SpaceX Bags $113M NASA Contract To Launch Satellite System For Monitoring Earth&#8217;s Environment</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Tech

TSLA

Tesla's FSD Version 12.5 Doesn't Support Sunglasses Yet, Contrary To Elon Musk's Word

Piper Sandler analyst Arvind Ramnani maintains Globant (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLOB#NYSE">GLOB</a>) with a Overweight and maintains $238 price target.

GLOB

Piper Sandler Maintains Overweight on Globant, Maintains $238 Price Target

In a recent development, Warner Bros Discovery&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBD#NASDAQ">WBD</a>) sports network, TNT Sports, has declared its intention to match one of the three bids for the broadcast rights of National Basketball Association games. 
What Happened: The decision is aimed at maintaining TNT Sports&#8217; long-standing four-decade relationship with the NBA. While the network has not disclosed which NBA programming package it plans to match, a source close to the matter has revealed that TNT Sports is considering matching Amazon Prime Video&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) $1.9 billion per season bid for an 11-year contract, Reuters reported on Tuesday. 
Upon being informed about the finalized deals by the league, Warner&#8217;s sports unit was given a five-day window to decide whether to match one of the bids. 
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/07/39877083/elon-musk-may-have-endorsed-trump-but-tesla-would-have-done-even-worse-without-bidens-7-5k-ev-tax-cr?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk May Have Endorsed Trump, But Tesla Would Have Done &#8216;Even Worse&#8217; Without Biden&#8217;s $7.5K EV Tax Credit, Says Fund Manager</a>
&#8220;We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them,&#8221; TNT stated. 
&#8220;This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage.&#8221;
Why It Matters: This move comes on the heels of the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/07/39733479/nba-fans-rejoice-new-76b-deal-from-espn-amazon-nbc-will-bring-games-seven-days-a-week">NBA finalizing agreements</a> with Walt Disney&#8217;s (DIS.N) ESPN, Comcast&#8217;s (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal, and Amazon. These deals, collectively valued at $76 billion, are set to commence post the 2024-25 season. 
However, this decision might lead to legal complications if the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38768312/warner-bros-discovery-eyes-turnaround-with-upcoming-disney-bundle-and-nba-deal-analysts-say">NBA rejects the matching bid</a>. It could also potentially harm WBD&#8217;s standing among other sports leagues, as per Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. This comes at a time when Warner Bros. Discovery is eyeing a turnaround with its upcoming Disney+ Bundle and NBA deal.
Price Action: During Tuesday&#8217;s pre-market, Warner Bros. Discovery was trading 1.38% lower than its Monday close of $8.480 while Amazon was trading 0.32% lower than its previous close of $182.90, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/07/39877645/mohamed-el-erian-on-bidens-withdrawal-from-presidential-race-there-is-genuine-uncer?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mohamed El-Erian On Biden&#8217;s Withdrawal From Presidential Race: &#8216;There Is Genuine Uncertainty On How Markets Will &#8211; And Should- React To The News&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
NBA by Shaheerrr via Shutterstock
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Pooja-Rajkumari" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pooja Rajkumari</a>

Sports

AMZN

Warner Bros Discovery's TNT Sports Counters Amazon With $1.9B NBA Broadcast Rights Bid: Report

Piper Sandler analyst Brent Bracelin reiterates Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $465 to $485.

Reiteration

MSFT

Piper Sandler Reiterates Overweight on Microsoft, Raises Price Target to $485

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk refuted claims of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39784950/elon-musk-to-pour-45m-monthly-in-pro-trump-super-pac-joined-by-palantirs-joe-lonsdale-winklevoss-twi">donating $45 million monthly</a> to former President Donald Trump&#8216;s campaign. The billionaire revealed the true purpose of his political action committee (PAC.)
What Happened: In an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Dr. Jordan Peterson, Musk clarified that the media&#8217;s reports were inaccurate. He stated that he was not donating $45 million monthly to Trump. Instead, he has established a PAC, &#8220;The America PAC.&#8221;
Musk explained that a PAC is a legal entity that can receive funding and use it to support political campaigns. This differs from direct donations to candidates, which have specific limits. The PAC system allows for more money to flow into the political system than would otherwise be possible.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>. Live today at 3pm ET. <a href="https://t.co/RyaZFmvC8i">https://t.co/RyaZFmvC8i</a>
&mdash; Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1815427698703090085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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He added that these PACs and Super PACs are used on both the Democratic and Republican sides, creating an open playing field.
&#8220;The intent is to promote the principles that made America great in the first place, so I wouldn&#8217;t say that I&#8217;m, say, for example, &#8216;MAGA&#8217; of &#8216;Make America Great Again.&#8217; I think America is great; I&#8217;m more &#8216;MAG&#8217;—Make America Greater,&#8221; Musk said.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39880470/elon-musk-pushes-back-optimus-timeline-says-teslas-humanoid-robot-will-hopefully-be-available-for-ot?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Pushes Back Optimus Timeline, Says Tesla&#8217;s Humanoid Robot Will &#8216;Hopefully&#8217; Be Available For Other Companies By 2026</a>
Key principles include promoting a meritocracy, where success is based on hard work and skill, rather than nepotism or dynasties, according to Musk. Another principle is promoting freedom and minimizing government intervention.
Why It Matters: The controversy began when <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39784950/elon-musk-to-pour-45m-monthly-in-pro-trump-super-pac-joined-by-palantirs-joe-lonsdale-winklevoss-twi">reports surfaced last week</a> claiming that Musk was committing $45 million monthly to a pro-Trump Super PAC. This report was met with skepticism and led Musk to respond with a &#8220;Fake Gnus&#8221; post on social media, indicating his disapproval of the misinformation.
Adding to the complexity, Musk had previously revealed that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39325921/elon-musk-reveals-donald-trumps-surprising-stance-on-evs-says-former-president-is-huge-fan-of-the-te">Trump was a fan</a> of Tesla&#8217;s Cybertruck, despite his public criticism of the electric vehicle industry. This revelation came during Tesla's annual meeting, where Musk mentioned that Trump frequently called him, though the reasons for these calls were unclear.
The situation took another turn when it was reported that Musk had pledged a significant <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872015/teslas-elon-musk-recently-pledged-a-huge-donation-to-donald-trump-and-the-ex-president-returned-the">$180 million donation</a> to Trump's campaign. However, Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention criticized the EV industry, leading to accusations of betrayal.
Further complicating matters, Gov.&nbsp;Gavin Newsom&nbsp;(D-Calif.) took a jab at Musk referencing a 2022 post by Trump that suggested Musk had sought his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39815808/elon-musk-claps-back-after-gavin-newsom-shares-donald-trumps-drop-to-your-knees-and-beg-post-abo">assistance for subsidized projects</a>. Newsom's post came after Musk relocated the headquarters of two of his companies from California to Texas.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39846836/california-ev-subsidies-made-tesla-what-it-is-but-elon-musk-is-ready-to-cut-them-off-remove-subsidie?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California EV Subsidies Made Tesla What It Is, But Elon Musk Is Ready To Cut Them Off: &#8216;Remove Subsidies From All Industries&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Flickr 
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Kaustubh-Bagalkote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>

Elon Musk Denies $45M Monthly Donation To Trump, Clarifies True Purpose Of 'The America PAC' In Interview With Jordan Peterson

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-23/apple-and-micron-leaders-visit-china-as-us-ramps-up-chip-curbs" title="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-23/apple-and-micron-leaders-visit-china-as-us-ramps-up-chip-curbs">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-23/apple-and-micron-leaders-visit-china-as-us-ramps-up-chip-curbs</a>

AAPL

Bloomberg Reported Apple COO Jeff Williams And Micron President Sanjay Mehrotra Visit Beijing Amid US Tech Curbs

Popular workplace messaging app Slack, owned by Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) has introduced a new set of widgets for its iPhone app.
What Happened: The new widgets, three for the iPhone&#8217;s home screen and one for the lock screen, are designed to improve the accessibility of the Slack app. The lock screen widget enables users to access the Slack app directly after unlocking their devices.
The home screen widgets include &#8220;Catch Up,&#8221; which offers a quick summary of unread messages and mentions without the need to open the app. It directs users straight&nbsp;to that section of the&nbsp;Slack app, allowing them to quickly navigate through missed conversations.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872729/nvidias-potential-50-trillion-valuation-tesla-and-xais-ai-expansion-plans-and-microsofts-trillion-do?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia&#8217;s Potential $50 Trillion Valuation, Tesla And xAI&#8217;s AI Expansion Plans, And Microsoft&#8217;s Trillion-Dollar Tech: This Week In Artificial Intelligence</a>
The other two homescreen widgets&nbsp;streamline Slack status updates. The smaller &#8220;Status&#8221; widget guides users&nbsp;to that section of the&nbsp;Slack iOS app, while a&nbsp;larger version provides the same functionality with three preset status options: one-hour &#8220;Focus&#8221; and &#8220;Lunch&#8221; statuses, and a half-hour &#8220;Take a break&#8221; status. 
However, these preset options are not customizable right now.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Three &#x33;&#x20e3;new Slack iOS widgets are here to make your workday a whole lot easier. &#x1f44f; Add the Catch Up widget, Status widget, and Slack Launcher widget to your device and stay in the know on the go. <a href="https://t.co/bEak0coGZK">pic.twitter.com/bEak0coGZK</a>
&mdash; Slack (@SlackHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/SlackHQ/status/1815379785058533774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Why It Matters: Earlier this year, it was reported that some companies use artificial intelligence to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37053808/from-slack-to-surveillance-heres-how-companies-monitor-your-communications-with-ai">monitor employee communications on platforms</a> like Slack. The idea behind this is to have a digital eye on employee interactions.
In May, Salesforce, the parent company of Slack, reported its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/05/39073628/salesforce-stock-dives-on-q1-earnings-revenue-miss-eps-beat-weak-guidance-and-more">reported first-quarter revenue</a> of $9.13 billion, falling short of the consensus estimate of $9.147 billion. This represented an 11% increase compared to the same period last year, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39830453/days-after-elon-musk-deemed-university-of-tokyos-idea-pointless-scientists-develop-smiling-robot-wit?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Days After Elon Musk Deemed University Of Tokyo&#8217;s Idea &#8216;Pointless,&#8217; Scientists Develop Smiling Robot With Living Skin</a>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Unsplash

Slack Introduces New iPhone Widgets To Improve Accessibility And Make Workday Easier

An unconditional monthly $1,000 cash payment to low-income groups increased their ability to meet basic needs and support others, according to the final results from the Universal Basic Income study sponsored by the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39856365/openai-in-talks-with-broadcom-to-develop-new-ai-chip-aims-to-reduce-reliance-on-nvidia-report"> Sam Altman-led OpenAI project</a>, OpenResearch, published on Sunday.
The three-year study delved into the impact on a series of employment outcomes in a group of 1,000 low-income individuals, who were paid $1,000 per month unconditionally. A control group of 2,000 participants received $50 per month. The experiment was carried out in the states of Texas and Illinois.
Impact On Employment: By the end of the three-year period, it was <a href="https://www.openresearchlab.org/findings">found </a>that employment rates rose from 58% at the start to 72% among recipients. The transfer, however, caused total individual income to fall by about $1,500 per year relative to the control group, excluding the transfers. 
The labor market participation fell by 2% points for participants and labor hours were reduced by 1.3-1.4 hours per week. Participants' partners reduced their hours worked by a comparable amount.
The study found that the transfer led to the largest increase in time spent on leisure but smaller increases in time spent on other activities such as transportation and finances. &#8220;Overall, our results suggest a moderate labor supply effect that does not appear offset by other productive activities,&#8221; study authors, who include OpenResearch personnel, and academicians, said.
&#8220;Cash can increase people's agency to make employment decisions that align with their individual circumstances, goals, and values. Recipients were more likely to be searching for a job, but they were more selective,&#8221; they said.&#8217;
A testimonial statement by a study participant named Jessie said, &#8220;Because of the [cash transfer] and being able to build up my savings, I&#8217;m in a position for once to be picky…I don&#8217;t have to take a crappy job just because I need income right now. I have the opportunity to hold out and try and find the right fit.&#8221;
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-artificial-intelligence-stocks">Best Artificial Intelligence Stocks</a>
Health: The study found that unconditional cash transfers increased recipients&#8217; use of hospital and emergency department care and some types of office-based medical care, particularly dental and specialist care. Notable improvements were observed in stress, mental distress, and food security in the first year of the year study but the positive impact faded out during the later years of the study. 
Study participants reported decreased problematic alcohol use and some types of illicit drug abuse. &#8220;Although we find no significant effects on measures of physical health, self-reported access to health care, or on health-promoting behaviors such as exercise or sleep, the increased utilization of medical care may lead to long-term health benefits,&#8221; the researchers said.
Spending: Recipients were found increasing their spending by $310 per month. On average, recipients increased their monthly spending on food by $67, rent by $52 and transportation by $50. Cash provided the flexibility to meet diverse needs, and to support others.
Why It&#8217;s Important: Altman pledged financial support to the project in 2016 just after OpenAI was set up. The OpenAI co-founder, who was running Y Combinator, explained the logic of the study in a blog on the startup incubator&#8217;s website at that time. 
&#8220;I'm fairly confident that at some point in the future, as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/24/05/39044740/probably-none-of-us-will-have-a-job-elon-musk-predicts-massive-job-losses-due-to-ai">technology continues to eliminate traditional jobs and massive new wealth gets created</a>, we're going to see some version of this at a national scale,&#8221; he said. The entrepreneur said the study would answer several questions, including &#8220;Do people sit around and play video games, or do they create new things? Are people happy and fulfilled? Do people, without the fear of not being able to eat, accomplish far more and benefit society far more? And do recipients, on the whole, create more economic value than they receive?&#8221;
Other tech leaders such as Tesla&#8217;s Elon Musk, Block Inc.&#8217;s Jack Dorsey and Salesforce&#8217;s Marc Benioff, have also backed &#8220;cash payments with no strings attached as a potential antidote to the negative effects of technology automating people's occupations,&#8221; Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-22/ubi-study-backed-by-openai-s-sam-altman-bolsters-support-for-basic-income">said</a> in a report. The report also noted a sharp increase in local basic-income pilots in 2020 that aimed to &#8220;use cash as a tool for economic and racial justice, and test its potential to bolster the social safety net.&#8221;
However, detractors and opponents fear that recipients will take the money and drop out of the labor force or use the money on vices. it added.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/05/27339602/cathie-wood-has-cure-for-sagging-gdp-growth-sees-this-technology-accelerating-annua">Cathie Wood Sees This Technology Accelerating GDP Growth To 50% Per Year</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Government

Education

Health Care

Sam Altman Stands Vindicated? OpenAI-Sponsored 'No-Strings Payment' Study Quells Fears About Misuse Of Money, Making Strong Case For Universal Basic Income When AI Makes Jobs Obsolete

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk has once again stirred controversy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39876926/elon-musk-says-its-high-time-for-an-ai-fashion-show-shares-video-of-mark-zuckerberg-in-a-reptile-sui">with his social media activity</a>, and this time it could have implications for his company&#8217;s business in China.
What Happened: On Monday, Musk posted a video on X that featured a parody of an AI fashion show. The video included Musk, Bill Gates, and other prominent figures, as well as a brief appearance by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
In the video, Xi is seen wearing a robe with a cartoon bear that resembles Winnie the Pooh, a character that has been used to mock the Chinese leader for over a decade. In 2013, Xi was the subject of memes comparing him to Pooh after a photo surfaced of him walking next to then-President Barack Obama, whom people likened to Tigger.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">High time for an AI fashion show <a href="https://t.co/ra6cHQ4AAu">pic.twitter.com/ra6cHQ4AAu</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1815187468691316946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The use of this character is a sensitive issue in China and has previously led to international incidents, such as the blocking of HBO after an episode of John Oliver&#8216;s show made fun of Xi&#8217;s alleged sensitivity to the character, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-xi-jinping-red-line-winnie-pooh-video-tweet-2024-7?_gl=1&#x2A;1topllz&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;NTg5OTA1MDc2LjE3MTI4ODMyNTA.&#x2A;_ga_E21CV80ZCZ&#x2A;MTcyMTcxMTc5OC4yMDEuMS4xNzIxNzExODA1LjUzLjAuM">reported</a> Business Insider.
China is a crucial market for Musk&#8217;s company, accounting for 22% of its total revenue in 2023. Musk has been actively expanding Tesla&#8217;s operations in China, including a deal to roll out autonomous driving software in the country.
However, Musk, who is outspoken on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38135953/elon-musk-hit-with-obstruction-of-justice-inquiry-after-he-calls-for-impeachment-of-brazils-top-judg">free speech issues</a>, often takes public risks. For example, he swore at advertisers during a conference, accusing them of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/01/36483004/elon-musk-wages-war-gets-no-push-back-iger-cant-be-throwing-f-bombs-back">trying to blackmail him</a>.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39880470/elon-musk-pushes-back-optimus-timeline-says-teslas-humanoid-robot-will-hopefully-be-available-for-ot?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Pushes Back Optimus Timeline, Says Tesla&#8217;s Humanoid Robot Will &#8216;Hopefully&#8217; Be Available For Other Companies By 2026</a>
Despite the potential risks, Musk has a history of taking public stands on issues such as free speech, and it remains to be seen how this latest incident will affect Tesla&#8217;s business in China.
Tesla did not immediately respond to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a>'s request for comment.
Why It Matters: Musk&#8217;s recent post is not an isolated incident. Over the weekend, Musk shared an AI-generated video featuring global figures like Mark Zuckerberg in a reptilian skin suit, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39876926/elon-musk-says-its-high-time-for-an-ai-fashion-show-shares-video-of-mark-zuckerberg-in-a-reptile-sui">poking fun at conspiracy theories</a>. This video was part of an AI fashion show created by the YouTube channel "Interdimensional TV." 
Moreover, Tesla&#8217;s future in China is already under scrutiny. Analysts have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/07/39805672/will-tesla-robotaxis-be-allowed-in-china-analyst-says-highly-unlikely-investors-sho">raised concerns about the feasibility</a> of Tesla&#8217;s robotaxi technology in China due to national security risks. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas recently reiterated an Overweight rating on Tesla but noted significant uncertainties regarding its operations in China.
Tesla is also facing internal challenges in China. The company has been cutting jobs in the country amid increasing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/05/38733432/tesla-cuts-more-jobs-in-china-as-competition-heats-up">competition in the electric vehicle market</a>. Recent layoffs have affected various departments at Tesla&#8217;s Shanghai plant, which is responsible for over half of the company&#8217;s global production.
Meanwhile, Tesla is preparing to report its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/07/39892255/tesla-q2-earnings-preview-analyst-estimates-key-items-to-watch-can-major-turning-po">second-quarter financial results</a>. Analysts expect Tesla to report second-quarter revenue of $24.93 billion, according to data&nbsp;<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/pro/register/?utm_source=BZprocontent072224&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">from Benzinga Pro.</a>
Price Action: Tesla stock closed at $251.51, up 5.15% on Monday. In after-hours trading, the stock increased slightly 0.04%. Year to date, Tesla&#8217;s stock has risen 1.24%, according to data <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/pro/register/?utm_source=BZprocontent072224&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">from Benzinga Pro.</a>
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39870321/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-blasts-satya-nadella-after-microsoft-crowdstrike-issue-takes-down-millions-of-co?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla CEO Elon Musk Blasts Satya Nadella After Microsoft-CrowdStrike Issue Takes Down Millions Of Computers Globally: &#8216;This Gave A Seizure To The Automotive Supply Chain&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Kaustubh-Bagalkote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>

Equities

Elon Musk Posts AI Video Featuring Xi Jinping With Controversial Winnie The Pooh Reference: Will it Harm Tesla's Business In China?

Pfizer/GSK Owned ViiV Healthcare Announces Data For Dovato Which Is As Effective As 3-Drug Regimen Of Gilead's Biktarvy For Maintenance Therapy Of HIV-1

Earnings

KB Financial Q2 Profit Attributable To Controlling Interests WON1,710.8B (+65.1% QoQ); Net Interest Income WON3,206.2B (+1.7% QoQ)

MAIA Biotechnology, Inc., (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAIA#NYSE">MAIA</a>)&nbsp;(&quot;MAIA&quot;, the &quot;Company&quot;), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today announces positive treatment updates from its Phase 2 clinical trial, THIO-101, evaluating THIO sequenced with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) cemiplimab (Libtayo&reg;) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed two or more standard-of-care therapy regimens.
The trial&#39;s therapeutic regimen is cycled every 3 weeks, with THIO 180mg administered in 60mg incremental doses on days 1, 2 and 3, followed by immune activation on day 4 (no dosing), and cemiplimab 350mg administered on day 5. As of the latest clinical cutoff date, June 12, 2024:
<ul>
<li>6 patients remain on treatment following at least 12 months of therapy.</li>
<li>Treatment with THIO followed by cemiplimab has been well tolerated throughout the trial, with much lower toxicity compared to standard-of care treatments.</li>
<li>Continuing treatment past 12 months demonstrates safety, efficacy and ongoing benefit from MAIA&#39;s novel telomere targeting NSCLC therapy.</li>
</ul>
&quot;Our longest treated patient so far has completed 21 cycles of THIO sequenced with a CPI, and 6 patients who have crossed the 12-month survival follow-up are continuing the treatment,&quot; said Vlad Vitoc, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MAIA. &quot;With current therapies, second-line patients&#39; treatment duration is usually around 3-4 months1&nbsp;and third-line is even lower than that. It is very encouraging to see that our patients can remain on treatment for much longer. The ongoing benefits of THIO in longer-term patients are particularly notable, signifying THIO&#39;s potential as a durable and efficacious treatment for advanced NSCLC patients faced with limited options.&quot;
<ol>
<li><a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0169500217304373&amp;esheet=54097974&amp;newsitemid=20240723808500&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0169500217304373&amp;index=1&amp;md5=b49864acdcc39be65cbb0686e24c0b97">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169500217304373</a></li>
</ol>
About THIO
THIO (6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2&#39;-deoxyguanosine) is a first-in-class investigational telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. The modified nucleotide 6-thio-2&#39;-deoxyguanosine (THIO) induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. THIO-damaged telomeric fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activates both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential treatment with THIO followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression in advanced, in vivo cancer models by induction of cancer type&ndash;specific immune memory. THIO is presently developed as a second or later line of treatment for NSCLC for patients that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors.
About THIO-101, a Phase 2 Clinical Trial
THIO-101 is a multicenter, open-label, dose finding Phase 2 clinical trial. It is the first trial designed to evaluate THIO&#39;s anti-tumor activity when followed by PD-(L)1 inhibition. The trial is testing the hypothesis that low doses of THIO administered prior to cemiplimab (Libtayo&reg;) will enhance and prolong immune response in patients with advanced NSCLC who previously did not respond or developed resistance and progressed after first-line treatment regimen containing another checkpoint inhibitor. The trial design has two primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of THIO administered as an anticancer compound and a priming immune activator (2) to assess the clinical efficacy of THIO using Overall Response Rate (ORR) as the primary clinical endpoint. Treatment with cemiplimab (Libtayo&reg;) followed by THIO has been generally well-tolerated to date in a heavily pre-treated population. For more information on this Phase II trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT05208944.

MAIA

MAIA Biotechnology Reports Phase 2 Results for Lung Cancer Treatment THIO

The EU has put&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39569000/metas-pay-or-consent-model-to-draw-charges-from-eu-report">notice over its &#8220;pay or consent&#8221;&nbsp;model</a> for Facebook and Instagram, citing potential violations of consumer protection laws.
What Happened: The EU&#8217;s Consumer Protection Cooperation or CPC Network has given Meta until Sept. 1, 2024, to propose changes to its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37390643/consumer-watchdogs-target-metas-pay-or-give-up-privacy-tactic-in-eu-smokescreen-to-obscure-illegal-d">&#8220;pay or consent&#8221; model</a>, according to a blog post on Tuesday.
The EU has labeled the model as &#8220;misleading&#8221; and &#8220;confusing&#8221; for users, and non-compliance could lead to fines.
&#8220;Consumer protection authorities assessed several elements that could constitute misleading or aggressive practices, in particular, whether Meta provided consumers upfront with true, clear, and sufficient information,&#8221; the union stated.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39881748/elon-musks-xai-flips-the-switch-on-100k-nvidia-h100-gpus-worth-up-to-4b-in-memphis-supercluster-most?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk&#8217;s xAI Flips The Switch On 100K Nvidia H100 GPUs Worth Up To $4B In Memphis Supercluster: &#8216;Most Powerful AI Training Cluster In The World&#8217;</a>
Meta&#8217;s &#8220;pay or consent&#8221; model, rolled out last year, presents users with two choices: pay up to €12.99 (approximately $14.13) per month for ad-free usage of Facebook and Instagram or agree to the collection and use of personal data for personalized ads.
The CPC initiated its investigation in response to complaints from consumer watchdog groups. These groups alleged that Meta employs confusing language to describe the paid and &#8220;free&#8221; versions of its platforms.
Meta did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga&#8217;s</a> request for comments.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: This development follows <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/03/37828545/meta-bows-down-to-eu-regulations-after-apple-and-google-cut-subscription-prices-for-ad-free-facebook">Meta&#8217;s decision to reduce the subscription</a> fee for its ad-free Facebook and Instagram services in Europe to €5.99 ($6.5) from the initial €9.99 ($10.9).
This move was aimed at addressing growing concerns of privacy and antitrust regulators.
Last month, Meta faced a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39307741/meta-platforms-under-fire-in-norway-for-using-private-user-data-from-facebook-instagram-for-ai-train">complaint&nbsp;in Norway for using user images</a> and posts from Facebook and Instagram to train AI models. 
The Norwegian Consumer Council argued that the opt-out process violates strict EU data protection laws and that Meta uses deceptive design patterns and vague language to make opting out difficult.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:&nbsp;
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Social Media

Meta Says Facebook Is 'Free' — EU Threatens To Fine Mark Zuckerberg-Led Social Media Giant

<ul>
<li>Divestiture Advances Johnson Controls&#39; Transformation into a&nbsp;Pure-Play Provider of Comprehensive Solutions for Commercial Buildings</li>
<li>Transaction Valued At&nbsp;$8.1 Billion; JCI Consideration of&nbsp;$6.7 Billion</li>
<li>Company Provides Preliminary 2024 Third Fiscal Quarter Earnings Update</li>
<li>The transaction includes the North America Ducted business and global Residential joint venture with Hitachi, Ltd. (&quot;Hitachi&quot;), of which Johnson Controls owns&nbsp;60%&nbsp;and Hitachi owns&nbsp;40%. The total transaction is valued at&nbsp;$8.1 billion, and the Company&#39;s portion of the consideration is approximately&nbsp;$6.7 billion. As part of the transaction, Hitachi will retain certain ductless HVAC assets located in Shimizu,&nbsp;Japan</li>
</ul>

Johnson Controls To Divest Residential And Light Commercial HVAC Businesses In $8.1B Deal With Bosch

&nbsp;Cognizant (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CTSH#NASDAQ">CTSH</a>) and Whitbread have expanded their digital transformation relationship which will see the professional services provider support the hospitality company&#39;s ongoing digital transformation with product design, product management and engineering as Whitbread expands its operations in the UK and&nbsp;Germany.

CTSH

Cognizant And Whitbread Expand Partnership To Enhance Digital Customer Experiences Across UK And Germany

FineMark Holdings GAAP EPS of $0.06, revenue of $20.47M

FineMark Holdings GAAP EPS of $0.04, revenue of $19.96M

FineMark Holdings GAAP EPS of $0.02, revenue of $21.56M

Press Releases

FineMark Holdings, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2023 Earnings

FineMark Holdings, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Earnings

KBRA Comments on FineMark Holdings, Inc.'s Preferred Stock Issuance

FineMark Holdings, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2024 Earnings

FineMark Holdings, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2024 Earnings

FineMark Hldgs

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

2020 was a year of divergence in markets. Some industries, like health care and e-commerce, benefited greatly from the effects of the pandemic. Others, like energy and travel, did not.&nbsp;

Looking at the indexes that track securities on OTC Markets, there were clear pockets of strength and weakness. Here&rsquo;s a rundown of how the major OTC Markets indexes performed in 2020.

<h3>OTCQX Composite</h3>

The <a href="https://www.otcmarkets.com/index/.OTCQX">OTCQX Composite Index</a>, a benchmark for the overall OTCQX Best Market, rose 11% in 2020. Much of those gains came in the fourth quarter, as the index gained 21% during the final three months of the year.

In January, OTC Markets Group announced that 58 new companies had been added to the index, including Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACRHF#OTCQX">ACRHF</a>) and Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BCHG#OTCQX">BCHG</a>), and 40 were removed, including InMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INM#NASDAQ">INM</a>) and Smith-Midland Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMID#NASDAQ">SMID</a>), which graduated to the Nasdaq on November 12 and November 17 respectively.&nbsp;

<h3>OTCQX Billion+</h3>

The <a href="https://www.otcmarkets.com/index/.OTCQXBIL">OTCQX Billion+ Index</a>, posted similar numbers. The index, which tracks the performance of the 67 companies with market caps greater than $1 billion, rose 10% for the year but was up 21.5% in Q4.&nbsp;

This index includes only the largest companies that trade on OTC Markets, many of which are multinationals with operations on multiple continents and large cash cushions such as Roche Holding Ltd (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RHHBY#OTCQX">RHHBY</a>), BASF SE (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BASFY#OTCQX">BASFY</a>), and Experian plc (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXPGY#OTCQX">EXPGY</a>).&nbsp;

<h3>OTCQX Banks</h3>

The<a href="https://www.otcmarkets.com/index/.OTCQXBK"> OTCQX Banks Index</a>, comprised of OTCQX community and regional banks, ended 2020 down 8% for the year as low interest rates weighed on the sector.&nbsp;

According to OTC Markets Group, 14 banks were added to the index in the fourth quarter. Those banks were: Blackhawk Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BHWB#OTCQX">BHWB</a>); Bank of San Francisco (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BSFO#OTCQX">BSFO</a>); CoastalSouth Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COSO#OTCQX">COSO</a>); Dacotah Banks, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBIN#OTCQX">DBIN</a>); First Home Bancorp, Inc (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FHBI#OTCQX">FHBI</a>); FineMark Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FNBT#OTCQX">FNBT</a>); High Country Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCBC#OTCQX">HCBC</a>); InsCorp, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBTN#OTCQX">IBTN</a>); &nbsp;Kish Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KISB#OTCQX">KISB</a>); Mars Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MNBP#OTCQX">MNBP</a>); SVB&amp;T Corporation (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SVBT#OTCQX">SVBT</a>); Virginia National Bankshares Corporation (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VABK#OTCQX">VABK</a>); Valley Republic Bancorp (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLLX#OTCQX">VLLX</a>) and White River Bancshares Company (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WRIV#OTCQX">WRIV</a>).

<h3>OTCQX U.S.</h3>

The <a href="https://www.otcmarkets.com/index/.OTCQXUS">OTCQX U.S. Index</a>, which tracks U.S. OTCQX companies, rose 40% in 2020.&nbsp;

The outperformance of the index compared to other OTC Markets indexes should hardly be a surprise, as broad-based U.S. equity indexes as a group outperformed their global counterparts last year.&nbsp;

However in the case of the&nbsp; OTCQX U.S. Index, much of the increase was due to the index&rsquo;s exposure to cryptocurrency assets like the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GBTC#OTCQX">GBTC</a>) and Grayscale Ethereum Trust (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETHC#OTCQX">ETHC</a>), both of which rose to new all-time highs in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

OTC Markets Group said 17 companies were added to the index and 21 removed at the end of the quarter.&nbsp;

<h3>OTCQX Cannabis</h3>

Cannabis companies on the OTCQX market dramatically outperformed their exchange-listed peers last year.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.otcmarkets.com/index/.OTCQXMJ">OTCQX Cannabis Index</a>, which tracks such securities, rose 33% in 2020 and 68% in the fourth quarter alone. That return was better than four cannabis exchange traded funds, including the largest cannabis ETF, the ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MJ#NYSE">MJ</a>), which fell 23% last year.&nbsp;

Six new companies joined the index in Q4: 4Front Ventures Corp. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FFNTF#OTCQX">FFNTF</a>); PHARMACIELO LTD. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PCLOF#OTCQX">PCLOF</a>); Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBVCF#OTCQX">SBVCF</a>); Skylight Health Group Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHGFF#OTCQX">SHGFF</a>); Terra Tech Corp. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRTC#OTCQX">TRTC</a>) and The Valens Company Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLNCF#OTCQX">VLNCF</a>).&nbsp;

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga&rsquo;s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

This year was always expected to be a big year for IPOs.&nbsp;

Even before the year started, there were expectations for a number of tech unicorns to headline the 2019 IPO class, including Uber, Lyft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/LYFT#NASDAQ">LYFT</a>) Palantir, Airbnb, Pinterest Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/PINS#NYSE">PINS</a>), Slack, and Postmates.&nbsp;

So far, investors awaiting new IPOs have not been disappointed. In addition to the two unicorns that have already gone public, three more&mdash;Uber, Slack, and Postmates&mdash;have filed their S-1&rsquo;s with the SEC and are expected to IPO in the coming months.

In all, 34 IPOs have priced in 2019 and 60 companies have filed their intent to go public with the SEC. While the number of pricings is down on a year-over-year basis (a possible consequence of January&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/the-government-shutdown-is-now-altering-the-ipo-business.html">government shutdown</a>), 2019&rsquo;s 60 filings mark a 3 percent increase over this point in 2018, according to Renaissance Capital.&nbsp;

While the early performance of these IPOs has been mixed&mdash;companies like Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/ZM#NASDAQ">ZM</a>) and Jumia Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/JMIA#NYSE">JMIA</a>) have soared, while Lyft is down 30 percent from the high set in its highly anticipated listing. &ldquo;The fact that so many companies that have talked about going public for the past few years are finally taking steps to do so is a positive development,&rdquo; according to Jason Paltrowitz, EVP of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group.

&ldquo;The Lyfts and Levi Strauss &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/LEVI#NYSE">LEVI</a>) of the world are good for the capital markets generally, and the transparency, openness and disclosure that comes with that is good for the general public.&rdquo;

Paltrowitz noted that OTC Markets had a record year in 2018 in terms of the number of new companies that joined their markets, including a 9 percent increase in new securities on the OTCQX Best Market, the premium trading tier of their market.&nbsp;

Paltrowitz recently attended a panel on the state of IPO&rsquo;s at the Security Traders Association of New York&rsquo;s Annual Conference, and the sentiment, he said, was that &ldquo;a rising tide lifts all boats.&rdquo;

&ldquo;There is a lot of excitement in that 2019 is seeing this huge pickup in IPOs. The markets had a good first quarter, and companies like to go to the public markets when the markets are on a good run,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

<h3>&lsquo;More Public Companies Are A Good Thing&rsquo;</h3>

Paltrowitz believes that going public benefits everyone involved in the public equity markets no matter the route they take, whether it&rsquo;s companies going public via the traditional IPO method, a direct listing, or a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/18/10/12571539/one-year-after-the-crypto-craze-wall-street-is-still-scratchin">Slow-PO</a> on OTC Markets.

Messaging app Slack has reportedly filed for a direct listing, following Spotify Technology&rsquo;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/SPOT#NYSE">SPOT</a>) successful direct listing last year.&nbsp;

&ldquo;More public companies are a good thing; you want companies to go public,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Some companies may not need the money and therefore choose to go the route of a direct listing, without a capital raise. Spotify didn&rsquo;t need the money but is now freely tradeable, open and transparent, the entire world can see every quarter what Spotify is doing. That&rsquo;s good for its investors and the general public at large that would like to participate in its growth.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Slack and Spotify don&rsquo;t need the money why should they be forced to raise money they can&rsquo;t efficiently deploy? That would be a waste of resources. If exchanges fighting it out to get direct listings means that more companies go public, that&rsquo;s great for all of us.&rdquo;

The Slow-PO is similar to a direct listing, in that a company goes public on OTC Markets without raising additional capital. Most notably done by the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/GBTC#OTCQX">GBTC</a>) in 2015, along with community banks Merchants &amp; Marine Bancorp Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/MNMB#OTCQX">MNMB</a>), Bank of San Francisco (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/BSFO#OTCQX">BSFO</a>), SVB&amp;T Corporation (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/SVBT#OTCQX">SVBT</a>) and FineMark Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/FNBT#OTCQX">FNBT</a>) in 2018, Slow-POs allow companies to make previously restricted shares available for public trade while avoiding the costs of underwriting,&nbsp;SEC registration, and exchange listing fees

&ldquo;In contrast to traditional IPOs, a &lsquo;Slow PO&rsquo; through OTC Markets provides companies with a pathway to enter the public markets by making previously restricted shares available for public trading by brokers on the OTCQX, OTCQB, and Pink markets,&rdquo; said Jason Paltrowitz, OTC Markets Group&rsquo;s Executive VP of Corporate Services.&rdquo;

<h3>&lsquo;Retail Was Saved&rsquo; With Lyft</h3>

A common criticism of IPOs is that retail investors don&rsquo;t really get to participate. But if the weakness of the Lyft IPO, the largest IPO in the first quarter of 2019, left a bad taste in some investors&rsquo; mouths, Paltrowitz believes it&rsquo;s to the retail investor&rsquo;s benefit.

&ldquo;It was hard for retail investors to participate in Lyft. This was a big IPO, which like all the other big IPOs, gets allocated mostly to large buy-side firms. For example, if I was able to participate in that IPO, and I received my shares at $79, I&rsquo;d be pretty upset right now. If I&rsquo;m the retail investor that could only participate by way of the secondary market, I now can get in at $60.&rdquo;

<h3>The IPO Market Will Be Strong As Long As Companies Are Getting Top Dollar</h3>

Though the private markets are still vibrant, and valuations are high, Paltrowitz said he expects the IPO market to stay healthy for the time being.&nbsp;

&ldquo;If I look at the companies on our market, they are out in the private market aggressively raising money and getting deals done,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of that is sectoral, and currently, a lot of capital that&rsquo;s being raised is in the cannabis space.

&ldquo;People come to the market when they think they can get top dollar,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And, right now, we&rsquo;re in a place where you can get top dollar and where the multiples are high.&rdquo;

OTC Markets is a content partner of Benzinga 
&nbsp;

A Conversation With Jason Paltrowitz: The IPO Market Is 'A Rising Tide'

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