Daily Archives

4 Articles

Blue Chip

Can Netflix be redeemed!?

Posted on

Let’s face it… Netflix didn’t produce last quarter – and they got crushed because of it. In case you forgot, Netflix reported 1 million fewer subscribers than expected in the second quarter. However, the company did manage to add 5.2 million subscribers in total. But that wasn’t enough for investors and the stock plummeted.

 

The stock is still down… 20% compared to before the “bad” subscriber growth results. But now, Netflix can make amends with investors upon third quarter earnings which will be released today. Analysts are expecting just under 5 million new subscribers – but most of those subscribers are expected to come from outside the United States. And for Netflix, having a global audience would be huge.

 

The results better be good… because streaming media is gaining new competitors by the second! Hulu, Amazon, AT&T, Walmart, and Disney all have streaming services one way or another. This influx of competition means that Netflix better keep coming with original content – and with great original content comes great subscribers…

Read more

Miscellaneous

Landlords *rejoice* after Sears bankruptcy

Posted on

Sears is bankrupt… and the company’s landlords couldn’t be much happier. Sears plans to close 142 stores before the end of 2018. So it appears it will be out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new come 2019. And property owners agree – they are far better off without Sears and Kmart wasting their space.

 

According to Kimco… a real estate investment trust that has leases for three Sears locations and eleven Kmarts it has been a long-time coming. In fact, the average rent for the 14 stores is just $5.25 per square foot – compared to the average $15.95 per square foot of other Kimco properties. Sears signed these leases a long time ago, and those lease terms were greatly benefitting the now-bankrupt retailer.

 

And apart from unfavorable leases… landlords are probably going to be happy to get tenants that can actually pay their rent. Washington Prime Group is another real estate owner that received just 1% of rent from Sears in the third quarter. Really, Sears?  One percent!?

Read more

Miscellaneous

Here’s how a massive PIPE can clean the OCEAN

Posted on

There is an enormous pipe in the ocean… and it’s not trash – in fact, its duty is to remove debris in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Ocean Cleanup foundation just launched the first ocean cleanup system to combat the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” The Giant Pacific Garbage Patch is a pile of trash that floats between California and Hawaii and is double the size of Texas.

 

Here’s how it’s done… the pipe is U-shaped and carries a 3-meter deep net underneath to catch plastic beneath the surface. Every few months, a boat (basically an ocean garbage truck) will come by, collect all of the crap that the net traps, and bring it to shore. Then, we have plastic that can be recycled (like it should have been in the first place!).

 

But you still need to recycle… because this net isn’t going to catch everything. And actually, some question if the pipe will do much good at all. Apart from the fact it could break down (and add to the “garbage patch”), it may not be enough to make much difference.  But hey, at least someone is trying, right?

Read more

Blue Chip

Co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, dies at 65

Posted on

We usually talk business… but today, it’s important we note an incredibly impactful man’s death. Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, died Monday at the age of 65. Allen founded Microsoft with Bill Gates all the way back in 1975; however, Allen left the company in 1982 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease.

 

But he didn’t stop there… because Allen continued on Microsoft’s board of directors and even went on to establish his own philanthropic foundation. From there, he founded the investment firm, Vulcan. Allen also purchased two professional sports teams: the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Everything around today… probably wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Paul Allen. Allen was a great businessman, influencer, and a role model for many. So today, we honor and thank an impressive man for all of his achievements!

Read more