Archives for December 2, 2019

Apple’s tap-and-go Express payments come to London public transport

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Tap to pay on the Tube just got faster.

Paying for daily necessities using your phone might feel like the future, but the reality can sometimes be slower as mobile payments require authentication that can take time to approve. To combat this issue, Apple has brought its Express feature to London, making it far quicker and easier to use Apple Pay on services like the Tube.

Apple’s Express Mode can now be used on all Transport for London (TfL) services, including buses, trams and the underground system. Users only need to tap their phone or Apple Watch against the yellow card reader to pay for their journey.

Apple Pay typically uses biometric data like Touch ID or Face ID to authorize payments, which makes it slower than competing service Google Pay. Now, with Express Mode, customers can choose a default card to use for TfL journeys so they don’t need to authenticate the payment each time they board a bus or walk through a barrier.

The system works with iPhone 6 and above or Apple Watch. Similar systems are already in place in other locations including New York, Portland, Beijing, Shanghai and cities across Japan.

Get $750 off Dell’s loaded Alienware m15 gaming laptop

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NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics, 32GB of RAM and a 240Hz display for $1,399.99.

It took Dell long enough to make a thin and light gaming laptop, but the Alienware m15 was worth the wait. While it’s a bit chunkier than rival models at 18mm and 4.8 pounds, the latest m15 model has performance to burn, along with a great display, keyboard and trackpad.

For Cyber Monday, Dell has marked down a fully specced out Alienware m15, with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, top-tier Intel Core i7-9750H CPU, 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 240Hz display, 512GB PCIe m.2 SSD and no less than 32GB of RAM.

That’s nearly a fully-loaded model with a ray-tracing GPU and a display that’s a good fit for it. The extra RAM and good-sized GPU will also be handy for productivity and content creation chores and you’ve got room for another M.2 and regular SSD, should you need it for video editing chores. Best of all, it costs just $1,399.99 on Dell’s website, or a generous $750 off the regular $2,149.99 price.

Oculus Go is on sale for $120 at Amazon for Cyber Monday

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It may be the most affordable way to get into stand-alone VR.

Did you pass on the Oculus Go’s discounted Black Friday price because it was still a little too dear? Your patience is being rewarded. Amazon is selling the stand-alone VR headset for $120 on Cyber Monday, or another $30 off the already fairly low price of $150. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen, and it makes the Go that much more viable if you want to try VR or just enjoy a private Netflix viewer.

The same caveats apply. The Go is limited to tracking head movements, not body movements like the Oculus Quest, and the lone remote is relatively simple. You’ll want to pass if you dream of playing Beat Saber. We found the Go ideal for basic apps and videos, however. It’s easy to use, comfortable and has a wide selection of titles. Consider it an introduction to VR that might just lead you to make a bigger investment in the long run.

T-Mobile’s 5G network goes live ahead of schedule

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It was scheduled to launch on December 6th.

Last month, T-Mobile promised its 5G network would go live in 5,000 cities and towns on December 6th — if its merger with Sprint went through. That deal is not yet final, but today, a few days ahead of schedule, T-Mobile says it’s launching its nationwide 5G network. The catch is that, for now, T-Mobile is offering 600 MHz “low-band” 5G.

The network covers more than one million square miles, including many rural areas, and 200 million people. The “low-band” 5G won’t be as fast as the 5G we’ve seen from carriers like Sprint and Verizon (Engadget’s parent company), but it will have better range, so it shouldn’t run into problems like not being able to travel through walls. It will be accessible to a lot more people, and T-Mobile says it will cost the same as its LTE plans.

“While Dumb and Dumber focus on 5G for the (wealthy) Few, launching in just a handful of cities — and forcing customers into their most expensive plans to get 5G — we’re committed to building broad, deep nationwide 5G that people and businesses can access at no extra cost with the New T-Mobile … and today is just the start of that journey,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere.

If the T-Mobile and Sprint merger closes, T-Mobile will add Sprint’s 5G spectrum (2.5 GHz). In that case, customers could see faster speeds, as well as improved range. “If the merger with Sprint closes, the New T-Mobile will be able to build on this foundation to deliver transformational broad and deep 5G for All,” Sprint said in a press release.

Of course, you’ll need a 5G-enabled phone to take advantage of the network. The OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren and the Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G are available for pre-order through T-Mobile today, and they’ll be available in T-Mobile stores on December 6. The company plans to launch 15 more 5G phones in 2020.

Analysts Offer Predictions for LyondellBasell Industries NV’s Q4 2019 Earnings (NYSE:LYB)

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LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) – Equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group reduced their Q4 2019 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for LyondellBasell Industries in a note issued to investors on Monday, November 4th, according to Zacks Investment Research. Jefferies Financial Group analyst L. Alexander now forecasts that the specialty chemicals company will post earnings of $2.87 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $3.24. Jefferies Financial Group also issued estimates for LyondellBasell Industries’ Q1 2020 earnings at $3.00 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $3.83 EPS and FY2022 earnings at $16.35 EPS.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 1st. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $2.78 by ($0.08). LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 9.80% and a return on equity of 35.56%. The firm had revenue of $8.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.98 billion.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $100.00 to $91.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Nomura decreased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $77.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $87.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. LyondellBasell Industries presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $95.00.

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock traded down $0.95 on Wednesday, hitting $92.54. The stock had a trading volume of 698,647 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,786,576. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.21, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $92.10 and a 200 day moving average of $84.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.30. LyondellBasell Industries has a twelve month low of $68.61 and a twelve month high of $98.91.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LYB. Aristeia Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 2nd quarter worth $226,334,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 224.2% in the 2nd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 1,583,269 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $136,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,094,978 shares in the last quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp bought a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 2nd quarter worth $93,445,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 32.0% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,639,022 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $313,429,000 after purchasing an additional 881,932 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kiltearn Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 2nd quarter worth $55,295,000. Institutional investors own 66.79% of the company’s stock.

In other LyondellBasell Industries news, major shareholder Ai Investments Holdings Llc purchased 764,501 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $74.61 per share, for a total transaction of $57,039,419.61. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Massimo Covezzi sold 11,762 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.79, for a total value of $1,138,443.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.54%. This is a boost from LyondellBasell Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. LyondellBasell Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.27%.

LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company worldwide. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and Polyolefins—Americas; Olefins and Polyolefins—Europe, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. It produces and markets olefins and co-products; polyethylene products, which consist of high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and linear low density polyethylene; and polypropylene (PP) products, such as PP homopolymers and copolymers.

Analysts Decrease Earnings Estimates for Middleby Corp (NASDAQ:MIDD)

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Middleby Corp (NASDAQ:MIDD) – Investment analysts at William Blair dropped their Q4 2019 EPS estimates for Middleby in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, November 6th, Zacks Investment Research reports. William Blair analyst L. De. Maria now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $1.80 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.91. William Blair also issued estimates for Middleby’s FY2020 earnings at $7.00 EPS.

Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The industrial products company reported $1.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $724.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $760.88 million. Middleby had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 20.81%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.56 earnings per share.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on MIDD. ValuEngine cut shares of Middleby from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Middleby from $138.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. TheStreet cut shares of Middleby from a “b-” rating to a “c” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Wellington Shields cut shares of Middleby from a “gradually accumulate” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded shares of Middleby from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $141.57.

Shares of NASDAQ MIDD traded up $0.22 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $115.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 176,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 289,025. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $117.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.98 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 2.05. Middleby has a 1-year low of $96.65 and a 1-year high of $142.98.

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quantamental Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Middleby in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Middleby in the second quarter worth approximately $66,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Middleby by 5,606.7% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 856 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 841 shares during the last quarter. CNB Bank lifted its stake in Middleby by 266.4% in the third quarter. CNB Bank now owns 894 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quest Capital Management Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Middleby in the third quarter worth approximately $114,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.32% of the company’s stock.

In other news, Director Robert A. Nerbonne acquired 420 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $120.24 per share, for a total transaction of $50,500.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,282 shares in the company, valued at $154,147.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.98% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Middleby

The Middleby Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, distributes, and services foodservice, food processing, and residential kitchen equipment in the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Its Commercial Foodservice Equipment Group segment offers foodservice equipment for quick and full-service restaurants, convenience stores, retail outlets, hotels, and other institutions.