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ilytih - Raising the mid-points of billings, revenue, margins, earnings per share, and free cash flow guidance ranges. - Janesh Moorjani appointed as chief financial officer. SAN FRANCISCO , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025. All growth rates are compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2024, unless otherwise noted. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is provided in the accompanying tables. For definitions, please view the Glossary of Terms later in this document. Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights "Autodesk is leading the industry in modernizing its go-to-market motion. These initiatives enable us to build larger and more durable direct relationships with our customers and to serve them more efficiently. We have already seen significant benefits from these optimization initiatives and there's more to come in the next phase," said Andrew Anagnost , Autodesk president and CEO. "We will continue to deploy capital to offset and buy forward dilution, a practice which has reduced our share count over the last three years, and have significantly extended the duration of our repurchase program by increasing our stock repurchase authorization. Our goal is to deliver sustainable shareholder value over many years." "We generated broad-based underlying growth across products and regions. Overall, macroeconomic, policy, and geopolitical challenges, and the underlying momentum of the business, were consistent with the last few quarters with continued strong renewal rates and headwinds to new business growth," said Betsy Rafael , Autodesk interim CFO. "Given Autodesk's sustained momentum in the third quarter, and smooth launch of the new transaction model in Western Europe , we are raising the midpoints of our billings, revenue, margins, earnings per share, and free cash flow guidance ranges." Additional Financial Details Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Business Highlights Net Revenue by Geographic Area Three Months Ended October 31, 2024 Three Months Ended October 31, 2023 Change compared to prior fiscal year Constant currency change compared to prior fiscal year (In millions, except percentages) $ % % Net Revenue: Americas U.S. $ 579 $ 520 $ 59 11 % * Other Americas 126 120 6 5 % * Total Americas 705 640 65 10 % 11 % EMEA 580 516 64 12 % 13 % APAC 285 258 27 10 % 14 % Total Net Revenue $ 1,570 $ 1,414 $ 156 11 % 12 % ____________________ * Constant currency data not provided at this level. Net Revenue by Product Family Our product offerings are focused in four primary product families: Architecture, Engineering and Construction ("AEC"), AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, Manufacturing ("MFG"), and Media and Entertainment ("M&E"). Three Months Ended October 31, 2024 Three Months Ended October 31, 2023 Change compared to prior fiscal year (In millions, except percentages) $ % AEC $ 751 $ 675 $ 76 11 % AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 398 372 26 7 % MFG 307 269 38 14 % M&E 83 73 10 14 % Other 31 25 6 24 % Total Net Revenue $ 1,570 $ 1,414 $ 156 11 % Business Outlook The following are forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions, and involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are set forth below under "Safe Harbor Statement." Autodesk's business outlook for the fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 considers the current economic environment and foreign exchange currency rate environment. A reconciliation between the fiscal 2025 GAAP and non-GAAP estimates is provided below or in the tables following this press release. Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2025 Q4 FY25 Guidance Metrics Q4 FY25 (ending January 31, 2025) Revenue (in millions) $1,623 - $1,638 EPS GAAP $1.21 - $1.27 EPS non-GAAP (1) $2.10 - $2.16 ____________________ (1) Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share excludes $0.85 related to stock-based compensation expense, $0.17 for the amortization of both purchased intangibles and developed technologies, and $0.05 for acquisition-related costs, partially offset by ($0.18) related to GAAP-only tax charges. Full Year Fiscal 2025 FY25 Guidance Metrics FY25 (ending January 31, 2025) Billings (in millions) $5,900 - $5,980 Up 14% - 15% Revenue (in millions) (1) $6,115 - $6,130 Up approx. 11% GAAP operating margin 21.5% - 22% Non-GAAP operating margin (2) 35.5% - 36% EPS GAAP $4.95 - $5.01 EPS non-GAAP (3) $8.29 - $8.35 Free cash flow (in millions) (4) $1,470 - $1,500 ____________________ (1) Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates and hedge gains/losses, revenue guidance range would be approximately 1 percentage point higher. (2) Non-GAAP operating margin excludes approximately 11% related to stock-based compensation expense, approximately 2% for the amortization of both purchased intangibles and developed technologies, and approximately 1% related to acquisition-related costs. (3) Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share excludes $3.15 related to stock-based compensation expense, $0.61 for the amortization of both purchased intangibles and developed technologies, $0.23 related to acquisition-related costs, and $0.04 related to losses on strategic investments, partially offset by ($0.69) related to GAAP-only tax charges. (4) Free cash flow is cash flow from operating activities less approximately $30 million of capital expenditures. The fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 outlook assume a projected annual effective tax rate of 20 percent and 19 percent for GAAP and non-GAAP results, respectively. Shifts in geographic profitability continue to impact the annual effective tax rate due to significant differences in tax rates in various jurisdictions. Therefore, assumptions for the annual effective tax rate are evaluated regularly and may change based on the projected geographic mix of earnings. Earnings Conference Call and Webcast Autodesk will host its third quarter conference call today at 5 p.m. ET . The live broadcast can be accessed at autodesk.com/investor . A transcript of the opening commentary will also be available following the conference call. A replay of the broadcast will be available at 7 p.m. ET at autodesk.com/investor . This replay will be maintained on Autodesk's website for at least 12 months. Investor Presentation Details An investor presentation, Excel financials and other supplemental materials providing additional information can be found at autodesk.com/investor . Key Performance Metrics To help better understand our financial performance, we use several key performance metrics including billings, recurring revenue and net revenue retention rate. These metrics are key performance metrics and should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue. These metrics are not intended to be combined with those items. We use these metrics to monitor the strength of our recurring business. We believe these metrics are useful to investors because they can help in monitoring the long-term health of our business. Our determination and presentation of these metrics may differ from that of other companies. The presentation of these metrics is meant to be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, our financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Glossary of Terms Billings: Total revenue plus the net change in deferred revenue from the beginning to the end of the period. Cloud Service Offerings : Represents individual term-based offerings deployed through web browser technologies or in a hybrid software and cloud configuration. Cloud service offerings that are bundled with other product offerings are not captured as a separate cloud service offering. Constant Currency (CC) Growth Rates: We attempt to represent the changes in the underlying business operations by eliminating fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates as well as eliminating hedge gains or losses recorded within the current and comparative periods. We calculate constant currency growth rates by (i) applying the applicable prior period exchange rates to current period results and (ii) excluding any gains or losses from foreign currency hedge contracts that are reported in the current and comparative periods. Design Business: Represents the combination of maintenance, product subscriptions, and all EBAs. Main products include, but are not limited to, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Industry Collections, Revit, Inventor, Maya and 3ds Max. Certain products, such as our computer aided manufacturing solutions, incorporate both Design and Make functionality and are classified as Design. Enterprise Business Agreements (EBAs): Represents programs providing enterprise customers with token-based access to a broad pool of Autodesk products over a defined contract term. Flex: A pay-as-you-go consumption option to pre-purchase tokens to access any product available with Flex for a daily rate. Free Cash Flow: Cash flow from operating activities minus capital expenditures. Industry Collections: Autodesk Industry Collections are a combination of products and services that target a specific user objective and support a set of workflows for that objective. Our Industry Collections consist of: Autodesk Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection, Autodesk Product Design and Manufacturing Collection, and Autodesk Media and Entertainment Collection. Maintenance Plan: Our maintenance plans provide our customers with a cost effective and predictable budgetary option to obtain the productivity benefits of our new releases and enhancements when and if released during the term of their contracts. Under our maintenance plans, customers are eligible to receive unspecified upgrades when and if available, and technical support. We recognize maintenance revenue over the term of the agreements, generally one year. Make Business: Represents certain cloud-based product subscriptions. Main products include, but are not limited to, Assemble, Autodesk Build, BIM Collaborate Pro, BuildingConnected, Fusion, and Flow Production Tracking. Certain products, such as Fusion, incorporate both Design and Make functionality and are classified as Make. Net Revenue Retention Rate (NR3): Measures the year-over-year change in Recurring Revenue for the population of customers that existed one year ago ("base customers"). Net revenue retention rate is calculated by dividing the current quarter Recurring Revenue related to base customers by the total corresponding quarter Recurring Revenue from one year ago. Recurring Revenue is based on USD reported revenue, and fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and hedge gains or losses have not been eliminated. Recurring Revenue related to acquired companies, one year after acquisition, has been captured as existing customers until such data conforms to the calculation methodology. This may cause variability in the comparison. Other Revenue: Consists of revenue from consulting, and other products and services, and is recognized as the products are delivered and services are performed. Product Subscription: Provides customers a flexible, cost-effective way to access and manage 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software tools. Our product subscriptions currently represent a hybrid of desktop and cloud functionality, which provides a device-independent, collaborative design workflow for designers and their stakeholders. Recurring Revenue: Consists of the revenue for the period from our traditional maintenance plans, our subscription plan offerings, and certain Other revenue. It excludes subscription revenue related to third-party products. Recurring revenue acquired with the acquisition of a business is captured when total subscriptions are captured in our systems and may cause variability in the comparison of this calculation. Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO): The sum of total short-term, long-term, and unbilled deferred revenue. Current remaining performance obligations is the amount of revenue we expect to recognize in the next twelve months. Solution Provider : Solution Provider is the name of our channel partners who primarily serve our new transaction model customers worldwide. Solution Providers may also be resellers in relation to Autodesk solutions. Spend : The sum of cost of revenue and operating expenses. Subscription Plan: Comprises our term-based product subscriptions, cloud service offerings, and EBAs. Subscriptions represent a combined hybrid offering of desktop software and cloud functionality which provides a device-independent, collaborative design workflow for designers and their stakeholders. With subscription, customers can use our software anytime, anywhere, and get access to the latest updates to previous versions. Subscription Revenue: Includes our cloud-enabled term-based product subscriptions, cloud service offerings, and flexible EBAs. Unbilled Deferred Revenue: Unbilled deferred revenue represents contractually stated or committed orders under early renewal and multi-year billing plans for subscription, services, and maintenance for which the associated deferred revenue has not been recognized. Under FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, unbilled deferred revenue is not included as a receivable or deferred revenue on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including quotations from management, statements in the paragraphs under "Business Outlook" above statements about our short-term and long-term goals, statements regarding our strategies, market and product positions, performance and results, and all statements that are not historical facts. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: our strategy to develop and introduce new products and services and to move to platforms and capabilities, exposing us to risks such as limited customer acceptance (both new and existing customers), costs related to product defects, and large expenditures; global economic and political conditions, including changes in monetary and fiscal policy, foreign exchange headwinds, recessionary fears, supply chain disruptions, resulting inflationary pressures and hiring conditions; geopolitical tension and armed conflicts, and extreme weather events; costs and challenges associated with strategic acquisitions and investments; our ability to successfully implement and expand our transaction model; dependency on international revenue and operations, exposing us to significant international regulatory, economic, intellectual property, collections, currency exchange rate, taxation, political, and other risks, including risks related to the war against Ukraine launched by Russia and our exit from Russia and the current conflict between Israel and Hamas; inability to predict subscription renewal rates and their impact on our future revenue and operating results; existing and increased competition and rapidly evolving technological changes; fluctuation of our financial results, key metrics and other operating metrics; our transition from up front to annual billings for multi-year contracts; deriving a substantial portion of our net revenue from a small number of solutions, including our AutoCAD-based software products and collections; any failure to successfully execute and manage initiatives to realign or introduce new business and sales initiatives, including our new transaction model for Flex; net revenue, billings, earnings, cash flow, or new or existing subscriptions shortfalls; social and ethical issues relating to the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings; our ability to maintain security levels and service performance meeting the expectations of our customers, and the resources and costs required to avoid unanticipated downtime and prevent, detect and remediate performance degradation and security breaches; security incidents or other incidents compromising the integrity of our or our customers' offerings, services, data, or intellectual property; reliance on third parties to provide us with a number of operational and technical services as well as software; our highly complex software, which may contain undetected errors, defects, or vulnerabilities; increasing regulatory focus on privacy issues and expanding laws; governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets or subject us to liability if we violate the controls; protection of our intellectual property rights and intellectual property infringement claims from others; the government procurement process; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; our debt service obligations; and our investment portfolio consisting of a variety of investment vehicles that are subject to interest rate trends, market volatility, and other economic factors. Our estimates as to tax rate are based on current interpretations of existing tax law and could be affected by changing interpretations, further guidance, and additional tax legislation. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial results of Autodesk are included in Autodesk's Form 10-K and subsequent Forms 10-Q, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Autodesk disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements provided to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. About Autodesk The world's designers, engineers, builders, and creators trust Autodesk to help them design and make anything. From the buildings we live and work in, to the cars we drive and the bridges we drive over. From the products we use and rely on, to the movies and games that inspire us. Autodesk's Design and Make Platform unlocks the power of data to accelerate insights and automate processes, empowering our customers with the technology to create the world around us and deliver better outcomes for their business and the planet. For more information, visit autodesk.com or follow @autodesk. #MakeAnything Autodesk uses its investors.autodesk.com website as a means of disclosing material non-public information, announcing upcoming investor conferences and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, BIM 360 and Fusion 360 are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and service offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2024 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. Autodesk, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Net revenue: Subscription $ 1,457 $ 1,314 $ 4,195 $ 3,777 Maintenance 9 12 31 40 Total subscription and maintenance revenue 1,466 1,326 4,226 3,817 Other 104 88 266 211 Total net revenue 1,570 1,414 4,492 4,028 Cost of revenue: Cost of subscription and maintenance revenue 105 94 305 285 Cost of other revenue 19 21 57 62 Amortization of developed technologies 23 12 62 34 Total cost of revenue 147 127 424 381 Gross profit 1,423 1,287 4,068 3,647 Operating expenses: Marketing and sales 525 439 1,474 1,344 Research and development 378 339 1,092 1,021 General and administrative 161 165 477 438 Amortization of purchased intangibles 13 10 37 31 Total operating expenses 1,077 953 3,080 2,834M/I Homes CEO Robert Schottenstein sells $2 million in stock

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors’ favorite stocks over the last week — here’s a look at some of our top stories. Major U.S. indexes ended the week higher, with the Dow up 0.4%, S&P 500 gaining 0.7%, and Nasdaq rising 0.8%, breaking a three-week decline streak. The S&P 500’s strong Christmas Eve performance fueled hopes for a “Santa Rally,” a historical trend showing gains 64 out of 96 years during December’s final week. Markets started recovering from the Fed’s hawkish rate cut signals but faced renewed volatility Friday, tempering Santa Rally expectations. Despite near-term uncertainty, 2024 remains exceptional, with the S&P 500 matching last year’s 24% gain and U.S. stocks outperforming global markets by the widest margin since 1997. Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week’s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look. The Bulls “ AMD And Micron Are Top Analyst Picks For AI And Next-Gen Tech Growth ,” by Anusuya Lahiri , highlights Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD being a top 2025 analyst’s pick for CPU/GPU momentum and AI edge opportunities, and Micron Technology, Inc. MU for its dominance in high-bandwidth memory. “ Dogecoin Whales Load Up Coins Worth $92 Million Over 4 Days As Meme King Outperforms Bitcoin, Ethereum In 2024 ,” by Shivdeep Dhaliwal , reports that whale investors acquired 270 million Dogecoin DOGE/USD , worth $92 million, over four days, boosting DOGE's 274% YTD rally, far outpacing Bitcoin BTC/USD and Ethereum ETH/USD gains of 132% and 53%, respectively. “ Quantum Computing Stock QUBT Soars 157% While Bitcoin Drops Post Google's ‘Willow’ Reveal ,” by Aniket Verma , highlights Quantum Computing Inc. QUBT surging after Google's “Willow” chip breakthrough, outperforming key indices, while Bitcoin faced a downturn amid concerns Willow’s quantum power could undermine cryptographic security. For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following: Top 7 Blue-Chip Stocks With The Best Return Potential Going Into 2025 GM’s $60,000 Cadillac Lyriq Was Its Best Selling EV In 2024 As Of Q3: Is Premium The Way To Go For EV Makers? Why Trump’s Return To Office Could Drive Gold Demand In 2025 The Bears “ MicroStrategy Sinks After Nasdaq 100 Inclusion: Bitcoin Bet Under Fire ,” by Piero Cingari , reports MicroStrategy Inc. MSTR shares dropping 8.5% after its Nasdaq 100 debut, as analysts question its $561 million Bitcoin purchase at a 12% premium to current levels, marking its smallest acquisition amid declining stock performance. “ Are Sub-$30,000 Cars Disappearing? Trump’s Tariff Plans Could Reshape US Auto Market ,” by Chris Katje , explores Donald Trump 's proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, potentially pushing the price of vehicles like Ford Motor Co. ‘s F Maverick and Honda Motor Co. ‘s HMC Civic above $30,000, with one-third of sub-$30,000 cars currently made in Mexico. “ Tesla Shorts Gordon Johnson And James Chanos Skeptical Of Robotaxi Potential Amid Usage Data Debate ,” by Kaustubh Bagalkote , details criticism from Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research and short-seller James Chanos , who argue Tesla Inc. ‘s TSLA robotaxi ambitions overpromise revenue potential, citing New York City ride-share data. For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts: Lyft Sues San Francisco Over $100 Million Tax Bill, Says Payments To Drivers By Passengers Misclassified US Markets Likely Headed For 10% Correction, Says Jay Woods: Trump’s Tariff Plans, Musk’s DOGE Advocacy Among Contributing Factors ‘Zelle Became A Gold Mine For Fraudsters’: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Lawsuit Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following Benzinga on Twitter . Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney. This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.How Can Uneven Dispersion in Black Masterbatch Be Improved? A Case Study and Solution

By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | H5N1 virus in Louisiana bird flu patient shows mutations that could increase transmissibility to humans National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.Theon International PLC (THEON) announces that the German Parliament’s Defence and Budget Committees yesterday approved a new extension of the OCCAR contract, with the exercise of the 3rd consecutive option, with an additional option of similar size remaining available. The consortium of HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH and THEON SENSORS SA has been invited by OCCAR to sign this amendment on 20 December 2024 in Bonn, Germany. The original contract for the Production and Support of Bifocal Night Vision Systems (BNVG) with the international organization OCCAR was signed in July 2021. To date, 49,550 Mikron BNVGs ( with Exosens 16 mm tubes ) have already been contracted for delivery to the German and Belgian Armed Forces. Under the new amendment, the Consortium will continue with additional deliveries to Germany of several thousand Mikron bifocal night vision systems from THEON. Christian Hatziminas, Founder and CEO of THEON , said: “The extension of the OCCAR contract, which is taking place earlier than expected, confirms the successful collaboration between the companies involved in this project and underlines the vital importance of night vision for military forces. In addition, we are seeing consistently high demand globally as military forces have recognised the criticality of the need to enhance their operational capabilities during both day and night. As a result, access to tube acquisition is paramount. Indeed, this justifies (a) the acquisition of the Harder Digital group, which took place earlier this year with an investment that increases tube stock, and (b) the initiation of long-term commercial agreements with tube suppliers, notably Exosens. By extension, THEON has taken steps to further increase tube orders from Exosens for 2026 and beyond as part of the long-term commercial agreement between us for the years 2025-2027. The receipt of new orders is expected to continue into the new year.” Explore related questionsLONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.

Qatar tribune Agencies Turkey’s central bank on Thursday announced it had reduced the interest cost of rediscount credits, as part of authorities’ efforts to make financing more accessible for exporters. “The new interest cost of rediscount credits will be applied as 29.93%,” the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) said in a statement. That marks a reduction from 35%. The central bank also said it had updated the rule that determines the discount rate for rediscount credits for export and foreign exchange earning services.The new rule stipulates that the interest cost of rediscount credits will be a ratio of the policy rate, it noted. The move came after the central bank lowered its key interest rate by 2.5 percentage points to 47.5% on Thursday, carrying out its first rate cut in nearly two years as it tries to control inflation.It trimmed the one-week repo rate after an 18-month tightening effort that marked a shift to more conventional policymaking. The rate, last cut in early 2023, had been held at 50% since March.Annual inflation dipped to 47% last month in what the central bank believes is a sustained fall toward a 5% target over a few more years. Inflation had touched 85% in 2022 and 75% earlier this year. Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek on Friday said the government would continue supporting high-value-added production and exports to enhance Turkey’s competitiveness and efficiency. In a post on social media platform X, Şimşek recalled earlier measures he says were taken as part of the government’s medium-term economic program. He said rediscount loan limits were increased from TL 300 million ($8.52 million) per day to TL 4 billion, while the additional export revenue sales condition for rediscount credits was reduced from 30% to 0%. Authorities had also lowered the ratio of foreign exchange revenues that exporters are required to sell to the bank to 30% from 40%. The capital of the Türk Eximbank has been increased to TL 55.3 billion, from TL 13.8 billion, said Şimşek. Copy 29/12/2024 10

An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionTo improve your local-language experience, sometimes we employ an auto-translation plugin. Please note auto-translation may not be accurate, so read article for precise information. In Brief Major players like Crypto.com and Bitget are driving innovation across finance, gaming, and blockchain, reshaping how we interact with technology. In this week’s updates, we take a look at many developments, from revolutionizing token trading and AI-powered finance to creating seamless Web3 gaming experiences. Major players like Crypto.com, Bitget, and Circle of Games are not just advancing the digital economy but reshaping how we interact with technology. As these pioneers push boundaries, their collaborations promise to redefine the future of finance, gaming, and beyond, creating a new era where the lines between the digital and physical worlds blur in exciting ways. , a leading name in the cryptocurrency space, has with Swiss fintech innovator to push the boundaries of crypto payment solutions. The partnership aims to create seamless integration between digital assets and traditional financial systems, focusing on Ethereum (ETH), Bitget Token (BGB), and USD Coin (USDC). Bitget’s existing services, like Bitget Pay for instant low-cost crypto payments and the globally accepted Bitget Card for converting crypto to fiat, have laid a strong foundation. Fiat24 complements this with its blockchain-based banking platform, offering users in over 65 countries Swiss offshore accounts and Mastercard debit cards, enhancing transparency and user ownership. Together, the two companies envision reshaping financial accessibility. Bitget plans to make crypto payments a mainstream reality, while Fiat24’s infrastructure ensures secure and user-friendly transactions. Gracy Chen, Bitget’s CEO, highlighted the partnership as a key step toward empowering users worldwide, particularly those without access to traditional banking with crypto-enabled financial solutions. This collaboration represents a significant step in advancing PayFi technologies, signaling a future where digital currencies play a central role in everyday financial activities. By driving innovation and adoption, Bitget and Fiat24 aim to bring crypto closer to becoming a universal financial tool. At the Global Game Show in Dubai, unveiled their web3-powered gaming platform, marking a significant advancement in casual gaming innovation. The platform integrates blockchain technology with user-friendly gameplay, providing an accessible experience for both blockchain novices and gaming enthusiasts. Key industry players, including Nazara Technologies and The Hashgraph Group, back this groundbreaking initiative. The platform premiered with six games, including popular titles like Chess and Ludo-Classic, showcasing how blockchain can be seamlessly integrated without overwhelming users. By early 2025, COG aims to extend its offers to 10 games, seeking to grab a bigger audience with various interests. Leveraging the Hedera blockchain, the platform now has 500,000 active users and is putting its sights on 25 million worldwide users over the next two years. With its launch in Dubai, COG is targeting rapid expansion across the MENA region, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, as part of its ambitious plan to attract millions of players by 2027. CEO Rabilal Thapa highlighted the company’s vision to make blockchain technology accessible while enhancing gaming experiences. As gaming continues to evolve, COG is leading the charge in bridging traditional gameplay with the decentralized world of web3. Japan-based AI innovator has joined forces with global cryptocurrency exchange to debut its BGR token, marking a pivotal step in blending artificial intelligence and blockchain. This strategic partnership positions bitgrit to extend its global reach while empowering users with secure, efficient access to the BGR token. In addition to providing a trading platform, the token’s listing on BTSE raises its profile among global investors. With careful preparation, bitgrit hopes to make BGR available to a wide range of people all over the world by integrating it into BTSE’s ecosystem. Creating practical applications that bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and daily usage is bitgrit’s larger aim, and this milestone is in line with that. By using BTSE’s vast network to promote adoption, the cooperation also opens the door for bitgrit to increase its market presence. The BGR token is the backbone of bitgrit’s ecosystem, which aims to bring together investors, data scientists, and developers to unleash AI’s full potential. Bitgrit and BTSE are collaborating to redefine technology’s role in producing transformational, global solutions by merging AI and blockchain. Their goal is to develop a decentralized economy that promotes innovation and sustainable growth. The partnership between Formula 1 and , which started in 2021, has been extended until 2030. The two groups’ shared goals of increasing participation from fans and education about the bitcoin market are highlighted by this renewal. Formula 1 has attracted a massive worldwide audience since the relationship began, with a total of 1.5 billion TV watchers, 750 million fans, and 96 million followers on social media. At the same time, Crypto.com has become the undisputed leader in the cryptocurrency sector, with a user base of over 100 million people worldwide. As part of the prolonged deal, Crypto.com will place an emphasis on providing unique fan experiences and activations at different Grands Prix, including visible branding throughout important races. The new agreement ensures that Crypto.com, which has been present at the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix from its inception in 2022, will maintain its status as the Official Title Partner of the event. Optimistic about the future of cryptocurrencies and the partnership’s possibilities, Steven Kalifowitz, Chief Marketing Officer of Crypto.com, highlighted the significance of Formula 1 in increasing the brand’s worldwide visibility. This revitalization is in line with Crypto.com’s lofty goals for 2025, which is when the firm plans to establish itself as the go-to spot for all things related to digital money and cryptocurrency. is the clear market leader in bitcoin services, and they just started , a trust company based in the United States. This change makes it possible for the company to provide safe asset holding services to qualifying institutions and customers in the US and Canada. In the following weeks, digital assets for consumers in these locations will be effortlessly moved to the new platform. Crypto.com guaranteed users they would maintain uninterrupted access to their accounts and money during the transition and will be kept updated every step of the way. “This is a landmark move,” said Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com. He emphasized the platform’s continuous efforts to improve services and grow its presence in these crucial areas and said it reinforced the company’s trust in the North American crypto environment. In a separate announcement, Crypto.com revealed a partnership with Deutsche Bank to support corporate banking operations in Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong. This collaboration aims to improve operational efficiency while laying a strong foundation for further expansion. Karl Mohan, Crypto.com’s General Manager for APAC and MEA, emphasized that teaming up with a renowned financial institution underscores Crypto.com’s focus on security, compliance, and global growth. In line with the , please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience. Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.By Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Wells Fargo . Looking at options history for Wells Fargo WFC we detected 35 trades. If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 31% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 45% with bearish. From the overall spotted trades, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $202,502 and 30, calls, for a total amount of $1,887,466. Expected Price Movements Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $50.0 to $100.0 for Wells Fargo during the past quarter. Analyzing Volume & Open Interest Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Wells Fargo's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Wells Fargo's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $50.0 to $100.0 over the preceding 30 days. Wells Fargo Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview Significant Options Trades Detected: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume WFC CALL TRADE BULLISH 04/17/25 $11.15 $11.15 $11.15 $70.00 $223.0K 3.1K 200 WFC CALL TRADE BEARISH 06/20/25 $20.0 $19.9 $19.9 $60.00 $198.9K 10.2K 150 WFC CALL SWEEP NEUTRAL 04/17/25 $9.75 $8.25 $9.1 $72.50 $182.0K 485 0 WFC CALL TRADE BULLISH 06/20/25 $9.15 $8.4 $9.1 $75.00 $91.0K 12.6K 102 WFC CALL SWEEP NEUTRAL 12/20/24 $5.25 $5.15 $5.19 $72.50 $90.7K 3.1K 172 About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks in the United States, with approximately $1.9 trillion in balance sheet assets. The company has four primary segments: consumer banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth and investment management. It is almost entirely focused on the U.S. Where Is Wells Fargo Standing Right Now? With a trading volume of 12,434,040, the price of WFC is up by 0.7%, reaching $77.44. Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought. Next earnings report is scheduled for 50 days from now. Professional Analyst Ratings for Wells Fargo A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $79.5. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access .* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Citigroup keeps a Neutral rating on Wells Fargo with a target price of $82. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group keeps a Outperform rating on Wells Fargo with a target price of $77. Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Wells Fargo with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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