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College GameDay Announces Controversial Guest Pickers For SaturdayCHARLOTTE, N.C. , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation announced today that it will redeem all outstanding shares of its Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series MM (CUSIP No. 060505FR0), liquidation preference $25,000 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), and the corresponding depositary shares each representing a 1/25 th interest in a share of the Preferred Stock (CUSIP No. 060505FQ2) (the "Depositary Shares"). The Depositary Shares will be redeemed simultaneously with the Preferred Stock on the upcoming dividend payment date on January 28, 2025 (the "Redemption Date"), at a redemption price of $1,000 per depositary share. Declared dividends of $21.50 per depositary share in respect of the outstanding Depositary Shares for the full current semi-annual dividend period from, and including, July 28, 2024 to, but excluding, January 28, 2025 will be paid separately on January 28, 2025 , to holders of record on January 1, 2025 , in the customary manner. Accordingly, the redemption price of $1,000 per depositary share does not include any accrued and unpaid dividends. Dividends on the redeemed Depositary Shares will cease to accrue on the Redemption Date. The Depositary Shares are held through The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") and will be redeemed in accordance with the applicable procedures of DTC. Payment to DTC for the Depositary Shares will be made by Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively, as redemption agent. The address for the redemption agent is as follows: Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Attn: Corporate Actions 150 Royall St. Canton, MA 02021 This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption under the certificate of designation governing the Preferred Stock or the deposit agreement governing the Depositary Shares. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States , serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States , its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions difficult to predict or beyond our control. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider the uncertainties and risks discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 , and in any of our subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts . www.bankofamerica.com Investors May Contact: Lee McEntire , Bank of America Phone: 1.980.388.6780 lee.mcentire@bofa.com Jonathan G. Blum , Bank of America (Fixed Income) Phone: 1.212.449.3112 jonathan.blum@bofa.com Reporters May Contact: Jocelyn Seidenfeld , Bank of America Phone: 1.646.743.3356 jocelyn.seidenfeld@bofa.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bank-of-america-announces-full-redemption-of-its-series-mm-preferred-stock-and-related-depositary-shares-302338391.html SOURCE Bank of America CorporationAndrew Callahan: Itâs time to forget about Jerod Mayo getting fired
Maverick McNealy birdies the last hole at Sea Island to finally become PGA Tour winnerWhen Meta teased its prototype Orion smart glasses at Meta Connect , CEO Mark Zuckerberg confidently said they were "the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen." The prototype glasses are an attempt to bridge the gap between the popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses -- which are lightweight and practical but limited in features -- and the Meta Quest , a full-fledged VR/AR headset with an augmented reality display that's also bulky and impractical for everyday use. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Meta will carry over some of Orion's best features, such as the "small in-lens screen" and a wristband controller, to the upcoming model of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Also: Your Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses just got a massive AI upgrade This would introduce an AR component to the glasses with a holographic interface while capturing your surroundings with a pass-through display that may be controllable with a wristband sensor. It's a sensible step up from the current smart glasses model, which only allows for audio-based interactions and photo and video-taking. The rumored wristband accessory would allow the user to navigate AR display menus with hand gestures: pinching your thumb and forefinger, for example, lets you "click" on options on a menu while your eyes act as cursors for scrolling through dialogue boxes. It's important to note that so far, Meta has not confirmed any of these features outright since the Orion product is still in the testing phase and not slated to launch until 2027. However, the company acknowledged this technology is among the most requested by users. Bringing useful AR to a wearable that's smaller than a massive headset is all new territory, but one that Meta seems committed to pioneering. Like the Meta Quest 3 (pictured), the upcoming smart glasses would allow users to see digital overlays. Of course, this raises a lot of questions. First and foremost, what kind of battery life are we looking at here with the addition of an AR display? The glasses don't have much room to house a large, robust battery, so it will be interesting to see how many hours of life we can expect from the device. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses on the market right now aren't winning any awards for battery life; They advertise four hours of use or even less with intensive video or live streaming. Introducing lenses with a pass-through display and integration with a wearable wristband suggests a whole new level of power demands. Also: I took my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses fly fishing, and they beat GoPro in several surprising ways Along those lines, the whole design challenge with smart glasses is making them lighter, more discreet, and overall "normal" looking. This new technology will inevitably make them even larger unless there are some serious leaps forward in compressing the hardware. Even if Meta can make the finished product the same size as the existing Ray-Bans, that would be a success. The glasses demoed by the Wall Street Journal included a "puck" that paired with the glasses and acted as a sort of processing hub. This implies that there's simply no room in the glasses' frames to include all the hardware needed to accomplish the tasks they're designed for. It's unclear whether this will be part of the final design or just part of the prototype. Frequent updates have kept the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses relevant a year after release. Pricing is another big question since, as reported by The Verge, each pair of Orion glasses costs around $10,000 to make , a point that isn't exactly promising from a consumer affordability standpoint. However, Meta has clarified that the technology involved in Orion is still firmly in the development phase, leading me not to focus too much on this number for now. We'll be paying close attention to developments made in 2025 and in the meantime exploring everything possible with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which continue to receive regular feature updates like translation AI and in my humble opinion, one of the most practical features yet: integration with Shazam . ZDNET's product of the year: Why Oura Ring 4 bested Samsung, Apple, and others in 2024 I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and watching Hollywood movies on it left me in awe I let my 8-year-old test this Android phone for kids. Here's what you should know before buying This ThinkPad checks all my boxes for a solid work laptop. Here's why it stands out
Sonos Rarely Goes on Sale, But 2024 Black Friday Deals Save You Up to $200 Off Soundbars & SpeakersProsecutors in the United States have indicted Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani for their alleged involvement in a Rs 2000 crore ($265 million) bribery scheme to secure power-supply contracts. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) claims the scheme involved paying Indian officials to develop Indiaâs largest solar power plant project. Azure Powerâs contracts alone were expected to generate $2 billion in profits over 20 years. This marks the second major crisis for the Adani Group in two years, following the in 2023 which accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The recent fallout has also resulted in Kenya announcing the of a major airport expansion project with the Adani Group to cheers in the countryâs Parliament. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibits companies or individuals with US ties such as American investors, public listings, or joint ventures from offering bribes to government officials for favourable treatment. While the Adani Group is not publicly traded in the US., its American investors bring it under the purview of the FCPA. In response to the allegations, the Adani Group issued a on November 21, denying the charges brought by the DOJ and the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). Describing the allegations as âbaseless,â the group reiterated its commitment to legal compliance: âWe assure our stakeholders, partners, and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.â It also highlighted that the charges are allegations, quoting the DOJâs own : âThe charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.â Adani Group emphasised its intention to seek âall possible legal recourseâ to challenge the indictment. The statement aimed to reassure stakeholders amidst fluctuating share prices across its listed companies, including Adani Green Energy, Adani Enterprises, and Adani Ports. While Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani face charges of fraud and bribery, the Adani Group is also under scrutiny for failing to disclose the ongoing investigation to US and Indian investors, as well as Indian Exchanges and SEBI. The company has been accused of denying knowledge of the investigation while providing misleading information to investors. On March 15, 2024, reported that US investigators were examining whether an Adani entity or individuals linked to the group, including Gautam Adani had paid Indian officials for favourable treatment on an energy project. The Adani Group companies informed the Indian stock exchanges that âThe Company states that it has not received any notice from the Department of Justice of U.S. in respect of the allegation referred to in the said article.â But Gautam and Sagar Adani were aware of the investigation. The investigation, which also involved Indian renewable energy company Azure Power Global Ltd., was led by the US Attorneyâs Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DOJ's fraud unit in Washington. The DOJ indictment unsealed on Wednesday alleges that Adani Green Energy concealed an ongoing investigation against its senior executives and falsely claimed to Indian stock exchanges that it had no knowledge of such an inquiry. The indictment further reveals that the Adani Group had been aware of the investigation for over a year. In connection with the same investigation, the SEC also filed two lawsuitsâone against Adani Group executives and another against an executive of the investor in Azure Power. These documents clarify that three key executives of Adani Green Energy, Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani (Gautam Adani's nephew), and Vneet Jaain, are being investigated by the DoJ and SEC. According to the indictment, in March 2023, FBI special agents revealed the existence of their investigation to Sagar R. Adani, as well as certain crimes and individuals under scrutiny. On March 17, 2023, FBI agents approached Sagar R Adani in the US and executed a judicially authorised search warrant. The FBI agents also served him a grand jury subpoena and seized his electronic equipment. The indictment notes that the following day, on March 18, 2023, âthe defendant Gautam S Adani emailed himself photographs of each page of the search warrant executed and grand jury subpoena served on the defendant Sagar R Adani.â Despite being aware of these investigations, the indictment alleges, âthe defendants Gautam S Adani and Sagar R Adani not only concealed the Bribery Scheme from financial institutions and investors in the United States and elsewhere but also caused others to make false and misleading statements regarding their awareness and knowledge of the United States governmentâs investigation and its subjects.â As per the indictment, in the days that followed after the Bloomberg report, Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani allegedly directed others within the conglomerate to issue false and misleading statements about the companyâs awareness of the investigation. On March 17, 2024, the head of corporate finance for the Conglomerate, emailed a lender for the 2021 Syndicate Loan and a joint bookrunner for the 2024 144A Bond. Rule 144A offering is a private resale of securities to qualified institutional buyers (QIBs). Copying Sagar R Adani, the email dismissed the 2024 news article as âbaseless,â âmalicious,â and âdefamatory.â Later that day, similar or identical emails were sent by him to more than a dozen other financial institutions and investors, again copying Sagar R Adani on these communications. On March 19, 2024, the corporate finance head emailed the financial institutions, sharing letters that the Indian Energy Company had sent to the NSE and BSE Limited. These letters falsely claimed that the Indian Energy Company âhas not received any notice from the Department of Justice of the US in respect of the allegation referred to in the Bloomberg article and that the company was only âaware of an investigationâ into potential violations of US anti-corruption laws by a âthird party.â Adani Green Energy subsidiaries hinted at the existence of an anti-corruption investigation in the fine print of a after a $409 million bond issue had closed successfully, the document stated: âAGEL, its operations and projects in India and its officers and/or personnel are subject to or exposed to present inquiries and investigations under the anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws of other countries (such as the US. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act).â While the company subtly acknowledged exposure to anti-bribery inquiries in the above document, it told the BSE and NSE in the same month that no investigation was ongoing. To facilitate its bond offering, Adani Green provided Offering Circulars to potential investors. These documents, designed to assist investors in making informed decisions, detailed the companyâs operations, financial performance, and compliance policies. The Offering Circulars further only assured investors. The Offering Circulars also warned investors about potential âRisk Factors,â including the possibility that employees could expose the company to liability under anti-bribery laws: "We are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of improper payments to governments and their officials and political parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or securing an improper advantage and require the maintenance of internal controls to prevent such payments..â While these warnings appeared comprehensive, they were materially misleading. They implied that the risk of bribery was hypothetical, ignoring the ongoing bribery scheme led by senior executives, including Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani. The Offering Circulars also falsely claimed that Adani Green secured its renewable energy contracts through transparent and competitive tender processes: âWe win our PPAs through transparent and competitive tender processes conducted by the central and state governments of India.â By detailing specific anti-bribery policies and governance measures, Adani Green sought to create the impression that it had effective safeguards in place. According to a report by , SEBI is likely to investigate Adani Green Energy Ltd for allegedly making a false disclosure to Indian stock exchanges, as revealed by a source with direct knowledge of the matter. SEBIâs Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements ( ) Regulations, particularly Regulation 30 and Schedule III, require listed entities to disclose all material events or information that could impact investors or affect the companyâs operations. Additionally, SEBIâs Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Relating to Securities Market rules explicitly prohibit false declarations. âNo person shall indulge in a manipulative, fraudulent, or an unfair trade practice in securities.â SEBI has faced significant criticism over its handling of allegations against the Adani Group, particularly after the January 2023 report by Hindenburg Research accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. Although SEBI multiple investigations in response to these allegations, progress has been slow. By August 2023, SEBI reported to the Supreme Court that it had completed 22 of the 24 investigations into the Adani-Hindenburg matter, but the remaining two were delayed due to difficulties in obtaining information from foreign regulatory agencies. This lack of a decisive resolution has raised questions about SEBIâs ability to effectively regulate and hold powerful corporate entities accountable. Adding to these concerns are allegations of conflicts of interest involving SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch. In August 2024, surfaced claiming that Buch and her husband held stakes in offshore funds linked to the Adani Group. These allegations, first highlighted by Research, have fueled speculation about potential bias in SEBIâs handling of Adani-related matters. Although Buch denied any wrongdoing and stated that she had herself from Adani-related investigations, critics argue that her position within SEBI during these inquiries undermines the regulatorâs impartiality. The has since sought an explanation from Buch regarding these allegations, emphasising the need for greater transparency and accountability in regulatory oversight. The current indictment has further amplified concerns over SEBIâs regulatory framework, with opposition leaders urging the regulatory authority to demonstrate impartiality and rigour. The slow pace of past investigations, combined with allegations of potential conflicts of interest, has cast a shadow over SEBIâs credibility. Whether SEBI can take decisive action in light of these developments remains an open question.
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SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Docusign, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) today announced results for its fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2024. Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will be accessible on Docusign's website at investor.docusign.com prior to its webcast. "Docusign delivered powerful new innovation for customers highlighted by new capabilities to its Intelligent Agreement Management ("IAM") platform," said Allan Thygesen , CEO of Docusign. "In Q3, early IAM momentum outpaced expectations, and we continued to drive improvement in our core business with strong revenue growth and operating profit." Third Quarter Financial Highlights A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics." Key Business Highlights: IAM Product Releases and Highlights : Docusign announced new product capabilities to its IAM platform. Highlights from recent product releases include: Contract Lifecycle Management ("CLM") Product Releases and Highlights : Developer Ecosystem: Guidance The company currently expects the following guidance: Total revenue $758 to $762 Subscription revenue $741 to $745 Billings $870 to $880 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.0 % to 82.0 % Non-GAAP operating margin 27.5 % to 28.5 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 209 to 214 Total revenue $2,959 to $2,963 Subscription revenue $2,885 to $2,889 Billings $3,056 to $3,066 Non-GAAP gross margin 81.9 % to 82.1 % Non-GAAP operating margin 29.5 % to 29.7 % Non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 210 to 212 A reconciliation of non-GAAP guidance measures to corresponding GAAP guidance measures is not available on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort due to the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, expenses that may be incurred in the future. Stock-based compensation-related charges, including employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions, are impacted by many factors, including the timing of employee stock transactions, the future fair market value of our common stock, and our future hiring and retention needs, all of which are difficult to predict and subject to constant change. We have provided a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in the financial statement tables for our historical non-GAAP financial results included in this release. Webcast Conference Call Information The company will host a conference call on December 5, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. PT ( 5:00 p.m. ET ) to discuss its financial results. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Docusign Investor Relations website at investor.docusign.com . Prepared remarks and the news release with the financial results will also be accessible on Docusign's website prior to the webcast. A live dial-in will be available domestically at 877-407-0784 or internationally at 201-689-8560. A replay will be available domestically at 844-512-2921 or internationally at 412-317-6671 until midnight (EST) December 19, 2024 using the passcode 13750095. About Docusign Docusign brings agreements to life. Over 1.6 million customers and more than a billion people in over 180 countries use Docusign solutions to accelerate the process of doing business and simplify people's lives. With intelligent agreement management, Docusign unleashes business critical data that is trapped inside of documents. Until now, these were disconnected from business systems of record, costing businesses time, money, and opportunity. Using Docusign's IAM platform, companies can create, commit, and manage agreements with solutions created by the #1 company in e-signature and CLM. Learn more at www.docusign.com . Copyright 2024. Docusign, Inc. is the owner of DOCUSIGNÂź and all its other marks (www.docusign.com/IP). Investor Relations: Docusign Investor Relations investors@docusign.com Media Relations: Docusign Corporate Communications media@docusign.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management, and which statements involve substantial risk and uncertainties. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy and plans, market growth and trends, objectives for future operations, and the impact of such assumptions on our financial condition and results of operations are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release also include, among other things, statements under "Guidance" above and any other statements about expected financial metrics, such as revenue, billings, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP diluted weighted-average shares outstanding, and non-financial metrics, as well as statements related to our expectations regarding the benefits, rollout and customer demand of the Docusign IAM platform. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about: our expectations regarding global macro-economic conditions, including the effects of inflation, volatile interest rates, and market volatility on the global economy; our ability to estimate the size and growth of our total addressable market; our ability to compete effectively in an evolving and competitive market; the impact of any data breaches, cyberattacks or other malicious activity on our technology systems; our ability to effectively sustain and manage our growth and future expenses and maintain or increase future profitability; our ability to attract new customers and maintain and expand our existing customer base; our ability to effectively implement and execute our restructuring plans; our ability to scale and update our platform to respond to customers' needs and rapid technological change, including our ability to successfully incorporate generative artificial intelligence into our existing and future products; our ability to successfully execute our technical developments, go-to-market and sales strategy for our IAM platform; our ability to expand use cases within existing customers and vertical solutions; our ability to expand our operations and increase adoption of our platform internationally; our ability to strengthen and foster our relationships with developers; our ability to retain our direct sales force, customer success team and strategic partnerships around the world; our ability to identify targets for and execute potential acquisitions and to successfully integrate and realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our brand; the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents and capital resources to satisfy our liquidity needs; limitations on us due to obligations we have under our credit facility or other indebtedness; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our stock repurchase program; our failure or the failure of our software to comply with applicable industry standards, laws and regulations; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property; our ability to successfully defend litigation against us; our ability to attract large organizations as users; our ability to maintain our corporate culture; our ability to offer high-quality customer support; our ability to hire, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including executive level management; our ability to successfully manage and integrate executive management transitions; uncertainties regarding the impact of general economic and market conditions, including as a result of regional and global conflicts; and our ability to maintain proper and effective internal controls. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included in the sections titled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024 filed on March 21, 2024 , our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 , which we expect to file on December 6, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), and other filings that we make from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release or to conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Key Metrics To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, as described below, to understand and evaluate our core operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures, which may be different than similarly-titled measures used by other companies, are presented to enhance investors' overall understanding of our financial performance and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our financial performance, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allow for greater transparency with respect to important metrics used by our management for financial and operational decision-making. We present these non-GAAP measures to assist investors in seeing our financial performance using a management view, and because we believe that these measures provide an additional tool for investors to use in comparing our core financial performance over multiple periods with other companies in our industry. However, these non-GAAP measures are not intended to be considered in isolation from, a substitute for, or superior to our GAAP results. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per share : We define these non-GAAP financial measures as the respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation, employer payroll tax on employee stock transactions, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles, amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, fair value adjustments to strategic investments, acquisition-related expenses, lease-related impairment and lease-related charges, restructuring and other related charges, as these costs are not reflective of ongoing operations and, as applicable, other special items. The amount of employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions is dependent on our stock price and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of the business. When evaluating the performance of our business and making operating plans, we do not consider these items (for example, when considering the impact of equity award grants, we place a greater emphasis on overall stockholder dilution rather than the accounting charges associated with such grants). We believe it is useful to exclude these expenses in order to better understand the long-term performance of our core business and to facilitate comparison of our results to those of peer companies and over multiple periods. In addition to these exclusions, we subtract an assumed provision for income taxes to calculate non-GAAP net income. We utilize a fixed long-term projected tax rate in our computation of the non-GAAP income tax provision to provide better consistency across the reporting periods. For fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, we have determined the projected non-GAAP tax rate to be 20%. Free cash flow : We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property and equipment. We believe free cash flow is an important liquidity measure of the cash that is available (if any), after purchases of property and equipment, for operational expenses, investment in our business, and to make acquisitions. Free cash flow is useful to investors as a liquidity measure because it measures our ability to generate or use cash in excess of our capital investments in property and equipment. Once our business needs and obligations are met, cash can be used to maintain a strong balance sheet and invest in future growth. Billings : We define billings as total revenues plus the change in our contract liabilities and refund liability less contract assets and unbilled accounts receivable in a given period. Billings reflects sales to new customers plus subscription renewals and additional sales to existing customers. Only amounts invoiced to a customer in a given period are included in billings. We believe billings can be used to measure our periodic performance, when taking into consideration the timing aspects of customer renewals, which represents a large component of our business. Given that most of our customers pay in annual installments one year in advance, but we typically recognize a majority of the related revenue ratably over time, we use billings to measure and monitor our ability to provide our business with the working capital generated by upfront payments from our customers. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, please see "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, (in thousands, except per share data) 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: Subscription $ 734,693 $ 682,352 $ 2,143,542 $ 1,991,026 Professional services and other 20,127 18,069 56,945 58,470 Total revenue 754,820 700,421 2,200,487 2,049,496 Cost of revenue: Subscription 134,587 114,227 393,561 339,354 Professional services and other 21,950 28,418 67,887 85,360 Total cost of revenue 156,537 142,645 461,448 424,714 Gross profit 598,283 557,776 1,739,039 1,624,782 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing 290,597 292,473 859,705 867,916 Research and development 151,101 136,640 432,992 387,964 General and administrative 97,555 108,215 277,162 316,910 Restructuring and other related charges â 710 29,721 30,293 Total operating expenses 539,253 538,038 1,599,580 1,603,083 Income from operations 59,030 19,738 139,459 21,699 Interest expense (462) (1,577) (1,150) (5,135) Interest income and other income, net 13,006 17,673 41,745 47,373 Income before provision for (benefit from) income taxes 71,574 35,834 180,054 63,937 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 9,151 (2,971) (804,340) 17,198 Net income $ 62,423 $ 38,805 $ 984,394 $ 46,739 Net income per share attributable to common stockholders: Basic $ 0.31 $ 0.19 $ 4.81 $ 0.23 Diluted $ 0.30 $ 0.19 $ 4.69 $ 0.23 Weighted-average shares used in computing net income per share: Basic 203,567 204,456 204,674 203,609 Diluted 208,706 208,054 209,755 208,317 Stock-based compensation expense included in costs and expenses: Cost of revenueâsubscription $ 14,862 $ 13,705 $ 44,636 $ 38,143 Cost of revenueâprofessional services and other 4,765 7,343 14,465 21,359 Sales and marketing 49,347 53,715 154,396 150,604 Research and development 53,184 48,310 150,816 129,458 General and administrative 31,070 36,337 91,239 111,271 Restructuring and other related charges â 8 4,836 4,996 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands) October 31, 2024 January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 610,870 $ 797,060 Investmentsâcurrent 331,506 248,402 Accounts receivable, net 300,444 439,299 Contract assetsâcurrent 13,645 15,922 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 75,412 66,984 Total current assets 1,331,877 1,567,667 Investmentsânoncurrent 112,805 121,977 Property and equipment, net 278,623 245,173 Operating lease right-of-use assets 113,365 123,188 Goodwill 455,678 353,138 Intangible assets, net 83,307 50,905 Deferred contract acquisition costsânoncurrent 445,987 409,627 Deferred tax assetsânoncurrent 816,538 2,031 Other assetsânoncurrent 132,028 97,584 Total assets $ 3,770,208 $ 2,971,290 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 18,144 $ 19,029 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 94,591 104,037 Accrued compensation 158,779 195,266 Contract liabilitiesâcurrent 1,307,749 1,320,059 Operating lease liabilitiesâcurrent 19,507 22,230 Total current liabilities 1,598,770 1,660,621 Contract liabilitiesânoncurrent 22,931 21,980Revolution Medicines Announces Closing of Upsized Public Offering of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants and Full Exercise of Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional Shares
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 8,040 Shares of Q2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:QTWO)For people in recovery, New Year's Eve poses a significant challenge as the celebration is built around alcohol consumption for many, including a traditional champagne toast at midnight. To provide an alternative to these often difficult social situations, the Brazoria County Recovery Committee is hosting its inaugural Sober Eve Party, a safe, alcohol-free event designed to bring together those in recovery and their families to foster a sense of community, connection and support. âI wanted to create an event where people in recovery could come together, share their stories, and celebrate their progress in a safe and positive environment,â says Brandye Toombs, the founder of the recovery committee and organizer of the Sober Eve Party. âRecovery is something to be proud of, and itâs important that we create opportunities for people to come together, show their strength, and lift each other up.â Breaking the stigma surrounding recovery is a central theme of the Sober Eve Party. For many people who have struggled with addiction, the path to sobriety is not only about overcoming substance abuse but also about rebuilding relationships and rediscovering a sense of self-worth. "The Sober Eve Party is about much more than just not drinking or using drugs," BCRCâs Chief Operating Officer Crystal Morris said. "Itâs about being part of a community where people can come together, be themselves and feel truly supported. Itâs about fostering an environment of love, understanding, and connection, where everyone has the chance to thrive." The event is designed to be family-friendly with a variety of activities and entertainment for people of all ages. For the children, there will be a cocoa bar, a bounce house and a fireworks display to close out the evening. For the adults, the event will feature music, food and plenty of opportunities for socializing with others who share a similar journey. "We wanted to make sure that everyone, no matter their age or background, has something to look forward to and enjoy," Morris said. "The idea is to create an event where people can have fun, connect with one another and leave feeling inspired and supported." At the heart of the sober Eve Party is a spirit of camaraderie. Toombs stresses the importance of the connections made during these types of events, where people can share their experiences and uplift one another. "Recovery is about so much more than just getting sober âitâs about finding new ways to connect with the world around you, to rebuild relationships, and to create a new, healthy way of living," she said. "The Sober Eve Party is a celebration of all the progress weâve made together. Itâs a way to show that recovery is not just possible â itâs something to be proud of." Events like the Sober Eve Party are invaluable for those on the journey of recovery, Morris said. "When youâre surrounded by people who truly understand your journey, it makes all the difference," she said. "It helps people realize that theyâre not alone, that recovery is a shared experience and that thereâs a whole community cheering them on." The success of the Sober Eve Party wouldnât be possible without the generous support of local businesses and organizations, Morris said. Local partners include Ryan Bradberry, Adapt Programs, Brazos Place and Stewart Building, she said. "Weâre incredibly grateful for the local businesses that have partnered with us to make this event a reality," says Crystal. "Without their support, we wouldnât be able to provide such a meaningful event for the community." Although this will be the first year the BCRC is hosting the Sober Eve Party, both Toombs and Morris hope it will become an annual tradition that grows stronger each year. "This is just the beginning," Toombs said. "We want this event to grow, to become a larger celebration of recovery and community every year. We want people to know that recovery isnât a journey that should be traveled alone, and we want to continue building a space where people can come together, feel supported, and make lasting memories." The Sober Eve Party will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday at Star of Texas Event Center, 14027B Highway 288B in Angleton. For information, visit facebook.com/BCRC2018 or email bcrcommittee2018@gmail.com .It was just a couple of years ago that Pierer Mobility-owned KTM celebrated 12 straight years of record growth. Now, the company is in a dire crisis that requires a halt in production and the sacking of more than 300 employees. How did it get here? Overproduction and quality issues are two of the main reasons for KTMâs state of affairs. In an emergency announcement released this past week, Pierer Mobility AG disclosed that KTM AG's liquidity strategy for the 2025 fiscal year will require additional funding to the tune of a "nine-figure sum in dollars." That's in the hundreds of millions for those not wanting to count zeroes. To cut inventory, a production halt is planned in Mattighofen in Austria. This will result in around 300 layoffs. KTM states that investor talks are in progress and that it remains to be seen if these "measures are sufficient." The KTM AG group accounts for more than 95% of Pierer Mobility AGâs revenue. For a while now KTM has been announcing layoffs and job relocations to China. The managers at Mattighofen have previously downplayed the situation, claiming that Europe's biggest motorcycle manufacturer could handle its current financial crisis on its own. However, that crisis has worsened. It all started towards the end of last year when of its âmid-range modelsâ and certain R&D from Austria to China (CF Moto) and India (Bajaj Auto) â all of which resulted in job losses for some 300 employees in Austria. At that point, the board of directors cited discouraging economic conditions in Europe, slowing economic growth, increasing inflation, and higher interest rates as the reasons behind the moves. It has been a long, tiring year for KTM AG since then. The group announced a profit warning and significantly lowered its 2024 projections as early as June of this year. Its , and things were considerably worse than anticipated. Compared to the first half of 2023, the group announced losses in excess of âŹ172 million (~ US$182,130,800). Pierer Mobility AG's share price plummeted as a result and its net debt increased by 89.3%. âWe damaged the KTM brand with overproduction and quality problems and now we have to iron that out,â said Hubert Trunkenpolz, Pierer board member, in an interview with a couple of months back. COVID was one of the primary reasons for the crisis, according to Trunkenpolz, who explained that the pandemic led to a huge demand for quarantine-friendly recreational vehicles like motorcycles, bicycles, and RVs. But sadly, by the time the company had increased production to catch up, the demand had started to decline sharply. Post-COVID, there were suddenly a lot of goods in the showrooms, but far fewer customers â partly due to post-pandemic inflation. Back in September, Trunkenpolz emphasized that Pierer felt confident enough to handle this issue and guaranteed that none of the company's brands are "even remotely at risk." Well, what a difference a couple of months can make. All this bad news seemed to take a back seat with in sight, and sure enough, KTM did more than enough to get people off their seats with their upcoming bikes. But even that excitement was short-lived as the Austrian bike maker found itself marred in quality controversies once again. There have been widespread reports of cam failures in its LC8c parallel-twin engines used to power early and Adventure models. KTM did acknowledge the complaints and even offered to repair all affected bikes, whether still in warranty or not, but it proved too little, too late. As Trunkenpolz admitted to , such quality issues were the result of a ramp up in production during COVID to meet apparent demand. Output at the Mattighofen plant in Austria has now been adjusted, which will hopefully address the QC problems. Pierer Mobility Group, which owns KTM, GasGas, and Husqvarna, has also had to take drastic steps to curb its cash flow problem. As a result, both Husqvarna and GasGas will miss out on the 2025 Dakar rally, and KTM will only field a three-person team. To make matters worse, KTM confirmed that the , its top-of-the-line adventure motorcycles, as 2025 models, but rather in 2026, a year later than in Europe. The reason? âProduction timelines.â Itâs tough to see one of the worldâs biggest bike manufacturers hit hard times like this. Thereâs no doubt that KTM produces some of the most thrilling motorcycles on the road and off, but this situation is proof that bad supply-chain decisions and lax quality control can land you in murky waters. Pierer Mobility has already announced a decrease in production to aid in clearing dealer stocks as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan. "The primary objective is to align costs and sales by the 2025 financial year," reads the press release. Source:
Israeli police set to probe Netanyahuâs wife over âharassment of witnessesâ
WASHINGTON D.C., DC â For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as ârineanswsaursâ or sarcastic as âsrkastik.â The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. âI just assumed I was stupid,â she recalled of her early grade school years. But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her. âI would have just probably given up if I didnât have them,â she said. Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI , but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and online content accessible to those with disabilities. There is concern about how to ensure students using it â including those with disabilities â are still learning. Students can use artificial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural. âIâm seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like theyâve found a cheat code in a video game,â said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her view, it is far from cheating : âWeâre meeting students where they are.â Ben Snyder, a 14-year-old freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework. âSometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense,â he said. âSo if I plug that problem into AI, itâll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that.â He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline for a book report â a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. âThatâs just cheating,â Ben said. Schools have been trying to balance the technologyâs benefits against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI canât do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools. But the technology can help level the playing field for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesota-based center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices. âThere are definitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. Thatâs always going to happen,â Sanft said. âBut I donât think thatâs the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldnât do before.â Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study. And, because it is so good at identifying patterns , AI might be able to figure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis PeÌrez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology. Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proficient â about a quarter of them â to get an individualized reading plan. As part of that effort, the stateâs education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. More AI tools are coming soon. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One firm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difficulties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing. âWe are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to childrenâs handwriting, we fail very badly,â said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isnât as good at understanding childrenâs voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment. Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by education technology companies can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonprofit launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible. Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use. Sometimes a feature will inexplicably be turned off, and she will be without it for a week while the tech team investigates. The challenges can be so cumbersome that some students resist the technology entirely. But Makenzieâs mother, Nadine Gilkison, who works as a technology integration supervisor at Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, said she sees more promise than downside. In September, her district rolled out chatbots to help special education students in high school. She said teachers, who sometimes struggled to provide students the help they needed, became emotional when they heard about the program. Until now, students were reliant on someone to help them, unable to move ahead on their own. âNow we donât need to wait anymore,â she said. ___ This story corrects that PeÌrez works for CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology, not the Center for Accessible Technology. The Associated Pressâ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APâs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
A museum curator hiked into a forest in Poland with a metal detector to search for some artifacts from the World Wars. Instead, he stumbled upon a 3,000-year-old weapon. Krzysztof Mindur planned to explore the forest in Zarszyn in hopes of finding items from World War I or II to add to his museum, the Museum of Military and Technology in Wola SeÌškowa, he told McClatchy News on Dec. 5. He founded the museum to combine his work as a professional soldier and his passion for researching military history. Mindur and other history enthusiasts tracked down a former battlefield in the Zarszyn forest after talking to those who remembered the fighting. Equipped with metal detectors, the group set out to search the area for the first time in late October. To his surprise, Mindur unearthed four fragments of a sword from the Bronze Age , he wrote in a post on his museumâs Facebook account. Photos show the ancient blue-green sword. The weapon dated back over 3,000 years and was a unique, priceless find, the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments in PrzemysÌl said in a Dec. 3 Facebook post. The ancient sword measured about 15 inches in length, but its point was missing. Its handle had a geometric design carved into it, photos show. The 3,000-year-old sword was sent to the Historical Museum in Sanok for further analysis, TVP3, a Polish news outlet, reported. The museumâs curator, Piotr Kotowicz, identified it as a raga type sword, a style typically found in Slovakia or Hungary, and a first-of-its-kind find for Poland. Officials with the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Krosno described the ancient sword as extraordinary in a Facebook post. What are we learning about the past? Here are three of our most recent eye-catching archaeology stories. â Anglers spot something poking out of seafloor â leading to rare ancient find in Italy â Hiker finds strange item at melting glacier in Switzerland â and it stumps officials â 'Phantom' coins â believed to be destroyed after WWII â found in warehouse in Japan Mindur said he never dreamed of finding such a historically valuable artifact. He plans to continue searching former WWII battlefields next year. Zarszyn is a village in southeastern Poland, a roughly 240-mile drive southeast from Warsaw and near the border with Slovakia and Ukraine. Google Translate was used to translate Facebook posts from the Museum of Military and Technology in Wola SeÌškowa, the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments in PrzemysÌl and the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Krosno, article from TVP3 and comments from Krzysztof Mindur.Trump taps retired general for key Ukraine conflict role
Analyzing Bouygues (OTCMKTS:BOUYF) and Connectm Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CNTM)None
Given everything that had occurred in the previous hour or two, it made bizarrely perfect sense that Sione Tuipulotuâs grandmother would hand him the Hopetoun Cup trophy after beating the Wallabies at Murrayfield. âShe whispered in my ear and said, âwe got themâ,â Tuipulotu said post-game. Sione Tuipulotu is presented with the Hopetoun Cup at Murrayfield by his grandmother Jaqueline Thomson. Credit: Getty Images The Scotland captainâs answer came with a broad grin, and an even broader Australian accent. And it all came after a memorable afternoon at Murrayfield where Tuipulotu â and his 77-year-old grandmother â were in the middle of absolutely everything, much to the delight of an adoring Scottish crowd. But first to re-cap. Born and raised in Melbourne, Tuipulotu played for the Junior Wallabies but couldnât crack a regular spot for the Rebels in Super Rugby, and so he moved to Scotland to play. The son of a Tongan-Australia father and a mother with Italian-Scottish heritage, Tuipulotu qualified as eligible for Scotland due to his maternal grandmother Jaqueline Thomson, who was born in Greenock in the Scottish lowlands but emigrated to Australia as a child and settled in Frankston. The nuggety centre debuted for Scotland in 2021 and quickly became a fan favourite, and Thomson became something of a cult hero, too, often getting thanked on Scottish rugby social media after a big game by Tuipulotu. The 27-year-old was made captain ahead of the November internationals, and last week, Thomson was flown to Scotland by a sponsor, for the first time in decades, as a surprise for Tuipulotu and his brother Mosese, who both play rugby in Scotland and are close to their gran. Tuipulotu hadnât seen her in years and after the reunion video did the rounds in Scotland, Thomson was given a rousing cheer when the video â and Thomson â were shown again on the Murrayfield screen on Sunday just before kickoff. When her grandson later scored a try and pointed to her in the stand, the camera found the overwhelmed grandmother; this time shaking her head. Sione Tuipulou scores for Scotland. Credit: Getty Images âIt was super special,â Tuipulotu said. âI donât really score many tries, to be honest. Not for Glasgow, not for Scotland. But that one was pretty special to score while my gran was here and knowing how much she also wanted to beat Australia.â Divided loyalties have long been dealt with for Tuipulotu, but he appeared to set a physical, no-backward-step tone against Australia for his Scotland teammates. Early on he had a push-and-shove with Tom Wright, and Tuipuloltu was heard to say on the refâs mic âyou forget I know who you areâ. âWe know who you are too lad,â Wright said. The microphone didnât pick up a feisty episode later with big-money recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, when the Wallaby belted Tuipulotu with a chest tackle but immediately grabbed his injured arm. When play broke down, Tuipulotu came back over to Suaalii and exchanged words about whoâd come off worse. With insult added to his injury, an angry Suaalii then sought to scrap with Tuipulotu. âIâll see you next timeâ: Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Sione Tuipulotu trade words at Murrayfield. Credit: Getty Images âI will see you next time,â Suaalii said, before departing and setting a potentially spicy Lions series soap opera next year. Tuipulotu said: âI didnât really know it was him that hit me. I donât know how it looks on camera, but it felt humongous. And when I popped up, I was just kind of looking around at who it was and then I saw that he was on the ground, so I said something to him. And then he went off the pitch. Thatâs all I can really say about it.â What did you say? âI said, I hope youâre OK,â Tuipulotu said with a grin post-game. Later Thomson was enlisted to give her grandson the Hopetoun Cup, the trophy contested between Australia and Scotland. Asked afterwards if it all felt a bit strange seeing his grandma being on the big screen, cheered by 68,000 people and handing out trophies, Tuipulotu choked up. âIt does feel weird. But I feel really blessed because of this all happening,â he said. âAnd not just for me. Before the match, I was a little bit emotional about the fact that her lifeâs just gone full circle. That sheâs back here watching me play for Scotland and watching me captain Scotland. Iâm just happy that she gets to have that moment. âShe moved over to Australia as a young girl and raised my mum with limited stuff. And now she gets to enjoy this, gets to sit in the stand and get some recognition. It makes me so happy.â Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .Cyber protection ordinance: Draft fails to shake off ghosts of the past
Adapting to industry trends As the global gaming industry faces an increasingly complex regulatory environment, this move by BC.GAME is essential in enhancing and maintaining its operational strategy to ensure continuity and to realign BC.GAME with suitably evolved and robust regulatory frameworks for the benefit of its international operations. Most importantly, it ensures the safety, reliability and security of service for BC.GAME users. Consistency in legal and financial obligations Contrary to recent rumours inaccurately circulated questioning BC.GAME's financial position, BC.GAME further reaffirms to its stakeholders and the public in general that its financial position remains in good health. All BC.GAME's international operations remain unaffected and BC.GAME will continue to fulfil all of its ongoing legal and financial obligations. About BC.GAME BC.GAME is a leading global cryptocurrency i-Gaming platform focused on providing users with a secure and diverse entertainment experience. BC.GAME offers a range of services, including sports betting, and electronic gaming whilst ensuring adequate player protection and an increased focus on preventing gambling addiction. With a strong emphasis on technological innovation and regulatory compliance, BC.GAME continues to expand its presence in international markets in maintaining its reputation of being the leading entertainment provider offering a wide range of gaming services.Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Softwareâs OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this yearâs data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first âproper Christmasâ period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found ÂŁ4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: âWeâve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. âFigures have come out that things have stabilised, weâre almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.â There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: âItâs the shift to online shopping, itâs the convenience, youâve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.â People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: âWe see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so theyâve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they donât really need to go out again until later on in that week. âWe did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.â Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and âa lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own homeâ, she said. She added: âI feel like itâs becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.â Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend ÂŁ236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still ÂŁ50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store â an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: âDespite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. âThis year, weâre likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.â Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.