Focus Universal Inc develops and manufactures universal smart device. Its products portfolio include Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform, Ubiquitor, Universal Smart Controller, and Sensors. The company also supplies various air filtration systems.

FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC by Focus Universal, Inc.

Focus Universal

Major cryptocurrencies traded in the green on Sunday evening as the global cryptocurrency market cap rose 3.17% to $1.44 trillion.
What Happened: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/is-bitcoin-a-good-investment/" style="text-decoration-line:none">Bitcoin</a> (CRYPTO: BTC) traded 4.74% higher at $35,785.55 over 24 hours. The apex cryptocurrency was up 13.03% over a seven-day trailing period. 
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) was up 2.78% at $2,229.87 over 24 hours. For the week, ETH traded 17.84% higher.&nbsp;
Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) was up 2.08% at $0.20. Over a seven-day period, DOGE traded 10.17% higher.
The Shiba Inu-themed cryptocurrency traded 2.53% lower against BTC and 0.34% lower against ETH over 24 hours.
The digital collateral token AMP (CRYPTO: AMP) was the top gainer on Sunday night among the list of top 100 coins organized by CoinMarketCap. Over 24 hours, the cryptocurrency shot up 21.67% to $0.0614 at press time. AMP traded 16.17% higher against BTC and 18.78% against ETH. For the week, AMP traded 35.3% higher.
Other notable gainers over 24 hours included Quant (CRYPTO: QNT), the two tokens of the Theta Project &mdash; Theta Fuel (CRYPTO: TFUEL) and THETA (CRYPTO: THETA), and Algorand (CRYPTO: ALGO).
QNT was up 17.07% at $97.01, TFUEL and THETA rose 15.31% and 17.72% to $0.38 and $6.51, while ALGO was in the green by 9.82% at $0.904 in the period.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-buy-ethereum/" style="text-decoration-line:none">How To Buy Ethereum (ETH)</a>
Why It Matters: On Sunday, London-based City A.M. <a href="https://www.cityam.com/amazon-definitely-lining-up-bitcoin-payments-and-token-confirms-insider/" style="text-decoration-line:none">reported</a>&nbsp;&mdash; citing an Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) insider &mdash; that the e-commerce giant is looking to accept BTC by the end of the year.
Amazon&rsquo;s Bitcoin push involves top management, as per the City A.M. source, who said &ldquo;this is the key first stage of this crypto project, and the directive is coming from the very top&hellip; Jeff Bezos himself.&rdquo;
While <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22124897/amazon-is-hiring-a-crypto-expert-for-its-payment-acceptance-team" style="text-decoration-line:none">Amazon&rsquo;s Bitcoin buzz</a> was set in motion thanks to a job posting, a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/06/21505785/amazon-is-looking-for-head-of-blockchain-with-experience-in-decentralized-finance" style="text-decoration-line:none">similar vacancy </a>was advertised by the e-commerce behemoth last month as well.&nbsp;
In June, Apple Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) was also headhunting for a business development manager with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/05/21311273/signs-crop-up-that-apple-is-exploring-cryptocurrency-what-you-need-to-know" style="text-decoration-line:none">experience in &ldquo;cryptocurrency</a>&rdquo; to lead alternative payments partnerships.
Not only are technology giants looking to hire experts in private cryptocurrencies, but the emerging central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are also on the horizon, which is driving the demand for blockchain talent.&nbsp;
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/06/21550803/chinese-workers-can-now-be-paid-in-digital-yuan" style="text-decoration-line:none">Chinese Workers Can Now Be Paid In Digital Yuan</a>
As per a self-described non-partisan organization, the Atlantic Council, 81 countries are in the process of studying opportunities and challenges surrounding CBDCs, while five are fully implementing digital versions of their national currencies, Cointelegraph <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/countries-representing-over-90-of-global-gdp-are-exploring-cbdcs" style="text-decoration-line:none">reported</a>.
With over 90% of global gross domestic product, major nations and territories, such as China, Europe, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, are looking into CBDCs. The U.S. is reportedly the farthest in terms of CBDC development, as per the Council.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22137145/bitcoin-dogecoin-nfts-big-deal-at-tokyo-olympics-how-crypto-savvy-olympians-can-feel-right" style="text-decoration-line:none">Bitcoin, Dogecoin, NFTs Big Deal At Tokyo 2020: How Crypto-Savvy Olympians Can Feel Right At Home</a>

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

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Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Bounce Back But These Minor Coins Are Striking Biggest Gains

New Oriental Education &amp; Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/edu#NYSE">EDU</a>) announced that, on July 24, 2021, China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education (the "Opinion"), issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The Opinion contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to after-school tutoring services, including (i) institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit, no approval will be granted to new Academic AST Institutions, and an approval mechanism will be adopted for online Academic AST Institutions; (ii) foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and companies with existing foreign ownership need to rectify the situation; (iii) listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in businesses that teach academic subjects in compulsory education; (iv) Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks; and (v) Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The Opinion also provides that institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in high schools (which do not fall within China's compulsory education system) shall take into consideration the Opinion when conducting activities.
The Company will follow the spirit of the Opinion and comply with relevant rules and regulations when providing educational services. The Company is considering appropriate compliance measures to be taken, and expects such measures to have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system. The Company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with the government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the Opinion and any related rules and regulations.

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New Oriental Education & Technology Group

New Oriental Education Says Regarding China Considering Making Chinese Education Companies Non-profit, Expects Such Measures to Have Material Adverse Impact on Its After- School Tutoring Services

<img alt="Fintech Header" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/2786381/hubfs/Fintech%20Header.png?upscale=true&amp;width=800&amp;upscale=true&amp;name=Fintech%20Header.png" />
Quote To Start The Day: &quot;You can&rsquo;t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.&rdquo;
Source: <a href="https://www.therandomvibez.com/80-deep-thinking-quotes-about-love-and-life/?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">Mark Twain</a>
One Big Thing In Fintech: Crypto exchange Binance US could go public, Binance CEO Changpeng &quot;CZ&quot; Zhao has said.
&quot;Our partner in the U.S. is looking at the potential IPO [initial public offering] route,&quot; Zhao said on Friday at the &quot;Redefine Tomorrow&quot; event organized by SCB 10X &mdash; the venture arm of Thailand&#39;s oldest Siam Commercial Bank. The IPO route, however, &quot;is not 100% fixed yet,&quot; he said.
Source: <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/112319/binance-us-ipo-cz-comments-crypto-exchange?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=2021-07-25&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">Block</a>
<img src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/2786381/hubfs/giphy-Jul-25-2021-10-38-05-69-PM.gif?upscale=true&amp;width=800&amp;upscale=true&amp;name=giphy-Jul-25-2021-10-38-05-69-PM.gif" />
Other Key Fintech Developments:
<ul>
<li>Plaid <a href="https://www.bankingdive.com/news/plaid-taps-former-bank-execs-to-help-reach-data-sharing-goal/603865/?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Issue%3A%202021-07-23%20Banking%20Dive%20%5Bissue%3A35612%5D&amp;utm_term=Banking%20Dive&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">taps</a> former bank executives.</li>
<li>Credit union regulator <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/112323/us-credit-union-regulator-seeks-industry-input-on-decentralized-finance-and-stablecoins?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">eyeing</a> DeFi.</li>
<li>Paystone <a href="https://finledger.com/2021/07/23/integrated-payments-software-provider-paystone-raises-23-8-million/?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20Finledger%20Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=143060857&amp;utm_content=143060857&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">raises</a> $23.8M financing.</li>
<li>JPM <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-financial-advisors-crypto-bitcoin-products-retail-wealth-management-2021-7?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter&amp;utm_term=null&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">unlocked</a> retail crypto access.</li>
<li>Paystand <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/23/paystand-banks-50m-to-make-b2b-payments-cashless-and-with-no-fees/?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">adds</a> $50M for payments.</li>
<li>FIA Tech <a href="https://www.thetradenews.com/fia-tech-expands-atlantis-brokerage-platform-with-us-listed-options/?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">expands</a> Atlantis platform.</li>
<li>State Street is <a href="https://www.marketsmedia.com/state-street-to-launch-alphasm-for-private-markets/?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">launching</a> AlphaSM.</li>
<li>State Farm <a href="https://www.financial-planning.com/news/state-farm-taps-invesco-owned-intelliflo-fintech?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">looks</a> to Invesco fintech.</li>
<li>Uniswap <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/112399/uniswap-labs-culls-synthetic-stock-and-derivatives-citing-evolving-regulatory-landscape?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=2021-07-25&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">restricts</a> access to tokens.</li>
<li>Thorchain <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/112308/thorchain-suffers-8-million-loss-by-hacker-wanting-to-teach-lesson?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=2021-07-25&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">hit</a> by $8M hacking loss.</li>
<li>Amazon <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/112354/amazon-wants-to-hire-a-digital-currency-and-blockchain-product-lead?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">hiring</a> crypto product lead.</li>
<li>FTX <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/112419/crypto-exchange-ftx-lowers-limit-on-leverage-trading-to-20x?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=2021-07-25&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">lowers</a> limit on leverage trade.</li>
<li>BNPL giant Klarna <a href="https://finledger.com/2021/07/23/bnpl-klarna-spends-133m-nab-german-shopping-app-stocard/?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20Finledger%20Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=143060857&amp;utm_content=143060857&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">bought</a> Stocard.</li>
</ul>
Watch Out For This: China&rsquo;s crackdown on cryptocurrencies will probably intensify and may even lead to an outright ban on holding the tokens, according to Bobby Lee, one of the country&rsquo;s first Bitcoin moguls.
Source: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-25/early-crypto-mogul-says-china-crackdown-may-lead-to-outright-ban?srnd=premium&amp;sref=TBDibEcD&amp;utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">Bloomberg</a>
<img src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/2786381/hubfs/giphy%20(1)-Jul-25-2021-10-38-06-07-PM.gif?upscale=true&amp;width=800&amp;upscale=true&amp;name=giphy%20(1)-Jul-25-2021-10-38-06-07-PM.gif" />
Interesting Reads:
<ul>
<li>U.S. in <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-25/fauci-says-u-s-moving-in-wrong-direction-in-combating-covid?srnd=premium&amp;sref=TBDibEcD&amp;utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">wrong</a> direction with COVID?</li>
<li>Evergrande&rsquo;s failure is stress <a href="https://www.netinterest.co/p/ever-grande?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyNzIyNTU4NiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzkxMjI3NTAsIl8iOiJJRlR5QyIsImlhdCI6MTYyNzI1MTk0NSwiZXhwIjoxNjI3MjU1NTQ1LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItNDM1NTkiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.jXd0HOjwhdxvsWhzt4yal-TQHUkYh2q3WZpOFAET12U&amp;utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">tested</a>.</li>
<li>Clubhouse platform now <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/21/clubhouse-invite-open-to-everyone-exits-beta/?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">out</a> of beta.</li>
<li>Trading apps <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9b279ccf-9b79-437e-97b6-5c0c9a722d5a?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">make</a> markets a game.</li>
</ul>
Market Moving Headline: After a short sell-off, volatility ebbs as equity index futures trade higher.
- Unpacking factors lending to the volatility.
- Jitters ahead of Federal Reserve meeting.
- Earnings outlook up. Priced to perfection?
- COVID-19 resurgence to not limit mobility.
- Analyzing tightening and the shift to fiscal.
Big Picture Perspectives: &quot;The impressive growth in value across many asset classes is projected to taper off within the next couple of years as supportive policy is unwound. The 10-year Treasury yield will rise above 2% by 2022 and the fiscal tailwinds will also have faded by then.&rdquo; - Moody&#39;s
For Next Week&#39;s Trade: Ahead of the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting, participants will want to temper their expectations on future volatility and focus their attention on where the S&amp;P 500 trades in relation to the $4,384.50 low volume area (LVNode) pivot, a prior all-time high (ATH).
Source: <a href="https://physikinvest.substack.com/p/weekly-brief-july-25-2021?utm_campaign=Fintech%20-%20BZ%20Fintech%20Daily%20Beat&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--boX946oIM3Lm8Z7yLhAyAAcTC5eSdSJWxF5ZFVp3BoL033HPNVxzBI5nkjVDhViGXgR_U">Physik Invest</a>
<img src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/2786381/hubfs/giphy%20(2)-Jul-25-2021-10-38-04-32-PM.gif?upscale=true&amp;width=800&amp;upscale=true&amp;name=giphy%20(2)-Jul-25-2021-10-38-04-32-PM.gif" />

Fintech news covering the emerging Financial Technology services sector

Fintech

Fintech Focus For July 26, 2021

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) is expected to report&nbsp;second-quarter earnings following the market close Monday, July 26.
In anticipation of this earnings call, analysts at Barclays, Credit Suisse, and Wedbush Securities&nbsp;provided insight into their expectations. Consensus estimates call for Tesla&#39;s second-quarter EPS to come in at 96 cents.&nbsp;
<h3>Barclay&#39;s Take On Tesla&nbsp;</h3>
Despite a bearish stance on shares of Tesla, analyst Brian Johnson is expecting an earnings beat, raising EPS estimates for the quarter from 92 cents to $1.08.
The company is highly overvalued, though from conversations with investors,&nbsp;specifically bearish hedge fund managers,&nbsp;it seems many people are beginning to accept Tesla&#39;s lofty trading multiples, said Johnson.
Earnings and delivery reports will likely be critical drivers of movement in the company&#39;s share price, said the analyst.
Recent pricing increases are likely to outweigh cost pressures, helping to fuel profit improvement and an earnings beat, he said.&nbsp;
The delay in the German plant opening could lead to increases in Chinese production and deliveries, as Tesla will likely ship European Model Ys from its China plant, Johnson said.&nbsp;
With Bitcoin closing around $34,000 likely above Tesla&#39;s purchase price range of $32,000-$33,000, the company will probably not have to record an impairment, said the Barclays analyst.
The analyst has raised his second-half earnings and revenue estimates, though they still sit below the consensus.
Longer-term, the bank is still Underweight on Tesla, sticking with a $230 price target.&nbsp;
<h3>Credit Suisse&#39;s Take On Tesla&nbsp;</h3>
Credit Suisse analyst Dan Levy is also expecting an earnings beat, projecting second-quarter EPS at $1.34, according to the Thursday note. The analyst highlighted three themes for Tesla&#39;s upcoming earnings report.
First, the development of Tesla&#39;s Berlin and Texas plants should materially grow the company&#39;s installed capacity, said the analyst. The European plant is crucial for Tesla, as its success will set up Tesla&#39;s future in the economic region, he said.
Tesla should end 2021 with a unit capacity of 1.44 million units versus its current capacity of 1.05 million, Levy said.&nbsp;
Second, gross margins should reach 25% (excluding credits) due to the company&#39;s price increases and lower than anticipated raw material cost inflation, the analyst said.&nbsp;
Third, expected positive news on Tesla&#39;s full self-driving&nbsp;feature should lift the stock, he said.&nbsp;
Longer-term, Credit Suisse remains Neutral on Tesla with an $800 price target.&nbsp;
<h3>Wedbush Take&#39;s On Tesla</h3>
Analyst Daniel Ives is expecting EPS of 99 cents. Despite increasing EV competition, Chinese PR and safety issues impacting demand&nbsp;and a chip shortage, Tesla managed to deliver over 200,000 vehicles in the June quarter,&nbsp;indicating the strength of the company and its ability to accelerate market share, said Ives.
Points of focus for&nbsp;the second-quarter earnings call include a potential impairment charge due to Bitcoin price fluctuations, EV tax credit results, Berlin and Austin factory capacities and timelines, and updates on &quot;much-anticipated battery technology improvements into 2022,&quot; said the analyst.
Looking ahead, Wedbush maintains its Outperform rating on Tesla with a $1,000 price target, mainly due to accelerating global adoption of EVs.&nbsp;
TSLA Price Action: Tesla was down 0.91% at $643.38 at the close Friday.
Photo: courtesy of Tesla.&nbsp;

Analyst Color

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TSLA

What 3 Tesla Analysts Are Watching For In Q2 Earnings Report

<ul>
<li>The cover story in this weekend&#39;s <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/barron-s">Barron&#39;s</a> suggests how to play travel stocks as the recovery falters.</li>
<li>Other featured articles discuss banking stocks with steady dividends, stocks that will benefit from share buybacks and why the boom in energy stocks may be over.</li>
<li>Also, see the prospects for a water-treatment company, a leading video streamer, utility stocks and more.</li>
</ul>
Cover story &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/bargain-travel-stocks-to-buy-now-51627059332">With Cases on the Rise, Travel&#39;s Rebound Faces a Big Test</a>&quot; by Lawrence C. Strauss suggests that the reopening rally in travel and leisure stocks has fizzled. However, there are some bargains out there for intrepid investors. Are Avis Budget Group Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/car#NASDAQ">CAR</a>), Carnival Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ccl#NYSE">CCL</a>) or MGM Resorts International (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mgm#NYSE">MGM</a>) among them?
In &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/airbnb-ceo-whats-next-for-travel-51626826918" target="_blank">Airbnb&#39;s Brian Chesky Sees a &#39;Travel Rebound of the Century&#39;</a>,&quot; Eric J. Savitz discusses why Airbnb Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/abnb#NASDAQ">ABNB</a>) co-founder and chief executive officer Brian Chesky, undaunted by the rising number of COVID-19 cases, expects big things from the travel industry. Check out the article to see how he can be so optimistic.
Josh Nathan-Kazis&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/delta-variant-covid-19-economy-51627066659" target="_blank">Rising Covid Cases Put the Recovery at Risk</a>&quot; makes a case that while worries that the economic recovery could be derailed briefly rattled investors, the test will be if people&#39;s behavior changes in the face of rising cases. See what Barron&#39;s believes that could mean for Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jnj#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pfe#NYSE">PFE</a>) and more.
Though Evoqua Water Technologies Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aqua#NYSE">AQUA</a>) has had its ups and downs, demand for clean water is rising, and there is a scarcity of competitors. So says &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/buy-evoqua-stock-51627073838" target="_blank">Evoqua Stock Is a Bet on Clean Water</a>&quot; by Al Root. Find out what Barron&#39;s thinks makes this water-treatment company&#39;s stock a good one to tap into.
In Jack Hough&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/-utility-stocks-duke-energy-51627080936" target="_blank">3 Electric Utility Stocks to Give Your Portfolio a Jolt</a>,&quot; discover why regulated utilities can hold up relatively well if the economy falters, and some stack up better than others on growth. North Carolina-based Duke Energy Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/duk#NYSE">DUK</a>) is one such stock that investors should consider now, says the article, which offers two others as well.
&quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/bank-stocks-steady-dividends-yields-51627053186" target="_blank">You Can Bank on Bank Stocks for Steady Dividends. Here Are 4 With Yields Above 3%</a>&quot; by Carleton English points out that the banking industry emerged from the pandemic largely unscathed, and the largest banks also endured three stress tests in a 12-month window to prove their durability for capital returns. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fitb#NASDAQ">FITB</a>) and KeyCorp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/key#NYSE">KEY</a>) are among the names to consider, according to Barron&#39;s.
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22137145/bitcoin-dogecoin-nfts-big-deal-at-tokyo-olympics-how-crypto-savvy-olympians-can-feel-right">Bitcoin, Dogecoin, NFTs Big Deal At Tokyo 2020: How Crypto-Savvy Olympians Can Feel Right At Home</a>
Buyback announcements this year from Bank of America Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>), Newell Brands Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nwl#NASDAQ">NWL</a>) and others already have exceeded 2020&#39;s $307 billion total, according to Jack Hough&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/share-buybacks-are-back-5-stocks-that-stand-to-benefit-51627089716" target="_blank">Share Buybacks Are Back. 5 Stocks That Stand to Benefit.</a> Could they top the previous record of $1 trillion?
In &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/boom-in-oil-stocks-might-be-over-51626973789" target="_blank">The Boom in Oil Stocks Could Be Over</a>,&quot; Avi Salzman indicates that, after a decade of underperformance, energy stocks like Chevron Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cvx#NYSE">CVX</a>) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>) lit up the market this year. Yet, one key analyst has taken &quot;a fundamentally more pessimistic view of the integrated oil sector.&quot;
Eric J. Savitz&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/netflix-games-streaming-war-stock-51627076513">Netflix Opens a New Front in the Streaming War. How Games Can Boost the Stock</a>&quot; claims&nbsp;the new Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nflx#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) gaming initiative could have ramifications not just for nascent gaming streamers, like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Google, but also for core video rivals.

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Barron's Most Recent Picks And Pans: Airbnb, Duke Energy, Evoqua, Netflix And More

<ul>
<li>Benzinga has examined the prospects for many investor <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas">favorite stocks</a> over the past week. </li>
<li>Last week&#39;s bullish calls included the iPhone maker, a top oilfield services stock and a pharmaceutical giant.</li>
<li>FAANG stocks, the top cryptocurrency and meme stocks were among the bearish calls seen.</li>
</ul>
After <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22050666/travel-stocks-including-airlines-hit-hard-by-covid-fears-but-some-tech-stocks-show-strength">a shaky start</a>, the markets bounced back this past week from the prior week&#39;s dip into the red. The Nasdaq led the big U.S. indexes with an almost 3% gain for the week, while the S&amp;P 500 was up about 2% and Dow Jones industrial average about 1% higher.
COVID-19 has been creeping <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22041377/covid-back-in-headlines-as-cases-ramp-up-pushing-travel-stocks-multinationals-lower">back into the headlines</a>, partly due to the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22090924/how-to-watch-the-tokyo-olympics-opening-ceremony-gymnastics-swimming-and-more">Tokyo Olympics</a>. That has prompted fears that the economic recovery might stumble. Both crude prices and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22106324/tesla-earnings-record-q2-deliveries-but-bitcoin-slump-competition-concerns-and-chip-shorta">Bitcoin slumped</a> during the week, while chip shortages and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22062639/earnings-pace-picks-up-later-today-with-chipotle-netflix-expected-to-report">inflation remained</a>. The brewing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22125537/snap-twitter-earnings-impress-potentially-setting-table-for-facebook-next-week">debt ceiling fight</a> in Congress is only just getting started.
However, the earnings-reporting season ramped up this week as well, and strong <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22083759/earnings-strength-from-j-j-chipotle-coca-cola-helps-set-positive-early-tone">results from Dow Jones industrials</a> helped buoy the markets. While the first FAANG component to post results disappointed, other strong tech sector reports have increased <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22128644/aapl-expectations-are-once-again-high-after-tech-giant-wowed-investors-in-last-two-quarters">the high expectations</a> for the coming week&#39;s results from the iPhone maker and market darling.
Through it all, Benzinga continued to examine the prospects for many of the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week&#39;s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.
<h3>The Bulls</h3>
&quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22033534/apple-may-be-trailing-google-facebook-in-ytd-gains-by-far-but-munster-still-expects">Apple May Be Trailing Google, Facebook In YTD Gains By Far But Munster Still Expects It To Be Top-Performing FAANG Stock In Rest Of 2021</a>&quot; by Rachit Vats examines why one bull expects big things from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) for the rest of the year.
On the other hand, see <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/21/07/22118819/this-footwear-company-has-outperformed-apple-tesla-in-past-year-and-expert-traders-see-y">This Footwear Company Has Outperformed Apple, Tesla In Past Year And Expert Traders See Yet More Upside</a>.
In &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22128554/6-snap-analysts-on-q2-earnings-long-runway-for-continued-growth">6 Snap Analysts On Q2 Earnings: &#39;Long Runway For Continued Growth&#39;</a>,&quot; Shanthi Rexaline reveals how analysts feel about camera and social media company Snap Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/snap#NYSE">SNAP</a>) in the wake of its latest quarterly report.
In Aaron Bry&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/21/07/22047548/nvidia-rips-higher-into-stock-split-former-nyse-trader-says-buy-it">Nvidia Rips Higher Into Stock Split. Former NYSE Trader Says Buy It</a>,&quot; discover why NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) could see &quot;a lot of action&quot; following its 4-for-1 stock split.
Nikhil Dayal&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22068767/bofa-names-halliburton-stock-as-top-oil-services-pick-after-earnings-beat" target="_blank">BofA Names Halliburton Stock As Top Oil Services Pick After Earnings Beat</a>&quot; discusses why one top analyst is positive on Halliburton Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/hal#NYSE">HAL</a>) despite a revenue miss.
Also read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22090458/goldman-sachs-is-bullish-on-halliburton-what-investors-need-to-know" target="_blank">Goldman Sachs Is Bullish On Halliburton: What Investors Need To Know</a>.
The only risk for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bmy#NYSE">BMY</a>) investors is boredom, but they collect a 3% dividend yield as they wait. So says Adam Eckert&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/21/07/22111143/why-this-trader-expects-bristol-myers-squibb-stock-to-break-out-and-trend-higher" target="_blank">Why This Trader Expects Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock To Break Out And Trend Higher</a>.&quot;
<h3>The Bears</h3>
One fund manager is now wary of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and the likes of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fb#NASDAQ">FB</a>), according to &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22037804/david-tice-turns-bearish-on-bitcoin-and-big-tech-its-very-dangerous-to-hold-today" target="_blank">David Tice Turns Bearish On Bitcoin And Big Tech: It&#39;s Very Dangerous To Hold Today</a>&quot; by Samyuktha Sriram.
Be sure to check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22057601/unidentified-bitcoin-whales-bought-close-to-1b-bitcoin-over-the-weekend" target="_blank">Unidentified Bitcoin Whales Bought Close To $1B Bitcoin Over The Weekend</a> as well.
In &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22083355/why-this-amazon-analyst-sees-risk-to-short-term-revenue-guidance" target="_blank">Why This Amazon Analyst Sees Risk To Short-Term Revenue Guidance</a>,&quot; Shanthi Rexaline looks at the possibility of near-term pressure on Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) revenues as e-commerce sales slow.
Chris Katje&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22083889/netflix-subscriber-growth-content-video-games-launch-5-analysts-weigh-in" target="_blank">Netflix Subscriber Growth, Content, Video Games Launch: 5 Analysts Weigh In</a>&quot; shows why some Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nflx#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) analysts are wary about the subscriber growth and the push into games.
&quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22054518/jim-cramer-to-amc-gamestop-retail-backers-says-find-yourself-a-boomer-or-trust-fund-you-will-need-th" target="_blank">Jim Cramer To AMC, GameStop Retail Backers Says Find Yourself A &#39;Boomer&#39; Or Trust Fund: &#39;You Will Need Them&#39;</a>&quot; by Madhukumar Warrier explores how the CNBC guru feels about retail investors and meme stocks such as GameStop Corp. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gme#NYSE">GME</a>).
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/21/07/22096694/jim-cramer-says-ditch-clover-health-and-buy-into-this-healthcare-stock-instead">Jim Cramer Says Ditch Clover Health And Buy Into This Healthcare Stock Instead</a> offers Cramer&#39;s take on another meme stock.
In Nina Zdinjak&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/21/07/22036095/cantor-fitzgerald-lowers-price-target-as-canadian-cannabis-producer-organigram-post">Cantor Fitzgerald Lowers Price Target As Canadian Cannabis Producer Organigram Posts Q3 Earnings</a>,&quot; find out how &quot;sectoral derating&quot; has affected Organigram Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ogi#NASDAQ">OGI</a>) stock.
Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga">Benzinga</a> on Twitter.

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Benzinga's Bulls And Bears Of The Week: Amazon, Apple, Bitcoin, GameStop, Netflix And More

What happened: A British medical charity that manages $39 billion in assets has disclosed changes to its U.S. traded stock holdings during the second quarter.
A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows Wellcome Trust significantly reduced its investment&nbsp;in DoorDash (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dash#NYSE">DASH</a>), and sold off holdings in VMware (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/vmw#NYSE">VMW</a>), while buying more Linde (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lin#NYSE">LIN</a>) shares, and taking a new position in ServiceNow (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/now#NYSE">NOW</a>), according to <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/trust-sold-doordash-vmware-stock-bought-servicenow-linde-51626875439?siteid=yhoof2">Barron&#39;s</a>.

Why it&rsquo;s important: London-based Wellcome Trust is one of the largest foundations in the world and is known for its investment expertise, and insight into the healthcare industry. The director of the trust, Jeremy Farrar, provided a warning to a group of money managers in January of 2020 that the coronavirus would have a dramatic impact world markets.

Wellcome sold 2.8 million shares of DoorDash shares in the second quarter, and now holds 7.3 million shares of the company&#39;s stock.
The trust also sold all 1.7 million VMware shares it had owned at the end of March. Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dell#NYSE">DELL</a>) owns 80.6% of the cloud-software firm, and plans to spin off those shares to its shareholders in the fourth quarter.
What&rsquo;s next: The filing indicates Wellcome purchased 2.8 million more shares of Linde for a total investment of 3.3 million shares. The foundation also initiated a stake of 456,927 ServiceNow shares in the second quarter. The company is a provider of workflow-management software.

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A British Trust Managing $39M In Assets Sells DoorDash And VMware Holdings

What happened: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-25/airbus-leads-for-5-3-billion-italy-plane-deal-corriere-says?sref=TBDibEcD">Bloomberg </a>reports that Airbus SE (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/eadsf#OTC">EADSF</a>) is the front runner to win a multi-billion dollar contract for a new aircraft fleet for Italy&rsquo;s state-owned airline, following the bankruptcy of Alitalia. The deal is valued at $5.3 billion and would provide 81 new generation planes over a four year period.
Why it&rsquo;s important: The contract for the aircraft fleet is being issued by the successor of bankrupt Alitalia. Executives at Italia Trasporto Aereo SpA, known as ITA, have yet to make a final decision and are also in talks with Boeing (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ba#NYSE">BA</a>), according to a report from Italian news outlet Corriere della Ser.
What&rsquo;s next: Courier reports that industry sources say Airbus is favored to win the contract, although Boeing may present an &ldquo;unprecedented package offer with airplanes discounted by as much as 70%.&rdquo; Representatives of both aircraft manufacturers are declining to comment.

After months of talks with European Commission officials over terms of an overhaul, ITA plans to start services on Oct. 15. The new state-owned airline will faces an immediate challenge to establish itself after low-cost rivals were able to grab a significant part of its home market during a long restructuring process.

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Airbus SE Front Runner For Italian Airline Fleet

M. Night Shyamalan&#39;s horror-thriller &quot;Old&quot; from Comcast Corporation&#39;s (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cmcsa#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>) Universal Pictures was the top film in U.S. theaters over the weekend, albeit with a relatively mild $16.5 million box office in a release on 3,355 screens.
What Happened: &quot;Old&quot; and &quot;Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins&quot; from ViacomCBS&#39; (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/viac#NASDAQ">VIAC</a>) Paramount, which grossed $13.3 million, were the two new major releases over the weekend, taking the top two spots among the highest grossing films despite mixed-to-negative reviews and a lack of bankable Hollywood stars.
But the big story over the weekend was the collapse of last weekend&#39;s box office champ, &quot;Space Jam: A New Legacy&quot; from AT&amp;T&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/t#NYSE">T</a>) Warner Bros., which grossed $31 million in its opening weekend but dropped by 69% to only $9.5 million in its second weekend in theaters. However, both &quot;Space Jam&quot; and the third place finisher at the box office, The Walt Disney Company&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dis#NYSE">DIS</a>) &quot;Black Widow&quot; (grossing $11.6 million) are being simultaneously released in theaters and on streaming services, whereas &quot;Old&quot; and &quot;Snake Eyes,&quot; along with fifth place finisher &quot;F9&quot; from Universal (grossing $4.7 million), are exclusive to theaters.
Related Link <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/21964095/10-looney-facts-about-bugs-bunny-that-you-probably-never-knew">10 Looney Facts About Bugs Bunny That You Probably Never Knew</a>
What Happens Next: Looking ahead, the big releases opening July 30 include &quot;Stillwater&quot; starring Matt Damon from Comcast&#39;s Focus Features, Disney&#39;s &quot;Jungle Cruise&quot; starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, and A24&#39;s &quot;The Green Knight&quot; starring Dev Patel and Alicia Vikander.
A24 also scored the Sept. 24 opening night selection at the New York Film Festival with &quot;The Tragedy of Macbeth,&quot; a new film version of the Shakespeare perennial starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand under the direction of Joel Coen. The film will have its streaming release via Apple Inc.&#39;s (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) Apple+ following its theatrical engagements.
Photo: Gael Garc&iacute;a Bernal in &quot;Old,&quot; courtesy Universal Pictures.

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Shyamalan's 'Old' Is New Box Office Champ, 'Space Jam' Drops To Fourth Place

What happened: The largest Ethereum-based (CRYPTO: ETH)&nbsp;decentralized cryptocurrency exchange has delisted several tokens ahead of anticipated regulatory scrutiny. Uniswap has removed Tether Gold and tokenized stocks from crypto derivatives platforms like Synthetix.
The move by Booklyn-based Uniswap Labs is in response to US&nbsp;laws preventing the company from selling certain investments.
Why it&rsquo;s important: The delistings come after an international crackdown on Binance, the world&#39;s largest crypto exchange, which had to suspend trading of its tokenized stocks after regulatory officials in the U.K, Hong Kong, Germany and Italy said they could constitute securities. <a href="https://decrypt.co/76793/ethrereum-dex-uniswap-drops-tokenized-stocks-as-regulators-close-in">Decrypt </a>reports that since Uniswap is a US-based website, company officials are anticipating increased scrutiny from the US Securities and Exchange Commission into company operations.
Last week, a cease-and-desist order was filed against crypto lending platform BlockFi by the Texas State Securities Board, over the alleged sale of unregistered securities.
What&rsquo;s next:&nbsp;SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, says he&rsquo;s keeping a close eye on &ldquo;stock tokens&rdquo; and legal action against token issuers has already been taken, and more is being considered. He says &ldquo;these platforms&mdash;whether in the decentralized or centralized finance space&mdash;are implicated by the securities laws and must work within our securities regime.&rdquo;
Gensler has extensive knowledge of the space, having once taught a course on Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and blockchain at the&nbsp;Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Largest Ethereum-based Decentralized Exchange Delisting Tokens

The U.S. housing market appears to be in a nonstop state of upward ascension. The most recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22060575/housing-starts-jump-with-home-sales-prices-at-new-peaks-what-you-need-to-know">data</a> from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development found single‐family housing starts in June totaled 1.16 million, 6.3% higher than the revised May figure of 1 million.
Other new data reports from RE/MAX LLC (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rmax#NYSE">RMAX</a>) saw home sales up 14.2% from May to June, the largest month-over-month increase since the company began tracking this data 13 years ago, while June&rsquo;s median sales price of $336,000 was a new record peak.
To understand where the housing market is headed, Benzinga spoke with one of the nation&rsquo;s most prominent housing-focused economists, Dr. Anthony B. Sanders, distinguished professor of real estate finance at George Mason University and director and head of asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities research at Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/db#NYSE">DB</a>) in New York City.
Sanders&rsquo; input has been sought in Congressional hearings and by the Bank of England, European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan.
Q: What role does housing play in today&#39;s U.S. economy?
Sanders: Housing has always been important in the U.S. economy, but less so today than during the 2000s.
During the 2000s, housing was an easy way to grow GDP (in the same way China builds massive housing projects to boost GDP). But since the housing bubble burst in 2008, leading to the financial crisis, the federal government could not rely on an easy GDP approach since housing is a consumption good, not an investment good. That is, the U.S. was not building plants to produce goods while China was building plants.
Q: All recent data is pointing to median home prices at or near record highs. Is this feasible? And how long can prices go up before they stall or go down?
Sanders: Particularly in coastal cities, house prices are at record high, exceeding prices during the infamous housing bubble of 2005-2007. This rate of growth is not sustainable, since the ratio of house price growth to earnings growth is even worse than at the peak of the housing bubble. Then, we have the Federal Reserve which is talking about reducing its Agency MBS, which will put upward pressure on mortgage rates.
Q: What impact will the new elevated inflation rates have on home buying?
Sanders:&nbsp;Inflation is a dangerous economic phenomenon. Wages are typically sticky with inflation, but home prices surge during inflationary periods. This makes housing even more unaffordable.
In the past, attempts at inflation-protected mortgage products like PLAMs (price-level adjusted mortgages) failed.
Thanks to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, adjustable-rate mortgages (that offer inflation protection to lenders and mortgage holders) is only at 3.3% of mortgages, leaving a whopping 96.7% of mortgages as long-term, fixed-rate mortgages.
Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages are particularly sensitive to inflationary pressures and interest rate increases. In other words, the Federal Reserve has boxed the mortgage market into a corner ... of risk.
See Also: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SROQb-oBZU">Stock Market Live Power Hour: All-Time Highs</a>
Q: Home construction is more expensive than ever, with increased supply costs and a shrinking labor pool. How are home builders responding to this, and what does it mean for buyers?
Sanders: Even though lumber costs have been declining after the spike in price, the cost to build a home is higher than ever. Complicating the federal government&#39;s push for affordable housing are local supply constraints, such as zoning laws that discourage new construction.
Q: Speaking of the federal government, what is going to happen to the housing market when the federal moratoriums on forbearance and evictions expire? Will we see a rush of foreclosure filings and tenants kicked out of rental housing to make room for others who can pay higher rents?
Sanders: What will happen when the moratoriums and forbearances have been lifted is hotly debated. Once again, skyrocketing housing prices and sticky wage growth is not a recipe for success when the moratoriums and forbearance programs are lifted.
The Biden administration issued a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/23/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-additional-actions-to-prevent-foreclosures/">fact sheet</a> to help stem the anticipated spike in foreclosures.
Q: What is the Biden housing policy? And where is HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge in the policy making? Lately, she seems to be talking about COVID and infrastructure a lot, but what is she doing for housing?
Sanders: Biden and his team look like &quot;deer in the headlights&quot; with regards to housing policy. It is difficult to have a sane &quot;affordable&quot; housing policy with runaway housing prices (which is also inflationary).
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan under President Obama at least conceded that most low-income families were better off renting their dwelling and he focused on multifamily programs, not chasing homeownership rates.
No one knows what Fudge is thinking about housing policy, but the fact sheet from the Biden administration (which was not signed by HUD Secretary Fudge) seems more like &quot;deer in the headlights&quot; policy making. Or sheer panic.
Photo: C-Span screenshot of Dr. Anthony B. Sanders presenting testimony before a Congressional hearing on housing.

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Housing Economist Sanders: Home Price Growth Rate 'Is Not Sustainable'

This article was originally published on&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/cannabis-and-esg-its-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-but-lets-push-the-pace/">Cannabis &amp; Tech Today</a> and appears here with permission.
The cannabis industry is an environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) conundrum.
While I was on a run on a recent summer morning, the rhythmic pattern of rubber hitting the blacktop allowed my mind to drift to the confluence of recent events that have set a new pace for environmental and social sustainability initiatives.&nbsp;
The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us, and its impacts continue to be disproportionately felt in disadvantaged communities and communities of color.&nbsp;
We all continue to reckon with the need to improve&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/sponsored-tech-equity-cannabis/">racial&nbsp;</a>justice &ndash; a societal issue that is not new, but has become a more acute focus with the protests that started around this time last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The effects of climate change are literally being felt all around us as we look at the frequency and intensity of weather events. The Pacific Northwest, a region bustling with cannabis cultivation up our coast and into the Canadian province of British Columbia, is literally baking in a dangerous way.
We are currently in wildfire season, with each being more devastating than the last. The same can be said of hurricane season, as the Atlantic season&rsquo;s pace is already faster than last year&rsquo;s.
My passion for running is driven out of my commitment to physical and&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/depression-cbd/">mental health</a>&nbsp;and well-being. The cannabis industry was also born out of a commitment to boosting health and wellness, by harnessing the power of the plant.
But health and wellness is a multifaceted notion; it seems simple in principle, but gets more complicated when you think about the effects of and on the environment, public health, crime and public safety, job security, housing insecurity, and a host of other elements many of us take for granted.&nbsp;
We should also not lose sight of the motivation to advance the industry being driven &ndash; for many &ndash; by the injustices of the war on drugs, disparate treatment of communities of color, and a need for diversity and inclusion to truly achieve equity.
At the same time, the industry suffers from excessive greenhouse gas emissions attributable to energy sources, water use, fertilizer, and packaging waste, and exacerbated by the predominance of indoor grows.&nbsp;
The cannabis industry is an&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/what-no-one-tells-you-about-hemp-bioplastics/">environmental</a>, social, and corporate governance (ESG) conundrum; an environmentally challenged circumstance coupled with social equity ambition that needs amplification.
However, we are starting to see a coalescence around the opportunity to bring ESG together as an idea, rather than three separate letters; &ldquo;ESG,&rdquo; not &ldquo;E vs. S. vs. G,&rdquo; or &ldquo;E, S, or G.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Emerging from our country&rsquo;s recent changes and challenges is an undeniable call to action where ESG stakeholders are taking a more comprehensive, coordinated, long-term view of how to think about and measure business impacts as we stride toward individualized solutions.&nbsp;
<h2 id="h-cross-training-for-the-sustainability-finish-line-stakeholders-weigh-in">Cross-training for the sustainability finish line: Stakeholders weigh in&nbsp;</h2>
ESG discussions have now claimed a daily spot in media coverage. As the world picks up momentum to become more environmentally and socially conscious, many industry stakeholders are playing the role of pace setter in support of people, planet, and profit.
In the cannabis industry,&nbsp;customers and employees&nbsp;are leading the small pack and doing the most to drive change and force operators to think about the future. They have the power to enhance brand and brand awareness and drive market share in interestingly similar ways.&nbsp;
Investors&nbsp;are running slightly behind the leaders, but capital is a powerful accelerant. This group is coalescing around external standards, the desire to be a force in this emerging industry, and the need to provide innovation in the capital markets for years to come.
Pitchbook Data, a research, technology, and data company covering private capital markets including the cannabis industry, recently&nbsp;<a href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/how-emerging-esg-standards-put-pressure-on-pe-to-adapt">spoke to the pressure on private equity</a>&nbsp;to adapt to ESG standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The&nbsp;government&nbsp;is a stakeholder that is trailing the others, but we all know it has a long arm, or stride as the running metaphors continue. While the social equity effort has been present, it has fallen woefully short of what we should all want to see.
The sustainability standards around cultivation and processing could fold into the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astm.org/COMMITTEE/D37.htm">ASTM Committee D37 on Cannabis</a>, an effort that seems to be percolating, but one that we as an industry should lead rather than react to.&nbsp;
One final group of stakeholders is&nbsp;ancillary companies. CohnReznick, a national advisory, audit, and tax firm servicing industries including cannabis and proud member of the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition (SCC), sits in this collective group.&nbsp;
It has been uplifting to see members of this constituency working hard to have an impact with their compelling content, such as SCC co-founder&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/if-you-love-cannabis-be-the-change/">Peter Dougherty&rsquo;s plea to &ldquo;Be the Change&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;in cannabis industry sustainability and ERP software company 365 Cannabis&rsquo;s discussion of ancillary cannabis vendors&rsquo; importance in supporting sustainability in the supply chain.
In line with SCC, CohnReznick has written and spoken quite a bit over the past year about the&nbsp;<a href="https://go.cohnreznick.com/pgim_cohnreznick_making_esg_work_real_estate_investors_webinar.html?_ga=2.93945309.1755829875.1625580760-2100515308.1568084462">importance of an equitable and sustainable recovery</a>, and the need to &ldquo;<a href="https://www.cohnreznick.com/buildingtrust">build trust</a>&rdquo; among all stakeholders to rewrite the strategies to deliver value to all.
The cannabis industry should be leading in these efforts given the increased relevance of its impact on economic and community development and the built environment &mdash; all critically aligned with ESG.&nbsp;
<h2 id="h-running-a-5k-or-going-for-the-marathon-getting-to-your-personal-best-with-esg-frameworks-and-data-driven-insights">Running a 5k or going for the marathon? Getting to your personal best with ESG frameworks and data-driven insights</h2>
Domestic cannabis operators are becoming more sophisticated in so many ways. Systems and the data they house are getting attention, but the focus should be on a broader and higher quality of data that can be more easily accessed and reported on.
Fortunately, reporting and compliance frameworks have been taking shape that will make it easier to collect and act on standardized information &mdash; including when it comes to ESG factors.
The cannabis industry is still emerging, but already has a history as a significant public company marketplace, albeit on Canadian exchanges. Currently, quite a few of these Canadian public companies are or will be coming under the auspices of the SEC given some ownership technicalities such as the foreign private issuer exemption.
At the same time, the SEC is knee-deep in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/sec-response-climate-and-esg-risks-and-opportunities">own framework for ESG</a>&nbsp;reporting standards and disclosure that will eventually affect the leading MSOs.
Ultimately, translation of ESG metrics into a more quantitative framework will create value for cannabis operators rather than be a cost (a topic for another day). Private systems and data solutions are being developed to make that more easily accomplished, and not a moment too soon given the recent announcement of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.valuereportingfoundation.org/news/iirc-and-sasb-form-the-value-reportingfoundation-providing-comprehensive-suite-oftools-to-assess-manage-and-communicate-value/">merger</a>&nbsp;to create the Value Reporting Foundation. In another fortuitous sign of cannabis ESG momentum, this new regime that will work across four continents comes as large U.S. operators are announcing international transactions.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that many of the banks that would be impacted by the continued effort in the U.S. House of Representatives on the SAFE Banking Act legislation are the target of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/">Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures</a>.
As the maturations of global ESG initiatives and the cannabis industry continue to run in tandem, the need to take advantage of the momentum of each opportunity is undeniable. The moon and the stars are clearly aligning, and while the cannabis industry measures progress in dog years, we have lots to do.
The cannabis industry must prioritize social and environmental sustainability and governance initiatives to remain a leader and not get left behind. Let&rsquo;s get moving!

Cannabis

Sports

Cannabis And ESG: It's A Marathon Not A Sprint, But Let's Push The Pace

This article by was originally published on<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/federal-cannabis-decriminalization-on-the-horizon/">&nbsp;Cannabis &amp; Tech Today</a>, and appears here with permission
New legislation was introduced Wednesday that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level, removing it from the list of federally controlled substances. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would empower states to implement their own cannabis laws.&nbsp;
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and several other Senate Democrats are backing the measure which remains a draft bill at this time.
<blockquote>The federal prohibition on marijuana has disproportionately harmed young people of color. 
Our Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act: 
Ends the federal prohibition 
Expunges federal non-violent marijuana crimes 
And invests in communities hurt by the War on Drugs&nbsp;<a href="https://t.co/r2NXQZp5AT">pic.twitter.com/r2NXQZp5AT</a>
&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer)&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1415429291404402688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
It&rsquo;s the first of many steps necessary to remove cannabis from the controlled substances list.
Schumer&rsquo;s push for decriminalization is supported by Sens. Corey Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
&ldquo;I was the first Democratic leader to come out for the legalization of marijuana and I will use my clout as a majority leader to make this a priority in the Senate,&rdquo; said Schumer.
Booker added, &ldquo;This is the first time in American history the majority leader of the United States Senate is leading the call to&nbsp;<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/historic-federal-bill-introduced-to-decriminalize-drug-possession/">end prohibition of marijuana</a>.&rdquo;
Schumer noted it will take broad, bipartisan support to move forward. The draft bill will be shown to stakeholders in an attempt to garner support.
Most legislation in the Senate requires at least 10 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.
The even split of the current chamber with Democrats holding the narrowest possible majority would leave Vice President Kamala Harris with the tie-breaking vote.&nbsp;
Cannabis industry insiders are embracing the news.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When it comes to drug policy, this bill will change everything in the United States, and beyond. We&rsquo;ve long known that cannabis is the canary, and the speed with which it has transformed prohibitionist state laws has been unprecedented.
&ldquo;This bill will help the federal government catch up with an overwhelming percentage of Americans,&rdquo; said Ricardo Baca,&nbsp;The Denver Post&rsquo;s first-ever cannabis editor and founder of cannabis marketing agency&nbsp;<a href="https://mygrasslands.com/">Grasslands</a>.&nbsp;
Equity is an important part of the Democratic senator&rsquo;s efforts.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sha&rsquo;Carri is an incredible athlete with a bright future. That her dreams are being crushed over a substance that should be legal across the country is devastating and wrong. Her heartfelt apology shows her strength even in the face of adversity.<a href="https://t.co/PeohD20Emo">https://t.co/PeohD20Emo</a>
&mdash; Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoryBooker/status/1411025327602679814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Sen. Booker has been consistently outspoken in his support of marijuana reform policies.
&ldquo;Communities of color have paid such an awful price for the historical overcriminalization of marijuana that we want to make sure the money goes back to them,&rdquo; Schumer said.&nbsp;
Concerns over equitable access to the industry are top of mind for many industry players. Wana Brands CEO Nancy Whiteman knows better than most how this bill would impact the industry. As the top-selling cannabis edible company in America, Whiteman welcomes this step forward.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The introduction of legislation that would federally decriminalize cannabis would have implications far beyond banking. For starters, it will expand the opportunities for minority populations that have been disproportionately targeted during the War on Drugs.&rdquo;
She added, &ldquo;Federal decriminalization would also enable manufacturing and then shipping across state lines which would greatly benefit brands like Wana. Supply chains will become more efficient and cost-effective as plants would be grown in appropriate outdoor climates and other materials could be sourced across markets.&rdquo;
Schumer noted he intends to show the draft legislation to the White House and request their support.
<a href="https://cannatechtoday.com/biden-firing-for-cannabis-use/">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has publicly stated he supports decriminalizing cannabis but has not made a public statement regarding Schumer&rsquo;s plan.

Federal Cannabis Decriminalization On The Horizon

The similarities and differences between cannabis and crypto have been well-documented in recent years.
The nascency of both spaces and their uncertain regulatory frameworks create ample amounts of volatility with room for windfalls and lost shirts.
With soaring highs and crushing lows, both sectors have provided investors with opportunities to score big on short-term success. At the same time, they risk losing significantly over everything from lawmaker comments to tweets from market leaders like <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22033379/elon-musk-throws-dogecoin-community-into-a-frenzy-with-new-twitter-profile-photo">Elon Musk</a>.
There are also illegal ventures on both sides of the market. For a select few, they&#39;re alleged to have been engaged in illicit activities in both cases.
Regardless of how someone operates in the sectors, it&#39;s clear that people see opportunity in cannabis and crypto.
Scores of investors view cannabis and crypto as long-term plays, but there are those looking for that quick gain. Despite other coins joining the fray and adding to the volatility, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/21/07/22036448/if-you-had-5-000-would-you-put-it-on-dogecoin-or-baby-doge-coin-right-now">Dogecoin</a> has remained a darling in the media and to select investors.
With the similarities in place, does cannabis have its own Dogecoin capable of short-term success and possible long-term gains? Is there a crypto option an investor may want to look at in the cannabis space?
At the current time, all signs point to no.
<h2>Cannabis Coins Fall Flat So Far</h2>
Several cannabis-based crypto coins have hit the market, with a miniature rush coming in 2014, backed by options like PotCoin (CRYPTO: $POT), CannabisCoin (CRYPTO: $CANN), DopeCoin (CRYPTO: $DOPE) and HempCoin (CRYPTO: $THC). However, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/21/06/21613736/why-cannabis-specific-cryptos-will-not-take-on-mainstream-but-crypto-in-cannabis-might">nothing has come close to making much of an impact</a> close to Dogecoin or any other prominent options.
Each coin has attempted to make cannabis purchases easier, be it facilitating customer sales or between retailers and cultivators. So far, none have made much of an impact, with PotCoin having the highest value of the four, trading at $.0119 as of July 23, 2021, at 12:55 pm EST.
Julian Morris, principal financial planning firm Concierge Wealth Management, said Potcoin represented the closest comparison to Dogecoin as a meme option. He added that it would need a significant boost to gain similar traction in any leading cryptos.
&quot;It would take a major influencer for people to want to invest in any of these coins,&quot; Morris said, adding that while he has a small exposure to crypto, he &quot;would never consider any of these coins.&quot;
Harrison Jordan,&nbsp;a Toronto-based cannabis lawyer, consultant and CEO of NFT marketplace HUP.LIFE,&nbsp;noted that most of the coins from the 2014 rush have largely faded away.
Jordan said&nbsp;one possible factor could offer a significant boost to the market. &quot;If there&#39;s any catalyst to bring the industry together, it might be the upcoming federal decriminalization bill being introduced in the U.S.&quot;&nbsp;
<h2>Similar Enthusiasm But Cannabis Has The Assets</h2>
While similar in enthusiasm, concerns over viable assets continue to make some investors and analysts uncertain about crypto.
Jack Weinstein, consulting chief financial officer for Northstar Financial Consulting Group, believes that both crypto and cannabis display high levels of investor enthusiasm. However, Weinstein, who spent three years in cannabis with Redbird Bioscience before joining Northstar last year, said he favors cannabis and its assets over what he called &quot;essentially an unsecured security.&quot;
Weinstein added that besides some possible underlying tech, crypto lacks the value presented by sectors like cannabis. &quot;An investor in something like Dogecoin, for example, is purely making a speculative play,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;At least cannabis companies truly have assets and operations.&quot;
Despite the concern in crypto assets, the firm believes blockchain could provide immense value to cannabis. Northstar CEO Lorenzo Nourafchan thinks that blockchain could add efficiencies to seed-to-sale tracking that offers more insights and clarity than current options.
Nourafchan said a cannabis coin might excel if it could create a digital payment system that worked across the industry rather than a company or state. He added that such a coin would need to provide &quot;fundamental value&quot; through digital banking and that no current option offers such value.
&nbsp;
Photo: Wiki Commons/<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dogecoin_gold_coin_on_wood_2_-_heads.jpg">Cyril Ernst</a>

Cannabis Crypto Has Fallen Flat So Far, But Similarities Between The Sectors Remain

What happened: Billions of dollars are being invested in the 2021 Olympic Games underway in Tokyo, although very little of that money is making it to the athletes competing in the events. This year&rsquo;s 11,000 Olympic athletes, including 600 on Team USA&rsquo;s Olympic roster, are not sharing in the wealth.
According to USA Today, track and field competitors receive up to $1,000 a month, while weightlifters get a stipend ranging from $750 to $4,000.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22586868/olympics-athletes-pay-medal-sponsors-ioc">VOX </a>reports that for athletes who win, the United States Olympic &amp; Paralympic Committee provides $37,500 to gold medalists, $22,500 to silver medalists, and $15,000 to bronze. 
&nbsp;
Why it&rsquo;s important: NBC and its parent company&nbsp;Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cmcsa#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>)&nbsp;has paid $7.7 Billion for the rights to broadcast the Olympics through 2032, with $1.25 billion in ads already sold for the Tokyo Games. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the Olympic Games, is expected to generate $3 billion to $4 billion from television rights of the delayed 2020 Olympics. 
&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s next: The IOC&rsquo;s Rule 40 limits how athletes can use their names and images during the Olympics without the committee&rsquo;s permission. In 2012, London Olympians created the #WeDemandChange campaign to protest the rule, which was slightly relaxed ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
US organizers have started&nbsp;a pilot program to provide a new marketing platform aimed at helping athletes earn money. Some experts believe athletes hiring agents might help increase compensation,&nbsp;or entering into a collective bargaining agreement to establish a base rate for appearing in advertisements.

2021 Tokyo Olympic Athletes Not Sharing in Wealth Generated By Worldwide Event

The host city for Nio, Inc.&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nio#NYSE">NIO</a>) annual gala event, where it customarily makes new product and services announcements, has been finalized.
What Happened: Suzhou, a city located west of Shanghai, China&#39;s business capital, has been finalized to hold the fifth annual Nio Day, the CnEVPost reported.
The choice of the host city marks the culmination of a multi-step process that includes the invitation of bids, shortlisting of cities based on preliminary surveys and voting of Nio users on the Nio app.
Nio <a href=" https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/21840854/nio-shortlists-hefei-and-2-more-cities-for-hosting-nio-day-2021-what-you-should-know"> chose</a> Hefei, Suzhou and Xi&#39;an from among the bidders and presented the cities on the Nio app. Voting by Nio users took place on Friday and Saturday. The company provided several details regarding these shortlisted cities on the Nio app over the past few weeks in order to help users decide on their choice.
Incidentally, Suzhou lost out to Chengdu in the bid for hosting Nio Day 2020.
Related Link: <a href=" https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22105624/nio-xpeng-buffett-backed-byd-among-top-quality-ev-brands-in-china-survey"> Nio, XPeng, Buffett-Backed BYD Among Top Quality EV Brands In China: Survey </a>
Why It&#39;s Important: Suzhou is close to Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, which have a large number of Nio users, the report said.
Hefei was widely expected to be selected, given the fact that the local administration bailed out the EV maker in 2019 when it was facing a severe cash crunch.
The <a href=" https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/01/19088720/nio-day-2020-ev-maker-shows-off-et7-sedan-new-power-swap-station-150kwh-battery-pack-adaas-and-more"> Nio Day 2020&nbsp;</a>event, which was postponed to January this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was instrumental in taking Nio&#39;s shares to an all-time high of $66.99 on Jan.11. The company unveiled its first-ever sedan named ET7 at the event held on Jan. 9. It also announced its Power Swap Station 2.0 and 150kWh solid state battery technology, among other things.
Nio shares picked up some momentum in late June and early July, hitting a near-term high of $55.13 July 1. Since then, the stock has pulled back and is currently locked in a trading range.
Shares closed Friday&#39;s session at $43.99, down 4.51%.
Related Link: <a href=" https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22023804/nio-stock-hangs-in-balance-close-to-near-term-support-technical-levels-to-watch"> Nio Stock Hangs In Balance Close To Near-Term Support: Technical Levels To Watch </a>

Nio Day 2021: Suzhou Wins The Race to Host EV Maker's Annual Event, Beating Out Hefei and Xi'an

What happened:&nbsp;The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dis#NYSE">DIS</a>) has announced that its executives and stars will not be attending CinemaCon 2021 in Las Vegas. The event is taking place from August 23-26 at Caesars Palace.

The studio made the decision due to the increasing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, particularly a spike in cases in Clark County, NV. Disney still plans to screen a movie at CinamaCon 2021, and a virtual presentation may also take place at the event.
Why it&#39;s important: Disney&rsquo;s decision to avoid an in-person presence at CinemaCon 2021 comes after the theatrical opening of Black Widow. The studio was criticized by the National Association of Theatre Owners for making&nbsp;the film available in theaters and through Disney premier access on the same day, after the film saw box office numbers fall 67% on its second-weekend performance.
What&rsquo;s next: As of the time of publication, other major studios remain committed to having in-person presentations at CinemaCon 2021, although fewer stars are expected to attend the four-day convention. The Whitehouse has identified the city of&nbsp;Las Vegas and southern Nevada as a &ldquo;sustained hotspot&rdquo; for the virus.&rdquo; Disney&#39;s next major film&nbsp;Jungle Cruise&nbsp;is being released simultaneously on&nbsp;Disney+&nbsp;and in theaters on July 30th.
&nbsp;

Disney Executives And Stars Will Not Attend CinemaCon 2021

TAL Education Group ("TAL" or the "Company") (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tal#NYSE">TAL</a>) announced that, on July 24, 2021, China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education (the "Opinion"), issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The Opinion contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to after-school tutoring services, including (i) institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit, no approval will be granted to new Academic AST Institutions, and an approval mechanism will be adopted for online Academic AST Institutions; (ii) foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and companies with existing foreign ownership need to rectify the situation; (iii) listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in businesses that teach academic subjects in compulsory education; (iv) Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks; and (v) Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The Opinion also provides that institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in high schools (which do not fall within China's compulsory education system) shall take into consideration the Opinion when conducting activities.
The Company will continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations in providing educational services, including those to be adopted following the policy directives of the Opinion. The Company is carefully considering the provisions of the Opinion and assessing their implications for the Company's business. The Company expects the Opinion, related rules and regulations, and the compliance measures to be taken by the Company will have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, which in turn may adversely affect the Company's results of operations and prospect. The Company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the Opinion and any related rules and regulations.

TAL Education Says Expects Compliance Measures Will Have Material Adverse Impact on Its After-school Tutoring Services in China's Compulsory Education System

What&nbsp;happened: Following four days of upward momentum traders are now looking to see how the price of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) will react as it nears&nbsp;a test of the 50-day exponential moving average. The price of the cryptocurrency dropped below the key average in May of this year and the level (currently $35,115) has now become resistance.
Previous attempts to reclaim the 50-day EMA as support have failed since the price of BTC plunged from an all-time high of almost $65,000 in mid-April. 
&nbsp;
Why it&rsquo;s important: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-price-weekly-outlook-btc-bulls-await-breakout-above-50-day-ema">Coin Telegraph</a> reports that Rekt Capital, a&nbsp;well-known digital currency analyst,&nbsp;notes that a break of the 50-day EMA in October of 2020 led to a massive rally for Bitcoin. That&rsquo;s when BTC was trading near $10,000 and broke above the 50-day EMA for a run to its all-time high this year. 
&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s next: The recent four-day rally in the price of Bitcoin comes after Tesla&#39;s CEO Elon Musk, Twitter&#39;s CEO Jack Dorsey, and Ark Invest&#39;s founder Cathie Wood spoke at last week&rsquo;s B-Word conference. The executives made positive comments about Bitcoin technology, with Musk revealing that his private rocket company SpaceX holds Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Moves To Again Test A Key Resistance Level

<ul>
<li>Insider buying can be an encouraging signal for potential investors, especially when markets are near all-time highs.</li>
<li>A leading asset manager and a special purpose acquisition companies attracted some notable insider buying last week.</li>
<li>Beneficial owners were in the spotlight as earnings season means buy windows are close for many insiders.</li>
</ul>
Conventional wisdom says that insiders and 10% owners really only buy shares of a company for one reason -- they believe the stock price will rise and they want to profit from it. So <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/insider-trades" target="_blank">insider buying</a> can be an encouraging signal for potential investors, particularly when there is uncertainty in the markets or the markets are near all-time highs.
Note that a new earnings-reporting season is ramping up, and many insiders are prohibited from buying or selling shares. Here are a few of the most noteworthy insider purchases that were reported in the past week.
<h3>Acutus Medical</h3>
Early last week, two Acutus Medical Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/afib#NASDAQ">AFIB</a>) directors took advantage of a public offering of common stock priced at $14 a share. The more than 2.14 million shares they indirectly purchased altogether totaled nearly $30.0 million. As one director has a stake of over 3.4 million shares and the other&#39;s stake is more than 4.87 million, each is a beneficial owner as well.
Kerrisdale Advisers recently reported in a 13G filing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22120509/61-biggest-movers-from-yesterday" target="_blank">a 5.25% stake</a> in the medical devices maker, and the share price was at $16.70 as Friday&#39;s regular trading ended. That was up almost 24% in the past week. The stock has traded as high as $38.99 in the past 52-weeks, but it has just a $20.00 consensus price target.
<h3>Fast Acquisition</h3>
Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Fast Acquisition Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fst#NYSE">FST</a>) saw a beneficial owner return to the buy window last week. At $11.30 to $12.19 per share, the 532,000 shares most recently acquired totaled more than $6.20 million. Note that this owner has purchased more than $16 million worth of the stock since the beginning of July and has a stake of over 3.37 million shares.
Fast Acquisition intends to merge with the casino and restaurant <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/21/07/21814593/why-fst-spac-shares-are-up-13" target="_blank">holdings of Tilman Fertitta</a>, which includes Golden Nugget, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Joe&#39;s Crab Shack and many other brands. The stock closed Friday&#39;s trading at $11.61, within that insider&#39;s purchase price range. It has traded between $9.59 and $14.10 a share thus far.
<h3>Blackstone</h3>
Alternative investment management company Blackstone Group Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bx#NYSE">BX</a>) had a beneficial owner add to its stake by buying 150,000 shares in the past week. The purchase price was $16.00 a share, and that added up to $2.40 million. Including preferred shares converted to common shares, that stake was reported as over 3.75 million shares.
Investors were pleased with Blackstone&#39;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/21/07/22101094/recap-blackstone-group-q2-earnings" target="_blank">better than expected earnings</a>, judging by the 11% pop in the share price last week. The stock hit an all-time high of $113.14 on Friday, and it has overrun the consensus target price of $98.54. The shares ended the week more than 71% higher for the year to date.
<h3>Cricut</h3>
A beneficial owner has built a more than 25% stake in Cricut Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/crct#NASDAQ">CRCT</a>), a crafting technologies company. More than 24,400 shares were indirectly added in the past week at prices ranging from $31.75 to $34.89 apiece. That cost that owner around $812,000. Note that the owner has been buying shares since late May.
Cricut, which has been public since March, is expected to share its latest quarterly results on August 12. The share price rose more than 13% in the past week to close at $37.80 on Friday, above the owner&#39;s latest purchase prices. The stock is up about 110% since its initial public offering. It had just a $34.00 consensus price target on last look.
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22111394/3-stocks-insiders-are-selling" target="_blank">3 Stocks Insiders Are Selling</a>
<h3>And Others</h3>
Note that some smaller amount of insider buying at Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bby#NYSE">BBY</a>), Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/dal#NYSE">DAL</a>) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jef#NYSE">JEF</a>) was reported in the past week as well.
At the time of this writing, the author had no position in the mentioned equities.
Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following Benzinga on <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.

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The Past Week's Most Notable Insider Buys: Blackstone, Cricut, Fast Acquisition And More

Focus Universal Pursues Mini IPO For Internet Of Things Products

FCUV

ONTARIO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Focus Universal, Inc. (OTCQB:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/FCUV#OTCQB">FCUV</a>) (&quot;Focus Universal&quot; or the &quot;Company&quot;), a Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform (&quot;USIP&quot;) developer and Universal Smart Device (&quot;USD&quot;) manufacturer announced today that it filed a Form S-1 (the &quot;Registration Statement&quot;) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &quot;SEC&quot;) relating to the proposed offering of its common stock for sale in an underwritten public offering. Boustead Securities, LLC will act as sole bookrunner for the proposed offering.Forward-Looking StatementsThe statements in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to our ability to consummate the proposed offering. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in the Registration Statement and Focus Universal&#39;s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These filings are available on the SEC&#39;s website at <a href="https://pr.report/4oMyO0DL">www.sec.gov</a>. Focus Universal undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.About Focus UniversalFocus Universal Inc. (OTCQB:<a class="ticker" href="/stock/FCUV#OTCQB">FCUV</a>) is a Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform (USIP) developer and Universal Smart Device (USD) manufacturer for the Internet of Things (IoT) market. The company has developed four fundamental disruptive proprietary technologies to solve the most fundamental problems plaguing the IoT industry: (1) Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform; (2) Universal Automated User Interface Software; (3) Ultra Narrowband Power Line Communications; (4) Ultra Narrowband Wireless Communication; We believe these four technologies combine to solve the most fundamental problems facing the IoT industry.For more information, visit <a href="http://pr.report/sNK6HLVM">www.focusuniversal.com</a>.Contact InformationDesheng Wang 626-272-3883 <a href="mailto:IR@focusuniversal.com">IR@focusuniversal.com</a>Investor Relations: The Blueshirt Group, for Focus Universal Lauren Sloane <a href="mailto:Lauren@blueshirtgroup.com">Lauren@blueshirtgroup.com</a>SOURCE: Focus Universal, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: <a href='https://www.accesswire.com/629512/Focus-Universal-Files-S-1-Registration-Statement'>https://www.accesswire.com/629512/Focus-Universal-Files-S-1-Registration-Statement</a> 
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