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EUR/USD Technical Analysis: back below 1.17 as channel continues

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· *The Euro is returning to the mean in higher timeframes as the EUR/USD continues to trade in a rough sideways channel.*
· *A slew of Markit **PMIs** for Europe today could see a kick in volatility, though the meaningful readings will be the **PMIs** for Germany and the general Eurozone.*
· *Traders will be looking for a bullish turnaround from last week's lows near 1.1620.*

*EUR/USD Chart, 15-Minute*

Spot rate:  1.1678
Relative change:  -0.10%
High:  1.1692
Low:  1.1675
   
Trend:  Flat to bearish
   
Support 1:  1.1667 (61.8% Fibo retracement level)
Support 2:  1.1649 (current week low)
Support 3:  1.1619 (previous week low)
   
Resistance 1:  1.1718 (Monday high)
Resistance 2:  1.1745 (current week high)
Resistance 3:  1.1794 (R3 daily pivot)

  Reported by FXstreet.com 2 hours ago.

Huawei overtakes Apple as world No. 2 smartphone seller, gains ground in China

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China's Huawei Technologies overtook Apple Inc to become the world's second-biggest smartphone seller in the June quarter, data from market research firms showed, as it gained ground in Europe and expanded its lead back home. Reported by Reuters 2 hours ago.

Runs.com Announces $20 Million Private Offering Mandate

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SINGAPORE, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Runs Capital Private limited (Runs.com), a Singapore based corporation announced that it has mandated Panamax Capital, LLC as its financial advisor in a private placement offering of *$15 million in Runs Tokens and $5 million in shares*. The private placement will accelerate growth for the company by generating capital on the strength of the unique Runs.com business model.

Runs.com is a decentralized eCommerce platform built on digital trust, imbibing the blockchain philosophy of openness and transparency. The company aims to give the control of data and decision-making back to consumers. Runs.com is building a global community around experiences in 25 countries across the globe.

*Giri Devanur, CEO of Runs.com* adds, "It is no secret that blockchain technology is evolving at a rapid pace the world over and we are happy to be a part of this transformation. In the existing model, customers and vendors have little or no control over the value chain.  Blockchain in eCommerce will mean that customers and vendors have visibility all the way to its point of origin – thereby revealing important details crucial for quality assurance and safety. At Runs.com, we are happy to be at the forefront of such technological advances. I am also pleased to partner with Panamax Capital who are helping us raise the next round of capital to power our growth plans."

*Panamax Capital, LLC Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Blinten* said, " I am excited to partner with Runs.com to advise on their capital strategy for their global expansion. We are very impressed with the quality of the management team, the massive size of the markets and the cutting-edge technology of Runs.com. We believe that this capital raise will accelerate the growth of Runs.com."

*Dr. Artit Wangperawong, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Runs.com *points out "Blockchain technology is uniquely poised to disrupt how companies operate. Particularly for eCommerce, merchants and consumers would benefit from a decentralized platform operating on a blockchain to reduce transaction overhead and costs. We are investing in this technology now to prepare for the demands of the new age economy. The success of our efforts could pave the way for how we transact in the future." 

Runs.com will be disrupting traditional ecommerce platforms which use SKU's as the fundamental way to identify units.  Moving away from the conventional SKUs, Runs.com has patented a new method of identification and tracking called XKU - 'Experience Keeping Unit'. Runs.com XKU's will cover the 3-S parameters - Story, Source and Sustainability.

*What is an XKU?*

An XKU is a product and service identification code for an item that helps track the item for inventory. It can be assigned to both physical and non-physical products in inventory.

Unlike SKUs whose code usually reveals a product's details, such as color, size, style, price, manufacturer and brand, an XKU includes the basic elements of SKU and three S-factors; Story, Source, and Sustainability. Each XKU has a unique experience attached to it and is secured on the Blockchain as a ledger entry.

Warshaw Burstein, LLP is the legal advisor to Runs.com and Panamax Capital, LLC is the financial advisor with broker dealer services provided by Partner Capital Group, LLC.

In accordance with the mandate, the company will be filing a Reg-D 506C with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The securities sold in the private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not be resold absent registration under, or exemption from registration under, such Act.

*About Runs.com*

Runs Capital Private Limited company operating under the brand of Runs.com was formed in February 2018 as a next generation eCommerce platform built on the transformational blockchain technology. Runs.com is the world's first blockchain-based eCommerce platform for experiences targeting over 2.5 billion people. Runs.com, headquartered in Singapore with offices in New York and Bangalore, intends to initially bring together Coffee, Cinema & Cricket enthusiasts around the world on its platform. Runs.com aims to build a global community of people around their interest areas in 25 countries and 125 cities.

The Company's management team includes Giri Devanur - CEO, Dr. Artit Wangperawong – Chief Technology officer, Avi Jain - SVP, Finance, Carlos Fernandez – Chief Growth Officer, Sandesh Nanjundappa – Chief Digital Officer, and Piyush Sadana – Chief Strategy Officer.

The Company's Board of Directors consist of five members: James Yee - Chairman, Giri Devanur - CEO, Tom Blinten (non-exec), Mokkoh Nobuyuki (non-exec), and Jee Cho (non-exec).

Please visit www.Runs.com for further information.

*About Panamax Capital, LLC*

Panamax Capital, LLC is a private, global merchant banking firm.  Headquartered in Greenwich with resources in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and India, the firm provides capital markets, M&A, and principal finance services to its clients.

*About Partner Capital Group, LLC*

Partner Capital Group, LLC is a boutique, globally focused, institutional capital introduction and advisory firm and FINRA registered broker-dealer based in Greenwich, CT.

*Note:* This press release includes forward-looking statements that relate to the business and expected future events or future performance of Runs.com and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause its actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, "believe,""expect,""anticipate,""estimate,""intend,""plan,""targets,""likely,""will,""would,""could," and similar expressions or phrases identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Runs.com's financial and growth projections as well as statements concerning our plans, predictions, estimates, strategies, intentions, beliefs and other information concerning our business and the markets in which we operate. The future performance of Runs.com may be adversely affected by the following risks and uncertainties: the level of market demand for our services, the highly-competitive market for the types of services that we offer, market conditions that could cause our customers to reduce their spending for our services, our ability to create, acquire and build new businesses and to grow our existing businesses, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, currency fluctuations and market conditions around the world, and other risks not specifically mentioned herein but those that are common to industry. For a more detailed discussion of these factors and risks, investors should review our Whitepaper and visit the terms and conditions on our website www.runs.com. Forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's beliefs and opinions at the time the statements are made. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Runs.com undertakes no duty to update this information to reflect future events, information or circumstances 

  Reported by PR Newswire Asia 2 hours ago.

Intershop publishes figures for H1 2018

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DGAP-News: Intershop Communications AG / Key word(s): Half Year Results

01.08.2018 / 08:10
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------

*- Transformation to cloud business leads to shift in revenues
- Incoming orders for cloud solutions in the amount of EUR 2.2 million (previous year: EUR 0.7 million)
- Sales revenues of EUR 16 million (previous year: EUR 18 million)
- EBIT of EUR -2.0 million influenced by declining licensing revenues
- Partnership with Microsoft strengthened: Intershop "Runner-up of the year"*

*Jena, 1 August 2018* - Intershop Communications AG (ISIN: DE000A0EPUH1), a leading independent provider of innovative solutions for omni-channel commerce, generated sales revenues of EUR 16 million in the first half of 2018 (previous year: EUR 18 million). Incoming orders for cloud solutions in the first six months, which will lead to recurring revenues in the coming quarters, amounted to EUR 2.2 million (previous year: EUR 0.7 million). The Software and Cloud segment accounted for approx. EUR 7.8 million of the first-half revenues (-18%), while the Service segment accounted for approx. EUR 8.3 million (-3%). The fact that software and cloud revenues were lower than in the previous year is attributable to a drop in software revenues (licensing and maintenance revenues), whereas cloud revenues increased by 14% to EUR 2.5 million. Representing 73% of the company's revenues, Europe remained the key output market for Intershop's e-commerce solutions in the first half of the year. The US and Asia-Pacific markets accounted for 13% and 14%, respectively.

"The increase in cloud and subscription revenues in the first six months confirms that it was the right decision to transform our business activities towards our new cloud offering, Intershop Commerce-as-a-Service (CaaS)," says Dr. Jochen Wiechen, CEO of Intershop Communications AG. "There is no alternative to this transformation, even if it entails a temporary decline in revenues and earnings. It will now be essential, to translate the constantly growing pipeline of new customers into measurable income in the next two years in order to steer Intershop back to profitable growth based on stable cloud revenues. The partnership with Microsoft, which has recently been strengthened by the Runner-up of the Year Award, plays an important role in this context."

At 41%, the gross margin was down by 9 percentage points on the previous year in the first half of 2018. The decline is essentially attributable to the changed revenue structure and the resulting reduction in licensing revenues. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at EUR -2.0 million at the six-month stage (previous year: EUR 0.2 million). Operating expenses decreased by a moderate EUR 0.1 million to EUR 8.6 million. Sales and marketing expenses increased by approx. 3% to EUR 4.3 million due to the cloud initiative, whereas R&D expenses dropped by a good 10% to EUR 2.4 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) stood at EUR -1.0 million (previous year: EUR 1.4 million), while the result for the period after taxes amounted to EUR -2.2 million (previous year: kEUR 28). Because of the cloud transformation, Intershop now projects slightly lower revenues than in the previous year as well as negative earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in the low single-digit euro million range. As of 2019, the revenue base will stabilise as a result of the recurring cloud revenues, which will ultimately lead to growing revenues again.

In the second quarter, Intershop increased its share capital to strengthen its asset base and had cash and cash equivalents of EUR 11.3 million as at 30 June 2018, up 27% on the end of 2017. Operating cash flow after taxes stood at EUR -1.3 million at the six-month stage (previous year: EUR 2.0 million). At 64%, the equity ratio was up by 3 percentage points on the end of 2017.

*Change in the composition of the Management Board*

The Supervisory Board and Axel Köhler, Chief Sales Officer, yesterday agreed not to extend Axel Köhler's Management Board contract, which runs until August 31, 2019. Talks are currently underway to terminate the contract prematurely.

The interim report on the first six months is available for download at https://www.intershop.com/financial-reports.

Contact:
*Investor Relations*
Heide Rausch
T: +49-3641-50-1000
F: +49-3641-50-1309
ir@intershop.de
--------------------

01.08.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de --------------------

Language: English
Company: Intershop Communications AG
Intershop Tower
07740 Jena
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)3641-50-0
Fax: +49 (0)3641-50-1309
E-mail: ir@intershop.de
Internet: www.intershop.de
ISIN: DE000A0EPUH1
WKN: A0EPUH
Indices: CDAX, PRIMEALL, TECHALLSHARE
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange
 
End of News DGAP News Service Reported by EQS Group 2 hours ago.

Heatwave deaths

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Deaths caused by severe heatwaves will increase dramatically in tropical and subtropical regions, followed closely by Australia, Europe and the United States. From 2031 onwards there could be a 471% increase in fatalities in three Australian cities - Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Reported by euronews 21 minutes ago.

Going on holiday to Europe? Look out for extreme weather, even as hot as 45C, in these places

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Going on holiday to Europe? Look out for extreme weather, even as hot as 45C, in these places Hot air from Africa is expected to head for Spain, Portugal and Italy Reported by Stroud Life 1 hour ago.

Donald Trump to propose a 25 per cent tariff on $200bn of Chinese imports

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Donald Trump to propose a 25 per cent tariff on $200bn of Chinese imports Donald Trump is planning to hit $200bn worth of Chinese imports with a 25 per cent tariff, raising the stakes further in an increasingly fraught trade dispute with China.

Bloomberg first reported that the US president was considering increasing the rate from an original 10 per cent levy to 25 per cent in an attempt to browbeat China into making trade concessions.

The proposal could be announced as early as today, according to a Bloomberg source, although any tariffs would not be imposed until after a period of public comment.

China has already felt the wrath of tariffs on its goods. In July the Trump administration imposed 25 per cent tariffs on an initial $34bn of Chinese imports, provoking a strong reaction from Beijing who responded with retaliatory tariffs on the same value of US exports, such as beef and soybeans.

*Read more*: Trade war could 'derail the global economy'

The US has said the punitive measures have been designed to combat what it says is theft of its intellectual property. It says it wants to stop the transfer of US products and designs over to Chinese companies.

It is not only China that has been hit by US tariffs. Canada responded to Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium by targeting $12.63bn worth of American goods.

Last week the world breathed a sigh of relief after Trump met the European Commission president, Jean Claude Juncker, and the pair agreed to work together to lower trade barriers. The breakthrough came after trump threatened tariffs on car imports from Europe.

*Read more*: Donald Trump’s big EU trade win is no more than rhetoric Reported by City A.M. 1 hour ago.

Lung cancer deaths among women expected to rise 43 per cent by 2030, study warns

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Higher lung cancer deaths in Europe and Oceania a legacy of smoking becoming socially acceptable for women well before America and Asia, authors say Reported by Independent 1 hour ago.

Trade Ideas LLC’s Actionable Intelligence Continues to Outpace Market Benchmarks; 1st Half 2018 Results

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Simulated portfolio returns a scorching 54% beating S&P’s performance of 3.0% in the 1st half of 2018.

ENCINITAS, Calif. (PRWEB) August 01, 2018

The net return of the Trade Ideas’ simulated portfolio for the first half of 2018 ending June 30th was 54% after commissions in Risk-On mode. These results were achieved by the company’s A.I.-powered investment discovery engine named ‘HOLLY.’ The portfolio’s gross return, before commissions and fees, measured 61%. These results compare to the S&P 500, measured by the $SPY index, which returned a small gain of 3.0% over the same period. Risk-On performance reflects a bias towards staying in the positions beyond reward targets while strictly adhering to risk targets for each trade. Unlike Risk-Off mode, where reward actions do not deviate from trade plan parameters and where risk management rules permit exits earlier if existing profits erode significantly, Risk-On mode carries all trades the entire day until the close. This mode is often present during days of momentum which typify the majority of trading days in the first half of 2018. Note that Holly’s Risk-Off performance for Q1 and Q2 2018 returned a smaller gain of 17%.

Additional metrics:· Total trades, Q1 & Q2 2018: 1,811
· % Winning Trades: 44.9%
· Profit Factor: 1.77
· Sharpe Ratio: 5.92
· Benchmark Return, SPY: 3.0%

“This is no longer an aberration in capturing alpha, but rather the indication that systematic approach to the market powered by innovative and machine learning A.I. works. This result is no longer surprising to us, but it is nevertheless impressive.” said David Aferiat, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Trade Ideas. “We're not resting on any laurels either. We're adding two more versions of Holly that analyze the markets varying risk tolerances as we reflect the needs of a broader segment of subscribers. This work and the addition later this year of cryptocurrencies will translate into better decisions in the markets. At any time they can access the daily A.I. generated algorithms for actionable intelligence while retaining control to make trades according to their own rules. We’re unique in providing such results via an A.I. powered SaaS model.”

The maximum amount of alpha possible for Holly is the summation of all the correct decisions on whether to apply risk-off or risk-on modes to each trade idea. Under this ‘maximum alpha possible’ scenario, i.e., taking the best of risk-on and risk-off modes, Holly yielded a whopping 76% net commissions and fees for the first half of 2018.

“Quarter after quarter benchmark-beating performance for over 2 and half years is not the only measure of success we’re tracking at Trade Ideas. Our revenues are at all-time highs and reflect what our growing subscriber base from Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade's Think or Swim, ETRADE, and many more already know: Trade Ideas separates the signal from the noise and shakes up the fintech community. We are just getting started with A.I. and our impact on trading and investing decisions. Look for our ICO to launch in 2020,” observed Dan Mirkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Trade Ideas. “You’ll either be using this innovation to capture alpha or others will be using it against you to get theirs. Advisors and professionals have an entirely new way of not just talking to their clients about leveraging technology, but in generating alpha for their portfolio.”

Performance of the Trade Ideas simulated long/short equity portfolio reflects historical daily paper trades in the U.S. and Canadian equity markets. It is not a backtest. Trades are initiated from the daily list of algorithms published by the A.I. system, named ‘HOLLY’, and the result of its overnight optimization analysis or ‘Quantitative Combine(TM).’ The portfolio started with a $1M beginning balance on January 2, 2018, and used $80k (rounded) worth of shares per trade. Commissions are calculated at $0.0075 per share and reflected in the net performance (shown in chart). Slippage is not factored. Short trades assume that customer's broker has access to short inventory for the trades identified by Trade Ideas. In order to showcase the effectiveness of the trades identified by HOLLY for the simulated portfolio, no positions are held overnight. This avoids any conclusion that the outsized return of the A.I. system is the result of one or a handful of successful positions held for weeks or months. Past performance of the simulated portfolio do not foreshadow or guarantee future results.

Detailed trade data is available from Trade Ideas and can be segmented by gross and net performance, market cap, and by time periods. The Trade Ideas simulated portfolio is transparent, consistent in data processing, and free from selection or survivorship bias. Its inception date is January 4, 2016.

About Trade Ideas LLC

Trade Ideas creates actionable market intelligence for institutions, advisors, and self-directed investors to make consistently informed decisions mitigating risk and capturing alpha. As a SaaS fintech innovator for over 15 years, Trade Ideas leverages algorithms derived from recursive machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop trade plans and ideas and produce statistically optimized performance results. Trade Ideas' inputs include big data sets from U.S. and Canadian market feeds, technical, fundamental, and non-structured data sets such as news and social media. Trade Ideas' client base is from around the world totaling more than 8,000 with operations in the U.S., Canada, China, and Europe.

Sign up to receive Trade Ideas’ Trade of the Week every Monday with the trade details, charts, and the reason it’s chosen.

Next step: Schedule a demo or find out more about Trade Ideas LLC by calling (760) 230-0713 or visiting http://pro.trade-ideas.com/. Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

London-Based Coinfirm and Nigeria’s KAD ICT Hub Launch Africa Blockchain Lab to Increase Financial Inclusion Across Africa

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Leading blockchain compliance and analytics company Coinfirm, and the KAD ICT Hub, announced the launch of the Africa Blockchain Lab.

LONDON (PRWEB) August 01, 2018

LONDON: Wednesday 1st August, 00:01

-Based at the KAD ICT Hub in Kaduna, Nigeria, the Africa Blockchain Lab will bring together world-class blockchain companies working on solutions for African markets.

-One of the first initiatives to launch in the Lab is the AMLT Network, the first global system that provides the opportunity to report fraud and cybercrime related to cryptocurrency addresses and earn tokens (AMLT) in reward.

-Other lab tenants include African financial inclusion startup Kora.

The Africa Blockchain Lab is a joint venture between Coinfirm, a global blockchain regtech company which provides bank-grade AML/KYC compliance to blockchain and crypto companies, and KAD ICT Hub, the state-backed IT innovation hub in the heart of Nigeria’s tech capital.

In stealth mode for the past few months, its launch is a first-of-its-kind for the African continent, providing a home to companies and entrepreneurs building blockchain-based products and services relevant to African economies.

Grant Blaisdell, Co-founder and CMO at Coinfirm, explains:
“A Silicon Valley out-of-the-box solution approach has generally not worked in regions such as Africa; it requires a ground-up, organic approach. Coinfirm has already successfully built leading blockchain solutions, the largest structured blockchain database and coverage, and the first blockchain lab for Central Europe. Now, working with KAD ICT Hub, who share our vision of bringing transformative, blockchain-based solutions to African markets, and who have the local knowledge and expertise, we are going to do the same in Africa.

We want to work with, and provide opportunities for, African entrepreneurs working in one of the most exciting and disruptive fields today, while bringing our own solutions like our AML/KYC Platform and AMLT Network.”

Financial inclusion

The Africa Blockchain Lab will focus on companies working to revolutionise financial inclusion. While cryptocurrencies provide an alternative to fiat currencies, blockchains are decentralised, immutable and transparent ledgers, free from central control. This means both are potentially transformative technologies, in the face of authoritarian governments, corruption and economic exclusion.

The first tranche of Lab tenants include financial inclusion startup Kora, a blockchain-powered marketplace, infrastructure, and digital payments solution for inclusive financial systems that connect people, communities and capital.

The AMLT Network and the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform sit at the heart of solving this problem. One reason individuals and companies in Africa have a hard time entering the traditional global financial market is that the incumbent compliance system is highly ineffective. It cannot discriminate based on the actions of the individual or business, but generally treats the entire region as high risk.

Coinfirm’s AML/KYC Platform can determine risk on an individual basis. And the AMLT Network offers users, operating in what is deemed a high-risk region, the opportunity to lower their personal risk profile by providing data on other parties, diminishing the global financial market’s high barriers to entry.

A transformative cryptocurrency model

Coinfirm’s AMLT Network also provides an opportunity to technologists and young people across the continent. In return for reporting cryptocurrency addresses and evidence tied to online scams and suspected fraud to the AMLT Network and Coinfirm, individuals will receive AMLT tokens, which are issued by Coinfirm.

This not only creates the first system of this kind in the world, but it finally provides a mechanism for victims to report and provide evidence that can help fight against bad actors being able to further propagate their crimes.
https://amlt.coinfirm.io/

Nigeria’s leading IT hub

KAD ICT Hub was launched in 2017 as a leading centre for computer engineering, software development and entrepreneurship. The launch of the Africa Blockchain Lab marks a watershed moment for companies and entrepreneurs working in the sector and region. Yusuf Bashir, Co-founder and CEO of the Hub, comments:
“The Nigerian economy is the largest in Africa. Thanks to a new regime, we have a stable economy, which pulls along the entire continent. We are the place Africa looks to in terms of growth for the future. The transformative potential of blockchain is enormous, and we are confident that, working with Coinfirm, we can provide the testbed and support for today’s leading African blockchain companies, giving them the opportunity to become global leaders. "

“Here in Kaduna, Nigeria’s third-largest state in terms of population, and leading learning and innovation hub, we are extremely fortunate to have a governor who is not only supportive of what we are doing but had ensured we are backed by the Kaduna State Government.”

The KAD ICT Hub has already been working with Coinfirm’s blockchain-powered data provenance document verification platform, Trudatum, which was recently integrated by the largest bank in Central Europe, PKO BP. In Nigeria, Trudatum is being proposed as a solution to government and universities as a way of holding state documents more securely.

Contacts:
Ben Goldsmith
ben@goldsmithcomms.com
+44 (0)7788295321

About Coinfirm

A global leader in blockchain regtech and analytics with a specific focus on compliance-as-a-service, Coinfirm built the industry standard setting AML risk and compliance platform, as well as the first blockchain lab in Central Europe. Coinfirm's platform brings transparency and security to blockchain transactions while solving the AML/CTF/sanctions and counterparty risk management problem.

Blockchain and cryptocurrency-agnostic, the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform and AMLT Network lays a foundation for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain that ensures parties are compliant and operate in a safe environment. Coinfirm is also the creator of the data provenance solution Trudatum, which was recently integrated into the largest bank in Central Europe, PKO BP.
https://www.coinfirm.io/

About KAD ICT Hub

Opened last year by the Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the KAD ICT Hub is a partnership between the Kaduna State Government and Telemax Engineering Services Limited, which brings together companies such as Coders4Africa, Draper Dark Flow and Gebeya, first-of-a-kind centre that incubates world-class technologies, talent and innovation. In addition to housing software startups, it runs training courses and focuses on girls’ education. Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

JOBPOWER Acquired by JDM Technology Group

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JDM Technology Group acquires one of the leading providers of software for the construction industry.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (PRWEB) August 01, 2018

JDM Technology Group, a global group of leading software providers for the architecture, engineering and construction industries, announced today that it has acquired Knoxville, TN based Applied Computer Systems Inc., provider of JOBPOWER, a leading accounting, job cost, and management software for contractors in North America. The transaction closed on July 31, 2018 after approval by Applied Computer Systems’ owners, Rick and Penny DeLand.

With JOBPOWER, DocumentVision document management software, and JOBPOWER Mobile software for remote time entry, Applied Computer Systems is a leading provider of software designed and built for the specialized needs of the North American construction industry. Customers using JOBPOWER eliminate duplicate entry to track job costs, can easily generate customer billings in different formats, and always have accurate, up-to-date financial information.

“We’re pleased to complete the sale: this transaction is a positive step for JOBPOWER customers, our organization, and for the construction industry in North America,” said Rick DeLand, co-owner of Applied Computer Systems. “Being part of the global group will enable JOBPOWER to create new value for our customers while our technology can be applied on a global basis.”

Having acquired numerous companies since 2004, the JDM Technology Group has a proven strategy for integrating acquired companies into its existing infrastructure. Applied Computer Systems will continue to operate as a separate company with its existing staff out of its Knoxville TN headquarters. Dee Golden, current Head of Sales at Applied Computer Systems, will lead the business as President and oversee day-to-day operations. Rick and Penny DeLand will assist the transition and will continue to advise the business.

“Through our global Buy and Build strategy we do not end-of-life products: customers continue to be supported with their preferred software and services while enabling access to the best technology to support their success. Moreover, maintaining the JOBPOWER organization ensures customers will continue to have service and support from the same people they are used to,” said Jim McFarlane, CEO of the JDM Technology Group. “This strategy continues to make the JDM Technology Group an excellent home for construction software companies.”

“Through long experience in the industry we have developed strong connections to our customers and employees,” commented Penny DeLand, co-owner. “Joining JDM is a choice we make knowing that the customers we serve and the employees in our organization will be supported by one of the leading construction software groups in the world.”

About Applied Computer Systems Inc. and JOBPOWER

Founded in 1985 and owned and operated by Rick and Penny DeLand since 2005, Applied Computer Systems has become a leading provider of mission-critical business management software to contractors in North America. Designed specifically for the construction industry, JOBPOWER construction software provides the specialized accounting, job cost, and management software that contractors need, combining powerful features with ease of use at an affordable price. As well, JOBPOWER continues to provide a range of key business software including document management and mobile timesheets to enable customers to grow their businesses and their profitability.

About JDM Technology Group

JDM Technology Group is a global software business focused on delivering business software systems for the architecture, engineering and construction industries with over 100,000 users served in 40 countries on 7 continents, employing over 450 staff. The JDM Technology Group’s core business philosophy is long-term commitment to customer service coupled with providing the best possible solutions to customers. JDM Technology Group companies include Computer Guidance Corporation, ConEst Software, Explorer Software, IndustrySmarts, MPulse Software, and Vision InfoSoft in North America; CSSP, CostCon, LEVESYS, Nimbus, and Plusfactor in Australasia; and Estimate, Integrity, RedSkyIT, and StreamBIM in Europe and the Middle East.

For more information, visit http://www.jdmtechnologygroup.com or contact Dee Golden, Applied Computer Systems Inc., 302 Westfield Road, Knoxville, TN 37919 USA
+1-800-776-6556 ext. 1, dee(at)jobpow.com Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

CelebExperts Names the Top Celebrity Marketing Activations of Summer 2018

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Today’s top brands are finding new and unique ways to utilize celebrity influence to attract consumers and create genuine interest that leads to huge ROI and increased sales.

NEW YORK (PRWEB) August 01, 2018

CelebExperts, one of the foremost authorities in celebrity acquisition and successful celebrity marketing initiatives, has chosen it’s top 5 celebrity activations during the summer of 2018. While celebrity marketing campaigns have been widely used for decades, 2018 has brought about a shift in the way marketers choose and utilize their celebrity spokespeople.

When it comes to successful celebrity marketing campaigns, it’s not just as simple as finding a celebrity spokesperson that fits your target demographic. It’s imperative to dig deeper into that target market to determine what types of celebrity personalities, executions and strategies will drum up genuine interest in your brand, products and/or services while mitigating risk. You have to meet your consumer where they’re at, and provide an ease of access that simplifies the call to action.

"The landscape that marketing managers have to choose from today has never been more diverse," said CelebExperts President and CEO Evan Morgenstein. "Whether it’s a world class athlete, mega mogul music star or social media influencer, brands have the ability to reach a core demographic in more unique ways with more insanely talented celebrities than ever before."

Below are CelebExperts’ Top 5 Celebrity Activations for Summer 2018:

Roger Federer and Uniqlo: The greatest player in men’s tennis has officially left Nike to sign a 10-year apparel deal with clothing brand Uniqlo. Uniqlo’s biggest problem from a sales standpoint has been building brand awareness in North America and Europe. Federer is the 4th most famous sports star in the world according to ESPN. Even though his playing career is winding down, his value in the marketplace will still hold true into retirement. Much like that of Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt who is still considered the 7th most famous sports star in the world post-retirement. By attracting new customers through Federer, Uniqlo will be able to entice them with their other low-cost, smart-casual products and begin to corner the marketplace against the global industry leaders such as Nike and Adidas.

Ninja and Uber Eats: What’s the biggest problem gamers face during long hours of gaming other than a console or game glitch? Finding time to eat! Uber Eats is setting the table for this wealth of consumers by hiring viral streaming gamer Ninja to endorse their food delivery service. Ninja is the most popular streaming gamer in the world with over 8 million followers and counting. Uber Eats will be employing special giveaways and secret discounts to connect with his growing follower base of consumers who have a genuine need for Uber Eats' services. This no-brainer campaign directed at a hot segment of the marketplace will surely pay dividends for this growing division of the Uber brand.

Shaquille O’Neal, Ronda Rousey, Bear Grylls, Rob Riggle, Aaron Rodgers, Lindsey Vonn, Rob Gronkowski and Discovery Channel: Discovery Channel blew their competition out of the water thanks to the help of some tough, larger than life celebrity personalities during Shark Week 2018! Discovery ranked #1 across all broadcast and cable networks during their primetime Sunday night shows featuring celebrity guests Shaquille O’Neal, Ronda Rousey, Bear Grylls and Rob Riggle. Throughout the week, they integrated other celebrity cameos from the likes of Aaron Rogers, Lindsey Vonn and Rob Gronkowski to bring more excitement to Shark Week than ever before. This is a great case study for how brands and organizations can rebrand old initiatives to create bigger, more successful activations in the current marketplace with the help of celebrity influence.

DJ Khaled and Apple Music: There is perhaps no bigger entertainment personality in the social media universe than DJ Khaled. He’s a natural born hype man and a great candidate for brands looking to connect with a wide-ranging demographic of consumers. Apple Music recently built a launch campaign behind his latest single which released Friday, July 27th. They employed actor Kevin Hart and Khaled’s son Asahd for a commercial spot announcing the single release time. This might seem like overkill for one single, but the ad spot gave Apple Music a great tie-in to subtly market their service through one of the most visible figures in music today. The single premiered exclusively on Beats 1 Radio, a free streaming station for Apple users. After the free radio premiere, it was made available for purchase on iTunes. The single was the top selling song on iTunes by the next morning and no doubt Apple Music got a number of new subscription customers who want instant access to the newest songs and albums for a low monthly fee.

Jay Versace and Sprite: Social media influencer and budding comedian Jay Versace is the next big-name celebrity social media influencer to join the Sprite team for their “Fresh Faces” summer marketing activations. While social media posts have been utilized, Jay was featured in the latest TV spot for Sprite as well which debuted during the BET Awards. This introduced Jay to a large new audience while building on the connection between spokesperson and product on another marketing medium. For those that already follow Jay, they're asking themselves, is that Jay Versace on TV? Yes it is! People are doing a double take. Sprite is branding themselves as the cool soft drink, and target marketing the coveted 14-25-year-old consumer demographic to perfection.

About CelebExperts

CelebExperts is a leading consulting firm dedicated to demystifying the celebrity acquisition process and finding creative solutions to effectively market your brand leveraging the power of a celebrity. For more information on how your brand could utilize celebrity talent as a spokesperson for upcoming marketing campaigns, please contact our team at consulting(at)celebexperts(dot)com or give us a call at (919) 332-0584. Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

BA Austin’s Smell the Raindrops Finalist in Pacific Book Awards Contest: “A rewarding read and an immersive experience”

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Author of intimate memoir named finalist in the biography/memoirs category of the prestigious Pacific Book Awards Contest. Her book compared with popular New York Times bestselling memoirs.

DEL MAR, Calif. (PRWEB) August 01, 2018

BA Austin’s critically acclaimed intimate memoir, Smell the Raindrops: One Young Woman's Journey through Life, Love, and Recovery (Crescendo Press), shows no signs of being relegated to the dustbin of literary history. Two years after its official release, the book is still receiving praise, most recently having been named a finalist in the biography/memoirs category of the prestigious Pacific Book Awards Contest. In a starred review, PBA has compared Ms. Austin’s book with such popular New York Times bestselling memoirs as Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees and Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.

Described as “a rewarding read and an immersive experience that brings history alive through a poignant personal story,” Smell the Raindrops “belongs in book group discussions across America,” according to PBA. “BA Austin has written an autobiography which will show readers the evolution of a woman during a troubled life. . . . [It is] a memoir readers won’t forget.”

A compelling story about relationships and the challenges of being a Southern Belle baby-boomer born into significant wealth, Smell the Raindrops describes the author’s long battle with, and triumph over, alcoholism. PBA compares her story of alcoholism to that of another New York Times bestseller, Drinking: A Love Story by Carolyn Knapp.

The book is also, in many ways, an ode to a poor black woman who filled an empty place in the life of the author as a young woman. "Segregation and social injustice created a peculiar bond between African-American women and the white children they so often raised as their own," writes a reviewer in Style Magazine. Smell the Raindrops brings that bond palpably alive as Karine, the family nanny, becomes a lifeline of love and acceptance.

Asked in a recent interview how she felt about the critical attention her book continues to receive, Ms. Austin talked about the big picture: “Since the book’s publication, I’ve been writing articles about overcoming adversity and I continue to do interviews in which I talk about the book and the important values and life lessons I share with my readers. Being designated a finalist for a prestigious literary award is an honor, and it has afforded me the opportunity to further share my story.

“After a seven-year battle with alcohol, culminating in a thirty-day stay at the Betty Ford Center in 1997, I realized I had hit rock bottom. But I eventually found an inner strength that allowed me to take a strong look at myself and my life. That period of introspection ultimately led to my recovery and a life filled with happiness and love. I want my readers to know that they, too, can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, just as I did. Looking ahead, I will continue to share my story, through my writing, speaking at public venues, and media interviews.”

###

Smell the Raindrops is “exceptionally well-written, organized, and presented. . . . an extraordinary and consistently engaging read from first page to last. . . . an engrossing memoir by a woman of privilege whose circumstances enabled her to embrace the less fortunate, and who ultimately met and fought her demons heroically, solidifying her faith and love for her family. A powerful, passionately told story that will appeal to anyone who relishes stories of courage and conviction.”

—Midwest Book Review

BA Austin is an independent art history lecturer with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Memphis. She has served as an adjunct professor of art history at the University of San Diego. In Europe she completed in-depth studies on a number of subjects including renaissance architecture, and she is proficient in French. After living in Tennessee, Maine and California, Ms. Austin created this memoir based on her observations and impressions, capturing the nuance of each location along with its rich culture.
For further information, visit http://www.facebook.com/baaustinraindrops and http://www.baaustin.com.

Smell the Raindrops: One Young Woman's Journey through Life, Love, and Recovery by BA Austin (Crescendo Press, hardcover, $22.00)

Media contact: Victor Gulotta
Gulotta Communications, Inc.
617-630-9286
http://www.booktours.com
victor(at)booktours(dot)com

Synopsis
“Against the backdrop of civil rights, women’s rights and other much-needed movements to bring equality and dignity to all, a beautiful story of personal transformation unfolds. The daughter of a successful businessman and his stylish wife, Bethany Ann grows up in Memphis, studies in Maine, and experiences a bittersweet mix of love, heartbreak and triumph in California. Her number one guiding force at every stage is an enduring friendship, first in person and later in spirit, with her African-American nanny Karine, a nurturing woman of quiet strength who raised Bethany Ann as if she was her own daughter. A rewarding read and an immersive experience that brings history alive through a poignant personal story, Smell the Raindrops belongs in book group discussions across America.” —PBA Reported by PRWeb 1 hour ago.

PENTAX Medical acquires majority stake in PlasmaBiotics SAS, a technology innovator focused on the ultra-fast channel drying and active storage of endoscopes

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TOKYO, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PENTAX Medical, a division of the HOYA Group, announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in PlasmaBiotics SAS, based in Paris, France, a company that designs, manufactures and markets devices for drying and storage of endoscopes.

Hygiene is a key strategic pillar for PENTAX Medical. The investment in PlasmaBiotics will strengthen PENTAX Medical's hygiene portfolio and its continued focus on reducing cross-contamination risks to enhance patient safety in endoscopy.  Other portfolio additions of note include the recently launched DEC™ Video Duodenoscope, with a sterile disposable elevator cap and single-use reprocessing accessories.

PlasmaBiotics specializes in the drying and storage of endoscopes. Its core products are the PlasmaTYPHOON, an ultra-fast drying unit for endoscopes, and the PlasmaBAG, a single-use device for active storage with plasma. The products deliver superior and efficient performance by significantly reducing endoscope reprocessing cycle times. These innovations minimize the risk of bacterial contamination through a highly effective drying mechanism for the endoscopic channels and active storing of the endoscopes with plasma.  The PlasmaBiotics products also integrate fairly easily into most current endoscope reprocessing protocols.

"The investment in PlasmaBiotics enables us to provide our customers with an efficient and effective drying and storage solution to address unmet hygiene needs associated with endoscope reprocessing. For duodenoscopes we have worked to address the hygiene of the Albarran lever and the hoods through our disposable elevator cap and now with PlasmaBiotics we can provide highly innovative technology for the critical step of drying and storing of endoscopes," said Rainer Burkard, Managing Director of PENTAX Europe GmbH and President of PENTAX Medical EMEA.

"PlasmaBiotics is excited to join the HOYA Group as a part of the PENTAX Team. This is an important step for PlasmaBiotics as we continue to receive enthusiastic responses from our clients on PlasmaTYPHOON's performance, ease of use and effectiveness.  Having the additional global resources of PENTAX Medical will enable us to accelerate and expand our commercialization activities," commented Dr. Daniel Vinteler, CEO and Founder of PlasmaBiotics.

"Our PlasmaBiotics investment continues the HOYA Group's externalization activities to identify and source innovative and differentiated technology and products from early-stage and emerging companies. Through our HOYA Group's M&A and Venture Capital teams, and our Divisional Business Development groups, we aim to foster and build strong collaborations and alliances with industry and academia," said Augustine Yee, Chief Legal Officer and Global Head of Corporate Development and Affairs of HOYA Corporation.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

*About PENTAX Medical*

PENTAX Medical is a division of HOYA Group. Its mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on QUALITY, CLINICALLY RELEVANT INNOVATION, and SIMPLICITY. Through leading edge R&D and manufacturing, PENTAX Medical provides endoscopic imaging devices and solutions to the global medical community. Headquartered in Japan, PENTAX Medical has a worldwide focus and presence with R&D, regional sales, service, and in-country facilities around the globe. For more information, please visit: www.pentaxmedical.com.

*About HOYA*

Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, HOYA Corporation is a global technology and med-tech company, and a leading supplier of innovative high-tech and medical products. Hoya is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology, providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses, as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels and hard disk drives. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of 38,000 people. For more information, please visit http://www.hoya.com.

*About PlasmaBiotics*

PlasmaBiotics is a young innovative company that was founded in 2011 and located in Paris, France. The core focus of Plasmabiotics, addressed through its core products, the PlasmaTYPHOON, and the PlasmaBAG, is to increase the efficiency of hospitals and to minimize the risk of bacterial contamination. For more information, please visit https://www.plasmabiotics.com.

Related Links :

http://www.pentaxmedical.com Reported by PR Newswire Asia 1 hour ago.

Apogenix Strengthens Patent Position for Lead Drug Candidate Asunercept

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DGAP-News: Apogenix AG / Key word(s): Patent

01.08.2018 / 09:00
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------

Press Release

*Apogenix Strengthens Patent Position for Lead Drug Candidate Asunercept*

*Heidelberg, Germany, August 1, 2018 *- Apogenix, a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics, announced today that it was granted two key patents for lead immuno-oncology candidate asunercept in multiple territories.

A composition of matter patent protecting the product asunercept and its manufacturing process was already granted in 2016 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Apogenix has now received the corresponding composition of matter patents in Europe, Japan, Australia, and Russia. The patents are valid through 2033 in these territories.

The company was further granted a method of use patent covering the use of CD95 ligand inhibitors, such as asunercept, to treat patients with low to intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the United States, China, Japan, Australia, and Russia at least until 2033. The corresponding European patent was already granted in 2016. This is the second method of use patent that Apogenix has received for its lead drug candidate asunercept. The company already holds patents covering the medical use of CD95 ligand inhibitors for the treatment of glioblastoma in key territories such as Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. These patents are valid at least until 2027.

"Apogenix has a strong patent portfolio protecting its immuno-oncology projects in all leading pharmaceutical markets," said Thomas Hoeger, Ph.D., CEO of Apogenix. "These new patents expand the IP protection for asunercept even further and are critical in harnessing the medical and economic potential of this innovative drug candidate. We are currently preparing additional clinical trials with asunercept in both glioblastoma and MDS, so patients can benefit from this new therapeutic approach as soon as possible."

*About Asunercept*
Apogenix' lead immuno-oncology candidate asunercept is a fully human fusion protein that consists of the extracellular domain of the CD95 receptor and the Fc domain of an IgG1 antibody. It is being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and malignant hematological diseases. Asunercept was granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of glioblastoma and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in both the EU and the US. In 2017, asunercept received PRIME (PRIority MEdicines) designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of glioblastoma.

*About Apogenix*
Apogenix is a private company developing innovative immuno-oncology therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other malignant diseases. The Heidelberg, Germany-based company has built a promising pipeline of immuno-oncology drug candidates that target different tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily-dependent signaling pathways, thereby restoring the immune response against tumors. Checkpoint inhibitor asunercept, the company's lead immuno-oncology candidate, is in late-stage clinical development. Based on its proprietary technology platform for the construction of novel hexavalent TNF superfamily receptor agonists (HERA-ligands), Apogenix develops CD40, CD27, GITR, HVEM, 4-1BB, and OX40 receptor agonists for cancer immunotherapy.

In 2015, Apogenix entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with CANbridge Life Sciences for the development and commercialization of asunercept for the treatment of glioblastoma in China, Macao, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. CANbridge has received approval by the China Food and Drug Administration for a pivotal phase II/III trial with asunercept (CAN008) in glioblastoma in China. The HERA-TRAIL receptor agonist program was partnered with AbbVie in 2014. In 2017, AbbVie initiated a phase I trial with this HERA-TRAIL receptor agonist (ABBV-621) in patients suffering from solid tumors, non-Hodgkins's lymphoma, or acute myeloid leukemia.

*Contact *
Thomas Höger, Ph.D., CEO
Apogenix AG
Phone: +49 6221 58608-0
E-Mail: contact@apogenix.com
Web: www.apogenix.com

*Media Contact *
Katja Arnold / Andreas Jungfer
MC Services AG
Phone: +49 89 210228-0
E-Mail: apogenix@mc-services.eu
--------------------

01.08.2018 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de -------------------- Reported by EQS Group 34 minutes ago.

BARCLAYS: Investors can leverage Brexit to make a killing on European stocks — here's how

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BARCLAYS: Investors can leverage Brexit to make a killing on European stocks — here's how **

· *Barclays says European stocks have big upside going forward, with the UK looking particularly attractive.*
· *That's partly due to the weaker British pound being a positive driver for the UK's benchmark share index, the FTSE 100.*
· *"The region has underperformed the global benchmark by 30% since 2012 and appears to be a consensus underweight," a Barclays team led by Emmanuel Cau said. "Relative to the rest of Europe, UK stocks have stabilised recently."*

--------------------

LONDON — With eight months to go until Britain officially leaves the European Union, there is still no sign of a deal being struck between the two sides. Progress is so slow that many are now speculating that no deal will be reached and the UK could drop out of the bloc with no fallback option of any sort.

That speculation, however, hasn't stopped Barclays from arguing that British stocks could make investors a killing going forward. In a note circulated to clients on Monday, Barclays said that it sees value across the whole of Europe, but particularly in the UK, for a number of reasons.

Updating its European equity strategy, a team from the bank led by Emmanuel Cau said investors in Europe should "hold their nerve" because the market still has further to rise, before specifically picking the UK as a buying opportunity.

Cau and his team, which includes analysts Sarah Wilkinson and Magesh Kumar Chandrasekaran, identified five reasons for their confidence in European stocks, which are as follows:

1. *"Barclays forecasts global GDP growth to stay resilient at around a 4% pace and developed market activity to stabilize following a soft H1, despite the potential drag from trade."*
2. *"Earnings are healthy and elevated margins coupled with strong pricing power provide some cushion against higher input costs associated with tariffs," while results in the second quarter were "reassuring."*
3. *"P/E multiples have de-rated to mid-cycle levels and the yield gap still favours equities over bonds."*
4. *"Investors have de-risked, sentiment is cautious and Q4 seasonality is positive."*
5. *"Foreign exchange markets are "turning into a tailwind again for the Eurozone and UK."*

Turning to the UK, Cau and his team identified the continued weakness of the British pound thanks to uncertainty over Brexit as a reason for buying UK-listed stocks. After a rollercoaster two years, the pound is around 11% lower against the dollar compared to its pre-referendum level, and is currently trading at $1.31.

"We are overweight UK equities within our Pan-European coverage universe," they wrote.

"The region has underperformed the global benchmark by 30% since 2012 and appears to be a consensus underweight. Relative to the rest of Europe, UK stocks have stabilised recently."

Part of Barclays' argument is couched in the fact that a weak pound tends to mean a strong UK stock market. That is because it is heavily skewed towards companies that don't actually make their money in the UK. This phenomenon was witnessed in the months after the referendum when UK stocks hit record highs numerous times as the pound continued to weaken.

The FTSE 100 index, for example, contains miners, oil firms, and pharmaceutical giants, with around two-thirds of all revenues for companies on the index derived from abroad, meaning a weak pound makes them more profitable.

"We advise going long UK stocks, but FX hedged. There is indeed a clear negative correlation between the relative performance of UK equities and GBP historically," Cau's note said.

"A weaker GBP is thus a positive for UK large caps’ earnings and could lead to an uptick in EPS revisions ahead," he continued, pointing to the chart below:

The pound's weakness is not over yet, Cau and his team say, citing the work of their colleagues in forex strategy. That means a possible further boost for UK stocks, making them an even more attractive investment.

"Our FX strategists expect further weakening in the pound over the coming months, partly due to their bullish view on the dollar but also because of the Brexit uncertainty," the note said.

"GBP has already fallen a lot since the EU referendum two years ago, but the current political deadlock does not inspire confidence as we approach the March 2019 deadline, in our view."

*SEE ALSO: A top JPMorgan strategist shares the one word investors need to know to get ahead in the 'extreme' market*

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why you hold your boss accountable, according to a Navy SEAL Reported by Business Insider 44 minutes ago.

"Tianfu Talent Recruitment" Launched by Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone First Starts in the UK

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Tianfu Talent Recruitment Launched by Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone First Starts in the UK CHENGDU, China, Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprises from Chengdu, organized by Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (CDHT), visited three European and American countries to recruit talents. On July 13, the third tour of "Tianfu Talent Recruitment" first started in the UK. Enterprises in fields such as electronic information, new economy and biomedicine in CDHT, will launch a series of overseas fairs for recruiting high-level talents and interact with overseas enterprises and institutions.

"Tianfu Talent Recruitment" is a large-scale milk round sponsored by the Administrative Office of CPC Working Committee of CDHT, and organized by the Party and Mass Work Department of CDHT and Chengdu Tianfu Software Park Co., Ltd. As "Tianfu Talent Recruitment" has been held for 11 consecutive years, talent service platforms have thus formed with brand characteristics, including "City Tour", "Campus Tour" and "Overseas Tour". It has attracted more than 50,000 professionals backflow. The first two overseas tours have drawn attention from over 770 high-end talents and reached more than 160 employment agreements.

This year, the European tour of "Tianfu Talent Recruitment" lasts from July 13 to 20, and the North American tour from September 13 to 18. Changhong, Ubisoft, ANZ, WinnerSoft, ThoughtWorks, KG, Borns, Ygomi, Corntree and other enterprises in electronic information, new economy and bio-pharmaceutical industry in CDHT travelled to numerous cities for talent recruitment, such as London in the UK, Dublin in Ireland, and later on those enterprises will travel to New York and Boston in the United States.

This year sees the third overseas tour of "Tianfu Talent Recruitment". In terms of event arrangement, the tour this year will more cater to the needs of enterprises and focus on practice. In addition to in-depth cooperation with local talent agencies, the talent policy promotion conference and the high-level talent recruitment fair, CDHT will set up more offshore innovation and entrepreneurship bases (workstations), to build platforms for high-level overseas returnees.

In this year's overseas tour, the business delegation will visit trading institutions and well-known enterprises such as China-Britain Business Council, Intron, Overseas Chinese Service Center in Dublin, Guinness, and IBM to establish cooperation channels between overseas enterprises and CDHT. It will also visit the prestigious universities and colleges such as King's College and Judge Business School of Cambridge University, University of Dublin, Career Development Center of Trinity College, and Career Development Center of Harvard University to promote school-enterprise cooperation. The delegation will also go to St John's Innovation Center, Cambridge Hub and the Entrepreneurship Center of University of Cambridge to explore the cooperation in offshore incubators and experience in the operation and management of incubators.

It is the third time for Ubisoft and Changhong to be in the delegation. They benefited a lot from the first two overseas tours.

Sangsoo Jeong, a Korean talent born in the 1980s, is well known in the game circles of Seoul for his inherent enthusiasm toward games and now serves as a technical artist of Ubisoft. He attended "Tianfu Talent Recruitment - Korean Station" in 2016 and decided to make a change to his life by joining Ubisoft in Chengdu. "In Chengdu, I will get to know the technology and process for 3A-level game development." Jeong said, "Ubisoft Chengdu is a global leader in this regard and I will never get to know it in Korea." Currently, Jeong has a "friend circle" of his own in Chengdu. He said, "Chengdu is international. I have known many friends from abroad and we often hang out."

Speaking of Jeong, Han Han, Recruiting Manager of Ubisoft Chengdu, seemed still elated, "You know, a 'technical artist' is as scarce as the 'little panda' in the game circles." According to Han, as a bridge between programmers and artists, the "technical artist" has to know about programs and art. This high and medium ranking position has extremely high requirements for comprehensive ability and it is difficult to find these talents in China. "I didn't expect to find the 'little panda' in Korea. We have joined the overseas tour for three consecutive years in hopes of finding more scarce talents."

Changhong is another beneficiary of "Tianfu Talent Recruitment". It recruited the long-awaited general manager of the North American R&D Center in 2016 and the "chief security scientist" Tang Bo and other high-end talents in 2017. According to Wang Baoli, HR of Changhong, the overseas tour may help the company find talents in high-grade, precision and advanced fields and scare ones, and is also cost-effective, especially in such popular areas as data capture and AI. "In China, these talents are rare and have requirement of high salaries. In contrast, the requirements of talents from overseas are more reasonable."

This year, Changhong plans to recruit "Senior Research Fellow (NLP\Visual\Big Data\Healthcare)", "Advanced IC Design Engineer", "Technical Management Trainee", etc., in the overseas tour and has currently established the contact with over 40 overseas candidates. Wang Baoli said, "They are appropriate with excellent quality, and we expect a greater harvest this year."

Dr. William Levine, Co-founder and CTO of Borns Medical Robotics, one of the participants in the overseas tour, has been working in Chengdu for three years. He enjoys international reputation in optimal control theory and human-computer interaction systems. He received a doctorate of philosophy in electrical and computer engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a lifelong professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland, a master in optimal control theory, a lifelong academician at IEEE and a Millennium Medal winner, and can thus live up to the title of "Golden Panda".

"Chengdu is my second hometown. Engineers of Borns are from top companies in the industry with great technical strength. We support and encourage each other for the common goal of launching surgical robots in the market as soon as possible. The happiness is ineffable." He said that he is amazed by the speed at which the international aviation hub is being constructed in Chengdu. Direct flights from Chengdu to San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York have been launched to connect the east and west coast of the US. "The route network across the world provides great convenience for overseas talents in life and work." Out of his love for Chengdu, Dr. William Levine decided to bring to Chengdu the "2019 Annual Conference of Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)" to "arrest more attention to this beautiful city."

In recent years, leading industries such as electronic information, new economy and biomedicine in CDHT have developed rapidly. Globally renowned companies such as Intel, GlobalFoundries and Dell have settled here. Siemens, H3C and Medtronic have successively set up R&D centers here. In Chengdu Tianfu Software Park only, there are more than 600 well-known enterprises at home and abroad, including IBM, SAP, EMC and Philips, 34 of which are listed on the Fortune Global 500. Numerous enterprises and organizations are "desperate for" mid-end to high-end professionals.

To attract more overseas talents and create a globally lively zone with talents, CDHT released the "Golden Panda" talent program in April, proposing to hire top talents with high salaries, support top teams with RMB 100 million at most, introduce overseas talents in an innovative and flexible way, and provide the "one-stop" service in settlement, financing, children's enrollment, healthcare, and government affairs. Up to now, CDHT has gathered 482,000 talents of various types, introduced six Nobel Prize winners in a flexible manner, and set up 21 offshore innovation and entrepreneurship bases in Silicon Valley in the United States, Seoul in South Korea, Frankfurt in Germany and other places.

With the highest degree of economic extroversion in Chengdu, CDHT is nurturing an international entrepreneurial environment by promoting high-level international cooperation parks such as Singapore-Sichuan Hi-tech Innovation Park and building "China-Europe Center", the only comprehensive cooperation platform for Europe in China, and from many other perspectives. Chengdu High-tech Zone has become an international talent gathering place. In addition, Chengdu Tianfu Software Park, an important base for CDHT to build an international innovation and entrepreneurship center, including foreign nationals from over 20 countries and regions, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Therefore, CDHT specially created a series of international communities, international schools, and "home for foreigners to innovate and start a business",  to provide one-stop international services for foreign nationals in life and work.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tianfu-talent-recruitment-launched-by-chengdu-hi-tech-zone-first-starts-in-the-uk-300689908.html Reported by PR Newswire Asia 33 minutes ago.

Derby will NOT be as hot as Spain and Portugal this weekend - and that's good news

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Derby will NOT be as hot as Spain and Portugal this weekend - and that's good news Southern Europe is cooking at the moment Reported by Derby Telegraph 25 minutes ago.

Opinion: £40.5m ace being told to join Liverpool over Tottenham proves Spurs are one step behind

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Christian Pulisic has been urged to move to Liverpool if he leaves Borussia Dortmund this summer. The 19-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in Europe and a number of clubs are interested in signing him. Reported by Football FanCast 27 minutes ago.

Warning to holidaymakers as temperatures in Europe soar over 48C

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Temperatures are hottest in more than 40 years Reported by North Devon Journal 2 minutes ago.
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