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Mark Few likes No. 3 Gonzaga's toughness after win over future Pac-12 'partner' SDSUSouthwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous yearsSAN DIEGO (AP) — Mark Few liked what he saw unfold at San Diego State's Viejas Arena when his No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs made their first foray outside of Spokane, Washington, this season. A double-digit victory in a packed, loud arena. Toughness from a deep, experienced lineup that once again is driven to win an elusive national championship. And, peeking a few seasons ahead, he saw an SDSU team that he views more as a future Pac-12 partner than rival. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney generalSoFi Technologies ( SOFI 3.93% ) stock is finally back in the market's favor after declining for most of the year. SoFi doesn't fit neatly into a particular box; it's a bank, but not quite a bank stock . It's a tech-driven company, but a lot more. In some ways, it almost defines the fintech category , but it defies conventional labeling because its banking business provides a lot more stability than the classic fintech. So it isn't surprising that the market doesn't always know what to make of it. It's been fairly volatile since its initial public offering, and that's happening now. After falling for most of 2024, it's doubled over the past three months. There's a lot to unpack with SoFi. Let's jump in and try to make sense of the company and whether or not you should buy the stock now. The fintech bank stock SoFi, a fully digital bank, has consistently shown impressive growth and success in recent years. It started as a student loan cooperative and still targets the student and young professional demographics. It's an excellent niche that's ripe for picking, because these younger users don't necessarily relate to big, established banks that could offer intimidating and complicated services. SoFi aims to be the opposite of that -- everything is online and easy to use, and it's establishing its brand as the go-to for simple and functional financial services. This is drawing attention, and members have been joining at a rapid pace. There were 756,000 new members in the third quarter for a total of nearly 9.4 million, and that's how it's been going for years already. SoFi often touts its strategy of hooking younger customers with its ease of use, high rates, and low fees, and keeping them in the SoFi ecosystem as their needs evolve and increase. That leads to high engagement rates, more product adoption, higher sales, and scale. It added 1.1 million products in the quarter for a total of 13.7 million. Revenue growth accelerated in the quarter to 30% year over year, and that spilled into increased profitability. Net income was $58 million in the quarter, up from a loss last year, and it was the fourth consecutive quarter with positive net income on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis. Management is guiding for further strong growth and positive profits for the full year. More to the story That's a simplified version of what's going on, true as it may be. Here are some of the deeper and more complex layers that the market is watching and factoring into SoFi's stock price. SoFi is at its core a lending company. It has diversified into financial services and a white-label financial infrastructure business, but lending still accounts for the bulk of its business. The cross-selling strategy is working, but it's not just a way to generate higher revenue and increase engagement. It's been vital to the company's performance during a period of high interest rates and pressure in lending. For the past few quarters, management had warned that lending revenue for the year would be below 2023. Since lending is still most of the business, that was a letdown. Lending also accounts for most of the profits. So even though on a consolidated basis the company has been profitable, it was a precarious profitability. The non-lending segments continue to grow as a percentage of the whole, and they were both profitable in the third quarter. Together, financial services and tech platform were 49% of total adjusted revenue. The financial services segment has been outstanding, increasing 102% in the quarter, and management expects it to increase 80% for the full year. It also raised guidance across the board, and it now expects lending revenue to at least match 2023 levels. With interest rates finally being cut, that could generate even better results in the lending business in the near term. Where the stock is going If SoFi was valued like a regular bank stock, it would be astronomically expensive at the current price. It trades at a forward one-year P/E ratio of 60, whereas the typical bank trades for around 10. Banks are also usually valued by a price-to-book value , and a ratio higher than 1 could be expensive. SoFi's price-to-book ratio is 2.6. But the market understands that SoFi is a tech stock, and a growth stock. It's still in an aggressive growth stage, with high capital expenditures to capture market share and develop its platform. Most banks operate with lower growth rates, and their size allows them to easily cover their expenses with revenue. Since SoFi is expected to keep growing at high rates, it can carry a higher valuation. At the current price, there's enough room for SoFi stock to climb without becoming unreasonably expensive, and investors can feel comfortable taking a position right now if they plan to hold for the long term.BEIJING , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Baijiayun Group Ltd ("Baijiayun" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RTC), a one-stop AI video solution provider, recently announced it has completed autumn upgrade. Driven by both technological development and market demands, the audio and video technology service market has entered a period of intensive cultivation and development. Baijiayun recently announced that it has carried out an important upgrade to its live and on-demand products, aiming to enhance the quality of live and on-demand products and provide customers with more targeted services. In terms of live broadcast products and services, Baijiayun has added multiple new functions. The newly added "My Invitation" and "Invitation Leaderboard" functions enable users watching the live broadcast to share the live broadcast link with one click and easily invite others to watch the live broadcast. The list of successfully invited users will be clearly displayed in the "My Invitation" area in the live broadcast room, enabling users to view their invitation results and sense of accomplishment of sharing. The newly added "Chat Messages on the Wall" function in the live broadcast room brings a brand-new experience to classroom interaction. Teachers or teaching assistants in the group classroom live broadcast room can easily set the wonderful remarks of students as "on the wall" for display, and the on-wall operation can be completed by double-clicking the message. This function not only enables teachers to highlight students' excellent viewpoints in real time but also makes the students whose remarks are set on the wall feel valued and encouraged, and at the same time greatly enhances the interactivity and participation of the classroom. Through this function, students can participate more actively in classroom discussions and jointly create an active and efficient learning atmosphere. In addition to the comprehensive optimization of live broadcast functions, Baijiayun has also carried out innovative upgrades in the on-demand video function. Among them, the addition of the on-demand intelligent translation function provides users with a more convenient and efficient learning experience. Baijiayun's live and on-demand products have added an "Intelligent Translation" service. It not only automatically generates bilingual subtitles but also allows intelligent translation, secondary editing, and deletion of subtitle content for the automatically generated subtitles and custom uploaded subtitle files. On the viewing end, students can choose to display bilingual or single-language subtitles according to their own needs. The intelligent translation function also provides educational institutions and teachers with a broader market and development space. Through translated subtitles, they can promote their course content to the global market and attract more students and fans. This not only helps to enhance their popularity and influence but also brings more business opportunities and benefits. About Baijiayun Group Ltd Baijiayun is a one-stop AI video solution provider with core expertise in SaaS/PaaS solutions. Baijiayun is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality video experiences across devices and localities and has grown rapidly since its inception in 2017. Premised on its industry-leading video-centric technologies, Baijiayun offers a wealth of video-centric technology solutions, including Video SaaS/PaaS, Video Cloud and Software, and Video AI and System Solutions. Baijiayun caters to the evolving communications and collaboration needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries. For more information, please visit ir.baijiayun.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," and "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the documents the Company has filed or furnished or may file or furnish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation. For investor and media enquiries, please contact: Company Contact: Ms. Fangfei Liu Chief Financial Officer, Baijiayun Group Ltd Phone: +86 25 8222 1596 Email: [email protected]
FARGO — When Steve D. Scheel received the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, he couldn’t help but thank the leaders and staff at Scheels. “If there was ever a Team Rough Rider Award, this would be it,” he said Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Fargo store. ADVERTISEMENT The former Scheels board chairman, president and CEO became the 50th recipient of North Dakota’s highest citizen honor. Employees looked on from the second floor of the sporting goods retailer’s headquarters as state officials unveiled a portrait of Scheel. “Part of the joy that Theodore Roosevelt had was that he had found purpose in seeking new frontiers,” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said. “Today, we’re celebrating another legendary North Dakota who found his frontier. Some might say that he found it in sporting goods. He might have found it in retail, but I think you know from the presentations this morning that the joy of his frontier was creating others and inspiring others to lead and creating opportunities for others.” Scheel became Scheels president, CEO and chairman in 1989. He is credited with taking the Scheels brand from a home and hardware store to a sporting goods chain. Scheel said he wanted to make his company not just about selling sporting goods. He wanted to create a customer experience for families. He added a number of attractions, including Ferris wheels in 16 stores and Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory in 19 stores. “Steve had the vision,” Scheels CEO Matt Hanson said. “Vision is part of Steve’s legacy.” Scheel said it took him too long to understand the value of entertainment and attractions in retail. He mentioned studying other stores such as Cabela’s and Toys R Us. He said he got strange looks as he brought the ideas up at board meetings, but the changes paid off. Over his 35 years as the Scheels leader, Scheel helped expand his company to 13,000 associates at 34 stores. Scheels went from having a presence in three to 16 states. ADVERTISEMENT Scheel also focused his time on “the culture of leadership,” Hanson said. In 2001, Scheel changed the title of manager to leaders, and he dubbed himself “head cheerleader.” Scheel is known for his philanthropy, from donating money for large sports complexes like the Scheels Arena in Fargo to creating a program for employees to donate $500 to a person in need. “It’s easy to look around Fargo-Moorhead and see all the good Steve has done,” Hanson said. “What you won’t see is all the other things he’s done anonymously. But even more important is how Steve has developed a culture of giving back in our 34 stores.” In an emotional moment, Burgum recalled going to Scheels as a child and dreaming about buying a Schwinn bicycle. He said he saved enough money for the purchase by working on his family farm and local grain elevator. “I remember the day I bought that bike,” Burgum said. “Take yourself back to the first time you walked into a Scheels store and had a dream about, if you worked hard, that you might be able to do something.” Scheel said he has been surrounded by talented people, and he is proud of his staff. “Mine hasn’t been a job, hasn’t been a career,” he said. “It’s been a love affair, a love affair with the retail business and our people at Scheels for over five decades” ADVERTISEMENTAkpabio hosts Chinese parliamentary leader, seeks stronger ties with NigeriaNone
There were also big wins for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, while Inter Milan went top of the standings after five games and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski reached a century of Champions League goals. However, the biggest drama came at the Etihad Stadium, where City were cruising early in the second half with a three-goal advantage as they sought to end a run of five successive defeats in all competitions. Erling Haaland opened the scoring from a penalty just before half-time, and Ilkay Gundogan's deflected shot made it 2-0 in the 50th minute. Haaland struck again to make it 3-0, but Feyenoord's comeback began on 75 minutes when Anis Hadj Moussa took advantage of hapless defending to round goalkeeper Ederson and pull one back. Substitute Santiago Gimenez bundled in to make it 3-2 on 82 minutes and the equaliser arrived a minute from the end. Ederson was again caught out with Igor Paixao going around the goalkeeper and crossing for Slovak international David Hancko to head in. "We concede a lot of goals because we are not stable," complained Guardiola. "We lost a lot of games lately. We are fragile and of course we need a victory." It is the first time that a team has gone into the last 20 minutes of a Champions League game trailing by three goals and still avoided defeat, as the point boosts the Dutch side's hopes of progressing. City are two points outside the top eight places which offer direct qualification for the last 16, while Bayern moved above them by beating PSG 1-0 in Munich. South Korean defender Kim Min-jae scored the only goal seven minutes before half-time, heading in after goalkeeper Matvei Safonov failed to clear a corner. PSG had Ousmane Dembele sent off in the second half and the French champions have just four points, and three goals, from five games. They are a lowly 26th in the 36-team league, a point adrift of the positions which offer a place in the play-off round in February. "We need to win our last three matches, otherwise we risk being eliminated," admitted PSG coach Luis Enrique. Lewandowski notched his 100th goal in the competition with an early penalty in Barcelona's 3-0 home win over French side Brest. Dani Olmo netted midway through the second half before Lewandowski sealed Barca's win at the death, his 101st goal in the Champions League -- only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more. Inter lead the standings with 13 points, a point ahead of Barcelona and Liverpool, after a 1-0 win at home to RB Leipzig which means they are also still yet to concede a goal. Castello Lukeba's own goal made the difference at San Siro, and Leipzig are one of only three teams to have lost five games out of five. Arsenal romped to a 5-1 victory away to Sporting in Lisbon, as the Portuguese side adapt to life without coach Ruben Amorim, who has departed for Manchester United. Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes all scored in the first half for Arsenal, before Goncalo Inacio pulled one back shortly after the restart. Bukayo Saka converted a penalty on 65 minutes after Martin Odegaard had been brought down, and Leandro Trossard headed in to seal Arsenal's win late on. Atalanta romped to a 6-1 win over rock-bottom Young Boys in Switzerland, with Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere both scoring braces. Sead Kolasinac and Lazar Samardzic also netted for the Italians, with Silvere Ganvoula getting the hosts' reply. Florian Wirtz struck twice, including a penalty, as Leverkusen crushed Red Bull Salzburg 5-0, with Alejandro Grimaldo scoring a superb free-kick and Patrik Schick and Aleix Garcia also netting. Julian Alvarez and substitute Angel Correa each scored twice and Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann once as Atletico romped to a 6-0 win away to Sparta Prague. Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Tammy Abraham were the scorers in AC Milan's 3-2 win at Slovan Bratislava, whose goals came from Tigran Barseghyan and Nino Marcelli. Marko Tolic saw red at the end for Slovan, who are without a point. as/nf