A Pathway to Global Markets
None
December 23, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked proofread by Johnnie Musenze, SciDev.Net For Ojok Okello, a Ugandan shea nut farmer, turning his harvest into a marketable product was a lengthy and labor-intensive process. It would take at least 10 hours, with several workers helping him, to process 1 kilogram of shea butter, a fatty substance derived from the nuts of the shea tree and used in cosmetics and cooking. The production process traditionally includes boiling, sun drying, and grinding the shea kernels to separate the butter from solids. "We used charcoal or firewood, which is not eco-friendly," said Okello, who lives in Okere City, an ecovillage in northern Uganda where naturally-growing shea trees are at the heart of sustainable development efforts. "We then pay a minimum of Sh6000 [US$1.6] per kilogram at the milling site, which is a lot of money. This leads to losses." But a new technology developed by Ugandan researchers, which separates different elements of the fatty substance, is helping shrink the long hours spent producing shea butter, allowing Okello and his co-workers to create high-quality products efficiently. "Our butter had a strong natural smell that scared away customers who weren't familiar with it," Okello explained. He said he was grateful for the technology as it had improved the quality of the product, potentially opening the door to international markets. Lucrative business The innovation, spearheaded by Francis Omujal, senior researcher at Uganda's Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, and his team, aims to refine shea butter production into a more sustainable and lucrative business. The process, known as fractionation, separates fats into liquid and solid components, enabling producers to make products such as cooking oil, butter, mosquito repellents, hair oils, and cosmetics. The machine, powered by gas or electricity, first heats the shea butter to melt it, then cools it slowly so it can separate the different components at melting point. According to the 2024 Uganda Shea Market Study, traditional processing methods are inefficient, affecting the quantity and quality of shea products and limiting potential trade. It says Uganda's share of the global shea trade stands at less than 1%. Poor export infrastructure and market access issues also hinder efficient distribution, the study says. Omujal believes fractionation could increase output by 300% and save 40% of the energy used in traditional methods. "This technology has no wastage," he said. "The solid becomes butter and the liquids are turned into oils. These products are of good quality and can be consumed anywhere around the world." Export potential According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL), shea butter production provides income for thousands of rural women in northern Uganda and South Sudan, who control 70% of the shea trade. But the women still process shea butter using traditional methods which result in low yields and poor butter quality. UWEAL chairperson Sarah Kitakule says the fractionation technology could improve production, packaging, branding, and export standards. "This technology will not only be useful for Uganda's shea butter industry, but the entire East Africa," said Kitakule. According to Omujal, the fractionation process means the shea butter can be used for a greater variety of products, which can be sold in both local and international markets. "Traditionally, shea butter production in Uganda focused mainly on domestic use as an edible oil," he explained. "This technology will add value so that we can get multiple products and increase local and international markets. "We believe this dream will empower our shea butter communities." Finance needed However, with a cost of US$10,000, the technology is out of reach for many farmers and finance is needed to scale up the initiative, to support more producers. John Walugembe, executive director of Uganda's Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, believes the technology could significantly improve livelihoods in northern Uganda. He says improving access to both the machines and electricity would help shea butter producers maximize the benefits of the new technology. "We can ask government to make sure these machines are taken to shea butter communities," he said. "We ask government to extend electricity to these communities because we have seen these machines are eco-friendly and they use power, yet we know most of the shea butter communities do not have electricity." Provided bySciDev.Net
NoneJPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF ( NYSEARCA:RSP – Free Report ) by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,098,808 shares of the company’s stock after selling 68,867 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 1.22% of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF worth $734,343,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of RSP. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 855.5% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 20,539,639 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,379,816,000 after acquiring an additional 18,390,083 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 11,793.3% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 6,406,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,524,000 after purchasing an additional 6,352,369 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 2,150.4% in the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,083,103 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,990,537 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 174.6% during the second quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 2,340,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $384,415,000 after purchasing an additional 1,488,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda increased its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF by 1,502.5% in the 3rd quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda now owns 895,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $160,348,000 after buying an additional 839,150 shares in the last quarter. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:RSP opened at $176.69 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $181.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $174.76. The firm has a market cap of $59.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.44 and a beta of 0.90. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF has a fifty-two week low of $153.10 and a fifty-two week high of $188.16. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Company Profile Guggenheim S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, formerly Rydex S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, seeks to replicate as closely as possible, the daily performance of the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index (the Index). The Index is a capitalization-weighted index covering 500 industrial, utility, transportation and financial companies of the United States markets (mostly NYSE Euronext issues). Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RSP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF ( NYSEARCA:RSP – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Principal Financial Group Inc. Trims Stock Position in Genpact Limited (NYSE:G)
JPMorgan Chase & Co. lessened its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company ( NYSE:BDX – Free Report ) by 10.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,018,211 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 468,767 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 1.39% of Becton, Dickinson and Company worth $968,791,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Livelsberger Financial Advisory purchased a new position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 44.2% in the third quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 35.8% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 96.0% during the 2nd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 196 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.97% of the company’s stock. Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Performance Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $228.49 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $228.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $232.79. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52 week low of $218.75 and a 52 week high of $249.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.47, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Becton, Dickinson and Company Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This is a boost from Becton, Dickinson and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s payout ratio is currently 70.03%. Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, EVP Roland Goette sold 4,483 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.01, for a total value of $990,787.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,380,488.45. This represents a 15.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 7,959 shares of company stock worth $1,764,340 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $286.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.50. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Becton, Dickinson and Company Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile ( Free Report ) Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Becton Dickinson and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Becton Dickinson and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Intel’s New Era: Unleashing Gamer’s DreamsBy CLAIRE RUSH President-elect Donald Trump has once again suggested he wants to revert the name of North America’s tallest mountain — Alaska’s Denali — to Mount McKinley, wading into a sensitive and decades-old conflict about what the peak should be called. Related Articles National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl Former President Barack Obama changed the official name to Denali in 2015 to reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives as well as the preference of many Alaska residents. The federal government in recent years has endeavored to change place-names considered disrespectful to Native people. “Denali” is an Athabascan word meaning “the high one” or “the great one.” A prospector in 1896 dubbed the peak “Mount McKinley” after President William McKinley, who had never been to Alaska. That name was formally recognized by the U.S. government until Obama changed it over opposition from lawmakers in McKinley’s home state of Ohio. Trump suggested in 2016 that he might undo Obama’s action, but he dropped that notion after Alaska’s senators objected. He raised it again during a rally in Phoenix on Sunday. “McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president,” Trump said Sunday. “They took his name off Mount McKinley, right? That’s what they do to people.” Once again, Trump’s suggestion drew quick opposition within Alaska. “Uh. Nope. It’s Denali,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Kawasaki posted on the social platform X Sunday night. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who for years pushed for legislation to change the name to Denali, conveyed a similar sentiment in a post of her own. “There is only one name worthy of North America’s tallest mountain: Denali — the Great One,” Murkowski wrote on X. Various tribes of Athabascan people have lived in the shadow of the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain for thousands of years. McKinley, a Republican native of Ohio who served as the 25th president, was assassinated early in his second term in 1901 in Buffalo, New York. Alaska and Ohio have been at odds over the name since at least the 1970s. Alaska had a standing request to change the name since 1975, when the legislature passed a resolution and then-Gov. Jay Hammond appealed to the federal government. Known for its majestic views, the mountain is dotted with glaciers and covered at the top with snow year-round, with powerful winds that make it difficult for the adventurous few who seek to climb it. Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.
B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in shares of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:SBH – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 56,806 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $771,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG owned about 0.06% of Sally Beauty as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of SBH. LMR Partners LLP acquired a new position in Sally Beauty during the 3rd quarter valued at $157,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sally Beauty by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 332,400 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $4,511,000 after purchasing an additional 16,884 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Sally Beauty by 0.3% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,514,726 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $47,695,000 after buying an additional 10,016 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its stake in shares of Sally Beauty by 3.2% in the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 147,407 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,000,000 after buying an additional 4,525 shares during the period. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Sally Beauty during the third quarter worth about $94,000. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Raymond James raised Sally Beauty from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. DA Davidson upped their target price on Sally Beauty from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Sally Beauty from $8.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Sally Beauty from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Sally Beauty from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.00. Sally Beauty Stock Performance Sally Beauty stock opened at $12.97 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.01 and a beta of 1.53. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $13.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.96. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $9.06 and a 52-week high of $14.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.20 and a quick ratio of 0.45. Sally Beauty ( NYSE:SBH – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 14th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $935.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $935.88 million. Sally Beauty had a net margin of 4.13% and a return on equity of 31.37%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.42 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. will post 1.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. Sally Beauty Company Profile ( Free Report ) Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc operates as a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. The company operates through two segments, Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group. The Sally Beauty Supply segment offers beauty products, including hair color and care products, skin and nail care products, styling tools, and other beauty products for retail customers, salons, and salon professionals. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SBH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:SBH – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Sally Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sally Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .‘We didn’t have a good day’: Greens set to suffer significant election losses
A Pathway to Global MarketsFAA says US flights can resume to airports in northern Haiti