Cloud vendors have a new growth sector: financial institutions. More investment banks, hedge funds, asset managers and exchanges are expected to begin adopting cloud services after dismissing such a move in the past, mostly because of security concerns, says a report released last month. Financial firms have many reasons to adopt cloud services, but the biggest is the bottom line, says Virginie O’Shea, an analyst for Aite Group, the research and
Over the past 18 years, 23 U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medical uses, leading in the past few years to a rush of startups popping up like, well, weeds to cater to this new market. In June, New York became the latest state to OK medical marijuana. While many observers mention GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) as one of the “pot stocks,” company CEO Justin Gover disagrees with that characterization. “We started out 16 years ago with a very clear
IBD 50 stock Salix Pharmaceuticals missed expectations with its second-quarter report late Thursday, ending a disappointing day for several large specialty-drug makers. Salix (SLXP) said earnings more than doubled vs. the year-earlier quarter to $1.59 a share, missing analysts’ consensus by 13 cents. Sales rose 62% to $382 million, some $17 million below analysts’ estimates. Full-year guidance was also light. Salix forecast revenue at $1.6