Tag Archives: request

Synaptics Stock Jumps On Report China Group Eyeing Apple Chip Supplier

Shares in Synaptics ( SYNA ), a supplier of touchscreen driver chips for Apple ’s ( AAPL ) iPhone, jumped on reports that it’s in talks to be acquired by a state-backed Chinese investment group. Synaptics stock traded as high as around 91 on Thursday; shares were still up 8% to 88 in the afternoon on the stock market today . Synaptics has an IBD composite rating of 91 out of a possible 99. Aside from making devices for Apple — its chips control iPhone displays — San Jose-based Synaptics supplies touchscreen and biometrics technology to South Korean mobile phone makers Samsung and LG as well as Chinese companies Huawei and Lenovo. It also makes sensors that read fingerprints. According to a Bloomberg report , the state-backed Chinese investment group and Synaptics are still negotiating the sales price, which could value the company at around $110 per share. The Chinese group includes insurance companies and financial institutions, as well as a semiconductor fund backed by Beijing-based BOE Technology, said the Bloomberg report.

Facebook 10-Year Plan Looks Way Beyond Selfies To A Sci-Fi Future

Facebook ( FB ) wrapped up its two-day F8 Developer Conference this week, clearly looking to drive immersion on the social network and ultimately tying it to the potential for user growth and ad views as well as alternate revenue drivers. The company showcased its rollout of live video streaming that users can post to their Facebook walls — including live aerials from drones. CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated it on Tuesday, the conference’s first day. His 10-year plan looks at broad ways to enhance connectivity, power experiences and transactions with artificial intelligence, and develop virtual reality and augmented reality interactions. A how-to at F8 showed how developers can now write AI-powered bots that let people do things, like order flowers from 1-800-Flowers ( FLWS ) via Facebook message.  Microsoft ( MSFT ) introduced its own bot-platform strategy a couple of weeks ago at its Build 2016 developer conference. Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry called Facebook’s AI efforts a positive for chipmaker Nvidia ( NVDA ), a Facebook partner in AI whose graphics technology is also big in supplying computing power for VR. Both Facebook and Nvidia are on the IBD 50 growth stocks list with top Composite Ratings, though they’re not in buy range. Another big online company in VR, Google owner Alphabet ( GOOGL ), is also on the list. Facebook F8 Takeaways: AI, VR, Bots And A 10-year Plan Related: Facebook Revs Engine On Multibillion-Dollar Market Opportunities

SunEdison Ex-Employee Blamed For Bungled Vivint Solar Deal: Audit

SunEdison ‘s ( SUNE ) retained counsel blamed a former employee for the bungled Vivint Solar ( VSLR ) acquisition but noted SunEd’s own top management forged “an overly optimistic culture” related to projected cash flow. The late 2015 audit wrapped up April 4, finding no material misstatements in SunEd’s historical financial statements and no evidence to support fraud or willful misconduct by management, according to an 8-K filed Thursday. In afternoon trading on the stock market today , SunEdison stock flared 64%, but that only took the depressed stock to near 60 cents. As of Wednesday’s close, shares were 98% off their seven-year high above 33 touched on July 20, 2015, achieved after SunEd announced plans to acquire solar installer Vivint. Ex-Worker Cited For Wrongdoing Largely, the auditor blamed a former employee for the failed Vivint Solar deal. SunEdison was slated to buy the residential developer for an initial $2.2 billion price tag. Vivint Solar called off the marriage in March, citing SunEd’s financial stance. “The independent directors also identified wrongdoing by a former non-executive employee of the company in connection with negotiations over the termination of the Vivint Solar acquisition,” according to the filing. SunEdison said it fired the employee when it learned of the wrongdoing. The company acknowledged in an 8-K filing last month that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating it, and that the  Department of Justice has subpoenaed  its Vivint records. The auditor also found problems related to SunEdison’s cash forecasting and liquidity management practices. Those practices may have led SunEd to technically default on $725 million in second-lien loans last month unless its creditors allowed for extensions. Specifically, the auditor said SunEdison’s cash forecasting efforts lacked sufficient controls and processes, and certain assumptions underlying cash forecasts were “overly optimistic,” and “a more fulsome discussion of risks and adjustments” was warranted. Also, SunEd failed to respond appropriately when its forecasts flopped. The auditor recommended SunEdison implement an improved cash forecasting system and provide more transparency to the board regarding cash management practices. Hiring Ilan Daskal to succeed Brian Wuebbels as CFO is also a remedy, the audit found. TerraForm Global Sues SunEdison Wuebbels stepped down in March from his SunEd CFO role but will remain in his TerraForm Global ( GLBL ) and TerraForm Power ( TERP ) CEO positions. Last month, TerraForm Global tried to separate itself from its parent , saying “there is a substantial risk that SunEdison will soon seek bankruptcy protection.” Last week, TerraForm Global filed a claim against SunEdison and its top dogs, asserting breach of fiduciary duty and contract, as well as “unjust enrichment” by SunEdison related to its failure to drop $231 million in India projects to its yieldco. TerraForm Global had already prepaid the money and is now seeking relief. In the same claim, it argued sister yieldco TerraForm Power would be liable for the $231 million if SunEdison files a bankruptcy petition. Both TerraForms are also now out of Nasdaq compliance, having twice delayed their annual 10-K financial filings. TerraForm Power has until May 16, and TerraForm Global until May 31, to submit plans for how they will become compliant. Nasdaq can grant a 180-day extension, allowing both yieldcos until September to regain compliance or risk delisting. TerraForm Global stock was up a fraction Thursday afternoon, but TerraForm Power stock was down 2.5%.