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Over 12 million Devices Run On Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google’s Android Marshmallow

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Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)‘s newest version of Android Marshmallow has finally gone past one percent market share of all Android devices, roughly four months after its release.

Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and earlier Nexus devices have been the only smartphones running the OS. Nexus smartphones are sought by those who desire the latest version of Android as well as speedy security patches. However they constitute a tiny part of the Android ecosystem which is dominated by Samsung.

Presently Marshmallow’s adoption is 1.2% an increase from 0.7% the previous month. The figures indicate that Nexus devices make up only a small percentage of over 1 billion active Android devices presently in use.

Marshmallow adoption should increase in coming months, with Samsung debuting the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge in South Korea. The Android version is going to release in many more gadgets and markets between February and April. This includes the new Galaxy S7 as well.

KitKat is the most popular version of Android with 35.5% market share. In second place is last year’s release Android Lollipop which has 34.1% market share. Its rise is because of several new smartphones running the OS.

Older versions of Android, like the four-year-old Jelly Bean still run on many existing devices. Jelly Bean currently has 23.9% market share. The even older Froyo, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich are among the versions having over 0.1% market share.

Google found the market share of each Android version by checking all the gadgets that visited the Google Play Store in the seven-day period finishing on Monday. The slow adoption rate is a result of a complex and at certain times frustrating upgrades procedure.

Smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers need to test each new version coming from Google for every gadget prior to planning and executing a rollout. This results in Android users having to wait months prior to obtaining the latest version. It also tests developers, who have to continually design apps for the various Android versions.

Few mobile device manufacturers have put Marshmallow on their products. It is preinstalled on Google’s latest Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P and was put on other Nexus devices in October. LG is providing it on limited G4 smartphones.

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What GoPro (NASDAQ:GPRO) Now Wants Investors To Know

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Is GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) shifting the goal post? The camera company just reported more disappointing earnings after market close yesterday, but promised investors to somehow open its cameras to a new audience. Most have not materialized, and the overall result is that GoPro hasn’t quite impressed shareholders.

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Now, GoPro is making more promises, but different ones. The company is now pitching “simplify” as the sure shot to the future.

By the simplify strategy, GoPro means streamlining its product line by ending the sale of certain cameras. The idea behind the strategy is to cut costs and allow for more pointed marketing efforts. Management hopes it will boost sales and profits over the long-term.

Poor Q4 results

With the lackluster 4Q2015 earnings results, investors can only be more cynical of GoPro’s new simplicity promises. The company reported that sales fell 31% YoY to $437 million in the usually busy fourth quarter. As if to warn of more danger ahead, GoPro also provided soft sales guidance for the current quarter. The company is looking for 1Q2016 sales in the band of $160 to $180 million, yet analysts were expecting sales of $298 million.

The promise

It has come to the point where GoPro is trying to be honest with itself. There seems to be a realization within the company that there is no point in having a large portfolio of cameras that are not adding to the top and bottom lines as needed. As such, GoPro will start phasing out its entry-level cameras. In particular, the company will be ending the sale of Hero, Hero+ and Hero+ LCD. That decision will certainly come at a cost, but management is willing to pay the near-term price for a better longer-term future.

With the Hero cameras out of sight, GoPro hopes to double down efforts to promote the uptake of Hero4 Session ($200), Hero4 Silver ($400) and Hero4 Black ($500).

In addition to dropping some camera products, GoPro also intends to enhance its software. According to CEO Nicholas Woodman, they are working to improve product software as well as video processing software for content extracted from their cameras. Many people still report challenges in using GoPro’s editing tools.

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Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) Achieves Gender Pay Parity In 2015

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Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) released its diversity report, which noted that women and men were being paid equally by the company. This diversity report went ahead to showcase Intel efforts to offer equal chances to women and minorities. For instance, women represent 24.8% of all employees within the company. This is a 5.4% increase from December 2014. Women currently are holding 20.1% of all technical jobs, which is a rise of5.8% over the previous year.

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The increase in female employees across the company was a conscious effort on Intel’s part. 35% of Intel’s 2015 hires were women. The increasing number of women was not only in technical jobs but also in executive leadership which increased from 14.3% in 2014 to 17.6% in 2015. The company last year resorted to the Rooney Rule when making a senior hiring decision. The Rooney Rule states that every slate of candidates must include at least one underrepresented minority and one woman. Whether this policy will help the company or not remains to be seen.

In 2016, Intel is aiming at a 14% minority rate for new hires. Minorities comprised 11.8% of new hires in 2015.

Intel’s diversity report is an update of the promise made by the company earlier last year. It had stated that it will invest $300 million in its diversity effort over the next five years until it attains what it referred to as ‘full representation at all levels of the company’.

Speaking after the report was made public, Danville Brown, chief diversity officer noted that the report came back at 100% parity.

The Intel report comes a few days after U.S President Barack Obama had proposed a rule that will mandate companies to share pay data with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission based on gender, race and ethnicity. This will provide the federal government with the chance of monitoring pay disparities at companies. This data would not be made public, but it could open employers to a lawsuit that could force them to make it public.

Intel’s report may only be an attempt at preempting legislative action that would mandate sharing pay data with a government agency.

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U.S. Markets Likely To Remain Positive Supported By Oil Pop

By
Andy Parker
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oil

A steep surge in oil by nearly 10% alongside a weak dollar yesterday is likely to drive U.S. markets higher today. U.S. stock futures are bobbing at about even after being positive earlier. S%P 500 Futures are down a modest three points and Nasdaq Futures are currently even.

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The key factor that could keep markets buoyant today will be if oil can sustain it’s young two-day rally. The rally is reflecting optimism over a possible meeting between OPEC and Russia over an output cut, though it could be a publicity stunt to push prices up without actually cutting production. Brent Crude is trading just below $35 while the U.S. Crude oil is at $32.20 per barrel.

The US dollar has also substantially weakened against major currencies, which is also fueling the oil rally. Lower-than-expected service activity data issued yesterday has further strengthened beliefs that the Federal Reserve will not implement rate hikes as aggressively as it once thought.

Reaction in other markets

The outlook over slowed monetary tightening found further ground after New York Fed President William Dudley said that the global economic environment may leave a deeper impact on the U.S. economy and that financial conditions in the U.S. have tightened considerably. It is unclear what he was referring to exactly in terms of tightening though, as interest rates remain at record lows across the yield curve. The statement nevertheless prompted a rally in U.S. markets yesterday, with Asian and European markets reflecting the same sentiment today.

The rest of the day will be centered around the Bank of England’s rate decision alongside minutes of its Monetary Policy Committee meeting. It is also scheduled to release the quarterly inflation report today for the UK. UK analysts are firm that the Bank of England will not raise rates until late 2016 in view of the current global economic environment as well as the region’s weak data.

Apart from this, the European Commission has slashed down its inflation estimate to 0.5% from 1% for the Eurozone, as a result of an impact from a fall in oil prices. In the U.S., a range of data related to employment will be released today while the official employment report by the government will be published tomorrow.

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Will The Oil Rally Be Sustained This Time Or Fizzle Out?

By
Andy Parker
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Oil_platform

The current two-day oil rally has helped drive global markets higher and has rekindled hopes that the commodity has finally bottomed out. Oil prices rallied 9% yesterday alone, easing concerns over enormous supplies and record-high stock reserve in the U.S.

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Efforts by oil producers

Brend Crude for April delivery was seen trading higher by 0.54% to a high of $35.23 while West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil added up as much as $0.32 to an intraday high of $32.60. Another reason oil may have extended its gains could stem from Venezuela’s efforts within OPEC. Venezuela is one of the least efficient oil exporters in the cartel.  The country’s efforts appear to be yielding some results as the market is abuzz that members of OPEC as well non-OPEC producers might agree to finally meet.

However, analysts are divided over the possible meeting as many believe that pressure will not work until against Saudi Arabia. According to Venezuela’s Oil Minister, Eulogio del Pino, Iran and Iraq along with Russia and Oman are willing to meet over the oil glut issue. Investors will closely follow as to how such reassurances and speculations unfold over the course of the next few days as any fallout or deviation from these statements could badly hurt oil again.

Analysts in Disagreement

Most of the major oil analysts remain sceptical about the sustainability of the current rally. Morgan Stanley has already trimmed its 2016 Brent price outlook to $30 from $49. Moreover, research analysts at the firm held the view that oil prices will remain under pressure for much longer than earlier thought.

At the same time, several analysts are blaming dollar weakness as a factor in driving the young oil rally. A weak dollar supports oil as all oil purchases must be made in dollars.

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CVS (NYSE:CVS) Opens First Pharmacies It Acquired from Target (NYSE:TGT)

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CVS Health Corp (NYSE:CVS) is embarking on its largest expansion in years. The drugstore operator has opened some of the first pharmacies it is acquiring from Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). Last year, the two organizations declared that Target would sell 1,672 pharmacies for $1.9 billion as part of a deal, which concluded in December. CVS’s “store-in-a-store” pharmacies, starting with a few locations in North Carolina yesterday, will be rebranded as CVS pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations.

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The conversions will happen over a six-to-eight month timeframe, increasing CVS’s pharmacy business by 20% with over 9,000 locations taking it past Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA). Walgreens is attempting to purchase the No.3 American drugstore chain, Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) for $9 billion but may have to shut down thousands of stores to comply with regulations. The CVS deal wtih Target will give CVS its first pharmacies in important markets such as Portland, Denver and Seattle.

Target CEO Brian Cornell said that more peple will have access to CVS’s pharmacy care and clinical programs while shopping at Target. He added that by giving the pharmacy business to CVS, Target can concentrate on its key goals such as enhancing its offering of health oriented items letting CVS provide services which it is more qualified to offer.

The move will help CVS ramp up its pharmacy business which comprises 70% of its sales. By allying with Target, CVS may be deprived of incremental sales of general merchandise items such as toothpaste that people buy when they come to obtain their prescription. However there appears to be a larger benefit: giving business to Caremark that is presently a larger source of revenue than the drugstores for CVS.

When CVS declared its $1.9 billion takeover of Target’s pharmacy venture in June, several were concerned it would trigger a series of similar alliances as cost pressures adversely affect profits at grocery-store pharmacies. In October, Rite Aid and Walgreens – the second and third biggest pharmacy chains in America after CVS declared a$9.4 billion merger.

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World Markets Cheer Oil Rally, Mostly Up

By
Andy Parker
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oil

Most Asian markets registered a rebound today following a weak session yesterday. The optimism that kept markets high was fueled once again by oil, which extended its gains into today. Referring to a tight correlation between equity markets and oil, AVA Trade analyst said that global markets are acting as if they are a hostage to oil price movement. Australia’s ASX rose by as much as 2% to 5,029.30.

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Nikkei and Taiwan’s TSEC exceptions

The Shanghai SE Composite Index also posted a gain of 1.53% at 2,781.02 while Hang Seng finished the day higher at 19,183.09, up by 1%. Only Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Taiwan’s TSEC 50 seemed to have bucked the trend as each fell by 0.85% to 17.045 and 8,063 respectively. According to analysts, Nikkei’s losses could be fuelled by the strengthening of the yen against the dollar, which is especially puzzling given the Bank of Japan’s new negative interest rate policy.

Meanwhile, European indices are broadly positive as the FTSE 100 added 35.80 points to 5,872.94 during late Asian trade. The Euronext 100 is flat at 839.65 while Germany’s DAX gained 0.41% and is trading near 9,473. France’s CAC 40 is marginally lower, trading down by 0.20% to 4,219.

European traders will be looking forward to the quarterly inflation report to be released by the Bank of England later today to help assess the direction of the UK economy.

U.S. markets firm

U.S. markets remained firm yesterday despite weak non-manufacturing and job growth data that failed to indicate that the U.S. economy is growing at the pace expected. The fall in service sector activity may have added to the hopes that the Federal Reserve will find it difficult to keep its hike rate pace as planned earlier, hinted at by New York Federal Reserve head William Dudley yesterday.

Growing speculation that OPEC and non-OPEC countries will arrange a meeting to address oil oversupplies has helped Brent crude chug back above the $35 per barrel level.

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Greenback Broadly Weaker Against Major Currencies

By
Andy Parker
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The U.S. Dollar went back into negative territory against major currencies after key data in the U.S. confirmed sluggish economic growth in the region. The greenback traded lower against both Euro and Yen during the late Asian hours.

Economic activity slides

EUR/USD was seen trading up by 0.20% at 1.1126 as the economic data signalled that the Federal Reserve might not be able to step-up rates as aggressively as it had announced earlier. The ADP Research Institute noted yesterday that the private payrolls grew by 205,000 in January, lower than the growth of 257,000 in December. However, the data came above the Street’s expectations, which estimated numbers to rise by 190,000. The report comes ahead of the official employment data to be released by the U.S. Department of Labor tomorrow. The market is expecting the government to report the addition of 190,000 jobs in January after 292,000 growth in December.

At the same time, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that the service sector activity slipped to 53.5 in January versus 55.8 in December, confirming the slowdown in the economy.

Other currencies

The Japanese Yen continued to gain against the greenback today as the weak European markets coupled with a dovish tone of the Fed has renewed demand for safe-haven assets. The currency appears to have brushed off the concerns stemmed from the Bank of Japan’s surprise move of embracing negative interest rates. USD/JPY traded down by 0.05% to 117.85 during today’s late Asian hours.

In the meantime, Chinese yuan remained weaker against the U.S. dollar after a report of a major currency transaction involving $43 billion bid by ChemChina for Swiss-based Syngenta. USD/CNY traded up by 0.01% to 6.5775.

The greenback remained low against the British Pound and Australian Dollar. GBP/USD traded up by 0.15% to 1.4623, while Australian dollar too gained as much as 0.40% at 0.7194. The U.S. Dollar index traded steeply lower by a whopping 0.21% to trade around 97.05.

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Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) Tastes a Little Victory against Arista (NYSE:ANET)

By
Carol Harper
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Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has handed down a ruling in favor of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) in the patents case against its rival Arista Networks Inc (NYSE:ANET). The judge ruled that the latter violated at least three patents. The ruling comes after a long investigation with supporting evidence, and a fortnight of testimony and the cross-examination.

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In a blog post, Cisco Systems’ Mark Chandler said that the ruling puts an end to Arista’s systematic copying of its intellectual property rights. He said that its rival could no longer support claims to resellers, the market, and customers that Arista has developed. He pointed out that the patents in question related to Arista’s core products. The executive said that one of the patents that were found to have been infringed covered its proprietary, SysDB, which Arista claimed as a ‘secret sauce’.

Chandler indicated that none of the patents, including NetDB, were adopted as industry standards. He claimed that the patents for which it was fighting against were invented by its employees who later became the executives of Arista Networks. Alternatively, the patents were taken by those engineers who worked in Cisco and later joined its rival.

Arista’s Options

The Cisco executive listed four options for its rival. One was to withdraw the products from the market, which he considered the most honorable option. The second was to modify the products so that they don’t infringe on Cisco’s patents. He said that Arista had the option of submitting fresh designs during the investigation of the ITC. However, Arista failed to do so.

The third option suggested by Cisco Systems was to face an exclusion order. Chandler said that Arista could not ignore such an order as that would result in more sanctions. That included a possible permanent injunction against the sale of Arista’s products in the US. The last option was to evade the ITC exclusion order.

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Starboard Value to Bet on Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL)

By
Carol Harper
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Marvell Technology

Starboard Value LP, a New York based hedge fund, is betting on Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRVL). Starboard has a 6.7% stake in the company. WSJ reports indicated that the investment firm was confident that the struggling Marvell could enhance its margins apart from other improvements. The company is already facing investigations on its accounting, causing the stock to dip recently.

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Enough Space to Cut Costs

Starboard Value believes that there is enough space to improve Marvell’s margins by resorting to cost cutting. For example, the hedge fund wanted the semiconductor firm to exit the mobile-device unit since it failed to deliver the expected results. However, Marvell had already indicated in September last year that it would scale back that unit by reducing its workforce by 17%.

Starboard appears to be attracted by the available cash on Marvell’s balance sheet, which is about $2.3 billion, though the company’s market cap is around $4.6 billion. Activists want the cash to be returned to investors. It was not the first time that the hedge fund has invested heavily in a semiconductor firm as it has a history of participating in ten earlier campaigns by having an over 5% stake. It has also held smaller stakes in a number of semiconductor firms. Interestingly, most of them have sold themselves after being pushed into a corner by the hedge fund for management and board changes.

Potential Takeover Target

Starboard has engaged three semiconductor executives as advisors for Marvell. Richard Hill, Oleg Khaykin and Jeffrey McCreary were the three executives from the industry.

Given Starboard’s history, it won’t be surprising if Marvell Technology becomes a potential takeover target. Last month, Cowen analyst Timothy Arcuri indicated that Marvell shares could be valued $17.35 in the event of any takeover bid. That meant the stock, which witnessed a 44% drop in the last 12-months, has the potential to nearly double from today’s closing price of $9.27.

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