Euronet Worldwide, Inc., Acquires Bank of Ireland’s non-branch ATM fleet

LEAWOOD, Kan., Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: EEFT), a leading global electronic payments provider, has announced the acquisition of Bank of Ireland’s entire fleet of non-branch ATMs in the Republic of Ireland.  

Under terms of the agreement, Euronet will acquire 700 non-branch ATMs while the bank will still own and operate more than 750 ATMs located across its extensive branch network. The transfer of ownership to Euronet is planned for Feb 28, 2021. 

Euronet will assume full responsibility for managing the acquired ATM network and integrating it with the company’s existing ATM estate in the Republic of Ireland. In addition, Euronet plans additional investments to upgrade and enhance the ATMs with modern technology and new functionality to the benefit of consumers.

No disruption in the operation of these ATMs is planned, ensuring seamless migration to Euronet systems and business continuity. The acquired ATM Network will be re-branded with Euronet branding elements.

Purchase Results from Euronet’s ATM Asset Acquisition Program

The Bank of Ireland agreement is part of Euronet’s strategy to consolidate ATMs in response to the numerous banks who are strategically reviewing their ATM networks for operational efficiencies while also investigating ways to expand product offerings. With its innovative ATM Asset Acquisition Program, Euronet offers banks a strategic path for divestment of its ATM networks, securing business continuity, increasing customer reach, and providing more services for their customers. The ATM Asset Purchase Program also includes full-scale ATM outsourcing services that cover the complete value chain of ATM operations.

Euronet’s REV Payments Cloud to Manage Growing ATM Network

The acquired Bank of Ireland non-branch ATM fleet will be fully integrated into Euronet’s existing ATM network in the country and centrally managed with the company’s REV® Payments Cloud core processing platforms and infrastructure. 

REV is part of Euronet’s state of the art REN™ Ecosystem, which provides advanced payments processing and services from a private cloud in Euronet’s worldwide data centers. REN and REV encompass the latest in payments innovations and provide gateways to fintech products and services, advancing the company to the forefront of our industry. Bridging the gap between digital and physical transactions, Euronet’s omnichannel products and services, together with the company’s rapidly expanding alternative global payout capabilities, provide unprecedented consumer choice.

Through the API-driven architecture of REV, Euronet plans the swift migration of these new ATM Assets into its unified ATM network in the country with services that span from ATM device driving to the full value chain of ATM operations with the highest security and availability standards. Furthermore a host of new services such as cash deposits, multicurrency dispenses, contactless features, card-less cash transactions, money transfers and many more features will be enabled through REV to enhance the functional and value potential of Euronet’s global ATM networks.  These new products are managed with the support of Euronet’s Global Competence Centers, ensuring operational excellence and more value to the company’s customers. 

“We are excited to further increase our Independent ATM Network in Ireland, with the acquisition of Bank of Ireland’s fleet of non-branch ATMs,”
said Marek Szafirski, Managing Director, Financial Institutions Solutions and Technology, EFT Europe

.

“This proves our strategy of being a catalyst of the ATM consolidation with our extended presence globally. We have the technology, the resources, the knowledge and a solid value proposition that places us in the forefront of payments innovation. These offerings are made available for banks wishing to compete in the new challenging market conditions.”

About Euronet Worldwide, Inc.

Euronet Worldwide is an industry leader in processing secure electronic financial transactions. The Company offers payment and transaction processing solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers and individual consumers. These services include comprehensive ATM, POS and card outsourcing services, card issuing and merchant acquiring services, software solutions, cash-based and online-initiated consumer-to-consumer and business-to-business money transfer services, and electronic distribution of digital media and prepaid mobile phone time.

Euronet’s global payment network is extensive – including 43,956 ATMs, approximately 324,000 EFT POS terminals and a growing portfolio of outsourced debit and credit card services which are under management in 61 countries; card software solutions; a prepaid processing network of approximately 717,000 POS terminals at approximately 328,000 retailer locations in 55 countries; and a global money transfer network of approximately 447,000 locations serving 159 countries. With corporate headquarters in Leawood, Kansas, USA, and 66 worldwide offices, Euronet serves clients in approximately 175 countries. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.euronetworldwide.com.

 



Contact

Stephanie Taylor
Director of Financial Planning and Investor Relations 
Euronet Worldwide, Inc.
+1-913-327-4200
[email protected]

Dresner Advisory Services Publishes 2020 Big Data Analytics Market Study

NASHUA, N.H., Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dresner Advisory Services today published the 2020 Big Data Market Study, part of its Wisdom of Crowds series of research. Big data analytics are systems that enable end-user access to, and analysis of, data contained and managed within the broader open source and Hadoop ecosystems.

The 6th annual report examines end user trends and intentions surrounding big data analytics. It explores changing market dynamics and user perceptions and plans.

“Big data analytics ranks 26th of 37 technologies and initiatives considered strategic to business intelligence,” said Howard Dresner, founder and chief research officer at Dresner Advisory. “We see an interest among Executive Management respondents, which may be an indication that big data initiatives have the attention of organizational leaders.”

Viewed by industry, Healthcare and Financial Services are mostly likely to say they currently use big data. Current adoption is notably strongest within very large businesses and institutions. According to the study, the top big data use cases are “forecasting” and “data warehouse optimization” followed by “customer/social analysis”.

“Use cases that gained year-over-year momentum include customer/social analysis and predictive maintenance,” said Jim Ericson, vice president and research director at Dresner Advisory. “Interestingly, some widely-touted use cases for big data, including clickstream analytics, fraud detection, and Internet of Things, are less important use cases among this year’s respondents.”

Wisdom of Crowds® research is based on data collected on usage and deployment trends, products, and vendors. Users in all roles and throughout all industries contributed to provide a complete view of realities, plans, and perceptions of the market. For more information visit www.dresneradvisory.com.

About Dresner Advisory Services

Dresner Advisory Services was formed by Howard Dresner, an independent analyst, author, lecturer, and business adviser. Dresner Advisory Services, LLC focuses on creating and sharing thought leadership for Business Intelligence (BI), Performance Management, and related areas.

Press contact:
Danielle Guinebertiere
Dresner Advisory Services
[email protected]
978 254 5587



Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. Announces Shareholder Election Results for Fourth Quarter Dividend

WYOMISSING, Pa., Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (“GLPI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GLPI) announced today the results of shareholder elections relating to its quarterly dividend declared by its Board of Directors on November 5, 2020. The dividend of $0.60 per share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, consists of a combination of cash and shares and will be paid on December 24, 2020 to shareholders of record on November 16, 2020.

Based on shareholder elections, the dividend will be paid in the form of approximately $27.6 million in cash and approximately 2.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock. The number of shares included for the common stock dividend election was calculated based on the volume weighted average of the trading prices of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market for the three-day period of December 15, December 16 and December 17, 2020, or $43.3758 per share. Summarized results of the dividend elections are as follows:

  • To shareholders electing to receive the dividend in all stock, the Company will pay the dividend in shares of common stock.
  • To shareholders electing to receive the dividend in all cash, the Company will pay the dividend in the form of approximately $0.14 per share in cash and $0.46 per share in common stock.
  • To shareholders not making an election, the Company will pay the dividend in the form of $0.12 per share in cash and $0.48 per share in common stock.
  • The Company will pay fractional shares of the common stock dividend in cash.

If your shares are held through a bank, broker or nominee, and you have questions regarding the dividend, please contact such bank, broker or nominee. If you are a registered shareholder and you have questions regarding the dividend, you may call the election agent for the dividend, Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., at (888) 789-8409.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties. GLPI elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with the 2014 taxable year and was the first gaming-focused REIT in North America.

Contact  
Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. Investor Relations 
Matthew Demchyk, SVP Investments Joseph Jaffoni, Richard Land, James Leahy at JCIR
610/378-8232 212/835-8500
[email protected]  [email protected] 

 



DEADLINE TODAY: The Schall Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Lawsuit Against JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Encourages Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 to Contact the Firm

PR Newswire

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JP Morgan” or “the Company”) (NYSE: JPM) violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who purchased the Company’s securities between February 23, 2016 and September 23, 2020, inclusive (the ”Class Period”), are encouraged to contact the firm before December 23, 2020.           

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm’s website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. JP Morgan’s traders, with the permission of the Company’s executives, manipulated the precious metals market using fake orders to “spoof” the appearance of market demand. The Company failed to maintain appropriate controls to stop such misconduct. This conduct resulted in regulatory scrutiny, during which the Company misled investigators, ultimately leading to a record-breaking $920 million fine. Based on these facts, the Company’s public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about JP Morgan, investors suffered damages.

Join the case to recover your losses.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

 

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SOURCE The Schall Law Firm

Acceptance and sale of FSRU LNG Croatia

Golar LNG Limited (“Golar”) announces today that the FSRU LNG Croatia (formerly known as the Golar Viking) has been accepted by its customer LNG Hrvatska d.o.o. (“LNG Hrvatska”), and that the sale of the FSRU has been completed. The sale will release approximately $47 million of free cash to Golar between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 after repayment of the vessel debt facility and settlement of remaining conversion and commissioning costs. Golar will now operate and maintain the LNG Croatia for a minimum period of 10 years under contract to LNG Hrvatska.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) which reflects management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about its operations. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities and events that will, should, could or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “forecast,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “propose,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Golar LNG Limited undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

Hamilton, Bermuda
December 23, 2020
Enquiries:
Golar Management Limited: + 44 207 063 7900
Iain Ross – CEO
Karl Fredrik Staubo – CFO
Stuart Buchanan – Head of Investor Relations



IIROC Trading Halt – GRF

Canada NewsWire

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 23, 2020 /CNW/ – The following issues have been halted by IIROC:

Company: Green Rise Foods Inc.

TSX-Venture Symbol: GRF

All Issues: Yes

Reason: At the Request of the Company Pending News

Halt Time (ET): 8:45 AM

IIROC can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension (halt) of trading in a security of a publicly-listed company. Trading halts are implemented to ensure a fair and orderly market. IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.

SOURCE Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) – Halts/Resumptions

SunPower Announces Final Results of Cash Tender Offer for Outstanding 0.875% Convertible Debentures due 2021

PR Newswire

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) (the “Company” or “SunPower“) today announced the expiration and final results of its previously announced tender offer (the “Offer“) to purchase any and all of its outstanding 0.875% Convertible Senior Debentures due 2021 (CUSIP Nos. 867652 AJ8 and 867652 AH2) (the “Convertible Debentures“). 

The Offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time (the last minute of the day), on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. As of the expiration of the Offer, $238,949,000 aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Debentures, representing approximately 79.23% of the total Convertible Debentures outstanding, including $193,561,000 aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Debentures held by Total Solar INTL SAS, an affiliate of Total SE (“Total“), of which the Company is a majority-owned subsidiary, were validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn). The Company has accepted for purchase all Convertible Debentures that were validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer at the expiration of the Offer at a purchase price equal to $1,000 per $1,000 principal amount of Convertible Debentures, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

The Company expects to pay approximately $239.1 million for the purchase of the Convertible Debentures, including interest, on the settlement date of December 24, 2020. After settlement, $62,634,000 aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Debentures will remain outstanding.

The Company currently intends to repay any Convertible Debentures that remain outstanding on the maturity date of the Convertible Debentures with available cash.

BofA Securities, Inc. acted as sole dealer manager in connection with the Offer. D.F. King & Co., Inc. acted as the Information Agent for the Offer. 

This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to buy nor the solicitation of an offer to sell any of the Company’s securities.

About SunPower
Headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley, SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) is a leading Distributed Generation Storage and Energy Services provider in North America. SunPower offers the only solar + storage solution designed and warranted by one company that gives customers control over electricity consumption and resiliency during power outages while providing cost savings to homeowners, businesses, governments, schools and utilities. For more information, visit www.sunpower.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding settlement of the tender offer and statements regarding repaying any Convertible Debentures that remain outstanding with available cash. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assumptions, expectations and beliefs and involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause results, performance or achievement to materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, challenges in executing transactions and managing stakeholder relationships. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect our business is included in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time, including our most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors.” Copies of these filings are available online from the SEC or on the SEC Filings section of our Investor Relations website at investors.sunpower.com. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events.

©2020 SunPower Corporation. All rights reserved. SUNPOWER and the SUNPOWER logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunPower Corporation in the U.S.

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SOURCE SunPower Corp.

Ambac To Acquire Property & Casualty Managing General Underwriter Xchange; Provides Update on Strategy

Ambac To Acquire Property & Casualty Managing General Underwriter Xchange; Provides Update on Strategy

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AMBC) (“Ambac’), a financial services holding company, today announced, consistent with its platform diversification strategy, that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 80% of the membership interests of each of Xchange Benefits, LLC and Xchange Affinity Underwriting Agency, LLC (collectively, “Xchange”), subject to customary closing conditions. Xchange, whose management principals will retain the remaining 20% of the company, will continue operating under its existing brand as it seeks to expand its underwriting partnership with its key carriers in connection with its planned growth strategy.

Xchange is a property and casualty Managing General Underwriter (MGU), specializing in accident and health insurance. Since its inception in 2010, Xchange has built a successful business supported by major insurers, reinsurers, third party administrators, brokers and producers. The acquisition by Ambac will enable Xchange to realize its significant growth potential through geographic and product diversification, accelerating its strategic plans.

Claude LeBlanc, Ambac’s President and CEO, stated: “As part of our broader specialty program insurance strategy we have been actively pursuing acquisition opportunities in the MGU and Managing General Agent (MGA) sector. We expect the acquisition of Xchange to be immediately accretive to Ambac and allow us to use our net operating losses. We also believe that the acquisition furthers Ambac’s commitment to unlocking long-term shareholder value by generating recurring fee-based income with attractive risk adjusted returns. The Xchange team has delivered outstanding underwriting results for their carrier partners and we look forward to welcoming the team to the Ambac family.”

Peter McGuire, Xchange’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are thrilled to be joining the Ambac family as they transition to the specialty program market. This transaction provides us with a strategic partner plus access to permanent capital that will accelerate our planned growth strategy and Ambac will benefit from a proven, established niche MGU with a history of consistently strong operating results and carrier support.”

Ambac’s platform diversification strategy includes building a dynamic platform with both admitted and non-admitted carriers, as well as MGAs and MGUs.

Ambac continues to progress Pillar I of its specialty insurance strategy via the Everspan Group platform which will include participatory fronting admitted and non-admitted specialty program carriers. Everspan Insurance Company (“Everspan Insurance”), an admitted carrier, was recently redomesticated to Arizona and has received approval for broader property and casualty licenses from the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. Additionally, the Everspan Group also successfully established a new surplus lines carrier, Everspan Indemnity Insurance Company, also domiciled in Arizona.

Ambac’s Pillar II strategy is focused on fee-based MGA and MGU businesses. The acquisition of Xchange marks the first step towards the development of Pillar II, which we expect to expand in the coming year via acquisitions and organic growth platforms.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP acted as legal advisor and UBS Investment Bank acted as financial adviser to Ambac on the transaction.

About Xchange

Founded in 2010, the Xchange Group is a diverse group of business units focused on the global insurance and reinsurance industry. Led by a team who have industry leading experience, Xchange Group, underwrites, consults, creates products, creates retail distribution, structures risk, transacts reinsurance, advises on capital deployment and most importantly, listens to their clients.

About Ambac

Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“Ambac” or “AFG”), headquartered in New York City, is a financial services holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Ambac Assurance Corporation and Ambac Assurance UK Limited, are financial guarantee insurance companies currently in runoff. Outstanding policies include financial guarantees of public finance and structured finance obligations in the public and private sectors globally. Ambac’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AMBC”. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ambac contains substantial restrictions on the ability to transfer Ambac’s common stock. Subject to limited exceptions, any attempted transfer of common stock shall be prohibited and void to the extent that, as a result of such transfer (or any series of transfers of which such transfer is a part), any person or group of persons shall become a holder of 5% or more of Ambac’s common stock or a holder of 5% or more of Ambac’s common stock increases its ownership interest. Ambac is committed to providing timely and accurate information to the investing public, consistent with our legal and regulatory obligations. To that end, we use our website to convey information about our businesses, including the anticipated release of quarterly financial results, quarterly financial, statistical and business-related information, and the posting of updates to the status of certain residential mortgage backed securities litigations. For more information, please go to www.ambac.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this press release, statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “planned,” “potential” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” and “may,” or the negative of those expressions or verbs, identify forward-looking statements. We caution readers that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only our beliefs regarding future events, which may by their nature be inherently uncertain and some of which may be outside our control. These statements may relate to plans and objectives with respect to the future, among other things which may change. We are alerting you to the possibility that our actual results may differ, possibly materially, from the expected objectives or anticipated results that may be suggested, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, those discussed under “Risk Factors” in our most recent SEC filed quarterly or annual report.

Any or all of management’s forward-looking statements here or in other publications may turn out to be incorrect and are based on management’s current belief or opinions. Ambac’s actual results may vary materially, and there are no guarantees about the performance of Ambac’s securities. Among events, risks, uncertainties or factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are: (1) the highly speculative nature of AFG’s common stock and volatility in the price of AFG’s common stock; (2) uncertainty concerning the Company’s ability to achieve value for holders of its securities, whether from Ambac Assurance Corporation (“Ambac Assurance”) and its subsidiaries or from transactions or opportunities apart from Ambac Assurance and its subsidiaries, including new business initiatives; (3) changes in Ambac’s estimated representation and warranty recoveries or loss reserves over time; (4) failure to recover claims paid on Puerto Rico exposures or incurrence of losses in amounts higher than expected; (5) adverse effects on AFG’s share price resulting from future offerings of debt or equity securities that rank senior to AFG’s common stock; (6) potential of rehabilitation proceedings against Ambac Assurance; (7) dilution of current shareholder value or adverse effects on AFG’s share price resulting from the issuance of additional shares of common stock; (8) inadequacy of reserves established for losses and loss expenses and possibility that changes in loss reserves may result in further volatility of earnings or financial results; (9) increased fiscal stress experienced by issuers of public finance obligations or an increased incidence of Chapter 9 filings or other restructuring proceedings by public finance issuers, including an increased risk of loss on revenue bonds of distressed public finance issuers due to judicial decisions adverse to revenue bond holders; (10) Ambac’s inability to realize the expected recoveries included in its financial statements; (11) insufficiency or unavailability of collateral to pay secured obligations; (12) credit risk throughout Ambac’s business, including but not limited to credit risk related to residential mortgage-backed securities, student loan and other asset securitizations, public finance obligations (including obligations of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities and agencies) and exposures to reinsurers; (13) credit risks related to large single risks, risk concentrations and correlated risks; (14) the risk that the Ambac’s risk management policies and practices do not anticipate certain risks and/or the magnitude of potential for loss; (15) risks associated with adverse selection as Ambac’s insured portfolio runs off; (16) adverse effects on operating results or the Company’s financial position resulting from measures taken to reduce risks in its insured portfolio; (17) disagreements or disputes with Ambac’s insurance regulators; (18) our inability to mitigate or remediate losses, commute or reduce insured exposures or achieve recoveries or investment objectives, or the failure of any transaction intended to accomplish one or more of these objectives to deliver anticipated results; (19) Ambac’s substantial indebtedness could adversely affect its financial condition and operating flexibility; (20) Ambac may not be able to obtain financing or raise capital on acceptable terms or at all due to its substantial indebtedness and financial condition; (21) Ambac may not be able to generate the significant amount of cash needed to service its debt and financial obligations, and may not be able to refinance its indebtedness; (22) restrictive covenants in agreements and instruments may impair Ambac’s ability to pursue or achieve its business strategies; (23) loss of control rights in transactions for which we provide insurance due to a finding that Ambac has defaulted; (24) the impact of catastrophic environmental or natural events, including catastrophic public health events like the COVID-19 pandemic, on significant portions of our insured and investment portfolios; (25) adverse tax consequences or other costs resulting from the characterization of Ambac Assurance’s surplus notes or other obligations as equity; (26) risks attendant to the change in composition of securities in Ambac’s investment portfolio; (27) changes in prevailing interest rates; (28) the expected discontinuance of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate; (29) factors that may influence the amount of installment premiums paid to Ambac; (30) default by one or more of Ambac’s portfolio investments, insured issuers or counterparties; (31) market risks impacting assets in the Ambac’s investment portfolio or the value of our assets posted as collateral in respect of interest rate swap transactions; (32) risks relating to determinations of amounts of impairments taken on investments; (33) the risk of litigation and regulatory inquiries or investigations, and the risk of adverse outcomes in connection therewith, which could have a material adverse effect on Ambac’s business, operations, financial position, profitability or cash flows; (34) actions of stakeholders whose interests are not aligned with broader interests of Ambac’s stockholders; (35) system security risks, data protection breaches and cyber attacks; (36) changes in accounting principles or practices that may impact Ambac’s reported financial results; (37) the economic and regulatory impact of “Brexit”; (38) operational risks, including with respect to internal processes, risk and investment models, systems and employees, and failures in services or products provided by third parties; (39) Ambac’s financial position that may prompt departures of key employees and may impact the its ability to attract qualified executives and employees; (40) fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could adversely impact the insured portfolio in the event of loss reserves or claim payments denominated in a currency other than US dollars and the value of non-US dollar denominated securities in our investment portfolio; and (41) other risks and uncertainties that have not been identified at this time.

Lisa A. Kampf

Managing Director, Investor Relations

(212) 208-3177

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: New York United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Professional Services Insurance Finance

MEDIA:

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Mestergruppen AS Selects Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning to Strengthen Profitability and Maximize Profit Margins

Leading Norwegian distributor of building materials selects Blue Ridge solutions to strengthen profitability, maximize margins and increase transparency

OSLO, Norway, Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Ridge, a leader in supply chain planning and pricing solutions, announced today that Mestergruppen AS has selected Blue Ridge solutions to maintain and strengthen profitability, maximize profit margins, and minimize cost and capital while increasing transparency.

Founded in 1970 as Mesterhus, Mestergruppen AS has developed to cover the local need by establishing building material sales, both owned by the chain and through independent dealers. Mestergruppen AS has grown in the last 40 years to the leading Retailer and Distributor for Building Materials in the Nordics. In 2020 Mestergruppen joins the Blue Ridge customer base together with companies like Astrup, Grilstad, Isola and Hesselberg.

“Blue Ridge provides us with one integrated solution to address many of our supply chain management, inventory optimization and profitability needs. During our software selection project Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning was the preferred and functionality rich solution supporting our plans and objectives,” said Arne Dyngeland, COO, Mestergruppen AS.

Blue Ridge’s Supply Chain Planning solutions create highly efficient inventory allocation and intelligent replenishment across all locations and channels, both downstream to customers and upstream with suppliers.

“Blue Ridge planning solutions address the unique needs—erratic demand from regional uniqueness, seasonality, market fluctuations, etc.—that put pressure on retailers like Mestergruppen,” said Maarten Baltussen, general manager, Europe, Blue Ridge. “Our mission is to provide our customers with a foreseeable future to plan against.”

Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning solutions plan and manage $2.9B in Revenue sold in Europe across industries including Retail, Food, Wine & Spirits and Durable Goods. In 2020, customers have accepted 99 percent of the planning recommendations provided by Blue Ridge SCP solutions, enabling them to maintain an overall 95 percent in-stock rate. This accuracy empowers Blue Ridge customers to consistently deliver a 98 percent service commitment to their customers, in tandem with significant inventory cost reduction. In total 59 million order lines were managed in Blue Ridge SCP.

About Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Supply Chain Planning and Price Optimization solutions empower distributors and retailers to tap into undiscovered margin through enterprise-wide inventory intelligence, automation and synchronization. Blue Ridge uniquely combines demand forecasting with pricing strategy, so that businesses can proactively understand the unpredictable and allocate the right inventory, right-priced across the entire mix, to accelerate top- and bottom-line results. In a world where the only constant is change, Blue Ridge provides more certainty, more speed and more assurance, so companies can see the why behind the buy and respond faster to the unexpected. That’s why major retailers and distributors rely on Blue Ridge for a more foreseeable future. For more information, go to www.blueridgeglobal.com.

Media Contact:

Will Haraway
Backbeat Marketing
[email protected]
404.593.8320



ISW Holdings Announces 5M Share Stock Option Plan to Add Key Talent in Front of Major Catalysts

LAS VEGAS, NV, Dec. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire — ISW Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ISWH) (“ISW Holdings” or the “Company”), a global brand management holdings company, is excited to announce the creation of a new stock option compensation plan in anticipation of the establishment of an advisory board and the addition of new top team members to help the Company optimize its execution as it navigates new and increasingly promising opportunities.

The Company has recently made a number of advances that management believes will help attract top talent interested in joining a growing enterprise, including:

  • Elimination of $702,000 in convertible debt
  • Reduction of outstanding shares by nearly 15% 
  • Reduction in authorized shares to just 60 million
  • Assembly, shipment, & green-lighting of Pod5 high-efficiency cryptocurrency mining pod
  • On pace for 7th consecutive quarter of sequential growth in revenues
  • On pace for new Company record financial performance in 2020

“We have set aside 5 million shares for this incentive program,” said Alonzo Pierce, President and Chairman of ISW Holdings. “We have made significant progress towards accomplishing our strategic goals this year and implementing our long-term business plan.”

The Company’s advisory board will consist of experienced leaders with credible track records of successful execution in telehealth, healthcare manufacturing, and blockchain (Bitcoin software development, node projects, Bitcoin education, and start-up advisory and hosting).

The members of the Company advisory board will be introduced to the public in January.

“This new program will allow us to retain our top performers and appeal to an increasingly competitive class of talent,” Pierce said. “We are looking for the best and brightest technology engineers, cryptocurrency mining operators, and financial executives and advisors with the experience and acumen to take this Company to the next level.”

About ISW Holdings

ISW Holdings, Inc. (ISWH), based in Nevada, is a diversified portfolio company comprised of essential business lines that serve consumer product demands. Our expertise lies in strategic brand development, early growth facilitation, as well as brand identity through our proprietary procurement process. Together, with our partners, we seek to provide a structure that meets large scalability demands, as well as anticipated marketplace needs. We are able to meet these needs through a variety of strategic innovative processes. ISWH is creating and managing brands across a spectrum of disruptive industries. It maneuvers its proprietary companies through critical stages of market development, which includes conceptualization, go-to-market strategies, engineering, product integration, and distribution efficiency. The company has also partnered with a well-known software development and consulting company, Bengala Technologies LLC, which is developing significant enhancements in the supply chain management space; and the partnership has a vitally needed patent now pending.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “could”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential” and the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested in this report. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements so as to conform these statements to actual results. Investors should refer to the risks disclosed in the Company’s reports filed from time to time with OTC Markets (www.otcmarkets.com).

For more information, visit www.iswholdings.com

Company Contact:

Investor Relations

[email protected]