Technology, Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Entrepreneurship
Google, Amazon and Apple are in a war to control the extended home. The automobile is part of that equation. Google, Amazon and Apple are in a three-way heavyweight fight for home supremacy. When it comes to the home - if Google and Amazon are Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali (two pound-for-pound greats) then Apple is Archie Moore (a great heavyweight but … Continue reading Why Apple Needs to Build the Apple Car
The SEC ought not allow companies to issue supervoting or non-voting shares - a method companies use to enable founders to exercise control beyond their share ownership. To my knowledge it has only been a few, high profile Technology companies that have used this trick. Alphabet (tkr: GOOG) split its stock into three classes in … Continue reading Supervoting Shares = Poor Corporate Governance
In a software-driven world, Augmented Reality ("AR") is the lens through which we will engage with it. Google has rolled out an AR-enhanced "Maps" application to a limited user set. The AR feature provides highly-specific location data/ navigation assist as an overlay to smartphone screens. The thought is that over time this technology will deliver … Continue reading Software Powers the World. Augmented Reality Is How We Will Engage with It.
BB&T announced that it plans to acquire SunTrust primarily in an effort to scale its technology capability such that it may deliver more on-demand services to customers. This is a corporate governance issue. You simply DO NOT have the luxury to wait for Payments upstarts like Square (tkr: SQ) to capture a $30B-plus valuation ($40B-plus … Continue reading Too Little Too Late. BB&T & SunTrust.Premium
We've rolled out the red carpet for an Orwellian-like scenario. Here's how. 1.) Meta-collection of phone calls by the NSA under the Patriot Act. Essentially zero push back by we the people. This is child's play as compared to the information we willingly volunteer via personal smart devices. 2.) Broad adoption of smart devices with … Continue reading Our Evite for 1984
Private Blockchain Networks Will Soon Arrive It will take longer for blockchain to go mainstream than most industry analysts posit. Equity and Fixed Income trading networks, “smart” contracts for residential and commercial real estate and myriad consumer cases will all eventually become the norm. Private, closed-loop commercial networks (securities trading for example) will go mainstream … Continue reading Securities Trading in A Blockchain WorldPremium
Magna International (tkr: MGA), got its start as a machine tool shop. Today, Magna is automotive supplier to major Auto OEMs, Tier I suppliers, Heavy Equipment manufacturers and Rideshare companies such as Lyft. Humble Beginnings Magna counts BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Tata, Tesla, Toyota, a number of the China-based Auto OEMs as well as a … Continue reading Competition Comes from Below: Part II
Chinese manufacturers have mastered the smartphone manufacturing process. Take the case of Shenzhen-based Zowee, which manufactures a variety electronic components including smartphone technology. Zowee like many contract manufacturers won their OEM business given they were a low-cost provider capable of quickly scaling operations to meet demand while adhering to mutually agreed upon quality standards. Over … Continue reading Competition Comes from Below: Part I
FinTech market disruption has led to a bifurcation of FinTech providers - Lions and Lambs. See our "Lions & Lambs" company list with commentary at the end of this note. The FinTech space - whether it be the Capital Markets flavor or the Payments variety - is undergoing rapid change. Within Capital Markets - alternative … Continue reading Acquire or Be Acquired: FinTech Lions and LambsPremium
Many insurers are hesitant to invest aggressively in AI & ML initiatives given that the ROIC is difficult to quantify. This conservatism combined with market disruption bodes well for technology & service providers that offer an Outsourcing option with a demonstrable ROI. Examples include Accenture, EXL Service, IBM Global Services and SS&C Technologies. Plus - … Continue reading We Expect Outsourcing Providers to Gain Traction with Insurance CarriersPremium
