Technology, Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, Leadership, Entrepreneurship
Category: Information Services
There are a number of new streaming content providers on the block such as YouTube TV, ESPN+ and the forthcoming Disney+. In addition, legacy content providers such as the New York Times and CBS have caught subscription fever. (free article) Subscription fatigue? Time will tell. We provide subscriber metrics including number of paid subscribers and … Continue reading Streaming Services Unbound
Rideshare as a long-term investment? Right up there with owning an airline. Heck, even if the rideshare companies were operating at scale - running on autonomous vehicle fleets - would you really want to own that business? Depreciating assets, multiple competitors (it will be more than Lyft and Uber), and thin profit margins (we are … Continue reading Rideshare as an Investment? Don’t Be Spun by the VCs
Scale matters in Tech. This has never been more true as businesses increasingly go global. Consider Netflix's $13 billion content investment in 2018. Amazon and its Borg-like Prime service is also a significant content player. To round out the “Big 3”, consider Disney and its ESPN+ SVOD (“subscription video on demand”) service as well as Disney’s … Continue reading Scale Matters in Tech
Some companies execute smart, strategic acquisitions better than others. Here’s a short list of publicly-traded FinTech & Info Services companies that do M&A well: CoStar Group (tkr: CSGP), Intercontinental Exchange (tkr: ICE), IHS Markit (tkr: INFO) SS&C Technologies (tkr: SSNC) and Verisk (tkr: VRSK). Click Here for Revenue, EBITDA and related metrics. We love FinTech … Continue reading Build. Acquire. Repeat.Premium
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
When considering enterprise technology purchases – regardless of industry – corporate buyers would do well to think like investors. There are three legs to the technology evaluation stool: 1.) What is the technology provider’s value proposition? 2.) Who is the technology provider? (corporate buyers often pay insufficient attention here) 3.) What is the total cost … Continue reading Technology Buyers Would Do Well to Think Like InvestorsPremium
Three logical, prospective M&A trades (Fintech & Enterprise Software), that make sense for the next 12-36 months. Learn more about each target and prospective acquirer at CEORater.com ...
Bundle Pricing Negotiations Are Preferable to Product Pricing Negotiations Vendors have far more leverage with customers when negotiating pricing for a bundle/platform of products and services as opposed to an a la carte negotiation. There's a reason why cable providers sold content bundles for years - it was the optimal revenue and profit model - … Continue reading Have A Bundle Discussion with Customers, Not A Product DiscussionPremium
Disintermediation Defined Disintermediation is when one party inserts itself between an interested party and its customers (see below table of “disintermediators” and “disintermediatees”). Ironically, parties that suffer disintermediation often invite it upon themselves. Google Disintermediates Yelp and OpenTable For the past several years Yelp restaurant reviews appeared on Google business listings (this appears to have … Continue reading Don’t Be DisintermediatedPremium
