MissionIR Small-Cap Investor Blog: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

OurPet’s Company (OPCO) CEO Featured in Exclusive DreamTeamNetwork Interview

In a recent interview with DreamTeamNetwork, Dr. Steven Tsengas, chairman and chief executive officer of OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO), gave some insight into OPCO’s strong start to 2016, as well as its prospects for additional growth moving forward. The primary focus of the interview is OPCO’s record financial results for the first quarter of 2016, which included a double-digit increase in both net revenue and net income from the comparable period of the previous year. When asked about the driving force behind the company’s strong performance, Dr. Tsengas pointed toward OPCO’s continued commitment to innovation in the pet industry.

“We introduced in 2015 quite a lot of new products,” Dr. Tsengas stated in the interview. “Also, the tremendous investment we made in the waste and odor control products finally started showing results, and we had double-digit growth in the cat waste and odor control products… We have over 160 patents, issued or pending… [and] about 75 percent of our sales are derived from proprietary products. This has given us a tremendous advantage in the marketplace in terms of sales growth, as well as profitability.”

To listen to the full interview, visit http://dtn.fm/5z69S

In addition to a massive 64 percent increase in revenues derived from its waste and odor products category, OPCO recorded strong performance in its remaining product segments. The company achieved growth of 10 percent for its toys and accessories segment in the first quarter, as well as nine percent growth for its bowls and feeders product category.

These results highlight OPCO’s rapidly expanding presence on the domestic stage, but the company is also turning its attention toward international growth. In the first quarter, international sales dipped by just over seven percent due to the strength of the U.S. dollar, but Dr. Tsengas presented a promising outlook for OPCO’s international growth in the coming months.

“It’s kind of interesting. I think one of the big positive surprises in 2016 is going to be international sales,” he stated. “In spite of the appreciation of the American dollar, we’ve been putting a lot of emphasis in… South Korea, China and Japan, and the fruits are about to bare in those particular markets. We’ve gained very strong following for our products… Both the OurPet’s and the PetZone brands are becoming quite well-known in the Far East.”

Following the launch of its newest innovation, the Intelligent Pet Care™ product line, at this year’s Global Pet Expo, OPCO reaffirmed its position at the forefront of the global pet industry. Leveraging Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the company’s newest product line aims to enhance the connection between humans and pets in a variety of ways while giving pet parent’s the tools necessary to monitor various activities that can be interpreted as indicators of pet health. Reception following the Intelligent Pet Care™ unveiling confirmed the market potential of these cutting-edge products.

“At the Global Pet Expo… we launched the Intelligent Pet Care™ and [garnered] so much interest that we ended up having a special showing and invited magazines, newspapers and all kinds of media,” added Dr. Tsengas.

With a strong start already in the books, OPCO will look to build on its first quarter results while promoting sustainable financial growth for the balance of 2016 and beyond. Dr. Tsengas echoed this optimistic tone to close out the interview.

“The major goal is… to grow at double-digit rates at three- to four-times industry growth, this has been our goal since our founding,” he stated. “Of course, profitability should grow at a faster rate because of economies of scale and absorption… We’re optimistic about 2016. I think we should have a pretty good year.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ourpets.com

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Friday, May 27, 2016

Feel Empowered to Make that Trade with TradePower.com

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In mankind’s agricultural past, ownership of land and property meant power. During the Industrial Revolution, ownership of factories and machinery became the basis of wealth and power. Now more than ever, in our globally integrated cybernetic information driven world, knowledge and information in and of itself has become the basis of wealth and power. Examples of those that are powerful due to our current knowledge based society include the wealth of Bill Gates to the influence of the large pharmaceutical companies of which both are based on intellectual property rights.

Control of information is something corporate elites always recognized as a way to consolidate and build wealth and power. In 1983, 90% of American media was owned by 50 companies. Right now, over 90% of the information diet of 313 million Americans is controlled by 6 corporations: News Corporation, Disney, Comcast, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. That is 90% of everything Americans see, hear, and consider important. As author Tom Clancy pointed out, those that control the information can control the people. Governments that are despotic have long recognized the importance of controlling the flow of information in a society. For example, China’s government controls its population in part by maintaining massive surveillance and a content control system over their population’s access to the Internet. As elites and governments recognize the importance of controlling knowledge and information, so should you be seeking to build on your sources of information.

Decisions do not happen in a vacuum. They are best made when the individual has sufficient information to weigh the possible consequences of various choices. Access to the right information gives decision-making power, builds your range of options from which to make choices, and is a key step toward empowerment and building wealth. Knowledge gives competence and the capacity to act, and sets one on a path of never ending and self-initiated growth.

One of TraderPower.com’s primary goals is to help investors make the right decisions and discover undervalued stocks poised for exceptional profits. For more information, visit www.TraderPower.com.

Content Checked (CNCK) Ahead of the Game as FDA Places Microscope on Added Sugars with Revamped Nutrition Facts Label

In recent years, added sugars have come under increased scrutiny from nutrition activists, and for good reason. According to the Mayo Clinic (http://dtn.fm/hU92i), added sugars, which are introduced to foods during processing, can play a major role in a variety of potential health problems, including poor nutrition, weight gain, increased triglycerides and tooth decay. As a result, dietary guidelines continually warn of the dangers of overconsumption of sugar. The American Heart Association (http://dtn.fm/5AfAf), for example, suggests consuming no more than 100 calories a day from added sugars for most women and no more than 150 calories a day for most men. To put those restrictions into perspective, a single teaspoon of sugar has about 16 calories.

Navigating the grocery aisle to find products that support moderate sugar consumption can be difficult. After all, a 12-ounce soft drink can feature about 160 calories of sugar. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the majority of U.S. adults exceed their recommended daily allowances of sugar. To this point, uncovering added sugars in products has remained a frustrating and confusing ordeal. Late last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a major step toward improving this issue through the release of a ‘new look’ Nutrition Facts label that places more attention on calories and added sugars (http://dtn.fm/5P2oo).

“You will no longer need a microscope, a calculator, or a degree in nutrition to figure out whether the food you’re buying is actually good for our kids,” First Lady Michelle Obama stated at a conference announcing the new rules.

Though these changes are a step in the right direction, they also highlight the relatively slow speed at which these updates take place. Not only has the current nutrition label stood unmodified for more than 20 years, it took more than two years for the FDA to agree upon the updated design, which was originally developed back in 2014. Furthermore, large-scale food and beverage manufacturers now have more than two years to implement the changes on their products, with manufacturers totaling less than $10 million in annual food sales receiving an additional year to comply. Luckily for consumers in search of a better way to uncover the sugar content of their favorite products, one company is ahead of the game.

Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK), the company behind a family of mobile apps for individuals with specific dietary requirements and preferences, is taking aim at added sugars with its app SugarChecked. With a sizable database including more than 70 percent of all food products in the United States, SugarChecked helps users quickly uncover potentially unwanted ingredients such as added sugars, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols and natural low-calorie sweeteners. When a product contains an undesirable amount of these ingredients, the SugarChecked app suggests suitable and related alternatives.

“Sugar intake in America has increased dramatically over the past few decades at the expense of our health,” Tory Tedrow, RD, CNSC, stated on the Content Checked blog (http://dtn.fm/7lyeY). “Now that the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans has recommended limiting sugar intake to <10% of your total calorie intake, it is even more important for consumers to be aware of the sources of sugar in our diets, why it’s so bad, and ways to decrease sugar intake.”

As the FDA turns its focus toward excess sugar, Content Checked is positioned ahead of the game with its innovative suite of mobile apps. With recent coverage in a variety of high-profile media and food allergy and intolerance publications and outlets – including Forbes, USA Today, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, among others – the company appears to be primed to build on its recent growth in the $13 billion food allergy and intolerances market in the months to come.

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Monaker Group (MKGI) Could Rise Quickly in Alternative Lodging Space with Unique Mix of Sales Approach, Package Deal Bundling

A recent look (http://dtn.fm/PJWt1) at Expedia’s (NASDAQ: EXPE) increasingly dominant share (http://dtn.fm/C6oGP) of the roughly $1.3 trillion and growing travel market by research firm Morningstar forecast global online penetration as climbing steadily through 2020, from around 40 percent last year, with online travel bookings seeing as much as 10 percent growth per year. One of the hottest segments in this massive market is alternative lodging, where the rise of decentralized, peer-to-peer architectures and sharing economy models have helped augment the overall space (http://dtn.fm/1RyI9), with the most notable example being privately owned and operated short-term accommodation marvel Airbnb.

In many ways, Airbnb has offset aggressive pricing by hotels in what is traditionally a cyclical industry, creating a market where consumers have more choice at a better value than ever before. This sharing economy is now able to compete directly with incumbent operators in a major way and demonstrates why, in an industry where increasingly dominant Expedia recently gobbled up HomeAway, with its one million plus vacation rental listings, for nearly $4 billion, players like Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN) are finding themselves increasingly outgunned.

It’s also a reason why alternative lodging-focused Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI), which recently moved to lock down a key partnership with enterprise platform and solutions provider Primero Systems in order to facilitate final integration of its NextTrip.com platform, is such an interesting target. With some 1.2 million homes under contract via the AlwaysOnVacations acquisition that make MKGI bigger than HomeAway, a travel agent-based strategic overlay to supplement its market traction (a distinct feature unlike anyone else in the industry), and a partnership with Recruitergroup.com that gives the company access to a distribution base of some three million people, Monaker Group is well-positioned to benefit as the industry grows.

In a recent and exclusive interview with investor relations firm MissionIR (http://MKGI.MissionIR.com/interview.html), CEO Bill Kerby explained the importance of being the first in the industry to really nail the package deal concept and provide consumers with the best bundled alternative lodging and associated activities deals possible.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

Moxian, Inc. (MOXC) Boosting Merchant and User Interaction through Behavior Data

Moxian, Inc.’s (OTCQB: MOXC) O2M marketing solution is energizing merchants and their desire to leverage everything the world of social media has to offer and more. The company has a refined expertise in the business of social marketing that’s turning heads of merchants who are steadfast in their commitment to accelerating their business plans and growing the top lines of their balance sheets.

The company’s products and services give merchants the ability to run targeted advertising campaigns and promotions designed to boost interaction between users and merchant clients by using consumer behavior data gathered from the Moxian database of user activities. MOXC’s two flagship products are the Moxian+ User App and the Moxian+ Business App. Developed in Shenzhen, China, the company has created a way to combine social media with entertainment and business intelligence.

Moxian’s Multi-Channel Social Commerce Platform uses a multitude of tools – not the least of which is Moxian’s proprietary Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) system. The system generates knowledgeable data for merchants. Through this process, consumers and businesses can interact with one another and, in turn, capture the marketing magic that’s produced by the highly sought-after online lifestyle. The Moxian+ User App is an app created to introduce consumer users to the platform, and it’s comprised of the company’s proprietary virtual currency (MO-Coin and MO-Points), social networking, a redemption center and a games center. Users enjoy the ability to earn MO-Coins by playing games, and subsequently, trade those coins for prizes sponsored by Moxian and its client merchants. The beauty of this model is that it drives registered consumers to both Moxian and the merchant while delivering merchants the ability to advertise, run marketing campaigns, and gather valuable data about their customers.

Today, merchants are able to set up a store on the Moxian platform through the company’s business app and drive promotions through a variety of channels integrated on its platform. One platform feature is that merchants can view reports customized to their own shops. The company’s management touts over a century of combined experience in this market niche, including management of private and public companies and multi-national organizations.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO) Moves toward Commencement of Phase I Clinical Trial through Partnership with Cryoport

Earlier this week, Cryoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYRX), the world’s premier cryogenic logistics firm, announced a strategic partnership with International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO) through which it will provide global logistics support for ISCO’s impending Phase I clinical trial of its human parthenogenetic stem cell-derived neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC) for the treatment of moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease. Cryoport’s strategically located cryogenic facilities in Southern California and Singapore are expected to play a key role in ISCO’s efforts to maintain its cell therapy as it is transported around the globe to the study’s site, Australia’s Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, which is one of the world’s foremost brain research centers.

“This trial will take place across the globe and it is imperative that our cell therapy maintains integrity,” Dr. Russell Kern, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ISCO, stated in a news release. “We are pleased to have Cryoport handle our global logistics requirements.”

The partnership with Cryoport marks the latest in a collection of recent milestones related to ISCO’s highly-anticipated clinical program. After receiving authorization to initiate a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of ISC-hpNSC from the Therapeutics Goods Administration of Australia in December, the company quickly entered into a master clinical research agreement with the Florey weeks later. In March, ISCO announced its entry into definitive agreements for the private placement of $6.3 million of its convertible preferred stock, along with purchase warrants covering an additional $25.7 million of the company’s common stock, effectively strengthening its cash position in order to fund its Phase I trial. ISCO also commenced enrollment for the study in March, with preliminary clinical data expected as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.

Parkinson’s disease currently affects roughly 6.3 million people around the world, about 15 percent of whom develop the condition before reaching the age of 50, according to data from the European Parkinson’s Disease Association. Parkinson’s is caused by the degeneration of the substantia nigra portion of the brain, which is characterized by its dopaminergic neurons. When these neurons die, the brain becomes deprived of dopamine, resulting in symptoms such as tremors, rigidity and impaired balance. According to the National Parkinson Foundation, approximately 80 percent of all dopamine-producing cells are typically lost before the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease present themselves.

ISCO is taking aim at this devastating condition through the use of regenerative medicine. Through its proprietary ISC-hpNSC product candidate, the company is seeking to introduce a new approach to treating Parkinson’s that involves replacing the dead dopaminergic neurons with healthy neural cells while also protecting the brain by expressing neurotrophic factors. In preclinical testing, the candidate has been shown effective in both alleviating current symptoms and preventing further deterioration.

“There is a large unmet medical need for new treatments that may halt or reverse the progression of Parkinson’s disease and we believe our human neural stem cells may fill this need for the millions of people with this disease,” Dr. Andrey Semechkin, chief executive officer of ISCO, added in a news release.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

eXp World Holdings (EXPI) is floating on its Cloud Brokerage as New Home Sales rise to Eight-Year High

A press release (http://dtn.fm/eWZO4) issued yesterday by the Commerce Department reported that ‘sales of new single-family houses in April 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 619,000’. The estimates, prepared jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, indicated that construction of new homes in the U.S. in April 2016 rose almost 17 percent above the March 2016 figure of 531,000, and about 23 percent above the April 2015 number of 500,000. This is good news for eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) and the over 1,100 agents and brokers who use its avant-garde cloud brokerage.

According to a Trading Economics analysis (http://dtn.fm/9w6EB), this ‘is the highest reading since January of 2008 and the biggest gain since 1992. New home sales in the United States averaged 652,450 from 1963 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 1,389,000 in July of 2005 and a record low of 270,000 in February of 2011.’

‘The median sales price of new houses sold in April 2016 was $321,100’ up by almost 10 percent from a year ago, meaning that half of the newly constructed homes sold in April 2016 had a price tag of over $321,100. The arithmetic average sales price was higher, at $379,800. According to numbers released by the National Association of Home Builders (http://dtn.fm/fOB2E), the 619,000 annual rate of new homes sold in April 2016 comprised 10 percent of the 6,069,000 annual rate of all home sales. The annual rate of existing homes sold in April 2016 was 5,450,000.

These numbers bode well for eXp World Holdings and its wholly-owned eXp Realty subsidiary. A recent research report on eXp World Holdings (http://dtn.fm/O1sMz), issued by Fundamental Research, stated that ‘the U.S. real estate brokerage industry is approximately $62 billion per year… based on the assumption that approximately 90% of the 5.25 million homes are sold through agents at an average price of $0.22 million per house, based on an average commission rate of 6%’. The Commerce Department’s April numbers would raise Fundamental Research’s estimates by about 15 percent.

eXp World Holdings is set to benefit from this resurgence in the residential housing market in two ways. First, its Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage is attracting realtors in increasing numbers. In March 2016, the number of member agents grew by over 10 percent to more than 1,100, the fastest rate ever, according to CEO Glen Sanford in a MissionIR interview (http://dtn.fm/1wfRf). In 2015, eXp realtors put through 3,667 transactions with a value of $889 million. The company expects that figure to reach $1.5 billion this year. Revenues in 2015 were $22.87 million with gross profit of $3.41 million. As Fundamental Research point out, ‘the company can generate approximately 3% of total transactions in revenues, implying $45 million in revenues from $1.5 billion in transactions a year. Gross margin is estimated to be approximately 15%, implying gross profit of $6.75 million’.

Second, eXp World Holdings owns 90.5 percent of First Cloud Mortgage, Inc., which was set up in July 2015 to originate and provide loan products and services to potential homeowners. First Cloud will act as a mortgage broker, so no proprietary funds of eXp or its subsidiaries will be required. As of March 2016, First Cloud Mortgage was licensed to do business in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. It has pending applications in Georgia and Virginia. It is expected that First Cloud Mortgage will broker between $50 million and $75 million in loans over the next 12 months and over $100 million in 2017. Gross profit should fall between 1.5% and 3.0% of transactions.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://investors.exprealty.com

Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OGES) Distinguishing Itself from the Market with the Quality of its Products and Services

Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) is an integrated energy storage solutions company based in the U.S. The company uses state of the art technology in everything it does, from design to development and manufacturing. In 2016, OGES became the only U.S. manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, positioning itself as a leader in the innovation and manufacture of disruptive energy storage solutions. Oakridge is equipped to address four high-demand markets: motive applications, stationary living space power for domestic/commercial and grid applications, remote control and portable devices, and, finally, starter batteries for a range of vehicles. With this, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. works toward providing high quality products and services designed to exceed customer needs.

Oakridge uses Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) structures in all of its processes and product development. This ensures that customers have a clear idea of what the requirements are, and that they have been met. In addition to this, OGES provides quality in everything from design to manufacture. The company employs best practices to provide high quality goods and services to its customers while protecting the existing business from competitors, allowing it to be flexible and adaptable to new opportunities.

OGES incorporates the best practices from all industries into its quality systems. It strives for perfection in each element of the company. This system allows for complete transparency, which has helped OGES become one of the leading companies in the market. Oakridge Global Energy Solutions aims to reach every corner of the market, it doesn’t just stop at its products. The company hires high caliber staff and works with external researchers to ensure that quality is a theme that runs through everything it gives back to its target market. This work ethic was recently proved successful, as Oakridge exceeded its estimated revenue for the first quarter of 2016 by nearly $15,000.

Plans for the second quarter are expected to be just as bright, as Oakridge aims to improve on the quality of its existing products by ordering additional high-speed automation equipment. Not only this, OGES is beginning production shipments of its Freedom IV series of living space power products in the near future. The company’s high quality ethics and keen eye for detail are positioning it to achieve sustainable growth.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

Content Checked (CNCK) Advocates a Healthy Perspective with the Power of Information

Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) endeavors to build shareholder value by developing smartphone applications for people faced with dietary restrictions. Central to its efforts is the ContentChecked app, which derives its offering from a supporting database that enables users to scan barcodes affixed to products to determine if they meets their unique dietary preferences. Furthermore, ContentChecked creates personalized recipes, aligned with users’ requirements, which can serve as a handy tool when maneuvering around grocery stores.

CNCK’s differentiator in the marketplace revolves around its proprietary database and the convenience of having it at your fingertips 24 hours a day. While many apps steer users toward ‘what to purchase,’ Content Checked’s apps derive value from also informing users what is or is not suitable for them to consume.

With a healthy lifestyle being the overall goal for a growing number of consumers, a recent article published in SELF magazine, entitled ‘16 Dietitians Share How They Get Back On Track After Overeating’ (http://dtn.fm/f0xTh) offers its own collection of information guideposts. Content Checked’s Registered Dietitian, Tory Tedrow, C.N.S.C., is featured in the piece, stating, “I make sure to stay hydrated. That keeps me from mindlessly snacking, and I think of the extra bathroom trips as added exercise to my day. Most importantly, I remember that in the grand scheme of life, a few days or even weeks of overindulging are not going to make or break my health, weight, or overall wellbeing.”

To view the company’s full financials, visit the following link: http://dtn.fm/sIJ7M

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

Today is Final Day to become Record Date Holder for Cryoport, Inc.’s (CYRX) Rights Offering

Cryoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYRX, CYRXW) this morning issued a reminder that an investor must own CYRX, CYRXW or any other Cryoport warrants by 4 p.m. ET today in order to be considered a record date holder for purposes of the rights offering.

In addition, the cryogenic logistics solutions provider posted the following rights offering calendar:

May 24, 2016 – Rights exercise price pricing period began (85% of the volume weighted average trading price on NASDAQ of CYRX during the five trading day pricing period, rounded to the nearest whole penny)

May 25, 2016 – Ownership day, an investor must own CYRX, CYRXW or any other Cryoport warrants by 4 p.m. ET to be considered a record date holder for purposes of the rights offering, which is three trading days before the record date of May 31, 2016

May 26, 2016 – CYRX shares trade ex-right

May 31, 2016- Record date and rights exercise price pricing period ends

June 1, 2016 – Subscription period begins

June 20, 2016 – Subscription period expires at 5 p.m. ET

According to the news release, the rights offering will be made through a distribution of non-transferable subscription rights to purchase one share of common stock for each share of common stock, or each share of common stock into which warrants held on the record date are exercisable at an exercise price equal to 85% of the volume weighted average price per share of Cryoport’s common stock on NASDAQ for the five consecutive trading days immediately preceding and including May 31, 2016, rounded to the nearest whole penny; provided that the rights may only be exercised for a maximum of $10 million of subscription proceeds or 6,666,667 shares in the aggregate.

The inclusion of an over-subscription privilege entitles each rights holder that exercises its basic subscription privilege in full the right to purchase additional shares of common stock that remain unsubscribed at the expiration of the rights offering. Both the basic and over subscription privileges are subject to the availability and pro rata allocation of shares among participants. All basic subscription rights and over-subscription privileges may be exercised during the subscription period from June 1, 2016, through June 20, 2016, at 5 p.m. ET. Cyroport may extend the offering up to an additional 30 days, at its sole discretion.

The rights offering is being made pursuant to Cryoport’s effective registration statement on Form S-1 (Reg. No. 333-210985) on file with the SEC. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from:

Georgeson LLC 480 Washington Blvd, 26th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310 cryoport@georgeson.com Toll Free: (800) 903-2897

Broker dealers interested in participating in the rights offering should contact Source Capital Group’s syndicate department at cyrx@sourcegrp.com.

For more information on Cryoport, visit the company’s website at www.cryoport.com

Edison Issues Initiation on International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO), Focus on Parkinson’s Potential

In a May 16, 2016, press release, Edison Investment Research announced initiation of coverage on International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO). Edison describes itself as an international equity research firm with over 110 analysts and professionals, working with both large and small companies, as well as investors, wealth managers, private equity and corporate finance houses.

Edison’s focus on International Stem Cell Corp. centers around ISCO’s unique parthenogenetic stem cell technology platform, and its anticipated superior therapeutic potential for addressing health problems, specifically Parkinson’s disease. Parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSC) are generated from unfertilized eggs, meaning no viable human embryo is created or destroyed. The resulting cells thus bypass ethical issues. At the same time, parthenogenetic stem cells express fewer parental histocompatibility antigens, thus offering important immuno-matching advantages and significantly reducing the risk of immune system rejection.

ISCO parthenogenetic stem cells are seen as offering important qualities for the treatment of liver and eye diseases, as well as diseases of the central nervous system such as Parkinson’s. Of primary interest are diseases where, according to ISCO: “cell therapy has been clinically proven, but treatment options are limited by the availability of safe human cells”.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) represents an especially important target market. The Edison report states that:

“As many as 2-3 million people suffer from PD in the US and EU, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF), and there are currently no approved treatments to slow or halt progression of the disease. If ISCO’s treatment proves effective at slowing or halting disease progression, we forecast potential peak sales of $2.8bn based on 2% of existing and 5% of newly diagnosed patients in the US and 1-2% of patients in the EU and RoW receiving treatment.”

The report also points out that ISCO has other commercial operations that leverage its hpSC technology, operations that provide revenue to support continued research into therapeutic applications. According to the report:

“Using a risk-adjusted NPV model, we value the company at $27m or $9.60 per basic share, using a 12.5% discount rate and a 7.5% probability of success for the PD candidate and a 10% discount rate and 90% probability for the skincare and biomedical businesses.”

To view the full Edison report, go to http://dtn.fm/wSz7R

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

Monday, May 23, 2016

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO) Teams with Leading Cryogenic Logistics Provider for Impending Clinical Trial

Before the opening bell, Cryoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYRX), a premier provider of cryogenic logistics solutions to the life sciences industry, announced a strategic partnership with International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO) through which it will provide global logistics support to ISCO for its impending phase I clinical trial. ISCO received authorization to begin a phase I/IIa clinical trial of its human parthenogenetic stem cell-derived neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC) in patients with moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease from the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia in December, and the company commenced patient enrollment for the study earlier this year.

As the premier cryogenic logistics provider, Cryoport will leverage two of its strategically located depots, including locations in southern California and Singapore, to safely move ISCO’s high-value biologic material from its research facility in California to the study site in Australia. Cryoport’s proven track record in the logistics space, particularly as it relates to clinical trials and commercialization programs, makes it an ideal option for ISCO moving forward.

“This trial will take place across the globe and it is imperative that our cell therapy maintains integrity,” Russell Kern, PhD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ISCO, stated in a news release. “We are pleased to have Cryoport handle our global logistics requirements.”

Through its partnership with Cryoport, ISCO moves one step closer to the commencement of its highly-anticipated clinical trial. In December, the company signed a clinical service agreement with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, one of the world’s leading brain research centers. In March, ISCO entered into definitive agreements with two institutional healthcare investors and management for the private placement of $6.3 million of the company’s convertible preferred stock, adding capital that’s expected to drive its phase I study in the months to come.

As its scientists continue to evaluate additional therapeutic indications for its innovative stem cell technology platform, ISCO is primed to rapidly expand its presence in the biotechnology space. Leveraging partnerships with Cryoport and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the company will look to build on its current momentum while working toward the release of preliminary safety and efficacy clinical data from its upcoming study by the end of the year.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

Friday, May 20, 2016

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO) Covered in Report by Edison Investment Research

Earlier this week, Edison Investment Research, a leading independent investment intelligence firm, commenced coverage of International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO). In the initial report, Edison gives prospective investors an in-depth look at ISCO’s current market position, including its impending Phase I/IIa clinical trials for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, as well as its revenue-generating subsidiaries, Lifeline Skin Care and Lifeline Cell Technology, which Edison suggests ‘provide a floor under ISCO’s current valuation, creating an essentially free option on the PD candidate’.

To view the full report, visit http://dtn.fm/fIF6B

Leveraging its innovative human parthenogenetic stem cell (hpSC) technology, ISCO has developed 15 unique stem cell lines capable of functioning as a variety of cell types, such as livers cells, neural cells and three-dimensional eye structures. Crucially, ISCO’s groundbreaking platform enables the advancement of regenerative medicine while avoiding the common ethical concerns that have gone hand-in-hand with embryonic stem cells. Using a risk-adjusted net present value methodology and taking the market potential of this technology into account, Edison valued ISCO at $27 million, or about $9.60 per share on an undiluted basis. While the company’s success is largely contingent on the successful execution of its Parkinson’s disease clinical trials and its ability to attract a licensing partner to move forward with additional testing, strong preclinical data in primate studies highlights the promise of ISCO’s hpSC technology as the company approaches commencement of its Phase I clinical trial in Australia.

“Promising preclinical results support our expectation that ISC-hpNSC will bring a long-needed solution for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease,” Russell Kern, PhD, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ISCO, stated in a news release. “The ability of our approach to replace and protect dopaminergic neurons and restore neural function offers significant potential benefit to patients. We look forward to preliminary clinical data in Q4 2016.”

Over the next decade, Edison forecasts ISCO’s revenues through its cosmetic/skincare business to grow from $3.5 million to $4.8 million, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 percent, which is in line with forecast growth of the global skincare market. The research firm suggests that ISCO could begin generating profits stemming from the development of its stem cell technology by 2024, assuming the company’s promising preclinical results hold true throughout clinical testing.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

EquityFeed Trading Platform Receives High Marks from Users

Your success as a profitable trader revolves around three primary factors: opportunities, timing and information. Designed with these factors in mind, EquityFeed’s real-time trader workstation helps traders rapidly weed through options based on up-to-the-minute and fully customized results.

Pattern recognition technology allows traders to cut through the noise of the market for a more focused approach. Subscribers can set-up filters and organize alerts according to a variety of preferences such as exchange, price, volume or other key technical variants. The result is a superior level of opportunity that revolutionizes the way traders monitor the market.

Don’t just take it from us; check out some of the testimonials on the EquityFeed site:

“I only trade penny stocks and there is no better Level 2 quote screen for OTC and Pinks than EquityFeed. Period. The activity log is like watching a play by play in plain English and has been a huge factor in me interpreting the Level 2 action.” – Craig Anderson

I really love that in addition to watching the live quotes for my personal stocks I also see any news or material events on those stocks in plain sight.” – Mary Hilden

“Equityfeed is all about productivity for me and these personal alerts make sure I’m notified whenever a particular stock I own or want to own has an important event.” – Joan Crawford

“When it’s time to zero in on a particular stock trade… efficient decision-making is extremely important to me. Chart Montage gives me the 360 degree view I need on any stock to make quick, accurate and confident decisions during pre trade and post trade.” – Richard Krantz

These are just a few of many customer reviews. Of course, there’s no better review than first-hand experience. To try it out yourself, visit http://dtn.fm/equityfeed and sign up for a 14-day trial.

Take your NextTrip with Monaker Group (MKGI)

Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) is traveling far and fast. In a recent interview with investor relations firm MissionIR, CEO Bill Kerby recapitulated the company’s most recent achievements and its prospects in the growing online travel-booking marketplace. Statista estimates (http://dtn.fm/6rOeB) that global international tourism revenue in 2014 was $1,245 billion. Of that, about 27 percent, or $340 billion, was online travel-booking revenues. Online travel agency (OTA) revenues are expected to continue growing at 12 percent annually, according to this Forbes piece (http://dtn.fm/BIjt4). OTA websites have evolved to accommodate this increased demand and now may offer information and access to airlines, hotels and alternative lodging, car rentals, cruises, rail and a combination of any of the above, referred to in the industry as ‘packaged travel’.

In the middle of 2015, Monaker restructured its operations to take advantage of what CEO Bill Kirby has described as ‘the hottest space in travel… alternative lodging’. This is where people rent vacation homes rather than hotel rooms. An 8-K filing in June 2015 published the company’s name change to Monaker Group, Inc. and a 1-for-50 reverse stock split, known colloquially as a rollback. In October 2015, Monaker announced (http://dtn.fm/CHpJ0) that it had acquired AlwaysOnVacations, a large and very popular global platform. AlwaysOnVacations had, by the end of 2014, listed 65,000 properties in 120 countries. It also had 60 affiliated partner websites, available in 16 languages, and about 700,000 subscribers worldwide to its newsletters, also available in 16 languages.

The AlwaysOnVacations properties are part ‘of close to 1.2 million homes’ that Monaker has ‘under contract’, part of its strategy of cultivating ‘significant partnerships for accessing inventory’. As CEO Bill Kirby pointed out, inventory of that size would make Monaker as big as HomeAway, which was acquired by Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE) in December 2015 for $3.9 billion. In March 2016, Monaker said that subsidiary Maupintour had signed a sponsorship agreement with Trisept Solutions, creators of VAX VacationAccess and Xcelerator. VAX VacationAccess is an award-winning leisure travel marketplace that is used by over 70,000 travel agents. Xcelerator is a new, revolutionary agency management platform that enables travel agents to capture extensive client profile and trip information.

Also in March 2016, the company announced its plans to add CustomTravelClubs.com as a preferred distributor of its multiple travel products, including its growing alternative lodging inventory and Maupintour land and tour packages. CustomTravelClubs.com is a global brand servicing travel customers all over the world, and it offers unique travel products to its exclusive members and builds custom tailored travel clubs for organizations. And, also in March, the company’s comprehensive booking platform, NextTrip.com, added over 150,000 vacation rental units. The company also reported that, as a new feature, these new properties can be booked instantly without the typical wait for a formal response from the property owner to confirm booking.

In April 2016, the company made public some details of a partnership with Recruiter.com, an online global recruiting service with close to three million accounts. Also in April 2016, it announced the engagement of Primero Systems to upgrade its flagship travel website, NextTrip.com. NextTrip.com is the industry’s first booking engine featuring alternative lodging (vacation home rentals, resort residences and unused timeshares), as well as a vast array of airlines, hotels, cruises, rental cars, tours and concierge services, all combined in one platform to give customers the power of choice when booking their vacations.

Monaker’s travel assets now include Maupintour, with over 65 years in tour-guided vacations; Voyage.TV, with its thousands of hours of travel footage shot in over 30 countries around the world; AlwaysOnVacations, with its 250,000 listed properties; and NextTrip.com. NextTrip is traveling in areas left uncharted by AirBnB, HomeAway, Priceline and FlipKey by offering both proprietary and partner-held alternative lodging accommodation, traditional hotel accommodation, timeshare and resort inventory, real-time booking, a bidding platform, video content, car rentals, cruise packages, tours, airline bookings, and access to real live travel agents. It may be time for investors to take their next trip with Monaker.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

Rennova Health, Inc. (RNVA) Enhancing Speed and Accuracy of Diagnostic Testing and Record Processing

Rennova Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNVA), based in West Palm Beach, Florida, specializes in providing a full range of medical and administrative technologies and services to U.S. healthcare providers. The company’s suite of products and services are designed to enhance treatment success while streamlining customer and financial information processing, improving both patient and financial outcomes.

Rennova Health provider solutions include:

· Diagnostic Solutions – Rennova offers comprehensive clinical testing services, including advanced toxicology and esoteric lab services such as urine testing for abuse of drugs and prescription medications, in addition to bacteriology, serology, immunology, hematology and neurotransmitter testing.

Brands: Medytox Diagnostics

· Revenue Cycle Management – Rennova’s sophisticated medical billing solution, centered around the customer, is structured to ensure a billing process that is highly efficient, reducing errors and producing more accurate claims, resulting in faster reimbursement and maximizing provider cash flow.

Brands: Medical Billing Choices

· Healthcare Technology Solutions – Rennova software applications provide advanced processing for both electronic health records (EHRs) and laboratory information management system records, and include web-based technology for managing diagnostic lab testing orders and reports.

Brands: ClinLab Advanced Medical Software, Medical Mime, Advantage, CollabRx

· Financial Services – Rennova also offers direct financial services to help providers better deal with customer payment lag to encourage positive cash flow, including specialized loans that convert outstanding accounts receivable assets into working capital.

Brands: Platinum Financial Solutions

Rennova Health’s market strength rests on its ability to enhance both the speed and accuracy of diagnostic testing and record processing for healthcare providers, with a growing offering of integrated brands.

For more information, visit www.RennovaHealth.com

International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO) Introducing a New Era of Medicine with its First Phase of Clinical Trials

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) is a biotechnology company that focuses on early-stage cell therapy. ISCO uses stem cells to treat a variety of diseases, including those of the eyes, the nervous system, and the liver, among others. The scientists at ISCO treat severe diseases with state-of-the-art technology. The aim of the company is to create therapeutic products from its own intellectual property. With this in mind, ISCO also owns two subsidiary companies. Lifeline Skin Care Inc. is a business that develops and manufactures skin care products, while Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC is a research products business that develops and manufactures human cell culture products.

Most recently, International Stem Cell Corp. has started developing human parthenogenetic stem cell derived neural stem cells. Over the past few years, the main problem with using stem cells in regenerative medicine has been a case of ethics. In an article entitled ‘Embryonic stem cell research: an ethical dilemma’, published on the Euro Stem Cell website, it explains the dilemma that we, as humans, have to face when making a choice between two moral principles: the duty we have to prevent or diminish pain and suffering, and the duty we have to respect the value of human life, even at its earliest stages. In the article, the discussion goes into detail about the moral status of a human embryo. The question is asked: Does the embryo have the status of a person? The answer is still to be decided.

However, with the help of International Stem Cell Corp., the discussion can be put to one side for the time being. ISCO has developed a new type of stem cell using unfertilized eggs. This means that the eggs in question would never have the potential to become embryos, and, therefore, no embryo is destroyed. During a recent interview between The Nikkei Asian Review and Russell Kern, Chief Scientific Officer at ISCO, Kern said: “Being able to produce parthenogenetic stem cells in large quantities and in a way that greatly simplifies the chances of immune matching gives us a clear advantage over other stem cell technologies, like embryonic stem cells for obvious reasons. One of ISCO’s stem cell lines matches approximately 70 million people and makes it incredibly simple to immune match its stem cells.”

ISCO is starting a phase I clinical trial in Australia using these new stem cells. The stem cells not only take away any moral issues associated to the cause but may also reduce the risk of immune rejections. The phase I clinical trials are based on preclinical studies in rodents and nonhuman primates. The ISCO stem cells showed a significant rise in brain dopamine levels. Not only this, the studies also showed amazing improvement in Parkinson’s disease symptoms. With phase I of clinical trials, ISCO aims to find a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

OurPet’s Company (OPCO) Combining Record Financial Performance with Continued Innovation to Bolster Leadership Position in Pet Industry

Earlier this month, OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) made headlines when it reported record financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2016. The company’s first quarter net revenue increased by 10.3 percent from the previous year, totaling $6.17 million. Similarly, OPCO’s net income rose by 24.7 percent over the previous year to a record total of $266,581. These strong results continue to highlight the company’s success in promoting growth through multiple sales channels. OPCO’s sales through e-commerce channels were up 14 percent over the previous year, while sales through food, drug and mass retail channels grew by eight percent.

“These results reflect our continued ability to successfully execute our business strategy,” Dr. Steven Tsengas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPCO, stated in a news release. “We are pleased that all major product categories showed a strong performance with Waste & Odor up 64%, Toys/Accessories up 10% and Bowls/Feeders up 9%.”

Despite recording a slim year-over-year decrease in gross profit margin due to product mix, OPCO continues to position itself for sustainable growth by focusing on minimizing overhead costs. The company’s selling, general & administrative expenses as a percentage of total sales dropped by a full percent from the first quarter of 2015, while income from operations increased by 16.5 percent to $415,269. In line with its goal of minimizing costs, OPCO also made progress on an initiative to reduce its inventory below $7 million by the end of the year, dropping inventory from $7.91 million at the beginning of the year to $7.44 million at the end of the first quarter.

While this strong financial growth should be enough to catch the attention of prospective shareholders, OPCO has also unveiled its next innovation in the roughly $62.75 billion pet space. At the Global Pet Expo international trade show in Orlando, Florida, the company introduced its new Intelligent Pet Care™ product line, which leverages Bluetooth and wireless connectivity to enhance the bond between pets and pet owners. The SmartScoop® – Intelligent Litter Box, SmartLink™ Feeder – Intelligent Pet Bowl and SmartLink™ Waterer – Intelligent Water Fountain are specially designed to monitor and wirelessly report on various activities that can be interpreted as indicators of pet health, such as elimination behavior, eating and drinking.

Since its founding in 1995, OPCO has remained dedicated to enhancing the bond between pets and pet parents by marketing high quality, innovative products. Look for the company to continue pursuing this goal as it leans on the tremendous experience of its management team and the marketability of its advanced Intelligent Pet Care™ product line. With strong financial growth and a commitment to the advancement of the industry, OPCO is primed to build on its position as a leader in the global pet market moving forward.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ourpets.com

Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OGES) Setting Its Sights on Strategic Advances

Oakridge Global Energy Solutions (OTCQB: OGES) began life as a true research and development company, and now, 30 years later, it has grown to become the developer of some of the world’s best energy solutions. In that time, Oakridge has also advanced its business strategies considerably in order to become a global leader in the innovation, development, manufacturing and marketing of disruptive energy storage technology for military, civilian and medical uses.

The past couple of years have been especially significant for Oakridge, with corporate milestones including:

· The company successfully finalized a major two-year restructuring plan at the end of 2015.

· The company designed, built and modified its state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind $40 million, 70,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida.

· Within this short period of time, Oakridge became the only U.S. manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, with a battery life that lasts up to three times longer than its foreign-manufactured counterparts. It also generated a 30% increase in its battery life cycle through its proprietary chemistry and technology.

· Since the first quarter of 2016, Oakridge has been fulfilling a growing stream of customer orders currently estimated at $24 million and shipping its batteries to a long list of waiting customers in the motorcycle, golf cart and other niche markets.

· Furthermore, when the United Nations placed a ban on the transport of lithium batteries on passenger planes in April 2016, this embargo further positioned Oakridge to become a key player in the United States rechargeable battery market and allowed it to further its primary business: the development, manufacturing and marketing of energy storage products.

Although Oakridge rode into 2016 with a strong pipeline of commercial opportunities, the company’s investment in the drivers of its future growth remains constant.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OGES) Significantly Bolsters Management Team ahead of Planned NASDAQ Uplisting

Just before noon, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) announced the appointment of several new members to its management team. The new team members, whom are expected to be fully in place by next month, bring considerable industry expertise to the company’s management team. Oakridge will look to leverage this expertise as it seeks to maximize the benefits of its recently-announced strategic business alliance with Sojitz Machinery Corporation, a major Japanese trading house, while continuing to expand its presence in the competitive lithium ion battery space. The company’s expanded management team is also expected to play a key role in Oakridge’s planned uplisting to NASDAQ.

“The enthusiasm within the organization to now rapidly capitalize on the opportunities before us is now palpable because of these highly experienced new team members,” Steve Barber, executive chairman of Oakridge, stated in today’s news release. “We are now very well positioned with these new team members to take full advantage of the growth opportunities for Oakridge presented by the third wave of growth in the global lithium ion battery space, and to present the right battery industry experience-base to the customer base, to our highly important Japanese strategic partners, and to the investment community in preparation for our anticipated uplifting of the Company from the OTCQB to NASDAQ.”

New additions to Oakridge’s management team include:

Phil Meeks will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer/President in early June. Meeks has more than 20 years of experience in the battery and energy storage sector, including work with industry leaders Ultralife Inc. and Duracell USA. Importantly, his industry experience spans both domestic and international markets, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea and China.

Frank Malo will assume the role of Director of Battery Design. He is a chemical engineer with more than two decades of experience in the battery industry.

John Frailey will assume the role of Director – Systems Integration. He’s a professional software engineer with over 17 years of experience designing software, particularly as it relates to the design of battery management systems.

Patrick Johnson will serve as Manufacturing Manager. He has nearly 20 years of experience managing manufacturing plants in the defense industry.

David Phillips will assume the role of VP Finance and CFO. Phillips is a CPA with more than 20 years of experience as a finance professional and CFO in a number of applicable industries, such as manufacturing, defense and construction.

Brendan Melling will serve as Director of Strategic Product Development & Marketing. He has many years of experience in battery sales and marketing, giving him a keen understanding of specific customer requirements in all sectors of the battery industry.

Spencer Jenkins will assume the role of Manager – Materials Procurement & Logistics. Jenkins is an engineer with international experience in the oil industry.

TJ Marsilio will serve as Director – Legal Compliance & HR. She’s a seasoned lawyer with a government, regulatory and manufacturing background. Marsilio will offer support for various areas, including occupational safety, government-related procurement, insurance and risk management.

“These important new team members at Oakridge make the Company’s management team now one of the best collections of talent I have ever seen, and will really enable us to reach new heights,” added Barber.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

Hanwha Q CELLS Co. Ltd. (HQCL) Leveraging Expansive Global Presence to Promote Rapid Growth in Solar Industry

Hanwha Q CELLS Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HQCL) is one of the world’s largest and most recognizable manufacturers of high-efficiency solar cells and modules. With headquarters in both Seoul, South Korea, and Thalheim, Germany, along with a diverse collection of manufacturing facilities spanning Korea, Malaysia and China, HQCL is strategically positioned to address rising solar demand in markets around the globe. The company’s product line includes a full spectrum of photovoltaic products, applications and solutions, ranging from solar modules and kits to large scale solar power plants. HQCL is also engaged in downstream development and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) business.

HQCL originally burst onto the global solar scene in February 2015 as the result of a merger of two of the world’s most recognized photovoltaic manufacturers, Hanwha SolarOne and Hanwha Q CELLS. Since the merger, the combined company has leaned on a diverse international production footprint and respected ‘Engineered in Germany’ technology to seamlessly address all global markets while promoting rapid financial growth. In March, HQCL offered additional insight into its financial performance when it released its financial results for the 2015 fiscal year. Of particular note, the company’s total module shipments exceeded 3,300 MW, which was an increase of 60 percent from the combined 2,065 MW the two businesses shipped pre-merger in 2014. Net income attributable to HQCL’s ordinary shareholders was $44 million for FY 2015.

“We are pleased to report a successful, transitional financial and operational results for full year 2015 highlighted by a return to net profitability and record high total module shipments as we celebrate the first full year since the merger between former Hanwha SolarOne and Hanwha Q Cells Investment,” Seong-woo Nam, chairman and chief executive officer of HQCL, stated in a news release. “We have started 2016 with the strongest foundation in the Company’s history as we continue to enhance our core competitiveness in terms of manufacturing cost, operational efficiencies, product quality and technology.”

In recent months, HQCL has continued to capitalize on its status as a globally recognized brand while turning its attention toward the future of the solar industry. In April, the company announced its entry into a 5-year supply agreement with 1366 Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of practical manufacturing solutions that increase the efficiency of solar supply chains. Under the terms of this agreement, HQCL will purchase up to 700 MW of wafers manufactured with 1366’s proprietary Direct Wafer™ technology, a transformative manufacturing process offering significant cost savings over traditional cast-and-saw wafer production technologies. The deal followed a year-long strategic partnership between the companies focused on commercializing Direct Wafer™ technology.

“This agreement aligns with our continuing efforts to bring about world leading technologies that enable solar energy to be more competitive and more affordable,” Nam stated. “We are pleased with the progress we have made together during the past year and excited about the potential of 1366’s Direct Wafer™ products with Hanwha’s cell and module technologies to deliver further cost reductions and LCOE competitiveness to standard multi-crystalline wafer-based modules.”

With an established and growing foothold in major solar markets around the globe, HQCL is primed to benefit from the strong performance of the solar power space moving forward. According to Mercom Capital Group (http://dtn.fm/0R8xG), global installations of solar photovoltaic systems are expected to exceed 64.7 gigawatts this year, led by strong growth in China, the United States and Japan.

For more information, visit www.hanwha-qcells.com

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (JASO) Converting Sunlight into Financial Growth in Competitive Solar Power Space

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is one of the world’s largest producers of solar power products for residential, commercial and utility-scale power generation. Founded in 2005 and based in Shanghai, the company has quickly captured market share in the solar power space through a focus on photovoltaic research and development, a commitment to driving innovation and the consistent manufacture of high-performance solar power products. In just over a decade, JASO quickly grew from an unknown startup to the world’s fourth largest supplier of solar modules in 2015, according to data from PV-Tech (http://dtn.fm/qI4Kh). Currently, the company boasts long standing relationships with leading project developers and global distributors from around the globe, with roughly 64 percent of its 2014 shipments bound for China and Japan, 17 percent for Europe and 6 percent for America.

In March, JASO gave prospective shareholders additional insight into its growth when it announced its unaudited financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 (http://dtn.fm/wKgJ4). Total shipments for 2015 were up by 28.8 percent from the previous year, totaling approximately 4.0 gigawatts. The result was a significant spike in net revenue, which climbed from $1.7 billion in FY 2014 to $2.1 billion last year. Net income was also up, with JASO reporting $94.9 million in 2015, compared to $69 million the previous year, for an increase of more than 37 percent.

“Our fourth quarter results continued the momentum we built throughout 2015,” Baofang Jin, chairman and chief executive officer of JASO, stated in a news release. “We fulfilled strong demand across Asia, especially in China, but also made meaningful advances in North America… We expect growth of over 30%, as countries around the world continue to encourage the growth of clean, renewable energy.”

Markets around the world are installing solar power products at record rates. According to data from Texas-based Mercom Capital Group LLC (http://dtn.fm/0R8xG), new installations are expected to climb to 64.7 gigawatts in 2016, up from 57.8 gigawatts in 2015. The report goes on to highlight China as the largest solar market in the world, with forecasts calling for approximately 19.5 gigawatts installed in 2016, pushed forward by rising government installation targets. Strong growth is also expected in Japan, as the country continues to shift its energy mix to include more renewables while cutting back on the use of nuclear energy. With sizable market share in two of the world’s three largest solar markets, JASO is strategically positioned for strong financial growth in the months to come by continuing to bolster its reputation as a leader in the solar power industry.

“We are able to capture this market growth due to our industry-leading reputation for quality and value,” continued Jin. “We intend to aggressively protect that reputation through our ongoing investment in research and marketing.”

For more information, visit www.jasolar.com