Daily Archives: September 20, 2019

The city

With a population of around 470,000 people, the beautiful Andalusian city of Granada sits beneath the Sierra Nevada, about an hour by car from the Mediterranean coast, and is a popular destination for students and tourists alike. Its most famous monument is the Alhambra, an Arab citadel and palace.

Granada Club de Ftbol was founded in 1931, and its greatest achievement was reaching the cup final in 1959, which it lost 4-1 to Bara. The team generally hovered between the first and second divisions, but from the 1980s onwards spent three decades in the lower leagues.

Recent years have sparked a revival. Granada was back in La Liga for the first time in 35 years in 2011. And after dropping back to the second for the last two years, the Nazares (the nickname comes from the Moorish dynasty that ruled Granada in the Middle Ages) won their way back into the top flight last season.

The 19,336 capacity Nuevo Estadio de Los Crmenes was opened in 1995 and although it is on a different site to the former Los Crmenes, it has retained the name, which refers to the typical villas with gardens.

Players with international caps: Maxime Gonalons (France, 8), Roberto Soldado (Spain, 12), smail Kyba (Turkey, 23), Ramon Azeez (Nigeria, 4), Adrin Ramos (Colombia, 37), Yangel Herrera (Venezuela, 15), Darwin Machs (Venezuela, 19)

Players with a Bara past: Jos Antonio Martnez (Bara B)

Most Liga goals 2019/20: Antonio Puertas (2)

Most Liga assists 2019/20: ngel Montoro (3, joint top in La Liga with Ander Capa of Athletic)

Diego Martnez spent most of his coaching career in various roles at Sevilla, and after managing Osasuna for the 2017/18 season he joined Granada and guided them to second place Division 2 last season.

FC Barcelona v Granada (1-0)

Its been a fine start to the season for Granada, where curiously their sole defeat has come in their only home fixture so far, the Andalusian derby with Sevilla:

Villarreal 4-4 GranadaGranada 0-1 SevillaEspanyol 0-3 GranadaCelta 0-2 Granada

Bara lost 1-0 when they went to Granada in 2014, but won the other 15 of the last 16 meetings between the sides.

Granada have a 2-2-2 record against teams coached by Ernesto Valverde, but this will be the first time they have faced him as Bara manager.

Los Nuevos Crmenes was the place where Bara clinched the 2015/16 league title with a 3-0 victory (all thanks to a Luis Surez hat-trick) on the final day of the championship. The only time we have been back since, we won 4-1. Lets hope the good form continues on Saturday.

Manager Diego Martnez: Not even the most optimistic of our fans imagined wed have seven points after four games Facing Bara is not a problem, its a blessing considering that last September we were in the second division."

Venezuela international Yangel Herrera: "This team always goes out to compete whoever we are playing. We know that Bara are a great team, and what they do, but if we work hard we can cause them damage. Were optimistic about this match.

Read more here:

The lowdown on Granada CF - FC Barcelona

At IBC 2019 we had a chance to look at Xeens new CF prime lenses.

The Xeen CF series is based around the current Rokinon Xeen prime lenses. The CF series is lighter and smaller. The barrel construction uses some carbon fiber, hence the name CF.

By applying carbon fiber, which is lighter than metal but solid, to the lens body tube, the lenses remain lightweight while maintaining durability.

The Xeen CF lenses have luminous barrel markings so they can be seen clearly at night or when working in dark conditions.

The new Xeen CF PL mount lenses will come in the following focal lengths.

(16mm & 35mm will be released in early 2020)

From my quick play with the lenses on the show floor they look to be a nice follow up to the original Xeens. They are well made and the iris and focus rings are nicely weighted.

The lenses are available to pre-order for $2,495 USD each. They are expected to be available in November.

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Continue reading here:

Xeen CF First Look - Newsshooter

Four years ago, when Samyang/Rokinon introduced their own take on cinema prime lenses, the XEEN lineup was born. Now, for IBC 2019, they introduce a new and improved line, called XEEN CF. Again, the first triple of lenses cover 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm, all three rated T1.5.

Image credit-XEEN

XEEN CF lenses are more compact and much lighter than the original XEEN lenses. The CF stands for Carbon Fiber and thats one of the reasons these lenses are pretty lightweight indeed. Compared to the original XEEN 24mm with EF mount which tipped the scale at 1.2kg (2.6 lbs), the newer XEEN CF 24mm (again, with EF mount) only weights 900g (2.0 lbs). Its smaller in size as well:98.5 mm (3.88) in length. The original XEEN pendant measures121.7mm (4.8).

Older lens vs. new. XEEN CF Cinema Prime Lenses. Image credit-cinema5D

Since these are being advertised as cinema prime lenses, the XEEN CF sport all the good stuff you would expect: Smooth iris, long focus throw (200), 0.8 pitched gears, lots of focus marks on the lens barrel, a decent number of aperture blades (11) and, of course, full-frame coverage!

Image credit-XEEN

If that list above isnt satisfying enough, fear not! Theres more:

All these features are nice to see and they sure seem to be impressive on paper, but what about optical performance? Well, we havent had a chance to try one of these new XEEN CF lenses, yet (but we will sure do at IBC 2019 our team is working the show floor as we speak!). The only hint we got so far is the video by Samyang below in which you can see some samples shot on XEEN CF lenses as well as some BTS footage.

Unfortunately, the video is only HD, a 4K version would be more adequate in order to really judge these new lenses but thats what we have so far.

As you can see, the XEEN CF lenses make a lot of sense when used with a gimbal such as the Ronin 2 pictured in the video above. All three available lenses, 24mm, 50mm and 85mm, sport the same dimensions, same gear positions, and same front diameters. The 85mm is 100g (0.2 lbs) heavier than the other two, thats it. perfect for quick lens swaps, especially on a gimbal or Steadicam.

Here is a quick overview of all the specs regarding the three available XEEN CF cine primes: 24mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, and 85mm T1.5. Parts of the lens body is made of carbon fiber but the overall lens body is made of aluminum.

image credit: Samyang

So whats next, you might ask? The XEEN CF instruction manual offers more specs of upcoming focal lengths: The alert reader will find specifications about a 16mm T2.6 lens and a 35mm T1.5 lens. According to Samyang/Rokinon, the 16mm and 35mm primeswill be released in early 2020. You can check out the manual here.

16mm T2.6 and 35mm T1.5? Image credit: Samyang (instruction manual)

For now, only the 24mm, the 50mm, and the 85mm represent the official launch trio but as stated above, the lineup will grow quickly.

The first three focal lengths 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm should be available soon. You can preorder these XEEN CF cine primes fitted with your mount of choice (EF, E, PL) through official channels. Each lens is $2,495.00.

Image credit-XEEN

Links: XEEN Website

What do you think of these XEEN CF lenses? Did you use the original XEENs? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Original post:

New XEEN CF Prime Lenses Released Compact and Lightweight - cinema5D news

CF Industries' (CF) outstanding cash flow generation has been well-documented here on Seeking Alpha by pretty much every author covering the stock. I will briefly touch on this aspect for readers not familiar with the company, but the main focus of this article will be the way cheap U.S. natural gas benefits the company. From that perspective, I view CF Industries as not only a solid business but also as a worthwhile hedge for investors exposed to natural gas producers.

Over the past 18 months, CF Industries has been generating considerable free cash flow. The company invested heavily in new production capacity between 2013 and 2016 and has since been reaping the benefits, selling higher volumes into a recovering nitrogen market. CF Industries currently trades at a P/E ratio of 21, hardly a bargain on the surface. However, net earnings underestimate the company's performance. With investment needs now limited to maintenance CapEx, CF Industries' free cash flow generation vastly exceeds its net result. This comes from the mismatch between Depreciation and CapEx, which were $440M and $154M respectively in H1 '19:

Source: company's 10-Q

CapEx is expected to be higher in H2 (in the region of $250-300M), but CF Industries is still on track to deliver more than $1B of FCF in FY '19. This would confirm the company's leading position in its peer group when it comes to FCF yield:

Source: company's Q2 earnings slides

Tellingly, the debate in most articles about CF Industries revolves around how the company should use its excess cash (dividend hikes or buybacks), which is a testament to the company's good health. Now, let's dig into one particular aspect that also makes CF Industries interesting, in my opinion: its exposure to U.S. natural gas.

The main driver of CF Industries' profits is obviously nitrogen fertilizer prices. But when it comes to costs, natural gas is the key input, accounting for approximately 40% of production costs in 2018 (as per the company's 10-K report). Natural gas is used both as a feedstock and as a fuel:

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce nitrogen fertilizers. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution, ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen products. Because most of our nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada, North American natural gas comprises a significant portion of the total production cost of our products.[...] Our facilities utilize the following natural gas hubs: Henry Hub in Louisiana; SONAT in Louisiana; TETCO ELA in Louisiana; ONEOK in Oklahoma; AECO in Alberta; Ventura in Iowa; Demarcation in Kansas; Welcome in Minnesota; Dawn in Ontario; Parkway in Ontario; and the National Balancing Point in the United Kingdom.

(Source: company's 10-K)

In the 2013-2016 period, North American producers faced increased competition from U.S.-bound Chinese exports. Since then, however, the volumes have receded significantly as Chinese producers struggle to compete with domestic producers. The latter's market share has, in fact, increased since 2017:

Source: company's Q2 earnings slides

A quick look at energy prices in various producing regions show why North American producers have the upper hand. Despite its volatility, the Henry Hub price has consistently been much lower than international benchmarks over the past few years:

Source: company's Q2 earnings slides

Unsurprisingly, North American producers, in particular, CF Industries' modern facilities, find themselves on the low end of the cost curve:

Source: company's Q2 earnings slides

With market prices influenced by the marginal producers' costs, CF Industries enjoys substantial margins. There are contrasting views as to where U.S. natural gas prices are headed in the next few years, including bearish reports such as this recent one from Markit. There are also reasons to be bullish. However, barring a nationwide fracking ban, it's reasonable to assume that U.S. prices will remain extremely competitive on the world stage. Therefore, CF Industries can be expected to keep its competitive advantage. With regard to competitors from North America itself, like Nutrien (NTR), there are no major capacity increases planned for the next couple of years.

This is not to say that CF Industries should be complacent. Russian exports shouldn't be overlooked:

Our competitors in Russia continue to benefit from non-market pricing of natural gas, allowing continued exports from the region, and have significant nitrogen fertilizer export capacity. The 2016 revocations of U.S. antidumping measures on solid urea and fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate from Russia has allowed for increases in imports from that country in recent years.

(Source: company's 10-K)

However, with Chinese volumes still hampered by higher energy costs and more stringent environmental restrictions than in the past, CF Industries' competitive position remains secure. That being said, even if U.S. natural gas prices remain consistently lower in relation to other benchmarks, they do fluctuate in absolute terms. How much of a difference does the price variance make? In last year's Q4 presentation, CF Industries provided the following sensitivity analysis:

Source: Company's Q4 '18 presentation

A $1 per MMBtu change is seen to have an impact of about $250M on CF Industries' EBITDA (and free cash flow). This is a material impact, which equates to approximately 25% of the expected FCF for FY '19. The important thing to note in the table below is that the solid H1 '19 results were recorded at an average price of $3.15, which is significantly higher than Henry Hub market price registered in recent months (the average includes higher UK prices, but UK volumes do not make a big impact on the weighted average):

Source: company's 10-Q

CF Industries uses the first-in first-out accounting method for its natural gas inventories and some hedging instruments, so it takes time for low prices to be reflected in the P&L. But given the low market prices since April, investors can expect cheaper gas in the Q3 and Q4 cost of sales.

Of course, quarterly prices are of little importance. The point here is to show that the company's excellent results of late were not based on particularly low natural gas prices. If bearish projections for natural gas materialize, investors could be looking at an additional $250-300M in FCF on a yearly basis. Natgas producers' loss is CF Industries' gain, and in that sense, CF Industries offers some protection to investors exposed to natural gas.

CF Industries is a solid option for investors looking for exposure to the fertilizer sector. It enjoys a cost advantage related to natural gas, its fuel and main feedstock, that protects it from most foreign competitors. This translates into high margins and substantial free cash flow generation, which the market has been slow to recognize. Because natural gas is such an important component of its cost structure, I also view the company as a hedge should the bearish projections on U.S. natural gas materialize.

Finally, for investors not afraid of MLPs and micro caps, let me mention another nitrogen producer which offers plenty of potential: CVR Partners, LP (UAN). This MLP also benefits from low natural gas prices, even if one of its facilities uses petcoke as feedstock. The bull thesis on CVR Partners has been well covered here on Seeking Alpha.

Disclosure: I am/we are long CF, NTR, UAN. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: The opinions and views expressed in this article are for information purposes only and should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, investment strategy or market sector.

See the article here:

CF Industries: A Cash Machine Thriving On Cheap Natural Gas - Seeking Alpha

Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks rounds third base to score against the Miami Marlins in the third inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 17, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)

PHOENIX Ketel Marte began Tuesday showing off his new blonde braids before his Arizona Diamondbacks faced the Miami Marlins. He left on a darker note, during the middle of the game with what the team called back stiffness.

The D-backs announced before the start of the fifth inning that left fielder Tim Locastro had taken Martes spot in center field and Josh Rojas had entered the game in left field.

Replays of Martes home plate slide in the bottom of the third inning showed the teams MVP grabbing at his back and walking gingerly to the dugout after tying the game, 1-1.

Marte was 2-for-2 with a run scored when he exited before the bottom of the fifth inning.

He remained in the game after his slide but was not tested in center field during the Marlins scoreless fourth frame.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said after the game that Marte will get an MRI on Wednesday and will not be in the lineup for the day game.

Marte, who has played mostly in center field as well as second base this season, is batting .326 (fifth in MLB) with 32 home runs and 185 hits (third in MLB) on the season.

The rest is here:

Diamondbacks CF Ketel Marte exits vs. Marlins with back stiffness - Arizona Sports

CF Benchmarks has received authorization from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to become a Benchmark Administrator under the European Benchmarks Regulation (EU BMR).

Announced today, the company has become the first such cryptocurrency benchmark provider regulated by the United Kingdoms financial regulator.

London Summit 2019 Launches the Latest Era in FX and Fintech Join Now

With this, financial service firms across Europe can use CF Benchmarks in any European financial products after the full effect of EU BMR on January 1, 2020.

B2Broker Extends its Multi-Asset Liquidity Pool with New IntegrationsGo to article >>

Commenting on the development, Sui Chung, chief executive of the company, said: We are proud to be the first regulated cryptocurrency index provider to meet the EU BMRs stringent requirements. The industry can now gain access to regulated, high integrity benchmarks, which will spur innovation, furthering the adoption of digital assets in Europe and beyond.

Formally known as Crypto Facilities, it is also the index provider of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate. The company was acquired by US-based crypto exchange Kraken earlier this year for an undisclosed nine-figure sum.

Reliable and trusted benchmarks are critical to growing the cryptocurrency ecosystem as they attract more individual and institutional investors to the asset class, Chung added.

With the popularity of crypto investment rising, crypto indices are gaining attention from mainstream financial houses.

Nasdaq recently included a crypto market index developed by Exante to project the growth of a set of blockchain companies working in the field of decentralized finance (DeFi). Also listed on platforms like TradingView and Google, the index includes projects like Augur, MakerDAO, Amoveo, and 0x.

In June, Crypto Compare partnered with Nasdaq to launch a crypto pricing product. The crypto data provider also launched an index ranking crypto exchanges in the same month.

Continue reading here:

CF Benchmarks Gets FCA License to Provide Crypto Index in Europe - Finance Magnates

The recent performance of Heron Therapeutics (NASDAQ:HRTX) stock in the market spoke loud and clear to investors as HRTX saw more than 771.05K shares in trading volumes in the last trading session, way higher than the average trading volume of 771.05K shares by far recorded in the movement of Heron Therapeutics (HRTX). At the time the stock opened at the value of $21.44, making it a high for the given period, the value of the stock dropped by -1.82%. After the decrease, HRTX touched a low price of $20.87, calling it a day with a closing price of $21.39, which means that the price of HRTX went 21 below the opening price on the mentioned day.

Given the most recent momentum in the market in the price movement of HRTX stock, some strong opinions on the matter of investing in the companys stock started to take shape, which is how analysts are predicting an estimated price of $43.00 for HRTX within consensus. The estimated price would demand a set of gains in total of -159547.75%, which goes higher than the most recent closing price, indicating that the stock is in for bullish trends. Other indicators are hinting that the stock could reach an outstanding figure in the market share, which is currently set at 79.71M in the public float and 1.68B US dollars in market capitalization.

When it comes to the technical analysis of HRTX stock, there are more than several important indicators on the companys success in the market, one of those being the Relative Strength Indicator (RSI), which can show, just as Stochastic measures, what is going on with the value of the stock beneath the data. This value may also indicate that the stock will go sideways rather than up or down, also indicating that the price could stay where it is for quite some time. When it comes to Stochastic reading, HRTX stock are showing 92.04% in results, indicating that the stock is neither overbought or oversold at the moment, providing it with a neutral within Stochastic reading as well. Additionally, HRTX with the present state of 200 MA appear to be indicating bearish trends within the movement of the stock in the market. While other metrics within the technical analysis are due to provide an outline into the value of HRTX, the general sentiment in the market is inclined toward negative trends.

With the previous 100-day trading volume average of 2.34 million shares, CF Industries Holdings (CF) recorded a trading volume of 2.03 million shares, as the stock started the trading session at the value of $50.58, in the end touching the price of $50.65 after jumping by 0.14%.

CF Industries Holdings (CF) surprised the market during the previous quarter closure with the last reports recording $1.28, compared to the consensus estimation that went to $0.81. The records showing the total in revenues marked the cap of +15.54%, which means that the revenues increased by +91.22% since the previous quarterly report.

CF stock seem to be going ahead the lowest price in the last 52 weeks with the latest change of 30.21%.Then price of CF also went forward in oppose to its average movements recorded in the previous 20 days. The price volatility of CF stock during the period of the last months recorded 2.57%, whilst it changed for the week, now showing 2.84% of volatility in the last seven days. The trading distance for this period is set at 4.11% and is presently away from its moving average by 4.35% in the last 50 days. During the period of the last 5 days, CF stock gain around 0.54% of its value, now recording a sink by 14.33% reaching an average $44.34 in the period of the last 200 days.During the period of the last 12 months, CF Industries Holdings (CF) jumped by 16.41%.

According to the Barcharts scale, the companys consensus rating fall to 3.80 from 3.89, showing an overall improvement during the course of a single month. Based on the latest results, analysts are suggesting that the target price for CF stock should be $50.65 per share in the course of the next 12 months. To achieve the target price as suggested by analysts, CF should have a spike by 0% in oppose to its present value in the market. Additionally, the current price showcases a discount of 23.26% when compared to the high consensus price target predicted by analysts.

CF shares recorded a trading volume of 1.69 million shares, compared to the volume of 2.25M shares before the last close, presented as its trading average. With the approaching 2.84% during the last seven days, the volatility of CF stock remained at 2.57%. During the last trading session, the lost value that CF stock recorded was set at the price of $50.65, while the lowest value in the last 52 weeks was set at $38.90. The recovery of the stock in the market has notably added 30.21% of gains since its low value, also recording 3.96% in the period of the last 1 month.

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Questions Remain, But Analysts Stay Bullish: Heron Therapeutics (HRTX), CF Industries Holdings (CF) - US Post News

Reg CF [Regulation Crowdfunding], the smallest of the three crowdfunding exemptions created by the bi-partisan JOBS Act of 2012, became officially actionable in May of 2016. In that time, hundreds of issuers have raised money on FINRA regulated funding portals taking advantage of the internet to market these securities offerings to a wide audience of both accredited and non-accredited investors alike.

A report by consulting firm CCA published in February, called Reg CF an undeniable job creator that has been good for the country. A legion of new companies has gained the funding they need to launch new businesses.

Prior to the rules being finalized in 2016, a litany of detractors cautioned the public that Reg CF will lead to untold acts of fraud and failure a looming debacle.

Most certainly there have been companies that raised money under Reg CF that have since failed. Entrepreneurs and their supporters share the risk in launching new businesses as part of the never-ending cycle of competition. Any investor that participates in a Reg CF offering is notified their capital is at risk before they invest. But this is how capitalism works. And the US economy, the most vibrant in the world, has been build upon this spirit of innovation.

On the eve of the JOBS Act being signed into law, Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin, the state securities regulator, announced the formation of the Internet Crowdfunding and Offerings Watch Department labeled the I-Crowd. According to a report from Securities Lawyer, the mission of the I-Crowd was to track how issuers used general solicitation to market securities offerings in the state of Massachusetts. The Department was said to be staffed by securities attorneys and IT personnel.

Galvin said at the time of the creation of I-Crowd:

The JOBS Act may accomplish its intended purposes of allowing small businesses to raise capital and create jobs, and I hope it does. But it also sets in motion a much easier path for shady operators and outright crooks.

A prediction was made that other state securities regulators would follow Galvins lead and create similar entities. Three years later and, if the I-Crowd still lives, it appears the Massachusetts crowdfunding cop has had little reason to exist.

We have grave concerns about the concept. You are talking about a market that, by its very nature, brings together inexperienced issuers with unsophisticated investors and harnesses the power of the Internet to hype the stock. We are dismantling our public markets in favor of these loosely regulated private markets.

Prior to the JOBS Act becoming law, Roper cautioned legislators on the risk that crowdfunding sites could become a mecca for fraud.

None other than the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) called crowdfunding one of their top risks back in 2013 cautioning that lifting of an 80-year-old ban on the advertising of private offerings, mandated by the JOBS Act, will lead to greater abuse by unscrupulous promoters.

The NASAA President, at that time, warned:

Investors are not alone in their potential to be scammed. Using a fraudulent portal means both the business and the investor stand to lose.

In a retrospective report published by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this year, researchers had this to say about Reg CF:

During the considered period, there were few instances of legal proceedings (involving FINRA or the Commission) referencing Regulation Crowdfunding, so we cannot infer a systematic relation between any particular characteristics of the offerings and the incidence of such legal actions. In particular, a search of publicly available information in the Commissions litigation releases has not identified civil complaints or administrative proceedings filed against Regulation Crowdfunding issuers or intermediaries.

To translate the SEC-speak, there has been zero fraud in Reg CF. None at all.

Anyone who follows the SEC will understand that much of their work revolves around enforcement actions. In fact, Enforcement is the largest single division at the Commission.

Almost daily, the SEC issues announcements regarding securities fraud and Ponzi schemes designed to fleece the unsuspecting. Yet not a single fraud has been reported under Reg CF a standout amongst the various securities exemptions.

Crowdfund Insider contacted securities attorney and crowdfunding advocate Doug Ellenoff, Managing Partner of Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole, for his perspective. Ellenoff said it was his understanding that there reallyhasnt been any litigation to speak of pertaining to Reg CF:

I have confirmed with both Federal and State regulators that have confirmed that they too arent aware of any fraud either, said Ellenoff. To be clear, I am talking about allegations of theft or misappropriation of funds and not other technical forms of improprieties that can be argued to be tantamount to fraud.

Commenting on the SEC report where the Commission recognized the paucity of fraud under Reg CF Ellenoff said the SEC supported the view that Reg CF hasnt experienced any meaningful issues in this regard.

They point out that the platforms, while not necessarily owned or managed by seasoned securities professionals, are doing a responsible job in trying to be compliant.

So is the lack of fraud is due to the diligence of the crowdfunding platforms?

Sherwood Neiss argued in 2012 that he didnt believe that fraud would present itself in Reg CF for a variety of reasons including the diligence of the platforms, Ellenoff said. He argued further though that the transparency of the process, coupled with the active voice of the social media required under the final rules, would spotlight problem entrepreneurs and bad business models.

Ellenoff cautioned that this doesnt mean there wont ever be any fraud, as fraud happens even in publicly traded stocks, but that bad actors have many easier ways to conduct fraud and receive a much larger payoff for their efforts.

So far the platforms seem to be taking their responsibility under the rules quite seriously, Ellenoff stated.

So it appears that the heightened degree of transparency for securities being offered may be beneficial to stopping fraud. The light of day may be the best vaccine to possible Ponzi schemes.

While we would not expect any naysayers to admit they were wrong, Crowdfund Insider asked Ellenoff if it is time to move on and improve the Reg CF rules:

Human nature being what it is, changing minds is very difficult even though the lack of fraud in Reg CF versus the ICO market, which wasnt transparent, should compel regulators to broaden the utility of Reg CF, said Ellenoff.

Ellenoff added that some of the statutory provisions can only be revised by Congress but there are other initiatives the SEC could undertake on its own.

In fairness to Congress, they do keep seeking to change certain limiting elements of the rules, including permitting the use of SPVs to pool the investors on the issuing companys cap table. On the other hand, the SEC is focused on its overall analysis of all of the exempt offering provisions and unlikely to consider other changes anytime soon. Luckily, the foundation for this exemption after several years is strong and all of the negativity and fraudsteria has been unfounded.

See the article here:

Reg CF: In More than 3 Years this Crowdfunding Exemption has Seen Zero Fraud in Contrast to What Some Expected - Crowdfund Insider

The debate has been going on for about 2 weeks now. Should the Phillies try and re-sign Corey Dickerson? Several issues come up in this discussion.

Firstly, the Phillies already have several outfielders under control. Andrew McCutchen, Jay Bruce, Bryce Harper, Adam Haseley, and partly Scott Kingery are all under control in 2020. There would be little room for Dickerson. Secondly, Corey Dickerson has injury history. This season alone Dickerson has missed games due to shoulder, groin, hand, and foot injuries. Currently, hes dealing with a bruised navicular bone in his left foot.

The biggest issue is that rookie Adam Haseley has shown too much potential in 2019 to waste in 2020.

In 51 games and 179 plate appearances, Adam Haeley has slashed .268/.330/.421. Specifically, September has been huge for him. Hes slashed .333/.438/.667 in 10 games. In the last game against the Braves, Haseley walked twice but also hit a huge 2-run shot off of Julio Teheran.

It isnt his offense that makes him so valuable. Haseley has shown prolific defensive abilities. In just his past 10 days, hes put hitters on notice. Hit it to me and check out this 5-star play.

In Cincinnati against the Reds, Haseley first showed us what that glove do when he made this catch. Not only did he rob a home run, but he tried to fool everyone watching. That was in center field.

We now go to right field during the Mets series. The Mets were threatening with bases loaded until Haseley made this catch. It would serve a 1-0 lead for the Phillies at the time.

We head into left field in the Braves series and of course Adam Haseley is making headline plays again. He made this catch with only a 10% catchability rate, according to Statcast.

Same position, different night as Adam Haseley seems to have not fear in the outfield. This time he takes away a single and them doubles off Brian McCann at 2nd base to end the inning.

According to FanGraphs, Haseley has already recorded 7 defensive runs saved, 3 in left, 3 in center, and 1 in right.

His defense alone should make him a lock for the 2020 Phillies outfield.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Alec Kostival graduated from La Salle University with a degree in communication with a focus in mass media and journalism. He covered high school sports for the Chestnut Hill Local. He has interned with the Reading Fightin Phils and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Excerpt from:

Why Adam Haseley must be the Phillies' starting CF next season - Philly Sports Network

On October 4, 2019 the Brave Combat Federation returns to the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi for another stacked card. The Bahrain-based outfit recently announced the full lineup for the event.

At the top of the bill is an immediate rematch in the promotions welterweight division, as newly minted champion Abdoul Abdouraguimov (10-0-0 MMA, 3-0-0 BCF) looks to tame The Jordanian Lion Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi (12-3-0 MMA, 6-1-0 BCF) for a second time. Silawi relinquished his crown to the unbeaten Russian earlier this year in a closely contested five-round affair. It is important to note that Braves welterweight contests take place at 175 pounds. The weight-class was originally dubbed the super welterweight division, as it is classified as such under the unified rules of MMA. To avoid confusion Brave renamed the division welterweight after much discussion from officials and fans alike. The promotion decided to move the division up five pounds when it created the super lightweight (165lbs) category late last year.

Another rematch will take place in the lightweight division as Canadas Alexander Martinez (5-0-0 MMA, 1-0-0 BCF) battles The Moroccan Sensation Anas Siraj Mounir in the co-feature. The two previously met at Brave CF 23, but the fight was ruled a no contest after a groin strike halted the bout. Mounir (7-1-0 MMA, 1-0-0 BCF) is a training partner of former super lightweight title challenger Mounir Lazzez.

Several of the promotions rising stars will be in action as well. Fresh off of the biggest win of his career, a knockout triumph over the previously unbeaten Ikram Aliskerov, Khamzat Chimaev looks to keep is unbeaten record in tact as he takes on Mzwandile Hlongwa. A Chimaev win could see him challenging for the inaugural middleweight title, facing the winner of Abdouraguimov/Al-Silawi, or even drop down to challenge for the super lightweight title. Mohammad Fakhreddine, Tarek Suleiman, Ikram Aliskerov and John Cris Corton will all see action at Brave CF 27.

Jaideep Singh, a former RIZIN fighter and K-1 kickboxer who competed against Fedor Emelianenko, is also competing.

Below is the full card for the event.

Main Card:

Abdoul Abdouraguimov (c) vs. Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi for the Brave CF Welterweight TitleAnas Siraj Mounir vs. Alexander Martinez (Lightweight)Ibrahim El-Sawi vs. Jaideep Singh (Heavyweight)Khamzat Chimaev vs. Mzwandile Hlongwa (Middleweight)Tarek Suleiman vs. Rustam Chsiev (Middleweight)

Preliminary Card:

Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. Ikram Aliskerov (Middleweight)Dwight Brooks vs. Alex Leko Nacfur (Super Lightweight)Jalal Al-Daaja vs. Tariq Ismail (Bantamweight)John Cris Corton vs. Zia Mashwani (Bantamweight)Flavio Serafim vs. Mohammad Khatib (Super Lightweight)Sulaiman al Modhyan vs. Abdullatip Magomedov (Featherweight)

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Brave CF 27 Full Card Announced - Cageside Press