The month-end close process is among the most time-consuming and intensive hurdles accountants face each and every month. Ensuring that transactions are recorded in the proper period, reconciliations are completed, and recurring entries are posted often requires long hours and late nights. The process can be fraught with the potential for errors, discrepancies, and inefficiency. BlackLine, Inc. (NASDAQ:BL) seeks to change all that by bringing automation to the process.
BlackLine disrupts the stodgy accounting industry. Image source: ?
A long and tedious process
A recent survey by the Institute of Management Accountants indicates that month-end close can take more than seven days, and only 20% of those surveyed reported being very satisfied with their closing process. More than half indicated that spending less time on the process would free them to focus on strategic initiatives for the business. Thankfully, advances in technology over the last several years have made it possible to perform certain tasks throughout the period that were previously relegated to period-end.
stock market stocks: Smithfield Foods Inc.(SFD)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By John Udovich]
Thanksgiving is almost here but the exit of both Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (NYSE: PPC) and Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) to focus on their chicken or pork businesses (the latter was also acquired by the Chinese) leaves just two big Thanksgiving turkey stocks, Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) and Seaboard Corporation (NYSEAMEX: SEB), for investors to consider. According to the American Far Bureau, a 16-pound turkey will (on average) come in at a total of $22.74 this year or roughly $1.42 per pound for a decrease of 2 cents per pound or a total of 30 cents per whole turkey, compared to 2015. The price drop may be a transition back to the norm as the significant bird flu outbreak last year hurt the nations supply of both turkey and eggs.
stock market stocks: Mercury Systems Inc(MRCY)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Mercury Systems Inc (NASDAQ: MRCY) shares shot up 15 percent to $19.00 after the company agreed to acquire the embedded security, RF and Microwave and custom microelectronics businesses of Microsemi Corporation (NASDAQ: MSCC).
- [By Lisa Levin]
Mercury Systems Inc (NASDAQ: MRCY) shares shot up 15 percent to $18.94 after the company agreed to acquire the embedded security, RF and Microwave and custom microelectronics businesses of Microsemi Corporation (NASDAQ: MSCC).
stock market stocks: Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc.(CNSL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Thursday, telecommunications services shares fell by 0.96 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CNSL), down 7 percent, and Internet Gold Golden Lines Ltd (NASDAQ: IGLD), down 6 percent.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Wednesday afternoon, the telecommunications services sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CNSL) and Telecom Argentina SA (ADR) (NYSE: TEO).
stock market stocks: L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.(LLL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Peter Graham]
A long term performance chart shows ViaSat, Inc plus mid to large cap communications stockslikeHarris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) and L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc (NYSE: LLL)had been moving in tandem until last yearwhile small cap Gogo Inc has underperformed:
- [By Paul Ausick]
Five teams are expected to compete for the contract: Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) has joined with Saab to offer a clean-sheet design; Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) has teamed up with BAE Systems and L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LLL) on another clean-sheet design; Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) are going with a modified KAI T-50; Raytheon Corp. (NYSE: RTN) has joined with Italy’s Leonardo and Canada’s CAE Inc. (NYSE: CAE) on a version of Leonardo’s M-346 trainer that it calls the T-100; and privately held Sierra Nevada has partnered with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) on another clean-sheet design.
- [By Peter Graham]
Headquartered in New York City, large cap L3 Technologies Inc (NYSE: LLL) employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide and is a leading provider of a broad range of communication, electronic and sensor systems used on military, homeland security and commercial platforms. L3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems, security and detection systems, and pilot training. The Company reported 2016 sales of $10.5 billion.
stock market stocks: HCI Group, Inc.(HCI)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Jim Robertson]
Small cap Florida insurance stock HCI Group Inc (NYSE: HCI) has taken a hit with shares down around 21% over the past week on predictions that Hurricane Irma would hit Florida albeit sharesrose 2.74%on Friday when it became clear that it would not be as catastrophic as feared:
stock market stocks: TOP Ships Inc.(TOPS)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin] Related Chardan Analyst Suggests An AveXis-Ionis Pair Trade Why The Biogen-Ionis News Is A Boon For AveXis AveXis' (AVXS) CEO Sean Nolan on Q4 2016 Results – Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha)
Related CLBS Earnings Scheduled For March 17, 2017 15 Biggest Mid-Day Gainers For Thursday Caladrius Biosciences beats by $0.07, beats on revenue (Seeking Alpha) Gainers
Caladrius Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ: CLBS) shares rose 20.2 percent to $6.13 in pre-market trading after the company reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss.
Arbutus Biopharma Corp (NASDAQ: ABUS) rose 12.3 percent to $3.20 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed that it has licensed LNP delivery technology to Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) for use in single messenger RNA product candidate.
AveXis Inc (NASDAQ: AVXS) rose 12.2 percent to $81.66 in pre-market trading after the company reported topline data from Phase 1 trial of AVXS-101.
TOP SHIPS Inc (NASDAQ: TOPS) shares rose 10.5 percent to $2.43 in pre-market trading after surging 109.52 percent on Thursday.
ChipMOS TECHNOLOGIES INC. (NASDAQ: IMOS) rose 9.8 percent to $17.45 in pre-market trading after declining 0.44 percent on Thursday.
Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SINO) rose 8.3 percent to $3.38 in pre-market trading after climbing 23.81 percent on Thursday.
Diana Containerships Inc (NASDAQ: DCIX) rose 7.6 percent to $2.99 in pre-market trading after surging 12.55 percent on Thursday.
Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD) rose 5.2 percent to $37.25 in pre-market trading. Steel Dynamics expects Q1 earnings of $0.77 to $0.81 per diluted share. The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1550 per common share.
Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: ADBE) - [By Paul Ausick]
Top Ships Inc. (NASDAQ: TOPS) posted a new 52-week low of $0.49 on Tuesday, down about 0.6% compared with Monday’s closing price of $0.52. The stock’s 52-week high is $8.40. Volume was about 4 times the daily average of around 2.8 million shares. The company had no specific news.
- [By Lisa Levin]
TOP SHIPS Inc (NASDAQ: TOPS) shares dropped 59 percent to $0.995. TOP SHIPS enacted a 1:15 reverse stock split today.
Shares of American Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMSWA) were down 12 percent to $10.58. American Software reported preliminary Q4 adjusted earnings of $0.09 per share on revenue of $26.3 million.
