Latest news with #Aron
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Indie musician Aksomaniac on his track ‘Kanmashi' and choosing music as a career
A few weeks before he quit college and moved to Mumbai, Aron Kollassani Selestin, a 22-year-old indie musician from Thiruvananthapuram, was racking his brains for the perfect verse for his song in a cafe in Kollam. Two days went by and he kept staring at his notebook, and empty espresso mugs. Aron was looking for the perfect lyrics in the language he struggles to write in — Malayalam. Finally, on the third day, Aron aka Aksomaniac put pen to paper, jotting down the verses of his latest single 'Kanmashi', produced by Fatboi Raccoon, featuring vocalist Archa Quaser. ''Kanmashi' started with just an instrumental consisting of a bass line and drums that Fatboi Raccoon had sent me. Once I heard it, I added a piano roll as an interlude to it, which gives a surreal feel to the track, flowing through emotions of fear, intrigue, and bliss.' The artiste blends a range of music genres in this song, exhibiting a fluid quality — from Carnatic notes to R&B — while addressing themes of self-exploration and self-love. The verses in Malayalam mention Manmadhan and Gandharvan, mystical beings associated with sex and love. 'I told Fatboi that this song should be about figuring out one's sexuality. R&B is also about intimacy and all those narratives. It has a bespoke nature,' says Aron over a Zoom call from Mumbai. 'It is representative of how I feel. My feelings were dynamic when I was figuring out my identity as a person. And the place I am from is not much open about such things. It is not the conventional thing to dress the way you want, putting kanmashi (kohl), wearing bangles, growing long hair or having a septum piercing,' says Aron. Origin story The artiste's relationship with music began at the age of six when he joined Carnatic vocal classes with his sister. He later joined a tabla class at 10, which he later quit to learn keyboard. 'I was about to quit that too, but somehow, I started growing into it,' says Aron. 'My father used to take me to the classes meticulously. My weekends were busier than weekdays when I was a child. He sacrificed his weekends for me. And that is when I started giving my music the dedication my father gave to my music,' Aron recalls, practising nine hours a day. He describes his routine as regimented, which became more rigorous in lockdown. 'I was one of the students who did not have to write class 12 board exams. During this time, I made cover songs — to hone my skills in vocals, production, shooting and editing. A friend of mine, Raveen, suggested that we make original music. And within a week, we created three songs via Google Meet. That's when a shift happened in me, it felt way more satisfying listening to my songs. I started chasing that feeling.' Aron debuted in 2021 with 'Mistakes', a track about longing. His discography includes 21 songs and collaborations with artists such as Unkill ji, Adil and Moksh Vibe. Moving to Mumbai Earlier this year, Aron moved to Mumbai in 'a polarising call', quitting a degree in computer science in the final year. 'It was a necessity for me. The seriousness with which I am trying to make music needs to be facilitated by such decisions. I moved to Mumbai because my label is there and there are also people I could count on. On metrics like financial stability, security and so on, moving to Mumbai, to do music full-time might seem like a stupid decision but it was a personal decision; a massive gamble and I would not recommend it to anyone,' he says. 'My parents did not support this decision,' he says. The artiste believes that his parents have created a platform to launch him through their hard work, and he does not expect them to understand the industry, as he has gaps in his knowledge about it too. 'I wouldn't have gotten into music if it wasn't for my father and I am still doing something he facilitated, just in a different way.' In May, Aron won the Indian Music Diaries 2025 EP of the Year award for 'Explained Twice', released in 2024. 'That EP did not almost come out. I wanted a visually heavy album, but I did not have the money to make it. We still put it out. 'Close by Me' is my second song; it is also one of the three songs I wrote during the pandemic. We finished 'Veer Off', a week before it started streaming.' 'Explained Twice' was an exhibition and an attempt to understand the artiste's limitations and do the music he likes. He adds, 'The EP gave me so much confidence in my work as a producer and a songwriter.' Aron is currently working on two EPs. One of them, titled 'Varthamanam', will be in Malayalam, as the musician aims to challenge his abilities yet again. The second EP is a dance project, that brings together different dance cultures. He adds, 'I am glad that I am getting an avenue to speak, which most people do not; I journal in a way that most people don't. I am happy that I can tell stories through my songs.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Buy AMC Stock Before August?
AMC was one of the original meme stocks. The large movie theater company has struggled, though, as streaming apps and other platforms like YouTube have stolen viewers. AMC is expected to report second-quarter earnings in August. 10 stocks we like better than AMC Entertainment › AMC (NYSE: AMC), the world's largest owner of movie theaters, was also one of the original meme stocks that popped in 2020 and 2021. Retail investors, through the power of social media and investing chat groups, started looking for stocks with high short interest, even if the company's fundamentals weren't strong. They realized that by working together to purchase shares and refusing to sell, they could keep the stock price higher for longer, eventually forcing short-sellers to repurchase their borrowed shares, which they had to return to the original owners. The result is a massive short squeeze, which can lead to a stock melting up. While AMC's stock has crashed since its epic run, the name still has many loyal followers who think the stock can rally. Should you buy AMC before the company reports earnings some time in early August? While people consume more content than ever before, movie theaters have not benefited from this trend. YouTube and streaming apps, and the ability to use these platforms on a variety of devices, have taken market share from movie theaters. The pandemic made it more mainstream to watch movies from the confines of home, and the streaming apps regularly release new content that bypasses movie theaters altogether. Even the most highly anticipated movies with big-name actors that start out in theaters only take a few months before they are accessible on a streaming app for free or can be purchased, often at a cheaper rental price than going to the theaters. While many industries that struggled during the pandemic have now recovered, movie theaters are still struggling. Many experts thought this might be the year that the movie business recovered, but that hasn't been the case so far. In 2024, AMC reported a $353 million net loss, which improved 44% from 2023. Revenue dropped about 4% on the year. However, in the first quarter of 2025, which is believed to be a seasonally weak time for the sector, AMC reported a $202 million net loss and saw revenue decline 9.3% year over year. AMC CEO Adam Aron said he strongly believes the poor results are an anomaly. "Anyone trying to draw any conclusions about the success or appeal of movie theatres from the results of the first quarter of 2025 is likely to be mistaken," Aron said in AMC's earnings release, adding that the first quarter of the year was the worst experienced by the industry since 1996, excluding a few quarters impacted by the pandemic. Aron added that demand for movie theater experiences has surged in the second quarter, with domestic box office activity up more than double in April and May on a year-over-year basis. It's a bit hard for me to reconcile how the box office can be so volatile this year, but if Aron is to be believed there should be a bounce in the second quarter. A report from Grower Street Analytics earlier this year said that domestic box office totals in 2025 are supposed to jump 8% year over year, so perhaps the first quarter was an anomaly. Still, AMC's financials are not yet compelling. Furthermore, my own experiences and trends with how I view content do not make me a believer in the box office. I find streaming at home to be far more convenient. I've learned to simply wait a few months to see most new movies that appear in theaters, and when there is a popular new movie out that I want to see, it's difficult to book good seats in a theater. While movie ticket prices have gotten more expensive, it's now much more affordable to purchase a large television and entertainment system for your house or apartment. Considering these trends and no real financial proof yet that AMC is anywhere close to turning a profit or growing revenue, I think investors can find plenty of better opportunities to invest their capital over AMC. Before you buy stock in AMC Entertainment, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and AMC Entertainment wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $649,102!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $882,344!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 996% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Bram Berkowitz has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Buy AMC Stock Before August? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ormat Technologies Announces Strategic Leadership Changes
ORMAT EXPANDS MANAGEMENT TEAM TO SUPPORT ELECTRICITY SEGMENT GROWTH AND EGS INITIATIVES ARON WILLIS APPOINTED EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, ELECTRICITY SEGMENT DANIEL MOELK APPOINTED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, RESOURCES, DRILLING, & EGS RENO, Nev., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA) (the 'Company' or 'Ormat'), a leading geothermal and renewable energy company, is pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished executives to its senior management team. These strategic appointments are poised to propel the next phase of the Company's growth and enhance its operational excellence within the renewable energy sector. Aron Willis Appointed Executive Vice President, Electricity Segment Effective June 4, 2025, Aron Willis will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Electricity Segment at Ormat Technologies. In this capacity Aron will oversee the operations of the Electricity Segment, ensuring alignment with the Company's strategic goals and financial targets. Aron will also be responsible for optimizing plant performance, implementing advanced AI tools, ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to foster future growth. Aron brings over 25 years of extensive experience in the power generation industry, with a proven track record of leadership and financial and operational expertise. His career includes significant roles at TransAlta Corporation and Northwest Digital Power, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing large-scale operations and driving substantial growth initiatives. At TransAlta Corporation, Aron held several senior leadership positions, including Executive Vice President of Project Delivery & Construction, Executive Vice President of Growth and Senior Vice President of Operations & Commercial Management. He also managed TransAlta's Australian operations for 10 years, comprising approximately 500MW of generating capacity. Aron holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Finance from the University of Calgary. Daniel Moelk Appointed Senior Vice President, Resources, Drilling & EGS In July 2025, Daniel Moelk will join Ormat as Senior Vice President, Resources, Drilling & EGS. Daniel will lead our Resources, Drilling, and EGS teams with a focus on implementing sophisticated processes and innovative technologies. His work will focus in part on creating efficiencies through the use and advanced AI tools and developing Ormat's ongoing drilling and exploration global roadmap. Daniel brings nearly 18 years of valuable operations and drilling management experience within the geothermal industry. Most recently, Daniel served as the EVP of European Operations for Eavor Technologies Inc, a company focused on EGS development where he successfully executed some of the industry's most challenging and complex drilling campaigns. Daniel has played pivotal roles in expanding geothermal drilling operations across his career, in particular at Steag GMBH, PT Sejahtera Alam Energy while he was located in Indonesia, Daldrup & Sohne AG, Mannvit Engineering Consultants, and Iceland Drilling Inc. Daniel holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iceland. 'We are thrilled to welcome Aron Willis and Daniel Moelk to Ormat's leadership team, where their valued backgrounds and experience will help drive the next phase of development and growth for our leading geothermal operations,' said Doron Blachar, Chief Executive Officer of Ormat Technologies. 'Their extensive experience and proven track records in the power generation and geothermal industries will be invaluable as we continue to support our growth through continued innovation. These appointments reflect our commitment to strengthening our leadership team, advancing our strategic objectives for generation growth, expanding our profitability, and focusing efforts on EGS development. I am confident that Aron and Daniel, both of whom will report directly to me, will play pivotal roles in our ongoing success.' Blachar continued, 'I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to Shimon Hatzir for his long-standing service to the Company and his exceptional leadership and dedication over the past 36 years. Shimon has made significant contributions to Ormat in various capacities, including leading our R&D and engineering division, leading wide range of technology developments, and managing the design of numerous power plants. He also led our energy storage segment, and most recently, heading the Electricity Segment including the Resource and Drilling operations I wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.' ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES With six decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal company, and the only vertically integrated company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation ('REG'), with robust plans to accelerate long-term growth in the energy storage market and to establish a leading position in the U.S. energy storage market. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter – a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed for utilities and developers worldwide, totaling approximately 3,400MW of gross capacity. Ormat leveraged its core capabilities in the geothermal and REG industries and its global presence to expand the Company's activity into energy storage services, solar Photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage plus Solar PV. Ormat's current total generating portfolio is 1,538MW with a 1,248MW geothermal and solar generation portfolio that is spread globally in the U.S., Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guadeloupe, and a 290MW energy storage portfolio that is located in the U.S. ORMAT'S SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including such matters as our projections of annual revenues, expenses and debt service coverage with respect to our debt securities, future capital expenditures, business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, development or operation of generation assets, market and industry developments and the growth of our business and operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words 'may', 'will', 'could', 'should', 'expects', 'plans', 'anticipates', 'believes', 'estimates', 'predicts', 'projects', 'potential', or 'contemplate' or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words or expressions. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormat's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Although we believe that our plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we may not achieve these plans or objectives. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties and other risks described under "Risk Factors" as described in Ormat's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') on February 27, 2025, and in Ormat's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q that are filed from time to time with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and, except as legally required, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Ormat Technologies Contact:Smadar LaviVP Head of IR and ESG Planning & Reporting 775-356-9029 (ext. 65726)slavi@ Investor Relations Agency Contact:Joseph Caminiti or Josh CarrollAlpha IR Group312-445-2870ORA@ in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
AMC Entertainment Sets Memorial Day Holiday-Weekend Records for Admissions Revenue, Food and Beverage Revenue, and Total Revenue, on the Way to AMC's Biggest Revenue Weekend So Far in 2025
LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and the world, today announced a record-breaking Memorial Day holiday weekend performance. From Thursday through the Monday holiday, AMC set all-time weekend records for the Memorial Day holiday for admissions revenue, food & beverage revenue and overall revenue at its domestic locations. In terms of the number of guests in its theatres, both in the United States and globally AMC and ODEON Cinemas also recorded their highest attended weekend and highest attended 5-day period of 2025. All told, more than 7 million moviegoers visited an AMC in the United States or an ODEON Cinemas location internationally from Thursday through Monday. AMC's 5-day performance for overall revenue (admissions revenue plus food and beverage revenue) ranks as the Company's third-best 5-day period in more than a decade. As part of the successful weekend in the U.S., AMC recorded its biggest food and beverage revenue over a 5-day period this decade, and second biggest in Company history. Domestically, it was also AMC's most attended weekend of the year and its highest-attended Memorial Day weekend since 2013. Also, this past weekend domestically at AMC, each of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were the most attended of all the respective Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays of 2025. AMC's strong results reflect broader momentum across the theatrical industry, as media outlets report a record-setting Memorial Day box office, driven by the robust openings of LILO & STITCH and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING. Audiences for both films filled AMC's extensive network of premium screens, including IMAX, Dolby Cinema and RealD 3D. AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron commented: 'Finally it would appear that our industry has turned a corner. Since early April, weekend after weekend, moviegoers have been demonstrating their preference for theatrical moviegoing. A record-setting Memorial Day holiday is yet another sign of the continued strength and relevance of moviegoing in 2025. With many more potentially huge movies coming in June all the way through the end of 2025, and beyond that deeply into 2026 as well, we firmly expect to be enjoying a robust theatrical box office as we look ahead.' Aron continued: 'This record-setting Memorial Day weekend underscores the long-standing truth that when exceptional films meet unmatched theatrical experiences, audiences respond in a big way. We are especially grateful to our studio partners at Disney and Paramount, as well as the filmmakers, casts, and crews behind LILO & STITCH and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING for their creating stories and delivering performances that truly resonated with moviegoers. Their creative efforts, combined with AMC's continued focus on enhanced sight, sound, and comfort, led to AMC Entertainment enjoying one of the most successful weekends in our company's history.' About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 900 theatres and 10,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website, and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. For more information, visit
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why a Veteran Investor Is Very Bullish on Amazon.com (AMZN) and Uber Technologies (UBER)
Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is well-positioned to benefit from its cost cutting, and the latter initiative is likely to boost its bottom line, said Andrew Arons in a recent appearance on Schwab Network. Further, the company is "constantly innovating," the veteran investor said. Arons, the managing partner of Synergy Advisory Management Group, is also quite upbeat about Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER). Arons' Comments on Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)'s Cost Cutting Whenever Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) carries out cost cutting, its bottom line is boosted, Arons said. "Right now (AMZN) is using 750,000 AI robots to raise the margins of their warehouses," the investor stated. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) Is Being Widely Underestimated Asserting that Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) is being underestimated by many on the Street, Aron noted that the company expects to facilitate 12 billion rides in 2025. "That's a pretty astounding number," the veteran investor said. He added that 25% fewer of 18-to-35 year olds drive now than was the case about 20 years ago. Uber Technologies (UBER) also has "a couple of good strategic partnerships," Aron said. While we acknowledge the potential of AMZN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AMZN and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: The author owns shares of AMZN but has no intention of trading them in the next 48 hours. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
