Latest news with #Microstrategy
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Smarter Web Company becomes tech unicorn after stock surges six-fold in two weeks
Smarter Web Company has become the UK's latest tech unicorn, achieving a valuation of more than £1bn after its stock saw a six-fold increase in just two weeks. The web design and online marketing company saw its stock climb 18.3 per cent by the end of the day's trading session on Friday to 500p, ending a week-long run of gains and bringing its total market cap to £1.1bn. That has come off the back of the firm's new Bitcoin treasury policy, in which it invests all its spare cash into Bitcoin, emulating a model made famous four years ago after its adoption by US firm Microstrategy and its billionaire co-founder Mike Saylor. The company now holds 346.63 Bitcoin with a combined market value of £27.2m. The stock surge means that Smarter Web Company has now become one of the 250 most valuable listed companies in the UK, meaning it would rank around the middle of the FTSE 250 index. The Smarter Web Company, which offers web design, web development and online marketing services, has now raised funds five times since its IPO in April, following another £30m raise last week. It is already comfortably the most valuable constituent of the Aquis exchange. 'The company believes that Bitcoin forms a core part of the future of the global financial system and as the company explores opportunities through organic growth and corporate acquisitions is pioneering the adoption of a Bitcoin Treasury Policy into its strategy,' Smarter Web Company said. The company's founder, ex Hargreaves Lansdown head of digital Andrew Webley, controls a 12.4 per cent stake in the business worth over £100m. 'By taking a pioneering approach to treasury management using digital assets, including Bitcoin, we believe we offer investors an excellent opportunity,' Webley said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This Penny Stock Just Doubled Down on Plans to Become the Next MicroStrategy. Should You Buy It Now?
Genius Group Holdings (GNS), a micro-cap education technology business, made headlines by increasing its position in Bitcoin (BTCUSD) up to a maximum of 100 BTC following a favorable court ruling in May 2025. The action shows the company following in Microstrategy's (MSTR) footsteps — storing Bitcoin as a strategic treasury asset despite it being a small-cap firm with risky finances. With shares dipping 16.5% during the previous week, investors question whether Genius Group's crypto-oriented strategy is going to reignite bullish sentiment or introduce additional speculative risk. The general market backdrop fans the debate. Bitcoin recently hit a new record above $110,000 reviving retail optimism for crypto-related stocks. But while the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) trades just shy of record levels, speculative small-cap stocks such as GNS have fared poorly in comparison. For Genius Group specifically, this appears to be at least partially due to regulatory setbacks. Trump Is Giving Tesla's Robotaxis a Leg Up Ahead of June 22. Should You Buy TSLA Stock Now? Dear Nvidia Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 16 The Trump Family Is Betting Big on Mobile Phones. Should Apple Stock Investors Be Worried? Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! Genius Group (GNS) is a Singapore-based edtech company that offers AI-powered, Bitcoin-oriented education platforms in its Genius City format and chain of Genius Schools. With a presence in over 100 countries and 5.8 million students, it is focused on customized learning and worker upskilling. Its market cap is a paltry $25 million, making it vulnerable to volatility. Shares have declined more than 86% in the past 12 months, dramatically underperforming the S&P 500 Index. Year to date, GNS is down over 48%, recently trading around $0.35 — a far cry from its 52-week high of $3.20. Despite recent BTC purchases, the stock has yet to respond positively, possibly due to lingering legal overhangs and questions about its core business execution. From a valuation standpoint, GNS is trading at a 3.3x price-sales ratio and a paltry 0.31x price-book value. Its total loss of $25 million on a mere $7.9 million in revenue reveals challenges with its operating model. Even following a 303% surge in net asset value (NAV) to $79.4 million, its profit margins are critically negative. Genius Group announced full-year 2024 results in April 2025, reporting $7.9 million in revenue, down sharply from $23.1 million in 2023 as a result of a botched asset acquisition and legal restructuring. The company was able to narrow its operating loss by a third to just $30.1 million from $36.1 million in the previous year. The adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed slightly to $13 million from $13.2 million, while NAV strengthened from just $19.7 million all the way up to $79.4 million, fueled by crypto gains and asset realignment. Pre-2025, Genius forecast sales of $10 million to $13 million with positive EBITDA of $200,000 to $1 million, a first-ever profit forecast in company history. That is all conditional, however, on a court decision. The company is seeking damages over $700 million for alleged fraud and extortion from a former deal partner. In defending its crypto business, Genius transferred all U.S.-held Bitcoin back to Singapore and returned related loans, making it debt-free. The management reported that the company was compelled to sell off its Bitcoin treasury in order to satisfy a court-ordered preliminary injunction, but resumed buying in May after a successful appeal in the U.S. It currently owns 100 BTC, which is equivalent to approximately $10 million at an average cost of $100,600 per coin. No analysts tracked by Barchart provide ratings on Genius Group stock. While GNS is a popular retail trading name due to its Bitcoin-oriented direction, its small corporate size makes it unlikely to receive much analyst attention. Potential investors should focus more on company fundamentals, the Bitcoin market, and progress in the mentioned litigation. On the date of publication, Yiannis Zourmpanos did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
Forbes
21-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
What Jamie Dimon Wants Every CEO To Remember About Leadership
Jamie Dimon shares 4 key reminders about leadership. Effective leadership takes many forms, adapting to different circumstances and numerous business needs. While common principles underpin great leadership, each leader brings their unique style and approach. In the business world, the requirements of strong leadership shift depending on factors such as a company's maturity, industry trends, and global events. Few leaders have had to adapt more than JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Overseeing $4 trillion in assets and leading nearly 300,000 employees, Dimon has spent almost two decades at the helm of one of the world's largest financial institutions. In a recent fireside chat with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen at the Adobe Summit, he shared four key leadership principles with an audience of 12,000 executives, marketers, and professionals. In a world increasingly sensitive to feelings, leadership demands a commitment to truth over comfort. Radical honesty and direct communication—while sometimes uncomfortable—are essential for driving performance and maintaining transparency. "A lot of companies don't do that," Dimon noted, warning that avoiding hard truths can lead to complacency and diminished accountability across the board. He advised leaders, 'Don't try to use numbers to prove what you think. Try to use numbers to understand what you are doing.' An example of not sugar-coating reality and looking at the numbers is Microstrategy (now doing business as Strategy), which made a strategic Bitcoin shift years ago that has yielded significant returns. On a personal level, being direct further stimulates growth, a philosophy Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang embraces to cultivate high-performing teams and loyalty. Assembling a leadership team isn't just about finding great employees—it's about identifying individuals who can handle leadership's unique pressures and intricacies. Dimon emphasized that competence in one area doesn't always translate to effective leadership. "A lot of people who run stuff, they're a hot mess. Don't let them run something because they'll be a disaster," he cautioned. With leadership evolving in complexity, small details make a significant impact. Separating individual talent from leadership capability is critical to long-term success. Technical skills and strategic thinking are vital, but humility is one of the most defining traits of exceptional leaders. From frontline employees to C-suite executives, treating people with genuine respect is a necessary leadership cornerstone. "People know when you care about them," Dimon observed. This principle is reflected in the practices of leaders like Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, who writes handwritten letters to employees to reinforce morale. Dimon displays this principle by strengthening key relationships and positioning himself in a position of growth and development through frequent business travel and getting out of the office as much as possible. Ultimately, while people may forget what you say, they never forget how you make them feel. Leading is anything but smooth sailing. It's not a question of if but when challenges will arrive. Dimon highlighted that grit and resilience are necessities in a leader's toolkit. With competition intensifying, technology rapidly accelerating, and the battle for top talent fiercer than ever, leaders' reservoirs of resilience will continually be challenged from all angles. To stay ahead, leaders must take risks, innovate, and continuously reinvent even when on top—a strategy that Siemens CEO Roland Busch prioritizes. "You have to say 'absolutely not,' or 'absolutely, take the chance—go for it,'" Dimon said, underscoring the importance of being decisive in your leadership. Dimon's recent RTO stances demonstrate that grit also means making tough, sometimes unpopular decisions and standing by them. Bruce Lee famously said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Like martial arts, leadership is not about complexity. It's about mastering the basics. Whether leading a small team or a global enterprise, the principles of clear communication, team development, humility, resilience, and discipline will take leaders further than any fleeting trend.
Globe and Mail
19-03-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
QQQ ETF News, 3/19/2025
How is QQQ stock faring? The Invesco QQQ ETF is down 0.17% in the past 5 days but has risen about 10.59% over the past year. Light Up your Portfolio with Spark: Easily identify stocks' risks and opportunities. Discover stocks' market position with detailed competitor analyses. According to TipRanks' unique ETF analyst consensus, determined based on a weighted average of its holdings' analyst ratings, QQQ is a Moderate Buy. The Street's average price target of $615.27 implies an upside of about 29.66%. Currently, QQQ's five holdings with the highest upside potential are Microstrategy (MSTR), Trade Desk (TTD), MongoDB (MDB), AppLovin (APP) and Marvell (MRVL). Meanwhile, its four holdings with the greatest downside potential are Intel (INTC), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), Paychex (PAYX), and American Electric Power (AEP). Revealingly, QQQ ETF's Smart Score is seven, implying that this ETF is likely to perform in line with the market. Power up your ETF investing with TipRanks. Discover the Top Equity ETFs with High Upside Potential, carefully curated based on TipRanks' analysis. Disclosure
