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Strong U.S. IPO Market

Stars Align and 2013 Proves to be Hottest U.S. IPO Market Since 2004 — Momentum Continues in 2014

— PE-backed IPOs dominate with most active year since 2007

— 2013: year of the healthcare IPO

— “Blurring” of technology and other industries lead to interesting implications for IPOs

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2013, The market environment delivered all of the right signals in 2013, presenting a long-awaited window of opportunity for IPOs.  With a calmer economic climate, companies looking to go public were seemingly unphased by the 4th quarter government shutdown. This, combined with low volatility and a huge backlog of PE-backed IPOs seeking an exit, brought IPOs back with a bang: 222 IPOs in total will go effective in 2013 raising proceeds of $59.7 billion[1], with 76 deals in the public pipeline at the end of Q4. Activity and momentum in 2014 are only expected to continue.

“Investors have had the opportunity to engage with a variety of companies in the pipeline and their appetite for risk has returned,” said Jackie Kelley, for the global EY organization. “Unlike five years ago when, for the most part, tech companies were the only ones getting out, we now see pockets of activity in multiple sectors. This was a standout year for healthcare, for example. VC-backed companies came back to market and PE-backed IPOs will continue to push into 2014.”

Year over year, the number of IPOs increased 67%, from 133 in 2012 to 222 in 2013.  Proceeds increased 28%. Quarter over quarter, there were 67 IPOs in Q4 2013 compared with 33 in Q4 2012, an increase of 103%, with proceeds up 171%; additionally, the number of IPOs in Q4 increased by 12%, and proceeds increased by 96% when compared with Q3 2013.

IPOs from around the world
The US continues to attract IPOs from around the world as companies seek to capitalize on the momentum of the US capital markets. For example, 36 out of 222 US IPOs were cross-border IPOs, ie 16% of US exchanges IPOs by deal number and 11% by capital raised (US$6.7b raised) were from foreign private issuers. This compares to 9% of US IPOs by deal number and 12% by capital raised in 2012.

The IPO market surge in the US, positive investor sentiment for this asset class and appetite for global investment makes the US attractive and much more competitive than their domestic markets.

PE-backed IPOs Dominate:
PE activity provided a key source of IPO-related exits this year. As an indicator of the volume, in 2007, the peak year for PE-backed IPOs, there were 94 deals with proceeds of $20.3 billion. In 2013, by contrast, of the 222 IPOs, 94 were PE-backed and valued at $32.8 billion. An impressive 42% of all US IPOs were from PE backed companies.

Large offerings in the oil and gas sector drove the trend, collectively raising $5.8 billion. And despite relatively robust levels of exit activity over the last two years, there remains a significant backlog of PE exits that will continue to spur IPO activity into 2014. Multiple PE firms raised upwards of $10 billion in 2013, a sign of optimism for future deal making. While the increased interest in IPOs is a positive development for PE exits, an uptick in M&A will ultimately be required to fully liquidate the current PE portfolio.

Healthcare on Top:
After being sidelined for almost 10 years, the healthcare sector came back to market in a big way in 2013. Most of the healthcare companies in the pipeline were smaller IPOs that really benefitted from the JOBS Act, legislation put in place over a year ago easing the IPO path for companies with post-IPO market cap size of less than $1 billion.

However, investors, chasing healthcare IPOs for their great performance and the substantive products they are developing, may not stick around if market volatility heats up again. Other sectors rounding out the top five include: Technology, Energy and Power, Real Estate and Financial Services.

Emerging IPO Companies Will Blur Distinctions Between Sectors:
The growing convergence between technology companies and other industries is creating new opportunities for companies to add shareholder value via the capital markets. “We expect to see more blurring of tech and other industries — including consumer products, media, real estate, financial services,” said Kelley. “Companies in these “blurred” industries, meaning they can cross over into two different sectors, are coming to market. They will have a choice under which sector to list and it’s likely that valuation will be a key driver.”

As more consumers utilize mobile and cloud technology to get what they want and faster, emerging IPO companies coming to market will be more focused on creating direct touch points with consumers, eliminating  the middle man to bring suppliers and customers closer together, according to Kelley. She suggests we can expect to see more companies offering personalized products or a more personal user experience, such as making personal and business transactions faster, simpler and more secure; building customer trust; and delivering quality content and insight for users.

2014 Looking Ahead:
As 2014 rides the performance wave of 2013, the future looks bright for the IPO pipeline. Investors will look to the IPO market to drive portfolio growth. Inbound interest has piqued, with companies in Europe, the Middle East and South America looking to list on the U.S. markets –driven by the high valuations companies have garnered and good post-IPO performances over the past year.

“IPOs in 2014 will be a combination of household names, as well as disruptive, innovative companies. The backlog of PE-backed IPOs will continue to push into 2014 and companies blurred by sector convergence will drive market activity, all making for another exciting year,” concluded Kelley.

Notes to editors
All Data sourced from Dealogic.

About EY’s IPO offerings

EY firms are leaders in helping to take companies public worldwide. With decades of experience our global network is dedicated to serving market leaders and helping businesses evaluate the pros and cons of an IPO. We demystify the process by offering IPO readiness assessments, IPO preparation, project management and execution services, all of which help prepare you for life in the public spotlight. Our EY Global IPO Center of Excellence is a virtual hub which provides access to our IPO knowledge, tools, thought leadership and contacts from around the world in one easy-to-use source.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

[1] Data are completed IPOs through December 5, 2013 and projected IPOs in December, 2013

 

SOURCE:

EY

http://www.ey.com

 

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Investing Real Estate Stocks

Interested in Buying Stock in Real Estate Properties?

ETRE Financial Launches Real Time Platform for Commercial Real Estate

Enables Trading of Shares of Individual Commercial Real Estate Assets and Improves Transparency of the Overall REIT Market

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2013, ETRE Financial, LLC (“ETRE”), a real estate financial services and technology company, today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind exchange-traded real estate platform for investing in shares of individual commercial real estate assets and portfolio REITs listed on national exchanges. The ETRE platform incorporates capital advisory, asset management, trading and credit analysis to provide an end-to-end solution for liquid, transparent and accessible real estate investing and information analysis.

ETRE seeks to broaden the investment opportunity in commercial real estate through creation of the Electronic Traded Property (“ETP”) and through a new process for investing in individual commercial real estate assets. To facilitate investment in individual commercial assets, ETRE has introduced mark-to-market technology for ETP and REIT equity shares that innovates mark-to-market simultaneous pricing in price per share, price per square foot, price per unit, and price per key in real time.

“ETRE is the next evolutionary step in real estate investing,” said Paul Frischer, ETRE’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Building on the established framework of REIT equities and the benefits of underlying pooled real estate assets, investors in the public market have sought the opportunity to have access to individual commercial real estate properties as part of their portfolios. ETRE has filled this market demand through the introduction of Electronic Traded Properties, leading the way to listing and trading of single property REITs on national exchanges.”

ETRE’s proprietary trading platform and advisory services provide a complete order management system with an extensive collection of trade and market information to support superior analytics and trading for ETPs and portfolio REITs. The platform runs in a cloud environment that is available to institutional investors, traders, property owners, brokers, financial advisors and individual investors globally as a secure internet browser-based system.

“The ETRE platform delivers unprecedented transparency into publicly-traded real estate in real-time metrics for both equity and real estate investors,” said Jesse Stein, ETRE’s co-founder and Executive Managing Director. “The platform provides investors with the ability to create their own diversified real estate portfolios and allocate investments based on geographic, asset type, and yield criteria. The ETRE advisory service builds on these key factors to support owners and investors seeking to list individual commercial real estate assets on national exchanges.”

To learn more about ETRE advisory services or to register for a trial demo of the ETRE Trader OMS platform, please visit www.etrefinancial.com.

About ETRE Financial
ETRE Financial, a real estate financial technology company, was founded in 2012 by a team of real estate professionals who sought to bring the benefits of the equities market – including liquidity, transparency and investor accessibility – to the commercial real estate market. ETRE encompasses capital advisory, asset management, trading and credit analysis systems to provide an end-to-end solution for liquid, transparent and accessible real estate investing in publicly-traded REITs and exchange-listed single asset commercial real estate properties. To learn more, please visit www.etrefinancial.com.

Media Contacts:

Konstantin Shishkin
212.445.8462
kshishkin@webershandwick.com

David Brodnick 
212.445.8018
dbrodnick@webershandwick.com

SOURCE:

ETRE Financial, LLC
http://www.etrefinancial.com

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Business Finance Investing Stocks

An Example of a Forward Stock Split

Capstone Financial Group, Inc. (CAPP) Announces Forward Stock Split

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 19, 2013, Capstone Financial Group, Inc. (OTCBB: CAPP) (“Capstone”), an investment and merchant banking group, today announced a twenty-for-one forward stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock (the “forward split”). Following the forward split, each share of Capstone’s common stock outstanding will represent 20 shares of common stock on a post-split basis.

On the record date of September 23, 2013, Capstone’s common stock will begin trading on a post-split adjusted basis. Capstone Financial Group, Inc.’s ticker symbol of “CAPP” will remain unchanged as a result of the forward split; however, the effectiveness of the forward stock split is subject to approval by FINRA.

“We are pleased to announce the implementation of our forward split which we expect to encourage more liquidity in our stock trading. This puts our company on target to add and maximize shareholder value,” said Darin Pastor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Shareholders holding common stock will not be required to take any action and each share of common stock outstanding prior to the effective time of the split will thereafter represent the number of shares of common stock, on an adjusted post-split basis, following the effective time of the split. Shares of common stock held in brokerage accounts should also be credited with the split amount without further action. The forward split will increase the number of issued and outstanding shares to 90,200,000. For more information, brokerage customers should contact their brokerage representative.

Pastor and George Schneider, President and Chief Investment Officer, also announced this week that Capstone advised and funded through direct investment the current financial needs of Instant-BioScan (http://www.ibioscan.com/), a Tucson-based manufacturer of real-time microbial systems for water. Additionally, Capstone cemented the exclusive rights to advise and raise $221,000,000 through a bond offering for a large multinational corporation within the health, wellness, and nutritional supplement industry. The firm expects this transaction to close in mid-October.

About Capstone Financial Group, Inc.
Capstone Financial Group, Inc. (CAPP) is an exclusive investment and merchant banking group headquartered in Irvine, Calif. Founded in 2013 by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darin Pastor, the company includes wholly-owned subsidiaries Capstone Investment Banking, Capstone Merchant Banking, and Capstone Affluent Strategies. The firm’s executive management team consists of leaders who have more than 100 collective years of experience in wealth management and investment banking, with a surgical understanding of clean technology and industrial growth, capital raising services concerning municipal government interests, and private placements and public offerings of corporate debt and corporate equity. For more information, visit www.capstonefinancialgroupinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release relating to Capstone Financial Group, Inc.’s future plans, expectations, beliefs, intentions and prospects are “forward-looking statements” and are subject to material risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words “will,” “future,” “expect,” “look forward to,” similar expressions and any other statements that are not historical facts are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements. Any such statement may be influenced by a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of Capstone Financial Group, Inc. that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected, described, expressed or implied in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur. All information set forth in this press release is current as of September 19, 2013. Capstone Financial Group, Inc. undertakes no duty to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

 

SOURCE:

Capstone Financial Group, Inc.

http://www.capstonefinancialgroupinc.com

 

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Consumers Corporate Financial News Personal Finance Products and Services Spending Stocks

Strong New-Vehicle Sales in February Drives Robust Selling Rate

J.D. Power and LMC Automotive Report: Strong New-Vehicle Sales in February Drives Robust Selling Rate

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2013, The new-vehicle retail selling rate in February remains above 12 million units—stronger than it was a year ago—as the auto industry recovery continues, according to a monthly sales forecast developed by J.D. Power and Associates’ Power Information Network® (PIN) and LMC Automotive.

Retail Light-Vehicle Sales
February new-vehicle retail sales are expected to come in at 931,100 vehicles, which represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 12.1 million units, a decline from the robust 13.1 million SAAR in January, but stronger than the 11.7 million SAAR in February 2012. Retail transactions are the most accurate measurement of true underlying consumer demand for new vehicles.

“All signs of the industry’s health are positive right now,” said John Humphrey , senior vice president of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Average transaction prices are up, incentives are stable, leasing is at a healthy level and newly redesigned models continue to make an impact on the marketplace.”

“Demand is increasing, but the automakers deserve credit for doing a much better job of keeping alignment of production and demand.” said Humphrey. “This has led to new-vehicle transaction prices that are averaging nearly $1,000 more in February than the same period in 2012 while incentives have remained relatively flat year over year.”

Total Light-Vehicle Sales
Total light-vehicle sales in February 2013 are projected to reach 1,176,200 units, a seven percent increase from February 2012 and the fourth consecutive month with the selling rate at or above 15.2 million units. Fleet share is expected to remain at the January level of 21 percent.

J.D. Power and LMC Automotive U.S. Sales and SAAR Comparisons

February 20131

January 2013

February 2012

New-Vehicle Retail Sales

931,100 units2

(9% higher than February 2012)

822,018 units

887,924 units

Total Vehicle Sales

1,176,200 units

(7% higher than February 2012)

1,041,982 units

1,147,761 units

Retail SAAR

12.1 million units

13.1 million units

11.7 million units

Total SAAR

15.2 million units

15.2 million units

14.4 million units

1Figures cited for February 2013 are forecasted based on the first 14 selling days of the month.
2The percentage change is adjusted based on the number of selling days in the month (24 days in February 2013 vs. 25 days in February 2012).

Sales Outlook
The outlook for 2013 continues to improve, as the selling pace remains robust. In fact, LMC Automotive is increasing its 2013 U.S. forecast for total light-vehicle sales to 15.3 million units from 15.1 million units. The increase is split between fleet and retail light-vehicle sales, with the outlook for retail increasing to 12.5 million units from 12.4 million units.

“The current fundamentals that are driving strong vehicle sales—pent-up vehicle demand and a stable, recovering economy—are expected to get a boost by additional positive factors this year,” said Jeff Schuster , senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive. “An expected recovery in the housing market, and 50 percent more new-model launches combined with an increase in lease maturities should keep light-vehicle sales climbing throughout the year.”

North American Production
North American light-vehicle production in January 2013 finished at more than 1.3 million units, seven percent higher than in January 2012. Production in Mexico has increased by nearly 21 percent from January 2012 on higher General Motors, Ford, and Volkswagen volumes related to newer launches. U.S. vehicle production has grown by nine percent from January 2012, while Canadian production has declined by 13 percent during the same period.

Vehicle inventory levels in early February increase to a 74-day supply, compared with 59 days in January. A higher level is typical in February. However, at the current selling rate, inventory levels are expected to rebalance within the next month or two. Overall, there are nearly 3.1 million units currently available on dealer lots or in transit—an increase of approximately 600,000 units from February 2012.

LMC Automotive’s forecast for North American production remains at 15.9 million units for this year, a three percent increase from 2012.

“The current inventory situation and production plan for 2013 suggests that there is enough volume to support the expected increased level of demand, and there remains little risk for an overbuild environment,” said Schuster.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing forecasting, performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012. Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company’s leading brands will include: Standard & Poor’s, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, Crisil, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company will have approximately 17,000 employees in more than 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

About LMC Automotive
LMC Automotive, formerly J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting, is the premier supplier of automotive forecasts and intelligence to an extensive client base of automotive manufacturer, component supplier, logistics and distribution companies, as well as financial and government institutions around the world. LMC’s global forecasting services encompass automotive sales, production and powertrain expertise, as well as advisory capability. LMC Automotive has offices in the United States, the UK, Germany, China and Thailand and is part of the Oxford, UK-based LMC group, the global leader in economic and business consultancy for the agribusiness sector. For more information please visit www.lmc-auto.com.

Media Relations Contacts
John Tews ; Troy, Mich.; (248) 680-6218; media.relations@jdpa.com
Emmie Littlejohn ; LMC Automotive; Troy, Mich.; (248) 817-2100; elittlejohn@lmc-auto.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates or LMC Automotive. www.jdpower.com/corporate www.lmc-auto.com

SOURCE: J.D. Power and Associates

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Corporate Finance Information Stocks

France Tops U.S. in Placing Women on Corporate Boards

France Tops U.S. in Placing Women on Corporate Boards

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2013, France has overtaken the United States’ lead role as the country with the highest percentage of women directors among the 200 largest companies in the world, according to the latest Corporate Women Directors International study of women directors. Propelled by quota legislation passed in 2010, a quarter of directors (25.1%) in France are now women, while the percentage in the U.S. peaked at 20.9%.

“France has raised the bar for other countries interested in opening up corporate board rooms to women,” said Irene Natividad , chair of the Washington-based international research group CWDI. “The dramatic increase in the number of women now serving on the boards of French companies shows that it is possible to do this at a quicker pace as long as there’s a plan to do so.” Among the Fortune Global 200 companies, the average percentage of women directors came to only 15%.

An impetus behind the increases in France and other European countries is through government quotas, which require 30-40% of board seats to be allocated for women. Norway, which paved the way by successfully reaching its 40% mandate for women on boards in 2008, has now been joined by Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, and Belgium. Outside of Europe, Malaysia has a quota which will be implemented by 2016. With10 other countries with quotas for women on the boards of government-owned companies, there are now 18 countries using this strategy, with the United Arab Emirates the latest to require companies to have women on their boards.

The other propellant that led to more women board directors this year is the inclusion of gender or board diversity in the corporate governance code in several European countries – an initiative that has now spilled over to other continents. A very popular strategy for countries wanting to avoid quotas, there are now 17 countries who have adopted this initiative. Finland led this drive resulting in 22% of board seats now held by women, without a quota in place.

Among the Fortune Global 200 companies covered in the 2013 CWDI Report, those companies based in countries with quotas had a higher percentage of women directors (18.9%) than the average representation of women in peer companies at 15%. The three countries with the largest increases in the percentage of women directors since 2004, when CWDI first tracked women directors in the Fortune Global 200, all have quota laws – France (7.2% to 25.1%), Spain (1.9% to 12.7%), and Italy (1.8% to 9.3%).

Similarly, those companies which made it to the Fortune listing, which are based in countries with gender diversity recommendations for corporate boards also had a higher percentage of women directors at 19.9% than those companies in countries without such a directive in their corporate governance code.

“Quotas work,” said Natividad. “Inserting gender diversity into corporate governance codes works. What doesn’t work is assuming that women will rise to board seats ‘naturally’, and therefore do nothing.” The three countries with the lowest percentage increases in women-held board seats are the United States, China and Japan and all three countries combined have the largest cluster of companies among the 200 largest in the world at 104. None of these countries have concerted proactive strategies to improve the numbers of women directors in their respective countries. Should they do so, the percentage of women directors among the Fortune listing would rise significantly.

CWDI’s Top Ten list of best performing companies is dominated by US and French companies and has mushroomed to 26 companies (due to ties), again due to measures undertaken by countries to speed up the number of women directors. A U.S. company, Procter and Gamble leads the Top Ten with 45% of its Board made up of women.

About CWDI:

Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) promotes the increased participation of women in corporate boards globally, fosters national and international networks to link women directors, and seeks to hone directors’ skills in corporate governance. To provide baseline information from which women’s progress on corporate boards can be measured, CWDI has conducted research internationally since 1996 to identify women corporate board members in Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Spain, and the United States, as well as regional and global reports covering top companies and their record on board diversity. CWDI has also issued industry-specific studies resulting in 21 reports in 17 years.

In addition, CWDI has held roundtables on corporate governance in several cities globally for women directors and executives. The most recent brought together business and government leaders convened with the World Bank in Washington, DC, to share board diversity initiatives from several countries. For more information about CWDI or its publications, please contact Corporate Women Directors’ Washington, D.C. headquarters at cwdi@globewomen.com.

SOURCE: Corporate Women Directors International