Latest news with #DOX
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Services Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals
Business services providers use their specialized expertise to help enterprises streamline operations and cut costs. But cutbacks in corporate spending and the threat of new AI products have kept sentiment in check, and over the past six months, the industry has tumbled by 10.9%. This drawdown was worse than the S&P 500's 3.3% fall. A cautious approach is imperative when dabbling in these companies as many are also sensitive to the ebbs and flows of the broader economy. With that said, here are three services stocks we're passing on. Market Cap: $2.35 billion Evolving from its roots in IT staffing to become a high-end technology consulting powerhouse, ASGN (NYSE:ASGN) provides specialized IT consulting services and staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and U.S. federal government agencies. Why Is ASGN Risky? Annual sales declines of 6.7% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 11.6% annually, worse than its revenue declines Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 5.1 percentage points ASGN's stock price of $53.55 implies a valuation ratio of 10.6x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ASGN, check out our full research report (it's free). Market Cap: $10.16 billion Powering the digital experiences of approximately 400 communications companies worldwide, Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX) provides software and services that help telecommunications and media companies manage customer relationships, monetize services, and automate network operations. Why Do We Pass on DOX? New orders were hard to come by as its average backlog growth of 1.6% over the past two years underwhelmed Sales are projected to tank by 3.5% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates further 4.6 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company's increased investments to defend its market position At $90.69 per share, Amdocs trades at 12.5x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why DOX doesn't pass our bar. Market Cap: $4.08 billion With nearly 50 years of experience translating public policy into operational programs that serve millions of citizens, Maximus (NYSE:MMS) provides operational services, clinical assessments, and technology solutions to government agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Why Does MMS Fall Short? Demand is forecasted to shrink as its estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat Free cash flow margin shrank by 5.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results Maximus is trading at $72.40 per share, or 11.3x forward P/E. If you're considering MMS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Deming Chen's ‘Always' Wins Main Prize at CPH:DOX as Mstyslav Chernov Nabs F:ACT Award for ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka'
On Friday, the top DOX award at Copenhagen documentary festival CPH:DOX went to 'Always,' the first feature by Chinese director Deming Chen. The film follows eight-year-old Youbin, raised by his father and grandparents in a remote mountain village in Hunan province, who discovers poetry as a means of making sense of his solitude and the world around him. Shot in stunning black and white, the film blends lyrical beauty with raw realism, following Youbin's coming-of-age as he grapples with life, loss, and the passage of time. More from Variety Kansas City Chiefs Docuseries Set at ESPN and Disney+ From 'The Last Dance' Producers 'Stranger Things' Play 'The First Shadow' Getting Netflix Behind-the-Scenes Doc as Broadway Previews Begin How to Navigate the Political Documentary Market: 'Audiences Want to Watch Something That Engages With the World Around Us' Taking to the stage, a very emotional Chen thanked his entire team. Producer Hansen Lin said: 'Through the journey of making this film, we hope to share this happiness and achievement with everyone who still believes in their dreams. If you believe in it, you will make it – even if life may sometimes disappoint you. We always hold onto the hope that peace and support will guide us all toward a brighter future.' The jury, composed of Danish director Max Kestner ('Life and Other Problems'), producer Rikke Tambo Andersen, New York Times critic Nicolas Rapold, Italian director and researcher Adele Tulli, and Raul Niño Zambrano, head of film programs at Sheffield DocFest, lauded the film, saying: 'There's a huge difference between nothing and small things. But life is in fact made up of many, often unnoticed, small things. We need the sensibilities of artists to show us the greatness of the little things. This exquisitely shot chronicle of a rural farming family is alive with compassion and poetry.' Danish photographer-turned-director Monica Strømdahl received a Special Mention for her directorial debut 'Flophouse America,' which follows 12-year-old Mikal, growing up with his alcoholic parents in a cheap hotel – one of many flophouses that tens of thousands of Americans living on society's margins call home. Filmed with simplicity and compassion, the doc offers a stark portrait of America's deepening economic and housing crisis. Both DOX winners were world premieres, among a record-breaking 94 – the highest number in the festival's history. Sponsored by Danish daily newspaper Politiken, the award comes with a cash prize of €10,000 ($10,800). The F:ACT award went to Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov (who won an Oscar for '20 Days in Mariupol') for the film '2000 Meters to Andriivka,' about a group of soldiers fighting their way through two kilometres of war-torn terrain to liberate a devastated Ukrainian village. The film reunites Chernov with '20 Days in Mariupol' producer and editor Michelle Mizner from PBS's flagship investigative journalism docu series Frontline, along with the series' editor-in-chief and exec producer Raney Aronson-Rath. CPH:DOX marks the film's European premiere following its Sundance debut in January. The F:ACT jury, comprising directors Alexis Bloom – whose 'The Bibi Files' was screening at CPH:DOX – Mikala Krogh and Steffi Niederzoll, said the film was 'a masterpiece in filmmaking: a haunting, multi-layered portrayal of war comparable to 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' But this is not the First World War, it's today.' Accepting the award, Chernov, who is working on his next project, sent a recorded video message saying: 'This is a time where we struggle for truth and for survival and this award is helping us find our ground. […] A lot of people around the world are looking at Ukraine, they hear a lot of important but abstract words. We, filmmakers, want to bring reality to people who make important decisions about how the world will look, how peace will look.' Emmy-winning director Geeta Gandbhir received a Special Mention for Sundance winner 'The Perfect Neighbor,' which dissects the deadly consequences of 'stand your ground' laws through bodycam and surveillance footage of a fatal neighborhood shooting. Netflix has acquired the Sundance-winning film, with plans for a release later this year. In the NORDIC:DOX competition, Greenland-set film 'Walls – Akinni Inuk' by Sofie Rørdam and Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg took the top prize. Receiving the award on behalf of the team, producer Emile Hertling Péronard celebrated the announcement on Friday of what he called Greenland's broadest ever coalition agreement, adding that it was also a day of 'fear and frustration as an unwelcome guest lands in Greenland,' referring to the arrival of J.D. Vance at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland amid threats by President Donald Trump to take over the Danish territory. In the NORDIC:DOX category, a Special Mention went to Josefine Exner and Sebastian Gerdes' 'The Nicest Men on Earth,' a portrait of Danish masculinity in a society of strong women. The winner in the NEXT:WAVE competition, dedicated to first-time talent, awarded its top prize to 'Abode of Dawn' by Kristina Shtubert, who spent a decade chronicling life inside a Christian cult in the Siberian wilderness. A Special Mention went to 'Who Witnessed the Temples Fall' by Lucía Selva, exploring the mythical Roma king Chorrojumo. In the NEW:VISION competition, which highlights artists' films, visual artist and filmmaker Juliette Le Monnyer won for 'Ramallah, Palestine, December 2018,' a single take depiction of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. A Special Mention was given to 'Scrap' by Fémis graduate Noémie Lobry, a conceptual doc that weaves past and present in a dreamlike narrative. The F:ACT, NORDIC, NEXT:WAVE, NEW:VISON and HUMAN:RIGHTS awards come with a cash prize of €5,000 ($5,400) each. The HUMAN:RIGHTS Award, now in its second year, went to '9-Month Contract' by Ketevan Vashagashvili, an alumnus of the CPH:DOX's industry Change program dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices from Eastern Europe. A Special Mention was awarded to 'The Encampments' by up-and-coming San Francisco based filmmaker Michael T. Workman, about the occupation of Colombia University by Palestinian students. The Israel-Palestine conflict remained a focal point at the festival with pro-Palestinian groups calling for the festival to take a stance on the war in Gaza, and a Danish-Palestinian filmmaker walking out of a panel discussion with a Lebanese director working with an Israeli comedian. As she opened the awards ceremony with artistic director Niklas Engstrøm, managing director Katrine Kiilgaard said: 'We believe in dialogue as a key to exploring different perspectives, challenging ingrained beliefs, and connecting across differences, even if dialogue is difficult, imperfect and never free from power dynamics. We believe in pluralism, and we aim to make room for a multitude of opinions and ideas, including those that challenge our own perspective as a festival.' Engstrøm continued: 'This also means that we will keep inviting voices from Ukraine and from Russia, even if the Russian regime has invaded Ukraine, broken basic rules of international law and been responsible for numerous human rights violations. From Palestine and from Israel, even if Israel has been illegally occupying Palestinian lands for decades, and has been responsible for numerous human rights violations since the invasion of Gaza as their reaction to the Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023.' Running under the theme 'Right Here, Right Now,' this 22nd edition of CPH:DOX hosted multiple debates on human rights and freedom of expression, and saw a 20% increase in attendance. CPH:DOX concludes on March 30. Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Becoming Led Zeppelin' Has Rocked the Box Office by Treating It Like a Secret Concert Event
In 2019, director Bernard MacMahon stood in front of film buyers at Cannes and discussed his love of Led Zeppelin. The director of a little-seen music documentary 'American Epic,' he had been selected by the '70s rock gods to tell their story in a rock-doc, something the collective of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and the late John Bonham had never before agreed to do. He had been entrusted with enormous responsibility by icons who had been particularly selective about their legacy. At the time, he didn't even have footage to screen to the buyers. Two years later, MacMahon's film 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' screened as a work-in-progress at Venice. The song remained the same; as IndieWire's review suggested at the time, the film wasn't ready for primetime, and it sat without a buyer. Sony Pictures Classics, which had been following the film from the beginning, saw it again in summer 2024 after it had been reworked. The distributor knew back in 2019 that Zeppelin giving their blessing was special and that it had an audience, but only if the film was right. More from IndieWire CPH:DOX Winners Led by 'Always,' '2000 Meters to Andriivka,' and More Academy Apologizes for Omitting Hamdan Ballal's Name After 600 Academy Members Criticize Its Initial Response to Attack on Filmmaker Now after a release this February, 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' has received a whole lotta love and has surpassed $10 million at the North American box office. It's one of the highest-grossing documentaries at the box office domestically in the last two years, currently just behind last year's 'Piece by Piece' and the right wing satire 'Am I Racist?' And worldwide, it's already at $14.3 million with the likelihood that it will surpass $15 million globally. Roughly $4.7 million of that haul was generated in IMAX screenings, including a $3 million opening weekend that was IMAX's biggest exclusive opening for a music film to date. It was a target of IMAX's after it was acquired by SPC, and it proved a good bet. It plays again on over 200 IMAX screens for one night only on April 2. The film has exceeded expectations for SPC, but the organic success 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' has generated has been through an unconventional and carefully calculated marketing campaign. SPC first began showing teaser trailers ahead of IMAX showings of 'Venom: The Last Dance' last October, but the distributor wouldn't even announce the movie's existence until two months later in December. It generated mystique and online buzz as a result, and the only reviews of it were the tepid ones out of Venice from years earlier. When December rolled around, SPC immediately put tickets on sale for showings as though it was an audience buying concert tickets months in advance of a show. It generated $2 million in advance ticket sales, and only then did SPC announce the additional IMAX only screenings beginning on February 7. Press was part of the process, but not critics. 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' wasn't screened for critics in advance to create a communication breakdown. Instead, the distributor looked to even bigger evangelists who might ramble on about what they saw. With the band themselves not involved, the Counting Crows and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters were among musicians who saw the film at an early screening. A similar screening in Nashville with local musicians had a similar impact. SPC bought ads on Howard Stern's radio show and, by January, got him talking about the movie, turning their simple one-minute ad buy into a 20-minute segment. The film was also heavily promoted on the radio, with the film screened for a number classic rock radio DJs across the country who spent months talking it up. Several stations also held private screenings for select listeners and then aired their reactions to the film coming out of the theater. Suddenly Zeppelin was back in the cultural ethos. 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' returned to the Billboard charts for the first time in decades. 'Whole Lotta Love' was featured in a Nike Super Bowl ad coincidentally the same weekend the movie opened wide. And audiences were wowed by the sound quality, the deeper dive history that befuddled even hardcore fans, and the fact that MacMahon's film featured full songs, something that you generally get only in snippets in other music docs. The demand for the film is real. Just don't get trampled under foot on your way to the theater. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sanatorium' Visits a Brutalist Ex-Soviet Wellness Resort in Ukraine Offering an 'Oasis of Respite'
CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, kicked off on Friday with a mix of docs from around the globe about a broad selection of topics in line with the fest's reputation among attendees. A colossal ex-Soviet wellness center in Odesa, Ukraine is one of the locations and topics getting the Copenhagen spotlight this year, thanks to Sanatorium, the new observational doc from Irish filmmaker Gar O'Rourke (series Secrets of a Murder Detective With Steve Keogh). It world premieres at Copenhagen on Monday, with additional screenings over the course of the following days. More from The Hollywood Reporter Peruvian Drama 'Reinas' Wins Swiss Film Awards Alicia Vikander on Her Go-For-Broke 'The Assessment' Role and 'Ex Machina' at 10 Why 'Wolf Hall' Sequel 'The Mirror and the Light' Almost Didn't Happen 'Both patients and staff search for health, happiness, and love while the [Russia-started] war echoes through the lime green corridors' of Kuyalnyk Sanatorium, notes a film synopsis. 'Every summer, people of all ages arrive in their thousands at a huge ex-Soviet treatment center in Odesa on the southern coast of Ukraine. A time capsule from the '70s, built in the brutalist style of the era, it still offers therapeutic treatments from the glory days of the Soviet Union. The main attraction is the mysterious mud which is believed to cure infertility, chronic ailments, and a myriad of other health problems.' But beyond the physical health goals, many guests are really searching for happiness and love above all else, Sanatorium shows as O'Rourke and the camera of cinematographer Denys Melnyk follow them to tell their stories. As such, the doc is also a declaration of love for the Ukrainian people, their spirit, and their resilience. Watch a trailer for Sanatorium, which is O'Rourke's debut feature doc and for which MetFilm Sales is handling sales, below. O'Rourke's relationship with Ukraine began in 2018 and 2019 when he made his first film there, the short doc Kachalka, described as 'a journey into the heart of what is widely considered the world's most hardcore gym – Kyiv's enormous open-air 'Kachalka' gym.' Recalls the filmmaker: 'It was about this incredible, bizarre outdoor gym in the middle of Kyiv. Ukrainians used to go there to work out. And it was around that time I became really interested in what you might call Ukraine's very unique approach and philosophy towards health and well-being. They have a unique sensibility towards this, I feel. And then a Ukrainian friend introduced me to the wonderful world of Soviet-era sanatoriums.' These are about more than physical health though. 'The ethos of these sanatoriums was very much about healing, self-reflection and, in an abstract way, this idea of rebirth,' O'Rourke explains. In 2021, he first visited Kuyalnyk and, he tells THR, 'I pretty much fell in love with the place after a week of mud baths, and hydro massages, electro massages, and salt pool therapies.' He adds: 'It wasn't so much the treatments that I fell in love with. It was the atmosphere of this sanatorium. And it was really getting to know the staff and the guests who were going there, and the variety of reasons why people were going there.' The idea for the doc was born. 'But less than a year after my first trip there the Russian invasion happened in February 2022, so that changed everything,' O'Rourke recalls. 'For a long time, we thought this sanatorium would not open again, let alone us getting a chance to make a film there during a war. But in June of 2023, the sanatorium decided 'we believe that Ukrainians need this place more than ever.' Because it's not just a place where people take a holiday and relax, but it's almost a place of respite for people who are in the war at the moment.' The visual language and style of the doc O'Rourke and his team, including Melnyk and editor John Murphy, put together allow viewers to time travel, or 'time warp,' as the director puts it, a bit. 'Within the cinematography of the film, the intention was to try and capture a sense of utopian atmosphere, and draw inspiration from the aesthetics of Soviet-era architecture,' he notes. 'I also took some inspiration from Soviet cinema which influenced certain aspects of the style, such as the slow powerful zooms, the expansive wide locked-off shots, and the symmetry and aesthetic of some of our compositions.' And he used Ukrainian music from the past. 'The film has a really specific soundtrack. The music is very much of the era,' he tells THR. 'It's very much of the '60s, '70s, '80s. I wanted to lean into as much Ukrainian music that was made at that time as possible, just to really dial in the atmosphere of this film and create something very specific.' The ongoing war is not a focus of the doc but rears its ugly head like a pin threatening to burst the sanatorium bubble when the alarms go off. 'I never set out to make a film about the war in Ukraine and never set out to make a war film,' O'Rourke tells THR. 'But of course, the war is a fabric of every single person's life who lives in Ukraine right now, and I felt that it would be maybe more powerful and more appropriate to keep the war always on the periphy, always just outside the walls of the sanatorium, because it's always there. Because the staff and the guests are trying to have this almost oasis of respite, there's almost a meditative type of rhythm to this place. And I felt this is a place of solace for people. Thank God, this sanatorium hasn't had a direct strike or anything like that, and I hope it never does.' He also lauds and thanks his Ukrainian team for their hard work, skill, and their spirit. 'They're just really happy that there can be a film,' O'Rourke says. 'There are many important stories that need to be told during this war, and I suppose we hope ours is one of those.' And he references such everyday parts of the film as conversations between family and friends and such unexpected portions as a disco scene. 'There's something powerful about seeing a person sing, dance, play, maybe forge a new friendship, have an argument with their friends. That's what we all do,' O'Rourke concludes. 'You're reminded, in a very stark way, that these are just people trying to get on with their lives. Life goes on, even with the war. Life has to go on. And there's something very poignant and powerful about being able to relate to someone that way rather than [the more common news images showing] people whose house is completely destroyed.' Sanatorium will air in the U.K. on the BBC as part of its Storyville doc strand later this year, and O'Rourke hopes it will also be seen in many more countries beyond that. The creative is also already gearing up for his next observational doc, which will tackle overtourism and will be called The Siege of Paradise. 'The logline is: The most beautiful place in the world becomes an epicenter for overtourism when less than 4,000 Italian locals are invaded by more than 4 million tourists,' O'Rourke tells THR. ' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amdocs Limited's (NASDAQ:DOX) Stock Has Shown A Decent Performance: Have Financials A Role To Play?
Amdocs' (NASDAQ:DOX) stock up by 4.3% over the past three months. Given that stock prices are usually aligned with a company's financial performance in the long-term, we decided to investigate if the company's decent financials had a hand to play in the recent price move. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Amdocs' ROE today. ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. Put another way, it reveals the company's success at turning shareholder investments into profits. Check out our latest analysis for Amdocs Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Amdocs is: 14% = US$499m ÷ US$3.5b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024). The 'return' is the amount earned after tax over the last twelve months. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.14 in profit. So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics. To begin with, Amdocs seems to have a respectable ROE. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 12%. Despite this, Amdocs' five year net income growth was quite flat over the past five years. So, there could be some other aspects that could potentially be preventing the company from growing. These include low earnings retention or poor allocation of capital. We then compared Amdocs' net income growth with the industry and found that the average industry growth rate was 4.6% in the same 5-year period. Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Has the market priced in the future outlook for DOX? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report. Despite having a normal three-year median payout ratio of 37% (implying that the company keeps 63% of its income) over the last three years, Amdocs has seen a negligible amount of growth in earnings as we saw above. Therefore, there might be some other reasons to explain the lack in that respect. For example, the business could be in decline. In addition, Amdocs has been paying dividends over a period of at least ten years suggesting that keeping up dividend payments is way more important to the management even if it comes at the cost of business growth. Overall, we feel that Amdocs certainly does have some positive factors to consider. Although, we are disappointed to see a lack of growth in earnings even in spite of a high ROE and and a high reinvestment rate. We believe that there might be some outside factors that could be having a negative impact on the business. With that said, we studied the latest analyst forecasts and found that while the company has shrunk its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to grow in the future. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
