Recently there has been a lot of talk about Generation Z from real estate sources such as The National Association of Realtors (NAR), DS News, and 8Z Real Estate, effectively stating that “Nearly All of Generation Z Sees Homeownership in Their Future.” Although the focus has often been on millennials when it comes to home ownership, DS News (http://dtn.fm/9gGFs) asked its readers some key questions: “What about the generation that follows behind Millennials? What are those from Generation-Z, or those born after 1996, planning when it comes to becoming future homeowners?”

An NAR article entitled ‘Nearly All of Generation Z See Homeownership in Their Future’ (http://dtn.fm/iZ1dG) highlights findings from a session titled ‘The Gen Z Consumer’ at the 2016 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, during which a panel of Gen Z people discussed in some detail what their social media and shopping preferences are, including their future plans to become property owners. At the conference session, Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, pointed out that it was time to learn more about the future of the real estate industry and the next generation that is going to lead it.

Every panelist at the session said that they would like to own their own home and that homeownership will be part of their future. Although results varied between rural and suburban areas, everyone expressed a desire for large square footage. In addition, according to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, 97% of Gen Z believes they will own their own home and 82% said owning a home is one of the most important factors in achieving the American dream. In addition to the above, many polled Gen Z-ers said they will most likely work with a real estate agency, and that although they would search online they believe it is important to have professional guidance during the process. 8Z Real Estate (http://dtn.fm/1UEk0) put it perfectly: “There are 55 million of them, about 17% of the US population. Gen Zers are digital natives who don’t make much of a distinction between the physical and digital worlds.”

This is where eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), the holding company for eXp Realty LLC, comes in. Since its beginnings, the company has moved to better equip its agents with a technologically sophisticated Cloud Office Environment, allowing them to work, attend classes, collaborate, and innovate to best serve their customers.

EXPI has combined advancements in technology with the simple fact that real estate consumers still see value in working with professionals. The systems and tools put in place by the company allow consumers to be more informed, with masses of information and imagery, all while being equipped with professional help that lends a comparative perspective on properties, and negotiates and advocates on their behalf.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.eXpWorldHoldings.com

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From somewhat humble beginnings back in 2005 as a parent structure for investment in and franchising of the extremely successful Hooters brand that has given rise to a bevy of successful imitators over the years, Chanticleer Holdings (NASDAQ: HOTR) has emerged over the last three years as a serious contender in fast casual via brilliant execution of a regional brand strategy. The core “better burger” focus of HOTR’s approach to what is argued by many to be the world’s fastest growing foodservice segment (http://dtn.fm/8Cc03), as fast casual grew 10.4 percent last year to around $3.4 billion, has continually delivered empirical results over the last few years confirming the wisdom of management’s strategy.

Q3 2016 (ended September 30) was another solid quarter for Chanticleer too, with 18.3 percent revenue growth (http://dtn.fm/2zlWf) on strength of the fast casual better burger segment, even as the company managed to shave 2.5 percent off of its operating costs, and 5.5 percent off of G&A expenses. Nine-month revenues were even hotter, at 30.3 percent growth to $31.8 million, clearly illustrating a bullish revenue growth trend mapped out in the company’s November 2016 investor presentation (http://dtn.fm/9WIvV). A replay of the November 9 conference call discussing the company’s revenue growth, overall improved revenue mix, and the success of ongoing efficiency initiatives is available until December 9 by calling (877) 481-4010, or (919) 882-2331 for international callers, using conference ID 10138.

At the center of a growing envelope of brands for Chanticleer are American Burger Company, BGR the Burger Joint, and Little Big Burger, all of which maintain a key emphasis on experience elements such as the freshness of high quality ingredients. Premium beef, unique and energetic environments, cooked-to-order meals, and gourmet burgers – these are the kinds of fast food-killer features which have sparked a broader revolution in the way people eat out. Little Big Burger (LBB) in particular made a strong showing, further underscoring the ingeniousness of Chanticleer’s uniquely crafted regional brand strategy, as LBB contributed significantly to 19 percent sequential quarterly growth in Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations.

Capitalizing on this revolution by perfecting the better burger concept is a nice approach for an outfit that cut its teeth franchising the oft-imitated but never duplicated Hooters brand. An American icon that obviously paved the way for such entities as last year’s fastest-growing chain in the U.S., Twin Peaks (http://dtn.fm/rd2Wy) ($165 million in sales last year). Chanticleer currently operates nine Hooters locations under franchise, with two in the U.S., one in the EU, and six in South Africa – in addition to owning a minority stake in the Georgia-based wing of Hooters, Inc., Hooters of America. Rounding out the brand mix for HOTR is Just Fresh (http://dtn.fm/rkV6S) (eight locations), a North Carolina market, health-focused brand which features a menu of wholesome and nutritionally balanced foods, including wraps and grilled dishes, baked items, sandwiches and smoothies, as well as a variety of salads, soups, and breakfast items.

American Burger Company (http://dtn.fm/7ROy9) proudly features a “Made in America” menu that ranges well beyond premium burgers into the realm of sandwiches, salads and delicious shakes. With nine locations in the Carolinas currently under the Chanticleer flag, the ABC brand is growing fast, and features such memorable attractions as a Wall of Fame challenge burger (http://dtn.fm/dD12J), the Roadstar®, which is four cheeseburgers in one. Little Big Burger (http://dtn.fm/mOA0h) (eight locations) is the fastest gun in the company’s lineup. Serving high quality cooked-to-order burgers in Portland and the Pacific Northwest region that are made with 1/4 lb. of cascade natural beef, served on brioche buns, using local cheeses, fresh veggies, and featuring the distinctive taste of a veritable Portland institution, Camden’s Blue Label Catsup (http://dtn.fm/YmE9o). Fine touches like this show how dialed-in the regional brand presence model is here, and they speak volumes about HOTR’s past and potential future performance that you just can’t find pouring over SEC filings.

BGR the Burger Joint (http://dtn.fm/V3eb6) is doing really nice turnover for the company as well, with open-flame gourmet fast casual at 22 locations across the U.S. adding mightily to HOTR’s bottom line, even as the brand brings in organic marketing due to underlying product excellence. Recently voted the best burger in D.C. for 2016 (http://dtn.fm/j4fLI) by Washington City Paper’s reader poll, the BGR brand concept, which got its start with a small shop off Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda back in 2008, has performed exceptionally as a regional brand, and has since expanded more toward being a nationwide brand. Named among America’s Top 10 Chain Burgers in 2014 by an MSN report from The Daily Meal (http://dtn.fm/FK2oy), the restaurant chain earned its fame on the back of founder Mark Bucher’s famous burger, which is based on the burgers he had as a kid growing up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, back when the neighborhood beef butcher would draw lines around the block every Sunday, grilling up the best prime beef Philly had to offer. This kind of media coverage for the authentic-tasting menu has been more than great publicity for the brand, it shows how BGR is able to deliver robust value through what is now considered boutique quality, and at nominal, fast casual prices. This is a winning model.

The company has built up an impressive foundation of stores in the last few years as well, with the brand basket ending up pretty well mixed at around eight or nine locations each, and the notable exception of course being gourmet burger restaurant, BGR, with its 22 locations. Chanticleer opened its seventh American Burger Co. in September (http://dtn.fm/mYgo9), as well as its first Little Big Burger in Seattle (http://dtn.fm/7Y0yw), shortly before opening a new BGR location in the Sultanate of Oman (http://dtn.fm/9DdLD) in early October.

While competitors in the market such as juggernaut Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) have seen share prices decline on saturation and other issues since late 2014, as old money outfits like McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) execute decisive moves to recapture core audiences – a spry little player like Chanticleer, with its better burger focus and winning regional brand strategy, has managed to cut off sizeable chunks at the margins. Better positioned to capture increasingly discerning, regionalized consumer dollars with higher concept, higher quality offerings, Chanticleer represents a powerful way for investors to play this growth sector. Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM) and other behemoths in the industry have had difficulty recapturing market share from upstarts like Chipotle, and now with companies like Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) and Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK) nipping at the heels of CMG, the game is set for desaturation by disruptors like Chanticleer, with its strong handful of better burger brands.

The company is as passionate about its food as it is about offering guests a memorable experience, and that really shines through when it comes to organic buzz, a clear result of the company’s commitment to staffing quality. Staffing has always been a central theme for the company, and Michael D. Pruitt, Chanticleer Holdings Chairman, President and CEO, understands that success in this industry is as much about the wait staff as it is about the Board of Directors. That’s why Chanticleer tapped some serious business operations, real estate and finance muscle earlier this year, with the Board appointments of Gregory E. Kraut and Paul G. Porter. Kraut, a Principal of commercial real estate services firm Avison Young, has nearly two decades of tenant and landlord leasing and sales representation under his belt. Whilst Porter is Managing Director over at Siskey Capital, where he handles oversight, structuring and management for the firm’s private equity.

Pruitt made it clear in the Q3 financials release how the company intends to springboard off its current momentum, leveraging the recent convertible preferred stock rights offering (designed to retire debt and provide growth capital) to capture more of a market that continues to prove quite eager for better burgers, and a better fast casual dining experience.

For more information, visit www.chanticleerholdings.com

Before the opening bell, Medical Transcription Billing, Corp. (NASDAQ: MTBC) (NASDAQ: MTBCP) announced that it has been named among Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™ based on its 130 percent revenue growth from 2012 to 2015. The Deloitte rankings list the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy technology companies in North America across both the public and private sectors. Eligibility requirements for inclusion on the list include an operating history of at least four years, current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million and ownership of proprietary intellectual property or technology that’s sale or licensing accounts for a majority of the company’s operating revenues.

“As we celebrate our fifteenth year of business, we thank our customers and employees for enabling us to continue growing at a rate that even outpaces most early stage private and public companies,” Stephen Snyder, president of MTBC, stated in this morning’s news release. “Of the 500 companies ranked on Deloitte’s prestigious list in 2016, MTBC was among a smaller subset of the named companies that is publicly traded on NASDAQ and we are honored to be included among this group of market leaders.”

According to the company’s management team, MTBC’s sustained revenue growth is attributable to a combination of an industry-leading technology platform and a high quality, cost-efficient operations team that currently spans five countries and includes roughly 250 information technology and R&D professionals. The effectiveness of the company’s operations team is particularly noteworthy following MTBC’s recent acquisition of MediGain, LLC and affiliate Millennium Practice Management, LLC. In addition to purchasing accounts in good standing with annual revenues of more than $10 million as part of the strategic acquisition, the MediGain transaction added seasoned team members in North America and talented, cost-effective workforces in Asia to MTBC’s existing operations. Combined, these factors are expected to make this acquisition accretive to MTBC shareholders in 2017.

“We are greatly encouraged by the growth opportunities provided by our recent acquisition of MediGain,” Mahmud Haq, chairman and chief executive officer of MTBC, stated in a news release. “The successful closing of this transaction has positioned MTBC to experience exponential growth through access to new, untapped markets.”

Last week, MTBC offered shareholders an update on its recent performance through the release of its financial and operational results for the third quarter of 2016. The company’s revenues for the three-month period were $5.3 million, up from $5.2 million in the second quarter of this year. This result built on a trend of quarter-over-quarter revenue growth that has persisted throughout 2016. On a year-over-year basis, MTBC’s revenues were down slightly, which management attributed to a loss of clients from the businesses it acquired during the third quarter of 2014. The team discussed this trend in more detail as part of a conference call held last week. An audio webcast of the call is currently available for review on MTBC’s investor relations website.

For more information, visit www.mtbc.com, and see the company’s fact sheet at http://ir.mtbc.com/events.cfm.

A report from the influential Pew Research Center on Social Media Usage: 2005 – 2015 (http://dtn.fm/CMs6K) has discovered that ‘65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade’. The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Social networking sites have created a parallel world that is beginning to rival the physical one, a trend that is only likely to grow. These changing dynamics are opening up novel approaches that marketers and promoters might take. And to help them do so effectively, Agora Holdings (OTC: AGHI), parent company of Geegle Media, has introduced a social media management tool called FRAME.

The Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2015 (http://dtn.fm/r75VU) published by the Social Media Examiner recently surveyed over 3,700 marketing professionals. The findings are revealing. Ninety percent (90%) of respondents felt that ‘their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses.’ Seventy-seven percent (77%) saw their ‘traffic’ increase. Presumably, traffic here refers to online visitors. About equal numbers of the marketers surveyed reported that they used social media to nurture fans and followers (69%) and to gain marketplace intelligence (68%).

The results from social media marketing appear to be substantial. Some sixty-five percent (65%) said they were able to generate leads from those who responded to their social media efforts. In addition, fifty-one percent (51%) reported improved sales. Fifty-eight percent (58%) saw their search rankings improve, while fifty-five percent (55%) were able to develop business partnerships because of their social media outreach. The effects of social media marketing also had a more direct impact on the bottom line. Half of those surveyed claimed marketing costs fell because of their foray into social media.

Many marketers (66%) believe Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) and YouTube are the best channels for their social outreach efforts. Ninety-three percent (93%) use Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) at present, and sixty-two percent (62%) plan to increase their activities on that platform. Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers. When allowed to only select one platform, 52% of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 21%.

This data unveils a brave new world not unlike the one in The Tempest. Like Miranda in the Shakespearean classic, we may be unaware of the dark side. Nevertheless, there is no turning back now. We have crossed the Rubicon.

FRAME is a social media management platform that is particularly ideal for investor relations and public relations firms. From a single dashboard, a promoter can publish brand-relevant messages to all of an organization’s corporate social media accounts and so enable the company to build campaigns in a faster, more efficient and easier way. FRAME also offers a number of advanced functions. With it, social media return on investment (ROI) can be measured, for example. At present, FRAME is integrated with a number of leading social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Work is underway to integrate the platform, which is available on Android, iOS and desktop, with LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and Tumblr.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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Earlier today, eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) released its financial results for the third quarter of 2016. Among the highlights, the company achieved a 112 percent year-over-year increase in revenues, recording $15.6 million for the three-month period ended September 30. EXPI attributed this increase to the growth of its real estate division, eXp Realty, which now includes more than 2,130 real estate professionals across 41 states, the District of Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This total marks an increase of more than 150 percent from the end of Q3 2015.

In recent weeks, eXp Realty’s commitment to offering an unparalleled value proposition to its agents and brokers has helped it attract a number of high-profile professionals to its ranks. In October, the company announced the addition of Miguel Herrera, known as the top international luxury agent in all of South Texas, to the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage®. Other recent additions to the eXp Realty team include the Brent Gove Team, which was recognized as one of the top real estate teams in California; Darren James Real Estate Experts, which was ranked number one in the Gulf States region by REALTOR® for total production in both 2014 and 2015; and Burch & Co. Real Estate, which was ranked the top real estate firm in Northeast Arkansas in 2015.

“It continues to be gratifying to know that creating a cloud-based brokerage focused on the agent resonates so clearly that it is reflected in the continued high rate of growth in agent count and revenues,” Glenn Sanford, chairman and chief executive officer of EXPI, stated in the news release. “With this level of growth also comes the responsibility to manage that growth so it is sustainable over the long haul. Continually evaluating and investing in the infrastructure and tools necessary to support our growth and ensure scalability of eXp Realty’s business model is a top priority and is a commitment shared at all levels of the organization, from the board, senior leadership and other stakeholders.”

In addition to its revenue growth, EXPI successfully strengthened its cash position in the third quarter of 2016. The company reported cash and cash equivalents of $944,000 as of September 30, marking an increase of 110 percent from the comparable period of 2015. Total stockholder’s equity was also up an impressive 141 percent to $2 million at the close of Q3, which was a year-over-year increase of 141 percent.

Rounding out its latest financial release, EXPI reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $14.6 million for the three-month period. This loss was primarily attributable to a $14.1 million non-cash stock option compensation expense. The adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders was reported at $559,000 for the quarter.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.eXpWorldHoldings.com

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In an exclusive interview with MissionIR released late last year, Edmund Ooi, Vice President and Director of Creative & Marketing with Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC), outlined the company’s near- and long-term goals. Along with expanding Moxian’s merchant base and increasing revenues, Ooi pointed toward uplisting the company’s common stock as a major goal in order to widen its visibility within the investment community and increase shareholder value. Earlier today, Moxian achieved this goal, as its common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

The uplisting was announced in a news release issued after market close on Monday. The release also highlighted Moxian’s recent completion of a best efforts public offering of 2,501,250 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share. The company expects gross proceeds from this offering to total just over $10 million, before deducting placement agents’ commissions and related expenses. Axiom Capital Management, Inc. and Cuttone & Co., Inc. acted as placement agents for the offering.

Moxian engages in the business of providing social marketing and promotion platforms to merchants aiming to promote their operations through social media channels. The company’s Moxian+ (Business) mobile app provides the business tools and data analytics capabilities required to drive increased conversion and retention rates. Through the Moxian+ (User) app, consumers have the option to collect loyalty points from issuing merchants, win MO-Coins that can be used with any merchant in the Moxian ecosystem and chat with friends. When combined, these two apps create a powerful online-to-offline (O2O) platform designed to help merchants accelerate business growth by studying trends and other data regarding their target consumers.

The scope of the O2O commerce marketplace is worth noting, particularly as it relates to Moxian’s home markets within the People’s Republic of China. According to eMarketer (http://dtn.fm/WdE19), O2O ecommerce sales in China are expected to surpass $62.4 billion in 2016, with forecasts calling for annual growth of about 21 percent over the next two years. In January, Moxian better-positioned itself to capitalize on this forecast growth through the formation of a new corporate subsidiary in Beijing. Maintaining this presence in the national and cultural center of China is expected to offer numerous opportunities to Moxian as it continues to expand upon its position in the growing O2O market.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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Earlier today, National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH) announced its engagement of NetworkNewsWire (NNW), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company that delivers a new generation of social communication solutions, news aggregation and syndication, and enhanced news release services. Leveraging a rapidly expanding distribution network that currently includes well over 5,000 key syndication outlets, NNW specializes in helping both public and private organizations “find their voice and build market visibility.”

Through its newly-announced Client-Partner relationship with National Waste, NNW will utilize its investor-based Brand Network of partners, as well as various newsletters, social media channels, blogs and other outreach tools, in order to cut through the overload of information in today’s market and generate greater brand awareness for the company throughout the investment community.

“National Waste is rightfully enthused about its growing position in the waste management industry. The Company has reported three straight quarters of revenue growth, powered by the performance of its Florida landfill and supplemented by an aggressive acquisition strategy,” Sherri Franklin, Director of Content Marketing for NNW, stated in this morning’s news release. “We look forward to working alongside National Waste’s management team to elevate the company’s corporate communications with existing shareholders and the broader investment community.”

The NNW announcement continues to build on what has been a hot start to the week for National Waste. On Monday, the company announced its financial results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2016. Among National Waste’s third quarter financial highlights, the company successfully achieved a 269 percent year-over-year increase in revenue, marking its third consecutive quarter of triple-digit quarterly revenue growth. Similarly, National Waste’s revenues for the first nine months of 2016 were up 262 percent from the comparable period of 2015, totaling $4.8 million.

This performance was largely attributed to National Waste’s aggressive acquisition strategy, which included the acquisitions of both Waste Recovery Enterprises and Gateway Rolloff Services during the fourth quarter of 2015. Continuing with this strategy, National Waste also completed the acquisition of Sivart Services LLC, a roll-off and compactor business located in upstate New York, earlier this year. By capitalizing on these growth opportunities, National Waste aims to establish itself as a leading vertically-integrated solid waste management company and a dominant regional player in both Florida’s west coast and upstate New York.

“Simply put, National Waste is on the move. Since 2015 we have completed four strategic acquisitions, demonstrating our commitment to build shareholder and corporate value as well as our ability to penetrate chosen markets with tactical execution of our acquisition strategy,” Louis Paveglio, chief executive officer of National Waste, stated in this morning’s news release. “As we continue to advance our operations and offerings, we believe clear communication with shareholders will further propel the success of our corporate initiatives. By partnering with NNW, we are able to focus on our acquisition-based growth strategy while strengthening our corporate message.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.nationalwastemgmt.com

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Although it started mostly as a way for brick-and-mortar merchants to get more customers by offering special deals and discounts via online advertising, a tendency that is still maintained, the Online-to-Offline (O2O) market has rapidly evolved past that point to include all manner of services and to serve as a connecting bridge between consumers and merchants. The market has grown to include click-and-collect services traditionally offered by brick-and-mortar merchants, as well as on-demand services such as Airbnb or Uber, deal sites such as Meituan.com or Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN), all the way to services such as fresh market delivery, pick-up dry cleaning, restaurant booking, food delivery, and more.

The expansion of O2O services is likely to play a major part in the growth of China’s massive eCommerce sector, expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2020. With this in mind, a growing number of Chinese companies, such as Shenzhen-based Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC), have begun to invest heavily in the O2O sector and have even developed specific software and tools aimed at both merchants and consumers active in this market. Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) last year purchased 20% of consumer electronics chain Suning for $4.63 billion and, earlier this year, invested more than $1 billion in food delivery services Ele.me. In addition, a growing number of O2O businesses will focus on ways of providing services and products to regions where they were previously unavailable. Alibaba’s Taobao platform has actually started a campaign recently to encourage Chinese farmers to sell their products on the platform.

Moxian’s O2O platform targets small- and medium-sized enterprises, including traditional brick-and-mortar vendors, being designed to help them connect with prospects and customers at a deeper level. By integrating social media features, entertainment and gamification, and business intelligence capabilities, the Multi-Channel Social Commerce Platform allows both consumers and businesses to connect and interact under the unique concept of ‘Online Lifestyle, Offline Fun’. More specifically, the comprehensive platform has at its core a proprietary Social Customer Relationship Management tool developed with the specific goal of improving consumer-business interaction by allowing vendors to run targeted marketing and advertising campaigns.

The Moxian+ Business app allows merchants to collect and analyze insightful behavior data about their customers, with the purpose of knowing their audience better and offering each and every user group a more personalized experience. The user data is collected through the Moxian+ User app, dedicated to shoppers, which includes a gaming center, a rewards redemption center and social media networking capabilities. Based on geolocation and a user’s preferences the app also makes personalized shopping recommendations, including vendors, promotions and special deals that are in the user’s vicinity.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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Legalized cannabis, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes, is at the center of one of the nation’s most transformative industries. Since the passing of California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which made the state the first in the country to legalize medical marijuana, states across the country have been reevaluating the federal government’s decision to outlaw cannabis. In 2012, Colorado and Washington state took another step toward the legalization of cannabis with Amendment 64 and Initiative 502, respectively. With these two measures, the first states in the Union approved the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Since that vote, the national marijuana industry has been in a period of rapid growth. Following last Tuesday’s election, a majority of 26 states, as well as the District of Columbia, now have laws legalizing marijuana in some form.

Despite the national prevalence of legalized weed, banking remains a major point of contention for the burgeoning marijuana industry. This is because financial institutions are caught between state laws allowing for the sale of marijuana and federal laws that ban it. While the U.S. Treasury and Justice departments previously stated that they won’t pursue institutions that keep a close eye on marijuana-related clients and report any suspected wrongdoing, the need to closely monitor clients in the sector has led many large banks to steer clear of the industry. The result has been the emergence of an all-cash industry, leaving dispensaries and other marijuana-focused businesses unable to accept credit or debit cards from customers.

Operating without electronic payment options isn’t just inconvenient; it can be outright dangerous. A report by the Wall Street Journal (http://dtn.fm/8yo8T) published earlier this year notes that marijuana business owners have taken to “refurbishing retired armored bank trucks to transport money and hiring heavily armed security guards.” With more than half the country having now legalized marijuana in some form, many in the industry feel that the tides could be turning, and Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), through its SingleSeed subsidiary, is positioning itself to capitalize on this shift.

“For far too long, dispensaries and other marijuana businesses have struggled to maintain a secure and convenient financial position due to legislation that prohibits them from having bank accounts,” Greg Lambrecht, chief executive officer of Singlepoint, stated in a news release issued this morning. “On Tuesday night, seven states loudly voiced their support for legalization. The issue is now too big to ignore, and we expect that Washington will have to hammer out details to create a ‘bankable environment’ for institutions ready to take part in history.”

Earlier this month, Singlepoint announced plans to awaken SingleSeed from a quiet period as politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to push for solutions to the marijuana banking conundrum. With the market for both medical and recreational marijuana projected to grow from about $7 billion this year to roughly $22 billion by 2020, according to ArcView Research, SingleSeed will look to capitalize on a first mover advantage in the cannabis merchant processing business by developing a marketing program specifically designed for cannabis accounts. Before this can be implemented, though, legislators will need to address the banking issue, as Lambrecht alluded to in this morning’s update.

“When that time comes, SingleSeed will already be ahead of the game with its cannabis merchant payment processing services and technologies,” he concluded.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Singlepoint.com

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Before the opening bell, National Waste Management Holdings, Inc. (OTC: NWMH) announced its financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2016. Notably, the company achieved year-over-year revenue growth of 269 percent, recording $1.7 million in total revenue for the quarter. National Waste recorded similar growth for the first nine months of 2016, with total revenue of $4.8 million, which marked an increase of 262 percent from the comparable period of 2015.

This financial growth is largely attributable to the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy, highlighted through the 2015 acquisitions of Waste Recovery Enterprises and Gateway Rolloff Services. National Waste leveraged this strategy once again in June of this year, when it acquired Sivart Services, a roll-off and compactor business located in Worchester, New York, in an effort to expand its geographic footprint in the northeast while supporting additional revenue growth.

“We are pleased to report our third-quarter 2016 results, marking three consecutive quarters of triple-digit quarterly revenue growth. Our third-quarter performance largely reflects the effectiveness of our acquisition strategy and, in correlation, our growing customer base,” Louis Paveglio, chief executive officer of National Waste, stated in this morning’s news release. “Moving forward, we expect to see continued improvements in profitability as a result of our acquisitions of WRE and Gateway in 2015, supported by our acquisition of Sivart Services earlier this year and our rapidly expanding presence in the northeast.”

In addition to its strong financial performance, National Waste made efforts to strengthen its position in the solid waste management industry during the third quarter by expanding its management team. On August 18, 2016, the company appointed Dali Kranzthor to the position of chief financial officer. Kranzthor added considerable financial experience to the National Waste team, having previously served in leadership roles with numerous privately-held and publicly-held firms located throughout Florida. Most recently, he served as the director of audit and assurance and valuation services at a boutique accounting firm in St. Petersburg, where he worked with both large private businesses and high wealth individuals.

“During the third quarter of 2016 we continued to execute on our business model and build our team and footprint through effective management and acquisitions,” Kranzthor added in this morning’s news release. “When I joined National Waste in the fall of this year, I walked into a flurry of progression and look forward to providing my expertise for continued growth for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.”

Moving forward, National Waste could look to continue its revenue growth through the completion of additional accretive acquisitions. In a news release earlier this year, Paveglio stated that National Waste had already identified a number of potential acquisition targets that are consistent with its business strategy. The momentum provided by these and other ongoing initiatives is expected to spur additional revenue growth as National Waste continues to expand its solid waste solutions in order to meet growing demand.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.nationalwastemgmt.com

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