A prescient report (http://nnw.fm/T19dA) from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) lays bare the dearth of “basic” and vocational skills in the U.S. Despite a relatively high level of education, the U.S. experiences a weakness in basic skills when compared to other developed countries, according to the report. As a result, the authors of the study recommend making skills training for young adults more accessible, while linking this training to career development. This is exactly what vocational training company ProBility Media Corp. (OTC: PBYA) is doing. With its suite of training and test preparation solutions, the Texas-based educational technology company is out to develop the first full service training and career advancement brand for technical vocations and skilled trades.

ProBility is aiming to disrupt the technical vocations training and certification industry by creating the first full service training and career advancement brand in the technical fields. A major plank in this strategy is the development of online training programs employing virtual reality technology. In the HVAC field, for example, ProBility’s eLearning products under development include a full HVAC technician’s course that simulates the hands-on experience of a lab and physical school. This practical training is supplemented with a handbook produced by ProBility’s publishing division.

Details of the OECD report show the market opportunity America’s skills gap presents for ProBility. As expected, the ability to cultivate the aptitude needed to work at a trade is impeded if basic skills are lacking. Some math proficiency, for example, is required in most vocations, leading, generally, to a greater awareness and emphasis on developing numerate skills. However, literacy is just as important. Language is an important medium not just for learning but also for reasoning. Most of the time, our conscious cogitation is in verbal terms as we “talk” ourselves through a series of actions or a problem solving sequence. Having a command of grammar and syntax also aids in interpreting and assessing information. This may be why the U.S. also scored low on a related skill: problem solving in technology-rich environments.

More so than in other OECD countries, “socio-economic economic background has a stronger influence on adult basic skills.” However, basic skills are linked not only to employment outcomes, but also to personal and social well-being, the report goes on to point out. The odds of having low levels of health are four times higher for low-skilled U.S. adults than for those with the highest skills, a ratio that is twice the OECD cross-country average.

Other findings of the study point to opportunities for ProBility to deploy its extensive array of online training programs. Most (63%) low-skilled adults in the U.S. are employed, a higher proportion than in other countries. Consequently, they can be targeted through workforce development and evening adult programs. In addition, “participation rates in adult education and training are higher in the U.S. than in most countries at all skill levels, although, as elsewhere, low-skilled adults are less likely to participate.”

On par with these findings, ProBility is continually expanding the range of its training and testing services, through organic growth and by acquisitions, as it executes its strategy of defragmenting the vocational training industry. The company is positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for individuals, small- and medium-size businesses (SMEs), and large enterprise customers in the market for high-quality training services and materials to promote career advancement. ProBility is now, also, one of the largest wholesale supplier of electrical codes in the U.S. and provides exam preparation and certification in 22 states.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: ProBility Media Corp. Message Board

There are clear skies over the NYC headquarters of UGE International (OTCQB: UGEIF) (TSXV: UGE) as the energy solutions company continues to build its business organically and through acquisitions. UGE recently announced its first-quarter 2017 financial results, boasting record revenues of $5.5 million, up 903% over the prior year period. Now, the global provider of solar energy services is on track to take that top line even higher as its order book swells.

The solar power industry is driven by renewable portfolio standard (RPS) targets, state and federal tax credits, grants, and favorable public support for ‘green’ energy. A renewable portfolio standard (RPS), or renewable electricity standard, is a regulatory mandate to increase production of energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and other alternatives to fossil and nuclear electric generation. The industry has experienced phenomenal growth over the past five years, achieving annual growth rate of approximately 76 percent from 2011 through 2016. A new report from GTM Research and SEIA (http://nnw.fm/bnLW5) indicates that rate could be trending even higher, revealing that the U.S. solar power market grew by 95 percent in 2016.

UGE is on the frontline of this industry as it powers its way into photovoltaic energy solutions; its recent financial results reflect that position. In the first quarter of 2017, UGE reported triple-digit growth in revenues (as noted above) and lowered its net loss to $0.4 million, compared to $1.7 million reported in the first quarter of 2016, marking the smallest loss in the last three years and bringing the company closer to profitability.

At March 31, 2017, the company also reported that its order backlog reached $31.6 million, of which $20.5 million were “confirmed” projects and $11.1 million of which were “contracted” projects.
“Our first quarter results further illustrate the progress we are making as a company to grow profitably in the commercial solar sector,” UGE CEO Nick Blitterswyk stated in the news release. “Our team continues to focus on growing and executing on our backlog, as our expectations for the future continue to grow as well.”

UGE provides services at all stages of the solar photovoltaic (PV) project lifecycle, including consulting and project management, engineering and design, turnkey construction, and development. The company has been engaged in a number of high-profile projects in the Northeast United States, Canada, Panama and the Philippines.

It was involved in the 84-panel installation that will provide 25.2 kW DC to the San Francisco campus of file-hosting company, Dropbox, and also undertook the utility scale ground mount installation at Sandringham and Woodville Solar Farms for Invenergy Clean Power of Ontario that will generate 25 MW (megawatts) of power. With a resume of over 130 commercial and industrial projects, UGE has already participated in installations with a capacity of over 280 MW.

With such a sunny prognosis, UGE’s share price has been on the rise, increasing by about 30 percent over the 12 months.

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

Two significant acquisitions in the last three months is more than a pattern. It’s an out-right destination. This recent audio interview http://nnw.fm/8w4N9 with Greg Lambrecht, CEO of SinglePoint (OTC: SING), discusses some of the synergies and the immense opportunities that come with the company’s recent acquisition of 90% of Discount Indoor Garden Supply (“DIGS”) (www.DIGSHydro.com).

These strategic accretive acquisitions position SinglePoint to become a dominant player in the California cannabis market while never actually touching the plant.

In March, SinglePoint announced its acquisition of Orange County-based Convectium, which provides branding, packaging, equipment and a proprietary oil filling system ready to rock the cannabis market.
Earlier this month, SinglePoint added southern California-based DIGS to its portfolio (http://nnw.fm/oh7ZW), which brings immediate revenues to SinglePoint and positions the company as a leader in online products, retail stores, cannabis consulting and equipment throughout California.

Many cannabis-related businesses turn to DIGS Hydro’s online store and retail locations for anything and everything needed to cultivate cannabis products, except the seed and plant itself. The owner of DIGS, Carey Haas, has 25 years of experience in the California cannabis markets and brings his knowledge, experience and vast contacts with him to the SinglePoint family of companies.

As a specialized holding company, SinglePoint is building strong relationships as well uncommon companies in its quest to become the dominant force supplying products and services to the California cannabis industry.

The company is rapidly expanding its portfolio in the cannabis markets with strategic accretive acquisitions that profit from servicing the cannabis industry. There’s little doubt the marijuana market in the United States is poised for further explosive upside growth. SinglePoint understands its destination and has taken another huge step toward dominating markets and reaping the attendant rewards.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: Singlepoint, Inc. Message Board

ChineseInvestors.com’s (OTCQB: CIIX) first retail store is expected to open in June in San Gabriel, California. It will be among the first stores to sell “OptHemp,” a premium health product line launched by CIIX’s wholly owned subsidiary chinesehempoil.com, Inc. The “OptHemp” line will include OptHemp Ultra Premium Hemp Oil, the company’s first private label product.

CIIX offers educational tools and consulting services for Chinese investors. Recently, it has been pursuing its niche in the expanding cannabis (CBD) market. The company’s goal is to become a leading Chinese publicly traded company in the nutritional industry. CIIX’s retail store in California will primarily sell hemp oil-based products, which it will market via a new website, mobile application, and online distribution program to penetrate the rapidly growing hemp-based CBD market.

“I am very pleased to announce the launch of our first premium OptHemp product,” Warren Wang, founder and CEO of CIIX, stated in a recent news release. “Hemp oil is believed to have positive balancing effects on the mind and body of persons using them.”

The formula for OptHemp has been optimized to manage inflammation and pain relief. The OptHemp premium line is GMO-free, reinforcing the product’s purity to users. It is grown in organic farms in Colorado using a CO2 extraction technology.

“We believe that the desire for better quality of life in the Chinese community, coupled with the fact that the aging population continues to grow, will lead to continued growth in the alternative health sector and increased demand for natural hemp-based health products,” Wang said. “CIIX is confident that its OptHemp product line will lay a solid foundation for the Company’s entrance into the legal hemp industry and the alternative health sector.”

In the future, CIIX will focus on the distribution and R&D into the CBD market. Its products can be used for patients with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. In China, use of marijuana is forbidden, though hemp-based CBDs are legal, creating a target market of approximately 2 billion consumers.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. Message Board

Zinc prices soared over the last few days after top consumer China increased imports of the metal in wake of the country’s halting production as part of an environmental crackdown on the local steel industry. The Asian nation’s move to curb zinc and nickel production is likely to have a significant impact on global supply, with inventories already under pressure from growing demand and currently at about 342,675 tons (roughly 20 percent lower than last year), according to Reuters (http://dtn.fm/gP0yM). Zinc exploration corporations such as Vancouver-based Kootenay Zinc Corp. (CSE: ZNK) (OTCQB: KTNNF) are already exploring ways to step up efforts to find deposits so as to help meet the global demand for zinc.

Refined zinc imports to China jumped 21 percent year-over-year last month, reaching 47,469 tons (http://dtn.fm/H9mbb). Similarly, shipments of zinc ore and concentrates increased by 44 percent, Reuters said. This led to a significant increase in zinc prices, with the London Metal Exchange benchmark zinc closing up one percent at $2,658 per ton earlier this week – the highest since the beginning of the month.

Nickel prices also soared to $9,395, the highest in three weeks, as a result of growing Chinese imports. The halt in Chinese nickel production is unlikely to have a major impact, since the country accounts for only four percent of global supply. The situation, however, is significantly different when it comes to zinc, as the Asian nation accounted for at least 38 percent of global production before the crackdown. Both nickel and zinc are used in the steel manufacturing process – zinc for galvanized steel and nickel for stainless steel.

It is yet unclear how much of the country’s zinc and nickel production will be affected by the crackdown, but industry sources say the government is shutting down all steel mills that emit excessive pollution, along with zinc and nickel mining operations. Several of these operations might be reopened if they are found in compliance with environmental regulations, the sources added.

China’s move is likely to drive zinc demand even higher. According to the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, demand for the metal is already exceeding supply, and the difference is expected to reach 226,000 tons this year (http://dtn.fm/Lb7BC).

To help meet the rising demand, Canada’s Kootenay Zinc Corp. has already taken steps to expand its exploration program at its Sully property in British Columbia. The property is located near the legendary Sullivan Mine, which was one of the world’s largest reserves of zinc, with an output of over 17 million tons of zinc and lead until it was closed down in 2001. Kootenay’s Sully Project is located 18 miles from Sullivan, and both properties share different environments of the same basin.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: Kootenay Zinc Corp. Message Board

The global mobile revolution continues to accelerate. It’s estimated that, currently, about 4.8 billion individuals globally use a mobile phone, with about 2.3 billion of them being smart phone users. Smartphone subscribers now represent over half of the global mobile population. Mobile devices are fast becoming the go-to technology, even in mature economies where people can use alternative devices at home. Expanded mobile usage even engenders and propagates new behavior sets among consumers.

More mobile usage even drives the usage of mobile devices to make purchases. Approximately $37 billion in mobile transactions occurred in 2015, and that total is expected to explode to over $800 billion by 2019. Like the mobile phones and devices themselves, mobile transactions and payments will soon be commonplace.

Paying for transactions with mobile devices has taken off as a convenient and constructive option for both consumers and merchants. Consumers find it easier to rely on their phones for payments, while mobile point-of-sale transactions give merchants the ability to integrate loyalty and incentive programs into mobile payment applications, track customer trends and inventory, increase check-out speed and save money on credit card fees.

Net Element (NASDAQ: NETE) has been at the vanguard of facilitating this mobile point-of-sale (m-POS) boom, providing speed, security, accuracy, value-add and the convenience of mobile transactions. Net Element owns and operates a global mobile payments and transactional processing provider, TOT Group. TOT Group companies include Aptito, Digital Provider, Restoactive, PayOnline and Unified Payments, which was named the fastest-growing private company in America in 2012 by Inc. Magazine.

Through its wholly owned group of companies, Net Element delivers tailored turnkey solutions that fit merchant needs. The company’s online and offline payment capabilities allow merchants to transact business anywhere, any way and at any time. Simultaneously, Net Element’s mobile payments and value-added transactional platforms deliver speed and convenience to mobile customers, giving them the ability to make purchases with just a few clicks on their mobile devices, and provide an alternative to cash payments.

For these and many other reasons, SeeThruEquity, a leading independent equity research firm, recently issued an update and reaffirmed its price target of $2.45 on shares of Net Element. It appears that the mobile payments boom could be very rewarding for Net Element and its shareholders.

For more information, visit www.NetElement.com

India Globalization Capital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: IGC) has named Craig Cheifetz, M.D., as an advisor to aid the company in its clinical trials in microbiology, immunology, neuroscience, and biotechnology. IGC is engaged in the development of cannabis-based therapies, which treat pain, terminal neurological and oncological diagnosis, PTSD, seizures, and other life altering issues. The company, based in Bethesda, Maryland, has a portfolio of patent filings for its phytocannabinoid-based treatments.

In a news release, Ram Mukunda, CEO of IGC, welcomed Cheifetz to the company’s advisory team, noting that he looks forward to Chiefetz’s contributions as IGC develops unique cannabis combination therapies.

Cheifetz is the Medical Director of Inova VIP 360, Northern Virginia’s Concierge Medicine Program. He is also Regional Dean at Virginia Commonwealth University Inova Fairfax Campus.

He received his M.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and also attended Georgetown University, where he trained in internal medicine. He was National GRMC Chairman from 2011 to 2013.

“We remain committed to accelerating our initiatives and building robust a portfolio of compounds to address large market conditions,” Mukunda noted in the release.

The company anticipates clinical trials in 2017 for several indications, including pain, a huge market. IGC has already filed for six patents in areas such as eating disorders and epilepsy, in addition to pain. It is working on several more filings for indications including depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Its lead candidate is IGC-501, and it has filed patents for the candidate in the United States, Canada and Europe.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.IGCinc.us

Let us hear your thoughts: India Globalization Capital, Inc. Message Board

It is a prime time to be in the zinc mining business, and Kootenay Zinc Corp. (CSE: ZNK) (OTCQB: KTNNF) is poised to profit in the midst of a continuing global zinc shortage and simultaneously booming prices.

As recently reported (http://dtn.fm/7RcNS), the price of zinc rose to $1.17 per pound and $2,628 per metric ton as of May 2017, representing a 60 percent increase over the previous year’s prices. This exceeded already propitious predictions that a deeper worldwide shortage would send zinc prices soaring as high as $2,500 per metric ton over the course of 2017 (http://dtn.fm/Mgwq5).

The current imbalance in the global zinc market is partly attributed to the 2016 shutdown of a number of zinc mines in China — the world’s largest producer of zinc, as well as its biggest consumer. Major zinc mines in other parts of the world have been experiencing declining ore supplies, as well, which is further credited as contributing to the shortage.

Seeking to cash in on the current global zinc shortage and price hike and to help meet the growing demand, KTNNF recently reported that it is expanding its active search for zinc at its Sully Project, which is located in British Columbia, Canada, just 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the legendary Sullivan Mine. The company recently reported it has completed three exploration holes at the site and that its project team is extending its survey efforts to the property’s west anomaly, including conducting state-of-the-art gravity mapping.

The Sully Project boasts shared geologic features with the famed Sullivan Mine, and the sedimentary rocks that host the Sullivan Mine are present at Sully, representative of different environments of the same basin. So far, geologic data indicates that the Sully Project shares the same stratigraphic level at which the Sullivan Mine was deposited, and it appears to coincide with the East gravity anomaly at the Sully Project. A subtle lead-zinc soil anomaly could reflect leakage up faults and dispersion through thick till and alluvium from an entirely buried deposit. A Cominco airborne geophysical survey has shown two N-S trending magnetic anomalies underground that are up to almost two miles long (1.86), that are approximately 0.62 miles apart, and that are near-coincident with the gravity anomalies.

So far, drilling efforts at the Sully Project have been a very near miss, meaning a strike may not be far away. Initial surveying at the project indicated that drilling conducted in 2004 only narrowly missed a shallow mass there. Work performed since then indicated the target was deep. The target may have been missed by just 100 meters, according to downhole temperature and magnetic field readings taken in 2014. KTNNF has initiated a drilling program and is targeting this East mass, which has been confirmed and better defined by new gravity data.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: Kootenay Zinc Corp. Message Board

BioCorRx (OTCQB: BICX) is the owner and creator of an innovative addiction treatment program used by a network of independent treatment centers to improve the lives of their patients struggling with alcohol and opioid addictions. The BioCorRx® Recovery Program leverages an innovative, two-pronged approach that addresses the underlying physical and behavioral issues associated with these addictions. The first half of this approach relies on a highly effective, proprietary implant formulation of the FDA-approved medication naltrexone, for which BioCorRx holds worldwide license rights (excluding Australia and New Zealand). The second half focuses on a modular counseling program coupled with overlapping peer support that is tailored specifically for those afflicted with alcohol and opioid addictions, helping to prepare them both physically and mentally for a life without these often dangerous substances.

America’s opioid epidemic is an increasingly treacherous issue that affects millions of people across the country. Per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half a million people in the United States died from drug overdose from 2000 to 2015. Of those, more than 60 percent were linked to an opioid. Likewise, deaths from prescription opioids have more than quadrupled since 1999, driven by a nearly identical spike in the amount of prescription opioids sold. The negative implications associated with this addiction include traumatic life events for the addicted and their loved ones, as well as monumental financial expense. A 2010 study conducted by the American Society of Addiction Medicine found that addiction costs an estimated $700 billion annually in the U.S. alone.

Treating this growing problem has proven difficult. In 2011, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that 23.5 million persons aged 12 or older, roughly 9.3 percent of the population, needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem. Of those, only 11.2 percent received the vital treatment at a specialty facility. BioCorRx aims to close this gap by both operating specialty facilities to aid those in need and providing a more thorough treatment program that’s been shown to lower patient drop-out rates, due to reduced cravings, and increase compliance rates, through automatic medication delivery and discreet outpatient treatment options.

In recent months, BioCorRx, through its BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals subsidiary, has looked to continue building on this proven medication through the clinical development of BICX101, a sustained release, injectable naltrexone for the treatment of opioid and alcohol use disorders. In early April, the company announced that three different formulations of the drug candidate showed success in reaching 28 days of sustained release in its preclinical studies, including one with an injection volume of just one milliliter. Following this result, BioCorRx formally requested a pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as it continues to conduct additional studies in order to compile more data points.

In a business update issued earlier this month, Lourdes Felix, CFO, COO and director of BioCorRx, noted the strength of the company’s balance sheet following a March equity financing of $940,000 with accredited investors, as well as an investment of $1.7 million from Alpine Creek Capital Partners. Capital stemming from these transactions is expected to allow BioCorRx to continue executing on its business plan, including completion of “a few rounds of preclinical studies of BICX101” and accelerated sales and marketing activities related to its BioCorRx Recovery Program.

A strong balance sheet isn’t the only aspect of BioCorRx’s growth strategy about which prospective shareholders should be particularly optimistic. On May 16, the company announced its submission of a listing application for the Nasdaq Capital markets. The move comes less than two months after OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM) welcomed BioCorRx to the OTCQB Venture Market, which it reserves for early-stage and developing companies that are current in their reporting and undergo an annual verification and management certification process. The company will be required to meet a number of Nasdaq listing requirements in order to complete the uplist, but CFO Felix noted that members of BioCorRx’s management team “look forward to the prospect of a NASDAQ listing,” which they anticipate will “enhance BioCorRx’s visibility in the investment community to a larger market and provide for a broader, more diverse base of shareholders.”

Addressing the growing opioid epidemic in the United States, as well as lingering alcohol addiction issues, represents both an urgent call to action and a sizable market opportunity for companies offering proven effective treatment options. BioCorRx, through its innovative non-addictive medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program and promising clinical pipeline, represents an opportunity for the investment community to participate in the resolution of this crisis while capitalizing on the growth prospects of a leading edge health care solutions company.

For more information, visit www.BioCorRx.com

Savvy investors study multiple factors to identify potential stock winners. Stock screeners scan thousands of companies for insights and data to discern uncommon opportunities. The criteria utilized in a stock screening system is obviously influenced by an individual’s investment proclivities such as high yield, value, growth or price momentum, however, most stock screening systems are typically hybrids with blended criteria reflecting individual preferences and incorporating more than one investment style. P/E ratios, near zero beta, increased dividends, revenue growth and market growth are all employed to sift through over 100,000 public companies around the world and the nearly 6,000 U.S. listed companies.

All markets are addicted to growth. Growth is the elixir that drives markets and share prices of individual companies higher, and every stock screening system includes growth measurement variables. Growth is a testament to value creation. Current and future growth are prime indicators of potential future performance of a company’s share price. When looking for growth, it makes sense to look closely at companies that are not only growing rapidly but also growing rapidly in a rapidly growing market. With compound annual growth estimated at nearly 60 percent, the CBD (cannabidiol) industry is arguably the fastest growing market in the world. In fact, just five months ago Forbes called the CBD industry, “The Cannabis Market That Could Grow 700% by 2020” (http://dtn.fm/5vDve). That kind of growth can change a portfolio.

Currently legal in 16 states with more expected to follow, CBD oil is non-psychoactive and considered to have a broad range of medical benefits. Derived from hemp or marijuana plants, CBD has shown varying degrees of efficacy in treating epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, cirrhosis, pain, anxiety and stress.

CBD is obviously an explosive market opportunity. However, an even greater market opportunity lies outside the U.S., with over two billion Chinese speaking people. Acceptance and use of CBD oil is a natural fit with holistic Eastern-based medicine and an immense potential revenue generator for ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX). With two billion Chinese speaking people as its target market, ChineseInvestors.com recently executed a first-to-market milestone by creating the world’s only Chinese language, cannabinoid-based, therapeutic health products online store, www.ChineseCBDoil.com.

Historically, this specialized investment services company with 100,000+ users provided real-time market commentary, analysis, and education-related information in the Chinese language, as well as offered consultation, advertising, and public relations services. Now, the 18-year-old company is at the forefront of marketing and selling hemp-based food and beverages and hemp-derived CBD to Chinese-speaking consumers worldwide through its online store.

A recent research report by Consilium Global Research (http://dtn.fm/SA4bH) projects ChineseInvestors.com to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 100% through 2020. Consilium sees CIIX going through immense transformation this year as it pursues a larger stake in the global cannabis market. Before long, ChineseInvestors.com should pop up on multiple stock screeners, as it’s growing rapidly in a rapidly growing market.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. Message Board