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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL May 8, 2023 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, MongoDB Inc. MDB, Okta Inc. OKTA, Zscaler Inc. ZS and Paycom Software Inc. PAYC.

Here are highlights from Fridays Analyst Blog:

Wall Street has been suffering from volatility again since the beginning of May. In its recently concluded May FOMC meeting, the Fed raised the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to the range of 5-5.25%, marking the highest Fed Fund rate since August 2007.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that the ongoing rate hike cycle is perhaps reaching its end, although it will depend on the outcome of economic data. However, Powell has categorically denied any rate cut this year as inflation seems to be declining at a slow rate.

As a result, the U.S. economy is suffering its biggest challenge in the regional banking segment. Three major regional banks have already collapsed and a large-section of economists and financial experts remain highly concerned about more casualties.

In first-quarter 2023, the U.S. GDP growth rate came in at a moderate 1.1% compared with the consensus estimate of 2% and the fourth-quarter 2022 growth rate of 2.6%. Moreover, the Conference Board's Leading Economic Index, a gauge of future economic activity, dropped to 108.4 in March from February's revised reading of 109.7, its 12th successive monthly drop and the lowest reading since November 2020.

Precipitous contraction in ISM manufacturing and services activities, a decline in orders of durable goods, a reduction in construction activities, and a freight recession are all signaling the possibility of a recession later this year. Fed Chair also acknowledged that the current banking turmoil in the United States has led to tighter credit conditions, and is likely to impact economic activities.

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Consequently, several large-cap stocks are currently available at attractive valuations. Investment in these stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank should be fruitful to gain in the near term.

We have narrowed our search to five large-cap stocks currently trading at a deep discount to their 52-week highs. These stocks have strong potential for 2023 and have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the last 60 days. Each of our picks carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Amazon.com Inc. is gaining on solid Prime momentum owing to ultrafast delivery services and a strong content portfolio. The strengthening relationship with third-party sellers is a positive. Additionally, the strong adoption rate of AWS is aiding AMZN's cloud dominance. An expanding AWS services portfolio is continuously helping Amazon in gaining momentum among customers.

Robust Alexa skills and an expanding smart home products portfolio are positives. AMZN's strong global presence and solid momentum among the small and medium businesses remain tailwinds. Considering the above-mentioned facts, we expect 2023 revenue to be up 5% from 2022.

Amazon has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 8.9% and more than 100%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improved 12.5% over the last 30 days. The stock price of AMZN is currently trading at a 29% discount from its 52-week high.

MongoDB Inc. provides general purpose database platform worldwide. MDB offers MongoDB Enterprise Advanced, a commercial database server for enterprise customers to run in the cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environment, MongoDB Atlas, a hosted multi-cloud database-as-a-service solution, and Community Server, a free-to-download version of its database, which includes the functionality that developers need to get started with MongoDB.

MongoDB also provides professional services comprising consulting and training. MDB serves financial services, government, healthcare, media and entertainment, technology, retail and telecommunications industries.

MongoDB has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 16.6% and 27.2%, respectively, for the current year (ending January 2024). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 53.3% over the last 60 days. The stock price of MDB is currently trading at a 39.3% discount from its 52-week high.

Okta Inc. provides identity management platforms for enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, universities, non-profits, and government agencies in the United States and internationally.

OKTA's products consist of Okta Information Technology Products and Okta for Developers. Okta IT Products include Single Sign-On, Mobility Management, Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication, Lifecycle Management and Universal Directory. Okta for Developers include Complete Authentication, User Management, Application Programming Interface Access Management and Developer Tools.

OKTA has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 16.6% and more than 100%, respectively, for the current year (ending January 2024). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 2.7% over the last 60 days. The stock price of OKTA is currently trading at a 39% discount from its 52-week high.

Zscaler Inc. is benefiting from the rising demand for cyber-security solutions owing to the slew of data breaches. The increasing demand for privileged access security on digital transformation and cloud-migration strategies is a key growth driver of ZS.

Zscaler's portfolio boosts its competitive edge and helps add users. Moreover, a strong presence across verticals, such as banking, insurance, healthcare, the public sector, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications services, and education, is safeguarding Zscaler from the pandemic's negative impact. Also, recent acquisitions, like Smokescreen and Trustdome, are expected to enhance ZS' portfolio.

Zscaler has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 43.2% and more than 100%, respectively, for the current year (ending July 2023). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 5.6% over the last 60 days. The stock price of ZS is currently trading at a 57.6% discount from its 52-week high.

Paycom Software Inc. is a provider of cloud-based human capital management software as a service solution for integrated software for both employee records and talent management processes.

PAYC's differentiated employee strategy, measurement capabilities and comprehensive product offerings are helping it win new customers. Further, solutions like Ask Here and Manager on-the-Go, both focusing on employee usage and efficiency, are tailwinds.

Paycom Software has expected revenue and earnings growth rates of 24.2% and 21.7%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.3% over the last seven days. The stock price of PAYC is currently trading at a 37.5% discount from its 52-week high.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumedthat any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein andis subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Amazon.com MongoDB, Okta, Zscaler and Paycom Software - Yahoo Finance

Co-founder of IT major Infosys N R Narayana Murthy and his author wife Sudha Murthy cast their ballot for the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday and exhorted people to vote.

"First, we vote and then we say this is good and this is not good. But if we don't do that, then we have no right to criticise," 76-year-old Narayana Murthy said after exercising his franchise in the morning here.

Murthy's expectations after his vote

Regarding his "expectations" while voting, the software icon said: "My hope is that for my grandchildren this place will be one of the best places in the world to live, to pursue their career, education and to add value to the society. That's how I hope."

"We all hope that the poorest guy in the remotest village in India have access to the basic education, decent healthcare, decent nutrition, and hope that that child's grandchildren will have a better future than that child," Murthy added.

His wife Sudha Murthy said the younger generation should learn from them and exercise their franchise. "I will tell youngsters please look at us. We are aged but still we get up at 6 am, we get ready and vote. Please learn from us," she said.

Stating that voting is a sacred part of democracy, Murty said in democracy if there are no voters, then it is not a democracy at all.

"You should respect voting and you should exercise your power in case if you want to change, implement or continue, you want your projects to be implemented," she added.

Sudha Murthy urged people to vote for polls

Urging people to vote, the author-philanthropist said: "I will not ask you who you will vote for or why you vote, because everyone has their own opinion and decision, but everyone should vote. We vote in every election." On people who "go out" without voting, she said: "I can only say those who don't have patriotism, do such things. Get up early, first vote and then go anywhere you want."

(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here.To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)

See the rest here:
If we dont vote, we have no rights to criticise: Software icon Narayana Murthy as he casts his vote for - Free Press Journal

Youre invited!

Once youve established details like time, date, place, and theme, its time to start creating and sending out the invitation for your next big event.

And while theres no denying that designing an invitation can feel intimidating, desktop publishing software and display ad design software are just some tools available that can produce eye-catching invitations for parties that guests are excited to attend.

Throwing and hosting an event isnt cheap, so if youre looking to create the invitation on a budget, its good to know that you have options.

The following tools are ranked alphabetically:

Whether youre hosting a birthday party, webinar, anniversary, or housewarming party, designing the invitation with the right software can entice guests to attend while providing all the relevant information needed.

The list below contains real user reviews. In the context of this list, vendors that offer a free trial are also considered free. To be included on this list, a solution must have at least one of the following features:

* This data was pulled from G2 in April 2023, and the product list is ranked alphabetically. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.

Category: Desktop Publishing Software

Formerly known as Adobe Spark, Adobe Creative Cloud Express provides users with thousands of easy-to-use templates for various designs. From invitations to social media graphics to business cards, users can get started today with a 30-day free trial.

I like its comprehensive tools, seamless device integration, and collaboration features. The user-friendly interface and diverse offerings make it perfect for graphic designers and video editors. Collaboration tools enable easy peer interaction, while the extensive toolset accommodates all skill levels.

- Adobe Creative Cloud Express Review, Antnio P.

I wish it were easier to add fonts and not have to add them to my brand.

- Adobe Creative Cloud Express Review, Shawniece E.

Category: Display Ad Design Software

Next up is Canva, where users effortlessly create all kinds of visual content. It boasts a drag-and-drop interface, an expansive library of templates, and available stock photography. Designers looking to make invitations can use Canva for free for up to a year.

Canva is a great application that allows me to create various types of posters, presentations, and infographic images. Since working within an automobile detailing company, I can run various digitally informative presentations for my clients. Canva has many vibrant templates that save time and give you the right idea to develop informative posters. Working in Canva is easy and much less time-consuming. Its a great software for those who know little about editing tools but still know how to design and develop beautiful presentations.

- Canva Review, Akshita D.

Although we use Canva For Business at work, the one thing my team and I dislike about it is that we can't hide non-premium things, such as media and fonts, on our personal, free accounts. It would be nice to filter accordingly for people starting a business who have yet to subscribe to a premium version of the software.

- Canva Review, Haraldo S.

Category: Vector Graphics Software

From graphic design experts to design teams just starting to create, CorelDRAW delivers endless creativity. It gives you features for photo editing, team collaboration, and illustration, so there are multiple ways to design your next invitation. Users can start exploring all that CorelDRAW has to offer with a 15-day free trial.

I have been using CorelDRAW for several years and can confidently say that it's one of the best design software out there. I love the versatility of the toolset. It has everything I need for vector graphics, illustrations, page layout, and photo editing. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate.

- CorelDraw Review, Kubilay I.

Despite CorelDRAW being one of the pillars of innovation when it comes to creating graphics, regardless of scale and structure, the software has an edginess to it that comes off as something more like a relic of the past.

- CorelDraw Review, Paul A.

Category: Event Registration and Ticketing Software

Not only can Evite design an invitation for your next event, but it also offers users features like RSVP tracking so hosts can be prepared for how many guests will be in attendance. Users can explore thousands of free invitation templates fully customizable today.

I like that the templates are there to choose from, and there are lots of options. I also like that you can see when people open the invite and send quick reminders or updates.

- Evite Review, Michelle B.

I wish there were more customization options on some templates, but overall it's not a deterrent.

- Evite Review, Corrine B.

Category: Presentation Software

You dont have to be a seasoned designer to take advantage of Visme. This all-in-one platform can design everything from presentations, invitations, and visual reports with ease. Visme not only offers a free version, but also offers a free trial for its paid version with additional features.

Easy to use! I'm a beginner, and after only two hours, I'm already making professional-looking slides for our company's board meeting in three days. I was looking for flow-chart style templates with other brands in the trial phase, and I couldn't find anything- I tried Visme and instantly found at least 100 different flow-chart template options.

- Visme Review, Samantha J.

There are some glitches that affect my ability to undo actions. Sometimes the program doesn't respond when adding an effect, and you must refresh the page to continue.

- Visme Review, Jessica L.

Category: Diagramming Software

Wondershare EdrawMax offers users many different options for creating invitations, floor plans, flow charts, infographics, and even fashion design. This option can be used for free with a 15-day trial.

The ease of use is one of the best features of EdrawMax. I can easily create my technical diagrams with the help of existing templates and eventually save time. Also, I like its feature to import the other formats built on other tools. Without compromising quality, I can easily export the diagram into formats like PDF or JPG.

- Wondershare EdrawMax Review, Kushagra A.

Though this was not a deal killer, being on a Mac, the user interface (UI) in most Mac apps is crisp and has that up-to-date feeling. EDrawMax needs to work on updating its UI. Even though their tools are powerful, you'll soon forget about the UI and focus on your project.

- Wondershare EdrawMax Review, Nick S.

Designing the perfect invitation for your next event takes time and effort, but the right software makes it easier! These tools help hosts organize great events or parties, even on a budget. So whether youre choosing a template or designing from scratch, these free invitation design software options can do it all.

View original post here:
6 Best Free Invitation Design Software for 2023 - G2

Metal detectors might become the latest feature at the state Capitol as members of the Michigan State Capitol Commission continue in their effort to make the building a gun-free zone.

Commissioners, responsible for managing the statehouse, voted unanimously late last week to solicit bids for metal and weapon detectors for the Capitols ground floor entrances late last week.

Four areas the main east entrance, the Heritage Hall entrance, and two entrances accessible via swipe cards by legislative staff would see pass-through weapon detection towers, scanning for not just standard issue guns but 3-D printed weapons as well.

At the final entrance, used by maintenance and vendors such as caterers, would be a metal detector.

The commission also is seeking bids for software for digital security cameras to detect if people possess firearms while alerting security in the process.

Its expected the Department of State Police will post job listings for 10 troopers to provide additional Capitol security as the House and Senate do the same.

I really am not happy we have to do this ... its just the high prevalence of violence, but political violence, especially, around the country that makes it obvious we have to do something to try and protect people, Commission Chair Bill Kandler told MLive.

RELATED: Eye on 2024, ex-speakers corruption: Your guide to Michigan politics

The vote on April 28 to move forward on metal detectors, new software and the like comes after another unanimous commission decision in February, when members first began moving on a total firearm ban on Capitol grounds.

We know theres no perfect solution of trying to come up with this end, (but) to increase our security and decrease our risk to outside events or incidents is our goal, Rob Blackshaw, executive director of the Michigan State Capitol Commission, said at the time.

Commissioners previously signed off on a form of an open carry firearm ban in 2021. This pertained to the public areas inside the Michigan State Capitol Building.

That came after an April 2020 rally where armed individuals some of whom were later charged in a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer entered the Capitol and watched session from the third floor balcony to the dismay of several sitting lawmakers.

The same year, an opinion issued by Attorney General Dana Nessel indicated the commission would be within its rights to forbid guns on the Capitol grounds for the protection of those both inside and outside the statehouse.

Kandler said that opinion somewhat came as a surprise to the commission, as they had long been involved in the restoration and preservation of the building, but said members otherwise felt it was their responsibility to make the Capitol safer.

Under the current partial ban, public areas within the Capitol are defined as the rotunda and its galleries along with the main corridors, grand staircases and ground floor entrances.

There is an exception to the rule, as firearms held by certain individuals are still permitted on Capitol grounds.

These include:

We have a lot of school children come through the Capitol building every year. ... Wed like to be able to tell parents that if the kids come to visit the Capitol building, itd be as safe here as it would be your own school building, Kandler said.

The firearm ban is expected to take effect upon the installing the new metal detectors, magnetometers and software. Commissioners, however, are still mulling whether the ban would affect just the inside of the Capitol or should extend to the grounds of the building as well.

How much this could cost is currently not known, though an executive budget recommendation from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has set aside $5 million for Capitol security upgrades.

More from MLive

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Will Michigans financial disclosure law reveal politicians long-hidden perks? Its up to them.

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Michigan anti-solar group withdraws proposed ban on rural utility projects

See more here:
Metal detectors, software eyed to help make Michigan Capitol gun-free zone - MLive.com

I love AI. I'm using it many times a day in various forms, mostly through Bing Chat. But I also use ChatGPT a lot, mostly because it's faster. I also, quite happily, subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, the $20 a month premium tier that, among other things, affords you early access to new features.

At the time that was to use GPT-4 on ChatGPT, but also in eager anticipation of plugins and any other goodies OpenAI had up their digital sleeves. And yet, a couple of months later I'm sat looking at ChatGPT and wondering why I've wasted (to now) $40.

It's got more intense this past week because Microsoft has revealed what's coming next to Bing Chat. A lot of it covers features I'd hoped to be playing with on ChatGPT by now. Plugins, chat history, exporting, charts, all awesome stuff. And not locked behind a fairly pricey subscription that doesn't even seem to give you what you're paying for.

Microsoft might have pumped billions of dollars into OpenAI, but it's also beating the company easily at its own game.

I get it. ChatGPT has a lot of users. It became the fastest service to hit 100 million active users. But I guarantee most of those users aren't paying. The people paying are the enthusiasts, the early adopters, tech press. People like me. But in recent weeks I got access to one big new feature. The same feature everyone got, paid subscriber or not.

To get access to plugins or browsing right now, you must both be a paid subscriber and sign up to a waitlist. A lucky few already have access now, some more have recently started to see access arrive for the neat charts feature.

Me? The only thing I can do over a free account right now is use GPT-4. You know where I can use GPT-4 (legally) for free? Bing Chat. That same place that I can use browsing, too, which is comparable to OpenAI's feature since it's also powered by Bing.

Obviously OpenAI is scaling up. But to tell people they can pay for early access to new features as one of the perks, then keep most of them waiting without any indication of when to expect it, is pretty crummy.

I've been asked a few times if ChatGPT Plus is worth the money. The answer is a categorical no.

Paying for ChatGPT Plus looks even more ridiculous when you look at what Microsoft has recently announced as coming to Bing Chat. In case you missed the announcement, here's a quick list of what's coming soon.

This little lot will not only bring Bing Chat onto a better feature parity with what ChatGPT already offers, but also what it's offering to a small subset of its paid subscribers. Bing Chat, like ChatGPT, is going to be a development platform. And we'll hear more about it at Build later this month.

But the kicker is that, at least to this point, Microsoft hasn't indicated it'll be charging for any of these features on Bing Chat. I could envisage a Bing Chat Insider program similar to the other Insider programs Microsoft already runs. A place where enthusiasts will get to try stuff before everyone else. But Microsoft also doesn't charge for such programs if it did decide to bring one in.

Eventually you would imagine that Microsoft 365 may be leveraged to provide some kind of premium tier. Perhaps an ad-free experience or priority access, but that, too, would be fine. Paying for premium features is fine.

What's not fine is paying $20 a month under the pretence of getting premium features and actually getting very little. OpenAI needs to completely rethink its approach to charging for ChatGPT, because at the minute, Microsoft is completely showing them up.

Link:
Why am I wasting $20 a month on ChatGPT Plus when Bing Chat is ... - Windows Central