In 1948, the behaviorist B.F. Skinner reported an experiment in which pigeons were presented with food at fixed intervals, with no relationship to any given pigeon's behavior. Despite that lack of relationship, most of the pigeons developed distinct superstitious rituals and maneuvers, apparently believing that these actions resulted in food. As Skinner reported, “Their appearance as the result of accidental correlations with the presentation of the stimulus is unmistakable.”
Superstition is a by-product of the search for patterns between events – usually occurring in close proximity. This kind of search for patterns is essential for the continuation of a species, but it also lends itself to false beliefs. As Foster and Kokko (2009) put it, “The inability of individuals – human or otherwise – to assign causal probabilities to all sets of events that occur around them… will often force them to make many incorrect causal associations, in order to establish those that are essential for survival.”
The ability to infer cause and effect, based on the frequency with which one event co-occurs with some other event, is called “adaptive” or “Bayesian” learning. Humans, pigeons, and many animals have this ability to learn relationships in their world. Still, one thing that separates humans from animals is the ability to evaluate whether there is really any actual mechanistic link between cause and effect. When we stop looking for those links, and believe that one thing causes another because “it just does” – we give up the benefits of human intelligence and exchange them for the reflexive impulses of lemmings, sheep, and pigeons.
Hot Supermarket Companies To Buy Right Now: Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp(CIDM)
Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. provides technology solutions, financial advice and guidance, and software services to content owners and distributors, and movie exhibitors in the United States. The company engages in the ownership and licensing of digital systems to theatrical exhibitors; and provides monitoring, billing, collection, verification, and other management services to the company?s Phase I Deployment and Phase II Deployment, as well as to exhibitors, who purchase their own equipment. It also develops and licenses software to the theatrical distribution and exhibition industries; and provides applications service provider service, and software enhancements and consulting services. In addition, the company distributes movie features, trailers, and other alternative content to movie theaters and other venues with digital cinema equipment through satellite, hard drives, and broadband; and provides non-theatrical satellite based distribution of content into various out of home networks and other channels. Further, it provides content marketing and distribution services to alternative and theatrical content owners, and theatrical exhibitors, as well as offers in-theatre advertising services. The company was formerly known as Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. in October 2009. Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Cinedigm Corp. (CIDM) �retreated 10% to $2.84 on light volume after the media-content distributor said it was launching an unspecified secondary offering of its Class A shares.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) slipped 14.87% to $2.69 after the company announced a proposed public offering of common stock.
Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) shares tumbled 12.98% to $7.91 after the company priced $200 million of 9.5% Senior Secured Notes and $350 million of Senior Secured Second Lien PIK Toggle Notes.
5 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Central European Media Enterprises Ltd.(CETV)
Central European Media Enterprises Ltd., a media and entertainment company, operates broadcast, content, and new media businesses in central and eastern Europe. The company operates in three segments: Broadcast, Media Pro Entertainment, and New Media. The Broadcast segment operates 30 television channels reaching an aggregate of approximately 49 million people primarily in 6 countries. It operates television channels, including BTV, BTV CINEMA, BTV COMEDY, RING.BG, BTV ACTION, and BTV LADY, a female-oriented cable channel in Bulgaria; NOVA TV, DOMA, and NOVA WORLD in Croatia; TV NOVA, NOVA CINEMA, NOVA SPORT, and MTV CZECH in the Czech Republic; PRO TV, PRO TV INTERNATIONAL, ACASA, PRO CINEMA, MTV ROMANIA, PRO TV CHISINAU, and SPORT.RO in Romania; TV MARK�A and DOMA in the Slovak Republic; POP TV, KANAL A, and POP BRIO in Slovenia, as well as various radio channels in Bulgaria. The Media Pro Entertainment segment develops, produces, and distributes content for its own te levision channels, as well as to third parties through the theatrical and home video operations; sells DVD and Blu Ray discs to wholesale and retail clients; and distributes theatrical, home entertainment, digital, and television film rights. It also owns and operates 16 cinema screens in Romania. The New Media segment offers television content; and operates various news portals, niche Websites, and television-related Websites. Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. was founded in 1994 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Central European Media Enterprises (NASDAQ: CETV) shot up 73.07 percent to $4.69 after the company reported Q4 results.Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) got a boost, shooting up 7.22 percent to $17.38 after the company posted better-than-expected Q3 results.
5 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Axis Capital Holdings Limited (AXS)
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited provides specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance products in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Canada, Australia, and Latin America. The company�s Insurance segment offers property insurance for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, and onshore energy installations; marine insurance covering offshore energy, cargo, liability, recreational marine, fine art, specie, hull, and war; and aviation, terrorism, credit and political risk, and liability insurance. It also provides professional lines that cover directors� and officers� liability, errors and omissions liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, crime, professional indemnity, and other financial insurance related coverage; and accidental death, travel, and specialty health products for employer and affinity groups, financial institutions, schools, and colleges, as well as accident and health reinsurance for catastrop hic or per life events. This segment offers its products through wholesale and retail brokers, managing general agents, and underwriters. Its Reinsurance segment provides non-life reinsurance to insurance companies, including catastrophe; property reinsurance covering property damage and related losses resulting from natural and man-made perils; professional lines; credit and bond reinsurance; and motor reinsurance providing coverage to cedants for motor liability and property damage losses. This segment also offers coverage to insurers of standard casualty business, excess and surplus casualty business, and specialty casualty programs; coverage for various types of construction risks and risks associated with the erection, testing, and commissioning of machinery and plants during the construction stage; and aviation, marine, personal accident, and crop reinsurance. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Avg. High Yield Price 2. 20-Year DCF Price 3. Avg. P/E Price 4. Graham Number CINF is trading at a discount to only 3.) above. The stock is trading at a 36.8% premium to its calculated fair value of $34.96. CINF did not earn any Stars in this section. Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Free Cash Flow Payout 2. Debt To Total Capital 3. Key Metrics 4. Dividend Growth Rate 5. Years of Div. Growth 6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% CINF earned two Stars in this section for 1.) and 2.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1954 and has increased its dividend payments for 54 consecutive years. Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. NPV MMA Diff. 2. Years to > MMA The NPV MMA Diff. of the $62 is below the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as CINF has. If CINF grows its dividend at 1.2% per year, it will take 5 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.68%. Memberships and Peers: CINF is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Divid
5 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (STAF)
Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 22, 2009, is an international staffing sector engaged in the acquisition and integration of the United States and international staffing agencies. Staffing 360 Solutions seeks staffing agencies in the information technology (IT), financial, accounting, healthcare and cyber security industries. On April 26, 2013, it consummated (the Closing) the acquisition 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of The Revolution Group, Ltd. (TRG). In March 2014, the Company announced that its subsidiary Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Ltd acquired the business and assets of Poolia UK Ltd, subsidiary of Poolia AB. In May 2014, the Company acquired IT staffing firm PeopleSERVE.
In March 2012, the Company commenced its operations in the international staffing sector. On July 31, 2012, the Company formed Staffing 360 Alliance, Inc. (Staffing Alliance), which is a wholly owned subsidiary, for the purpose of exploring business prospects in the staffing sector. In September 2012, Alliance began operations and provides trained employees to companies who work in word processing, data entry, administrative support staff and other areas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
As US and global economies recover, hiring should increase with overlooked recruitment related stocks like Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc (NASDAQ: CSOD), 51job, Inc (NASDAQ: JOBS) and Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) being among the first to benefit aside from those who have found employment:
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