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Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will report third-quarter financial results after the closing bell Tuesday, with analysts calling for significant earnings growth.

Analysts expect the chipmaker to report revenue of $6.71 billion, up nearly 16% year-over-year, according to Visible Alpha. Net income is projected to be $815.76 million or 50 cents per share, more than double the $299 million or 18 cents per share AMD posted a year earlier.

In July, AMD reported data center revenue in the second quarter more than doubled year-over-year to a record $2.8 billion, as demand for the company's artificial intelligence (AI) chips surged.

Analysts expect data center revenue to rise to a fresh high of $3.52 billion for the third quarter. CEO Lisa Su said in July that AMD expects to “deliver strong revenue growth in the second half of the year led by demand for Instinct, EPYC and Ryzen processors." 

At the company’s Advancing AI event earlier this month, AMD launched its next generation of AI chips but did not raise its AI sales guidance or announce any new large customers as many investors had hoped. Jefferies analysts suggested investors could be watching for those updates to come with AMD's earnings Tuesday.

Over 80% or 13 of the 16 analysts covering AMD tracked by Visible Alpha have a "buy" or equivalent rating for the stock, with an average price target of $192.13, implying about 23% upside from Friday's closing price of $156.23. Shares of AMD have gained 6% so far in 2024.

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Hate what a mess boarding an airplane can be? So do airlines.

Many flights see dozens of passengers line up to board well before they should in order to snag limited overhead bin space. Some travelers try to scam their way onto flights early with wheelchairs. All told, the process is a source of stress for just about everyone involved at a time when most people likely just want to sit down and take off—which is why airlines are continually trying to refine things.

American Airlines (AAL) is the latest.

American is changing a procedure that may help eliminate "gate lice." For those of you unfamiliar with the term, "gate lice" is a pejorative used to describe people who hover around boarding gates well before it's time for their group to board.

"Generally you'll find more 'gate lice' ... heading to or back from leisure destinations, and traveling at peak leisure times," said Gary Leff, proprietor of the travel blog . "Sundays in Orlando, for instance!"

American Airlines is testing a system at three airports—Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico; Tucson International Airport in Arizona; and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport—that will produce a sound to alert gate agents when people try to board before their group is called.

"We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process," American Airlines said in a statement to . "The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team."

Southwest Airlines (LUV), meanwhile, this summer announced it would be changing an open seating policy that has been in place for more than half a century, moving to assigned seats more in line with most of the industry.

In doing so, it may inadvertently address another boarding wrinkle sometimes called the "Jetbridge Jesus" phenomenon. To get an early start on open seating, some Southwest passengers request wheelchairs so they can board early and get desirable seats. Some Southwest flights see 20 or more passengers need wheelchairs to board, but only a few who need them to deplane, reported.

Behold, the healing powers of flying! ("Preboarding for those with disabilities is protected by DOT regulations," a Southwest spokesperson told . "It's not our place to pontificate on those disabilities.") Assigning seats might not completely eliminate some travelers' desire to board early, but it could reduce the tension that lead some to seek an edge.

Whatever Southwest's intention when it announced the change—it had been under pressure for months from activist Elliott Investment Management to shake up the company—passengers will be thrilled that one of their annoyances could go away.

Among other airlines adjusting their seating policies, United Airlines (UAL) earlier this year launched a feature that would alert travelers if seats they preferred on crowded flights became available after they booked their tickets, according to reports, and last year launched a "window-to-aisle" boarding process it says is intended to speed the process.

Delta (DAL), meanwhile, earlier this year returned to boarding by zone numbers rather than by named groups, reportedly a bid for more simplicity.

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A lady has recounted how a man pleaded with some medical laboratory technicians to change the results of a blood test he took with his partner in order to make it seem like they are blood genotype didn’t match.

According to the man, he made the decision because he believed that he wouldn’t get married to his  partner.

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A Sikorsky SK76c helicopter, registered as 5N-BQG, that recently crashed near Port Harcourt in Rivers State, was reportedly scrapped in 2018, according to investigations by SaharaReporters.

The helicopter, owned by EastWind Aviation, was transporting contract workers to the FPSO—NUIMS ANTAN facility when it plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

The tragedy occurred off the coast of Bonny Finima on Thursday, October 24, 2024.

The helicopter with manufacturer’s serial number (MSN) 760486 was manufactured in 1997.

Checks by SaharaReporters revealed that the helicopter was first delivered to Helikopter Service as SE-JFB. It was then bought by another aviation company in Hong Kong and registered as B-KCR. In 2004, the helicopter was bought by a Nigerian airline, Aero Contractors and registered as 5N-BGN.

In 2009, CHC Global Ops in Canada bought the chopper from Aero Contractors, registering it as C-FXXV. It was outsourced to Premiair, an aviation services and aircraft management operator based in Indonesia between June 2011 and July 2013.

The helicopter was then taken back by CHC Global Ops, a Canadian aviation company, maintaining the same registration number, C-FXXV.

According to Flickr, an online community founded in Canada, the chopper registration number was cancelled in September 2018 after it was “presumably scrapped.”

Scrapped helicopters refer to aircraft that have been permanently retired from service and deemed unusable. They are not expected to return to operational status and are typically sold for salvage or dismantled for parts.

How the Sikorsky SK76c helicopter was moved to Nigeria and registered as 5N-BQG before it crashed on Thursday could not be verified by SaharaReporters.

On Sunday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) said that five persons were still missing, insisting that only three bodies had been recovered since the incident occurred on Thursday.

#Instablog9jaNews #TrendingStory #Awareness #StayUpdated

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As the end of the year approaches, it might be a good time to take stock of your finances. Whether you’re contributing to your 401 (k) or selling one of your losing investments, what you do now could help you save money in the future.

“October and November are good times to sort of take inventory,” said Adam Wojtkowski, a certified financial planner. “And then in November and December, if you have actual transactions that you need to make, try to get them done.”

Catherine Valega, a CFP at Green Bee Advisory, has recommended Roth IRA conversions to some of her clients this election year because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017—a law that lowered income and tax brackets—will expire in 2025. That means that the income tax rates could jump after December 31, 2025.

With a Roth conversion, you move money from a pre-tax account like a traditional IRA into a post-tax Roth account where your money grows and withdrawals are tax-free as well. That means you’re effectively reducing taxes in future years.

“Locking in the historically low ordinary income tax rates by doing a Roth conversion and claiming a specific [tax] bracket would also be beneficial before year end,” said Brian Schmehil, Managing Director, Wealth Management at The Mather Group.

However, whenever you convert a retirement account to a Roth IRA, the amount you convert is considered taxable income. That means you’ll owe income taxes on the conversion and could face a higher tax bill come April. Doing a conversion could also bump you up to a higher tax bracket for the year, so Wojtkowski recommends considering what tax bracket you’re in before opting for a Roth conversion. 

While the contribution limits for IRAs and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are up until tax day, you'll have until December 31 to contribute to or max out some of your employer-sponsored accounts, like your 401(k).

“On the employer plan side, if you're able to maximize your contribution, you [want to] do it with the limited paychecks that you have between now and year end,” said Schmehil.

Katherine Edwards, a CFP at Mainstreet Financial Planning, also suggests using this time of the year to evaluate your retirement strategy and boost your savings rate. 

“If you're not maxing out [your retirement accounts], consider increasing how much you're putting in your retirement account,” Edwards said. “Maybe you get a raise and you increase your retirement account contributions by 1% every December.”

If you sell your investments for a profit, you owe what is called a capital gains tax. However, in a year like 2024 that saw stock market highs as well as turbulence, you could use some of the loss making bets to your advantage.

Edwards said harvesting losses on your investments at the end of the year is a good idea in order to reduce your tax bill, though she also recommends doing it throughout the year or when the market is down.

With tax-loss harvesting, you sell an investment at a loss to offset your capital gains and reduce your ordinary income, up to $3,000. Capital losses that exceed $3,000 can be carried over to future years to offset your gains.

If you still think that losing investment could turn around, make sure you don’t repurchase it within 30 days of the sale you make for tax-loss harvesting purposes. That could run you afoul of the wash-sale rule.

Don't forget to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRAs before the end of the year, if you're eligible, or else you'll be on the hook to pay a hefty penalty.

If you're age 73 or older and it’s not your first year taking a required minimum distribution from your retirement account—like an IRA or 401 (k)—you’ll have until December 31 to take your RMD.

Otherwise, you're liable to pay a penalty worth 25% of the RMD amount not taken by the deadline. If it’s your first time taking an RMD, you have until April 1 of the next year.

Some retirees may need that money for expenses but if they don't, there's a silver lining. You could use the extra cash to invest.

"CDs and other liquid investments are great if their goal to use the money is short term and they plan to need it soon. If they aren't planning to use it for at least 5-10 years, they can consider investing it in something more aggressive in the brokerage account," said Gerika Espinosa, a CFP and financial advisor at DMBA Financial Planning and Wellness.

Another option, according to Espinosa, is to use those funds to make tax-efficient qualified charitable contributions.

When you give to a cause that’s important to you, you can also score a tax break. However, in order to deduct a charitable contribution from your income in the 2024 tax year, you’ll want to make the contribution by the end of the year.

To receive the tax deduction on your annual gross income (AGI), you must itemize your deductions instead of taking the standard deduction. Therefore, some experts recommend ‘bunching’ charitable contributions. 

“If somebody is in a position to take the standard deduction in most years—rather than making charitable contributions year after year—[consider] potentially bunching and making three years worth of charitable contributions into a donor advised fund in a given year,” said Wojtkowski.

With the TCJA set to expire at the end of 2025, experts also say it may be beneficial to make charitable contributions now rather than later as tax concessions might decline.

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Onanuga said the President feels the pain of Nigerians and has assured them that better days are nearer than before.

The presidential spokesman, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said his principal is not T-pain, as “mischievously” nicknamed on social media. Onanuga said Tinubu has not come to inflict pain on Nigerians but to “repair the economy”.

He said “the President is aware that the citizens are going through some difficulties” but said Tinubu is not aware that some persons have labelled him T-pain on social media as “the President does not read what is on the social media”. Onanuga said, “Some people have also responded and called the President a different name. So, as far as I am concerned, it is a non-issue. “Some people out of mischief just say somebody is a T-pain, He (Tinubu) is not T-pain. The President has never shied away from telling Nigerians that he feels their pain and he is working very hard to make sure that he gives them some relief so that things will get better and this country will get more prosperity.”

He said despite galloping inflation, “we are experiencing economic growth, despite inflation, revenues have increased”. Nigerians are grappling with the weight of unprecedented food inflation, and energy prices which have quadrupled in the last year. Many people have blamed the twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex rates for the high living costs that have assailed the middle class.

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