Banks remain skeptical of, if not outright hostile towards, cryptocurrency. They are inversely bullish, however, about its underlying technology – blockchain. This decentralized, public transaction ledger has been embraced by financial institutions for its transparency, speed, and security (as well as its potential to cut costs), and creative uses are being regularly implemented in different sectors. Now, JPMorgan has announced potential plans to spin-off its blockchain network, Quorum, into an independent company.
Quorum, which shares 95 percent of its software with cryptocurrency Ethereum’s blockchain, is an “enterprise-focused version of Ethereum…ideal for any application requiring high speed and high throughput processing of private transactions within a permissioned group of known participants” aimed at addressing “specific challenges to blockchain technology adoption within the financial industry, and beyond.”
The open-source project began in 2016, becoming part of the Ethereum Enterprise Alliance (EEA) in February of 2017. The EEA, which was developed to further the development of the Ethereum blockchain for business use, counts heavyweights like Santander and MasterCard as members. Since its launch, Quorum has attracted some significant international clients, with users including Microsoft, Genentech, and Pfizer.
Amber Baldet, the former product development lead for the project who recently left to found her own blockchain venture, spoke at March’s EthCC conference about using Quorum to further a spirit of collaboration between different networks. Baldet described the problems faced by blockchain designers as “[not] so far apart,” – in her estimation, differences between developers are based on approach, not overarching goals.
Meanwhile, banks remain hungry for developments related to the technology – continued success means simplifying their business infrastructure, reducing costs, and making processes like securities settlement more streamlined, or payment processing instantaneous.
Talks about turning Quorum into an independent company are in their early stages. Executives are said to be determining if the increased autonomy resulting from a spin-off would allow Quorum to support new open-source projects with additional partners. Brian Marchiony, a JPMorgan spokesman, said in a statement that “[JPMorgan continues]to believe distributed ledger technology will play a transformative role in business, which is why [they] are actively building multiple blockchain solutions…Quorum has become an extremely successful enterprise platform even beyond financial services and we’re excited about its potential.” No matter which fate JPMorgan executives choose for Quorum, banks are ready to continue betting big on blockchain and its transformative powers for their industry.
MA saw its Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) turn negative on March 25, 2024. This is a bearish signal that suggests the stock could decline going forward. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 45 instances where the indicator turned negative. In of the 45 cases the stock moved lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of a downward move at .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on April 03, 2024. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on MA as a result. In of 85 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
MA moved below its 50-day moving average on April 10, 2024 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for MA crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on April 16, 2024. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 17 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where MA declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for MA entered a downward trend on April 24, 2024. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The RSI Oscillator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where MA's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, of 24 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. of 56 cases where MA's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where MA advanced for three days, in of 349 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
MA may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 75, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. MA’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: MA's P/B Ratio (64.516) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (4.672). P/E Ratio (40.440) is within average values for comparable stocks, (53.143). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.600) is also within normal values, averaging (3.039). MA has a moderately low Dividend Yield (0.005) as compared to the industry average of (0.042). P/S Ratio (18.018) is also within normal values, averaging (4.549).
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a company, which offers payment solutions
Industry FinanceRentalLeasing