During Tuesday’s Morning trade, Shares of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NYSE:NM), gained 0.73% to $1.38.
Navios Maritime Holdings Inc., stated financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2015.
Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We have practiced an extended period of weakness that is virtually unprecedented in our history, with the BDI average this year lower than at any time since 1986. As a result, we have adjusted our return of capital to our shareholders by initiating a share repurchase program and suspending our dividend payment. The share repurchase program entails a $25.0 million purchasing authority over a two-year period. The annual net savings will provide additional balance sheet strength and the opportunity to reinvest funds accretively.”
Angeliki Frangou continued, “The decision to suspend dividends was a difficult one, as we have paid a dividend for 39 successive quarters. Senior administration owns about 30% of the Company, so we are intimately aware of the consequences of our action, but feel that reducing our capital commitment and opportunistically redeploying cash toward our share repurchase program will be in our best long-term interests.”
Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. operates as a seaborne shipping and logistics company. It focuses on the transportation and transshipment of dry bulk commodities, counting iron ore, coal, and grains. It operates in two segments, Dry bulk Vessel Operations and Logistics Business.
Shares of International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM), declined -0.35% to $137.96, during its current trading session.
Merge Healthcare, an IBM Company (IBM), has reached a contract with eviCore healthcare that will automate and streamline the process providers undertake to obtain imaging study preceding authorizations from payers. The agreement is intended to benefit payers, providers and imaging centers by consolidating multiple preceding authorization processes into Merge’s iConnect® Network Services (iCNS), a comprehensive technology-based solution which electronically routes imaging study orders, manages incoming preceding authorizations and communicates medical imaging results among healthcare professionals in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
“The overall cost to the healthcare system of all practice interactions with health plans, counting authorizations, is estimated between $23 billion and $31 billion annually1,” said Justin Dearborn, chief executive officer of Merge Healthcare. “The Merge-eviCore agreement is intended to benefit providers and payers by applying a technology-based solution to what has been a largely analog process. In doing so, Merge and eviCore expect to bring a new level of operational efficiency to imaging centers and referring physicians, with the potential to assist lower the risk of providers going unreimbursed for medical payment claims based on incomplete or absent preceding authorization documentation.”
Starting in 2016, referring physicians, hospitals and medical imaging centers that work with Merge can access preceding authorization information for more than 90 million insured individuals presently served by eviCore. Since Merge’s iCNS is vendor neutral, even medical imaging providers not yet working with Merge are predictable to benefit from the improved iCNS platform, which will be designed to accommodate virtually any Radiology Information System (RIS) or Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS), in addition to multiple payer processes.
International Business Machines Corporation provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. The company’s Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, such as outsourcing, processing, integrated technology, cloud, and technology support.
Finally, Shares of Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE:LUV), lost -3.43%, and is now trading at $45.81.
Southwest Airlines, declared that it has received a rating of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index, which earns us the distinction of being a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality”. The Corporate Equality Index (CEI) is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
“We are proud to be recognized as a company dedicated to being a top place to work for our LGBT Employees,” said Ellen Torbert, Vice President Diversity & Inclusion at Southwest Airlines. “We’re committed to hiring and retaining diverse talent and we believe that one of the best ways to do that is to ensure Southwest Airlines offers industry-leading pay and best-in-class benefits to our Employees and continues to create an environment where all of our Employees feel valued and appreciated.”
This recognition reflects Southwest’s continuous efforts to put Employees first, offer great benefits, and positively impact the communities the airline serves. Southwest Airlines has been a longtime supporter of the LGBT community and is proud of the continued community relationships it has with organizations that are working hard to make a positive difference in the lives of the LGBT community.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates passenger airlines that provide planned air transportation services in the United States and near-international markets. As of December 31, 2014, it operated 665 Boeing 737 aircraft; and had 12 Boeing 717 aircraft.