Rice-based stable coin is being launched in Indonesia

Rice-based stable coin is being launched in Indonesia

TipRanks

Investors have been fixated on growth companies over the past year, and one segment which has been on the rise is the fledgling cannabis industry. The sector offers a unique proposition and the prospect of further growth, as there is still a major catalyst on the horizon which will completely alter the industry. As expected, a Democrat led senate has been good news for those banking on marijuana reform at the federal level; And it looks like the anticipated changes could happen faster than initially expected. Backed by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senators have stated that they will push for federal-level legalization of marijuana, promising “a unified discussion draft on comprehensive [cannabis] reform” in the first half of this year. The statement feeds expectations that the Democratic Congressional majority will pass – and that President Biden will sign – a bill to legalize marijuana. Investors are also looking at further state-level legalization moves; one key state in this regard is New York. So, the cannabis industry is looking up. There is an expanding network of state legalization regimes, and expectations of a change in federal policy; both are putting upward pressure on cannabis shares. Against this backdrop, we used TipRanks’ database to find two cannabis stocks that have been earmarked as ‘Strong Buys’ by the analyst consensus. Both have posted impressive year-to-date performances, and stand to rise even more in the year ahead. Village Farms International (VFF) We will start with Village Farms International, a company that has long been involved in the niche agricultural business. The company started out as a farmer, producing high-quality greenhouse vegetables year-round for sale in the North American market. That background fit the company well for a transition to the cannabis industry – Village Farms has experience in greenhouse production and industrial-scale growing. Village Farms’ shares are showing a tremendous growth profile, up 327% in the past 12 months – with a strong spike in recent days. Two important pieces of news precipitated the surge since the end of January. First, the company has fully repaid – ahead of schedule – the $15 million debt it incurred during its November acquisition of the cannabis growing company Pure Sunfarms. And second, Village Farms increased its investment in the Asian cannabinoid company Altum by 50%, to hold a 10% stake in the company. The move increases the international reach of Village Farms, and its ability to increase Altum holdings in the future. The company was able to fund these moves because it had a successful equity sale in January, putting an additional 10.8 million shares on the market, and raising US$135 million in new capital. In addition to its strong capital and expansion positions, Village Farms has been reporting solid financial results. The company saw US$43 million in revenue for 3Q20, a gain of 12.5% year-over-year. EPS came in at 1 cent per share, a turnaround from the US$0.10 loss in the year-ago quarter. Covering Village Farms for Craig-Hallum, 5-star analyst Eric Des Lauriers writes: “Village Farms has clearly established itself as the leading cannabis producer in Canada with #1 brand share and industry-leading profitability. Canadian cannabis sales in 2020 through October (latest available) were up 128% y/y, and dispensary counts are set to accelerate through 2021, providing a tailwind to VFF revenues.” Turning to the US markets, and VFF’s position in Canada’s larger neighbor, the analyst goes on to add, “With 5.7M SF of greenhouses in TX, the company also has real US optionality, which is finally being appreciated by investors after the GA election. VFF has historically been undervalued compared to less profitable peers, but we expect shares to continue working higher … as the prospect for US reform increases throughout the year.” To this end, Des Lauriers rates VFF a Buy, and his $25 price target suggests the stock has room for ~26% upside in the coming year. (To watch Des Lauriers’ track record, click here) Overall, there are 3 recent reviews on VFF shares, and all are Buys, giving the stock a Strong Buy analyst consensus rating and showing a general agreement on Wall Street about the company’s strengths. Shares are priced at $19.90, and the $24.33 average price target implies an upside of ~23% for the year ahead. (See VFF stock analysis on TipRanks) TerrAscend Corporation (TRSSF) The next cannabis stock we’re looking at, TerrAscend, is another major cannabis producer in both the US, Canada, and Europe. The company is involved in both the medical and recreational sides of the market, and both grows and produces cannabis and markets a range of products through numerous brand names. TerrAscend’s US operations are located in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Utah, and the company looks to expand as more states legalize cannabis. In a strong sign of the cannabis industry’s strength, TRSSF shares are up a sky-high 624% over the past 12 months. Growth has been fueled by expansion of the cultivation operations in California and Pennsylvania, and by the move into the adult-use recreational market in New Jersey. Last month, TerrAscend closed a non-brokered private placement stock sale, putting more than 18 million common shares on the market. The sale price was C$12.35 (US$9.72), and the offering grossed C$224 million (US$176.3 million). The bulk of the proceeds – some 80% of the total – was put up by four large US-based institutional investors. The funds raised will be used to continue expansion of the company’s cultivation operations (TRSSF has plans to expand growing and manufacturing ops in New Jersey), as well as to pursue merger & acquisition activities. TerrAscend’s rapid growth and strong future prospects have attracted attention from top-rated analysts, including 5-star analyst Eric Des Lauriers of Craig-Hallum (stated above). “TerrAscend is a leading multi-state operator (MSO) in the US cannabis market with top-tier management, assets, and access to deal flow. We have been bullish on the company since initiating coverage last year and are happy to say the TRSSF team has exceeded our expectations, generating rapid increases in margins and operating leverage that have earned them a place solidly in the Top Tier of MSOs,” Des Lauriers noted. The analyst summed up, “[With] US$280M+ raised since the elections and federal reform moving quicker than expected, we think TRSSF does deserve a premium to peers.” In line with his bullish comments, Des Lauriers rates TRSSF shares a Buy, and has a $20 price target that implies a ~31% upside potential for the next 12 months. Once again, we’re looking at a stock with broad agreement from Wall Street’s analysts – the Strong Buy consensus rating is unanimous, based on 7 recent reviews. Shares are selling for $15.30, and their recent appreciation has pushed that price almost up to the $15.43 average price target. (See TRSSF stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for cannabis stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Credit Card Companies Should Offer Stablecoin Payments or Be Left Behind: Gartner

Centralized payment companies such as Visa, Mastercard and PayPal will need to adapt if they are to survive the potential demand for blockchain-based stablecoin payments, according to research firm Gartner.

In a Thursday blog post, Gartner notes that, while new bitcoin (BTC) offerings from such firms are helping to prepare the transition to a future payment infrastructure, their revenue is based on charging transaction fees for clearing and settlement.

The fee strategy, which sit at odds with blockchain’s peer-to-peer model, could be the very thing that sees these firms fall behind the competition from stablecoin payment networks, per the post penned by Avivah Litan, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.

Litan described such firms as “centralized decentralized finance” (CeDeFi) – in which centralized, mainstream firms with big bitcoin holdings bring innovation to the DeFi space and, conversely, adopt DeFi’s biggest apps.

But Litan points out that customers of these types of services are likely wondering if they will be obliged to pay centralized service fees for moving their cryptocurrency along the blockchain in the near future, defeating the technology’s initial promise.

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“Companies we speak to are justifiably skeptical of these services,” Litan wrote. “After all, the revolution of blockchain payments is that they execute peer-to-peer and eliminate central intermediaries and associated bank fees.”

However, the author added Gartner has yet to see a range of offerings from the crypto space for viable stablecoin payments, pointing to a lack of easily accessible applications and fees lower than are currently on offer from card networks or firms like Square and PayPal.

Litan said there’s potential for card firms to provide a range of as-yet-unseen offerings, such as transparent real-time stablecoin payments on the blockchain tied to underlying information regarding a given transaction, and protections for funds backing stablecoin sitting in partner bank accounts.

Card companies could provide the gateways for payors and payees and add functionality, according to the post.

“The card brands could still earn revenues from on and off ramp value-added services, and from interest on the reserves underlying the stablecoins,” Litan said.

By 2022, CeDeFi could be ready for enterprise adoption if the regulatory guidance is present, the research analyst predicted.

But, should the legacy payment companies fail to keep pace with the likes of fiat on/off ramps, such as fast-moving cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance and Gemini, other firms are going to step forward.

Forget bitcoin, card firms should embrace stablecoin payments - Gartner

Research house Gartner has poured cold water on Visa’s recent move to support bitcoin trading on its network, arguing that the real revolution in payments would see centralised financial companies support stablecoin transactions on blockchains.

Earlier this week Visa outlined plans for the first pilot of its new suite of crypto APIs, following other industry players such as PayPal and Square in embracing the digital currency movement.

Gartner analyst Avivah Litan says that the move is welcome, and increase the “technical rails between consumers, businesses and blockchains, and help prepare the transition to future payment infrastructure”.

However, in a blog, she also notes that it is “hardly a revolution”. Having centralised financial companies that earn revenues by charging transaction fees at the centre of crypto goes against the peer-to-peer ideals of blockchain payments.

“Potential users are left to wonder if, in the future, they will have to pay these centralised services additional transaction fees for moving cryptocurrency across peer-to-peer blockchain networks, defeating the promise of blockchain,” writes Litan.

Her answer to this problem is for card brands and other established players to provide the on and off ramps for payors and payees using stablecoins, without being involved in the actual payment that would occur on the blockchain.

This would mean Visa and its peers would not get a transaction fee but would make money from issuers and acquirers using services such as risk management, onboarding and protections for balances.

Concludes Litan: “The question remains: will these centralised financial services companies go forward in line with the spirit of blockchain peer to peer payments at the risk of cannibalizing their existing central-clearing house based-revenue streams? The answer will depend on whether or not these firms have any practical choice.”