Agoracom Blog

Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Acquires Over 20,000 Customers in March, Launches New Immune Support Product Line $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:19 PM on Saturday, April 4th, 2020
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  • Immune Support product line has been received exceptionally well by consumers
  • The total number of customers acquired by First Class CBD in March 2020 is 20,959, including 6,419 immune customers
  • Initial average spend of Cdn$218.40 per customer

VANCOUVER, BC / April 4, 2020 Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ1)(OTC:PEMTF) (the “Company” or “Mota“) is pleased to provide an update on the recent progress that is fueling the increase in sales for products under its First Class CBD brand. The Immune Support product line has been received exceptionally well by consumers since it launched on March 14, 2020 and has been a significant driver of growth in March. The total number of customers acquired by First Class CBD in March 2020 is 20,959, including 6,419 immune customers with an initial average spend of Cdn$218.40 per customer.

The Company will be launching a new brand, Nature’s Exclusive CBD on April 6, 2020. The new Nature’s Exclusive CBD brand will introduce a line of Immune Support and CBD products with a higher content of CBD. The Company also anticipates releasing March 2020 financial results for First Class CBD in the next few days.

“The month of March has been exceptional, with new customer signups exceeding expectations. We believe this is a testament to our ability to adapt to the fast-paced eCommerce sector and ability to identify upcoming trends in consumer demand. I am very excited with the rapid progress and look forward to releasing March results in the upcoming days,” stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company.

The initial average spend per customer was translated from US dollar into Canadian dollar using the Bank of Canada average exchange rate of 1.3953 for March 2020.

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota is an established eCommerce, direct to consumer provider of a wide range of CBD products in the United States and Europe. In the United States, the company sells a CBD hemp-oil formulation derived from hemp grown and formulated in the US through its First Class CBD and Nature’s Exclusive brands. Within Europe, its Satavida brand of award winning 100% organic CBD oils and cosmetics are sold throughout Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire additional revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MOTA VENTURES CORP.
Ryan Hoggan
Chief Executive Officer

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President, at +604.423.4733 or by email at [email protected] or www.motaventuresco.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are “forward-looking information” with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to the anticipated launch of products under the First Class CBD brand, the financial results of First Class CBD, its plans to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand, its plans to cultivate and extract cannabis to produce CBD and high-quality value added CBD products in Latin America for distribution domestically and internationally. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Company’s public filings under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

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Social Media Is Full of Bots Spreading #COVID19 Anxiety. Don’t Fall For It – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:52 PM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company is working with US Government agencies on Covid19 and Coronavirus fake news and disinformation Click here for more info.

Social Media Is Full of Bots Spreading COVID-19 Anxiety. Don’t Fall For It

  • COVID-19 is being described as the first major pandemic of the social media age.
  • In troubling times, social media helps distribute vital knowledge to the masses.
  • Unfortunately, this comes with myriad misinformation, much of which is spread through social media bots.

These fake accounts are common on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They have one goal: to spread fear and fake news.

We witnessed this in the 2016 United States presidential elections, with arson rumours in the bushfire crisis, and we’re seeing it again in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.

Busy busting bots

The exact scale of misinformation is difficult to measure. But its global presence can be felt through snapshots of Twitter bot involvement in COVID-19-related hashtag activity.

Bot Sentinel is a website that uses machine learning to identify potential Twitter bots, using a score and rating. According to the site, on March 26 bot accounts were responsible for 828 counts of #coronavirus, 544 counts of #COVID19 and 255 counts of #Coronavirus hashtags within 24 hours.

These hashtags respectively took the 1st, 3rd and 7th positions of all top-trolled Twitter hashtags.

It’s important to note the actual number of coronavirus-related bot tweets are likely much higher, as Bot Sentinel only recognises hashtag terms (such as #coronavirus), and wouldn’t pick up on “coronavirus”, “COVID19” or “Coronavirus”.

How are bots created?

Bots are usually managed by automated programs called bot “campaigns”, and these are controlled by human users.

The actual process of creating such a campaign is relatively simple. There are several websites that teach people how to do this for “marketing” purposes. In the underground hacker economy on the dark web, such services are available for hire.

While it’s difficult to attribute bots to the humans controlling them, the purpose of bot campaigns is obvious: create social disorder by spreading misinformation. This can increase public anxiety, frustration and anger against authorities in certain situations.

A 2019 report published by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute revealed a worrying trend in organised “social media manipulation by governments and political parties”. They reported:

Evidence of organised social media manipulation campaigns which have taken place in 70 countries, up from 48 countries in 2018 and 28 countries in 2017. In each country, there is at least one political party or government agency using social media to shape public attitudes domestically.

The modus operandi of bots

Typically, in the context of COVID-19 messages, bots would spread misinformation through two main techniques.

The first involves content creation, wherein bots start new posts with pictures that validate or mirror existing worldwide trends. Examples include pictures of shopping baskets filled with food, or hoarders emptying supermarket shelves. This generates anxiety and confirms what people are reading from other sources.

The second technique involves content augmentation. In this, bots latch onto official government feeds and news sites to sow discord. They retweet alarming tweets or add false comments and information in a bid to stoke fear and anger among users. It’s common to see bots talking about a “frustrating event”, or some social injustice faced by their “loved ones”.

The example below shows a Twitter post from Queensland Health’s official twitter page, followed by comments from accounts named “Sharon” and “Sara” which I have identified as bot accounts. Many real users reading Sara’s post would undoubtedly feel a sense of injustice on behalf of her “mum”.

The official tweet from Queensland Health and the bots’ responses.

While we can’t be 100 percent certain these are bot accounts, many factors point to this very likely being the case. Our ability to accurately identify bots will get better as machine learning algorithms in programs such as Bot Sentinel improve.

How to spot a bot

To learn the characteristics of a bot, let’s take a closer look Sharon’s and Sara’s accounts.

Screenshots of the accounts of ‘Sharon’ and ‘Sara’.

Both profiles lack human uniqueness, and display some telltale signs they may be bots:

  • they have no followers
  • they only recently joined Twitter
  • they have no last names, and have alphanumeric handles (such as Sara89629382)
  • they have only tweeted a few times
  • their posts have one theme: spreading alarmist comments
  • they mostly follow news sites, government authorities, or human users who are highly influential in a certain subject (in this case, virology and medicine).

My investigation into Sharon revealed the bot had attempted to exacerbate anger on a news article about the federal government’s coronavirus response.

The language: “Health can’t wait. Economic (sic) can” indicates a potentially non-native English speaker.

It seems Sharon was trying to stoke the flames of public anger by calling out “bad decisions”.

Looking through Sharon’s tweets, I discovered Sharon’s friend “Mel”, another bot with its own programmed agenda.

Bot ‘Mel’ spread false information about a possible delay in COVID-19 results, and retweeted hateful messages.

What was concerning was that a human user was engaging with Mel.

An account that seemed to belong to a real Twitter user began engaging with ‘Mel’.

You can help tackle misinformation

Currently, it’s simply too hard to attribute the true source of bot-driven misinformation campaigns. This can only be achieved with the full cooperation of social media companies.

The motives of a bot campaign can range from creating mischief to exercising geopolitical control. And some researchers still can’t agree on what exactly constitutes a “bot”.

But one thing is for sure: Australia needs to develop legislation and mechanisms to detect and stop these automated culprits. Organisations running legitimate social media campaigns should dedicate time to using a bot detection tool to weed out and report fake accounts.

And as a social media user in the age of the coronavirus, you can also help by reporting suspicious accounts. The last thing we need is malicious parties making an already worrying crisis worse.

Ryan Ko, Chair Professor and Director of Cyber Security, The University of Queensland.

Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/bots-are-causing-anxiety-by-spreading-coronavirus-misinformation

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Primo Nutraceuticals Inc., $PRMO.ca Signs Share Acquisition LOI with Celebrity brand Beauty Kitchen $CROP.ca $VP.ca NF.ca $MCOA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:03 PM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020
  • Company has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Heather Marianna, LLC, doing business as Beauty Kitchen
  • The LOI is non-binding and subject to possible change and the signing of a definitive agreement

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 03, 2020 — PRIMO NUTRACEUTICALS INC. (CSE: PRMO) (OTC: BUGVF) (FSE: 8BV) (DEU: 8BV) (MUN: 8BV) (STU: 8BV) (“Primo” or the “Company”)Pursuant to discussions with IIROC (Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) Primo’s board and management team are providing more clarity to its shareholders in regards to the press release issued on March 31st, 2020.

The Company has signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Heather Marianna, LLC, doing business as Beauty Kitchen, a Nevada company, (“Beauty Kitchen”).  The LOI is non-binding and subject to possible change and the signing of a definitive agreement.

Primo and Beauty Kitchen intend to draft and execute a definitive agreement (the “Definitive Agreement”) with detailed terms and conditions in the near future.  Beauty Kitchen intends to incorporate a Canadian corporation, Marianna, Inc., (“Marianna, Inc.”) in which it will conduct operations in Canada. Primo will acquire an ownership interest of 25% of the common voting (TBC) shares in Marianna, Inc., for consideration to be determined in the Definitive Agreement. Primo wishes to inform its shareholders that the transaction described by the LOI is subject to change pending signing of the Definitive Agreement.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

PRIMO NUTRACEUTICALS INC.

“Andy Jagpal”

President and Director

For further information, please contact Zoltan, IR Representative at: 604-722-0305, or; [email protected].

To learn more about what this news means to the shareholders visit:

www.primonutraceuticals.com
www.twitter.com/Prmoinc
www.thrivecbd.com
www.beautykitchenonline.com

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

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CLIENT FEATURE: Mota Ventures $MOTA.ca Continues to Define the European CBD Market $APH.ca $GBLX $PFE $ACG.ca $ACB.ca $WEED.ca $HIP.ca $WMD.ca $CGRW

Posted by AGORACOM at 1:27 PM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020
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RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • Immune Support Product Line Launched on March 14, 2020 Acquired over 5,500 new customers seeking natural solutions to help support their family’s immune systems, yielding an average initial order value of $189.00 USD.
  • First Class CBD brand achieved sales of Cdn$2,981,000 February 2020
  • Marketing efforts improved gross margins by 4.9% from January 2020 to February 2020.
  • February 2020 revenue represents an increase of 832% over the same period last year.
  • Plans to continue growth of First Class in the United States over the balance of 2020, as well as an expansion into the European market.

Formalized Joint Venture With Bevcanna Enterprises: Read More

Will share equal ownership in the Joint Venture and will be jointly responsible for developing and funding its operations

Company will provide manufacturing, marketing and distribution infrastructure in the European market.

Parties have determined an initial product launch and will provide further details on specific regions and timing once finalized

Formalized Collaboration for Sativida US Expansion Read More 

Acquired the intellectual property and trade names of Sativida

Unified Funding will provide assistance to Sativida with product sourcing, packaging, shipping, payment infrastructure and marketing

Sativida has become the number one search-ranked online retailer of CBD products in Spain and Mexico

Entered into Licensing Agreement with Phenome One Read More

A privately held full-service live genetic and seed preservation cannabis company.

Mota will have full access to Canada’s largest live genetic cannabis library with over 350 cultivars

Mota will have the right to propagate, cultivate, harvest and process a minimum of 10 selected cultivars

2 World Class Brands:

#1. FIRST CLASS CBD: ONE OF THE LARGEST US BASED ONLINE RETAILERS OF CBD PRODUCTS

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Leader in online CBD sales in North America
  • Crop to package model: US grown CBD hemp
  • Acquired at a 1.5 times revenue valuation
  • Current customer base 142,000 customers -with additional leads of over 424,000 potential new customers
  • 2019 Sales of $19.2M USD/ EBITDA of 2.7M USD

  #2. SATIVIDA: ONLINE DIRECT TO CONSUMER RETAILER OF A VAST RANGE OF ORGANICE CBD OILS AND COSMETICS

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Current distributor of CBD products in Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France and the United Kingdom
  • Number one search-ranked online retailer in Spain and Mexico
  • Award winning product line known for its minimal heavy metal content and accurate CBD levels
  • 100% organic products

About Mota Ventures Corp.

Mota Ventures is seeking to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand. Its plan is to cultivate and extract CBD into high-quality value added products from its Latin American operations and distribute it both domestically and internationally. Mota has established distribution networks through the acquisition of First Class CBD in the United States and Sativida in Europe. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both Europe and North America, with the goal of establishing an international distribution network for CBD products. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer, sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures.

Hub on Agoracom

FULL DISCLOSURE: Mota Ventures. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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CLIENT FEATURE: CardioComm Solutions $EKG.ca – Putting Your Heartbeat Into The Cloud For Instant Diagnostics $ATE.ca $TLT.ca $OGI.ca $ACST.ca $IPA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:40 PM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

Global Leaders in Mobile  ECG Connectivity

  • 20 years of medical credibility licensing technologies to hospitals, physicians, remote patient monitoring  platforms, research groups and commercial call centers
  • Sold into > 20 countries, with the largest customer base located in the US
  • Class II medical device clearances and device agnostic for collecting, viewing, recording, analyzing and  storing of ECGs for management of patient and consumer health
  • ECG solutions for both consumer (OTC) and medical (Rx) markets
  • Owns all IP and source code
  • Market expert contributor for reports in m‐health, mobile cardiac monitoring and new advances in  consumer health and wellness monitoring

Recent Highlights

CardioComm Solutions Partners with CareOS to Bring Consumer ECG Monitoring into the Connected Home

  • Entered into a partnership agreement with CareOS SAS (France), a subsidiary of Baracoda Group, to provide consumer ECG monitoring technologies through the CareOS Poseidon smart mirror health and beauty hub
  • The partnership will see CardioComm’s FDA and Health Canada cleared GEMS™ ECG management software and Smart Monitoring ECG reading service integrated into the touch and gesture controlled smart mirror
  • GEMSTM software will be capable of recognizing ECG devices made by multiple device manufacturers which will permit CareOS customers more options in choosing a device of their preference.

Industry News

Company Accolades

FULL DISCLOSURE: CardioComm Solutions Inc. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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INDUSTRY BULLETIN: #Edtech pioneer #Vedantu throws open #21DayLearningChallenge during the lockdown – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:28 AM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.

Edtech pioneer Vedantu throws open #21DayLearning during the lockdown

  • Vedantu is encouraging everyone to keep themselves engaged and motivated while learning a new skill right at their homes
  • While Vedantu is offering free LIVE classes for students belonging to standards 1-12, JEET and NEET from the safety of their home, it is taking learning to a new level by encouraging people to challenge themselves and acquire a new skill

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin

New Delhi: Vedantu, a pioneer in LIVE online tutoring in India has unveiled the #21DayLearningChallenge involving social media influencers from various walks of life including Hrithik Roshan, Shikhar Dhawan, Sania Mirza, Jannat Zubair to convey a message of learning should never stop & that it can be continued from the safety of the home. While India braces itself towards the second week of lockdown, these personalities are trying to learn a new skill and make the most of the self-isolation period. While Hrithik’s Instagram post where he is learning the piano is trending, Sania is attempting to bounce the tennis ball on the frame of her tennis racket and Shikhar Dhawan is mastering the art of juggling three balls. Inspired by Vedantu’s 21 Day Learning Challenge, these influencers are throwing open the challenge for others to learn something new and post their experience on social media. 

With this unique initiative, Vedantu is encouraging everyone to keep themselves engaged and motivated while learning a new skill right at their homes. While Vedantu is offering free LIVE classes for students belonging to standards 1-12, JEET and NEET from the safety of their home, it is taking learning to a new level by encouraging people to challenge themselves and acquire a new skill. Anyone can take up this challenge by learning any soft skill be it painting, play a musical instrument, learning a new sport, cooking or even a new trick. 

Vamsi Krishna, CEO and Co-Founder, Vedantu said, “Vedantu has always envisaged to transform the face of learning in India through LIVE online classes. We are constantly striving to create new consumer experiences and build intangible value. With this #21DayLearningChallenge, we want to make Vedantu synonyms for overall learning and not just academic learning. As the pioneer in LIVE, online learning we are committed to ensure that India’s learning won’t stop. There’s always a silver lining to any situation and here’s an opportunity to make the most of our free time by engaging in something meaningful that inspires others.” 

Shivani Suri, Chief Marketing Officer, Vedantu said, “We are delighted to collaborate with inspiring individuals from all walks of life for our 21-day learning challenge. This initiative is an echo of Vedantu’s conviction that India’s learning won’t stop, and we are extending this to everyday life. In times as such it’s important we stay positive, stay home & keep on learning! So, go ahead and challenge yourself as well as others to learn something fun all from the safety of your home!” 

To participate in the 21-day learning challenge, take a picture or make a video of what you’ve learnt new today. Share it with us on our Instagram handle @vedantulearns with the hashtags #21DayLearningchallenge #LearningWontStop 

Vedantu is offering support to students, parents and schools across to provide Free access to its complete learning platform. Vedantu is providing Free access to all LIVE classes & Premium Courses with Vedantu Master Teachers, Study Material, Tests & Assignments, LIVE Doubts feature during this outbreak, where students & parents can be rest assured as they can continue their learning from the safety of their homes. Vedantu’s vision is to make the best quality education accessible to everyone and is committed to help students have uninterrupted learning. Vedantu’s LIVE classes can be easily accessed at home from your Mobile, Desktop & Tabs.

Source: https://indiaeducationdiary.in/edtech-pioneer-vedantu-throws-open-21daylearningchallenge-during-the-lockdown/

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Gold Dealers Report Big Shortages of Small Bars and Coins SPONSOR: Labrador Gold $LAB.ca $RIO.ca $WHM.ca $SIC.ca $NXS.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 11:27 AM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

SPONSOR: Labrador Gold – Two successful gold explorers lead the way in the Labrador gold rush targeting the under-explored gold potential of the province. Exploration has already outlined district scale gold on two projects, including a 40km strike length of the Florence Lake greenstone belt, one of two greenstone belts covered by the Hopedale Project. Recently acquired 14km of the potential extension of the new discovery by New Found Gold’s Queensway project to the south. Click Here for More Info

  • Small gold bars and coins are in high demand from consumers
  • The size of different products is a key reason for the crunch

Surging demand and disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic have created a shortage of the small gold bars most popular with consumers.

When people are worried about the future they turn to gold to protect their savings. That’s rarely been more true than today.

Surging demand and disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic have created a shortage of the small gold bars most popular with consumers. Those who do manage to get their hands on metal have to pay up –- well above the per-ounce prices being quoted on financial markets in London and New York.

Some dealers are desperately contacting clients to see if anyone is willing to sell their gold bars and coins, and offering a rare premium over spot prices. Others have given up trying to trade altogether.

“People want to buy, not to sell gold,” said Mark O’Byrne, the founder of GoldCore, a dealer based in Dublin. “We have a buyers’ waiting list and we emailed our clients seeing who wished to sell their gold. At this time there is roughly only one or two sellers for every 99 buyers.”

Size is a key reason for the crunch. While there’s plenty of gold in a big trading hub like London, banks and other institutional investors there typically use large bars of 400 ounces. That’s not practical for a regular person who may not want to cough up more than $600,000 for a single bar. Instead, retail investors prefer kilobars (about 32 ounces), 1-ounce bars and coins, or something even smaller.

Those smaller items are getting hard to find for several reasons. First, of course, demand has exploded. But there’s also been pressure on supply, as global travel shuts down and some refineries and mints have stopped operating or capped production because of local lockdowns.

Premiums in the retail market “have exploded,” said Markus Krall, chief executive of German precious-metals retailer Degussa. The average price of products in shops is somewhere between 10% and 15% over spot prices, which he’s never seen before, Krall said. Demand, too, is at the highest level he’s experienced.

Certain products also command more of a premium than others. Kilobars manufactured by Argor-Heraeus SA, one of the big Swiss refiners whose plant has been closed since last week due to the health crisis, were selling for over 6% above spot, said Ronan Manly, an analyst at Singapore dealer BullionStar.

“We are seeing an unprecedented situation where huge customer demand and the disconnect between physical prices and spot prices is driving buy premiums high,” he said. Spot prices coming from London or New York “are completely detached from the reality on the ground.”

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-04-02/want-a-gold-bar-under-your-mattress-get-in-line-and-pay-up

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Which Countries Across the World Control the Most Gold? Here’s the Top 25 SPONSOR: American Creek Resources $AMK.ca $TUD.ca $SII.ca $GTT.ca $AFF.ca $SEA.ca $SA $PVG.ca $AOT.ca $ESK.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:54 AM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

SPONSOR: American Creek owns a 20% Carried Interest to Production at the Treaty Creek Project in the Golden Triangle. 2019’s first hole averaged 0.683 g/t Au over 780m in a vertical intercept. 2020 drilling plans 18,000 to 20,000 metres from 7-10 drill platforms with four diamond drill rigs. The Treaty Creek property is located in the same hydrothermal system as the Pretivm and Seabridge’s KSM deposits and is fully funded for exploration in 2020. Click Here For More Info

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/2020/03/23/USATODAY/usatsports/gettyimages-172446421.jpg?width=1280
The nations of the world had 34,700 tons of gold reserves, as of January 2020.

Countries maintain gold reserves to stabilize currency against hyperinflation, particularly in the event of a major crisis like the one many economies worldwide currently face as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Relatively few countries, however, have large gold reserves. In fact, over 80% of the world’s national gold reserves is held by the central banks and finance ministries of just 25 countries. 

To determine the countries that control the world’s gold, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on gold reserves by country in tonnes – or metric tons – as of January 2020 from the World Gold Council. Data on gold as a share of a country’s total foreign exchange reserves also came from the WGC and is current as of January 2020. 

The value of a country’s gold reserves in U.S. dollars was calculated using exchange rates current as of March 13, 2020. GDP and GDP per capita figures in 2018 are from the World Bank and are in constant 2011 international dollars. Data on population is also from the World Bank and is for 2018 or for the most recent period available.

Many, but not all of the countries on this list, are among the wealthiest nations on Earth, as these countries are able to buy up substantial gold reserves. These are the 25 richest countries in the world. 

While some countries on this list have obtained gold reserves by purchasing from other countries, many of the nations with the biggest gold reserves, such as China, the United States, and Russia, are also the top gold-producing countries. China, the largest producer of gold in the world, alone accounted for 14% of global gold production in 2016. 

25. Venezuela

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 161.2 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $8.1 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 81.0%

• GDP: $271 billion ($9,402 per capita)

• Population: 28.9 million

24. Algeria

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 173.6 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $8.7 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 11.6%

• GDP: $580 billion ($13,737 per capita)

• Population: 42.2 million

23. Philippines

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 197.9 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $9.9 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 11.2%

• GDP: $847 billion ($7,943 per capita)

• Population: 106.7 million

22. Belgium

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 227.4 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $11.4 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 39.5%

• GDP: $498 billion ($43,582 per capita)

• Population: 11.4 million

21. Poland

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 228.6 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $11.5 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 9.3%

• GDP: $1.1 trillion ($28,786 per capita)

• Population: 38 million

20. Austria

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 280.0 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $14.1 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 56.1%

• GDP: $409 billion ($46,260 per capita)

• Population: 8.8 million

19. Spain

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 281.6 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $14.1 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 19.1%

• GDP: $1.6 trillion ($34,831 per capita)

• Population: 46.7 million

18. Lebanon

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 286.8 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $14.4 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 27.3%

• GDP: $79 billion ($11,607 per capita)

• Population: 6.8 million

17. United Kingdom

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 310.3 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $15.6 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 9.3%

• GDP: $2.7 trillion ($40,522 per capita)

• Population: 66.5 million

16. Saudi Arabia

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 323.1 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $16.2 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 3.2%

• GDP: $1.7 trillion ($49,101 per capita)

• Population: 33.7 million

15. Uzbekistan

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 333.7 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $16.8 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 56.7%

• GDP: $250 billion ($7,592 per capita)

• Population: 33 million

14. Portugal

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 382.5 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $19.2 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 76.8%

• GDP: $298 billion ($28,999 per capita)

• Population: 10.3 million

13. Kazakhstan

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 386.5 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $19.4 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 67.1%

• GDP: $452 billion ($24,738 per capita)

• Population: 18.3 million

12. Taiwan, province of China

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 422.4 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $21.2 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 4.3%

• GDP: N/A

• Population: N/A

11. Turkey

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 428.7 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $21.5 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 21.8%

• GDP: $2.1 trillion ($25,358 per capita)

• Population: 82.3 million

10. Netherlands

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 612.5 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $30.8 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 70.2%

• GDP: $858 billion ($49,787 per capita)

• Population: 17.2 million

9. India

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 635 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $31.9 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 7%

• GDP: $9.3 trillion ($6,888 per capita)

• Population: 1.4 billion

8. Japan

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 765.2 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $38.4 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 2.9%

• GDP: $5 trillion ($39,294 per capita)

• Population: 126.5 million

7. Switzerland

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 1,040.0 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $52.3 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 6.2%

• GDP: $505 billion ($59,317 per capita)

• Population: 8.5 million

6. China

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 1,948.3 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $97.9 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 3.1%

• GDP: $22.5 trillion ($16,182 per capita)

• Population: 1.4 billion

5. Russia

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 2,279.2 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $114.5 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 20.6%

• GDP: $3.8 trillion ($24,791 per capita)

• Population: 144.5 million

4. France

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 2,436.0 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $122.4 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 63.6%

• GDP: $2.6 trillion ($39,556 per capita)

• Population: 67 million

3. Italy

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 2,451.8 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $123.2 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 69.3%

• GDP: $2.2 trillion ($35,828 per capita)

• Population: 60.4 million

2. Germany

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 3,366.5 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $169.1 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 74%

• GDP: $3.8 trillion ($45,936 per capita)

• Population: 82.9 million

1. United States

• Gold reserves as of January 2020: 8,133.5 tonnes

• Gold reserves in USD as of January 2020: $408.7 billion

• Gold as % of total foreign exchange reserves: 77.9%

• GDP: $18.2 trillion ($55,719 per capita)

• Population: 327.2 million

SOURCE: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/04/02/countries-that-control-the-worlds-gold/111459474/

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Datametrex $DM.ca Builds Dashboard To Monitor Global Covid-19 Pandemic

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:33 AM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020
  • Completed an interactive COVID-19 dashboard to help with the understanding of the danger of this virus, and to monitor the global impact of COVID-19
  • The dashboard was built to incorporate data that has been collected from various countries and organizations including World Health Organization

TORONTO, April 03, 2020 – Datametrex AI Limited (the “Company” or “Datametrex”) is pleased to announce that it has completed an interactive COVID-19 dashboard to help with the understanding of the danger of this virus, and to monitor the global impact of COVID-19. The dashboard was built to incorporate data that has been collected from various countries and organizations including World Health Organization (“WHO”). It is analyzed and presented in a user-friendly format which allows users to easily examine the spread of COVID-19 globally, by country or to compare various countries.

http://www.datametrex.com/covid-board.html

“As an AI company, we felt it important to provide access to a platform like this so people can see the real time effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve had a lot of interest from people looking for more data surrounding the Coronavirus and COVID-19 as a result of the work we are doing for the United States Government. It was from this that we decided to build a user friendly dashboard that allows people to see the global impact. We produce more than just reports,” says Marshall Gunter, CEO of the Company.

About Datametrex AI Limited

Datametrex AI Limited is a technology focused company with exposure to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nexalogy (www.nexalogy.com).

Additional information on Datametrex is available at: www.datametrex.com

For further information, please contact:

Marshall Gunter – CEO
Phone: (514) 295-2300
Email: [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws.  All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “likely”, “should”, “would”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “potential”, “proposed”, “estimate”, “believe” or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” happen, or by discussions of strategy.

Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

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BMO Hikes #Gold Forecast; Prices ‘Natural Beneficiary’ of Low interest Rates SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:03 PM on Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

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Sponsor: Affinity Metals Corp. (TSX-V: AFF) is a Canadian mineral exploration company building a strong portfolio of mineral projects in North America. The Corporation’s flagship property is the drill ready Regal Property near Revelstoke, BC where Affinity Metals is making preparations for a spring drill program to test two large Z-TEM anomalies. Click Here for More Info

BMO Capital Markets upgraded its forecast for gold prices Wednesday while downgrading the outlook for many other commodities.

BMO sees gold averaging $1,660 an ounce in the second quarter and rising to $1,700 in the fourth. The bank’s full-year forecast is now at $1,654, increasing to $1,698 next year.

The bank looks for silver to average $15.50 an ounce in the second quarter, then $18.50 in the next two quarters, with a full-year average of $17.18. The 2021 outlook was put at $18.05.

A previously expected global economic and industrial recovery in 2020 has been “stopped in its tracks” by the COVID-19 pandemic, BMO said. Businesses are shutting down around the world to slow the spread of the virus. As a result, the bank now expects a 0.8% contraction in global industrial production this year, the first slowdown since 2009.  â€œAnd as a result, we have revised down our 2020 outlook across many of the commodities we cover, while pushing gold expectations higher,” BMO said.

Nevertheless, prices for all commodities – with the exception of iron ore – are likely to be higher next year, as supportive government stimulus efforts take hold, BMO said.

“We see gold as a natural beneficiary of even lower global interest rates and its safe-haven status should receive another airing in 2020,” BMO said. “Meanwhile, we see silver as not only hanging on gold’s coattails, but also potentially outperforming should governments move towards fiscal spending on 5G and solar technology.”

Analysts pointed out that after the 2008 global financial crisis, gold and silver prices recovered months ahead of the global industrial economy.

Meanwhile, BMO said the platinum and palladium markets are likely to be volatile with both weaker auto sales and supply. However, since palladium stocks are already low, another price rally is likely when the auto industry restarts, BMO continued.

Platinum is seen averaging $950 an ounce in the second quarter and $1,000 in the fourth, with a full-year forecast of $971. Palladium is seen averaging $2,500 in the second quarter but falling to $2,250 in the fourth for a full-year average of $2,313.

BMO said its biggest downward revision to commodity prices in 2020 was in copper, but the outlook for other base metals was also lowered, including aluminum, zinc and nickel. These are all industrial metals. Copper is seen averaging $2.27 a pound in the second quarter and $2.33 for the full year.

Source: https://www.kitco.com/news/2020-04-01/BMO-hikes-gold-forecast-prices-natural-beneficiary-of-low-interest-rates.html

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