First sale fires up USA Video
$100M market cap
By GARRY MARR The Financial Post
Downloading video from the Internet has never looked so good to the market.
Shares of USA Video Interactive Corp. almost doubled this week. The Mystic, Conn.-based firm's market cap roared through $100-million yesterday as the company showed its first sign of revenue.
USA Video says its Wavelet technology allows direct streaming and download of video from the Internet, with significantly faster images at a higher degree of resolution than through previously available methods.
Yesterday, the company made its first sale of the new technology to a consortium of colleges in Puerto Rico and the United States, as well as to Enersphere.com, an Ontario-based firm planning to provide community-based Intranet systems. The contracts are worth just $20,000. (HOLY CHIT!!!!....WOW WEEEEEEEE!!!!....and that makes this company worth $100m ????....)
Still, the news was enough to see USA Video stock (US/ASE) soar to a 52-week intraday high of $1.83 on the Alberta Stock Exchange, after beginning the week trading at less than $1. It ended the session up 36¢ at $1.77. Almost 10 million shares changed hands on the week. In New York, the shares (USVO/NASDAQ) also advanced strongly, climbing 27¢ (US) to $1.22 (US).
However, analysts are a little cautious about the sharp move. "They've been doing a lot of press and promotion (more like pump and dump) but I'm not sure how great a story this is," said one Calgary trader, who requested anonymity.
"I'm not sure I would want to be long on this. I really think it's just the flavour of the month and I wouldn't be all that comfortable trading it." He said most of yesterday's trades were done by retail investors, but noted there were still many large blocks in the 20,000 share range changing hands.
"There's a pretty large float out there, so there is potential to get burned," the trader said. The company has more than 60 million shares issued and outstanding.
However, USA Video would have none of the negative talk after holding its annual general meeting in Vancouver, where the firm also has offices.
"I don't talk to brokers and traders much," said Edwin Molina, company president.
"This [Internet] market is one of the most dynamic in the world. There are a lot of companies out there that could be overpriced but the market will catch up to them.
"If you're managing your company right and focusing on the right sector we could be underpriced. (ROTFLMAO....NOW THAT'S FUNNY!!!!!) It's not for me to answer, it's the public," he said.
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