About Cabling Installation & Maintenance

Our mission: Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals

For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.

Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on.

  • Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
  • Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
  • Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
  • Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
  • Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is published by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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3 Reasons to Avoid OPAD and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

OPAD Cover Image

Offerpad has gotten torched over the last six months - since October 2024, its stock price has dropped 57.8% to $1.66 per share. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.

Is now the time to buy Offerpad, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? Get the full stock story straight from our expert analysts, it’s free.

Even though the stock has become cheaper, we're swiping left on Offerpad for now. Here are three reasons why there are better opportunities than OPAD and a stock we'd rather own.

Why Do We Think Offerpad Will Underperform?

Known for giving homeowners cash offers within 24 hours, Offerpad (NYSE: OPAD) operates a tech-enabled platform specializing in direct home buying and selling solutions.

1. Decline in Homes Sold Points to Weak Demand

Revenue growth can be broken down into changes in price and volume (for companies like Offerpad, our preferred volume metric is homes sold). While both are important, the latter is the most critical to analyze because prices have a ceiling.

Offerpad’s homes sold came in at 503 in the latest quarter, and over the last two years, averaged 42.4% year-on-year declines. This performance was underwhelming and implies there may be increasing competition or market saturation. It also suggests Offerpad might have to lower prices or invest in product improvements to grow, factors that can hinder near-term profitability. Offerpad Homes Sold

2. Cash Flow Margin Set to Decline

Free cash flow isn't a prominently featured metric in company financials and earnings releases, but we think it's telling because it accounts for all operating and capital expenses, making it tough to manipulate. Cash is king.

Over the next year, analysts predict Offerpad will flip from cash-producing to cash-burning. Their consensus estimates imply its free cash flow margin of 1.7% for the last 12 months will decrease to negative 3.6%.

3. Restricted Access to Capital Increases Risk

As long-term investors, the risk we care about most is the permanent loss of capital, which can happen when a company goes bankrupt or raises money from a disadvantaged position. This is separate from short-term stock price volatility, something we are much less bothered by.

Offerpad posted negative $29.22 million of EBITDA over the last 12 months, and its $237.2 million of debt exceeds the $73.63 million of cash on its balance sheet. This is a deal breaker for us because indebted loss-making companies spell trouble.

Offerpad Net Debt Position

We implore our readers to tread carefully because credit agencies could downgrade Offerpad if its unprofitable ways continue, making incremental borrowing more expensive and restricting growth prospects. The company could also be backed into a corner if the market turns unexpectedly. We hope Offerpad can improve its profitability and remain cautious until then.

Final Judgment

Offerpad falls short of our quality standards. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 15.8× forward EV-to-EBITDA (or $1.66 per share). This multiple tells us a lot of good news is priced in - we think there are better investment opportunities out there. We’d suggest looking at one of our top software and edge computing picks.

Stocks We Would Buy Instead of Offerpad

The elections are now behind us. With rates dropping and inflation cooling, many analysts expect a breakout market - and we’re zeroing in on the stocks that could benefit immensely.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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