Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:KONA,MDRX,PQ,TYPE,BNTC,

Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) had its price target lifted by Morgan Stanley from $46.00 to $49.00 in a research report issued on Monday. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price points to a potential upside of 6.85% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on XEL. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $53.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Xcel Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $47.82.

Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kona Grill Inc.(KONA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Precipio, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPO) jumped 43.3 percent to $0.5447 after the micro-cap specialty diagnostics company reported preliminary first-quarter results. The company said its first quarter revenue rose 286 percent from the same quarter a year ago to $712,000. Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT) gained 34.5 percent to $4.52 after the company announced it would proceed with Phase 3 development of GR-MD-02 for NASH Cirrhosis following the FDA meeting. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) shares rose 21.9 percent to $8.1063. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) shares surged 16 percent to $15.65. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) shares jumped 15.5 percent to $3.6263 after the company disclosed that its application for Medicare codes received favorable preliminary decision. Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNDM) rose 13.7 percent to $10.12. ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) gained 13.7 percent to $4.6743. Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) shares gained 12.2 percent to $35.34 as optical sector is seeing strength following President Trump's announcement that he would work with China related to ZTE Corp. Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE: TLRD) shares rose 11.3 percent to $35.17. Jefferies upgraded Tailored Brands from Hold to Buy. Kona Grill, Inc. (NASDAQ: KONA) jumped 10.6 percent to $2.875. Federated National Holding Company (NASDAQ: FNHC) shares rose 10.6 percent to $20.29. Raymond James upgraded Federated National Holding from Outperform to Strong Buy. Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) climbed 10.2 percent to $15.15. Renewable Energy will replace Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 on Tuesday, May 15. Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) shares climbed 10.1 percent to $3.16. Stein Mart is expected to release Q1 earnings on May 23. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) rose 9.7 percent to $108.60 after Bloomberg reported that the China’s Commerce Ministry has restar
• [By Logan Wallace]

  News stories about Kona Grill (NASDAQ:KONA) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research firm ranks the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Kona Grill earned a news sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave press coverage about the restaurant operator an impact score of 47.6558176409177 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Kona Grill (NASDAQ: KONA) and Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.(MDRX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) rose 34.7 percent to $45.50 in pre-market trading following news that the FDA has approved Andexxa for the reversal of factor Xa inhibitors. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) rose 15.7 percent to $6.65 in pre-market trading after climbing 155.56 percent on Thursday. China Recycling Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: CREG) rose 14.7 percent to $2.75 in pre-market trading after climbing 57.89 percent on Thursday. Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) rose 11 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly results. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) rose 9.2 percent to $1.90 in pre-market trading following Q4 results. Shake Shack Inc (NYSE: SHAK) rose 9.1 percent to $51.70 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY18 guidance. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDRX) rose 9 percent to $12.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted Q1 results and agreed to acquire HealthGrid. Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) rose 7.6 percent to $75 in pre-market trading after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter. The company also raised its FY18 earnings outlook from $2.40-$2.70 to $3-$3.20. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAV) rose 7.5 percent to $10.15 in pre-market trading following Q3 results. Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO) rose 4.5 percent to $11.83 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly earnings. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) shares rose 4.4 percent to $190.50 in the pre-market trading session as the company posted upbeat Q4 results. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) shares rose 3.9 percent to $4.30 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.98 percent on Thursday. Newell Brands Inc (NYSE: NWL) shares rose 3.6 percent to $27.65 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: H
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  KEYW (NASDAQ: KEYW) and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ:MDRX) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  News headlines about Petroquest Energy (NYSE:PQ) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Petroquest Energy earned a coverage optimism score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the energy company an impact score of 47.638327846877 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now: Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc.(TYPE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Monotype Imaging (NASDAQ:TYPE) was downgraded by stock analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of Monotype Imaging (NASDAQ:TYPE) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Here are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s rankings:

  Get Monotype Imaging alerts: Should You Be Holding Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:TYPE)? (finance.yahoo.com) Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (TYPE) Forecasted to Earn Q1 2019 Earnings of $0.07 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) Monotype Partners with PKU Founder Information Industry Group to Bring Latin Typefaces to Enterprise Brands and Creative Professionals in China (finance.yahoo.com) $59.42 Million in Sales Expected for Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (TYPE) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com) Introducing the Walbaum Typeface: the Restoration of a Warm and Stylish Serif Design That Has Nearly Limitless Applications (finance.yahoo.com)

  TYPE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. B. Riley raised shares of Monotype Imaging from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $24.50 to $31.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Monotype Imaging from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. ValuEngine raised shares of Monotype Imaging from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. TheStreet downgraded shares of Monotype Imaging from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Friday, April 27th. Finally, BidaskClub downgraded shares of Monotype Imaging from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Monotype Imaging presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average p

• [By Max Byerly]

  Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) and Monotype Imaging (NASDAQ:TYPE) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and risk.

Hot Stocks To Buy Right Now: Benitec Biopharma Limited(BNTC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  News headlines about BENITEC BIOPHAR/S (NASDAQ:BNTC) have trended somewhat positive on Wednesday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group ranks the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. BENITEC BIOPHAR/S earned a news sentiment score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned headlines about the biotechnology company an impact score of 46.3493613805465 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:EVEP,HASI,MKSI,AG,ATTU,

Many investors rely on their investment portfolios to generate the income they need to make ends meet. For them, dividend stocks are a natural choice, because they offer regular payments of dividend income, as well as the chance to enjoy share-price gains when the company's underlying business is successful. Especially for those who are retired and living on fixed incomes, the ability to benefit from a combination of stock appreciation and reliable income is huge, and many top dividend stocks also have good track records of boosting their payouts on a regular basis as well, adding to their attractiveness.

Most dividend stocks have one drawback for income investors, though: They tend to make their dividend payments only on a quarterly basis. That's fine for the company, but it doesn't always work out well for shareholders who have monthly income needs. A few dividend stocks, however, have figured out that meeting their investors' needs can be a smart move, and they've therefore chosen to make monthly dividend payments. Although income investors naturally prefer the highest dividend yields they can find, the highest-yielding monthly dividend stocks aren't necessarily the ones with the safest dividends. Shareholders have to seek out top dividend stocks not based solely on yield but also on other features, such as whether they offer dividend reinvestment plans. Later in this article, we'll reveal five top monthly dividend stocks, but first, let's take a closer look at why monthly dividends are attractive and what you have to do to avoid potential mistakes in choosing stocks.

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019: EV Energy Partners, L.P.(EVEP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  But before we show you our pick, here are the top 10 penny stocks to watch this week…

  Penny Stocks Current Share Price (as of Jan. 5) Jan. 2-5 Gain (as of Jan. 5) My Size Inc. (Nasdaq: MYSZ) $1.66 152.28% Cytori Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CYTX) $0.47 89.52% DelMar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: DMPI) $1.675 58.02% CAS Medical Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CASM) $1.09 55.71% China HGS Real Estate Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSH) $1.83 47.58% Aethlon Medical Inc. (Nasdaq: AEMD) $1.56 43.12% Midatech Pharma Plc. (Nasdaq: MTP) $1.23 43.01% Comstock Holding Cos. Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) $1.87 36.5% Cenveo Inc. (Nasdaq: CVO) $1.20 31.82% EV Energy Partners LP (Nasdaq: EVEP) $0.6844 31.62%

  
  FREE PROFIT ALERTS: Get real-time recommendations on the best penny stock opportunities the moment we release them. Just sign up here, it's completely free…

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019: Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc.(HASI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  News headlines about Hannon Armstrong Sustnbl Infrstr Cap (NYSE:HASI) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research group identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Hannon Armstrong Sustnbl Infrstr Cap earned a news impact score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news headlines about the real estate investment trust an impact score of 46.13781094322 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This is another solid value at current levels. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Inc. (NYSE: HASI) is a specialty finance company that directly originates debt and equity investments for sustainable infrastructure projects. The company��s projects focus on products that increase energy efficiency, offer cleaner energy sources and efficiently use natural resources.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Hannon Armstrong Sustnbl Infrstr Cap (NYSE:HASI) from a strong sell rating to a sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  I think three energy stocks --�TerraForm Power Inc (NASDAQ:TERP),�Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Inc (NYSE:HASI), and AES Corp (NYSE:AES)�--�have what it takes to be great dividend stocks for investors looking to generate cash from their portfolios.�

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Hannon Armstrong Sustnbl Infrstr Cap (HASI)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019: MKS Instruments, Inc.(MKSI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Peter Hanley sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.70, for a total transaction of $28,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,241 shares in the company, valued at $368,501.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 5,100 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $590,000.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Director Richard S. Chute sold 1,988 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.75, for a total value of $220,171.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 10,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,118,907.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MKS Instruments (MKSI)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Though I don't directly own First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG), I soon will, by default. I'm a shareholder in the aforementioned Primero Mining, and First Majestic Silver is in the process of acquiring Primero and its San Dimas mine, with the deal expected to close by the end of April. When it does, my Primero shares will be exchanged for shares of First Majestic, giving me ownership in the mining company that's most levered to silver -- about 70% of its sales are a result of silver production.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Next, you might be wondering what exactly would be considered "cheap" if analyzing cash flow per share. Though it's going to be up to interpretation, after many years of tracking precious-metal stocks, I'm of the belief that a mining stock valued at 10 times its annual CFPS is considered fairly valued, with a slightly higher multiple for precious-metal royalty and streaming companies. With this in mind, here's why SSR Mining (NASDAQ:SSRM) and First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) are currently the top two holdings in my portfolio.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  These are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern Sentiment’s scoring:

  Get First Majestic Silver alerts: Zacks: Analysts Anticipate First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) Will Announce Earnings of $0.03 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) News Report of Sizzling Basic materials Stock: First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) (nasdaqplace.com) Stock in the Wall Street Spotlight: First Majestic Silver Corp. (AG) (nysewired.com) Is the Stock Overvalued? �� First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG) (nasdaqjournal.com) Stocks in the Spotlight: Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE:OAS), Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN), First Majestic Silver … (journalfinance.net)

  Shares of First Majestic Silver opened at $7.30 on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. First Majestic Silver has a 12-month low of $4.93 and a 12-month high of $8.73. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of -182.50 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 4.41 and a quick ratio of 4.15.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Majestic Silver (AG)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2019: Attunity Ltd.(ATTU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Attunity (ATTU)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Attunity Ltd (NASDAQ:ATTU) has earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $12.33.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Attunity (ATTU)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR) Price Target Lowered to $71.00 at SunTrust Banks

Interactive Brokers Group (NASDAQ:IBKR) had its price target cut by SunTrust Banks to $71.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday. They currently have a $65.34 rating on the financial services provider’s stock. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for Interactive Brokers Group’s Q3 2018 earnings at $0.54 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $0.59 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $2.34 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $0.60 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.70 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.60 EPS.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Interactive Brokers Group from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $83.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, April 20th. BidaskClub downgraded Interactive Brokers Group from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 1st. Wells Fargo & Co restated an underperform rating and set a $60.00 price target (up previously from $52.00) on shares of Interactive Brokers Group in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. ValuEngine upgraded Interactive Brokers Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, Compass Point initiated coverage on Interactive Brokers Group in a report on Tuesday, June 5th. They set a neutral rating and a $74.00 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $69.86.

Get Interactive Brokers Group alerts:

Shares of Interactive Brokers Group traded down $0.01, reaching $62.66, during midday trading on Wednesday, according to MarketBeat.com. The company had a trading volume of 532,441 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,007,268. Interactive Brokers Group has a one year low of $37.04 and a one year high of $80.32. The firm has a market cap of $25.80 billion, a PE ratio of 40.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.97.

Interactive Brokers Group (NASDAQ:IBKR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.05. Interactive Brokers Group had a return on equity of 2.29% and a net margin of 5.19%. The company had revenue of $445.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $409.02 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.32 EPS. Interactive Brokers Group’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. sell-side analysts anticipate that Interactive Brokers Group will post 2.32 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 14th. Investors of record on Friday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 30th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. Interactive Brokers Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.14%.

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Interactive Brokers Group by 528.9% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 918,832 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $61,782,000 after acquiring an additional 772,732 shares during the period. Cantillon Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Interactive Brokers Group by 24.6% during the 1st quarter. Cantillon Capital Management LLC now owns 2,541,244 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $170,873,000 after acquiring an additional 501,191 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Interactive Brokers Group by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,026,103 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $405,194,000 after acquiring an additional 255,296 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. purchased a new position in shares of Interactive Brokers Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $13,002,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Interactive Brokers Group by 27.5% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 801,624 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $53,902,000 after acquiring an additional 172,755 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 15.10% of the company’s stock.

About Interactive Brokers Group

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc operates as an automated electronic broker in approximately 120 electronic exchanges and market centers worldwide. It specializes in executing and clearing trades in securities, futures, foreign exchange instruments, bonds, and mutual funds. The company custodies and services accounts for hedge and mutual funds, registered investment advisors, proprietary trading groups, introducing brokers, and individual investors.

Featured Story: Understanding Analyst Ratings

Berkshire Hathaway Hints Share Buybacks Could Happen Soon

&l;p&g;Berkshire Hathaway updated its share repurchase program Tuesday to eliminate its previous rule that it would buy back shares only at a price less than 20% above book value.

Instead, the company will repurchase shares at any time they trade below Chairman and CEO&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;Warren Buffett&a;nbsp;and Vice Chairman&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;Charlie Munger&a;rsquo;s &a;ldquo;conservatively determined&a;rdquo; estimate of intrinsic value. Berkshire Hathaway authorized its share repurchase program at 110% of book value in September 2011. It has acted on the plan once, buying 9,200 Class A shares for $131,000 each in 2012, when it increased its buyback restriction to 120% of book value.

Berkshire&a;rsquo;s book value was $211,829 at the end of the first quarter, which means the share price would have to sink as low as $254,194 to come within the 120% threshold for repurchase under the previous authorization. One Class A share of Berkshire stock traded for $303,210 per share Wednesday, down 2.45% year to date.

&a;nbsp;

Buffett has said previously that the company&a;rsquo;s intrinsic value &a;ldquo;far exceeds&a;rdquo; its book value, signaling that the share price now could be closer to the amended line to trigger a buyback.

Berkshire also placed a second condition on its repurchases, saying that it would not buy back shares if it would reduce the value of Berkshire&a;rsquo;s cash holdings and U.S. Treasury Bills below $20 billion. The company was sitting on $108 billion in cash at first quarter-end.

In the past, Buffett has applauded some types of corporate share repurchases. In his 2016 shareholder letter, he wrote:

&a;ldquo;From the standpoint of exiting shareholders, repurchases are always a plus. Though the day-to-day impact of these purchases is usually minuscule, it&a;rsquo;s always better for a seller to have an additional buyer in the market.

For continuing shareholders, however, repurchases only make sense if the shares are bought at a price below intrinsic value. When that rule is followed, the remaining shares experience an immediate gain in intrinsic value. Consider a simple analogy: If there are three equal partners in a business worth $3,000 and one is bought out by the partnership for $900, each of the remaining partners realizes an immediate gain of $50. If the exiting partner is paid $1,100, however, the continuing partners each suffer a loss of $50. The same math applies with corporations and their shareholders. Ergo, the question of whether a repurchase action is value-enhancing or value-destroying for continuing shareholders is entirely purchase-price dependent.&a;rdquo;

&a;nbsp;

A company should also avoid purchasing its shares when a business acquisition or other investment option &a;ldquo;offers far greater value&a;rdquo; than the undervalued shares, he said.

&a;ldquo;My suggestion: Before even discussing repurchases, a CEO and his or her Board should stand, join hands and in unison declare, &a;lsquo;What is smart at one price is stupid at another,&a;rsquo;&a;rdquo; Buffett wrote.

If Berkshire does decide to repurchase its shares, it will not happen until after its second-quarter earnings are released on Aug. 3.

Berkshire Hathaway shares rose 5.1% Wednesday. The company has a price-earnings ratio of 12.53 and price-book value of 1.42.

&a;nbsp;

This article originally appeared &l;a href=&q;https://www.gurufocus.com/news/709600/berkshire-hathaway-hints-share-buybacks-could-happen-soon&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;HERE&l;/a&g;. Follow the author on Twitter &l;a href=&q;https://twitter.com/hollyla_fon&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;here&l;/a&g;.&l;/p&g;

Homebuilder Confidence Still Solid in July, but Not Rising

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo housing market index (HMI) for July came in unchanged from June’s index reading of 68. The HMI posted an 18-year high of 74 in December 2017. Economists polled by Bloomberg were expecting an index reading of 68 for July.

NAHB Chair Randy Noel said that while demand remains strong, builders continue to be burdened with rising materials costs. Random length framing lumber fell to below $550 per thousand board feet (nearly 7%) earlier this month after rising by about 85% over the past two years.

The index is based on an NAHB monthly survey of homebuilder perceptions of current single-family home sales and expectations for sale in the next six months. An index reading above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than view them as poor.

The current sales conditions subindex for July was unchanged at 74, and the subindex that estimates prospective buyer traffic rose two points to 52. The subindex measuring sales expectations for the next six months dropped from 75 to 73.

NAHB chief economist, Robert Dietz, said:

Builders are encouraged by growing housing demand, but they continue to be burdened by rising construction material costs. Builders need to manage these cost increases as they strive to provide competitively priced homes, especially as more first-time home buyers enter the housing market

In the NAHB’s regions, three-month moving average indexes dipped in two of four regions. The South’s index score fell one point to 70 and the West’s score fell from 76 to 75. In the Midwest remained unchanged at 65, and the index rose one point to 57 in the Northeast.

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Deutsche Bank warns Netflix may miss second-quarter subscriber expectations

Netflix��s stunning rally so far this year may be due for a breather, according to Deutsche Bank.

The firm told its clients Thursday the internet video streaming giant could miss Wall Street��s second-quarter subscriber expectations next week.

Netflix shares are the second best-performing member of the S&P 500 this year. It's up 115 percent year to date through Thursday versus the market��s 5 percent return.

��We see limited upside and even some downside to 2Q guidance/consensus,�� analyst Bryan Kraft said in the report Thursday. ��We don't see 2Q earnings as a positive catalyst for the stock; in fact, we see some near term downside risk.��

The company's stock is down 0.5 percent in Friday's premarket session.

The analyst predicts Netflix��s second-quarter global net subscriber additions will be within a range of 1 million below to 500,000 above the Wall Street consensus. He estimates US net member additions will either match analyst��s expectations or miss by up to 500,000 subscribers for the same quarter.

Kraft said with Netflix shares up so dramatically this year there is potential for weak performance next week.

��The stock has doubled this year, and added another $50B of market capitalization over the past quarter. Without meaningful positive estimate revisions, or 3Q subscriber guidance coming in ahead of expectations, it seems unlikely that the stock will move higher next week," he said. ��The stock might see a pull back in the short term (i.e. next week), but we see significant long term, multiyear value creation ahead.��

As a result, Kraft reiterated his buy rating and $360 price target for Netflix shares. The stock closed at $413.50 Thursday.

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company is slated to report its second-quarter earnings results Monday.

On Wednesday UBS lowered its rating to neutral from buy for Netflix shares, citing the internet company��s high valuation.

Disclaimer

Crude Oil's Relentless Price Climb

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-170501340&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/170501340/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;633&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Photo by MyLoupe/UIG via Getty Images

When taking a glance at the performance of investments in stocks, currencies, and commodities -- which is compiled by the &l;em&g;Wall Street Journal&l;/em&g; for the second quarter of 2018 -- one is struck by the fact that all of the top five performers were commodities. Lean hogs took the top honors, followed by crude oil.

Crude&a;rsquo;s position didn&a;rsquo;t surprise me. Way back in February 2016 -- when West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at $26/bbl. -- I was confident that crude oil would make a relentless climb. How could I have been so confident then, and confident now, that today&a;rsquo;s WTI price of $69.50/bbl. will climb to $75/bbl. by year&a;rsquo;s end?

To answer these questions, we must have a model -- a way of thinking about the problem. In this case, the starting point is Roy W. Jastram&a;rsquo;s classic study,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Constant-American-Experience-1560-2007/dp/1847202616&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&l;em&g;The Golden Constant: The English and American Experience 1560-2007&l;/em&g;&l;/a&g;. In that work, Jastram finds that gold maintains its purchasing power over long periods of time, with the prices of other commodities adapting to the price of gold.

Taking the broad lead from Jastram, I developed a model that employs the price of gold as a long-term benchmark for the price of oil. So, if the price of oil changes dramatically, the ratio of the oil price to the price of gold (the oil-gold price ratio) will change and move away from its long-term value. Forces will then be set in motion to move supply and demand, so that the price of oil changes and the long-term oil-gold price ratio is re-established. This represents nothing more than a reversion to the mean. And the mean value for the oil-gold ratio, which is calculated by dividing the price of a barrel of oil by the price of an ounce of gold.

In support of this model, it is worth pointing out that a free-market economic system is an organism, and operates as such. Each organism is organized to maintain a certain &a;ldquo;state&a;rdquo; of homeostatis, to borrow a term from physiology. Any disturbance from the equilibrium sets in motion behavior within the organism which tends to re-establish the desired state of equilibrium. For example, the human body has a complex physiochemical equilibrium, which involves, among other things, a constant body temperature. If the equilibrium is disturbed, the body acts to restore the homeostatis or equilibrium.

There is a homeostatis in the structure of commodity prices, too. Any disturbance in this structure, which is anchored with the price of gold, sets in motion forces which will restore the status quo. So, the homeostasis of the commodity price system explains why the oil-gold price ratio reverts back to its mean of 0.0704 when the ratio has been disturbed.

The easiest, and best, way to determine whether a disturbance has occurred in the oil-gold price ratio is to construct a histogram of the ratios. The histogram below shows that when the oil price collapsed to $26/bbl. in February 2016, the oil-gold price ratio plunged, too. Indeed, it moved to 0.021, which is way to the left of the distribution of the oil-gold price ratios on the histogram. With that extreme reading of the ratio, we knew that forces would kick in to restore the homeostatis of the commodity price structure. In short, the oil-gold price ratio would start reverting to its mean, with most of the work being done by price increases in oil.

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-330&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/stevehanke/files/2017/07/Histogram-of-Oil-Gold-Ratios.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;788&q; data-width=&q;844&q;&g;

Just what forces kicked in to start crude&a;rsquo;s relentless price climb and force the oil-gold price ratio to revert back to its mean? Well, at bargain basement prices, the quantity of crude demanded increased. And, on the supply side, the major oil companies slashed capital expenditures for drilling and exploration. The majors reined in their capital spending appetites by 40-50%. Indeed, now few mega projects are on the drawing boards. Not surprisingly, oil and gas field discoveries are at &l;a href=&q;https://www.ft.com/content/ed432e26-8290-11e8-96dd-fa565ec55929&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;a 60-year low&l;/a&g;. So, the disturbance of the homeostatis set in motion supply-demand forces to restore the status quo.

To understand the adjustment, consider my old Professor Ken Boulding&a;rsquo;s &l;a href=&q;https://www.amazon.com/economics-peace-Kenneth-Ewart-Boulding/dp/B0007DL4UU&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Bathtub Theorem&l;/a&g;: If production (the flow from the faucet) is less than consumption (the flow down the drain), it is clear that the oil in inventory (the economic bathtub) must fall. That&a;rsquo;s just what&a;rsquo;s been going on as the oil-gold price ratio re-establishes itself and reverts towards its homeostatis.

But, how long will it take for the ratio to mean revert? My calculations (based on post-1972 data) are that a 50 percent reversion of the ratio will occur in 12.3 months. This translates into a price per barrel of WTI of $75 by January 2019. It is worth noting that, like Jastram, I find that oil prices have reverted to the long-run price of gold, rather than the price of gold reverting to that of oil. So, the oil-gold price ratio primarily reverts to its mean via changes in the price of oil.

At present, the oil-gold price ratio is 0.05581 ($69.59/$1247=0.05581), suggesting that oil&a;rsquo;s relentless bull market has a ways to run, as the chart below shows.

&l;img class=&q;size-large wp-image-909&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/stevehanke/files/2018/07/Crude-1200x749.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;749&q; data-width=&q;1200&q;&g;&l;/p&g;

Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:FCNCA,PCYO,JBSS,

Sarasota, FL, based Investment company Donald L. Hagan, LLC buys iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond, iShares Russell 1000 Growth, iShares Core S&P Small-Cap, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets, Tractor Supply Co, Vanguard FTSEEuropean, Halliburton Co, McKesson Corp, Monro Inc, SPDR S&P 500, sells iShares Core S&P 500, PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active Exchange-Trad, iShares Floating Rate Bond, iShares Russell 1000 Value, iShares Russell 2000 Value during the 3-months ended 2017-12-31, according to the most recent filings of the investment company, Donald L. Hagan, LLC. As of 2017-12-31, Donald L. Hagan, LLC owns 70 stocks with a total value of $116 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

New Purchases: IEMG, TSCO, HAL, MCK, MNRO, SPY, YEXT, SGYP, Added Positions: AGG, IWF, IJR, VGK, AAPL, TJX, LOW, APA, KSS, MU, Reduced Positions: IVV, MINT, FLOT, IWD, IWN, AAXJ, CVX, FB, IWO, CSQ, Sold Out: VWO, WMT, CAH, PDCO, WDR, OMI, COST, EEM, MRO,

For the details of Donald L. Hagan, LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Donald+L.+Hagan%2C+LLC

Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: First Citizens BancShares, Inc.(FCNCA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ: CCBG) and First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations.

• [By Max Byerly]

  American Century Companies Inc. reduced its holdings in First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA) by 4.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 31,209 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 1,294 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.26% of First Citizens BancShares worth $12,897,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: Pure Cycle Corporation(PCYO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Artesian Resources Co. Class A (NASDAQ: ARTNA) and Pure Cycle (NASDAQ:PCYO) are both small-cap utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.

Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2019: John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.(JBSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBSS) shares reached a new 52-week high and low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $71.43 and last traded at $70.96, with a volume of 1305 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $69.72.

• [By Max Byerly]

  The Hershey (NYSE: HSY) and John B. Sanfilippo & Son (NASDAQ:JBSS) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation and profitability.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of John B. Sanfilippo & Son (NASDAQ:JBSS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday.

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:CBOE,SHBI,IYF,AGII,UVSP,

Shutterstock

 

At first glance, it might seem like a great gift for parents to fund 100% of their child’s college education.

College can provide a leg-up in the world, and what a joy for a student to graduate without loans! Especially now, when students in the class of 2015 graduated with an average of $35,000 in student loan debt, according to an analysis of government data by Edvisors.

This line of thinking is reasonable if the parents can afford to pay for college in full. However, when students don’t have any financial skin in the game, an opportunity for an impactful teaching moment is lost. Deciding on a career track, applying to college, and learning how to pay for it are the first major financial decisions a young person has to make.

It’s a great time for parents to educate children just when kids need financial education the most! After all, there is a reason financial planners, like me, when advising parents on their estate planning documents, never recommend leaving an 18-year-old full access to life insurance proceeds or an inheritance.

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBOE) reported expansive earnings growth in its first-quarter 2018 report, issued on May 3. In addition to revenue tacked on from its acquisition of Bats Global Markets in March 2017, Cboe enjoyed increased volume in trading of the company's proprietary VIX (Cboe Volatility Index) futures and options.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Deutsche B枚rse (OTCMKTS: DBOEY) and Cboe Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Last December, two major futures exchanges started offering futures contracts on bitcoin. CBOE Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) was the first to market with its futures offering, and CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) didn't waste any time coming out with its own version of a bitcoin contract.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  State of Tennessee Treasury Department lessened its stake in shares of Cboe Global Markets Inc (NASDAQ:CBOE) by 23.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 110,676 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 33,675 shares during the quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department’s holdings in Cboe Global Markets were worth $12,628,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Shore Bancshares Inc(SHBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Shore Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:SHBI) by 134.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 157,489 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 90,289 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Shore Bancshares were worth $2,970,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Press coverage about Shore Bancshares (NASDAQ:SHBI) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Shore Bancshares earned a coverage optimism score of 0.15 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the bank an impact score of 46.3784121307224 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media coverage about Shore Bancshares (NASDAQ:SHBI) has trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Shore Bancshares earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the bank an impact score of 47.376414932679 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ishares Trust Dj Us Financial (IYF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  The challenges facing EUFN may indicate the ETF will be challenged to deliver compelling risk-reward for investors. EUFN's three-year standard deviation is 18.23 percent, or more than 500 basis points above the same metric on the iShares U.S. Financials ETF (NYSE: IYF).

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Argo Group International Holdings Ltd.(AGII)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Lord Abbett & CO. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Argo Group (NASDAQ:AGII) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 840,251 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $48,230,000. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC owned approximately 2.49% of Argo Group as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Argo Group (NASDAQ: AGII) and Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Barclays PLC raised its stake in Argo Group (NASDAQ:AGII) by 25.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,691 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,754 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in Argo Group were worth $499,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania(UVSP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of Univest Co. of Pennsylvania (NASDAQ:UVSP) by 65.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 353,718 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 139,590 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Univest Co. of Pennsylvania were worth $9,799,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Univest Co. of Pennsylvania (UVSP)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Univest Co. of Pennsylvania (NASDAQ:UVSP) was upgraded by BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

$1.12 Earnings Per Share Expected for Wells Fargo & Co (WFC) This Quarter

Brokerages predict that Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) will post $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Five analysts have issued estimates for Wells Fargo & Co’s earnings. The lowest EPS estimate is $1.05 and the highest is $1.18. Wells Fargo & Co reported earnings per share of $1.07 during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 4.7%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Friday, July 13th.

On average, analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Co will report full-year earnings of $4.46 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $4.24 to $4.57. For the next year, analysts expect that the business will report earnings of $5.13 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $4.79 to $5.60. Zacks’ EPS averages are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that follow Wells Fargo & Co.

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Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 13th. The financial services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $21.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.74 billion. Wells Fargo & Co had a net margin of 22.80% and a return on equity of 12.46%. The business’s revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.00 EPS.

WFC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Macquarie raised shares of Wells Fargo & Co from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 30th. UBS Group raised shares of Wells Fargo & Co from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Vetr upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Co from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $54.10 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 5th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Co from $71.00 to $66.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 16th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Co from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, April 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Wells Fargo & Co presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.82.

Wells Fargo & Co stock traded up $1.81 on Friday, reaching $55.44. 43,870,876 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,212,528. The firm has a market cap of $261.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Wells Fargo & Co has a twelve month low of $49.27 and a twelve month high of $66.31.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 4th were paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.81%. Wells Fargo & Co’s payout ratio is currently 37.96%.

In related news, EVP Petros G. Pelos sold 25,567 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.76, for a total value of $1,400,048.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Avalon Advisors LLC grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Co by 27.2% during the first quarter. Avalon Advisors LLC now owns 411,062 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $21,544,000 after buying an additional 87,876 shares during the last quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Co during the first quarter worth about $2,645,000. Greenline Partners LLC grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Co by 3.1% during the first quarter. Greenline Partners LLC now owns 227,855 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,942,000 after buying an additional 6,812 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Co during the first quarter worth about $750,000. Finally, Altium Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Co by 37.7% during the first quarter. Altium Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,252 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $380,000 after buying an additional 1,985 shares during the last quarter. 76.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Wells Fargo & Co

Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. The company's Community Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts; credit and debit cards; and automobile, student, mortgage, home equity, and small business loans.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Wells Fargo & Co (WFC)

For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

Somewhat Favorable Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Impact Altra Industrial Motion (AIMC) Share P

News headlines about Altra Industrial Motion (NASDAQ:AIMC) have been trending somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern scores the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Altra Industrial Motion earned a news sentiment score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave headlines about the industrial products company an impact score of 45.7449639678974 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next few days.

AIMC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Altra Industrial Motion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Altra Industrial Motion from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. ValuEngine downgraded Altra Industrial Motion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. Stephens reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 target price on shares of Altra Industrial Motion in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Altra Industrial Motion from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $52.20.

Get Altra Industrial Motion alerts:

Shares of Altra Industrial Motion traded up $0.45, reaching $44.50, on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 596,350 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,339. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.71 and a beta of 1.63. Altra Industrial Motion has a 1 year low of $38.80 and a 1 year high of $53.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

Altra Industrial Motion (NASDAQ:AIMC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $240.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $229.34 million. Altra Industrial Motion had a return on equity of 16.28% and a net margin of 5.56%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.53 EPS. analysts expect that Altra Industrial Motion will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 18th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 15th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.53%. Altra Industrial Motion’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.17%.

In related news, Director James H. Woodward, Jr. sold 13,523 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.85, for a total value of $579,460.55. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $514,114.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Todd Patriacca sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.00, for a total value of $32,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 25,890 shares in the company, valued at $1,190,940. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,223 shares of company stock worth $784,021. Company insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Altra Industrial Motion Company Profile

Altra Industrial Motion Corp. designs, produces, and markets mechanical power transmission components worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Couplings, Clutches and Brakes; Electromagnetic Clutches and Brakes; and Gearing. It offers coupling products under the Ameridrives, Bibby, Lamiflex, TB Wood's, Huco Dynatork, Guardian, and Stromag brands for food processing, oil and gas, power generation, material handling, medical, metals, mining, and mobile off-highway markets; and heavy duty clutches and brakes under the Wichita Clutch, Twiflex, Industrial Clutch, Svendborg Brakes, and Stromag brands for use in metal forming, oil and gas drilling platforms, mining, material handling, marine, and wind turbine applications.

The Pound Needs a Helping Hand. Mark Carney May Not Provide It

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The Bank of England’s meeting this week may bring little cheer for the beleaguered pound as patchy economic data cast a shadow over the prospects of tighter U.K. monetary policy.

Strategists at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. maintain their call that the BOE will refrain from raising interest rates before November, while HSBC Bank Plc sees a downbeat outlook for the British economy. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts also expect the central bank to adjust policy only toward year-end, but caution that there is a risk that policy makers led by Governor Mark Carney disregard recent data and signal an August rate hike.

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Sterling has slid almost 6 percent against the dollar since the end of March, heading for the biggest quarterly loss in two years, as inconsistent U.K. data and Brexit uncertainties chipped away at prospects of a BOE rate increase in August. Money markets are currently pricing in a 44 percent chance of a 25-basis-point hike in August, down from 55 percent at the start of last week.

Below are some strategist views on BOE policy and market implications:

Goldman SachsExpects a 7-2 vote for no change in Bank Rate in Thursday’s announcement Expects MPC “to acknowledge the possibility that the weakness of output in 1Q reflects a more persistent slowdown than envisaged in May -- a slowdown less likely to be symptomatic of temporary weather effects,” according to economist Adrian PaulThe minutes are “likely to allude to intensifying political risks associated with Brexit negotiations”Goldman sticks to base case of 25bps rate increase in November, forecasts sterling to weaken to 91 pence per euro in six months, 92 pence in 12 months from the current level of around 88 penceHSBCBOE will “want to keep the door firmly open for a hike in August” so might focus on better data such as employment, according to strategist Daniela RussellMarket attention will be on the MPC vote and any signals for a rate increase in AugustStill, HSBC has started to buy front end of the U.K. gilts last week “For us, regardless of whether or not they hike in August, the big picture hasn’t changed” “The risks to the growth outlook are skewed firmly to the downside”Continued Brexit uncertainty “may persuade the MPC to remain cautious for a little while longer”Bank of America Merrill LynchBOE will stay on hold in August and on Thursday “they will issue a ‘holding statement’ after their policy meeting,” according to strategists Sebastien Cross and Kamal SharmaRecommended receiving August MPC-dated OIS back in April (entered at 61bps, targeting 50bps and with a stop at 67bps)While U.K. data have been mixed, BofAML strategists “continue to see growth struggling to pick up sufficiently for the BOE to justify a hike by August”Biggest risk at this week’s meeting is “the minutes flagging an increased willingness among the MPC to hike rates regardless of the data”“This is one reason we limit our long to the very front end of the curve heading into the meeting,” they write in a client note dated June 19NordeaNordea strategists including Andreas Steno Larsen “see an increasing risk that the market will get carried away by the prospect of an August hike”Wouldn’t be surprised to see a replay of the market moves ahead of the May meeting unfolding in the pound over the summer“First stronger GBP, as the market buys into the August hike, then weaker GBP once the market takes the hike off the table again due to poor data”Still “favor more structural downside in GBP/USD, but don’t consider the timing for another short optimal right now”

— With assistance by James Hirai

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:RTN,MCHP,RBC,SCG,PNW, Investment Thesis

Ford (NYSE: F) posted a surprising May with sales increasing 0.7% after a contracting in March. Truck and SUV sales remain strong as consumer preference shifts to smaller automobiles due to lower gas prices. This sales mix is resulting in higher revenue and net income which is evident by the company��s growth rates in both categories in the first quarter of 2018. With a below-industry-average P/E and a near 5.5% dividend yield, I continue to recommend Ford as a buy.

Monthly Sales Data

Ford announced May 2018 U.S. vehicle sales of nearly 243K, up 0.7% from May 2017. While small, this increase was well ahead of estimates from Edmunds at a decline of 1.9%. Overall, the industry as a whole saw U.S. new car sales rise in May with projections largely in the 2-3% range. Despite this traction, consumer demand continued to weaken from the record highs in 2016; however, consumers continued the shift toward larger vehicles that helped push the average sales price to $35,635 in May 2018, which is an increase of 3.4% from May 2017. For the entire year, analysts are expecting U.S. auto sales to fall again in 2018 after the (2%) decrease in 2017 with the current forecast at 16.8M.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Raytheon Company(RTN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on Bank of Internet (BOFI) , MGM Resorts (MGM) , Verizon (VZ) , Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) , Oracle (ORCL) , Salesforce.com (CRM) , PayPal (PYPL) , Raytheon (RTN) and McDonald's (MCD) .

• [By VantagePoint]

  Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has actually been on a prolonged uptrend going back five years, but the stock struggled for the first three months of 2018 to get over the $220 level. That resistance has since broken however, and RTN has continued to reach new all-time highs. This is another one that is looking poised to continue higher through its earnings report on April 26. Raytheon has exceeded Wall Street's EPS estimates every quarter since July 2016. 

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  Coffee waste is now fetching a 480 percent premium over coffee itself. Prices for dried husks are outstripping those for beans: Link

  ECONOMIC DATA The Richmond Fed manufacturing index for May will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Treasury is set to auction 4-and 52-week bills at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Treasury is set to auction 2-year notes at 1:00 p.m. ET. ANALYST RATINGS Susquehanna upgrades Macy's (NYSE: M) to Positive, Raises Price Target to $43 Deutsche Bank downgrades Manchester United (NYSE: MANU) to Hold, Lowers Price Target to $21 Credit Suisse downgrades Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) to Neutral, Announces $219 Price Target

  This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its holdings in Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) by 118.2% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 76,704 shares of the aerospace company’s stock after purchasing an additional 41,556 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in Raytheon were worth $16,555,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  The second portfolio's top holdings included Intel (INTC) , JPMorgan Chase (JPM) , Raytheon (RTN) , Nucor (NUE) and Netflix (NFLX) .

  Cramer said this portfolio was "perfectly" diversified.

• [By ]

  And it’s not like there aren’t plenty of catalysts in the wind that could derail the whole thing. For one, there are plenty of big earnings reports this morning that could mess things up, especially in some currently out-of-favor sectors like staples (MO, HSY) and defense (RTN).

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Microchip Technology Incorporated(MCHP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By VantagePoint]

  Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ: MCHP) had a clear crossover to the upside on May 3, when the blue predicted moving average crossed above the black simple 10-day moving average. Since then the stock is up 17 percent, while the gray candle predicting Thursday's range shows continued upside. As long as the two lines don't crossover, look for this uptrend to continue. 

• [By Shanthi Rexaline]

  Morgan Stanley's Joseph Moore previewed earnings reports from MPINJ Inc (NASDAQ: PI), Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA). Morgan Stanley has the following ratings on the companies:

• [By ]

  Though concerns have been raised that the analog and MCU markets are at risk of seeing an inventory correction (they haven't had a major one in a while), given signs of excessive ordering and stretched lead times, TI and STMicro's numbers suggest conditions remain good for now. That's particularly true in industrial and auto markets where trends such as factory automation, ADAS adoption and electric/hybrid car sales are boosting chip demand. Several other analog/MCU firms, including Microchip (MCHP) , ON Semiconductor (ON) , Maxim Integrated (MXIM) and NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) , will be reporting soon.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This company is a huge Internet of Things benefactor. Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Regal Beloit Corporation(RBC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.44 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $3.63 billion. Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $3.17 billion. Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $926.18 million. The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $2.98 billion. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $1.71 billion. US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $5.98 billion. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $3.50 billion. Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.06 per share on revenue of $936.98 million. Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion. Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.14 per share on revenue of $1.21 billion. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $23.80 billion. JD.com, Inc. (NYSE: JD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $15.65 billion. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.6 per share o
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Foundry Partners LLC raised its holdings in Regal Beloit Corp (NYSE:RBC) by 2.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 183,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,534 shares during the quarter. Foundry Partners LLC owned 0.42% of Regal Beloit worth $13,434,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Generac (NYSE: GNRC) and Regal Beloit (NYSE:RBC) are both mid-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, earnings and dividends.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Scana Corporation(SCG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Teacher Retirement System of Texas trimmed its stake in SCANA Co. (NYSE:SCG) by 19.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 29,987 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 7,419 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in SCANA were worth $1,126,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on SCANA (SCG)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $34.66 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $5.24 billion. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.55 per share on revenue of $16.44 billion. Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.74 per share on revenue of $7.91 billion. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $8.81 billion. PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.93 per share on revenue of $12.4 billion. American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.72 per share on revenue of $10.42 billion. Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE: LUV) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $5.01 billion. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.8 per share on revenue of $34.52 billion. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.66 per share on revenue of $5.38 billion. D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $3.76 billion. The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.4 per share on revenue of $1.94 billion. Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.56 per share on revenue of $2.94 billion. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $4.63 billion. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.54 per share on revenue of $3.72 billion. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is projected to report quarter

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Pinnacle West Capital Corporation(PNW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Atria Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW) by 49.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,651 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,560 shares during the period. Atria Investments LLC’s holdings in Pinnacle West Capital were worth $371,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  M&T Bank Corp raised its position in Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW) by 15.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,775 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,196 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp’s holdings in Pinnacle West Capital were worth $700,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ING Groep NV lifted its holdings in shares of Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW) by 7.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,423 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Pinnacle West Capital were worth $912,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

LRAD Corp (LRAD) Major Shareholder Awm Investment Company, Inc. Sells 10,800 Shares

LRAD Corp (NASDAQ:LRAD) major shareholder Awm Investment Company, Inc. sold 10,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.00, for a total value of $21,600.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Shares of LRAD traded up $0.08, hitting $2.10, on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The company had a trading volume of 53,331 shares, compared to its average volume of 41,931. The stock has a market cap of $65.44 million, a PE ratio of 202.00 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 3.83, a current ratio of 4.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. LRAD Corp has a twelve month low of $1.46 and a twelve month high of $2.58.

Get LRAD alerts:

LRAD (NASDAQ:LRAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 15th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.02 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $7.87 million during the quarter. LRAD had a negative net margin of 5.84% and a positive return on equity of 1.22%.

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in LRAD stock. LPL Financial LLC acquired a new stake in LRAD Corp (NASDAQ:LRAD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 90,157 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $224,000. LPL Financial LLC owned 0.28% of LRAD as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.98% of the company’s stock.

About LRAD

LRAD Corporation designs, develops, and commercializes directed sound technologies and products in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It develops directed acoustic communication systems that focus sound over short and long distances. The company offers directional and omnidirectional acoustic systems and accessories.

It's 2018. Why are women still giving their husbands control of the finances?

Women are more educated, accomplished and empowered than ever before. But when it comes to married women investing and managing their money, it feels like we're stuck in the 1950s.

A new report from UBS found that 56% of married women leave investment and long-term financial planning decisions to their husbands, and 85% of women who defer to their husbands believe their spouses know more about financial matters.

It's not just older generations. Millennial women are more likely to leave investment decisions to their husbands than any other age group, based on the report, which included surveys with nearly 1,700 married couples, including heterosexual and same-sex couples.

Here's why these numbers are a concern: Women are living longer than men. The average life expectancy for a woman is five years more than a man's, and the divorce rate among couples 50 and older has just about doubled since the 1990s. These two forces mean that eight out of 10 women will end up alone and solely responsible for their financial well-being, said Jane Schwartzberg, head of client segments for UBS Wealth Management USA.

"It's a big problem because we're not going to be prepared for what inevitably is going to come," she said.

Nearly 60% of widows and divorcees said they wish they had been more involved in the financial planning decisions, with 56% of women discovering hidden debt, inadequate savings or overly conservative or aggressive investments that affected their lifestyle and retirement goals.

Nearly all the surveyed widows and divorcees advised younger women to get more involved in their long-term finances now, the report found.

So why aren't women getting the message? It's not as if they aren't touching money at all. In fact, married women are completely comfortable and savvy handling the bulk of the day-to-day finances of the household. But when it comes to planning for retirement or investment, they are either uninterested or believe their husbands are better equipped, the report found.

Gender roles are certainly hard to shake, with men traditionally handling the long-term financial planning decisions instead of their wives. Men also tend to make more money than women, and in this report, 70% of the men were the breadwinners. But of the female breadwinners in the report, 43% said they leave financial decisions to their husbands.

Lack of confidence is also a big factor.

The report found that in heterosexual marriages, both men and women are convinced that men are better equipped to invest, understand financial topics and make long-term financial decisions.

"The belief that men somehow can do this better and know better is totally unsubstantiated," said Schwartzberg.

Women also need to know that you don't need to be an expert to handle retirement and investment decisions.

To meaningfully engage in your finances, you just need to be able to answer straight forward questions such as who are the people that matter most to you and what do you want to accomplish in life, Schwartzberg said.

The perpetuation of men controlling investment and money decisions is likely to continue. The report also found that 69% of fathers and 52% of mothers with children under 21 said they were fine with their daughters' future spouses handling long-term financial planning.

"That means to me they don't understand the cost. They don't understand that a critical component of living in an equal way and with equal choices and equal freedoms, equal opportunities is having a seat at the table financially," said Schwartzberg.

What It Takes To Be Healthy And Mobile At 100+

&l;p&g;More and more people are living to be 100 these days, and even longer. When you meet these oldsters, they are often in wheelchairs, or impaired in visible ways. With such advanced age, that&s;s what we expect. But then there are those who make it that far in life and are still independent and able to manage quite well for themselves. What accounts for the difference?

You can ask Ida Keeling, an exceptional 102 year old track star. She started running at 67, at the encouragement of her daughter. Ida had suffered the devastating loss of two sons to drug-related violence and she was deeply depressed. Running helped her feel better and after that first 5K run, she kept running and hasn&s;t stopped since. And it&s;s more than running that keeps her healthy. She has a regimen she follows daily. It includes lots of vegetables, cereal, fruit and protein shakes. She doesn&s;t eat too much in the way of desserts, which are mostly applesauce and sometimes pie. And there&s;s that daily shot of cognac. She has been interviewed extensively, as a 102 year old record setter in the 60 meter dash and the 100 meter run is certainly a phenomenon. Her words are wise and sound like what most doctors would tell you to do: keep active every day. She does what she needs to do, she says not what she wants to do. She recounts in an interview with Parade, in February, 2018, that &q;running is a good way to feel better mentally and physically.&q; She says &q;I have my bike, my mat and my weights and I use them. I like to keep moving.&q; She has arthritis and aches and pains but she keeps it up regardless. She has written a book, Can&s;t Nothing Bring Me Down: Chasing Myself in the Race Against Time, detailing the hard life she has lived and the struggles she has overcome. What an inspiration!&a;nbsp;&l;img class=&q;alignright size-medium wp-image-7856&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/carolynrosenblatt/files/2018/05/ida-289x300.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;300&q; data-width=&q;289&q;&g;

So for the rest of us, those who may be not so motivated to get off the couch, there is plenty to be learned from Ida Keeling. Clearly one does not have to set records in track to stay mobile late in life. However, one does have to keep moving. She uses a bike, which can be stationary for anyone, and set up at home. She gets on her exercise mat, does pushups, and uses her weights to keep from losing muscle mass. It seems to be working very well for her and presumably anyone could do the simple things she adds to her life, even without running. Some doctors advocate the use of stretch exercise bands, which give resistance when you pull on them with your arms or legs. They&s;re as good as weights, the doctors say, and certainly cheaper and easier to transport.

As for the difference between the mobile centenarians and those who aren&s;t able to walk at earlier points in their lives, an overall healthy lifestyle like Ms. Keeling&s;s is key. Genetics is not the only factor responsible for how we age. Research tells us that genetics are only about 30% of how we fare late in life. The rest is about the basics: thoughtful nutrition and eating what&s;s good for you, avoiding what&s;s not good for you. Managing your stress and as in Ida&s;s case, serious depression, with exercise. It can work for anyone. And including movement in your daily routine. This does not mean just a mindless stroll around the block once in awhile. It means a conscious effort to make time for some kind of exercise in your life most days. Perhaps we are all in a race against time. For me, learning from a 102 year old is a fine way to be in that race.

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Predicting The Markets Is Tough But Worthy Task

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-959623612&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/959623612/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;638&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images)

Trying to predict the markets is a near-impossible task and those who attempt to do so almost always fail. Many investors who persist in attempting to untangle the many conflicting events and investor opinions, including the sophisticated players who earn a living investing in the stock market, readily admit that trying to accurately forecast market behavior is mostly a fool&a;rsquo;s game.

The stock market is, indeed, very difficult to diagnose because it is a conglomeration of human behavior influenced by world and local events. To put it simply, investors trying to forecast or beat the markets have to be attuned to the consistencies and inconsistencies of human nature.

The stock market, for the most part, is driven by humans and human judgment, fraught with inconsistencies and conflicting thoughts. But that hasn&a;rsquo;t stopped hordes of investors from making big bets on what they believe the market will perform at any given time.

&a;ldquo;The trick is to learn from the hits and misses of the forecasting process .&a;hellip; and first and foremost, current analysis requires a thorough grounding in the economic and financial data,&a;rdquo; says Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, who recently published the book, &a;ldquo;Predicting The Markets, A Professional Autobiography.&a;rdquo; The research firm provides global investment strategy and asset allocation analyses and recommendations. It also publishes for clients a daily report on its observations on what&a;rsquo;s happening in the stock, bond and commodity markets, as well as what&a;rsquo;s currently significant in various currencies.

If there is a Wall Street pro who is supremely qualified to make sense of the markets and who is particularly prescient as a successful investor and prognosticator of where they are likely to be heading, it is Yardeni. His career has spanned an extraordinary secular bull market in stocks, punctuated by plenty of nasty corrections and severe, wicked bear markets along the way.

Take a look at where the Dow Jones industrial average has been since Yardeni started his Wall Street career in 1978 &a;mdash; and where he landed through January 2017 as a stock market analyst: When he started working at the brokerage firm E.F. Hutton in 1978, the Dow had been trading at around 1,000. Then on Oct. 11, 1982, the Dow industrials finally climbed above 1,000. And by Nov. 21, 1995, the Dow had jumped five-fold, to 5,000.

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By Aug. 25, 2017, the Dow had zoomed to 20,000 &a;mdash; a 20-fold climb since Yardeni started his career on the Street. And by Nov. 30, 2017, the Dow closed well above that level, to 24,000. Today (May 24, 2018), the Dow industrial average is trading at around 24,800.

Yardeni stayed bullish most of the time during all those 40 years. &a;ldquo;I remained bullish during all the corrections. And I was bearish when the tech and housing bubbles burst. However, I saw both selloffs as buying opportunities, as selloffs within a secular bull market,&a;rdquo; said Yardeni.

His career also blossomed during those years. Yardeni received a Ph.D in economics from Yale University in 1976, after completing his undergraduate studies in international relations (magna cum laude) from Cornell University in 1968. On Wall Street, Yardeni pursued an active and productive career, becoming Chief Economist at Oak Industries, Prudential Equity Group, and Prudential Bank&a;rsquo;s US equities division in New York City. He also served as Chief Economist at investment firms CJ Lawrence, Prudential-Bach Securities, and EF Hutton.

Yardeni also taught at Columbia Business School and became an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, s position that&a;rsquo;s much sought after. He also held enviable positions at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the US Treasury Department in Washington DC.

In his book, Yardeni shares his professional insight into predicting the economy and financial markets. Here&a;rsquo;s how he described the jigsaw puzzle that could be compared with the stock market: Instead of being able to change the pieces you need to solve a jigsaw puzzle, the stock market is a more dynamic game in that the &q;picture changes as new puzzle pieces are constantly thrown on the table.&a;rdquo; The puzzle pieces consists mostly of economic news, including current events and data releases, which surely is a live streaming series of activities.

&a;ldquo;The job of a Wall Street economist and investment strategist is always interesting because we, along with investors and traders, are constantly monitoring the news events that might be relevant to the financial markets,&q; notes Yardeni. All financial markets, he points out, are affected by the business cycle and inflation, and they are all affected by interest rates. So in predicting the markets, they necessarily have to be part of the process of deciphering the puzzle.

So where is the stock market headed next? There are only two variables to predict, argues Yardeni: Earnings and the price-earnings ratio. &a;ldquo;They are not so easy to get right, given the myriad of factors collectively determine them,&a;rdquo; he cautions. The tougher of the two to divine is valuation as it is more subjective. But the earnings variable is determined by such factors as economic growth, inflation, and interest rates.

Valuation is affected by those same factors, but it is also subject to hard-to-assess psychological influences that affect investor behavior, such as confidence, fear and greed. And there is also the problem of investors having to assess earnings expectations and how much they are willing to pay for them.

What makes market forecasting even much more difficult is that so many variables align and often compete with one another at certain times. Yardeni goes through these various variables and enlightens investors about how they are important to pay attention to.

He thinks the essential issues and sets of events to be mindful of are &a;ldquo;Globalization and Geopolitics, Demography and Growth, Technology, Inflation and Productivity, Central Banks and Cryptopcurrencies, and Science and Prosperity.&a;rdquo;

So what does Yardeni foresees ahead? His principal predictions: &q;I predict that prosperity will prevail in our interconnected global economy long into the future. If so, then so should the bull market in stocks, as it has over the past 40 years.

Yardeni&a;rsquo;s 595-page finely written book is an amazing read for its wide-ranging perspective and insightful analyses of one of the most convoluted financial subjects to understand, much less elucidate on how the capitalist world functions, and succeeds.

It is certainly a thoroughly informative must-read book not only for investors but for those potential Masters of the Universe looking to conquer the challenging world of money and finance.

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&a;nbsp;&l;/p&g;