Wagner Bowman Management Corp Grows Position in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)

Wagner Bowman Management Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEARCA:VTI) by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 128,305 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,022 shares during the period. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF makes up approximately 4.7% of Wagner Bowman Management Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Wagner Bowman Management Corp’s holdings in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF were worth $18,017,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 20.6% in the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. Benchmark Capital Advisors increased its position in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 14.9% in the second quarter. Benchmark Capital Advisors now owns 2,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $380,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Mathes Company Inc. increased its position in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 1.9% in the second quarter. Mathes Company Inc. now owns 18,570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,608,000 after buying an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 4.3% in the second quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 8,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,191,000 after buying an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PFG Advisors increased its position in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 3.7% in the second quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 10,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,437,000 after buying an additional 366 shares in the last quarter.

Get Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF alerts:

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF opened at $144.92 on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has a 12 month low of $123.79 and a 12 month high of $146.87.

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Company Profile

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the of the MSCI US Broad Market Index, which represents 99.5% or more of the total market capitalization of all of the United States common stocks traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market.

Further Reading: What is a Leveraged Buyout (LBO)?

Petronet LNG Q1 PAT seen up 31.8% YoY to Rs. 576.7 cr: KR Choksey

KR Choksey has come out with its first quarter (April-June�� 18) earnings estimates for the Oil & Gas sector. The brokerage house expects Petronet LNG to report net profit at Rs. 576.7 crore up 31.8% year-on-year (up 10.3% quarter-on-quarter).

Net Sales are expected to increase by 50.8 percent Y-o-Y (up 12.4 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 9,703.2 crore, according to KR Choksey.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are likely to rise by 24.1 percent Y-o-Y (up 12.4 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 923.6 crore.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More First Published on Jul 22, 2018 07:26 pm

Scentsy’s Disney Collection: 10 Things to Know About the New Line

Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Scentsy are teaming up to launch a new line of fragrance products.

Source: Richard Stephenson via Flickr (Modified)

The following are a few things to know about the new Disney collection of fragrances from Scentsy.

This new line of products will include fragrances designed to fit with the themes of several Disney properties. These properties include Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Hundred Acre Wood, Disney Princess and Disney & Pixar’s Finding Nemo. The type of products that customers can expect to come from this collaboration include Scentsy Bars and Scentsy Buddies. The Scentsy Buddies contain scent packs and share their appearance with Disney characters. Two of the Scentsy Buddies shown off already are of Tigger and Pooh. The new collection was initially shown off in Anaheim at Scentsy Family Reunion. The company is planning to release a few special items that will start showing up in the end of July and through August. After this, the entire collection will become available for purchase on Sept. 1, 2018. The Disney collection will be available for customers to purchase through Independent Scentsy Consultants. The company notes that it is looking to add 100,000 Independent Scentsy Consultants to help it sell the collection across 11 countries.

“We couldn’t find a brand that better matches our aspirations and values,” Scentsy Co-owner and CEO Orville Thompson, said in a statement. “Family-friendly, industry leading, creative, artistic, to warm, enliven and inspire are words from Scentsy’s mission statement, but these words could be used to describe the standards Disney has set for the world.”

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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Zee Entertainment stock falls 2% after Macquarie cuts target price on rising uncertainty

Zee Entertainment Enterprises share price fell more than 2 percent on Friday after global brokerage house Macquarie slashed target price on the stock on rising uncertainty.

While maintaining Outperform call on the stock, the research house slashed target price to Rs 615 from Rs 675 per share as valuations are expected to be lower than peak till it comes out unscathed from digital disruption.

It has lowered its FY20 target multiple also to 31x from 34x to factor in rising uncertainty.

Macquarie said Zee5 is banking on its aggressive originals & movies strategy and marketing intensity will pick starting July as it is launched in Asia-Pacific and Europe. "We expect Zee5 to almost breakeven in the financial year-ending March 2021."

At 12:22 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 521.05, down Rs 12.40, or 2.32 percent on the BSE. First Published on Jul 13, 2018 12:46 pm

Starbucks (SBUX) Getting Somewhat Critical Media Coverage, Study Shows

News coverage about Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) has been trending somewhat negative on Thursday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies positive and negative news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Starbucks earned a news sentiment score of -0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned headlines about the coffee company an impact score of 48.2586100826577 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next several days.

Here are some of the news headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment’s rankings:

Get Starbucks alerts: Brokerages Anticipate Starbucks Co. (SBUX) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $6.26 Billion (americanbankingnews.com) Bluestone Lane CEO and key investor explain how Australian coffee chain is taking on Starbucks (cnbc.com) Why Starbucks Stock Has Lost 15% in 2018 (So Far) (finance.yahoo.com) The Starbucks Rally Was Born to Die �� Short It! (investorplace.com) Sippy Cups Are the Future (finance.yahoo.com)

Shares of NASDAQ SBUX opened at $50.14 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $68.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.09. Starbucks has a 12-month low of $47.37 and a 12-month high of $61.94.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 26th. The coffee company reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.53. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.93 billion. Starbucks had a return on equity of 60.33% and a net margin of 18.71%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.45 EPS. sell-side analysts forecast that Starbucks will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. This is a boost from Starbucks’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 8th. Starbucks’s payout ratio is currently 58.25%.

Starbucks announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, April 26th that permits the company to buyback 0 shares. This buyback authorization permits the coffee company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on SBUX shares. UBS Group set a $66.00 target price on shares of Starbucks and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Vetr upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $59.39 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Wedbush downgraded shares of Starbucks from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $56.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 29th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 30th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $60.90.

Starbucks Company Profile

Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Americas; China/Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole bean and ground coffees, single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, and food and snacks; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items.

GDS Holdings Ltd – (GDS) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of GDS Holdings Ltd – (NASDAQ:GDS) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.00.

Several research firms have issued reports on GDS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on GDS from $21.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 19th. BidaskClub downgraded GDS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 23rd. TheStreet raised GDS from a “d+” rating to a “c” rating in a research note on Monday, May 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on GDS to $33.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of GDS in a research note on Friday, June 1st.

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Shares of GDS stock traded up $0.88 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $42.57. The company had a trading volume of 39,943 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,061,861. GDS has a 12 month low of $8.20 and a 12 month high of $45.88. The firm has a market cap of $4.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -83.39 and a beta of 2.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.

GDS (NASDAQ:GDS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 10th. The company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $562.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $515.40 million. GDS had a negative net margin of 20.08% and a negative return on equity of 9.34%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.47 earnings per share. sell-side analysts forecast that GDS will post -0.41 EPS for the current year.

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN acquired a new position in shares of GDS during the fourth quarter worth $183,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of GDS during the fourth quarter worth $210,000. Global X Management Co. LLC acquired a new position in shares of GDS during the first quarter worth $224,000. Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL acquired a new position in shares of GDS during the first quarter worth $236,000. Finally, TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in GDS in the fourth quarter valued at $269,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 37.10% of the company’s stock.

GDS Company Profile

GDS Holdings Ltd is a developer and operator of data centers in China. The Company is engaged in design, build-out and operation of data centers. It operates as a carrier and cloud neutral, which enables its customers to connect to all the People’s Republic of China telecommunications carriers, and to access a number of the People’s Republic of China cloud service providers, whom it hosts in its facilities.

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:BANF,BKS,RMAX, Saturday is the last day to redeem Toys R Us gift cards.

After stores close for the day April 21, the cards will be worthless.

In bankruptcy, retailers technically don't have to honor gift cards at all. But most ask a bankruptcy court judge for permission to do so��� at least for a while.

Toys R Us has been honoring gift cards since it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. But once the New Jersey-based company filed to liquidate its U.S. operations, the end was near.

"Use those gift cards ASAP,"�the Better Business Bureau advises in�its tips for ��Going Out of Business�� sales.�"Businesses that have entered into the liquidation process will not be around for very long and BBB advises consumers who are holding gift cards spend them as soon as possible or risk getting stuck with a worthless piece of plastic."

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: BancFirst Corporation(BANF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on BancFirst (BANF)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Community Bank System (NYSE: CBU) and BancFirst (NASDAQ:BANF) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on BancFirst (BANF)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of BancFirst (NASDAQ:BANF) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday.

  BANF has been the subject of several other reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of BancFirst from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $65.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, April 23rd. ValuEngine upgraded shares of BancFirst from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a hold rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of BancFirst in a research report on Friday, April 20th.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on BancFirst (BANF)

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

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Barnes & Noble, Inc.(BKS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) has been the markets�� punching bag over the past couple of years, and things don��t seem to be changing anytime soon. The bookstore released its most recent quarterly results before the markets opened on Thursday, and this was met with investor trepidation.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  If you're like me, you love dividend stocks, particularly ones with high yields. However, you have to look past the yield when you weigh an investment, because all dividends are not created equal. Today, for example, utility SCANA Corp. (NYSE:SCG) and bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE:BKS) both offer hefty payouts, but neither should be added to your portfolio.

• [By Daniel B. Kline]

  The slow deterioration of Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) continued through the company's fiscal 2018. The bookseller saw sales drop to $3.7 billion, down 6% from 2017.

• [By Daniel B. Kline]

  That leaves a hole in the market, one that will be filled partially by independent stores, but still leaves an opportunity for one struggling retailer. Unfortunately, the CEO of that retailer, Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS), has recently commented that his chain plans to reduce its assortment of toys.

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Wracked by falling sales and losses, doubtlessly caused by the ongoing dominance of online book sales, particularly by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) reported another quarter that shows it is in a flat spin. Its share price dropped more than 8% on the news to $5.90.

Best Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.(RMAX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Re/Max Holdings Inc (NYSE:RMAX) – William Blair issued their Q1 2019 earnings estimates for shares of Re/Max in a note issued to investors on Friday, July 6th. William Blair analyst S. Sheldon anticipates that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $0.53 for the quarter. William Blair has a “Outperform” rating on the stock. William Blair also issued estimates for Re/Max’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.63 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.47 EPS.

Abjcoin Commerce Price Down 63.8% Over Last Week (ABJC)

Abjcoin Commerce (CURRENCY:ABJC) traded down 60.2% against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on July 7th. During the last week, Abjcoin Commerce has traded down 63.8% against the U.S. dollar. One Abjcoin Commerce coin can currently be purchased for $0.0658 or 0.00001000 BTC on popular exchanges. Abjcoin Commerce has a total market cap of $541,510.00 and $0.00 worth of Abjcoin Commerce was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Here is how related cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:

Get Abjcoin Commerce alerts: XRP (XRP) traded 1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.47 or 0.00007182 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded 1.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.20 or 0.00003099 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded 0.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.05 or 0.00016030 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded 0% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00015343 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 1.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $37.11 or 0.00566606 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded down 1.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0363 or 0.00000554 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 4.2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $14.05 or 0.00214553 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded down 2.4% against the dollar and now trades at $2.45 or 0.00037340 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded 4.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $4.51 or 0.00068828 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 5.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0800 or 0.00001221 BTC.

About Abjcoin Commerce

Abjcoin Commerce’s total supply is 9,233,130 coins and its circulating supply is 8,233,110 coins. Abjcoin Commerce’s official website is abjcoin.org. Abjcoin Commerce’s official Twitter account is @abjcoincommerce.

Buying and Selling Abjcoin Commerce

Abjcoin Commerce can be bought or sold on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Stocks.Exchange. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Abjcoin Commerce directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Abjcoin Commerce should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, Changelly or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy Abjcoin Commerce using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Why Goldman Sachs Is Pounding the Table for Investors to Buy Commodities for the Rest of 2018

If there is one brokerage and investment banking firm whose views can influence investors’ decisions about issues large and small, Goldman Sachs likely fits that bill. After all, its focus is on the top money management institutions and on the wealthiest investors in the world. After a serious rut, now the Goldman Sachs Commodities Research is telling customers that it’s time to buy commodities.

It is important to understand that the latest call from Goldman Sachs is one in which the firm remains bullish rather than changing its direction. That said, this holiday-chopped week may have created a situation in which some momentum can continue from the call. The long and short of the matter is that Goldman Sachs views the recent weakness in commodities as a buying opportunity.

Goldman Sachs has maintained an Overweight recommendation on commodities. The firm even views 12-month returns for the S&P/Goldman Sachs Commodity Index coming in about 10% ahead.

Aren’t trade wars and tariffs a killer for the metals and other commodities? Isn’t it bad if China wants to retaliate against some of the key U.S. industries? According to Goldman Sachs, that should be more than reflected in the current prices. The firm still sees strong demand growth in commodities. Also noted were issues around supply disruptions and depleting inventory levels in the metals and energy markets.

What the firm is really suggesting is that many of the commodities have become oversold. Those concerns about weaker demand from emerging markets and the looming trade war have more than adequately been priced into the recent weakness. Even the concerns about China’s slowing growth and regulatory changes were noted as being priced in, with the actual impact of trade tensions to be far smaller than the markets and media have indicated.

Still, Goldman Sachs does have some areas of concern. Soybeans were one, and auto tariffs (if actually implemented) were another concern over the demand for metals.

With the relationship between commodity prices and the dollar often being front and center, Goldman Sachs is now projecting that the mighty U.S. dollar will weaken. Furthermore, policy easing and more stable demand out of China in the second half of 2018 should offer support for metals demand after recent price weakness.

Oil is an area in which Goldman Sachs is bullish as well. The production is likely to remain lower than demand during 2018, even if higher production comes from OPEC. There is also the rising risk of supply shocks that could boost prices higher. The risks point to oil inventories running at very low levels as well.

24/7 Wall St. has looked at the views for several key equities and several exchange traded funds (and exchange traded products) to show just how much the selling pressure has been in some of the key commodities. These are of course measured in U.S. dollars.

The VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF (NYSEARCA: OIH) was last seen up just eight cents at $25.84, in a 52-week trading range of $21.70 to $29.87. This key oil services ETF is still down more than $2.00 since June 7 and remains very close to a one-month low.

The SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA: GLD) was last seen trading up $0.60 at $119.25, in a 52-week range of $114.80 to $129.51. On June 14, the key gold trust, the largest of its kind by far, was almost up at $124.

The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: GDX), which tracks the major gold miners, has actually just hit a one-month high after a 1.1% gain on Thursday morning. Still, it is close to down 10% from a year ago. Trading at $22.72, its 52-week range is $20.84 to $25.58.

The iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA: SLV) has remained volatile as the trust tracks the price of silver. It turns out there is a reason we have referred to silver as the devil’s metal for years. The silver trust was last seen up eight cents at $15.11, while the 52-week range is $14.44 to $17.14. To prove the devil’s metal name: this trust is still only up about 1% from its one-month low and remains down 6.5% from its trading peak in June.

Bunge Ltd. (NYSE: BG) has often been considered a global proxy for the price and trade issues around soybeans. Its shares were actually down 14 cents at $67.85 late Thursday morning (after opening up at $68.10). The 52-week range is $63.87 to $83.20, and the consensus target price is $86.70. That consensus target seems quite generous considering the major price slide that has been seen since February.

Nucor Corp. (NYSE: NUE) was last seen trading up 1.8% at $62.67, but this was a $68 stock as recently as June 18. It is a top steel player and was supposed to be one of the would-be Trump steel tariff winners. Its 52-week range is $51.67 to $70.48, and the consensus target price is $77.70.

Century Aluminum Co. (NASDAQ: CENX) was last seen up 16 cents at $14.97, but its 52-week range is $12.94 to $24.77. Its shares have a consensus analyst target of $22.80, and this traded at nearly $18 at the start of June.

As a reminder: new Dow and S&P 500 analyst picks generally come with total return upside projections of 8% or so at this stage of the bull market. This call for commodities was 10% higher, and it is effectively a reiterated Buy rating call on an asset class after a big sell-off.

ALSO READ: Merrill Lynch Issues Top 8 US Stock Ideas for Q3 2018

Are Fee-Based Financial Advisors Ever a Good Deal?

It would be hard to find a podcast-hosting duo more totally invested in answering your financial questions than Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp -- they put "Answers" in the show's name, for goodness' sake! And this week, they're at it again, combing through the Motley Fool Answers mailbag in search of conundrums to address for their listeners. But because three heads are better than two, for this episode, they've enlisted the help of Sean Gates, a financial planner with Motley Fool Wealth Management.

In this segment, they address the concerns of a listener who is looking for a financial advisor that he can trust is offering personalized advice that's in his best interests -- as opposed to generic advice designed to profit the advisor. Where should he go to find a financial planner worth the money? Sean, in particular, has some thoughts.

Sean Gates is an employee of Motley Fool Wealth Management, a separate, sister company of The Motley Fool, LLC. The views of Sean Gates and Motley Fool Wealth Management are not the views of The Motley Fool, LLC and should not be taken as such.

A full transcript follows the video.

This video was recorded on June 26, 2018.

Alison Southwick: Next question comes to us from Bruce. "I have been interviewing fee-based advisors, but I find their business model unconscionable. For instance, I can invest $100,000 with a fee-based advisor and they fee me 1% of the portfolio value -- so, they charge me $1,000 a year, get personal information about me like tax info, risk tolerance, retirement goals, hobbies, pet names, kids' names, and other seemingly non-relevant financial information.

"They invest our money in their recommended funds and introduce me to their estate law and tax advisors, who I would pay extra to sit with. Then, they offered to meet with me and the wife three or four times a year. The first 15 minutes is to get caught up on the kids, travel and grandchildren, and then the next 15 minutes, they tell me the situation about our portfolio, which they don't really manage, they just use another company to advise them on where to put our money." Man, listeners are getting the inside scoop with this! We're not done yet, Bruce has more.

"They invite us to events with their chosen speakers and give us something to eat, and they are real friendly. Here's the rub: my neighbor invests $2 million, and they get exactly the same treatment, but they pay $20,000 a year. Why does the Department of Labor consider this fair value? Where are the honest IRAs who only charge for checkup meetings or special meetings aimed at discussing new circumstances? Why can't I pay a couple of hundred dollars for their expert advice when I need it?"

Robert Brokamp: A lot there from Bruce.

Southwick: Bruce does not want your chosen speakers and snacks! He wants advice, good advice at a fair price!

Brokamp: [laughs] He also doesn't want to talk about his travel.

Southwick: [laughs] No!

Sean Gates: I don't care about your kids, Bruce!

Southwick: I love it! I feel like I'm sitting there in the room with him, across the desk, and he's just like, "The kids are fine, let's get to it." Alright, here we go, from the sister company of The Motley Fool -- is he right in what he's saying?

Gates: In part, yeah, he is. This is tough, because you have to know a lot of the stuff that you think is non-relevant financial information to give good advice.

Brokamp: That was my first reaction looking at that. A lot of that information is actually really important.

Gates: It's super important. I know it doesn't seem like it, but those questions help us ask questions that you're not thinking to ask. It's tough.

But, to your point, if it's true that they're charging you 1% and you're not seeing value from it -- meaning, the growth of your portfolio isn't overcoming that fee, or isn't doing better than the S&P 500, then yeah, you're probably in the wrong situation. There are model portfolios and investment managers who can out-perform the S&P 500. It's difficult, but they exist, so don't discount all of them for that.

Then, the other key thing that I would mention is, there are actually a lot of studies that are coming out that show that the value of financial planning advice is worth some amount of investment return. Now, different reports have different values, but it ranges between 1.75-3.5%. That's not insignificant. If you compound that over time, that's a huge amount of value creation potential that's there. I see a lot of bad raps for 1% advisors. If you have a $1 million portfolio, that's $10,000 a year, that seems like an enormous amount of money. But I feel like I've been able to provide well over that amount in fee to them in advice. And if I can't, I'll tell them.

Brokamp: And there are advisors who charge a flat fee or charge by the hour, but those are just one-time, two-time, three-time engagements. It's not ongoing advice. For someone who's mostly a do-it-yourselfer or someone who wants to be very involved in the process and very hands-on, I love it. I think it's great. But if you want to go with someone who's doing more of the ongoing management, it's a different type of story.

I would say, Bruce is obviously meeting with people who are not convincing him of the value. He would have to pay extra for tax help, for example. You should expect a little bit of tax guidance, even a little bit of estate planning guidance, from a financial advisor. Not a complete estate plan, that should be done by an attorney. But you should get at least some guidance from your financial advisor. If Bruce is not meeting with people who are convincing him that they're providing enough service, then he should keep looking, I think, because they're out there.

Gates: Definitely. I think part of Bruce's problem and everyone's problem is, there's a whole industry of people who want to help you for an innumerable amount of different charge methodologies. There's hourly, there's fee-based, there's commission-based. It's really hard as a consumer to figure out who's honest. I don't know that I have good advice other than look for a reputable company.

Brokamp: Bruce also brought up the Department of Labor. I'll just point out that the Department of Labor does have jurisdiction over things like employer plans and things like that. Flat-out financial advisors is more of an SEC type of thing, and FINRA.

Southwick: It sounds like his concern is that it's a flat percent no matter how much money you have. His neighbor is paying $20,000 a year, he's paying $1,000 a year, and they're getting the same level of service. Is that true? Are they?

Brokamp: I think there's a lot of truth to that, for sure. On the other hand, there's also, someone who does have more money, does tend to have more complicated finances.

Gates: Not only do they tend to have more complicated finances, but the value creation from financial planning escalates the more money you have. A particular tax saving strategy for someone who has $20 million, if you're paying me $20,000 as a 1% fee, I might save you $200,000 in taxes. The benefit scales with the amount of money that you have. So, in effect, the value that they're getting is higher than the value that you're getting, even though the fee is the same on an apples-to-apples comparison.

Then, you may be extrapolating incorrectly. A lot of fee schedules have breakpoints. If you have $0-500,000, you're charged 1%. If you have $500,000 to $1 million, you're charged 0.75%. It goes down the more wealth that you have.

Brokamp: In fact, I would say that's standard.

Gates: That's fairly common, yeah. That's just something to consider, as well.

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:BSM,APA,REC,CRC,TGC,

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has created a massive amount of controversy. The U.S. vehemently opposes the project on the basis of "European energy security" as it will further bind Europe's future energy needs to Russia's Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY).

Through proxies, such as Poland and The Baltic states, primarily Latvia, the U.S. has worked tirelessly to stop the project. But the most recent statements by the U.S. State Department make is clear that stopping Nord Stream 2 is a high priority for U.S policy-makers.

Per a report from RT recently:

'Everything is on the table. The administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to stopping the Nord Stream project,' the source said, as cited by the media.

Last summer, Congress approved the so-called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The legislation allows the White House to introduce punitive measures against the participants of the energy project, investing over $5 million in those enterprises.

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Black Stone Minerals, L.P.(BSM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Black Stone Minerals (BSM)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News headlines about Black Stone Minerals (NYSE:BSM) have been trending somewhat positive on Monday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of media coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Black Stone Minerals earned a media sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave press coverage about the oil and gas producer an impact score of 46.3482301445705 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Presto, West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3% to $71.18, the highest since December 2014, boosting shares of oil companies including Occidental (OXY) , which gained 4.8%, Marathon (MRO) , up 3.8%, and Apache (APA) , which gained 2.5%. Spot gasoline also rose 2.7% to $2.17 a gallon, boding ill for the summer driving season in the U.S. and potentially eroding any gains middle-class Americans received from the Trump tax cuts.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Oil prices have continued rebounding this year, with the U.S. benchmark price WTI up another 7% to around $65 per barrel. That improving oil price has helped drive up most oil stocks. I say most because Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Apache (NYSE:APA), and Newfield Exploration (NYSE:NFX) are flat to down so far this year because investors seem to have overlooked them entirely. Because of that, they trade for a dirt-cheap valuation versus their peers, making them intriguing options to consider.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) stunned the oil and gas world in late 2016 by announcing the discovery of the Alpine High play in a long-overlooked spot of the Permian Basin. The company believed that it had uncovered more than 3 billion barrels of oil and even more natural gas, which would drive growth for years to come. However, that growth wouldn't materialize overnight because Apache first had to build out the infrastructure needed to develop the field from scratch.�

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) which rose over 5% to $41.75. The stock��s 52-week range is $33.60 to $51.21. Volume was 4.8 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.4 million.

• [By Jason Hall, Tyler Crowe, and John Bromels]

  If you're shopping for great buys in the oil patch right now, three Motley Fool contributors think you should take a close look at tech-heavy but asset-light oilfield services provider�Core Laboratories N.V.�(NYSE:CLB), value-priced independent oil producer�Apache Corporation�(NYSE:APA), and refining giant�Marathon Petroleum Corp�(NYSE:MPC).�

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Teacher Retirement System of Texas decreased its stake in Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) by 17.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 84,391 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 17,824 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Apache were worth $3,247,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: REC Silicon ASA (REC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Regalcoin (CURRENCY:REC) traded up 5.2% against the U.S. dollar during the 1 day period ending at 19:00 PM E.T. on May 27th. Regalcoin has a total market cap of $496,466.00 and $1,256.00 worth of Regalcoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last week, Regalcoin has traded 1.9% higher against the U.S. dollar. One Regalcoin coin can currently be purchased for about $0.0388 or 0.00000529 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including BTC-Alpha, CoinExchange and YoBit.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Regalcoin (REC) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  X11 hashing algorithm. Its launch date was September 28th, 2017. Regalcoin’s total supply is 16,491,413 coins and its circulating supply is 12,799,009 coins. The Reddit community for Regalcoin is /r/RegalCoin and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Regalcoin’s official Twitter account is @regalcoinx and its Facebook page is accessible here. The official website for Regalcoin is regalcoin.co.

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: California Resources Corporation(CRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Zoe's Kitchen, Inc. (NYSE: ZOES) fell 27.8 percent to $10.45 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. The company also lowered its FY18 sales outlook from $358million-$368 million to $345 million-$352 million. Hibbett Sports, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIBB) shares fell 15.6 percent to $24.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected results for its first quarter. Rockwell Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: RMTI) fell 15.5 percent to $5.02 in the pre-market trading session after the company disclosed that its President and CEO Robert Chioini was terminated. BG Staffing Inc (NYSE: BGSF) shares fell 12.7 percent to $19.00 in pre-market trading after reporting a common stock offering. 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) fell 9.3 percent to $20.00 in pre-market trading after reporting downbeat quarterly earnings. Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited (NASDAQ: APWC) fell 7.7 percent to $2.35 in pre-market trading after rising 3.88 percent on Thursday. Gap, Inc. (NYSE: GPS) shares fell 7.5 percent to $30.49 in pre-market trading after the company posted downbeat earnings for its first quarter on Thursday. Comps were up 1 percent in the quarter. California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) fell 6.4 percent to $33.91 in pre-market trading. Buckle Inc (NYSE: BKE) fell 4.9 percent to $24.50 in pre-market trading following weak quarterly sales. China Rapid Finance Limited (NYSE: XRF) shares fell 4.9 percent to $3.13 in pre-market trading after climbing 11.53 percent on Thursday. Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) fell 4.8 percent to $78.98 in pre-market trading. Ross Stores reported upbeat earnings for its first quarter, but issued weak forecast for the current quarter. Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) shares fell 4.7 percent to $11.90 in pre-market trading after the company reported pricing of common
• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of California Resources Corp (NYSE:CRC) reached a new 52-week high and low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $41.00 and last traded at $40.01, with a volume of 1481116 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.78.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) fell 13.2 percent to $10.95 in pre-market trading after dropping 1.33 percent on Friday. Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) shares fell 8.7 percent to $5.33 in pre-market trading after declining 2.83 percent on Friday. Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) fell 8 percent to $32.75 in the pre-market trading session. AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE: AER) shares fell 7.4 percent to $51.17 in pre-market trading. Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO) fell 7.4 percent to $4.54 in pre-market trading. Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE: TLRD) fell 7 percent to $31.83 in pre-market trading. California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) shares fell 6.5 percent to $30.29 in pre-market trading after dropping 10.60 percent on Friday. Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOAN) fell 6.2 percent to $6.85 in pre-market trading. RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDHL) fell 6 percent to $6.67 in pre-market trading. QEP Resources, Inc. (NYSE: QEP) shares fell 5.8 percent to $11.45 in pre-market trading after dropping 6.75 percent on Friday. Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH) fell 5.5 percent to $61.53 in pre-market trading. CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI) shares fell 5.2 percent to $11.70 in pre-market trading
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI reduced its position in shares of California Resources (NYSE:CRC) by 29.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 238,208 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 101,290 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in California Resources were worth $4,085,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSPM) shares jumped 29.86 percent to close at $2.87 on Friday. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVGI) shares gained 28.87 percent to close at $8.75 after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. Mexco Energy Corporation (NYSE: MXC) gained 27.02 percent to close at $5.4744. Carbon Black, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBLK) climbed 26 percent to close at $23.94. Carbon Black priced its IPO at $19 per share. Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) rose 25.64 percent to close at $42.44 after the FDA approved the company's Andexxa, the only antidote indicated for patients treated with rivaroxaban and apixaban. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) rose 23.19 percent to close at $8.50 after reporting Q2 results. California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) shares gained 22.45 percent to close at $31.58 following upbeat Q1 earnings. Atomera Incorporated (NASDAQ: ATOM) gained 22.31 percent to close at $6.25 after reporting Q1 results. Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares jumped 22.27 percent to close at $121.46 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance. Jerash Holdings (US), Inc. (NASDAQ: JRSH) gained 20.86 percent to close at $8.46. Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) rose 19.83 percent to close at $6.89 after reporting strong quarterly results. Shake Shack Inc (NYSE: SHAK) rose 18.01 percent to close at $55.95 on Friday after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY18 guidance. Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI) rose 17.73 percent to close at $21.25 after reporting strong preliminary results for the third quarter. Schmitt Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMIT) rose 17.41 percent to close at $2.36. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) shares gained 16.78 percent to close at $12.25 following Q1 earnings. Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) shares rose 14.23 percent to close at $63.40 following Q1 result

Best Energy Stocks To Invest In 2019: Tengasco, Inc.(TGC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Tigercoin (CURRENCY:TGC) traded 12.1% lower against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 23:00 PM E.T. on May 6th. One Tigercoin coin can now be bought for $0.0077 or 0.00000083 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges. In the last week, Tigercoin has traded 6.4% lower against the US dollar. Tigercoin has a total market cap of $334,680.00 and approximately $64.00 worth of Tigercoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

Brokerages Expect Waters Co. (WAT) to Announce $1.92 EPS

Analysts predict that Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) will post earnings per share of $1.92 for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Seven analysts have made estimates for Waters’ earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $2.00 and the lowest estimate coming in at $1.87. Waters reported earnings of $1.76 per share during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 9.1%. The firm is scheduled to issue its next earnings results on Tuesday, July 24th.

On average, analysts expect that Waters will report full-year earnings of $8.21 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $8.10 to $8.42. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the firm will post earnings of $9.06 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $8.80 to $9.49. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS averages are an average based on a survey of analysts that cover Waters.

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Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 1.14% and a return on equity of 25.80%. The company had revenue of $530.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $534.17 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis.

WAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Cleveland Research cut shares of Waters from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 14th. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. ValuEngine cut shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $237.00 to $218.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 11th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $208.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $207.31.

In other news, SVP Michael C. Harrington sold 16,078 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.67, for a total transaction of $3,129,904.26. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 18,115 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,526,447.05. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Joann A. Reed sold 2,090 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.77, for a total transaction of $409,159.30. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,510,547.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 36,689 shares of company stock worth $7,130,365. Insiders own 0.98% of the company’s stock.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. OppenheimerFunds Inc. increased its stake in shares of Waters by 16.2% during the 4th quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. now owns 1,860 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 3,760 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $729,000 after purchasing an additional 269 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its stake in shares of Waters by 12.4% during the 1st quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 2,530 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board increased its stake in shares of Waters by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 7,690 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,486,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FIL Ltd grew its stake in Waters by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 59,953 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $11,910,000 after buying an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.14% of the company’s stock.

NYSE WAT traded up $0.88 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $193.87. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 567,963 shares, compared to its average volume of 676,068. Waters has a 52 week low of $171.32 and a 52 week high of $220.20. The stock has a market cap of $15.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.88, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 5.87 and a current ratio of 6.44.

Waters declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, April 24th that permits the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 18.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

About Waters

Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company, provides analytical workflow solutions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra performance liquid chromatography technology, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.

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Starbucks Pumps the Brakes in Its Home Market

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Americans' long-running joke about a Starbucks on every corner may be nearing its end.

The coffee behemoth is retrenching in its home market as it contends with sales growth that Chief Executive Officer Kevin Johnson acknowledges isn’t fast enough. The cafe chain said Tuesday it expects comparable sales to rise just 1 percent globally for the current quarter—the worst performance in about nine years. That’s well below the 2.9 percent analysts were expecting, according to Consensus Metrix.

Starbucks also plans to close about 150 company-operated stores in densely penetrated U.S. markets next fiscal year, three times the number it historically shuts down annually. Shares of Starbucks slid as much as 6.3 percent in late trading Tuesday to $53.82.

“Our growth has slowed a bit,” Johnson said in an interview. “I expect better, I think our shareholders deserve better, and we're committed to address that.”

In Need of Caffeine

Starbucks sees lowest same-store sales growth this quarter since fiscal 2009

Source: Company data, Bloomberg

Note: Data is for fiscal quarters

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Although business abroad has been booming and the chain has been opening more and more cafes, U.S. sales growth has stalled for the company that brought espresso to the masses. With about 14,000 stores domestically, Starbucks is now pumping the brakes on licensed and company-operated locations, with a renewed focus on rural and suburban areas—not over-caffeinated urban neighborhoods where locals already joke that the next Starbucks will open inside an existing store.

The closing stores are often in “major metro areas where increases in wage and occupancy and other regulatory requirements” are making them unprofitable, Johnson said. “Now, in a lot of ways, it's middle America and the South that presents an opportunity.”

For the ubiquitous chain, moving slower and shutting unprofitable stores may trigger some deja vu. In 2008, longtime leader Howard Schultz returned to the company that was struggling after expanding too quickly across the U.S., giving competitors like McDonald's Corp. a chance to elbow back into breakfast. Investors cheered as Schultz retook the helm and closed some underperforming stores, and share prices at the chain have been up eight of the last 10 years. So far this year through Tuesday’s close, shares have been essentially flat.

But now, with Schultz stepping back from his beloved company, the task of the righting the ship will fall to Johnson, who took over as a CEO just over a year ago. Schultz, who had already transitioned away from running the coffee chain’s day-to-day operations, announced earlier this month he'd be leaving the company, fueling speculation he could be gearing up for a political career. Veteran retailing executive Myron Ullman is taking over as the new head of the board as Schultz departs.

#lazy-img-328688168:before{padding-top:69.82421875%;}Schultz (L) hands Johnson the key to the original Starbucks store during the annual shareholders’ meeting on March 22, 2017 in Seattle.Photographer: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

While Schultz had been trying to expand the Seattle company’s premium business, dubbed Reserve, along with Italian bakery Princi, analysts have speculated that these may be put on the back burner under the new leadership. The company is also facing a resurgent McDonald’s, which has been advertising $2 cold-brew coffees, along with other steep discounts from fast-food rivals.

“The competitive environment has really become a lot stronger in the U.S. and a lot of that is the fast-food chains really improving the quality and breadth of their offerings in terms of hot beverages and breakfast,” said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Bartashus. Americans can “get that same flavor profile at a much lower price somewhere else. That becomes an area of concern for Starbucks.”

Starbucks has also faced backlash this spring after two black men were arrested at one of its stores in Philadelphia while waiting for a meeting to begin. The company and Johnson apologized, calling the arrests “reprehensible.” Last month, Starbucks closed about 8,000 cafes so its employees could undergo racial-bias training, which did hurt sales in the quarter, Johnson said. After stores reopened following the May 29 training, sales have started to rebound at U.S. locations, with the chain expecting domestic same-store sales growth of around 3 percent in June, according to the company.

“The competitive environment has really become a lot stronger in the U.S.”

Starbucks says it can attract more diners in the U.S. with new menu items and will focus on its expanding tea business, as well as capitalizing on health and wellness trends. Starbucks just added a new mango-dragon fruit iced drink to its permanent menu in the U.S. and Canada. And it’s focused on improving its food lineup with sous vide egg bites, plus a new line of lunch salads and sandwiches that it’s expanding across the nation.

“We're putting more of our energy into that afternoon day part and the portfolio of beverages that are offsetting some of the declines we're seeing in Frappuccino beverages,” Johnson said, citing a consumer shift away from sugary drinks. The company is also preparing to “lean into more plant-based beverages,” he said, noting that a new plant-based protein cold-brew drink will be introduced this summer.

The chain is also relying on its digital initiatives to contribute between 1 and 2 percent to comparable sales next fiscal year. There's going to be a new way for non-rewards customers to earn stars and rewards starting next spring, allowing visitors to cash in on loyalty without fully signing up.

Related: Free Food for Personal Data Is a Trade Some Diners Won’t Make

On Tuesday, Starbucks said that it will return more cash to shareholders—about $25 billion in buybacks and dividends through fiscal 2020, representing a $10 billion increase from the previous guidance. Additionally, it plans to cut general and administrative costs, and has hired a consultant to help in this area. It’s also exploring options to license some company-operated stores “in other appropriate markets,” it said.

The company earlier this year said the cash it got from a licensing deal with Nestle SA would go to support the company’s growth in the U.S. and China, where its expansion has been explosive. Starbucks plans to more than triple revenue in China in the next five years and open a new store every 15 hours through 2022 in that market. Johnson confirmed Tuesday that China may one day be a larger market for Starbucks than the U.S.

“The China market still offers a lot of potential,” Bartashus said. “But the current political environment with trade wars looming or the governments picking at each other—it definitely casts a shadow over the long-term prospects for large western brands that are in China.”

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Has $1.14 Million Stake in Extra Space Storage (EXR)

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) by 10.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 13,051 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 1,502 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Extra Space Storage were worth $1,140,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Extra Space Storage by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,508,360 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $131,665,000 after acquiring an additional 59,298 shares during the period. TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. TIAA CREF Investment Management LLC now owns 619,194 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $54,149,000 after buying an additional 20,591 shares in the last quarter. Comerica Bank raised its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 43,351 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,708,000 after buying an additional 2,388 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Capital Management Holdings LLC. raised its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Capital Management Holdings LLC. now owns 85,426 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $7,470,000 after buying an additional 2,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,923,110 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $255,617,000 after buying an additional 71,286 shares in the last quarter.

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A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. ValuEngine upgraded Extra Space Storage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Co set a $99.00 price objective on Extra Space Storage and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 22nd. They noted that the move was a valuation call. BMO Capital Markets set a $84.00 price objective on Extra Space Storage and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 1st. Bank of America upgraded Extra Space Storage from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Extra Space Storage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $97.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $89.33.

Extra Space Storage opened at $96.25 on Friday, according to MarketBeat.com. Extra Space Storage has a twelve month low of $73.70 and a twelve month high of $97.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market cap of $12.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.97, a PEG ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.19.

Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.09 by ($0.39). Extra Space Storage had a net margin of 44.28% and a return on equity of 18.85%. The firm had revenue of $247.88 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $248.26 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.03 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. analysts predict that Extra Space Storage will post 4.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.86 per share. This is an increase from Extra Space Storage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 14th. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.57%. Extra Space Storage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.23%.

In other Extra Space Storage news, COO Samrat Sondhi sold 5,531 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.30, for a total transaction of $504,980.30. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 75,138 shares in the company, valued at $6,860,099.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP P Scott Stubbs sold 9,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.73, for a total value of $793,002.50. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 144,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,428,535.29. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 39,211 shares of company stock worth $3,557,167 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 3.52% of the company’s stock.

Extra Space Storage Profile

Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2017, the Company owned and/or operated 1,483 self-storage stores in 39 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. The Company's stores comprise approximately 1,020,000 units and approximately 112 million square feet of rentable space.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EXR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR).

Malaysia Shares Sink Most Since 2008 Crisis as Foreigners Bail

It was a pretty bad day for Asian stock markets. For Malaysia, it was even worse.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index plunged as much as 3.7 percent, with losses snowballing after the midday break. The gauge ended the session 3.2 percent lower, its biggest single-day slump since October 2008, with declines surpassing those of all other national benchmarks in the region. Malaysian markets were shut on Tuesday for a holiday.

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Builders suffered the brunt of the selling as Gamuda Bhd. sank as much as 27 percent after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the government would cancel a proposed multibillion-dollar, high-speed railway link to Singapore and the third phase of a mass rapid transit line in Kuala Lumpur. Banks also suffered, with Malayan Banking Bhd. down 4.3 percent amid a sector selloff.

The Malaysian index, which only last month traded at a record, is now down more than 9 percent from its peak as traders adjust to a new political environment. Foreign investors have fled the nation’s stocks, pulling money every single day this month -- a streak unseen since the selloff of August 2015.

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Franklin Resources Inc. Has $339.44 Million Holdings in Mattel (MAT)

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT) by 729.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 25,812,527 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 22,699,590 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 7.50% of Mattel worth $339,438,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MAT. Creative Planning increased its stake in Mattel by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. Creative Planning now owns 35,732 shares of the company’s stock worth $550,000 after buying an additional 10,595 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in shares of Mattel by 53.1% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 82,588 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,268,000 after purchasing an additional 28,640 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Mattel by 289.5% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 367,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,646,000 after purchasing an additional 272,856 shares in the last quarter. Meag Munich Ergo Kapitalanlagegesellschaft MBH purchased a new position in shares of Mattel during the fourth quarter valued at about $253,000. Finally, High Pointe Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mattel during the fourth quarter valued at about $311,000.

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Shares of Mattel opened at $15.23 on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.92. Mattel has a 12 month low of $12.21 and a 12 month high of $23.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a P/E ratio of -14.10 and a beta of 0.98.

Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The company reported ($0.60) EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.39) by ($0.21). Mattel had a negative net margin of 25.79% and a negative return on equity of 32.79%. The business had revenue of $708.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $687.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.32) EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. sell-side analysts forecast that Mattel will post -0.45 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BidaskClub upgraded Mattel from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Jefferies Group lowered Mattel from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $22.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Stifel Nicolaus restated a “hold” rating and set a $16.00 price objective on shares of Mattel in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Barclays raised their price objective on Mattel from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, UBS set a $18.00 price objective on Mattel and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Mattel currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.83.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets a range of toy products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: North America, International, and American Girl. It offers Mattel Girls & Boys branded products, including Barbie dolls and accessories, Monster High, DC Super Hero Girls, Enchantimals, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels and Matchbox vehicles and play sets, CARS, DC Comics, WWE Wrestling, Minecraft, Toy Story, and games and puzzles.

Brokerages Anticipate Cohu, Inc. (COHU) to Post $0.42 EPS

Equities research analysts expect Cohu, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHU) to report $0.42 earnings per share for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Two analysts have made estimates for Cohu’s earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $0.48 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.32. Cohu reported earnings per share of $0.48 during the same quarter last year, which suggests a negative year over year growth rate of 12.5%. The business is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 26th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Cohu will report full year earnings of $1.72 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.67 to $1.75. For the next year, analysts expect that the company will post earnings of $2.03 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.00 to $2.06. Zacks’ earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of research analysts that that provide coverage for Cohu.

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Cohu (NASDAQ:COHU) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The semiconductor company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.03. Cohu had a return on equity of 14.10% and a net margin of 9.33%. The company had revenue of $95.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $93.07 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.24 EPS. Cohu’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. BidaskClub raised Cohu from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 12th. Dougherty & Co reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Cohu in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Stifel Nicolaus raised Cohu from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 8th. Zacks Investment Research raised Cohu from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. Finally, ValuEngine raised Cohu from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Cohu presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $24.80.

In other Cohu news, Director William Bendush sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.20, for a total transaction of $69,600.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.88% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of COHU. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cohu by 7.9% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,993,647 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $91,096,000 after purchasing an additional 293,537 shares during the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its holdings in shares of Cohu by 11.4% in the first quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 1,077,278 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $24,573,000 after purchasing an additional 110,498 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in shares of Cohu by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,067,533 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $23,432,000 after purchasing an additional 25,019 shares during the last quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Cohu by 9.8% in the first quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 858,128 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $19,574,000 after purchasing an additional 76,478 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of Cohu by 10.9% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 444,241 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $10,133,000 after purchasing an additional 43,602 shares during the last quarter. 87.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cohu stock traded down $0.20 during trading on Friday, reaching $24.24. The company had a trading volume of 376,670 shares, compared to its average volume of 405,018. Cohu has a 52 week low of $15.55 and a 52 week high of $26.17. The stock has a market cap of $703.83 million, a P/E ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 3.00 and a current ratio of 3.81.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 14th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. Cohu’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.91%.

About Cohu

Cohu, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and servicing of semiconductor test and inspection handlers, micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) test modules, test contactors, and thermal sub-systems for semiconductor manufacturers and test subcontractors worldwide.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cohu (COHU)

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Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:VNDA,FCNCA,LEN,CATB,VBLT,LIVE,LPTH,JAZZ,PTR,PLG,

5 Ways an AXA U.S. Spinoff Could Affect You

Distributions Out of a Cash Value Life Insurance Policy

Brokers May Run 2018 HealthCare.gov Group Enrollment

(Bloomberg) — The man tasked with shepherding Aflac Inc.’s $110 billion portfolio is ready to make a wager on private equity to generate more income for the insurer.

The firm plans to bet on alternatives including private equity later this year, according to Chief Investment Officer Eric Kirsch. That follows a move last month to invest in real estate undergoing change such as renovations or upgrades, and aligns with Kirsch’s goal to have at least 2.5% of the insurer’s cash invested in growth assets, such as public equities, private equity and real estate.

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American Equity is cutting; Prudential wonders if it can; FBL wishes it could cut more.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.(VNDA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.40.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: First Citizens BancShares, Inc.(FCNCA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Lennar Corp.(LEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on T-Mobile US (TMUS) , Lennar (LEN) , Toll Brothers (TOL) , Tyson Foods (TSN) , JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) and International Paper (IP) .

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Wednesday was Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) which rose over 10% to $63.10. The stock��s 52-week range is $48.52 to $72.17. Volume was 18.5 million compared to the daily average volume of nearly 5 million.

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows KB Home along with large caps D.R. Horton, Inc (NYSE: DHI), Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) and PulteGroup, Inc (NYSE: PHM) somewhat all taking off once Donald Trump was sworn in:�

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  Next week is big for housing numbers. March existing home sales figures are scheduled for  Monday and new home sales for March along with the February S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index on Tuesday. As for homebuilders, Pulte Group, Inc. (NYSE: PHM) is scheduled to report  Q1 results Tuesday, and D.R. Horton Inc (NYSE: DHI) is scheduled to report fiscal Q2 numbers on Thursday. The industry already has seen strong Q1 results from Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN), and housing starts and building permits in March rose more than expected. These results, as well as those and the economic data from next week could provide clues for the industry going forward. After NVR, Inc. (NYSE: NVR) reports results this morning, Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE: MTH) releases its Q1 results April 25. We’ll have to wait until next month for some of the other homebuilders, as well as from home improvement companies Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE: HD) and Lowe’s Companies Inc (NYSE: LOW), before we get a more complete snapshot of the housing market.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(CATB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  These are some of the news articles that may have effected Accern’s analysis:

  Get Catabasis Pharmaceuticals alerts: Market Trends Toward New Normal in Church & Dwight Co., Rent-A-Center, Teradata, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Tronox, and Callaway Golf �� Emerging Consolidated Expectations, Analyst Ratings (finance.yahoo.com) Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc. – Receive News & Ratings Daily (thecasualsmart.com) Catabasis Pharmaceuticals (CATB) Upgraded by ValuEngine to Sell (americanbankingnews.com) Catabasis Pharmaceuticals to Report First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Recent Corporate Developments on Thursday, May 10 (finance.yahoo.com) Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc (CATB) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com)

  A number of analysts recently issued reports on CATB shares. Zacks Investment Research raised Catabasis Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1.75 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $4.00 target price (down previously from $5.00) on shares of Catabasis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, ValuEngine raised Catabasis Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Catabasis Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $5.18.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Vascular Biogenics Ltd.(VBLT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETO) fell 9.3 percent to $4.50 in pre-market trading. ProPhase Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRPH) shares fell 8.5 percent to $4.50 in pre-market trading after dropping 3.53 percent on Thursday. Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) fell 7.5 percent to $47.10 in pre-market trading. Nordstrom reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Comparable-store sales rose 0.6 percent. Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) shares fell 6 percent to $263.00 in pre-market trading. Baidu disclosed that its COO Qi Lu will step down in July 2018. Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) shares fell 5.6 percent to $8.98 in pre-market trading after climbing 11.88 percent on Thursday. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) fell 5 percent to $51.30 in pre-market trading. Applied Materials reported stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter, but issued weak sales outlook for the third quarter. Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK) fell 5 percent to $7.61 in pre-market trading after rising 11.40 percent on Thursday. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) shares fell 4.7 percent to $255.77 in pre-market trading. Vascular Biogenics Ltd (NASDAQ: VBLT) fell 4.6 percent to $2.10 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter earnings miss. Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) fell 3.3 percent to $37.60 in pre-market trading. Campbell Soup reported upbeat Q3 earnings, but sales missed estimates. The company also lowered its FY18 outlook. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAD) shares fell 2.7 percent to $17.65 in pre-market trading after reporting a 7.2 million common stock offering
• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $120.51 billion. J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.2 per share on revenue of $2.63 billion. Dillard's, Inc. (NYSE: DDS) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.77 per share on revenue of $1.46 billion. The Children's Place, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.21 per share on revenue of $444.14 million. Manchester United plc (NYSE: MANU) is expected to report quarterly loss at $1.35 per share on revenue of $193.67 million. Teekay Corporation (NYSE: TK) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.08 per share on revenue of $296.76 million. KEMET Corporation (NYSE: KEM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $306.72 million. Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (NASDAQ: VBLT) is estimated to report a quarterly loss at $0.21 per share. Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. (NYSE: TOO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $272.04 million. Albireo Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALBO) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.77 per share on revenue of $31.32 million.

   

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Live Ventures Incorporated(LIVE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Live Ventures (NASDAQ: LIVE) and PennantPark Investment (NASDAQ:PNNT) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: LightPath Technologies, Inc.(LPTH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares rose 14.1 percent to $3.65 in the pre-market trading session after reporting 2017 year-end results. LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) rose 13.3 percent to $2.43 in pre-market trading after reporting a third-quarter earnings beat. MYnd Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYND) rose 10.5 percent to $3.49 in pre-market trading. MYnd Analytics reported a Q2 net loss of $2.7 million on revenue of $459,900. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) shares rose 8.4 percent to $5.68 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: DAVE) shares rose 7.7 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: XENE) rose 7.5 percent to $6.45 in pre-market trading after the company presented XEN901 Phase 1 clinical update and XEN1101 TMS pharmacodynamic Phase 1 data. Mimecast Ltd (NASDAQ: MIME) rose 6.5 percent to $43.50 in pre-market trading following a first-quarter sales beat. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 6 percent to $12.50 in pre-market trading after surging 77.44 percent on Monday. Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTLA) shares rose 6 percent to $26.05 in pre-market trading after climbing 3.58 percent on Monday. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) rose 4.7 percent to $7.20 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Xunlei Limited (NASDAQ: XNET) rose 4.1 percent to $13.88 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.54 percent on Monday. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) shares rose 4.5 percent to $21.73 in pre-market trading. Mizuho upgraded Valeant from Neutral to Buy. Bovie Medical Corporation (NYSE: BVX) rose 4.1 percent to $3.80 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) rose 3.4 percent to $4.00 in pre-market trading after jumping 23.25 percent o

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc.(JAZZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Feroldi, Keith Speights, and Sean Williams]

  So which biotechnology stocks do we think are smart buys right now? We asked these three Motley Fool investors -- all healthcare experts -- to weigh in, and they picked�Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX), Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ), and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ:NBIX).

• [By Keith Speights]

  But at least three of the biotechs singled out by the FDA deserve to be on another list -- investors' buy lists. Here's why Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG), Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), and Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ) look like great stock picks right now.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.22 per share on revenue of $5.72 billion. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $5.68 billion. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.68 per share on revenue of $14.05 billion. Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.62 per share on revenue of $441.73 million. Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: JAZZ) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $2.77 per share on revenue of $434.87 million. Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE: SLF) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $6.38 billion. LATAM Airlines Group S.A. (NYSE: LTM) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.16 per share on revenue of $2.70 billion. Liberty Global plc (NASDAQ: LBTYA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.02 per share on revenue of $4.05 billion. TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.16 per share on revenue of $362.11 million. The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.1 per share on revenue of $379.98 million. A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRK) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $1.69 billion. Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ: MNST) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.4 per share on revenue of $849.38 million. Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.4 per share on revenue of $670.10 million. ScanSource, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCSC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $875.91 million. KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.76 per share on revenue of $923.13
• [By Max Byerly]

  Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ) was downgraded by equities research analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This top company is a favorite across Wall Street.�Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: JAZZ) is a biopharmaceutical company that identifies, develops and commercializes pharmaceutical products for various medical needs in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. The company has a portfolio of products and product candidates with a focus in the areas of sleep and hematology/oncology.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: PetroChina Company Limited(PTR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Somewhat Favorable News Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect PetroChina (PTR) Stock Price” was reported by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this piece on another domain, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of United States and international copyright law. The original version of this piece can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3368551/somewhat-favorable-news-coverage-somewhat-unlikely-to-affect-petrochina-ptr-stock-price.html.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Shineco, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYHT) rose 34.7 percent to $2.29 in pre-market trading following Q3 results. Shineco posted Q3 earnings of $0.21 per share on sales of $13.3 million. Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARV) rose 15.8 percent to $12.74 in pre-market trading after surging 201.37 percent on Thursday. LiveXLive Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIVX) shares rose 11.5 percent to $7.75 in pre-market trading after climbing 64.50 percent on Thursday. Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIGR) rose 9 percent to $18.30 in pre-market trading after climbing 41.77 percent on Thursday. AmTrust Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ: AFSI) rose 6.2 percent to $14.25 in pre-market trading after a 13D filing from Carl Icahn shows a new 9.38 percent stake in the company. The filing also shows language from Icahn that strongly opposes a go-private transaction. Cerner Corporation (NASDAQ: CERN) rose 5.6 percent to $64.02 in pre-market trading after the Department of Veterans Affairs reported an agreement with Cerner Government Services, Inc. to provide seamless care for veterans. PetroChina Company Limited (NYSE: PTR) shares rose 5.3 percent to $82.05 in pre-market trading. TC PipeLines, LP (NYSE: TCP) shares rose 5.2 percent to $26.59 in the pre-market trading session. IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: IQV) shares rose 4.8 percent to $102.50 in pre-market trading as the company pulled secondary offering 'in light of recent market conditions'. Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) rose 4.5 percent to $59.70 in pre-market trading. On Thursday, Axon priced its 4.3 million share offering of common stock at $53 per share. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) rose 4.5 percent to $84 in pre-market trading. PetIQ Inc (NASDAQ: PETQ) rose 3.9 percent to $18.96 in pre-market trading after a 13G filing shows a new 5.05 percent stake by the State of New Jersey's Division of Investment. Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) shares rose 3.7 percent to $15.85 in pre-market

Top 10 Value Stocks To Own For 2019: Platinum Group Metals Ltd.(PLG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Platinum Group Metals (TSE:PTM) (NYSE:PLG) traded down 18.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.18 and last traded at C$0.18. 643,238 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 400% from the average session volume of 128,626 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.22.