UMB Bank N A MO Decreases Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (VLO)

UMB Bank N A MO cut its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 14.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,523 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,238 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank N A MO’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. LSV Asset Management increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 8,934,495 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $828,853,000 after acquiring an additional 41,783 shares in the last quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,710,882 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $344,259,000 after acquiring an additional 228,702 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 1,862,024 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $172,743,000 after acquiring an additional 52,871 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 1,366,192 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $126,710,000 after acquiring an additional 166,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 70.4% in the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,020,560 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $94,679,000 after acquiring an additional 421,540 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.61% of the company’s stock.

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NYSE:VLO opened at $116.78 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The stock has a market cap of $51.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.54, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $64.22 and a fifty-two week high of $126.98.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 26th. The oil and gas company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $31.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.56 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.21% and a return on equity of 12.12%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 39.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 6.58 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 6th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 64.52%.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. Scotia Howard Weill reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, April 11th. Howard Weil lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 11th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Valero Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $114.99 to $110.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. Finally, Edward Jones upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $113.33.

In other news, insider Joseph W. Gorder sold 85,493 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.23, for a total transaction of $10,364,316.39. Following the sale, the insider now owns 524,864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $63,629,262.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen M. Waters sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.76, for a total transaction of $116,760.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 87,493 shares of company stock worth $10,602,116. Insiders own 0.45% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation operates as an independent petroleum refining and ethanol producing company. It operates through three segments: Refining, Ethanol, and VLP (Valero Energy Partners LP). The company is involved in oil and gas refining, marketing, and bulk selling activities. It produces conventional and premium gasolines, gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), diesel fuels, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuels, CARB diesel, other distillates, jet fuels, asphalts, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined petroleum products.

Further Reading: Earnings Per Share (EPS)

BMO Capital Markets Boosts Genworth MI Canada (MIC) Price Target to C$51.00

Genworth MI Canada (TSE:MIC) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets from C$50.00 to C$51.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 13.33% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Genworth MI Canada from an “underperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and set a C$42.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, April 23rd. National Bank Financial raised their target price on shares of Genworth MI Canada from C$50.00 to C$51.00 and gave the company a “c$45.25” rating in a report on Monday, July 23rd. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Genworth MI Canada from C$46.00 to C$47.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 3rd. Finally, CIBC raised their target price on shares of Genworth MI Canada from C$46.00 to C$48.50 in a report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Genworth MI Canada has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$48.08.

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Genworth MI Canada traded down C$0.52, hitting C$45.00, during mid-day trading on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 75,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 187,250. Genworth MI Canada has a 52 week low of C$34.90 and a 52 week high of C$46.75.

Genworth MI Canada (TSE:MIC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The company reported C$1.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.09 by C$0.22. Genworth MI Canada had a net margin of 70.53% and a return on equity of 13.53%. The firm had revenue of C$171.00 million for the quarter.

In related news, insider Robert John Piroli sold 705 shares of Genworth MI Canada stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$41.56, for a total transaction of C$29,299.80. Also, insider Winsor James Macdonell sold 7,200 shares of Genworth MI Canada stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$41.90, for a total transaction of C$301,680.00. Over the last three months, insiders sold 63,147 shares of company stock worth $2,643,441.

Genworth MI Canada Company Profile

Further Reading: What is the Book Value of a Share?

Insider Selling: CarGurus Inc (CARG) VP Sells 7,500 Shares of Stock

CarGurus Inc (NASDAQ:CARG) VP Sarah Amory Welch sold 7,500 shares of CarGurus stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.07, for a total transaction of $278,025.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

NASDAQ CARG opened at $37.77 on Friday. CarGurus Inc has a 52 week low of $25.85 and a 52 week high of $40.60.

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CarGurus (NASDAQ:CARG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $98.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $94.15 million. The company’s revenue was up 47.3% on a year-over-year basis. equities research analysts forecast that CarGurus Inc will post 0.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Amalgamated Bank acquired a new position in CarGurus during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $261,000. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in CarGurus during the 1st quarter worth approximately $499,000. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in CarGurus during the 1st quarter worth approximately $518,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in CarGurus by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 3,808,722 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,522,000 after acquiring an additional 466,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, A.R.T. Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CarGurus during the 1st quarter worth approximately $290,000. Institutional investors own 50.56% of the company’s stock.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on CARG. BidaskClub upgraded shares of CarGurus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 21st. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 price target (up previously from $42.00) on shares of CarGurus in a report on Monday, April 30th. DA Davidson upgraded shares of CarGurus from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of CarGurus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Finally, ValuEngine cut shares of CarGurus from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. CarGurus currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $35.80.

CarGurus Company Profile

CarGurus, Inc operates an online automotive marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of new and used cars worldwide. The company's marketplace enables users with third-party validation on pricing, dealer reputation, and other information. As of June 30, 2017, it had an active dealer network of approximately 40,000 dealers; and approximately 5.4 million car listings.

See Also: Short Selling Stocks, A Beginner��s Guide

Facebook suspends another data analytics firm

Facebook announced Friday that it is suspending another data analytics firm pending an investigation into how the company used its data.

Facebook's decision to suspend Crimson Hexagon comes as Facebook faces continued fallout over how it handles the personal data of its 2.2. billion monthly users.

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter and federal procurement data, reported Friday that Crimson Hexagon had contracts to analyze public Facebook (FB) data for several US government agencies and an unnamed Russian nonprofit.

"We don't allow developers to build surveillance tools using information from Facebook or Instagram," a company spokesperson told CNNMoney. "We take these allegations seriously, and we have suspended these apps while we investigate."

In response to the story, Facebook said it has so far found no evidence suggesting Crimson Hexagon inappropriately obtained Facebook or Instagram data -- a point the analytics firm reiterated to CNNMoney.

"Crimson Hexagon is fully cooperating with Facebook who has publicly stated its investigation to date has found no wrongdoing," company CTO Chris Bingham said.

In a blog post, Bingham made clear that "Crimson Hexagon only collects publicly available social media data that anyone can access" and, "Crimson Hexagon does not collect private social media data."

Facebook's investigation into just what Crimson Hexagon was doing comes four months after the company suspended the political data mining firm Cambridge Analytica amid allegations that it gathered data on tens of millions of users. The now-defunct company worked on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Lennox International: Investing In The Non-Cyclical HVAC Business

Lennox International (LII) is a global firm specializing in the design, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of products across the HVAC and refrigeration verticals. The company primarily focuses its operations in the United States and derives revenue from a variety of sources including installation and service of HVAC equipment, retailing its products through Lennox PartsPlus, securing contracts with commercial clients, and leveraging relationships with food retail and cold storage companies for its refrigeration unit. Though the HVAC market is dominated by large manufacturers at the beginning of the product life cycle, it is fragmented across tens of thousands of small contractors when these parts need to be installed and maintained. Lennox is unique in that it not only designs and manufactures these units but also markets them through hundreds of retail locations and also physically installs and maintains the units themselves in many locations. The growing business segments for Lennox have driven incremental growth year after year, pushing Lennox to one of the largest global HVAC companies poised to continue strong into the future.

Residential Business with Strong Historical Performance

Despite being an international HVAC and refrigeration company, an overwhelming 93% of revenues come from North America, largely from the United States. However, the company's revenue segments across the residential and commercial segments protect the company from cyclicality and have produced steady gains year after year.

Lennox International - 2018 William Blair Growth Stock Conference

Lennox is still majority residential services which does expose it to consumer spending behavior and the housing market. Consumer demand for HVAC units and services as well as new technology including smart thermostats developed by Lennox will ultimately be a major driving force behind growth in the residential business segment. However, what's important is that while Lennox is almost 60% residential, nearly 3/4 of their business across both the commercial and residential segments are focused on maintenance and service, not initial construction. As a result, the residential business segment has seen relatively slow but consistent and stable growth in the past several years.

In the residential segment, revenues between 2013 and 2017 modestly grew from $3.2 billion to $3.8 billion with $3.9 billion expected for 2018. In the historical timespan, there isn't a single year when revenue fell. Along with this, GAAP EPS grew from $3.55 in 2013 to $7.17 in 2017 with full-year 2018 EPS estimates of $8.79-9.39. Free cash flow has increased from $134 million to $395 million. So revenue is growing slowly, but Lennox is driving the bottom line to some seriously impressive margin improvements. But what about that cyclicality? What if we go back further to analyze the historical price trends?

LII data by YCharts

With Lennox historically being heavily concentrated in the residential segment, you would think that the housing market crash and decline in consumer confidence and spending would wreak havoc on Lennox. The stock declined a mere 5% over the course of the recession, and it's largely to do with Lennox's residential business segment being concentrated in the sale of residential HVAC units to contractors as well as an emphasis on recurring revenue from preventative maintenance and service. Because of the structure of Lennox's revenue model, they were largely insulated from the economic pressures around them.

Commercial Success With Variety of Contracts

Though the residential segment makes up a larger percentage of revenues for Lennox, the commercial segment has also performed well over the past several years. Its success can be attributed to the reason for the residential segment's consistent performance: diversification of revenue sources.

Lennox derives part of its commercial revenue from straight commercial sales to other commercial HVAC companies in the B2B market. However, a larger percentage of the sales in the commercial segment come from national accounts with large corporations, sale of individual parts to local contractors, and HVAC projects for different verticals. Lennox's national account services provide its HVAC equipment, installation & service, and customer support. Some of its customers include distribution centers, large hospitals, and national department stores.

Along with this, Lennox also serves to the commercial market in its Lennox PartsPlus stores. Sales to local contractors across the country puts Lennox equipment into the hands of thousands of small businesses.

Lennox International - 2018 William Blair Growth Stock Conference

The stores, through both residential sales, and more importantly, commercial sales, have provided an outlet for Lennox to gain traction in the retail segment boosted by same stores sale growth and a strategy to get its products used by contractors nationwide.

The third revenue source for Lennox includes contracts with local businesses including manufacturing firms, schools, and small-rise office buildings. Total commercial heating and cooling revenue rose from $918 million to $974 million from 2016 to 2017 and service revenue from $133 million to an estimated $190 million by 2020. With an increasing number of contracts being won with both local and national companies, service revenue will likely meet or exceed these estimates.

A Differentiated Refrigeration Strategy

Similar to how HVAC can be performed by tens of thousands of small businesses across the country, so can refrigeration services. Lennox has leveraged its size and expertise as a multi-billion dollar firm in the HVAC and refrigeration space to create differentiating characteristics in its refrigeration business to give itself several advantages.

Lennox International operates in several refrigeration markets including food retail, non-food, cold storage, and food service. In a typical gas station convenience store that would qualify as "food retail", a Lennox refrigeration system can run $20K for parts & installation, let alone consistent maintenance and service. For a small-medium sized warehouse, a cold storage system that Lennox installs is typically around $350K along with annual maintenance fees. Where Lennox differentiates itself is it doesn't just install and service its refrigeration units, but it also provides leading technology monitoring systems, flexible order capabilities, and alternative refrigerants tailored to the needs of individual businesses. Sales in the refrigeration segment have been relatively stagnant but not declining at around $720 million in sales at a 13% margin for the past three years; however, the introduction of controllers and innovative monitoring systems was just recently introduced.

Consistency Leads to Free Cash Flow Growth and Dividend Increases

As mentioned in the discussion of Lennox International's core three business segments, revenue has not grown particularly fast, but the growth has been consistent even in times of economic downturns. The year over year upwards trend across Lennox's business segments has led to a substantial improvement in the company's cash flow. In 2014, the company generated approximately $185 million from operating activities. In 2017, that figure was $325 million and estimates from June 2018 place guidance for $495 million from operating activities for 2018. With an increase in business operations to be focused on service and maintenance as well as contracts with local businesses for new installation. The shift to an increased focus on this business model has not only increased revenues but also kept capital expenditures relatively constant. While cash flow from operating activities has ballooned to nearly $500 million for 2018 estimates, the company expects only around $100 million in capex and has spent between $80-100 million the past three years despite growth.

The free cash flow growth has also lent to dividend increases in recent years. Despite being a public company since 1999, it's just since 2012 since the company began increasing its dividend annually. The current yield sits at 1.20% which isn't particularly high, but the payout ratio is only around 25%, leaving the dividend payouts with a substantial amount of room to rise in the coming years should Lennox continue to issue dividend increases.

On a macro scale, Lennox should benefit from overall growth in the North American HVAC market as well as productivity increases from service contracts with national and local vendors and innovations in technology. Some risks to consider are commodity prices as the build costs of new HVAC systems is capital intensive and sensitive to the pricings of raw materials. Other risks to an investment in Lennox are strategic investments not seeing the forecasted benefits. As Lennox continues to scale up it looks to seek new partnerships such as its increased PartsPlus presence and development of new technologies. Heavy investment into these brand developments could cost the company significantly should these strategic moves not pay off.

Lennox International is a buy with no specific time frame. As the company has not had a significant downturn in quite some time, the company is a good addition to a portfolio for consistent gains and is up approximately 15% since last July.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

JPMorgan Chase posts $8.3 billion profit thanks to 'healthy' US consumers

JPMorgan Chase continues to benefit from a US economy that's still humming along.

The giant bank reported a profit of $8.3 billion for the second quarter Friday, an increase of 18% from a year ago and not far off from JPMorgan's record quarterly profit of $8.7 billion in the first quarter.

American banks have gotten a boost from this year's tax cuts.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement that "the healthy US consumer" helped drive big gains in its credit card and money management businesses. Deposits grew at a solid clip as well.

Dimon also said that JPMorgan posted record fees in its global investment banking unit in the first half of the year, thanks to a boom in trading revenue, mergers and IPOs.

"We see good global economic growth, particularly in the US, where consumer and business sentiment is high," Dimon said.

Dimon continued to defend Corporate America's use of tax savings to increase dividends and buy back more stock, moves that some have criticized as helping wealthier investors but not average consumers on Main Street.

Dimon told reporters last month that people who bashed buybacks were "basically ignorant."

In a response to a question about those remarks from CNNMoney during a conference call with reporters Friday, Dimon said it was normal for companies to "recycle capital" and put it to better use. He said that eventually will benefit the broader economy. Dimon pointed out that wages are going up and the unemployment rate is going down.

During the conference call with reporters, chief financial officer Marianne Lake added that the bank is still optimistic despite uncertainty surrounding tariffs and increased trade tensions between the United States and China, Europe, Canada and other big global economies. Lake said there has been "no meaningful impact on demand" so far for corporate loans.

But Dimon added that there can be "unpredictable outcomes" when there are multiple skirmishes on the trade front. He said he was hopeful that the trade issues will ultimately be resolved through negotiations.

The lingering uncertainty may be worrying investors though. Even though the bank's profit surpassed analysts' expectations, JPMorgan's (JPM) stock was flat in early trading Friday.

JPMorgan is just one of several big banks to report results Friday. Citigroup (C) and Pittsburgh regional banking giant PNC (PNC) also posted profits that topped forecasts. But scandal-plagued Wells Fargo (WFC) reported earnings that missed Wall Street's targets.

Sophos Group (SOPH) Price Target Cut to GBX 630 by Analysts at Deutsche Bank

Sophos Group (LON:SOPH) had its target price decreased by Deutsche Bank from GBX 700 ($9.32) to GBX 630 ($8.39) in a note issued to investors on Friday. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 23.29% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on SOPH. Numis Securities upped their target price on Sophos Group from GBX 570 ($7.59) to GBX 580 ($7.72) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 18th. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on Sophos Group from GBX 700 ($9.32) to GBX 750 ($9.99) and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 25th. Deutsche Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Sophos Group in a report on Friday, May 18th. Shore Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Sophos Group in a report on Thursday, May 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Sophos Group from GBX 865 ($11.52) to GBX 750 ($9.99) and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Sophos Group currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of GBX 676.67 ($9.01).

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Sophos Group opened at GBX 511 ($6.80) on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Sophos Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 258.70 ($3.44) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 675.62 ($9.00).

In other news, insider Steve Munford sold 400,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 561 ($7.47), for a total value of 拢2,244,000 ($2,987,618.16). Also, insider Nick Bray sold 4,385 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 592 ($7.88), for a total value of 拢25,959.20 ($34,561.58). Insiders have sold a total of 412,022 shares of company stock worth $231,356,647 in the last quarter.

Sophos Group Company Profile

Sophos Group plc, through its subsidiaries, provides cloud-enabled end-user and network security solutions. The company offers XG Firewall, a next-generation firewall protection for network, users, and applications from new control center; SG UTM, a user interface to protect network and users; Secure Wi-Fi, a wireless access point; Secure Web Gateway for web security; Secure Email Gateway solutions; and Phish Threat, an email phishing test simulation and training product.

Here's the Only Way to Play President Trump's Trade Wars

Tom Gentile

In case you've missed the news, President Trump's trade wars have officially begun.

After months of circulating rumors and political rhetoric, a 25% levy on $34 billion of Chinese goods entering the United States took effect just after midnight on July 6.

And neither side is showing any signs of backing down, as China immediately slapped U.S. shipments with "retaliatory" tariffs.

Now, as you might guess, this could cause quite the disruption in an already volatile and uncertain market – especially when you don't know when the next set of retaliatory tariffs might hit.

So here's everything you need to know to survive even the worst of the trade wars…

A New Way to Trade

Over the last few weeks, I've sent you trading strategies to help you navigate any kind of market.

But today, I want to focus on options.

Now, we all know about the opinions surrounding them: Stay away from options, options are too big of a risk, and more. But the truth is, options are the best way to make money in any market. Yet there's a right way and a wrong way to�approach these lucrative opportunities.

And it starts with this one, simple rule: Plan your trade and trade your plan.

This sounds easy enough – and it is.

But there's a little more to managing your trades than you might initially think…

Trade management involves using price and time targets to maximize your profits and minimize your losses. And the best way to do that is to establish these targets first.

Your price target is the price you need the stock, exchange-traded fund (ETF), commodity, or whatever you're trading to hit in order to capture profits. Your time target is the time frame in which you need to hit your price target. You can set both of these targets easily by looking at a stock's past price moves and patterns and eyeballing the time frames in which the price moves you need�have�happened.

When you've got your plan in place and stick to your guns, you can feel confident about what you're doing and can set yourself up to make money no matter if the markets go up, down, or sideways. It also allows you to remove the emotion from trading and investing that can potentially sabotage your profit opportunities. It gives you control of the markets instead of leaving you at their mercy.

LIVE ON CAMERA: Watch America's No. 1 Pattern Trader officially become $1,050 richer in 15 seconds! His secret to becoming a multimillionaire is so easy that anybody can do it. Click here for details…

You shouldn't change the way you trade regardless of the market temperature. So shut out the fear of missing out, the talking heads, the flashing red headlines, and the constant dialogue about the "next big market crash" – and follow your rules and strategies.

The profits will come quicker than you can imagine.

But that's not the only little trick to success.

It's easy to know your rules once you get into a trade – but knowing which position is best to take can be harder.

Don't worry – I've got you covered…

Join the conversation. Click here to jump to comments…

Tom Gentile

About the Author

Browse Tom's articles | View Tom's research services

Tom Gentile is one of the world's foremost authorities on stock, futures and options trading.

With more than 25 years' experience trading stocks, futures, and options, Tom's style of trading systems and strategies are designed to help individual investors propel themselves past 99 percent of the trading crowd.

… Read full bio

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:SAFM,EGLE,NICK,YRCW,PTI,

PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP) announced Q1 2018 earnings April 26 and they were better than expected pushing Pepsi stock higher on the news.

On the top line, revenues were $12.6 billion, $200 million higher than forecast, while on the bottom, core earnings per share were $0.96, three cents higher than analyst estimates.

Break open a can of Pepsi. The cola wars are back baby. Well, kind of.

Over at The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO), Warren Buffett’s favorite, its first-quarter earnings were also better than expected.

On the top line, Coca-Cola’s revenue came in at $7.63 billion in the first quarter, significantly higher than the analyst estimate of $7.34 billion. On the bottom line, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.46 a share; KO delivered earnings that were a penny higher at $0.47 a share.

Naturally, with both companies beating estimates on both the top- and bottom-line, investors are wondering which of the two stocks is the better buy.

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019: Sanderson Farms Inc.(SAFM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Recro Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: REPH) fell 50.3 percent to $6.17 in pre-market trading after the company received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA. The FDA declined to approve the company’s New Drug Application for IV meloxicam. Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL) shares fell 16.5 percent to $2.89 in pre-market trading after the company announced Q4 results. Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MLNT) fell 16.5 percent to $5.20 in pre-market trading after reporting pricing of public offering of common stock. Westmoreland Resource Partners, LP (NYSE: WMLP) fell 11 percent to $3.49 in pre-market trading after surging 194.03 percent on Wednesday. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) shares fell 11 percent to $13.45 in pre-market trading. Petrobras announced plans to lower the cost of diesel by 10 percent. Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) shares fell 9.4 percent to $97 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected results for its second quarter. Zealand Pharma A/S (NASDAQ: ZEAL) fell 6.9 percent to $15.55 in pre-market trading after rising 2.71 percent on Wednesday. L Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LB) shares fell 6.7 percent to $31.76 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. The company issued weak second quarter and FY18 earnings guidance. ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETO) shares fell 5.9 percent to $4.78 in pre-market trading. Qiwi plc (NASDAQ: QIWI) fell 5.9 percent to $17.52 in pre-market trading. Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: EIGR) fell 5 percent to $13.25 in pre-market trading after reporting a proposed offering of common stock. Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: BBY) shares fell 4.3 percent to $72.66 in pre-market trading. Best Buy reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) fell 4.1 percent to $64.
• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $8.73 billion. McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $3.56 per share on revenue of $51.25 billion. Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.39 per share on revenue of $8.00 billion. Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $2.39 billion. Brady Corporation (NYSE: BRC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.49 per share on revenue of $291.47 million. Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.2 per share on revenue of $841.75 million. The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.16 per share on revenue of $6.86 billion. Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.61 per share on revenue of $8.05 billion. 58.com Inc. (NYSE: WUBA) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.21 per share on revenue of $372.49 million. Luxoft Holding, Inc. (NYSE: LXFT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.59 per share on revenue of $228.53 million. The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.21 per share on revenue of $916.73 million. StealthGas Inc. (NASDAQ: GASS) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $37.75 million. Stage Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SSI) is estimated to report earnings for its first quarter. Thermon Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: THR) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.2 per share on revenue of $96.24 million. Tuniu Corporation (NASDAQ: TOUR) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.03 per share on revenue of $76.72 million.

   

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFM) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $111.75.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Breaking news

  Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) reported better-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) reported weaker-than-expected results for its second quarter. Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) reported upbeat earnings for its fourth quarter on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter. The company also raised its FY18 earnings and sales guidance.

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.(EGLE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Several brokerages have updated their recommendations and price targets on shares of Eagle Bulk Shipping (NASDAQ: EGLE) in the last few weeks:

  7/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating. 6/28/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. 6/18/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at Morgan Stanley. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $6.50 price target on the stock. 6/18/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at DNB Markets. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. 6/12/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was downgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. 6/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. 6/2/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. 5/29/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping is now covered by analysts at Evercore ISI. They set an “outperform” rating and a $7.50 price target on the stock. 5/15/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating. According to Zacks, “Eagle Bulk Shipping is the largest U.S. based owner of Handymax dry bulk vessels. Handymax dry bulk vessels range in size from 35,000 to 60,000 deadweight tons, or dwt, and transport a broad range of major and minor bulk cargoes, including iron ore, coal, grain, cement and fertilizer, along worldwide shipping routes. “ 5/9/2018 – Eagle Bulk Shipping had its “hold” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Maxim Group. They now have a $6.00 price target on the

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019: Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ: NICK) and Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.

• [By Max Byerly]

  CPI Card Group (NASDAQ: PMTS) and Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ:NICK) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Nicholas Financial (NASDAQ: NICK) and Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability and risk.

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019: YRC Worldwide Inc.(YRCW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Marten Transport (NASDAQ: MRTN) and YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, risk, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and valuation.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Landstar System (NASDAQ: LSTR) and YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) are both transportation companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and risk.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Press coverage about YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) has trended somewhat positive on Thursday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. YRC Worldwide earned a daily sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the transportation company an impact score of 46.7261330682883 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near term.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  YRC Worldwide (NASDAQ:YRCW) was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a hold rating to a sell rating.

  China Southern Airlines (NYSE:ZNH) was downgraded by analysts at ValuEngine from a hold rating to a sell rating.

Top 5 Penny Stocks To Own For 2019: Patni Computer Systems Limited(PTI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: PTI) saw its shares slide early on Thursday after the company reported that it had positive data from its early stage trial in cystic fibrosis (CF). These results come from the firm��s ongoing Phase 1 dosing study of PTI-801 in CF patients on background Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) therapy.

Zacks: Brokerages Anticipate MKS Instruments, Inc. (MKSI) Will Announce Quarterly Sales of $570.45 M

Brokerages forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) will post sales of $570.45 million for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Four analysts have issued estimates for MKS Instruments’ earnings, with estimates ranging from $570.00 million to $570.90 million. MKS Instruments reported sales of $480.76 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 18.7%. The business is scheduled to report its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 24th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that MKS Instruments will report full-year sales of $2.18 billion for the current year, with estimates ranging from $2.16 billion to $2.21 billion. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the company will report sales of $2.37 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $2.25 billion to $2.52 billion. Zacks’ sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of analysts that that provide coverage for MKS Instruments.

Get MKS Instruments alerts:

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 24th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.00 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $554.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $530.68 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 23.94% and a net margin of 18.65%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.27 earnings per share.

MKSI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on MKS Instruments from $147.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 18th. BidaskClub cut MKS Instruments from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 12th. Benchmark started coverage on MKS Instruments in a report on Thursday, May 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank raised their price target on MKS Instruments to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 22nd. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded MKS Instruments from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $127.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, April 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $130.29.

In other MKS Instruments news, CEO Gerard G. Colella sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.92, for a total transaction of $1,019,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 42,294 shares in the company, valued at $4,310,604.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.20, for a total value of $75,150.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,570 shares in the company, valued at approximately $658,314. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 16,512 shares of company stock worth $1,739,002. 1.67% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth about $590,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth about $660,000. Suntrust Banks Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 58.3% during the first quarter. Suntrust Banks Inc. now owns 3,446 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $398,000 after buying an additional 1,269 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in MKS Instruments by 26.4% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 897,572 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $103,804,000 after buying an additional 187,491 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth about $890,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.39% of the company’s stock.

Shares of MKSI stock opened at $95.70 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 4.49, a quick ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a PE ratio of 16.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.96. MKS Instruments has a 52 week low of $66.80 and a 52 week high of $128.28.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 8th. Investors of record on Monday, May 28th were issued a $0.20 dividend. This is a boost from MKS Instruments’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 24th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.42%.

MKS Instruments Company Profile

MKS Instruments, Inc provides instruments, subsystems, and process control solutions that measure, control, power, deliver, monitor, and analyze critical parameters of manufacturing processes worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Vacuum & Analysis and Light & Motion. The Vacuum & Analysis segment provides analytical and control solutions products, including gas analyzers, automation control products, I/O modules, automation software, and precision machined components and electromechanical assemblies; and materials delivery solutions products comprising flow and valve technologies, as well as integrated pressure measurement and control subsystems to provide customers with precise control capabilities that are optimized for a given application.

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

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

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:NAV,ITOT,ATV,MTB,SODA, Americans shopping for a new credit card can expect to pay more.

The average interest rate on a new credit card hit a record 16.71%, the 10th consecutive week rates have hit new highs, according to the latest weekly report from CreditCards.com.

Rates on new plastic, which have risen as the Federal Reserve continues to hike its key borrowing rate as the economy gets stronger, are the highest since CreditCards.com began tracking them in mid-2017.

The national average credit-card rate has risen by 0.56% in the past six months, based on 100 of the most popular cards from dozens of lenders but excluding introductory ��teaser�� rates. And costs could jump at least another half percentage point this year if the Fed raises rates two more times as expected.

The bottom line: Credit-card borrowers can expect to pay more on stuff they buy with plastic if they can��t pay the balance off every month. At the end of 2017, the average credit-card balance was $6,354, according to credit bureau Experian. More than four in 10 cardholders (44%) had balances in the final quarter of 2017, American Bankers Association research shows. At the average rate for a new card, the annual interest rate cost would be $1,092, or $91 a month, for someone carrying a balance of $6,354.

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Navistar International Corporation(NAV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  While the transition period from one chief executive officer to another has barely gotten started at Volkswagen, some big changes may already be afoot. VW’s commercial-vehicles unit, Volkswagen Truck & Bus, is looking at the possibility of buying more shares in U.S. truck maker Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) or even acquiring the whole company outright.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Navistar International Corporation's (NYSE:NAV)�fiscal second-quarter 2018 results, released earlier this month, revealed that the commercial truck manufacturer is utilizing its capacity to take advantage of favorable economic conditions. Revenue rose nearly 16%, to $2.4 billion, during the last three months, and Navistar posted net profit of $55 million against a loss of $80 million in the prior-year quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  NavCoin (NAV) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the X13 hashing algorithm. It launched on June 6th, 2014. NavCoin’s total supply is 62,938,003 coins. The Reddit community for NavCoin is /r/NavCoin and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. NavCoin’s official Twitter account is @NavCoin. The official website for NavCoin is www.navcoin.org. The official message board for NavCoin is medium.com/nav-coin.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  NavCoin (CURRENCY:NAV) traded up 3.1% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 12:00 PM ET on May 14th. NavCoin has a market cap of $69.58 million and approximately $924,266.00 worth of NavCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. Over the last week, NavCoin has traded 12.8% lower against the US dollar. One NavCoin coin can now be bought for $1.11 or 0.00012616 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including LiteBit.eu, Upbit, cfinex and Poloniex.

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now: iShares Core S&P Total US Stock Mkt (ITOT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  Hundreds of exchange traded funds offer investors broad market exposure and many do so with nominal fees. Among the least expensive is the iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (NYSE: ITOT).

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Acorn International, Inc.(ATV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Axovant Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ: AXON) shares rose 23.7 percent to $1.49. Axovant announced strengthening of management team and completion of organization restructuring which "enhanced capabilities in research and business development" and reduced internal headcount by 43 percent. Mammoth Energy Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: TUSK) shares jumped 19.8 percent to $37.3148. Mammoth Energy’s subsidiary Cobra signed a new $900 million contract to finish the restoration of critical electrical services and support the initial phase of reconstruction of the electrical utility system in Puerto Rico. Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) shares gained 19 percent to $34.0201. Acorn shares rose Friday after the company declared a special one-time cash dividend of $14.97 per ADS. DHI Group, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) shares surged 19 percent to $2.20. My Size, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYSZ) climbed 16.8 percent to $1.18 after the company received a Notice of Allowance from the USPTO for measurement technology patent. Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT) gained 16.6 percent to $2.32. Leju Holdings Limited (NYSE: LEJU) gained 16.5 percent to $1.34 following Q1 beat. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) shares surged 16.5 percent to $26.1499. Evolus named Lauren Silvernail as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Corporate Development. Jupai Holdings Limited (NYSE: JP) shares gained 15 percent to $26.29 after reporting Q1 results. Momo Inc. (NASDAQ: MOMO) shares gained 15 percent to $44.7702 after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter and issued strong sales forecast for the second quarter. Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WIN) rose 15 percent to $7.075. China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADC) gained 14.4 percent to $2.746. American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD) climbed 14.2 percent to $101.10 after the company reported upbeat Q4 results. Savara Inc. (NAS
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) got a boost, shooting up 15 percent to $28.6813 after the company declared a special one-time cash dividend of $14.97 per ADS.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Melinta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MLNT) shares surged 20.6 percent to $6.39. WBB Securities upgraded Melinta Therapeutics from Hold to Speculative Buy. Shoe Carnival, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCVL) shares climbed 17.2 percent to $30.87 after the company reported upbeat quarterly earnings. Acorn International, Inc. (NYSE: ATV) shares rose 15.2 percent to $28.804 after the company declared a special one-time cash dividend of $14.97 per ADS. Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) gained 15 percent to $53.35 after the company reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOS) surged 14.2 percent to $2.625. ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) rose 13 percent to $5.12 after gaining 4.86 percent on Thursday. Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII) gained 12.8 percent to $16.97 after the company posted better-than-expected FQ4 results. Loma Negra Compañía Industrial Argentina Sociedad Anónima (NYSE: LOMA) shares rose 12 percent to $12.94. ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) shares rose 12 percent to $5.07. Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRTX) climbed 11.4 percent to $43.50. Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB) gained 11.3 percent to $24.7000. Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) rose 9.7 percent to $19.64. Park City Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCYG) climbed 9 percent to $7.90. Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) gained 7.9 percent to $38.82 after Citron reversed previously bearish position on the stock. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) shares jumped 7.3 percent to $3.55. Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: DECK) rose 3.5 percent to $107.27 after reporting better-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now: M&T Bank Corporation(MTB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on M&T Bank (MTB)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  IFM Investors Pty Ltd grew its stake in shares of M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB) by 9.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,289 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 383 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in M&T Bank were worth $791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB) and S.Y. Bancorp (NASDAQ:SYBT) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, valuation and profitability.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  M&T Bank Co. (NYSE:MTB) insider Robert J. Bojdak sold 1,570 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.93, for a total value of $279,350.10. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 20,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,647,742.93. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in M&T Bank Co. (NYSE:MTB) by 17.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 241,374 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 35,785 shares during the quarter. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.17% of M&T Bank worth $44,499,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SodaStream International Ltd.(SODA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ:SODA) has been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $99.20.

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  SodaStream�(NASDAQ:SODA) recently announced surprisingly strong first-quarter earnings as sales growth sped up to a 25% pace and profitability improved. The seller of at-home carbonated beverage machines is benefiting from a long-term trend of rising global demand for sparkling water.

• [By Chris Lange]

  SodaStream International Ltd. (NASDAQ: SODA) reported its fourth-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Wednesday. The company said that it had $1.13 in earnings per share (EPS) on $157.7 million in revenue, which compares with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $0.80 in EPS on revenue of $151.57 million. In the same period of last year, it said it had EPS of $0.71 and $131.8 million in revenue.

• [By Jeremy Bowman, Rich Smith, and John Bromels]

  Buffett fans probably already have a sense of what kind of stocks the Oracle of Omaha like, but you may not have thought of these three. Keep reading to see why our contributors recommend�ExxonMobil�(NYSE:XOM),�Comcast�(NASDAQ:CMCSA), and�SodaStream International�(NASDAQ:SODA).

• [By Timothy Green, Demitrios Kalogeropoulos, Keith Speights, Neha Chamaria, and Rich Smith]

  What stocks should you invest in? Five of our Motley Fool investors have some ideas. Here's why you should consider adding Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), 3M Company (NYSE:MMM), SodaStream International (NASDAQ:SODA), and SolarEdge Technologies (NASDAQ:SEDG) to your portfolio in June.

Zacks: Analysts Anticipate Cytokinetics (CYTK) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $5.57 Million

Wall Street brokerages expect Cytokinetics (NASDAQ:CYTK) to announce sales of $5.57 million for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Two analysts have provided estimates for Cytokinetics’ earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $6.10 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $5.03 million. Cytokinetics reported sales of $3.05 million during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 82.6%. The firm is expected to issue its next earnings report on Wednesday, August 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Cytokinetics will report full year sales of $23.60 million for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $22.27 million to $25.58 million. For the next financial year, analysts anticipate that the firm will report sales of $135.02 million per share, with estimates ranging from $24.80 million to $245.24 million. Zacks’ sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that that provide coverage for Cytokinetics.

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Cytokinetics (NASDAQ:CYTK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.50) by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $5.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.50 million. Cytokinetics had a negative net margin of 172.27% and a negative return on equity of 99.50%.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BidaskClub raised shares of Cytokinetics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, April 28th. Piper Jaffray Companies dropped their price objective on shares of Cytokinetics to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $10.00 price objective on shares of Cytokinetics in a report on Sunday. ValuEngine raised shares of Cytokinetics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 27th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Cytokinetics in a report on Friday, April 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $15.56.

Shares of Cytokinetics traded up $0.10, reaching $8.35, during mid-day trading on Friday, according to MarketBeat Ratings. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 647,061 shares, compared to its average volume of 359,235. The stock has a market capitalization of $536.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.19 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 7.07, a current ratio of 7.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Cytokinetics has a 1-year low of $6.75 and a 1-year high of $15.95.

In other Cytokinetics news, EVP Fady Ibraham Malik sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.95, for a total transaction of $26,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 96,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $859,799.65. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Robert I. Blum sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.52, for a total transaction of $30,080.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 182,701 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,373,911.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,000 shares of company stock valued at $123,570. 5.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CYTK. DRW Securities LLC purchased a new position in Cytokinetics during the first quarter worth about $101,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Cytokinetics during the fourth quarter worth about $112,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in Cytokinetics during the fourth quarter worth about $113,000. Ellington Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Cytokinetics during the fourth quarter worth about $128,000. Finally, Granite Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Cytokinetics during the fourth quarter worth about $151,000. 68.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cytokinetics Company Profile

Cytokinetics, Incorporated, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering, developing, and commercializing muscle activators as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining. It is developing small molecule drug candidates primarily engineered to increase muscle function and contractility.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cytokinetics (CYTK)

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

Aperio Group LLC Boosts Position in Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LXRX)

Aperio Group LLC increased its position in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:LXRX) by 49.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 19,270 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 6,377 shares during the period. Aperio Group LLC’s holdings in Lexicon Pharmaceuticals were worth $165,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals by 3.2% during the first quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 226,635 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,943,000 after buying an additional 7,078 shares in the last quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals by 446.6% during the first quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board now owns 169,456 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,452,000 after buying an additional 138,456 shares in the last quarter. Quantitative Systematic Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals by 61.4% during the first quarter. Quantitative Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 19,171 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $164,000 after buying an additional 7,296 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals by 5,444.4% during the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 86,327 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $739,000 after buying an additional 84,770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL grew its holdings in shares of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals by 45.6% during the first quarter. Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL now owns 68,300 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $585,000 after buying an additional 21,400 shares in the last quarter.

Get Lexicon Pharmaceuticals alerts:

In other news, VP James F. Tessmer sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.91, for a total value of $129,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 35,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $460,151.13. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Public Equities L.P. Invus acquired 433,378 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 30th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $9.94 per share, with a total value of $4,307,777.32. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 1,360,095 shares of company stock valued at $15,288,791. Insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

A number of research firms have weighed in on LXRX. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Lexicon Pharmaceuticals from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 4th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Lexicon Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 21st. Wedbush raised their price target on Lexicon Pharmaceuticals from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. BidaskClub upgraded Lexicon Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 4th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Lexicon Pharmaceuticals from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $24.40.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals opened at $12.91 on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The company has a quick ratio of 2.70, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.85. The company has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.17 and a beta of 0.48. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $7.67 and a twelve month high of $18.00.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LXRX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.40) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.43) by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $25.21 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.30 million. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 213.32% and a negative net margin of 140.09%. The business’s revenue was up 37.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.33) earnings per share. research analysts predict that Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -1.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Lexicon Pharmaceuticals

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of human diseases. The company offers XERMELO, an orally-delivered small molecule drug candidate for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog therapy in adults.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LXRX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:LXRX).

Eternity Price Tops $0.0366 on Major Exchanges (ENT)

Eternity (CURRENCY:ENT) traded 14.6% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 1 day period ending at 7:00 AM ET on May 28th. Over the last seven days, Eternity has traded 31.6% lower against the U.S. dollar. Eternity has a market capitalization of $156,350.00 and $1,349.00 worth of Eternity was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Eternity coin can currently be bought for approximately $0.0366 or 0.00000506 BTC on exchanges including YoBit, Trade Satoshi and Livecoin.

Here’s how other cryptocurrencies have performed over the last day:

Get Eternity alerts: Tao (XTO) traded down 20.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.41 or 0.00005682 BTC. Syndicate (SYNX) traded down 5.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.29 or 0.00004011 BTC. Monkey Project (MONK) traded down 3.1% against the dollar and now trades at $2.97 or 0.00040999 BTC. TrustPlus (TRUST) traded 10.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0560 or 0.00000773 BTC. Capricoin (CPC) traded down 1.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.80 or 0.00011002 BTC. Magnet (MAG) traded down 6.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0515 or 0.00000711 BTC. Centurion (CNT) traded 13.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0124 or 0.00000172 BTC. SuperCoin (SUPER) traded up 184.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0156 or 0.00000216 BTC. Piggycoin (PIGGY) traded 12.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0011 or 0.00000015 BTC. Regalcoin (REC) traded down 10.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0335 or 0.00000462 BTC.

Eternity Coin Profile

Eternity (CRYPTO:ENT) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
X11 hashing algorithm. Eternity’s total supply is 4,269,933 coins. Eternity’s official Twitter account is @Eternity_Group. The official website for Eternity is ent.eternity-group.org.

Buying and Selling Eternity

Eternity can be bought or sold on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: Trade Satoshi, YoBit and Livecoin. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Eternity directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Eternity should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as GDAX, Gemini or Coinbase. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy Eternity using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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Top Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:SSBI,PAYX,PH,FFNW, Related ATR Best-Kept Secrets? Jim Cramer's 6 Stocks That Could Be Huge Winners By December AptarGroup Declares Cash Dividend Of $0.30 A Share Related LION Benzinga's Volume Movers 8 Notable Stocks Trading Ex-Dividend Friday, July 29

It’s critical to know whether a stock you plan on buying has an ex-dividend status, because in case it does, the dividend would be paid out to the seller. The person who owns the stock on the ex-dividend date will be awarded the payment, which means that you’ll have to wait for the next dividend cycle to receive your first dividend payout from the company.

On the other hand, share prices typically decline just after the ex-dividend date is declared, and usually by an amount equal to the expected dividend. So, this may give you the opportunity to identify a good entry point. If you’re planning on selling shares on or after the ex-dividend date, you'll receive the dividend payout from the company.

Top Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2019: Summit State Bank(SSBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Summit State Bank (NASDAQ:SSBI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday.

  Separately, TheStreet raised Summit State Bank from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th.

Top Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2019: Paychex Inc.(PAYX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  GW&K Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 15.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 509,839 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 89,891 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned 0.14% of Paychex worth $31,401,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI trimmed its holdings in shares of Paychex (NASDAQ:PAYX) by 2.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 203,575 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 6,098 shares during the quarter. Paychex accounts for approximately 1.9% of Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Paychex were worth $12,538,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  "For many other stocks, such as gaming (EA, TTWO) and IT services ( (PAYX) , (GPN) ), regulatory risks for Facebook may not necessarily pose a risk to their core business models," writes Goldman Sachs strategist David Kostin. "We expect correlations for these stocks would likely revert to historical averages and present potential buying opportunities given their underperformance since March."

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Paypex (CURRENCY:PAYX) traded 1% lower against the dollar during the one day period ending at 16:00 PM Eastern on May 20th. In the last week, Paypex has traded 45.6% higher against the dollar. Paypex has a total market capitalization of $142.70 million and $8,938.00 worth of Paypex was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Paypex token can currently be purchased for about $2.09 or 0.00024454 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges.

Top Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2019: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ClariVest Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 122,268 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,773 shares during the period. ClariVest Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Parker Hannifin worth $20,913,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System reduced its position in Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 172,950 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,667 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System owned approximately 0.13% of Parker Hannifin worth $29,580,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Eaton Vance Management lifted its holdings in shares of Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 141.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 514,556 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 301,597 shares during the quarter. Eaton Vance Management’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $88,005,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Barings LLC decreased its holdings in Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 36.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 26,064 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 14,937 shares during the period. Barings LLC’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $4,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ardevora Asset Management LLP reduced its stake in shares of Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 0.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 154,400 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 800 shares during the quarter. Ardevora Asset Management LLP’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $26,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Barings LLC decreased its holdings in Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 36.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 26,064 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 14,937 shares during the period. Barings LLC’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $4,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2019: First Financial Northwest Inc.(FFNW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Financial Northwest (FFNW)

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

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:STI,MHLD,MCBC,SMBC,GLUU,NRO,MHVYF,CMCT,APRI,NVEC,

Glaukos Corp (NYSE:GKOS) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray lowered their Q3 2019 EPS estimates for Glaukos in a report released on Wednesday, May 9th. Piper Jaffray analyst M. O’brien now anticipates that the medical instruments supplier will earn $0.02 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.03. Piper Jaffray also issued estimates for Glaukos’ Q4 2019 earnings at $0.02 EPS.

Get Glaukos alerts:

Glaukos (NYSE:GKOS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.10) by $0.02. Glaukos had a negative net margin of 2.25% and a positive return on equity of 1.24%. The business had revenue of $40.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $37.63 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.02 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: SunTrust Banks, Inc.(STI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Frankel]

  Michael Douglass:�Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day.�It's�Monday, April 23rd,�and we have a round-up of financials news: yet�another Wells Fargo�fine, Morgan Stanley�(NYSE:MS) and Goldman Sachs�(NYSE:GS) earnings, and a data breach at�SunTrust (NYSE:STI). I'm your host,�Michael Douglass, and I'm joined by Matt Frankel. Matt,�welcome back! Let's hop right in,�because really, quite a bit of interesting news�for us to talk about today. First off,�Wells Fargo was fined $1 billion from the�Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Shares of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) are in focus after the company reported earnings before the bell. GE stock popped 5.6% after the firm topped earnings per share (EPS) estimates by $0.05 and backed its 2018 outlook. The firm reported EPS of $0.16 on top of $28.66 billion in revenue. GE stock had been off nearly 18% from its last earnings report on January 24 due to ongoing financial and legal problems. Crude oil prices dipped Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at OPEC. Trump accused the cartel of keeping oil prices "artificially high" despite "record amounts of oil all over the place." Brent crude and WTI crude oil both hit three-year highs this week after Saudi Arabia suggested that it was working to press oil prices back above $100 per barrel. Three Stocks to Watch Today: PM, MO, WFC Shares of Philip Morris International Inc.�(NYSE: PM) fell this morning after the firm experienced its worst trading day since its spin-off from Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO). Shares of PM fell as much as 16% after the firm fell short of revenue expectations after the bell. MO stock fell roughly 6% on the day. Shares of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) are under pressure after The New York Times reported that the firm may be facing a $1 billion fine. The fines would cover a variety of "alleged" misdeeds that include the firm's push on customers to purchase auto insurance they didn't need and charging mortgage customers fees for services that they were not using. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will most likely announce the fine today. Money Morning�Capital Wave Strategist�Shah Gilani weighed in on the topic this week, and he offers a scorching indictment. Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) is on the move today after the semiconductor giant announced plans to lay off 1,500 employees. The cuts are expected to hit employees in California and cities around the globe. The cuts are part of the fi
• [By Logan Wallace]

  SunTrust Banks (NYSE:STI) Director Frank P. Scruggs, Jr. purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $69.01 per share, with a total value of $69,010.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 8,501 shares in the company, valued at $586,654.01. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of SunTrust Banks (NYSE:STI) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $70.40.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  It seems like we're hearing about new data breaches on a regular basis, and SunTrust's (NYSE:STI) recent one affecting 1.5 million customers could seem alarming. Here's what investors -- and consumers -- need to know about it and how this one is different from some of the other high-profile data breaches we've heard about.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Maiden Hldgs Ltd(MHLD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Netshoes (Cayman) Limited (NASDAQ: NETS) shares dipped 43.73 percent to close at $2.87 on Tuesday as the company posted downbeat Q1 results. Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KOOL) shares dropped 29.01 percent to close at $0.80 after reporting Q1 results. SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares fell 22.2 percent to close at $0.340 after reporting Q1 miss. Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS) fell 19.95 percent to close at $12.08 after the company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISNS) fell 19.68 percent to close at $3.775 after reporting earnings were down year over year. First quarter earnings came in flat, down from 4 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $3.01 million. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) dropped 18.47 percent to close at $9.62 on Tuesday after surging 77.44 percent on Monday. ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) declined 16.21 percent to close at $2.43. ENDRA Life Sciences is expected to release quarterly earnings today. ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALJJ) shares fell 16.13 percent to close at $1.79. Switch Inc (NYSE: SWCH) shares dropped 14.93 percent to close at $13.16 following a first-quarter earnings miss. Restoration Robotics Inc (NASDAQ: HAIR) fell 14.42 percent to close at $3.68 after reporting a first-quarter earnings miss. iCAD, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICAD) declined 13.01 percent to close at $3.41 following Q1 results. Intersections Inc. (NASDAQ: INTX) fell 12.44 percent to close at $1.97. Histogenics Corporation (NASDAQ: HSGX) declined 12.24 percent to close at $2.15. AZZ Inc. (NYSE: AZZ) fell 12.1 percent to close at $39.60 following Q3 earnings. Hallador Energy Company (NASDAQ: HNRG) fell 11.1 percent to close at $6.49. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) dropped 10.66 percent to close at $16.93 on Tuesday. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) slipp
• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $10.67 per share on revenue of $2.87 billion. CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $6.00 billion. Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.21 per share on revenue of $803.36 million. Spectra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: SEP) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $751.57 million. IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IAC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.8 per share on revenue of $923.80 million. Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ: OTEX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.62 per share on revenue of $691.75 million. Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.29 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.54 per share on revenue of $7.41 billion. ICU Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICUI) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.84 per share on revenue of $346.28 million. TechnipFMC plc (NYSE: FTI) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.33 per share on revenue of $3.13 billion. Synaptics Incorporated (NASDAQ: SYNA) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.91 per share on revenue of $401.76 million. The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (NYSE: DNB) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $1.07 per share on revenue of $386.91 million. Matrix Service Company (NASDAQ: MTRX) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $285.16 million. Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MHLD) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.21 per share on revenue of $739.31 million. tronc, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRNC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $428.25 million. Copa Holdings,

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Macatawa Bank Corporation(MCBC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of Macatawa Bank (NASDAQ:MCBC) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Friday morning.

  Separately, Hovde Group set a $11.00 price target on Macatawa Bank and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.(SMBC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on shares of Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The brokerage issued a market perform rating on the savings and loans company’s stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ: SMBC) and First Connecticut Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNK) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) was downgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Glu Mobile Inc.(GLUU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Glu Mobile (NASDAQ:GLUU) insider Masi Niccolo De sold 134,785 shares of Glu Mobile stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.81, for a total value of $648,315.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 524,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,524,071.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Shares of�Glu Mobile�(NASDAQ:GLUU)�hit another two-year high on Wednesday. The mobile games publisher has been on a roll since posting blowout financial results last week. The stock moved 22% higher last week, and it has soared 171% since the start of last year.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Zoe's Kitchen�(NYSE:ZOES),�Sogou�(NYSE:SOGO), and Glu Mobile�(NASDAQ:GLUU) are three names currently trading on the wrong side of $10, but their prospects are brighter than their sticker prices. Let's go over why they may be among the top stocks under $10.�

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund, Inc.(NRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Neuro (NRO) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  SHA-256 hashing algorithm. It was first traded on May 18th, 2017. Neuro’s total supply is 55,075,678 coins and its circulating supply is 53,075,678 coins. Neuro’s official Twitter account is @neurocoinnews. The official website for Neuro is neurocoin.org.

• [By ]

  Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund (NYSE: NRO)
  While focusing on primarily the United States, NRO also has limited retail exposure, with just 9.4% allocated to regional malls and 6.7% allocated to shopping centers for a total of just 16.1% retail exposure. For investors seeking low volatility, a 5-year chart of NRO's share price is shockingly similar to the EKG of a cabbage, remaining in a tight band between $5 and $6 a share. The current share price is on the lower end at around $5.15, a 12% discount to NAV, and yields 10.5%.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHVYF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By SEEKINGALPHA.COM]

  Major foreign competitors today now include the French firm Areva (OTCPK:ARVCF) and the Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (OTCPK:MHVYF). This is not a complete list but a focus on major players.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: CIM Commercial Trust Corporation(CMCT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Crowd Machine (CURRENCY:CMCT) traded 9.6% lower against the US dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 0:00 AM ET on May 14th. Over the last week, Crowd Machine has traded down 49% against the US dollar. One Crowd Machine token can now be bought for approximately $0.0436 or 0.00000499 BTC on exchanges including Coinhub, BitForex and HitBTC. Crowd Machine has a market capitalization of $0.00 and $233,116.00 worth of Crowd Machine was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

• [By Jack Delaney]

  CIM Commercial Trust Corp. (NYSE: CMCT) acquires, owns, and operates office properties in the United States.

  It has a portfolio of more than 100 buildings that is valued at a combined $25 billion, according to BizJournals.com.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: Apricus Biosciences, Inc(APRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By William Romov]

  California-based Apricus Biosciences Inc. (Nasdaq: APRI) develops treatments in the areas of urology and rheumatology. Its lead product, Vitaros, is a topically applied cream for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED).

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Apricus Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APRI) also dropped about 38% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $0.26. Shares closed at $0.42 on Friday and the stock’s 52-week high is $3.34. Volume was more than three times the daily average of around 1.4 million shares. The company is considering its options after the U.S. FDA directed the firm to develop a new formulation for its erectile dysfunction drug, Vitaros.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Apricus Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: APRI) has a PDUFA goal date for completion of the FDA��s review of the Vitaros NDA set on February 17. Vitaros is a novel, on-demand topical cream for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and a new potential entrant into the U.S. ED treatment market. So far Vitaros has been approved in Canada, Mexico and certain countries in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Shares of Apricus were last seen at $2.22, with a 52-week range of $0.86 to $3.49 and a consensus price target of $3.50.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Invest In 2019: NVE Corporation(NVEC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in NVE Co. (NASDAQ:NVEC) by 1.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 741,605 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,645 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC owned approximately 15.32% of NVE worth $61,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  NVE Co. (NASDAQ:NVEC) shares hit a new 52-week high and low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $105.88 and last traded at $103.80, with a volume of 52 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $104.57.