Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:DJCO,AVT,MBUU,CDK,VSEC,

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Don��t take any dividends for granted today. Business disruption is accelerating as entire industries are being eaten alive.

Uber and Lyft? Killed cabs.

Amazon (AMZN)? It��s crushing retail, and starving their REIT landlords right before our very eyes.

And soon, they might team up to offer more same day deliveries �� and make more rivals obsolete!

These types of disturbances have added a new layer to contrarian investing. Before, it was as simple as buying stocks when they were out-of-favor and holding them until they became back in vogue. The ��Dogs of the Dow�� strategy, for example, usually beat the market by banking the highest blue chip dividend yields �� a sign that the tide was ready to turn back in the dogs favor.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: Daily Journal Corp. (S.C.)(DJCO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  BidaskClub downgraded shares of Daily Journal (NASDAQ:DJCO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

  Separately, TheStreet raised shares of Daily Journal from a c- rating to a b rating in a report on Monday, February 12th.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: Avnet, Inc.(AVT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Avnet (AVT)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  TLP Group LLC bought a new position in Avnet (NYSE:AVT) in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 10,320 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $431,000.

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

  Get Builders FirstSource alerts: Is It Time To Hold Stock? Builders FirstSource, Inc. (BLDR) (nysewired.com) Intraday Industrial Goods Mover: Builders FirstSource, Inc. (BLDR) (stockdigest.info) Stock’s Financial Statistics�� Builders FirstSource, Inc. (BLDR) (stockmarketstop.com) Builders FirstSource Inc. – Receive News & Ratings Daily (thecasualsmart.com) Enthralling Stocks: Builders FirstSource, Inc., (NASDAQ: BLDR), Avnet, Inc., (NASDAQ: AVT) (globalexportlines.com)

  Several analysts recently issued reports on BLDR shares. BidaskClub lowered shares of Builders FirstSource from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 28th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Builders FirstSource from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 4th. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Builders FirstSource in a research report on Thursday, May 10th. Finally, ValuEngine lowered shares of Builders FirstSource from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.88.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Aventus (CURRENCY:AVT) traded up 2.5% against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 7:00 AM ET on June 25th. In the last week, Aventus has traded up 13.1% against the dollar. Aventus has a market capitalization of $4.69 million and approximately $39,126.00 worth of Aventus was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Aventus token can now be bought for $0.78 or 0.00012641 BTC on popular exchanges including HitBTC, Mercatox, Gatecoin and OKEx.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale raised its stake in Avnet (NYSE:AVT) by 763.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 72,310 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 63,936 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned about 0.06% of Avnet worth $3,050,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: Malibu Boats, Inc.(MBUU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The latter will put Polaris in competition with leading powerboat manufacturer Malibu Boats (NASDAQ:MBUU), which last year bought Cobalt Boats, the top maker of 24- to 29-foot sterndrive boats.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Malibu Boats (MBUU)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Malibu Boats (MBUU)

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

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: CDK Global, Inc.(CDK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of CDK Global Inc (NASDAQ:CDK) by 0.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 244,208 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 1,175 shares during the quarter. CDK Global makes up 1.3% of Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC owned about 0.19% of CDK Global worth $15,468,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  These are some of the headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment’s analysis:

  Get CDK Global alerts: CDK announces Connected Workshop concept (am-online.com) CDK Global announces new Connected Workshop concept (cardealermagazine.co.uk) Judge: Car dealer software companies can’t delete antitrust claims over monopolization of car dealer data (cookcountyrecord.com) CDK Global (CDK) vs. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA) Head-To-Head Survey (americanbankingnews.com) $578.44 Million in Sales Expected for CDK Global (CDK) This Quarter (americanbankingnews.com)

  CDK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barrington Research restated a “hold” rating on shares of CDK Global in a research note on Monday, March 26th. BidaskClub lowered shares of CDK Global from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of CDK Global from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of CDK Global from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price target (up previously from $75.00) on shares of CDK Global in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $74.80.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC decreased its position in CDK Global Inc (NASDAQ:CDK) by 7.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,407 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 1,079 shares during the quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC’s holdings in CDK Global were worth $849,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch Right Now: VSE Corporation(VSEC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) will increase its dividend forward yield by 10.26%, VSE Corp. (Nasdaq: VSEC) will increase its dividend payout by 14.29%, and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: PNC) will increase its dividend payout by 26.67%.

• [By Max Byerly]

  VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Monday.

• [By Tyler Crowe, Rich Smith, and Daniel Miller]

  In the spirit of Lynch's investment principles, we asked three of our Motley Fool investors to each highlight a stock Wall Street isn't paying much attention to, but could be a great investment. Here's a brief look at their selections: WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC), Control4 (NASDAQ:CTRL), and VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC).�

Steps (STEPS) Hits One Day Volume of $0.00

Steps (CURRENCY:STEPS) traded flat against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 15:00 PM Eastern on July 21st. Steps has a market capitalization of $20,474.00 and $0.00 worth of Steps was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Steps coin can currently be bought for about $0.0011 or 0.00000015 BTC on exchanges. During the last seven days, Steps has traded flat against the US dollar.

Here’s how similar cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:

Get Steps alerts: DeviantCoin (DEV) traded 8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.85 or 0.00011458 BTC. Zeitcoin (ZEIT) traded up 5.4% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0001 or 0.00000001 BTC. Vcash (XVC) traded 7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0896 or 0.00001207 BTC. GAIA (GAIA) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.0248 or 0.00000264 BTC. Bitcurrency (BTCR) traded up 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0015 or 0.00000020 BTC. DROXNE (DRXNE) traded up 8.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0021 or 0.00000028 BTC. PureVidz (VIDZ) traded 7.2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0012 or 0.00000016 BTC. MACRON (MCRN) traded down 32.7% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0001 or 0.00000002 BTC. Ride My Car (RIDE) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.0003 or 0.00000004 BTC. LetItRide (LIR) traded 11% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0008 or 0.00000011 BTC.

Steps Profile

Steps (CRYPTO:STEPS) is a proof-of-stake (PoS) coin that uses the
Proof of Stake hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was September 16th, 2015. Steps’ total supply is 18,625,017 coins. Steps’ official Twitter account is @AltcoinSteps.

Buying and Selling Steps

Steps can be traded on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: YoBit. It is usually not currently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as Steps directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire Steps should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as GDAX, Changelly or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase Steps using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:HEI,IBOC,CBT,

Italy��s politicians didn��t get a three-day weekend, but instead stayed active and helped spark selling for stocks and other riskier assets.

Investors on Tuesday are worried about the potential for another Italian election within a few months. In particular, they��re worried a win for populist parties could lead to the euro zone��s third-biggest economy leaving the shared currency �� which would represent quite a shakeup to Europe��s status quo.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2019: Heico Corporation(HEI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  HEICO Corp (NYSE:HEI) shares hit a new 52-week high and low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $93.55 and last traded at $92.05, with a volume of 2840 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $93.16.

• [By Max Byerly]

  HEICO Corp (NYSE:HEI)’s share price hit a new 52-week high and low on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as low as $95.87 and last traded at $93.26, with a volume of 24654 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $93.13.

• [By Max Byerly]

  HEICO (NYSE: HEI) and TAT Technologies (NASDAQ:TATT) are both aerospace companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and risk.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Heico (HEI)

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

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  We're about to reveal a little wealth secret that could unlock the trade of a lifetime.�Money Morning�Special Situation Strategist Tim Melvin takes you inside what could easily be a 10-bagger for investors in the weeks ahead.�Read more right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday The Euro has plunged to its lowest point against the U.S. dollar in 2018 thanks to political problems in Europe. The breakdown of power in Italy has raised new concerns about the nation��s ability to repay its debts, as the spread between German and Italian bonds has widened. Market instability has also spread to Spain where the nation��s parliament is preparing to vote on whether to oust Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his party. Oil prices slid one news that OPEC and Russia will consider hikes in production during a meeting in Vienna, Austria on June 22nd. The news accompanied reports that U.S. production is expected to rise throughout the summer. The price of WTI oil sat at $67.20 per barrel. The Brent crude oil price recovered this morning, adding 1% to hit $76.12. Canadian banks are under pressure this morning over a major breach by cyber criminals. The Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM) �� the two largest banking institutions in the country �� announced that roughly 90,000 customers�� data may have been stolen. This would be the first major cybersecurity event to happen in Canada involving financial firms. Three Stocks to Watch Today: CRM, SBUX, MOMO com (NYSE: CRM) will lead a busy day of earnings reports on Wall Street. The cloud computing giant is set to report fiscal first quarter 2019 numbers after the bell on Tuesday. The average analyst projection calls for a 46% jump in EPS of $0.46 on top of a 23% gain in revenue to $2.94 billion. Starbucks�� Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX) will temporarily close about 8,000 locations on Tuesday to train roughly 175,000 employees on racial bias. The training sessions were

Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2019: International Bancshares Corporation(IBOC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  International Bancshares (NASDAQ: IBOC) and First Business Financial Services (NASDAQ:FBIZ) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and risk.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of International Bancshares Co. (NASDAQ:IBOC) hit a new 52-week high and low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $44.40 and last traded at $44.25, with a volume of 11252 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.90.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of International Bancshares (NASDAQ:IBOC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Saturday.

  International Bancshares opened at $43.65 on Friday, MarketBeat reports. International Bancshares has a 1 year low of $32.50 and a 1 year high of $43.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97 and a beta of 1.46.

Best Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2019: Cabot Corporation(CBT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Taylor Cox]

  Investor Events

  Analyst/investor days for: PayPal Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL), Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT), S&P Global Inc (NYSE: SPGI), Total System Services, Inc (NYSE: TSS), and TTM Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: TTMI) Roku, Inc (NASDAQ: ROKU) annual shareholder meeting Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) will meet with investors in L.A.

  Friday

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Scopus Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Cabot Corp (NYSE:CBT) by 74.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 435,000 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 185,000 shares during the quarter. Scopus Asset Management L.P.’s holdings in Cabot were worth $24,238,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) is projected to post quarterly loss at $1.31 per share on revenue of $1.97 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.59 per share on revenue of $909.36 million. Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $294.79 million. General Cable Corporation (NYSE: BGC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $980.61 million. Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $598.45 million. Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1 per share on revenue of $746.42 million. Fabrinet (NYSE: FN) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $319.71 million. National General Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NGHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $1.08 billion. The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAVG) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.75 per share on revenue of $320.92 million. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.22 per share on revenue of $1.29 billion. Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE: TREX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.19 per share on revenue of $172.22 million. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.09 per share on revenue of $1.35 billion. Envision Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: EVHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $2.02 billion. Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.23 per share on revenue of $869.64 million. Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.67 per share on revenue of $39
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  CommerceBlock (CURRENCY:CBT) traded up 0.7% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 20:00 PM Eastern on July 3rd. CommerceBlock has a market capitalization of $4.08 million and approximately $16,089.00 worth of CommerceBlock was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last seven days, CommerceBlock has traded 13.8% lower against the US dollar. One CommerceBlock token can now be bought for approximately $0.0235 or 0.00000363 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including OKEx and IDEX.

The 5 Largest E-Commerce Stocks In the U.S.

Research firm eMarketer recently released a list of the top 10 e-commerce companies in the U.S. by market share.

The list has some expected names. It also has some unexpected names. In total, though, all 10 e-commerce companies on eMarketer’s list have been winning thanks to the digital revolution.

Does that mean you should buy each of these top e-commerce stocks?

No. Not at all. When it comes to the stock market, it isn’t just about growth. It is about how much growth is priced in. And unfortunately, when it comes to a few of these top e-commerce stocks, too much growth is priced in at current levels.

But, when it comes to a few other top e-commerce stocks, not enough growth is priced in at current levels.

With that in mind, here’s a list of the top five e-commerce companies in the U.S. by market share, and an analysis of where those top e-commerce stocks are going next.

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Top E-Commerce Stocks: Amazon (AMZN) Source: Shutterstock

At the top of the list, of course, is e-retail giant Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).

According to eMarketer, Amazon owns a dominant 50% of the U.S. e-commerce market. Considering this market is growing at 16% and an accelerating rate, that means Amazon owns 50% of a 15%-plus growth market.

And that is just the domestic piece. On the international front, global e-retail sales rose by 25% last year. Over the next several years, global e-retail sales growth is expected to run around 20%-per-year. Amazon’s international market share is tough to peg. But if U.S. market share is already 50%, then international share could realistically rise to somewhere around 25%. That means Amazon is slated to own 25% of that 20%-plus growth market.

Put those two together, and it is easy to see why Amazon’s e-retail business has tons of growth ahead of it.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Amazon’s total growth. Amazon is also building out a robust offline retail business which started with Whole Foods and won’t end for another 10-plus years. The company is also behind the world’s largest and most dominant cloud business, Amazon Web Services. And then there are the big potential growth drivers through entries into the pharmacy, logistics and advertising markets.

All together, this is a mega-growth company. Granted, the valuation is rich. But when all is said and done, Amazon could net in excess of $150 in earnings-per-share. If that happens, then a $2,000 stock price will look pretty cheap.

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Top E-Commerce Stocks: eBay (EBAY) Source: Lin Cheong via Flickr

Coming in at second place is Amazon’s little brother, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). According to eMarketer, eBay owns 6.6% of the U.S. e-commerce market.

That really isn’t that big. And it wouldn’t be surprising if eBay operated a brick-and-mortar business, too. But, eBay is purely digital. That means that the measly 6.6% of the U.S. e-commerce market that eBay owns is the company’s entire U.S. business.

That isn’t very good. Worse yet, there is reason to believe that eBay’s 6.6% market share will only drop over the next several years.

Revenue growth at eBay has been running around 7% for the past several quarters. But most of that growth is coming from price increases. Active buyer growth was just 4% last quarter, while sold-items growth was just 1%.

These slow growth rates don’t line up with the U.S. e-commerce market’s 16%-plus growth rate. As such, eBay is clearly losing market share. This market share erosion will likely persist, considering eBay lacks significant mind-share among tomorrow’s biggest consumers (Piper Jaffray’s Spring 2018 Taking Stock With Teens Survey found that eBay’s mind-share among teenagers fell to a record low 1.8%, down 120 basis points from 3% in the Fall 2017 survey).

EBAY stock doesn’t trade at a huge multiple. The forward multiple is only 16, which is roughly in-line with the market average. But, considering growth at this company is 7% and slowing, a 16 forward multiple may prove to be too aggressive.

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Top E-Commerce Stocks: Apple (AAPL) Source: Shutterstock

Some may view this as surprising, but according to eMarketer, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the third biggest e-retail company in the U.S. with 3.9% market share.

That may initially sound surprising. After all, Apple isn’t thought of as a retailer in the traditional sense. But upon closer inspection, Apple does sell a ton of stuff through its websites, from iPhones to iPads to Macs to Apple Watches. All that stuff adds up, and as such, it really isn’t surprising that Apple is the third-biggest e-retail company in the U.S.

Does that make AAPL stock a buy? I think so.

The big story at Apple is that the company is transitioning from selling iPhones, iPads and Macs, to selling software subscription services like iCloud, Apple Music and App Store. This is a very healthy transition. The hardware business is low-margin and notoriously lumpy, depending on the upgrade cycle. The software business, meanwhile, is high-margin and steady, as most of its revenues come from annually recurring subscriptions.

Thus, over the next several years, Apple’s revenue streams will be less lumpy and more steady. That will warrant a higher multiple on AAPL stock. Plus, margins will roar higher thanks to higher-margin software growth. That will cause earnings to get a big boost.

In five years, then, earnings should be way higher (buybacks and tax cuts are also in the mix) and the multiple should also be higher. In simple terms, bigger earnings plus a bigger multiple equals a higher stock.

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Top E-Commerce Stocks: Walmart (WMT) Source: Shutterstock

Coming in at fourth place is traditional retail giant Walmart (NYSE:WMT).

Walmart owns just 3.7% of the U.S. e-commerce market, which is rather anemic considering this is America’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer. In plain English, 3.7% e-commerce market share translates into “well, Walmart is still a far ways off from rivaling Amazon on the digital side of things.”

That is really bad news for WMT stock. In 2017, WMT stock roared to all-time high valuation levels on the thought that out-sized e-commerce growth was here to stay and that the company was turning into a formidable Amazon competitor.

Neither of those things are true. Walmart is building out a strong e-commerce platform, but growth rates are slowing. Moreover, that e-commerce platform is gaining market share, but it remains a far stretch from nearing Amazon’s scale.

In the low $80’s, with the forward multiple hovering around 17, WMT stock looked like a good buy. But now that WMT stock has rallied back to the upper $80’s, and the forward multiple sits above 18, WMT stock looks less attractive.

I don’t think there is that much more pain ahead for WMT stock. It looks like a bottom was already reached. But gains going forward will be tough to come by considering the big valuation and low growth profile of this company.

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Top E-Commerce Stocks: Home Depot (HD) Source: Shutterstock

The fifth largest e-commerce company in the U.S. is Home Depot (NYSE:HD). The home improvement retailer owns 1.5% of the U.S. e-commerce market.

Considering what Home Depot sells (home improvement goods, tools and services), the company coming in fifth on this list, ahead of Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Macy’s (NYSE:M) and Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN), is quite impressive. After all, the home improvement space is traditionally a “touch-and-feel” one where consumers like to go in-store and see the products they are buying.

But, Home Depot has managed to build an unparalleled omni-channel retail experience that has people buying in bulk in-store and online.

That positions the company well for long-term growth. This is a big-moat company that has not only differentiated itself from other home improvement retailers, but also differentiated itself from non-store retailers like Amazon. Thus, going forward, it is fair to assume that Home Depot successfully navigates around any and all competitive threats and continues to be the go-to home improvement retailer in the U.S.

The only risk, then, is an economic slowdown. But that doesn’t look likely here and now. You’d need crazy inflation or crazy unemployment in order to catalyze that. Neither of those look likely in the foreseeable future.

All together, HD stock looks good here and now. The stock trades at 20-times forward earnings, which is in-line with its five-year average forward multiple. Yet, same-store sales growth was 6.8% last year, the best rate the company has seen in five years. Thus, with HD stock, you have an average valuation and above-average growth. That combination makes the stock look attractive here and now.

As of this writing, Luke Lango was long AMZN, AAPL, HD and M. 

Legendary Investor Louis Navellier’s #1 Stock to Buy NOW

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Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:BRD,NGD,PAA,PTI,WFC,PBH,

Canadian consumer confidence remained subdued in May as global market turmoil eroded sentiment.

The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, a composite gauge based on telephone surveys, dipped last month as households reported increasing worries about their personal finances. It was a month rocked by volatility in financial markets.

Household sentiment has been depressed for much of 2018 as a series of economic headwinds hit the nation’s economy, including higher interest rates and concern about the housing market. Canadians have also been grappling with the fallout from political turmoil inside and outside of the country, starting with the pipeline dispute between Alberta and British Columbia, and what look to be stalled Nafta negotiations.

“The economic mood in Canada has been mired in uncertainty and controversy,” said Nik Nanos, chairman of the Nanos Research Group. “Considering the importance of both Canada-U.S. trade and the energy sector to the Canadian economy, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the mood is generally dour.”

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: Apollo Gold Corporation(BRD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Bread (CURRENCY:BRD) traded 2.1% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 21:00 PM Eastern on May 27th. One Bread token can currently be bought for $0.46 or 0.00006320 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Cobinhood, Binance and OKEx. Bread has a market capitalization of $40.78 million and $4.40 million worth of Bread was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last seven days, Bread has traded down 28.2% against the U.S. dollar.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Bread (CURRENCY:BRD) traded 10.1% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on May 6th. Bread has a market cap of $73.13 million and approximately $1.09 million worth of Bread was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Bread token can currently be purchased for about $0.82 or 0.00008683 BTC on popular exchanges including OKEx, Binance and Cobinhood. In the last seven days, Bread has traded 3.3% higher against the U.S. dollar.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 3.8% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $2.28. Shares closed at $2.37 on Wednesday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 5.9 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE: TER) fell 10.8 percent to $37.02 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat Q2 guidance. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW) fell 9.2 percent to $122.29 in pre-market trading. Edwards Lifesciences reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter, but issued weak earnings guidance for the second quarter. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.8 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading after rising 4.13 percent on Tuesday. Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE: GFI) fell 8.6 percent to $3.61 in pre-market trading. Natus Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ: BABY) fell 8.2 percent to $32.95 in pre-market trading after the company issued weak forecast for the second quarter. Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS) shares fell 7.9 percent to $3.50 in pre-market trading after climbing 27.09 percent on Tuesday. Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: BEDU) shares fell 6.7 percent to $13.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Sangamo Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: SGMO) fell 5.9 percent to $16.75 in pre-market trading following announcement of a $200 million common stock offering. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) shares fell 5.7 percent to $3.29 in pre-market trading after declining 3.32 percent on Tuesday. Euronav NV (NYSE: EURN) fell 4.8 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading. Limelight Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: LLNW) shares fell 4.3 percent to $4.69 in pre-market trading. Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc (NASDAQ: GLPI) shares fell 4.1 percent to $32.92 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat quarterly results and reported the retirement of CFO William Clifford
• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 1.9% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $2.09. Shares closed at $2.13 on Monday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. The junior gold miner had no specific news.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) fell 23.3 percent to $9.87 in pre-market trading after declining 13.45 percent on Wednesday. SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SXCP) fell 12.8 percent to $16.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG) fell 11 percent to $17.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted mixed Q3 results and lowered its FY18 guidance. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.4 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading following downbeat Q1 results. Quality Care Properties, Inc. (NYSE: QCP) fell 8.2 percent to $20.85 in pre-market trading. Welltower announced plans to acquire QCP for $20.75 per share in cash. China Customer Relations Centers Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) shares fell 7.5 percent to $17.25 in pre-market trading after climbing 18.73 percent on Wednesday. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) shares fell 5.7 percent to $5.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) fell 5.6 percent to $38.66 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Southw
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: Plains All American Pipeline L.P.(PAA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  D.A. Davidson & CO. decreased its position in shares of Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA) by 13.1% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,799 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 2,228 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Plains All American Pipeline were worth $326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By John Bromels]

  That's what happened to U.S. oil and gas pipeline operators�Kinder Morgan, Inc.�(NYSE:KMI) and master limited partnership�(MLP)�Plains All American Pipeline�(NYSE:PAA) in 2016. Both made a major dividend/distribution cut. Both stocks took a hit. And neither one has recovered: Plains All American is down 53.3% over the last three years, while Kinder Morgan is down a painful 63.1%.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Two years ago, Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA) and Plains GP Holdings (NYSE:PAGP) took a step to simplify their corporate structure by eliminating the costly incentive distribution rights (IDRs) that Plains All American paid to Plains GP. In exchange, Plains GP acquired a 34.8% stake in the MLP. While that deal was certainly a step in the right direction, the companies could eventually take the next logical progression by combining into one entity.

• [By ]

  The market has pummeled master limited partnerships (MLPs) over the past few years due to the impact the oil market downturn had on their operations and business model. Among the hardest-hit have been oil pipeline MLP Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA) and gas pipeline giant Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP), both of which have lost more than half their value over the last three years. That persistent slump comes even though their turnaround strategies are beginning to gain steam. While these companies still have some work to do before they're back on solid ground, both could deliver significant returns as they complete their plans and the oil market continues rebounding over the next few years. That upside potential makes them compelling options for investors with a higher tolerance for risk.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  The past couple of years have been challenging for oil pipeline MLP Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA). Lower oil prices cut deeply into the company's earnings and cash flow, putting pressure on its balance sheet. However, the company has undertaken several strategic initiatives in recent quarters to overcome those issues, which finally started paying dividends in the first quarter.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Though this large cap bank is a solid value play for 2018, it still faces the possibility of large fines.�Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) is a�nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. The company provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, 12,800 ATMs, the Internet and mobile banking. It also has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States.

• [By ]

  He practices what he preaches. While Berkshire Hathaway has ownership interests in about 45 companies, the lion's share of the portfolio (nearly two-thirds) is invested in just six names. The biggest is Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), followed by Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), Kraft Heinz (Nasdaq: KHC), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), and American Express (NYSE: AXP).Buffett isn't afraid to make colossal investments in a small handful of positions. And with few exceptions, these big bets usually work out brilliantly. Of course, we're also talking about the most astute stock picker of all time. For those without his legendary skills, this strategy might be far less productive -- possibly even dangerous.

• [By SEEKINGALPHA.COM]

  The US financial sector has been on a solid run of late. Over the last 12 months the S&P 500 Financials Sector has returned 18.9% relative to the S&P 500 Index of 17.9%. Many analysts have formed the view that with the potential for higher market interest rates, this sector has a long runway ahead. So with this in mind I thought that it would be a good time to update my estimates of the intrinsic value of the 3 major diversified banks. Over a series of 4 articles I will value JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). In this first article I will set the scene by reviewing the performance of the 3 banks over the last 10 years and compare their current performance to the Sector.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: Prestige Brand Holdings Inc.(PBH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Premium Brands Holdings Corp (TSE:PBH) has earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the seven analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$132.14.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Prestige Brands (NYSE:PBH) by 103.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,597 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,431 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Prestige Brands were worth $560,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) – Investment analysts at Gabelli cut their FY2019 earnings estimates for shares of Prestige Brands in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 3rd. Gabelli analyst Z. Bodini now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $3.00 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $3.05. Gabelli also issued estimates for Prestige Brands’ FY2020 earnings at $3.35 EPS, FY2021 earnings at $3.75 EPS, FY2022 earnings at $4.20 EPS and FY2023 earnings at $4.65 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Premium Brands Holdings Corp (TSE:PBH) Director Stephen Sposari sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$117.01, for a total transaction of C$351,030.00.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PBH) – Equities researchers at DA Davidson cut their Q2 2019 earnings estimates for shares of Prestige Brands in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, July 3rd. DA Davidson analyst L. Weiser now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.60 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.64. DA Davidson currently has a “Neutral” rating and a $33.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson also issued estimates for Prestige Brands’ FY2019 earnings at $2.83 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $2.97 EPS.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PBH) shares were also up, gaining 23 percent to $35.07 after the company posted upbeat Q4 earnings.

  Equities Trading DOWN

$2.64 EPS Expected for Boston Beer Company Inc (SAM) This Quarter

Equities analysts forecast that Boston Beer Company Inc (NYSE:SAM) will report earnings of $2.64 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Two analysts have issued estimates for Boston Beer’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $2.38 and the highest estimate coming in at $3.14. Boston Beer posted earnings per share of $2.35 during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 12.3%. The company is expected to issue its next earnings results on Thursday, July 26th.

On average, analysts expect that Boston Beer will report full year earnings of $7.37 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $7.00 to $8.06. For the next year, analysts anticipate that the business will report earnings of $8.13 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $7.63 to $8.99. Zacks’ EPS averages are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Boston Beer.

Get Boston Beer alerts:

Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $190.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $174.87 million. Boston Beer had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 18.74%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.45 EPS.

Several brokerages have recently commented on SAM. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Boston Beer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 27th. Macquarie boosted their target price on shares of Boston Beer from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “hold” rating and issued a $210.00 target price on shares of Boston Beer in a research report on Wednesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Boston Beer from $169.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 26th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Boston Beer from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 29th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $191.91.

In related news, VP David L. Grinnell sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $225,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,000 shares of company stock valued at $675,000. 29.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAM. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in Boston Beer during the 4th quarter worth approximately $587,000. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its position in Boston Beer by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 12,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,850 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in Boston Beer by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 23,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,524,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in Boston Beer by 22.3% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 6,234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,191,000 after acquiring an additional 1,136 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. increased its position in Boston Beer by 1,493.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 78,119 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,929,000 after acquiring an additional 73,217 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.36% of the company’s stock.

Shares of Boston Beer opened at $304.95 on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The company has a market capitalization of $3.55 billion, a PE ratio of 50.74, a PEG ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.59. Boston Beer has a 12 month low of $128.75 and a 12 month high of $307.00.

About Boston Beer

The Boston Beer Company, Inc produces and sells alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It sells approximately 60 beers under the Samuel Adams brand names; 10 flavored malt beverages under the Twisted Tea brand name; 20 hard cider beverages under the Angry Orchard brand; 5 hard sparkling waters under the Truly Spiked & Sparkling brand name; and approximately 50 beers under 4 brand names.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Boston Beer (SAM)

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

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:THM,AIG,ORC,GNE,CBOE,SMTC, Is Wall Street finally getting ready to throw in the towel on President Trump? Perhaps.

Stocks fell sharply Wednesday following reports of a memo from former FBI Director James Comey that says Trump asked him to stop the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The Dow ended 373 points lower Wednesday -- about a 1.8% decline. It's the biggest drop since September.

A key measure of market volatility also spiked. The common "I word" in the market lexicon -- inflation -- is now being replaced by whispers of impeachment.

"With a growing chorus of Democrats accusing Trump of obstructing justice and even calling for his impeachment, the Trump administration could come to an early season finale," wrote Lukman Otunuga, a research analyst with currency broker FXTM.

Gold prices have popped over the past week too. The yellow metal often does well when investors are nervous. It's a classic flight to safety bet. The US dollar has also sunk recently against the euro and other currencies. And virtual currency Bitcoin has soared.

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: International Tower Hill Mines Ltd(THM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning News Team]

  While a 209% gain is exciting, FunctionX's gains are in the past. After looking at the 10 top penny stocks to watch this week, we'll show you a small-cap stock with serious profit potential ahead of it…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Law Week's Gain FunctionX Inc. (OTCMKTS: FNCX) $0.03 209% Turtle Beach Corp. (Nasdaq: HEAR) $4.48 52.73% DPW Holdings Inc. (NYSE: DPW) $1.16 51.31% Energy XXI Gulf Coast Inc. (Nasdaq: EGC) $5.62 49.33% MYnd Analytics Inc. (Nasdaq: MYND) $1.91 49.21% Kingtone Wirelessinfo Solutions Holding Ltd. (Nasdaq: KONE) $6.43 48.42% Rennova Health Inc. (OTCMKTS: RNVA) $0.02 44.30% International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSE: THM) $0.72 41.64% Blonder Tongue Labs Inc. (NYSE: BDR) $1.13 41.14% Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: BLCM) $8.87 40.53%

  As the gains above suggest, penny stocks can provides tremendous returns for investors very quickly. However, it's important to note that investing in penny stocks is also inherently risky.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  International Tower Hill Mines Ltd (NYSEAMERICAN:THM) (TSE:ITH) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 689,433 shares, a growth of 3.8% from the April 30th total of 663,894 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 155,359 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.4 days. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on American International Group (AIG)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gifford Fong Associates acquired a new position in shares of American International Group (NYSE:AIG) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 44,100 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,400,000.

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares tumbled 48.59 percent to close at $1.275 on Thursday after the company priced its $18,000,000 public offering. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NVIV) fell 38.77 percent to close at $8.26 on Thursday. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares tumbled 27.43 percent to close at $8.81. Achaogen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAO) dropped 24.76 percent to close at $11.06 in reaction to a disappointing update from an FDA AdCom panel. The FDA panel voted favorably for the company's Plazcomicin for treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections, but also voted against the therapy to be used as a treatment for bloodstream infections. Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK) shares declined 24.68 percent to close at $34.80 after the company posted downbeat quarterly results. LSC Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LKSD) shares fell 24.22 percent to close at $12.64 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) fell 21.42 percent to close at $50.80 following downbeat quarterly profit. Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) dropped 20.42 percent to close at $6.00 following downbeat quarterly earnings. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) slipped 20.11 percent to close at $2.90 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) fell 19.28 percent to close at $36.93. Esperion Therapeutics stock lost roughly a third of its value Wednesday after the company reported mixed Phase III results for its leading drug candidate, bempedoic acid. JP Morgan downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from Neutral to Underweight. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) declined 17.77 percent to close at $8.98 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings. The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: HABT) dipped 16.1 percent to close at $8.60 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (N
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sentry Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in American International Group (NYSE:AIG) by 8.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,968 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,147 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Suntrust Banks Inc. boosted its position in shares of American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG) by 12.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,736 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,048 shares during the period. Suntrust Banks Inc.’s holdings in American International Group were worth $1,998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Orchid Island Capital, Inc.(ORC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Orchid Island Capital Inc. (NYSE: ORC) fell about 9.7% to post a new 52-week low of $7.85 Thursday after closing at $8.69 on Wednesday. The 52-week high is $12.60. Volume of about 5.2 million was nearly 5 times the daily average of around 1.1 million. The company lowered its monthly dividend by 3 cents last night.

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Genie Energy Ltd.(GNE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Genie Energy (NYSE:GNE) was upgraded by TheStreet from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a report issued on Monday.

  Shares of Genie Energy stock opened at $5.12 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $125.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.67 and a beta of 1.59. Genie Energy has a 12-month low of $5.06 and a 12-month high of $5.11.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  On Tuesday, the utilities shares surged 0.69 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Just Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: JE), up 4 percent, and Genie Energy Ltd. (NYSE: GNE) up 3 percent.

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CBOE Holdings Inc.(CBOE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

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

• [By Dustin Blitchok]

  After CBOE Global Markets Inc (NASDAQ: CBOE) launched bitcoin futures in December, Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) didn't immediately make the product available to clients, said Barry Metzger, the brokerage’s senior vice president of global, trading and advice.

• [By Asit Sharma]

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

• [By Sean Williams]

  But times have changed, the virtual-currency market has matured a bit, and institutional investors have had a means to bet on the crypto market in a more traditional sense over the past couple of months. By this, I mean that both the CME Group�and CBOE Global Markets (NASDAQ:CBOE) have offered bitcoin futures on their trading platforms since December, providing a more traditional avenue for Wall Street to place its bets.

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

Hot Gold Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Semtech Corporation(SMTC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Semtech Co. (NASDAQ:SMTC) shares hit a new 52-week high and low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $51.40 and last traded at $50.15, with a volume of 11595 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $51.10.

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  The wealthy are hoarding $10 billion of bitcoin in bunkers: Link $

  ECONOMIC DATA US May MBA mortgage applications -0.4% vs, -2.5% prior USA Core PPI (MoM) for Apr 0.20% vs 0.20% Est; Prior 0.30%. USA PPI (MoM) for Apr 0.10% vs 0.20% Est; Prior 0.30% Data on wholesale trade inventories for March will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on petroleum inventories in the U.S. is schedule for release at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Treasury is set to auction 10-year notes at 1:00 p.m. ET. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic is set to speak at 1:15 p.m. ET. ANALYST RATINGS Cantor upgraded Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARWR) from Neutral to Overweight RBC upgraded Semtech (NASDAQ: SMTC) from Sector Perform to Outperform Morgan Stanley downgraded Adient (NYSE: ADNT) from Overweight to Equal-Weight Jefferies downgraded Beacon Roofing (NASDAQ: BECN) from Buy to Hold

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Semtech Co. (NASDAQ:SMTC) – Investment analysts at Oppenheimer issued their Q3 2020 earnings estimates for shares of Semtech in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 31st. Oppenheimer analyst R. Schafer anticipates that the semiconductor company will post earnings per share of $0.45 for the quarter. Oppenheimer currently has a “Outperform” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for Semtech’s Q4 2020 earnings at $0.44 EPS.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Semtech (SMTC)

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Zacks: Brokerages Expect Hostess Brands Inc (TWNK) Will Announce Earnings of $0.18 Per Share

Wall Street brokerages predict that Hostess Brands Inc (NASDAQ:TWNK) will report earnings per share (EPS) of $0.18 for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Three analysts have provided estimates for Hostess Brands’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.16 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.20. Hostess Brands also posted earnings of $0.18 per share during the same quarter last year. The company is scheduled to report its next earnings report on Tuesday, August 14th.

On average, analysts expect that Hostess Brands will report full year earnings of $0.69 per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.67 to $0.70. For the next financial year, analysts anticipate that the business will post earnings of $0.84 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.78 to $0.88. Zacks’ earnings per share calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research analysts that follow Hostess Brands.

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Hostess Brands (NASDAQ:TWNK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.14. The firm had revenue of $208.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $200.77 million. Hostess Brands had a net margin of 28.97% and a return on equity of 4.37%. The business’s revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.15 EPS.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on TWNK shares. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Hostess Brands from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 13th. Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Hostess Brands in a report on Monday, May 21st. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Vertical Group started coverage on shares of Hostess Brands in a report on Tuesday, May 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $19.00 target price for the company. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Hostess Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank lowered shares of Hostess Brands from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $14.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, May 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Hostess Brands presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.67.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. FDx Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Hostess Brands by 39.9% during the 1st quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. now owns 17,150 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,000 after buying an additional 4,894 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Hostess Brands by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 35,214 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,000 after buying an additional 5,161 shares in the last quarter. Monarch Partners Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Hostess Brands by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Monarch Partners Asset Management LLC now owns 1,220,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,052,000 after buying an additional 5,630 shares in the last quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB lifted its holdings in Hostess Brands by 55.8% during the 1st quarter. Xact Kapitalforvaltning AB now owns 17,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 6,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its holdings in Hostess Brands by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 90,279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,337,000 after buying an additional 6,926 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.49% of the company’s stock.

Shares of Hostess Brands traded up $0.17, hitting $14.24, during trading on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The stock had a trading volume of 10,544 shares, compared to its average volume of 906,865. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a PE ratio of 22.33 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Hostess Brands has a 12 month low of $11.00 and a 12 month high of $16.53.

Hostess Brands Company Profile

Hostess Brands, Inc, a packaged food company, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and distributes fresh sweet baked goods in the United States. It primarily offer coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, honey buns, brownies, bread and buns, jumbo muffins, and eclairs under the Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs, Zingers, HoHos, Donettes, Dolly Madison, and Superior on Main brands.

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The new Fox will be a sports and entertainment hub

The future of Rupert Murdoch's Fox is live TV.

Last week, Fox bought the rights to broadcast "WWE SmackDown" for five years. It made another five-year deal for Thursday night NFL games earlier this year.

The two franchises are among the most popular on TV. Although the terms of each deal weren't publicly disclosed, The Hollywood Reporter has reported their combined value at about $4 billion.

The deals show how much Fox (FOXA) is willing to bet on sports and entertainment programming as it prepares for life as a leaner company. Disney (DIS) has agreed to buy most of 21st Century Fox, including the iconic movie studio, for more than $71 billion. Comcast (CCZ) might counter, which would push the value of the sale even higher.

The new Fox �� the part of the company that isn't up for sale �� will be defined by TV. Murdoch is holding on to Fox News, Fox Sports and the Fox broadcasting network, a combination the MoffettNathanson research firm has valued at $23 billion.

Fox declined to comment for this story. But analysts say the decisions to double down on live TV and ink major sports and entertainment contracts makes sense. Fox is making moves that capitalize on an audience it is already good at attracting, said Brandon Ross, an analyst at BTIG Research.

"The strongest asset that's in their portfolio going forward is Fox News," he said, adding that the "core Fox viewer" likely lives in a red state and / or likes live sports. "I think the reason they did the WWE deal is because it fits with both of those things."

Fox's investments are also a sign of how rapidly the media industry is changing. The scripted dramas and comedies that used to be TV's bread and butter aren't a sure bet now that Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon (AMZN) are competing in the same space.

Those companies have a strong, on-demand streaming model �� watch a show when you want it, where you want it �� that has upended traditional appointment TV. Apple (AAPL) is expected to jump into the race soon, too.

But live TV is different, especially sports. Netflix and Amazon took audience from the networks in part by coming up with their own scripted programming: Think "House of Cards." They can't just start airing the NFL every Sunday.

That's what makes sports so valuable for a legacy business like Fox, said Jay Rosenstein, a former CBS Sports executive and current adjunct professor at New York University's Tisch Center for Sports Management.

"There's been a certainty about sports programming that doesn't exist with scripted or unscripted programs," he added. "With sports, you have a known quantity."

Scott Rosner, the academic director of Columbia University's Sports Management Program, agreed. He added that more than 90% of sports programming is watched live, rather than recorded.

"What that means is you are sticking around as the viewer," Rosner said. "You're far more likely to watch advertising that is being put in front of you."

Live TV isn't immune to challenges. NFL viewership on TV, for example, fell 10% during the regular season last year. Some attributed the decline to injuries that left star players on the sidelines, as well as a high-profile spat between the league and President Donald Trump over National Anthem protests.

But that kind of drop isn't enough to deter networks or advertisers right now, Ross said. Football is still the most viewed programming on TV by far.

The bigger concern is how much of a threat big tech companies are going to pose in the future.

"No one knows right now where this is all going to go," Rosner said. "There's a lot of experimentation. A lot of first dates going on between properties."

Amazon, for example, renewed a deal to stream "Thursday Night Football" this year. Facebook locked up the exclusive rights to stream some Major League Baseball games this season.

Those companies have already started to face off against traditional broadcasters in some arenas, too. Facebook bid heavily last year for the rights to stream cricket in India, but lost out to a Fox subsidiary called Star India. (Fox is selling that division and the cricket rights as part of its larger deal with Disney.)

"I think that all of traditional media needs to be afraid of the checkbook size and the engagement that all of those tech companies now have on a global basis," Ross said.

Many of the most coveted contracts, including those for football and basketball, will come up for renewal in the next several years. And when they do, the sports leagues will undoubtedly welcome any new competition.

"If you have somebody out there who doesn't have your property, they are going to be very anxious to get it �� and those who are the incumbents will be very anxious to hold onto it," Rosenstein said. "The NFL and other leagues are very good at playing them off against each other."

For Capital Gazette journalists, the focus is on getting out Saturday's paper

The surviving staff members of the Capital Gazette are gathering on Friday to figure out what to do now.

Against all odds, the paper still came out on Friday, hours after a man gunned down five employees in Annapolis, Maryland.

The coming days are likely to be even more difficult, several staff members told CNN. Some of the adrenaline has worn off. The grieving process has just begun. But the deadlines just keep coming.

The Capital is a seven-day-a-week paper, and the immediate priority is Saturday's edition.

Some staff met in person Friday morning, and others joined via conference call, to discuss next steps.

Step one: Finding workspace. The gunshot-riddled office is inoperable. But the paper has help. It is part of The Baltimore Sun Media Group, which is owned by Tronc, so the staff is working from the offices of the Sun on Friday, a Tronc spokesman confirmed.

Counselors and other support services are on hand at the Sun.

The recovery effort is being led by Capital Gazette editor in chief Rick Hutzell. He was on vacation when the shooting took place, so he rushed back to Annapolis on Thursday afternoon.

"From the first moment, he was determined to publish this morning," columnist Terry Smith said on "New Day."

Hutzell was quoted in Friday's edition saying "we are heartbroken, devastated. Our colleagues and friends are gone."

Annapolis shooting: A day newsrooms have feared

Baltimore Sun Media Group publisher Trif Alatzas and other executives are also deeply involved. Some Tronc executives flew to Maryland to help.

The Sun handles production and other back-end functions for Capital Gazette. After the attack, the Sun replicated its breaking news story on the Gazette's website and relayed information from Phil Davis, a reporter who survived the shooting inside the newsroom.

Staffers who weren't at the office raced to the scene. Reporters Chase Cook, Josh McKerrow and Pat Furgurson worked on the next day's paper from the back of a pickup truck in a nearby parking garage.

"We covered the press conferences and worked alongside our colleagues at The Baltimore Sun to confirm what we heard," Cook told CNN.

That cooperative spirit is expected to continue in the days ahead.

The Capital Gazette may need reinforcements from the Sun, since several veteran editors and reporters are among the dead.

Smith said the shooter was "very deliberate" in "going to the left and down the row of editors' offices" in the newsroom.

One of the five victims was editorial page editor Gerald Fischman. Friday's opinion page was left blank in commemoration of the victims.

A small message on the page read, "Tomorrow this page will return to its steady purpose of offering our readers informed opinions about the world around them, that they might be better citizens."

Read our latest "Reliable Sources" newsletter: "The newsroom shooter exploited journalism's open doors"

NetApp Inc. (NTAP) Shares Bought by Profund Advisors LLC

Profund Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) by 14.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,660 shares of the data storage provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,193 shares during the period. Profund Advisors LLC’s holdings in NetApp were worth $596,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of NetApp by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 20,465,300 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $1,262,508,000 after purchasing an additional 182,734 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of NetApp by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,381,688 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $825,516,000 after purchasing an additional 1,254,548 shares during the last quarter. Investec Asset Management LTD purchased a new stake in shares of NetApp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $290,829,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of NetApp by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,322,669 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $239,131,000 after purchasing an additional 260,763 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of NetApp by 488.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,537,659 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $218,239,000 after purchasing an additional 2,936,713 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.87% of the company’s stock.

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In other news, CEO George Kurian sold 30,253 shares of NetApp stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.52, for a total transaction of $2,042,682.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Matthew K. Fawcett sold 16,188 shares of NetApp stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.42, for a total transaction of $1,139,958.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 55,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,933,379.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 142,386 shares of company stock valued at $9,956,870 over the last ninety days. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Shares of NetApp opened at $76.98 on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. NetApp Inc. has a one year low of $37.55 and a one year high of $77.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.25.

NetApp (NASDAQ:NTAP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 23rd. The data storage provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.04. NetApp had a net margin of 1.29% and a return on equity of 33.87%. The firm had revenue of $1.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.60 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts expect that NetApp Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is an increase from NetApp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 5th. NetApp’s payout ratio is currently 26.76%.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NTAP shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of NetApp from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of NetApp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $76.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of NetApp to $80.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. William Blair upgraded shares of NetApp from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of NetApp to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, twenty have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $66.46.

NetApp Profile

NetApp, Inc provides software, systems, and services to manage and store computer data worldwide. It offers flash; flash arrays that support data management; hybrid arrays to deploy the speed of flash storage; hybrid cloud; ONTAP cloud storage data management service; NetApp cloud sync hybrid data management Software as a Service; NetApp private storage for cloud; and AltaVault cloud-integrated solutions.

Zacks Investment Research Lowers Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) to Hold

Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

According to Zacks, “Domino's shares have outpaced the industry in a year’s time owing to better-than-expected results in seven out of the trailing eight quarters. In first-quarter 2018, the company’s earnings and revenues not only surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate but also surged sharply on a year-over-year basis. Notably, the first quarter marked the company’s respective 28th and 97th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, we believe that Domino's solid brand positioning might continue to boost sales in the upcoming quarters. Also, efforts to accelerate its presence in the high-growth international markets bode well. Moving ahead, Domino's initiatives on the digital front, increased store counts, focus on re-imaging and other sales-boosting strategies are expected to help sustain the momentum. However, higher costs and negative currency translation are likely to hurt profits.”

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DPZ has been the topic of several other reports. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Domino’s Pizza from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. ValuEngine raised shares of Domino’s Pizza from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 11th. Mizuho reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $275.00 price target on shares of Domino’s Pizza in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Domino’s Pizza from $217.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Finally, Maxim Group upped their price target on shares of Domino’s Pizza from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 26th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Domino’s Pizza currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $256.57.

Shares of NYSE:DPZ opened at $277.34 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of -1.12, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.39. Domino’s Pizza has a 12-month low of $166.74 and a 12-month high of $277.36. The firm has a market cap of $11.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.94, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.35.

Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The restaurant operator reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.77 by $0.23. Domino’s Pizza had a net margin of 10.32% and a negative return on equity of 11.97%. The company had revenue of $785.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $688.15 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 25.8% on a year-over-year basis. sell-side analysts forecast that Domino’s Pizza will post 8.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Domino’s Pizza declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 20th that allows the company to buyback $750.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the restaurant operator to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

In other Domino’s Pizza news, insider J Patrick Doyle sold 20,842 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.42, for a total transaction of $5,511,041.64. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 24,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,523,241.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 3.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 23.8% during the fourth quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 1,281 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 41.8% during the fourth quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,879 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $544,000 after buying an additional 848 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 83.2% during the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,573,333 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $297,297,000 after buying an additional 714,414 shares during the last quarter. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. acquired a new position in Domino’s Pizza during the fourth quarter worth $1,591,000. Finally, Bank of Hawaii increased its position in Domino’s Pizza by 34.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Hawaii now owns 4,290 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $811,000 after buying an additional 1,095 shares during the last quarter. 99.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Domino’s Pizza

Domino's Pizza, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a pizza delivery company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Domestic Stores, International Franchise, and Supply Chain. The company offers pizzas under the Domino's Pizza brand name through company-owned and franchised Domino's Pizza stores.

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The Rookie Mistakes That Bankrupt New Restaurants

Many people dream of opening restaurants and bringing their visions to life. But with relatively high failure rates, owning a restaurant can be a precarious prospect, especially if you're coming in with little to no experience. It's estimated that 60% of new restaurants fail within their first year of business, while 80% close down within five years. If you don't want to fall victim to a similar fate, here are some rookie mistakes you'll need to avoid at all costs.

1. Choosing the wrong location

Your restaurant's success hinges on customers, so if you open in a remote location with absolutely no foot traffic, you may have a hard time getting people in the door. But entering an already-saturated market can hurt you just as much. If you open your business in a hip, trendy neighborhood loaded with eateries, you may have a hard time distinguishing your restaurant from the pack.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Before you open a restaurant, research your location options extensively, and pinpoint the advantages and drawbacks of setting up shop in different areas. For example, an up-and-coming neighborhood might seem like the ideal spot at first, but if it comes with extremely limited parking and unbearable levels of traffic, that's an instant barrier for potential customers to overcome. Similarly, make sure your restaurant aligns with the neighborhood you're choosing. A high-end eatery probably won't thrive in a low-to-middle-income area that's mostly populated by families with children.

2. Not having enough working capital

Running a restaurant requires a certain amount of up-front cash. In addition to covering your general overhead, like rent and electricity, you'll need to maintain a solid inventory to ensure you're able to make good on your menu. You should also allow for the fact that business might be slow to ramp up, and that you'll need money to tide yourself over until sales begin to climb.

How much working capital is enough to get started? It'll depend on the specific costs you're dealing with, but as a general rule, it's smart to have enough cash on hand to run your establishment for three to six months. Create a detailed list of your business expenses, from cutlery to payroll, and don't jump the gun on opening until you've secured the funding you need to kick things off with confidence.

3. Not being aware of your food costs

One of the easiest ways to guarantee that your restaurant will fail is to be clueless about your food costs and how they correlate to the prices you put on your menu. Most restaurants charge a 300% markup on food to stay afloat, which means if a meal costs you $10 to make, you should ideally be commanding $40 for it. That's why you, as a restaurant owner, should have a hand in every single food order that's placed on behalf of your business -- at least initially. This way, you'll know what you're spending and will be better positioned to price your menu accordingly.

4. Spotty service

Your restaurant might serve up the best food within a 100-mile radius, but if your service is abysmal, you're going to turn customers off. And once that happens, you can count on them telling their friends and announcing that information to the world. In this day and age, you're really just a couple of bad online reviews away from a bankruptcy filing, so make sure your staff is adequately trained on the importance of solid service. This means doing trial runs with your hosts, testing your servers to see if they know your menu inside and out, and ensuring that your kitchen is being run efficiently.

Owning a restaurant can be both a fulfilling and profitable experience. It can also be a disaster if you go in unprepared. If you're new to the restaurant industry, one of the best things you can do, in addition to avoiding the above mistakes, is enlist the help of a mentor who's done this before. Getting the inside scoop on someone else's real-world successes and failures is just about the best education you can receive as a rookie restaurant owner, so don't hesitate to seek out that invaluable guidance.