Thursday, February 28, 2019

Systemax Inc. (SYX) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript

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Systemax Inc  (NYSE:SYX)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 26, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET

Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Systemax Inc.'s Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Conference Call.

At this time, I would like to turn the call over to Mike Smargiassi of The Plunkett Group. Please go ahead, sir.

Mike Smargiassi -- Founding Partner

Thank you and welcome to the Systemax Fourth Quarter 2018 Earnings Call. Today's call will include formal remarks from Barry Litwin, Chief Executive Officer; and Tex Clark, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

We will not be hosting a live Q&A session at the end of today's call. If you should have any questions on the results, please contact The Plunkett Group or Systemax. Contact details can be found in the press release issued today at systemax.com.

Today's discussion may include certain forward-looking statements. It should be understood that actual results could differ materially from those projected due to a number of factors, including those described under the Forward-Looking Statements caption and under Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

I would like to highlight the non-GAAP metrics that are included in today's press release. The Company believes that by presenting the entire North American and European Technology Products Groups as discontinued operations, as well as excluding certain recurring and non-recurring adjustments from comparable GAAP measures, investors have an additional meaningful measurement of the Company's performance.

This call will include a discussion of certain non-GAAP financial measures, which we will identify as such. The Company has provided a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures in today's discussion and press release. The press release is available on the Company's website and will be filed with the SEC in a Form 8-K. This call is the property of and is copyrighted by Systemax Inc.

I will now turn the call over to Mr. Barry Litwin.

Barry Litwin -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Mike. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. In 2018, Systemax delivered another year of strong sales and operating performance, with our Industrial Products business generating almost $900 million in revenue, an increase of 13% over the prior year and resulting in more than $60 million in operating income from continuing operations. Systemax also successfully divested its France IT business, which generated gross proceeds of almost $270 million. With that sale, we established a single strategic focus on the industrial MRO market.

I am delighted to have joined Systemax in early January and my first two months have been a very busy and exciting time, as I have met and listened to senior executives and associates across all of our facilities. I believe Systemax is well positioned to win within the rapidly changing and competitive market for industrial product distribution. We have talented and engaged associates, strong industry expertise, specifically in core branded and private label products a high touch, multi-channel sales strategy, a scalable technology platform and the back office and sales support to successfully drive long-term performance.

Our foundation for success in 2019 is built on growing our customer engagement and generating operating leverage from current operations and investments. Systemax will focus on serving our customer's need, for higher service levels and end-to-end transaction transparency. By championing a stronger customer-centric culture, we will better serve our business customer and build greater competitive advantage. To accomplish this, we are carefully listening to our customer's voice and adopting a continuous improvement mindset at every level of the Company, to simplify automate and speed the processors that serve our customers. We're investing in our leading e-commerce platform, as well as our sales and product assortment. Over time, we believe this should result in revenue growth, improved profitability and higher customer satisfaction.

Our strategy is clear and will be implemented through a multi-year roadmap with prioritized initiatives supporting six core areas we believe we can win. These include: one, delivering a differentiated customer experience; two, offering innovative branded and private label products; three, providing rich MRO knowledge and technical expertise; four, driving operational excellence; five, propelling talent, financial management and technology innovation; and six, pursuing potential acquisitions to drive synergies and expand capacity, customers and product growth.

As we execute our strategy, some featured initiatives to support these six core areas include: one, engaging customers more intimately through deployment of online and offline personalization capabilities to increased convenience in the customer buying experience; two, the continued managed account channel growth through sales productivity enhancements, building upon our efforts of last year; three would be increasing selling efficiency and value proposition of our high-touch sales force and expanding customer access to product knowledge by adding category subject matter experts; four, introducing an enterprisewide customer experience process to collect data, identify gaps and eradicate friction from the order to cash process that will drive higher customer satisfaction; finally, within our distribution network, focus on enhancing service levels, same day shipment performance, labor productivity and improved inventory management to better serve our customers.

I'm excited to be here and enthusiastic about the opportunity ahead. We have a strong platform that is well suited to support our growth in 2019 and beyond. Our associates are dedicated to championing a customer-centric culture to meet growing demands for improved customer experience, while enhancing Systemax' leading product assortment, digital and high-touch multichannel selling model, and strong and efficient fulfillment network.

I will now turn over the call to Tex.

Tex Clark -- Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Barry. I will now address our performance in more detail and would like to note that both the 2017 and 2018 fourth quarters and full years had the same number of selling days in the US and Canada, respectively. Starting with Industrial's financial performance, in the fourth quarter, revenue increased 11.9% on a GAAP basis and 12.1% on an average daily sales constant currency basis over Q4 of last year. Revenue was $217.7 million with growth in the US of 11.4%, while Canada delivered its eighth consecutive quarter of strong double-digit gains, generating revenue growth of over 29% in local currency.

Revenue performance was broad based across product categories, with growth led by many of the newer product lines we have invested in over the past several years. We also had growth across all of our sales channels, specifically managed sales where we are benefiting from increased productivity, supported by the implementation of a new sales force training program in 2018.

Industrial's gross profit for the quarter increased to $73 million, up from $65.3 million last year. Gross margin was 33.5%, essentially flat to the prior year, reflecting continued positive product margin, which was offset by freight pressures both domestically and through ocean freight surcharges, which we noted on our third quarter call. Ocean freight surcharges were lifted in January of 2019 and we anticipate that this impact will stabilize over time.

Selling, distribution and administrative spending for the quarter was $53.6 million, a 160 basis point improvement as a percentage of sales from last year. This improvement of SG&A leverage was primarily the result of certain one-time items incurred in the period. In the fourth quarter, a net gain of $3.1 million was recorded related to the settlement of previously disclosed state audits, partially offset by an impairment charge against certain intangible assets.

In addition, we had cost structure increases within our distribution centers due to increased labor costs associated with both the compensation rate increases and increased staffing levels in efforts to support demand of our in-stock items. Efforts to improve efficiencies are ongoing and should drive improved service levels across our distribution network and generate positive operating leverage over time. We remain disciplined in the management of our marketing spend and general operating expenses, and are focused on driving leverage within our fixed cost structure.

Within Industrial, on a GAAP basis, operating income was $19.4 million. Excluding recurring and non-recurring adjustments, operating income for the quarter was $16.6 million on a non-GAAP basis, an increase of 12.9%; and operating margin was 7.6%, flat from the fourth quarter of 2017.

As a reminder, we have historically generated our highest margins in the third quarter followed by the second, first and then fourth. While we were pleased with the margin performance in 2018 overall, we did not experience the operating leverage we were targeting in the fourth quarter, specifically across our distribution network.

We continue to believe there is an opportunity to drive operating and productivity efficiencies across the business and enhance long-term profitability. This is a key focus area for 2019 and beyond. Tariff impact was minimal in the fourth quarter. We continue to believe the timing in extent of any financial impact will be gradual as we sell through existing inventory, purchase prior to the incremental tariff and possibly shift certain products to alternative sources when the opportunity exists. We've remained proactive in our efforts to address any tariff impact.

Total depreciation and amortization expense in the quarter was approximately $3 million, reflecting the accelerated amortization expense noted earlier in my comments associated with the impairment of certain abandoned intangible assets. Total 2018 capital expenditures for Industrial business was $4.5 million. In 2019, we expect capital expenditures in the range of $8 million to $12 million.

We currently anticipate an expansion of our distribution footprint in the second half of 2019, which likely will include opening a new distribution center. This new facility would allow us to drive service level improvements, be closer to our customers and provide a bit additional capacity to expand sales of our high-margin in-stock goods, in line with our organic growth strategy.

Within our Corporate and Other segment, 2018 SG&A spending in the quarter increased to $5.5 million. This spend included $1 million of incremental accrued expenses related to our previously announced CEO transition plan. This expense will be cash flowed over the second half of 2019 through the first half of 2020. In addition, we anticipate an additional $1 million non-cash charges in 2019 and beyond associated with the modification of certain equity arrangements with our former CEO.

Let me now turn to our balance sheet. We've had a very strong and liquid balance sheet with a current ratio of 1.3 to 1. As of December 31st, we had over $295 million in cash and cash equivalents, essentially no debt, and over $117 million of working capital. Further, we have approximately $71 million of excess availability under our $75 million credit agreement.

Our cash position at year-end does not reflect payment of our special dividend of $6.50 per share, which was payable on January 3rd, 2019. This dividend resulted in a total cash outlay of over $243 million, and was essentially funded by the sale of our France operations in September, which generated gross proceeds of $270 million.

The strength of our balance sheet allows us to continue to invest in our growth opportunities, explore strategic M&A and return capital to shareholders. As a result, our Board of Directors has increased our quarterly dividend to $0.12 per share of common stock and we anticipate continuing a regular quarterly dividend in the future. In addition, we continue to maintain the share repurchase program with the remaining repurchase authorization of approximately 1.8 million shares.

This concludes our prepared remarks. If you have any questions about fourth quarter 2018 earnings, please contact Mike Smargiassi at The Plunkett Group, our Investor and Media Relations Advisor or Systemax directly. Contact information can be found on the earnings release issued earlier today. Thank you for your continued interest in Systemax.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, the conference has concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect your line.

Duration: 13 minutes

Call participants:

Mike Smargiassi -- Founding Partner

Barry Litwin -- Chief Executive Officer

Tex Clark -- Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

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This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Exact Sciences Hit a Home Run in Q4. Here's Why Sales Could Soon Soar Even More.

Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS) appears to be at the cusp of reaching an all-time high level for its stock. The company reported fantastic fourth-quarter results after the market closed on Thursday.

Revenue soared 71% year over year. And although Exact Sciences still isn't profitable, its Q4 loss beat Wall Street expectations. The stock's jump of more than 8% in intraday trading on Friday wasn't surprising at all after Exact Sciences' strong performance.

But Exact Sciences' sales for its Cologuard DNA test for colon cancer are likely to soar even more in the near future. Here are three key reasons why. 

Cologuard DNA colorectal cancer test packaging and instructions

Image source: Exact Sciences.

1. Help from a big friend

One of the few negatives in Exact Sciences' Q4 results was that operating expenses were slightly higher than expected. However, there was a really good reason behind the higher costs.

Exact Sciences CFO Jeff Elliott said in the company's Q4 conference call that operating expenses were a little higher than anticipated because of added payments to Pfizer (NYSE:PFE). But those payments to Pfizer stemmed from a boost to Cologuard sales resulting from the two companies' partnership.

The relationship with Pfizer has gotten off to such a great start that Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy said his company's first priority for 2019 was to "power our partnership with Pfizer." In particular, Conroy stated that Exact Sciences and Pfizer plan to aggressively focus on large health systems and reaching OB-GYNs.

Conroy noted that more than half of the primary care physicians in the U.S. are either employed by or affiliated with large health systems. Targeting these large systems will take time, but over the long run the focus from Exact Sciences and Pfizer should pay off in higher sales for Cologuard.

Exact Sciences' sales team hasn't called on OB-GYNs in the past. But around 4,000 of these specialists have ordered Cologuard. Cancer screening is something OB-GYNs frequently discuss with women during their visits, and Exact Sciences and Pfizer plan to expand their outreach to the 30,000-plus OB-GYNs in the United States.

2. A greater focus on customer care 

You might not think customer support staff would boost sales. But that's exactly what Exact Sciences' customer care team does.

Elliott said in the Q4 conference call that the company's data shows that its "customer care efforts nearly doubled the compliance rate for Cologuard" last year. The compliance rate is the measure of how often patients complete their Cologuard tests and send the tests in to be analyzed. Exact Sciences' customer care team follows up with patients through emails, phone calls, text messages, and letters, and sometimes they even use incentives such as gift cards.

These efforts pay off. Exact Sciences can only bill payers for tests that have been completed. The company plans to grow its customer care team in 2019, a move that Elliot says offers "a very attractive return on investment." 

3. New label, new products

Exact Sciences thinks an additional addressable market of close to $4 billion could be just around the corner. The company estimates that securing a label expansion for Cologuard to be used for people aged 45 through 49 would open up another $4 billion market opportunity. It's currently approved only for ages 50 to 85.

The American Cancer Society changed its guidelines for colon cancer screening last year. Instead of beginning screening at age 50, the organization now recommends that screenings begin at 45 for average-risk patients.

Conroy said Exact Sciences has already met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about expanding the label for Cologuard to lower the minimum age to 45. The company expects to submit its application for FDA approval of this label expansion in the first half of this year. If all goes well, Exact Sciences should be able to begin marketing Cologuard to younger ages beginning in the first half of 2020.

The company is also working with the Mayo Clinic on a new version of Cologuard. This new version, dubbed "Cologuard 2.0," could improve the sensitivity and specificity of the DNA test and help lower the cost of goods. Exact Sciences thinks the product could boost U.S. sales by at least 5% to 10%. It will probably be a few years before the new version could reach the market, though.

And a potential game changer

Exact Sciences' efforts related to promoting Cologuard should allow the company to increase its revenue considerably over the next several years. However, the company also has a potential game-changer in development.

Conroy listed advancing the company's liquid biopsy program as another top priority for Exact Sciences. Liquid biopsies are blood tests that allow multiple types of cancer to be detected at very early stages.

Exact Sciences and Mayo Clinic are developing liquid biopsy tests for the early detection and diagnosis of the top 15 types of cancer. So far, the team has identified biomarkers -- substances in the blood or tissue that point to the presence of cancer -- for 13 of these cancers.

The top focus right now is on developing a more accurate test for liver cancer testing. Exact Sciences has made solid progress on this front and expects to begin enrollment in a clinical study in March that matches its liquid biopsy up against the current standard of care for liver cancer screening -- ultrasound with an alpha-fetoprotein test.

Some analysts think liquid biopsy will be a $13 billion market by 2030. Others project that global liquid biopsy market could even reach $100 billion in the future. Either way, success for Exact Sciences in this arena opens up a much larger opportunity for a company that already has great growth prospects.

Monday, February 25, 2019

Soybean prices to trade sideways to lower: Angel Commodities


Angel Commodities' report on Soybean


NCDEX Mar Soybean futures closed for the 5th consecutive week amid profit booking by the market participants on higher off-season arrivals and higher production forecasts. As per latest press release by SOPA, India's soybean output is higher by38% at114.8 lakh tonnes this year due to increase in average yield across the country. Demand for Indian soy meal is growing from Europe and West Asia while Iranis emerging as one of the largest buyers. Soy meal exports up by 98% on year in January to 210,166 tonne, as per SEA press release. Overall, Soy meal exports are higher by 16% at 10.66 lakh tonnes for the Apr-Jan period compared to last year. Soy meal exports from India are expected to rise 25% on year to around 15 lakh tn in 2018-19 (Apr-Mar).


Outlook


Soybean futures expected to trade sideways to lower on expectation of more correction. However, reports of lower soy oil imports which may need higher crushing in coming weeks.


For all commodities report, click here


Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More First Published on Feb 25, 2019 12:41 pm

Friday, February 22, 2019

William G. Bock Sells 4,000 Shares of Sailpoint Technologies Holdings Inc (SAIL) Stock

Sailpoint Technologies Holdings Inc (NYSE:SAIL) Director William G. Bock sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.00, for a total transaction of $128,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

SAIL stock opened at $30.59 on Thursday. Sailpoint Technologies Holdings Inc has a 52 week low of $17.16 and a 52 week high of $34.60. The firm has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 224.86 and a beta of 1.78.

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A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. lifted its position in Sailpoint Technologies by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management & Equity Research Inc. now owns 81,073 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,904,000 after purchasing an additional 970 shares during the last quarter. Brinker Capital Inc. lifted its position in Sailpoint Technologies by 10.1% during the fourth quarter. Brinker Capital Inc. now owns 23,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after purchasing an additional 2,129 shares during the last quarter. Quantamental Technologies LLC bought a new position in Sailpoint Technologies during the fourth quarter valued at $68,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Sailpoint Technologies during the third quarter valued at $106,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its position in Sailpoint Technologies by 9.9% during the fourth quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 37,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $883,000 after purchasing an additional 3,395 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.88% of the company’s stock.

SAIL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Sailpoint Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, December 14th. Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Sailpoint Technologies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $32.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Monday, November 12th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt initiated coverage on shares of Sailpoint Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, January 2nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $30.00 target price for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $31.29.

WARNING: This story was reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this story on another website, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of US and international copyright & trademark legislation. The original version of this story can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4167881/william-g-bock-sells-4000-shares-of-sailpoint-technologies-holdings-inc-sail-stock.html.

About Sailpoint Technologies

SailPoint Technologies Holdings, Inc designs, develops, and markets identity governance software solutions in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers on-premises software and cloud-based solutions, which empower organizations to govern the digital identities of employees, contractors, business partners, and other users, as well as manage their constantly changing access rights to enterprise applications and data across hybrid IT environments.

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Insider Buying and Selling by Quarter for Sailpoint Technologies (NYSE:SAIL)

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Eric Andersen Sells 5,000 Shares of Aon PLC (AON) Stock

Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) insider Eric Andersen sold 5,000 shares of AON stock in a transaction on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.39, for a total value of $711,950.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 67,320 shares in the company, valued at $9,585,694.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Shares of AON opened at $172.80 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.18, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.64. Aon PLC has a 1 year low of $134.82 and a 1 year high of $173.53.

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AON (NYSE:AON) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 1st. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $2.13 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. AON had a return on equity of 43.49% and a net margin of 10.53%. The business’s revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.35 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Aon PLC will post 9.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 1st were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 31st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.93%. AON’s payout ratio is presently 19.61%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in AON during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Berman Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in AON during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in AON by 14,228.3% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 3,840,266 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 3,813,464 shares in the last quarter. Sontag Advisory LLC purchased a new position in AON during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, YorkBridge Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in AON by 1,875.0% during the fourth quarter. YorkBridge Wealth Partners LLC now owns 316 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.24% of the company’s stock.

A number of brokerages recently commented on AON. Wells Fargo & Co lifted their price target on AON from $165.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 13th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded AON from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $157.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, December 31st. Barclays lifted their price target on AON from $138.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, November 12th. Sandler O’Neill upgraded AON from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 29th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group lowered AON from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $171.00 to $163.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 8th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. AON currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $169.10.

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About AON

Aon plc provides risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resource consulting and outsourcing services worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Risk Solutions and HR Solutions. The Risk Solutions segment offers retail brokerage services, including affinity products, managing general underwriting, placement, captive management services, and data and analytics; risk management solutions for property liability, general liability, professional liability, directors' and officers' liability, transaction liability, cyber liability, workers' compensation, and various healthcare products; and health and benefits consulting services comprising structuring, funding, and administering employee benefit programs.

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Insider Buying and Selling by Quarter for AON (NYSE:AON)

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

HomeSign Acquisition Will Help Dropbox Expand Business Segment

Dropbox (NASDAQ:DBX) recently bought e-signature and document-workflow specialist HelloSign for $230 million cash. Some analysts said the purchase price was on the high side, because only 18 months ago the company had raised just $16 million in a round of financing. But because the acquisition should help catapult the document-storage leader's efforts to attract small, medium, and enterprise-level customers, it may end up being a bargain.

The e-signature space is competitive, with HelloSign going up against the likes of industry giants DocuSign and Adobe. But HelloSign has attracted over 80,000 paying customers worldwide, including Lyft, Instacart, and Samsung. They use its services to help onboard new employees and improve corporate document-sharing.

Instacart employee agreement via HelloSign on a mobile phone

Image source: HelloSign.

One of the advantages of HelloSign, however, is its willingness to create a white-label service to allow customers to integrate its product features under their own branding. One big-name company doing this is Oracle, with HelloSign's e-signature capabilities. And extensions to existing platforms like Alphabet's Gmail and Microsoft's OneDrive make its utility available to everyone. The public is also able to use HelloSign's "freemium" model to make up to three document transactions (signatures, or signature requests) per month for free; this has attracted millions of users.

Sign on the dotted line

While the e-signature business is useful for Dropbox in its efforts to attract more commercial customers, the acquisition cost alone wouldn't have been worth it if that was all HelloSign offered. HelloSign's workflow application, HelloWorks, is the real reason Dropbox saw it as an attractive purchase.

Online documentation has typically centered around the portable document format (PDF), a file format created by Adobe. But HelloSign is essentially trying to eliminate that by automatically syncing the data and e-signatures within a file to a company's back-end systems.

It does so by creating unique input forms that query a user initially, but ultimately minimizes the amount of manual data entry the user is required to perform. Enter data once, and HelloWorks populates that information throughout a document where needed on successive uses. HelloSign says this feature is especially useful on mobile devices, where interactive PDFs are a challenge.

Such services also would be particularly helpful in situations like insurance claims, mortgage applications, real estate closings, and employee onboarding. HelloSign originally began as virtual faxing service HelloFax, and still offers faxing capabilities.

Shortening the distance between employer and employee

Dropbox is counting on these capabilities to help it grow its commercial document business. Long popular with consumers looking for a place to store documents, photos, and more, Dropbox has set its sights on business for its next leg of growth. To do well, it needed a point of differentiation to separate it from a field crowded with Alphabet, Microsoft, Box, and EMC, all of which are also targeting enterprise-level customers.

Because the workforce in many companies is increasingly decentralized, and collaboration tools between workers and companies has not kept up, HelloSign could help Dropbox bring spreadout workers closer together. The e-signature business may pay for the acquisition cost alone, with the workflow segment being the strategic profit driver for the future.

Dropbox and HelloSign already have a shared history, as the latter was one of the companies involved in the launch of Dropbox's Extensions, which enabled the cloud storage service to offer tools that helped users work with other products. While e-signatures from HelloSign (and DocuSign and Adobe) were included, the tools were further extended to allow editing of video in Vimeo, images in Pixlr, PDFs in Smallpdf, and DWG files and drawings in AutoDesk's namesake app.

Key investment takeaway

Physical signatures are still a requirement in many places, but e-signatures are becoming much more commonplace. Buying HelloSign will enable Dropbox to meet the growing demand while luring more businesses to its platform.

Adding more functionality to its service should help Dropbox grow revenue per user at the same time it converts more free users to paying ones. Dropbox is most readily recognized as a consumer application, causing it to be ignored as a viable business tool. The HelloSign acquisition will help resolve this issue and associate Dropbox more closely with the enterprise market.

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Natus Has Some Growing Up to Do

Natus Medical (NASDAQ:BABY) posted solid fourth-quarter revenue, which slightly beat the guidance management gave last quarter. Granted, it was a jump over a lowered bar, but the $530.9 million in revenue for the year fell smack in the middle of the old guidance of $525 million to $535 million.

The picture for the bottom line wasn't as pretty. The company was shooting for adjusted earnings of $1.47 to $1.50 per share for the year, which actually came in at $1.42 per share. Investors were none too thrilled, especially given the outlook for the year ahead.

Natus Medical results: The raw numbers

Metric

Q4 2018

Q4 2017

Year-Over-Year Change

Revenue

$141.0 million

$131.4 million

7.3%

Income from operations

($15.1 million)

$5.1 million

N/A

Earnings per share (EPS)

($0.35)

($0.22)

N/A

Adjusted EPS

$0.43

$0.42

2.4%

Data source: Natus Medical.

What happened with Natus Medical this quarter? Revenue from the neuro business, which makes up about half of total revenue, increased 7.7%, driven by sales of neurodiagnostic products. Sales from Otometrics, the company's hearing-aid business that makes up a quarter of revenue, was up 25%. The launch of Otoscan, a machine that scans the inside of the ear to create a digital image for fitting hearing aids, is going well, with shipment of machines doubling quarter over quarter. The company now has 180 devices in the field. Revenue from the newborn care unit, which makes up the final quarter of sales, dragged down overall revenue with an 8.6% decline. The Peloton service, where the company performs newborn hearing tests for hospitals, continues to struggle, as did some newborn vision products. The company is exiting its NeuroCom Balance product line and its ambulatory EEG video service called Global Neurodiagnostics (GND). Neither was expected to be profitable this year, so while it'll hurt the revenue line, it should help earnings. The adjusted earnings miss came from a decrease in adjusted gross margin for the fourth quarter, which was down 2.2 percentage points, to 58.2%. Management blamed increased manufacturing overhead, inventory reserves, and warranty expense for Otometrics products for the decrease in gross margin. Mom attached to monitoring machine holding a newborn in a hospital bed.

Image source: Getty Images.

What management had to say

Natus' president and CEO Jonathan Kennedy explained the benefits of the company's restructuring to bring its business units together in an initiative dubbed One Natus:

We expect to benefit during the full year of 2019 of approximately $4 million as a direct result of immediate efficiencies gained through the One Natus initiative and additional ongoing annual benefits beyond 2019 that allow us to achieve an intermediate target model of 15% to 17% non-GAAP operating margin. For 2019, we expect operating margin improvement to be visible beginning in the second quarter, but most of the annual benefits to be reported during the second half.

Looking forward

Management issued 2019 revenue guidance for between $490 million and $510 million in sales, which is substantially below the $530.9 million from last year. About $19 million of the difference is due to the exit of GND and NeuroCom businesses, and there's $6 million in sales of newborn-care products that are ready to be retired. But Natus also expects there will be about $13.7 million in declines of sales of other products this year, which will be partially offset by $7.2 million in growth of other products like the Otoscan.

On the bottom line, management thinks adjusted earnings per share will fall between $1.12 and $1.49, which is a pretty wide margin. At the top end, it would signify substantial expansion of margins, given the declining revenue, a clear sign going into 2020. At the bottom end, it's a substantial drop from last year's $1.42 per share.

Either way, it's clear 2019 is going to be a rebuilding year for Natus Medical.

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:PSCD,NSRGF,TEX,j,SAR, I'm in my early 60s and have about $400,000 in savings. I tend to stick to bank money-market accounts and CDs, as I was scammed in the past. What's the safest way for me to invest this money?--Maria

Your urge to play it safe is perfectly understandable. You already know from bitter experience that there are people out there who prey on inexperienced (or even experienced) investors by conning them outright or putting them into investments that may be inappropriate for their situation, and expensive to boot.

Such conduct aside, the financial markets in and of themselves can be scary, even when you're limiting yourself to perfectly legitimate investments. Even though the stock market's been going gangbusters since rebounding from the financial crisis some eight and a half years ago and has been hitting new records of late, at some point stock prices will tumble big time, as they have many times in the past.

Bonds aren't as volatile as stocks, but they too are somewhat vulnerable in that bond prices go down when interest rates go up (although as with stock setbacks, no one knows for sure when or how much bond yields will rise).

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PowerShares S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary Portfolio(PSCD)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Max Byerly]

    Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary ETF (NASDAQ:PSCD) by 0.9% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 815,500 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,884 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned 0.47% of Invesco S&P SmallCap Consumer Discretionary ETF worth $53,700,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Nestlé S.A. (NSRGF)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By ]

    A year ago July, I recommended ASBFY a BUY along with Nestlé (OTCPK: NSRGY) (OTCPK: NSRGF). Briefly, ASBFY is

    A diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of more than $32.6B operating in 50 countries on six continents Owner of brands including Mazola, Karo Syrup, Fleischmann Yeast, Durkee, Twinings Ovaltine, Tip Top Bakeries and more A huge producer of sugar and bioethanol fuels from China to Spain, and Africa's largest sugar producer with factories in six countries A supplier of products and tech services to farmers, feed and food manufacturers, processors and retailers A producer of yeast and bakery ingredients operating plants in 32 countries and selling into 92 countries, plus it manufactures and markets enzymes, lipids, yeast extracts, and cereal specialties Primark is the ASBFY signature fashion chain with more than 300 stores in the UK and across Europe that bolsters ASBFY by accounting for half the company's revenue and profit. Share Price Slump Is An Opportunity

    Shares last July were selling in the $39 range, rose to $45 close to November 2017, then began a slow but steady slide downhill opening August '18 at just above $31. July 5, '18 ASBFY announced "group revenue from continuing businesses for the 40 weeks ended 23 June 2018 was 3% ahead of the same period last year at constant currency and 2% ahead at actual exchange rates. Excluding Sugar, sales growth the developed from continuing businesses was 6% ahead of last year at constant currency and 5% ahead at actual exchange rates." The grocery business pushed ahead 4% in the quarter with margins expected to increase for the full year. Ingredients revenue was up 4% and revenue from agriculture in the third quarter was +12% ahead of last year. Sales at Primark were +6% as sales space expanded.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Terex Corporation(TEX)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    All year long, Terex (NYSE:TEX) stock has been pacing the S&P 500's performance -- and even leading it a bit, up 15% to the market's 14% gain. Today, shares are moving in and out of negative territory.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Terex (NYSE:TEX) was downgraded by research analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    Shares of Terex Corporation (NYSE:TEX) closed 10.1% lower on Wednesday, even as the construction equipment maker reported Q2 earnings that met or exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

  • [By Lee Samaha]

    Shares in construction equipment company Terex Corporation (NYSE:TEX) fell 12.2% in August, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Since most of the fall occurred in the immediate aftermath of the second-quarter earnings report, which came out on the last day of July, it's reasonable to conclude that investors didn't like something about Terex's presentation.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Fisher(j)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Joincoin (J) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Multiple hashing algorithm. Its launch date was August 13th, 2014. Joincoin’s total supply is 3,173,702 coins. Joincoin’s official website is bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=737405.0. Joincoin’s official Twitter account is @Joincoin_Team.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 12.5% higher against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 10:00 AM ET on September 30th. Joincoin has a market cap of $98,508.00 and $17.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Joincoin coin can now be bought for $0.0309 or 0.00000467 BTC on popular exchanges. During the last seven days, Joincoin has traded 8.2% lower against the dollar.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 17.5% lower against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 17:00 PM ET on June 2nd. Over the last seven days, Joincoin has traded down 4.4% against the U.S. dollar. One Joincoin coin can now be purchased for $0.0862 or 0.00001129 BTC on major exchanges. Joincoin has a market capitalization of $267,889.00 and approximately $123.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 1.7% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM ET on May 8th. Joincoin has a total market cap of $145,714.00 and $7.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, Joincoin has traded up 28.6% against the U.S. dollar. One Joincoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0471 or 0.00000521 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Joincoin (CURRENCY:J) traded 22.3% higher against the dollar during the 1 day period ending at 9:00 AM E.T. on October 2nd. Joincoin has a total market capitalization of $95,205.00 and $22.00 worth of Joincoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, Joincoin has traded 6.1% lower against the dollar. One Joincoin coin can now be bought for approximately $0.0299 or 0.00000456 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Saratoga Investment Corp(SAR)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Saratoga Investment (SAR)

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

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Saratoga Investment (SAR)

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

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    ValuEngine downgraded shares of Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Wednesday.

    A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. National Securities reiterated a neutral rating and set a $24.00 price target (up from $23.00) on shares of Saratoga Investment in a research note on Friday, January 12th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Saratoga Investment from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, March 2nd. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on shares of Saratoga Investment in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. They set a buy rating and a $23.50 price target on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Saratoga Investment presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $24.38.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Headlines about Saratoga Investment (NYSE:SAR) have been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern rates the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Saratoga Investment earned a daily sentiment score of 0.17 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 45.4912059514825 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

Friday, February 15, 2019

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $164,000 Holdings in South Jersey Industries Inc (SJI)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries Inc (NYSE:SJI) by 16.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,888 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 841 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in South Jersey Industries were worth $164,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,476,797 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $49,428,000 after acquiring an additional 53,211 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries by 79.9% during the 2nd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,725,457 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $124,692,000 after acquiring an additional 1,655,127 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,064,690 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $35,635,000 after acquiring an additional 86,383 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 14,021 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $469,000 after acquiring an additional 1,536 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aperio Group LLC boosted its stake in South Jersey Industries by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Aperio Group LLC now owns 65,218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,300,000 after acquiring an additional 4,479 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.63% of the company’s stock.

Get South Jersey Industries alerts:

In other news, Chairman Walter M. Higgins bought 4,546 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $30.21 per share, with a total value of $137,334.66. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman now owns 37,783 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,141,424.43. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Michael J. Renna bought 3,270 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $30.55 per share, with a total value of $99,898.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 61,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,870,668.15. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought 8,216 shares of company stock worth $248,733 over the last quarter. 0.64% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of NYSE SJI traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $30.48. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,849 shares, compared to its average volume of 621,944. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. South Jersey Industries Inc has a fifty-two week low of $25.96 and a fifty-two week high of $36.72. The company has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a PE ratio of 24.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.80.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on SJI shares. ValuEngine raised shares of South Jersey Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 20th. Williams Capital dropped their target price on shares of South Jersey Industries from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 29th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of South Jersey Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of South Jersey Industries from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co restated a “market perform” rating and set a $31.00 target price on shares of South Jersey Industries in a report on Tuesday, October 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.83.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $164,000 Holdings in South Jersey Industries Inc (SJI)” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this story on another publication, it was copied illegally and reposted in violation of international trademark & copyright law. The legal version of this story can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4151096/zurcher-kantonalbank-zurich-cantonalbank-has-164000-holdings-in-south-jersey-industries-inc-sji.html.

About South Jersey Industries

South Jersey Industries, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides energy-related products and services. The company engages in the purchase, transmission, and sale of natural gas. It also sells natural gas and pipeline transportation capacity on a wholesale basis to residential, commercial, and industrial customers on the interstate pipeline system, as well as transports natural gas, which is purchased directly from producers or suppliers to their customers.

Featured Story: What is the Quick Ratio?

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SJI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for South Jersey Industries Inc (NYSE:SJI).

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI)

Huge Johnson & Johnson Acquisition Targets Robotics

On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) announced that its subsidiary, Ethicon, had entered a definitive agreement to acquire Auris Health, a robotic technology firm, initially focused on lung cancer.

Management believes this acquisition will accelerate Johnson & Johnson’s entry into robotics, with potential for growth and expansion into other interventional applications.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ethicon is acquiring Auris for approximately $3.4 billion in cash. Additional contingent payments of up to $2.35 billion, in the aggregate, may be payable upon reaching certain predetermined milestones.

Johnson & Johnson is creating a connected digital ecosystem centered around using data to improve patient outcomes that leverages world-class robotic technology. This ecosystem will empower patients to take charge of their health, guide surgeons through procedures and help them advance their skills and enable health care systems to deliver more consistent procedures while also managing costs.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2019.

Ashley McEvoy, executive vice president and worldwide chair of Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices unit, commented:

In this new era of health care, we’re aiming to simplify surgery, drive efficiency, reduce complications and improve outcomes for patients, ultimately making surgery safer. We believe the combination of best-in-class robotics, advanced instrumentation and unparalleled end-to-end connectivity will make a meaningful difference in patient outcomes.

Shares of Johnson & Johnson were last seen trading at $134.61, in a 52-week range of $118.62 to $148.99. The consensus analyst price target is $144.22.

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The 15 Best Dividend Stocks for Retirees to Own

Thursday, February 14, 2019

4 Reasons Investors Should Buy Snap Stock Instead of Facebook Stock

The fastest way to make a great deal of money with stocks is to invest in an up-and-coming name that’s not yet getting a great deal of respect from the Street. I would argue that Snap (NYSE: SNAP) is definitely in that category, despite the 50%-plus run-up in SNAP stock this year.

Conversely, the risk-reward ratio of large, well-established companies whose growth has likely peaked isn’t too high. Even in the unlikely event that such a company manages to find a way to accelerate its growth, the stock probably won’t rise nearly as much as one that defies the Street’s forecast. On the other hand, the well-established company’s stock will see a significant drop if its growth slows more than the Street’s expectation. I believe that Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is this latter type of company.

Here are my four reasons for a bullish view on Snap stock and my bearish outlook on Facebook stock.

#1: Bottom Line Growth

Simply put, Snap’s bottom line growth is accelerating while Facebook’s is headed in the opposite direction.

Facebook’s income from operations rose a paltry 6.4% year-over-year last quarter, down from 61% growth in the fourth quarter of 2017. Meanwhile, Snap’s adjusted EBITDA surged by $109 million YoY last quarter, versus a $41 million improvement in Q3. In Q4 2017, SNAP reported that its EBITDA tumbled by $38 million YoY.

Clearly, SNAP — and SNAP stock — look poised to benefit from accelerating profit growth, while Facebook stock is being weighed down by a slowing bottom line.

#2: Multiple Initiatives Are Boosting SNAP Stock

Viewership of Snap’s original TV shows appears to be growing quickly, as a large share of Snap’s audience likes at least some of the website’s shows.

More than 40% of the people who caught an episode of the new Snap show The Dead Girls Detective Agency went on to watch the entire season. Management also told Q4 conference call participants that the animated Bitmoji Stories reached more than 40 million viewers in December. In sum, the number of people watching marketers’ shows on Snapchat jumped 30% year-over-year, with 25 million-35 million people watching NBC News’ show on Snapchat.

I interpret these statistics as evidence that SNAP’s shows are quite sticky. That stickiness is improving the platform’s user metrics, causing its bottom line to accelerate rapidly.

On the other hand, even FB CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that for the last couple of years, the company has focused primarily on social issues like election integrity, content governance, safety and security, and data privacy. All of those initiatives represent defensive reactions by Facebook to its past mistakes rather than efforts that can really improve its bottom line and boost FB stock in the process. Although Zuckerberg indicated that the social network would pivot this year to more ambitious, offense initiatives, he wasn’t very specific about them and none of them seemed groundbreaking.

#3: SNAP Stock is Hotter Than FB Stock

Facebook stock has jumped 33% since its Christmas Eve lows and about 10% since its Q4 earnings report. But SNAP stock has positively been on fire, soaring nearly 80% since Dec. 24 and climbing close to 30% in the wake of its earnings report last week. Sometimes in investing, it pays to go with the momentum, and this feels like one of those times.

#4: SNAP Stock’s Strong, Built-In Positive Catalyst

As I’ve noted in the past, SNAP stock should benefit from higher revenue as its young fans get older. That’s because, as they mature, they will get jobs and make money, becoming much more attractive to advertisers.

There were multiple indications in Snap’s Q4 results of this phenomenon. Specifically, the company’s average revenue per user (ARPU) jumped 37% YoY, indicating that advertisers are indeed paying much more for each of Snap’s users. The phenomenon is likely also partly responsible for the dramatic jump in Snap’s gross margin, which surged to a record 48% last quarter, versus 36% in the same period a year earlier.

Bottom Line on SNAP Stock

Additionally, SNAP cited an endorsement from Procter & Gamble’s (NYSE:PG) head of digital partnerships, Craig Stimmel: “To continue driving growth across our businesses, it is critical to connect with Gen Z and Millennials; Snapchat has been an important part in that strategy.” Many advertisers are going to be willing to pay more to connect with members of Gen Z and with millennials as their net worth increases.

SNAP and SNAP stock should continue to benefit from that trend. FB and Facebook stock will not benefit nearly as much from the trend because U.S. millennials and Gen Z make up a much smaller portion of its audience than Snapchat’s.

As of this writing, Larry Ramer did not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:FORM,PRGS,FMC,

Investing in high-quality dividend stocks is one of the world's most effective ways to generate wealth over the long term. But not all dividend stocks are created equal, and it can be difficult to determine whether the payouts with particularly high yields are sustainable.

So to help get you started, we asked three top Motley Fool investors to each pick a stock with an annual dividend yield of at least 5%. Read on to learn why they like Oaktree Capital (NYSE:OAK), Ford Motor (NYSE:F), and Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN).

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Going against the grain

Steve Symington (Oaktree Capital): It's no mystery that strategically going against the grain can yield superior investment returns. But as an industry leader in alternative investment management, including distressed debt, convertible securities, and high-yield bonds, to name a few, that's why I think Oaktree Capital is poised to do just that.

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2019: FormFactor, Inc.(FORM)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on FormFactor (FORM)

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

  • [By Motley Fool Transcription]

    FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ:FORM)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 6, 2019, 4:30 p.m. ET

    Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks:

    Operator

  • [By Brian Feroldi]

    FormFactor (NASDAQ:FORM), which manufactures testing equipment for semiconductor components, reported its second-quarter results on Wednesday, and as expected, the company posted year-over-year declines in revenue and profits. However, the declines were not as bad as management had projected. Margins also held up well during the trying period. Traders bid up the stock in response to the better-than-expected quarterly results and on the hope that the bottom is in the rearview mirror.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ:FORM) by 12.1% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,884,057 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after buying an additional 203,451 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in FormFactor were worth $25,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ:FORM) – Equities researchers at B. Riley dropped their FY2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for FormFactor in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, July 30th. B. Riley analyst C. Ellis now anticipates that the semiconductor company will post earnings of $0.74 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $0.98. B. Riley currently has a “Buy” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for FormFactor’s Q3 2019 earnings at $0.27 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.31 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.07 EPS.

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2019: Progress Software Corporation(PRGS)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Progress Software Corp (NASDAQ:PRGS) saw a large growth in short interest in September. As of September 14th, there was short interest totalling 1,252,744 shares, a growth of 39.0% from the August 31st total of 901,413 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 440,053 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Currently, 2.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

  • [By Garrett Baldwin]

    The secret to becoming a millionaire, of course, is getting out in front of a major investment trend before it becomes mainstream. In 2017, it was Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. But this year, it's a taboo investment that is creating millionaires all across North America. Tap into the "green rush," and prepare to become a "Marijuana millionaire." Learn how to get started right here.

    The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump is facing criticism after threatening to ramp up taxes on Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG). The iconic motorcycle producer said it will move parts of its production overseas in order to avoid tariffs from the European Union. Trump threatened to increase taxes on the firm. "Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse – be patient!" Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched a $7.5 billion takeover of the web-based hosting service GitHub. The acquisition, orchestrated by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, brought out critics who claim that GitHub lacks any real profit potential for Microsoft stock. Here's why those critics are wrong… and why MSFT is a buy. Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) has reversed its policy on cryptocurrency ads. The social media giant says that it will permit marketing from "pre-approved advisers." According to TechCrunch, the company will still ban ads pushing binary options and initial coin offerings. The report goes on to explain that cryptocurrency scams cost customers more than $500 million in just January and February 2018 alone. Four Stocks to Watch Today: ORCL, FB, GOOGL, BA Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) were largely flat despite a strong earnings report after the bell yesterday. The cloud computing giant reported EPS of $0.99
  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Progress Software Corp (NASDAQ:PRGS) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 775 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 1,170% compared to the typical daily volume of 61 put options.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    Shares of Progress Software Inc. (NASDAQ:PRGS) are plunging, down 16.7% as of 1:45 p.m. EDT, after the strategic business applications specialist announced mixed third-quarter 2018 results and reduced its full-year guidance.

Top Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2019: FMC Corporation(FMC)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Beth McKenna]

    We're going to compare how the lithium businesses of the three big producers that trade on a major U.S. stock exchange -- Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM), or SQM, and FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC). -- performed in the second quarter.

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Nexeo Solutions (NASDAQ: NXEO) and FMC (NYSE:FMC) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    FMC (NYSE:FMC) had its price objective decreased by Bank of America from $107.00 to $100.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

  • [By ]

    FMC Corp (FMC) : "I like the way it's bottoming and I think this level is good."

    Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment (PEI) : "I think this REIT is cheap and they can pay that dividend, so you can own it."

  • [By ]

    In the Lightning Round, Cramer was bullish on FMC Corp (FMC) , Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust  (PEI) , Cisco Systems (CSCO) , HP (HPQ) , BB&T Bank (BBT) and HCA Holdings (HCA) .

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Olin (NYSE: OLN) and FMC (NYSE:FMC) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Monday, February 11, 2019

SunTrust Banks Comments on Apollo Investment Corp.’s FY2019 Earnings (AINV)

Apollo Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AINV) – Investment analysts at SunTrust Banks lowered their FY2019 EPS estimates for shares of Apollo Investment in a research note issued on Wednesday, February 6th. SunTrust Banks analyst M. Hughes now expects that the asset manager will earn $1.81 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $1.82. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for Apollo Investment’s Q4 2019 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $0.47 EPS and Q4 2020 earnings at $0.49 EPS.

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A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on AINV. Raymond James increased their price target on Apollo Investment from $7.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 4th. Barclays increased their price target on Apollo Investment from $6.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 4th. National Securities restated a “neutral” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Apollo Investment in a research report on Thursday, November 1st. ValuEngine cut Apollo Investment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 5th. Finally, BidaskClub cut Apollo Investment from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.50.

Shares of AINV stock opened at $15.31 on Friday. Apollo Investment has a 52-week low of $12.05 and a 52-week high of $18.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.22.

Apollo Investment (NASDAQ:AINV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 6th. The asset manager reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.01). Apollo Investment had a return on equity of 9.25% and a net margin of 23.80%. The business had revenue of $64.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $64.31 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.16 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Apollo Investment in the third quarter worth about $116,000. Telemus Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apollo Investment by 1.5% in the third quarter. Telemus Capital LLC now owns 1,352,893 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $7,360,000 after purchasing an additional 19,493 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP bought a new stake in shares of Apollo Investment in the third quarter worth about $108,000. Rational Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Apollo Investment by 56.7% in the third quarter. Rational Advisors LLC now owns 183,980 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 66,540 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Koshinski Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Apollo Investment by 103.8% in the third quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 79,516 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $433,000 after purchasing an additional 40,502 shares during the last quarter.

Apollo Investment announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, February 6th that permits the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the asset manager to repurchase up to 4.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 21st will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.76%. This is a boost from Apollo Investment’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 20th. Apollo Investment’s payout ratio is 98.36%.

About Apollo Investment

Apollo Investment Corporation is business development company specializing in middle market companies. It provides direct equity capital, mezzanine and senior secured loans, unsecured debt, and subordinated debt and loans. It also seeks to invest in PIPES transactions. The fund may also invest in securities of public companies that are thinly traded and may acquire investments in the secondary market and structured products.

Further Reading: What are municipal bonds?

Earnings History and Estimates for Apollo Investment (NASDAQ:AINV)

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Here's Why AbbVie's Stock Tanked in January

What happened

Unlike the vast majority of biopharma stocks, AbbVie's (NYSE:ABBV) stock actually lost ground in January. The drugmaker's shares, in fact, fell by an unsightly 12.9% during the first month of the new year, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

What went wrong for this top biopharma last month? AbbVie's January swoon can be directly attributed to its disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report released on Jan. 25. 

Man in a suit facing a wall with a sea of white arrows all pointing in one direction, and a single, yellow arrow pointing in the opposite direction.

Image Source: Getty Images.

So what

Not only did the company miss consensus on revenue for the three-month period, but it also posted a loss of $1.23 per share on a GAAP basis due to a $4.1 billion impairment charge associated with the 2016 acquisition of Stemcentrx. AbbVie apparently decided to write-off this costly acquisition after Rova-T repeatedly failed to hit the mark as a later-line lung cancer treatment last year.

Topping it off, AbbVie also noted that international sales of its flagship anti-inflammatory medicine Humira fell by a whopping 14.8% year over year as a result of biosimilar competition in certain markets. This double-digit sales decline wasn't exactly a surprise by any means, but it does arguably mark the end of a particularly fruitful era for the company.  

Now what

Can AbbVie rebound after this weak start to the new year? Unfortunately, this blue chip biopharma seems destined to struggle this year. The core issue is that the biopharma's next-generation immunology drug candidates -- risankizumab and upadacitinib -- aren't expected to ramp up quickly enough to offset Humira's declining international sales this year.

On the bright side, AbbVie's fortunes are expected to change for the better as soon as 2020. Bargain hunters, therefore, might want to take advantage of this temporary lull to grab some shares of this top drugmaker.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:AI,BMRC,W,PRGX,STJ,IGF,FRSH,HMSY,VC,UNP, Steel suddenly looks sturdier, but orange juice could be spoiled.

President Trump's imposition of tariffs on imported steel and aluminum is expected to ripple through economy as foreign trading partners are likely to retaliate against American goods.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that Canada, Mexico and the European Union would be subject to a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum beginning at midnight Thursday.

The trade spat is expected to affect the prices paid by consumers and companies for everything ranging from new cars to certain alcoholic drinks.

For example, European retaliation against the U.S. is expected to target goods representing $4.4 billion in annual sales, according to Panjiva S&P Global Market Intelligence.

More: Trump imposes steel, aluminum tariffs on U.S. allies and Europe plans to retaliate

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Arlington Asset Investment Corp(AI)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    POLY AI (CURRENCY:AI) traded down 2.3% against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 22:00 PM Eastern on June 13th. POLY AI has a total market capitalization of $294.00 and approximately $702.00 worth of POLY AI was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, POLY AI has traded 37.6% lower against the U.S. dollar. One POLY AI token can now be purchased for about $0.0001 or 0.00000002 BTC on exchanges.

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Arlington Asset Investment Corp (NYSE:AI) insider J Rock Tonkel, Jr. bought 10,000 shares of Arlington Asset Investment stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $8.79 per share, for a total transaction of $87,900.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 359,115 shares in the company, valued at $3,156,620.85. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Arlington Asset Investment (NYSE: AI) and New Mountain Finance (NYSE:NMFC) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, valuation, earnings and institutional ownership.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Bank of Marin Bancorp(BMRC)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ: BMRC) and OFG Bancorp (NYSE:OFG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and earnings.

  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC)

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

  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    Media headlines about Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. The research firm ranks the sentiment of press coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Bank of Marin Bancorp earned a news sentiment score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news coverage about the bank an impact score of 46.5239093639876 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Shares of Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the six research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $75.67.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Wayfair Inc.(W)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Motley Fool Staff]

    Stock No. 4 is Wayfair (NYSE:W). Ticker symbol is W -- yep, that's right! It's basically an internet play that somehow scored one of the precious one-letter ticker symbols that are available out there. Wayfair, just W. Wayfair is a company that competes with Amazon, but not across all categories. Really, Wayfair is about furniture and furnishings. For example, maybe you have a child that's going to be moving into a dorm this coming fall. They might want a bed frame. You could order a bed from Wayfair for that child. The company does great e-commerce. It's hard to compete, if you're Amazon, with this company, because these are bigger things to ship, and Wayfair really specializes in that. 

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Miller Value Partners LLC cut its stake in Wayfair Inc (NYSE:W) by 33.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 430,095 shares of the company’s stock after selling 220,605 shares during the quarter. Wayfair comprises approximately 1.9% of Miller Value Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Miller Value Partners LLC owned approximately 0.48% of Wayfair worth $51,078,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

  • [By Chris Lange]

    When Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) reported its most recent quarterly results early on Thursday, the specialty retailer posted a net loss of $0.77 per share on $1.66 billion in revenue. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters had called for a net loss of $0.73 per share and revenue of $1.6 billion. In the second quarter of last year, Wayfair said it had a net loss of $0.26 per share and $1.12 billion in revenue.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: PRGX Global, Inc.(PRGX)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Joseph Griffin]

    PRGX Global (NASDAQ:PRGX) Director Matthew A. Drapkin purchased 35,766 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $9.64 per share, with a total value of $344,784.24. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    PRGX Global Inc (NASDAQ:PRGX) – Stock analysts at Barrington Research cut their Q3 2018 earnings estimates for PRGX Global in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, September 19th. Barrington Research analyst A. Paris. Jr now anticipates that the business services provider will post earnings of $0.04 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.07. Barrington Research has a “Buy” rating and a $13.00 price target on the stock. Barrington Research also issued estimates for PRGX Global’s FY2018 earnings at $0.09 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.28 EPS.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

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

    Get PRGX Global alerts: PRGX Global Inc (PRGX) Given $12.50 Average Target Price by Analysts (americanbankingnews.com) PRGX Global Inc (PRGX) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $46.33 Million (americanbankingnews.com) Edited Transcript of PRGX earnings conference call or presentation 9-Aug-18 9:00pm GMT (finance.yahoo.com) Analysts Anticipate PRGX Global Inc (PRGX) Will Announce Earnings of $0.04 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) Wednesday 8/22 Insider Buying Report: RIGL, PRGX (nasdaq.com)

    PRGX Global stock traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $9.50. 100,780 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 51,706. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.57. PRGX Global has a 1-year low of $6.45 and a 1-year high of $10.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.40 million, a P/E ratio of 45.24, a P/E/G ratio of 19.00 and a beta of 0.73.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    PRGX Global (NASDAQ:PRGX) had its price objective boosted by B. Riley from $11.00 to $12.00 in a research note published on Wednesday. They currently have a buy rating on the business services provider’s stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for PRGX Global’s Q2 2018 earnings at ($0.07) EPS, Q3 2018 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $0.27 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at ($0.12) EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at ($0.05) EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.17 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.32 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.33 EPS.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on PRGX Global (PRGX)

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

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: St. Jude Medical, Inc.(STJ)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Press coverage about St Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) has trended positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. St Jude Medical earned a news sentiment score of 0.26 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news coverage about the medical technology company an impact score of 47.0517782357178 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of St. James’s Place (LON:STJ) to a buy rating in a research report released on Thursday. They currently have GBX 1,430 ($19.19) target price on the stock, up from their prior target price of GBX 1,310 ($17.58).

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Media headlines about St Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) have been trending positive recently, according to Accern. Accern identifies positive and negative press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog 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. St Jude Medical earned a coverage optimism score of 0.26 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the medical technology company an impact score of 46.7237518599623 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: iShares Global Infrastructure (IGF)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sarah Priestley]

    And if you are an investor who prefers ETFs and mutual funds, there are a couple of options for you: iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (NASDAQ:IGF), and Lazard Global Listed Infrastructure (NASDAQMUTFUND:GLIFX). I would caution anybody to check the percentage of utilities that are within these baskets, just to check the utilities exposure. But, generally, not bad options to check out.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    First Allied Advisory Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of iShares S&P Global Infrastructure Index (BMV:IGF) by 28.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,883 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,560 shares during the quarter. First Allied Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in iShares S&P Global Infrastructure Index were worth $380,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Papa Murphy's Holdings, Inc.(FRSH)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Shane Hupp]

    Papa Murphy’s (NASDAQ:FRSH) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a sell rating to a hold rating. According to Zacks, “Papa Murphy’s Holdings Inc. operates as a franchisor and operator of the Take ‘N’ Bake pizza chain in the United States. The Company operates in three segments: Domestic Company Stores, Domestic Franchise and International. In addition to scratch-made pizzas, the company offers a growing menu of grab ‘n’ go items, including salads, sides and desserts. Papa Murphy’s Holdings Inc. is based in Vancouver, Washington. “

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Diversified Restaurant (NASDAQ: SAUC) and Papa Murphy’s (NASDAQ:FRSH) are both small-cap retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    Papa Murphy’s (NASDAQ:FRSH) was upgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: HMS Holdings Corp(HMSY)

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

    Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ:HMSY) by 344.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,200 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd.’s holdings in HMS were worth $173,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

  • [By Max Byerly]

    Stock analysts at Chardan Capital initiated coverage on shares of HMS (NASDAQ:HMSY) in a report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage set a “neutral” rating and a $35.00 price target on the business services provider’s stock. Chardan Capital’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 3.67% from the stock’s current price.

  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) rose 34.7 percent to $45.50 in pre-market trading following news that the FDA has approved Andexxa for the reversal of factor Xa inhibitors. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) rose 15.7 percent to $6.65 in pre-market trading after climbing 155.56 percent on Thursday. China Recycling Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: CREG) rose 14.7 percent to $2.75 in pre-market trading after climbing 57.89 percent on Thursday. Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) rose 11 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly results. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) rose 9.2 percent to $1.90 in pre-market trading following Q4 results. Shake Shack Inc (NYSE: SHAK) rose 9.1 percent to $51.70 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY18 guidance. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDRX) rose 9 percent to $12.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted Q1 results and agreed to acquire HealthGrid. Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) rose 7.6 percent to $75 in pre-market trading after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter. The company also raised its FY18 earnings outlook from $2.40-$2.70 to $3-$3.20. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAV) rose 7.5 percent to $10.15 in pre-market trading following Q3 results. Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO) rose 4.5 percent to $11.83 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly earnings. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) shares rose 4.4 percent to $190.50 in the pre-market trading session as the company posted upbeat Q4 results. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) shares rose 3.9 percent to $4.30 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.98 percent on Thursday. Newell Brands Inc (NYSE: NWL) shares rose 3.6 percent to $27.65 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: H
  • [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSPM) shares rose 35.8 percent to $3.00. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVGI) shares surged 32 percent to $8.94 after reporting upbeat Q1 earnings. Carbon Black, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBLK) gained 29.6 percent to $24.62. Carbon Black priced its IPO at $19 per share. California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC) shares rose 26.8 percent to $32.70 following upbeat Q1 earnings. Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) gained 25 percent to $7.185 after reporting strong quarterly results. Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares climbed 23.7 percent to $122.87 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) rose 23.2 percent to $8.4999 after reporting Q2 results. Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) gained 22.2 percent to $41.27 after the FDA approved the company's Andexxa, the only antidote indicated for patients treated with rivaroxaban and apixaban. Shake Shack Inc (NYSE: SHAK) rose 22.2 percent to $57.955 after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY18 guidance. Atomera Incorporated (NASDAQ: ATOM) jumped 19.7 percent to $6.12 after reporting Q1 results. Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI) rose 16.4 percent to $21.00 after reporting strong preliminary results for the third quarter. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) shares rose 16.4 percent to $12.21 following Q1 earnings. Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) shares gained 14.9 percent to $63.75 following Q1 results. Control4 Corporation (NASDAQ: CTRL) shares climbed 14.5 percent to $23.98 folloiwng strong Q1 results. B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS) climbed 12.6 percent to $25.40 after reporting Q1 earnings. HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: HMSY) shares gained 10 percent to $19.59 after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAV) rose 7 percent to $10.09 following Q3 r

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Visteon Corporation(VC)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Visteon (VC)

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

  • [By Ethan Ryder]

    VirtualCoin (CURRENCY:VC) traded flat against the US dollar during the 1 day period ending at 21:00 PM ET on August 16th. VirtualCoin has a total market capitalization of $120,251.00 and approximately $0.00 worth of VirtualCoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One VirtualCoin coin can currently be purchased for about $0.0119 or 0.00000144 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges. Over the last seven days, VirtualCoin has traded down 33.1% against the US dollar.

  • [By Stephan Byrd]

    VirtualCoin (CURRENCY:VC) traded flat against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 16:00 PM ET on June 19th. One VirtualCoin coin can currently be purchased for approximately $0.0119 or 0.00000144 BTC on exchanges. During the last seven days, VirtualCoin has traded 33.1% lower against the US dollar. VirtualCoin has a market cap of $120,251.00 and approximately $0.00 worth of VirtualCoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Union Pacific Corporation(UNP)

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    Well, so much for the railroad industry being a slow and steady kind of business. This past quarter, Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) reported a staggering 27% increase in earnings per share. Numbers like that are pretty much unheard of in this business, but Union Pacific and a slew of other U.S. railroad companies have been reporting similar gains recently. Management is so confident in these results that it is giving mountains of cash back to investors now with more potentially on the way.

  • [By Logan Wallace]

    Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI lifted its position in shares of Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP) by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 101,144 shares of the railroad operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,017 shares during the period. Union Pacific accounts for about 2.1% of Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Union Pacific were worth $14,330,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

  • [By Lou Whiteman]

    Shares of Union Pacific Corp. (NYSE:UNP) gained 15.1% in January, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after a strong fourth-quarter performance gave investors confidence the railroad is on track to deliver in 2019.