Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:TBI,BWLD,JWN,ISRG,MED,

In discussing competitive advantage, Warren Buffett once said, "You only see who's swimming naked when the tide goes out." What he meant by that is that companies with solid competitive advantages will really shine, or at least prove resilient, when circumstances go against them, either in a recession or during a period of industry or company-specific headwinds.

One retailer with underrated competitive advantages in my eyes is Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA). Coming off a red-hot run the past few years, Ulta's stock hasn't found much love in the past 12 months -- it's down almost 20% though shares are up 10% year to date. The company hasn't done anything wrong, but the beauty category is simply cooling off after years of torrid growth. Also, the general U.S. retail scene is becoming challenged and more competitive. Once the third rail of high-end retail, department stores began doing the unthinkable last summer, discounting prestige makeup in a desperate attempt to reignite traffic that had been flocking to off-mall specialty retailers such as Ulta. A victim of its own success, Ulta's stock promptly fell off last summer.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Media stories about Trueblue (NYSE:TBI) have trended somewhat positive on Monday, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Trueblue earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the business services provider an impact score of 45.3296498009881 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  TrueBlue Inc  (NYSE:TBI)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 07, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) by 24.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 95,307 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,680 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Trueblue worth $2,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  A long term performance chart shows Dave & Busters Entertainment tripling in value before falling back while small cap upscale gentlemen's clubs and restaurant owner RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: RICK) began taking off in 2016 and small cap Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) is being acquired by Arby's Restaurant Group:

• [By Steve Symington]

  That's not to say it was a quiet day for every stock on the market. With earnings season ramping up, brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) and restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD) served as an exercise in contrast as investors reacted to their respective quarterly reports.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) has long been considered the gold standard for department stores. But despite its steady focus on innovation and superb customer service, the fashionable retailer still suffered a slowdown in sales growth and a decline in its earnings power between mid-2015 and 2017.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  While Stitch Fix's styling service separates it from most apparel retailers online and off, it's not the only company using that model. There are dozens of other similar styling services out there including Trunk Club, now owned by Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN), Bombfell, Rent the Runway, and Le Tote. Some offer different hooks to draw in new customers, but almost all promise the same value proposition, clothing selected for you by personal stylists.

• [By Mac Greer]

  They have a lot of things in the works. They're kind of throwing some things at the wall and seeing what will stick. They have their Macy's Backstage concept, which is their discount concept. Every retailer has to have one nowadays, like a Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) Rack, for example. They actually bought a concept store in New York City called Story, which is a store that revamps its inventory every four to eight weeks to try to keep it fresh. That would be some Inventory management job. Their buyers have their work cut out for them. But, interesting. They're trying a lot of different things. 

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  Retail earnings take center stage the remainder of the week, but aside from that it’s a little hard right now to determine what sort of catalyst is out there that could give the market back some of the “giddy-up” it had last week. Unless the retail earnings really surpass expectations in a big way, it might be difficult to figure out what the next instigator to the upside might be. Thursday looks like a big day, with Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and J C Penney Company Inc. (NYSE: JCP) scheduled to report before the open and Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) after the close. One question moving into these reports is whether the recent strong retail sales data might have helped the retail sector beyond M.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) released its fiscal first-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Thursday. The retailer said that it had $0.51 in earnings per share (EPS) on $3.56 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.44 in EPS on revenue of $3.46 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.37 and $3.35 billion in revenue.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly results after the markets close on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for $0.44 in earnings per share (EPS) on $3.46 billion in revenue. The fiscal first quarter of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.37 and $3.35 billion in revenue.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  As earnings season begins to kick into gear, next week features stocks of all shapes and sizes. But two stocks I'll be watching are growth stocks Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG). Both companies are benefiting from double-digit growth in revenue and earnings per share. When these companies report their second-quarter results next week, investors will be watching to see if they can keep executing well on the growth opportunities before them.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lessened its stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) by 16.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,900 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 2,700 shares during the quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp’s holdings in Intuitive Surgical were worth $6,651,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  In this segment from MarketFoolery, host Chris Hill and Motley Fool Asset Management's Bill Barker consider the case for healthcare innovator Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), which has been on a tear for the past few years. Its pricey robots are growing ever more common and popular with hospitals and doctors, and based on the reaction of the market, investors must expect its current sales growth pace to continue.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Right now, it's time for that yearly review of the ones he picked to honor the month, and also the briefly famous pregnant giraffe: five companies, and the first letters of their tickers spelled out A-P-R-I-L. They were Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ:AAXN), Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacific (NYSE:PAC), ResMed (NYSE:RMD), Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), and Live Nation (NYSE:LYV).

• [By Keith Speights]

  If you buy stocks that have great business models and you have a long-term perspective, there's no reason to bail out even if a recession is right around the corner. As an example, let's consider Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), a stock that I own. The company has a razor-and-blades type of business model with its robotic surgical systems and instruments and accessories for those systems.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2019: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 6.8% lower against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 15:00 PM Eastern on May 27th. MediBloc has a total market cap of $73.40 million and $743,880.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One MediBloc token can currently be purchased for approximately $0.0247 or 0.00000339 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Bibox, Gate.io and Coinrail. During the last seven days, MediBloc has traded 8.3% higher against the dollar.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  MediBloc [QRC] (CURRENCY:MED) traded 11.6% lower against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 20:00 PM Eastern on August 29th. One MediBloc [QRC] token can now be bought for about $0.0066 or 0.00000100 BTC on popular exchanges including Gate.io, Coinrail and Bibox. MediBloc [QRC] has a total market cap of $19.65 million and $279,707.00 worth of MediBloc [QRC] was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last week, MediBloc [QRC] has traded 27.8% lower against the US dollar.

• [By Max Byerly]

  MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 0.2% lower against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 16:00 PM Eastern on June 7th. MediBloc has a total market cap of $37.92 million and $586,074.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, MediBloc has traded down 36% against the U.S. dollar. One MediBloc token can now be purchased for $0.0128 or 0.00000166 BTC on major exchanges including Coinrail, Bibox and Gate.io.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Meanwhile, Medifast's (NYSE:MED) share price has tripled since the beginning of March. Medifast's second-quarter operating results showcased a 55% increase in sales and an 84% improvement in year-over-year adjusted earnings per share. A substantial increase in Optavia-branded products sold, along with a big jump in active earning coaches, drove results. The company also substantially lifted its full-year sales and profit guidance (close to 20% at the midpoint for both measures). 

OMCs rally 19-30% in 1 month; CLSA turns cautious on IOC, BPCL & HPCL

CLSA turned cautious on oil marketing companies (OMCs) such as Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation that rallied 19-30 percent in the last one month and 12-18 percent so far in 2019.

The global investment bank reiterates its sell call on IOC, BPCL, as well as HPCL as India OMCs are among the world's most expensive refiners, and a steady rise in crude oil prices will not augur well for these firms.

BPCL rose 19 percent while IOC and HPCL rallied about 31 percent each from February 20 closing, data showed. On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, IOC rose 18.2 percent, HPCL gained 14.7 percent, and BPCL was up by 12 percent.

"Hopes of a stable government after the May 2019 elections and the potential of a strong 4Q helped by record marketing margins have driven a 22-35 percent rally in IOC, BPCL, and HPCL the last month," CLSA said in a report.

related news BSE, NSE shut on March 21 on account of Holi Technical View: Nifty forms bearish candle; next target seen at 30,000 for Bank Nifty

The rally has made BPCL the most expensive refiner in the world on EV/EBITDA with IOC & HPCL also ranking high on that list. At 1-std. above average, they are building margin surprise hopes, which may not play out, cautioned the global investment bank.

The report further added that expensive valuations, normalisation of marketing margins and refining capacity surge limit any material upside on OMCs, and 2014 election period like returns will not repeat, it said.

2014 election template will not work in 2019:

IOC, BPCL, and HPCL rose 60-90 percent in the six-month run-up to the 2014 national elections and then an additional 5-50 percent in the 12 months after the new government was formed.

Can we say a repeat could happen in 2019? Well, CLSA is not very confident that a similar scenario could pan out in 2019 as well.

"Some investors expect similar this time as well as a stable government after May 2019. However, we disagree. The 2014 rally started from depressed valuations, fuelled by big reforms in diesel and LPG subsidies as well as a very strong refining environment," explains the global investment bank.

"With valuations at a premium to the global peer average as well as history, the refining environment is expected to stay weak, and limited room for incremental reform, we do not expect the 2014 template to play out and retain SELL ratings on IOC, BPCL & HPCL," it said.

Macro may worsen from 1QFY20:

Current record marketing margins for petrol and diesel should be seen as compensation for depressed margins in 3Q and also as the pre-emptive buffer to eliminate the need for price hikes in the run-up to national elections.

The rise in the Brent crude price to $68 to 70/bbl should normalise marketing margins on diesel and petrol to the long-term averages even if depressed product spreads continue and no retail price cuts are made.

Continued production cuts by OPEC+ led by Saudi Arabia & declines in Venezuela should pull down inventory to near the 5-year average and possibly push up Brent crude to over $70/bbl in the coming weeks.

Asian GRMs are near 10-year lows and we see chances of the current depressed GRM environment continuing as the 18-month period of Sep 2018-Mar 2020 may see a massive c.3.5mbpd of new capacity come online.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. First Published on Mar 21, 2019 08:00 am

The $1.3 Trillion 5G Boom Is Apple Stock's Latest Catalyst

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Remember when Microsoft was left for dead?

For more than a decade after the dot-com bubble, shares of Microsoft languished in the $20 range.

The stock went nowhere, victimized by its prior success and lack of motivation to innovate. It was content to just hold a vice grip monopoly on operating software.

Don't mess with a sleeping giant.

It turns out those betting against Microsoft finding a new product to sell were wrong.

Since replacing its CEO with a more innovative leader interested in exploiting new markets like cloud computing, Microsoft stock has exploded higher.

Shares are up some 450% since 2012.

That massive return was fueled by what was once considered the next monster breakthrough in the world of technology.

5G Could Mint a New Wave of Millionaires: The greatest tech shift in generations could be about to create untold wealth for investors. To find out how you could capture a life-changing SIX-figure windfall, go here now.

All Microsoft had to do was exploit its leadership and size to profit handsomely. That industry was cloud computing…

Today, many of the same naysayers are betting against Apple stock.

Gone are the days of innovation, they say.

In its place is a staid company that deserves a much lower valuation.

And just like cloud computing set up a massive rally in shares of Microsoft, the 5G boom is poised to do the same for Apple stock.

Why the 5G Movement Is Such a Huge Catalyst for Apple Stock

At the moment, Apple phones are not built for the rollout of 5G.

This may or may not have been an intentional move on the part of Apple management.

If 5G is as big a deal as most expect, Apple users will quickly clamor for the capability. After all, more than $1.3 trillion is expected to be spent globally on the rollout of 5G technology…

What's the biggest thing dogging Apple stock today?

Sales of the all-important iPhone have hit the flat line.

The upgrade cycle of buying new phones has been extended.

However, nothing will change that quicker than demand for critical technology.

Given the importance of 5G and the interconnectivity of all things, investors may have found their catalyst for consumers buying new phones.

That catalyst is needed to propel the stock out of its current rut. Make no mistake, Apple is still up more than 7% in the last 12 months, compared to 4% for the S&P 500. But for Apple investors used to big gains, this still feels like a "rut."

But once Apple fully embraces 5G, the stock price could climb much higher…

What 5G Could Mean for the Apple Stock Price

Join the conversation. Click here to jump to comments…

FII inflows, Fed rate decision to guide stock movement this week: Experts

In the absence of any immediate key domestic triggers, the equity market is expected to be guided by Fed interest rate decision, foreign fund inflows and crude oil prices in this holiday-shortened week, according to analysts.

Stock markets will remain closed on March 21 for Holi.

"Minor profit-booking is expected given sharp run-up in domestic markets and global factors. However, downside will be capped as emerging markets like India is likely to benefit from strong liquidity and reversal in FII flows. For the week ahead, FED interest rate decision is the key event," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

Besides, movement of foreign funds, rupee and oil would continue to play their part in market trend, the analysts added.

related news YSR Congress releases full list of candidates for Lok Sabha, Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh Congress announces candidates for 5 reserved Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh BJP steps up its 'Main bhi chowkidar' campaign

During the past week, the Sensex surged 1,352.89 points or 3.68 percent to close at 38,024.32 on Marc h 15.

"On the international front one can keep an eye on Fed's interest rate decision on Wednesday. Overhang on Brexit issue and OPEC's supply cut are likely to hit the domestic market in specific segment," said Debabrata Bhattacharjee, Head of Research, CapitalAim.

"During past fortnight, Indian markets have enjoyed one of the best stretches in the recent memory. FII inflows have crossed Rs 30,000 crore in Feb-March'19 till date resulting in a flood of inflows after 2018 drought.

"Most heartening aspect of the current rally is it is quite broad-based across the sectors. As border tensions appearing to have cooled-off, and global central bankers turned pro-liquidity, Indian markets are in risk-on mood," said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Senior VP and Head of Research (Wealth), Centrum Broking Limited. First Published on Mar 17, 2019 11:22 am

Oracle (ORCL) Given a $60.00 Price Target at Credit Suisse Group

Credit Suisse Group set a $60.00 price target on Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) in a report issued on Monday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the enterprise software provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on ORCL. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Oracle from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, November 22nd. Nomura set a $53.00 price target on shares of Oracle and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 12th. Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Monday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $53.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, December 18th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $51.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, December 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Oracle currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $52.12.

Get Oracle alerts:

ORCL stock opened at $53.06 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.09. Oracle has a 12 month low of $42.40 and a 12 month high of $53.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 17th. The enterprise software provider reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.52 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 29.93%. The firm’s revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.70 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Oracle will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Hector Garcia-Molina sold 3,750 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.51, for a total value of $193,162.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 27,969 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,440,683.19. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Dorian Daley sold 25,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $1,125,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 102,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,631,355. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,552 shares of company stock worth $1,945,486 in the last three months. Insiders own 32.00% of the company’s stock.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ORCL. Csenge Advisory Group acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC boosted its stake in Oracle by 220.9% in the 4th quarter. Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC now owns 600 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Truehand Inc acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, ERTS Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 49.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Oracle

Oracle Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, sells, hosts, and supports application, platform, and infrastructure solutions for information technology (IT) environments worldwide. The company provides services in three primary layers of the cloud: Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Infrastructure as a Service.

See Also: Momentum Indicator: Relative Strength Index

Ranger Energy Services (RNGR) Upgraded to Buy at Zacks Investment Research

Ranger Energy Services (NYSE:RNGR) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Thursday. The firm presently has a $8.25 price objective on the stock. Zacks Investment Research‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 10.00% from the company’s current price.

According to Zacks, “Ranger Energy Services Inc. is a provider of well service rigs and services primarily in the United States. It focuses on unconventional horizontal well completion and production operations. Ranger Energy Services Inc. is based in HOUSTON, United States. “

Get Ranger Energy Services alerts:

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on RNGR. B. Riley started coverage on Ranger Energy Services in a report on Tuesday, November 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $10.00 price target for the company. ValuEngine downgraded Ranger Energy Services from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 2nd. Capital One Financial downgraded Ranger Energy Services from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 16th. Credit Suisse Group set a $8.00 price target on Ranger Energy Services and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Barclays raised Ranger Energy Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $7.00 to $9.00 in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $9.38.

Shares of NYSE RNGR opened at $7.50 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. Ranger Energy Services has a 1-year low of $4.70 and a 1-year high of $10.78. The firm has a market cap of $105.67 million, a P/E ratio of 376.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 3.61.

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. B. Riley Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Ranger Energy Services by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. B. Riley Financial Inc. now owns 886,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,584,000 after acquiring an additional 10,500 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in Ranger Energy Services by 1.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 781,042 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,545,000 after acquiring an additional 13,415 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP lifted its holdings in Ranger Energy Services by 3.1% in the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 621,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,206,000 after acquiring an additional 18,407 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc increased its position in shares of Ranger Energy Services by 6.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc now owns 256,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,148,000 after buying an additional 14,832 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Ranger Energy Services by 6.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 256,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,148,000 after buying an additional 14,832 shares in the last quarter. 28.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ranger Energy Services Company Profile

Ranger Energy Services, Inc provides well service rigs and associated services in the United States. It operates through two segments, Well Services and Processing Solutions. The company offers well completion support srevices, such as milling out composite plugs used during hydraulic fracturing; workover services, including retrieval and replacement of existing production tubing; well maintenance services comprising replacement of downhole artificial lift components; and decommissioning services consisting of plugging and abandonment services.

Featured Story: Balanced Fund

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ranger Energy Services (RNGR)

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

Zacks Investment Research Downgrades Five Point (FPH) to Hold

Five Point (NYSE:FPH) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Thursday.

According to Zacks, “Five Point Holdings LLC, designs and develops mixed-use, master-planned communities primarily in coastal California. It offer homes, commercial, retail, educational and recreational elements as well as civic areas, parks and open spaces. The company’s communities consist of Great Park Neighborhoods(R) in Irvine, Newhall Ranch(R) near Valencia and The San Francisco Shipyard/Candlestick Point in the City of San Francisco. Five Point Holdings LLC is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. “

Get Five Point alerts:

Separately, Citigroup reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $9.00 price target on shares of Five Point in a research note on Wednesday, November 14th.

Five Point stock traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $7.44. 181,842 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 212,204. The company has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of -12.20 and a beta of 0.99. Five Point has a fifty-two week low of $6.64 and a fifty-two week high of $14.99.

Five Point (NYSE:FPH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 13th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.03). Five Point had a negative return on equity of 1.62% and a net margin of 118.34%. The firm had revenue of $7.95 million for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Five Point will post -0.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Five Point by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 50,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Five Point by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 14,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 2,256 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Five Point by 118.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 193,183 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 104,823 shares in the last quarter. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. bought a new position in shares of Five Point in the 4th quarter valued at about $111,000. Finally, First Manhattan Co. bought a new position in shares of Five Point in the 4th quarter valued at about $69,000. Institutional investors own 35.32% of the company’s stock.

About Five Point

Five Point Holdings, LLC, through its subsidiary, Five Point Operating Company, LP, plans, develops, and owns mixed-use communities in California, the United States. It sells residential and commercial land sites to homebuilders, commercial developers, and commercial buyers. The company was formerly known as Newhall Holding Company, LLC and changed its name to Five Point Holdings, LLC in May 2016.

Featured Story: What is a Call Option?

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Five Point (FPH)

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

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:ADTN,CPT,HDS,WNC,BRD,MCF,LXK,RXII,NVCR,HD,

There are a number of great companies in the market today. The ModernGraham valuation model selected some of the most undervalued Canadian companies. Each company has been determined to be suitable for the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor according to the ModernGraham approach.

Defensive Investors are defined as investors who are not able or willing to do substantial research into individual investments, and therefore need to select only the companies that present the least amount of risk. Enterprising Investors, on the other hand, are able to do substantial research and can select companies that present a moderate (though still low) amount of risk. Each company suitable for the Defensive Investor is also suitable for Enterprising Investors.

Celestica Inc. (TSX:CLS)

Celestica is suitable for the Enterprising Investor but not the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the small size, low current ratio, insufficient earnings stability or growth over the last 10 years and the poor dividend history. The Enterprising Investor is only concerned with the lack of dividends. As a result, all Enterprising Investors should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: ADTRAN Inc.(ADTN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Let's talk the top news in the marijuana industry today… including four stocks that could surge up to 1,000% during this election year. Here's what you need to know…

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) is leading a busy day of earnings reports on Tuesday. Shares are off 0.4% after the firm despite reporting a 40% year-over-year jump in profits and stronger-than-expected revenue. The firm reported earnings per share (EPS) of $5.98 on top of $9.40 billion in revenue. The Wall Street giant was expected to report EPS of $4.67 on top of $8.71 billion in revenue. The investment bank's first six months of 2018 were its strongest in nine years. The stock slipped after the company announced that president David Solomon will be replacing CEO Lloyd Blankfein when he steps down from his role. Blankfein has been CEO for 12 years. It's fair to say that Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) went to the dogs on Monday. The company has extended its Prime Day promotion through 3 a.m. on Wednesday. The announcement came after the firm suffered significant outages during the start of the event on Monday afternoon. Rather than get access to deals, many customers were met with pictures of dogs, the firm's standard error page. Finally, pay close attention to events on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will question leaders of Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL), Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR), and Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) about how they store and filter user content. Last year, the Senate and House of Representatives slammed the companies for their roles in and responses to Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Three Stocks to Watch Today: CSX, NFLX, KKR CSX Corp. (Nasdaq: CSX) will help lead today's earnings calendar. Wall Street expects that the company will report EPS of $0.86 on top of $2.98 billion in revenue. Shares of Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) slipped after the firm's user-growth estimates and quart
• [By Shane Hupp]

  Akoustis Technologies (NASDAQ: ADTN) and ADTRAN (NASDAQ:ADTN) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk, institutional ownership and earnings.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of ADTRAN (NASDAQ:ADTN) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

  Several other analysts have also issued reports on ADTN. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ADTRAN from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 9th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of ADTRAN from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. ValuEngine lowered shares of ADTRAN from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 17th. Northland Securities set a $24.00 price target on shares of ADTRAN and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 20th. Finally, MKM Partners decreased their price target on shares of ADTRAN to $17.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.50.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 1,051,552 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 134% from the previous session’s volume of 450,057 shares.The stock last traded at $18.60 and had previously closed at $18.50.

• [By Max Byerly]

  ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $18.38.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on ADTRAN (ADTN)

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

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Camden Property Trust(CPT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Barclays upgraded shares of Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report report published on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports. Barclays currently has $106.00 target price on the real estate investment trust’s stock, up from their previous target price of $87.00.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Cryptaur (CURRENCY:CPT) traded up 2.6% against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 10:00 AM ET on June 14th. Cryptaur has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $255,998.00 worth of Cryptaur was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last seven days, Cryptaur has traded 2.4% higher against the US dollar. One Cryptaur token can now be purchased for $0.0042 or 0.00000065 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including HitBTC and LATOKEN.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Cryptaur (CURRENCY:CPT) traded 3.6% higher against the US dollar during the one day period ending at 8:00 AM E.T. on October 5th. One Cryptaur token can now be bought for about $0.0017 or 0.00000025 BTC on popular exchanges including HitBTC and LATOKEN. Cryptaur has a market capitalization of $11.97 million and approximately $36,809.00 worth of Cryptaur was traded on exchanges in the last day. Over the last week, Cryptaur has traded up 16.8% against the US dollar.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Swiss National Bank reduced its position in Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) by 5.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 451,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 28,000 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Camden Property Trust were worth $37,965,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Cryptaur (CURRENCY:CPT) traded up 3% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on June 7th. One Cryptaur token can currently be bought for about $0.0042 or 0.00000055 BTC on exchanges including LATOKEN and HitBTC. Cryptaur has a total market capitalization of $0.00 and $115,915.00 worth of Cryptaur was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. Over the last week, Cryptaur has traded flat against the US dollar.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, June 15th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 29th will be given a dividend of 0.77 per share by the real estate investment trust on Tuesday, July 17th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 28th.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: HD Supply Holdings, Inc.(HDS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on HD Supply (HDS)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Rhumbline Advisers cut its stake in HD Supply Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:HDS) by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 181,854 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 14,628 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers owned about 0.10% of HD Supply worth $7,800,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Starbuck's Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX) Executive Chair Howard Schultz announced he will depart the company. Many are speculating he will pursue a career in politics and potentially seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Schultz had previously denied any speculation around a role in government; but his recent comments suggest that "public service" will be a part of his future plans. Gold prices dipped below $1,300 per ounce as markets continue to speculate on the likelihood of additional interest rate hikes in 2018. We believe this is solid buying opportunity for investors. The reason why gold is going to get a nice boost: ongoing trade tensions between the United States and the rest of the globe. Money Morning Resource Specialist Peter Krauth provides his insight on where gold prices are heading next and how you can make big gains in the weeks ahead. Three Stocks to Watch Today: AAPL, TWTR, SCGLF Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is on the verge of becoming the world's first $1 trillion company. The stock pushed above $192.60 per share in pre-market hours after its first day at the Worldwide Developers Conference. During the event, the company unveiled its new mobile operating system, called iOS 12. The firm also unveiled a suite of tools designed to combat technology addiction. Shares of Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) jumped nearly 4% on news that the social media company is about to join the S&P 500. The company will join on Thursday morning and will replace agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON). The news comes as Monsanto is in the final steps of its merger with German chemical giant Bayer AG (Nasdaq: BAYRY). Shares of Societe Generale SA (ADR) (OTCMKTS: SCGLF) are in focus after the U.S. Justice Department announced the French investment bank will pay $1.3 billion to settle two ongoing legal headaches. The company bribed Libyan officials and manipulated LIBOR, a benchmark interest rate on which most financing is based. Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: L
• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  HD Supply Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HDS)Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallJune 5, 2018, 8:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Shane Hupp]

  HD Supply Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:HDS) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $45.77 and last traded at $45.69, with a volume of 53848 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.03.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of HD Supply Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:HDS) reached a new 52-week high and low on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as low as $43.98 and last traded at $43.06, with a volume of 458411 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.60.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wabash National Corporation(WNC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wabash National Co. (NYSE:WNC) shares reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $17.91 and last traded at $18.09, with a volume of 33824 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.51.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Wabash National (WNC)

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

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  It wasn't that long ago that concerns about a downturn in the truck trailer business had investors concerned that Wabash National's (NYSE:WNC) best days were behind it. Those concerns seem to have been overblown, though, as demand for Wabash's products were high enough for management to raise its sales guidance for the year. 

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Apollo Gold Corporation(BRD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Bread (CURRENCY:BRD) traded up 12.2% against the U.S. dollar during the one day period ending at 15:00 PM E.T. on September 20th. In the last week, Bread has traded 17.1% higher against the U.S. dollar. Bread has a total market capitalization of $32.97 million and approximately $760,371.00 worth of Bread was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Bread token can now be bought for approximately $0.37 or 0.00005774 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Kucoin, Tokenomy, OKEx and Cobinhood.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Bread (CURRENCY:BRD) traded 0% higher against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 0:00 AM E.T. on February 12th. Bread has a market capitalization of $17.44 million and $74,926.00 worth of Bread was traded on exchanges in the last day. In the last week, Bread has traded 6.8% higher against the US dollar. One Bread token can currently be purchased for $0.20 or 0.00005397 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Cobinhood, OKEx, Tokenomy and Kucoin.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Bread (CURRENCY:BRD) traded up 0.8% against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 22:00 PM Eastern on September 1st. Over the last week, Bread has traded 3.1% higher against the US dollar. Bread has a market cap of $32.33 million and $367,357.00 worth of Bread was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Bread token can currently be purchased for about $0.36 or 0.00005097 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Kucoin, Cobinhood, Binance and OKEx.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Contango Oil & Gas Company(MCF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Fondren Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Contango Oil & Gas (NYSEAMERICAN:MCF) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 60,000 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $341,000. Fondren Management LP owned 0.23% of Contango Oil & Gas as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Fmr LLC increased its position in shares of Contango Oil & Gas (NYSEAMERICAN:MCF) by 33.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,583,039 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock after buying an additional 899,900 shares during the quarter. Fmr LLC owned 13.93% of Contango Oil & Gas worth $20,352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Contango Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:MCF) was downgraded by equities researchers at Seaport Global Securities from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Contango Oil & Gas (MCF) Short Interest Update” was originally published by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this article on another site, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of US and international copyright & trademark laws. The correct version of this article can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3346537/contango-oil-gas-mcf-short-interest-update.html.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Lexmark International, Inc.(LXK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Press coverage about Lexmark International (NYSE:LXK) has been trending somewhat negative on Saturday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Lexmark International earned a coverage optimism score of -0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the technology company an impact score of 42.9230217304115 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Headlines about Lexmark International (NYSE:LXK) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group scores the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Lexmark International earned a media sentiment score of 0.06 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the technology company an impact score of 42.803224128124 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: RXI Pharmaceuticals Corporation(RXII)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the media headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis’s scoring:

  Get RXi Pharmaceuticals alerts: Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Market Pipeline Review H1 Products in Clinical Stage, Methodology, therapeutic … (talkinvestor.com) Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 Alpha Market Research Report H1: Drug Profile, Top Industry Intelligence and Therapeutic … (thestockanalysis.com) Connective Tissue Growth Factor Market Opportunities, Demands, Size, Share, Trends, Industry Sales Area and Its … (trueindustrynews.com) Global Connective Tissue Growth Factor Market 2018 – Manufacturing Analysis and Development Forecast 2025 (trueindustrynews.com) Zacks: Analysts Expect RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp (RXII) to Announce -$0.56 EPS (americanbankingnews.com)

  Shares of RXi Pharmaceuticals stock traded down $0.04 on Tuesday, hitting $1.92. The company had a trading volume of 27,600 shares, compared to its average volume of 258,173. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.21 million, a PE ratio of -0.46 and a beta of 1.20. RXi Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $1.90 and a 52 week high of $7.70.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the news headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s scoring:

  Get RXi Pharmaceuticals alerts: New Research Study on Connective Tissue Growth Factor Market 2018 to 2025 (morningoutlook.com) Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 Alpha Market Pipeline Therapeutics H1, 2018 Product Description, Mechanism of Action … (exclusiveherald.com) Human Papillomavirus Associated Diseases Market Pipeline Therapeutics 2018 Drug Description, Target Finding, and … (thefreenewsman.com) Warts Market Therapeutic Pipeline H1, Drugs, Diagnostics, Vaccines and Preventive Technologies (newspublicist.com) Brokerages Anticipate RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp (RXII) to Post -$0.56 Earnings Per Share (americanbankingnews.com)

  Shares of RXi Pharmaceuticals traded down $0.01, hitting $2.24, on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 55,400 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 275,015. The company has a market capitalization of $9.96 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.53 and a beta of 1.15. RXi Pharmaceuticals has a one year low of $1.90 and a one year high of $7.70.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers MoSys, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOSY) shares rose 44.7 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 results and issued strong Q2 forecast. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) rose 23.2 percent to $65.01 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. The company also issued strong second-quarter and FY18 sales guidance. Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ: IMMR) rose 17 percent to $13.55 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKCA) rose 13.8 percent to $23.50 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed that the FDA Advisory Committee voted in favor of WAYLIVRA for the treatment of familial chylomicronemia syndrome. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 9.4 percent to $2.45 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed a collaboration with Iovance Biotherapeutics. ViewRay, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRAY) rose 13.7 percent to $8.80 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. ForeScout Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSCT) rose 5.6 percent to $32.00 in pre-market trading after falling 2.26 percent on Thursday. Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: UEPS) shares rose 5.6 percent to $9.30 in pre-market trading after reporting Q3 results. Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) rose 4.7 percent to $47.50 in pre-market trading. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 4.2 percent to $2.24 in pre-market trading following Q1 earnings. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) shares rose 3.7 percent to $11.00 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 earnings.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: NovoCure Limited(NVCR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Novocure (NASDAQ:NVCR) stock far outpaced the market by gaining 33% last month compared to a 3% rise in the S&P 500, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

• [By Brian Feroldi]

  Medical device makers were some of the best-performing companies on the market last year. In this week's episode of Industry Focus: Healthcare, host Shannon Jones and Motley Fool contributor Brian Feroldi talk about three medical device monopolies that investors might want to take a closer look at. Listen and find out what makes Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG), Abiomed (NASDAQ:ABMD), and NovoCure (NASDAQ:NVCR) stand out from the crowd, dominate their niches, and improve patient lives. Plus, learn the key metrics investors should watch, what long-term risks to be aware of, which of the companies faces the most competitive risk, some of the most exciting opportunities still ahead, and more.

• [By Brian Feroldi]

  After the company announced details of its phase 3 INNOVATE-3 trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, shares of NovoCure (NASDAQ:NVCR), a red-hot medical device company focused on cancer, fell as much as 12% in early morning trading today. Shares were down about 10% as of 10:30 a.m. EDT.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Home Depot, Inc. (HD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  In today's episode of MarketFoolery, host Chris Hill and analyst Seth Jayson hit on the stock market's biggest stories. Home Depot (NYSE:HD) shares are up big on yet another knockout quarter. Redfin (NASDAQ:RDFN) was decidedly more honest and less flashy than Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) in their earnings report, which shed light on some dour trends in the real estate industry that Redfin just can't do much about. Tapestry (NYSE:TPR) (formerly Coach) is up this morning on a decent-to-good earnings report, depending on how you look at it. And finally, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) says no to emotional support animals, opening the door for other airlines to follow suit. Tune in and find out more.

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Lowe's reports its earnings on Wednesday and, given the recent stellar performance from Home Depot (NYSE: HD), its results should show healthy growth powered by a robust home improvement market. However, Lowe's isn't benefiting from the industry gains to nearly the same degree as Home Depot.

• [By ]

  Over on Real Money, Cramer says that for Home Depot (HD) , it really was the weather. Get more of his insights with a free trial subscription to Real Money.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The second-worst Dow stock so far this year is Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG), which is down 14.7%. That is followed by Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), down 12.9%, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), down 10%, and Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), down 8.8%.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) was the lowest scoring specialty store with an index score of 76 versus a category average of 79. The best score went to L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) with a score of 85 at its Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works stores. Sporting goods retailer Cabela’s, now part of Bass Pro Shops, ranked second with a score of 82.

Spirit Airlines Stock Could Double by 2020

In late 2016, I wrote that shares of Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) could reach $100 by 2020. Since then, there's been a lot of movement -- both up and down -- for Spirit Airlines stock, but the share price is almost exactly back where it started.

That shouldn't faze investors. In fact, Spirit Airlines looks like an even better buy today than it did when I wrote my initial article. The carrier has demonstrated strong unit revenue momentum over the past few quarters, which puts it on track to deliver exceptional earnings growth in 2019 and perhaps also 2020. Considering Spirit Airlines stock's rock-bottom valuation, there's a good chance the stock will double to more than $100 by sometime next year.

Earnings growth is accelerating

Revenue per available seat mile (RASM) surged 11.4% at Spirit Airlines last quarter. As a result, adjusted earnings per share nearly doubled to $1.38, even though the airline faced substantial cost headwinds during the quarter.

Spirit's guidance for the first quarter of 2019 calls for RASM to rise by 5%. Based on that outlook, analysts expect adjusted EPS to more than double to $0.91 from $0.44 a year ago. That would be particularly impressive, because most Easter-related travel fell in the first quarter in 2018, whereas Easter is in late April this year. Spirit's management expects that calendar shift to hurt RASM by about 2.5 percentage points in Q1. The launch of numerous new international routes in recent months is also creating a temporary drag on unit revenue.

The Easter shift will boost RASM by a similar amount next quarter, while the headwind from Spirit's new international routes should lessen. That will cause RASM growth to accelerate, possibly reaching double-digit territory again. Comparisons will get harder in the second half of the year, but if the economy remains reasonably strong, unit revenue should continue rising.

Spirit Airlines is on track to achieve strong RASM growth in 2019. Image source: Spirit Airlines.

Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines' nonfuel unit costs are on track to rise 2% to 3% this quarter, but only 1% to 2% for the full year. Based on where oil prices currently sit, Spirit Airlines is also likely to see greater fuel cost savings in the rest of 2019 than in the first quarter -- although that could certainly change, as oil prices tend to be quite volatile.

Thus, strong revenue trends and favorable cost trends will cause EPS to fly higher in 2019. Analysts currently expect adjusted EPS to jump 49% to $6.55, and that estimate could be too conservative.

The momentum could continue in 2020

For 2020, analysts on average expect Spirit Airlines' EPS to reach $7.02. That would be up only 7% year over year, whereas revenue is projected to rise nearly 15%.

The range of potential outcomes is extremely large, as oil prices, economic conditions, and competitors' actions could all impact Spirit Airlines' financial performance. However, there are some compelling reasons to believe that Spirit can do better than the modest margin contraction implied in analysts' estimates.

First, Spirit Airlines is rolling out Wi-Fi across its fleet this year. That will open up a meaningful new ancillary revenue stream. Second, Spirit plans to update its loyalty program and co-branded credit card, which could also boost non-ticket revenue.

Third, several small factors -- including a modest shift toward shorter flights, a decision to lease more aircraft rather than buying them outright, and a big pilot pay increase implemented a year ago -- are driving Spirit Airlines' unit cost growth this year. There's a good chance that Spirit will return to its historical pattern of flat or slightly declining nonfuel unit costs in 2020. That would give the carrier a good chance of improving its pre-tax margin again next year.

Spirit Airlines stock is too cheap

Despite the company's strong momentum, Spirit Airlines stock trades for a bizarrely low eight times forward earnings. This valuation is even more puzzling when you consider that Spirit expects to continue growing capacity at a double-digit rate for the foreseeable future.

Spirit Airlines could potentially earn $8 per share next year with a roughly 16% pre-tax margin: well below the 19.8% adjusted pre-tax margin it earned in 2016 and the all-time high 23.4% adjusted pre-tax margin it posted in 2015. Spirit Airlines stock would only have to trade for 13 or 14 times earnings to double to $106. Even in the airline industry, that seems like a very modest valuation for a company with Spirit's growth prospects.

It's possible that a spike in oil prices, a sharp downturn in the economy, or a strategic misstep by management will prevent Spirit Airlines from achieving its earnings growth potential in 2019 and 2020. Fortunately, Spirit Airlines stock offers a big margin of safety in a downside scenario. And if all goes well, the sky is the limit for this high-growth airline stock.

McGrath RentCorp (MGRC) Given $70.00 Average Target Price by Brokerages

Shares of McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC) have been assigned an average broker rating score of 2.00 (Buy) from the two brokers that cover the stock, Zacks Investment Research reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company.

Brokers have set a twelve-month consensus target price of $70.00 for the company and are forecasting that the company will post $0.62 EPS for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Zacks has also given McGrath RentCorp an industry rank of 9 out of 255 based on the ratings given to related companies.

Get McGrath RentCorp alerts:

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Investment Research raised McGrath RentCorp from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $69.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Saturday, March 2nd. BidaskClub raised McGrath RentCorp from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 23rd.

Shares of MGRC stock opened at $58.05 on Friday. McGrath RentCorp has a 1-year low of $45.85 and a 1-year high of $68.79. The firm has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.56.

McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.22. McGrath RentCorp had a return on equity of 12.61% and a net margin of 35.47%. The firm had revenue of $133.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $129.63 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. McGrath RentCorp’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that McGrath RentCorp will post 3.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be issued a $0.375 dividend. This is a positive change from McGrath RentCorp’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.58%. McGrath RentCorp’s dividend payout ratio is 43.45%.

In other McGrath RentCorp news, VP John P. Skenesky sold 1,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.01, for a total value of $101,438.19. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $176,557.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Dennis P. Stradford sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.37, for a total value of $164,384.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,968 shares of company stock worth $448,854 in the last three months. 2.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its holdings in McGrath RentCorp by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 26,425 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,360,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of McGrath RentCorp during the third quarter valued at $3,342,000. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC boosted its stake in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 207.8% during the third quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 11,109 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $605,000 after acquiring an additional 7,500 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 28.7% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 45,536 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,344,000 after acquiring an additional 10,161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 885.4% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 23,828 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,298,000 after acquiring an additional 21,410 shares during the last quarter. 84.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About McGrath RentCorp

McGrath RentCorp, a business to business rental company, rents and sells relocatable modular buildings, portable storage containers, electronic test equipment, and liquid and solid containment tanks and boxes in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Mobile Modular, TRS-RenTelco, Adler Tanks, and Enviroplex.

Featured Article: Find a Trading Strategy That Works

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on McGrath RentCorp (MGRC)

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

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:AON,WRB,PFG,PRU,

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its holdings in Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) by 5.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 72,413 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,569 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Cummins were worth $9,631,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Gables Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Cummins in the 1st quarter valued at about $115,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. lifted its holdings in Cummins by 5,873.3% in the 2nd quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 881 shares during the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Cummins in the 1st quarter valued at about $146,000. MHI Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Cummins in the 2nd quarter valued at about $147,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in Cummins during the second quarter valued at about $155,000. 79.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Fiera Capital Corp boosted its stake in shares of Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 5,058 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,301 shares during the quarter. Fiera Capital Corp’s holdings in AON were worth $694,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  CorVel (NASDAQ: CRVL) and AON (NYSE:AON) are both business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  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.

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Mackay Shields LLC lessened its stake in W. R. Berkley Corp (NYSE:WRB) by 5.7% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 123,539 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 7,501 shares during the period. Mackay Shields LLC’s holdings in W. R. Berkley were worth $8,945,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine cut shares of W. R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday morning.

  WRB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Bank of America cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $74.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, June 14th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of W. R. Berkley from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Boenning Scattergood restated a hold rating on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, April 25th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Monday. They set a sell rating and a $74.00 target price on the stock. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the stock. W. R. Berkley currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.78.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of W. R. Berkley Corp (NYSE:WRB) saw strong trading volume on Tuesday . 1,794,500 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 388% from the previous session’s volume of 367,847 shares.The stock last traded at $79.32 and had previously closed at $78.15.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC cut its holdings in W. R. Berkley Corp (NYSE:WRB) by 6.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 61,225 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 4,153 shares during the quarter. Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC owned 0.05% of W. R. Berkley worth $4,433,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on W. R. Berkley (WRB)

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

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shore Capital reissued their hold rating on shares of Provident Financial (LON:PFG) in a report issued on Thursday.

  PFG has been the subject of several other reports. Liberum Capital reissued a sell rating and set a GBX 483 ($6.48) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Peel Hunt reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 870 ($11.67) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Provident Financial from GBX 1,100 ($14.76) to GBX 750 ($10.06) and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 10th. Barclays reissued an underweight rating and set a GBX 584 ($7.84) price objective on shares of Provident Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Societe Generale lowered Provident Financial to a hold rating and set a GBX 1,050 ($14.09) price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Provident Financial presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,190.14 ($15.97).

• [By Max Byerly]

  Glenmede Trust Co. NA cut its holdings in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 61.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 235,266 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 369,372 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA owned 0.08% of Principal Financial Group worth $12,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of Stilwell Value LLC's stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=Stilwell+Value+LLC

  These are the top 5 holdings of Stilwell Value LLCOFG Bancorp (OFG) - 1,614,868 shares, 14.1% of the total portfolio. Kingsway Financial Services Inc (KFS) - 3,780,889 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. HopFed Bancorp Inc (HFBC) - 627,128 shares, 7.62% of the total portfolio. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - 1,251,324 shares, 7.27% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 20.66%Sound Financial Bancorp Inc (SFBC) - 228,600 shares, 7.02% of th
• [By Logan Wallace]

  ING Groep NV boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 7.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Principal Financial Group (PFG)

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

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its stake in Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 5.9% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 65,335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,655 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,110,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) takes such pride in its rock-solid financial condition that it uses an actual rock -- the Rock of Gibraltar -- as its corporate symbol. Prudential Financial backs up that claim with a balance sheet that has more cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments than total debt on it. It also claims a debt-to-equity ratio around 0.6 and a current ratio around 1.0 , which are further signs of a solid financial condition.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Prudential Financial (PRU)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  American Equity Investment Life (NYSE: AEL) and Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends and valuation.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Sentinel Trust Co. LBA lifted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 18.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 65,450 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 9,980 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial comprises 1.4% of Sentinel Trust Co. LBA’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Sentinel Trust Co. LBA’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,120,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Jason Hall, Chuck Saletta, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  But that doesn't mean you need to make risky bets to capture solid returns, either, and buying solid companies at reasonable prices can help create a margin of safety and improve your returns, while also decreasing your risk of permanent losses. Three stocks that meet these criteria are small healthcare real-estate specialist Caretrust REIT Inc (NASDAQ:CTRE), financial services giant Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU), and energy behemoth ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM). 

Why J.Jill Stock Jumped Wednesday

What happened

Shares of specialty women's apparel retailer J.Jill (NYSE:JILL) jumped on Wednesday, rising as much as 15.3%. As of 11:47 a.m. EST, the stock was up 13.2%.

The stock's gain follows J.Jill's fourth-quarter and full-year update and is likely due to the company's better-than-expected earnings per share and the announcement of a special dividend.

Image source: Getty Images.

So what

J.Jill reported net sales of $170.9 million. That was down from $188.7 million in the year-ago quarter (which included an extra week) but in line with analysts' consensus forecast. J.Jill's Q4 EPS came in at $0.05, beating analysts' average estimate for $0.02.

"I am especially pleased by our year-over-year gross margin improvement for the quarter driven by cleaner, leaner inventories and reduction in promotional activity," said CEO Linda Heasley in the company's fourth-quarter earnings call.

Now what

For its fiscal 2019, J.Jill expects total comparable sales to be about flat. In addition, management said it expected full-year earnings per share to be $0.66 to $0.70, including a $0.09-$0.10 impact related to technology investments. This compares to earnings per share of $0.69 in fiscal 2018.

How to play Apple and two other tech names on progress in US-China trade talks

Progress in U.S.-China trade talks is moving in fits and starts.

After months of negotiation, the U.S. is reportedly close to entering a trade agreement with China, a deal that could be sealed at a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month.

Tech stocks caught in the trade crosshairs, such as Apple, could ride a wave of optimism heading into that summit, said Sarah Potter, author of "How You Can Trade Like a Pro."

"Apple has just been sitting here and waiting for an opportunity to get even higher than where it has been lately," Potter said on CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Tuesday. "As an options trader, I think this is a really great opportunity to start looking for trades in a stock like this, as we are seeing it move sideways."

"I look at buying something like a $170 call, probably taking that out to the end of March, so a fairly quick move," said Potter. "I'm taking that risk off the table in terms of how much I'm paying, so I might be buying a call, looking to purchase at around $4, as opposed to just picking up the stock and looking for that quick pop to the upside."

Potter is betting Apple will stay above the $170 strike price by the cost of the options contract by March 29 expiration. Apple would have to fall 3 percent to move below $170.

"Intel as well is poised again to move higher," added Potter. "It's a much cheaper stock. It has had some larger moves up and down and because of that volatility, that looks pretty exciting to me, too. Again, I would just be looking to keep it straight and keep it quick so buying a call, holding the trade for about three weeks, looking for that to pop up and move higher."

Potter is targeting a move back up to previous highs at $58 and would exit the position if it dropped below $53.

Finally, Broadcom could also get a big boost if trade issues get resolved, says Potter, though it carries higher risk than the others.

"This one may be a little bit riskier because it already has had some large moves," said Potter. "Be just a little more cautious in making sure that you're not buying the top. But certainly I would be remiss not to talk about a stock like this, especially when we're linking it to tariffs, because it is so directly related."

Intel has outperformed the market so far this year with a 13 percent gain, while Broadcom and Apple have lagged.

show chapters How to trade Apple and Intel on U.S.-China progress as they move back up to highs    20 Hours Ago | 04:40 Disclaimer

Costar Group Inc (CSGP) President and CEO Andrew C Florance Sold $26.2 million of Shares

President and CEO of Costar Group Inc (NASDAQ:CSGP) Andrew C Florance sold 55,322 shares of CSGP on 03/04/2019 at an average price of $473.38 a share. The total sale was $26.2 million.

CoStar Group Inc provides commercial real estate data covering over 4 million properties from various subsectors from commercial areas. It operates five flagship brands: CoStar, LoopNet, Apartments.com, BizBuySell, and LandsofAmerica. CoStar Group Inc has a market cap of $16.99 billion; its shares were traded at around $466.02 with a P/E ratio of 71.25 and P/S ratio of 14.25. CoStar Group Inc had annual average EBITDA growth of 16.40% over the past ten years.

CEO Recent Trades:

President and CEO Andrew C Florance sold 55,322 shares of CSGP stock on 03/04/2019 at the average price of $473.38. The price of the stock has decreased by 1.55% since.

CFO Recent Trades:

CFO Scott T Wheeler sold 5,396 shares of CSGP stock on 03/01/2019 at the average price of $476.11. The price of the stock has decreased by 2.12% since.

Directors and Officers Recent Trades:

Senior VP, Global Research Lisa Ruggles sold 1,538 shares of CSGP stock on 03/01/2019 at the average price of $466.62. The price of the stock has decreased by 0.13% since.Executive VP, Sales Matthew Linnington sold 4,701 shares of CSGP stock on 03/01/2019 at the average price of $477.31. The price of the stock has decreased by 2.37% since.

For the complete insider trading history of CSGP, click here

.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:OMEX,TEF,XLE,FCSC,

Nordea (OTCPK:NRBAY) is, for those unfamiliar, the biggest pan-Nordic banking group, having market shares of 15-30% in each of the four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. According to Global Financial Magazine, Nordea was ranked as the 29th safest bank globally in 2017. The ranking was based on the long-term foreign currency ratings issued by Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service.

Source: Company data

Another indicator of its safe-haven status is the fact that Nordea's junior subordinated bonds, or the so-called CoCos, are trading at just a 3.4% yield. For comparison, JPMorgan's (JPM) CoCos are trading at a 5.5% yield.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc.(OMEX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ: OMEX) and Teekay Offshore Partners (NYSE:TOO) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and earnings.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News stories about Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ:OMEX) have trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern. The research firm identifies positive and negative news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Odyssey Marine Exploration earned a media sentiment score of 0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media coverage about the business services provider an impact score of 46.3184749361846 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  After looking at this week's penny stock gainers, we'll give you that leg up with one of our top-rated penny stocks from our proprietary stock ranking system…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price (March 26) Last Week's Gain Cartesian Inc. (OTCMKTS: CRTN) $0.39 170.69% Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. (Nasdaq: OMEX) $8.76 135.90% iFresh Inc. (Nasdaq: IFMK) $8.25 64.64% China Auto Logistics Inc. (Nasdaq: CALI) $4.68 47.43% National American University Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: NAUH) $1.20 39.29% Document Security Systems Inc. (NYSE: DSS) $1.58 33.91% Blonder Tongue Labs Inc. (NYSE: BDR) $0.77 33.90% CareDx Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNA) $7.49 29.88% Mediwound Ltd. (Nasdaq: MDWD) $5.10 26.51% New York & Co. Inc. (NYSE: NWY) $3.37 26.35%

  Don't Miss This Shot at a $78,000 Windfall: This tiny firm is about to make the entire world wire-free. As its game-changing technology revolutionizes the global power structure, its stock could hand investors a massive return. Learn more…

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Kenon (NYSE: KEN) and Odyssey Marine Exploration (NASDAQ:OMEX) are both small-cap utilities companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Telefonica SA(TEF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Telefonica SA (BME:TEF) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is €8.98 ($10.44).

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Telefonica (BME:TEF) was given a €6.20 ($7.21) target price by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.. The firm currently has a sell rating on the stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  America Movil SAB de CV ADR Series L (NYSE: TEF) and Telefonica (NYSE:TEF) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and risk.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Markets were mixed on Wednesday and then surged higher in afternoon trading, led by the energy sector as oil prices rose following President Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Exxon Mobile (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) led the way, and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund  (XLE)  posted solid gains.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Retail stocks had a good day, with the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEMKT:XRT) adding 1.3%. Energy was the weakest sector; the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLE) lost 0.8%. 

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Energy stocks slumped again, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLE) moving down 0.5%. Gold stocks advanced; the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) rose 1.4%.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  Crude oil surged over $70 a barrel after the announcement that the U.S. will exit the Iran nuclear deal. The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLE) jumped 2%. Interest on 10-year Treasurys broke through the 3% level, boosting financial shares, with the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT:XLF) closing up 1.5%.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. decreased its position in Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLE) by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,950 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after selling 41,900 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.’s holdings in Energy Select Sector SPDR were worth $148,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  When we compare the energy sector's recent run to the S&P 500, it's not even close. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSE:XLE) has jumped more than 20% since Sept. 1. The S&P is up a little more than 10% over the same timeframe.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Fibrocell Science Inc(FCSC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Fibrocell Science, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCSC) was down, falling around 13 percent to $2.51. Fibrocell reported a $6.0 million registered direct offering priced at-the-market

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Fibrocell Science (FCSC)

  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 Fibrocell Science (FCSC)

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