Celgene pops after top proxy advisors recommend Bristol-Myers investors approve buyout

Top proxy advisors Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis on Friday recommended Bristol-Myers Squibb shareholders vote in favor of its bid to buy peer biotechnology company Celgene, according to CNBC's David Faber.

The recommendation from ISS and Glass Lewis comes just weeks before Bristol-Myers investors will vote on whether to approve the company's $74 billion bid for Summit, New Jersey-based Celgene.

"The transaction also significantly enhances BMY's pipeline, raising the number of late-stage drugs from one to six," ISS said, according to a Bristol-Myers press release Friday. "Both companies' current products and their pipelines are focused on drugs that fight cancer and blood disorders. As such, the merger appears logical strategically, and likely to generate more synergies than one involving disparate pharmacological areas of focus."

Though recommendations from proxy advisors like ISS do not dictate how investors vote, large passive fund managers like Vanguard and BlackRock often weigh their advice when deciding how to vote their shares. Celgene shares rose more than 7 percent in early trading, while Bristol-Myers dipped 0.2 percent in choppy trading.

"In particular, the merger represents an attractive, risk-adjusted opportunity to enhance Bristol- Myers' product portfolio by leveraging Celgene's current 'Big Five' late-stage, near-term product launches," Glass Lewis said, according to the same Bristol press release.

However, not everyone is happy with the big-ticket biotech deal.

Investment firm Wellington Management, one of Bristol-Myers largest investors, said last month that it is opposed to the tie-up.

In a rare public comment, Wellington said it "does not believe that the Celgene transaction is an attractive path towards" a business that "secures differentiated science and broadens the future revenue base."

Shortly thereafter, activist investor Starboard Value added that it will leverage its smaller stake in Bristol-Myers to oppose the the deal at a shareholder meeting on April 12. Starboard believes that the deal is not the best path forward for Bristol because Celgene will face headwinds once the patent for its cancer treatment, Revlimid, expires.

"Bristol-Myers is deeply undervalued and the recent announcement of the Company's proposed acquisition of Celgene Corporation is poorly conceived and ill-advised," Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote in a letter. "There is a better path forward for Bristol-Myers, either as a more profitable standalone company with a more focused, lower-risk strategy, or in a potential sale of the whole Company."

A spokesperson for Wellington Management declined to comment for this story. Starboard Value did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Jeffrey Gundlach says Fed this week was 'not reassuring' and S&P 500 still in bear market

DoubleLine Capital CEO Jeffrey Gundlach spoke to CNBC on Thursday:

Wapner: Were you surprised by Fed's dovish double-down on Wednesday?

Gundlach: I think you have to be. I predicted they would go from two hikes this year to 0.5, and everyone told me there was no way they would downgrade it that far. But they went even further!

And what the heck is that "1 hike in 2020" thing about? It seems almost desperate.

Fed has gone from "we got this" to "we'll get back to you". Not reassuring.

Wapner: Do you still think we're in a bear market or has the Fed's pivot (and double-down) changed the game?

Gundlach – Yes to bear market. In 2007 the Fed went from "biased to tighten" to an "emergency ease" in just a few weeks. The S&P celebrated with a push to essentially a double top over the ensuing several weeks.

This pivot from December's hawkishness seems metaphorical to that period.

Fed says oil down is part of their motivation. Oil is up substantially from the December meeting.

Why won't they give a reason for this that is at least factually correct?

Say Trump demanded it. Say you are worried about Europe, or China, or the yield curve, or retail sales, or GDP now.

But stop with the gaslighting.

Movers & Shakers: Eicher Motors, Torrent Power, Thermax, Parsvnath Developers

Bulls have once again made a comeback in the afternoon trade on March 19 as Nifty50 added 75 points, trading at 11,538 whereas Sensex gained 296 points, trading at 38,391.

Nifty PSU Bank along with Nifty Energy are the outperforming sectors led by gains from Bank of India, PNB and Union Bank of India while from the energy space, the top gainers are Reliance Industries, HPCL, GAIL India and ONGC.

Here's a look at the top stock movers with respect to volumes:

Torrent Power was trading with volumes of 47,006,399 shares, compared to its five day average of 40,292 shares, an increase of 116,565.51 percent. Also, Thermax was trading with volumes of 412,158 shares, compared to its five day average of 7,295 shares, an increase of 5,549.56 percent.

related news D-Street Buzz: PSU banks extend gains, ITC jumps 2%; RIL most active Jet Airways plunges 5% as report claims Etihad may not invest further Kaveri Seed rises 3% on launch of a new facility at Telangana

Parsvnath Developers was trading with volumes of 1,202,866 shares, compared to its five day average of 29,261 shares, an increase of 4,010.82 percent and witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 45.36 times and touched upper circuit of Rs 7.78.

Natco Pharma was trading with volumes of 848,108 shares, compared to its five day average of 21,312 shares, an increase of 3,879.52 percent and saw a spurt in volume by more than 49.18 times.

Eicher Motors was trading with volumes of 68,906 shares, compared to its five day average of 3,259 shares, an increase of 2,014.20 percent. The stock saw a spurt in volume by more than 13.02 times.

Finolex Industries was trading with volumes of 52,048 shares, compared to its five day average of 5,516 shares, an increase of 843.51 percent. The stock saw a spurt in volume by more than 6.94 times. Also, Future Retail was trading with volumes of 179,103 shares, compared to its five day average of 35,390 shares, an increase of 406.09 percent. The stock witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 4.64 times. First Published on Mar 19, 2019 03:33 pm

Investors Should Be Cautious With China's IP Theft Promise

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-971119908&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/971119908/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g;

On a business trip to Long Island, New York, last autumn I was taking a shortcut to evade some mall traffic when I literally had to stop my car and make sure my eyes weren&s;t deceiving me. At an equipment dealer in an industrial park were rows of&a;nbsp;forklifts&a;nbsp;built by &l;a href=&q;http://cheryhilo.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Chery&l;/a&g;. Chery began life in mainland China in the 1990s as a car maker with a&a;nbsp;name remarkably similar to General Motors&s; Chevy. The state-owned Chery then produced cars so similar to Chevy that at times parts were &l;a href=&q;http://archive.fortune.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0810/gallery.china_cars.fortune/6.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;interchangeable&l;/a&g;. In the U.S., Chery doesn&s;t sell cars, instead primarily offering industrial equipment. And in fairness, a decade or is a long-time in business and may not reflect Chery today. But it&s;s hard to argue that Chery, now China&s;s &l;a href=&q;http://www.cheryinternational.com/introduction.html&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;largest&l;/a&g; vehicle exporter, paid much of a price for its questionable practices of the past. It&s;s a cautionary example that U.S. businesses and their investors need to be wary of, even as the Chinese communist party pledges IP theft reform, as &l;a href=&q;https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-parliament-lawmaking/foreign-business-skeptical-as-china-approves-new-investment-law-idUSKCN1QW04U?il=0&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Reuters reports&l;/a&g; today.

There&s;s no denying foreign brands and products have had a difficult time balancing the lure of the massive mainland China market with all the trouble that comes with it from weak trademark protectionm, from Chery to knock-off products that have even included&l;a href=&q;https://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0619/086.html#4f668b0c4256&q;&g; Canadian ice wine&l;/a&g;. Regardless of the apparent progress this week by the Chinese government in discouraging IP theft, investors would do well to continue to consider weighing the risks of operating in China against the possibly great rewards. And they can be great &a;ndash; Starbucks&s; success in tapping into Chinese burgeoning middle class is one &l;a href=&q;https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/02/08/why-starbucks-is-betting-big-on-china.aspx&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;example&l;/a&g; of how the market can reinvigorate slowing growth.

If you think these risks of losing control over IP is minor, consider the example of &l;a href=&q;http://www.amsc.com&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;American Superconductor&l;/a&g;.&a;nbsp;If you had to choose a poster company for the danger of intellectual property theft and China, American Superconductor would be among your finalists. The Massachusetts-based maker of highly efficient conducting wire and associated designs for wind turbine and grid management systems was one of the apparent winners of the renewable energy sector boom of the mid 2000s, especially as the central planners of mainland China put in plans for a wide expansion of the country&a;rsquo;s renewable energy base. American Superconductor quickly became a key supplier of turbine design and technology to China&a;rsquo;s Sinovel, expecting to receive hundreds of millions of dollars annually in orders to feed Sinovel&a;rsquo;s wind&a;nbsp;farm plans. In an interview for &l;em&g;Forbes&l;/em&g; (for a story which never ran), I met with AMSC founder and then-CEO Greg Yurek in March 2011. IP theft, he said, wasn&s;t much of an issue, because the algorithms protecting the software running the market&s;s best turbine systems were uncrackable. Unfortunately, the algorithms mightn&s;t have been crackable, but employees were. Mainland Chinese managers and an Austrian employee illegally sold the turbine control software secrets to Sinovel that year, leading to a breakdown in the relationship between the companies. Shares cratered, falling from a 10-year high of $430 (adjusted for a reverse split of 1-for-10 in 2016), to a low of $2.97 in mid-2017. Revenues from China fell from $241 million&a;nbsp;in 2010 to $679,000 in 2017. Shareholders literally lost billions of dollars of equity. American Superconductor isn&s;t the only example. The political advocacy group Coalition for a Prosperous America has an interesting&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.prosperousamerica.org/top_ten_cases_of_chinese_ip_theft&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;top 10 lis&l;/a&g;t.

&l;img class=&q;size-medium wp-image-1534&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/brendancoffey/files/2019/03/AMSC_YahooFinanceChart-300x181.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;181&q; data-width=&q;300&q;&g; IP theft sent American Superconductor shares off a cliff in 2011.

It&s;s taken a decade for American Superconductor to recover as it refocused its business in the U.S. and international&a;nbsp;sales to&a;nbsp;India and Korea. Somewhat ironically, the turning point for shares came about a year ago when&a;nbsp;a court in Wisconsin found Sinovel guilty of stealing AMSC&a;rsquo;s technology. On news of the victory,&a;nbsp;the stock saw the heaviest one-day volume ever. The companies settled for about a tenth of what the court said Sinovel cost AMSC, with Sinovel paying $32.5 million to AMSC in July with the remaining $25 million in December.

Outright theft like with AMSC can happen anywhere &a;ndash; this isn&s;t solely a mainland China problem. But more formally, the Chinese government has long had a requirement that foreign companies need to transfer technology to the country through joint ventures with domestic firms. It&s;s been a wildly successful requirement for China &a;ndash; the country amassed more than half of its intellectual property from foreign companies this way, the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank noted in a 2015 &l;a href=&q;https://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/economic-policy-papers/the-costs-of-quid-pro-quo&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;report&l;/a&g;. This week&s;s proposal, which would go into effect in China starting next year if approved, would start to dismantle that formal technology transfer requirement. That&s;s a good start and could be long-term bullish for U.S. companies selling into China. But it&s;s far too early to think your stocks with heavy China exposure are less risky than they really are.&l;/p&g;

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:CDTX,NXST,RBS,CHKE,EXEL,HQH,RS,CTIC,JST,ATHM,

Media stories about Inogen (NASDAQ:INGN) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern reports. The research firm ranks the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring 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 nearest to one being the most favorable. Inogen earned a media sentiment score of 0.10 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news coverage about the medical technology company an impact score of 47.2867768802667 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.

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

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Cidara Therapeutics, Inc.(CDTX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Cidara Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CDTX) shares took a big step back on Monday, despite the firm reporting positive midstage results. Specifically, Cidara reported positive topline results from its Phase 2 Strive clinical trial of its lead antifungal candidate rezafungin acetate.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Cantor Fitzgerald set a $15.00 target price on Cidara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CDTX) in a report released on Tuesday morning. The firm currently has a buy rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

  Get Cidara Therapeutics alerts: Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX) Upgraded to Buy at WBB Securities (americanbankingnews.com) Data to be Presented at ASM Microbe 2018 Demonstrate the Efficacy and Safety of Cidara's Rezafungin for the Treatment of Invasive Fungal Infections (finance.yahoo.com) Cidara Therapeutics and Rutgers University awarded $5.5M grant from NIH to develop immunotherapy agents targeting gram-negative bacterial infections (seekingalpha.com) Cidara Therapeutics Announces Offering of Common Stock and Warrants (finance.yahoo.com) Cidara Therapeutics and Rutgers University Awarded $5.5 Million Grant from NIH to Support Development of Novel Immunotherapy Agents Targeting Multi-drug Resistant Gram-negative Bacterial Infections (finance.yahoo.com)

  Shares of CDTX stock traded up $0.30 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $5.20. 311,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 203,168. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 5.99 and a current ratio of 5.99. The stock has a market cap of $97.33 million, a P/E ratio of -1.64 and a beta of 2.05. Cidara Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $3.70 and a twelve month high of $8.80.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc.(NXST)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Nexstar Media Group (NXST)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Nexstar Media Group Inc (NASDAQ:NXST) insider Andrew Alford sold 150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.71, for a total transaction of $11,956.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,520 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $121,159.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Barrington Research reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ:NXST) in a report issued on Tuesday. They currently have a $110.00 target price on the stock. Barrington Research also issued estimates for Nexstar Media Group’s Q2 2019 earnings at $1.84 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $1.67 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $2.07 EPS, Q1 2020 earnings at $1.51 EPS, Q2 2020 earnings at $2.40 EPS, Q3 2020 earnings at $2.96 EPS, Q4 2020 earnings at $4.49 EPS and FY2021 earnings at $9.10 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ:NXST) had its price target cut by B. Riley to $87.00. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

  Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a buy rating to a hold rating. According to Zacks, “Ralph Lauren outperformed the industry in the past six months backed by robust bottom-line performance in recent quarters. Notably, third-quarter fiscal 2018 marked the company’s 12th consecutive earnings beat while sales lagged estimates after a beat in the previous quarter. Additionally, the company’s Way Forward Plan is on track, and it remains keen on bolstering digital and international presence. Also, the company has been gaining from favorable geographic and channel mix shifts along with lower promotions and reduced product costs. Further, management adjusted fiscal 2018 outlook to account for the positive currency rates, which are likely to aid revenues and operating margins. However, its North America business continues to suffer due to distribution and brand exits, planned reduction in shipments and promotions to enhance the quality of sales, and lower customer demand.”

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

  Get Nexstar Media Group alerts: Nexstar Media Group Inc (NXST) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Analysts (americanbankingnews.com) Nexstar Media Group Inc (NXST) Insider Sells $11,956.50 in Stock (americanbankingnews.com) Nexstar Media Group (NXST) Cut to “Hold” at Noble Financial (americanbankingnews.com) Nexstar Media Group Inc to Post Q3 2018 Earnings of $1.94 Per Share, Barrington Research Forecasts (NXST) (americanbankingnews.com) Get Active Home Medical and Mobility (wdtn.com)

  Shares of NXST opened at $81.40 on Thursday. Nexstar Media Group has a 52-week low of $56.65 and a 52-week high of $89.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 2.43 and a current ratio of 2.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 20.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.88.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Royal Bank Scotland plc (RBS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Royal Bank of Scotland Group (LON:RBS)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued on Friday. They currently have a GBX 341 ($4.46) target price on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 35.32% from the company’s current price.

• [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
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (NYSE:RBS) gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $6.94, but opened at $6.95. Royal Bank of Scotland Group shares last traded at $6.89, with a volume of 19561 shares changing hands.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (LON:RBS) has been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 317.86 ($4.15).

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Cherokee Inc.(CHKE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning News Team]

  The 90% gainer was Cherokee Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKE), whose skyrocketing price was the result of its securing a deal to refinance its corporate debt. The deal is a three-year agreement worth $40 million.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Last week's top performing penny stock, Cherokee Inc. (Nasdaq: CHKE), jumped over 90% after the company secured a $40 million three-year financing agreement that will allow the company to refinance its debt.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cherokee (CHKE)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Cherokee (NASDAQ:CHKE) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.09) by ($0.11), RTT News reports. Cherokee had a negative return on equity of 13.63% and a negative net margin of 130.24%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.07) earnings per share.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Following the June FOMC meeting, silver prices are hovering at very attractive price levels. With interest rates heading higher, it's going to be a very good time for silver hounds to buy on the dip and deliver incredible profits in the months ahead. Learn more right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Thursday On Thursday, the European Central Bank held its meeting in Latvia to discuss the future of its quantitative easing program. The central bank of the world's largest economic bloc said that it will likely end its quantitative easing program in December. This represents an extension beyond the current plan to end the stimulus program in September. ECB President Mario Draghi said the program would be reduced to 15 billion euros each month during the final three months of the year. Yesterday, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the second time in 2018. The central bank said that economic growth has been rising at a solid rate and hinted that it could raise rates two more times this year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell did raise an alarm on Wednesday after stating that companies are holding back on investment due to ongoing concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies. Trump is expected to decide this week on whether to proceed with tariffs on about $50 billion in Chinese goods. Trade tensions are heating up again. This morning, China announced it would call off its deal to avoid a trade war if the Trump administration proceeds with tariffs on Friday morning. Tomorrow, the Trump team will decide if it will hit China with tariffs on roughly $50 billion in goods. Stocks to Watch Today: ADBE, CMCSA, TSLA, MSFT Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE) will report earnings after the bell Thursday. The software giant is expected to report earnings per share of $1.54 on top of $2.15 billion in revenue. Insider buying is alive and well at Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA). Chair and CEO Elon Musk purchased $25 million in company stock, according to a
• [By Max Byerly]

  Headlines about Cherokee (NASDAQ:CHKE) have trended positive on Thursday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern identifies negative and positive press coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Cherokee earned a media sentiment score of 0.32 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the company an impact score of 44.2075854049616 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Exelixis, Inc.(EXEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wedbush Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 14,215 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock, valued at approximately $315,000.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Shares of Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) have jumped 9.8% as of 11:47 a.m. EDT Thursday, having been up as much as 13% earlier, after the biotech released solid second-quarter earnings after the bell yesterday. The company continues to expand sales of its lead drug, Cabometyx, assuaging investors' fears that competition might cut into the drug's growth.

• [By Sean Williams]

  After running a screen for healthcare stocks with a PEG ratio below 1 (courtesy of Yahoo! Finance), the following 13 were all that remained:

  Innoviva (NASDAQ:INVA): 0.42 PEG ratio Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG): 0.54 Mallinckrodt (NYSE:MNK): 0.59 Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL): 0.60 Global Cord Blood Corp.: 0.72 AbbVie: 0.75 Vertex Pharmaceuticals: 0.80 DaVita: 0.80 Supernus Pharmaceuticals: 0.80 Mednax: 0.82 MiMedx Group: 0.88 CIGNA: 0.93 Medpace Holdings: 0.95

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Exelixis (EXEL)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL) VP Patrick J. Haley sold 3,663 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.61, for a total transaction of $79,157.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Tekla Healthcare Investors(HQH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Tekla Healthcare Investors (NYSE:HQH) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, August 20th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 28th will be given a dividend of 0.47 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, September 28th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 27th.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Bank of Nova Scotia cut its stake in shares of Tekla Healthcare Investors (NYSE:HQH) by 19.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 69,440 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 17,077 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia owned about 0.17% of Tekla Healthcare Investors worth $1,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.(RS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (NYSE:RS) by 10.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 294,218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 27,641 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.41% of Reliance Steel & Aluminum worth $25,796,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (NYSE:RS) hit a new 52-week high and low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $97.41 and last traded at $94.18, with a volume of 15817 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $96.27.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (NYSE:RS) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $91.88.

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: CTI BioPharma Corp.(CTIC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of CTI BioPharma Corp (NASDAQ:CTIC) have received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $7.10.

• [By Brian Feroldi]

  In response to the company sharing a clinical update, shares of CTI BioPharma (NASDAQ:CTIC), a clinical-stage biotech focused on blood-related cancers, fell 13% as of 12:05 p.m. EDT on Monday.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Nevertheless, several individual stocks failed to keep up. Read on to see why CTI BioPharma (NASDAQ:CTIC), PetMed Express (NASDAQ:PETS), and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) each slumped today.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CTI BioPharma (CTIC)

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

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Jinpan International Limited(JST)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  JOST Werke AG (ETR:JST) has earned an average rating of “Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is €49.33 ($57.36).

• [By Max Byerly]

  Hauck & Aufhaeuser set a €58.00 ($67.44) target price on JOST Werke (ETR:JST) in a report issued on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Deutsche Bank set a €46.00 ($53.49) price target on JOST Werke (ETR:JST) in a research report sent to investors on Friday. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Warburg Research set a €47.00 ($55.95) price target on JOST Werke (ETR:JST) in a report published on Friday. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of JOST Werke (ETR: JST) recently:

  5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/25/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €47.00 ($54.65) price target on by analysts at Warburg Research. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €45.00 ($52.33) price target on by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock. 5/8/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €46.00 ($53.49) price target on by analysts at Deutsche Bank AG. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. 4/4/2018 – JOST Werke was given a new €47.00 ($54.65) price target on by analysts at Warburg Research. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.

  Shares of JOST Werke traded down €0.15 ($0.17), hitting €38.10 ($44.30), during mid-day trading on Friday, according to MarketBeat. 8,510 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 35,469. JOST Werke AG has a 52 week low of €27.20 ($31.63) and a 52 week high of €47.50 ($55.23).

Top 10 Medical Stocks To Buy For 2019: Autohome Inc.(ATHM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Raymond James & Associates reduced its stake in shares of Autohome Inc (NYSE:ATHM) by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 229,347 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 7,721 shares during the quarter. Raymond James & Associates owned 0.19% of Autohome worth $23,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

  Get Autohome alerts: Dow Jones Falls Before Trump’s Iran Decision; These 2 IBD 50 Stocks Jump (investors.com) Autohome Quarterly Earnings Beat Estimates, Guides Higher (finance.yahoo.com) Autohome (ATHM) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.11 EPS (americanbankingnews.com) Earnings Reaction History: Autohome Inc., 44.4% Follow-Through Indicator, 4.6% Sensitive (nasdaq.com) BRIEF-Autohome Reports Qtrly Earnings Per Share Of RMB 4.05 (reuters.com)

  Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. ValuEngine raised shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 11th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Autohome from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $99.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $73.97.

• [By Leo Sun]

  Tencent's and JD's investments in Bitauto, which date back over three years, allow the two companies to expand their ecosystems into the online automotive market. By tethering itself to Tencent's WeChat and JD's online marketplace, Bitauto widens its moat against Autohome (NYSE:ATHM), its primary rival.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Autohome Inc  (NYSE:ATHM)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 26, 2019, 7:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Autohome (ATHM)

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

salesforce.com, inc. (CRM) Shares Bought by Polar Capital LLP

Polar Capital LLP lifted its position in shares of salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) by 5.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 613,161 shares of the CRM provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,279 shares during the quarter. salesforce.com accounts for about 0.9% of Polar Capital LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Polar Capital LLP’s holdings in salesforce.com were worth $83,985,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Chicago Equity Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of salesforce.com by 9.7% during the third quarter. Chicago Equity Partners LLC now owns 6,530 shares of the CRM provider’s stock valued at $1,038,000 after purchasing an additional 580 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of salesforce.com by 29.4% during the third quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,992 shares of the CRM provider’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares during the period. Achmea Investment Management B.V. purchased a new stake in salesforce.com in the third quarter worth $822,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its stake in salesforce.com by 12.0% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 82,133 shares of the CRM provider’s stock worth $13,061,000 after acquiring an additional 8,775 shares during the period. Finally, Allen Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in salesforce.com by 35.9% in the third quarter. Allen Investment Management LLC now owns 18,240 shares of the CRM provider’s stock worth $2,901,000 after acquiring an additional 4,818 shares during the period. 83.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Get salesforce.com alerts:

In other news, Director Craig Conway sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.07, for a total transaction of $29,214.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,198 shares in the company, valued at $1,343,551.86. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Marc Benioff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.36, for a total value of $1,413,600.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 541,028 shares of company stock valued at $78,200,323 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 6.00% of the company’s stock.

Shares of NYSE:CRM opened at $159.96 on Wednesday. salesforce.com, inc. has a 1-year low of $111.34 and a 1-year high of $166.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market cap of $120.60 billion, a PE ratio of 110.32, a P/E/G ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 1.37.

salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 4th. The CRM provider reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.14. salesforce.com had a return on equity of 8.06% and a net margin of 6.51%. The firm had revenue of $3.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.56 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.35 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that salesforce.com, inc. will post 1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. ValuEngine raised salesforce.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 2nd. Macquarie raised their price target on salesforce.com from $174.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $182.00 price target on shares of salesforce.com in a research note on Wednesday, November 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on salesforce.com from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research lowered salesforce.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $177.62.

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salesforce.com Profile

salesforce.com, inc. develops enterprise cloud computing solutions with a focus on customer relationship management. The company offers Sales Cloud to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, and gain insights through analytics and relationship intelligence, as well as deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices.

Featured Story: Understanding the different types of bonds

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CRM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM).

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:ADTN,JKS,NEWR,PRGS,HHS,

Albert Einstein racked up quite a list of scientific accomplishments before his death in 1955. He won a Nobel Prize in physics for a discovery that laid the groundwork for quantum mechanics, developed the theory of relativity, and was so influential a mere letter to the president jump-started the infamous Manhattan Project. Despite his grasp of the universe and power of the atom, he once quipped that the most powerful force in the universe was compound interest.

Investors that have taken a long-term, buy-and-hold approach to wealth-building might not dispute that claim. Owning a stock for years -- or decades -- makes future dividend yields higher, future share growth more powerful, and provides peace of mind compared to the more frenzied buying and selling that seems to dominate investing today. Even better, there's never a bad time to start. Those looking for top stocks of the next decade might want to take a closer look at oil driller EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG), maintenance products specialist WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC), and home water technology leader A.O. Smith Corp (NYSE:AOS).

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ADTRAN Inc.(ADTN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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

• [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]

  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 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 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 Ethan Ryder]

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

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: JinkoSolar Holding Company Limited(JKS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Solar stocks have been on a downward march for most of the year. First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), JinkoSolar (NYSE:JKS), and Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) are all down double digits, and there are no clear signs of a turnaround in sight. 

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE:JKS)’s share price dropped 5.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $11.92 and last traded at $12.16. Approximately 987,700 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 50% from the average daily volume of 659,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.88.

• [By Dustin Parrett]

  One of the best ways to play it is by owning the top Chinese solar stock, Jinko Solar Holding Company Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

  It's already the world's third-largest supplier of photovoltaic cells – an essential component of solar panels. Plus, it's plugged right into China's skyrocketing solar industry.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine cut shares of JinkoSolar (NYSE:JKS) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on JKS. Roth Capital upgraded JinkoSolar from a neutral rating to a buy rating and decreased their target price for the company from $20.00 to $11.50 in a report on Monday, February 4th. Goldman Sachs Group upgraded JinkoSolar from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, February 4th. Williams Capital initiated coverage on JinkoSolar in a report on Wednesday, December 19th. They issued a sell rating and a $1.00 target price for the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded JinkoSolar from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $18.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 6th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating on shares of JinkoSolar in a report on Tuesday, November 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $12.58.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: New Relic, Inc.(NEWR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRPA) shares jumped 31.6 percent to $12.18 following TripAdvisor Q1 earnings beat. ZAGG Inc (NASDAQ: ZAGG) rose 26.5 percent to $14.55 after the company posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings. OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK) shares gained 25 percent to $4.0234 following Q1 beat. Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAXN) jumped 23.5 percent to $55.12 following a big Q1 beat. The company raised its fiscal 2018 sales growth guidance from 16-18 percent to 18-20 percent. Penn Virginia Corporation (NASDAQ: PVAC) gained 23.3 percent to $59.00 after reporting Q1 results. TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) rose 22.5 percent to $47.51 after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Tuesday. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) shares surged 21.7 percent to $3.36. Amazon.com's partnership with Sears started in 2017 with an agreement to sell Kenmore-branded appliances online. On Wednesday, the companies announced an extension of their relationship to now include tire delivery and installations. EP Energy Corporation (NYSE: EPE) jumped 21.3 percent to $2.68 following Q1 results. LendingClub Corporation (NYSE: LC) surged 20.4 percent to $3.395 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. Superior Industries International, Inc. (NYSE: SUP) gained 19 percent to $15.82 after reporting Q1 results. Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLCM) shares rose 18.5 percent to $8.13 following Q1 results. Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) rose 18.3 percent to $52.47 after the company posted strong quarterly results. Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS) shares jumped 18.3 percent to $6.47 following quarterly results. IEC Electronics Corp. (NYSE: IEC) shares climbed 17 percent to $4.68 after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings. New Relic, Inc. (NYSE: NEWR) rose 16.8 percent to $90.10 following Q4 results. Gulfport Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: GPOR)
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wedbush reissued their outperform rating on shares of New Relic (NYSE:NEWR) in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $116.00 price target on the software maker’s stock, down from their prior price target of $126.00.

• [By Max Byerly]

  New Relic Inc (NYSE:NEWR) CRO Erica Schultz sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.40, for a total value of $195,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive now owns 21,157 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,293,418.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribing]

  New Relic (NYSE:NEWR) Q3 2019 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 6, 2019 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on New Relic (NEWR)

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

• [By ]

  The seven companies cited by Cramer are Salesforce.com Inc.  (CRM) , Workday Inc. (WDAY) , ServiceNow Inc. (NOW) , Splunk Inc. (SPLK) , New Relic Inc. (NEWR) , VMWare Inc. (VMW) , and Adobe Systems Incorporated (ADBE) .

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Progress Software Corporation(PRGS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Smith Asset Management Group LP cut its holdings in shares of Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS) by 45.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,653 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 52,380 shares during the period. Smith Asset Management Group LP owned 0.14% of Progress Software worth $2,371,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  GSA Capital Partners LLP trimmed its holdings in shares of Progress Software Co. (NASDAQ:PRGS) by 21.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,142 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 16,052 shares during the quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP owned about 0.13% of Progress Software worth $2,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Get an exclusive invitation to meet Tim before everyone else right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Wednesday The U.S. markets are preparing for the eighth interest rate hike since 2015, and the Federal Reserve may not be done yet. Markets are weighing the possibility that the Fed may raise rates one more time this year (in December). The hikes come as the Fed is attempting to shrink its $4.5 trillion balance sheet. When Powell speaks this afternoon, expect a few questions about the impact of the trade war between the United States and China. Reporters will also likely want to know about geopolitical risks to the U.S. economy and how they might affect growth in a higher-interest-rate environment. Yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a speech before the United Nations General Assembly. During his talk, Trump praised the U.S. economy and defended his administration's actions this year on trade. Trump said that the United States will no longer endure "abuse" from other trade partners. The U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also said Tuesday that the U.S. is prepared to proceed on a new trade deal with Mexico without the participation of Canada. Oil prices are in focus after President Trump called out OPEC members before the U.N. on Tuesday. During his talk, Trump accused OPEC and non-OPEC participants in collusion efforts on production and prices of ripping off the rest of the world. Three Stocks to Watch Today: NKE, SVMK, DB Shares of Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) fell 3.5% after the sports apparel giant reported earnings after the bell. The company topped earnings expectations and reported profit growth of 15%. However, investors took some profits off the table. Shares of Nike stock are up more than 35% on the year. SVMK, the parent company of SurveyMonkey, has priced its upcoming IPO at $12 per share. That figure is above analysts' initial range expectation of $9 to $11 per share. The firm expects to reach a market capitalization of $1.46 bil
• [By Shane Hupp]

  BidaskClub upgraded shares of Progress Software (NASDAQ:PRGS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Thursday morning.

  Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Investment Research cut Progress Software from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 29th. National Securities initiated coverage on shares of Progress Software in a research report on Monday, July 16th. They issued a buy rating and a $50.00 price objective on the stock. Wedbush upped their price objective on shares of Progress Software from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Finally, Benchmark upgraded shares of Progress Software from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $29.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Progress Software currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Best Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Harte-Hanks, Inc.(HHS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  These are some of the news stories that may have effected Accern’s rankings:

  Get Harte Hanks alerts: Harte-Hanks (HHS) Name Four New Independent Directors (streetinsider.com) Harte Hanks (HHS) Given $15.00 Consensus Price Target by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com) Harte Hanks to Appoint Four New Independent Directors to the Board (feeds.benzinga.com) Harte Hanks (HHS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Investment Research (americanbankingnews.com) Harte Hanks (HHS) Shares March Higher, Can It Continue? (zacks.com)

  Shares of Harte Hanks traded up $0.65, reaching $10.96, during trading hours on Friday, according to Marketbeat.com. The stock had a trading volume of 46,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,474. Harte Hanks has a 12 month low of $7.30 and a 12 month high of $14.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.13 and a beta of 0.90.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Harte Hanks (NYSE:HHS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday.

  HHS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Noble Financial reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Harte Hanks in a research note on Monday, March 5th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Harte Hanks from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $12.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 15th.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Bioblast Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: ORPN) shares rose 29.6 percent to $3.22. Mannatech, Incorporated (NASDAQ: MTEX) surged 23.3 percent to $19.60 after the company reported commencement of modified Dutch auction cash tender for up to $16 million of common stock. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) shares rose 22.1 percent to $15.8003. Quotient Limited (NASDAQ: QTNT) gained 18.1 percent to $5.54 following commencement of EU blood grouping field trial. Shineco, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYHT) climbed 17.1 percent to $1.9899 following Q3 results. Shineco posted Q3 earnings of $0.21 per share on sales of $13.3 million. CPI Card Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PMTS) rose 17 percent to $3.0999. Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: DDE) shares climbed 12 percent to $2.2613. The stock spiked more than 14 percent Thursday near the close as traders circulate word the Delaware lottery is planning to introduce full sports betting in June. Harte Hanks, Inc. (NYSE: HHS) shares gained 7.2 percent to $11.05 after the company late Thursday appointed four new independent directors to board. Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON) rose 6.4 percent to $6.17. VivoPower International PLC (NASDAQ: VVPR) shares gained 6.3 percent to $3.74. Global Self Storage, Inc. (NASDAQ: SELF) shares climbed 6 percent to $4.20.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

Should Big Tech Be Broken Up?

Should big tech be broken up? It’s such an existential question for the start of a new week. Nonetheless, it’s a question that many have asked for over a year now, as the big tech stocks continue to gain a more significant chunk of the major indexes.

Source: Shutterstock

As of Mar. 8, big tech stocks accounted for somewhere between 20% and 31% of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:SPY) net assets of $253 billion. I say, somewhere, because stocks like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) are now part of the Communication Services sector and not Information Technology.

Let’s just split the difference and say big tech stocks account for 25.5% of the S&P 500, almost the same amount as the Financials and Healthcare sectors combined. As tech stocks go, so goes the S&P 500.

A year ago, I wrote a piece entitled Here is What a Potential Breakup of Alphabet Inc Stock Would Look Like. In it, I argued why Alphabet investors shouldn’t be concerned about a Google breakup; I believe it would be good for the company’s share price. Legendary tech investor Roger McNamee was the one to suggest the FANG stocks should be broken up.

I just ran with the idea.

A New Plan

Now, Senator Elizabeth Warren has a plan to break up the big tech stocks.

“Today’s big tech companies have too much power — too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy,” Warren wrote in Mar. 8 blog post on her 2020 Campaign website. “They’ve bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit, and tilted the playing field against everyone else. And in the process, they have hurt small businesses and stifled innovation.”

If you work in the tech industry and you’re honest about the situation, I think you’ll agree with the Massachusetts senator. Innovation only thrives when small businesses can grow into big companies. Warren believes this isn’t happening as a result of big tech stocks.

Her Solution?

Companies with revenues of more than $25 billion would have to separate their platform utilities from the rest of their businesses in those instances where the company was providing third-party businesses a platform but also competing against those third parties.

Examples include Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet. In the case of Amazon, it would be required to separate Amazon Marketplace from AmazonBasics, the company’s in-house brand. In Alphabet’s situation, much like what I described in my article last year, Google would have to separate its search business from the rest of the company.

In the second part of her plan, Warren would appoint regulators to reverse mergers that she believes have made it impossible for small tech entrepreneurs to compete with big tech.

Senator Warren spent much of her career studying these kinds of economic issues before becoming a senator. If anyone understands them, it would be her.

“Weak antitrust enforcement has led to a dramatic reduction in competition and innovation in the tech sector. Venture capitalists are now hesitant to fund new startups to compete with these big tech companies because it’s so easy for the big companies to either snap up growing competitors or drive them out of business,” Warren wrote in her blog post. “The number of tech startups has slumped, there are fewer high-growth young firms typical of the tech industry, and first financing rounds for tech startups have declined 22% since 2012.”

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The Bottom Line for Big Tech Stocks

If you own any of the FANG stocks, I would not fear Warren’s efforts to make the tech industry more competitive; I would embrace it. While each of these stocks has contributed to making our lives a little easier or more fun, it has come at a cost to the little guy in technology.

Standard Oil was broken up in 1911 after the Supreme Court ruled that the oil company controlled by billionaire John D. Rockefeller did restrain trade through business practices such as price-cutting, effectively putting the little guy out of business.

Today, three descendants of Standard Oil are part of the S&P 500: Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP).

And they’re all doing just fine on their own.    

I have no idea if Senator Warren has a chance to be President. What I do know is that she has a better grasp of how economies work (and don’t work) then the current person residing in the White House.

Don’t be scared of a breakup. Embrace it.

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

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:TBI,BWLD,JWN,MED,

U.S. stock benchmarks gave up earlier gains and closed lower on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve raised benchmark interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected, and signaled that the domestic economic growth outlook warranted a more aggressive rate-hike path than investors had anticipated. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.40% fell 11.22 points, or 0.4%, to 2,775.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.47% lost 119.60 points, or 0.5%, to 25,201.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, -0.11% which earlier set an intraday record at 7.748.96, turned lower to close 8.09 points, or 0.1%, lower at 7,695.70. Among the biggest losers on the S&P 500, H&R Block Inc. HRB, -17.94% plunged 18%.

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 2019: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 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 Max Byerly]

  Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Trueblue Inc (NYSE:TBI) by 18.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,550 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.’s holdings in Trueblue were worth $823,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 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.

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 2019: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) never expanded as much as its lower-price competitors, and since all of its stores are profitable, it hasn't felt the need to shrink dramatically. Nevertheless, it is closing stores here and there. Given that the Nordstrom store base is heavily skewed toward the best malls in North America, even a relatively small number of store closures and asset sales could provide a meaningful windfall for the company and its investors.

• [By Steve Symington]

  But several individual companies bucked the indexes' trend. Read on to learn why MiMedx Group (NASDAQ:MDXG), Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB), and Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) trailed the broader market today.

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Following a couple of tough years, Kohl's (NYSE:KSS) and Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) have helped lead a revival of sorts for the department-store sector over the past year. Strengthening comp sales results and rising earnings expectations helped Kohl's stock reach an all-time high last week. Meanwhile, Nordstrom stock hit a multiyear high.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close was Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) which traded up about 13% at $59.13. The stock's 52-week range is $37.79 to $59.21. Volume was about 17 million compared to the daily average volume of 2.5 million.

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 2019: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  MediBloc [MED] (CURRENCY:MED) traded 11.7% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 1 day period ending at 20:00 PM ET on February 16th. MediBloc [MED] has a total market capitalization of $19.63 million and $281,103.00 worth of MediBloc [MED] was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, MediBloc [MED] has traded down 27.6% against the U.S. dollar. One MediBloc [MED] token can currently be bought for $0.0066 or 0.00000100 BTC on major exchanges including Coinrail, Bibox and Gate.io.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  MediBloc [QRC20] (MED) is a proof-of-work (PoW) token that uses the HybridScryptHash256 hashing algorithm. It was first traded on January 3rd, 2014. MediBloc [QRC20]’s total supply is 4,097,545,844 tokens and its circulating supply is 2,966,384,100 tokens. MediBloc [QRC20]’s official website is medibloc.org/en. MediBloc [QRC20]’s official Twitter account is @MEDDevTeam. The official message board for MediBloc [QRC20] is medium.com/@MediBloc. The Reddit community for MediBloc [QRC20] is /r/MediBloc and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here.

• [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 Max Byerly]

  MediBloc [QRC20] (MED) is a proof-of-work (PoW) token that uses the HybridScryptHash256 hashing algorithm. It was first traded on January 3rd, 2014. MediBloc [QRC20]’s total supply is 4,097,545,844 tokens and its circulating supply is 2,966,384,100 tokens. The official website for MediBloc [QRC20] is medibloc.org/en. MediBloc [QRC20]’s official Twitter account is @MEDDevTeam. The Reddit community for MediBloc [QRC20] is /r/MediBloc and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. MediBloc [QRC20]’s official message board is medium.com/@MediBloc.

Analysts Anticipate RMR Group Inc (RMR) Will Announce Quarterly Sales of $150.42 Million

Wall Street analysts expect RMR Group Inc (NASDAQ:RMR) to report $150.42 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Two analysts have provided estimates for RMR Group’s earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $158.60 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $142.24 million. RMR Group reported sales of $59.28 million in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year over year growth rate of 153.7%. The business is scheduled to report its next quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th.

On average, analysts expect that RMR Group will report full-year sales of $735.39 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $710.58 million to $760.20 million. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the business will post sales of $617.27 million, with estimates ranging from $587.44 million to $647.10 million. Zacks’ sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of analysts that that provide coverage for RMR Group.

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RMR Group (NASDAQ:RMR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 7th. The financial services provider reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.22. RMR Group had a return on equity of 17.44% and a net margin of 16.52%. The company had revenue of $280.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $181.62 million.

RMR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TheStreet upgraded RMR Group from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Friday, January 25th. B. Riley set a $89.00 price objective on RMR Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 29th. ValuEngine upgraded RMR Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 6th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded RMR Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $81.50.

Shares of NASDAQ:RMR traded up $0.82 during trading on Monday, hitting $66.52. The stock had a trading volume of 40,783 shares, compared to its average volume of 45,513. RMR Group has a 12-month low of $51.80 and a 12-month high of $98.00. The stock has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.55 and a beta of 1.31.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 28th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.10%. This is a boost from RMR Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 25th. RMR Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.09%.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in shares of RMR Group by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 3,483 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $185,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in RMR Group by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,498 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $292,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P grew its holdings in RMR Group by 1.5% during the third quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 34,184 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,173,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares during the period. Convergence Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in RMR Group by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 6,217 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 533 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in RMR Group by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 62,438 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,317,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.29% of the company’s stock.

RMR Group Company Profile

The RMR Group Inc, through its subsidiary, The RMR Group LLC, provides business and property management services in the United States. It provides management services to its five publicly traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) and three real estate operating companies. As of September 30, 2018, the company had approximately 1,700 properties under management, which are primarily owned by its Managed Equity REITs.

See Also: Outstanding Shares

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Ask a Fool: Should I Buy My First Stocks With My 2019 Tax Refund?

Q: I'm getting a tax refund of about $3,000. I've been thinking about starting investing, so is now a good time?

Getting a tax refund can be a great way to start investing, but the biggest question to answer before opening a brokerage account is whether you could put the money to better use elsewhere. If you have lots of debt -- specifically, high-interest debt -- it might not make good financial sense to start investing.

Think of it this way: Even great investors generally don't earn returns of more than 10%-12% per year. Historically, a well-balanced portfolio of stocks and fixed-income investments has generated annualized returns of about 7%. (If you do better, great! But let's use this as our base expectation.)

If you have debts that have lower interest rates than this -- such as a mortgage, student loans, or auto loans -- it can make good sense to invest your extra money instead of paying them down faster.

On the other hand, if you have debt with higher interest rates than you can reasonably expect to earn by investing, it is generally a good idea to use any extra money for debt repayment before you start to invest.

Jones Energy Inc (JONE) Expected to Announce Earnings of -$5.08 Per Share

Brokerages predict that Jones Energy Inc (NYSE:JONE) will announce earnings of ($5.08) per share for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Two analysts have made estimates for Jones Energy’s earnings. Jones Energy posted earnings per share of ($6.40) in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 20.6%. The business is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Jones Energy will report full-year earnings of ($19.42) per share for the current financial year. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the company will post earnings of ($19.26) per share. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that that provide coverage for Jones Energy.

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Separately, Zacks Investment Research raised Jones Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $2.50 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $12.17.

JONE stock traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $0.24. 504,181 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 86,736. The stock has a market cap of $1.08 million, a PE ratio of -0.03 and a beta of 3.09. Jones Energy has a fifty-two week low of $0.14 and a fifty-two week high of $20.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

In other Jones Energy news, major shareholder Advisors L.L.C. Jvl sold 81,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $0.63, for a total transaction of $51,030.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 32.10% of the company’s stock.

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Jones Energy stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP acquired a new stake in Jones Energy Inc (NYSE:JONE) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 32,392 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $194,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.63% of Jones Energy as of its most recent SEC filing.

About Jones Energy

Jones Energy, Inc, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the mid-continent United States. It owns leasehold interests in oil and natural gas producing properties, as well as in undeveloped acreage located in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma and Texas.

Featured Article: How Do Front-End Loads Impact an Investment?

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Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:CMG,THO,SWY,COP,PMT,III,NG,VRX,STN,ARG,

Canadian Utilities Limited (TSE:CU)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday after Industrial Alliance Securities lowered their price target on the stock from C$36.00 to C$32.00. The company traded as low as C$29.95 and last traded at C$29.96, with a volume of 167433 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$30.50.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on CU. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$37.00 to C$35.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 11th. National Bank Financial cut their target price on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$38.00 to C$36.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 30th. CIBC reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Canadian Utilities in a research note on Thursday, June 28th. Finally, TD Securities cut their target price on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$37.00 to C$35.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of C$36.00.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.(CMG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jason Hall]

  Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) had a pretty fantastic fourth quarter by pretty much every metric. Sales increased at a solid clip, and a big increase in sales and transactions from restaurants open more than one year -- known as comp sales -- delivered a big boost to the burrito chain's profits. 

• [By Chris Lange]

  Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) released first quarter financial results after markets closed Wednesday. The burrito chain said that it had $2.13 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.15 billion in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $1.57 in EPS on $1.15 billion in revenue. The same period from last year had $1.60 in EPS on $1.07 billion in revenue.

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Under Chipotle Mexican Grill's (NYSE:CMG) new CEO, the fast-casual restaurant company is thriving. The company's momentum was particularly evident in its recently reported fourth quarter, which featured 10.4% year-over-year revenue growth and a 6.1% jump in comparable restaurant sales. Notably, growth in both of these two metrics was an acceleration compared to growth rates seen in Q3. This momentum validates the company's efforts to revitalize its business.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) which traded down over 10% at $271.44. The stock's 52-week range is $263.00 to $499.00. Volume was nearly 5 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.1 million.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Thor Industries Inc.(THO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Northcoast Research reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Thor Industries (NYSE:THO) in a research note published on Friday morning.

  Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Thor Industries from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Thor Industries from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, May 12th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Thor Industries from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $102.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 1st. Sidoti dropped their price objective on shares of Thor Industries from $148.00 to $144.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 10th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Thor Industries from $150.00 to $130.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Thor Industries currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $128.50.

• [By Keith Noonan]

  Shares of LCI Industries (NYSE:LCII) lost 10.9% of their value in September, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The stock fell after recreational-vehicle company Thor Industries (NYSE:THO) reported earnings results that had negative implications for LCI's performance.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  The system that could make you $104,000 richer in the next 12 months…

  Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) leads a fairly busy day of earnings reports. The restaurant management giant easily topped Wall Street profit numbers by reporting earnings per share of $1.34. The average Wall Street estimate was $1.23. The firm also easily topped revenue expectations. DRI shares were up 4.5% this morning. The problems continue to mount for General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE). This morning, JPMorgan Securities slashed its price target for the U.S. conglomerate from $11 to $10 per share. The investment firm cited ongoing challenges to the company's turbine business. General Electric has been under pressure since the financial crisis, and it was the worst performing stock on the Dow in 2017 before it was ultimately replaced on the index. Shares of Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) added 3.4% this morning, but the driver wasn't necessarily positive for the global apparel giant. According to reports, the Baltimore-based sports apparel giant is cutting 3% of its international workforce. That equates to roughly 400 jobs. The company did raise its fiscal 2018 earnings forecast, and issued a revised update of severance costs. Look for earnings reports from Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE: THO), United Natural Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI), Steelcase Inc. (NYSE: SCS), Scholastic Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHL), and Xcerra Corp. (NASDAQ: XCRA).

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• [By Asit Sharma]

  Leading recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturer Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE:THO) reported a drop in revenue, as well as deterioration in several key financial metrics, in its fiscal fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report issued Thursday before the markets opened. The unexpectedly tepid performance jarred Thor shares, which traded down nearly 15% early in the trading session following the earnings release. Let's review headline numbers below and uncover why shareholders found the report distasteful:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Tahoe Resources (TSE:THO) (NASDAQ:TAHO) was downgraded by analysts at Beacon Securities from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. They currently have a C$5.75 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of C$10.00. Beacon Securities’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 61.52% from the company’s current price.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Robertson]

  In addition, Goldcorp's (NYSE: GG) Éléonore mine in the heart of the territory along with the Troilus mine (which produced over 2 million ounces of gold from 1997-2010 and is estimated to have another remaining 2 million ounces of reserves) are helping to maintain the interest of junior exploration companies in nearby properties. The same can be said about the Otish Mountains area following the discovery of diamonds by Stornoway Diamond Corporation (TSX: SWY) at their Renard diamond mine which is projected to produce 1.5-2 millions carats per year.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Stornoway Diamond (TSE:SWY) is scheduled to post its quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, August 14th.

  Stornoway Diamond (TSE:SWY) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 15th. The company reported C($0.01) EPS for the quarter. Stornoway Diamond had a negative net margin of 6.15% and a negative return on equity of 1.78%. The business had revenue of C$55.95 million for the quarter.

• [By Jim Robertson]

  Large and small cap junior miners have long been interested in the region due to Goldcorp's Éléonore mine being located in the heart of the territory along with the Troilus mine (which has produced over 2 million ounces of gold from 1997-2010 and is estimated to have another remaining 2 million ounces of reserves). The Otish Mountains area has also attracted attention following the discovery of diamonds by Stornoway Diamond Corporation (TSX: SWY) at their Renard diamond mine (projected to produce 1.5-2 millions carats per year).

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) has worked hard to differentiate itself from other oil companies by focusing on creating value for investors as opposed to growing at all costs. That plan continued paying dividends during the first quarter, as the company blew past expectations. That strong showing sets the U.S. oil giant up for an exceptional year.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) was started with an Outperform rating at BMO Capital Markets with a $74 price target. The Wall Street consensus target for the oil giant is set at $74.35. The shares ended trading Friday at $69.43.

• [By ]

  Lang looked at a daily chart of Anadarko (APC) and Conoco Phillips (COP) , noting that Anadarko has been making higher highs and lows on strong volume, with a bullish MACD momentum indicator. Conoco has made a "W" shaped bottom with a bullish Chaikin money flow, signaling institutional buying. Lang and Cramer were fans of both names.

• [By The Ticker Tape]

  TD Ameritrade clients appeared to take some profits in multiple names during the period. Oil companies were popular sells with ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), BP  PLC (ADR) (NYSE: BP), National-Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV), and Transocean LTD (NYSE: RIG) all net sold. Oil prices traded near three-year highs on higher global demand and possible OPEC-led production cuts. COP and BP both traded at multi-year highs, while NOV and RIG reached 52-week highs, enticing clients to take profits in all four names. Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA) traded at levels not seen since before the financial crisis following proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, and was net sold. For the third month in a row, Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was net sold after CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress regarding the misuse of user data and a beat on earnings.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Whittier Trust Co. grew its holdings in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 15.8% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,978 shares of the energy producer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,635 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Courier Capital LLC cut its stake in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,910 shares of the energy producer’s stock after selling 198 shares during the period. Courier Capital LLC’s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $306,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust(PMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) – Equities researchers at Wedbush lifted their Q1 2019 earnings per share estimates for shares of Pennymac Mortgage Investment in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 10th. Wedbush analyst J. Weaver now anticipates that the real estate investment trust will post earnings per share of $0.36 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.34. Wedbush also issued estimates for Pennymac Mortgage Investment’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.52 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.74 EPS.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Pennymac Mortgage Investment (NYSE:PMT) shares reached a new 52-week high and low on Monday . The company traded as low as $18.60 and last traded at $18.62, with a volume of 19306 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $18.50.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Information Services Group Inc.(III)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Martingale Asset Management L P bought a new position in Information Services Group, Inc. Common Stock (NASDAQ:III) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 110,416 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $453,000.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  CGI Group (NYSE: GIB) and Information Services Group (NASDAQ:III) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and institutional ownership.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  RMR Group (NASDAQ: RMR) and Information Services Group (NASDAQ:III) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  3i Group (LON:III) had its price target upped by Societe Generale from GBX 1,020 ($13.58) to GBX 1,130 ($15.04) in a research note released on Thursday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Natural Gas(NG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Transcription]

  NovaGold Resources, Inc. (NYSEMKT:NG)Q3 2018 Earnings Conference CallOct. 3, 2018, 11:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Shane Hupp]

  JPMorgan Chase set a GBX 870 ($11.80) target price on National Grid (LON:NG) in a research note released on Monday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

• [By Max Byerly]

  NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NG) (TSE:NG) VP David A. Ottewell sold 60,309 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.73, for a total value of $224,952.57. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 645,385 shares in the company, valued at $2,407,286.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc(VRX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX) CEO Joe Papa has said for a while that the company is a great turnaround opportunity. But when the drugmaker reported its 2017 fourth-quarter results in February, it was clear that any turnaround wouldn't happen quickly.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  First Republic Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX) (TSE:VRX) by 4.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 432,093 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 16,891 shares during the quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. owned 0.12% of Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl worth $6,879,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Chris Lange]

  Look for the Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) fourth-quarter report on Wednesday as well. The consensus forecast is $0.98 in EPS on $2.17 billion in revenue. Shares last traded at $18.68. The consensus price target is $17.29, and shares have traded between $8.31 and $24.43 in the past 52 weeks.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Stantec Inc(STN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: “Scotia Capital Inc. Sells 15,249 Shares of Stantec Inc. (STN)” was originally published by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this piece on another site, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of international copyright and trademark law. The legal version of this piece can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4192654/scotia-capital-inc-sells-15249-shares-of-stantec-inc-stn.html.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Stantec Inc. (TSE:STN) (NYSE:STN) – Analysts at National Bank Financial lowered their FY2019 earnings estimates for shares of Stantec in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, September 12th. National Bank Financial analyst M. Sytchev now anticipates that the company will earn $2.16 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $2.20.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Stantec (NYSE: STN) and VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) are both business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, profitability, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Top 10 Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Airgas Inc.(ARG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Argentum (CURRENCY:ARG) traded 3.6% lower against the US dollar during the one day period ending at 19:00 PM ET on May 27th. In the last week, Argentum has traded 2.8% lower against the US dollar. Argentum has a total market capitalization of $1.66 million and approximately $610.00 worth of Argentum was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Argentum coin can currently be purchased for about $0.17 or 0.00002374 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Cryptopia and CoinExchange.