Palladium Partners LLC Has $4.78 Million Position in DowDuPont Inc (DWDP)

Palladium Partners LLC lifted its position in DowDuPont Inc (NYSE:DWDP) by 2.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 72,492 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,999 shares during the quarter. Palladium Partners LLC’s holdings in DowDuPont were worth $4,779,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in DWDP. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in DowDuPont in the first quarter valued at about $102,000. Winthrop Partners WNY LLC acquired a new position in DowDuPont in the first quarter valued at about $111,000. Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in DowDuPont in the first quarter valued at about $117,000. Lee Financial Co lifted its position in DowDuPont by 652.9% in the first quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 2,191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after buying an additional 1,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearwater Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in DowDuPont in the first quarter valued at about $153,000. 69.60% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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A number of research firms have commented on DWDP. ValuEngine cut shares of DowDuPont from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. MED reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $90.00 target price on shares of DowDuPont in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of DowDuPont from $86.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group decreased their target price on shares of DowDuPont from $82.00 to $78.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank decreased their target price on shares of DowDuPont from $84.00 to $76.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and twenty-two have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.26.

In related news, insider Andrew N. Liveris sold 268,406 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.94, for a total value of $18,503,909.64. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Andrew N. Liveris sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.57, for a total transaction of $6,957,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 518,095 shares of company stock worth $35,702,234 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Shares of DWDP opened at $66.44 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $158.28 billion, a PE ratio of 18.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.26. DowDuPont Inc has a 1 year low of $61.27 and a 1 year high of $77.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.87.

DowDuPont (NYSE:DWDP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 2nd. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $24.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.71 billion. DowDuPont had a net margin of 2.37% and a return on equity of 8.01%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 75.3% compared to the same quarter last year. analysts predict that DowDuPont Inc will post 4.21 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 30th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.29%. DowDuPont’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.71%.

DowDuPont Company Profile

DowDuPont Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in agriculture, materials science, and specialty products businesses worldwide. The company's Agriculture segment develops and sells hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties; canola, cotton, sunflower, sorghum, wheat, and rice seeds; silage inoculants; and weed control, disease control, and insect control products.

Recommended Story: Stock Ratings and Recommendations: Understanding Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:NGD,COP,SWY,PMT,TRP,

This is a guest contribution from The Financial Canadian

It is rare to find an investment that is both relatively safe and offers tremendous upside potential.

What if I told you that there was a smaller Canadian version of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) that has both of these characteristics?

The company I'm talking about is Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (OTCPK:FRFHF) It is a diversified insurance provider with a significant portfolio of common stock investments.

This post will examine the investment prospects of Fairfax in detail.

FFH - Business Overview

Fairfax (TSE:FFH) is a diversified insurance company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. The present management has been in control of Fairfax since September of 1985.

Fairfax's operations are divided into two segments: insurance and investment management.

Its insurance operations include a variety of wholly-owned subsidiaries that are operated on a decentralized basis. Many of these wholly-owned subsidiaries are large in their own right, including Northbridge, Odyssey Re, Crum & Forster, Zenith National, and Brit Insurance (the newest addition to the Fairfax family).

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

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

• [By Paul Ausick]

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

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) dropped about 4.7% Friday to post a new 52-week low of $2.05. Shares closed at $2.15 on Thursday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 50% higher than the daily average of 4.2 million. The junior gold miner had no specific news.

• [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 Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) fell 23.3 percent to $9.87 in pre-market trading after declining 13.45 percent on Wednesday. SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SXCP) fell 12.8 percent to $16.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE: BGG) fell 11 percent to $17.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted mixed Q3 results and lowered its FY18 guidance. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.4 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading following downbeat Q1 results. Quality Care Properties, Inc. (NYSE: QCP) fell 8.2 percent to $20.85 in pre-market trading. Welltower announced plans to acquire QCP for $20.75 per share in cash. China Customer Relations Centers Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRC) shares fell 7.5 percent to $17.25 in pre-market trading after climbing 18.73 percent on Wednesday. Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) shares fell 5.7 percent to $5.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) fell 5.6 percent to $38.66 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Southw
• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 2.9% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $2.35. Shares closed at $2.42 on Friday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 5.8 million shares. The gold mining company had no news.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: ConocoPhillips(COP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  CFRA has Buy or Strong Buy ratings on 31 energy stocks, including XLE top 10 holdings such as Chevron and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP).

  What's Next

  “Bell added that President Trump's decision to exit the Iran deal will lead to sanctions on Iran, which is OPEC's third largest supplier of oil, averaging 3.8 million barrels per day (mmb/d),” said Rosenbluth. “CFRA expects Iran's output to be realistically reduced by about 300,000 b/d. CFRA's equity analytical team thinks investing opportunities are found in not only upstream E&P companies, but also downstream refiners as the spread between WTI and Brent prices widen.”

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) are both large, international oil and natural gas producers. While they share many attributes, there are a couple of key differences. And those differences are what makes one appropriate for conservative investors and the other for more aggressive investors. Here's what you need to know about these two energy stocks to decide which one is right for you.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Last fall, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) outlined its three-year operating plan, anticipating that it could increase production at a 5% compound annual growth rate assuming oil averaged $50 a barrel. While the return to a growth trajectory was nice to see, its forecast paled in comparison to rivals like EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG) and Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC), which both project double-digit oil production growth rates over the next few years.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Robertson]

  In addition, Goldcorp��s (NYSE: GG) �l茅onore 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.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust(PMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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.

• [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.

Hot Canadian Stocks To Buy For 2019: Transcananda Pipelines Ltd.(TRP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  TransCanada's (NYSE:TRP) expansion efforts continued paying dividends during the first quarter as earnings and cash flow kept growing. As a result, the Canadian pipeline giant remains on track to achieve its dividend growth targets. CEO Russ Girling affirmed that view on the quarterly conference call, where he detailed the company's progress on its strategic plan.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  However, not all energy stocks have enjoyed an up year. Two of those laggards are TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) and Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB), which have both sold-off by double digits. Those declines have pushed their dividend yields above 5%, making them great options for income-focused investors to consider buying.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  For years, Canadian pipeline giant TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) has used its master limited partnership (MLP) TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP) as a source of capital by dropping down assets to that entity in exchange for cash. However, a regulatory policy change earlier in the year hit TC Pipelines hard, which caused the MLP to slash its distribution to investors. These changes have weighed heavily on the MLP's valuation and access to capital. Because of that, TransCanada no longer believes it can use TC Pipelines as a viable funding option.

BERNcash Achieves Market Cap of $131,875.00 (BERN)

BERNcash (CURRENCY:BERN) traded 7.3% lower against the US dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 23:00 PM E.T. on July 21st. One BERNcash coin can now be bought for about $0.0019 or 0.00000025 BTC on popular exchanges including Cryptopia and YoBit. BERNcash has a total market capitalization of $131,875.00 and $1.00 worth of BERNcash was traded on exchanges in the last day. During the last week, BERNcash has traded up 1.7% against the US dollar.

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

Get BERNcash alerts: Dash (DASH) traded 5% higher against the dollar and now trades at $258.35 or 0.03486990 BTC. Decred (DCR) traded 0.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $72.23 or 0.00974886 BTC. Bitcoin Diamond (BCD) traded 59.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $3.47 or 0.00046843 BTC. Aeternity (AE) traded up 2.8% against the dollar and now trades at $1.83 or 0.00024755 BTC. Stratis (STRAT) traded 3% higher against the dollar and now trades at $2.76 or 0.00037275 BTC. Hshare (HSR) traded up 3.9% against the dollar and now trades at $5.59 or 0.00075425 BTC. ReddCoin (RDD) traded 10.2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0045 or 0.00000061 BTC. Emercoin (EMC) traded 1.2% higher against the dollar and now trades at $2.93 or 0.00039562 BTC. PIVX (PIVX) traded up 2.8% against the dollar and now trades at $1.89 or 0.00025536 BTC. Enigma (ENG) traded up 0.4% against the dollar and now trades at $1.28 or 0.00017235 BTC.

BERNcash Profile

BERN is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the X14 hashing algorithm. It was first traded on February 22nd, 2016. BERNcash’s total supply is 71,234,301 coins. BERNcash’s official website is berncoin.org. BERNcash’s official Twitter account is @berncash.

Buying and Selling BERNcash

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

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Slowing Sales Volumes Threaten eBay's Rebound Hopes

Investors had a few good reasons to keep their expectations for eBay's (NASDAQ:EBAY) second-quarter results in check. Its sales growth pace had badly trailed fully integrated e-commerce rivals like Amazon.com�(NASDAQ:AMZN) and Walmart�(NYSE:WMT), after all. And the online marketplace has announced lower profitability due to the expensive investments management is making in the business.

eBay's recent earnings report didn't change the big-picture narrative that paired market-share challenges with reduced profit margins.

Let's take a closer look.

Image source: Getty Images.

Reduced growth rates

The pool of active buyers expanded by 4% to mark no improvement over the prior quarter's sluggish pace. Before the past six months, eBay had been growing this core metric at a 5% rate for over a year, but trends have worsened slightly, especially in the U.S. segment.

The slower expansion put pressure on the marketplace's sales volumes, which rose at the slowest rate in nine months in the U.S. market while just holding steady in the international segment. eBay's overall volume ticked up by 7%, compared to 33% sales gains achieved by Amazon and by Walmart's e-commerce segment.

eBay's unit sales slowed for the third straight quarter, too, with the number of product sales holding flat, compared to a 1% uptick in the prior quarter and a 2% increase in the holiday quarter. Overall, these numbers show that the marketplace's growth initiatives, including improvements to product pages and other customer experience upgrades, haven't delivered faster volume gains.

Profitability pressures

Meanwhile, eBay's transaction fees, its main source of profits, ticked down to 8.1% from 8.2% in the marketplace segment while holding steady at 22.7% in the StubHub division. Expenses were a bigger drag on earnings, though. Sales and marketing costs jumped to 30.6% of sales from 28.9% and product development ate up 11.1% of sales compared to 10.8% in the prior year.

Combined, these cost boosts overwhelmed smaller savings in other areas to push profitability lower as operating margin dropped to 25.2% of sales from 26.4%. That result still kept eBay far more profitable than its integrated retailing peers. Walmart's operating margin was 4.2% last quarter, and Amazon's comparable metric was 2.8%.

Looking ahead

In a press release detailing the results, CEO Devin Wenig and his team stressed the fact that eBay made progress along its goals this quarter, including by making it easier to buy and sell products on its platform. "We continued to execute our strategy," executives said, "making improvements to the core eBay experience." The extra spending, meanwhile, was in service of pursuing "significant opportunities" in areas like advertising and payments, Wenig explained.

Investors can look for the core business to speed up in the second half of fiscal 2018, but the gains will be muted. In fact, executives lowered their revenue outlook and now expect sales to rise between 6% and 7%, down from the prior target range of between 7% and 9%. Lower tax expenses imply that profits should stop at between $2.28 per share and $2.32 per share, or a bit higher than the prior forecast range. But eBay is now expecting operating margin to fall to about 27%, the low end of its guidance range, mainly due to extra costs associated with its acquisition of a selling platform in Japan.

These top- and bottom-line targets translate into continued growth for the e-commerce giant, but at a slower pace than the company enjoyed in fiscal 2017. Management had entered the year hoping to achieve another period of accelerating growth, but instead eBay might see steady, or slightly decreasing, sales volume gains.

Renren Inc (RENN) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Renren Inc (NYSE:RENN) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in June. As of June 29th, there was short interest totalling 1,573,738 shares, a growth of 96.8% from the June 15th total of 799,516 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,003,344 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Renren opened at $2.45 on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Renren has a fifty-two week low of $1.66 and a fifty-two week high of $18.70. The company has a market cap of $167.42 million, a PE ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.81.

Get Renren alerts:

Renren (NYSE:RENN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 7th. The technology company reported ($0.79) earnings per share for the quarter. Renren had a negative net margin of 42.22% and a negative return on equity of 17.68%. The company had revenue of $97.06 million for the quarter. sell-side analysts predict that Renren will post -0.44 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 14th were paid a dividend of $9.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 22nd.

Separately, ValuEngine downgraded shares of Renren from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 22nd.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of Renren by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 336,256 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,494,000 after acquiring an additional 6,297 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates bought a new stake in shares of Renren during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $107,000. Aperio Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Renren during the first quarter valued at approximately $117,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Renren by 34.1% during the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 55,590 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 14,142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Renren during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $150,000. 2.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Renren

Renren Inc operates a social networking Internet platform in the People's Republic of China. It operates through two segments, Renren and Auto Group. The company operates Renren.com and Renren Mobile App that enable users to communicate and stay connected with friends, classmates, family members, and co-workers; and woxiu.com, a PC-based social video platform for users to stream their performances live to viewers.

Featured Story: Are Wall Street analysts’ stock ratings worth following?

Trump tariffs would hurt jobs, automakers say

WASHINGTON ���� Automotive industry representatives on Thursday blasted President Donald Trump��s proposed tariffs on imported autos and auto parts,�with trade groups saying a tax of 25 percent on imports would increase costs on American-made cars as well, resulting in decreased production and job�losses.

While thanking Trump for his leadership, former Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, head of the American Auto Policy Council made up of Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, said the three are ��very concerned that the positive effects of the president��s policies could be undermined by tariffs.��

But Trump's potential tariffs also drew support from the United Auto Workers union, which represents hourly employees of the traditional Detroit Three automakers in the U.S.

Trump says that European and Chinese auto tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles are unfair. Automakers say that raising tariffs risks undermining their investments, hurting sales and eviscerating jobs.

Blunt said that tariffs �� if imposed on national security grounds as suggested by Trump �� would result in a net loss of jobs ��by increasing the costs of manufacturing cars �� leading to lower demand, lower sales and production and ultimately fewer jobs in the American auto industry.��

Blunt and others told Commerce Department officials �� with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in the audience for a daylong hearing on the tariff proposal �� that trade barriers in other countries need to be addressed, but not through tariffs.

More: Trade war: Trump administration threatens China with $200 billion in additional tariffs

More: Trump tariffs could add $5,000 to price of new vehicle in U.S.

More: Trump's tariffs: A closer look at what they are and how they will work

More: Trump's European car tariff threat could crunch German automakers

That approach, they said, would lead to retaliation and increase the price of parts and components necessary in a global supply chain. Blunt also noted that while American automakers use far more U.S. and North American components than foreign automakers doing business in the U.S., the Detroit automakers still rely on many international suppliers or suppliers that rely on international business.

But as a long list of opponents��� including automakers, parts manufacturers, repair stations and dealers �� lined up to oppose the proposal, a representative of the UAW spoke in favor of the investigation and potential tariffs, saying trade has hurt American workers, driving jobs into low-wage countries like Mexico and China in recent decades.

��It��s our hope the Trump administration will take targeted measures to protect domestic manufacturing,�� said Jennifer Kelly, director of the UAW��s research department, adding that she understood that broad tariffs or quotas ��could cause harm.��

.oembed-frame { width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0; border: 0; }

UAW��s Jennifer Kelly, director of the union��s research department, says investigation into #autoimporttariffs is "long overdue." "Trade has .... hurt workers at the bargaining table... in the past two decades, the auto trade deficit has grown 121%."

— Todd Spangler (@tsspangler) July 19, 2018

The Commerce Department was holding a daylong hearing on Trump's proposal to raise taxes at the department's headquarters in Washington. Testimony�will include comments from�ambassadors from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

As testimony kicked off,�Ann Wilson of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association said that a survey of parts manufacturers shows that 80 percent of respondents said that if tariffs are imposed, the businesses would cut jobs, delay research and development and shift jobs outside the U.S.

In May, Trump proposed the tariffs and asked Ross to launch an investigation into whether they were justified under national security grounds such as those used to increase tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.�

.oembed-frame { width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0; border: 0; }

3/"Tier One suppliers provide 77% of the content value of new vehicles. They are dependent on inputs from around the world... The imposition of tariffs will have a negative impact on U.S. vehicle parts suppliers. This will impact employment and, in turn, weaken the US economy."

— Todd Spangler (@tsspangler) July 19, 2018 .oembed-frame { width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0; border: 0; }

16/Dealer's assoc Peter Welch says regarding R&D tariffs are "going to be detrimental, pure and simple."

— Todd Spangler (@tsspangler) July 19, 2018

With the threat coming even against American allies as the Trump�administration struggled to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico and reach agreements with the European Union, many outside experts saw it as the president trying to find leverage to strike better deals.�

And while some critics of NAFTA and other trade deals believe they've sent American jobs overseas, the business community and many American manufacturers have argued vociferously against the proposed tariffs. General Motors and others have said�a 25 percent tariff on imported autos and auto parts could have the effect of forcing costs up and production down, meaning jobs could be lost.�

More: Automakers to Trump: Higher tariffs would affect consumers, jobs

"If import tariffs on automobiles are not tailored to specifically advance the objectives of the economic and national security goals of the United States, increased import tariffs could lead to a smaller GM, a reduced presence at home and abroad" for GM and, "risk less �� not more �� U.S. jobs," the Detroit automaker said in written testimony to the Commerce Department late last month.�

On Wednesday and Thursday, major auto trade groups, including organizations representing Detroit's automakers, international automakers, auto dealers and parts suppliers, sent a letter to Trump and ran full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal and POLITICO, as well as on other media websites, asking the president not to approve the tariffs if they are recommended by Commerce after the hearing and investigation.

Jennifer Thomas, vice president of federal government affairs at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, was set to testify Thursday against what she called in her prepared testimony an "unprecedented, unwarranted investigation."�

"The opposition to this investigation is widespread and deep because the damaging consequences are alarming," her testimony read. "Higher auto tariffs will harm American families and workers, along with the economy. Simply put, auto tariffs are a massive tax on consumers."

While some supporters were expected to argue that more needs to be done to protect American jobs and that tariffs could help do that, automakers argued that taxing auto imports and auto parts likely meant that costs of production would rise and that other trading partners would assuredly increasing their own existing tariffs on American imports.

That, in turn, could have a severe effect in auto production states, including Michigan.

"(Tariffs), however well intentioned, would ultimately be counterproductive �� giving an edge to foreign production at the expense of U.S. manufacturing," said Linda Dempsey, vice president of international economic affairs for the National Association of Manufacturers.

Follow Detroit Free Press reporter Todd Spangler on Twitter at @tsspangler.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:EXC,OI,CLLS,TC,

On Wednesday, stocks recovered following the worst day overall since October. The gains were led by the technology sector, which in many cases reversed following their worst day of the year on Tuesday.

However, despite the tech rebound, the blue chips lagged pulling the Dow Jones Industrial Average down less than 0.1%. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), a Dow component, fell 7.1%, pulled lower by a lackluster outlook for sales growth.

The technology sector of the S&P 500 rose 0.8%, its biggest gain in three weeks. The Nasdaq, which is tech heavy, rose 0.5%, and the 500 jumped chiefly on gains by technology giants Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), up 1.3%, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), up 1.1%, and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), up 1.1%. The PHLX Semiconductor Index (NASDAQ:SOXX) did its part by gaining 1.1%.

Crude oil (WTI) fell 0.4% as data showed that stockpiles of crude hit a new record high. Spot WTI closed at $48.04 per barrel for a fall of 11% so far in March.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 7 points at 20,661, the S&P 500 rose 4 to 2,348, the Nasdaq gained 28 points to close at 5,822, and the Russell 2000 fell a point to 1,346. The NYSE ‘s primary exchange traded 899 million shares with total volume of 3.5 billion shares, and the Nasdaq crossed 1.8 billion shares. On the Big Board, advancers exceeded decliners by 1.1-to-1, and on the Nasdaq, decliners led by 1.3-to-1. Blocks on the NYSE fell to 6,935 from 7,804 on Tuesday.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Exelon Corporation(EXC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Exelon Co. (NYSE:EXC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $42.72 and last traded at $42.60, with a volume of 8891162 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.28.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Exelon (EXC)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Investors bought shares of Exelon (NYSE:EXC) on weakness during trading on Wednesday. $34.07 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $18.56 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $15.51 million into the stock. Of all stocks tracked, Exelon had the 24th highest net in-flow for the day. Exelon traded down ($0.42) for the day and closed at $39.79

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Owens-Illinois Inc.(OI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Riverhead Capital Management LLC grew its position in Owens-Illinois (NYSE:OI) by 376.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 103,233 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 81,550 shares during the quarter. Riverhead Capital Management LLC owned 0.06% of Owens-Illinois worth $2,236,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Owens-Illinois (OI)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Owens-Illinois (OI)

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

• [By Todd Campbell, Rich Smith, and Neha Chamaria]

  There isn't much love for�Owens Corning (NYSE:OI),�Camping World Holdings�(NYSE:CWH), and Oceaneering International (NYSE:OII)�on Wall Street right now, but that could be about to change. Some of our top Motley Fool investors think the tough times�that have soured the mood of institutional investors on these stocks could be ending and that could make these stocks bargains worth buying.�

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Owens-Illinois (NYSE:OI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high and low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $18.21 and last traded at $18.01, with a volume of 79684 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.82.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  An issue of Owens-Illinois Inc (NYSE:OI) bonds rose 1.1% against their face value during trading on Thursday. The debt issue has a 5% coupon and is set to mature on January 15, 2022. The debt is now trading at $99.50 and was trading at $99.88 one week ago. Price moves in a company’s bonds in credit markets sometimes predict parallel moves in its share price.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Cellectis S.A.(CLLS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Shares of Cellectis SA (NASDAQ:CLLS) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the nine research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $42.00.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc.(TC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Tucows (NASDAQ:TCX) (TSE:TC) was downgraded by investment analysts at BidaskClub from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday.

Papa John’s Founder Resigns, Apologizes for Using ‘N’ Word

Papa John’s (NASDAQ:PZZA) founder John Schnatter is no longer the Chairman of the Board at the company.

Source: Shutterstock

John Schnatter’s resignation as the Chairman of the Board at Papa John’s comes after his use of the “N” word during a conference call in May. During the call, Schnatter sought to mitigate the backlash from his previous NFL comments by saying that “Colonel Sanders called blacks n—–s” and never faced any public backlash at KFC.”

Despite the incident taking place in May, the controversy around the use of the N word only recently took off. Schnatter made more comments during the call to clarify that he finds racism wrong, but there were still listeners that were offended by his words.

“News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true,” Schnatter said in a statement obtained by CNBC. “Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society.”

With John Schnatter stepping down as the Chairman of the Board at Papa John’s, the company is searching for a permanent replacement. Until it finds one, Olivia Kirtley will be acting as its Lead Independent Director. The Board of Directors says that it will appoint a new Chairman of the Board within the coming weeks.

PZZA stock was up 12% on Thursday.

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

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Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:CDNS,ANSS,UPS,TFSL,AMOV,COTV,YUMA,HMSY,DENN,EXK, NVIDIA Corporation stock is trading near its lowest levels in 2017. Has NVDA stock bottomed out?
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Shares of Santa Clara, California-based�NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)�took another tumble yesterday (April 10th), falling by more than 2.5%. NVIDIA stock tanked due to the influx of fresh bearish commentary from the investment research firm�BMO Capital Markets. NVDA stock closed below $100 for the first time since the early March when it had registered its lowest close ($97.67) in 2017. NVDA stock is trading very near to its lowest close in 2017 and bears the risk of going down much lower. NVIDIA stock has not been able to hold on to its good start to the year and has lost almost 8.5% YTD. We did suggest recently NVDA stock is a high-risk bet in the near term. Now the question arises, has�NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock bottomed out? Or, there is still more downside left for NVDA stock. Let's take a closer look.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.(CDNS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares jumped 104.82 percent to close at $14.87 on Tuesday. EVINE Live Inc. (NASDAQ: EVLV) rose 31.25 percent to close at $1.06. The pay-TV home shopping company was named as a potential acquisition target by TechCrunch. According to the publication, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is exploring ways of marketing its products and services to consumers beyond the internet. SemiLEDs Corporation (NASDAQ: LEDS) shares climbed 27.16 percent to close at $4.26 on Tuesday. Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS) gained 27.09 percent to close at $3.80. Atossa Genetics disclosed that it has Received positive interim review from the Independent Safety Committee in Phase 1 Topical endoxifen dose escalation study in men. Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) surged 17.13 percent to close at $37.95 as the company posted upbeat results for its first quarter. Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) shares gained 15.91 percent to close at $18.21 following upbeat quarterly earnings. Riot Blockchain, Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) shares jumped 15.73 percent to close at $7.58 on Tuesday after declining 1.50 percent on Monday. Sanmina Corp (NASDAQ: SANM) shares gained 14.62 percent to close at $31.75 as the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its second quarter on Monday. Orchids Paper Products Company (NYSE: TIS) jumped 12.86 percent to close at $7.37. Orchids Paper Products is expected to report its Q1 financial results on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE: HLX) rose 12.8 percent to close at $7.05 following strong quarterly results. Avid Bioservices, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDMO) rose 12.72 percent to close at $3.81. Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) gained 12.61 percent to close at $5.00. Obalon Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OBLN) rose 12.39 percent to close at $3.72. NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ: NEXT) shares climbed 11.88 percent to close at $7
• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Southwest Airlines Inc. (NYSE: LUV) canceled flights across the country in order to inspect the engines of 40 different airplanes. The inspections come a week after a mid-air engine explosion caused the first U.S. air fatality since 2009. Money Morning Executive Editor Bill Patalon breaks down the aftermath of the accident, and explains what it means for both Southwest and Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA). The price of Bitcoin pushed back toward $9,000 as the post-tax season breakout continues for the cryptocurrency markets. The total value of the global cryptocurrency market topped $400 billion this morning, a significant recovery from the massive downturn that occurred in the first quarter. As we explained on Saturday, now may be the best time to buy Bitcoin since July 2013. That month was when Money Morning�Defense and Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson went on live television with a bold prediction for�Bitcoin (BTC), which would be followed by 25,351% gains at the peak of the cryptocurrency's run. Find out where Bitcoin is heading next, right here. Three Stocks to Watch Today: GOOGL, LUV, HAS Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL) leads another busy day of earnings reports on Monday. Wall Street anticipates that the online media giant will report earnings per share (EPS) of $9.21 on top of $24.29 billion in revenue. Hasbro Inc. (NYSE: HAS) slumped more than 7.6% in pre-market hours after the company reported earnings. The toymaker reported adjusted EPS of $0.10, well short of the $0.33 expected on Wall Street. The firm also reported weaker-than-expected revenue for the quarter. The firm named Toys 'R Us as a central reason for poor showing – the company recently liquidated its stores, impacting Hasbro Inc.'s (Nasdaq: HAS) bottom lines. Look for earnings reports from Halliburton Co.�(NYSE: HAL), Alaska Air Group Inc.�(NYSE: ALK), Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR), TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: AMTD), Kimberley-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB), Cadence Design Syst
• [By Shane Hupp]

  Swiss National Bank cut its holdings in Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS) by 12.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 905,900 shares of the software maker’s stock after selling 125,700 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned 0.32% of Cadence Design Systems worth $33,310,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:CDNS) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallApril 23, 2018 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: ANSYS, Inc.(ANSS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ansys (NASDAQ:ANSS) Director James E. Cashman III sold 40,254 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.76, for a total value of $6,591,995.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Ansys (NASDAQ:ANSS) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a buy rating to a hold rating. According to Zacks, “ANSYS delivered strong results for first-quarter 2018, wherein both the top and bottom lines fared better than the respective Zacks Consensus Estimates. Increasing demand for simulation particularly from industries like energy bodes well for ANSYS. We believe that robust product portfolio, expanding total addressable market improving enterprise penetration, collaborations with leading vendors, and strong balance sheet are the catalysts. Acquisitions like 3DSIM and OPTIS are not only enabling ANSYS to bring innovative solutions to the market but are also aiding it to enhance foothold in the competitive simulations market. However, its margin is expected to remain under pressure as ANSYS continues to invest on product development. Furthermore, adverse foreign currency exchange rates are expected to impede revenue growth in the near term as it generates significant revenues from international market.”

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ANSYS, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANSS) hit a new 52-week high and low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $178.06 and last traded at $176.96, with a volume of 7894 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $175.41.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ANSYS (NASDAQ:ANSS) was downgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: United Parcel Service Inc.(UPS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  Another theory, however, is that companies today are much more energy efficient and less liable to see their margins get compressed as oil prices go up. As a recent Harvard Business Review article noted, companies like United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX), and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) have spent several years beefing up their fleets of electric vehicles, and for the first time, the electric trucks are expected to cost no more than regular diesel vehicles. The electric vehicles tend to get about five times more miles per gallon than traditional diesel vehicles.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Investors sold shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) on strength during trading hours on Monday. $48.53 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $89.85 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $41.32 million out of the stock. Of all equities tracked, United Parcel Service had the 10th highest net out-flow for the day. United Parcel Service traded up $0.81 for the day and closed at $112.12

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Usca Ria LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) by 26.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 38,856 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 14,313 shares during the period. Usca Ria LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $4,067,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: TFS Financial Corporation(TFSL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Hometrust Bancshares (NASDAQ: HTBI) and TFS Financial (NASDAQ:TFSL) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on TFS Financial (TFSL)

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

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: America Movil, S.A.B. de C.V.(AMOV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Am茅rica M贸vil (NYSE:AMOV)’s share price reached a new 52-week high and low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $15.49 and last traded at $15.49, with a volume of 100 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $15.49.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: Cotiviti Holdings, Inc. (COTV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cotiviti (COTV)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Cotiviti Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:COTV) – Equities research analysts at Jefferies Group lowered their FY2018 earnings estimates for Cotiviti in a report issued on Wednesday, May 2nd. Jefferies Group analyst S. Dodge now expects that the business services provider will post earnings per share of $1.68 for the year, down from their previous estimate of $1.71. Jefferies Group also issued estimates for Cotiviti’s FY2019 earnings at $1.87 EPS.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Shares of Cotiviti Holdings Inc.�(NYSE:COTV) were up 10.2% as of 1:00 p.m. EDT Tuesday after Veritas Capital agreed to acquire the healthcare payment solutions company.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: Yuma Energy, Inc.(YUMA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Breaking news

  Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMPH) disclosed that it received the FDA approval for Calcium Chloride injection. Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) reported a proposed offering of 3 million shares. Yuma Energy Inc (NYSE: YUMA) reported a Q1 loss of $0.16 per share on sales of $5.646 million. The company also disclosed that it is actively seeking strategic alternatives. NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) disclosed a 24.96 million share common stock offering via selling holders.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of Yuma Energy, Inc. (NYSE: YUMA) were down 60 percent to $0.4520 after the company late Friday reported it was not in compliance with its debt to EBITDAX covenant and announced limited liquidity levels. The company also reported Q1 earnings down year-over-year and disclosed that it is exploring strategic alternatives.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: HMS Holdings Corp(HMSY)

Advisors' Opinion:

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

  Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in shares of HMS Holdings (NASDAQ:HMSY) by 40.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,007,174 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 292,456 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 1.21% of HMS worth $16,961,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: Denny's Corporation(DENN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  News articles about Denny’s (NASDAQ:DENN) have trended somewhat negative this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies positive and negative press 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 closest to one being the most favorable. Denny’s earned a media sentiment score of -0.06 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the restaurant operator an impact score of 43.0997571340278 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next few days.

Top 10 Stocks To Watch For 2019: Endeavour Silver Corporation(EXK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Akorn, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKRX) fell 32.7 percent to $13.25 in pre-market trading after Fresenius terminated its merger deal with Akorn. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE: CBI) fell 15.7 percent to $12.30 in pre-market trading. Subsea 7 confirmed a $7.00 per share proposal to acquire Mcdermott, pending termination of merger agreement with CB&I. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) fell 9 percent to $3.65 in pre-market trading after rising 11.39 percent on Friday. Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) fell 8 percent to $88.36 in pre-market trading after the company reported weaker-than-expected results for its first quarter on Monday. SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR) fell 7.1 percent to $9.00 in pre-market trading. Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK) shares fell 5.9 percent to $2.88 in pre-market trading after declining 3.16 percent on Friday. Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) shares fell 5.5 percent to $12.25 in pre-market trading. Valeritas Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: VLRX) shares fell 5.1 percent to $2.96 in pre-market trading after rising 76.27 percent on Friday. GlobalSCAPE, Inc. (NYSE: GSB) fell 5.1 percent to $3.57 in pre-market trading. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE: FMS) shares fell 4.1 percent to $49.93 in pre-market trading. Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: OAS) fell 4.1 percent to $9.75 in pre-market trading. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey downgraded Oasis Petroleum from Hold to Sell
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Endeavour Silver (NYSE: EXK) is one of 41 publicly-traded companies in the “Gold & silver ores” industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Endeavour Silver to related businesses based on the strength of its earnings, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability and risk.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE: WPM) and Endeavour Silver (NYSE:EXK) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, valuation, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Endeavour Silver (NYSE: EXK) and Tahoe Resources (NYSE:TAHO) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, risk and analyst recommendations.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Endeavour Silver Corp (TSE:EDR) (NYSE:EXK) insider Christine Deborah West sold 16,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$4.23, for a total value of C$67,680.00.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Endeavour Silver (NYSE: EXK) and Yamana Gold (NYSE:AUY) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitability.

Brokerages Expect Exelixis, Inc. (EXEL) Will Announce Earnings of $0.14 Per Share

Brokerages expect Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL) to post earnings per share of $0.14 for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Five analysts have made estimates for Exelixis’ earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $0.20 and the lowest is $0.08. Exelixis posted earnings per share of $0.08 during the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year-over-year growth rate of 75%. The company is scheduled to report its next earnings report on Wednesday, August 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Exelixis will report full-year earnings of $0.85 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.67 to $1.21. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the business will report earnings of $1.10 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.80 to $2.00. Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share calculations are an average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Exelixis.

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Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The biotechnology company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $212.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $146.39 million. Exelixis had a net margin of 43.39% and a return on equity of 77.39%.

Several research analysts have weighed in on EXEL shares. Cann reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of Exelixis in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Exelixis from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 11th. William Blair reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Exelixis in a research note on Wednesday, April 11th. TheStreet lowered shares of Exelixis from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Exelixis from $30.00 to $29.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $32.80.

Exelixis traded down $0.14, hitting $21.26, during mid-day trading on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. 45,457 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,924,317. The firm has a market cap of $6.35 billion, a PE ratio of 42.00 and a beta of 2.09. Exelixis has a 12-month low of $18.50 and a 12-month high of $32.50.

In related news, VP Patrick J. Haley sold 12,549 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.38, for a total value of $280,846.62. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Michael Morrissey sold 90,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.78, for a total transaction of $1,870,200.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 610,523 shares of company stock valued at $12,732,688. Insiders own 4.80% of the company’s stock.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. American International Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Globeflex Capital L P acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $246,000. TLP Group LLC acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the first quarter valued at approximately $179,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the first quarter valued at approximately $215,000. Finally, Washington Trust Bank acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the second quarter valued at approximately $213,000. 77.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Exelixis

Exelixis, Inc, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of new medicines to enhance care and outcomes for people with cancer. The company's products include CABOMETYX tablets for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who received prior anti-angiogenic therapy; and COMETRIQ capsules for the treatment of patients with progressive and metastatic medullary thyroid cancer.

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Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:NDLS,REGI,ETE,BPT,

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There’s no way around it: the S&P 500 now has a P/E ratio of more than 26 going into the first earnings season of 2017, and even the “safest” bets are starting to look scary.

Unless we see massive profit growth all around, there’s a real risk this bull market is going to stutter—or worse.

So where do you go for value? It’s getting harder than ever, but there is one corner of the market that got way ahead of the S&P 500 and has since taken a step back. I’m talking about real estate investment trusts (REITs).

And now, there are three REITs that combined provide over 9% in income with over 200% average dividend coverage. That means they could double their payouts and still generate enough cash to cover them.

Plus, these stocks are out of favor, making them relatively cheap compared to their peers and the overheated broader market.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Noodles & Company(NDLS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  It might seem odd that the industry's biggest winner so far this year isn't growing. In fact, Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ:NDLS) recently posted a quarterly net loss while revenue decreased 5%. But that result still shot past investors' expectations by showing surprising progress in the casual-dining chain's recovery efforts. Noodles & Co. has lots of work ahead of it before it can snap out of its four-year stretch of annual net losses. Yet, with shares having fallen by over 80% since 2013, even modestly good news proved to be enough to spark at least a short-term rally in the stock.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Noodles & Company (NASDAQ:NDLS) is scheduled to be posting its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, May 10th. Analysts expect Noodles & Company to post earnings of ($0.03) per share for the quarter. Noodles & Company has set its FY18 guidance at $(0.01)-0.03 EPS.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market finished mixed on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining ground even as some broader benchmarks finished closer to unchanged for the day. In the absence of major news, investors seemed content to let positive trends from earlier in the week continue to play out, anticipating a favorable end to the first-quarter earnings season and hoping for more progress on the macroeconomic and geopolitical fronts to defuse potential controversies. Some good reports from several corners of the market also helped lift sentiment. The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD), Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ:NDLS), and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Noodles & Co (NASDAQ:NDLS) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors acquired 1,113 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,084% compared to the average volume of 94 put options.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Renewable Energy Group, Inc.(REGI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Tuesday morning, the energy shares rose 0.73 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI), up 11 percent, and Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGC) up 7 percent.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Monday afternoon, the energy shares rose 0.73 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI), up 11 percent, and Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGC) up 7 percent.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) shares rose 18.3 percent to $37.25 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.74 percent on Friday. Kitov Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: KTOV) rose 12.1 percent to $2.69 in pre-market trading after surging 4.80 percent on Friday. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) rose 10.9 percent to $109.75 in pre-market trading after Bloomberg reported that the China’s Commerce Ministry has restarted its review of QUALCOMM Incorporated’s (NASDAQ: QCOM) proposed takeover of NXP Semiconductors. Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) rose 10.6 percent to $15.20 in pre-market trading. Renewable Energy will replace Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 on Tuesday, May 15. NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN) rose 10 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading. Vaxart, Inc. (NASDAQ: VXRT) shares rose 8 percent to $5.54 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.19 percent on Friday. Profire Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFIE) rose 7.3 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.22 percent on Friday. Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) rose 7 percent to $22.49 in pre-market trading after falling 1.96 percent on Friday. Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) shares rose 6.9 percent to $9.16 in pre-market trading. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) rose 5.7 percent to $2.24 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.92 percent on Friday. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) rose 5.4 percent to $19.70 in pre-market trading. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: AGM) rose 5.2 percent to $92.95 in pre-market trading. International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) rose 5.2 percent to $29.94 in pre-market trading. Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) shares rose 5.1 percent to $66.30 in the pre-market trading session. Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: UEPS) shares rose 5 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading after climbing 15.66 percent on Friday. Finisar
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Renewable Energy Group (NASDAQ:REGI) was upgraded by ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Shares of Renewable Energy Group Inc.�(NASDAQ:REGI) rose on Monday and were up nearly 12% at 10 a.m. EDT. The main fuel driving up the biofuel and renewable chemical maker is buying ahead of its upcoming inclusion in the S&P SmallCap 600 index.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Energy Transfer Equity, L.P.(ETE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine cut shares of Energy Transfer Equity LP Unit (NYSE:ETE) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Thursday.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  One reason investors are worried that Energy Transfer might need to reduce its distribution is that the company barely generates enough cash flow to support it without the help of its parent Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE:ETE). In 2017, Energy Transfer Partners produced $4.19 billion in distributable cash flow and would have paid out $4.15 billion to investors if it wasn't for the fact that Energy Transfer Equity relinquished its rights to $656 million of that cash. While that support boosted the distribution coverage ratio from a tight 1.0 times to a more comfortable 1.2 times, it was only a temporary fix since Energy Transfer Equity's support will diminish significantly in 2018 before declining further in 2019 and 2020.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  On the company's�first-quarter conference call, the management team of Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE:ETE) and Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP) let investors know they're working on a transaction to simplify their corporate structure. CEO Kelcy Warren stated that the deal would "most certainly be a structure whereby ETE acquires ETP." That's because they've "looked at every scenario possible to us," according to Warren and "don't see any mathematical scenario that makes any sense other than that one."

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  On Energy Transfer Equity's�(NYSE:ETE) first-quarter conference call, the company's management team provided investors with a unique glimpse of what's going on behind the scenes. One of the things they're working on is the acquisition of namesake MLP Energy Transfer Partners. CEO Kelcy Warren said on the call that the companies have "looked at every scenario possible to us" and that the only one that makes mathematical sense is for Energy Transfer Equity to buy its MLP. That transaction would not only simplify the company's corporate structure but could enable Energy Transfer to resume growing its 7.1% yielding distribution.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  This MLP brings the potential for solid growth and income. Energy Transfer Equity LP (NYSE: ETE) owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco. The company also owns Lake Charles LNG. On a consolidated basis, the family of companies owns and operates a diverse portfolio of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined products assets, as well as retail and wholesale motor fuel operations and liquefied natural gas terminaling.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Energy Transfer Equity LP Unit (NYSE: ETE) and Western Gas Equity Partners (NYSE:WGP) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings and dividends.

Top Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust(BPT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market had a tumultuous session on Wednesday, as major benchmarks started the day weak but bounced back in the afternoon. Investors weren't happy with the current state of geopolitical uncertainty, with trade disputes threatening to become larger problems than ever. But the release of the minutes of the latest meeting of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy committee convinced many that the central bank will be slow to do lasting damage to the economic expansion, remaining measured in the pace of its interest rate increases. Moreover, some companies had good news that sent their shares higher. Tiffany (NYSE:TIF), BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (NYSE:BPT), and Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Sean Williams]

  As a case in point, consider BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (NYSE:BPT), which is currently paying out an extrapolated $5.10 a year, based on the $1.275 per share it divvied out in April. This is good enough for a better than 17% annual yield, albeit it should be noted that the Trust's payout differs each quarter depending on its royalty revenue and cash earnings.�

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News headlines about BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (NYSE:BPT) have been trending somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust earned a daily sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the oil and gas company an impact score of 46.2072909143413 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

Loeb Presses Nestle to Fix `Muddled' Strategy With L'Oreal Sale

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Activist investor Dan Loeb stepped up pressure on Nestle SA, arguing it needs to do more to improve its performance, including divesting its stake in cosmetic company L’Oreal SA, taking a hard look at its governance structure and splitting into three divisions.

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Dan Loeb

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

"We do not believe that the company is living up to this mandate today with its muddled strategic approach and we are concerned that Nestle does not fully appreciate the rapidly occurring shifts in consumer behavior that threaten its future," Loeb said in a letter to the company’s board Sunday.

The move comes a year after Loeb’s Third Point disclosed a $3.5 billion stake in the Vevey, Switzerland-based consumer goods giant. The activist fund had said it planned to keep a watchful eye on the company’s efforts to improve performance under its new Chief Executive Officer Mark Schneider, who outlined his plans for the company in September.

"There are too many examples of missed opportunities to claim that Nestle’s organization is well‐suited to today’s markets. We believe the company should simplify its overly complex organizational structure and split internally into three divisions organized around beverages, nutrition, and grocery to improve focus, agility, and accountability," Loeb said.

Loeb said the company hasn’t shown the necessary urgency since it released its own plan in September. Third Point also outlined its own strategy to improve Nestle in a 34-page presentation that calls for, among other things, divesting certain frozen-food brands and other products that don’t fit with its broader strategy.

"We believe Nestle should divest as much as 15 percent of sales either through sales, spin‐offs, or other methods to better align the portfolio around key categories. It is clear that the company’s non‐core financial stake in L’Oreal should be sold since the board remains unable to articulate a compelling long‐term strategic rationale for its continued ownership," he said.

Loeb also highlighted the concerns he had at the board level under Chairman Paul Bulcke.

"It is striking to us that, although Nestle is the #1 food and beverage company in the world, there is still no board member with external leadership expertise in the food and beverage industry to assist the board in defining the company’s strategy," he said in the letter.

BJ's Wholesale Investors Shouldn't Fret Lack of Growth, CEO Says

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BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. decided to go public without a proven track record of growth. But investors shouldn’t worry because now the retailer is focused on boosting the top line, its chief executive officer says.

“We took full advantage of being private, and over the last couple of years we’ve reset our revenue base,” Chris Baldwin said in an interview. “We’re really encouraged by our progress.”

On its first day of trading, investors showed faith that Baldwin will make good on his promises as the shares rose as much as 35 percent. The surge came after the company, which was taken private in 2011 by CVC Capital Partners and Leonard Green & Partners, raised $637.5 million in an initial public offering at the top of its targeted range.

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Same-store sales, a key metric for retail growth, declined in two of the past three years, with only 2017 eking out a gain of 0.8 percent. During that same period Costco Wholesale Corp., its larger rival, averaged gains of about 5 percent.

And when sales of gasoline are excluded -- a data point that analysts often prefer because it eliminates the volatility of fuel prices -- revenue at BJ’s fell last year, too. Baldwin pointed out that same-store sales rose 2 percent in the first quarter.

“Over the last year, we’ve started to invest in our growth and the response the business has had has been very encouraging,” Baldwin said.

The company also plans to boost sales by opening stores. BJ’s is currently saturated on the east coast of the U.S., with more than half its 215 locations in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. That leaves plenty of room to expand, and Baldwin didn’t rule out expanding to other regions.

But that would mean entering markets where BJ’s has little name recognition and facing off with Costco. When asked why consumers would choose BJ’s over Costco, Baldwin said because it focuses on value, fresh food and convenience, without giving any specific examples.

“We want to be the best BJ’s Wholesale Club we can be,” Baldwin said.

Why Intelsat Stock Popped 21% This Morning

What happened

Shares of Intelsat (NYSE:I) jumped 21% in early trading Wednesday after analysts at Kerrisdale Capital issued a series of tweets outlining its bull thesis for the satellite operator's stock. The shares have fallen back to a still-respectable 10.8% gain as of 11 a.m. EDT, however, as investors ask a very important question:

Does�Kerrisdale Capital it know what it's talking about?

Image source: Getty Images.

So what

In a series of seven tweets posted on Twitter this morning, NYC-based Kerrisdale Capital argued that:

Along with France's SES S.A., Intelsat is one of the two "largest players in the 3.7-4.2GHz frequency range" of broadcast spectrum. Both companies have more spectrum than they need, and can potentially free up and sell off "400 MHz of spectrum" over "a few years." That spectrum should sell for ">$0.50/MHz-pop" and be "worth $60bn+" in aggregate. And Intelsat's share of that loot should be enough to push its stock price up to $150 a share.

Intelsat sells for less than $19 per share today.

Now what

That all sounds pretty promising for Intelsat shareholders. Kerrisdale Capital is basically promising investors an eight times return on their investment in under two years if they buy Intelsat stock today.

One thing that might give investors pause before acting on Kerrisdale's advice, is an examination of the company's record as a frequent endorser, and detractor, of momentum stocks such as Northern Dynasty Minerals and QuinStreet Inc. When a smaller analyst makes extreme promises in the hopes of ginning up greed (or fear) among investors, it may be safer to ignore the hype, and focus on the numbers instead.

If you'd like to do that for Intelsat, you can start right here.

Somewhat Positive Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect News Corp Class B (NWS) Stock Price

News articles about News Corp Class B (NASDAQ:NWS) have trended somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group scores the sentiment of media coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. News Corp Class B earned a media sentiment score of 0.07 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the company an impact score of 45.8601342975312 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near term.

Shares of News Corp Class B opened at $16.05 on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. News Corp Class B has a 12-month low of $13.10 and a 12-month high of $17.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.41 billion, a PE ratio of 33.65 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.62, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Get News Corp Class B alerts:

News Corp Class B (NASDAQ:NWS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 10th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06. News Corp Class B had a negative net margin of 18.69% and a positive return on equity of 2.56%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter.

Separately, BidaskClub raised shares of News Corp Class B from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 12th.

About News Corp Class B

News Corporation, a media and information services company, creates and distributes content for consumers and businesses worldwide. It operates through News and Information Services, Book Publishing, Digital Real Estate Services, and Cable Network Programming segments. The company distributes content and data products, including The Wall Street Journal, Factiva, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, Dow Jones Newswires, Barron's, MarketWatch, Dow Jones PEVC, and DJX through various media channels, such as newspapers, newswires, Websites, applications for mobile devices, tablets and e-book readers, newsletters, magazines, proprietary databases, conferences, and videos.

Small Businesses Are Saving Facebook

Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has faced a lot of backlash this year from both users and advertisers over its lapses in data protection. And that backlash is wholly justified, following the revelation of management's mishandling of data shared with and used by Cambridge Analytica to target political advertisements on Facebook without users' authorization.

Some big advertisers halted their ad campaigns on the platform earlier this year, but that doesn't seem to have slowed down Facebook's growth. The company posted year-over-year ad revenue growth of 50% in the first quarter, and analysts don't expect much of a slowdown in the second quarter.

It turns out smaller advertisers have played a big part in supporting Facebook's continued growth. And that's a huge advantage for Facebook over smaller rivals Snap (NYSE:SNAP) and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), both of which still derive the majority of their ad revenue from big companies.

Image source: Facebook.

Thinking small

Facebook has over 6 million active advertisers on its platform. The vast majority of those advertisers fall into the small and medium-sized business category. Ad spending from those small businesses is more than making up for any declines from big brand advertisers on Facebook during the first half of the year, according to Magna Global's Vincent Letang.

While big brand advertisers can get a lot out of platforms like Snap and Twitter, smaller advertisers are better served by Facebook. Small businesses rely more heavily on specific ad targeting in order to maximize their limited ad budgets. Twitter and Snap simply can't offer targeting at the same level of precision as Facebook.

The two smaller competitors also don't offer the same level of reach. Reach is important to big advertisers because they want to get their message to as many people as possible. But it's also important to small advertisers: If a small business spent time crafting an ad for Snapchat or Twitter, only to find that just a small fraction of its target market was actually engaged on the platform, that would be a big waste of its limited resources.

Facebook still offers the easiest way for small businesses to get in front of their target audience in the most cost-efficient way possible. That's why we've seen them continue flocking to the platform. Not only does Facebook have 6 million active advertisers, it also has over 80 million Facebook Pages for small businesses. So there's still a ton of room for Facebook to keep growing its advertiser base.

What can throw Facebook off track?

Facebook still faces the risk that its users will abandon the platform or spend less time on it. It experienced such a scenario in the fourth quarter in the U.S. and Canada, after making some changes to its News Feed.

If small businesses can't target advertisements as well, or reach as wide an audience as they used to, the value of ads on Facebook will decline. Then advertisers won't be willing to pay as much per impression as before, which could negatively impact the company.

But despite significant backlash and the #deletefacebook movement, not much has changed. Facebook is deeply entrenched in people's lives, and it's very difficult to give up entirely. What's more, as long as Facebook is able to continue adding new advertisers to its platform, it ought to see demand continue to propel ad prices higher for the foreseeable future.

Investors should certainly pay attention to any impact on user growth when Facebook reports its second-quarter earnings call, but look for commentary on active advertisers and Facebook Pages as well. As the latter metrics grow, Facebook's ability to weather bad news will increase.

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019

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

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) has just announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of substantially all the assets of its Asia Pacific iron ore business to Mineral Resources Limited. Cliffs stated that as a result of transaction, the previously disclosed costs of closing the Australian operations are expected to be reduced by approximately $65 million to $75 million. This transaction marks Cliffs' exit from the Australian segment and a completion of return to the U.S.-centered strategy. After the deal is completed, Cliffs will become a strictly U.S. pellet producer.

Previously, the company estimated cash expenditures of $120 million to $140 million for the closure of its Australian operations. Also, the company estimated that it will exit Australia by June 30, 2018, so it remains fully in line with its previous guidance.

The sale of the Australian segment is a major positive development for the company. It will reduce the company's costs of exit from Australia and at the same time allow management to spend its precious time on growth initiatives, rather than a garage sale of various equipment that the company had in Australia.

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Trueblue (TBI)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Trueblue (NYSE: TBI) is one of 23 public companies in the “Help supply services” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Trueblue to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings and risk.

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 3.9% lower against the U.S. dollar during the 1-day period ending at 20:00 PM E.T. on June 13th. One MediBloc token can now be purchased for $0.0083 or 0.00000131 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Coinrail, Gate.io and Bibox. During the last seven days, MediBloc has traded 36.5% lower against the U.S. dollar. MediBloc has a total market cap of $24.58 million and $216,935.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Max Byerly]

  McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) and Medifast (NYSE:MED) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Medifast, Inc. (NYSE: MED) shares were also up, gaining 20 percent to $119 after the company reported strong Q1 results and raised its FY18 guidance.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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.

• [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:

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Wednesday was Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) which rose over 6% to $423.76. The stock��s 52-week range is $217.19 to $426.98. Volume was 1.7 million compared to its average volume of nearly 1 million.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Align Technology (NASDAQ: ALGN) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and earnings.

Top 5 Growth Stocks For 2019: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Monday was Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) which traded down about 2% at $51.92. The stock��s 52-week range is $37.79 to $54.00. Volume was 2.3 million compared to the daily average volume of 2.0 million.

• [By ]

  On Thursday, earnings are expected from JCPenney Co. (JCP) , Action Alerts PLUS holding Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) , Nintendo Co. (NTDOY) and Walmart Inc. (WMT) .

• [By Taylor Cox]

  Notable Earnings

  Walmart, Inc (NYSE: WMT) Q1 premarket J. C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) Q1 premarket Nordstrom, Inc (NYSE: JWN) Q1 after hours Applied Materials, Inc (NASDAQ: AMAT) Q2 after hours

  IPOs

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  It’s all retail all the time this week, with Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE: KSS), Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT), Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW), Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), and Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF) among the big names scheduled to report. Last week saw mixed signals from retailers, with Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) both delivering impressive results while J.C. Penney Company Inc. (NYSE: JCP) and Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) received poor reviews from the Street. TGT is arguably the biggest one to watch in the days ahead (see more detail below).

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Breaking news

  Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) reported weaker-than-expected results for its second quarter. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) reported stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter, but issued weak sales outlook for the third quarter. Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Comparable-store sales rose 0.6 percent. Boot Barn Holdings Inc (NYSE: BOOT) disclosed a 7.2 million common stock offering.

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) may reopen plans for a leveraged buyout after good holiday results. According to The Wall Street Journal:

  The failed effort by the Nordstrom family to take the namesake department store chain private will be remembered as a missed opportunity amid the selloff in retailers�� stocks last fall.