Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:NVO,ZSAN,RSYS,LPTH,CMFN,

Invesco's Kristina Hooper believes Wall Street's preoccupation with the global growth slowdown is misguided.

But she understands why there's worry.

According to Hooper, significant shifts in central banks' monetary policies are fanning those fears instead of giving the market confidence. She suggests it's creating more questions than answers — and that's a problem.

"I don't think the slowdown is going to be that bad as we sit here today, and certainly that's not what we got from the ECB [European Central Bank] in terms of their downgrade of growth forecasts," the firm's chief global market strategist said Thursday on CNBC's "Futures Now." "We're not seeing any kind of major turmoil at this point."

The latest shift came last week when the ECB slashed its growth forecasts and issued a warning about the "threat of protectionism."

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019: Novo Nordisk A/S(NVO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Atria Investments LLC trimmed its stake in Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) by 17.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 7,081 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,495 shares during the quarter. Atria Investments LLC’s holdings in Novo Nordisk were worth $349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Anyway, what was also happening that day is that this list of five stocks came out. The theme was Five More Stocks to Feed the Next Bear. The reason it was called that is because, this is almost an ongoing five-stock samplers series. We'd first picked stocks in advance of a bear market in 2016. My talented producer Rick Engdahl decided we'd call this this Five More Stocks to Feed the Next Bear. Emily Flippen, these five companies came out. They were, we'll go with alphabetical order based on company name. They were Alphabet, Amazon, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), and Tencent. 

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO)

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

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Its best-selling drug is the $2.9 billion-per-year, rapid-acting insulin, Humalog; its fastest-growing diabetes drug is Basaglar, a biosimilar to Sanofi's (NYSE:SNY) megablockbuster, long-lasting insulin, Lantus. In the past, Humalog has competed successfully for market share against Novo Nordisk's (NYSE:NVO) mealtime insulin, NovoLog; however, Humalog's patent has expired, and a new biosimilar, Admelog, from Sanofi became available earlier this year.

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019: Zosano Pharma Corporation(ZSAN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Zosano Pharma (NASDAQ:ZSAN) will announce its earnings results after the market closes on Tuesday, May 15th.

  Zosano Pharma (NASDAQ:ZSAN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($3.80) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.80) by $1.00.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Zosano Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: ZSAN) dropped about 17% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $0.54 after closing at $0.65 on Friday. Volume was around 720,000, about 10% below the daily average of around 850,000. The company had no specific news.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  After looking at last week's top penny stocks, we'll show you this top penny stock…

  Penny Stock Sector Current Share Price Last Week's Gain Sky Solar Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: SKYS) Utilities $1.19 111.74% Zosano Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: ZSAN) Healthcare $4.54 106.36% Achieve Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHV) Healthcare $3.30 89.66% EnSync Inc. (NYSE: ESNC) Industrial Goods $0.13 85.00% Riot Blockchain Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT) Healthcare $3.95 74.78% Ideanomics Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEX) Technologies $1.97 71.30% Eco-Stim Energy Solutions Inc. (OTCMKTS: ESES) Basic Materials $0.27 54.65% Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR) Services $1.31 47.91% Marathon Patent Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MARA) Services $0.74 42.29% China Internet NationWide Financial Services Inc. (NASDAQ: CIFS) Financial $1.28 42.24%

  As you can see, knowing where to look for the top penny stocks could reward you with double-digit, or even triple-digit, returns in mere days.

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019: RadiSys Corporation(RSYS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  RadiSys (NASDAQ: RSYS) and Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and dividends.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  RadiSys (NASDAQ: RSYS) and Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, risk, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations and dividends.

• [By Alexander Bird]

  Here are the top performers from last week…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Last Week's Gain Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE: ANW) $1.83 165.71% Radisys Corp. (Nasdaq: RSYS) $1.55 115.68% Ascent Capital Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ASCMA) $3.71 43.12% Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: ADMP) $4.36 40.63% Tintri Inc. (Nasdaq: TNTR) $0.18 40.49% Prana Biotechnology Ltd. (Nasdaq: PRAN) $2.35 39.96% Micronet Enertec Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: MICT) $1.60 39.40% Corindus Vascular Robotics (NYSE: CVRS) $1.17 34.40% ParkerVision Inc. (Nasdaq: PRKR) $0.70 30.65% SuperCom Ltd. (Nasdaq: SPCB) $0.24 30.10%

  While these gains are exciting, they pale in comparison to the profit potential of our top penny stock to buy this week.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on RadiSys (RSYS)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Media stories about RadiSys (NASDAQ:RSYS) have trended somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern scores the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. RadiSys earned a news impact score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the technology company an impact score of 47.9028445830012 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.

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019: LightPath Technologies, Inc.(LPTH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares rose 14.1 percent to $3.65 in the pre-market trading session after reporting 2017 year-end results. LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) rose 13.3 percent to $2.43 in pre-market trading after reporting a third-quarter earnings beat. MYnd Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYND) rose 10.5 percent to $3.49 in pre-market trading. MYnd Analytics reported a Q2 net loss of $2.7 million on revenue of $459,900. SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) shares rose 8.4 percent to $5.68 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Famous Dave's of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: DAVE) shares rose 7.7 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat earnings for its first quarter on Monday. Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: XENE) rose 7.5 percent to $6.45 in pre-market trading after the company presented XEN901 Phase 1 clinical update and XEN1101 TMS pharmacodynamic Phase 1 data. Mimecast Ltd (NASDAQ: MIME) rose 6.5 percent to $43.50 in pre-market trading following a first-quarter sales beat. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 6 percent to $12.50 in pre-market trading after surging 77.44 percent on Monday. Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTLA) shares rose 6 percent to $26.05 in pre-market trading after climbing 3.58 percent on Monday. PPDAI Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PPDF) rose 4.7 percent to $7.20 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Xunlei Limited (NASDAQ: XNET) rose 4.1 percent to $13.88 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.54 percent on Monday. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) shares rose 4.5 percent to $21.73 in pre-market trading. Mizuho upgraded Valeant from Neutral to Buy. Bovie Medical Corporation (NYSE: BVX) rose 4.1 percent to $3.80 in pre-market trading after reporting a first-quarter sales beat. Myomo, Inc. (NYSE: MYO) rose 3.4 percent to $4.00 in pre-market trading after jumping 23.25 percent o
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Headlines about LightPath Technologies (NASDAQ:LPTH) have been trending somewhat positive on Monday, Accern Sentiment reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. LightPath Technologies earned a daily sentiment score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned press coverage about the technology company an impact score of 46.9867601112654 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.

Top 5 Stocks To Invest In 2019: CM Finance Inc(CMFN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of CM Finance (NASDAQ:CMFN) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Thursday morning.

  Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on CMFN. UBS cut shares of CM Finance from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Raymond James cut shares of CM Finance from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Redburn Partners cut shares of CM Finance from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research cut shares of CM Finance from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. CM Finance has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $9.75.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CM Finance (CMFN)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  CM Finance (NASDAQ: CMFN) is one of 35 publicly-traded companies in the “Investors, not elsewhere classified” industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare CM Finance to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, dividends, risk, institutional ownership and profitability.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  CM Finance Inc (NASDAQ:CMFN) – Analysts at Oppenheimer dropped their Q1 2019 earnings estimates for CM Finance in a report released on Wednesday, September 5th. Oppenheimer analyst C. Kotowski now anticipates that the investment management company will earn $0.25 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.27. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for CM Finance’s Q2 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $1.03 EPS.

Top buy and sell ideas by Ashwani Gujral, Sudarshan Sukhani, Mitessh Thakkar for short term

The market paused its eight days winning streak on March 22 as benchmark indices closed lower with market breadth in favour of declines. The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 222.14 points at 38,164.61, and the Nifty was down 64.10 points at 11,456.90.

According to the Pivot charts, the key support level is placed at 11,403.33, followed by 11,349.77. If the index starts moving upward, key resistance levels to watch out are 11,541.63 and 11,626.37.

The Nifty Bank index closed at 29,582.50, down 249.7 points on March 22. The important Pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 29,391.43, followed by 29,200.37. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 29,890.83, followed by 30,199.17.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, top market experts recommend which stocks to bet on for good returns:

related news Podcast | Stock picks of the day: Why you should buy Jubilant Food, Sundram Fasteners 'Expect rupee to remain strong next week; bearish on the IT sector' Aarti Drugs buyback: Here's what investors should do

Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com

Buy L&T Finance Holdings with a stop loss of Rs 142, target of Rs 154

Buy IndusInd Bank with a stop loss of Rs 1680, target of Rs 1740

Buy SRF with a stop loss of Rs 2440, target of Rs 2500

Buy Vedanta with a stop loss of Rs 169, target of Rs 178

Buy Bata India with a stop loss of Rs 1345, target of Rs 1390

Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com

Buy Infosys with stop loss at Rs 734 and target of Rs 760

Buy Manappuram Finance with stop loss at Rs 117 and target of Rs 126

Buy Bata India with stop loss at Rs 1346 and target of Rs 1380

Sell Apollo Tyres with stop loss at Rs 219 and target of Rs 211

Sell Tata Communications with stop loss at Rs 605 and target of Rs 590

Mitessh Thakkar of mitesshthakkar.com

Sell Glenmark Pharma with a stop loss of Rs 652 and target of Rs 630

Buy Jubilant Foodworks around Rs 1425 with stop loss of Rs 1404 and target of Rs 1465

Buy SRF with a stop loss of Rs 2420 and target of Rs 2525

Sell Amara Raja Batteries with a stop loss of Rs 728 and target of Rs 690

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com/CNBC-TV18 are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.​ First Published on Mar 25, 2019 08:28 am

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

tags:ASGN,DEPO,CORI,LBIX,BPMC,

You're concerned about climate change. But chances are, you don't know what's really in your investment portfolio and whether your investments are helping or hurting the cause.

A new ranking is working to help change that.

Steve Proehl | Corbis Documentary | Getty Images Solar panels on Google headquarters in California

As You Sow, a nonprofit foundation, has teamed up with Corporate Knights, a research and financial information products company, to rank 200 companies by how well they are making clean energy a priority.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: On Assignment Inc.(ASGN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Transcribing]

  On Assignment (NYSE:ASGN) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 13, 2019 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of ASGN (NYSE:ASGN) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $70.00 target price on the business services provider’s stock.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  ASGN (NYSE: ASGN) and Amn Healthcare Services (NYSE:AMN) are both mid-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, profitability, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Insperity (NYSE: NSP) and ASGN (NYSE:ASGN) are both mid-cap business services companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, dividends and valuation.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: DepoMed Inc.(DEPO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Campbell]

  After updating investors on its restructuring and boosting its full-year guidance, shares of Depomed Inc. (NASDAQ:DEPO) were up 23.2% on Thursday.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Depomed Inc (NASDAQ:DEPO) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the nine analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $8.67.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Depomed (NASDAQ:DEPO) dropped 0% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $6.58 and last traded at $6.69. Approximately 3,739,419 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 190% from the average daily volume of 1,287,687 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.69.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Depomed Inc (NASDAQ:DEPO) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.50.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Corium International, Inc.(CORI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Corium International (CORI)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

  Get Corium International alerts: Analysts Expect Corium International Inc (CORI) Will Post Earnings of -$0.39 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) Aequus and Corium Join Forces to Advance Anti-Nausea Transdermal Patch (globenewswire.com) Corium International Inc (CORI) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $6.72 Million (americanbankingnews.com) Corium International Inc (CORI) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com)

  CORI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research cut Corium International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $14.00 price objective on shares of Corium International in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. ValuEngine upgraded Corium International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. Finally, BidaskClub cut Corium International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $13.00.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Corium International Inc. (NASDAQ: CORI) shares jumped on Friday after the company announced that it entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Gurnet Point Capital (GPC) will acquire Corium. Corium's board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Corium International (NASDAQ:CORI) Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay. 14, 2018 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Leading Brands Inc(LBIX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media headlines about Leading Brands (NASDAQ:LBIX) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. The research firm 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 nearest to one being the most favorable. Leading Brands earned a coverage optimism score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the company an impact score of 46.3549545541136 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near future.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Blueprint Medicines Corporation(BPMC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Investors should also keep their enthusiasm in check because Loxo Oncology isn't alone in targeting TRK fusion and RET mutations: Roche Holdings (NASDAQOTH:RHHBY) could challenge it in TRK fusions and Blueprint Medicines (NASDAQ:BPMC) could compete with it in RET mutations. 

• [By Shane Hupp]

  A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BPMC. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in Blueprint Medicines by 57.3% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,866 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $141,000 after acquiring an additional 680 shares in the last quarter. QS Investors LLC acquired a new position in Blueprint Medicines in the 4th quarter valued at about $173,000. First Mercantile Trust Co. acquired a new position in Blueprint Medicines in the 4th quarter valued at about $183,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in Blueprint Medicines by 942.7% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,513 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $190,000 after acquiring an additional 2,272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado acquired a new position in Blueprint Medicines in the 4th quarter valued at about $227,000. 97.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “BidaskClub Downgrades Blueprint Medicines (BPMC) to Hold” was posted by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this report on another site, it was illegally stolen and reposted in violation of international trademark & copyright law. The legal version of this report can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3356624/bidaskclub-downgrades-blueprint-medicines-bpmc-to-hold.html.

  Blueprint Medicines Company Profile

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Blueprint Medicines Corp  (NASDAQ:BPMC)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 26, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Todd Campbell]

  After clinical-stage competitor Loxo Oncology (NASDAQ:LOXO) presented impressive data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting this weekend, shares in Blueprint Medicines (NASDAQ:BPMC) tumbled by as much as 16% on Monday.

Energy Fuels (UUUU) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Investment Research

Energy Fuels (NYSEAMERICAN:UUUU) (TSE:EFR) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

According to Zacks, “Energy Fuels, Inc. is engaged in mining, production and development of uranium and vanadium. The company operates primarily in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and New Mexico. Energy Fuels, Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada. “

Get Energy Fuels alerts:

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $4.25 price objective on shares of Energy Fuels in a research note on Wednesday. TheStreet cut shares of Energy Fuels from a “c-” rating to a “d” rating in a research note on Friday, December 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $3.58.

Shares of Energy Fuels stock opened at $3.08 on Wednesday. Energy Fuels has a twelve month low of $1.50 and a twelve month high of $4.09.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UUUU. Two Sigma Advisers LP bought a new stake in Energy Fuels during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. PFG Advisors bought a new stake in Energy Fuels during the fourth quarter valued at $66,000. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY boosted its position in Energy Fuels by 356.6% during the fourth quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 29,678 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 23,178 shares during the last quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management USA Corp bought a new stake in Energy Fuels during the third quarter valued at $86,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Energy Fuels during the fourth quarter valued at $87,000.

About Energy Fuels

Energy Fuels Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the extraction, recovery, exploration, and sale of uranium in the United States. It operates in two segments, Conventional Uranium and ISR Uranium. The company owns and operates the Nichols Ranch uranium recovery facility located in Wyoming; the Alta Mesa project located in Texas; and the White Mesa Mill located in Utah.

See Also: Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Energy Fuels (UUUU)

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

Ulta Beauty Cashes In on Stronger Holiday-Season Inventory

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA) saved its best 2018 performance for last. The spa and beauty products retailer on Thursday reported holiday-season earnings results that paired accelerating sales gains with stabilizing profitability as merchandising initiatives resonated with customers both in stores and online.

Here's a look at the headline operating results:

 Metric

Q4 2018

Q4 2017

YOY Change

Revenue	$2.1 billion	$1.9 billion	10%
Net income	$215 million	$208 million	3%
EPS	$3.61	$3.40	6%

Data source: Ulta Beauty's financial filings. EPS = earnings per share. YOY = year over year.

What happened this quarter?

Sales growth accelerated for the second straight quarter even as gross and operating profit margins stabilized. Both the top- and bottom-line figures modestly outperformed management's outlook and represented improvements over prior quarters.

Image source: Getty Images.

Here are the key highlights of the quarter: 

Overall sales growth of 10% was due in part to the addition of 100 new stores. The sales growth rate landed at 16%, though, after accounting for the extra sales week in the prior-year period. Revenue at existing locations jumped 9.4% compared to 8% in the fiscal third quarter. This increase led to full-year sales growth of 8.1%, or just above the high end of management's early December forecast. The 9.4% sales spike was comprised of 7% higher customer traffic and a 2% boost in average spending per visit. Looking at sales by channel, seven full percentage points of the growth came from Ulta's physical locations, and the e-commerce segment contributed the rest. That marks a shift from prior quarters, which included a stronger tilt toward digital sales growth. Gross profit margin improved slightly after falling in recent quarters, suggesting that management's inventory-slimming initiatives helped clear the way for more full-price selling. Selling expenses were flat after rising in each of the last three quarters. Thus, operating income ticked up to 13.2% of sales from 13.1% a year ago. Ulta's more modest net income growth was mostly the result of tax changes. What management had to say

CEO Mary Dillon said executives were happy with the holiday-season numbers. "The Ulta Beauty team delivered excellent results," she observed in a press release. "This performance reflects an acceleration in comparable sales in our retail stores, primarily driven by traffic."

Dillon went on to describe broadly positive results when compared to other beauty-products retailers. "We continued to gain significant share across all major categories, particularly with digitally native brands."

Looking forward

Ulta's 2019 outlook contained several important pieces of news for investors. As expected, the company plans to open 80 new stores this year compared to the 100 it has launched in each of the past two years. Comparable-store sales growth should slow to between 6% and 7%, management predicts, as the e-commerce segment moderates to a 20% to 30% increase against 35% in 2018.

The outlook is more clearly positive when it comes to profitability. Following nearly two years of declines, operating margin is expected to tick higher in 2019 -- although management believes these gains won't fully accrue until the third and fourth quarters.

Ulta also announced a change in its guidance approach that will see it end the practice of issuing an outlook for each upcoming quarter. Instead, the retailer will post an annual forecast that it will adjust, if needed, on a quarterly basis. Given the improving market-share trends in recent months, this shift doesn't appear to be an attempt to de-emphasize bad news, but rather to focus shareholders' attention on the wider retailing picture.

7 Perfect Questions to Ask While Networking

Odds are, you already know how important networking is. You might have leveraged your network to land a job, procure a new client or even switch careers entirely -- or at the very least, you probably know someone who has. But despite the endless benefits of networking, many people still dread the experience.

Often, this is because they simply don't know what to say. After all, approaching a stranger you know nothing about can be pretty intimidating --  what in the world do you talk about?

Image source: Getty Images.

Well, the next time you find yourself wondering this at an industry mixer, don't fret. We talked to a handful of career experts to get their recommendations on great questions to ask while networking. Use any of these questions for a quick and painless conversation starter.

1. What brings you here?

This light-touch question is a great way to begin a conversation, explains Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The Connector's Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact.

"This question shows you are interested in the other person and are not just trying to figure out how they can help you. Their response will give you a sense of what they are working on and what is on the front of their mind. That will lead you to extend the conversation and figure out how you can add value to them," Tillis Lederman explains. "They will also likely ask you the question in return and give you an opening to share what your current objectives are."

2. How did you get involved in the industry/company?

Once you know a little bit more about somebody's professional background, ask them how they got their start. It can provide valuable takeaways for you, as well as make you seem more likable.

"Finding out more about their journey leading up to their current role can offer an excellent insight into what you might need to do in order to work in that industry, role or company," says Lars Herrem, group executive director at recruiting agency Nigel Wright Group. "Demonstrating your interest and enthusiasm is key to creating a lasting impression and making yourself memorable, something which will prove extremely beneficial if you end up reaching out to this person in the future."

3. Since you work in the industry, how do you feel about X?

Asking about a specific, timely event in the industry -- whether it's proposed legislation, a merger, a recent news story, etc. -- is a great way to show the person you're speaking with that you are knowledgeable and thoughtful, both of which are key to being memorable, says career coach Eli Howayeck of Crafted Career Concepts.

"First impressions matter. The best thing you can do, besides being a nice person, is to demonstrate how you think and what you know about the marketplace," Howayeck explains. "This helps direct the conversation and informs your conversation partner that you likely know what you're talking about or, at a minimum, pay attention to what is going on in the world and [are] not only focused on yourself and your advancement."

4. How would someone get their foot in the door in your company/industry?

The ultimate objective of networking is often to get a new job, but coming out and asking somebody you just met to help you get one can be pretty off-putting. However, that doesn't mean you can't approach the topic at all -- you just have to do so delicately.

This question "is a subtle way to ask about opportunities without coming right out and saying, 'Do you know if they are hiring?'" says career coach Madelyn Mackie. "If you are lucky, they will ask you if you are interested and then provide you with a business card to follow up with them after the event."

Even if they aren't able to help you out directly, though, you will likely gain some valuable insight that will help you in your job search process.

5. Based on your journey, what do you wish someone would have told you earlier in your career?

This is a great question to ask if you're speaking with somebody who is more senior than you are. It allows them to impart the knowledge they've acquired over the years with you, as well as appeals to their ego.

"People are way more comfortable sharing their wisdom than they are sharing their contacts, and both can be very valuable," Howayeck says. "Seeking to learn from others honors them and shows that you're invested in growth. It also shows deference and can endear the person to you and deepen the connection."

6. How do you spend your time outside of work?

At its heart, networking is all about forming connections with others, so don't be afraid to veer toward lighthearted chitchat. Questions like this one help people open up, and make it clear that you don't expect the interaction to be purely transactional.

"This kind of question lowers the stakes and also gives the other person a chance to discuss what they're passionate about," Howayeck explains. "It also shows that you are actually interested in them as a person, and not just what they do and how it could help you."

Who knows? You may even bond over a shared interest or activity!

7. What's the best way for me to get in touch/follow up with you?

Ask this question, and you're guaranteed to avoid one of the biggest mistakes that novice networkers make, according to career coach Nikki Bruno: "Beginning networkers often make the mistake of giving away a stack of business cards but gathering none. The only way to ensure that you'll be able to follow up with new contacts is to get their information; it keeps you in the driver's seat."

"Note that this question is intentionally different from 'May I have your card?'" Bruno adds. "Asking to stay in touch or to follow someone shows that you view him/her as a human being, not as a mere contact."

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor.com.

Hudson Counters Slower Growth With Improved Profits

Top-line growth continued to decelerate within a recent trend at airport retail operator Hudson Ltd. (NYSE:HUD), as revealed by its fiscal fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report. However, the company was able to wring higher profits from each revenue dollar, a point investors appeared to appreciate, as shares rose as much as 3% in the trading session following Hudson's earnings release Thursday morning. Note that all comparative numbers in the discussion that follows refer to the prior-year comparable quarter (the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017):

Hudson Ltd.: the raw numbers Metric Q4 2018 Q4 2017 Growth (YOY)

Revenue	$471.4 million	$450.4 million	4.7%
Net income (loss)	$2.8 million	($34.8 million)	N/A
Diluted EPS	($0.06)	($0.45)	N/A

Data source: Hudson Ltd. EPS = earnings per share. YOY = Year over year. N/A = Not applicable.

What happened with Hudson Ltd. this quarter?

Image source: Getty Images.

Hudson achieved organic revenue growth of 4.1%, continuing a trend of curbed organic sales growth over the last few quarters. Total organic revenue growth of 7% in fiscal 2018 represented a slowdown from the 8.8% rate booked in fiscal 2017.

Comparable sales, which management terms "like-for-like" sales, improved 1.6%. Full-year like-for-like sales growth of 3.7% trailed the 4.8% expansion chalked up in the prior year.

Hudson's gross margin edged up 170 basis points to 64.2%. For the year, gross margin improved by 140 basis points to 63.7%, as the company enjoyed better vendor terms and the benefit of a sales shift to higher-margin categories.

The healthier gross profit offset higher operating expenses, as Hudson generated $9.2 million in operating profit, compared to $7.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017.

During the quarter, the company won contract extensions for retail space at Dallas Love Field Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Hudson expanded its business at Salt Lake City International Airport, winning a competitively bid request for proposal (RFP). As a result, the company will nearly double its space at the airport to 12,000 feet.

The organization ended the quarter with 1,028 retail units spread across 88 locations, totaling 1.1 million square feet of retail selling space.

Management's perspective

In Hudson's earnings press release, CEO Roger Fordyce recapped the company's first year since its initial public offering on Feb. 1, 2018 and discussed new opportunities, which are expected to create value for shareholders:

2018, our first fiscal year as a public company, proved to be an exciting and transformative year for Hudson Group with solid organic sales growth, a number of significant new business wins and the aggressive expansion of our food & beverage retail offering. Our strong reputation as a multifaceted operator and our deep relationships with landlord partners enabled us to successfully win a number of new RFPs and extensions with expansions that will add over 50,000 square feet to our existing footprint. Looking ahead, we have multiple opportunities to continue growing market share in existing airports and capturing new whitespace as airports continue to invest in infrastructure projects to support growing passenger volumes.

Looking forward

Hudson, Ltd. doesn't issue forward earnings guidance. However, several factors are contributing to rising earnings power, which will continue to benefit the company. Following its IPO, Hudson's general and administrative expenses have decreased due to a reduction in franchise fees paid to parent Dufry AG. This fee reduction was responsible for $36.5 million of a $65.5 million increase in adjusted EBITDA, to $238 million, in fiscal 2018.

In addition, Hudson reduced its net debt by 33% in fiscal 2018 to $308.9 million, which provides more balance sheet flexibility and should result in lower interest expense in fiscal 2019. In the new reporting year, if Hudson continues to improve gross profit while holding overhead expenses in check, its slated square-foot expansion should result in a more robust bottom line.

Here are the biggest analyst calls of the day

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street Tuesday:

Morgan Stanley lowering price target on Tesla to $260 from $283

"For what many investors believe to be a high growth tech firm, TSLA has made notable moves to cut costs/prices & stimulate orders... We see TSLA hitting an air pocket in demand that is coming earlier than we expected... We reduce our Model 3 forecast & ATPs across the range, hitting ests & our target..."

Edward Jones downgrading Boeing to 'hold' from 'buy'

"We are downgrading shares of Boeing to a Hold from a Buy... Two recent accidents have raised some concerns about a specific model of the 737 Max... We know that Boeing is focused on safety and is working with the appropriate agencies to identify the issues... In our opinion, the accidents may result in additional expense and some delay in orders, which, from a business perspective, could pressure financial results... Longer-term, we believe the outlook is balanced by the backlog of other planes (such as the 787), recent defense program wins, and the expansion of the services business... Overall, we believe shares are appropriately valued for longterm investors..."

Read more about the downgrade here.

J.P. Morgan adding Eli Lilly to the analyst 'focus list'

"Following a period of restriction, we are moving to an Overweight rating and a December 2019 price target of $140 from a Not Rated designation (OW rating and YE19 PT of $128 prior to restriction) and adding the company to the analyst Focus List (growth)... Overall, we continue to see Lilly as the best positioned of our large-cap names based on a combination of healthy core product growth (Trulicity, Taltz, Jardiance, etc), a growing portfolio of new launches and next-generation pipeline assets (tirzepatide, Emgality, Loxo-292, tanezumab, etc), a significant margin expansion story (high 20's margins that we see moving to the mid/high 30's over time), and several sources of upside to near- and long-term numbers. Along these lines, we expect the company to generate 6-8% topline growth and mid-teens annual EPS growth through much of the decade.. Lilly represents a top pick in our coverage..."

HSBC downgrading Coca-Cola to 'hold' from 'buy'

"New risks are rising... Brewers are increasingly integrating beer and soft drinks to compete better... Sugar taxes are also starting to take as much cash out of a bottler as Coke. PET taxes and regulation may drain even more... Retailers are adding pressure... A red flag. In 2018, Coca-Cola FEMSA put the Philippines back to KO, walked away from an expansion opportunity in Asia, and increased its dividend guidance... For bottlers in LatAm, the growth outlook is bleak without: (1) a functional beer strategy in Brazil and in other key markets; (2) better non-carb margins; and (3) stronger marketing... The list of KO-owned broken bottlers is growing, and there seems to be a shortage of buyers. Finally, more external management may be needed... Cracking the code on evening occasions may need external help... A culture change from an era of slowness, entitlement and waste toward speed is hard if most key posts are internal hires... We have five critical questions that need answers: see page 14. Downgrade to Hold on valuation... New flat EPS guidance implies a 22x PE, 20% above the 25-year MSCI global consumer staples average. We cut our DCF-driven TP to USD 50 (10% implied upside) from USD64 on lower earnings..."

BMO downgrading Monster Beverage to 'market perform' from 'outperform'

"We are downgrading MNST to Market Perform as current valuation, both absolute (29x NTM P/E) and relative to peers (815 bps premium vs. beverage peers), may be as good as it gets given cloudier growth outlook and dwindling likelihood of the long-hoped-for buyout by KO... While we are comfortable with MNST's near-term +hsd-ldd% topline/EPS growth outlook, we see limited ability to meaningfully exceed expectations and justify an even higher valuation multiple, given unfavorable sales/product mix and emerging competition at home as well as disappointing margin progression abroad..."

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:MRO,WLL,WPZ,APA,RIG,

The steep decline in oil prices that started in mid-2014 was shocking, with the swift drop from $100 a barrel to less then $30 showing just how volatile the vital fuel can be. Many oil drillers were bleeding red ink during the worst of it. Now that oil is back into a range where oil majors are profitable, investors shouldn't forget a key lesson of the downturn -- flexibility is important. And on that point, ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) are two of the best positioned oil majors. Here's why these two energy giants outshine their peers.

Leveraging the balance sheet

Exxon distinguished itself during the oil downturn by continuing to increase its dividend every year, extending it streak of annual increases to 36 years. Most of the other oil majors paused their hikes or cut their dividends. One of the key factors that allowed Exxon to continue to invest in its capital program and raise the dividend was that it made judicious use of its balance sheet.

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019: Marathon Oil Corporation(MRO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Marathon Oil (MRO)

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

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Thursday was a volatile day on Wall Street, as major stock indexes lost a lot of ground early in the day but then rebounded to finished mixed. Gains for the Nasdaq Composite came even as Dow Jones Industrial Average fell modestly, and although investors spent much of the session trying to parse through the implications of the latest economic report on retail sales, earnings played a key role in moving many well-known stocks. Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO), AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN), and Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) were among the top performers. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Melrose Industries (LON:MRO) had its price target upped by Barclays to GBX 260 ($3.39) in a research report report published on Monday. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) VP Thomas Mitchell Little sold 117,333 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.69, for a total value of $2,427,619.77. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 394,569 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,163,632.61. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  The second expansion track the company took was the acquisition of a 70% interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project from Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A)(NYSE:RDS-B) and Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO). The company paid CA$12.74 billion ($9.9 billion) in cash and stock for this world-class oil sands mining asset, which was less than the cost of building a similar project. The sale enabled Shell and Marathon to get some cash to pay down debt, while the transaction added two mines to Canadian Natural Resources' portfolio that have the capacity to produce 280,000 BPD. In addition, the company picked up a stake in a 100,000 BPD expansion project and acquired several other oil sands leases from Shell and Marathon, two of which were producing an average of 13,800 BPD.

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Whiting Petroleum Co. (NYSE:WLL) – Equities research analysts at Piper Jaffray Companies lifted their Q2 2018 earnings estimates for Whiting Petroleum in a research note issued on Sunday, May 20th. Piper Jaffray Companies analyst K. Harrison now forecasts that the oil and gas exploration company will earn $0.85 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.33. Piper Jaffray Companies currently has a “Hold” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. Piper Jaffray Companies also issued estimates for Whiting Petroleum’s Q3 2018 earnings at $0.97 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $1.16 EPS, FY2018 earnings at $3.90 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $1.70 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $1.48 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $1.47 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $1.59 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $6.24 EPS.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL) bounded upward more than 55% for the quarter, fueled by rising crude prices and its strong first-quarter results. After struggling to scrape by on lower oil prices, Whiting's cash flow has surged this year, providing it enough money to fund its drilling program with more than $100 million to spare during the first quarter.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Whiting Petroleum Co. (NYSE:WLL) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 14,439 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock, valued at approximately $489,000.

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Simpler organizational structures could yield significant benefits for individual investors. In addition to being easier to follow and understand, it will make it easier than ever to own some of the most important pieces of energy infrastructure in the United States. The proposed merger between Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) and Williams Partners LP (NYSE:WPZ) is a great example, as it owns some of the best natural gas infrastructure in the United States. Here's why investors should be bullish on the multi-billion dollar merger.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Carver Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CARV) shares jumped 92.1 percent to $7.01. iPic Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: IPIC) gained 21.6 percent to $9.73. Baozun Inc. (NASDAQ: BZUN) shares jumped 18.7 percent to $53.49 after reporting Q1 results. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) shares jumped 15.9 percent to $50.50. The company's "Smackdown Live" may not be renewed at NBCUniversal network and the company's "Monday Night Raw" program could be worth three times its current value elsewhere, according to a report for The Hollywood Reporter. Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI) gained 14.7 percent to $ 20.46 after the company issued further details on Phase 3 ADVANCE study of ROLONTIS. Motus GI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOTS) climbed 13.4 percent to $5.5009. Endocyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECYT) rose 13.3 percent to $ 14.23 after the company announced presentation of Phase 2 data from prostate cancer trial of 177Lu-PSMA-617 at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting. Diana Containerships Inc. (NASDAQ: DCIX) gained 12.9 percent to $1.7499 after the company announced the sale of Post-Panamax Container Vessel for $21 million. Essendant Inc. (NASDAQ: ESND) gained 12.7 percent to $12.43. Essendant confirmed receipt of unsolicited proposal from Staples of $11.50 per share in cash. Blink Charging Co (NASDAQ: BLNK) rose 11.8 percent to $8.04 after surging 31.68 percent on Wednesday. OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPHC) gained 11.5 percent to $5.15. Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE: FTK) shares climbed 10.7 percent to $3.74. Farmer Bros. Co. (NASDAQ: FARM) rose 7.9 percent to $25.95 after climbing 7.90 percent on Wednesday. Minerva Neurosciences Inc (NASDAQ: NERV) rose 6.5 percent to $6.93 after Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published positive results of cognitive performance from Phase 2B trial of roluperidone in schizophrenia patients. Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) rose 5.6 percent to $40
• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Williams Companies is in the midst of a major transition. It recently agreed to acquire the rest of its MLP, Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ), in a $10.4 billion deal. The pipeline giant is making this acquisition so that it can more easily finance the expansion projects Williams Partners has under development. The transaction would allow it to free up some cash flow and improve its credit metrics, giving it more financial flexibility.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Williams Partners (WPZ)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Williams Pipeline Partners (WPZ)

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

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Kinder Morgan is already building a multibillion-dollar gas pipeline out of the Permian Basin after starting work on the Gulf Coast Express (GCX) in the first quarter. The company is developing that $1.75 billion pipeline in a partnership with Targa Resources and DCP Midstream. GCX will transport up to 1.98 Bcf/d of natural gas from shippers such as Apache (NYSE:APA), which not only signed a transportation agreement, but holds an option to buy a 15% stake in the pipeline from Kinder Morgan.

• [By John Bromels]

  And despite the stock market's long bull run, there are still some dividend stocks out there that are both cheap and high-quality. So let's go bargain shopping and see if we can find some! Three in the bargain bin that look promising are Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), and Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA). Here's why they might be right for your portfolio.

• [By John Bromels]

  But if you look hard enough, there are still some values to be found among oil and gas stocks. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA), and Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) have all managed to buck the trend of rising stock prices. Here's why these three stocks look incredibly cheap right now.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close was Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) which traded down about 4% at $42.73. The stock's 52-week range is $33.60 to $51.21. Volume was over 6 million compared to the daily average volume of 4.5 million.

• [By Jason Hall, Tyler Crowe, and John Bromels]

  If you're shopping for great buys in the oil patch right now, three Motley Fool contributors think you should take a close look at tech-heavy but asset-light oilfield services provider Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB), value-priced independent oil producer Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA), and refining giant Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC). 

Top 5 Oil Stocks To Invest In 2019: Transocean Inc.(RIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Deep-sea drilling specialist Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) jumped 15.2% in September, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. There have been a couple of big ups and downs this year, but through the first nine months of 2018, the stock was up a heady 30%. The timing of the September advance, however, coincided with some key news.

• [By Jason Hall]

  On June 27, shares of Seadrill Ltd (NYSE:SDRL), Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO), and Ensco PLC (NYSE:ESV) traded up more than 10% at various points. And while they've cooled off a bit -- up 9.9%, 10.3%, and 8.9%, respectively, at recent prices -- they continue to march toward today's close with big gains. And while not quite as much as the three aforementioned companies, shares of Transocean LTD (NYSE:RIG) and Noble Corporation PLC (NYSE:NE) are showing big days as well, up 6.4% and 7.2% in late-afternoon trading. 

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Three stocks on my watchlist that look incredibly cheap and will likely be high up on my next buy list are LGI Homes (NASDAQ:LGIH), U.S. Silica Holdings (NYSE:SLCA), and Transocean (NYSE:RIG). Here's why they look compelling to me now and why Wall Street seems to be assigning them such modest valuations. 

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:NTRA,SRE,SXL,FRPT,NTG,ETX ,

The Sears closing spree has reached 200 stores so far this year and shows no signs of slowing down, despite a massive new deal with Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN). While the initial news of the deal sent Sears stock soaring more than 10% in one day, the new partnership will not save Sears.

The deal, which was announced on July 20, will allow Sears Holdings Corp.'s (Nasdaq: SHLD) Kenmore home appliance brand to be sold on Amazon. This is the first official time the online retailer has had access to the Sears-exclusive brand. (Some Kenmore appliances were previously sold on Amazon through third-party sellers.)

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Natera, Inc.(NTRA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Trexquant Investment LP increased its position in Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 76.6% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 22,643 shares of the medical research company’s stock after buying an additional 9,820 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP’s holdings in Natera were worth $426,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Max Byerly]

  TheStreet lowered shares of Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note released on Tuesday morning.

  Several other equities research analysts have also commented on NTRA. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Natera from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Natera from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday. Craig Hallum set a $23.00 price target on shares of Natera and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. ValuEngine raised shares of Natera from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, June 22nd. Finally, BidaskClub lowered shares of Natera from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $26.13.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Swiss National Bank lifted its position in Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 13.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 47,900 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,600 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.09% of Natera worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Natera (NTRA)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) has received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $29.00.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Natera Inc (NASDAQ:NTRA) COO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 86,919 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $1,564,542.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 3,588 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,584. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Sempra Energy(SRE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.32 per share on revenue of $9.89 billion. Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $14.34 billion. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.67 per share on revenue of $692.63 million. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSH) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.06 per share on revenue of 3.90 billion. Manchester United plc (NYSE: MANU) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $1.35 per share on revenue of $193.67 million. Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.66 per share on revenue of $3.24 billion. Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company (NYSE: WLTW) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $3.01 per share on revenue of $2.23 billion. Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRE) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.28 per share on revenue of $922.42 million. TravelCenters of America LLC (NASDAQ: TA) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.16 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $723.93 million. Welbilt, Inc. (NYSE: WBT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $329.71 million. Horizon Pharma Public Limited Company (NASDAQ: HZNP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $234.17 million.

   

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Saville Resoures (CVE:SRE) insider Zimtu Capital Corp. sold 1,500,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$0.05, for a total transaction of C$75,000.00.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Sempra Energy's (NYSE:SRE) acquisition of Oncor was a bit of a coup on Wall Street, as it was able to outbid Berkshire Hathaway for the Texas utility. The victory didn't come cheap, though, as Sempra had to cough up $9.5 billion and take on quite a bit of debt in the process of completing the deal. Even though the company sees immense potential in the purchase and the growth opportunities that come with it, shares of Sempra have been mostly flat for the past year.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Highstreet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) by 40,332.4% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 27,494 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,426 shares during the period. Highstreet Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $3,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP(SXL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Southern Cross Media Group Ltd (SXL) Declares $0.04 Interim Dividend” was published by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this report on another site, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US and international trademark and copyright legislation. The legal version of this report can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4173757/southern-cross-media-group-ltd-sxl-declares-0-04-interim-dividend.html.

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Freshpet, Inc.(FRPT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Freshpet Inc (NASDAQ:FRPT) reached a new 52-week high and low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $22.75 and last traded at $22.65, with a volume of 5950 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.35.

• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Freshpet Inc  (NASDAQ:FRPT)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallFeb. 26, 2019, 4:30 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Freshpet Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT) was maintained as Neutral but the target price was raised to $36 from $32 at Credit Suisse.

  Harpoon Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: HARP) was started as Outperform and assigned a $23 price target (versus a $17.01 close) at Wedbush Securities.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Freshpet (NASDAQ:FRPT) – Research analysts at William Blair reduced their Q2 2018 earnings estimates for shares of Freshpet in a research note issued to investors on Monday, May 7th. William Blair analyst J. Andersen now expects that the company will post earnings per share of ($0.09) for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of ($0.04). William Blair also issued estimates for Freshpet’s Q4 2018 earnings at $0.10 EPS and FY2018 earnings at ($0.07) EPS.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  On Friday, the consumer staples shares surged 0.62 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), up 5 percent, and Freshpet, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT) up 4 percent.

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Tortoise MLP Fund, Inc.(NTG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of Northgate plc (LON:NTG) have received an average rating of “Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 523.25 ($6.67).

Top Stocks To Watch For 2019: Eaton Vance Municipal Income 2028 Term Trust(ETX )

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Etrion SA (TSE:ETX) – Equities researchers at National Bank Financial issued their Q4 2018 earnings estimates for shares of Etrion in a research note issued on Thursday, August 9th. National Bank Financial analyst R. Merer expects that the solar energy provider will post earnings of ($0.01) per share for the quarter. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Etrion’s FY2019 earnings at ($0.01) EPS.

Analysts Anticipate Cardiovascular Systems Inc (CSII) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $62.64 Million

Brokerages forecast that Cardiovascular Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSII) will announce $62.64 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Four analysts have issued estimates for Cardiovascular Systems’ earnings, with estimates ranging from $62.15 million to $63.00 million. Cardiovascular Systems posted sales of $55.59 million in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year over year growth rate of 12.7%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Cardiovascular Systems will report full-year sales of $245.24 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $243.96 million to $246.80 million. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the firm will post sales of $277.68 million, with estimates ranging from $274.86 million to $279.70 million. Zacks’ sales averages are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that that provide coverage for Cardiovascular Systems.

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Cardiovascular Systems (NASDAQ:CSII) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 30th. The medical device company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.05. The business had revenue of $60.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $59.66 million. Cardiovascular Systems had a return on equity of 1.28% and a net margin of 0.74%.

CSII has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BidaskClub raised Cardiovascular Systems from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 5th. ValuEngine raised Cardiovascular Systems from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Investment Research reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Cardiovascular Systems in a research report on Monday, November 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $47.50.

NASDAQ:CSII traded up $0.79 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $40.27. 761,630 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 232,710. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 879.25 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a quick ratio of 3.88, a current ratio of 4.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Cardiovascular Systems has a one year low of $20.89 and a one year high of $41.13.

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CSII. Partner Fund Management L.P. raised its holdings in Cardiovascular Systems by 57.2% during the 4th quarter. Partner Fund Management L.P. now owns 1,599,867 shares of the medical device company’s stock valued at $45,580,000 after acquiring an additional 581,950 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Cardiovascular Systems in the fourth quarter worth $14,258,000. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cardiovascular Systems by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,901,471 shares of the medical device company’s stock worth $82,663,000 after purchasing an additional 322,994 shares during the period. Teachers Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cardiovascular Systems by 420.6% in the third quarter. Teachers Advisors LLC now owns 317,801 shares of the medical device company’s stock worth $12,439,000 after purchasing an additional 256,759 shares during the period. Finally, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cardiovascular Systems in the third quarter worth $8,766,000. 80.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cardiovascular Systems

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc is a medical device company, which engages in the development and commercialization of solutions for treating vascular and coronary disease. It offers orbital atherectomy systems for both peripheral and coronary commercial applications. Its products are primarily catheter-based platforms capable of treating a range of vessel sizes and plaque types.

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TheStreet Lowers Six Flags Entertainment (SIX) to C+

Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:SIX) was downgraded by TheStreet from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on SIX. Oppenheimer set a $80.00 price target on Six Flags Entertainment and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 15th. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on Six Flags Entertainment in a research report on Wednesday, December 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $70.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Six Flags Entertainment from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 2nd. Wells Fargo & Co upgraded Six Flags Entertainment from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 17th. Finally, ValuEngine lowered Six Flags Entertainment from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $66.11.

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NYSE:SIX opened at $50.24 on Thursday. Six Flags Entertainment has a 12-month low of $49.79 and a 12-month high of $73.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.32 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55 and a beta of 1.26.

Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:SIX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 14th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.65. Six Flags Entertainment had a negative return on equity of 43.77% and a net margin of 18.86%. The business had revenue of $269.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $284.50 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Six Flags Entertainment will post 2.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Six Flags Entertainment news, CFO Marshall Barber sold 1,275 shares of Six Flags Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.48, for a total transaction of $72,012.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 82,722 shares in the company, valued at $4,672,138.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Brett Petit sold 27,750 shares of Six Flags Entertainment stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.00, for a total value of $1,748,250.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,139 shares of company stock worth $1,827,495. Corporate insiders own 5.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Six Flags Entertainment by 441.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 83,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,840,000 after purchasing an additional 68,191 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC raised its stake in shares of Six Flags Entertainment by 21.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 9,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $686,000 after purchasing an additional 1,756 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Six Flags Entertainment by 97.0% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 29,227 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,041,000 after purchasing an additional 14,391 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Six Flags Entertainment by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,802,119 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,826,000 after purchasing an additional 12,628 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Six Flags Entertainment by 26.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 88,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,200,000 after purchasing an additional 18,668 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.39% of the company’s stock.

Six Flags Entertainment Company Profile

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation owns and operates regional theme and water parks under the Six Flags brand name. The company's parks offer various thrill rides, water attractions, themed areas, concerts and shows, restaurants, game venues, and retail outlets. It owns and operates 20 parks, including 17 parks in the United States; 2 parks in Mexico; and 1 park in Montreal, Canada.

Further Reading: How Buying a Call Option Works

How Litecoin Prices Practically Doubled This Year

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-41842029&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/41842029/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;627&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Litecoin has risen sharply in recent months.

&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;Litecoin prices have climbed sharply this year,&a;nbsp;producing&a;nbsp;notable gains&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;as the digital currency benefits from strong fundamentals and favorable market conditions. &l;/span&g;

The cryptocurrency, which is very similar to bitcoin, reached $56.27 today, according to &l;a href=&q;https://coinmarketcap.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;CoinMarketCap&l;/a&g;.

At this point, the digital currency was up more than 84% since the start of 2019, having reached its highest level since October,&a;nbsp;additional CoinMarketCap data reveal.

&l;span&g;&l;/span&g;

&l;strong&g;Oversold Market&l;/strong&g;

After peaking at more than $375 in December 2017, the cryptocurrency lost more than 90% of its value,&a;nbsp;falling below $25 late last year.

By experiencing such a dramatic decline,&a;nbsp;litecoin may have become oversold, claimed analysts.

This could have set the digital asset up for impressive gains.

&l;span&g;&q;The harder an asset price falls, the steeper the rebound often is and that seems to be a factor in Litecoin&s;s sharp gains this year,&q; said&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;Josiah Hernandez&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;, chief investment officer of &l;/span&g;&l;span style=&q;font-weight: 400&q;&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.satoshi.capital/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;Satoshi Capital&l;/a&g;.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

With these market conditions in place, litecoin was well-positioned for gains, and this combined with some strong fundamentals to help propel the digital currency higher, said market observers.

&l;strong&g;Strong Fundamentals&l;/strong&g;

&q;While it can be said that Litecoin oversold last year, we believe the recent rise is a result of the factors,&q;&a;nbsp;&l;span&g;stated&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;span&g;Joe DiPasquale, CEO of cryptocurrency fund of hedge funds&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.bitbullcapital.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;nofollow noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;BitBull Capital&l;/a&g;&l;span&g;.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

Growth in the the digital currency&s;s Lightning Network, anticipation surrounding the upcoming halving and &q;as well as Venezuela&s;s approval of Bitcoin and Litecoin for remittances,&q; said&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;DiPasquale.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

&q;When compared with Bitcoin, Litecoin has typically been preferred as a transactional currency because of lower fees and most importantly, faster transaction confirmation times,&q; he emphasized.

&q;This results in increasing demand for Litecoin whenever people want to transfer crypto which can then be converted into other coins or fiat, and can be attributed as one of the reasons behind the recent surge.&q;

These fees should go even lower when&a;nbsp;Litecoin Core 0.17 is released, noted&a;nbsp;Danny Kim, head of growth at cryptocurrency prime&a;nbsp;dealer&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;https://www.sfox.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;SFOX&l;/a&g;.

&q;It is expected that Litecoin&a;rsquo;s next update will reduce its transaction fees by 10x, making it materially more useful and valuable as a medium for everyday transactions,&q; said Kim.

&l;strong&g;A Dream of Spring&l;/strong&g;

Another major development cited as potentially bolstering litecoin prices is hopes that the so-called &q;crypto winter,&q; harsh market conditions that have coincided with significant losses and the shuttering of many industry firms,&a;nbsp;will soon be over.

&q;The entire crypto market has been growing increasingly optimistic lately as adoption continues to rise,&q;&a;nbsp;&l;span&g;said&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;span&g;Mati Greenspan, senior market analyst at&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;span&g;social trading platform&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;a href=&q;https://www.etoro.com/en-us/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;nofollow noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;eToro&l;/a&g;&l;span&g;.&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;

&q;Crypto winter seems to be coming to an end and people are preparing for spring.&q;

&l;em&g;Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether.&a;nbsp;&l;/em&g;&l;/p&g;

After Bud Light's Big Game Fumble, Brewers Rally for Farmers

It was clear that the ad Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) ran during the Super Bowl tried to suggest there was something wrong with Molson Coors (NYSE:TAP) using corn syrup in the brewing process. No doubt the megabrewer hoped beer drinkers would confuse the sugar used to feed yeast during the fermentation process with high fructose corn syrup, the much-maligned sweetener that has been linked to high rates of obesity.

Yet since Anheuser-Busch also uses corn syrup for brewing, just not for Bud Light -- the beer mentioned in the Super Bowl ad -- it also opened up the brewer to charges of hypocrisy.

Yet amid the backlash against Bud Light from corn farmers and processors, some good did come of it as brewers rallied around those who make their living from the crop. 

Image source: Getty Images.

Farm aid

Molson Coors responded to the Super Bowl ad with a full-page Miller Lite ad in The New York Times on Feb. 5 addressing the "corntroversy" and attributing the superior taste of its beer to the corn syrup it uses. Then Coors Light held a nationwide "Toast to Farmers" celebration on Feb. 15 in response to the brouhaha, complete with a #ToastToFarmers hashtag on social media.

Apparently the backlash was intense enough that Anheuser-Busch felt pressured into partnering with Farm Rescue, a non-profit organization that helps farmers in the country's Corn Belt that have been hit with financial distress due to illness, injury, or natural disaster.

On Valentine's Day, the brewer sent out a tweet saying it would donate $5 to Farm Rescue for every retweet. It also called on everyone to join A-B "in supporting all the hardworking men & women who grow America's crops." Notably, the tweet came from A-B's Busch brand, not Bud Light. Busch is one of those beers that uses corn syrup in the fermentation process.

It not only used the #ToastToFarmers hashtag to promote the effort, but it hijacked the campaign with a ToastToFarmers.com url that redirects viewers to a Busch site celebrating its "proud support" of farmers.

In the hard-feelings department, however, it's also been reported that Molson's MillerCoors unit has backed out of an alliance with A-B, Heineken, and Constellation Brands that was to launch a national ad campaign to help reverse the secular decline in beer consumption.

One hand giveth, the other taketh

Although Anheuser-Busch is quoted in the Farm Rescue announcement as saying, "At Anheuser-Busch, we know that great beer starts with quality ingredients, which is why we source nearly all our corn, rice, and barley from American farmers," it had sent out a tweet a few days after the game from the king in the Bud Light ad, pushing the notion that only value segment beer was brewed with corn syrup.

A scroll titled "Yeeeesh! That escalated quickly" begins by saying all he was trying to do was return some lost corn syrup, but then goes on to note that although his accountant tried to get him to brew with corn syrup because it's less expensive, "we brew with rice, along with the finest hops, barley, and water, because I'm the King and it's not my job to save money."

Of course, Anheuser-Busch premium brands like Stella Artois also use corn syrup.

Final thoughts

As of this writing, the Farm Rescue tweet has over 41,000 retweets, and the organization says $250,000 was raised by the campaign. While that is a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $60 million Anheuser-Busch spent on Super Bowl ads, the brewer did agree to double the amount and tweeted out a photo of an oversized check made out to Farm Rescue for $500,000.

Although the brewer may not have realized the kind of backlash that would arise from the corn syrup ad, it ultimately brought much-needed attention (and money) to a critical component of the economy, and of the brewing process itself. And that's something even the Bud Light king can toast. Dilly dilly. 

Major Averages Straddle New Monthly Levels During Topping-Out Pattern

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-1128614263&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1128614263/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;657&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP Getty Images)

Based upon new monthly levels from my proprietary analytics, new highs for the five major averages appear to be unlikely in March .

&l;/p&g;&l;ul&g;&l;li&g;The &l;strong&g;Dow Jones Industrial Average&l;/strong&g; has a monthly risky level for March at 26,540, which is below the all-time intraday high of 26,951.81 set on October 3. Today&a;rsquo;s reversal has the average below my annual pivot of 25,819.&l;/li&g; &l;li&g;The &l;strong&g;S&a;amp;P 500&l;/strong&g; set a new 2019 high of 2,816.88 yesterday morning versus my monthly pivot at 2,811.3 for March. Today&a;rsquo;s price action will be a &a;ldquo;key reversal&a;rdquo; given a close below Friday&a;rsquo;s low of 2,787.38. My annual risky level of 2,867.1 is below the all-time intraday high of 2,940.91 set on September 21.&l;/li&g; &l;li&g;The &l;strong&g;Nasdaq Composite&l;/strong&g; set a new 2019 high of 7,643.65 yesterday morning then reversed direction. A close below Friday&a;rsquo;s low of 7,540.75 would be a &a;ldquo;key reversal.&a;rdquo; My value level for March is 7,478. The Nasdaq is well below its all-time intraday high of 8,133.30 set on August 30.&l;/li&g; &l;li&g;The &l;strong&g;Dow Transportation Average&l;/strong&g; stayed below its 200-day simple moving average of 10,562.25 yesterday morning with my risky level for March at 10,752. Transports are well below its all-time intraday high of 11,623.58 set on September 14.&l;/li&g; &l;li&g;The &l;strong&g;Russell 2000&l;/strong&g; opened Monday with a failed test of my annual risky level at 1,590.63. The small-cap average is back below its 200-day simple moving average at 1,587.36 with my value level for March at 1,501.79. The Russell 2000 is well below its all-time intraday high of 1,742.09 on August 31.&l;/li&g; &l;/ul&g;&l;strong&g;To sum it up: &l;/strong&g;My neutral zone for March is between my monthly value levels at 7,478 on the Nasdaq and 1,501.79 Russell 2000 with a monthly pivot at 2,811.3 on the S&a;amp;P 500 and monthly risky levels at 26,540 on Dow Industrials and 10,752 on Dow Transports. Staying within these boundaries prevents new highs.

&l;strong&g;Here&a;rsquo;s Last Week&a;rsquo;s Scorecard&l;/strong&g;

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-59539&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/investor/files/2019/03/Markets190301.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;489&q; data-width=&q;896&q;&g; Scorecard For Last Week

The Dow, S&a;amp;P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 now have overbought weekly charts with 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic readings above 80.00 on a scale of 00.00 to 100.00. Transports remain below the overbought threshold.

&l;strong&g;The Fed continues to tighten by unwinding its balance sheet. &l;/strong&g;The Fed balance sheet was marked at $3.974 trillion on February, 27 down from $2.981 trillion on February 20. The balance sheet is now down $526 billion from $4.5 trillion where it was at the end of September 2017. In my opinion, Fed wants to continue to unwind the balance sheet until later this year. I believe that they are aggressive now given market strength.

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&l;strong&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/strong&g;

&a;nbsp;

&a;nbsp;

&l;strong&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/strong&g;

Zacks: Brokerages Expect PBF Logistics LP (PBFX) Will Post Quarterly Sales of $73.70 Million

Equities analysts expect PBF Logistics LP (NYSE:PBFX) to post $73.70 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Three analysts have provided estimates for PBF Logistics’ earnings, with the lowest sales estimate coming in at $70.73 million and the highest estimate coming in at $76.44 million. PBF Logistics reported sales of $64.04 million during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 15.1%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, May 2nd.

On average, analysts expect that PBF Logistics will report full year sales of $301.27 million for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $287.04 million to $311.84 million. For the next fiscal year, analysts anticipate that the company will report sales of $324.40 million, with estimates ranging from $295.79 million to $351.83 million. Zacks’ sales calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that that provide coverage for PBF Logistics.

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PBF Logistics (NYSE:PBFX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 14th. The pipeline company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.02. PBF Logistics had a net margin of 26.75% and a return on equity of 48.53%. The firm had revenue of $80.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.79 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. PBF Logistics’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on PBFX shares. Wells Fargo & Co reissued a “hold” rating on shares of PBF Logistics in a research report on Monday, February 18th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of PBF Logistics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $23.88.

NYSE:PBFX traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $21.71. 88,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 111,233. PBF Logistics has a fifty-two week low of $17.75 and a fifty-two week high of $23.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.91, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $997.02 million, a P/E ratio of 11.93 and a beta of 0.83.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.505 per share. This is an increase from PBF Logistics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.30%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 28th. PBF Logistics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 109.89%.

In other PBF Logistics news, Director David Roush sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.67, for a total transaction of $140,855.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PBFX. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in PBF Logistics by 227.2% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,666 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 3,240 shares during the last quarter. Arlington Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PBF Logistics in the fourth quarter valued at about $98,000. Canton Hathaway LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PBF Logistics in the fourth quarter valued at about $151,000. Tortoise Index Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PBF Logistics by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Index Solutions LLC now owns 7,835 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 3,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of PBF Logistics by 207.0% in the fourth quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 12,188 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 8,218 shares in the last quarter. 34.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About PBF Logistics

PBF Logistics LP owns, leases, acquires, develops, and operates crude oil and refined petroleum products terminals, pipelines, storage facilities, and other logistics assets in the United States. It operates through Transportation and Terminaling, and Storage segments. The company's assets include Delaware City rail unloading terminal, a light crude oil rail unloading terminal, which serves Delaware City and Paulsboro refineries; Toledo truck unloading Terminal, that serves Toledo refinery; Delaware City west heavy unloading rack, a heavy crude oil unloading facility, which serves Delaware City refinery; and a terminaling facility that consists of 27 propane storage bullets and a truck loading facility.

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