Access National Co. (ANCX) Receives $31.00 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of Access National Co. (NASDAQ:ANCX) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eight brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $30.50.

Several research firms have commented on ANCX. BidaskClub downgraded shares of Access National from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, May 14th. Raymond James downgraded shares of Access National from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 10th. Stephens reissued a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Access National in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Maxim Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price objective (down previously from $33.00) on shares of Access National in a report on Monday.

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Shares of Access National traded up $0.25, hitting $28.13, during midday trading on Friday, according to MarketBeat. 27,562 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 50,668. Access National has a 52 week low of $24.36 and a 52 week high of $30.99. The company has a market capitalization of $575.09 million, a PE ratio of 17.34 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Access National (NASDAQ:ANCX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.44 by ($0.01). Access National had a net margin of 19.04% and a return on equity of 8.11%. The company had revenue of $32.11 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.20 million. sell-side analysts expect that Access National will post 1.73 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.28%. This is a boost from Access National’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 8th. Access National’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.27%.

In other Access National news, CEO Michael W. Clarke bought 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $27.61 per share, for a total transaction of $110,440.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 716,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,779,251.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders have bought a total of 4,807 shares of company stock worth $132,552 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 14.08% of the company’s stock.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ANCX. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in shares of Access National by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 212,311 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,910,000 after buying an additional 6,806 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Access National by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 109,290 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,042,000 after buying an additional 9,966 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of Access National by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 773,201 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $21,526,000 after buying an additional 4,056 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Access National by 53.1% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 16,687 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $465,000 after buying an additional 5,790 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Access National by 34.9% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 14,429 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 3,731 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.55% of the company’s stock.

About Access National

Access National Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Access National Bank that provides credit, deposit, mortgage, and wealth management services to small and medium sized businesses, professionals, and associated individuals primarily in the greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. The company operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, Mortgage Banking, and Wealth Management.

Further Reading: Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Papa John's hires Ari Emanuel's ad agency to get past N-word controversy

Papa John's said it has hired a new ad agency to help redefine the brand as it parts ways with controversial founder John Schnatter.

The pizza chain hired Endeavor Global Marketing, which is part of a massive media conglomerate headed by Hollywood heavyweight Ari Emanuel. The deal with Endeavor will replace the company's previous deal with an ad agency called Laundry Service, a Papa John's spokesman confirmed.

Schnatter resigned as the company's chairman last month hours after he apologized for using the N-word on a conference call in May with representatives from Laundry Service. Papa John's removed Schnatter from its commercials and marketing materials and kicked him out of office space at its headquarters.

In his initial statement, Schnatter apologized. But he later expressed remorse over his decision to walk away from the company, and he accused Laundry Service of trying to extort him. Schnatter also accused the board of not "doing any investigation" and said its decision to remove him as chairman was based on "rumor and innuendo," according to a letter he sent to the board earlier this month.

In a lawsuit filed last week, Schnatter's lawyers say he is seeking to inspect company documents "because of the unexplained and heavy-handed way in which the company has treated him since the publication of a story that falsely accused him of using a racial slur."

Schnatter remains on the board as a director. He owns 29% of Papa John's stock.

To prevent the former CEO from gaining more control of the company, the board of directors recently approved a so-called poison pill provision, which could dilute Schnatter's stake if he buys more of the company's stock.

Schnatter claims Laundry Service wanted to hire rapper Kanye West to represent Papa John's in advertising materials, but Schnatter wasn't on board with the idea because West uses the N-word in his lyrics. Schnatter says the agency asked if he was racist, and he used the N-word in describing how KFC's Colonel Sanders used to talk.

AMD is leaving the rest of the chip stocks in the dust, but the move could fade

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices are on fire this year, but some traders and strategists are wary about stepping into the name after its hefty 91 percent rally.

AMD is the top-performing stock in the S&P 500's semiconductor industry group this year, outpacing peers like Micron, Nvidia and Texas Instruments by a wide margin. Much of AMD's rally has come in recent months, with an 80 percent gain since May. The stock surged 4 percent Monday after Cowen raised its price target on AMD and forecast better-than-expected profits next year.

Still, others are less confident in the outlook for the name. Semiconductors' exposure to tariff feuds between the U.S. and China place companies like AMD in a bad position, said Larry McDonald, macro strategist and editor of the Bear Traps Report.

"We're really facing, in the next 20 to 40 days, unprecedented supply chain risk for the semiconductor industry, and the stocks are telling you something," McDonald said Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation," highlighting that the broader semiconductor tracking SMH ETF is up 5 percent in the last eight months relative to the S&P 500's 9.5 percent rally in the same time period.

The Trump administration will likely grow more aggressive in trade talks with China, McDonald forecast, and "that's going to be front and center. That's going to draw down the semis."

Others are more sanguine on the state of Advanced Micro Devices specifically, but would wait to buy.

"I'm more of a short-term trader. In fact, just more than 15 years ago AMD was the first stock I ever traded, and I really like it here. I like how it's outpaced its peers. However I'm not necessarily buying it here," said Bill Baruch, president of Blue Line Futures, Friday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."

While Baruch sees AMD rising into year-end, he'd wait to buy around $17.75 or $18 per share, representing an 8 to 9 percent decline from current levels.

"The high that we saw in the middle of June down to the low heading into July gave us a range reversal with about $20 being the ceiling. So I think you've got to be patient here, let it settle in just a bit, and I think you'll find some value below $18 for that next move to $22.50 before the end of the year," he added.

AMD shares were trading higher at $19.63 per share Monday, hitting a 52-week high.

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Is General Motors' Self-Driving Unit Already Worth $43 Billion?

Is General Motors' (NYSE:GM) self-driving subsidiary worth $43 billion -- already?

That's the eye-popping conclusion that one Wall Street analyst put forth in a note to clients last week. The analyst thinks that GM Cruise, the San Francisco-based GM subsidiary that is gearing up to launch a self-driving taxi business, could become massively profitable over the next decade -- and that makes it worth quite a bit now.

If he's right, and if reports that GM is considering ways to unlock that value are accurate, then it's a powerful addition to the bull case for GM's shares. Let's take a look.

GM Cruise, the automaker's self-driving subsidiary, is developing an electric self-driving taxi based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV. It expects to launch its service at scale in 2019. Image source: General Motors.

$32 billion in revenue in 2030?

The analyst in question is Joseph Spak, RBC Capital Markets' auto-industry analyst. In a note to clients last week, he reviewed what we know of GM's plans to begin rolling out a self-driving taxi fleet next year -- and looked at how that fleet could grow over time. His conclusion: GM Cruise could become a very profitable business by 2030.

For now, it appears GM's plans are to run its own transportation network company (TNC). If they can get the technology right and execute on this plan, then when we run this scenario, we see them having a fleet of ~800,000 vehicles by 2030 driving ~58 billion miles that year. At $0.55/mile and 29% EBIT margins, we see ~$17 billion of EBITDA. In our DCF (11x exit multiple) this values Cruise at $43 billion.

If GM is charging $0.55 per mile, and its vehicles drive 58 billion miles in 2030, that works out to $31.9 billion in revenue. Compared to the $145.6 billion in revenue that GM earned in 2017, that sounds more incremental than transformational -- but it's the margin that's the key to his valuation.

Spak's note talks about earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) because that's what one uses in a discounted cash flow analysis (DCF). But just for a moment, to keep it consistent with GM's standard reporting, let's talk about earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) -- or specifically, "EBIT-adjusted" -- GM's term for EBIT minus special items and some other small adjustments.

Spak assumes an EBIT margin of 29% -- far higher than GM's EBIT-adjusted margin of 8.8% in 2017. Applied to the $31.9 billion in revenue that Spak assumes for 2030, we get EBIT of $9.25 billion, which is not far at all from the $12.8 billion in EBIT-adjusted that GM earned last year. (We can ignore the "adjusted" part for now, because we don't have any idea what GM's special items will look like in 2030.)

From there, Spak estimated the EBITDA, used that to run his DCF assuming a multiple of 11 on GM Cruise's 2030 valuation, and came up with a net present value of $43 billion.

Given that GM's total market cap right now is about $55.7 billion, what does that mean for the value of GM's stock?

How much of this is reflected in GM's share price?

First, we should note that GM doesn't own 100% of GM Cruise anymore. In May, GM agreed to give SoftBank Group's (NASDAQOTH:SFTBF) Vision Fund a 19.6% stake in Cruise, in exchange for a $2.25 billion investment -- a transaction that valued Cruise at $11.5 billion.

If Spak is right, then SoftBank got a heck of a deal. Of course, so did GM itself, when it bought then-tiny start-up Cruise Automation for $581 million plus employee incentives. GM invested about $600 million in Cruise last year, and it has said that it expects to spend another $1 billion in 2018 as it ramps up toward the commercial launch of its self-driving taxi service next year.

Even at 80.4% of that $11.5 billion (about $9.25 billion), it's clear that GM has already managed a nice return -- on paper, at least. But Spak's valuation is nearly four times the valuation that GM and SoftBank agreed on just two months ago. Is it for real?

The upshot: This is why GM is considering a Cruise spinoff

For now, Spak is hedging his bets quite a bit. His price target for GM's stock is a bullish-but-not-outrageous $53, of which he said the value added by its 80.4% stake in GM Cruise is $7 per share. That values GM's stake in Cruise at about $9.9 billion -- a slight premium over the valuation that GM and SoftBank agreed on in May.

For the moment, that's probably fair. But the evidence is mounting that GM is considering ways to unlock the value of Cruise. (Among other things, Cruise just hired its own heavy-hitter communications director: John Taylor, formerly of SpaceX.) Spak's analysis points up why GM would feel the need to consider such moves. And the possibility adds another reason for investors to think about buying GM's stock now: Any such share issue for Cruise would almost certainly be distributed to existing GM shareholders.

It's hard for growth-minded investors to get too excited about the stock of a century-old automaker (though GM does pay a solid dividend), even if it has a subsidiary that could grow dramatically between now and 2030. But if GM created a way for investors to buy just that growth potential, I suspect it would be quite popular -- and I suspect that Spak's valuation wouldn't be out of line.

Aeon Trading Up 28.9% This Week (AEON)

Aeon (CURRENCY:AEON) traded 8.8% higher against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 18:00 PM E.T. on July 17th. One Aeon coin can currently be purchased for approximately $1.51 or 0.00020733 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including HitBTC, TradeOgre and Bittrex. Aeon has a total market cap of $23.95 million and approximately $24,192.00 worth of Aeon was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last week, Aeon has traded up 28.9% against the US dollar.

Here’s how similar cryptocurrencies have performed in the last 24 hours:

Get Aeon alerts: Monero (XMR) traded up 7.8% against the dollar and now trades at $143.83 or 0.01970760 BTC. Bytecoin (BCN) traded up 10.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0035 or 0.00000048 BTC. DigitalNote (XDN) traded 13.8% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0063 or 0.00000087 BTC. Boolberry (BBR) traded up 9.4% against the dollar and now trades at $0.99 or 0.00013502 BTC. Interplanetary Broadcast Coin (IPBC) traded 2.6% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.18 or 0.00002206 BTC. Sumokoin (SUMO) traded 14.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.64 or 0.00008761 BTC. Karbo (KRB) traded 7.5% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.32 or 0.00004355 BTC. IntenseCoin (ITNS) traded 13.1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0025 or 0.00000035 BTC. LeviarCoin (XLC) traded 13.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0776 or 0.00000823 BTC. Stellite (XTL) traded up 5.2% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0003 or 0.00000004 BTC.

About Aeon

AEON is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Cryptonight hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was June 6th, 2014. Aeon’s total supply is 15,831,459 coins. The official website for Aeon is www.aeon.cash. The Reddit community for Aeon is /r/aeon and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Aeon’s official Twitter account is @AeonCoin.

Aeon Coin Trading

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

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Comparing Invivo Therapeutics (NVIV) and Becton Dickinson and (BDX)

Invivo Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NVIV) and Becton Dickinson and (NYSE:BDX) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Valuation & Earnings

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This table compares Invivo Therapeutics and Becton Dickinson and’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Invivo Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	-$26.74 million	($18.50)	-0.11
Becton Dickinson and	$12.09 billion	5.42	$1.10 billion	$9.48	25.86

Becton Dickinson and has higher revenue and earnings than Invivo Therapeutics. Invivo Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Becton Dickinson and, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Invivo Therapeutics and Becton Dickinson and, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Invivo Therapeutics	0	1	0	0	2.00
Becton Dickinson and	0	4	11	0	2.73

Becton Dickinson and has a consensus target price of $239.67, indicating a potential downside of 2.23%. Given Becton Dickinson and’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Becton Dickinson and is more favorable than Invivo Therapeutics.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

84.1% of Becton Dickinson and shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Invivo Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Becton Dickinson and shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Invivo Therapeutics and Becton Dickinson and’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Invivo Therapeutics	N/A	-194.69%	-144.68%
Becton Dickinson and	-0.46%	14.27%	5.24%

Volatility and Risk

Invivo Therapeutics has a beta of 2.67, suggesting that its stock price is 167% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Becton Dickinson and has a beta of 1.12, suggesting that its stock price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Becton Dickinson and pays an annual dividend of $3.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Invivo Therapeutics does not pay a dividend. Becton Dickinson and pays out 31.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Becton Dickinson and has raised its dividend for 46 consecutive years.

Summary

Becton Dickinson and beats Invivo Therapeutics on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

Invivo Therapeutics Company Profile

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp., a research and clinical-stage biomaterials and biotechnology company, engages in developing and commercializing biopolymer scaffolding devices for the treatment of spinal cord injuries. It is developing Neuro-Spinal Scaffold implant, an investigational bioresorbable polymer scaffold for implantation at the site of injury within a spinal cord. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Becton Dickinson and Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products worldwide. It operates in two segments, BD Medical and BD Life Sciences. The BD Medical segment offers syringes, pen needles, and other products for diabetes; needles, syringes, and intravenous catheters for medication delivery; prefilled IV flush syringes; regional anesthesia needles and trays; sharps disposal containers; closed-system transfer devices; skin antiseptic products; surgical and laparoscopic instrumentations; intravenous medication safety and infusion therapy delivery, and automated medication dispensing and supply management systems; medication inventory optimization and tracking systems; and prefillable drug delivery systems. The BD Life Sciences segment provides integrated systems for specimen collection; safety-engineered blood collection, automated blood culturing and tuberculosis culturing, and microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems; molecular testing systems for infectious diseases and women's health; liquid-based cytology systems for cervical cancer screening; rapid diagnostic assays; microbiology laboratory automation and plated media products; fluorescence-activated cell sorters and analyzers; monoclonal antibodies and kits for performing cell analysis; reagent systems for life science research; molecular indexing and next-generation sequencing sample preparation for genomics research; clinical oncology, immunological, and transplantation diagnostic/monitoring reagents and analyzers; and cell culture media supplements for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The company markets its products through independent distribution channels and sales representatives to healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and general public. Becton, Dickinson and Company was founded in 1897 and is based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Marrone Bio Innovations (MBII) Getting Somewhat Favorable Media Coverage, Report Shows

Media stories about Marrone Bio Innovations (NASDAQ:MBII) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern reports. The research firm identifies positive and negative press coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Marrone Bio Innovations earned a media sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave headlines about the basic materials company an impact score of 46.1419402737771 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

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

Get Marrone Bio Innovations alerts: Average True Range (ATR 14) to Track Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE:PEI), Marrone Bio … (stocksnewspoint.com) Global Bionematicides Market Size 2018 �� 2023: Bayer Cropscience AG, T. Stanes & Company Limited, Marrone Bio … (thechronicleindia.com) Foreshadowing Stocks: Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (NYSE:NNA), Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ … (journalfinance.net) Global Biocontrol Agents Market Analysis Report 2018: Koppert Biological Systems BV, Monsanto Company Inc … (thebusinesstactics.com) Global Bioherbicides Market Size 2018 �� 2023: Verdesian Life Sciences, Marrone Bio Innovations Inc, Emery … (thechronicleindia.com)

Shares of MBII traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $1.91. 2,820 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 627,114. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market cap of $189.89 million, a P/E ratio of -1.79 and a beta of -0.55. Marrone Bio Innovations has a fifty-two week low of $0.85 and a fifty-two week high of $3.39.

Marrone Bio Innovations (NASDAQ:MBII) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 10th. The basic materials company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04). The company had revenue of $4.32 million for the quarter. equities analysts expect that Marrone Bio Innovations will post -0.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MBII shares. Zacks Investment Research raised Marrone Bio Innovations from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 4th. ValuEngine raised Marrone Bio Innovations from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. BidaskClub lowered Marrone Bio Innovations from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $1.55 target price on shares of Marrone Bio Innovations in a report on Wednesday, March 21st. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $4.00 target price on shares of Marrone Bio Innovations in a report on Tuesday, May 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $2.08.

About Marrone Bio Innovations

Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc provides bio-based pest management and plant health products primarily for agricultural and water markets in the United States and internationally. It offers herbicides; fungicides; nematicides; insecticides; algaecides for algae control; molluscicides for mussel and snail control; plant growth and stress regulators; and water treatment products for various applications, such as hydroelectric and thermoelectric power generation, industrial applications, drinking water, aquaculture, irrigation, and recreation.

Should You Buy Twitter After Yesterday's Plunge?

Shares of Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) had it rough yesterday following a report that the company had purged 70 million accounts in May and June as part of its broader efforts to scrub the site of trolls and Nazis. At face value, 70 million could potentially represent a full fifth of the 336 million monthly active users (MAUs) that the company had in the first quarter. The stock fell by as much as 10% before recovering somewhat to close out the day down 5%.

Is this a buying opportunity in disguise?

Image source: Twitter. Image copyright Atsushi Nakamichi for Twitter, Inc.

At least one analyst thinks so

Tech Trader Daily reports that JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth is reiterating an overweight rating on Twitter shares alongside a $50 price target, arguing that the sell-off is overdone and investors are overreacting. At issue is the discrepancy between registered accounts (which Twitter does not disclose) and monthly active users (MAUs), two of Twitter's most pertinent operating metrics.

As I noted yesterday, a lot of those purged accounts were likely dormant anyway, in which case Twitter won't take nearly as big of a hit in MAUs when it reports second-quarter results later this month. Twitter CFO Ned Segal assuaged investor and analyst fears by clarifying "most" of the removed accounts were already excluded from reported user metrics due to inactivity. Others are caught when trying to register a new account for malicious purposes.

If we removed 70M accounts from our reported metrics, you would hear directly from us. This article reflects us getting better at improving the health of the service. Look forward to talking more on our earnings call July 27!

�� Ned Segal (@nedsegal) July 9, 2018

Segal's tweet seems to have accomplished its purpose in reassuring the market, as shares recovered on strong volume following the public message. Anmuth believes that "a significant portion" of the purged accounts were dormant, in which case they were already being excluded from user metrics. The analyst also thinks that Twitter's anti-spam and anti-abuse technology has improved meaningfully, to the point where it can block suspicious accounts before they can do any harm.

For what it's worth, Twitter is looking to build on that anti-abuse momentum with its recent acquisition of Smyte, whose tools will help Twitter better scale and automate its safety operations.

Third time's the charm?

Twitter stock is up nearly 150% over the past year, and Anmuth's price target represents a relatively less impressive 13% upside from yesterday's close.

It's probably appropriate to temper expectations going forward after that run-up though, as Twitter shares now trade at 5.4 times sales. The company has made undeniable progress in stabilizing its financial condition through cost-cutting, which delivered its first ever GAAP-profitable quarter earlier this year. The next quarter was also GAAP-profitable, but attributable to revenue growth instead of cost-cutting.

Investors have a clear preference for the latter over the former, but it's too early to say whether Twitter will maintain its profitability streak, or how it will do so.

Tellurian Inc (TELL) Expected to Post Earnings of -$0.11 Per Share

Equities analysts predict that Tellurian Inc (NASDAQ:TELL) will announce earnings per share of ($0.11) for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Two analysts have issued estimates for Tellurian’s earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at ($0.12) and the highest estimate coming in at ($0.10). Tellurian reported earnings of ($0.17) per share in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 35.3%. The firm is expected to report its next earnings results on Monday, January 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Tellurian will report full-year earnings of ($0.44) per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.46) to ($0.43). For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the firm will report earnings of ($0.36) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.51) to ($0.05). Zacks’ EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that cover Tellurian.

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Tellurian (NASDAQ:TELL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 9th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.11) by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $6.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.03 million.

TELL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. BidaskClub upgraded Tellurian from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 18th. Zacks Investment Research cut Tellurian from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Co initiated coverage on Tellurian in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $7.50 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Tellurian from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $11.65.

Tellurian traded down $0.15, reaching $8.46, during midday trading on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 1,023,600 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,233,112. The stock has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of -10.56 and a beta of 1.54. Tellurian has a 1 year low of $6.45 and a 1 year high of $13.74.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in Tellurian by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 107,800 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,050,000 after buying an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Tellurian by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 626,231 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $6,099,000 after buying an additional 10,116 shares during the period. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Tellurian by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 300,958 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $2,932,000 after buying an additional 11,390 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Tellurian by 85.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 40,062 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 18,500 shares during the period. Finally, BB&T Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Tellurian in the 4th quarter valued at about $184,000. Institutional investors own 12.51% of the company’s stock.

Tellurian Company Profile

Tellurian Inc plans to develop, own, and operate a natural gas business and to deliver natural gas to customers worldwide. The company is developing a portfolio of natural gas production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading, and infrastructure that includes an approximately 27.6 million tons per annum LNG export facility and an associated pipeline.

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Herc Holdings Inc. (HRI) Expected to Post Earnings of $0.08 Per Share

Equities research analysts forecast that Herc Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HRI) will post $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Zero analysts have provided estimates for Herc’s earnings. Herc posted earnings per share of $0.06 in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 33.3%. The company is expected to issue its next earnings results on Tuesday, August 14th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Herc will report full-year earnings of $1.32 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.23 to $1.40. For the next year, analysts expect that the firm will report earnings of $2.43 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.10 to $2.75. Zacks’ earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that follow Herc.

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Herc (NYSE:HRI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The transportation company reported ($0.36) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.68) by $0.32. Herc had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 4.61%. The company had revenue of $431.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $443.36 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($1.39) EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on HRI. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Herc from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 21st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Herc from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $64.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 15th. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Herc from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $43.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $57.86.

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Herc by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,578,622 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $98,837,000 after buying an additional 19,864 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Herc by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 910,632 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $59,146,000 after buying an additional 6,218 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in Herc during the 4th quarter worth approximately $22,432,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Herc by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 222,064 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,903,000 after buying an additional 6,731 shares during the period. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Herc by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 210,716 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,686,000 after buying an additional 2,480 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.81% of the company’s stock.

Shares of HRI traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $57.05. The company had a trading volume of 88,570 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,933. Herc has a 1-year low of $35.89 and a 1-year high of $72.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.33. The company has a market cap of $1.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -178.28 and a beta of 2.36.

About Herc

Herc Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental supplier. It rents aerial, earthmoving, material handling, trucks and trailers, air compressors, compaction, and lighting equipment, as well as generators, and safety supplies and expendables; and provides ProSolutions, an industry specific solution based services, such as pumping solutions, power generation, climate control, remediation and restoration, and studio and production equipment.

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Commute time-saver angers drivers. Do it anyway.

DETROIT �� A few simple tips can save you time and reduce frustration in heavy traffic and construction zones�whether during your daily commute or a summer vacation drive.

Tempers can flare when you're trying to get home or to your destination while the sun is still shining. And while road rage is never the answer to any traffic problems, these suggestions can help you get to where you're going with less stress ��and in many cases sooner.

��If you want to arrive earlier, the best thing to do is learn the traffic pattern and leave 5 minutes earlier,"�said Teresa Qu, a Michigan State University associate professor of urban and regional planning.

The experts�� latest advice:

1. Use the zipper merge .oembed-asset-photo-image { width: 100%; }

The quickest, most efficient way to merge for a construction zone probably isn��t what you think it is. The ��zipper merge,�� in which vehicles run in parallel until one lane physically narrows, is better for traffic flow than when vehicles form a single line early.

Yes, that means the driver you�cursed for ��cheating�� by passing you in the empty lane after you politely merged into the through lane a half-mile before the construction zone was helping traffic flow more than you. Sorry.

An increasing number of states encourage drivers to use the zipper merge. Some even have created flashing signs showing how and where to merge.

��It��s important to merge smoothly, not to make sudden lane changes,�� Qu said.

2. Don't weave in traffic. It really doesn't help. .oembed-asset-photo-image { width: 100%; }

If you routinely jump from one lane to another to get around a slower vehicle, you save less time than you think�and are more likely to add to congestion or be involved in an accident.

David Hyde of Sound Qs on public radio station KUOW-FM, Seattle, recounts a commuting comparison in his city's congested traffic. The result: He arrived about a block ahead of, and way more stressed out than, the driver who stuck to a single lane.

�� July 5: OnStar gets guidance from its own staff doctor
�� July 3: 5 hacks to help you save on your summer vacation budget
�� July 1: Car subscriptions could be boon for travelers

Multiple experiments show that highway weavers may save a minute or two in an hour-plus drive.

In exchange for that, every lane change can triple the likelihood of an accident, according to a study that also showed that lane jumpers save less time than they think and are usually wrong when they think the next lane is going faster in heavy traffic, according to research from Donald A. Redelmeier of the University of Toronto and Robert J. Tibshirani of Stanford University.�

Lane changes make sense to avoid a line of slow trucks, a single drastically pokey lane pirate, an accident or other obstruction. Otherwise, leave space on the right for entering and exiting traffic and travel in the other lanes.

�� May 22: I was a GPS zombie. What happened when I went back to paper maps.
�� May 13: With gas prices going up, what's it cost to fill up your car?

��Nobody likes to be stuck in traffic, but when you change lanes, you usually realize it's�not moving any better.�� MSU��s Qu said. ��If you want to arrive earlier, the best thing to do is learn the traffic pattern and leave 5 minutes earlier.

��Traffic apps like Google Maps and Waze can also provide alternatives that help you save time,�� she said. (Apple Maps still needs�work, based on my experience on a couple of recent trips.)

3. Use adaptive cruise control�to end phantom�jams

An increasingly common driver-assistance feature can reduce or eliminate the maddening traffic slowdowns in which multiple highway traffic lanes slow, come to a nearly complete halt and then resume speed for no apparent reason.

New research from Vanderbilt University and Ford Motor Co. shows that using adaptive cruise control can end those ��phantom�� traffic jams, which frequently coincide with a mild curve on a highway. The slowdowns occur when a single driver brakes�and drivers behind that vehicle overcorrect, braking more and more as the slowdown spreads.

�� May 13: Ready for your big road trip? Check your tires!
�� April 24: Here's how to save at the gas pump

��Every time you brake in traffic, it creates more congestion with a ripple effect downstream,�� Qu said.

Cars at the tail end of the phantom jam sometimes are forced�come to a complete stop even though nothing happened ahead of them.

“Adaptive cruise control systems don��t get tired or distracted. They��re consistently looking at the vehicle ahead.”

Michael Kane, Ford Motor Co.

Adaptive cruise control, which uses radar, automatic brakes and other systems to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead, reduces phantom jams because it only applies brakes when it has to, and is less likely to overbrake than human drivers. It also helps vehicles resume speed smoothly after a slowdown.

The experiment used a fleet of 36 drivers in three lanes on a closed high-speed test track.

In experiments on Ford's closed high-speed test track in Romeo, Mich.,�the tail car in each lane slowed by just 5 mph, rather than coming to a complete stop when each driver braked manually.

The result was nearly as good when just a third of the test vehicles used adaptive cruise control and the drivers controlled the other cars.

��Adaptive cruise control systems don��t get tired or distracted. They��re consistently looking at the vehicle ahead,�� said Michael Kane, Ford's supervisor of the technology.

��Plus, they are programmed to provide more consistent distances between vehicles so they can better respond to the speed and distance of the vehicle ahead,�� said civil engineering professor Daniel Work of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Not all adaptive cruise control systems are created equal. Some are conservative and leave big gaps between vehicles. They are less suitable for heavy-traffic situations such as the ones that Ford and Vanderbilt tested.

4. Learn to drive smoothly around traffic circles

Traffic circles, or roundabouts, are becoming increasingly common, but most drivers don��t know the best way to use them.

The answer: Merge smoothly into the flow around the circle. Don��t stop unless the traffic has no gap. Traffic circles were created in Europe to reduce the number of stop signs at intersections and promote traffic flow.

�� March 11: 5 ways to get best car loan deal as interest rates rise
�� Feb. 27: Auto insurance rates climb as number of cars, distractions rise

Drivers already in the circle always have right of way, but you can merge into the outside lane while a car goes by in the inner lane. Some traffic circles have more than one lane.

Which one you should use depends on how far around the circle you��re going. Use your turn signal to indicate when you��re ready to leave the circle.

One of the great things about traffic circles is that you always can go around again if you miss your exit or accidentally end up in the wrong lane.

�� Jan. 14: Car hacking remains threat as autos become ever more loaded with tech
�� Dec. 17: Road trippers should take an extra-long test drive

��Drive smoothly into the circle,�� Qu said. ��That helps you get through the intersection quickly. It��s a very efficient traffic design.��

Unfortunately, traffic circles were rare when many people learned how to drive, so they��re learning on the road.�Most new drivers learn how to use traffic circles in theory though they may not get to practice on them.

��Driving tests should require understanding of roundabouts,�� Qu said. It��s up to the city and the state department of transportation to educate people.��

Follow Mark Phelan on Twitter: @mark_phelan

Originally published in August 2015. The cartoonist's homepage, indystar.com/opinion/varvel (Photo: Gary Varvel, The Indianapolis Star)

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�

�

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:AAL,OFS,GRIF,VCSH,CATM,

Warren Buffett-led�Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) has been on a tear following the US Presidential election. The BRK.A stock is up 12.2% since November 8, outperforming the S&P 500 (INDX:SPAL), which is up 6% in the same period. While Buffett was a clear and staunch supporter of Hillary, it could come across as a surprise that investors have been buying BRK.A stock in droves. Can Berkshire Hathaway maintain its strong uptrend? Well, while the stock seems to be on a run, this rally could be far longer taking the stock higher under the Trump Presidency. Berkshire Hathaway looks set for a big 2017. Here is why.

A Higher Interest Rate

There has been a constant chatter about higher inflation and higher interest rates under the Trump administration. Higher Interest rates could well be the first big win for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Why? Remember the various Insurance businesses they operate?�Berkshire has numerous insurance subsidiaries including GEICO, Central States Indemnity, General RE, National Indemnity, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, and others. These will all see a twin benefit from a�Trump Presidency. Firstly, higher Inflation rates should have a direct positive impact on Insurance premiums, which means that Berkshire's 'Insurance float', which is central to any insurance business will see a rise in the coming years. (See also: Berkshire Stock: Trump Is Good News For Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway)

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: American Airlines Group, Inc.(AAL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Tuesday was American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) which traded down about 4.5% at $47.57. The stock��s 52-week range is $42.01 to $59.08. Volume was nearly 13 million compared to the daily average volume of nearly 5 million.

• [By ]

  American Airlines (AAL) : "I think it's too cheap. I think they'll have a good quarter."

  ABB Ltd (ABB) : "I'd rather be with Salesforce.com (CRM) ."

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL) by 1,283.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,293 shares of the airline’s stock after buying an additional 3,055 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in American Airlines Group were worth $171,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Chris Dier-Scalise]

  More evidence of strength in the contractors can be seen in a uptick in both government and private contracts. Boeing might be winner of the most high-profile and sizable agreements, recently winning both a $3.9 billion contract to modernize the Air Force One fleet as well as a deal with American Airlines Group Inc (NYSE: AAL) for 47 planes valued at $12 billion.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Shares of American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) closed 6.4% lower on Thursday after reporting earnings -- and that's the good news. The bad news is that, at one point, American Airlines stock was down more than 10%.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: OFS Capital Corporation(OFS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ: GAIN) and OFS Capital (NASDAQ:OFS) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and risk.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Griffin Industrial Realty, Inc.(GRIF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in Griffin Land & Nurseries, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRIF) by 155.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,876 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,358 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned approximately 0.08% of Griffin Land & Nurseries worth $142,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  News headlines about Griffin Industrial Realty (NASDAQ:GRIF) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm identifies positive and negative media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Griffin Industrial Realty earned a news sentiment score of 0.20 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the financial services provider an impact score of 44.889795908597 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the immediate future.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF(VCSH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Kawa]

  The three-month moving average of weekly flows into the iShares Short Maturity Bond exchange-traded fund (NEAR), Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT), SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High-Yield Bond ETF (SJNK), PowerShares Senior Loan Portfolio (BKLN) and Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) sank to a record low outflow of $18 million after the first week of 2018.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

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

  These are the top 5 holdings of Allianz Investment Management LLCiShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond (LQD) - 3,271,938 shares, 72.31% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 54.10%SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Corporate Bond (SPIB) - 2,000,000 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. New PositioniShares Intermediate Credit Bond ETF (CIU) - 618,046 shares, 12.48% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 757.25%Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCSH) - 88,000 shares, 1.3% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 35.38%iShares 1-3 Year Credit Bond ETF (CSJ) - 65,470 shares, 1.28% of the total portfolio. New Purchase: SPDR

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cardtronics, Inc.(CATM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Engineers Gate Manager LP lessened its position in shares of Cardtronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CATM) by 17.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 41,698 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 9,112 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP’s holdings in Cardtronics were worth $930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Cardtronics (CATM)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Cardtronics PLC (NASDAQ:CATM) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and three 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 $27.80.

$0.64 Earnings Per Share Expected for DCT Industrial Trust Inc (DCT) This Quarter

Equities research analysts expect DCT Industrial Trust Inc (NYSE:DCT) to announce earnings of $0.64 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have made estimates for DCT Industrial Trust’s earnings. The lowest EPS estimate is $0.63 and the highest is $0.64. DCT Industrial Trust posted earnings per share of $0.60 in the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year-over-year growth rate of 6.7%. The business is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings report after the market closes on Thursday, August 2nd.

On average, analysts expect that DCT Industrial Trust will report full-year earnings of $2.58 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.57 to $2.61. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the business will report earnings of $2.73 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.70 to $2.77. Zacks’ earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of research firms that follow DCT Industrial Trust.

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Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded DCT Industrial Trust from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 17th. Wells Fargo & Co lowered DCT Industrial Trust from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $67.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, May 14th. Finally, ValuEngine lowered DCT Industrial Trust from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. DCT Industrial Trust presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $60.55.

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC raised its stake in DCT Industrial Trust by 53.4% in the first quarter. Heitman Real Estate Securities LLC now owns 452,741 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,362,000 after buying an additional 157,627 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in DCT Industrial Trust by 20.4% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 284,070 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $16,005,000 after buying an additional 48,082 shares during the period. Kempen Capital Management N.V. raised its stake in DCT Industrial Trust by 73.9% in the first quarter. Kempen Capital Management N.V. now owns 214,705 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $12,097,000 after buying an additional 91,209 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of DCT Industrial Trust by 9.5% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,772,524 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $99,864,000 after purchasing an additional 153,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd grew its position in shares of DCT Industrial Trust by 24.0% in the first quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 124,598 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $7,020,000 after purchasing an additional 24,116 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.88% of the company’s stock.

DCT traded up $0.50 on Wednesday, hitting $66.20. 167,828 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 630,665. DCT Industrial Trust has a 12 month low of $52.06 and a 12 month high of $67.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a PE ratio of 27.02, a PEG ratio of 6.37 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 29th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 28th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.18%. DCT Industrial Trust’s dividend payout ratio is 58.78%.

About DCT Industrial Trust

DCT Industrial is a leading logistics real estate company specializing in the ownership, development, acquisition, leasing and management of bulk-distribution and light-industrial properties in high-demand distribution markets in the United States. DCT's actively-managed portfolio is strategically located near population centers and well-positioned to take advantage of market dynamics.

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Verge (XVG) Market Cap Tops $406.02 Million

Verge (CURRENCY:XVG) traded up 1.8% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 16:00 PM E.T. on July 4th. Verge has a total market cap of $406.02 million and approximately $9.44 million worth of Verge was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One Verge coin can now be bought for about $0.0270 or 0.00000403 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including SouthXchange, LiteBit.eu, TradeOgre and Trade Satoshi. During the last week, Verge has traded up 20.8% against the US dollar.

Here’s how other cryptocurrencies have performed during the last 24 hours:

Get Verge alerts: Litecoin (LTC) traded 0.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $86.92 or 0.01299580 BTC. Bytom (BTM) traded down 0.8% against the dollar and now trades at $0.40 or 0.00006046 BTC. Dogecoin (DOGE) traded up 0.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0027 or 0.00000040 BTC. CyberMiles (CMT) traded 6.1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.20 or 0.00003018 BTC. Syscoin (SYS) traded down 25.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.24 or 0.00003607 BTC. Polymath (POLY) traded 4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.37 or 0.00005563 BTC. Matrix AI Network (MAN) traded up 14.4% against the dollar and now trades at $0.55 or 0.00008166 BTC. GameCredits (GAME) traded 1.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.71 or 0.00010619 BTC. BridgeCoin (BCO) traded 2.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.15 or 0.00017217 BTC. Einsteinium (EMC2) traded up 2.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.14 or 0.00002028 BTC.

Verge Coin Profile

Verge (CRYPTO:XVG) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm. It launched on October 9th, 2014. Verge’s total supply is 15,054,315,539 coins. The Reddit community for Verge is /r/vergecurrency and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. Verge’s official Twitter account is @vergecurrency and its Facebook page is accessible here. Verge’s official website is vergecurrency.com.

Buying and Selling Verge

Verge can be bought or sold on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Binance, Cryptopia, Upbit, SouthXchange, YoBit, CryptoBridge, LiteBit.eu, Vebitcoin, Bitbns, Trade Satoshi, CoinExchange, TradeOgre, fex, Bittrex, Gate.io, HitBTC and Bitfinex. It is usually not presently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Verge directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire Verge should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Gemini, Changelly or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy Verge using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

new TradingView.widget({ “height”: 400, “width”: 650, “symbol”: “XVGUSD”, “interval”: “D”, “timezone”: “Etc/UTC”, “theme”: “White”, “style”: “1”, “locale”: “en”, “toolbar_bg”: “#f1f3f6”, “enable_publishing”: false, “hideideas”: true, “referral_id”: “2588”});

BHP Billiton - Oil Market Dynamics Require You To Remain Cautious

The famous Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes arguably invented the well-known proverb:

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

BHP Billiton (BBL) (BHP) follows this proverb in spirit, which is intended to protect an investor from risk of business failure. Broadly, BBL leverages from a well-diversified portfolio of operations in terms of underlying commodity as well as in terms of location. BBL is also a good investment in terms of divided due to the fact that it generates a dividend yield of around 4%. However, the major risks facing BBL are the exchange rate (the mining costs have to be paid in local currency, which, if grows strong against the US dollar, causes the dollar-denominated costs to rise and profits to shrink), low commodity prices (resulting in lower sales) and the business environment (includes problems in managing relationships with the mine workers and their unions).

These are the general pros and cons for a well diversified, major market player like BHP Billiton. However, in this article, I will drill down into these broad risks and discuss at length how these risks may affect particular business segments of BBL going forward.

[Note: The terms BBL and BHP both refer to BHP Billiton and can be used interchangeably.]

Billiton is mining copper with risks:

When it comes to copper production, BBL has yielded impressive operating results during the 3Q 2018. BBL's largest copper stake in terms of underlying resource, the Escondida mine where it owns a 57.5% interest, has delivered a great quarter with 457 kt (read: '000 tonnes) of copper ore production, thereby leading to an increase of 101% YoY.

Source: BHP Operational Performance Review

As seen in the picture above, this led to a healthy 1,290 kt of production during the 9-month period ending this quarter, up 37% YoY. Increased volume was attributable to the fast-paced development at the Los Colorados Extension project at Escondida. Additionally, copper produced from other projects stood at 143 kt during the 3Q, up 25% QoQ. These projects included Pampa Norte and Antamina (both located in Chile) and the Olympic Dam (located in Australia). BBL will also benefit from cash inflows of approximately $320 million in 4Q 2018 that will accrue when it finalizes the deal to sell the Cerro Colorado copper mine in Chile.

Moreover, after considering the full FY 2018 guidance for all the copper mines operated by BHP, we can expect another round of solid copper production ranging between 410-495 kt during 4Q 2018.

The risks facing Billiton's copper segment:

However, the problem lies with the international copper prices which have been quite volatile during the past six months and currently stand near $3.09/lb. The copper prices have tumbled among fears of an impending trade war between the US and China, following the US threat to impose a 10% tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. In my view, such threats are less likely to materialize and copper prices may stabilize in the near future, thereby improving sales volume attributable to the segment.

Source: Infomine

Another problem which looks more significant to me is the issues raised by the union of workers at the Escondida mine. The union has demanded 5% increase in workers' salaries along with a bonus payment of approximately $34,000 per worker. The negotiations are underway and expected to settle in the coming one month or so. In my view, this time period is important because if BHP decides to accept the demands set forth by the union, then this would significantly impact the cost of production and also result in a heavy one-time cash outflow. To assess the significance of the problem, it is noteworthy that a previous strike called by mine workers' union resulted in a loss of approximately $1 billion for BHP, in terms of production.

Billiton's Iron Ore Operations and Risks therein:

BBL produced approximately 58 Mt (read: Million tons) of iron ore during 3Q, up 8% YoY but down 6% on a QoQ basis. Due to unplanned car dumper maintenance, BBL had to reduce the FY guidance from the previous range of 239-243 Mt to the revised range of 236-238 Mt of ore. Although BBL's iron ore operations comprise of the Samarco mine (Brazil) and the WAIO (read: Western Australian Iron Ore) operations, only the latter project is delivering production.

BBL is currently facing problems in managing the Samarco operations, a joint venture between BBL and Vale S.A (VALE), because the operations are suspended following a failure in the tailings dam that flooded nearby areas and killed 19 people and caused environmental damage back in 2015. Since then BBL is facing legal consequences which are expected to result in cash outflows of approximately $54 billion for the business partners. Consequently, BBL is trying to sell its 50% stake in the Samarco mine to VALE.

To compensate for the lost iron ore production at its Brazil operations, BBL is now looking for other more profitable projects elsewhere. In this context, it should be noted that BBL recently approved the development of South Flank operations in Western Australia at a cost of approximately $2.9 billion, in an attempt to replace depleting iron ore deposits. This move is expected to bring an additional 80 Mt when the project starts production in 2021 and will help improve the segment's cash flows going forward.

Concerns about Billiton's petroleum sector:

As shown in the operational performance chart in an earlier section, BBL has produced a total of approximately 45 MMboe (read: Million barrels of oil equivalent) of petroleum products from its Onshore US and Conventional operations. The quarterly output was down 12% YoY and 8% QoQ. Moreover, given the fact the BBL has not revised the FY 2018 guidance which stands at ~180-190 MMboe of petroleum production, we can assume the 4Q production to lie within range of ~37-47 MMboe.

[Note: In this discussion, the term petroleum refers to crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids.]

BBL has also acquired rights to explore some resource-rich petroleum projects, including the North West Shelf and Mad Dog, which are expected to incur CAPEX of ~$2.5 billion and expected to initiate output from FY 2019 onwards.

Source: BHP Operational performance review

Oil Price Outlook is the main problem:

However, I think the main problem for BBL is not a deficit in production, rather the oil prices that have tumbled during the past and affected BBL's revenues from this high-potential segment. Have a look at the oil chart below which represents the 6-month price fluctuation in the Brent and WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil spot prices:

Source: Ycharts

Although the crude oil prices have improved since February, they are struggling to find support since mid of May 2018. Moreover, Statistica estimates that average prices for Brent and WTI in FY 2019 are expected to remain lower than the current year.

Source: Statistica

I think that the anticipation of reduced oil prices in the future is supported by the fact that many major oil ETFs are currently performing better with a general upward trajectory. My analysis includes the US Oil ETF (USO), the iPath S&P Crude Oil Total Return Index ETN (OIL), the ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (UCO), the US Brent Oil ETF (BNO), the US 12 month Oil ETF (USL) and the SPDR S&P Oil and Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP).

Link between oil ETFs and oil prices:

At this point, it is appropriate to establish the supposedly inverse relationship between oil spot prices and performance of future-linked ETFs. ETFs frequently trade in oil future contracts and make gains. The dynamics of the transaction are such that when the existing future-sell contracts expire, ETFs close out their positions by simultaneously initiating a future-buy contract. At the time of close out of positions, if the market is expecting a decline in oil prices, then the ETF can forward-buy at a cheaper rate. This provides them with lucrative profits and consequently results in an increase in price as witnessed in the graph above.

Oil price decline and OPEC's role therein:

In my opinion, the main element that may cause a decline in spot prices of crude oil is an anticipated increase in supply from OPEC countries. At present, the daily production of crude oil stands near 81.6 MBPD (read: Million Barrels Per Day), and the OPEC countries have proposed to increase oil production by 1 MBPD. If this proposal is accepted by the member nations, then it would push Brent crude prices further down and within range of $70/barrel.

Given the above discussion, it is easy to comprehend how BBL and other oil producing companies could suffer from shredded oil prices following an increase in OPEC supply which would be unmatched by an equivalent increase in demand. This is likely to reduce the segment's cash flows and affect sales in the coming quarters.

Billiton's coal segment is going fine:

During 3Q 2018, BBL produced 10 Mt (read: million tons) and 6 Mt of metallurgical and energy coal, respectively, up 7% and down 16% QoQ. The increased output in metallurgical coal was mainly attributable to stabilized operations at Blackwater operations in the Queensland coal district (Australia). Have a look at the declining price trends of metallurgical coal that indicates BBL may have to face declining cash flows going forward.

Source: Metallurgical coal price by mining.com

On the other hand, production decline in energy coal is mainly attributable to bad weather in the New South Wales mine in Australia and a higher strip ratio in Cerrej贸n mine in Colombia. However, as full-year guidance remains intact between 29-30 Mt; the 4Q is likely to yield greater output QoQ within range of 9-10 Mt. Once again, by looking at the price chart of energy coal, we can identify that energy coal price is rallying, and if the momentum can continue, then BBL may see increased cash flows and improved earnings going forward.

Source: Energy coal price by BusinessInsider.com

Billiton looks forward to restructure business operations:

Deutsche Bank has estimated BBL's mine-to-market nickel business represented by the Nickel West mine in Western Australia to be worth approximately $690 million and this segment is BBL's only asset to retain its share in the EV (read: electric vehicle) industry. However, BBL recently indicated its plan to restructure the business operations by finding a suitable buyer for this business segment.

Source: Nickel price chart by BusinessInsider.com

Nickel trades in excess of $14,500 per ton and in my view BBL will lose handy cash flows if it decides to dispose off this business segment. I say so because the EV market is expected to reach $4 billion by the next 10 years or so, and BBL can leverage on increasing cash flows in a booming industry.

Conclusion:

Based on the preceding discussion, I can figure out both risk factors and support factors in BBL's diversified operations. However, I believe that at present, the positive outlook from one segment is largely offset by a negative outlook in another segment, which is why BHP Billiton is less likely to see a significant share price appreciation in the near term. Nevertheless, BBL is a solid investment case that has a couple of upcoming potential projects which could bring increased cash flows and earnings in future.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019

tags:CLF,RCI,VMO,NAVG,MMP,THO,FSBW,ADAP,STZ,ANSS,

The big news over the weekend has been Facebook Inc.'s (NSDQ:FB) announcement to buy back�stock worth $6B, starting in Q1 2017. This was a first in the history of the company. While it can come across as a surprise for a growing company to announce a share repurchase offering, the recent drop in FB stock price could have forced the management into action. The FB stock price is down by over 12% from its October 24th close price of $133.28, all in a matter of 19 trading sessions. The recent downtrend has been in stark contrast to the 27% gain in the stock price through the year up to the October high. Does the management believe that the stock is undervalued at the current levels? What does it mean for investors? (See also: Is Facebook Inc. (FB) Stock A Big Short?)

Facebook's $6B Buyback And�What Does It Mean For Investors?

In an 8-K�filing with the SEC, dated November 18, Facebook disclosed that the BOD (Board of Directors) had authorized the company to repurchase nearly $6B worth of stock. Quoting from the SEC filing:

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.(CLF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Shares of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) are in focus after the company reported earnings before the bell. GE stock popped 5.6% after the firm topped earnings per share (EPS) estimates by $0.05 and backed its 2018 outlook. The firm reported EPS of $0.16 on top of $28.66 billion in revenue. GE stock had been off nearly 18% from its last earnings report on January 24 due to ongoing financial and legal problems. Crude oil prices dipped Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at OPEC. Trump accused the cartel of keeping oil prices "artificially high" despite "record amounts of oil all over the place." Brent crude and WTI crude oil both hit three-year highs this week after Saudi Arabia suggested that it was working to press oil prices back above $100 per barrel. Three Stocks to Watch Today: PM, MO, WFC Shares of Philip Morris International Inc.�(NYSE: PM) fell this morning after the firm experienced its worst trading day since its spin-off from Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO). Shares of PM fell as much as 16% after the firm fell short of revenue expectations after the bell. MO stock fell roughly 6% on the day. Shares of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) are under pressure after The New York Times reported that the firm may be facing a $1 billion fine. The fines would cover a variety of "alleged" misdeeds that include the firm's push on customers to purchase auto insurance they didn't need and charging mortgage customers fees for services that they were not using. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will most likely announce the fine today. Money Morning�Capital Wave Strategist�Shah Gilani weighed in on the topic this week, and he offers a scorching indictment. Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM) is on the move today after the semiconductor giant announced plans to lay off 1,500 employees. The cuts are expected to hit employees in California and cities around the globe. The cuts are part of the fi
• [By Tyler Crowe, Reuben Gregg Brewer, and Travis Hoium]

  For people looking to build wealth, penny stocks simply aren't worth it. You're better off pursuing well-run businesses and letting the power of their earnings grow your position over the long haul. So we asked three of our Motley Fool investors to choose stocks they like right now that would be good alternatives. Here's why they picked Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE:FNV).��

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  At first glance, Cleveland-Cliffs' (NYSE:CLF) most recent earnings report might make shareholders want to push the sell button as fast as they can open their brokerage accounts. But before you� precipitously sour on this iron miner, take a deeper look at its results. Even though its revenue and earnings were down drastically, those declines were largely a product of its moves to shut down unprofitable assets.�

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Rogers Communication, Inc.(RCI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Media coverage about Rogers Communications Inc. Class B (NYSE:RCI) (TSE:RCI.B) has trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies positive and negative news coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Rogers Communications Inc. Class B earned a coverage optimism score of 0.08 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the Wireless communications provider an impact score of 45.3527592568768 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near future.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI) (TSE:RCI.B) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, April 20th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.3821 per share by the Wireless communications provider on Tuesday, July 3rd. This represents a $1.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 8th.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its stake in shares of Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI) (TSE:RCI.B) by 346.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,294 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,691 shares during the quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.’s holdings in Rogers Communications were worth $3,239,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Invesco Municipal Opportunity Trust(VMO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Invesco Van Kampen Municpl Opprtnty Trst (NYSE:VMO) declared a monthly dividend on Tuesday, April 3rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of 0.0554 per share by the investment management company on Monday, April 30th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 16th.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: The Navigators Group, Inc.(NAVG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Companies Reporting After The Bell Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) is projected to post quarterly loss at $1.31 per share on revenue of $1.97 billion. International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.59 per share on revenue of $909.36 million. Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $294.79 million. General Cable Corporation (NYSE: BGC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $980.61 million. Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $598.45 million. Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1 per share on revenue of $746.42 million. Fabrinet (NYSE: FN) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $319.71 million. National General Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NGHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.55 per share on revenue of $1.08 billion. The Navigators Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAVG) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.75 per share on revenue of $320.92 million. Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.22 per share on revenue of $1.29 billion. Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE: TREX) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $1.19 per share on revenue of $172.22 million. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AMC) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $0.09 per share on revenue of $1.35 billion. Envision Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: EVHC) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $2.02 billion. Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $1.23 per share on revenue of $869.64 million. Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.67 per share on revenue of $39
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Shares of Navigators Group Inc (NASDAQ:NAVG) reached a new 52-week high and low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $61.74 and last traded at $60.65, with a volume of 1347 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $61.60.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Magellan Midstream Partners L.P.(MMP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Hetty Green Would Love This Trade
  It's in Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP).

  Magellan Midstream Partners owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nation's refining capacity and the ability to store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil.

• [By John Bromels, Jeremy Bowman, and Daniel Miller]

  We asked three Motley Fool investors to highlight a top dividend-paying stock with a yield above 2% that is supported by a solid business underneath. They came back with�Magellan Midstream Partners�(NYSE:MMP),�Home Depot�(NYSE:HD), and�Ford Motor Company�(NYSE:F). Here's why they chose the way they did.�

• [By John Bromels]

  Three companies that the market has walloped are�Apache Corporation�(NYSE:APA),�Magellan Midstream Partners�(NYSE:MMP), and�General Motors�(NYSE:GM). Here's why these stocks look like bargains, and why today might be a good time to scoop up some shares.�

• [By ]

  Crude prices recovered sharply from the profit-taking that we saw ahead of yesterday's news events, and it is in the Saudis' best interest to maintain higher market prices as long as the Saudi Aramco deal remains in the future. That said, the U.S. dollar continues to strengthen versus the greenback's peers, and that could act as a weight upon all commodity prices if that condition were to persist.

  Trade Idea: Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP)

  You've heard all about the bottlenecks in domestic distribution. Now, you've heard Secretary Mnuchin talk about production. Still, we have to get this stuff to market. When it comes to energy, I have focused on oil services, hence my well-known long positions in both Action Alerts PLUS holding Schlumberger (SLB) , and Halliburton (HAL) .

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI) is one of the largest midstream companies in North America, and it has major dividend plans between 2018 and 2020. By the end of that period, it expects to increase its dividend from $0.50 per share per year (in 2017) to $1.25. That's huge dividend growth in a short period of time. But don't get too enamored by that news; the dividend will still be lower than it was before the midstream oil and gas company's 75% dividend cut in 2016. If you're looking for dividend income in the midstream space, take a look at longtime dividend payers ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) and Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:MMP) instead.� �

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Thor Industries Inc.(THO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Thor Industries' (NYSE:THO)�fiscal 2018 third-quarter earnings, released on June 6, helped stem some of the company's recent share price decline: After surging nearly 51% in 2017, Thor's shares have lost one-third of their value year to date. As my colleague Dan Caplinger recently pointed out, the recreational vehicle, or RV, market remains strong, but investors are concerned about Thor's near-term prospects, given that it's coming off a period of phenomenal revenue growth. Below, I'll analyze five points made in Thor's earnings release and most recent quarterly "questions and answers" document, which provide context around its current earnings and outlook.

• [By ]

  Cramer was bearish on Thor Industries (THO) and Hain Celestial Group (HAIN) .

  Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Winnebago's total backlog increased by 36% against the comparable prior year quarter, to $193.1 million. Competitor Thor Industries' (NYSE:THO) quarterly earnings, reported earlier this month, revealed a backlog reduction of 18%. Although Thor's management presented a credible argument�that the organization's backlog reduction is due to increased production capability, its shareholders nonetheless have worried over demand trends. Winnebago's own backlog growth provides a more positive data point for those taking stock of the larger RV industry.�

• [By ]

  Thor Industries (THO) : "They had expenses and inventory go up and it's been hurt by both. Those are negatives."

  Hain Celestial Group (HAIN) : "They had a bad quarter with bad guidance. I can't reassure you here. "

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: FS Bancorp, Inc.(FSBW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  FS Bancorp (NASDAQ:FSBW) – Research analysts at FIG Partners boosted their Q2 2018 earnings estimates for FS Bancorp in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, May 3rd. FIG Partners analyst T. Coffey now anticipates that the bank will post earnings per share of $1.16 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.13. FIG Partners also issued estimates for FS Bancorp’s FY2018 earnings at $4.70 EPS, Q1 2019 earnings at $1.08 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $1.33 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $5.09 EPS.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on FS Bancorp (FSBW)

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on FS Bancorp (FSBW)

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

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc(ADAP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Adaptimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ADAP) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The biotechnology company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.24) by $0.20, Bloomberg Earnings reports. Adaptimmune Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 32.26% and a negative net margin of 185.39%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($3.00) EPS.

• [By ]

  Cramer was bearish on Chesapeake Energy (CHK) , Adaptimmune Therapeutics (ADAP) , Icahn Enterprises (IEP) , Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) , Quad/Graphics (QUAD) , Spectra Energy Partners (SEP) and L Brands (LB) .

• [By ]

  Adaptimmune Therapeutics (ADAP) : "If you've speculated on this one, you've won. Let's move on."

  Icahn Enterprises (IEP) : "I don't really know what they own so I can't recommend it."

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks For 2019: Constellation Brands Inc(STZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Look for Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) to release its most recent quarterly report early Friday. The consensus forecast calls for $2.43 in EPS on $2.04 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $231.52 on Friday. The consensus target price is $254.19, and shares have changed hands between $180.46 and $236.62 in the past year.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Goelzer Investment Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) by 3.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,769 shares of the company’s stock after selling 371 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $2,682,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By ]

  Perhaps seeing the names of these companies begins to spark some memories. In short, clothing retailer PVH (NYSE: PVH) and beverage company Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) were taking heat over the rhetoric of a possible "Border Tax" -- a tax on goods made overseas and imported and sold in the United States.

• [By ]

  As for some of the larger alcohol companies veering into cannabis, Borchardt said the same can be true. Plus, she noted that alcohol sales have dropped in the states where cannabis has been legalized, leading alcohol companies including Action Alerts PLUS holding Constellation Brands Inc. (STZ) to very seriously weigh entrance to regulated weed.

• [By Shanthi Rexaline]

  In an interesting turn, Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ) announced last October its intention to pick up a minority stake in Canopy Growth for C$245 million.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Today, the craft beer industry has gone mainstream, and many popular brands have been bought out by large brewers like�Constellation Brands�(NYSE:STZ)�or joined the�Craft Brew Alliance�(NASDAQ:BREW), a consortium of craft brewers. Sam Adams parent�Boston Beer�(NYSE:SAM) is a rare stock that makes the bulk of its sales from craft beer, and is one of the pioneers in the industry, but it is seen as too mainstream by some consumers.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Ansys (ANSS)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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