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Don't Sell Cirrus Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRUS) Before You Read This Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! The goal of this article is to teach you how to use price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Cirrus Logic, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:CRUS), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months,Cirrus Logic has a P/E ratio of 29.99. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 3.3%. See our latest analysis for Cirrus Logic Theformula for P/Eis: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Cirrus Logic: P/E of 29.99 = $44.9 ÷ $1.5 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E. If earnings fall then in the future the 'E' will be lower. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell. Cirrus Logic saw earnings per share decrease by 41% last year. And EPS is down 2.7% a year, over the last 5 years. This could justify a pessimistic P/E. The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. The image below shows that Cirrus Logic has a higher P/E than the average (23.3) P/E for companies in the semiconductor industry. That means that the market expects Cirrus Logic will outperform other companies in its industry. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So further research is always essential. I often monitordirector buying and selling. One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio. With net cash of US$286m, Cirrus Logic has a very strong balance sheet, which may be important for its business. Having said that, at 11% of its market capitalization the cash hoard would contribute towards a higher P/E ratio. Cirrus Logic trades on a P/E ratio of 30, which is above the US market average of 18.2. The recent drop in earnings per share would make some investors cautious, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains potential for future growth. If fails to eventuate, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls. Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. As value investor Benjamin Graham famously said, 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.' So thisfreevisualization of the analyst consensus on future earningscould help you make theright decisionabout whether to buy, sell, or hold. Of course,you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates.So take a peek at thisfreelist of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
5 Telecom Stocks Expected to Beat the Market in 2H & Beyond During the first half of 2019, 5G wireless technologies virtually dominated the rational business model of telecom operators across geographies. So far, 2019 has presented several novel opportunities for technology companies to enhance their revenue sources. Most of these prospects have stemmed from changing market conditions and evolving consumer preferences.In order to achieve significant traction, telecom carriers are rapidly deploying the latest 4G LTE Advanced technologies to deliver faster peak data speeds and capacity for customers. At the same time, they are expanding fiber optics networks to support growth in 4G LTE and 5G wireless standards.With growth in video and bandwidth-intensive applications, communications service providers are increasing investments in LTE, broadband and fiber to provide additional capacity and to ramp up Internet and wireless network infrastructure.5G to Revolutionize the IndustryThe 5G boom is likely to propel the industry to greater heights through 2019 and beyond. However, the success of this technology hinges on substantial investments to upgrade infrastructure in the core fiber backhaul network to support growth in data services.With operators moving toward converged or multi-use network structures, combining voice, video and data communications into a single network, the industry is developing solutions to support wireline and wireless network convergence. This is essential for the success of 5G. Markedly, 5G wireless has plenty of room to broaden the addressable market for wireless carriers and embed them further into varied digital ecosystems.A few leading operators have already launched next-generation 5G wireless residential broadband services in multiple U.S. markets this year, while a full phased 5G wireless network is expected to go live in 2020. Overall, the rewarding industry appears poised to benefit from healthy growth dynamics, favorable drivers and inherent sector strength.The Winning FormulaAgainst this backdrop, it will be profitable for investors to bet on stocks in this space. Here, with the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we’ve handpicked five telecom stocks that either carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). With solid fundamentals, these stocks portray immense upside potential and are likely to beat the market in the future. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Further, these stocks have handily outperformed the S&P 500 composite on a year-to-date basis and are expected to continue their winning run in the near future.YTD Price Movement Our RecommendationUbiquiti Networks, Inc.UBNT: Shares of this New York-based networking technology developer, currently flaunting a Zacks Rank #1, have rallied 31.8% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has been revised 4.7% upward over the past 60 days. The company has long-term earnings growth expectation of 19.8%. Ubiquiti surpassed earnings estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 22.3%.Motorola Solutions, Inc.MSI: The consensus estimate for this Chicago, IL-based mission-critical communication solutions provider’s earnings has moved up 0.9% for the current fiscal year over the past 60 days. The stock, carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has returned 45.1% year to date. The company has long-term earnings growth expectation of 7.7%. Motorola surpassed earnings estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 22.3%.Qualcomm IncorporatedQCOM: Shares of this San Diego, CA-based digital communication products manufacturer, with a Zacks Rank #3, have rallied 36.2% year to date. The company has long-term earnings growth expectation of 13.7%. Qualcomm surpassed earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 17.6%.Arista Networks, Inc.ANET: The consensus estimate for this Santa Clara, CA-based cloud networking solutions vendor’s earnings has moved up 0.8% for the current fiscal year over the past 60 days. The stock, with a Zacks Rank #3, has returned 24.7% year to date. The company has long-term earnings growth expectation of 18.8%. Arista surpassed earnings estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 12%.Acacia Communications, Inc.ACIA: Shares of this Maynard, MA-based high-speed coherent optical interconnect products manufacturer, with a Zacks Rank #3, have rallied 32.7% year to date. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year earnings has been revised 7.1% upward over the past 60 days. The company has long-term earnings growth expectation of 18.5%. Acacia surpassed earnings estimate thrice in the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 42.1%.Road AheadDespite operational headwinds and trade tensions remaining latent threats, the telecom industry is well positioned to benefit from solid growth dynamics with the launch of 5G technologies, increased market traction of fiber optics and massive proliferation of data traffic. At the same time, the industry remains focused on leveraging wireline momentum, expanding media coverage, improving customer service and achieving a competitive cost structure to generate higher average revenue per user and attract new customers.This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportQUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMotorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI) : Free Stock Analysis ReportUbiquiti Networks, Inc. (UBNT) : Free Stock Analysis ReportArista Networks, Inc. (ANET) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAcacia Communications, Inc. (ACIA) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Trump, Republicans raise $105 million in second quarter for re-election bid WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party together raised $105 million in the second quarter, with Trump's re-election campaign taking in $54 million of that total, the president's campaign said on Tuesday. The Republican National Committee brought in $51 million from April to June, the campaign said in a statement. Together, the two entities have $100 million in cash on hand, with $56 million for Trump's campaign and $44 million for the RNC, it said. The two groups said the uptick in donations would allow them to double their digital investment to raise money and target donors online as they seek to secure Trump's second four-year term. A senior Trump campaign official said the haul will allow the campaign to consider organizing a turnout operation in several states that Trump lost in 2016, including Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Minnesota and perhaps even Oregon. "Our intention has always been to win where the president won in 2016 and we think there is an opportunity in other states where the president was close," the official said. But a veteran Republican strategist in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump needs to concentrate most of his effort on repeating victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida. "That's the whole campaign for Trump," the strategist said. Trump made the unprecedented decision to file for re-election on the day he took office in 2017, allowing his campaign to hire staff and keep organizational efforts in motion. Traditionally, presidents have waited until after their second year in office to begin building a re-election campaign. "The RNC's record-breaking fundraising has allowed us to identify troves of new supporters online and continue investing in our unprecedented field program," committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a separate statement. Fundraisers for both parties expect the 2020 election cycle to ultimately cost more than $1 billion. Story continues Democrats have been eager to donate, allowing their candidates collectively to raise more than Republicans. Even after spending for primary fights, they are expected to keep pace with Trump's campaign war chest. The RNC and Trump's campaign have linked their financial and operational forces before the November 2020 presidential election. In the first quarter of 2019, Trump's campaign raised more than $30 million and the RNC took in nearly $46 million from January to March. Trump, a real estate developer and former reality television star, had never held public office before besting 16 other Republicans to win the nomination and the 2016 U.S. election. McDaniel has dismissed any notion of a Republican challenger to Trump in 2020. More than 20 Democrats are vying for their party's nomination to challenge Trump for the White House next year. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday reported raising nearly $25 million in this year's second quarter - triple his first-quarter haul - putting him in the Democratic Party's top tier. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced on Wednesday that he raised $18 million in the same time. Other Democrats are expected to announce their second-quarter fundraising totals in coming days as the July 15 Federal Election Commission deadline approaches. Sanders of Vermont and Kamala Harris of California led the Democratic pack in fundraising earlier in the year. (Reporting by Susan Heavey, Ginger Gibson and Steve Holland; editing by Doina Chiacu, Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio)
The Internet Has Accepted the Bottle Cap Challenge. It's Really Kicking Off Bottle caps of the world, look out. People are coming to kick you off. There are few things to know about the latest challenge to make the internet rounds, the bottle cap challenge : A pro who kicks for a living originated it , and it’s a pretty challenging challenge to mimic the precise balanced spin and kick move that ideally takes the cap clean off while leaving the bottle standing. Once the reigning UFC Featherweight champ Max Holloway for whom kicking a target was already in his wheelhouse kicked us off, the artist John Mayer, mixed martial artist Conor McGregor, and the actor Jason Statham soon followed accepting the bottle cap challenge. (Errolson Hugh had challenged Hollowy first after Farabi Davletchin challenged him and so on and so on.) Even Ellie Goulding got into the game. “Suck it,” she captioned her contribution. Suck it pic.twitter.com/aGriSl2VWz — Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) July 2, 2019 “Passing this on to our guy John Mayer,” Holloway captioned his effort. The choreography is pretty impressive, but martial art expertise is not a barrier to participation, all bottle cap fighters are welcome too to have a crack too. Be curious my friends! #challengeaccepted #bottlecapchallenge Passing this on to our guy @JohnMayer …. hey John if you can’t complete this challenge @erlsn and I decided you have to come to Hawaii after your tour and kick it with us until you complete it! 🦶🍾😅 🙏⚡🤙 👊 pic.twitter.com/gLWn0dpOzV — Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) June 28, 2019 Eventually Mariah Carey had everyone beat. Story continues View this post on Instagram Challenge accepted! #bottlecapchallenge A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Jul 7, 2019 at 9:00am PDT See some of the collective internet’s best attempts at the bottle cap challenge below. Challenge accepted. Excellent job Jason Statham, I tip my cap to you. I’ll take it from here. I nominate Floyd Mayweather. @properwhiskey pic.twitter.com/9IrFUXyehx — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 1, 2019 View this post on Instagram First @erlsn.acr did it. Then @blessedmma followed, and challenged me. I now challenge @jasonstatham. #bottlecapchallenge A post shared by John Mayer 💎 (@johnmayer) on Jun 29, 2019 at 2:57pm PDT View this post on Instagram @blessedmma @johnmayer #bottlecapchallenge #challengeaccepted ... stay active my friends.. even if you wind up on the floor. And yes, the orange was cut in half but the stale sub was barely cleaved ... #carpediem #yolo A post shared by Andrew Zimmern (@chefaz) on Jul 1, 2019 at 12:58pm PDT View this post on Instagram Since no one requested me to do this (@johnmayer ) and also since no one thinks I'm good at anything except pushing button on stage .. here is evidence that I also do karate. I challenge Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Kevin Durant and Obama @sussexroyal @easymoneysniper @barackobama #bottlecapchallenge A post shared by diplo (@diplo) on Jun 30, 2019 at 4:33pm PDT View this post on Instagram I personally feel like I won the #bottlecapchallenge. A post shared by Whitney Cummings (@whitneycummings) on Jul 1, 2019 at 12:33pm PDT He accepted @BlessedMMA 's challenge! 😱👀 (via @JohnMayer ) pic.twitter.com/B3l8jGWWKU — UFC (@ufc) June 29, 2019 I saw @TheNotoriousMMA do the #BottleCapChallenge so I stepped it up a gear! TRY THIS IF YOU GOT THE NUTS! 🙏🥋 pic.twitter.com/9zeZTxyZdZ — Daniel O'Reilly (@dapperlaughs) July 2, 2019 🍾 Jon Jones with the best #BottleCapChallenge so far... 📱 Insta: jonnybones pic.twitter.com/0fkUiCFh9B — The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) July 2, 2019 Seen a few of these #BottleCapChallenge videos floating around but surely nothing will top this one? pic.twitter.com/FWxfJ4o0oW — BSN (@BallStreet) July 2, 2019 #bottlecapchallenge !! Nothing better to try it on than my favourite $5 bottle of wine 👌😂 pic.twitter.com/gx5U8DdKEJ — Jutsu (@JutsuCosplay) July 2, 2019 Everyone’s got their own spin on it of course. Inspired by Jason Statham.. 😂😂 #BottleCapChallenge pic.twitter.com/SjtfmRMtM7 — tonny (@tonnyaujongole) July 2, 2019 Challenge accepted ! #JasonStatham #BottleCapChallenge pic.twitter.com/J7aNyiTtGP — Manuk Biak (@arthurhenry97) July 2, 2019 Nothing a robot couldn’t pull off. View this post on Instagram Who did it better: man or machine? (Baxter unfortunately can't do a roundhouse kick - he lacks legs.) #BottleCapChallenge Check out link in bio for more on our robot that mirrors your movement by observing your biceps. video v/Joseph DelPreto #robots #manmachine @mitpics #mit #STEM #3Dprinting #robots #robotics #mit #csail #code #binary #computerscience #software #developer #programmer #computerscience #html #css #programmingisfun #javascript #noob #codeorg #hourofcode #learnprogramming #html5 #css3 #softwaredeveloper #frontend #php #python #java A post shared by MIT CSAIL (@mit_csail) on Jul 11, 2019 at 7:39am PDT You could always just twist it off by hand, but that’s less impressive. Sophie Turner had a take of her own. View this post on Instagram Sophie Turner you are perfect. And that’s the tea. @sophiet 🍵🍷 #sophieturner #yawerebasic #turnerintoajonas A post shared by Ya, We’re Basic. (@yawerebasic) on Jul 12, 2019 at 1:50pm PDT
Thug jailed for beating man to death as he celebrated his birthday Aaron Muggleton attacked Simon Mushonga and left him unconscious in a gutter (Pictures: SWNS) A man who attacked a stranger then stole his credit card as he lay dying in the street has been jailed for life. Aaron Muggleton launched an unprovoked attack on Simon Mushonga, 39, repeatedly punching him until he fell to the ground and was knocked unconscious. Muggleton then stole a credit card and fled the scene, leaving Mr Mushonga, who had been enjoying a night out with friends to celebrate his birthday, in the gutter. He was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness and died a short time later. Muggleton, who was convicted of murder by a jury, has been jailed for life with a minimum of 17 years for the attack in Kettering in December 2018. Mr Mushonga was attacked on Carrington Street in Kettering (Picture: Google Maps) The 25-year-old, of Kettering, Northamptonshire, who had admitted manslaughter but denied murder, was found guilty following a two-week trial. The court heard that Mr Mushonga, who was a "reserved, polite and well-meaning" man, was visiting friends and had been enjoying a quiet evening to celebrate his birthday. But he was approached by Muggleton on Carrington Street where he was subjected to the "completely unprovoked" attack and punched three times. READ MORE Man, 78, jailed for killing six-year-old great-grandson with air rifle Detective Inspector Stuart Hitchon from Northamptonshire Polices Major Crime Team, said previously: Simon Mushonga was by all accounts, a very nice man who was reserved, polite and well-meaning. This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent man which has left a family devastated. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
If You Had Bought Ring Energy (NYSEMKT:REI) Stock Five Years Ago, You'd Be Sitting On A 81% Loss, Today Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! We're definitely into long term investing, but some companies are simply bad investments over any time frame. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Anyone who heldRing Energy, Inc.(NYSEMKT:REI) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 81% in that time. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 74% over the last twelve months. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 39% in the last 90 days. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson. Check out our latest analysis for Ring Energy There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Ring Energy became profitable within the last five years. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. Revenue is actually up 36% over the time period. A more detailed examination of the revenue and earnings may or may not explain why the share price languishes; there could be an opportunity. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. Thisfreereport showing analyst forecastsshould help you form a view on Ring Energy Ring Energy shareholders are down 74% for the year, but the market itself is up 8.4%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 29% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest youcheck here to see what price insiders were buying at. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably donotwant to miss thisfreelist of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
ExxonMobil's (XOM) Downstream Margins to Boost Q2 Earnings Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM recently provided an update on second-quarter 2019 earnings, which are expected to get a boost from refining margins. The company is expected to release second-quarter results on Jul 26, 2019. Upstream The largest publicly traded energy company expects crude price improvement to boost second-quarter profit by $400-$600 million sequentially. First-quarter 2019 earnings from the Upstream business came in at almost $3 billion. However, tumble of natural gas prices to multi-year lows — attributed to middling demand — can offset the positives from liquid price improvement. Notably, in the June quarter of 2018, it recorded total profit of $3,040 million, which was primarily supported by higher commodity prices. Downstream The Downstream segment, which incurred a loss of $256 million in first-quarter 2019, is expected to witness a $300-$400 million improvement in margins in the second quarter. The company recorded $724 million in profits from the segment in the year-ago quarter. Chemicals ExxonMobil expects weaker margins in the Chemicals segment to affect second-quarter profit levels in the range of $100-$300 million. Markedly, first-quarter profit came in at $518 million. Scheduled maintenance activities for the chemical business will likely have a negative impact on second-quarter earnings. In the year-ago period, the company recorded earnings of $890 million. Earnings Estimates The company is expected to report second-quarter earnings of 97 cents, which indicates a year-over-year increase of 5.4%. Notably, ExxonMobil beat estimates twice in the trailing four quarters, with a positive earnings surprise of 2.5%. Exxon Mobil Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Exxon Mobil Corporation price-eps-surprise \| Exxon Mobil Corporation Quote Price Performance ExxonMobil has gained 12.3% year to date compared with 8.3% growth of the industry it belongs to. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Currently, ExxonMobil carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked players in the energy space include Plains Group Holdings, L.P. PAGP, Kinder Morgan, Inc. KMI and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. EPD. While Plains Group sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Kinder Morgan and Enterprise Products have a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Plains Group’s sales growth is projected at 26.1% through second-quarter 2019. Kinder Morgan’s 2019 earnings per share are expected to grow 11.2% year over year. Enterprise Products’ 2019 earnings per share are expected to grow 10% year over year. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019 Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities. These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportEnterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) : Free Stock Analysis ReportExxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis ReportPlains Group Holdings, L.P. (PAGP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportKinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Read This Before Buying Pollard Banknote Limited (TSE:PBL) Shares Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sellPollard Banknote Limited(TSE:PBL), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard Universitystudyfound that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.' View our latest analysis for Pollard Banknote Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Executive Vice President of Sales & Customer Development, Jennifer Westbury, for CA$118k worth of shares, at about CA$23.50 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of CA$24.15. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was 100% of Jennifer Westbury's holding. Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 6550 shares worth CA$53k. But insiders sold 20000 shares worth CA$458k. In total, Pollard Banknote insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The sellers received a price of around CA$22.90, on average. We don't gain confidence from insider selling below the recent share price. Of course, the sales could be motivated for a multitude of reasons, so we shouldn't jump to conclusions. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love thisfreelist of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Pollard Banknote. In total, Jennifer Westbury sold CA$228k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain. Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. From what we can see in our data, insiders own only about CA$1.0m worth of Pollard Banknote shares. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It's always possible we are missing something but from our data, it looks like insider ownership is minimal. An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. Insiders own relatively few shares in the company, and when you consider the sales, we're not particularly excited about the stock. So we're not rushing to buy, to say the least. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at thisFREEreport showing analyst forecasts for Pollard Banknote. Of course,you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere.So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Shares in ICRA fall after CEO placed on leave amid probe By Abhirup Roy MUMBAI (Reuters) - Shares in ICRA Ltd, the Indian unit of Moody's Investors Service, fell on Tuesday after the credit rating agency sent its chief executive officer on leave because of a probe into a ratings decision it took last year. ICRA took the action against Naresh Takkar after concerns raised anonymously were forwarded to the company by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the rating agency said in a stock exchange filing on Monday. ICRA said in May it had appointed external experts to probe the anonymous complaint concerning the credit rating it assigned to one of its customers and its units. Indian media reported the complaint was about interference by the rating firm's top executives in assigning top investment grade ratings to Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) and its subsidiaries last year. IL&FS, which provides infrastructure financing, has defaulted on a series of debts, its management has been removed and the Indian government has taken control of its management and board. Takkar and an ICRA spokeswoman both declined to comment beyond Monday's announcement. Apart from ICRA, two of India's biggest and most prominent agencies - India Ratings & Research, which is owned by Fitch Ratings, and CARE Ratings - had granted IL&FS AAA ratings, indicating the highest level of creditworthiness. Those ratings were still in place when its subsidiary IL&FS Transportation Networks defaulted in June last year. IL&FS was first downgraded only by a notch in mid-August and then in just one month all three agencies slashed the rating to D, deep in "junk" debt territory. The string of defaults that followed triggered fears about contagion in the financial sector, spooking both equity and debt markets and prompting the government to seize control. Shares in ICRA closed down 2.5 percent at 3,081.30 rupees after touching a low of 3,000 rupees earlier in the day. PRESSURE ON RATING INDUSTRY ICRA's decision to put Takkar on leave is the latest sign of the pressure being put on credit rating firms by SEBI, which has been increasingly concerned about how large indebted companies have earned strong credit ratings, only to have them downgraded overnight. SEBI Chairman Ajay Tyagi said last Thursday that SEBI had initiated adjudication proceedings against some credit rating agencies and was contemplating starting proceedings against some others. He didn't name the firms concerned. SEBI has been tightening disclosure regulations for rating agencies to boost transparency and accountability and has made it mandatory for them to closely monitor whether issuers are meeting their debt obligations. It has also curbed cross-holdings between agencies to reduce conflicts of interest. Last month, SEBI directed ratings agencies to formulate a uniform benchmark for the "probability of default" for each rating category and asked them to disclose in their press release factors to which a rating is sensitive and explain operating and financial performance that could trigger a rating change. Tyagi said last Thursday that credit rating agencies were "much more responsive" in the last 7-8 months and were "quite active" and "responding well to the challenges." (Reporting by Abhirup Roy; Editing by Martin Howell and Mark Potter)
3 Broken IPOs That Should Bounce Back in the Second Half More than 50 of the 80 companies that have gone public so far this year are winning. They're trading above their IPO prices, and in some cases have evenmore than tripled in 2019. Everybody loves talking about the winners, but let's not ignore the more than two dozen stocks that are currently trading below their initial prices. Lyft(NASDAQ: LYFT),Linx S.A.(NYSE: LINX), andSciPlay(NASDAQ: SGMS)all went public in the first six months of this year, and they're all broken IPOs. Let's dive into where things went wrong for the three out-of-favor investments. Image source: Lyft. It may seem as if the country's second-largest ride-hailing service has been stuck in reverse since hitting the market in March, but it's actually been rolling forward since shifting into drive two months ago. The shares have risen better than 30% since bottoming out in mid-May. It's still a broken IPO, naturally, but it has come back from a much darker place. Lyft isgrowing fasterthan the industry leader, and the trends are encouraging. Andy Hargreaves at KeyBanc issued a bullish note last week, arguing that customer growth and indexed spend were tracking ahead of analyst estimates through the first two months of the second quarter. He's neutral on the stock, but sees the market's near-term expectations for Lyft as reasonable. One of this year's hottest stocks is aLatin American tech stock, but the market didn't take a shine to another Latin American tech company when it went public last week. Linx offers cloud-based enterprise software for Latin American retailers. It provides retailers with everything from business management tools to payment solutions on its evolving platform. It commanded a thick 41.3% share of the retail management software solutions market in 2017, according to industry tracker IDC. Linx generates the lion's share of its revenue from retailer subscriptions to its suite of services, accounting for 87% of its gross revenue in 2018 -- rising to 89% in the first quarter of this year. The good news is that the growth here is healthy and steady. Recurring revenue rose 16% for all of last year, up 18% in the first quarter. Customers are happy, going by the 99.2% client renewal rate in its latest quarter. Linx S.A. has slipped since slightly since going public at $9.40 last week, but investors should come around if it's able to string together a few more periods of steady double-digit growth. It's been more than two months since gaming and lotto tech specialistScientific Gamesspun off SciPlay, its casual gaming app business that's growing faster than Scientific Games itself. The new offering opened 13% higher on its first day of trading, but that's also when it peaked. Revenue growth slowed to 15% last year after soaring 31% in 2017, but accelerated to 21% top-line growth through the first three months of this year. SciPlay began 2019 with 2.6 million daily active users and 8.3 million monthly active users for its social casino apps. Gambling-related apps will always be risky, but it's hard to see why the market isn't cutting SciPlay some slack while growth is actually accelerating. More From The Motley Fool • 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today • The $16,728 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss • 20 of the Top Stocks to Buy (Including the Two Every Investor Should Own) • What Is an ETF? • 5 Recession-Proof Stocks • How to Beat the Market Rick Munarrizhas no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
BlockchainK2 Announces Investment in RealBlocks Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 2, 2019) - BlockchainK2 Corp.(TSXV: BITK) (OTCQB: BIDCF) (STU: KRL2)("BlockchainK2" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an investment in Envexergy Inc. ("RealBlocks"), a modern blockchain investment network providing global access and secondary trading for alternative investments. Sergei Stetsenko, a Director of BlockchainK2, stated, "Decentralized blockchain solutions are enabling the tokenization of alternative financial assets - including the multi-trillion dollar private equity, private credit and private real estate markets. RealBlocks' tokenization solution enables more efficient capital raising, more cost-effective compliance, simpler documentation and, most importantly, offers secondary trading of illiquid alternative assets. The RealBlocks network also enables broader distribution of alternative private financial assets, lower costs to investors and distributors, and liquidity and transparency in secondary markets." "We are excited to have BlockchainK2 join a group of investors that supports RealBlocks' mission to open alternative investments to investors around the world. There is growing demand from investors and financial intermediaries to access the potential of the alternative investment market. Through the support of BlockchainK2 and others, RealBlocks is creating a new way to reach these opportunities," said RealBlocks CEO Perrin Quarshie. "RealBlocks democratizes access to alternative investments by digitizing shares of the funds over a blockchain-enabled network. The network is designed to create unmatched levels of liquidity and transparency in the traditionally complex world of alternatives, thereby enabling fund managers, financial intermediaries and investors greater control and impact over their performance," continued Mr. Quarshie. BlockchainK2's investment of U.S. $500,000 closes off RealBlocks' seed round financing and adds to previous investments in RealBlocks of U.S. $3.1 million earlier this year by various venture capital funds, including Science Inc., Morgan Creek Digital, Zelkova Ventures, Ulu Ventures, and Cross Culture Ventures. About BlockchainK2 Corp. BlockchainK2 Corp. is a holding company investing in blockchain technology solutions for capital markets and other sectors that can be made more efficient through tokenization. For information on BlockchainK2 Corp., please visitwww.blockchaink2.com. For further information, please contact:Sergei Stetsenko, Director604-630-8746 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking statements", including information concerning the intentions, plans and future action of the Company described herein. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of a public company, currently with limited business and financial resources, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's continuous disclosure record available atwww.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visithttps://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/46016
GGAL vs. HDB: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option? Investors with an interest in Banks - Foreign stocks have likely encountered both Grupo Financiero Galicia (GGAL) and HDFC Bank (HDB). But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look. The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits. Right now, Grupo Financiero Galicia is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while HDFC Bank has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that GGAL likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than HDB has recently. But this is just one factor that value investors are interested in. Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. The Value category of the Style Scores system identifies undervalued companies by looking at a number of key metrics. These include the long-favored P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that help us determine a company's fair value. GGAL currently has a forward P/E ratio of 9.50, while HDB has a forward P/E of 31.28. We also note that GGAL has a PEG ratio of 0.59. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. HDB currently has a PEG ratio of 1.24. Another notable valuation metric for GGAL is its P/B ratio of 3. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, HDB has a P/B of 6.24. These metrics, and several others, help GGAL earn a Value grade of A, while HDB has been given a Value grade of F. GGAL has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than HDB, so it seems like value investors will conclude that GGAL is the superior option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportGrupo Financiero Galicia S.A. (GGAL) : Free Stock Analysis ReportHDFC Bank Limited (HDB) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Has ONEOK (OKE) Outpaced Other Utilities Stocks This Year? Investors focused on the Utilities space have likely heard of ONEOK (OKE), but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question. ONEOK is one of 122 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #9 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst. The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. OKE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for OKE's full-year earnings has moved 1.98% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend. According to our latest data, OKE has moved about 28.99% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 13.98%. This means that ONEOK is outperforming the sector as a whole this year. Looking more specifically, OKE belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 18 individual stocks and currently sits at #105 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 20.36% so far this year, so OKE is performing better in this area. OKE will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportONEOK, Inc. (OKE) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Is Southern (SO) Stock Outpacing Its Utilities Peers This Year? For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Southern (SO) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out. Southern is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 122 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #9. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. SO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SO's full-year earnings has moved 0.09% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive. Based on the most recent data, SO has returned 24.86% so far this year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 13.98%. This means that Southern is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns. Looking more specifically, SO belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 64 individual stocks and currently sits at #102 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 15.32% this year, meaning that SO is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Going forward, investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to SO as it looks to continue its solid performance. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportSouthern Company (The) (SO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
PRTY or UNICY: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now? Investors looking for stocks in the Consumer Products - Discretionary sector might want to consider either Party City (PRTY) or UNICHARM CORP (UNICY). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look. We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits. Party City has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while UNICHARM CORP has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that PRTY has an improving earnings outlook. However, value investors will care about much more than just this. Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years. PRTY currently has a forward P/E ratio of 4.34, while UNICY has a forward P/E of 32.21. We also note that PRTY has a PEG ratio of 0.29. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. UNICY currently has a PEG ratio of 3.58. Another notable valuation metric for PRTY is its P/B ratio of 0.67. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, UNICY has a P/B of 4.08. Based on these metrics and many more, PRTY holds a Value grade of A, while UNICY has a Value grade of D. PRTY stands above UNICY thanks to its solid earnings outlook, and based on these valuation figures, we also feel that PRTY is the superior value option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Party City Holdco Inc. (PRTY) : Free Stock Analysis Report UNICHARM CORP (UNICY) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
ODP or TSCO: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now? Investors looking for stocks in the Retail - Miscellaneous sector might want to consider either Office Depot (ODP) or Tractor Supply (TSCO). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look. There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits. Both Office Depot and Tractor Supply have a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) right now. The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that both of these companies have improving earnings outlooks. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors. Value investors also tend to look at a number of traditional, tried-and-true figures to help them find stocks that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years. ODP currently has a forward P/E ratio of 5.74, while TSCO has a forward P/E of 23.21. We also note that ODP has a PEG ratio of 0.48. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. TSCO currently has a PEG ratio of 2.04. Another notable valuation metric for ODP is its P/B ratio of 0.52. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, TSCO has a P/B of 8.98. Based on these metrics and many more, ODP holds a Value grade of A, while TSCO has a Value grade of C. Both ODP and TSCO are impressive stocks with solid earnings outlooks, but based on these valuation figures, we feel that ODP is the superior value option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportOffice Depot, Inc. (ODP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTractor Supply Company (TSCO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Is Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Outpacing Its Computer and Technology Peers This Year? Investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Microsoft (MSFT) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out. Microsoft is a member of the Computer and Technology sector. This group includes 640 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #6. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. MSFT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MSFT's full-year earnings has moved 2.62% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive. According to our latest data, MSFT has moved about 33.58% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Computer and Technology sector has returned an average of 20.34% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Microsoft is outperforming the sector as a whole this year. To break things down more, MSFT belongs to the Computer - Software industry, a group that includes 49 individual companies and currently sits at #84 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 32.45% so far this year, meaning that MSFT is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. MSFT will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportMicrosoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
PACW or COLB: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now? Investors interested in Banks - West stocks are likely familiar with PacWest Bancorp (PACW) and Columbia Banking (COLB). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out. There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style Scores work to identify stocks with specific traits. PacWest Bancorp and Columbia Banking are sporting Zacks Ranks of #2 (Buy) and #3 (Hold), respectively, right now. This means that PACW's earnings estimate revision activity has been more impressive, so investors should feel comfortable with its improving analyst outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors. Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use. PACW currently has a forward P/E ratio of 10.11, while COLB has a forward P/E of 14.31. We also note that PACW has a PEG ratio of 1.01. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. COLB currently has a PEG ratio of 2.04. Another notable valuation metric for PACW is its P/B ratio of 0.97. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, COLB has a P/B of 1.28. These are just a few of the metrics contributing to PACW's Value grade of B and COLB's Value grade of C. PACW has seen stronger estimate revision activity and sports more attractive valuation metrics than COLB, so it seems like value investors will conclude that PACW is the superior option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportPacWest Bancorp (PACW) : Free Stock Analysis ReportColumbia Banking System, Inc. (COLB) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
GFN vs. WNS: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now? Investors looking for stocks in the Business - Services sector might want to consider either General Finance (GFN) or WNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS). But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look. We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits. Currently, General Finance has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while WNS (Holdings) Limited has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that GFN has an improving earnings outlook. But this is only part of the picture for value investors. Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years. GFN currently has a forward P/E ratio of 12.92, while WNS has a forward P/E of 20.99. We also note that GFN has a PEG ratio of 1.17. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. WNS currently has a PEG ratio of 1.70. Another notable valuation metric for GFN is its P/B ratio of 1.92. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, WNS has a P/B of 5.42. These are just a few of the metrics contributing to GFN's Value grade of A and WNS's Value grade of C. GFN sticks out from WNS in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that GFN is the better option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportGeneral Finance Corporation (GFN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportWNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Boasting A 12% Return On Equity, Is Cincinnati Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CINF) A Top Quality Stock? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Cincinnati Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CINF). Over the last twelve monthsCincinnati Financial has recorded a ROE of 12%. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated $0.12 in profit. See our latest analysis for Cincinnati Financial Theformula for return on equityis: Return on Equity = Net Profit ÷ Shareholders' Equity Or for Cincinnati Financial: 12% = US$1.0b ÷ US$8.6b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but it’s worth explaining the concept of shareholders’ equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets. Return on Equity measures a company's profitability against the profit it has kept for the business (plus any capital injections). The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, all else equal,investors should like a high ROE. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. Pleasingly, Cincinnati Financial has a superior ROE than the average (8.7%) company in the Insurance industry. That's clearly a positive. In my book, a high ROE almost always warrants a closer look. One data point to check is ifinsiders have bought shares recently. Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Although Cincinnati Financial does use debt, its debt to equity ratio of 0.10 is still low. Its very respectable ROE, combined with only modest debt, suggests the business is in good shape. Conservative use of debt to boost returns is usually a good move for shareholders, though it does leave the company more exposed to interest rate rises. Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at thisdata-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company. Of course,you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere.So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Reports: 2 More Tesla Execs Depart Electrek reported Tuesday that yet anotherTesla Inc(NASDAQ:TSLA) executive is leaving the automaker. Jan Oehmicke, an executive who led the company’s European operations, has departed the company, Electrek said, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Asecond report from Business Insidersaid that Steve MacManus, Tesla's vice president of interior and exterior engineering, has exited as well. This is the latest high-profile departure from Tesla. On June 26, it emerged that Peter Hocholdinger, Tesla’'s head of production at its Fremont factory, is no longer working for the automaker. On June 13. reports emerged that Zeljko Popvic, the lead engineer for the Tesla Autopilot perception team, had left the company. Tesla shares were trading higher by 0.72% at $228.80 in Tuesday's premarket session. Related Links: Report: Tesla Production VP Leaves Company CNBC: Tesla Loses Key Engineer To Autonomous Startup Photo courtesy of Tesla. See more from Benzinga • Report: Tesla Production VP Leaves Company • Leaked Email From Tesla's Musk Says Automaker Approaching Record Vehicle Delivery Number • Tesla Falls After Goldman Sachs Cuts Price Target © 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Regeneron/Sanofi's Libtayo Gets EU Approval for Skin Cancer Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. REGN and partner Sanofi SNY announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorization to skin cancer drug, Libtayo. The drug, which is a fully-human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 (programmed cell death protein-1), has been approved in the European Union for the treatment of adults with metastatic or locally-advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation. The EU approval is based on data from the pivotal, open-label, multi-center, non-randomized phase II study known as EMPOWER-CSCC-1 (Study 1540) and supported by two advanced CSCC expansion cohorts from a multi-center, open-label, non-randomized phase I study (Study 1423). Since the drug has been granted conditional approval, Regeneron and Sanofi will add a new patient group to EMPOWER-CSCC-1 to support the benefit-risk profile of Libtayo. Thereafter, the companies will submit the results to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a label update. We note that Libtayo is already approved in the United States, Canada and Brazil for adult patients with metastatic or locally-advanced CSCC, who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation. The initial uptake of the drug is strong. Approval in other countries will further boost sales. CSCC is one of the most commonly diagnosed skin cancers worldwide and prevalent in some European countries. Meanwhile, Libtayo is being evaluated in adjuvant and neoadjuvant trials in CSCC, and potential registrational trials in non-small cell lung cancer, basal cell carcinoma and cervical cancer. Additional studies include trials in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, melanoma, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We are impressed with Regeneron’s efforts to bring new drugs to the market and concurrently expand the label of key drugs — Eylea and Dupixent. The FDA has approved a label expansion of asthma drug, Dupixent. The drug is now approved for use with other medicines to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults, whose disease is not controlled. The company is working to expand the drug’s label further into several other indications. Label expansion of certain drugs will diversify the company’s revenue base and reduce dependence on lead drug, Eylea. Regeneron’s stock has lost 15.3% in the year so far against the industry’s growth of 7%. The company has a deep pipeline, including fully human monoclonal antibodies generated using the VelocIimune technology. Promising candidates in the pipeline include fasinumab, among others, which is being developed in collaboration with Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA. Zacks Rank & A Stock to Consider Regeneron currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the same space is Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD, which carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) currently. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Gilead’s earnings estimates have moved up 15 cents to $6.89 for 2019 over the past 60 days. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019 Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities. These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportSanofi (SNY) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) : Free Stock Analysis ReportRegeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (REGN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Company News for Jul 2, 2019 • Shares of The Boeing Co. BA declined 2.1% following news that federal prosecutors have subpoenaed records related to 787 Dreamliner production in South Carolina • Genesee & Wyoming Inc. GWR shares surged 8.9% after it agreed to be acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP BIP for $8.4 billion • Pfizer Inc. PFE shares gained 1% after successful Phase 4 clinical trials of one of an eczema treatment for babies between 3 months and two years of age • Shares of Coty Inc. COTY plunged 13.5% after it declared that it will incur $160 million in additional costs and a $3 charge for intangible asset impairment for its turnaround plan Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportGenesee & Wyoming, Inc. (GWR) : Free Stock Analysis ReportBrookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportPfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis ReportThe Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCoty Inc. (COTY) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
How Tether is fueling this booming bitcoin bull run Over the past month, $600 million worth of “tethers,” a cryptocurrency supposedly pegged to the dollar, have beenmintedinto existence. Seemingly in tandem,Bitcoin’s price has climbed up from $8,500 to $11,000. Are the two events connected? Absolutely, said Will Harborne, the founder of the Ethfinex, a decentralized exchange that’s headquartered in London. Ethfinex is a subsidiary of Bitfinex, Tether’s sister exchange, and has insight into the relationship between tether, bitcoin, whales and bull markets. When you see a large Tether “print,” said Harborne, it means a handful of wealthy clients have essentially preordered batches of tethers, days in advance, to then dump on the market—oftenbeforeit’s begun to surge. Tethers are useful to these large holders, who can trade them—paired to Bitcoin,Ether,Litecoinand other coins—on high-liquidity exchanges that don’t accept fiat currencies. This early communication between Tether and its investors, who must fork up a minimum of $100,000 to buy directly from the Tetherwebsite,is what generates the big round numbers seen in public prints—say,last week’s $100 million, said Harborne. To respond to the “rough, projected demand” conveyed by these investors, Tether must create a fresh batch of tethers, which requires key members sign off with their public keys; this takes time, and is apparently the reason investors’ demands are aggregated into large batches. Then, when the wires for the preorders come through, Tether—according to Harborne—sells off, or “issues” the newly minted tethers to the pre-purchasers for a dollar a piece, and the buyers use them on the market to snap up Bitcoin, Litecoin, whatever. (Issuing is supposedly distinct from printing, in which tethers are minted but not dispersed.) And then? The lay speculators see the price inch up, they pile in, and…number goes up. “[Tether] essentially just ‘pre-creates’ the blockchain tokens based on a rough projected demand,” said Harborne. “Usually customers don’t just send $5 million without pre-notifying Tether. So tether can know it’s going to roughly need about [for example] $250 million over the next few days. But then once the money arrives via wire transfer the actual Tethers get sent to the customers.” Take what happened over the last month. Per Etherscan, 600 million tethers were minted between May 25 and June 25. At first, the coins were released slowly at the end of May, which coincided with a gradual increase in price. Then, three more large tranches of tethers were minted and released in rapid succession, coinciding with the parabolic leap in bitcoin’s price, from $8,500 to $11,000. Some of these tethers, Harborne said, were actually just being migrated from the Bitcoin-based OMNI network to the Ethereum network, to match demand. But still, the correlation—and theresearchinto the prints—makes it clear; when tethers flood the market, the speculators tend to follow suit. The crypto markets, it would seem, live and die by Tether prints. So what exactly is “rough projected demand?” Who’s buying, and how does Tether gauge it in advance? According to Harborne, some of Tether’s biggest customers are over-the-counter trading desks, who privately sell large quantities to investors or large scale traders. “An OTC desk might do a large deal selling BTC to a large buyer in the US, and then will convert the dollars to Tether in order to spread the other side of the order across Bitfinex and Binance where there is more liquidity,” he said. Harborne won’t disclose more details about Tether’s mysterious investors, but it could be traders looking to squeeze leveraged short-sellers on derivatives exchanges like BitMEX, where a sudden, upward surge in price willliquidatethe traders’ positions and send cash straight to those betting against them—that is, the whales themselves. Or, perhaps the more recent investors grew excited by the prospect of Facebook’s Libra, and decided to cash in quick. (This isn’t how it used to be. Until recently, Harborne said, Bitfinex and a handful of enigmatic “corporate customers” were Tether’s sole direct buyers—the rest had to purchase from Bitfinex itself, which, back then, treated both tethers and US dollars as “one to one,” meaning Bitfinex’s dollar balance included tethers. Now the two currencies are separated.) Some would call this close cooperation between Tether and its traders a form of market manipulation. “Nobody ‘buys’ tethers,” said pseudonymous blogger Bitfinex’ed, who has been investigating Tether for several years, in a DM toDecrypt. “Bitfinex issues tethers to their traders for market manipulation, market manipulators pump and dump, then ‘pay’ for the tethers later.” Harborne said that this was untrue, and that investors only receive tethers once they’ve forked up. The blogger Bitfinex’ed disputes this, saying that Tether’s failure to disclose the Buy orders from its customers amid the New York Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into Bitfinex—which was accused of borrowing from Tether’s supposedly “fully backed” reserves to cover up an $850 million hole in its finances—looks fishy. “If it was [true], then Bitfinex would have been able to provide that documentation and avoid a lawsuit,” he said. “They would have been able to show, here, we issued 10,000,000 tethers to Mr.X, and here’s a 10,000,000 wire transfer from Mr.X just before we issued it.” But they didn’t, Bitfinex’ed said. Harborne demurred, and insisted that this sort of play, in which large investors telegraph their intentions to buy up enormous volumes of tethers, was neither exclusive to Tether, nor a form of market manipulation. He pointed out that the transparency of Tether’s blockchain simply lays bare the practice in broad daylight. Other exchanges, he said, receive similar inflows of cash as Tether does tethers; but these transfers, made in fiat currency, are concealed from prying eyes. Indeed, a large tether order might be a sign the other whales are mobilizing elsewhere. As for why these investors tend to make large tether orders in one go, Harborne said it was more a matter of bull-run optimism than cynical market manipulation. “Now that people think we are back in a bull market, they want to buy lots of bitcoin, and need to get funds onto exchanges,” he said. “I think the reality is that it would be incredibly hard to coordinate across that many people, and that overall market forces are stronger than any group of traders.” It’s a “chicken and egg” scenario, he reckoned. But in this case, if you look closely enough, you can see which will come first. Note: We have reached out to Bitfinex/Tether for comment, and will update with any response.
Educational Trips Expand the Mind for Older Traveler Joe and Jo Ann Paszczyk, of Chicago, love unique travel adventures. Over the past decade, the couple have taken about 25 trips with educational organizations. "We have many interests--science, astronomy, history, nature," says Joe, a former TV producer. Adds Jo Ann, a retired human resources manager: "These are not your normal souvenir shopping trips. You're in small groups with curious people who like to learn." In the past three years, they have gone on trips led by Chicago's Field Museum to Madagascar, India and Tanzania. The expert guides "were always pointing out details that you would otherwise miss," says Jo Ann. SEE ALSO: Take the Travel Tipping Quiz Like the Paszczyks, an increasing number of travelers age 50 and older want to combine learning more about a place or a passion with visiting new destinations. They are selecting trips sponsored by a university, museum or other nonprofit educational organization. Led by experts, from professors to scientists to museum curators, these trips offer special access, such as private tours of historic sites and in-depth lectures. "We have seen a healthy increase, with our programs doubling in size in the last five years," says Karen Ledwin, vice president of product management at Smithsonian Journeys , which leads 300 trips a year on every continent. The vast majority of Smithsonian clients--90%--are age 50 and older. "These are travelers seeking enrichment. Sitting on the beach is not for them," Ledwin says. On a Smithsonian Journeys trip to Italy, Jo Ann Paszczyk recalls her group getting a private tour of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, on a day it was closed to the public, and a private night tour of Basilica di San Marco in Venice, including a special lighting of the ceiling's Byzantine mosaics. While in India on a Field Museum trip, a field biologist pointed out tiger paw prints and explained what scientists learned from them. "It was a magical moment for me," Jo Ann says. "It felt like I was driving into a page of The Jungle Book." Story continues Says Erica Au, Field's manager of donor relations and major and planned giving: "Traveling with our experts, who have spent their careers studying a topic and can explain it in a meaningful way, adds an extra level." For example, in summer 2020, the museum will take its annual two-week safari to Tanzania, hosted by their manager for mammals. It costs about $11,000 per person plus airfare. The group will visit the Serengeti to experience the wildebeest migration. They will take game drives to see black rhinos, cheetahs, gazelles, flamingos and hyenas, including a nighttime game drive to see nocturnal mammals, such as genets. Get Smart With a Bevy of Travel Options With so many educational organizations offering trips, at every price point, and by land, rail and boat, the choices can be overwhelming. Even the New York Times has gotten into the act, leveraging its journalists as expert guides. These trips can run from one-day city tours to 15-day or longer luxury vacations, in categories including sports, history and culture. This year, cookbook author and NYT contributing writer Joan Nathan will lead an eight-day trip exploring Jewish food and heritage in Florence, Siena and Rome for $7,490 plus airfare. Highlights include a visit to Europe's only kosher winery in Tuscany and an evening of music and food at the home of a Libyan Jewish chef in Rome. History buffs may want to check out a six-day trip led by foreign correspondents that explores the fall and rise of Berlin from the World Wars to today. The trip costs $5,595 per person plus airfare. If you feel strongly about saving the planet, you could consider taking a sustainable trip. The World Wildlife Fund offers about 80 "conservation travel" trips a year, which feature "sustainable travel that supports the protection of nature, wildlife and local communities," says Jim Sano, the nonprofit's vice president for travel, tourism and conservation. "We educate travelers about environmental and conservation issues, and all of our guides are trained by us in basic natural history." Additionally, all emissions from trips are 100% carbon-offset. In July 2019, the organization is offering its first "Zero Waste Adventure," a six-day trip to Yellowstone country for 14 guests, for about $5,700 plus airfare per person. The goal of the trip is to "fit all waste produced into a single container," says Sano. Highlights include exploring the northwest sector of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and a stay at a safari-style luxury camp. SEE ALSO: When Your Credit Card's Travel Insurance Coverage Isn't Enough Another good source of educational trips is alumni associations of universities and colleges. You don't always need to be a graduate of the school to sign up. For example, in November 2019, Stanford University offers a two-week trip called "Unseen Japan," led by a lecturer in international policy. At $9,695 per person plus airfare, the trip includes visits to temples in Kyoto, a tour of I.M. Pei's Miho Museum and an overnight stay at an inn in the hot springs town of Matsuyama. These trips can be expensive, so compare what's offered before you sign up. For example, does the price cover most meals and drinks, tips for guides and drivers, special excursions, and medical, accident and evacuation insurance? Also, check to see if a professional tour manager will accompany the group to handle logistics and iron out any problems. Smithsonian Journeys always sends its own experts, Ledwin says. Select a trip according to whether you seek an active adventure or a more leisurely pace, says Jo Ann Paszczyk. Most trips are rated by activity level. African safaris tend to be more sedentary because you sit in a vehicle all day, while other trips require a lot of uphill hiking. "We are clear on expectations," says Au, of the Field Museum. "Our Mexico trip featured horseback riding and hiking uphill in altitudes over 10,000 feet. But our Greece trip was geared to anthropology and you are on a cruise ship with some walking during the day." SEE ALSO: 34 Best Travel Websites to Save You Money Another benefit to traveling with a local institution is that it often creates a bond between travelers and the organization that extends beyond the trip. "We've made some new friends and become more part of the Field community," says Joe Paszczyk. To him and his wife, that's a gift that keeps on giving. EDITOR'S PICKS 26 Secrets to Save Money on Travel Retirement Travel: See the World with the Grandkids Tipping Quiz for Travelers Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors
Do Paycom Software's (NYSE:PAYC) Earnings Warrant Your Attention? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy. In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies likePaycom Software(NYSE:PAYC), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business than can consistently produce it. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing. View our latest analysis for Paycom Software In the last three years Paycom Software's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. It's good to see that Paycom Software's EPS have grown from US$2.26 to US$2.48 over twelve months. That's a 10% gain; respectable growth in the broader scheme of things. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Paycom Software shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 27% to 30%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image. Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Paycom Software'sfutureprofits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you cantake a peek at what the professionals are predicting. We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$13b company like Paycom Software. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. Indeed, they have a glittering mountain of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$1.2b. I would find that kind of skin in the game quite encouraging, if I owned shares, since it would ensure that the leaders of the company would also experience my success, or failure, with the stock. One positive for Paycom Software is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. The combination sparks joy for me, so I'd consider keeping the company on a watchlist. One of Buffett's considerations when discussing businesses is if they are capital light or capital intensive. Generally, a company with a high return on equity is capital light, and can thus fund growth more easily. So you might want to checkthis graph comparing Paycom Software's ROE with industry peers (and the market at large). You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here isa list of companies with insider buying in the last three months. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Caterpillar, Roper Technologies, Cisco Systems, Amtech Systems and Intuit For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 2, 2019 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Caterpillar Inc. CAT, Roper Technologies, Inc. ROP, Cisco Systems, Inc. CSCO, Amtech Systems, Inc. ASYS, Intuit Inc. INTU. Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog: 5 Winners as U.S.-China Agree to Resume Trade Talks The United States and China have agreed to hold off new tariffs, sending the stock market higher. In fact, receding possibility of any collateral damage from the trade war helped industrial and technology stocks gain in particular. Thus, investing in such stocks seem to be a wise move for now. What’s Driving the Markets? The broader stock market recently enjoyed a healthy run, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average seeing its best June in more than 80 years. The blue chip index rose 7.2%, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Also, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notched record June returns. No doubt, the rally was partly supported by Fed’s easier monetary policy stance along with the U.S.-China trade truce. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met over the weekend at the G-20 summit in Japan, where they have mutually decided not to impose tariffs against each other’s commodities. Trump said that no additional tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese products will be applied for the ‘time being.” Also, the economies will surely work a deal. To top it, six weeks after Huawei was blacklisted by the White House, Trump took a complete U-turn. He said that the U.S. companies “can sell their equipment to Huawei.” This development certainly eased trade dispute since it was one of the major flash point in the conflict. Potential Winners as U.S.-China Work Out Trade Truce A truce between two of the world’s largest economies has alleviated risks in the equity market for now. A full-blown trade war would have had rippling effects on the global economy growth, casting a pall over businesses. Let us now look at stocks that have benefitted from the easing trade tensions: Industrials Tread Higher As mentioned earlier, progress in trade talks has helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average cement the best June gain since 1938. And the biggest gainer among all the Dow components will certainly be Boeing. After all, the aerospace giant sells about a fourth of its commercial aircraft to Chinese customers. And how can we forget that China had threatened to impose tariffs on several American products, including airplanes if there is no trade truce. Such a move could easily affect Boeing’s 737-800, 737-700 and 737-900 ER models. But, with tariff scares behind us for now, Boeing has ample reasons to rejoice. Tech Stocks Make Merry! Within the Dow, Intel in particular is expected to gain immensely. And why not? Intel more or less generates bulk of its revenues from China, and it’s more than what the semiconductor company makes in the United States. China, in fact, heavily relies on U.S. chipmakers, while semiconductors make up one of its largest import categories in terms of value. Hopes of abatement in U.S.-China trade tensions provided strength to the chip sector. Elsewhere in the chip sector, shares of KLA-Tencor, Lam Research and Micron Technology ended in the positive territory. The broader tech sector has also a lot to gain from reduced trade war fears. The components of the SPDR Technology Select Sector had seen significant amount of revenues coming from China in recent years. In fact, China is in the second place in terms of revenue generation, behind the United States. 5 Top Gainers As trade war worries dissipate and broader markets move north, investing in stocks from the aforesaid sectors making the most of the recovery seems judicious. We have, thus, selected five stocks that can make the most of the encouraging trend. These stocks also flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. The company has a Zacks Rank #2. In the last 60 days, one earnings estimate moved up, while none moved lower for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen 0.1% in the same period. The company, which is part of the Manufacturing - Construction and Mining industry, is expected to post earnings growth of 9.2% for the current year. Roper Technologies, Inc. designs and develops software, and engineered products and solutions worldwide. The company has a Zacks Rank #1. In the last 60 days, two earnings estimates moved up, while none moved lower for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen 1.8% in the same period. The company, which is part of the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry, is expected to record earnings growth of 9.4% for the current year. Cisco Systems, Inc.designs, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology industry worldwide. The company has a Zacks Rank #2. In the last 60 days, 12 earnings estimates moved up, while one moved lower for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has climbed 0.7% in the same period. The stock’s expected growth rate for the current year is 18.5% versus the Computer - Networking industry’s estimated decline of 7.7%. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Amtech Systems, Inc.manufactures and sells capital equipment and related consumables for use in fabricating solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and semiconductor devices worldwide. The company has a Zacks Rank #1. In the last 60 days, two earnings estimates moved up, while none moved lower for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen 7% in the same period. The stock’s expected growth rate for the next quarter is 104.4% versus the Semiconductor - General industry’s estimated decline of 22.2%. Intuit Inc. provides financial management and compliance products and services for small businesses, consumers, self-employed, and accounting professionals in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company has a Zacks Rank #2. In the last 60 days, nine earnings estimates moved north, while one moved south for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen almost 2% in the same period. The stock’s expected growth rate for the current year is 19.4% versus the Computer - Software industry’s estimated gain of 4.8%. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce ""the world's first trillionaires,"" but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportCisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportIntuit Inc. (INTU) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAmtech Systems, Inc. (ASYS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportRoper Technologies, Inc. (ROP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCaterpillar Inc. (CAT) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Stock Market News for Jul 2, 2019 Wall Street closed sharply higher on Monday buoyed by a trade truce between the United States and China. Moreover, OPEC and Russia jointly agreed to extend crude oil production cut in order to stabilize prices. All three major stock indexes closed in the green with S&P 500 recorded its new all-time high level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) soared 0.4% or 117.47 points to close at 26,717.43 The S&P 500 surged 0.8% to close at 2,964.33. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index closed at 8,091.16, jumping 1.1%. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) decreased 6.8% to close at 14.06. A total of 7.04 billion shares were traded on Monday, lower than the last 20-session average of 7.15 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a 1.57-to-1 ratio. On Nasdaq, a 1.50-to-1 ratio favored advancing issues. How Did The Benchmarks Perform? The Dow closed in positive territory with 25 components of the 30-stock blue-chip index closing in the green while five finished in the red. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended in the green for fourth consecutive days due to strong performance by semiconductor stocks. The S&P 500 also closed in positive territory after touching an all-time high of 2,977.86. The Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) and Financials Select Sector SPDR (XLF) gained 1.6% and 1.2%, respectively. Notably, nine out of total 11 sectors of the benchmark index closed in the green while two ended in the red. Positive Development on Trade War Front On Jun 29, Presidents Trump and Xi agreed to restart trade negotiations in a meeting at the G-20 summit. Both sides have decided to hold off from imposing further tariffs for the time being. Moreover, the U.S. government has decided to ease some restrictions on Chinese telecom behemoth Huawei. The Trump administration has decided to allow U.S. tech companies to sell products that will not harm U.S. national security to Huawei. On the other hand, China has agreed to increase import of U.S. farm products to a considerable extent. Consequently, shares of leading semiconductor makers like Skyworks Solutions Inc. SWKS, Micron Technology Inc. MU and Broadcom Inc. AVGO climbed 6%, 3.9% and 4.3%, respectively. Broadcom carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. OPEC and Russia To Maintain Oil Production Cut On Jul 1, OPEC decided to extend crude production controls until early next year. Russia and its allies are likely to okay this agreement at a meeting in Vienna on Jul 2. The current quota of OPEC calls for a cut of 1.2 million barrel of crude oil per day. Saudi Arabia is currently producing 9.7 million barrels of crude oil per day and has a spare capacity of 2.3 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, the United States is currently producing 12.1 million barrels of crude oil per day. Economic Data On Jul 1, the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) reported that its index for U.S. manufacturing came in at 51.7 for June. Although the reading fell below May’s level of 52.1, it marginally exceeded the consensus estimate of 51.3. Notably, 12 out of total 18 industries reported growth. Construction spending fell 0.8% in May compared with a 0.4% gain in April. The consensus estimate in May was for a gain of 0.2%. Stock That Made Headline Genesee & Wyoming to Get Acquired Via an $8.4B Deal Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. GWR is set to be acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP BIP and GIC in a cash and debt deal valued at $8.4 billion. (Read More) This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportGenesee & Wyoming, Inc. (GWR) : Free Stock Analysis ReportBrookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportSkyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportBroadcom Inc. (AVGO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMicron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Calculating The Intrinsic Value Of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP) Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP) by taking the foreast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. I will be using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in theSimply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Check Point Software Technologies We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: [{"": "Levered FCF ($, Millions)", "2020": "$1.1b", "2021": "$1.1b", "2022": "$1.1b", "2023": "$1.1b", "2024": "$1.1b", "2025": "$1.1b", "2026": "$1.2b", "2027": "$1.2b", "2028": "$1.2b", "2029": "$1.3b"}, {"": "Growth Rate Estimate Source", "2020": "Analyst x13", "2021": "Analyst x5", "2022": "Analyst x2", "2023": "Analyst x2", "2024": "Est @ 1.06%", "2025": "Est @ 1.56%", "2026": "Est @ 1.91%", "2027": "Est @ 2.16%", "2028": "Est @ 2.33%", "2029": "Est @ 2.45%"}, {"": "Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 9.23%", "2020": "$998.6", "2021": "$933.9", "2022": "$816.4", "2023": "$786.7", "2024": "$727.8", "2025": "$676.7", "2026": "$631.3", "2027": "$590.4", "2028": "$553.1", "2029": "$518.7"}] ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF)= $7.2b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 10-year government bond rate of 2.7%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 9.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF2029× (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$1.3b × (1 + 2.7%) ÷ (9.2% – 2.7%) = US$20b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= $US$20b ÷ ( 1 + 9.2%)10= $8.19b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is $15.43b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding.This results in an intrinsic value estimate of $101.34. Relative to the current share price of $117.78, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Check Point Software Technologies as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.091. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn’t be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Check Point Software Technologies, I've put together three essential aspects you should further research: 1. Financial Health: Does CHKP have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at ourfree balance sheet analysis with six simple checkson key factors like leverage and risk. 2. Future Earnings: How does CHKP's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with ourfree analyst growth expectation chart. 3. Other High Quality Alternatives: Are there other high quality stocks you could be holding instead of CHKP? Exploreour interactive list of high quality stocksto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every US stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock justsearch here. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Canada factory activity shrinks for third straight month in June TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian manufacturing activity contracted for the third consecutive month in June, as a measure of production fell to a three-and-a-half year low, data showed on Tuesday. The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI), a measure of manufacturing business conditions, edged up to a seasonally adjusted 49.2 last month from 49.1 in May. A reading below 50 shows contraction in the sector. In April, the index fell below 50 for the first time since February 2016. The three-month run of contractions is the longest stretch since the period between August 2015 and February 2016. Manufacturers in the June survey reported more subdued economic conditions in both domestic and export markets and said that global trade frictions weighed on sales, according to IHS Markit. The Bank of Canada has viewed a slowdown in the domestic economy in late 2018 and early 2019 as temporary, but it has worried about increased risks to global trade. The measure of output fell to its lowest level since December 2015 at 47.7 from 48.6. Manufacturers pointed to a lack of new work to replace completed orders at their plants, IHS Markit said. The new orders measure was in contraction for the fourth straight month in June, although the pace of decline eased. The measure rose to 48.9 from 47.8 in May. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama; fergal.smith@thomsonreuters.com; +1 416 941 8113)
UPDATE 2-Brazil's rate path not tied directly to fiscal reforms, says Campos Neto (Recasts, adds quotes) By John Revill ZURICH, July 2 (Reuters) - The path for Brazilian interest rates does not depend directly on the success or otherwise of the country's economic reforms, but on how that process feeds into inflation and inflation expectations, central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto said on Tuesday. Speaking at an event in Zurich, Campos Neto also said Brazil has the financial buffers to protect the economy from shocks from abroad, but risks to domestic growth from a global slowdown may be greater than previously thought. "We are not tying the reforms to the decision on the rates, but ... we are saying that risk factor is the most important now ... because the sensitivity of the market is telling us that," Campos Neto said in a question and answer session. "(It) is not reforms themselves, but how this fits into the macro variable that feeds into the inflation channel," he said. Brazil's central bank kept interest rates on hold at a record low 6.50% last month but expectations it will soon begin loosening policy immediately surged. Uncertainty over fiscal reforms was virtually the only reason policymakers did not explicitly signal an imminent shift, economists said. The central bank last week cut its 2019 growth forecast to 0.8% from 2.0% and its 2022 inflation target was set at 3.50%, reflecting a steady decline from this year's 4.25%. As Campos Neto repeated on Tuesday, inflation variables excluding Brazil's fiscal adjustment process have evolved "favorably." A congressional special committee is this week expected to publish its revised version of the government's key pension reform bill, which aims to shore up public finances and save the public purse around 1 trillion reais ($260 billion) over the next decade. "We don't measure the probability of passing reforms, we can't make a decision based on that. There are other uncertainties ... we are watching all of them. It is not necessarily tied to one," Campos Neto said. Campos Neto also said that Brazil has solid financial buffers, noting that foreign direct investment can fund the current account deficit nearly seven times over and that international reserves are worth around 20% of gross domestic product. This will help shield Brazil from external shocks. But risks of spillover from the slowing global economy loom large. "In light of evidence of economic slowdown in several countries, the global environment may be more relevant to the dynamics of economic activity than previously anticipated," he said, according to the text of his presentation on the Brazilian central bank's website. Campos Neto also repeated the central bank's recent line that Brazil's economy will recover "in a gradual fashion", but like inflation, this will be steered by the reform process. (Reporting by John Revill in Zurich and Jamie McGeever in Brasilia Writing by Jamie McGeever Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Calculating The Intrinsic Value Of Champions Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSBR) Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Champions Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSBR) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This is done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of theSimply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Champions Oncology We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: [{"": "Levered FCF ($, Millions)", "2020": "$1.3m", "2021": "$2.6m", "2022": "$3.6m", "2023": "$4.5m", "2024": "$5.4m", "2025": "$6.2m", "2026": "$6.8m", "2027": "$7.4m", "2028": "$7.9m", "2029": "$8.4m"}, {"": "Growth Rate Estimate Source", "2020": "Analyst x1", "2021": "Analyst x1", "2022": "Est @ 36.92%", "2023": "Est @ 26.66%", "2024": "Est @ 19.48%", "2025": "Est @ 14.46%", "2026": "Est @ 10.94%", "2027": "Est @ 8.48%", "2028": "Est @ 6.75%", "2029": "Est @ 5.55%"}, {"": "Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.67%", "2020": "$1.2", "2021": "$2.2", "2022": "$2.8", "2023": "$3.2", "2024": "$3.6", "2025": "$3.7", "2026": "$3.8", "2027": "$3.8", "2028": "$3.7", "2029": "$3.6"}] ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF)= $31.7m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 10-year government bond rate (2.7%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 8.7%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF2029× (1 + g) ÷ (r – g) = US$8.4m × (1 + 2.7%) ÷ (8.7% – 2.7%) = US$145m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= $US$145m ÷ ( 1 + 8.7%)10= $63.03m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is $94.77m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding.This results in an intrinsic value estimate of $8.16. Compared to the current share price of $7.92, the company appears about fair value at a 2.9% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Champions Oncology as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.996. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn’t be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Champions Oncology, I've put together three important factors you should further research: 1. Financial Health: Does CSBR have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at ourfree balance sheet analysis with six simple checkson key factors like leverage and risk. 2. Future Earnings: How does CSBR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with ourfree analyst growth expectation chart. 3. Other High Quality Alternatives: Are there other high quality stocks you could be holding instead of CSBR? Exploreour interactive list of high quality stocksto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NASDAQ every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks justsearch here. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Global Payments, Arconic, Roper Technologies and American International For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 2, 2019 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG, Global Payments Inc. GPN, Arconic Inc. ARNC, Roper Technologies ROP and American International AIG. Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog: 5 Top-Ranked Winners from S&P 500’s Record 1H19 U.S. stocks ended the first half of the year on an encouraging note, with both the Dow and S&P 500 notching up record gains. Broader benchmarks also created new milestones during the month of June, which helped to push year-to-date gains into record territory. A strong U.S. economy seems to have negated most investor concerns during the period. Robust fundamentals were supported by the Fed, which stepped in to allay investor concerns at several points. Recently, the central bank indicated that it is likely to take a softer view on rates as the year progresses. Meanwhile, trade talks are set to resume following a meeting between presidents Trump and Xi at the G20 summit in Japan. The prospect of a near-term trade deal and a rate cut later this year are likely to boost investor sentiment. This is why it makes sense to invest in S&P 500 stocks, which registered strong gains during the first half of the year. S&P 500, Dow Create New Milestones, Economy Shines In June, the S&P 500 gained 6.9%, its best return for the month since 1955. The broader benchmark is also up 17.4% year to date, its best gain for the period since 1997. The Dow posted its best June gains since 1938, adding 7.2%. The blue-chip index also increased 14% over the first half of 2019. But the path of such gains was not altogether smooth. Trump’s trade tactics led to heavy losses in May. During the month’s opening days, Trump threatened to levy fresh tariffs on Chinese goods, spreading panic among investors. He went on to engage in a trade skirmish with Mexico and then issued an order effectively barring Huwaei sales. Predictably, the S&P 500 closed the month 6.6% lower. Ultimately, the economy came to Wall Street’s rescue, lending a hand to deal-making. The total value of deals jumped 20% from last year to hit $1.1 trillion. This is the first time ever that domestic deal volumes have exceeded $1 trillion during the first half of a year. Fresh data shows consumer spending and income exceeding estimates, which likely means that the trend will continue. Rate Cut, Trade Deal Crucial for Future Gains The key to future gains lies with the Federal Reserve and presidents Trump and Xi. June’s gains were largely a product of indications from the Fed that it was likely to adopt a softer policy approach later this year. The central bank said that it would “act as appropriate” to preserve the current economic momentum. In the process, they have raised hopes for a July rate cut significantly. Meanwhile, presidents Trump and Xi agreed to restart trade talks after their meeting at the G20 summit in Japan last week. Trump also said no new tariffs would be levied on Chinese items. Further, he agreed to ease restrictions on Huwaei, in order to cool down trade tensions. Trump is likely to hold off from fresh tariffs until presidential elections are concluded in 2020. Our Choices The S&P 500 posted record gains during the first half of 2019, boosted largely by a strong U.S. economy. A softer policy stance from the Federal Reserve has also enthused investors and the central bank’s actions are largely responsible for June’s strong gains. Given that there is a strong chance of a near-term rate cut even as trade tensions decline, gains are set to continue in 2H19. Investing in S&P 500 stocks which registered searing gains in 1H19 looks like a prudent option. We have narrowed down our search based on a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and other relevant metrics. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Chipotle Mexican Grill, together with its subsidiaries, operates quick-casual and fresh Mexican food restaurant chains. Chipotle Mexican Grill’s projected growth for the current year is 43.6%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.1% over the past 30 days. The stock has gained 69.7% year to date. Global Payments Inc.has been in the payment technology services business since 1967. Global Payments’ projected growth for the current year is 16.6%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.2% over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 55.3% year to date. Arconic Inc., formed through the separation of aluminum giant Alcoa Inc., is a global leader in multi-material, precision engineered products and solutions for a variety of industries. Arconic’s projected growth for the current year is 32.4%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 3.4% over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 53.1% year to date. Roper Technologiesdesigns, manufactures and distributes medical and scientific imaging products and software, radio frequency products, services and application software, industrial technology products and energy systems, and control products and solutions. Roper Technologies’ projected growth for the current year is 9.4%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 1.8% over the past 30 days. The stock has gained 37.4% year to date. American Internationalis a holding company, which through its subsidiaries, is engaged in a range of global insurance and insurance-related activities. American International’s projected growth for the current year is more than 100%. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 12.7% over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 35.2% year to date. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportRoper Technologies, Inc. (ROP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAmerican International Group, Inc. (AIG) : Free Stock Analysis ReportArconic Inc. (ARNC) : Free Stock Analysis ReportChipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGlobal Payments Inc. (GPN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Pre-Markets Pull Back Slightly, ADP & BLS This Week Tuesday, July 2, 2019Yesterday after the opening bell, we got some new economic figures, specifically on U.S. manufacturing. Markit Manufacturing PMI for June reached 50.6 — narrowly in positive territory, but better than the 50.1 registered in May. ISM Manufacturing, also for June, posted 51.7% — above the estimated 51.3% but slightly beneath last month’s 52.1%.These rather tepid numbers nevertheless represent good news, compared to regional manufacturing reports from surveys like Empire State and Philly Fed. Keep in mind we’ve been in a trade war with China for more than half a year and are still posting figures above 50 (breakeven).Construction spending for May reported yesterday surprised to the downside, however: -0.8% on the headline, below the +0.3% expected and the +0.4% reported for April. We’re a little in arrears with this look, and factor in a cooler (and wetter) than expected spring season in 2019, which can negatively affect these reports.Today, we expect new motor vehicle sales numbers after the opening bell. We also look toward to a speech scheduled for Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester. A couple months back, Mester referred to 2019 as a “year of transitions,” likely referring in part to interest rate policy.Tomorrow will bring us new ADP ADP private-sector payroll numbers, then after the Independence Day holiday Thursday we’ll get the latest jobs numbers and Unemployment Rate from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Friday morning. Last month’s read brought us fewer-than-expected jobs in both surveys, though Unemployment remained steady at an ultra-low 3.6%.We will look for whether last month was a one-off correction (the 3-month average in monthly jobs gains is roughly 150K per, more than enough to cover for the retiring workforce) or we’re truly seeing a slowdown in domestic labor. This slowdown has been expected by economic “experts” for literally the last two years or more. Will they continue to be proven wrong?Mark VickerySenior EditorQuestions or comments about this article and/or its author? Click here>> This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019 Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities. These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportSPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA): ETF Research ReportsInvesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research ReportsSPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): ETF Research ReportsAutomatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Anderson Cooper to get most of mom Gloria Vanderbilt's fortune: report Anderson Cooper is set to receive most of what his late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, left behind, her newly filed will shows. Page Sixreports that Vanderbilt's will, which was filed on Monday in Manhattan surrogate court, leaves her lavish Midtown apartment to her oldest son, Leopold "Stan" Stokowski, and "all the rest" of her property will go to Cooper. Her estranged middle son, Chris Stokowski, who cut himself off from the family 40 years ago, will reportedly get nothing. SEE ALSO:Anderson Cooper delivers emotional tribute to mother Gloria Vanderbilt on CNN Vanderbiltdied on June 17 at the age of 95after being diagnosed with an advanced form of stomach cancer, Cooper initially reported himself on CNN. The revelation that Cooper will receive the majority of his mother's property (it is unclear what he'll get exactly and whether "all the rest" includes Vanderbilt's estimated $200 million fortune) followsspeculation that he wasn't going to get anything from her, based on a 2014 interview with Howard Stern in which he said that, "my mom's made clear to me that there's no trust fund. There's none of that." He went on to say, "I'm doing fine on my own. I don't need any. [...] I don't believe in inheriting money. I think it’s an initiative sucker, I think it’s a curse. Who's inherited a lot of money that has gone on to do things in their life? From the time I was growing up, if I felt like there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don't know if I would have been so motivated." In a statement released after his jean designer mother's passing, Cooper paid tribute to the most important woman in his life. SEE ALSO:Anderson Cooper has been feeling 'lonely' since his mother's passing "Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms," Cooper said in a statement last month. "She was a painter, a writer and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife and friend ... She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they’d tell you: She was the youngest person they knew – the coolest and most modern." The anchorreturned to his CNN showseveral days after his mother's death, telling viewers that he's been "lonely" since losing her. "Being able to spend those nine days and nights with her was a great, great blessing. They were the most extraordinary days of my life, and I’m very grateful," he shared upon his return. "Though I was holding her hand and her head when she took her last breath, it’s still a little hard for me to believe that she’s gone." Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, co-authored a book,"The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss,"in which they corresponded back-and-forth for a year in order to leave nothing left unsaid between them, released in 2017.
Non-custodial crypto wallet ZenGo adding support for Facebook’s Libra coin ZenGo, a provider of non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet, is adding support for Facebook's upcoming cryptocurrency Libra, according to an announcement Tuesday. The firm has released a proof-of-concept for Libra testnet, using a cryptographic technique called threshold signatures scheme (TSS), which helps create a secure and easy-to-use transaction process. "TSS removes the burden of the single atomic private key and splits the responsibility between multiple parties. Each of the parties generates its own secret and uses this secret to distributively sign a transaction without revealing the secret to the other parties," ZenGo explained. Facebook's crypto subsidiary, Calibra, will be launching a default custodial wallet for storing Libra, but that could hinder mass adoption of the cryptocurrency because users would have to trust Calibra to store their coins, ZenGo CEO, Ouriel Ohayon, told The Block. "True ownership comes with non-custodial options which Libra seems to encourage too. The challenge is to get a large number of users unfamiliar with security, key management and complex backup process to cross that path. It's great to see that developers can build true non-custodial Calibra alternatives where users control their funds," Ohayon added. ZenGo wallet currently supports bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) cryptocurrencies. It is currently also preparing to add support for Binance's BNB, Zilliqa's ZIL and Tezos' XTZ tokens, with more cryptocurrencies planned for the future, per the announcement. ZenGo recently raised$4 millionfrom investors including Samsung and Benson Oak Ventures, aiming to simplify the process of storing and managing cryptocurrencies for common men.
Is Ivy Small Cap Growth Y (WSCYX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? There are plenty of choices in the Small Cap Growth category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that may not be worth investigating is Ivy Small Cap Growth Y (WSCYX). WSCYX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective WSCYX is one of many different Small Cap Growth funds to choose from. Small Cap Growth mutual funds build portfolios around stocks with markets caps under $2 billion and large growth opportunities. Additionally, these portfolios typically highlight smaller companies in promising markets and industries. History of Fund/Manager Ivy Funds is based in Boca Raton, FL, and is the manager of WSCYX. Ivy Small Cap Growth Y debuted in December of 1995. Since then, WSCYX has accumulated assets of about $172 million, according to the most recently available information. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 10.69%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 15.42%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 9.75%, the standard deviation of WSCYX over the past three years is 16.49%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 16.38% compared to the category average of 10.13%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors One cannot ignore the volatility of this segment, however, as it is always important for investors to remember the downside to any potential investment. In the most recent bear market, WSCYX lost 49.67% and outperformed its peer group by 3.37%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market. Even still, the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.16, so investors should note that it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 0.13. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is principally on equities that are traded in the United States. As of the last filing date, the mutual fund has 94.64% of its assets in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $4.12 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: 1. Technology 2. Other 3. Services With turnover at about 43%, this fund makes fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, WSCYX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.27% compared to the category average of 1.22%. From a cost perspective, WSCYX is actually more expensive than its peers. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Ivy Small Cap Growth Y ( WSCYX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, similar performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees compared to its peers. Want even more information about WSCYX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportGet Your Free (WSCYX): Fund Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Amazon Calls John Oliver’s Report On Warehouse Work Conditions “Insulting” To Employees Click here to read the full article. Amazon is calling John Oliver ’s depiction of conditions at the company’s shipping and warehouse facilities “insulting” to Amazon workers. Dave Clark, Amazon’s SVP Worldwide Operations, responded to a harsh segment that aired Sunday on HBO ’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver . In the 20-minute segment, Amazon — as well as other companies with quick online-delivery systems — was lambasted for the exhausting chores required of the warehouse workers. Related stories 'Last Week Tonight': John Oliver Talks How Jared Kushner's Middle East Peace Plan Focuses On 'Not Doing Terrorism' Stana Katic Series 'Absentia' Nears Season 3 Renewal At Amazon HBO Sets August Premiere Date for Robin Thede's 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' “The injury and illness rate in the warehouse industry is higher than coal mining, construction and logging,” Oliver said during the HBO show, in which he called Amazon the “Michael Jackson” of shipping because they’re “the best at what they do, everybody tries to imitate them, and nobody who learns a third thing about them is happy they did.” The “third thing” was the chief subject of the segment, an extended look at the working conditions of Amazon’s warehousing and shipping facilities. Not surprisingly, Amazon took issue. “As a fan of the show, I enjoy watching John make an entertaining case for the failings of companies, governments and most recently – Mount Everest,” Clark said in a statement tweeted Monday. “But he is wrong on Amazon. Industry-leading $15 minimum wage and comprehensive benefits are just one of many programs we offer…” Read Clark’s full statement below.) One of the most devastating portions of the Last Week episode was Oliver’s mockery of an Amazon promotional video in which warehouse and shipping workers were depicted participating in fun and funny for-the-camera shenanigans. One woman was shown affectionately hugging an Amazon shipping box, a scenario re-created in a Last Week parody video in which the employee repeatedly is ordered to hug a box. Story continues But Clark says that Oliver and company ignored the fact that Amazon’s “safe, quality work environment” is visible to the public through tours and that “unlike over 100,000 other people this year, John and his producers did not take us up on our invitation to tour one of our facilities.” Had the Last Week team visited, Clark said, “They would have met the amazing people who work in our operations. People whose passion and commitment are what makes the Amazon customer experience special. I am proud of our team and to suggest they would work in an environment like the one portrayed is insulting.” Clark’s statement, posted on his Twitter account yesterday, has, not surprisingly, given folks with opposing viewpoints — many self-identified as Amazon workers or former Amazon workers — the chance to speak up. One typical response to Clark’s statement reads, “A very privileged thing to say from your warm cozy office where manual labor doesn’t exist except to lift your finger when drinking your coffee.” Here is Clark’s statement in full: “As a fan of the show, I enjoy watching John make an entertaining case for the failings of companies, governments and most recently – Mount Everest. But he is wrong on Amazon. Industry-leading $15 minimum wage and comprehensive benefits are just one of many programs we offer… “We are proud of the safe, quality work environment in our facilities – so much so that we offer tours to the public, ages six and up. But unlike over 100,000 other people this year, John and his producers did not take us up on our invitation to tour one of our facilities. “If they had they would have met the amazing people who work in our operations. People whose passion and commitment are what makes the Amazon customer experience special. I am proud of our team and to suggest they would work in an environment like the one portrayed is insulting.” Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter . For the latest news, follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
Pilot project for Known Traveller Digital Identity program launches En route to San Francisco, Meg Sinclair scans her passport. December 4, 2013. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) The Canadian government and its Dutch counterpart have launched an initiative that will allow travellers to fly between certain airports in each country without a passport. The pilot project is called Known Traveller Digital Identity (KTDI) and is meant to address the extreme spike in international travel, which is estimated to grow to 1.8 billion passengers by 2030. So far, Air Canada, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and airports in Montreal, Toronto and Amsterdam are on board for the project. It will be tested throughout 2019, with the first end-to-end paperless travel expected in 2020. The project is sponsored by technology companies Accenture, Vision Box and Idemia. How does it work? Identity details that are usually stored on a chip on the travellers passport will instead be encrypted and safely stored on their smartphones. Those flying between Montreal and Amsterdam can manage the data, agreeing to share it with the airline they are flying, border authorities and others. By using statistical analysts, the passengers information will constantly be verified throughout the journey, until arrival at the final destination. Over time, the program will allow travellers to work their way up to known traveller status. What are the security risks? While the thought of travelling without a passport may seem unsettling to some, one expert believes this type of program will make the process more secure. Toronto-based immigration lawyer Joel Sandaluk explains that KTDI will transfer the proof of identity from the passport, to a computer database that uses facial recognition technology. Instead of having a passport and the immigration officer as the device by which somebodys face is recognized, its a computer thats comparing your actual face with facial recognition data that they have stored, he tells Yahoo Canada . From an identity perspective, its likely to be more secure. When somebody tries to travel using a fraudulent passport, such as one that uses photo substitution, theyre aiming to dupe the border agent scanning the document. With the KTDI program, theres no opportunity for the traveller to do that, since the person is using their in-person appearance to compare to the one thats stored in the data on the device. Story continues What this does represent is a way to clear borders in an arguably more secure way, much more quickly, says Sandaluk. Could we see this expand to other countries? Given the prevalence of facial-recognition in devices such as smartphones, Sandaluk suspects this technology will only become more widespread. As people travel more broadly, its likely these systems will multiply and data will be shared more with different countries, he says. Although the idea of paperless travel might feel radical, its likely where were heading. Given the direction in which technology works and given the frequency in which international [travel] is occurring, this doesn't seem like something thats a fad, says Sandaluk. I expect that this will be the future.
Nike's yanking of Betsy Ross sneaker sparks controversy Nike (NKE) — the global footwear and apparel giant — has decided to halt the release of a sneaker featuring the 13-star version of the American flag made by Betsy Ross after criticism from NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The sneaker in question is the Nike Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July. As first reported by theWall Street Journal, the former San Francisco 49er–turned activist believes that Nike shouldn’t sell a shoe that depicts the revolutionary flag of the 1770s because it harkens back to a time when slavery existed in the U.S. "Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag," a Nike spokesperson told Yahoo Finance. In response to Nike’s actions, Arizona Gov.Doug Ducey(R) on Tuesday announced that he will ask the state's chamber of commerce to pull financial incentives for Nike after the company decided not to release the shoe. He tweeted: "Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism," he continued. "Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here." Though the sneaker has been pulled the select few who were able to snag a pair ahead of release will likely cash in on the resale market. The shoe is currently selling for more than $2,000 on online marketplaceStockX. Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49er, has been linked with Nike since he was featured in the company's controversial ad campaign last September that subtly centered around the NFL kneeling controversy, urging people to "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything." This is not the first time that Nike has canceled the release of a shoe due to external pressure. The swoosh brand recentlyshelved a sneaker in Chinabecause of the designer of the shoe support for the Hong Kong extradition law protest. On June 27 the Oregon-headquartered company released fiscal year Q4 earnings. While Nike beat on revenue, itmissed the mark on earnings. Reggie Wade is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at@ReggieWade. Read more: • Foot Locker makes $100M bet on popular online sneaker marketplace GOAT • 4 out 5 top selling Nike products cost more than $130The hottest resale sneakers by state • How Nike took over the NBA sneaker game • Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,Flipboard,LinkedIn, andreddit.
WEX Completes Purchase of EG Group's Fuel Card Business WEX Inc.WEX yesterday announced that it has completed the acquisition of Go Fuel Card, the fuel card business of fuel station and convenience store retailer — EG Card. The deal was announced on Mar 25, 2019. Breda, Netherlands-based Go Fuel Card has presence in Belgium, France and Luxembourg with 200,000 proprietary cards in circulation. It serves small and medium enterprise (SMEs) as well as larger fleet players, operating on an independent proprietary card network with acceptance at more than 5,000 retail sites. So far this year, we observe that shares of WEX have gained 51.1%, outperforming the 36% rise of the industry it belongs to. Global Expansion of Fleet Solutions Business The acquisition is likely to expand WEX’s Fleet business throughout EG locations in the United States, Europe and Australia. The business offers fleet vehicle payment processing services, particularly designed for commercial and government fleets. We believe that acquisitions are a key growth catalyst for WEX. It has been actively acquiring and investing in companies, both in the United States as well as internationally, to expand its product and service offerings, thereby contributing to revenue growth and enhancing scalability. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider WEX currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. A few better-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Business Services sector are FLEETCOR Technologies FLT, Global Payments GPN and NV5 Global NVEE, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Long-term expected EPS (three to five years) growth rate for FLEETCOR, Global Payments and NV5 Global is 15.4%, 16.9% and 20%, respectively. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019 Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities. These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportFleetCor Technologies, Inc. (FLT) : Free Stock Analysis ReportWEX Inc. (WEX) : Free Stock Analysis ReportNV5 Global, Inc. (NVEE) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGlobal Payments Inc. (GPN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
TRON Foundation Gears Up for the Largest TRX Buyback The TRON Foundation has announced a buyback of TRON (TRX) tokens as a vote of confidence for the fledgling ecosystem–and also, a died-in-the-wool technique to regulate price fluctuations.According to theannouncement, the buyback commemorates TRON’s Independence Day, aka the moment TRON broke free from Ethereum’s blockchain in 2018. Per the announcement, the TRON Foundation will conduct the buyback in batches from secondary markets, with a minimum spending limit pegged at $20 million. “At this point, the TRON Foundation has no specific plans for this unlocked amount of TRX. The Foundation will continue to increase our TRX holding in the secondary market to manifest our confidence in the development of the TRON ecosystem,” the announcement reads.Since TRON’s emancipation from Ethereum, it has clocked up some impressive milestones. In April 2019. DApp analytics firm DApp.com published areportwhich revealed that TRON has become the fastest-growing DApp user base, with over 300,000 developers present on its blockchain.The TRON network has also built a respectable developer community, driven by the 8 million or so users accounts. But as we’vereported previously, that growth may be fuelled by cash incentives. Let’s not forget the insane acquisition ofBitTorrent, a deal which cost the Foundation around $140 million, providing the platform needed to developProject Atlas, and theBitTorent Token (BIT), a cryptocurrency which is expected to run on the TRON protocol. Tron has a history of bullish statements to excite the TRX bulls–some more accuratethan others. This one, however, has set tongues wagging, with good reason. Per data from CoinMarketCap, TRX is trading at about 14 percent above last week’s close at press time, helping TRON break into the top 10 largest crypto assets by market cap.
Avengers: directors address Gamora's fate What happened to Gamora at the end of Endgame? (Credit: Marvel) One of the biggest question fans were left with at the end of Avengers: Endgame was: what happened to Gamora? The Guardian of the Galaxy hero was killed by Thanos during Avengers: Infinity War in order for him to obtain the Soul Stone but a past version of her from 2014 played a significant role in the sequel. Thanks to Nebula, Gamora switched allegiances before the climactic battle against Thanos army but after Iron Man snapped the Titan and his legions to dust her whereabouts were unknown. Read more: Spider-Man: Far From Home credit scenes explained Now directing duo the Russo Brothers have theorised what happened to the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Zoe Saldana's Guardian fought alongside the Avengers (Credit: Marvel) "The argument could be that Tony [Stark] wished away all the evil, the enemy, so is she still alive?" said Anthony Russo told Fox 5 DC . "Who knows? Thats a story for another time." Joe Russo added: "If Tony in fact wanted to eliminate Thanos and his army, was Gamora at that moment still part of that army?" Read more: Dave Bautista slates Fast & Furious franchise Its likely she wasnt part of the army at that point but made a swift exit once her dad was defeated as Zoe Saldana is expected to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 . The actor has said she would like to return as bad Gamora during a panel at Ace Comic Con. The technical answer is it all depends on what Marvel and James Gunn desire to do with the Guardians and with Gamora's fate, she said. I would eventually, there's a part of me that wants her to go back, find her way back to the Guardians but there's also a part of me that wants to explore a bad Gamora. I've never seen that and she's, you know, she's considered the most lethal assassin, the most lethal woman in the galaxy so I would want to see what that wrath looks like also because it would just give me layers to sort of work on. James Gunn was rehired this year as the director of the third Guardians movie and the story may well involve Thor as he boarded Rockets ship at the end of Endgame after making Valkyrie leader of New Asgard. Avengers: Endgame is still in cinemas
The iPhone of thermometers is somehow down to just $13.49, its lowest price ever Click here to read the full article. If Apple made forehead thermometers, this is absolutely the forehead thermometer it would make. We’re not just saying that because of the sleek, minimalist white design that’s reminiscent of Apple’s old iPods. We’re saying it because the iHealth Digital Medical Infrared Forehead Thermometer is as close to perfect as any thermometer will ever get. Hold this no-touch, ergonomic thermometer an inch or two from your head or your child’s head and press the single touch-sensitive button on the back. In an instant, you’ve got a temperature reading that’s accurate to the tenth of a degree. It’s an incredible value at $27, but use the coupon code JULY50CARE at checkout and you’ll only pay half that — $13.49! It’s a crazy deal that won’t be around for long, so hurry up and grab one while you can. Here are the key details from the product page: Related Stories: MagicLights are just as good as $50 Philips Hue bulbs, but they're down to $13 right now The PlayStation Classic is finally worth getting at $25 Add Bluetooth streaming to any speaker system with this $15 device FAST & EASY: Digital Medical Infrared Forehead Thermometer suitable for Kids,Toddlers, BabyBaby and Adults. Just Hold. Aim. Press. Only 3 steps to test, fast testing in just 1 second, easy for self-measurement. ACCURATE & RELIABLE: Ultra-senstive infrared sensor collects more than 100 data points per second from the forehead. The additional distance and environmental sensors make necessary adjustments to give you accurate readings. SAFE & HYGIENIC : No-Touch design, Non-invasive measurement and No need probe covers. Totally safe for children to use. CLEAR LED DISPLAY : Invisible when not in use, a large backlit LED screen displays the reading in bright white light. See it clearly even in total darkness. GENTLE VIBRATION to alert when a reading completed. No annoying beeps. High-cost vibration motor built-in for better user experience. What You Get: 1 FDA Cleared & Medical CE Approved thermometer that meets ASTM E19650-98 performance standards, 2 AAA batteries, 1 Instruction manual & 1 Quick User Guide (English, French and Spanish),our worry-free 12-month warranty and friendly US-based customer service, Support Email: support@ihealthlabs.com Story continues BGR Top Deals: This $16 clip-on lens kit fits the iPhone or any Android phone, and it’s awesome Amazon deal offers a 7-inch Android tablet for under $43 See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Vanessa Feltz's BBC salary raises eyebrows LEEDS, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: Vanessa Feltz attends the Audio & Radio Industry Awards at First Direct Arena Leeds on October 19, 2017 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Andrew Benge/Redferns) Vanessa Feltz was today revealed as one of only three women on the BBC’s top 10 highest earners list. The 57-year-old presenter boasts a paycheque in the range of £355,000 – £359,999, having received a pay rise from last year’s annual salary of £330,000 – £339,999. Feltz hosts an early morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 5am to 6.30am as well as a the 7am breakfast show on BBC Radio London. The news was met with some consternation online, with people questioning Feltz’ bumper wages. Vanessa Feltz is paid £355,000 a year by the BBC? pic.twitter.com/sKyHvLhp22 — 𝕄𝕣 𝔼𝕕 💫 (@gerainted) July 2, 2019 The BBC is taking free TV licenses away from 3.7m pensioners, but paying Claudia Winkleman, Zoe Ball and Vanessa Feltz more than £350,000 each. So that’s alright then. https://t.co/CstgDRvkPr — Toby Young (@toadmeister) July 2, 2019 On what planet is mediocrity and former chat show host Vanessa Feltz worth £355,000 - £359,999 of tax payers' money? https://t.co/AgXmQsbo65 — Stephen Basdeo (@sbasdeo1) July 2, 2019 Official figures show BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened-to station, and 2017 saw Feltz pull in record figures for her BBC Radio London breakfast show. Read more: BBC top 10 highest paid stars revealed But in the last two years the listening figures for her London breakfast show have been on a downward spiral. Last year she haemorrhaged listeners, dropping from 307,000 to 188,000. And in the first quarter of this year her audience fell by another 23.4 per cent. Zoe Ball, Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz, who are among the top 10 highest-paid BBC stars in 2018/19, according to the corporation's latest annual report (Credit: PA) Feltz was born in London and educated at the prestigious Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls and Trinity College, Cambridge. Story continues After becoming a journalist, she rose to fame in the 90s when she replaced Paula Yates on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast . She went on to host her own daytime chat show on ITV and in 2001 she famously took part in the first ever series of Celebrity Big Brother , during which she apparently suffered a mental breakdown on TV. She took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, but was the second celebrity to be voted out. Read more: Vanessa Feltz reveals true story behind her three-stone weight loss Feltz was married to surgeon Michael Kurer for 17 years and spoke very openly about how she felt when their marriage broke down and she found herself single again. They divorced in 2000 and have two daughters together, Allegra and Saskia. Feltz is now a grandmother. She lives with her partner of 13 years, singer-songwriter Ben Ofoedu (one half of pop duo Phats & Small), in North London house previously owned by art guru Charles Saatchi. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
The WNBA is coming to 'NBA 2K20' The forthcomingNBA 2K20,set for release on September 6th, will feature the WNBA. 2K Games revealed back in February that the WNBA was set for inclusion in some shape or form, and while the official PRblurbdoesn't specify exactly how that's set to look, the recently-releasedtrailerconfirms it. The WNBA made theirconsole debutin EA'sNBA Live 18a couple of years ago, so it's about time 2K -- arguably the big dog in NBA games --stepped up. Meanwhile,2K Gameshas announced its male cover athletes for the forthcomingNBA 2K20. Anthony Davis returns -- although this time solo -- as cover star for the standard and deluxe editions, while the legendary Dwaye Wade will appear on the cover of the Legend Edition. Pre-order and you'll receive a load of perks including virtual currency and skill boosts.
US Threatens More Tariffs on EU Goods: 5 Big Gainers In response to aircraft subsidies, the United States is now considering the implementation of additional tariffs on products from the European Union. This will for certain embitter trade relations with the bloc at a time when the United States has agreed on a truce with China. With the stock market is expected to gyrate on new tariff moves, it will be prudent to invest in service-oriented companies that remain unperturbed by trade-related issues. Trump Administration Proposes Tariffs on EU Goods President Trump recently said that trade talks with China have resumed, which eventually helped the stock market gain traction. Trump added that “farmers are going to end up being the great beneficiary” as hostility between the world’s largest economies have ebbed and that their economic relations are improving. But, trade woes between the United States and its trading partners are far from over. The Trump administration has now proposed an additional $4 billion in tariffs on EU goods to bend a 15-year disagreement over aircraft subsidiary. The United States is contemplating levying tariffs on European products, including olives, Italian cheese, Scotch whiskey, and some 86 other tariff sub-categories. In fact, such tariffs in particular will almost double or even triple the cost of olive oil. The United States had proposed tariffs on $21 billion of European products in April. Trade wars are certainly not encouraged as they impede economic growth and squeeze corporate profits. Lest we forget, a trade war with China had cost $7 trillion, while the U.S. tech sector was losing nearly $1.3 billion a month. Service Firms Are Big Gainers Service firms are safe bets for now. Such firms are unruffled by trade retaliations as they have less foreign sales exposure compared to goods companies. Service stocks also incur lower foreign input costs that might be subject to tariffs. Such input costs are mostly related to direct materials, labor and factory overheads. The service wing of the U.S. economy by the way picked up in May, recovering from a 20-month low. According to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the non-manufacturing index (NMI) came in at 56.9 in May, topping analysts’ estimates of a slight dip to 55.4. It was also higher than April’s two-and-a-half-year low of 55.5. The non-manufacturing sector, thus, saw uninterrupted expansion for the 112th consecutive month, indicating that the broader economy is on track for steady growth this year. After all, the non-manufacturing sector accounts for nearly 90% of the economy, while any reading above 50 indicates that the said sector is expanding. Notably, 16 of the 18 non-manufacturing industries reported expansion, led by education services, transportation and warehousing, utilities, real estate, finance & insurance, healthcare, construction, mining, retail trade, and information. 5 Solid Choices We have, thus, selected five solid service stocks that should make meaningful additions to your portfolio. These stocks flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). The search was also narrowed down with a VGM Score of A or B. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three metrics. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. Kelly Services, Inc.KELYA provides workforce solutions to various industries. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and a VGM Score of B. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 4.3% up in the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 7.9%, higher than the Staffing Firms industry’s projected rally of 3.7%. NV5 Global, Inc.NVEE provides professional and technical engineering and consulting services to public and private sector clients. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has risen 7.6% in the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current year is 17.9%, higher than the Consulting Services industry’s estimated rise of 6.6%. Limbach Holdings, Inc. LMB provides commercial specialty contract services in the United States. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and a VGM Score of B. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has climbed 35.4% in the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the current quarter is 111.1%, higher than the Building Products - Maintenance Service industry’s expected rally of 10.2%. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. MAXIMUS, Inc.MMS provides business process services (BPS) to government health and human services programs. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 1.1% up in the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the next quarter is 31.5%, higher than the Government Services industry’s projected rally of 16.2%. First American Financial CorporationFAF, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of B. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 0.9% up in the past 60 days. The company’s expected earnings growth for the next quarter is 13.13%, slightly higher than the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry’s projected rally of 13.10%. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities. These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Click to get this free reportFirst American Financial Corporation (FAF) : Free Stock Analysis ReportNV5 Global, Inc. (NVEE) : Free Stock Analysis ReportKelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMaximus, Inc. (MMS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportLimbach Holdings, Inc. (LMB) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Dog Chapman Wants Fan Videos for Beth's Colorado Funeral Service Dog the Bounty Hunter wants to celebrate his late wife's life with not just her family and friends, but with her millions of fans. The reality star is planning Beth Chapman's Celebration of Life service, that is set to go down in Aurora, CO. Dog and his family want fans to forward videos sharing their memories, thoughts and condolences about Beth. We're told the plan is for the videos to be edited together and played during the memorial service. As we reported, the service is scheduled for July 13 at the Heritage Christian Center. The event, which will run from 2-4, is also open to the public . The Colorado memorial will be the final service for Beth, after the Hawaiian one that went down over the weekend. Dog and the Chapman family attended the traditional ceremony , which included Hawaiian chants and a paddle out to spread flowers out in the ocean. During the Hawaiian ceremony, Dog and the family spread some of Beth's ashes into the waters off Fort DeRussy beach in Waikiki. Beth's remains were cremated, per her wishes, and after half of her ashes were spread in Hawaii, the others will be spread near her family home in Colorado. Millions of fans have been touched by the loss of Beth, and Dog recently shared his thanks for the outpouring of emotion and support. "Love you all and thank you very much for the support you have been giving for Beth," the bounty hunter wrote.
Wasps nests the size of cars are coming back to Alabama after an unusually mild winter Scientists have warned that giant wasps nests the size of cars could return to the US this summer. In 2006, up to 90 nests of yellow jacket wasps were uncovered in Alabama, including one made of up 15,000 insects that was the size of a car. Last month, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System , based at two of the state’s universities, warned that 2019 could see a repeat of such large nests, thanks to a mild winter. Entomologist Charles Ray, a research fellow at Auburn University, said this summer could also see huge perennial yellow jacket nests. Because of the warmer climate and abundance of food, colonies are surviving the winter months and entering spring with greater numbers. Wasps nest as big as this one could return to Alabama this summer (Picture: Alabama Cooperative Extension System) While a normal yellow jacket nest, found in the ground or a cavity, may contain up to 5,000 workers, perennial nests can grow much larger. “These perennial nests may be several feet wide and have many thousands of workers, far more than an average nest,” said Mr Ray. “We have found them attached to home exteriors and other places you might not expect to find yellow jackets. Read more Insects could die out ‘in worst extinction since the dinosaurs’, experts warn Brexit Party MEP ridiculed on Twitter after complaining about travelling to EU Glastonbury rubbish clean-up operation begins as music fans head home from festival “The most workers I have counted in a perennial nest is about 15,000 or about three to four times more than a normal nest. “However, one nest in South Carolina was documented with more 250,000 workers.” The last time "super" wasps nest were found in Alabama was in 2006 (Picture: Alabama Cooperative Extension System) Mr Ray said there were two confirmed perennial nests in May, while there have been reports of a third. He said the first giant nest of the year in 2006 wasn’t identified until June 13. “If we are seeing them a month sooner than we did in 2006, I am very concerned that there will be a large number of them in the state,” he said. Imagine a colony of yellow jackets the size of a car, filled with 15,000 stinging insects. Now, imagine more than 90 in the state. It happened in 2006 & an Alabama Extension entomologist says 2019 may mirror 2006. https://t.co/SVW5YhIMnt @spann @AlfaFarmers @wsfa12news pic.twitter.com/EfyCicyXHF — Alabama Extension (@ACESedu) June 21, 2019 “The nests I have seen this year already have more than 10,000 workers and are expanding rapidly.” Story continues He warned people not to disturb the nests and that removal should only be carried out by licensed pest controllers. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
U.S. June sales a mixed bag for automakers; SUVs, trucks still strong By Nick Carey and Ankit Ajmera (Reuters) - Major automakers on Tuesday posted mixed U.S. sales results for June and the second quarter, with demand still fairly strong for SUVs and pickup trucks while passenger car sales continued a long-running decline. In the pickup truck segment, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's (FCA) <FCAU.N> <FCHA.MI> Ram outsold General Motors Co's <GM.N> Chevrolet Silverado in the second quarter. GM reports sales on a quarterly instead of monthly basis. The Silverado has long held second place behind Ford Motor Co's <F.N> F-Series pickup trucks, with Ram often a distant third. But so far in 2019, FCA's sales of Ram pickups have outpaced Chevy Silverado sales by more than 40,000 vehicles. FCA, GM and Ford escalated a price war in June over pickup trucks - one of few vehicle market segments offering substantial profits, which matters at a time when overall U.S. new-vehicle sales are expected to fall this year. High interest rates, plus competition from millions of nearly new, off-lease vehicles have translated into fewer consumers splurging on new cars. After a weak start to the year, sales in the last couple of months have been largely flat versus 2018. "The market is not as down as it was to start off the year, which says a lot about market stability," said George Augustaitis, director of industry analysis at CarGurus Inc, an online marketplace for new and used cars. "At this point, a Fed interest rate cut could be the thing that sparks the industry." There have been growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year, possibly as soon as at the central bank's next policy meeting at the end of July, although Fed officials last week pushed back on those expectations. FCA said its sales rose 2% in June, driven by a 56% jump in Ram sales. "This type of year-over-year growth is likely not sustainable in the short term, however, calendar-year-to-date, our pick-up truck sales are up 28%," FCA U.S. sales chief Reid Bigland said in a statement. "As a result I do feel that double-digit truck growth is achievable well into the future." GM said second-quarter sales fell 1.5%, with strong sport utility vehicle sales offset by poor performance for its pickup trucks. The No. 1 U.S. automaker said sales of trucks would pick up in the third quarter as both its most popular and most affordable versions of the Silverado will hit dealer showrooms. Ford, which like GM reports sales quarterly, saw its sales fall 4.1% in the second quarter, with retail sales to consumers down more than 8%, according to auto industry data. Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> reported a 3.5% drop in sales for June, led by falling sedan sales. In the last few years, Americans have increasingly shunned passenger cars in favor of larger, more comfortable SUVs and pickup trucks. Nissan Motor Co Ltd's <7201.T> sales plunged nearly 15%, with huge drops for much of its lineup including the best-selling Rogue SUV. After years of relying on steep discounts to increase U.S. market share, Nissan is trying to pull back so it can sell vehicles more profitably. Billy Hayes, Nissan's North American vice president for sales, said many of the automaker's models will be revamped in the next year or two, which will help lift sales. Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> on Tuesday reported a 1.5% rise in U.S. sales for June, lifted by strong demand for SUVs and trucks. (Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Nick Carey in Detroit; Editing by James Emmanuel, Matthew Lewisand Leslie Adler)
Facebook Takes Steps to Curb Sensational Health Claims (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. said it’s taking steps to curb postings about sensational medical or health-related claims, after a report said the social media site and YouTube were being overrun with content containing potentially harmful information about alternative cancer treatments. The Wall Street Journal conducted an investigation into the two sites, prompting Facebook to address the situation in a blog post Tuesday. The Journal found that widespread misinformation sometimes appeared alongside advertisements, videos or pages for proven treatments. In a post Tuesday, Facebook said that last month it made two changes to its ranking algorithms to reduce posts with exaggerated or sensational health claims and those attempting to sell products or services based on health-related claims. The company said it’s doing this in a way similar to how it’s handled other low-quality content: by identifying phrases commonly used in the posts and then showing them lower in the News Feed. Tech companies are increasingly trying to battle a proliferation of dubious health-related content on their sites, and are also aggressively trying to weed out hate speech and political misinformation. To contact the reporter on this story: Molly Schuetz in New York at mschuetz9@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Robin Ajello For more articles like this, please visit us atbloomberg.com ©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Get the Magic Bullet Baby Bullet for 25% off at Amazon TL:DR:Make a week's worth of baby food in five minutes with theMagic Bullet Baby Bullet— now just $59.99 at Amazon, a savings of $20. Making your own baby food has never been easier than with the Magic Bullet’s adorableBaby Bullet Baby Care System. This mini version ofthe Magic Bulletis sure to be your cutest kitchen appliance. This food processor can make up to a week's worth of baby food in less than five minutes. Pre-made baby food can be filled with hidden sugars and other ingredients, but with the Baby Bullet you can ensure your baby’s food is made with love and the freshest ingredientsThe Baby Bullet Baby Care Systemnot only comes with the baby bullet itself but also includes six date dial storage cups so you can keep track of when your baby’s food was made, and batch trays that can be easily popped into the freezer to save for later so even your baby can be #mealprepgoals.Read more... More aboutFood Preparation,Baby,Mashable Shopping,Shopping Skimlinks, andShopping Solo
StockBeat - Cars.com Zooms as Citigroup Upgrade Drives Optimism Investing.com – Cars.com accelerated Tuesday as Citigroup upgraded its rating on the company, citing an attractive valuation. Citigroup upgraded Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) to buy from neutral as it noted that the company’s current valuation was low even when the prospect of an acquisition was excluded, sending the company's shares more than 4% higher. The Chicago-based company runs a digital research marketplace for car shoppers. Since September, Cars.com has been exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale amid pressure from activist investor Starboard Value, which bought a 9.9% stake in the company in December 2017. The stake represented 9.58% of the outstanding shares as of March 30. Starboard late last year suggested the company should sell itself or shake up its management hierarchy to bolster its stock price. Cars.com responded by slashing its workforce by nearly 8% as it sought to rein in costs. The moves have not helped the stock. The shares peaked at $32.94 in July 2018 and slumped to an intraday low of $19.08 on June 26. They're down 2.3% in 2019. The company, however, has not set a timetable for a sale and said it would not provide additional details until the board approves a specific course of action or determines further disclosure is appropriate or required by law. The investment community is largely holding out for a possible acquisition of Cars.com, with CFRA in April maintaining its buy rating on the stock, which it said was predicated on a takeout. Related Articles Wall St. muted as trade optimism fades Sweden stocks higher at close of trade; OMX Stockholm 30 up 0.31% Deutsche Bank held talks with Citi, BNP on shedding chunk of equities business: Wall Street Journal
"Spider-Man: Far From Home" Star Zendaya Is Afraid Tom Holland Will Die in His Spidey Suit Working on a movie like Spider-Man: Far From Home definitely has more than its fair share of thrilling moments, but for one of the film's stars, it’s also more than a bit terrifying. Zendaya , who plays M.J. in the movies, revealed that she’s really afraid her costar Tom Holland will die in his Spider-Man suit. While the Spider-Man suit is certainly iconic and being chosen to don the red-and-blue spandex suit is a huge honor, it doesn’t sound like Z feels like she’s missing out on much. Zendaya shared her fears for Tom’s safety with MTV News , saying, “I get scared all the time like, what if he’s working so hard that he throws up. And then he can’t— he chokes!” Yikes! “I look at him like ‘Please, I hope he never gets sick,’” she added. Z and Tom have become very good friends since working on Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, so it makes sense that she’d fear for her friend’s safety while he works. Tom has talked about the intricacies of wearing the suit, saying that to get a drink, he has to remove his eyes. (Stay with us here.) "Basically, my eyes in my mask, they clip off, they come off, because they’re glass, and obviously the suit is fabric, and they need to clip in,” he said. “And what I can do is I can take my left one out, and there’s a little, like, thing that I pull out, and then I put a tube, a squeezy tube, down into my mouth, and then I can drink from a bottle.” He can eat through it too, but it sounds like quite a feat. “I found out is that if I push the mask forward, I can now squeeze gum and stuff down the eye hole.” After reading that, we totally get why Z would be a bit squeamish about the whole Spidey suit thing. It does sound pretty darn complicated, so we’re glad Tom has a pal like Zendaya looking out for his safety at work. Peter Parker would be proud. https://twitter.com/MTVNEWS/status/1145744170012819456 Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email . Want more from Teen Vogue ? Check this out: "Spider-Man: Far From Home" Star Tom Holland Has an Interesting Way of Drinking Through His Spidey Suit See the video. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue View comments
Banks scramble to re-pitch for Aramco IPO roles: sources By Clara Denina , Saeed Azhar and Hadeel Al Sayegh LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) - Investment banks are scrambling to re-pitch to advise Saudi Aramco on a possible initial public offering, sources familiar with the matter said, with Saudi Arabia's energy minister confirming plans for the listing to proceed in 2020 or 2021. "Bankers previously involved in the IPO are pushing for meetings with Aramco," one of the sources said. "There is some shifting in terms of what roles the banks might have if IPO talks go ahead." JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and HSBC were picked to play a leading role in the world's biggest ever IPO when the plan was first announced in 2016. Boutique investment banks Moelis & Co and Evercore were also hired by Aramco as independent advisers. But plans for a domestic and international listing were later postponed. The Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih, who also chairs Aramco, said on Tuesday the company was ready to start working on the long-awaited listing, adding it could happen in 2020-2021. "The IPO process was never fully suspended," al-Falih said. "We have always been clear that the IPO will happen in the 2020-2021 timeframe. We have never stopped talking about the IPO." Al-Falih pointed to Aramco's $69.1 billion acquisition of a 70 percent stake in petrochemicals firm Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) along with a recent $12 billion bonds sale as the main reason for the IPO delay. "Now that all of these issues have been cleared, we are ready to start planning for the IPO," he said. Al-Falih confirmed the same timeline that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, provided on June 16 when he said the government remained fully committed to the IPO project, expecting it to take place between 2020 and early 2021. MbS's comments triggered a series of approaches by international investment banks who wanted to be in the driving seat, one of the sources said. The IPO is a centrepiece of the crown prince's plan to diversify the kingdom's economy beyond oil. "It is a catch 22 situation," another source said. "After the statement by the Crown Prince, banks have been rushing to Aramco to pitch." As part of their client coverage, investment banks frequently discuss listing options with Aramco, but no formal IPO process is underway, a third source said. Bloomberg earlier reported on Tuesday that Saudi Aramco recently held talks with a group of investment banks to discuss roles in its potential initial public offering, citing people familiar with the matter. (Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal, Ron Bousso and Ismail Shakil. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Why Is The Driver's ZIP Code So Important For Car Insurance Companies? LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2019 /Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains how the zip code can affect the price ofcar insurance premiums. For more info and free quotes, visithttps://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-car-insurance-varies-by-zip-code/ Car insurance can help drivers overcome some delicate situations that involve the paying of medical bills, damage claims, and legal expenses. Some drivers get confused when they start comparing their insurance policies with their relatives or friends and they notice the huge differences between them. One of the most important reasons for these differences is the ZIP code. The ZIP code can help the insurers find out more about the following factors that determine the insurance premiums: • The number of claims in a certain area.Drivers that live in areas where the number of claims is high, will have to pay more money on their insurance rates. • Population density. Living in an urban area is usually more expensive. The car insurance premiums paid by those living in high-density urban areas are higher when compared with the premiums paid by drivers that are living in the suburbs. • Climate.Those who live in areas where the winters are longer and more severe are likely to pay more money on car insurance. Also, higher rates will be paid by drivers that live in areas known to be affected by floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes. • Crime rates.In some areas, cars are stolen more often or they are vandalized. Especially in large port cities, where specialized gangs are known to steal vehicles in order to send them to foreign countries. Also, drivers have higher chances of getting their cars vandalized if they happen to live in large cities. • Unemployment.In areas where the number of unemployed persons is high, there is also a high number of persons that are driving without insurance. Uninsured drivers who are causing an accident are responsible for large losses suffered by insurance providers. Insurance companies will compensate for those losses by increasing the premiums of their paying customers. • Road conditions. Living in an area where the roads are filled with potholes will make the insurance costs go up. The same happens if there are any dangerous intersections nearby. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visithttps://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "For any insurance company, the neighborhood where a customer lives is very important. Customers living in good and safe neighborhoods pay less on their premiums, while drivers living in dangerous neighborhoods will pay more on their insurance rates.", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Contact:cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz SOURCE:Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/550600/Why-Is-The-Drivers-ZIP-Code-So-Important-For-Car-Insurance-Companies
Let's set some ground rules to safely build, test, and drive robo-cars When it comes to developing and testing self-driving cars or building the software and parts that grant them the power to drive autonomously, it's often considered the wild west here in the U.S. So to get the future of high-level autonomous driving on the same page, Aptiv, Audi, Baidu, BMW, Continental, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Here Technologies, Infineon, Intel, and Volkswagen came together with itheir "Safety First for Automated Driving" publication, released Tuesday. This isn't about technical solutions to make self-driving cars safer, but an overall look at how the industry monitors and reports safety standards while building, testing, and operating autonomous vehicles.Read more... More aboutSafety,Autonomous Vehicles,Self Driving Cars,Tech, andTransportation
Orsu Metals Begins Drilling as Part of 2019 Exploration Program at Sergeevskoe Gold Project, Russia VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 2, 2019 /Orsu Metals Corporation (OSU.V) ("Orsu" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2019 exploration season at its Sergeevskoe Property, Zabaikalskiy Krai, Russian Federation. Highlights: • Drilling, as Stage 1 (3,500 meters of drilling) of the 2019 exploration programme, started at Zone 23 to be continued at Peak Klyuchi, Kozie and Klyuchi West domains • Stage 1 will also test previously undrilled occurrences Dr. Alexander Yakubchuk, Director of Exploration of Orsu commented:"We started drilling at the potential western extension of Zone 23 that contains the largest part of the maiden Sergeevskoe resource announced in April 2019.The priority for Stage 1 of the 2019 exploration programme is to expand the mineralized envelope and to test previously undrilled occurrences." Orsu has commenced its previously announced 3500 m drilling and 3000 m trenching programme at Sergeevskoe (see press release May 14, 2019). In 2019, the Company will expand its activity into other parts of the 7.6 square km Sergeevskoe license. These activities will include drill testing of the Sergeeva and Pridorozhnoe occurrences (Figure 1) beyond the one square km area of the focus in 2017-18. The Company will further test additional targets within the area of the Inferred mineral resource (see press release April 17, 2019; Figure 2). This part of the programme will focus on deeper parts of Klyuchi West, Intermediate and Zone 23 domains. Although drilling started at the western extension of Zone 23, the 2019 programme will also test the area to the north of Kozie, where mineralized veins were outlined at the extent of drilling, which did not constrain the northern limit of the mineralized envelopes. Figure 1. An outline of the 7.6 sq km Sergeevskoe license area with location of principal gold prospects and adjacent Klyuchevskoe open pit. The area of 2017-18 exploration works is shown in red. (To view the full-size image, please clickhere) Figure 2. Plan view of the maiden Mineral Resource block model at Sergeevskoe and exploration targets at its western and northwestern extension. Grey-blue colours depict mineralized intercepts in the historical holes. (To view the full-size image, please clickhere) Qualified Person Alexander Yakubchuk, the Company's Director of Exploration, Ph.D., MIMMM, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the exploration information disclosures contained in this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement: This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. ENDS For further information, please contact: Alexander Yakubchuk, Director of Exploration, Orsu Metals CorporationDoris Meyer, Corporate Secretary, Orsu Metals CorporationTel: +1-604-536-2711 ext 6 SOURCE:Orsu Metals Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/550302/Orsu-Metals-Begins-Drilling-as-Part-of-2019-Exploration-Program-at-Sergeevskoe-Gold-Project-Russia
Gemini to Apply for Broker-Dealer License in Bid to Trade Crypto Securities The Winklevoss-owned cryptocurrency exchange Gemini will apply for a broker-dealer license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), CoinDesk has learned. This is the first step toward becoming an approved Alternative Trading System, where customers can lawfully swap digital securities. Gemini previously partnered with the tokenized securities platformHarbor, which allows institutional investors to buy securities with Gemini’s GUSD stablecoin and to also receive dollar-denominated dividends via GUSD. It stands to reason that Gemini would also want to facilitate the trading of such securities on its own platform. Related:Gemini Hires 5 Former Coinbase Engineers for New Chicago Crypto Office In February, Harbor CEO Joshua Stein told CoinDesk that brokers, family offices and investment banks are still “interested at a significant level” in tokens, even though the more stringent regulatory climate subdued 2017’s broader market frenzy. So far, the platform has focused on the potential for fractionalizedreal estateand startup equity, though it’s sole real-estate dealfell throughin April. “The [Gemini] team is very easy to work with and we are aligned in terms of taking a proactive regulatory approach and addressing the needs of the institutional players in the market,” Harbor’s marketing lead, Kevin Young, told CoinDesk. A source with knowledge of Gemini’s operations told CoinDesk the plan is to permit securities from external platforms such as Harbor to eventually trade on Gemini. However, winning the necessary approvals may take time. FINRA has so far appearedreticent to approve broker-dealer applicationsby companies interacting with cryptocurrencies, even as security tokens. The self-regulatory organization is reportedly sitting on roughly 40 applications for these approvals, with companies waiting as long as 14 months. Only time will tell if Gemini will also become a trading platform for tokenized securities. Related:Stonewalled by FINRA, Up to 40 Crypto Securities Wait in Limbo for Launch Gemini is already a qualified on a state-level to custody digital assets, an approval the company received in2015through the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). Cameron and Tyler Winklevossimage via Shutterstock • FINRA Fines Ex-Merrill Lynch Investment Adviser Over Crypto Mining Sideline • Ethereum Investment Vehicle Approved for Small Investors
PuroClean Announces Companywide Adoption of Xactware's Restoration Manager Tamarac, Fla. (June X, 2019) -At its 2019 international convention,PuroCleanannounced its companywide implementation of Xactware`sRestoration ManagerTMsolution. Across the United States and Canada, the PuroClean Network will now have access to the Restoration Manager enhanced suite of third-party administrator (TPA) compliance and project-planning tools. Xactware is a Verisk (VRSK) business. Restoration Manager is a job management application that helps restoration professionals coordinate tasks and streamline work. PuroClean executives are excited about the many new features in Restoration Manager. Among the most significant are Google Maps functionality and two-way integration with Xactimate®. "Our goal is to provide world-class service to our local and national accounts alike," said Steve White, PuroClean president and COO. "I`m happy to say that our adoption of Restoration Manager and its transparent, companywide project portal represents absolute progress toward that goal and assists us in further providing relentless customer service." Bud Summers, PuroClean executive vice president of operations and training, said that Restoration Manager will vastly improve the services that PuroClean offices provide to their customers. "The implementation of the Restoration Manager software is a great step forward for us. It will increase our franchises` efficiency in the office and in the field." PuroClean`s network spans more than 280 franchises throughout the United States and Canada. Using Restoration Manager, these franchises will now have a more efficient system for documenting, tracking, managing, and improving both TPA and non-TPA jobs. "We`re excited for the opportunity to support PuroClean," said Xactware`s president, Mike Fulton. "It`s a company dedicated to providing a high level of customer service, and we hope to continue to be a part of PuroClean`s success for many years to come." Since 2001, PuroClean has become one of the fastest-growing restoration franchise companies in North America. Each year, PuroClean performs thousands of jobs, providing restoration services from common household mishaps to large-scale disasters. For more information on PuroClean, call 1-800-775-7876 or visitwww.puroclean.com. For more information about Xactware`s solutions, call Xactware at 1-800-424-9228 or visitwww.xactware.com. About PuroCleanKnown as the "Paramedics of Property Damage®," PuroClean provides water damage remediation, flood water removal, fire and smoke damage remediation, mold removal, and biohazard cleanup to commercial and residential customers. Founded in 2001, PuroClean has a comprehensive network of 280-plus franchise offices across North America. PuroClean technicians are thoroughly screened, insured, and trained in utilizing the latest in mitigation technology and procedures, while operating under a strict code of ethics. Each PuroClean office is independently owned and operated. For more information about PuroClean, contact 1-800-775-7876 or visitwww.puroclean.com; for franchise information, visitwww.puroclean.com/franchise. About Xactware Xactware specializes in technologies for the property insurance, remodeling, restoration, and mortgage and lending industries. Xactware`s tools provide claims estimating, contents replacement, claims management, and property maintenance solutions for desktop and online platforms. Xactware`s services include repair cost research and reports, aerial imagery, and real-time business intelligence. Xactware has been providing cloud services for customers since 1995. Xactware is a Verisk (VRSK) business. For more information about Xactware`s solutions, contact 1-800-424-9228 or visitwww.xactware.com. ### Media Contacts:Hemsworth CommunicationsRachel Tabacnic / Julie Hong954-716-7614 orPuroCleanPR@HemsworthCommunications.com XactwareJens Dana801-932-8653 or jadana@verisk.com This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.Source: Xactware via GlobeNewswireHUG#2246765
Samsung CEO admits botched Galaxy Fold launch was 'embarrassing' It's no secret that Samsung's Galaxy Fold launch didn't exactlygo as planned. And while we still don't have an official launch date for Samsung's first foldable smartphone, at least the company's ready to admit that it fumbled the ball on this one. Speaking to a group of reporters in Seoul, Samsung CEO DJ Koh said that the Fold launch was "embarrassing," and that he'd pushed for it to happen "before it was ready," the IndependentreportedMonday. SEE ALSO:Samsung sets a date for its big Galaxy Note 10 reveal Samsung's foldable phone was originally slated for an April launch, but the company postponed it after several reviewers reported seriousissueswith their Fold units. Since then, the company kept saying the launch date would be announced "in the coming weeks," but no official date has been revealed.Read more... More aboutSamsung,Samsung Galaxy Fold,Tech, andSmartphones
Airline Stock Roundup: UAL's Expansion Plans,LUV's 737 MAX Update & More In the past week, United Continental Holdings changed its name to United Airlines Holdings UAL with immediate effect. Additionally, United Airlines disclosed its intention to launch a second daily nonstop flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong from Oct 26, 2019. Expansion-related updates were also available from the likes of JetBlue Airways JBLU and Alaska Air Group’s ALK subsidiary — Alaska Airlines. Southwest Airlines LUV too dominated headlines in the past week, courtesy of its updates on Boeing 737 MAX jets. This Dallas-based carrier initially said that the disputed jets in its fleet would remain grounded until Oct 1. However, on Jul 1, the low-cost carrier’s CEO reportedly stated that the 737 MAX jets in its fleet are not anticipated not operate even beyond that date owing to a new glitch detected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, European low-cost carrier, Ryanair Holdings RYAAY, amended its buyback program in the past week. (Read the last Airline Stock Roundup here) Recap of Past Week’s Most Important Stories 1. United Airlines’ decision to launch additional flights to Hong Kong highlights its efforts to expand in Asia as the market offers significant commercial potential.Notably, the carrier will operate twice daily on this route using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. With the commencement of the new services, United Airlines will cover a total of 29 international destinations from San Francisco, serving eight cities across Europe, India and the Middle East, seven in North America, and 14 in Asia and Oceania. We remind investors that another airline heavyweight — Delta Airlines DAL — too recently announced its intention to expand in Asia by virtue its decision to invest in Hanjin Kal Corp.— the largest shareholder of Korean Air Lines. United Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 2. Southwest Airlines has the largest exposure to Boeing 737 MAX jets among U.S. carriers. With 34 such jets in its fleet, the company had to cancel 115 flights on daily basis due to the groundings. The number may go up further as the jets are not expected to resume service in the next couple of months. The decision followed the FAA’s finding of another potential safety issue with the jets. The problem reportedly involves a microprocessor. The failure of the microprocessor during a flight can push the airplane's nose down. This comes as a major disappointment, with Boeing working on software upgrades for months following the crash of 737 Max 8 jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia, which resulted in the grounding of this model this March. 3. JetBlue has plans to expand further across the Caribbean with a nonstop winter service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Guadeloupe’s Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport. Besides the Caribbean expansion, the new service will help JetBlue boost its New York focus city strategy. The thrice-weekly flight will begin operation in February 2020. In the meantime, passengers can start booking seats from the next few weeks onward. (Read more: JetBlue to Start New York-Guadeloupe Service in 2020) 4. In line with its objective to limit the number of British shareholders, Ryanair amended the terms of a €700-million stock repurchase program. The €700-million buyback program commenced on May 21, 2019, and is expected to run for the next 9-12 months. Per the amended agreement, the airline will allow shares to be repurchased via block trades from EU shareholders. (Read more: Ryanair Amends Buyback Program to Cut Back UK Shareholding) Meanwhile, June traffic (including 0.6 million from its LaudaMotion unit) rose 13% year over year to 14.2 million, courtesy of upbeat demand for air travel. However, Ryanair’s passenger growth, excluding traffic from LaudaMotion unit, was only 8% in June. Consolidated load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) in the month was 97%. The carrier operated nearly 78,000 flights (scheduled) in June. 5. In a bid to attract traffic during winter, Alaska Airlines has decided to operate additional flights to popular tourist destinations. As part of the carrier’s efforts to increase service to Florida, Alaska Airlines has decided to operate a second daily flight between Seattle and Tampa from Dec 19 and a second daily flight connecting Seattle and Fort Lauderdale from Nov 5. The carrier will also operate a second peak day flight connecting Portland and Orlando from Jan 7, 2020, apart from a third flight connecting Seattle and Orlando flight starting on peak days from Jan 7. Once the new flights are operational, the carrier will operate eight daily flights to Florida. Alaska Airlines will offer services on the new routes through its Boeing 737-900ER jets. Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last 6 months. The table above shows that all airline stocks traded in the green in the past week leading to a 2.7% gain in the NYSE ARCA Airline Index. However, over the course of the past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index declined 5.5% despite a double-digit increase in shares of GOL Linhas GOL. What's Next in the Airline Space? Investors will keenly await June traffic reports from the likes of Delta over the course of the next five trading days. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportJetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) : Free Stock Analysis ReportRyanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis ReportUnited Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAlaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis ReportDelta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis ReportSouthwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Are ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.’s (NYSE:ZTO) Returns On Investment Worth Your While? Want to participate in a short research study ? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll evaluate ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. ( NYSE:ZTO ) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business. Firstly, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it? ROCE measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'. How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed? The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) Or for ZTO Express (Cayman): 0.13 = CN¥4.4b ÷ (CN¥40b - CN¥5.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) So, ZTO Express (Cayman) has an ROCE of 13%. See our latest analysis for ZTO Express (Cayman) Is ZTO Express (Cayman)'s ROCE Good? ROCE can be useful when making comparisons, such as between similar companies. We can see ZTO Express (Cayman)'s ROCE is around the 11% average reported by the Logistics industry. Separate from ZTO Express (Cayman)'s performance relative to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms looks satisfactory, and it may be worth researching in more depth. ZTO Express (Cayman)'s current ROCE of 13% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 20% ROCE. This makes us wonder if the business is facing new challenges. The image below shows how ZTO Express (Cayman)'s ROCE compares to its industry, and you can click it to see more detail on its past growth. Story continues NYSE:ZTO Past Revenue and Net Income, July 2nd 2019 When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. ROCE can be misleading for companies in cyclical industries, with returns looking impressive during the boom times, but very weak during the busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for ZTO Express (Cayman) . ZTO Express (Cayman)'s Current Liabilities And Their Impact On Its ROCE Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. Due to the way the ROCE equation works, having large bills due in the near term can make it look as though a company has less capital employed, and thus a higher ROCE than usual. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets. ZTO Express (Cayman) has total assets of CN¥40b and current liabilities of CN¥5.7b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 14% of its total assets. Current liabilities are minimal, limiting the impact on ROCE. The Bottom Line On ZTO Express (Cayman)'s ROCE This is good to see, and with a sound ROCE, ZTO Express (Cayman) could be worth a closer look. There might be better investments than ZTO Express (Cayman) out there, but you will have to work hard to find them . These promising businesses with rapidly growing earnings might be right up your alley. I will like ZTO Express (Cayman) better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com . This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Should We Worry About Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited's (TSE:CTC.A) P/E Ratio? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited's (TSE:CTC.A) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity.Canadian Tire has a P/E ratio of 13.34, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 7.5%. Check out our latest analysis for Canadian Tire Theformula for P/Eis: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Canadian Tire: P/E of 13.34 = CA$142.68 ÷ CA$10.7 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) A higher P/E ratio means that investors are payinga higher pricefor each CA$1 of company earnings. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E. Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings. Canadian Tire had pretty flat EPS growth in the last year. But EPS is up 9.0% over the last 5 years. The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Canadian Tire has a higher P/E than the average (10.1) P/E for companies in the multiline retail industry. Canadian Tire's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should delve deeper. I like to checkif company insiders have been buying or selling. It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio. Canadian Tire has net debt worth 83% of its market capitalization. If you want to compare its P/E ratio to other companies, you should absolutely keep in mind it has significant borrowings. Canadian Tire's P/E is 13.3 which is below average (14.9) in the CA market. Given meaningful debt, and a lack of recent growth, the market looks to be extrapolating this recent performance; reflecting low expectations for the future. Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So thisfreevisual report on analyst forecastscould hold the key to an excellent investment decision. But note:Canadian Tire may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20). We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
3 Biggest China Winners Among US Chipmakers Presidents Trump and Xi held their meeting at the G20 summit this past weekend, and came out smiling. While both governments are vague about details, their public tone has been upbeat. The conventional wisdom is that both leaders got part of what they wanted; Trump can claim success by continuing the current tariffs and getting China to resume purchasing US agricultural products, and Xi can point to the hold on further tariffs and resumption of US commercial ties to Huawei as wins. Both governments are pleased that trade negotiations will resume. The news gave markets a shot in the arm. The S&P 500 hit another all-time high on July 1, closing at 2,964, and the Dow and Nasdaq showed near-record levels. Among the biggest winners, however, were the semiconductor companies. The chip industry generally, but American chip makers especially, had been hit hard by the trade tensions. Restrictions on American imports to Huawei, and the threat of additional tariffs on Chinese trade, put intense pressure on America’s chip industry. That pressure is now reduced, and the big names in American semiconductors are rising. Let’s dip intoTipRanks’ databasefor the details. Qualcomm’s stock got a 1.9% bump after the Trump-Xi meeting, closing on July 1 at $77.52. The company’s main relief was on the Huawei front; Qualcomm was one of several chipmakers that directly lobbied the White House to ease restrictions on the Chinese telecom company’s access to US-sourced components. Maintaining trade links between American chip producers and Chinese markets is of major importance to Qualcomm. The company is exposed to China’s markets directly, through its links with Huawei, and indirectly, through its position in Apple’s supply chain. Both links are threatened by a US-China trade war, but as long as the countries talk and hold off on tit-for-tat tariffs, Qualcomm and its investors can breathe easier. QCOM’s most recent analyst review comes fromJames Faucetteof Morgan Stanley. Faucette points out that Qualcomm’s investors “[require] a bit more mettle given its history of political and legal risks, but at current levels the stock is still worth the noise.” His comments referred to the company’s recent legal battle with Apple (AAPL), but goes on to say that QCOM can see a positive impact from an uplift in Huawei. He estimates Qualcomm’s FY2021 EPS at a robust $6.80, and gives the stock a $95 price target. This suggests an upside of 22%. Overall, QCOM shares have a ‘Moderate Buy’ from the analyst consensus, and an average price target of $85. With a share price of $77, this gives the stock a 10% upside potential. Micron was another winner, posting a 3.9% gain in Monday’s trading. Micron had managed to maintain its shipments to Huawei despite the restrictions imposed on the Chinese company. With that trade now less vulnerable, MU can breathe easier. Trade with Huawei makes up some 13% of Micron’s revenue stream. Easing trade tensions aren’t the only good news for MU, however. The company also posted a rosy Q3 report for FY19. Revenues were up, at $4.79 billion, and 2% above the forecast. EPS, reported at $1.05, was an impressive 33% above expectation. With a strong quarter behind it, and clearer trade with China ahead of it, it’s no wonder that Micron’s shares are rising. Wall Street’s analysts are responding to the MU’s good news as you may expect, with positive ratings on the stock.Rajvindra Gill, five-star analyst from Needham, upgraded his stance on MU, moving it from ‘hold’ to ‘buy.’ His price target, $50, suggests a 24% upside to the stock. JPMorgan’sHarlan Sur, writing just before the Trump-Xi meeting, also took an upbeat posture on Micron. Noting that the company was maintaining its links with Huawei, he added, “technology migrations and manufacturing ramps in DRAM and NAND, combined with a focus on higher value-add products, should be tailwinds to gross margins into next year.” Like Gill, Sur gave MU a $50 price target. With buys, 6 holds, and 4 sells assigned in the past three month, MU shares get a ‘Moderate Buy’ from the analyst consensus. The stock is currently priced at $40.11, so the $42.29 average price target indicates a potential upside of 5.4%. Broadcom gained 4.3% after news of the successful trade meeting, making it the biggest winner among the major US chip companies. With a 5% sales exposure to Huawei, Broadcom faced a somewhat lower threat than its competitors, but the improvement in US-China relations still came as a relief. The company had predicted a $2 billion reduction in sales in 2019, had the Huawei ban remained in place. Wall Street’s analysts were cautious in their reviews of AVGO shares before the trade talks thawed. Writing from Mizuho,Vijay Rakeshspecifically noted “a broad-based slowdown with geopolitical tensions, the Huawei ban, and tariff concerns in lowering its fiscal 2019 sales guidance 8%.” Looking ahead, however, Rakesh saw potential for improvement, and said, “a resolution of geopolitical tensions and bans could drive a mean reversion in stronger demand and inventory build.” Tensions have eased; AVGO’s quick market gains are a clear indication that traders agree with the analyst on near-term possibilities for gains. Rakesh’s price target, $330, suggests that those gains will be on the order of 10%. With a ‘Strong Buy’ from the analyst consensus, and a 3% average upside, Broadcom has both the best rating and the lowest potential of the stocks in this article, reflecting, perhaps, its lower-risk exposure to Huawei. Shares are priced at $300; the average price target is $308.
Those Who Purchased Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI) Shares Three Years Ago Have A 44% Loss To Show For It Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Acuity Brands, Inc.(NYSE:AYI) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 14% in the last month. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. Truth be told the share price declined 44% in three years and that return, Dear Reader, falls short of what you could have got from passive investing with an index fund. See our latest analysis for Acuity Brands While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During the unfortunate three years of share price decline, Acuity Brands actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 11% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. The modest 0.4% dividend yield is unlikely to be guiding the market view of the stock. Revenue is actually up 6.7% over the three years, so the share price drop doesn't seem to hinge on revenue, either. This analysis is just perfunctory, but it might be worth researching Acuity Brands more closely, as sometimes stocks fall unfairly. This could present an opportunity. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. So we recommend checking out thisfreereport showing consensus forecasts We're pleased to report that Acuity Brands shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 21% over one year. That's including the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 3.7%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. Before forming an opinion on Acuity Brands you might want to consider these3 valuation metrics. For those who like to findwinning investmentsthisfreelist of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
UK Tory contenders vow to scrap Irish border Brexit policy LONDON (AP) — The two contenders to be Britain's next prime minister both said Tuesday they would unblock the Brexit impasse by scrapping a contentious Irish border provision that has hamstrung efforts to approve a divorce agreement with the European Union. Critics accuse Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson of making empty promises — already rejected by the EU — that will send the U.K. crashing out of the 28-nation bloc without a deal to cushion the shock. Hunt and Johnson — Britain's foreign secretary and his immediate predecessor — are competing to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, who is quitting as leader of the Conservative Party and the country after Parliament rejected her Brexit deal. A key sticking point is a measure known as the backstop, designed to ensure that the border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland remains all but invisible. Many Brexit-backing lawmakers reject it because it would keep Britain bound to EU trade rules in order to maintain an open border. And Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which props up the U.K.'s minority Conservative government, opposes the backstop over fears it could weaken the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. EU leaders insist that without the backstop there can be no withdrawal agreement. Hunt told Conservative Party members in Belfast that "we are never going to have a deal to leave the EU with the backstop. So it has to change or it has to go." He said a "technology-led solution" could remove the need for customs posts and other border infrastructure. Britain and the EU have agreed to look into technological fixes, but say a solution doesn't currently exist. Johnson said "the withdrawal agreement as it currently stands is a dead letter." He called the backstop a form of "moral blackmail" by the EU, and later tweeted: "I will never accept a deal that seeks to bind us in the EU's customs union forever, or which divides our United Kingdom." Story continues Three years on from Britain's 52%-48% vote to leave the EU, Britain's departure has been delayed twice by the country's political impasse. It is currently scheduled for Oct. 31, and both Johnson and Hunt say they will lead the U.K. out of the bloc, with or without a divorce deal. Most economists say leaving without an agreement would severely disrupt trade between Britain and the EU, plunging the country into recession. But Johnson said the warnings had been "wildly overdone." "We should not be terrified of a no-deal Brexit," he said. Johnson and Hunt are competing for the votes of about 160,000 Conservative Party members across the U.K. The winner, to be announced July 23, will replace May as party leader and prime minister. The new leader will face a country, and Parliament, deeply divided over Brexit. Polls suggest most members of the Conservative Party support a no-deal Brexit, and shrug off the warnings of economic turmoil. But most Britons, and the bulk of British businesses, oppose the idea. Treasury chief Philip Hammond, who has made increasingly loud warnings to Conservative colleagues about the risks of a no-deal Brexit, said Tuesday that leaving the EU without a divorce agreement would mean a 90 billion pound ($114 billion) hit to the public purse. "It would be wrong to pursue 'no deal' as a policy, and I believe it will be for the (House of) Commons, of which I will continue proudly to be a member, to ensure that doesn't happen," Hammond told lawmakers. ___ Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit and the Conservative Party leadership race at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
Macau Gambling Revenues Rise in June: WYNN, LVS, MLCO Gain Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub, has witnessed an increase in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in June. Despite concerns related to the economic slowdown in China and the trade war between Beijing and Washington, gaming revenues from the region increased for the second straight month. In June, gaming revenues from Macau increased to 23.81 billion patacas ($2.95 billion), up 5.9% from the year-ago period. The increase was sharply above the market expectations of 1-3% gain. While the metric rose 1.8% in May, the same declined 8.3% and 0.4% in April and March, respectively. Despite the sharp gain in June, gaming revenues from the region declined nearly 0.5% in the first half of 2019. Following impressive Macau gambling revenues, shares of companies such has Wynn Resorts Limited WYNN, Las Vegas Sands Corp. LVS, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited MLCO and MGM Resorts International MGM increased 5.9%, 4.9%, 5.1% and 0.4%, respectively. Notably, these companies generate the majority of their revenues from Macau. In the past six months, the industry has increased 16.4% compared with the S&P 500's 18.8% gain. What Lies Ahead for the Industry? Although casino operators generated solid revenues from Macau in May and June, the second quarter of 2019 is likely to witness flattish growth due to the trade war between Beijing and Washington. In 2002, China exposed Macao's gambling business to outside competition, which proved beneficial to the U.S. casino operators. However, with the trade fiasco, speculations are rife that China may reconsider the presence of notable U.S casino operators in Macao. Moreover, China may demand casino operators to apply for new concessions from the government before 2022. While the tariff war is proving detrimental to the companies with large Macau operations, the flagging China property prices are hurting the high-end VIP segment. Increased costs due to the current situation will hurt these companies further. However, we believe that casino operators have substantial opportunities in their domestic operations. Rising tourist visits to Las Vegas is proving conducive to most companies in this space. Additionally, growing tourism in Las Vegas, and the rising demand for gaming and leisure will continue to boost the industry’s performance. Casinos operators are also collaborating with the hospitality sector, setting up luxury hotels and taking initiatives to improve gaming businesses. Since these non-gaming services generate higher margins, companies are increasingly focusing on other streams to drive revenues. Moreover, legalization of sports betting outside Nevada has given the industry a new lease of life. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019 Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportMGM Resorts International (MGM) : Free Stock Analysis ReportLas Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) : Free Stock Analysis ReportWynn Resorts, Limited (WYNN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMelco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
New Strong Sell Stocks for July 2nd Here are 5 stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today: AXIS Capital Holdings Limited AXS is a provider of specialty insurance and reinsurance products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 0.2% downward over the last 30 days. BP p.l.c. BP is engaged in the energy business across the world. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 5.6% downward over the last 30 days. ConocoPhillips COP is a producer and transporter of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas liquids. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 7.1% downward over the last 30 days. Core Laboratories N.V. CLB is a provider of reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 1.5% downward over the last 30 days. FreightCar America, Inc. RAIL is a designer and manufacturer of railcars. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 15.9% downward over the last 30 days. View the entire Zacks Rank #5 List. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Freightcar America, Inc. (RAIL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Axis Capital Holdings Limited (AXS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Core Laboratories N.V. (CLB) : Free Stock Analysis Report BP p.l.c. (BP) : Free Stock Analysis Report ConocoPhillips (COP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research
A Closer Look At Contura Energy, Inc.'s (NYSE:CTRA) Impressive ROE Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! While some investors are already well versed in financial metrics (hat tip), this article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE) and why it is important. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Contura Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CTRA). Over the last twelve monthsContura Energy has recorded a ROE of 23%. One way to conceptualize this, is that for each $1 of shareholders' equity it has, the company made $0.23 in profit. View our latest analysis for Contura Energy Theformula for return on equityis: Return on Equity = Net Profit ÷ Shareholders' Equity Or for Contura Energy: 23% = US$253m ÷ US$1.1b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders' equity is a little more complicated. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. The easiest way to calculate shareholders' equity is to subtract the company's total liabilities from the total assets. ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, as a general rule,a high ROE is a good thing. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Contura Energy has a better ROE than the average (11%) in the Oil and Gas industry. That is a good sign. We think a high ROE, alone, is usually enough to justify further research into a company. For exampleyou might checkif insiders are buying shares. Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Contura Energy has a debt to equity ratio of 0.54, which is far from excessive. When I see a high ROE, fuelled by only modest debt, I suspect the business is high quality. Conservative use of debt to boost returns is usually a good move for shareholders, though it does leave the company more exposed to interest rate rises. Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So I think it may be worth checking thisfreereport on analyst forecasts for the company. Of courseContura Energy may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see thisfreecollection of other companies that have high ROE and low debt. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Aurora Cannabis (ACB) Stock Set to See Big Gains, Says Analyst It appears that no topic on Wall St. is more heatedly debated than the prospects of companies within the rapidly growing cannabis space. One such company that usually finds itself under the spotlight or scrutiny of investors and analysts is Aurora Cannabis (ACB), the world’s second largest cannabis company by market cap. With sales and operations in 24 countries in addition to an expected annual run rate of at least 625,000 kilos by midpoint next year, the company’s impressive international reach and production profile certainly make it a formidable presence within the industry. Cowen analystVivien Azerbelieves that Aurora’s cultivation footprint “provides ACB with the necessary infrastructure to weather early storms in adult use while continuing to grow higher-value revenues in the medical market,” which leads the analyst to reiterate the company with an Outperform rating and price target of C$15.00 (To watch the analyst’s track record,click here). Azer's investment thesis points out that as ACB continues to expand its geographic breadth and grow its supply, the company is securing its leadership position in capacity and profitability, “with a target to be EBITDA positive in the current fiscal quarter.” Azer also notes that the company’s presence in 23 international locations gives it a competitive advantage to dominate in the international medical market, which she estimates to grow to $31 billion by 2024. Additionally, the analyst is impressed by ACB’s “operational rigor,” which has armed the company with the ability to reach positive EBITDA as early as 4Q19 at a time when many peer companies in the industry have struggled with profitability. This accomplishment will certainly be in large part due to the economies of scale Aurora has been able to achieve, lowering cash COGS per gram 26% in the past quarter alone to C$1.42. It's also important to consider some of the potential obstacles ACB will face as it continues expanding its reach. Azer believes ACB could see increasingly restrictive regulatory roadblocks and lower than expected consumer demand. Ultimately, Azer is still steadfast in her belief that “ACB should trade at a premium to the peer group given its near term path to profitability in conjunction with strong early stage execution within the nascent Canadian cannabis adult use market.” Given Aurora’s solid positioning within the industry, Azer is not alone in her bullish outlook for ACB's stock.TipRanks analysisof eight analysts shows a Strong Buy consensus, with six analysts saying Buy and two suggesting Hold in the past 3 months. The average price target among these analysts stands at $9.85, which represents ~26% increase from current levels To read more on the nitty gritty of what’s going on in the rising cannabis industry,click here. Read more on ACB: • What Is Aurora Cannabis (ACB) Competitive Advantage? • Aurora Cannabis (ACB) Stock Has Substantial Upside; Here’s Why • Aurora Cannabis Investors Seem to Be Missing the Latin American Opportunity • Market Delays Can Derail Aurora Cannabis Stock • Is 33% Upside Good Enough to Risk Buying Fitbit (FIT) Stock? Deutsche Bank Doesn't Think So • Deutsche Bank Remains Sidelined on AMD Stock; Here's Why • Aurora Cannabis (ACB): Buy the Dip or Pump the Brakes? • Antitrust Investigation Is Not a Major Threat to Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock, Says Top Analyst
UPDATE 2-AB InBev seeks $9.8 bln for Asia unit in world's largest IPO this year * IPO price range set at HK$40-HK$47 per share * Book closes on July 11, will debut in Hong Kong on July 19 * IPO to give company market value of up to $63.7 billion (Adds Budweiser Asia business details, industry context) By Sumeet Chatterjee and Alun John HONG KONG, July 2 (Reuters) - Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (AB InBev) is seeking to raise up to $9.8 billion from a Hong Kong listing of its Asia-Pacific business, marking what would be the world's largest initial public offering this year. Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, which includes a portfolio of more than 50 beer brands in the region, is selling 1.6 billion primary shares at between HK$40-$47 ($5.13-$6.02) apiece, according to termsheets seen by Reuters. The deal will raise between $8.3 billion and $9.8 billion for heavily-indebted AB InBev before any over-allocation option is included, giving Budweiser Asia a market capitalization of up to $63.7 billion after the IPO. Even at the low end of the price range, the IPO will be the biggest globally this year, outstripping the $8.1 billion raised in New York by Uber, data from Refinitiv shows. AB InBev has previously said an IPO of its Asia business could help create a brewing champion for the region, where wealthy consumers are increasingly trading up to higher-margin premium beers, such as Budweiser or Corona. The IPO pricing values Budweiser Asia at 16-18 times its enterprise value (EV) to EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) ratio, one termsheet shows. EV-EBITDA is a common valuation metric that seeks to help investors compare companies' operations and strip out the different effects of financing costs. Budweiser Asia's ratio compares with an EV-EBITDA value of 11 for AB InBev itself, according to Refinitiv data, 15 for China-focused Tsingtao and 10 for Japan's Kirin , another Asia-centric brewing giant. The deal will be a welcome boost to Hong Kong, which is lagging behind the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq in terms of IPOs this year, with $8.9 billion to its credit compared with $14.9 billion and $17.5 billion raised by its U.S. rivals. The biggest listing in the Asian financial hub so far in 2019 has been that of Chinese securities firm Shenwan Hongyuan HK Ltd which raised $1.2 billion in April. The investor response to the offering will also act as a barometer for other large share sales in the near future, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd considering raising as much as $20 billion through a listing in Hong Kong. Budweiser Asia's deal is expected to price in New York on July 11 and the stock will debut in Hong Kong on July 19, the term sheet showed. A spokeswoman for AB InBev declined to comment. JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are the joint sponsors of the float. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank are the joint global coordinators for the offering. ($1 = 7.8015 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee, Alun John and Julie Zhu; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Aon to Offer Micro Insurance in Sri Lanka Via Blockchain Aon plcAON along with Oxfam and Etherisc recently announced the introduction of and farmer admission in a blockchain-based platform. This service offers micro-insurance to smallholder paddy field farmers in Sri Lanka, whose crops are at risk due to weather conditions.Obstacles such as dearth of affordable and trustworthy insurance products and the lack of knowhow of insurance claims have so long prevented farmers from seeking basic insurance aid. However, this new solution steers clear of all such hindrances because of its automated facility, which transforms and simplifies the claims process. Moreover, this service lowers administration expenses and fetches a higher portion of premiums used for paying claims and immediate, fully trusted payouts.This initiative with companies like Oxfam and Etherisc allows Aon to significantly increase its odds to positively impact people and small business houses across the world. The move is in line with its strategy to empower economic prospect and human potential.Notably, Oxfam with its knowledge of climate-smart agriculture and association with farmers is the perfect partner for this blockchain solution. Oxfam along with the combination of Aon’s competence in reinsurance and global insights plus Etherisc's expertise in applying blockchain technology to insurance would surely help a large portion of the Sri Lanka economy.Aon has made diligent efforts to expand via its inorganic growth plans. Its acquisitions are mainly aimed at burgeoning its health and benefits business, flood insurance solutions and risk and insurance solutions operations. Strategic collaborations also boost Aon’s capacity, making it one of the largest insurance brokers. These transactions and alliances are likely to accelerate long-term growth for Aon.Shares of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) have surged 40.7% in a year’s time, outperforming its industry’s growth of 34.4%. Stocks to ConsiderInvestors interested in the insurance industry might look into some better-ranked stocks like eHealth, Inc. EHTH, American International Group, Inc. AIG and Erie Indemnity Company ERIE, each carrying a Zacks Rank#2 (Buy). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. eHealth offers private health insurance exchange services to individuals, families and small businesses in the United States and China. It delivered a beat in three of the last four quarters, the average positive surprise being 127.73%.American International Group provides insurance products in North America and around the globe. In the trailing four quarters, the stock pulled off average positive surprise of 15.61%.Erie Indemnity works as a managing attorney-in-fact for subscribers at the Erie Insurance Exchange in the United States. It pulled off average four-quarter positive surprise of 8.97%. This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportAon plc (AON) : Free Stock Analysis ReporteHealth, Inc. (EHTH) : Free Stock Analysis ReportErie Indemnity Company (ERIE) : Free Stock Analysis ReportAmerican International Group, Inc. (AIG) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
Should Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE:CTB) Be Your Next Stock Pick? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Building up an investment case requires looking at a stock holistically. Today I've chosen to put the spotlight on Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE:CTB) due to its excellent fundamentals in more than one area. CTB is a company that has been able to sustain great financial health, trading at an attractive share price. Below, I've touched on some key aspects you should know on a high level. If you're interested in understanding beyond my broad commentary, read the fullreport on Cooper Tire & Rubber here. CTB's ability to maintain an adequate level of cash to meet upcoming liabilities is a good sign for its financial health. This indicates that CTB has sufficient cash flows and proper cash management in place, which is a key determinant of the company’s health. CTB appears to have made good use of debt, producing operating cash levels of 0.75x total debt in the prior year. This is a strong indication that debt is reasonably met with cash generated. CTB's share price is trading at below its true value, meaning that the market sentiment for the stock is currently bearish. Investors have the opportunity to buy into the stock to reap capital gains, if CTB's projected earnings trajectory does follow analyst consensus growth, which determines my intrinsic value of the company. Also, relative to the rest of CTB's peers, it is also trading at a value below those of similar sizes in asset terms. This bolsters the proposition that CTB's price is currently discounted. For Cooper Tire & Rubber, I've put together three pertinent aspects you should further examine: 1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CTB’s future growth? Take a look at ourfree research report of analyst consensusfor CTB’s outlook. 2. Historical Performance: What has CTB's returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look atthe free visual representations of our analysisfor more clarity. 3. Other Attractive Alternatives: Are there other well-rounded stocks you could be holding instead of CTB? Exploreour interactive list of stocks with large potentialto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
3 Biotechs That Have Doubled This Year (Acquisition Next?) When big pharmas go shopping, you usually won't find them sifting through the clearance racks for bargains. For the most part, the large drugmakers would rather pay extra for a proven winner than buy an on-sale biotech looking to recover. TakeArray BioPharma, which had more than doubled year to date through the middle of last month thanks to getting someadded marketing musclefor its partnered drugs andpositive clinical trial datafor its own drugs.Pfizersaw the biotech's potential, deciding totake outArray for a 63% premium, resulting in a 225% return for the first half of the year. Here are three more biotechs that have earned doubles -- or more -- during the first half of the year, potentially on their way to becoming acquisition targets. [{"Company": "Adverum Biotechnologies(NASDAQ: ADVM)", "First-Half 2019 Return": "278%"}, {"Company": "Voyager Therapeutics(NASDAQ: VYGR)", "First-Half 2019 Return": "190%"}, {"Company": "uniQure(NASDAQ: QURE)", "First-Half 2019 Return": "171%"}] Data source: YCharts. Adverum only has one drug in clinical trials, but ADVM-022, a gene therapy for an eye disease called wet age-related macular degeneration, is off to a good start. In late April, the biotech said doctors were able to treat the second eye of patients who had previously been treated with ADVM-022, a good sign that patients aren't developing tolerance to the treatment. A few weeks later, the Food and Drug Administration decided tolift a holdthat was preventing Adverum from escalating to a higher dose. But instead of testing ADVM-022 at a higher dose, the company said the data from the first dose was so good that it plans to test a lower dose to see if it'll work as well. It's a pretty rare sight when the play-it-safe initial dose works well enough that companies test a lower dose. Voyager established a pair of development deals that have helped propel the biotech's stock higher. In January, Voyagerlicensedthe rights to its gene therapy programs VY-AADC for Parkinson's disease, VY-FXN01 for Friedreich's ataxia and two additional programs to be determined later toNeurocrine Biosciences(NASDAQ: NBIX)for $165 million up front, including a $50 million equity investment, and the potential for up to $1.7 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. In February, the companysigneda collaboration deal withAbbVie(NYSE: ABBV)to develop treatments for Parkinson's disease and other diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein. Voyager got $65 million in upfront payments and is eligible for up to $245 million in preclinical and phase 1 option payments and more down the road assuming drugs are developed from the collaboration. Further data on its pipeline, including long-term data for VY-AADC, have helped keep the momentum going throughout the first half of the year. Image source: Getty Images. Like Averum, uniQure's valuation is focused on one gene therapy, AMT-061, which treats hemophilia B. In February, uniQure presented 12-week mid-stage data for AMT-061, showing three patients achieved 38% of normal levels of factor IX, the protein mutated in hemophilia B patients. While an average of 38% doesn't sound like a full recovery, the level is considered enough to eliminate or significantly reduce the risk of bleeding events. By May, six-month data from the three patients showed the mean factor IX activity level had increased to 47% of normal. uniQure will certainly have to show the treatment works in more patients before AMT-061 can be approved, but the initial data certainly look good and is headed in the right direction. The potential for an acquisition is never a good buy thesis in and of itself. But good news that might trigger a buyout can also be a good reason for investors who are looking for continued development of a biotech's pipeline to buy shares. The good news often leads to increasing stock prices, so there are no value plays to be found here. While it can be hard to buy after a double, sometimes investors are best off just holding their noses at sky-high valuations. One of Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner'ssignsof a Rule Breakers stock is past price appreciation. As David puts it, "That's the market telling us that this company is onto something good and doing great stuff." Maybe a few large pharmas will see it the same way and take these biotechs off investors' hands. More From The Motley Fool • 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today • The $16,728 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss • 20 of the Top Stocks to Buy (Including the Two Every Investor Should Own) • What Is an ETF? • 5 Recession-Proof Stocks • How to Beat the Market Brian Orelliand The Motley Fool have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
UPDATE 1-EU-Mercosur deal signals 'Big Brazil' era, more accords to come (Adds quote, context) By Jake Spring BRASILIA, July 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said on Tuesday that he expects two new trade deals to be signed between the South American trade bloc Mercosur and other regions in the second half of 2019, hailing a new era of openness in Brazil. Mercosur is in advanced negotiations with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Canada, Singapore and South Korea, said Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva, the Foreign Ministry's lead trade negotiator for the Americas, speaking alongside Araujo. "I think we're very close to concluding negotiations with EFTA. I think we can also conclude with Canada in the next months," said Costa e Silva. "We are working hard on Singapore and advancing quickly with Korea." Araujo said that the agreement of the free trade deal between the EU and Mercosur last week signaled the start of an era of "Big Brazil" in which the country would be more open, prosperous and competitive. Brazil will work toward securing more trade deals during the period when it takes up the rotating leadership of Mercosur later this month, he said. (Reporting by Jake Spring Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Former GE Exec Beth Comstock on Tesla: 'Scale is hard' As CEO Elon Musk pushes ahead to meet Tesla’s (TSLA)aggressive production targets,a former General Electric (GE) executive expressed sympathy for the chief as he tries to meet his ambitious goals. Musk previously told shareholders that he expects the company to deliver between 90,000 and 100,000 vehicles in thesecond quarter. It only delivered63,000in the first, which was a 31% drop from the previous quarter. “Scale is hard,” former GE Vice Chair Beth Comstock told Yahoo Finance’s YFi PM in a recent interview. “That's one of the things we're seeing live play out with Tesla,” she said. “Getting to scale, getting your logistics organized in these fast-growing companies is really hard.” Comstock, who spent27 years at various positions at the troubled industrial giant, added that she’s “been surprised [Tesla hasn’t] tried to… hire more people from traditional auto manufacturers to help get through some of those scale issues.” Tesla has suffered avirtual exodus at its top ranks, and its unpredictable and outspoken CEO has lurched from one public relations blunder to another. Yet even critics give Musk credit for his vision of the future, even as theyhammer his volatile management style. “… He's trying to be revolutionary here with these electric vehicles. But there's execution that he could learn from,” Comstock said. After Tesla’s ugly first quarter, investors punished the stock — which drew enough blood toattract a few of the company’s longtime bears. The “big Q1 miss... was not a surprise to anyone who’s really doing the work. The evidence was all there,” Empire Financial Research founder Whitney Tilson told Yahoo Finance in aprevious interview. Tilson has long been negative on Tesla’s prospects. “This is the beginning of the end for Tesla,” he added, predicting that the stock would sink to $100 by the end of the year. Earlier this month, Musk sent out a leakedemailto all employees at Tesla, rallying them to work hard to hit their production and delivery targets for the second quarter. He hinted that the company wason track to set an “all-time record.” GE’s Comstock, referring to Musk’s internal email, told Yahoo Finance that “there is a point of no return, right? You can't push your team past beyond what they can do.” Yet she added that “there is something really good about saying, let's go. Hopefully, he's backing it up with some incentives and some other feel good reasons to say, when we get there, this is why you should feel good.” And speaking from personal experience, Comstock suggested that a Tesla may not be a great vehicle choice for a city dweller. She explained that she briefly owned one, but using it in a city like New York was hard. “It wasn't really set up for an electric driving kind of life,” Comstock said. “And so it ended up being a real pain. If I lived in the suburbs, I might have really enjoyed it. But I live in the city and it was really hard to navigate.” Aarthi is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter@aarthiswami. Read more: • Tesla stock: Barclays revisits 'the red pill/blue pill debate' • Tesla drivers have the highest credit scores, study says • Americans — particularly millennials — are alarmingly late on car payments • Tesla short-seller: Musk is a 'lying magician' who people have stopped believing • Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance onTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,Flipboard,SmartNews,LinkedIn,YouTube, andreddit.
Is CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (NYSE:CTT) A Risky Dividend Stock? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Is CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (NYSE:CTT) a good dividend stock? How can we tell? Dividend paying companies with growing earnings can be highly rewarding in the long term. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. In this case, CatchMark Timber Trust likely looks attractive to dividend investors, given its 5.2% dividend yield and six-year payment history. We'd agree the yield does look enticing. The company also bought back stock during the year, equivalent to approximately 0.6% of the company's market capitalisation at the time. There are a few simple ways to reduce the risks of buying CatchMark Timber Trust for its dividend, and we'll go through these below. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. While CatchMark Timber Trust pays a dividend, it reported a loss over the last year. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, from the perspective of an investor who hopes to own the company for many years, a payout ratio of above 100% is definitely a concern. Unfortunately, while CatchMark Timber Trust pays a dividend, it also reported negative free cash flow last year. While there may be a good reason for this, it's not ideal from a dividend perspective. As CatchMark Timber Trust has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A quick check of its financial situation can be done with two ratios: net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments. Essentially we check that a) the company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. With a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 16.22 times, CatchMark Timber Trust is very highly levered. While this debt might be serviceable, we would still say it carries substantial risk for the investor who hopes to live on the dividend. We calculated its interest cover by measuring its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and dividing this by the company's net interest expense. With EBIT of less than 1 times its interest expense, CatchMark Timber Trust's financial situation is potentially quite concerning. Readers should investigate whether it might be at risk of breaching the minimum requirements on its loans. High debt and weak interest cover are not a great combo, and we would be cautious of relying on this company's dividend while these metrics persist. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of CatchMark Timber Trust's latest financial position,by checking our visualisation of its financial health. One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. CatchMark Timber Trust has been paying a dividend for the past six years. During the past six-year period, the first annual payment was US$0.44 in 2013, compared to US$0.54 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 3.5% per year over this time. It's good to see at least some dividend growth. Yet with a relatively short dividend paying history, we wouldn't want to depend on this dividend too heavily. The other half of the dividend investing equation is evaluating whether earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Over the long term, dividends need to grow at or above the rate of inflation, in order to maintain the recipient's purchasing power. It's not great to see that CatchMark Timber Trust's have fallen at approximately 55% over the past five years. If earnings continue to decline, the dividend may come under pressure. Every investor should make an assessment of whether the company is taking steps to stabilise the situation. To summarise, shareholders should always check that CatchMark Timber Trust's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. CatchMark Timber Trust's dividend is not well covered by free cash flow, plus it paid a dividend while being unprofitable. Earnings per share are down, and to our mind CatchMark Timber Trust has not been paying a dividend long enough to demonstrate its resilience across economic cycles. There are a few too many issues for us to get comfortable with CatchMark Timber Trust from a dividend perspective. Businesses can change, but we would struggle to identify why an investor should rely on this stock for their income. Given that earnings are not growing, the dividend does not look nearly so attractive. Very few businesses see earnings consistently shrink year after year in perpetuity though, and so it might be worth seeing what the 4analysts we track are forecasting for the future. We have also put together alist of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Why Shares of Acuity Brands Plunged 14.4% Today Shares ofAcuity Brands(NYSE: AYI)plunged as much as 14.4% in trading Tuesday after the lighting-systems company reported fiscal third quarter 2019 results. They recovered slightly but were still down 10.4% at 11:15 a.m. EDT. Revenue for the quarter rose just 0.4% to $947.6 million, and operating profit jumped 12% to $120.3 million. Net income rose 21.1% to $88.4 million, and earnings per share were $2.22 -- or $2.53 after adjusting for one-time items. Image source: Getty Images. Results looked good on the surface, but analysts were expecting $971.45 million in revenue, and missing that mark was what really hurt the stock today. Adjusted earnings beat the $2.45 estimate from Wall Street, butrevenue was clearly in focus today. Not only was revenue not what investors had hoped, but management also wasn't terribly bullish, either. It said it was "cautiously optimistic" about operating conditions for the rest of the year but mentioned softening signs in the architecture business. That's why shares are falling today. Investors will want to wait to see if demand does weaken before jumping ship because Acuity's bottom line is still growing nicely in the rapidly shifting lighting business. More From The Motley Fool • 10 Best Stocks to Buy Today Travis Hoiumhas no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
Russia Won’t Ban Facebook’s Libra After All, Hints Full Crypto Regulation According to local reports, Russia will not go out of its way to ban Libra, a crypto asset created by the Libra Association, an international consortium started by Facebook. Alexei Moisseev, the deputy finance minister of Russia, told publications that a legislative framework for crypto assets will soon be formed and Libra is likely to fall under it. A rough translation of the statement of Moisseev read: No one is going to ban. A large number of businesses ask when it will finally be possible to legally conduct an ICO transparently, this will definitely be regulated, permitted, and that’s all. For many years, analysts anticipated Russia to release a regulatory framework for crypto assets and blockchain-related entities following theorderof Russian President Vladimir Putin in February to adopt regulations for the crypto sector. Further, Moisseev’s statement directly contradicts a recent state press report that suggested Libra will be outlawed. Read the full story on CCN.com.
Israel set to launch long-awaited 5G tender this month By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is likely to launch a long-awaited tender for fifth generation (5G) mobile networks within two weeks, a government spokesman said on Tuesday. Despite its vibrant tech sector, Israel lags countries like South Korea, Switzerland, Britain and Spain that have already started to roll out 5G services, which are at least 10 times faster than 4G. Israel's Communications Ministry said late last year that it hopes to allocate frequencies by the end of 2019 with 5G networks to commercially launch between 2020 and 2023. A spokesman for the ministry said on Tuesday that the tender would likely be in "a week or two". Israel's two largest mobile operators, Cellcom and Partner Communications, declined to comment on their plans but given the high cost of around 2 billion shekels ($560 million), both are expected to join with rivals such as HOT and Golan. Bezeq Israel Telecom unit Pelephone, Israel's third-largest provider, said it planned to bid alone. Israel's three main telecom operators are struggling to stay profitable in a country with nine million people and nine mobile providers. Revenues in the mobile sector fell 5.6% in 2018 but cash-strapped carriers will probably invest in 5G to bolster their networks to meet growing demand, analysts say. "The continued decline in revenues raises a real concern for the upgrade required in cellular networks, which will enable Israel to keep pace with the global progress in this area," the telecom regulator said in a report on Tuesday. But it added that in the next few years a "new balancing point will be required between the level of technology competition and the level of price competition, so mobile companies will have sufficient incentive to make the large investments required by upgrading 4G networks and switching to 5G." The ministry has said that 5G is necessary to develop health, agriculture and education, as well as smart cities and self-driving cars. Story continues Israel's mobile phone industry was shaken up in 2012 with the entry of a host of new operators, sparking a price war that led to steep drops in subscribers, revenue and profit at the three incumbents. All-inclusive calling, surfing and text packages are still on offer at a rock bottom price of 29 shekels, or $8. In 2018, Cellcom swung into the red with a loss of $17 million, from a $30 million profit in 2017, while Pelephone's profit plunged 75% to $7 million and Partner's profits dropped 51% to $15 million. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Susan Fenton)
With NASA's Orion Abort-System Test, Americans Just Took a Small (and Very Big) Step Closer to the Moon It was a modest little rocket scheduled to make a modest little flight, and yet an awful lot of people showed up at Cape Canaveral before dawn this morning to watch it happen. They had good reason to be there. With the flight, America’s planned return to the moon by 2024 moved a small but critical step closer. Easily the most harrowing part of the next lunar flight will be the first, when astronauts climb into their Orion spacecraft at the top of a rocket 36 stories tall, sloshing with more than 5 million pounds of fuel, and ground controllers effectively set it all on fire. If things work as they should, the fire will be precisely controlled, producing a thrust that will exceed 7.5 million lbs. and sending the crew on a fast climb to space. But there’s no guarantee that things will go as they should and the wrong kind of accident would be utterly unsurvivable. If the Apollo program’s Saturn V moon rocket had blown up just after liftoff, it would have produced the largest human-generated non-nuclear explosion in history. Keeping the astronauts alive thus means equipping the rocket with a system that can detect the signs of an imminent explosion and instantly blast the spacecraft up and away from the doomed rocket, allowing the crew to make a safe parachute descent into the ocean. Testing that system was the reason the modest little rocket was sent on its modest little flight today. Ignition was planned for 7:00 a.m. E.T., less than half an hour after sunrise. From the safe remove of a viewing stand atop a concrete bunker—that happened to serve as the firing room next to the pad from which John Glenn was launched in 1962—the test rocket was barely visible, more than 2.1 miles away. That was partly because the rocket measured just 93 ft. from ground to tip, or about a quarter of the height of NASA’s planned Space Launch System rocket, which is being built by prime contractor Boeing and is set for its first uncrewed test flight in 2022. (Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for Orion.) The much smaller nine-story test stack consisted of a booster with a dummy version of the Orion spacecraft, designed to match the actual Orion’s weight, 22,000 lbs. On top of the Orion was a spire-like escape tower. Story continues This version of the multi-use booster was originally designed for a far less friendly purpose, serving as the upper stage of a Peacekeeper nuclear missile. It uses rubbery solid fuel, and can’t be throttled up or down, or even be shut off once it’s lit. It simply burns until it’s exhausted. For today’s test, there was only enough fuel on board to allow the booster to burn for 55 seconds, but even then, 100,000 lbs. of additional dead weight had to be added as ballast to keep it from flying too fast or too high. “The rocket is pretty sporty,” said NASA test manager Jenny Devolites at a press event the day before the launch. It showed that sportiness when the engine was lit, and the rocket leapt off the pad, accelerating to 800 mph and climbing to 31,000 ft., about the altitude at which commercial airlines fly, trailing a long white plume behind it. As it reached the end of its 55-second burn time, a signal was sent to four smaller launch-abort engines arrayed around the tower at the top of the rocket. Within milliseconds they fired, producing 400,000 lbs. of additional thrust, pulling the dummy Orion away from the booster, accelerating it to Mach 1.3, or about 1,000 mph, and an altitude of 45,000 ft. At the top of that parabola, additional steering rockets fired to flip the Orion to a proper descent orientation. The escape tower, its job then done, was then jettisoned. For everything happening off of Earth all in one place, sign up for the weekly TIME Space newsletter. None of that would have been pleasant had humans been on board. The escape rockets would subject the crew to a sudden load of 7 g’s, meaning that a 150 lb. astronaut would feel a weight of 1,050 lbs. The reorientation of the Orion would also mean a somersault ride and a lot of swinging side to side. “The 7 g’s is what’s going to get your attention the quickest,” said astronaut Randy Bresnik at the Monday press conference, “but it’s a very short duration.” In a real emergency, things would quickly settle down, when parachutes would deploy, depositing the crew gently in the Atlantic just off the Florida coast. NASA has already tested the parachutes, so in this case, the dummy Orion was left to make a death plunge into the ocean, striking the water at 300 mph, less than three minutes after it left the pad, sending up a huge water spout visible more than three miles away on shore, then sinking out of sight forever. But it died having succeeded in the work it was built to do. The abort test, lasting only minutes, was declared a success. As early as 2024, there will be a real Orion with four astronauts on board, and Americans will be flying moonward again. The stakes that day will be mortal; the brief flight flown today will allow the still unnamed astronauts to face those risks with far more confidence.
Prince William Surprises Fans Gathered Outside Kensington Palace for Princess Diana's Birthday On what would have been Princess Diana ‘s 58th birthday, Prince William personally thanked those who were helping to keep her memory alive. Fans gathered outside Kensington Palace in London — where Diana previously called home and where William and Kate Middleton now live with their three children — on Monday evening were shocked when their small vigil was interrupted by Prince William emerging from inside the palace gates. Photos show the royal, 37, dressed casually in a button-down shirt and slacks while greeting fans with handshakes and talking to them about his late mother, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. “William told me he knew we’d been coming here for years and thanked us for what we were doing for his mother,” John Loughrey, 59, told the Daily Mail . “I’m still shaking now. I feel very emotional.” The mourners decorated the Kensington Palace gate with photos, flowers and flags. Prince William and Princess Diana in 1986 \| Tim Graham/Getty Princess Diana visits an amusement part with her sons \| Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Maria Scott, 48, shared that it was important to keep Princess Diana’s memory alive for the new generations. “We are here to honor Diana’s legacy,” she told the Daily Mail. “We are two generations down now, and there are children growing up who don’t even know who she is. It’s important that we remind them and remember.” She added, “None of us could believe it when William suddenly walked down the drive to come and thank us. He really is his mother’s son.” RELATED: Royal Rebel: 12 Ways Princess Diana Broke with Tradition and Paved a New Path for the Royal Family Kate Middleton, Prince William and Prince Harry arrive at Kensington Palace gardens to pay tribute to Princess Diana on the eve of the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017 \| Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Kensington Palace gate decorated in tributes to Princess Diana in 2017 \| Chris Radburn/REX/Shutterstock William also talked about the commemorative statue of his mother to be placed in the Kensington Palace gardens, saying it would be coming “soon, very soon.” “We just want to make sure it is right,” he said, according to the Daily Mail. “ It’s important to get it right.” Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Story continues Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Archie \| Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry recently opened up about how fatherhood, his son Archie was born on May 6, has made him feel the loss of his mother Princess Diana. During a trip to the Netherlands to launch the official countdown to the Invictus Games in The Hague next year, Harry spoke to Dennis van der Stroon, 31, a former soldier who hopes to compete for The Netherlands Invictus team, during a bike ride. “I told Harry about my mother, and we talked about our shared experience of missing a mom,” Dennis shared. “He said missing a mother is like missing some kind of security, how you need that as a son and it falls away when you lose your mother. He said he meets a lot of people in his work who have lost a mother, father, sister, brother or relatives and when he hears their story, as he heard my story, he said he doesn’t feel so alone.”
6 Top-Ranked Insurance Stocks to Enrich Your Portfolio in 2H A favorable operating environment helped the insurance industry perform well through the first half of 2019 and set the stage for the second half. Though macro factors like no interest rate hike, trade tariffs and inflation rate are expected to result in volatility, the insurance industry is expected to push the boundaries.Factors Likely to Impact Second Half PerformanceCat EnvironmentThe second half of the year is marred by the hurricane season that weighs on the profits of insurers. Hurricanes Lane, Florence and Michael, and other catastrophes like Typhoon Jebi and California wildfires took a toll on insurers’ results last year. Per Munich RE, catastrophe losses in 2018 amounted to $160 billion, of which half was insured.Colorado State University estimates ‘near average Atlantic hurricane season in 2019’. Per a report on Jun 2, 2019, it predicted 14 named storms this hurricane season that runs from Jun 1 to Nov 30, including six hurricanes, of which two could be major hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson). Nonetheless, insurers’ prudent underwriting, favorable reserve development and sturdy capital level should help withstand the blow.Per American Property Casualty Insurance Association and Verisk, private U.S. property/casualty insurers’ profitability (measured by annualized rate of return on average policyholders’ surplus) increased to 9.4% in the first quarter of 2019. Industry surplus moved up to $779.5 billion as of Mar 31, 2019 from $742.2 billion as of Dec 31, 2018, a record $37.4 billion increase according to the report. Net underwriting gains increased 29.3% to $5.3 billion in first-quarter 2019, though combined ratio deteriorated 100 basis points to 95.6% on a year-over-year basis per the report.Pricing Firming UpCatastrophic occurrences weigh on insurers’ underwriting profitability. Nonetheless, price hikes by industry players following a series of cat events should help them stay afloat. In the first quarter of 2019, in personal lines insurance, homeowners, automobile and personal articles saw rate increase of 2%, 2.5% and 1%, respectively. In Commercial, most of the lines saw premium rate increase of 2% while Commercial Auto saw a 7% rate increase. Per Willis Towers Watson plc’s Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey, in the rest of 2019, most of the commercial insurance lines should witness rate increase. Further, portfolio repositioning and reinsurance covers should help insurers withstand the deficits.Interest RateFollowing four rate hikes in 2018, the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rate unchanged within its target range of 2.25% to 2.5%. In fact, new projections indicate that the Fed might lower rates in 2020. Per reports, at least eight Fed members expect a rate cut by 2019. Fed chair Jerome Powell stated that dissatisfying trade negotiations and data pointing to a softening economy could lead to a rate cut. Fed officials expect 2019 interest rate at 2.4%.Insurers, who are major beneficiaries of a rising rate environment because of their sensitivity to interest rates, are well poised amid uncertainties, given their strong fundamentals.Other FactorsA strong labor market as evident from a lower unemployment rate and rising wages is expected to boost policy sales even at higher premiums. Fed officials expect unemployment rate to be 3.5% and GDP to be 2.1% in 2019. Also, growth in aging population is likely to drive demand for retirement benefit products.Also, adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), cognitive intelligence (CI) or blockchain should help life insurers curb operational costs.Price Performance Year to date, the insurance industry has rallied 11.1% compared with the S&P 500 Index’s rise of 10.7%. Stocks Trading CheapIn view of the favorable operating backdrop and solid fundamentals, it seems to be an appropriate time to buy insurance stocks. Also, their valuation looks cheap now. Price-to-book ratio (P/BV), the most appropriate multiple for valuing insurers because of large variations in earnings from one quarter to the next, is 2.535, lower than the S&P 500 Index’ 4.05 and the Finance sector’s reading of 2.72.Stocks to Add to Your PortfolioWith the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have shortlisted six insurance stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank, supported by upward estimate revisions over the past 30 days, and an impressive Value Score of A or B. Value Score helps identify companies that are undervalued. The deviation from their fair value is what creates an exceptional upside opportunity. Also, back-tested results have shown that stocks with a favorable Style Score of A or B coupled with a solid Zacks Rank are the best investment bets.You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Pembroke, Bermuda,Arch Capital Group Ltd.ACGL provides property, casualty, and mortgage insurance and reinsurance products worldwide.Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has risen 1.5%.Value Score of BThe consensus estimate for current-year earnings indicates a 21.4% year-over-year increase on 7.8% higher revenues.Santa Ana, CA-basedFirst American Financial CorporationFAF provides financial services.Zacks Rank #2The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has increased 0.8%.Value Score of BThe consensus estimate for current-year earnings implies a 13.1% year-over-year increase on 1.4% higher revenues.Pembroke, Bermuda basedJames River Group Holdings, Ltd. JRVR provides specialty insurance and reinsurance services in the United States.Zacks Rank #2The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has increased 1%.Value Score of BThe consensus estimate for current-year earnings suggests a 12.9% year-over-year increase.Philadelphia, PA-basedRadian Group Inc. RDN engages in the mortgage and real estate services business in the United States.Zacks Rank #1The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has risen 0.8%.Value Score of AThe consensus estimate for current-year earnings indicates a 6.3% year-over-year increase.Tampa, FL-basedHealth Insurance Innovations, Inc.HIIQ operates as a cloud-based technology platform and distributor of individual and family health insurance plans, and supplemental products in the United States.Zacks Rank #1The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has increased 11.5%.Value Score of BThe consensus estimate for current-year earnings implies a 50.8% year-over-year surge on 31.1% higher revenues.Reno, NV basedEmployers Holdings, Inc. EIG operates in the commercial property and casualty insurance industry primarily in the United States.Zacks Rank #1The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 bottom line has increased 9.8%.Value Score of B This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month. Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportRadian Group Inc. (RDN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportEmployers Holdings Inc (EIG) : Free Stock Analysis ReportHealth Insurance Innovations, Inc. (HIIQ) : Free Stock Analysis ReportJames River Group Holdings, Ltd. (JRVR) : Free Stock Analysis ReportArch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL) : Free Stock Analysis ReportFirst American Financial Corporation (FAF) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
White House's Navarro says China trade deal will take time: CNBC WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday U.S. trade talks with China are heading in the right direction and any concessions to Beijing on Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] were small in the context of a larger trade deal. "We're headed in a very good direction," Navarro said in an interview with CNBC. "It's complicated, as the president said, correctly, this will take time and we want to get it right. So let's get it right." Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in a meeting on Saturday at the Group of 20 summit in Japan to restart trade talks after the last major round of negotiations collapsed in May. The partial lifting of restrictions on Huawei was a key element of the agreement, which allows expanded sales of U.S. technology supplies to the Chinese telecommunications giant. Washington put Huawei on an export blacklist in May, citing national security concerns over its 5G network technology. Navarro played down the concession on Huawei, saying U.S. policy with respect to the 5G component has not changed. "All we've done basically is to allow the sale of chips to Huawei, and these are lower-tech items which do not impact national security whatever," Navarro said. "Selling chips to Huawei, a small amount of chips - less than $1 billion a year - in the short run is small in the scheme of things. Huawei's founder and chief executive, Ren Zhengfei, told the Financial Times the company was willing to continue buying products from U.S. firms, but the relaxation of the ban would not have "much impact" on Huawei's business as it adjusts to a new era of American hostility. Navarro said Washington would continue working closely with allies to ensure they did not adopt Huawei 5G technology, but had agreed to allow the sale of some low-level chips to bring China back to the negotiating table and secure an agreement by Beijing to buy significant amounts of agricultural products. "We're not going to sacrifice anything in order to get a cheap political trick," he said. "The whole China game plan ... is to dominate not just 5G but artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and we can't let that happen." Warren Maruyama, former general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative's Office and a partner with the Hogan Lovells law firm, said it remained unclear if the two sides could strike a deal after China abruptly backed away from a carefully negotiated draft agreement in May. "It's still completely up in the air. If anything, it's going to take several months. What the blow-up in May showed is that there are some pretty fundamental differences they would have to resolve to get to a deal," he said. William Reinsch, a senior adviser at Kelley, Drye & Warren and a former under secretary of commerce for export administration, said the Trump administration could amend the temporary general license granted shortly after Huawei was put on the blacklist to include more technologies that U.S. companies could sell without obtaining approval. Some chips needed to build 5G telecoms equipment, such as field programmable gate arrays and various radio frequency chips and multiplexers, have uses outside of the 5G sector. Companies could also apply for individual licenses, he told Reuters, noting that the departments of Commerce, Defense, State and Energy would work together to define what technologies might be acceptable for resumed exports to Huawei. He said it remained unclear if the 5G ban would include 5G smart phones as well as telecommunications gear that Huawei sells to telecommunications customers. (Reporting by Makini Brice, David Lawder, Stephen Nellis and Munsif Vengattil; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Leslie Adler)
Rite Aid Expands in Northeast With Thrifty Ice Cream Brand Rite Aid CorporationRAD recently announced the expansion of its premium Thrifty Ice Cream brand in select stores in Delaware, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Available in 48-ounce containers, customers will have about eight different ice cream flavors to pick from.This ice cream brand is currently available in 23 flavors across California. Notably, the Thrifty Ice Cream tradition started in 1940 when its production plant was introduced in Hollywood, CA. This award-winning brand is made with Real California Milk to bring one-of-a-kind ice cream experience to its customers.Rite Aid Focuses on Omni-Channel GrowthConcurrent to expansion of product categories, Rite Aid is enhancing home delivery through its partnership with Instacart as part of its initiatives to boost customer experience. The company also remains encouraged to partner with Amazon AMZN to bring Amazon Lockers in roughly 900 Rite Aid stores. This service will allow customers to pick-up or return their Amazon packages. Recently, Rite Aid inked a partnership deal with Adobe to enhance digital solutions and marketing capabilities. This move is expected to improve customer analytics, content management and real-time personalization.Rite Aid has also shifted e-commerce fulfillment from a third-party provider to its own distribution network. This has reduced fulfillment lead time, lowered cost and helped increase online offering by 25%. Further, the company’s own brand program is supporting efforts to build tailored offerings that are specific to each local market. Backed by all these efforts, the company should strengthen its omni-channel capabilities and provide increased convenience and value to customers.Furthermore, the company renewed its drug purchasing agreement with McKesson Corporation MCK, which will extend for another 10 years. As part of the agreement, McKesson will continue providing Rite Aid with sourcing and direct-to-store delivery for branded and generic pharmaceutical products through March 2029. The partnership will provide Rite Aid with a combination of competitive drug pricing and operational flexibility. This extension also represents a key step toward strengthening the pharmacy business, with continued focus on improving access to preferred and limited networks and executing key script growth initiatives.Price PerformanceDespite these positives, shares of Rite Aid have lost 20.7% against the industry’s 0.2% growth in the past three months. The downside can be attributed to the company’s first-quarter fiscal 2020 results, wherein it incurred loss. Persistent weakness in the Retail Pharmacy segment also affected its performance. Nevertheless, Rite Aid, which shares space with Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. HLF, has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated+98%,+119%and+164%gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportAmazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis ReportRite Aid Corporation (RAD) : Free Stock Analysis ReportHerbalife LTD. (HLF) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMcKesson Corporation (MCK) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
UPDATE 2-EU open to talks with U.S. in aircraft subsidies dispute (Adds details, background, U.S. official's quote) By Alissa de Carbonnel and Andrea Shalal BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The European Union said on Tuesday it was open to talks with Washington in a dispute over aircraft subsidies while preparing retaliation after the United States added olives, Italian cheese and Scotch whisky to a list of goods in line for hefty tariffs. Just days after reaching a truce in a U.S.-China trade war, the U.S. Trade Representative's office (USTR) opened the new front with Europe on Monday in the long-running dispute over mutual claims of subsidies to Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing. It added extra products worth $4 billion to a list of EU goods worth $21 billion that are eligible to be hit with tariffs after 15 years of argument at the World Trade Organization - alarming industries on both sides of the Atlantic. The actual total amount of tariffs is expected to be lower since the United States has asked the Geneva body for approval to impose $11.2 billion of tariffs due to European subsidies for Airbus and this is still subject to WTO arbitration. But by expanding the list of eligible goods to include farm produce from pears to pork, Washington upped pressure on the EU while sending supportive signals to a key domestic group, trade sources said. Many of the items added to the potential pool of products reflected concerns voiced during two days of hearings in April, including from dairy farmers. U.S. President Donald Trump won election in 2016 in large part by winning the rural vote, but farmers have been hit hard by his tariffs on China and subsequent retaliatory measures. The addition of food items could help placate those concerns at a time when the U.S. election campaign is heating up and farmers are starting to run out of patience, the sources said. The WTO has found that the world's two largest planemakers received billions of dollars of harmful subsidies in a pair of cases marking the world's largest-ever corporate trade dispute. The United States and EU have each threatened to impose billions of dollars of tit-for-tat tariffs, with Washington first in line to seek tariffs under the WTO timetable. Washington could announce in weeks which items would face U.S. tariffs, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC. "What we’re seeking is to get fair and reciprocal trade without heavy subsidies from foreign governments to take our jobs," he said. NEGOTIATIONS 'WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS' The EU hit back at the latest list of potential tariffs, saying the dispute should be adjudicated by the WTO. "The figures quoted by the USTR are based on U.S. internal estimates that have not been awarded by the WTO," an EU spokesman said. The latest list of potential U.S. tariffs drew criticism from industry groups that stand to suffer. "Exports of Scotch Whisky to the U.S. have been zero tariff for 20 years, so it is disappointing that Scotch Whisky has been drawn into this dispute," the Scotch Whisky Association said, urging both sides to avoid hurting consumers and jobs. The EU said it remained open to negotiations "provided these are without preconditions and aim at a fair outcome," but added it was also preparing to retaliate as soon as the WTO arbitrator had ruled on its rights to do so. Washington signaled its openness last month to working on an enforceable mechanism to govern government subsidies for aircraft production, potentially resolving the dispute which has taken up thousands of pages of rulings. One U.S. source said there had not yet been much of a reply. The USTR said it would hold a second public hearing on its list of potential tariffs on Aug. 5. (Additional reporting by Alistair Smout in London, Tim Hepher in Paris, Tom Miles in GenevaEditing by Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman)
Litecoin now accepted by more than a million hotels and airlines Litecoinis continuing to drive the adoption ofcryptocurrency. TheLitecoin Foundationis teaming up with TravelbyBit, a cryptocurrency travel booking platform, making it possible to pay with Litecoin for more than one million flights and hotels worldwide. TravelbyBit will also be the official travel partner for the Litecoin Summit taking place October 28-29th in Las Vegas. Speaking of the news in a press release, Charlie Lee, creator of Litecoin and managing director of the Litecoin Foundation, said that the partnership “shows the tremendous benefit of adopting not just Litecoin payments, but cryptocurrency payments in general.” Caleb Yeoh, CEO of TravelbyBit, agreed, stating that this makes it “easy and accessible” for everyone to join the movement, which is necessary for furthering the adoption of cryptocurrency. This, however, isn’t the first time that TravelbyBit has made use of Litecoin. Back in early 2018, the travel booking platform signed a deal with Australia’s Brisbane airport to start acceptingBitcoin,Ethereum, Litecoin,Dash, and Steem. By doing so, it permitted travelers to use crypto to pay for things such as food, drinks, souvenirs, and travel essentials in both the domestic and international terminals. With Litecoin now readily available for more than one million flights and hotels around the world – and faster transaction speeds and lower fees compared to Bitcoin – this partnership with TravelbyBit may help push Litecoin further toward its mainstream adoption goal.
EMIS Group plc (LON:EMIS): Is It A Good Long Term Opportunity? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! In April 2019, EMIS Group plc (LON:EMIS) released its latest earnings announcement, which suggested that the business benefited from a significant tailwind, more than doubling its earnings from the prior year. Today I want to provide a brief commentary on how market analysts predict EMIS Group's earnings growth trajectory over the next few years and whether the future looks even brighter than the past. I will be using net income excluding extraordinary items in order to exclude one-off volatility which I am not interested in. View our latest analysis for EMIS Group Analysts' outlook for this coming year seems rather subdued, with earnings increasing by a single digit 9.6%. The growth outlook in the following year seems much more buoyant with rates generating double digit 19% compared to today’s earnings, and finally hitting UK£32m by 2022. Even though it’s helpful to be aware of the rate of growth each year relative to today’s value, it may be more insightful to gauge the rate at which the company is moving on average every year. The benefit of this technique is that it ignores near term flucuations and accounts for the overarching direction of EMIS Group's earnings trajectory over time, which may be more relevant for long term investors. To compute this rate, I put a line of best fit through analyst consensus of forecasted earnings. The slope of this line is the rate of earnings growth, which in this case is 11%. This means that, we can anticipate EMIS Group will grow its earnings by 11% every year for the next few years. For EMIS Group, there are three essential aspects you should look at: 1. Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at ourfree balance sheet analysis with six simple checkson key factors like leverage and risk. 2. Valuation: What is EMIS worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? Theintrinsic value infographic in our free research reporthelps visualize whether EMIS is currently mispriced by the market. 3. Other High-Growth Alternatives: Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of EMIS? Exploreour interactive list of stocks with large growth potentialto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Arizona cancels incentive for Nike plant after 'terrible decision' to recall sneaker - governor By Melissa Fares and Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) - Arizona's governor on Tuesday withdrew a $1 million incentive for Nike Inc to build a plant in the state after the world's largest sportswear maker canceled release of a sneaker featuring a colonial-era version of the American flag, which critics say reflects links to slavery. Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, said Nike's move was a "terrible decision." Nike recalled the shoe after former NFL quarterback and Nike pitchman Colin Kaepernick asked the company not to sell a shoe with a symbol that he and others consider offensive because of its connection to an era of slavery, the Wall Street Journal reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-nixes-betsy-ross-flag-sneaker-after-colin-kaepernick-intervenes-11562024126 on Monday. Nike had planned to release a new version of the Air Max 1 sneaker ahead of the Fourth of July holiday that featured a version of the U.S. flag with 13 white stars representing the first U.S. colonies. The flag is commonly known as the "Betsy Ross flag." "Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike," Ducey said in a series of tweets https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1145980544909340672 on the recall. "Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation's independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism," he said. Nike, whose shares ended down marginally at $84.96, released a statement explaining its decision to yank the product. "We regularly make business decisions to withdraw initiatives, products and services," the company said. "NIKE made the decision to halt distribution of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation's patriotic holiday." The Beaverton, Oregon-based company is one of a slew of retailers that have faced major backlash over products that draw criticism for being racially insensitive. In December, Prada pulled products accused of depicting blackface. On Monday, reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian said she would rename her Kimono shapewear line after people in Japan said her use of the term was disrespectful. Ducey, who was joined by many conservatives including Republican Senator Ted Cruz in expressing his disappointment toward Nike, said he had ordered the state's commerce authority to withdraw all financial incentives under its discretion for the company's plant. Nike was eligible for up to a $1 million grant, a spokeswoman at the Arizona Commerce Authority said, for a $185 million plant in Goodyear, Arizona, that would employ over 500 people. Kaepernick last year became the face of Nike's advertisement marking the 30th anniversary of the company's "Just Do It" slogan. The ad revived a raging debate in the United States that started in 2016 when Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, began kneeling to protest multiple police shootings of unarmed black men. Since then, the company's stock has risen about 4% as of Monday's close. This year, Nike's shares are up 15%. One industry expert recalled Nike experiencing "one of its best quarters" after the Kaepernick campaign launch and said the chances of this sneaker controversy hurting company sales, which total roughly $39 billion annually, were "largely nil." "I think it's important to understand who Nike's core demographic is here," said Matt Powell, senior industry adviser at NPD. "They’re really focused on teens and looking at the commentary on Twitter and so forth. I don’t see a lot of teens coming out with a negative attitude here." (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru and Melissa Fares in New York; Additional reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Dan Grebler)
Whirlpool (WHR) Divests Embraco to Boost Customer Value Whirlpool CorporationWHR has successfully sealed the sale of its Embraco business unit to Kyoto — a unit of Japan-based Nidec Corporation — for $1.08 billion in cash. Notably, Embraco has been manufacturing hermetic compressors for refrigeration. The sale includes Embraco’s seven plants located in Brazil, China, Slovakia and Mexico as well as its commercial offices in the United States, Italy and Russia.Headquartered in Brazil, this unit has been a part of Whirlpool since 1994. It employs around 10,000 people in the aforementioned plants and corporate offices.The sale of Embraco is consistent with Whirlpool’s strategy to strengthen its customer-facing businesses. With this sale, the company is looking to deliver on its goal of providing advanced, high-quality products to its customers that solve their day-to-day problems.However, the company revealed that Embraco will continue to be a major supplier of hermetic compressors to Whirlpool.Shares of Whirlpool did not react much to the news. Year to date, the stock has gained 36.2%, outperforming the industry’s growth of 31.2%. Investors’ optimism on the stock is attributed to its consistently strong earnings performances. Furthermore, investors are impressed with the company’s robust product pipeline, solid innovations and cost productivity initiatives, which keeps it on track to achieve long-term goals. Despite the positive stock performance, Whirlpool’s top-line trend remains disheartening due to soft industry demand in some countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and several European countries. Additionally, the company reiterated the 2019 industry demand guidance for most regions, except for North America, where demand was softer-than-expected in the first quarter.Consequently, for 2019, the company expects industry demand in North America to be between negative 2% and flat. As a result of the negative industry demand witnessed in Mexico and China during the first quarter, Whirlpool now anticipates industry demand in Latin America and Asia to be at the lower end of the prior guidance. Overall, we expect soft industry demand to weigh on the bottom line.Moreover, Whirlpool is likely to witness pressures from higher cost inflation, unfavorable productivity related to lower unit volume and adverse currency, which should partly offset gains from improved price/mix. Though the company estimates reduced impacts of cost inflation this year, it still expects cost inflation and unfavorable currency to offset benefits from improved price/mix by nearly 250 bps in 2019. In fact, this is likely to persistently dent operating margin in 2019. These shortcomings clearly substantiates Whirlpool’s Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).3 Better-Ranked Consumer Discretionary StocksCrocs, Inc. CROX has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 15% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Guess Inc. GES, also a Zacks Rank #1 stock, has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 17.5%.lululemon athletica inc. LULU, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has an impressive long-term earnings growth rate of 18.4%.This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportWhirlpool Corporation (WHR) : Free Stock Analysis Reportlululemon athletica inc. (LULU) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCrocs, Inc. (CROX) : Free Stock Analysis ReportGuess?, Inc. (GES) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
What Can We Make Of EPAM Systems, Inc.’s (NYSE:EPAM) High Return On Capital? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today we'll evaluate EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE:EPAM) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business. First of all, we'll work out how to calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE. ROCE measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussinhas suggestedthat a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'. Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) Or for EPAM Systems: 0.17 = US$262m ÷ (US$1.8b - US$283m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) Therefore,EPAM Systems has an ROCE of 17%. View our latest analysis for EPAM Systems When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. In our analysis, EPAM Systems's ROCE is meaningfully higher than the 9.7% average in the IT industry. We consider this a positive sign, because it suggests it uses capital more efficiently than similar companies. Regardless of where EPAM Systems sits next to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms appears satisfactory, and this company could be worth a closer look. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how EPAM Systems's past growth compares to other companies. It is important to remember that ROCE shows past performance, and is not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out ourfreereport on analyst forecasts for EPAM Systems. Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they need to be paid within 12 months. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets. EPAM Systems has total assets of US$1.8b and current liabilities of US$283m. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 15% of its total assets. A fairly low level of current liabilities is not influencing the ROCE too much. This is good to see, and with a sound ROCE, EPAM Systems could be worth a closer look. EPAM Systems looks strong on this analysis,but there are plenty of other companies that could be a good opportunity. Here is afree listof companies growing earnings rapidly. I will like EPAM Systems better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out thisfreelist of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
5 Cybersecurity Stocks to Watch As the Trend Heats Up Editor’s note: This story was previously published in April 2019. It has since been updated and republished. Cybersecurity stocks have been among the best stocks in the market in recent years. TheETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF(NYSEARCA:HACK) has gained 69% in the past three years, easily outperforming the broader market. Source: Shutterstock There are plenty of reasons to believe that outperformance will continue. After all, high-profile data breaches continue to occur. This week, for instance,TechCrunchreported that privately heldArizona Beverageswas the victim ofa crippling ransomware attack. The incident is yet another lesson that companies cannot cut corners when it comes to security protection. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips • 10 Medical Marijuana Stocks to Cure Your Portfolio To be sure, investors are aware of the trend. Cybersecurity stocks aren’t cheap. But for investors willing to pay up, the sector is large enough to offer a variety of options. These five cybersecurity stocks offer different bull cases for different types of investors. Palo Alto Networks(NYSE:PANW) might be the simplest, “set it and forget it”, play among cybersecurity stocks. Source: Shutterstock Palo Alto has successfully transitioned away from a reliance on hardware and jumpstarted growth in the process. Revenue in the third quarter, for instance, rose over 24% year-over-year,crushing analyst estimates. At the moment, Palo Alto is the largest cybersecurity play … and the most diversified. If the market as a whole continues to grow, Palo Alto Networks should benefit. That said,there are concerns, as I wrote after earnings. PANW stock isn’t cheap. And we’ve seen the cloud story break down elsewhere as spending has slowed. PANW is the biggest stock in the space, and it has the simplest bull case. It’s going to rise if its market keeps growing. But at this point, it may be one of the better cybersecurity stocks, but not necessarily one of the best stocks in the space. As noted earlier, cybersecurity stocks aren’t cheap, and value plays are hard to find.Symantec(NASDAQ:SYMC) might be the cheapest stock in the space, but there are reasons. Source: Shutterstock Growth has stalled out. Fiscal 2019 guidance, whichdisappointedand then waspulled further down, suggests a year-over-year decline in revenue and earnings. An accounting investigation has only added to the pressure on SYMC stock. A continuing reliance on PC-related revenue makes the stock less exposed to growth on the enterprise side of the industry. That said, SYMC has a path to upside. Private equity firm Thoma Bravo has reportedly consideredacquiring the company. Symantec itself is making acquisitions to build out its enterprise business,acquiringIsraeli cloud security providerLuminate Securityin February. • 7 F-Rated Stocks to Sell for Summer And the stock is cheap, at 13x next year’s earnings-per-share estimates. If Symantec can continue to build out its enterprise business, that valuation might be far too low. Secureworks(NASDAQ:SCWX) is one of the best stocks in the sector for traders. Secureworks focuses on software-driven solutions, predominantly through a SaaS (software-as-a-service) model. Source: Shutterstock And SCWX stock might be in play.Dell Technologies(NASDAQ:DELL) owns 86% of the company and is looking to pay down debt.Reutersreported in February that Dell wasconsidering a sale, which might make some sense. Secureworks isn’t as material to the Dell business asVMWare(NYSE:VMW) and it might perform better as an independent company or as part of a larger security provider. Meanwhile, SCWX stock has pulled back of late and it looks cheap enough to garner some interest. Profits are still miniscule, but revenue is growing — and an acquirer might be willing to pay a premium to the current sub-3x price-to-sales multiple. SCWX’s opportunity is solid enough on its own long-term, but there’s a decent chance a buyout offer could spike SCWX stock in 2019. For investors who like chasing growth, the cybersecurity sector has some of the best stocks. One of them isProofpoint(NASDAQ:PFPT). Source: Shutterstock Proofpoint continues to post huge increases in revenue and profits, withsales up 35% in Q4. As a result, PFPT has rallied strongly, gaining 47% already in 2019. At current levels, PFPT is challenging all-time highs. And it’s not cheap, at 9x revenue and 55x forward EPS estimates. But there’s room for upside from a technical perspective if the stock can bust through resistance. And there’s room for upside from a fundamental perspective too … if its current growth continues. • The 7 Top Small-Cap Stocks Of 2019 For investors who appreciate business transformations, meanwhile,Carbonite(NASDAQ:CARB) might be the play. Source: Shutterstock Carbonite started as a largely consumer-focused company. But it has expanded into small and medium businesses with help from an aggressive M&A strategy. That strategy continued this year, with the recently closed $619 million acquisition ofWebroot. Yet even with those deals driving growth, CARB looks reasonably cheap. Pro forma for the Webroot purchase, the stock trades at 11-12x 2019 EBITDA guidance. Looking to 2020, analysts see well over $2 per share in EPS. With a sharp pullback of late, that suggests just an 11x forward EPS multiple. That might be far too cheap — particularly if the strategy here is on point. While larger rivals chase larger deals, Carbonite might be able to create value by chasing smaller fish. As of this writing, Vince Martin was long shares of Dell Technologies. • 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid • 5 Low-Priced Tech Stocks With Great Potential • 9 Stocks That Would Be Hurt By a Mexico/U.S. Border Closure • The Era of Car Ownership Is Over. And These 4 Charts Prove It The post5 Cybersecurity Stocks to Watch As the Trend Heats Upappeared first onInvestorPlace.
“Dad Steve” Is More Than Just a Running Joke in ‘Stranger Things 3’ Photo credit: Netflix From Cosmopolitan Ah, “Dad Steve”...the Stranger Things 2 bit that launched a thousand memes . In the blink of a nine-episode Netflix season, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) went from all hair and no other redeemable qualities to everyone’s favorite mentor, thanks to his separation from ex-girlfriend Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and broship with happy-go-lucky Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). One hair makeover (and a dangerous amount of hairspray) later, a daddy was born. But in season 3, the Steve-and-Dustin duo go from scene stealers to legit crucial players in the fight for Hawkins’ survival. Even further, according to Gaten, the relationship becomes so much more important than a play for laughs and awwws. “Dustin’s father isn’t home,” Gaten tells Cosmo while munching on Shake Shack french fries from his Expensive Taste Test video shoot. “He may see a father figure in Steve that he hasn’t had for a while or never had at all.” So yeah, you’re going to get a lot more tweet-worthy moments in Stranger Things 3. Gaten talks all things Dad Steve, potential love interests, and their newest partner in crime: Photo credit: Netflix Okay, tell me everything about Dustin and Steve in Stranger Things 3 ! I mean, the boys that he has considered his best friends forever seem to favor each other over Dustin. Like, Lucas and Mike seem to be the closest of the two and seem to have their closest bond. And Will’s dealing with a lot of stuff right now. So he gets that connection through Steve, in a way. Finally, he has that bond between two people that he didn’t have before. What kind of adventures do they go on this season? Several. What’s cool about the third season is that one adventure opens up a door to a new adventure. But, of course, in Stranger Things fashion, everything pieces together into a perfect puzzle. It’s really cool. Does Maya Hawke’s character, Robin, add a third wheel to that Steve + Dustin dynamic? Yeah. It’s really exciting. And there are actually even more characters that come into the mix with that, too, which I’m really excited for people to see. Story continues Photo credit: Netflix What’s she like? She’s awesome, she’s so dedicated to her craft...she’s experienced so much and she’s very young. She’s only 20 and she tells us so many different stories about growing up as someone in the limelight because of her parents’ fame. Getting to know her, it almost feels like even though she’s older, she feels like one of the kids. Me and her character get to interact quite a bit. She works at the ice-cream shop with Steve, as you see in the trailers, so me and Steve both get to interact with her a lot. So we’re three seasons in and we’ve heard a lot from Finn about loss of privacy and expectations of fans. How are you dealing? The thing that’s important to remember is that if you go into the entertainment industry, you have to understand that some things might happen to you that you don't necessarily want or don't expect. If you're going in for fame, you're doing it for the wrong, wrong reason. A lot of times people who go into it for fame end up getting it and they end up really either regretting it or turning into a completely different person. The minute you lose connection with the people you had before, you're sucked into a completely new world, into an alternate reality that doesn't really line up with anything that you knew before and it can really mess you up. Photo credit: Ruben Chamorro So what about you? Has it really messed you up? Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the whole lights and fanciness. That's when I get home and I'm like, that's not me . That's when it gets hard. When you're walking down the street, people talk to you all the time, and it's amazing. It's opened up so many doors and so many opportunities to come. But thing is, there's nothing better than simple joys that people take for granted. Like just being an idiot with your friends. This past weekend, I was sleeping over at a friend's house, and we got up at like two in the morning, like "wanna go to Wawa?" And we got up in the middle of the night and we just walked to this convenience store which is like a mile down the road. And I was thinking if I get caught-wow, my parents are going to hear this and be so mad at me but I don't care. Anyways, I was wondering, if I get caught, will it look bad because of the position I'm in? And it kinda made me upset. You can't dwell on what you had once, but there was a sense of freedom that you miss. I think everybody has a right to privacy. A lot of people who make mistakes don't end up getting to recover from those because of being well known. View this post on Instagram I think my face in this pic sums it up #robotrestauranttokyo #sensoryoverload A post shared by Gaten Matarazzo (@gatenm123) on Jun 23, 2019 at 10:33pm PDT Enough serious talk. What's up with your Netflix prank show ? It's a horror prank show. They're made to make people think they might die at that moment. It's kind of hilarious. It's amazing. [Laughs] I'm a terrible person. What's great is that they're all good sports about it, though. No one's punched us in the face or anything yet. So Stranger Things picks up in the summer and love is in the air. Eleven is still dating Will and Luke is going strong with Max. I hear Dustin may also have a love interest? They touch on the whole group subject with the whole romance situation. I can say that Dustin is definitely still pretty flustered and a little bit heartbroken because he was crushing on Max pretty hard. He's not mad at his best friend, he's not mad at Max. He understands that things happen, but of course he's going to be a little bit upset about it. Photo credit: Netflix But is he ready to move on? They touch on the subject. I think what's cool is that it's not necessarily a major driving force for the character. Like, two characters that are dating can be separate from each other and have their own stories, have their own motivations and own objectives besides each other, which is what's really cool. That doesn't mean that romance can't happen. It doesn't mean that it can't be a cool little extra thing that happens with the show. So Stranger Things is not going to all of a sudden become Riverdale ? [Laughs] I guess you could say that. 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KO to Sell Its Own Energy Drinks, MNST's Objection Ruled Out The Coca-Cola Company KO and Monster Beverage Corporation MNST recently settled a dispute over the launch of Coca-Cola Energy last April. The disagreement, continuing since last October, was sparked as Monster Beverage believed Coca-Cola violated the terms under an initial agreement between them. Monster Beverage apprehended this energy drink puts the two companies in direct competition.However, an arbitration tribunal of the American Arbitration Association cleared that the roll out and sale of Coca-Cola Energy is permitted under to the terms of Coca-Cola’s contract with Monster Beverage. It further stated that the Coca-Cola Energy products are exempted according to the non-compete provision for beverages marketed or positioned under the Coca-Cola brand. The ruling allows Coca-Cola to sell its own energy drinks in markets where it has been launched as well as in new markets across the globe.Notably, the Coca-Cola-Monster Beverage dispute was over the contractual language of their initial partnership signed in 2015. Under the agreement, Coca-Cola bought a 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage and transferred ownership of its energy drinks business to Monster Beverage. Meanwhile, Monster Beverage transferred ownership of its non-energy business to Coca-Cola. The launch of Coca-Cola Energy led to the rise of a dispute over the terms of the initial agreement, after which both companies submitted the dispute with the arbitration tribunal for resolution.In a bid to diversify its portfolio for increasing sales, Coca-Cola first launched its energy drink in Hungary and Spain in April 2018. Apart from Coca-Cola Energy, the company has been looking to expand in the healthy sports drink, sparkling water and coffee categories.Coming back to the ruling, both Coca-Cola and Monster Beverage have heartily accepted the decision of the tribunal and look forward to the continuation of their partnership deal. Shares of both the companies responded positively to the news. Coca-Cola stock was up 1.3% yesterday, while Monster Beverage gained about 1.5%.Year to date, Coca-Cola has improved 9%, while Monster Beverage has surged 31.6%. In the same time period, Monster Beverage, which carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), has outperformed the industry’s growth of 12.8%. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), has underperformed.2 More Top-Ranked Soft-Drink StocksKeurig Dr Pepper Inc. KDP has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 15.4% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can seethe complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Coca Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V. KOF, also a Zacks Rank #2 stock, has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 9.7%.This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportCoca Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V. (KOF) : Free Stock Analysis ReportMonster Beverage Corporation (MNST) : Free Stock Analysis ReportCoca-Cola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis ReportKeurig Dr Pepper, Inc (KDP) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research
What Are Analysts Saying About The Future Of Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG.L)? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Looking at Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG.L) earnings update in March 2019, analyst consensus outlook appear cautiously optimistic, as a 20% increase in profits is expected in the upcoming year, compared with the past 5-year average growth rate of 12%. By 2020, we can expect Alphabet’s bottom line to reach US$37b, a jump from the current trailing-twelve-month of US$31b. Below is a brief commentary around Alphabet's earnings outlook going forward, which may give you a sense of market sentiment for the company. Readers that are interested in understanding the company beyond these figures shouldresearch its fundamentals here. See our latest analysis for Alphabet The view from 34 analysts over the next three years is one of positive sentiment. Generally, broker analysts tend to make predictions for up to three years given the lack of visibility beyond this point. To understand the overall trajectory of GOOG.L's earnings growth over these next fews years, I've fitted a line through these analyst earnings forecast to determine an annual growth rate from the slope. From the current net income level of US$31b and the final forecast of US$49b by 2022, the annual rate of growth for GOOG.L’s earnings is 15%. EPS reaches $64.08 in the final year of forecast compared to the current $44.22 EPS today. Margins are currently sitting at 22%, approximately the same as previous years. With analysts forecasting revenue growth of 0.56428 and GOOG.L's net income growth expected to roughly track that, this company may add value for shareholders over time. Future outlook is only one aspect when you're building an investment case for a stock. For Alphabet, I've put together three relevant factors you should look at: 1. Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at ourfree balance sheet analysis with six simple checkson key factors like leverage and risk. 2. Valuation: What is Alphabet worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? Theintrinsic value infographic in our free research reporthelps visualize whether Alphabet is currently mispriced by the market. 3. Other High-Growth Alternatives: Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of Alphabet? Exploreour interactive list of stocks with large growth potentialto get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Miley Cyrus fans fat-shame plus-size model from her new video Miley Cyrus shared teaser images ahead of the release of her new “Mother’s Daughter” music video and the reactions to one — featuring a plus-size model, in the nude, fanning herself on a chaise lounge — were nasty. Angelina Duplisea, a plus-size model and actress, was quickly fat-shamed in the comments of Cyrus’s Instagram post. She was told she was “unacceptable” for being that weight. Not even that her weight was unacceptable. That she was as a human. That was definitely a theme in the comments, which appeared under a quote Cyrus posted from Duplisea, whose Twitter profile calls her a “professional fat shaker.” It said: “I've always been a fighter. Maybe not always in the most productive way, but fighting for myself, a friend or even for a stranger who is being bullied has always been a part of my personality. Fat acceptance is based on the notion that all fat people, regardless of health, deserve respect. And it's a battle that is fought every day by thousands, including myself.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jul 2, 2019 at 4:06am PDT (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) It went on to say that on social media, the conversation often turns negative “when there are fat bodies involved. People just love to leave awful comments on fat folks photos in order to feel superior and I promise you, not one of these commenters actually cares about the health, family, environment or whatever bullst reason they give for their vile behavior towards a fat person. And really, how in the hell does health matter in the context of someone just posting a photo of themselves feeling happy and confident?” Duplisea asked, “Next time you see a fat person posting pictures of themselves living their life, stop and ask yourself why you wish to spoil their joy. I guarantee that you can't come up with a valid reason that isn't based in your own ego gratification. Stop it and do better! We humans have a lot to learn, but we can start by fighting our personal biases and permitting people of all genders, races, sexualities, sizes, abilities and health levels to live harassment-free lives. Don't f* with their freedom to feel happy and beautiful right now, not just when society says it’s ok.” Story continues As if nobody read what she even wrote, here were more of the comments about Duplisea’s body, including, “Put down the cake and have an apple.” (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) There were people making this point: “I’m all about people being happy in their own skin but I’m not going to say it’s healthy.” Still, Duplisea was making the point not to shame. (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) And there were people (plus-size and not plus-size) weighing in to praise the post — or criticize the shamers. (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) (Screenshot: Miley Cyrus via Instagram) Cyrus has called “Mother’s Daughter,” which she wrote with songwriter Alma, “a bad ass feminist anthem” and said, “Beware it’s the SH** — just like all the bad ass women starring alongside muah!” In the video for the song about sexual liberation and empowerment, Duplisea is on screen while Cyrus sings, “Look at her / She got the power.” The song has a lot of vagina and nipple imagery. It also fittingly features Cyrus’s mom, Tish. Read more on Yahoo Entertainment: Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato dispute Taylor Swift accusations against Scooter Braun Marianne Williamson and Laura Dern were roommates in the '80s — and Twitter can't deal Mayim Bialik’s positive Pride post spammed with ugly, anti-LGBT comments Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle’s newsletter.
Is Ultralife Corporation's (NASDAQ:ULBI) P/E Ratio Really That Good? Want to participate in ashort research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card! Today, we'll introduce the concept of the P/E ratio for those who are learning about investing. We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to Ultralife Corporation's (NASDAQ:ULBI), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research.Ultralife has a P/E ratio of 5.5, based on the last twelve months. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 18%. Check out our latest analysis for Ultralife Theformula for P/Eis: Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share ÷ Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for Ultralife: P/E of 5.5 = $8.03 ÷ $1.46 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.) A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to paya higher pricefor each $1 the company has earned over the last year. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E. Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers. Ultralife's 180% EPS improvement over the last year was like bamboo growth after rain; rapid and impressive. Even better, EPS is up 106% per year over three years. So we'd absolutely expect it to have a relatively high P/E ratio. The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see Ultralife has a lower P/E than the average (18) in the electrical industry classification. This suggests that market participants think Ultralife will underperform other companies in its industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. You should delve deeper. I like to checkif company insiders have been buying or selling. One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio. Ultralife has net cash of US$21m. This is fairly high at 17% of its market capitalization. That might mean balance sheet strength is important to the business, but should also help push the P/E a bit higher than it would otherwise be. Ultralife trades on a P/E ratio of 5.5, which is below the US market average of 18.2. The net cash position gives plenty of options to the business, and the recent improvement in EPS is good to see. One might conclude that the market is a bit pessimistic, given the low P/E ratio. Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you might want to assessthis data-rich visualizationof earnings, revenue and cash flow. But note:Ultralife may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20). We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor ateditorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Port Report: Singapore Mandates Accurate Distillate Fuel Meters As Of July 1 Singapore, one of the world's biggest centers for the supply ofmarine fuels, is now enforcing the mandatory use of mass flow metering systems for the delivery of distillate fuels. The new mandate went into force as of July 1, 2019. The regulator – theMaritime & Port Authority of Singapore(MPA) – decided on the distillates mandate back on May 10, 2018 following a successful series of trials. To defray the cost of installing an Authority-approved mass flow meter, it offered subsidies of up to SG$60,000 for each existing bunker tanker already licensed to deliver distillates. The quantity of distillate delivered to ocean-going ships will be as stated in the Bunker Delivery Note, which is based on the reading of the mass flow meter as witnessed by the cargo officer, the chief engineer and any independent bunker surveyor. Asia's biggest fuel station Singapore is one of the world's largest, if not the largest, locations for the supply of marine fuel. In 2018 it sold a total of 49.8 million metric tons of bunkers. A metric ton is 2,204.6 U.S. pounds. The vast majority of that was viscous fuel oil – 35.7 million tons of 380 centistoke marine fuel oil. Last year, 746,800 tons of marine gas oil were also sold in Singapore. Singapore is one of the world's largest centers for the supply of marine fuels.Data:Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.Graphic:FreightWaves. Data:Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.Graphic:FreightWaves. Enforcement action With such a large, and valuable, industry, the MPA takes its marine bunkering very seriously. "All MPA licensed bunker suppliers, bunker craft operators, bunker surveying companies and bunker surveyors are reminded to adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of their bunker licences... for bunker delivery by MFM in the Port of Singapore. MPA will take firm action against any licensee that has acted in contravention of their licences, including suspending or revoking their bunker licences, as appropriate," the Authority said. For instance, in late May this year, the Authority revoked the bunker supplier license ofSouthernpec (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Southernpec is no longer allowed to supply bunkers after government inspectors found that employees were using magnets to interfere with mass flow meters used to deliver heavy fuel oil. Southernpec's cargo officers also did not record information accurately in bunkering documentation. There are other examples of enforcement action, such as the action againstTransOcean in 2017. Mass flow meters have been mandatory in Singapore for use in the delivery of marine heavy fuel oil since January 2017. Meters for measuring the mass flow of liquids Pictured:an example of a mass flow meter.Photo:Shutterstock. In amass flow meter, fluids pass through a flexible "U" shaped measuring tube. An exciter device causes the empty measuring tube to move in a regular, predictable way. Inlet and outlet sensors precisely detect and record that movement. When fluid enters the measuring part of the tube then, because of theCoriolis Effectand because of the kinetic energy imparted by the moving fluid, the tube will begin to twist and wriggle. This motion can be very accurately detected and will reveal the exact mass of the fluid. Somewhat simply, a mass flow meter measures, well, mass, as opposed to weight. "Mass" is the amount of material in an object (or substance). "Weight" is the force of gravity pulling down on an object. For the vast majority of us in our everyday lives, "weight" and "mass" are used interchangeably in conversation without any ill-effect. But when large volumes of a highly valuable liquid are being bought and sold on the basis of dollars per ton of mass delivered, then the exact and precise amount of mass becomes very important. Marine gas oil prices in Singapore At the time of writing, the price of marine gas oil in Singapore was SG$602 (US$445) per metric ton.Graphic:Shutterstock. For instance, on Friday June 28, the price of marine gas oil (a distillate fuel) in Singapore was SG$602 (US$445) per metric ton. Buyers of fuel want to receive all the fuel they have actually paid for. But fuel, unfortunately, has a few annoying characteristics from a measuring-the-amount-delivered perspective. Its volume shrinks and expands with variations in temperature. It can become less dense if air gets entrapped within it (the so-called "cappuccino bunkers" effect). Or the fuel could have water in it. And, prior to the introduction of mass flow meters, measuring the amount of fluid transferred from a bunker barge to a ship involved surveyors taking the temperature of the fuel, dipping sticks into the fuel, carrying out manual calculations and recording the transaction on paper. All of these factors mean that the buyer could be paying for fuel he or she did not actually receive. And it might not just be an innocent mistake. Sadly, there have been plenty of examples in the past of short-deliveries as part of a bunker-delivery fraud. A 1.5 percent delivery shortfall costs an awful lot of cash... But back to the mass flow meters. Liner shipping company Maersk has in the past (in the days before mass flow meters) complained of differences of up to 1.5 percent in the seller's record of the amount of heavy fuel oil delivered and its own figures. Let's see how that might make a difference. Firstly, it should be noted there are many different grades of marine fuel. For instance, "DMA" (also known as "marine gasoil") is a pure distillate marine fuel used by tugs and ferries. Large commercial cargo-carrying ships would normally use some other mix of fuel. The actual mix of fuels used will depend on the ship and its fuel system configuration. To keep the explanation of this example simple, we've just assumed the use of marine gas oil. Let's assume a 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit container ship fuels up with marine gas oil in Singapore for a trans-Pacific trip to Long Beach, California. That's a distance of 14,801.30 kilometers (9,197.10 miles). Let's further assume the ship is slow-steaming which would give it a speed of 19 knots (35.19 kmh; 40.49 mph). It would consume of 150 tons of fuel per day. That's a journey of about 421 hours, or 17.5 days. Multiply that by 150 tons per day and the hypothetical big box ship would need about 2,629 tons of fuel, roughly. With a marine gas oil price of about SG$602 per metric ton, the ship would need to pay SG$1.58 million (US$1.17 million). So a 1.5 percent shortfall in the delivery of marine gasoil for our hypothetical voyage would lead to an overcharging in the price of about SG$23,740 (US$17,534). Maersk trialled the use of mass flow meters One of Maersk's 700 or so ships that it operates on a daily basis.Photo:Shutterstock. So that may, or may not, be a large figure for your wallet. But the bigger international shipping companies may be measuring the size of their fleets in the multiple hundreds. A Maersk spokesperson today told FreightWaves that Maersk currently roughly operates about 700 ships. And when a company is sailing 700 ships about the world, then a US$17,500 variation in fuel bills per voyage is something that needs to be addressed. Maersk was banging on the drum about this very topic a few years back for this exact reason. Back in 2010, the company was buying 13 million metric tons of marine fuel and carried out 12,000 bunkering operations. With a 1.5 percent variation between Maersk's readings and that of the suppliers, there was plenty of room for dispute. A series of field trials were arranged in Singapore with (what was then) a newer type of mass flow meter. Results from trials found an average error of less than 0.5 percent. The meters were also able to detect air in the pipes. Maersk became a convert to mass flow meters. Since then, the rest of the world has followed. FreightWaves sought comment from the Maritime & Port Authority for this article; however, no one was available. Port Report: around the world Hutchison inaugurates Gulf of Mexico terminalMexico's newest container terminal at the port of Veracruz cost $450 mln. (Seatrade Maritime)APM upgrades Barcelona container terminalAfter delivery of new post panamax cranes, APM adds more straddle carrier capacity, (MarineLink)Blockchain container shipment completedSamsung, ABN Amro said shipment through Port of Rotterdam a success. (Maritime Executive) Image Sourced by Pixabay See more from Benzinga • Barge Movement Resumes On Mississippi, But Remains Sluggish • U.S. Senators Propose 65-mph Truck Speed Limiters • San Antonio Long-Haul Volumes Explode Prior To Fourth Of July Weekend © 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
A 'Layton' game is coming to Switch on November 8th To date, playing aLaytongame in English has meant playing on either a Nintendo handheld oryour phone. Soon, though, you'll have the chance to solve puzzles on your TV at home. Level-5 and Nintendo haveannouncedthat the Deluxe Edition ofLayton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracywill be available on the Switch in North America and Europe on November 8th. It's much-improved visually over the 3DS version, of course, but the sheer amount of extra gameplay may be the real draw. The Deluxe update includes both 40 new puzzles as well as "refined" examples from the 3DS version. You also get all the previous DLC right from the start, and there are 50 new outfits you can earn through gameplay. You may have reasons to buy the Switch version even if you've played through its earlier counterparts, then. If nothing else, this gives you a rare chance to play aLaytongame both in your living room and on the road.

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