Hot Oil Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:RRC,HAL,APA,WPZ,

Some options traders are betting on $100 oil again.

Whether it’s the specter of sanctions on Iran, Venezuela’s output plunge, or a momentum play on the back of the past year’s 46 percent surge in Brent, there are now the equivalent of about 93 million barrels wagering on the global benchmark hitting $100 at some point in the next 12 months.

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While triple-digit oil may be a way off in practice, talk that prices could top that barrier over the next 12 months is gaining traction. Bank of America said earlier this month that oil could rally to $100 by the middle of next year, a view echoed by veteran developing-nation investor Mark Mobius. Meanwhile Pierre Andurand, one of the most prominent hedge fund managers in the oil market, recently said that $300 a barrel was “not impossible”. Among the rationale behind those views are shrinking global oil stockpiles and more hawkish U.S. foreign policy.

Hot Oil Stocks To Watch For 2019: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC) – Equities research analysts at Seaport Global Securities raised their Q4 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Range Resources in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 23rd. Seaport Global Securities analyst M. Kelly now anticipates that the oil and gas exploration company will post earnings per share of $0.12 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.11. Seaport Global Securities has a “Neutral” rating on the stock. Seaport Global Securities also issued estimates for Range Resources’ Q1 2019 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $0.98 EPS.

• [By Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Monday was Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) which rose about 6% to $16.05. The stock��s 52-week range is $11.93 to $25.96. Volume was 8.6 million compared to the daily average volume of 7.4 million.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Range Resources (RRC)

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

Hot Oil Stocks To Watch For 2019: Halliburton Company(HAL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. decreased its position in shares of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) by 2.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 43,482 shares of the oilfield services company’s stock after selling 1,312 shares during the period. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Halliburton were worth $2,035,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  IEZ is also a top-heavy fund. Just two stocks — Schlumberger NV (NYSE: SLB) and Halliburton Inc. (NYSE: HAL) — combine for almost 26 percent of the fund's weight. Underscoring the correlation to oil prices, IEZ has a three-year standard deviation of 30 percent, indicating this ETF is far more volatile than standard diversified energy funds.

• [By ]

  Houston-based Halliburton Co. (HAL) stock fell during premarket trading Monday, April 23, despite reporting a 34% increase in revenue driven by expanding U.S. production, as the oilfield service provider experienced sand delivery challenges and took a charge related to its business in Venezuela.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Even though Haliburton's (NYSE:HAL) bottom line got hit yet again by the continued turmoil in Venezuela, the company was able to churn out a respectable profit for the first quarter of 2018. The number that pops out is that it grew revenue a whopping 34%. That's quite an accomplishment for such a large business, but management still thinks it has a few more quarters of growth like this left in it.�

• [By Chris Lange]

  Haliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) is expected to reveal its fourth-quarter results on Monday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.46 in EPS, as well as $5.63 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $53.01 on Friday��s close. The consensus price target is $55.09. The stock has a 52-week range of $38.18 to $58.78.

Hot Oil Stocks To Watch For 2019: Apache Corporation(APA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Presto, West Texas Intermediate crude rose 3% to $71.18, the highest since December 2014, boosting shares of oil companies including Occidental (OXY) , which gained 4.8%, Marathon (MRO) , up 3.8%, and Apache (APA) , which gained 2.5%. Spot gasoline also rose 2.7% to $2.17 a gallon, boding ill for the summer driving season in the U.S. and potentially eroding any gains middle-class Americans received from the Trump tax cuts.

• [By VantagePoint]

  Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA) has been ripping since March 2nd, when it hit a two-year low of $33.60. Since then it's up 25 percent. 

  The three-month chart below shows that this trend is likely to continue. The blue line is generated via VantagePoint's intermarket analysis, and represents a prediction of what APA's moving average will be in three days. The black line is a simple 10-day moving average. Note the bullish crossover that occurred in early March. That was a signal that the stock was entering an uptrend. 

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Kinder Morgan announced that it signed a letter of intent with private equity-backed EagleClaw Midstream Ventures and Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) to develop the Permian Highway Pipeline Project. The proposed $2 billion, 430-mile pipeline would move 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Permian to the Gulf Coast. However, the partners are evaluating the feasibility of building a larger pipeline that could move even more gas. Kinder Morgan and EagleClaw would each initially own a 50% stake in the project, though Apache has the option to acquire a 33% interest from those partners. Apache has committed to supply the pipeline with about a quarter of its initial capacity, while EagleClaw has also agreed to be a significant shipper on the proposed line, which could enter service by the end of 2020.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Apache Co. (NYSE:APA) by 4.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,132,014 shares of the energy company’s stock after buying an additional 94,324 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Apache were worth $82,040,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Both Apache (NYSE:APA) and Noble Energy (NYSE:NBL) have signed on to the private-equity-backed EPIC Pipeline, which will move 590,000 barrels of crude per day to the Texas coast when it starts operations in the second half of next year.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) fourth-quarter results are scheduled for Thursday. The consensus forecast is for $0.22 in EPS on $1.55 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $38.11. The consensus price target is $50.43. The 52-week range is $35.70 to $56.51.

Hot Oil Stocks To Watch For 2019: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  SG Americas Securities LLC lowered its holdings in Williams Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE:WPZ) by 27.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 37,682 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 14,458 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Williams Pipeline Partners were worth $1,297,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Natural gas pipeline giant Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) announced today that it agreed to acquire the rest of its master limited partnership (MLP) Williams Partners (NYSE:WPZ) that it didn't already own in a $10.5 billion deal. Not to be outdone, Canadian energy infrastructure giant Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) made an offer to acquire its namesake MLP Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE:EEP), along with the rest of its publicly traded entities, including Spectra Energy Partners (NYSE:SEP). These transactions have big implications not only for investors in these entities but for those who own other pipeline companies, too.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) from Buy to Hold..

  Williams Partners shares fell 0.63 percent to close at $41.23 on Friday.

Thursday’s Biggest Winners and Losers in the S&P 500

July 19, 2018: The S&P 500 closed down 0.4% at 2,804.56. The DJIA closed down 0.5% at 25,064.97. Separately, the Nasdaq was down 0.4% at 7,825.30.

Thursday was a down day for the broad U.S. markets, with the Nasdaq pulling back slightly from its all-time highs. Crude oil made a solid gain in the session. The S&P 500 sectors were more or less split down the middle. The most positive sectors were real estate and utilities up 1.0% and 0.9%, respectively. The worst performing sectors were financials and healthcare down 1.3% and 0.5%, respectively.

Crude oil was last seen trading up 0.8% at $69.34.

Gold was last seen trading down % at $1,221.60.

The stock posting the largest daily percentage loss in the S&P 500 ahead of the close was eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) which fell over 9% to $34.33. The stock��s 52-week range is $33.95 to $46.99. Volume was about 49 million compared to the daily average volume of 9.1 million.

The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close was Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV) which traded up 5% at $78.05. The stock��s 52-week range is $66.16 to $88.09. Volume was nearly 4 million compared to the daily average volume of 1.7 million.

 

0xcert (ZXC) Reaches 1-Day Trading Volume of $674,596.00

0xcert (CURRENCY:ZXC) traded down 0.3% against the US dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 15:00 PM E.T. on July 21st. 0xcert has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $674,596.00 worth of 0xcert was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. During the last seven days, 0xcert has traded 9.7% lower against the US dollar. One 0xcert token can currently be bought for approximately $0.0342 or 0.00000461 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges.

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

Get 0xcert alerts: XRP (XRP) traded up 2.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.46 or 0.00006150 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded up 5.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.29 or 0.00003926 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded up 3.4% against the dollar and now trades at $1.02 or 0.00013701 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded down 0.2% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013457 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 3.4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0362 or 0.00000488 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 3.7% higher against the dollar and now trades at $34.87 or 0.00469923 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded up 2.3% against the dollar and now trades at $12.33 or 0.00166230 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded up 8.2% against the dollar and now trades at $1.81 or 0.00024424 BTC. 0x (ZRX) traded 9% higher against the dollar and now trades at $1.18 or 0.00015936 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 4% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0745 or 0.00001004 BTC.

0xcert Token Profile

0xcert’s total supply is 500,000,000 tokens. The Reddit community for 0xcert is /r/0xcert and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. 0xcert’s official Twitter account is @0xcert and its Facebook page is accessible here. 0xcert’s official message board is medium.com/0xcert. 0xcert’s official website is 0xcert.org.

Buying and Selling 0xcert

0xcert can be purchased on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: IDEX. It is usually not possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as 0xcert directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to acquire 0xcert should first purchase Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, Changelly or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to purchase 0xcert using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Surge Components (SPRS) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Surge Components (OTCMKTS:SPRS) posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, Bloomberg Earnings reports. The company had revenue of $7.26 million during the quarter. Surge Components had a net margin of 3.28% and a return on equity of 22.13%.

Shares of Surge Components opened at $1.01 on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market cap of $6.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.94 and a beta of 0.48. Surge Components has a twelve month low of $0.56 and a twelve month high of $1.40.

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Surge Components Company Profile

Surge Components, Inc supplies electronic products and components in the United States. The company offers capacitors, which are electrical energy storage devices; and discrete components, such as semiconductor rectifiers, transistors, diodes, and circuit protection devices, as well as audible components, including audible transducers, buzzers, speakers, microphones, resonators, alarms, chimes, filters, and discriminators, as well as fuses, printed circuit boards, and switches.

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What to Expect When Microsoft Reports After the Close

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is scheduled to release its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results after the markets close on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for $1.08 in earnings per share (EPS) and $29.21 billion in revenue. In the same period of last year, the company posted EPS of $1.06 and $24.7 billion in revenue.

It was recently announced that Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has inked a five-year deal with Microsoft that provides the world��s largest retailer with cloud solutions and services. In fact, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called the two companies�� battle with Amazon ��absolutely core�� to the just-signed deal. In an interview reported by The Wall Street Journal, Nadella elaborated: ��How do we get more leverage as two organizations that have depth and breadth and investment to be able to outrun our respective competition?��

Walmart already uses Microsoft technology, and the new deal extends Walmart��s ties to include Microsoft Azure and 365 products. The retailer sees Azure as a continuation of its use of cloud computing and expects to move ��hundreds of existing applications to cloud-native architectures.��

By scaling up its cloud integration, Walmart says it will build a global Internet of Things platform on Azure to reduce energy use in thousands of U.S. stores. The expansion also will enable Walmart to apply machine learning to routing trucks in its supply chain.

Over the past 52 weeks, Microsoft has outperformed the broad markets, with its stock up about 43%. In just 2018 alone, the stock is up only 23%.

A few analysts weighed in on Microsoft ahead of earnings:

KeyCorp has a Buy rating with a $110 price target. Raymond James has a Strong Buy rating with a $124 target. Bank of America has a Buy rating with a $130 price target. Piper Jaffray has an Overweight rating and a $123 price target. Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating with a $114 price target. Barclays has a Buy rating with a $108 price target.

Shares of Microsoft were last seen at $104.73, with a consensus analyst price target of $113.47 and a 52-week trading range of $71.28 to $106.50.

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Deutsche Bank Likes 5 Chip Stocks Into Q2 Results

Under the Radar: The Supreme Court Decision Brett Kavanaugh Is Most Likely to Overrule

By William A. Galston of the Brookings Institution

Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, is less likely to override Roe v. Wade than to rein in the agencies at the heart of the modern administrative state. Here’s why:

During the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed��and the Congress ratified��the creation of new agencies to help implement the expansive legislation at the heart of the New Deal. After years of bipartisan fact-finding and deliberation, Congress codified the activities of the agencies in the Administrative Procedure Act (1946), which sets forth the processes through which regulations and other forms of legislative implementation may proceed.

This statute gives formal and, in the eyes of many, quasi-constitutional status to the modern administrative state. It also raises enduring questions about the relationship between agencies and the three constitutionally established branches of government. For example, when an agency claims authority to promulgate a regulation, who has the power to limit the exercise of this authority? When someone takes an agency to court asserting that a regulation lacks legislative justification, what standards should the courts use to weigh this claim?

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, in Chevron v. NRDC (1984), the Supreme Court offered a clear answer: unless Congress has spoken clearly on the subject of a regulation, the courts should defer to an agency’s decision as long as it is reasonable, even if the courts would have reached a different interpretation. Whenever a statute is ambiguous, the agency enjoys wide discretion. Anything that is not unreasonable lies in the zone of the permissible.

As both an appellate judge and legal commentator, Mr. Kavanaugh has been critical of this decision. In a 2016 article in the Harvard Law Review, he states that Chevron “has no basis in the Administrative Procedure Act” and represents “an atextual invention by courts.” In fact, he adds, the decision is “nothing more than a judicially orchestrated shift of power from Congress to the Executive Branch.”

Mr. Kavanaugh objects not only to the jurisprudence underlying the decision, but also to its consequences. “From my more than five years of experience in the White House,” he declares, “I can confidently claim that Chevron encourages the Executive Branch (whichever party controls it) to be extremely aggressive in seeking to squeeze its policy goals into ill-fitting statutory authorizations and restraints.”

In short, this decision unleashes presidents’ incentives to push their executive authority to the limit, often beyond. The reason, Kavanaugh says, is rooted in today’s partisan and legislative gridlock: “Presidents run for office on policy agendas and it is often difficult to get those agendas through Congress. So it is no surprise that presidents and agencies often will do whatever they can within existing statutes. And with Chevron in the mix, that inherent aggressiveness is amped up significantly.”

Because Kavanaugh sees this decision as a source of constitutional distortion, he is determined to limit its scope. To this end, his Harvard Law Review article offers three proposals. First: keeping with a proposal first offered by Stephen Breyer before he joined the Court, and subsequently endorsed by the Court in King v. Burwell (2015), Chevron should not apply in cases involving questions of major significance. Second: as suggested in United States v. Mead (2001), Chevron should not apply unless Congress has delegated authority to the agency to make rules carrying the force of law and the agency is making rules pursuant to that authority.

Third (and here Kavanaugh breaks new ground): courts should hesitate to expand agency discretion by determining that statutes are ambiguous. Given the imperfections of language, a topic James Madison discusses in Federalist #37, most sentences will contain an element of indeterminacy. How can Congress limit the scope of agency discretion? Some judges will discern clarity where others see ambiguity. The idea of ambiguity is itself ambiguous. But if nearly everything can be deemed ambiguous, what’s the point of drafting legislation?

Kavanaugh proposes to escape this cul de sac by adopting a new presumption: when there is a high probability that a certain interpretation of the statute represents the best reading, the court should adopt this reading, even if the matter is not entirely free from doubt. The legislative will of Congress should prevail over executive power, at least when the courts are prepared to interpret statutes authoritatively.

Along with many conservatives, Kavanaugh believes that the administrative state has run amok, empowering policy judgments that lack statutory warrant and escape judicial review. And he has a plan, or perhaps two plans, to rein in runaway agencies. Whenever circumstances permit, he will interpret the scope of Chevron as narrowly as possible. And if the occasion presents itself, he may well vote to overrule it. Yes, the decision has the force of precedent. But if it lacks statutory authority, as Kavanaugh contends, the doctrine of stare decisis may not be enough to protect it.

A post-Chevron world would expand judicial power in the administrative sphere at the expense of both Congress and the executive. More regulations probably would fail judicial tests. The regulatory process, already more like a marathon than a sprint, would slow further. In response, Congress might work harder to make its legislative intentions clear, and the White House might work harder to remain within the four corners of congressional intent.

This article appeared originally at the Brookings website, along with links to other materials that may be of interest.

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8 Top Picks From Credit Suisse With Implied Upside of 50% or More

Papa John’s Needs to Fire Founder Schnatter (Update)

Update: Schnatter made a public apology for his comments.

Founder and former Papa John’s International Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) CEO John Schnatter is costing the company’s shareholders more money, this time for allegedly using racial slurs and graphic descriptions of violence against minorities in a May conference call with the firm’s media agency. Schnatter resigned in December as CEO but retained his position as the company’s board chair following similar statements made last December related to the controversy over NFL players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

The company’s stock dropped nearly 6% Wednesday morning following a report from Bloomberg that the agency involved, Laundry Service, ended its relationship with Papa John’s following the May phone call. Papa John’s shares are trading at their lowest level since February of 2016.

The board’s lead independent director, Olivia F. Kirtley, failed to send Schnatter packing in December, and she should be replaced as well for failing to do what clearly needed doing months ago.

Schnatter’s comments last year about kneeling NFL players were whines about how the league’s ratings had dropped due to players’ protests and how lower ratings were costing Papa John’s money because fewer fans were watching the games and ordering his company’s heavily advertised pizza. They were also aimed squarely at the predominantly black players who were protesting.

Kirtley, in addition to being the lead independent director, serves as chair of the compensation committee. She is also on the boards of U.S. Bancorp and Delta Dental, both of which do business with Papa John’s. In the company’s latest proxy statement, both of Kirtley’s relationships with the other companies were reviewed by the board and determined to have no impact on her independence or her business judgment. She was named to Papa John’s board in 2003.

If that faith in her judgment was not impaired last December, it should be now. Schnatter’s statements then were nothing but a preview of coming attractions, and the first episode happened in May. If Schnatter doesn’t go, Papa John’s investors will get to watch more episodes. It’s Kirtley’s job to see that that doesn’t happen.

But��and there’s always a but��Schnatter appointed Kirtley to the board and has kept her on board for 15 years. That kind of loyalty needs to be repaid.

During 2017, Kirtley was paid $117,000 in cash for her services as a director and received a restricted stock award valued at $87,513 and an option award valued at $85,507, for total annual compensation of $292,020.

Schnatter was paid $2.75 million in total compensation last year, of which $900,000 was his salary. The company also paid his wholly owned airline, Hampton Airways, $445,600 for charter aircraft services for company business travel.

Schnatter owns about 30% of Papa John’s outstanding stock and is the company’s largest shareholder, with about 9.9 million shares. Kirtley is the second-largest shareholder with 193,110 shares.

ALSO READ: RBC Raises 2018 and 2019 Oil Price Estimates: 6 Top Picks to Buy Now

Papa John CEO Steve Ritchie had these words for company employees regarding Schnatter’s latest rant:

The past six months we’ve had to take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that we’ve lost a bit of focus on the core values that this brand was built on and that delivered success for so many years. We’ve got to own up and take the hit for our missteps and refocus on the constant pursuit of better that is the DNA of our brand.

The board can start by booting Schnatter, followed soon after that with an offer for Kirtley to spend more time with her family.

Papa John’s shares traded down about 3.2% Tuesday afternoon, at $49.17 in a 52-week range of $47.80 to $81.09. The low was posted this morning, and the stock’s consensus price target is 59.80.

Shares of RIL, GAIL & Gujarat Gas gain 2-4% as 9th round of City Gas Distribution Scheme gets un

Reliance Industries�(RIL), Aegis Logistics, GAIL and Gujarat Gas rallied 2-4 percent intraday on Tuesday as the bidding for the ninth round of City Gas Distribution Scheme closes later today.

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) has put their bids aggressively under 9th round of City Gas Distribution (CGD) Scheme and 10 new companies have also shown interest in city gas distribution, reports CNBC-TV18 quoting unnamed sources.

Sources further said bids by OMCs will be evaluated between July 12-18.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) expects to award CGD contracts well before October schedule and expects atleast one bid in all 86 geographical areas. 60 geographical areas will have multiple bids, sources added.

related news D-Street Buzz: BSE Energy outshines with RIL up 2.8%; Ujjas Energy spikes 20%, leads smallcap rally PVR stock up 1% on JV with Al-Futtaim for business in West Asia & North Africa L&T Infotech gains 3%; board to consider Q1 results on July 23

Meanwhile, India Gas Solutions Pvt Ltd, the 50:50 JV of UK's BP plc and Reliance Industries, is making its maiden foray in city gas distribution as it put in bid for 15 cities, reports PTI quoting sources.

Indraprastha Gas (IGL), which retails CNG in the national capital region, is also putting in bids for 13 cities, they said. Essel Infraprojects has put in a total of seven bids.

Bidding for the biggest city gas distribution licensing round, offering 86 permits for selling CNG and piped cooking gas in 174 districts in 22 states and union territories, closes this evening.

As many as 86 geographical areas (GAs), made by clubbing adjacent districts, are on offer in the 9th city gas distribution (CGD) bidding round. The GAs cover 24 percent of the country's area and 29 percent of its population.

The round is likely to attract investments of Rs 70,000 crore, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).

The government is targeting to raise the share of natural gas in primary energy basket to 15 percent from 6 percent at present, within a few years.

The bid round is also aimed at meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target of giving piped cooking gas connection to 1 crore households, roughly triple the current size, by 2020.

The CGD licences on offer are for Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh; Ahmednagar in Maharashtra; Ludhiana and Jalandhar in Punjab; Barmer, Alwar and Kota in Rajasthan; Coimbatore and Salem in Tamil Nadu; Allahabad, Faizabad, Amethi and Rai Bareli in Uttar Pradesh; Dehradun in Uttarakhand and Burdwan in West Bengal.

At 14:42 hours IST, the stock price Aegis Logistics was trading up 3.62 percent at Rs 236.25, GAIL India up 3.82 percent at Rs 360.50, Gujarat Gas up 1.29 percent at Rs 753 and Reliance Industries rallied 2.65 percent at Rs 1,022 on the BSE.

However, oil marketing companies' share prices are under pressure as sources said piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) distribution in cities may affect OMCs' LPG & retail fuel business.

At 14:42 hours IST, the stock price of Bharat Petroleum Corporation was down 0.29 percent at Rs 375.25, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation down 0.99 percent at Rs 269.60 and Indian Oil Corporation down 0.67 percent at Rs 156.35.

Mahanagar Gas was also trading down 1.62 percent at Rs 819.05 and Indraprastha Gas down 0.83 percent at Rs 263.45.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.

(With inputs from PTI) First Published on Jul 10, 2018 03:18 pm

Odonate Therapeutics (ODT) Downgraded by Zacks Investment Research

Odonate Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ODT) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

According to Zacks, “Odonate Therapeutics, LLC is a pharmaceutical company. It engaged in the development of therapeutics to improve and extend the lives of patients with cancer. The company focused on the development of tesetaxel, a novel chemotherapy agent. It has completed Phase-II studies in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Odonate Therapeutics, LLC is based in SAN DIEGO, United States. “

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Separately, ValuEngine raised shares of Odonate Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Odonate Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.00.

Odonate Therapeutics opened at $23.43 on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. Odonate Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $15.15 and a 1-year high of $32.00. The company has a market capitalization of $623.53 million and a PE ratio of -10.14.

Odonate Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ODT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The company reported ($0.69) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.85) by $0.16. sell-side analysts forecast that Odonate Therapeutics will post -3.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tang Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Odonate Therapeutics by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Tang Capital Management LLC now owns 12,412,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,893,000 after purchasing an additional 210,000 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Odonate Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,437,000. Sabby Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Odonate Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $20,636,000. Redmile Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Odonate Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $14,923,000. Finally, Rock Springs Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Odonate Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $10,250,000. 83.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Odonate Therapeutics Company Profile

Odonate Therapeutics, Inc, a pharmaceutical company, develops therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. It focuses on the development of tesetaxel, an orally administered chemotherapy agent for patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Odonate Therapeutics, Inc also conducting a Phase III study in MBC, which is known as CONTESSA.

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FibroGen Inc (FGEN) Shares Sold by Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A.

Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A. reduced its holdings in shares of FibroGen Inc (NASDAQ:FGEN) by 12.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,922 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 1,315 shares during the period. Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A.’s holdings in FibroGen were worth $558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of FGEN. PointState Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of FibroGen during the 1st quarter worth approximately $19,492,000. Artal Group S.A. bought a new stake in shares of FibroGen during the 1st quarter worth approximately $11,550,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of FibroGen by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,326,075 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $299,855,000 after acquiring an additional 244,617 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in shares of FibroGen by 87.3% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 373,555 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $17,704,000 after acquiring an additional 174,126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its stake in shares of FibroGen by 6,046.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 170,943 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $7,897,000 after acquiring an additional 168,162 shares during the last quarter. 63.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on FGEN shares. Zacks Investment Research lowered FibroGen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, May 14th. Mizuho reissued a “hold” rating and set a $61.00 price target on shares of FibroGen in a research note on Thursday, March 29th. BidaskClub raised FibroGen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 24th. Finally, ValuEngine raised FibroGen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $68.83.

In other FibroGen news, Director Jorma Routti sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.59, for a total transaction of $279,540.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 133,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,235,605.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Pat Cotroneo sold 14,987 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.04, for a total value of $824,884.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 272,182 shares of company stock worth $14,513,406 over the last 90 days. 8.96% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

FibroGen opened at $63.45 on Friday, according to Marketbeat. FibroGen Inc has a 52 week low of $32.20 and a 52 week high of $65.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 8.61 and a current ratio of 8.61.

FibroGen (NASDAQ:FGEN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 9th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.50) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.51) by $0.01. The company had revenue of $31.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $29.07 million. FibroGen had a negative return on equity of 27.70% and a negative net margin of 102.86%. FibroGen’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.48) EPS. sell-side analysts expect that FibroGen Inc will post -1.58 earnings per share for the current year.

About FibroGen

FibroGen, Inc, a research-based biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes therapeutic agents to treat serious unmet medical needs. It is developing Roxadustat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of hypoxia inducible factor prolyl hydroxylases (HIF-PHs) that is in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease; Pamrevlumab, a human-monoclonal antibody that inhibits the activity of connective tissue growth factor, which is in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, liver fibrosis, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and FG-5200, a corneal implant medical device for the treatment of corneal blindness resulting from partial thickness corneal damage.

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Comparing Xplore Technologies (XPLR) & Echelon (ELON)

Xplore Technologies (NASDAQ: XPLR) and Echelon (NASDAQ:ELON) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and valuation.

Profitability

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This table compares Xplore Technologies and Echelon’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Xplore Technologies	0.54%	3.73%	1.96%
Echelon	-15.15%	-21.24%	-15.49%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Xplore Technologies and Echelon’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Xplore Technologies	$77.93 million	0.57	-$2.55 million	($0.23)	-17.61
Echelon	$31.67 million	1.19	-$4.62 million	($1.04)	-8.01

Xplore Technologies has higher revenue and earnings than Echelon. Xplore Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Echelon, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Xplore Technologies has a beta of 0.72, indicating that its stock price is 28% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Echelon has a beta of -0.89, indicating that its stock price is 189% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

24.1% of Xplore Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.9% of Echelon shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.2% of Xplore Technologies shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.0% of Echelon shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Xplore Technologies and Echelon, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Xplore Technologies	0	0	2	0	3.00
Echelon	0	0	0	0	N/A

Xplore Technologies currently has a consensus target price of $4.93, suggesting a potential upside of 21.60%. Given Xplore Technologies’ higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Xplore Technologies is more favorable than Echelon.

Summary

Xplore Technologies beats Echelon on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Xplore Technologies

Xplore Technologies Corp. develops, integrates, and markets rugged mobile personal computer systems in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company's products enable the extension of traditional computing systems to a range of field personnel, including energy pipeline inspectors, public safety personnel, warehouse workers, and pharmaceutical scientists. It offers a line of iX104 tablet PCs that are designed to operate in various work environments, such as extreme temperatures, constant vibrations, rain, and blowing dirt and dusty conditions; and are fitted with a range of performance matched accessories comprising multiple docking station solutions, wireless connectivity alternatives, global positioning system modules, and biometric and smartcard modules, as well as traditional peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, and cases. The company's products also consist of XSlate B10 and XSlate D10 rugged tablets; XSLATE R12 and Motion F5m/C5m tablets; and Bobcat, a rugged tablet that has a Windows operating system. It serves public safety, utility, telecommunications, field service, warehousing logistics, transportation, oil and gas production, manufacturing, route delivery, military, and homeland security markets. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

About Echelon

Echelon Corporation develops, markets, and sells embedded components, modules, edge servers, and software. The company offers chips, gateways, and design and management software to original equipment manufacturers under the LONWORKS and IzoT brands. It also provides a range of control networking solutions under the LumInsight and Lumewave by Echelon brands that consist of wired and wireless control nodes; smart gateways for interconnecting the control nodes; and a software-based Central Management System, which is used for startup, commissioning, management, and monitoring of the lighting network. The company markets its products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific/Japan through direct sales organization, third-party electronics representatives, value-added resellers, and distributors. Echelon Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.