Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019

tags:LRCX,KODK,XEL,PNY,SCHX,

Stock market indexes are at or near all-time highs, and the S&P 500 has gained nearly 50% over just the past three years. It can be hard to find bargain investment ideas in such a positive environment. As Warren Buffett has pointed out, "It's optimism that is the enemy of the rational buyer."

With that idea in mind, below I'll take a look at a few stocks that have missed at least part of the recent rally but still look like strong long-term investments. Read on to find out why Carnival (NYSE:CCL), Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), and eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) might be cheap right now for the wrong reasons.

CCL data by YCharts

Cruising for a discount

Carnival's stock has declined 8% over the past year, making it cheaper compared to the broader market and also compared to peers like Royal Caribbean. Yet the cruise giant's business is as strong as it has ever been. In fact, Carnival's growth beat management's targets in each of the first two quarters of the fiscal year, with its most recent report showing strong sales growth and healthy profits thanks to robust vacation demand and rising ticket prices.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019: Lam Research Corporation(LRCX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  D.A. Davidson & CO. trimmed its position in Lam Research Co. (NASDAQ:LRCX) by 21.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,450 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 1,522 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $942,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Their picks: semiconductor-making machine maker Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX), social media player Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP), and transport major Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL). But as was the case last week, too, not all of these stocks to watch are necessarily ones they view as stocks to buy.

• [By Trey Thoelcke]

  And Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) EPS are expected to grow 21.4% in the next five years, putting on the brakes after more than 90% growth in the prior five years. The stock has been a laggard despite the bull market. The share price is more than 21% lower than at the beginning of the year. The company is scheduled to release its fiscal first-quarter results on October 16.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Bank of Stockton bought a new stake in Lam Research Co. (NASDAQ:LRCX) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 1,520 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $230,000.

• [By Billy Duberstein]

  Like the semiconductor and memory industries, the semiconductor equipment industry has consolidated, to a handful of key global players. Two of the largest are U.S. companies Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) and Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT).

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was cut to $180 from $224 (versus a $155.40 close) by analyst Toshiya Hari at Goldman Sachs. The downgrade warns that semiconductor capex was going to face a larger fallout from a broad-based correction in 2019. Lam Research’s stock was trading down another 3.2% at $150.50 on Wednesday morning, and previously it had a consensus target price of $239.30. The shares are now down over 35% from the 52-week high.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019: Eastman Kodak Company(KODK)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Eastman Kodak Co. (KODK) has accused Hong Kong-based trading exchange LBank.io of fraud related to its upcoming KODAKCoin initial coin offering (ICO). LBank.io claimed it would be hosting the KODAKCoin ICO from May 4 through May 11, but Kodak said it's not true. "It has come to our attention that more than one fraudulent website has been promoting the sale of KODAKCoin. All factual information regarding the availability of an IOC to accredited investors will come directly from KODAKCoin and its authorized representatives," Kodak said to Coindesk. Kodak had initially expected to begin offering its KODAKCoin in January, but has since delayed the sale. LBank.io is the ninth-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world by trading volume.

• [By ]

  Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:KODK) surprised investors earlier this month when the company announced it was planning to launch its own cryptocurrency.

  Speculators quickly scooped up Kodak's languishing stock on the news, sending shares from $3 to more than $13 in just two trading days.

• [By ]

  After a number of delays, Eastman Kodak Co. (KODK) announced that its KODAKCoin will begin fundraising later this month. The offering of KODAKCoin, which will come in the form of a Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs) sale, will start May 21 for a limited number of accredited investors. Kodak is seeking to raise $50 million in the fundraising, which will be carried out by WENN Digital. Kodak first announced the coin and its planned offering in January. "Our goal with this offering is utmost security and transparency, working to bring digital tokens to investors by adhering to industry best practices and in a manner that we hope instils public confidence in the crypto space," said WENN, according to Coindesk.

• [By Nicholas Rossolillo]

  At the beginning of 2018, shares of Eastman Kodak (NYSE:KODK) surged from $3 to over $13 on news released at the Consumer Electronics Show that the company was working on its own cryptocurrency: KODAKCoin. Optimism has since faded as the coin offering and supporting platform have been postponed until summer 2019, and focus on the company's struggling financial results has resumed. As a result, the stock is back to plumbing new lows.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019: Xcel Energy Inc.(XEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Xcel Energy Inc (NYSE:XEL) by 2.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 225,167 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,527 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $10,240,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Endesa (OTCMKTS: ELEZF) and Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) are both large-cap utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings and risk.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) and Endesa (OTCMKTS:ELEZF) are both large-cap utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and institutional ownership.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019: Piedmont Natural Gas Company Inc.(PNY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Peony (CURRENCY:PNY) traded up 25.1% against the dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 21:00 PM E.T. on February 15th. Peony has a total market capitalization of $30,198.00 and approximately $1,658.00 worth of Peony was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last seven days, Peony has traded down 35.1% against the dollar. One Peony coin can now be purchased for $0.0004 or 0.00000011 BTC on major exchanges including Graviex and Crex24.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Peony (CURRENCY:PNY) traded flat against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 18:00 PM E.T. on March 9th. One Peony coin can now be bought for $0.0004 or 0.00000009 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges including Graviex and Crex24. During the last week, Peony has traded flat against the US dollar. Peony has a market cap of $25,794.00 and approximately $0.00 worth of Peony was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks For 2019: Schwab US Large-Cap ETF (SCHX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Phocas Financial Corp. reduced its stake in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHX) by 3.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 99,821 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,040 shares during the quarter. Phocas Financial Corp.’s holdings in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF were worth $6,487,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHX) by 10.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 16,970 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,600 shares during the quarter. Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF were worth $1,103,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Fort Pitt Capital Group LLC reduced its position in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHX) by 92.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,079 shares of the company’s stock after selling 36,465 shares during the period. Fort Pitt Capital Group LLC’s holdings in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF were worth $200,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Milestone Group Inc. decreased its stake in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHX) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 63,425 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,710 shares during the period. Schwab US Large-Cap ETF makes up 0.7% of Milestone Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Milestone Group Inc.’s holdings in Schwab US Large-Cap ETF were worth $4,001,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019

tags:AON,TOP,PFG,PRU,AIG,

Amerisafe (NASDAQ:AMSF) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. The brokerage presently has a $71.00 price objective on the insurance provider’s stock. Zacks Investment Research‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 16.43% from the company’s previous close.

According to Zacks, “Shares of Amerisafe’s have outperformed the industry’s growth in a year’s time. The company’s consistently increasing return on equity also reflect its efficiency in using shareholder’s funds. Its efficient claims management, good underwriting results, favorable loss and frequency trends, prudent reserve analytics and improved operating leverage bode well. Increasing revenues is another positive. However, a rise in expenses and product concentration are some negatives.”

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lessened its stake in Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) by 2.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46,895 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,313 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in AON were worth $6,433,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Fiera Capital Corp boosted its stake in shares of Aon PLC (NYSE:AON) by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 5,058 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,301 shares during the quarter. Fiera Capital Corp’s holdings in AON were worth $694,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Max Byerly]

  State of Wisconsin Investment Board decreased its holdings in shares of Aon (NYSE:AON) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 384,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 38,942 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in AON were worth $53,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Topdanmark A/S (TOP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  TopCoin (CURRENCY:TOP) traded down 15.4% against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 7:00 AM E.T. on June 21st. During the last seven days, TopCoin has traded up 4% against the dollar. TopCoin has a market cap of $0.00 and approximately $123.00 worth of TopCoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One TopCoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0010 or 0.00000015 BTC on popular exchanges.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  TopCoin (CURRENCY:TOP) traded flat against the US dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 16:00 PM E.T. on March 9th. During the last seven days, TopCoin has traded flat against the US dollar. One TopCoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0008 or 0.00000010 BTC on cryptocurrency exchanges. TopCoin has a market capitalization of $0.00 and $0.00 worth of TopCoin was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.

• [By Max Byerly]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Enertopia (TOP) Stock Price Up 16.7%” was first reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this piece of content on another domain, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of United States and international copyright and trademark legislation. The correct version of this piece of content can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4181611/enertopia-top-stock-price-up-16-7.html.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

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

  These are the top 5 holdings of Stilwell Value LLCOFG Bancorp (OFG) - 1,614,868 shares, 14.1% of the total portfolio. Kingsway Financial Services Inc (KFS) - 3,780,889 shares, 12.63% of the total portfolio. HopFed Bancorp Inc (HFBC) - 627,128 shares, 7.62% of the total portfolio. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - 1,251,324 shares, 7.27% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 20.66%Sound Financial Bancorp Inc (SFBC) - 228,600 shares, 7.02% of th
• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Principal Financial Group (PFG)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Sawtooth Solutions LLC bought a new position in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 17,428 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $922,000.

• [By ]

  Principal Financial Group (Nasdaq: PFG) is a diversified financial firm with $540 billion in assets under management and leadership in retirement investment products, fund investments and life insurance. The company missed Q2 earnings on non-recurring items which sent the shares skidding lower but core business in retirement income solutions and insurance remains solid.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  KBC Group NV lowered its position in shares of Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 41.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 201,808 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 142,313 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $12,292,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  State of Tennessee Treasury Department lessened its position in Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 29.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 312,450 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 132,238 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Treasury Department owned approximately 0.07% of Prudential Financial worth $32,354,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Bank of Nova Scotia Buys 33,446 Shares of Prudential Financial Inc (PRU)” was originally published by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this story on another website, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of United States & international trademark & copyright legislation. The correct version of this story can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4192921/bank-of-nova-scotia-buys-33446-shares-of-prudential-financial-inc-pru.html.

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) can trace its history back over 140 years. It's so proud of its financial strength that it uses the Rock of Gibraltar as its corporate symbol to showcase that stability. In recent times, it even managed to avoid taking a TARP bailout during the financial crisis, something that few of its giant financial competitors could manage.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  DNB Asset Management AS grew its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial Inc (NYSE:PRU) by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 102,905 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,555 shares during the period. DNB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $10,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 5 Insurance Stocks For 2019: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gifford Fong Associates acquired a new position in shares of American International Group (NYSE:AIG) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 44,100 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,400,000.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  CNB Bank bought a new position in shares of American International Group Inc (NYSE:AIG) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 706 shares of the insurance provider’s stock, valued at approximately $28,000.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on American International Group (AIG)

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

• [By Lee Jackson]

  American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) was only a DJIA member for four years when it was removed on September 22, 2008. In an ironical twist, AIG was replaced with Kraft Foods, which only lasted about four years on the index. AIG was removed during the credit and mortgage crisis and was ejected after the government propped up the insurer with stimulus funds. The shares closed most recently at $55.43.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  Click here to learn more…

  Stocks to Watch Today: ATVI, TRIP, GRPN Shares of Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) popped 3% in pre-market hours despite news of layoffs and missed estimates for the holiday shopping season. The video game maker reported a record performance in 2018; however, its outlook falls well short of Wall Street expectations. ATVI shares are now off 22% in the last three months. New concerns have emerged about the broader video game sector. The firm is engaging in a large restructuring project that will see an 8% reduction in its workforce. Shares of TripAdvisor Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) slumped more than 4.5% after the travel and restaurant website operator reported mixed earnings on Tuesday. The firm reported earnings of $0.27 per share, a figure that was $0.02 short of expectations. The company did top revenue forecasts with $346 million (about $3 million higher than Wall Street's projections). It's a rare miss for a company whose stock popped 60% over the last year. Shares of Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) plunged another 11% after the firm reported weaker-than-expected earnings yesterday. The firm reported earnings per share of $0.10, which was $0.03 below expectations. Revenue did beat estimates. However, the firm said that its active customer base slipped by 2.5% to hit 30.6 million. Today, look for more earnings reports from American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG), CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL), Fossil Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT), Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H), Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (NYSE: LPX), SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR), and Yelp Inc. (NASDAQ: YELP).

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• [By Matthew Frankel, CFP]

  Today marks 10 years to the day since the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve announced a restructuring of insurance giant AIG (NYSE:AIG). Here's a look back at the key events that led up to the government-assisted restructuring, as well as a quick look at how AIG is doing a decade later.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:RCII,USG,GD,UNH,PH,

Finding cheap stocks to buy in this market is a challenge. Broad market indices aren’t far from all-time highs. Yet risks abound. The bull market has been going strong for a decade. Trade battles still haven’t been resolved. And at some point, the U.S. macroeconomic situation will reverse.

But there are opportunities out there, and some stocks remain attractive. These 15 stocks all potentially fit that bill for one simple reason. All 15 trade at less than 15x earnings, yet those earnings are growing. That means they provide a solid combination of value and growth.

These stocks — like the market as a whole — aren’t without risk. In many cases, there are reasons investors are keeping valuations low. But those valuations are low enough that those risks are priced in, while the potential rewards are not.

With all of that in mind, here are 15 growth stocks with low P/E ratios.

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Source: Shutterstock

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ:RCII) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

  A number of other research firms have also issued reports on RCII. TheStreet upgraded shares of Rent-A-Center from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, July 9th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Rent-A-Center from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 3rd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Rent-A-Center from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $17.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 4th. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered shares of Rent-A-Center from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, June 18th. Finally, Northcoast Research lowered shares of Rent-A-Center from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Rent-A-Center presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $11.00.

• [By Timothy Green]

  Shares of rent-to-own retailer Rent-A-Center Inc. (NASDAQ:RCII) soared on Monday after the company agreed to be acquired for $15 per share. This comes less than a week after Rent-A-Center received a lower buyout offer following the completion of its strategic review. The stock was up about 22.2% at 11:30 a.m. EDT.

• [By Chris Lange]

  Rent-A-Center Inc. (NASDAQ: RCII) shares made an incredible gain on Monday after the company announced that it would be taken private by Vintage Rodeo Parent, an affiliate of Vintage Capital Management.

• [By Timothy Green]

  Shares of Rent-A-Center Inc. (NASDAQ:RCII) surged on Tuesday after Vintage Capital Management increased its offer to acquire the company. Rent-A-Center disclosed on Monday that it had received an offer from one of the companies involved in its strategic review process soon after that process was ended. Rent-A-Center stock was up about 15% at 12:35 p.m. EDT.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019: USG Corporation(USG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Warren Buffett likes to hold his stock positions for the long run, and his experience with USG (NYSE:USG) has been typical of his other long-term investments. The Oracle of Omaha started buying shares of the manufacturer of Sheetrock drywall and other building materials back in 2000, accumulating a sizable stake that has ballooned to more than 30% of the company. USG ended up going through bankruptcy in order to get a handle on its asbestos liability claims, but thanks largely to Buffett's involvement, the building materials company not only survived bankruptcy but also saw share prices soar briefly on hopes that USG would once again fully participate in the then-strong housing boom.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “USG (USG) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results” was originally posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this report on another publication, it was stolen and republished in violation of U.S. and international trademark & copyright laws. The correct version of this report can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4157507/usg-usg-issues-quarterly-earnings-results.html.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of USG (NYSE:USG) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Tuesday.

  A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of USG from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the company from $35.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Jefferies Group reiterated a hold rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of USG in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. SunTrust Banks boosted their target price on shares of USG from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 17th. Buckingham Research boosted their target price on shares of USG from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. Finally, Nomura boosted their target price on shares of USG from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.00.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019: S&P GSCI(GD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  The deal, in effect, makes General Dynamics-owned (NYSE:GD) Gulfstream both a customer of and subcontractor to Triumph on G650 wing box and wing completion work. Wing production work currently being performed at Triumph facilities in Nashville, Tennessee, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, will move to Gulfstream's Georgia facility.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on General Dynamics (GD)

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

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on General Dynamics (GD)

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

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  The Saudi THAAD deal appears safe, but other contractors have not been as fortunate. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) in January warned investors that cash flow generated by the company's land-systems business was "significantly impacted" by diplomatic issues between Canada and an unnamed customer. Though the company offered few other details, General Dynamics in December launched a public campaign against attempts by Canadian government officials to block a $13 billion sale of Canada-made armored vehicles to the Saudis.

• [By Lou Whiteman]

  It could also slow down efforts led by Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) and Lockheed Martin to modernize missile defense and stunt work being done at Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC), Boeing (NYSE:BA), General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), and others to modernize the U.S. nuclear triad.

• [By ]

  Moreno was also upbeat on General Dynamics (GD) , which just made a bullish crossover, but felt that Raytheon had the best chart of them all.

  Cramer agreed, saying he's bullish on all of these names.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Thursday was UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) which traded up 0.87% at $222.34. The stock’s 52-week range is $156.09 to $231.77. Volume was about a two-thirds less than the daily average of around 3 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) traded up 3.08% at $223.90 in a 52-week range of $164.60 to $250.79. Volume of about 3.5 million shares was about 10% below the daily average. The company had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) traded up 0.37% at $220.41. The stock’s 52-week range is $156.09 to $231.77. Volume was about a 65% below the daily average of around 3 million shares. The company had no specific news.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Watch For 2019: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Eaton Vance Management lifted its holdings in shares of Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 141.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 514,556 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 301,597 shares during the quarter. Eaton Vance Management’s holdings in Parker Hannifin were worth $88,005,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Neha Chamaria]

  In terms of dividend growth, only four of the above stocks -- 3M, Colgate-Palmolive, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble -- feature among the 10 fastest dividend-growth kings. In other words, there are six other stocks from the dividend kings list that have grown their dividends at a faster pace than most stocks in the above table in the past decade, some even at double-digits.  

  Six top dividend kings by dividend growth Dividend King 10-Year Dividend CAGR Current Dividend Yield Payout Ratio (TTM) Lowe's Companies  18.5% 2% 34.5% Hormel Foods  16.3% 2.1% 39.2% Parker-Hannifin Corp (NYSE:PH) 14% 1.7% 35.2% Nordson Corporation  12.2% 0.9% 13.3% Dover Corp (NYSE:DOV) 9% 2% 37.4% American States Water (NYSE:AWR) 7.6% 1.9% 54.8%

  TTM: Trailing 12 months. Data sources: YCharts and Yahoo! Finance. Table by author.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Parker Hannifin (PH)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Here are some of the news headlines that may have impacted Accern’s analysis:

  Get Parker-Hannifin alerts: Zacks: Brokerages Anticipate Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH) Will Announce Quarterly Sales of $3.53 Billion (americanbankingnews.com) Brokerages Expect Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH) Will Announce Earnings of $2.49 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com) Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts (americanbankingnews.com) Parker-Hannifin (PH) Stock Rating Upgraded by Evercore ISI (americanbankingnews.com) ASM International Announces Parker Hannifin as First Client Member of ASM's Materials Solutions Network (prweb.com)

  Several research firms recently issued reports on PH. ValuEngine raised Parker-Hannifin from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 7th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Parker-Hannifin from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. Wells Fargo & Co reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Parker-Hannifin in a research note on Thursday, June 28th. MED lowered Parker-Hannifin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $169.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Parker-Hannifin from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Parker-Hannifin presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $189.50.

Here's the Real Reason Aurora Cannabis Shares Caught Fire Yesterday

Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) keeps rolling out the hits. Yesterday, the Canadian pot magnate announced that billionaire activist investor, Nelson Peltz, had agreed to take on the role of strategic advisor "to explore potential partnerships that would be the optimal strategic fit for successful entry into each of Aurora's contemplated market segments."

This latest announcement comes on the heels of a strong analyst upgrade from investing bank Cowen and the news that the company started shipping high-margin cannabis oils to Germany. The net result is that Aurora's shares are now up by more than 82% since the start of the new year. 

Image source: Getty Images.

Why are investors piling into this pot stock? All three of these recent catalysts could be building up to one game-changing event for the company.

What's in store for Aurora?

Aurora has several feathers in its proverbial cap as a cannabis investing vehicle. The company has one of the broadest international footprints, with operations in 24 countries, a top-tier production capacity that may exceed 700,000 kilograms per year at peak, 16 subsidiaries spanning the entirety of the cannabis value chain, as well as a range of strategic partnerships. 

Yet the company is missing something absolutely crucial from a value-creation standpoint: a Fortune 500 level partner capable of putting this jigsaw puzzle together and unlocking Aurora's deeper levels of value.

While Aurora was reportedly flirting with beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) late last year, Coke eventually decided to walk away -- citing the industry's outstanding regulatory hurdles as a major barrier to an early entrance.

Meanwhile, Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC) and Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON) both struck partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. In fact, Canopy and Cronos each landed deals that included enormous amounts of up-front cash, as well as sizable equity stakes. Aurora, in kind, has had to continue diluting its shareholders at breakneck pace to fund its aggressive expansion strategy -- a strategy that has so far failed to produce any meaningful form of cost savings or economic moat.

With Peltz coming into the picture, though, Aurora's fortunes could be about to change for the better in a big way. Long story short, Peltz has the ability to possibly bring Coke back to the table -- or perhaps convince PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) that cannabis-infused beverages and snacks are worth the near-term risk. PepsiCo, after all, was also sniffing around the cannabis industry last year in search of potential partners, before ultimately deciding to sit on the fence while the regulatory landscape continues to evolve. 

Is Aurora's stock a buy on this news?

The answer to this question all depends on whether Peltz can attract a multibillion-dollar partnering deal soon. Canopy and Cronos both landed deals with partners that desperately needed to find new avenues of growth, which was a rather unique situation, to put it mildly. 

Fortunately for Aurora, however, Coke and Pepsi could both use a boost from a new product category, such as cannabis-infused drinks or snacks. But Coke and Pepsi have also both expressed concern about the state of the regulatory landscape surrounding cannabis, and neither company is exactly desperate for new growth products at this stage. That's a challenging situation that even Peltz might not be able to overcome. 

Now, Peltz may have other large-cap partners in mind. But there's no obvious name that pops up -- at least one that would be willing to fork over a large up-front payment while simultaneously taking on the significant risk that comes with this inchoate industry. Most deep-pocketed partners, after all, have the financial capacity to sit on the sidelines, as the cannabis industry slowly marches toward worldwide legitimacy. 

Aurora's ability to bring on a top-flight strategic advisor is unquestionably a positive development, but the most important material impacts from this move might not become readily apparent anytime soon. Peltz can't just wave a magic wand and change U.S. federal law around cannabis. And until that seminal event happens, there's no pressing reason for blue chip companies like Coke or PepsiCo to enter the fray.

Investors, in turn, arguably shouldn't buy this pot stock with the notion that a big-time deal is now imminent. The next round of billion-dollar investments will probably have to wait until the U.S. ends prohibition on cannabis and that could take another election cycle to achieve.

 

Stein Mart Earnings: SMRT Stock Pops as Retail Chain Turns Profit

It was a solid end to 2018 for Stein Mart (NASDAQ:SMRT) as the company’s fourth quarter saw it turn a profit after tallying a loss in the year-ago period, lifting SMRT stock after hours.

The Jacksonville, Fla. department and discount store chain reported net income of $4.4 million for the last three months of its fiscal year, or 9 cents per diluted share. In the year-ago period, the business brought in a net loss of $400,000, or a penny per diluted share.

On an adjusted basis, Stein Mart’s net income reached $3.4 million, or 7 cents per diluted share. a slight touch below its year-ago adjusted profit of $3.5 million, or 8 cents per diluted share.

For the fiscal year, the company had a net loss of $6 million, or 13 cents per diluted share, which is 75.3% narrower than its 2017 net loss of $24.3 million, or 52 cents per diluted share. On an adjusted basis, its net loss for 2018 was $4.5 million, or 10 cents per share, a fraction of the year-ago adjusted net loss of $19.9 million, or 43 cents per share.

Stein Mart’s revenue for the quarter was $340.8 million, an 11.5% decline from the $384.9 million from the year-ago quarter. For the fiscal year, net sales were $1.26 billion, below the $1.32 billion it raked in during its fiscal 2017. Eight underperforming stores closed in its fiscal 2018.

SMRT stock was surging roughly 3.4% during regular trading Wednesday. The strong earnings report saw Stein Mart’s stock momentum continue after Wall Street closed, gaining 2.5% after hours.

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Mosque shooting: Is social media responsible?

Tough questions are being asked about the role of social media in the wake of the horrific shooting that took the lives of at least 49 people at two New Zealand mosques. Sadly, tough questions with no easy answers.

The 28-year-old alleged white supremacist gunman not only livestreamed the rampage via helmet-cam on Facebook and Twitter, but footage of the massacre circulated even hours after the shooting, despite the frantic efforts by Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Reddit to take it down as quickly as possible, each of which issued the requisite statements condemning the terror, and each of which have codes of conduct that are sometimes violated.

'Violent terrorist': Who is Brenton Tarrant, the white supremacist suspected in New Zealand mosque shootings?

Apple responds to Spotify: Apple throws jabs at Spotify's complaint in Europe

Ahead of the attack, the shooter posted a since removed hateful 74-page manifesto on Twitter.

And during the killing, he apparently referenced divisive YouTube star PewDiePie, who for the record subsequently tweeted, "I feel absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person."

"The attack on New Zealand Muslims today is a shocking and disgraceful act of terror," said David Ibsen, executive director of the non-profit, non-partisan Counter Extremism Project (CEP) global policy organization. "Once again, it has been committed by an extremist aided, abetted and coaxed into action by content on social media. This poses once more the question of online radicalization."

Mia Garlick from Facebook New Zealand issued a statement Friday, indicating that, "since the attack happened, teams from across Facebook have been working around the clock to respond to reports and block content, proactively identify content which violates our standards and to support first responders and law enforcement. We are adding each video we find to an internal data base which enables us to detect and automatically remove copies of the videos when uploaded again. We urge people to report all instances to us so our systems can block the video from being shared again." 

In its own statement, YouTube said that "shocking, violent and graphic content has no place on our platforms, and we are employing our technology and human resources to quickly review and remove any and all such violative content on YouTube. As with any major tragedy, we will work cooperatively with the authorities." 

Twitter echoed similar sentiments: "Twitter has rigorous processes and a dedicated team in place for managing exigent and emergency situations such as this. We also
cooperate with law enforcement to facilitate their investigations as required."

Of course, not all social media companies are created equal.

One of the difficulties in tackling such issues, says UCLA assistant professor Sarah T. Roberts, is it is "somewhat about apples and oranges when we talk about mainstream commercial platforms in the same breath as some of the more esoteric, disturbing corners of the internet, both of which are implicated in this case. This person had a presence across a number of different kinds of sites. The approaches and the orientation to dealing with hate speech, incitement to violence, terroristic materials, differs in these places."

Even at that, Roberts is critical of the mainstream players including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, who she says "have not really taken these issues to heart until fairly recently. If we want to think about metaphors, it's trying to close the barn door after the horses have escaped in essence."

What's more, "the problem of locating, isolating and removing such content is an ongoing one, so even if we stipulate that OK it's somehow very easy to know what constitutes hate speech and we can find it – which I don't think we can assume – then you have the mechanisms to do the removal. That often falls to very low paid, low-status people called content moderators who do the deletion."

Crossing the line to hate speech

Deciding what on these platforms constitutes speech that crosses the line and what doesn't can pose a major challenge as it is often far more nuanced than outright hate speech inciting violence.

"The companies have tried as hard as they can to not be in the business of being the arbiters of content. And yet in 2019, they find themselves squarely in that practice, where they never wanted to be," Roberts says.

Moreover, on a much smaller scale, there may be a balancing act when a person livestreams, say, police stops that result in shootings, not to glorify the event, but to provide accountability and visual evidence. 

Worshippers arrive for service at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York under increased police security following the shooting in New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019, in New York.  (Photo: Mark Lennihan, AP)

Tech companies are also deploying artificial intelligence and machine learning to get at the problem. 

For example, in the fourth quarter of 2018, 70 percent of video removed off YouTube were first flagged by smart detection machine systems, many of which had less than 10 views.

But Hany Farid, a professor of digital forensics at UC Berkeley and an advisor to the CEP, thinks such systems have a long way to go.

"Despite (Mark) Zuckerberg's promises that AI will save us, these systems are not nearly good enough to contend with the enormous volume of content uploaded every day," he says.

To illustrate this point, Facebook's CTO was recently bragging about how sophisticated their AI system is by talking about its ability to distinguish between images of broccoli and marijuana. The overall accuracy of this fairly mundane task is around 90 percent."

The reality, Farid adds, is that "Facebook and others have grown to their current monstrous scale without putting guard rails in place to deal with what was predictable harm. Now they have the unbearably difficult problem of going back and trying to retrofit a system to deal with what is a spectacular array of troubling content, from child sexual abuse, terrorism, hate speech, the sale of illegal and deadly drugs, mis-information, and on and on."

While everyone agrees that technology cannot predict the future and thus unthinkable violent acts, safeguards might make it easier to pull down "live" content much better and faster than appears to be the case in the aftermath of the New Zealand shooting.

Despite Twitter's earlier commitment to taking down the video I'm still seeing clips, including one shared from a verified account with 694K followers. I'm not sharing it here, but it's been up for two hours.

— Ryan Mac (@RMac18) March 15, 2019

"BuzzFeed News" tech reporter Ryan Mac tweeted, "Despite Twitter's earlier commitment to taking down the video I'm still seeing clips, including one shared from a verified account with 694K followers. I'm not sharing it here, but it's been up for two hours."

Corporations don't get to be "deeply saddened." Fix your platform. https://t.co/umJvvm55yA

— J. Grygiel (@jmgrygiel) March 15, 2019

Jennifer M. Grygiel, an assistant professor of communications at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse, also had no trouble accessing clips well after the shooting. "In the case of live-steaming, we need a delay for youth, aged 13-18 on platforms, so that children are not serving as Facebook content moderators for massacres." Something like the TV networks do when they broadcast live shows.

 "Corporations don't get to be 'deeply saddened,'" Grygiel tweeted. "Fix your problem."

Of course, the voyeuristic element to cyberspace means that some people will seek out even the most disturbing footage. After the shooting, a video sharing site similar to YouTube called LiveLink.com was trending online. The site describes itself as being "free as possible" while prohibiting certain types of videos, including ones showing pornography, illegal activity, or content "which we deem to be the glorification of graphic violence or graphic content."

As of Friday morning, some parts of the LiveLeak website appeared down, including the ability to search for videos.

Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow USA TODAY @edbaig on Twitter

 

U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc (PRTS) Files 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended on December 31, 2018

U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc (NASDAQ:PRTS) files its latest 10-K with SEC for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2018. U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc is an online provider of automotive aftermarket parts and repair information. Its products are classified into three subcategories: collision parts, engine parts, and performance parts and accessories. U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc has a market cap of $36.042 million; its shares were traded at around $1.03 with and P/S ratio of 0.13.

For the last quarter U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc reported a revenue of $64.6 million, compared with the revenue of $68.52 million during the same period a year ago. For the latest fiscal year the company reported a revenue of $289.5 million, a decrease of 4.6% from the previous year. For the last five years U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc had an average revenue growth rate of 2.6% a year.

The reported loss per diluted share was 14 cents for the year, compared with the earnings per share of $0.08 in the previous year. The U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc had an operating margin of -1.73%, compared with the operating margin of 1.53% a year before. The 10-year historical median operating margin of U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc is -1.14%. The profitability rank of the company is 3 (out of 10).

At the end of the fiscal year, U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc has the cash and cash equivalents of $2.03 million, compared with $2.85 million in the previous year. The long term debt was $8.56 million, compared with $9.17 million in the previous year. U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc has a financial strength rank of 5 (out of 10).

At the current stock price of $1.03, U.S. Auto Parts Network Inc is traded at 65.6% discount to its historical median P/S valuation band of $2.99. The P/S ratio of the stock is 0.13, while the historical median P/S ratio is 0.37. The stock lost 50.72% during the past 12 months.

For the complete 20-year historical financial data of PRTS, click here.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:TRP,PNC,ABAX,CIX,SORL,

Source: ThinkstockJune 12, 2018: The S&P 500 closed flat at 2,786.83. The DJIA closed flat at 25,320.49. Separately, the Nasdaq was up 0.6% at 7,703.79.

Tuesday was a relatively flat day for the broad U.S. markets. The Nasdaq hit an all-time high in the session just above 7,700 and the S&P 500 is holding just below the 2,800 mark. Crude oil more or less traded sideways. The S&P 500 sectors were split down the middle. The most positive sectors were utilities and real estate, up 1.1% and 0.6%, respectively. The worst performing sectors were energy and finance, down 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively.

Crude oil was last seen trading flat at $66.25.

Gold was last seen trading down 0.3% at $1,299.30.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019: Transcananda Pipelines Ltd.(TRP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jason Hall]

  Priestley: Yeah, absolutely. The last company is also on this natural gas trend, it's TransCanada (NYSE:TRP), ticker TRP. It's a Canadian energy infrastructure company. They have assets in the U.S., Canada, obviously, and Mexico. They operate 40,000 miles of natural gas pipeline. A notable project that they operate is the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline system. It also has interests in 20 power generation facilities, mostly in Canada. And, they have significant scale as a midstream company. I kind of like these midstream players, because they're really winners, so to speak, in a lot of respects. A lot of the contracts that they make with the oil refiners or the oil companies themselves are 15-20-year contracts.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  TransCanada (NYSE:TRP) has almost everything an investor could want in a stock. With a dividend yield of around 4.8%, the Canadian pipeline giant supplies investors with a lucrative income stream. Meanwhile, with 21 billion Canadian dollars ($16 billion) of expansion projects underway, the company has the fuel to grow earnings at a 10% compound annual rate through 2020, which should enable it to increase its dividend 8% to 10% per year through 2021. Finally, after selling off 11% this year, shares trade at an attractive value. Add everything up, and TransCanada has the potential to generate market-beating total returns in the coming years, which makes it an excellent stock to consider buying.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  By following a few simple steps, one IRS directive could help set you up to receive checks of up to $1,795 every single month. Hordes of Americans have already signed their names to the distribution list – and the longer you wait, the greater your risk of missing out on this powerful investment. Click here for more details.

  Stocks to Watch Today: YELP, CSCO, AAPL, NFLX Shares of Yelp Inc. (NASDAQ: YELP) added 5.5% after the consumer platform crushed earnings expectations and hiked its stock buyback program by $250 million. The strong earnings report comes a month after news emerged that one of its largest shareholders – SQN Investors – had launched a proxy fight against the company. SQN wants to see the firm improve financial performance and consider selling. On Wednesday, the company also announced three new board members. Shares of Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) popped more than 3.4% after the tech giant topped Wall Street earnings after the bell Wednesday. The firm reported earnings per share of $0.73, beating expectations by $0.01. The company also issued revenue and a third-quarter forecast in line with analysts' estimates. Cisco will also increase its stock buyback program by a whopping $15 billion. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is taking dead aim at streaming giant Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) and premium content provider HBO. The tech giant is planning to unveil a new streaming product that will offer free original content to owners of Apple devices. According to reports, neither Netflix nor Hulu are expected to be a part of this new "Channels" service. The platform will be like the application developed by Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) for its Prime Video Channels. Look for other earnings reports from Ares Management Corp. (NASDAQ: ARES), Arista Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: ANET), AstraZeneca Plc. (NYSE: AZN), Bloomin' Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: BLMN), CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS), Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO), Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS), Duk
• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Enbridge just bought its stake in the German offshore wind farm projects last year, initially agreeing to invest about $1.25 billion for a 50% stake. However, with concerns growing about its balance sheet and ability to finance growth projects, the company has chosen to monetize part of this asset. It's also monetizing its onshore renewable facilities in Canada and two in the U.S. to bring in some much-needed cash. This decision to cash in on a portion of its renewable portfolio follows a similar plan by fellow Canadian pipeline giant TransCanada (NYSE:TRP), which sold its solar assets in Ontario last year. The driving factor in that decision was TransCanada's desire to improve its financial flexibility so that it could "continue to build on our vision of being North America's leading energy infrastructure company," said CEO Russ Girling. What's clear from these deals is that neither TransCanada nor Enbridge sees renewables playing a key role in building the companies they envision themselves being.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  Most investors have probably heard of energy giants Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS-A) (NYSE:RDS-B), Dominion Energy (NYSE:D), and TransCanada (NYSE:TRP). Fewer, however, are likely familiar with their publicly traded master limited partnerships (MLPs): Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE:SHLX), Dominion Energy Midstream Partners (NYSE:DM), and TC Pipelines (NYSE:TCP). That might be a good thing, as the market has beaten up the latter trio this year, sending their valuations south.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Kinder Morgan is one of the largest pipeline companies in North America. Its assets span across the United States and reach into Canada and Mexico. There are only a small number of competitors -- like Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD) and TransCanada Corporation (NYSE:TRP) -- that can match the company's scale. Kinder is in a truly elite group of midstream giants.   

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019: PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Over the past two decades, PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC) has evolved into one of the best-managed companies in the financial services sector.

• [By Shah Gilani]

  It doesn't matter that other banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC), and The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: PNC) don't force-place insurance on their auto loan customers.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC) and MidSouth Bancorp (NYSE:MSL) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations and risk.

• [By Motley Fool Transcription]

  PNC Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PNC)Q3 2018 Earnings Conference CallOctober 12, 2018, 9:30 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019: ABAXIS Inc.(ABAX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Tiedemann Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Abaxis (NASDAQ:ABAX) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,000 shares of the medical research company’s stock, valued at approximately $213,000.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Abaxis (NASDAQ: ABAX) and Image Sensing Systems (NASDAQ:ISNS) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, risk and analyst recommendations.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Abaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAX) shares were also up, gaining 16 percent to $83.08. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) announced plans to acquire Abaxis for $83 per share in cash.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019: CompX International Inc.(CIX)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  CI Financial (TSE:CIX) will issue its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, May 10th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of C$0.63 per share for the quarter.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  CI Financial (TSE:CIX) had its price objective decreased by analysts at TD Securities from C$25.00 to C$24.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday. TD Securities’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 12.36% from the stock’s previous close.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  CI Financial Corp (TSE:CIX)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as C$23.92 and last traded at C$23.92, with a volume of 138823 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$24.14.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Invest In 2019: SORL Auto Parts Inc.(SORL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of Sorl Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ:SORL) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $3.75 and last traded at $3.81, with a volume of 6029 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $4.15.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.19 per share on revenue of $86.96 million.

  Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALDX) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.39 per share.

• [By Max Byerly]

  SORL Auto Parts (NASDAQ: SORL) and Modine Manufacturing (NYSE:MOD) are both small-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and risk.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

  Get Innovative Industrial Properties alerts: Return on Equity (ROE) under Consideration Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (NYSE:IIPR), Neonode Inc … (stocksnewspoint.com) Morning Miraculous Stocks: Taseko Mines Limited (NYSE:TGB), WMIH Corp. (NASDAQ:WMIH), Innovative Industrial … (journalfinance.net) Dazzling Stocks: Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (NYSE:IIPR), SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ:SORL), ReWalk … (thestreetpoint.com) Head-To-Head Contrast: Kennedy-Wilson (KW) vs. Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR) (americanbankingnews.com) Innovative Industrial (IIPR) versus Colliers International Group (CIGI) Financial Contrast (americanbankingnews.com)

  A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Investment Research raised Innovative Industrial Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 16th. ValuEngine raised Innovative Industrial Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Shares of SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORL) got a boost, shooting up 13 percent to $5.90 after reporting upbeat Q1 results.

  Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: HOLI) shares were also up, gaining 24 percent to $27.3947 following Q3 results.

Nasdaq could snap longest win streak since dot-com bust, but that's not a bad thing

The Nasdaq is set to post its first negative week in 11.

The tech-heavy index is down 2 percent since Monday, coming off its longest weekly winning stretch since December 1999. That run preceded the dot-com bust just months afterward, a wave of selling that swept tech stocks from highs.

Rather than a warning sign for the Nasdaq, LPL Financial senior market strategist Ryan Detrick says history suggests this kind of winning streak is actually a bullish sign.

"If you go back in history since the Nasdaq started in the early '70s, what we found 12 months after these long win streaks, the Nasdaq was actually higher seven out of eight times a year later. The only time it was lower was the tech bubble," Detrick said Thursday on CNBC's "Trading Nation."

In the past eight 10-week win streaks for the Nasdaq, the index was up an average 4.4 percent in the following 12 months. Stripping out the 2000 dot-com bust, the Nasdaq was up an average 10 percent in the 12 months afterward.

"Look at the S&P 500, the exact same thing," he added. "The S&P was higher seven out of eight times a year after Nasdaq strength like this. … The S&P was just above its 10-day moving average for 40 days in a row, the longest streak in nine years and again forward returns after long streaks like that, very strong also."

In the 12 months after the last eight 10-week win streak on the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 was up an average 8.8 percent.

"These streaks that we're talking about really do suggest to us that this bull market is alive and well and new highs in the S&P and Nasdaq in the second half of this year," said Detrick.

The S&P 500 is still more than 6 percent off its record high set in September, while the Nasdaq is nearly 9 percent off its own all-time high reached in August.

The bull market will reach its 10-year anniversary on Saturday, the day that marked the closing low of the financial crisis. Detrick says one thing has characterized the low points.

"The hallmark we've seen really for the last 10 years … has been panic and fear on pullbacks," said Detrick. "We just had a 20 percent correction. … Analysts drastically cut their earnings guidance. Our view there is once again people are panicking. The underlying fundamentals of this economy really still are strong."

Stocks have bounced strongly off a sharp downturn late last year. Since their December lows, the S&P 500 has rallied 17 percent and the Nasdaq 20 percent.

show chapters Nasdaq flashing a historically bullish signal    18 Hours Ago | 05:06 Disclaimer

Kepler Capital Markets Analysts Give Wacker Chemie (WCH) a €80.00 Price Target

Kepler Capital Markets set a €80.00 ($93.02) price objective on Wacker Chemie (ETR:WCH) in a research report released on Wednesday. The firm currently has a sell rating on the stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Independent Research set a €74.00 ($86.05) price objective on Wacker Chemie and gave the stock a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a €78.00 ($90.70) target price on Wacker Chemie and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday. Hauck & Aufhaeuser set a €115.00 ($133.72) target price on Wacker Chemie and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group set a €120.00 ($139.53) target price on Wacker Chemie and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Baader Bank set a €116.00 ($134.88) target price on Wacker Chemie and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of €103.63 ($120.49).

Get Wacker Chemie alerts:

Shares of WCH stock opened at €84.12 ($97.81) on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.42. Wacker Chemie has a twelve month low of €70.08 ($81.49) and a twelve month high of €157.05 ($182.62). The firm has a market cap of $4.18 billion and a P/E ratio of 15.40.

Wacker Chemie Company Profile

Wacker Chemie AG provides chemical products worldwide. It operates through four divisions: Wacker Silicones, Wacker Polymers, Wacker Biosolutions, and Wacker Polysilicon. The Wacker Silicones division offers silanes, silicones, silicone fluids, emulsions, elastomers, sealants and resins, and pyrogenic silicas for use in construction, paint and coating, chemical, cosmetic, textile and leather, paper and film coating, fabric coating, electrical and electronic engineering, insulation technology, mechanical engineering and metal processing, medical technology, automotive, communications technology, office equipment, household appliance, plastics and rubber processing, and mold making applications.

Further Reading: Recession

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019

tags:ICD,TMUS,MDWD,GHY,ZAIS,ALXN,SSBI,RGEN,URBN,TGA,

We have been positive on the growth prospects for housing finance companies (HFCs) but have highlighted in the past that intense competition and rising interest rates call for a selective approach toward the sector.

While the market had anticipated higher cost of funds for HFCs in FY19, it was caught off-guard by the shrinking liquidity due to defaults by IL&FS' group companies. The resulting impact on debt mutual funds' risk appetite has raised concerns about how HFCs will meet their funding needs.

The steep correction in stock prices of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), especially HFCs, presents a good opportunity to pick up a few blue chip names at attractive valuations. It may come across as cliché, but investors should consider accumulating HDFC at every dip.

When it comes to HDFC, loan growth and margin are the two key factors to monitor. And not surprisingly, the stock did not disappoint on either front.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Independence Contract Drilling, Inc.(ICD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Independence Contract Drilling (ICD)

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

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of AXAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L.P.'s stock buys and sells, go to https://www.gurufocus.com/guru/axar+capital+management+l.p./current-portfolio/portfolio

  These are the top 5 holdings of AXAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L.P.SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) - 1,220,000 shares, 91.31% of the total portfolio. Stonemor Partners LP (STON) - 7,384,970 shares, 4.64% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 7.35%Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (PTEN) - 730,000 shares, 2.26% of the total portfolio. Independence Contract Drilling Inc (ICD) - 969,662 shares, 0.91% of the total portfolio. New PositionStage Stores Inc (SSI) - 3,700,000 shares, 0.82% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 6
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Independence Contract (NYSE: ICD) and Pacific Drilling (OTCMKTS:PACDQ) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, dividends and profitability.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  For the details of AXAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L.P.'s stock buys and sells, go to https://www.gurufocus.com/guru/axar+capital+management+l.p./current-portfolio/portfolio

  These are the top 5 holdings of AXAR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L.P.SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) - 1,220,000 shares, 91.31% of the total portfolio. Stonemor Partners LP (STON) - 7,384,970 shares, 4.64% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 7.35%Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (PTEN) - 730,000 shares, 2.26% of the total portfolio. Independence Contract Drilling Inc (ICD) - 969,662 shares, 0.91% of the total portfolio. New PositionStage Stores Inc (SSI) - 3,700,000 shares, 0.82% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 6
• [By Motley Fool Transcribers]

  Independence Contract Drilling Inc  (NYSE:ICD)Q4 2018 Earnings Conference CallMarch 01, 2019, 10:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: T-Mobile US, Inc.(TMUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning Reports]

  The second telecom stock to own is T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE: TMUS).

  Even though regulators have "stopped the clock" on the company's proposed merger with Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S), T-Mobile represents the type of market upside that we're looking for in a telecom stock.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  It's been just over a month since T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS) and Sprint (NYSE:S) announced their blockbuster $26 billion merger, which was immediately met with investor skepticism. The proposed deal has massive implications for the competitive landscape for cellular service, particularly at the national level. Of course, antitrust regulators would primarily be concerned about the effect that reduced competition may have on the prices that consumers pay for their monthly cellphone bills.

• [By ]

  So where do you find them? Well, preferred stocks trade just like common shares on one of the major stock exchanges. They are a popular fundraising tool for companies that need capital to grow and expand, but don't want to borrow or issue more common stock. Well-known businesses like Ford Motor (NYSE: F), General Electric (NYSE: GE), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and T-Mobile (Nasdaq: TMUS) have all issued preferred stock. 

• [By Adam Levy]

  AT&T hopes its bundle can differentiate its product from competitors like Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and T-Mobile (NASDAQ:TMUS), and improve its customer retention. But as it adds more options to the bundle, it could deteriorate its margins without providing meaningful value to many customers.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: MediWound Ltd.(MDWD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Media coverage about Mediwound (NASDAQ:MDWD) has been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern identifies negative and positive press coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Mediwound earned a news impact score of 0.17 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the biopharmaceutical company an impact score of 47.1925876006011 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next several days.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Mediwound (MDWD)

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Mediwound (NASDAQ: MDWD) and True Drinks (OTCMKTS:TRUU) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Mediwound (MDWD)

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

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Prudential Global Short Duration High Yield Fund, Inc.(GHY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of NYSE:GHY opened at $13.99 on Wednesday. PGIM Global Short Duration Hgh Yd Fd Inc has a fifty-two week low of $12.60 and a fifty-two week high of $14.13.

  ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “Camelot Portfolios LLC Buys Shares of 31,368 PGIM Global Short Duration Hgh Yd Fd Inc (GHY)” was first reported by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are reading this news story on another site, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of United States & international copyright and trademark law. The correct version of this news story can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4200826/camelot-portfolios-llc-buys-shares-of-31368-pgim-global-short-duration-hgh-yd-fd-inc-ghy.html.

  About PGIM Global Short Duration Hgh Yd Fd

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Vident Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in PGIM Global Short Duration Hgh Yd Fd Inc (NYSE:GHY) by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 594,728 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,908 shares during the quarter. Vident Investment Advisory LLC owned 1.45% of PGIM Global Short Duration Hgh Yd Fd worth $8,124,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: ZAIS Group Holdings, Inc.(ZAIS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Gp Zgp (NASDAQ:ZAIS) major shareholder Z Acquisition Llc bought 6,500,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $4.10 per share, with a total value of $26,650,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 6,500,000 shares in the company, valued at $26,650,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(ALXN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

  Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ALXN) short interest rose to 3.92 million shares from the previous 3.60 million. Shares were trading at $118.21, in a 52-week range of $102.10 to $147.29.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) shares gained 86.76 percent to close at $11.00 on Thursday. Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CRK) shares climbed 47.06 percent to close at $7.00 after the company disclosed a deal with Arkoma Drilling L.P. and Williston Drilling, L.P. to buy oil & gas properties in North Dakota. Comstock announced withdrawal of tender offers for outstanding secured notes. Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (NASDAQ: CDAY) gained 41.86 percent to close at $31.21. MarineMax, Inc. (NYSE: HZO) shares rose 26.5 percent to close at $22.20 as the company posted upbeat Q2 results and raised its FY18 outlook. Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (NYSE: CCM) jumped 24.92 percent to close at $4.06. Mattersight Corporation (NASDAQ: MATR) shares climbed 23.26 percent to close at $2.65 after the company agreed to be purchased by NICE Ltd. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) rose 24.44 percent to close at $422.50 as the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter on Wednesday. Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) gained 17.75 percent to close at $18.64 following upbeat Q1 earnings. PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI) rose 16.59 percent to close at $12.30 following Q1 results. Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) rose 16.06 percent to close at $15.25. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) shares climbed 14.5 percent to close at $121.42 as the company posted reported Q1 beat And raised FY18 outlook. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares gained 13.7 percent to close at $11.04 as the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter. Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM) rose 13.21 percent to close at $3.00 after the company disclosed a positive outcome of the interim analysis of STRIDE-1 Phase 3 trial of AXS-05 in treatment resistant depression. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) jumped 13.06 percent to close at $257.40 following upbeat Q1 profit. BioTelemetry,
• [By Chris Lange]

  Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) is scheduled to reveal its first-quarter results Thursday morning. The consensus forecast calls for EPS of $1.50 and $922.99 million in revenue. Shares were trading at $107.78 on Friday's close. The consensus price target is $158.60, while the 52-week range is $96.18 to $149.34.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Thursday was a strong day on Wall Street, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite leading most major benchmarks higher. Favorable earnings from the leader of the social media space suggested that concerns about the misuse of its user data were overblown, which helped to lift market sentiment and spur a rebound from recent weakness. A host of other companies had good news to report as well. Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), and Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXN) were among the best performers on the day. Here's why they did so well.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday after Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on the stock from $130.00 to $136.00. The stock had previously closed at $127.35, but opened at $128.69. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the stock. Alexion Pharmaceuticals shares last traded at $128.94, with a volume of 50491 shares.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Summit State Bank(SSBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Summit State Bank (NASDAQ:SSBI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday.

  Separately, TheStreet raised Summit State Bank from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Repligen Corporation(RGEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Neiger, Maxx Chatsko, and Dan Caplinger]

  To help you track down a few such companies, we asked three Motley Fool writers for their top growth stock recommendations to buy now, and they came back with Repligen (NASDAQ:RGEN), Five Below (NASDAQ:FIVE), and Shopify (NYSE:SHOP). Here's why.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Repligen Co. (NASDAQ:RGEN) Director Nicolas Barthelemy sold 6,580 shares of Repligen stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.44, for a total value of $358,215.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,774 shares in the company, valued at $477,656.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Repligen Corp. (Nasdaq: RGEN) provides high-value products and flexible solutions that address the most critical steps of producing biologic (complex molecules manufactured with living microorganisms, plants, or animal cells) drugs.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Repligen (NASDAQ:RGEN) and CASI Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CASI) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings and dividends.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Urban Outfitters Inc.(URBN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, retailers Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) reported fourth-quarter results.

  Image source: Getty Images.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Investors sold shares of Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) on strength during trading on Thursday. $17.36 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $38.83 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $21.47 million out of the stock. Of all equities tracked, Urban Outfitters had the 26th highest net out-flow for the day. Urban Outfitters traded up $0.44 for the day and closed at $42.76

• [By ]

  Afterwards, I couldn't stop thinking about Urban Outfitters (Nasdaq: URBN). This trendy clothing, furniture, decor and (now) makeup store -- born in the city of brotherly love -- is set for another breakout as it continues to fire on all cylinders.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) was downgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2019: Transglobe Energy Corp(TGA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares jumped 113.5 percent to $0.6737 after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed to register the company's ContraPest for sale and use in California. AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: UAVS) shares rose 35.34 percent to close at $3.32. Art's-Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: ARTW) shares gained 30.36 percent to $3.65. Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: XTNT) shares jumped 25.6 percent to $7.4701 after the company disclosed that it has received the FDA clearance for InTice™-C Porous Titanium Cervical Interbody System. VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY) shares surged 20 percent to $2.495. TransGlobe Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: TGA) surged 17.04 percent to $2.61. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) gained 15 percent to $8.32 after the company announced an exclusive partnership with Multi Touch Interactives to strengthen the development of next generation interactive educational activities. Arcimoto, Inc. (NASDAQ: FUV) gained 15 percent to $3.39. MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) rose 13.7 percent to $49.64. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) agreed to acquire MB Financial for $54.70 per share in cash and stock. FRONTEO, Inc. (NASDAQ: FTEO) shares rose 11.8 percent to $20.956. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) shares jumped 11.1 percent to $3.38. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) rose 10.6 percent to $7.41. NII Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NIHD) shares gained 9 percent to $2.32. Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA) rose 7.6 percent to $24.19. Northcoast Research upgraded Kelly Services from Neutral to Buy. LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) shares climbed 5.6 percent to $33.70. Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) will buy LaSalle Hotel Properties in a $4.8 billion deal, Bloomberg reported. Alteryx, Inc. (NYSE: AYX) gained 5.5 percent to $32.56. KeyBanc upgraded Alteryx from Sector Weight to Overweight. Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:
• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES) shares surged 296.07 percent to close at $1.25 on Monday after the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed to register the company's ContraPest for sale and use in California. AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: UAVS) shares gained 19.59 percent to close at $2.93. TransGlobe Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: TGA) rose 18.39 percent to close at $2.64 on Monday. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOS) shares gained 15.91 percent to close at $2.55. VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY) shares jumped 14.9 percent to close at $2.39. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) climbed 13.96 percent to close at $4.49. Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) shares rose 13.55 percent to close at $4.61 on Monday. Lilis Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LLEX) surged 13.09 percent to close at $5.01. MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) gained 12.9 percent to close at $49.28. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) agreed to acquire MB Financial for $54.70 per share in cash and stock. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) shares rose 12.83 percent to close at $3.43. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) jumped 12.52 percent to close at $57.86 on Reports that it has reached a deal with Fox for Its 'Smackdown Live' program. Eastman Kodak Company (NASDAQ: KODK) rose 12.38 percent to close at $5.90. NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) climbed 11.94 percent to close at $26.44. NuCana appointed Dr. Cyrille Leperlier to its Board as an independent non-executive Director. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) rose 11.83 percent to close at $3.97 on Monday. Huami Corporation (NYSE: HMI) shares jumped 11.27 percent to close at $10.17 following Q1 results. 21Vianet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET) gained 9.55 percent to close at $7.34. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 8.56 percent to close at $7.86 after the company announced an exclusive partnership with Multi Touch Interactives to strengthen the de
• [By Shane Hupp]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of TransGlobe Energy (NASDAQ:TGA) (TSE:TGL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  TransGlobe Energy (NASDAQ:TGA) (TSE:TGL) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Investment Research from a buy rating to a hold rating. According to Zacks, “TransGlobe Energy Corporation (TGA) is an oil exploration and production company. It is a Calgary-based, growth-oriented oil and gas exploration and development company. TransGlobe is dedicated on improving productivity through promoting good oilfield development and exploitation practices including the implementation of industry leading secondary and tertiary recovery methods as well as improvements to production and transportation infrastructure. The Company conducts its operations through the Arab Republic of Egypt segment. It is primarily engaged in oil exploration, development, production and the acquisition of properties. TransGlobe Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas liquids in Egypt and Canada. It holds working interests in West Gharib, West Bakr, North West Gharib, South West Gharib, South East Gharib, South Ghazalat, South Alamein, and North West Sitra production sharing contracts. “

• [By Alexander Bird]

  Here are the top performers from last week…

  Penny Stock Current Share Price Last Week's Gain Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: STAF) $2.58 96.35% IZEA Inc. (Nasdaq: IZEA) $1.65 85.19% ShiftPixy Inc. (Nasdaq: PIXY) $3.35 78.38% MER Telemanagement Solutions Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTSL) $3.31 41.07% IsoRay Inc. (NYSE: ISR) $0.60 38.64% TransGlobe Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: TGA) $3.74 37.76% Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCMKTS: ATNM) $0.27 26.31% Blonder Tongue Labs Inc. (NYSE: BDR) $1.56 24.58% Bridgeline Digital Inc. (Nasdaq: BLIN) $1.51 24.51% Cel-Sci Corp. (NYSE: CVM) $0.91 24.03%

  While these penny stocks generated strong returns last week, they're unlikely to produce the same level of profit again anytime soon.

• [By Max Byerly]

  According to Zacks, “TransGlobe Energy Corporation (TGA) is an oil exploration and production company. It is a Calgary-based, growth-oriented oil and gas exploration and development company. TransGlobe is dedicated on improving productivity through promoting good oilfield development and exploitation practices including the implementation of industry leading secondary and tertiary recovery methods as well as improvements to production and transportation infrastructure. The Company conducts its operations through the Arab Republic of Egypt segment. It is primarily engaged in oil exploration, development, production and the acquisition of properties. TransGlobe Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas liquids in Egypt and Canada. It holds working interests in West Gharib, West Bakr, North West Gharib, South West Gharib, South East Gharib, South Ghazalat, South Alamein, and North West Sitra production sharing contracts. “