FGL (FG) and AEGON (AEG) Critical Analysis

FGL (NYSE: FG) and AEGON (NYSE:AEG) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

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68.3% of FGL shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.1% of AEGON shares are held by institutional investors. 21.5% of FGL shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations for FGL and AEGON, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
FGL	0	2	3	0	2.60
AEGON	2	2	1	0	1.80

FGL presently has a consensus target price of $11.00, suggesting a potential upside of 22.22%. AEGON has a consensus target price of $4.60, suggesting a potential downside of 29.56%. Given FGL’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe FGL is more favorable than AEGON.

Profitability

This table compares FGL and AEGON’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
FGL	N/A	9.54%	0.56%
AEGON	7.24%	6.59%	0.40%

Dividends

AEGON pays an annual dividend of $0.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. FGL does not pay a dividend. AEGON pays out 33.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. AEGON has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares FGL and AEGON’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
FGL	$1.72 billion	1.12	$41.00 million	N/A	N/A
AEGON	$37.24 billion	0.36	$2.79 billion	$0.84	7.77

AEGON has higher revenue and earnings than FGL.

Summary

FGL beats AEGON on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

FGL Company Profile

FGL Holdings, through its subsidiaries, sells individual life insurance products and annuities in the United States. The company offers deferred annuities, including fixed indexed annuity contracts and fixed rate annuity contracts; immediate annuities; and life insurance products. It also provides life and annuity reinsurance services, such as reinsurance on asset intensive, long duration life, and annuity liabilities. The company sells its products through independent agents, managing general agents, and specialty brokerage firms, as well as various institutional markets. FGL Holdings is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

AEGON Company Profile

Aegon N.V. provides life insurance, pensions, and asset management services. It offers life and protection products, such as traditional and universal life insurance products, as well as employer, endowment, term, and whole life insurance products; and supplemental health, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, critical illness, cancer treatment, credit/disability, income protection, travel, and long-term care insurance products. The company also provides variable and fixed annuities, retirement plans, mutual funds, and stable value solutions; individual and group pensions sponsored by or obtained through an employer; and mortgages, as well as banking products, including saving deposits. In addition, it offers general insurance products consisting of automotive, liability, disability, household insurance, and fire protection, as well as financing and reinsurance services. The company markets its products through brokerage, partner, institutional/worksite, and wholesale distribution channels. It has operations in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, and Asia. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Why MoviePass Failed

When Helios and Matheson (NASDAQ:HMNY) revealed its plans to create MoviePass, a subscription service that would allow customers to visit the cinema as much as they wanted, many scoffed at the idea. Others praised HMNY for disrupting the movie industry and even compared the firm to Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX). However, just a few years later the company can’t afford to keep up with its users’ movie ticket fees and looks unlikely to continue operating.

What Happened to MoviePass?

Things started out pretty well for MoviePass. Sure, the subscription’s business model relied on losing money in its initial years but MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe and HMNY CEO Ted Farnsworth insisted that profits were just around the corner. At 5 million subscribers, they said, the service would become profitable. Not only would volume help cover costs, but Farnsworth said the firm was collecting valuable data regarding consumers habits. 

The explanation sounded plausible. Netflix has been collecting data for years and the company has successfully been able to use that information to create hit TV series that keep people coming back for more. MoviePass’ data could be valuable to a wide range of businesses — advertisers, production companies, even movie theaters themselves that might want to better understand how and when people prefer to watch. 

But until then, MoviePass was paying around $12-14 for each movie ticket while charging its customers $9.959 a month.

However, MoviePass never quite got to that 5-million-subscriber mark and the firm looks unlikely to ever grow beyond its current 3 million subscribers. MoviePass’ financial problems have caught up with it, and it looks as though the subscription service is on its last legs.

A Crumbling Service

On Monday, the firm raised its subscription price by $5 per month and cut down on the number of available movies. Subscribers started complaining that no available showtimes were listed, leaving them unable to use the service to see a movie they’d planned on — or in many cases, any movie at all. In addition to the price hike, MoviePass has also started charging excess fees of up to $6 for new release films.

Last week the company also took out an expensive $5 million loan in order to continue meeting its financial obligations, raising critics’ eyebrows and causing many pundits to start placing bets on when the service would close its doors.

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What Went Wrong for MoviePass?

Unfortunately, it looks like MoviePass is yet another victim of the cord cutting phenomena that has been looming over the media industry over the past few years. The simple fact is that people are going out less. Instead, they are watching films and series via online subscription services and ordering food to be delivered to their homes. The days of going out for dinner and a movie are quickly going the way of the dodo. People simply aren’t willing to pay for the added bonus of experiencing a new movie on the big screen because convenience ranks higher on their list of priorities. 

MoviePass combatted this with it’s ultra-low $9.95 price tag, which, in theory, was working. Ten dollars per month was reasonable enough to attract movie buffs who were still craving that experience. Unfortunately, the cost of the average number of movies being watched by each subscriber far surpassed the money brought in.

Instead of gradually increasing rates, MoviePass had to pull a knee-jerk reaction and raise prices substantially to $14.95, which has led many of the service’s users to cancel. Not only that, but because the company started to spiral, the firm also cut down on showtimes and raise new-release fees all at the same time. Perhaps the firm’s subscribers could have tolerated one of the hikes, but all three have made the service undesirable.

What’s Next for MoviePass Holders

The demise of MoviePass leaves the door open to movie theaters like AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), which have long criticized HMNY’s program for being unsustainable. Now, AMC can move forward with its own plans for a subscription service without worrying about the pricing advantage that MoviePass once held. 

AMC’s program, Stubs A-List allows subscribers the ability to view 3 movies per week for $19.95 per month. They can also book tickets in advance and see special format movies like IMAX or Real 3D. And this is more sustainable for the simple fact that AMC does not need to pay itself for movie tickets.

If MoviePass can somehow scrape by and continue to exist, you can bet that $19.95 will be competitive with whatever MoviePass is able to offer up to its own customers. What looks more likely at this point is that MoviePass will close up shop, leaving AMC to pick up disappointed movie buffs with its own service.

As of this writing, Laura Hoy was long NFLX.

Is recession coming? Watch the 'yield curve'

Pundits and headlines warn of impending doom from the ��yield curve�� flattening.

OK then.�

But its specific impact on folks won��t work like those yahoos predict. First, what is the yield curve? Second, who cares? And most important,�how and when might it affect you?

The yield curve is just a line graph showing the interest rate of government bonds at every future maturity (meaning when they come due and repay the principal). So the full curve depicts rates of�bonds from very short term to very long term (from now until 30 years from now). �

The ��line�� uses dates of maturity horizontally from now, moving to the right, through 2048,�and corresponding rates from zero to very high vertically. �

Normally, short rates are lower than longer-term rates. So the line normally slopes gently upward to the right.

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Changes in the curve�matter because they affect bank lending, which impacts almost everything, it seems. �

Banks borrow at short-term rates, lend long term�and profit from the difference. So the gap between long and short rates predicts future loan profitability. The bigger the gap, the more eager banks are to lend. The yield curve is a great predictive proxy for future lending. �

Lending matters because loans allow for economically expansive activities. Sally deposits $10,000 at Community Banks-R-Us, which can keep $1,000 in reserve and lend out $9,000 to Jim��s Widgets. Jim uses that to grow his business. Hence lending can fuel growth. So, steeper yield curves spur economic activity. Flatter curves render less.

But when short-term rates exceed long-term rates (commonly called inversion) disaster awaits because lending becomes unprofitable and implodes. The yield curve has inverted before every recession since the Great Depression.�

Headlines warn the yield curve is its flattest in 11 years �� the eve of the global financial crisis. Pundits predict inversion as imminent and a slowdown as definite, or worse.�

They��re wrong in two ways.

First, they��re watching the spread between two-year and 10-year yields. It hardly matters. Banks don��t borrow much at two-year rates. Most funding comes from varied shorter-term deposits.

The valid spreads are 10-year minus overnight (the fed-funds rate) and 10-year minus three-month. They��re both useful. The three-month spread captures more interbank funding and is more sensitive to market forces than the Fed-set rate. But the Conference Board uses the 10-year/fed-funds spread in its Leading Economic Index. It��s the single best leading indicator around (see my July 17, 2017 column). ��

Typically we avoid recession unless both versions invert and remain inverted �� killing lending. They��re also both much wider than that bogus 10-year/two-year spread, which is�just 0.24 percent�but is causing today��s terror.

The 10-year/three-month spread is 0.85 percent. The 10-year/Fed funds spread is 0.92 percent. While these two are flatter than last year, they are very far from inverted.

Tellingly, the yield curves of most of the booming, zooming mid-to-late 1990s were around these levels �� or flatter. Today��s moderate spreads are part of our ��Goldilocks�� economy (see my 5/7/18 column).�

The second error? Almost everyone everywhere misses that the total global yield curve matters much more than America��s. And it��s doing just fine, thank you. Today��s global financial system is super interconnected. Behemoth banks can borrow in low-rate countries such as Germany, transfer funds here, hedge for currency risk and lend to Jim��s Widgets in mere seconds.

The global yield curve combines every developed country��s curve, weighted by the size of each economy. You get Britain��s 0.88 percent�10-year/three-month spread, Canada��s 0.69 percent�gap, Germany��s 0.92 percent, France��s 1.23 percent, Japan��s 0.18 percent�and the rest. Mash them all together based on GDP weighting, and that gets you a 0.9 percent�global spread that��s bouncing along, going nowhere fast. Current U.S. yield curve fears miss this.�

Those headed for the hills will get flattened as our economy keeps steamrolling ahead. I watch the global yield curve�like a hawk, and it will be years before it�inverts, most likely. When it does I��ll warn you. And then bad things will happen.

Until then, don��t get flattened. Expand. Grow. Participate. Start a firm. Own stocks. And enjoy.�

Ken Fisher is the founder and executive chairman of Fisher Investments, author of 11 books, four of which were "New York Times" bestsellers, and is No. 200 on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans. Follow him on Twitter @KennethLFisher

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author��s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

�

THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR (TCKGY) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR (OTCMKTS:TCKGY) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eight analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on TCKGY shares. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $3.75 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR in a research report on Monday, April 30th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upgraded THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd.

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TCKGY remained flat at $$2.98 during trading on Thursday. THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR has a 52 week low of $2.97 and a 52 week high of $3.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.22.

About THOMAS COOK Grp/ADR

Thomas Cook Group plc provides leisure travel services in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Northern Europe, and Germany. The company operates through Group Tour Operator and Group Airline segments. It owns, manages, or franchises 190 own-brand hotels in 16 countries under the Casa Cook, Sunwing, Sunprime, Sunconnect, Sentido, Smartline, and Aldiana brands, as well as partner hotels.

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Alliance Data Systems (ADS) Stock Rating Reaffirmed by Oppenheimer

Alliance Data Systems (NYSE:ADS)‘s stock had its “hold” rating restated by research analysts at Oppenheimer in a report issued on Thursday. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for Alliance Data Systems’ Q2 2018 earnings at $4.65 EPS, Q3 2018 earnings at $6.61 EPS, Q4 2018 earnings at $6.18 EPS and FY2018 earnings at $21.53 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on ADS. ValuEngine raised Alliance Data Systems from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Alliance Data Systems in a research note on Wednesday. Wolfe Research began coverage on Alliance Data Systems in a research note on Tuesday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird reissued a “hold” rating and set a $235.00 target price on shares of Alliance Data Systems in a research note on Friday, April 20th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on Alliance Data Systems from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $264.25.

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Shares of Alliance Data Systems stock opened at $233.08 on Thursday. Alliance Data Systems has a one year low of $192.02 and a one year high of $278.33. The company has a market cap of $12.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.86.

Alliance Data Systems (NYSE:ADS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 19th. The business services provider reported $5.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $4.64 by $0.37. Alliance Data Systems had a return on equity of 61.30% and a net margin of 10.44%. The firm had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.84 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. research analysts predict that Alliance Data Systems will post 21.45 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, Director Holdings L.P. Valueact acquired 125,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $201.27 per share, with a total value of $25,158,750.00. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Valueact Capital Master Fund, acquired 2,646 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $542,430.00. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought 330,246 shares of company stock valued at $66,585,860 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Alliance Data Systems by 188.6% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 969,957 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $206,465,000 after purchasing an additional 633,865 shares during the period. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Alliance Data Systems by 92.5% in the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 974,709 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $207,477,000 after purchasing an additional 468,310 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Alliance Data Systems by 9,617.9% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 399,016 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $84,935,000 after purchasing an additional 394,910 shares during the period. Check Capital Management Inc. CA purchased a new position in Alliance Data Systems in the first quarter valued at $52,661,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Alliance Data Systems by 33.3% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 768,119 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $179,126,000 after purchasing an additional 192,056 shares during the period. 93.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alliance Data Systems Company Profile

Alliance Data Systems Corporation provides data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments: LoyaltyOne, Epsilon, and Card Services. The company offers a portfolio of integrated outsourced marketing solutions, including customer loyalty programs, database marketing services, end-to-end marketing services, analytics and creative services, direct marketing services, and private label and co-brand retail credit card programs.

Read More: What are CEFs?

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:NXG,ORE,CME,NGD,  Regular readers know our colleague Ben Morris has been watching gold closely for months.   And in late August, he finally got the confirmation he was looking for...   The precious metal finally broke out of a massive, decade-long "wedge" pattern. This was an extremely bullish sign, and Ben told his DailyWealth Trader subscribers it was finally time to trade gold from the long side.   Gold moved higher almost immediately. It jumped nearly 3% over the next eight trading days. But the rally didn't last long...   Gold has been slowly moving lower ever since, and is now down nearly 6% over past month. And many gold bulls are starting to get worried.   If you're among them, Ben has some good news. He says gold's recent weakness is normal and natural. In fact, if you missed the big breakout in August, he believes this is could be a great second chance to buy. As he explained to his DailyWealth Trader subscribers on Monday...

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy For 2019: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of NEX Group PLC (LON:NXG) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 696 ($9.21).

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy For 2019: Orezone Gold Corp (ORE)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Galactrum (ORE) is a PoW/PoS coin that uses the
  Lyra2RE hashing algorithm. It launched on November 11th, 2017. Galactrum’s total supply is 2,092,679 coins and its circulating supply is 1,372,679 coins. Galactrum’s official Twitter account is @galactrum. Galactrum’s official website is galactrum.org.

• [By Jim Robertson]

  Finally, Richard Seville, the CEO of Brisbane-based Orocobre Ltd (ASX: ORE) which began lithium sales in 2015 from northern Argentina and also experienced difficulty boosting output, commented that an ��inability to access traditional funds has delayed the development of the sector�� and that ��these projects aren��t easy -- so the banks just don��t want to go there.��

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy For 2019: CME Group Inc.(CME)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: “Q1 2018 EPS Estimates for CME Group Lifted by Analyst (CME)” was first reported by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this report on another publication, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of US and international copyright & trademark law. The correct version of this report can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/3350609/q1-2018-eps-estimates-for-cme-group-lifted-by-analyst-cme.html.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Investors sold shares of CME Group Inc (NASDAQ:CME) on strength during trading hours on Wednesday. $43.03 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $84.28 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $41.25 million out of the stock. Of all stocks tracked, CME Group had the 11th highest net out-flow for the day. CME Group traded up $0.26 for the day and closed at $170.48

• [By Max Byerly]

  Deutsche Boerse (OTCMKTS: DBOEY) and CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.

• [By ]

  Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) : "That's an ideal stock for this market. I like the choice."

  Aqua America (WTR) : "This is not the stock for a hot economy, even though this is a well-run company."

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Bitcoin prices slumped under $6,000 per coin on a day when futures contracts expired at CME Group Inc. (NYSE: CME).

  But despite the recent downturn, many cryptocurrency bulls expect that institutional investors will pour into the market.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  First American Trust FSB grew its stake in CME Group Inc (NASDAQ:CME) by 4.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,167 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 639 shares during the period. First American Trust FSB’s holdings in CME Group were worth $2,650,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Hot Gold Stocks To Buy For 2019: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARMO) shares rose 67.5 percent to $49.96 in pre-market trading after Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced plans to acquire ARMO BioSciences for $50 per share. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 62.8 percent to $11.30 in pre-market trading after the company reported Q1 results and raised its FY18 outlook. vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) rose 23.4 percent to $2.11 in pre-market trading following announcement that the company will pre-specify new subgroup with the FDA and report Phase 3 Part B results in June. Resonant Inc. (NASDAQ: RESN) rose 19.1 percent to $5.00 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) rose 17.7 percent to $2.39 in pre-market trading following Q1 results. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) rose 15.2 percent to $2.20 in pre-market trading after French company Total announced plans to acquire 25 percent stake in Clean Energy Fuels for $83.4 million. Everspin Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRAM) rose 14.6 percent to $8.50 in pre-market trading after the company reported strong results for its first quarter. Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) shares rose 11 percent to $27.50 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat Q1 sales. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) rose 8.9 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading following upbeat quarterly earnings. MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNOV) rose 8.1 percent to $11.35 in pre-market trading after the company announced opening of Investigational New Drug Application for MN-166 (ibudilast) in glioblastoma. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) shares rose 7.7 percent to $2.65 in pre-market trading after the company reported that its President and CEO Hannes Portmann left the company. The company named Raymond Threlkeld as successor. Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ: OTTR) shares rose 7.4 percent to $46.60 in the pre-market trading session. Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) shares rose
• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE: TER) fell 10.8 percent to $37.02 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat Q2 guidance. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW) fell 9.2 percent to $122.29 in pre-market trading. Edwards Lifesciences reported better-than-expected results for its first quarter, but issued weak earnings guidance for the second quarter. New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) fell 8.8 percent to $2.30 in pre-market trading after rising 4.13 percent on Tuesday. Gold Fields Limited (ADR) (NYSE: GFI) fell 8.6 percent to $3.61 in pre-market trading. Natus Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ: BABY) fell 8.2 percent to $32.95 in pre-market trading after the company issued weak forecast for the second quarter. Atossa Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATOS) shares fell 7.9 percent to $3.50 in pre-market trading after climbing 27.09 percent on Tuesday. Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: BEDU) shares fell 6.7 percent to $13.58 in pre-market trading after reporting Q1 results. Sangamo Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: SGMO) fell 5.9 percent to $16.75 in pre-market trading following announcement of a $200 million common stock offering. Foresight Autonomous Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: FRSX) shares fell 5.7 percent to $3.29 in pre-market trading after declining 3.32 percent on Tuesday. Euronav NV (NYSE: EURN) fell 4.8 percent to $8.40 in pre-market trading. Limelight Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: LLNW) shares fell 4.3 percent to $4.69 in pre-market trading. Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc (NASDAQ: GLPI) shares fell 4.1 percent to $32.92 in pre-market trading after the company issued downbeat quarterly results and reported the retirement of CFO William Clifford
• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSE: NGD) dropped about 4.7% Friday to post a new 52-week low of $2.05. Shares closed at $2.15 on Thursday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 50% higher than the daily average of 4.2 million. The junior gold miner had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 3.8% Thursday to post a new 52-week low of $2.28. Shares closed at $2.37 on Wednesday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 15% below the daily average of around 5.9 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 1.9% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $2.09. Shares closed at $2.13 on Monday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. The junior gold miner had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  New Gold Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: NGD) dropped about 2.9% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $2.35. Shares closed at $2.42 on Friday and the stock’s 52-week high is $4.25. Volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 5.8 million shares. The gold mining company had no news.

3 "Internet of Things" Stocks to Buy Right Now

Semiconductor stocks have been the subject of unpredictable volatility so far this year, but the underlying business of this industry is growing—and should continue that trend in 2018 and beyond. Throughout the chip-making space, companies have successfully adapted to the changing needs of the consumer, including an increased demand for small, high-powered chips that enable “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices.

For those that don’t know, the Internet of Things is the growing world of interconnected household and industrial devices. Everyday products and machines can now be embedded with sensor technology to process data or interact with other electronic devices.

For example, consumer-level IoT products include things like Amazon’s (AMZN) Echo “smart speaker,” wearable motion and activity tracking products, and advanced in-car technology. On the commercial side of the IoT market, industrial manufacturers have begun implementing sensors into machines to track performance and efficiency.

(Also Read: How to Invest in the "Internet of Things")

As demand for the microchips that power these IoT devices continues to grow, semiconductor manufacturers with a focus on IoT products will continue to benefit. And 2018 promises to be another marquee year for these suppliers, with the number of connected devices worldwide set to continue its rapid growth.

With that said, we’ve found three already-strong stocks that are looking to benefit even more from further IoT growth in 2018:

1. Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (VSH )

Vishay Intertechnology is a global manufacturer and supplier of discrete semiconductors. The company has a broad portfolio of unique passive and active solutions that are tailored to the “things” being controlled in the IoT. Vishay markets its portfolio to manufacturers of everything from biometric monitoring systems to fitbands and smart appliances.

VSH is currently a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The stock is solid growth option, with earnings and revenue expected to improve by 29.4% and 15.5%, respectively this year. But VSH is also reasonably priced, and the stock’s P/E of 13.9 and PEG of 2.1 show that investors are getting a great bargain on its current outlook. Shares have moved about 6.5% higher within the past month and could also be an interesting momentum play as they continue to test 52-week highs.

 

2. Intel Corporation (INTC )

Intel is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, and it has proven to be a leader in the Internet of Things chip business. Intel’s core IoT businesses cater to the automotive, retail, industrial, and smart video markets. But the firm also believes in the wide-ranging power of IoT technology and stands ready to influence the industry, wherever it may go.

INTC is holding a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), as well as “B” grades in the Value and Growth categories of our Style Scores system. Shares are trading at an attractive 12.9x forward earnings, which is a nice discount to its industry average. Plus, earnings and cash flow growth are both at +15% rates, and Intel pays out a solid dividend which delivers a yield of 2.3% right now.

 

3. Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MRVL )

Marvell Technology is a leading designer, developer and supplier of mixed-signal and digital signal processing integrated circuits. The company’s “EZ-Connect” platform is used by a variety of global customers in the home automation, wearables, automotive, and industrial industries. MRVL is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Marvell’s earnings estimates are trending upward, it has not missed estimates in about two years, and the company is notching cash flow growth of nearly 80%. Meanwhile, shares are looking cheap at just 15.4x forward earnings, and a PEG ratio of 1.4 implies investors are getting a decent price for its EPS growth outlook.

 

Bottom Line

The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting emerging tech markets in the world.  And while these specific products are interesting, the real moneymakers in these situations are the companies that are building the tech that powers these products.

The best way for investors to cash in on this growing trend is to identify companies that are not only investing in the Internet of Things, but are also displaying solid fundamentals and impressive Zacks metrics.

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Royal Bank of Canada Purchases 19,273 Shares of Mercantile Bank Corp. (MBWM)

Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Mercantile Bank Corp. (NASDAQ:MBWM) by 9.6% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 220,880 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,273 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Mercantile Bank were worth $7,344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MBWM. Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of Mercantile Bank by 7.5% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 28,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $954,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Mercantile Bank by 3.1% in the first quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 73,348 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,439,000 after acquiring an additional 2,223 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in shares of Mercantile Bank by 3.9% in the first quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 61,237 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,036,000 after acquiring an additional 2,326 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Mercantile Bank by 119.1% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,333 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 2,355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Mercantile Bank by 14.4% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 20,783 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $735,000 after acquiring an additional 2,613 shares during the last quarter. 53.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Get Mercantile Bank alerts:

In related news, Director Michael H. Price sold 3,000 shares of Mercantile Bank stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.32, for a total transaction of $108,960.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Mercantile Bank stock opened at $37.36 on Thursday. Mercantile Bank Corp. has a 52 week low of $28.92 and a 52 week high of $38.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market cap of $624.09 million, a P/E ratio of 17.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.74.

Mercantile Bank (NASDAQ:MBWM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.10. Mercantile Bank had a return on equity of 9.50% and a net margin of 23.13%. The business had revenue of $34.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.03 million. sell-side analysts predict that Mercantile Bank Corp. will post 2.46 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 20th. Investors of record on Friday, June 8th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 7th. Mercantile Bank’s payout ratio is currently 46.56%.

MBWM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. BidaskClub raised Mercantile Bank from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 24th. Hovde Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $37.00 target price on shares of Mercantile Bank in a research report on Wednesday, April 18th. Finally, Sandler O’Neill set a $37.00 target price on Mercantile Bank and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $36.80.

Mercantile Bank Company Profile

Mercantile Bank Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank of Michigan that provides commercial and retail banking services for small- to medium-sized businesses and individuals in the United States. It accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, and term certificate accounts; time deposits; and certificates of deposit.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MBWM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mercantile Bank Corp. (NASDAQ:MBWM).

Investors face ��devastating losses�� if this ��remarkably accurate�� indicator flashes

While bulls might be shrugging trade-war jitters, the impact of rising oil prices, and any number of bearish developments, one signal that has a long history of predicting economic turmoil could prove tough to overlook: yield-curve inversion.

Without getting too wonky, the yield curve is basically the difference in interest rates on short-term bonds, such as 2-year Treasurys TMUBMUSD02Y, +0.64% , and long-term bonds, like the 10-year TMUBMUSD10Y, +0.09% .

Typically sloping upward, the yield curve is inverted when those long-dated yields fall below short-dated yields. We��re not there yet, but with the Fed raising short-term rates and long-term yields holding steady, many on Wall Street see the shift as a real possibility. And, for markets, that��s a troubling prospect.

Read: ��This rally in stocks is a last hurrah��

Count consultant and longtime financial industry veteran Daniel Amerman among those raising an alarm over the current trend.

��Would you have appreciated a single number that could have given you a clear and unmistakable warning before the tech stock bubble collapsed?�� he asked in a post. ��How about an unequivocal mathematical warning in 2006 that major financial trouble was on the way, well before the problems of 2007 and 2008?��

Amerman says we��ve only seen an inverted yield curve three times in the last 35 years, and this chart clearly illustrates what was to follow in each case:

Going back even further, inversions have preceded the past seven recessions, while throwing out two false positives with an inversion in late 1966 and a flat curve in late 1998, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

��After languishing in obscurity for many years,�� Amerman wrote, ��yield-curve inversions are back in the news again because we just may be nearing another inversion.�� He pointed out that we just saw the narrowest gap between the 2-year and the 10-year since shortly before the Financial Crisis in 2007.

��So, all it potentially takes is the Fed following its publicly stated game plan of increasing rates by another 0.50% before the end of 2018,�� he wrote, ��and that could be enough to produce an inverted yield curve by the end of 2018.��

Read: To invert or not to invert? That is the Fed��s question

Amerman warns that there are multiple reasons to believe that another recession could result in severe losses in the stock market.

��Historically low interest rates have contributed to historically high valuations in stocks, bonds, and real estate,�� he wrote. ��In the event of recession co

Replimune Closes in on IPO

Replimune Group has registered an amended S-1 form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding its initial public offering (IPO). The company intends to price its 6.7 million shares in the range of $14 to $16 per share, with an overallotment option for an additional 1.05 million shares. At the maximum price, the entire offering is valued up to $123.28 million. The company expects to list its shares on the Nasdaq under the symbol REPL.

The underwriters for the offering are JPMorgan, Leerink Partners and BMO Capital Markets.

This clinical-stage biotechnology company is committed to applying its leading expertise in the field of oncolytic immunotherapy to transform the lives of cancer patients. The firm uses its proprietary Immulytic platform to design and develop product candidates that are intended to maximally activate the immune system against solid tumors.

The foundation of its platform consists of a proprietary, engineered strain of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) that has been “armed” with a fusogenic therapeutic protein intended to substantially increase anti-tumor activity. This platform enables the firm to design multiple product candidates that incorporate various further genes whose expression is intended to augment the inherent properties of HSV-1 to both directly destroy tumor cells and induce an anti-tumor immune response.

Replimune is currently conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical trial with its lead product candidate, RP1, in patients with a range of solid tumors. Management has entered into a collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squib, under which it has granted a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to, and is supplying at no cost, its anti-PD-1 therapy, nivolumab, for use in combination with RP1 in this clinical trial.

The company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to further fund and develop its pipeline and manufacturing facilities, with the remainder for general corporate purposes, including working capital requirements and operating expenses.

24/7 Wall St.
7 Big Companies Expected to Beat Earnings

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:WFC,FCF,AP,HSBA,CM, Interest rates are on their way up.

Buoyed by a strengthening economy and increased confidence that the Federal Reserve will reach its inflation target in the near future, central bank policymakers suggested the path of future rate hikes could be "slightly steeper" over the next few years than previously thought, according to minutes of their March meeting released on Wednesday.

"Members agreed that the strengthening in the economic outlook in recent months increased the likelihood that a gradual upward trajectory of the federal funds rate would be appropriate," according to the minutes.

In March, the Fed lifted the federal funds rate to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. That was an increase of a quarter of a percentage point. The Fed's target rate helps determine rates for mortgages, credit cards and other borrowing.

According to the minutes, there was some debate by policymakers on whether to delay raising rates to a later meeting to send a strong signal to investors that monetary policy decisions would be based on incoming economic data. But they ultimately agreed to press ahead.

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Frankel]

  After a turbulent couple of years for the bank, Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) finally gave its investors a pleasant surprise. Not only was its 2018 capital plan approved by the Federal Reserve, but it included a huge increase in the bank's buyback authorization. As a result, the stock is up sharply -- as of 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday, shares are up by nearly 5%.

• [By Matthew Frankel]

  As far as positive surprises go,�Wells Fargo�(NYSE:WFC) was probably the biggest positive surprise. I probably don't have to tell most listeners, Wells Fargo hasn't had the best couple of years,�when it comes to their fake accounts scandal, the fallout from that, the other mini scandals along the way, and just recently, their punishment by the same Federal Reserve that says they're not allowed to grow until they improve. They actually got the approval to buy back�more than twice the amount of stock that they did last year.�One, that says a lot about how well-capitalized they are. Two, it also�says a lot that their�management's willing to do that, that they think that their stock is at such a compelling bargain right now that they're willing to spend over $25 billion on buybacks alone.

• [By Shah Gilani]

  The prospect of big bank deregulation in light of the outrageous ongoing criminal activity – because that's what it is – at Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) makes me cringe.

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation(FCF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Commonwealth Financial (FCF)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Commonwealth Financial (FCF)

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Barclays PLC increased its holdings in First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF) by 24.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,717 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 6,593 shares during the period. Barclays PLC’s holdings in First Commonwealth Financial were worth $476,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  New York (AP) -- Jay-Z has spent a long afternoon at the New York offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  The rapper and entrepreneur was scheduled to spend much of the day Tuesday answering questions from SEC investigators as part of their probe of the Iconix Brand Group.

• [By ]

  London (AP) -- The British government said Sunday it is scrapping a promise to reconsider the ban on fox hunting, a centuries-old rural tradition contentiously outlawed more than a decade ago.

• [By ]

  Phoenix (AP) -- The classified advertising site Backpage.com ignored warnings to stop running advertisements promoting prostitution, sometimes involving children, because the lucrative enterprise brought in half a billion dollars, according to an indictment unsealed Monday.

• [By ]

  Washington (AP) -- While railing against California for its so-called sanctuary immigration policies, President Donald Trump referred to some people who cross the border illegally as "animals" — drawing a sharp rebuke from Democratic leaders for the harsh rhetoric.

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019: HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Shore Capital from GBX 721 ($9.60) to GBX 625 ($8.32) in a report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage presently has a “sell” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Shore Capital’s price objective indicates a potential downside of 14.71% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Citigroup from GBX 810 ($10.78) to GBX 800 ($10.65) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 9.59% from the stock’s previous close.

Best Bank Stocks To Watch For 2019: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce(CM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM) (NYSE:CM) – Analysts at Desjardins reduced their Q2 2018 earnings per share estimates for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, May 2nd. Desjardins analyst D. Young now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $2.85 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.86.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM)Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay 23, 2018, 8:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Max Byerly]

  Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp boosted its position in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) (TSE:CM) by 54.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 911,300 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 320,800 shares during the quarter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce comprises approximately 1.0% of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s holdings in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce were worth $103,633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE: CM) recently:

  6/6/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was upgraded by analysts at Citigroup Inc from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating. They now have a C$130.00 price target on the stock, up previously from C$125.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was downgraded by analysts at National Bank Financial from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating. They now have a C$124.00 price target on the stock, down previously from C$136.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Scotiabank from C$131.00 to C$127.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$141.00 to C$135.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was given a new C$140.00 price target on by analysts at Eight Capital. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target raised by analysts at Barclays PLC from C$133.00 to C$138.00.

  CM traded up C$0.59 on Wednesday, reaching C$115.86. 987,570 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,290,708. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a fifty-two week low of C$103.84 and a fifty-two week high of C$124.37.

• [By Garrett Baldwin]

  We're about to reveal a little wealth secret that could unlock the trade of a lifetime.�Money Morning�Special Situation Strategist Tim Melvin takes you inside what could easily be a 10-bagger for investors in the weeks ahead.�Read more right here.

  The Top Stock Market Stories for Tuesday The Euro has plunged to its lowest point against the U.S. dollar in 2018 thanks to political problems in Europe. The breakdown of power in Italy has raised new concerns about the nation��s ability to repay its debts, as the spread between German and Italian bonds has widened. Market instability has also spread to Spain where the nation��s parliament is preparing to vote on whether to oust Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his party. Oil prices slid one news that OPEC and Russia will consider hikes in production during a meeting in Vienna, Austria on June 22nd. The news accompanied reports that U.S. production is expected to rise throughout the summer. The price of WTI oil sat at $67.20 per barrel. The Brent crude oil price recovered this morning, adding 1% to hit $76.12. Canadian banks are under pressure this morning over a major breach by cyber criminals. The Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM) �� the two largest banking institutions in the country �� announced that roughly 90,000 customers�� data may have been stolen. This would be the first major cybersecurity event to happen in Canada involving financial firms. Three Stocks to Watch Today: CRM, SBUX, MOMO com (NYSE: CRM) will lead a busy day of earnings reports on Wall Street. The cloud computing giant is set to report fiscal first quarter 2019 numbers after the bell on Tuesday. The average analyst projection calls for a 46% jump in EPS of $0.46 on top of a 23% gain in revenue to $2.94 billion. Starbucks�� Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX) will temporarily close about 8,000 locations on Tuesday to train roughly 175,000 employees on racial bias. The training sessions were
• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) (TSE:CM) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 23rd, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 28th will be paid a dividend of 1.036 per share by the bank on Friday, July 27th. This represents a $4.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.63%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 27th.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:CMP,SIRI,UNH,EMR,IBM,

It’s one of the toughest questions to answer this year: amid all the fears and uncertainties in the broader markets, why haven’t gold stocks jumped in valuation? The traditional safe haven asset hasn’t looked good since collapsing in 2013. And despite some promising developments, every move up is seemingly fiercely contested.

Although it’s a tired sentiment, investors should note that this time could really be different. For one thing, the bullion sector, and to a large degree, gold stocks, perform well during periods of market fear. Honestly, what better word describes the current mainstream emotion? Although the benchmark indices have recently put up strong numbers, the Dow Jones is still down 1.6% year-to-date.

Next, we have to consider the Trump factor. Our President doesn’t lack anything in the confidence department, but political competency is another matter. No, I’m not delivering a cheap shot at our Commander-in-Chief. Rather, I’m suggesting that his diplomatic skills will be tested in a baptism of fire. Maybe it will work out, or maybe it won’t. Either way, gold stocks to buy don’t seem like a bad idea!

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Compass Minerals Intl Inc(CMP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Compass Minerals International (NYSE:CMP) was downgraded by investment analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is a company that thrives on of new car sales. If you have had satellite radio and are not solely reliant on what you get for music in streaming or your library, then chances are pretty good that you won’t want to go back to just having old-fashioned FM/AM radio.

• [By ]

  However, several Buffett stocks chalked up nice gains during the first quarter. The three top performers in Berkshire's portfolio were Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI), Mastercard (NYSE:MA), and Moody's (NYSE:MCO). Here's what drove these stocks higher -- and what their prospects are for the rest of 2018.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Last week was a busy one for Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) investors tracking Wall Street moves. The week kicked off with Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar downgrading the stock and the stock of its controlling stakeholder, Liberty SiriusXM (NASDAQ:LSXMA). Two days later it was James Goss at Barrington upgrading Sirius XM stock.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Shares of Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI)�hit a new 12-year high of $7.08 this week, and in terms of market cap the satellite radio provider has never been as valuable as it is right now. The market darling hasn't traded this high since late 2005, and it's fair to say that this was an entirely different company back then. Sirius had yet to merge with XM. The share count was substantially lower.�

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Sirius XM
  The more than 206.74 million Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) shares that were short after the last two weeks of this month amounted to just 0.1% or so more than on the previous settlement date. This was the third-lowest level of short interest in the past year, and it totaled 15.8% of the available float. The average daily volume has shrunk in seven of the past eight periods, and the number of days to cover inched up to nearly 13. Sirius’ stock price was $7.22 at the trading day’s close yesterday. Its 52-week low is $5.09 and the 52-week high is $7.33, a multiyear high posted this week.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.4 per share on revenue of $5.63 billion. Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $37.16 billion. Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $605.26 million. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.59 per share on revenue of $22.75 billion. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.52 per share on revenue of $7.6 billion. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.58 per share on revenue of $22.24 billion. Anthem, Inc. (NYSE: ANTM) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $4.91 per share on revenue of $22.52 billion. Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.79 per share on revenue of $3.04 billion. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $3.61 per share on revenue of $6.61 billion. Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.81 per share on revenue of $1.66 billion. Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.07 per share on revenue of $2.15 billion. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $3.82 billion. Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.97 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: TROW) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $1.71 per share on revenue of $1.29 billion. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.04 per share on revenue of $1.57 billion. Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SI

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 1.73% at $233.18. The stock’s 52-week range is $166.65 to $250.79. Volume was about 60% below the daily average of around 3.5 million shares. The company had no specific news.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Recently the managers removed AmerisourceBergen Corp (NYSE: ABC) and used the proceeds from the sale to increase the position they already held in Unitedhealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Meridian Wealth Management LLC cut its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) by 6.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 18,875 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after selling 1,292 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group comprises 2.0% of Meridian Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Meridian Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,039,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By JJ Kinahan]

  Going into earnings season, one school of thought was that investors might be concerned more about companies’ forward guidance in some cases than in Q1 results. There was worry that perhaps the recent market turmoil and fears of a possible trade war could dampen some S&P 500 firms’ expectations for what the near future might bring. It’s less than a week since earnings began and guidance could still represent a speed bump in coming weeks, but so far it hasn’t been a problem. For instance, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) raised fiscal year guidance Tuesday, and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) raised its revenue guidance. In other signs of general good cheer, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) raised its quarterly dividend, while Netflix (NFLX) reported big gains in subscriber growth. It’s still really early and things could change, but maybe some of those guidance fears could have been, shall we say, misguided? 

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Before the opening bell Tuesday, Dow Jones Industrial Average component UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is expected to report another solid quarter. After all, the company has beat analysts’ earnings estimate for eight straight quarters and revenues in six of those eight.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Emerson Electric Company(EMR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in shares of Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 111,625 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,015 shares during the quarter. Emerson Electric makes up approximately 2.4% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $7,624,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. reduced its stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) by 4.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 80,915 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,534 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $5,527,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Here are some of the headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s analysis:

  Get Emerson Electric alerts: Stocks This Week: Wells Fargo, Emerson Electric and CSX (finance.yahoo.com) Emerson Electric (EMR) & Philips (PHG) Financial Review (americanbankingnews.com) Emerson Electric (EMR) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com) Is It Time To Buy Emerson Electric Co (NYSE:EMR)? (finance.yahoo.com) Emerson Electric: An Autonomous Future (seekingalpha.com)

  EMR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Emerson Electric from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $78.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. UBS initiated coverage on shares of Emerson Electric in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $73.26 price objective on the stock. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $78.00 price objective on shares of Emerson Electric in a research note on Wednesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Emerson Electric from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised shares of Emerson Electric from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $69.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 24th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Emerson Electric has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.00.

• [By Neha Chamaria]

  The first list of Dividend Aristocrats published in 1989 comprised 26 stocks. Remarkably, nine of the 26 stocks are still part of the Dividend Aristocrat group.

  Dividend Aristocrat No. of Years of Consecutive Dividend Increases Payout Ratio (Last 12 Months) Current Dividend Yield Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) 55 67.6% 2.7% Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV) 62 37.4% 2% Emerson Electric�(NYSE: EMR) 60 69% 2.62% Genuine Parts Company�(NYSE: GPC) 62 62.7% 3.12% Johnson & Johnson�(NYSE: JNJ) 55 724.9% 2.57% Coca-Cola�(NYSE: KO) 55 440.7% 3.5% Lowe's Companies�(NYSE: LOW) 55 37.4% 1.97% 3M Company�(NYSE: MMM) 60 70.4% 2.65% Procter & Gamble�(NYSE: PG) 62 72.2% 3.94%

  Data source: S&P Global Market Intelligence, company financials, Yahoo Finance. Table by author.�

• [By Max Byerly]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. decreased its holdings in Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) by 33.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 66,251 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 33,574 shares during the quarter. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $4,525,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Billy Duberstein]

  Finally, perhaps nothing screams "enterprise acceptance" louder than a partnership with IBM (NYSE:IBM). MongoDB recently announced this new partnership, which incentivizes IBM's global sales reps to sell MongoDB in IBM's private cloud offering. This vote of confidence could accelerate MongoDB's global growth beyond what it could achieve by itself.

• [By Daniel B. Kline]

  Technology is a wide-ranging term: It has expanded far beyond what would have once been considered the typical tech stocks, including computer companies like�Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), IBM (NYSE:IBM), and others. It's not even fair to call any of these three brands computer companies anymore. They operate in a variety of other segments that are all part of the technology market, including but not limited to:

• [By Billy Duberstein]

  IBM (NYSE:IBM) recently reported its first-quarter earnings results, which came in ahead of analyst expectations. Still, shares were sold off after the release, and the stock remains down about 10% from its pre-earnings price, as the mere reiteration of full-year guidance was less than investors were hoping for.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:BRT,FBC,CTSO,

Small cap apparel retailer�Guess?, Inc (NYSE: GES) reported�earnings for Q3 Fiscal 2018 (ended October�28, 2017) after the market closed on Wednesday with results mixed on an�earnings beat, but weaker than anticipated revenue due to a�sharper decline than expected in North American year-over-year sales.�Total net revenue increased 3.3% or 0.6% in constant currency�to $554.1 million, compared to $536.3 million in the prior-year quarter as:

Americas Retail revenues decreased 13.4% in U.S. dollars and 14.3% in constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce decreased 10% in U.S. dollars and 11% in constant currency. Europe revenues increased 18.8% in U.S. dollars and 11.9% in constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce increased 10% in U.S. dollars and 4% in constant currency. Asia revenues increased 16.8% in U.S. dollars and 18.5% in constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce increased 3% in U.S. dollar and 5% in constant currency. Americas Wholesale revenues decreased 2.5% in U.S. dollars and 4.5% in constant currency. Licensing revenues increased 9.1% in U.S. dollars and constant currency.

GAAP net loss�was $2.9 million versus GAAP net earnings of $9.1 million. The CEO commented:

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2019: BRT Realty Trust(BRT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  BRT Apartments Corp (NYSE:BRT) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, June 12th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 25th will be given a dividend of 0.20 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, July 6th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 22nd.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2019: Flagstar Bancorp, Inc.(FBC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Baldwin]
  Markets are cheering a major development in efforts to fix the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and China. According to Reuters, Chinese telecom giant ZTE has signed an agreement to get back into business with its American partners. The agreement will lift a ban by the U.S. Commerce Department that prevented China's No. 2 telecommunications equipment from buying from U.S. suppliers. This is a major development, and one that signals progress among trade officials from both nations. There are now more job openings in the United States than available workers. This is the first time that the Department of Labor has documented this phenomenon. There are 6.7 million openings compared to the 6.4 million workers available to fill those positions. As a result, U.S. companies have been forced to increase compensation in order to attract talent. All of the positive economic development could come to a screeching halt should the U.S. experience the largest labor strike in a decade. Reports indicate that the Teamsters and the United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) are on a collision course that could result in a general strike. The union has announced that 260,000 UPS employees have authorized a strike should both sides fail to reach a labor deal by August 1. UPS is responsible for the transport of 6% of the nation's gross domestic product. Three Stocks to Watch Today: TSLA, NOG, WFC Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) investors remain committed to giving Chairman Elon Musk more of their money. On Tuesday, shareholders struck down proposals that would have removed Musk from the chairman role and shaken up the board of directors. Both proposals failed. At the same shareholder event, Musk announced plans for Tesla to open a production facility in Shanghai and projected that his firm will likely produce 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of June. In deal news, defense contractor Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOG) has won U.S. antitrust approval to purchase rocket moto
• [By Max Byerly]

  Umpqua (NASDAQ: UMPQ) and Flagstar Bancorp (NYSE:FBC) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, risk, dividends, valuation and earnings.

• [By Jordan Wathen]

  In a win-win deal, deposit-starved Flagstar Bancorp (NYSE:FBC)�will take Wells Fargo's underperforming branches off of its hands -- and pay a premium to do it.�

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  EJF Capital LLC lowered its stake in shares of Flagstar Bancorp Inc (NYSE:FBC) by 14.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,056,997 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock after selling 173,003 shares during the quarter. Flagstar Bancorp makes up approximately 3.0% of EJF Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. EJF Capital LLC’s holdings in Flagstar Bancorp were worth $37,418,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2019: Cytosorbents Corporation(CTSO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

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

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in Cytosorbents Co. (NASDAQ:CTSO) by 182.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 20,929 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,515 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned about 0.07% of Cytosorbents worth $136,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:FCF,HSBA,WFC,AP,CM,

Last week, I had the pleasure to attend Consensus 2018 in New York, the premier gathering for the who's who in blockchain, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies.

Attendance doubled from last year to an estimated 8,500 people, all of them packed in a Hilton built for only 3,000. Ticket sales alone pulled in a whopping $17 million, while event booths – the largest of which belonged to Microsoft and IBM – generated untold millions more.

The entire three-day conference, hosted by crypto news outlet CoinDesk, had the energy and flair of the world's greatest carnival. Sleek Lamborghinis sat outside the hotel, attracting all sorts of gawkers. Passersby also stopped and stared at the "Bankers Against Bitcoin" protest, conceived and funded by Genesis Mining, one of the largest Bitcoin mining companies.

The same money went to finance Bitcoin awareness billboards outside the Omaha office of Warren Buffett, who recently bashed the cryptocurrency, calling it "rat poison squared."

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation(FCF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on First Commonwealth Financial (FCF)

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

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019: HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Shore Capital from GBX 721 ($9.60) to GBX 625 ($8.32) in a report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage presently has a “sell” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Shore Capital’s price objective indicates a potential downside of 14.71% from the company’s previous close.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  HSBC (LON:HSBA) had its price target dropped by equities research analysts at Citigroup from GBX 810 ($10.78) to GBX 800 ($10.65) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Citigroup’s price target points to a potential upside of 9.59% from the stock’s previous close.

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) , the U.S. bank already reeling from sanctions by regulators over alleged customer abuses, was fined an additional $1 billion by regulators over allegations over matters including auto insurance and mortgage-sales practices.

• [By Shah Gilani]

  But the regulations didn't stop one of the country's biggest banks, Wells Fargo & Co.�(NYSE: WFC), from committing criminal activity on a scale that's simply unimaginable.

• [By Matthew Frankel]

  After Wells Fargo's (NYSE:WFC) fake-accounts scandal was revealed in 2016, Buffett said that the bank remained a compelling long-term investment and that he had no plans to sell any of Berkshire's massive stake. At last year's meeting, Buffett reiterated that while the bank made a big mistake by incentivizing cross-selling, it still was a great company.

• [By ]

  Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) , Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and Citigroup Inc. (C) have quietly racked up billions of dollars of losses that, under the vagaries of U.S. accounting rules, they've been able to avoid recognizing in quarterly earnings reports. Citigroup is a holding in Action Alerts PLUS.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Friday morning that it had settled federal claims against Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) related to risk management and improper charges to consumers for $1 billion. A $500 million payment the bank already has made to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is being applied to the $1 billion penalty.

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  Mexico City (AP) -- A powerful magnitude-7.2 earthquake shook south and central Mexico Friday, causing people to flee swaying buildings and office towers in the country's capital, where residents were still jittery after a deadly quake five months ago.

• [By ]

  New York (AP) -- Tom Petty died last year because of an accidental drug overdose that his family said occurred on the same day he found out his hip was broken after performing dozens of shows with a less serious injury.

• [By ]

  Honolulu (AP) -- Scientists in Hawaii have captured rare images of blue flames burning from cracks in the pavement as Kilauea volcano gushes fountains of lava in the background, offering a look at a new dimension in the volcano's weeks-long eruption.

Top Bank Stocks To Buy For 2019: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce(CM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM)Q2 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay 23, 2018, 8:00 a.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Max Byerly]

  Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp boosted its position in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE:CM) (TSE:CM) by 54.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 911,300 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 320,800 shares during the quarter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce comprises approximately 1.0% of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Alberta as represented by Alberta Investment Management Corp’s holdings in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce were worth $103,633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  A number of firms have modified their ratings and price targets on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE: CM) recently:

  6/6/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was upgraded by analysts at Citigroup Inc from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating. They now have a C$130.00 price target on the stock, up previously from C$125.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was downgraded by analysts at National Bank Financial from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating. They now have a C$124.00 price target on the stock, down previously from C$136.00. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Scotiabank from C$131.00 to C$127.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target lowered by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$141.00 to C$135.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was given a new C$140.00 price target on by analysts at Eight Capital. 5/24/2018 – Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had its price target raised by analysts at Barclays PLC from C$133.00 to C$138.00.

  CM traded up C$0.59 on Wednesday, reaching C$115.86. 987,570 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,290,708. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a fifty-two week low of C$103.84 and a fifty-two week high of C$124.37.

Maverick Chain (MVC) Price Tops $0.0276

Maverick Chain (CURRENCY:MVC) traded up 7.9% against the US dollar during the 24 hour period ending at 15:00 PM ET on May 28th. Maverick Chain has a market cap of $2.76 million and approximately $1.02 million worth of Maverick Chain was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. In the last week, Maverick Chain has traded down 13.5% against the US dollar. One Maverick Chain token can now be bought for approximately $0.0276 or 0.00000381 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including OTCBTC, OEX and CoinEgg.

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

Get Maverick Chain alerts: Ripple (XRP) traded down 5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.58 or 0.00007969 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded 5.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.26 or 0.00003588 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded down 8.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0640 or 0.00000885 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded 3.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $1.39 or 0.00019255 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded down 5.1% against the dollar and now trades at $49.36 or 0.00682301 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded down 0% against the dollar and now trades at $1.00 or 0.00013829 BTC. VeChain (VEN) traded 7.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $3.19 or 0.00044087 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded 2.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $12.12 or 0.00167545 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 8.8% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.11 or 0.00001466 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded 8.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $5.92 or 0.00081859 BTC.

About Maverick Chain

Maverick Chain’s genesis date was August 25th, 2017. Maverick Chain’s total supply is 200,000,000 tokens and its circulating supply is 100,000,810 tokens. Maverick Chain’s official website is www.mvchain.net. Maverick Chain’s official Twitter account is @MaverickChain and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for Maverick Chain is /r/MaverickChain and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here.

Maverick Chain Token Trading

Maverick Chain can be bought or sold on the following cryptocurrency exchanges: CoinEgg, OTCBTC and OEX. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as Maverick Chain directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Maverick Chain should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as GDAX, Changelly or Gemini. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Maverick Chain using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

MediBloc Price Up 8.3% This Week (MED)

MediBloc (CURRENCY:MED) traded 6.8% lower against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 15:00 PM Eastern on May 27th. MediBloc has a total market cap of $73.40 million and $743,880.00 worth of MediBloc was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One MediBloc token can currently be purchased for approximately $0.0247 or 0.00000339 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges including Bibox, Gate.io and Coinrail. During the last seven days, MediBloc has traded 8.3% higher against the dollar.

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

Get MediBloc alerts: Bitcoin (BTC) traded 3.2% lower against the dollar and now trades at $7,314.33 or 1.00000000 BTC. Ethereum (ETH) traded 6.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $563.17 or 0.07710970 BTC. Bitcoin Cash (BCH) traded 5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $984.49 or 0.13479800 BTC. Litecoin (LTC) traded down 3% against the dollar and now trades at $117.81 or 0.01613120 BTC. Monero (XMR) traded 0.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $166.59 or 0.02280930 BTC. Ethereum Classic (ETC) traded 3.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $15.07 or 0.00206335 BTC. Bytecoin (BCN) traded 11.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0059 or 0.00000081 BTC. Zcash (ZEC) traded 6.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $260.53 or 0.03567260 BTC. Bitcoin Gold (BTG) traded 2.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $44.17 or 0.00604811 BTC. Steem (STEEM) traded 6.7% lower against the dollar and now trades at $2.51 or 0.00034304 BTC.

MediBloc Profile

MED is a proof-of-work (PoW) token that uses the HybridScryptHash256 hashing algorithm. Its genesis date was September 8th, 2017. MediBloc’s total supply is 4,097,545,844 tokens and its circulating supply is 2,966,384,100 tokens. MediBloc’s official message board is medium.com/@MediBloc. MediBloc’s official Twitter account is @_MediBloc and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for MediBloc is /r/MediBloc and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. MediBloc’s official website is medibloc.org/en.

MediBloc Token Trading

MediBloc can be traded on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Coinrail, Gate.io and Bibox. It is usually not currently possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as MediBloc directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire MediBloc should first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Gemini, Coinbase or Changelly. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy MediBloc using one of the aforementioned exchanges.

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Today In Cryptocurrency: UK Regulators Confirm Investigation of 24 Crypto Businesses; Crypto Publici

Cryptocurrencies finished another difficult week Friday, with most major cryptocurrencies trading lower by more than 1 percent. Here’s a look at some of the headlines that were moving the cryptocurrency market today — and which currencies were on the move.

Headlines

One day after the U.S. Justice Department said it has launched a probe into potential price manipulation in the bitcoin market, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority said Friday that it is investigating 24 businesses that deal with cryptocurrencies. The FCA said it has opened up seven new investigations this year thanks to whistleblower reports of potential misconduct.

A cryptocurrency publicity stunt turned deadly this week when a Nepalese Sherpa accompanying a group of Mount Everest climbers organized by Ukranian social network ASKfm died during a climb. ASKfm sponsored a group of four people to climb Everest and bury a hard drive containing an estimated $50,000 in digital tokens. The plan was to encourage other Everest climbers to claim the crypto prize, which has a value based on an “estimate of their value once the pre-sale and ICO launch,” ASKfm said.

On Thursday, the Anti-Phishing Working Group released a new study that found $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency has been stolen since the beginning of 2017. Cryptocurrency bulls often cite the security of the blockchain verification process, but the reports found that cryptocurrency investors have still lost billions to scams, hackers and frauds.

Price Action

The Bitcoin Investment Trust GBTC (OTC: GBTC) traded at $12.22, down 0.1 percent.

Here’s how several top crypto investments fared Friday. Prices are as of 3:45 p.m. ET and reflect the previous 24 hours.

Bitcoin declined 2.1 percent to $7,420; Ethereum declined 1.7 percent to $582; Ripple declined 4.8 percent to 60 cents; Bitcoin Cash declined 4.6 percent to $1,006; EOS declined 0.7 percent to $12.11.

The three cryptocurrencies with at least $1-million market caps that have made the biggest gains over the past 24 hours are:

Photon: $2-million market cap, 87.4-percent gain. MUSE: $17.4-million market cap, 42.9-percent gain. Carboncoin: $1.6-million market cap, 39.2-percent gain.

The three cryptocurrencies hit hardest in the past 24 hours were:

BunnyCoin: $1.9-million market cap, 69-percent decline. Jiyo: $3.8-million market cap, 31.4-percent decline. LiteDoge: $1.2-million market cap, 31.1-percent decline.

Related Links:

Today In Cryptocurrency: Crypto Market Hits One-Month Low, India Mulls New Taxes

Riot Blockchain's 10-Q Sheds Light On Crypto Mining Operation