Auto stocks fall after BMW warns of global economic slowdown, trade trouble

Shares of automakers fell Wednesday after BMW warned of lower profits, citing international trade tension and the potential impact of Brexit as possible drags on global economic growth.

BMW executives said the industry faces a fiercely competitive environment, dogged by questions about how tariffs and trade tension between the U.S., China and Europe could affect supply chains, manufacturing and sales.

The news comes one day after FedEx executives expressed worries over a slowing global economy.

All three Detroit automakers declined in morning trading Wednesday. Shares of Ford fell 2.3 percent, Fiat Chrysler fell 2 percent and General Motors dipped 2.6 percent.

"Political and economic developments in Europe remain increasingly uncertain," BMW said in its annual report Wednesday. It specifically cited the "unforeseeable impact of Brexit" and U.S. trade tensions with the European Union and China.

Politico also reported Wednesday that President Trump has the legal grounds impose tariffs on cars imported to the United States, further spooking investors.

"A possible introduction of further trade barriers, including anti-dumping customs duties and duties aimed at protecting national security by the U.S. administration, could have a significantly adverse impact on the BMW Group's operations through less favorable conditions for importing vehicles," BMW said. "Moreover, countermeasures by the USA's trading partners could slow down global economic growth and have a greater-than-expected adverse impact on the export of vehicles produced in the USA."

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Levi Strauss Starts Trading And Surges By Over 35% Above IPO Price

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-545453252&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/545453252/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;667&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Helston, United Kingdom - July8, 2016: Close-up image of Levi&s;s branding label. Levi Strauss is one of the world&s;s oldest and most well known jeans manufacturers.

Levi Strauss started trading again in the U.S. after&a;nbsp;a 34-year hiatus. The new ticker is LEVI and it is trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The company was founded in San Francisco during the gold rush back in the 1800&s;s. At the time, a tremendous amount of people were moving to California in the hopes of finding gold. People needed durable clothes that could withstand the wear and tear of digging/mining for gold and Levis saw the opportunity and quickly filled that void. Then, in the 1900&s;s the company enjoyed explosive growth as more and more people around the globe began wearing jeans and they became fashionable. Now the company is well positioned for future growth and has diversified its portfolio into other lucrative avenues.

&l;strong&g;10x Oversubscribed:&l;/strong&g;

The current IPO shows that investors have a strong appetite for the stock. The IPO was ten times oversubscribed and the company raised $623 million. The initial public offering was priced at $17 per share, higher than the initial expected range of $14 to $16, valuing the company at $6.6 billion. The fact that it was oversubscribed bodes well for the IPO market as there are several other high-profile IPOs expected to be announced later this year. A few hours after Thursday&s;s open, the stock jumped above $23/share which is over 35% above the IPO price. Clearly, that illustrates strong demand from investors.

&l;strong&g;Competitors Tank:&l;/strong&g;

The key now will be to see how Levis will perform going forward. Earlier today, shares of Guess? Incorporated plunged 15% after reporting lousy earnings. Other retail and apparel stocks have been under pressure in recent years due to the changing landscape. This is just something to keep in mind as we wait and see how the stock will perform going forward.

&l;strong&g;Bottom Line:&l;/strong&g;

This is a big IPO and bodes well for the entire IPO market. At this point, investors want to see if the company can produce strong numbers in future quarters even as other retail and apparel stocks have been under pressure recently.&l;/p&g;

Major Equity Averages Recovered Last Week, But Challenges Remain

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-34183005&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/34183005/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News

The major averages have been below their all-time intraday highs for months now as highs were set between Aug. 30 and Oct. 3. Some say we are beginning the eleventh year of a bull market, but I believe that the 2018 highs began a bear market as only the Dow Jones Industrial Average did not reach bear market territory at its Dec. 26 low.

All four others did but the argument is the S&a;amp;P 500. If you measure using closing highs the S&a;amp;P did not. In modern times it&a;rsquo;s better to measure between the intraday high and intraday low. In do not know anyone who draws trend lines through closing levels, they use intraday levels. The decline from high to low for the S&a;amp;P was 20.2% (2.940.91 on Sept. 21 to 2,346.59 on Dec. 26).

The &l;strong&g;Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA)&l;/strong&g; (25,848.87 on March 15) moved back above my annual pivot at 25.819 above staying above its 200-day simple moving average of 25,152.09. My semiannual pivot is 24,340 with my annual pivot at 25,819 and my weekly and monthly risky levels at 26,404 and 26,540, respectively, with the all-time intraday high of 26,951.81 set on Oct. 3. My quarterly risky level at 27,043 expires at the end of March.

The &l;strong&g;S&a;amp;P 500 (SPY)&l;/strong&g; (2,822.48 on March 15) moved back above its 200-day simple moving average of 2,752.96 and above its monthly pivot at 2,811.3. My semiannual value level is 2,668.8 with my monthly pivot at 2,811.3 and weekly and annual risky levels at 2,849.1 and 2,867.1, respectively, and the all-time intraday high of 2,940.91 set on Sept. 21. My quarterly risky level at 2,931.4 expires at the end of March.

The &l;strong&g;Nasdaq Composite&l;/strong&g; (7,688.53 on March 15) moved back above its 200-day simple moving average of 7,485.23 and its monthly pivot at 7,478. My annual and semiannual value levels are 7,370 and 7,274, respectively, with my monthly pivot at 7,478, my weekly risky level at 7.756, the all-time intraday high at 8,133.30 set on Aug. 30. My quarterly risky level at 8,248 expires at the end of March.

The &l;strong&g;Dow Transportation Average&l;/strong&g; (10,310.12 on March 15) remains below its 200-day simple moving average of 10,539.44 and my weekly and monthly risky levels at 10,562 and March at 10,752, respectively. My annual risky level at is 10,976 is below its all-time intraday high of 11,623.58 set on Sept. 14.

The &l;strong&g;Russell 2000&l;/strong&g; (1,553.54 on March 15) remains below its 200-day simple moving average and its annual risky level at 1,583.73 and 1,590.63, respectively. My semiannual and monthly value levels are 1,504.17 and 1,501.79, respectively, with my annual monthly and semiannual risky levels at 1,590.63, 1,599.77 and 1,619.28, respectively, with the all-time intraday high of 1,742.09 set on Aug. 31.

&l;strong&g;My overall neutral zone remains as it was a week ago : &l;/strong&g;My semiannual and monthly value levels are 1,504.17 and 1,501.79 on the Russell 2000 with my monthly risky levels at 26,540 Dow Industrials and 10,752 Dow Transports. In-between are my monthly pivots at 2,811.3 on the S&a;amp;P 500 and 7,478 on Nasdaq.

&l;strong&g;Here&a;rsquo;s Last Week&a;rsquo;s Scorecard&l;/strong&g;

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-59626&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/investor/files/2019/03/Markets190315.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;487&q; data-width=&q;896&q;&g; Last Week&s;s Market Scorecard

The Dow 30, S&a;amp;P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 now have overbought weekly charts with 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic readings above 80.00 on a scale of 00.00 to 100.00. Transports remain below the overbought threshold. The stochastic reading for the Nasdaq is now above 90.00 which is an &a;ldquo;inflating parabolic bubble.&a;rdquo;&l;/p&g;

&a;nbsp;

&a;nbsp;&l;/p&g;

Insider Selling: Tactile Systems Technology Inc (TCMD) COO Sells 2,500 Shares of Stock

Tactile Systems Technology Inc (NASDAQ:TCMD) COO Robert J. Folkes sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total value of $175,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 111,654 shares in the company, valued at $7,855,975.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

NASDAQ TCMD traded up $0.43 on Thursday, hitting $62.93. 301,218 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 271,254. The company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 224.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 2.36. Tactile Systems Technology Inc has a 52-week low of $30.21 and a 52-week high of $76.63.

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A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Tactile Systems Technology by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 195,598 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,908,000 after purchasing an additional 20,284 shares in the last quarter. HRT Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tactile Systems Technology in the fourth quarter valued at about $304,000. Macquarie Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Tactile Systems Technology by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 47,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,172,000 after acquiring an additional 1,337 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in shares of Tactile Systems Technology by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 36,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,629,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of Tactile Systems Technology by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 351,083 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,992,000 after acquiring an additional 1,472 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.90% of the company’s stock.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on TCMD shares. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Tactile Systems Technology from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 10th. ValuEngine upgraded Tactile Systems Technology from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 9th. Piper Jaffray Companies lifted their target price on Tactile Systems Technology to $80.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Monday, January 7th. Northland Securities reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $38.00 target price on shares of Tactile Systems Technology in a research report on Friday, January 11th. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Tactile Systems Technology from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $70.00.

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Tactile Systems Technology Company Profile

Tactile Systems Technology, Inc, a medical technology company, develops and provides medical devices for the treatment of chronic diseases in the United States. The company offers proprietary Flexitouch system, an at-home solution for lymphedema patients; and ACTitouch system, a home-based solution for chronic venous insufficiency patients.

Featured Article: Analyst Ratings Trading

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019

tags:RCII,IBM,WEN,USG,PH,

While numerous biotechs work to find the next vaccine for the flu epidemic that wreaked havoc on the U.S. this Winter, Teladoc (TDOC) offers a digital solution that helps prevent the spread of the illness and allow patients to easily get the needed medical care. The stock isn't cheap, but the best play in telehealth is a proven company now.

Attractive Model

The company has an attractive subscription model and a developing model that charges per visit. The subscription model generates revenue per user, per month. Other healthcare providers are going for paying fees per visit. Either way, Teladoc has an attractive model of recurring revenues with tons of room for expansion.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Rent-A-Center (RCII)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp decreased its holdings in shares of Rent-A-Center Inc (NASDAQ:RCII) by 52.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 72,200 shares of the company’s stock after selling 79,200 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp owned about 0.14% of Rent-A-Center worth $623,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Rent-A-Center Inc (NASDAQ:RCII) saw a large drop in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,844,410 shares, a drop of 21.9% from the May 31st total of 27,979,079 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,032,779 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.3 days. Currently, 45.0% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Timothy Green, Demitrios Kalogeropoulos, Keith Speights, Neha Chamaria, and Rich Smith]

  What stocks should you invest in? Five of our Motley Fool investors have some ideas. Here's why you should consider adding Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), 3M Company (NYSE:MMM), SodaStream International (NASDAQ:SODA), and SolarEdge Technologies (NASDAQ:SEDG) to your portfolio in June.

• [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 Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Even if spending growth decelerates thereafter, it's unlikely to go to zero. Thus, Netflix might need to double its revenue again (to around $60 billion) just to reach $10 billion of annual free cash flow. For comparison, International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) has a slightly lower market cap than Netflix today and has produced at least $10 billion of cash flow every year for more than a decade.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Quick-service restaurant chain The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN) released fourth-quarter 2018 earnings on Thursday before the markets opened for trading. While revenue tacked on a mid-single-digit increase against the prior-year period, operating profit declined as higher costs ate into company margins. Capping a credible if somewhat lackluster report on the last three months, management offered shareholders a middling yet realistic outlook for 2019. Let's review the details of the quarter, and dissect Wendy's guidance for the current 12-month period.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Wendys (NASDAQ: WEN) and Empire Resorts (NASDAQ:NYNY) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

• [By ]

  The company's properties are freestanding, not located in malls or shopping centers (which means better margins, lower rent volatility and less dependence on imperiled anchors). Better still, 96% of its rental income is shielded from e-commerce threats. After all, gas stations, drug stores and fast-food chains like Wendy's (Nasdaq: WEN) don't compete with Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN).

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019: USG Corporation(USG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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]

  USG Co. (NYSE:USG) – Equities research analysts at SunTrust Banks reduced their Q3 2018 earnings per share estimates for shares of USG in a report issued on Monday, July 9th. SunTrust Banks analyst K. Hughes now forecasts that the construction company will post earnings of $0.57 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.61. SunTrust Banks currently has a “Hold” rating and a $44.00 price target on the stock. SunTrust Banks also issued estimates for USG’s FY2018 earnings at $2.05 EPS, Q3 2019 earnings at $0.71 EPS and FY2019 earnings at $2.53 EPS.

• [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.

• [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 Jason Hall, George Budwell, and Chuck Saletta]

  And while it may not always work out well to simply copy the moves other investors make, it can pay off to use their buying and selling moves as jumping-off points in your own research. We asked three real-world investors for their insight, and they wrote about two recent Buffett buys of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and USG Corporation (NYSE:USG), and a recent Baker Brothers buy of Heron Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:HRTX). 

Top 5 Cheap Stocks For 2019: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Investors sold shares of Parker-Hannifin Corp (NYSE:PH) on strength during trading hours on Friday. $23.02 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $82.05 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $59.03 million out of the stock. Of all stocks tracked, Parker-Hannifin had the 25th highest net out-flow for the day. Parker-Hannifin traded up $2.45 for the day and closed at $171.53

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its holdings in shares of Parker-Hannifin Corp (NYSE:PH) by 9.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,709 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,348 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in Parker-Hannifin were worth $5,624,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ClariVest Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Parker Hannifin (NYSE:PH) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 122,268 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,773 shares during the period. ClariVest Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Parker Hannifin worth $20,913,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Apple's Big Event: What to Expect

On Monday, tech giant Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) sent out invitations to a media event. "It's show time," the invites read. The tagline for the event hints that Apple will unveil its long-awaited subscription-based TV service. The launch of a potential TV service would represent yet another way the tech giant is beefing up its services business, as its iPhone unit sales appear to have peaked. But a TV-based subscription offering may not be the only service unveiled during the March 25 event, according to rumors.

Investors will be watching the event closely to see if Apple's new services can help the company's second-largest segment maintain its strong momentum.

Image source: Apple.

Could Apple launch two new services?

Given Apple's obvious tagline for the event, a new TV service is all but certain. Reinforcing this speculation, the company is believed to be working on over two dozen original shows for the service. Little is known about the service other than it will likely feature original content and resell premium subscription services as add-ons the same way Hulu and Amazon do.

Though Apple is expected to pull back the curtains on its TV service during the special event later this month, investors shouldn't expect it to launch yet. In fact, it "may not launch until the summer, or even fall," according to Variety.

In addition to a TV service, Apple is also rumored to be launching a new subscription option for its Apple News app, allowing customers to get access to multiple magazines and newspapers through one monthly subscription fee.

If the company packages these services in a compelling way, both services could be a boon for Apple. The tech giant's Apple News app has 85 million monthly active users, according to an update earlier this year. In addition, Apple has demonstrated customers' willingness to pay up for an Apple-branded subscription service with its more than 50 million paying Apple Music subscribers.

A key catalyst

Apple gave investors good reason to turn attention to the company's services segment earlier this year when CEO Tim Cook told investors in a Jan. 2 letter to shareholders that its fiscal first-quarter revenue would be significantly below its initial guidance for the period. iPhone unit sales, particularly in China, failed to live up to expectations, Cook said. 

If iPhone can't deliver, Apple's services business represents investors' next-best option to drive the company's next leg of growth. Services accounted for 15% of Apple's trailing-12-month revenue, making it the company's second-largest segment. In addition, the segment is growing fast, with trailing-12-month revenue up 27% year over year.

For Apple to keep up its robust growth in services, the tech giant is going to need to keep investing in its current service offerings while bringing to market new, compelling services.

Apple's event will take place on March 25 at 1 p.m. EDT at Apple's Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. While services will likely be the main focus of the event, it's always possible that the tech giant could use the platform as an opportunity to unveil a new product as well. But investors shouldn't get their hopes up.

Why Autodesk Stock Popped Nearly 11% Last Month

What happened

Shares of Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK), a design software and services company, jumped 10.7% in February, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the company received some positive notes from analysts. Investors were also likely buying up shares ahead of the company's fourth-quarter results, which were released at the end of last month.

So what

The first positive note in February came from Deutsche Bank analyst Alex Tout. He reiterated his buy rating on the company's stock and raised his price target from $170 to $180.

Image source: Getty Images.

Tout's price increase was then followed by RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg's price-target increase, from the previous $163 to $175. Hedberg kept his outperform rating for Autodesk and said that the company should have a "strong year-end" and that its annualized organic revenue would likely be higher than his previous forecast.

Investors were also likely optimistic about Autodesk's stock ahead of its fourth-quarter results. Management said that revenue in the quarter would be up 27% year over year at the midpoint and that GAAP earnings per share would be in the range $0.18 to $0.22, up from a loss of $0.79 in the year-ago quarter.

Now what

Investors were ultimately disappointed with Autodesk's fourth-quarter results because the company's stock has dropped more than 5% following the quarterly report released on Feb 28. Proving that investors can often be fickle, the price drop came even as Autodesk's sales increased by an impressive 33% from the year-ago quarter and earnings outpaced the company's own expectations as well.

With Autodesk's shares dropping despite the company beating its own outlook, investors should be prepared for more volatility from this stock.

Why Uniti Group's Stock Plunged in February

What happened

Shares of Uniti Group (NASDAQ:UNIT) fell 51.6% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The plunge happened when regional telecom Windstream Holdings (NASDAQ:WIN), Uniti's largest customer and former parent company, filed for bankruptcy.

So what

Windstream's business has been unhealthy for years, which is why the company spun off Uniti as a separate company in the first place. So when a federal judge ruled that some of Windstream's debts were in default because of the Uniti split in 2015, it was simply a long-awaited final push over the edge. Windstream's stock closed 61% lower that day, dragging Uniti along for a 37% single-day plunge.

Image source: Getty Images.

Now what

Windstream accounts for more than half of Uniti's total revenue, so it's no surprise to see investors taking Windstream's failure seriously. From here, Uniti hopes to untangle itself from Windstream's burning wreckage and move on to a more stable future with a rebuilt client portfolio. The company's networking infrastructure should provide a platform for a serious rebound, but it won't be easy, and Windstream's financial troubles might change Uniti's balance sheet as well.

There's just no telling at this point. Personally, I'm holding on to my Uniti shares for dear life through this long-expected storm at a 35% loss over a four-year holding period. A return to full health will take years, and Uniti may be headed in the other direction if Windstream's fallout becomes too much to handle.

Let's just say, I'm not backing up the truck to buy more Uniti shares at these lower prices. That 29% dividend yield is nothing but a big, red flag. I'm already putting enough of my capital at risk here.

Could Changing Pentagon Priorities Nuke This Company's Revenue Growth?

The bull case for shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls (NYSE:HII) is centered in no small part on the company's place as the sole builder and maintainer of the nation's fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. A reported shift in Navy thinking over the need for a massive carrier fleet could challenge Huntington's growth expectations, though it's too soon for investors to react to the speculation.

The Navy is considering not requesting funding in its fiscal 2020 budget to begin prep work to refuel and upgrade the USS Harry S. Truman, a Nimitz-class supercarrier launched in 1996 and due to remain in the fleet well into the 2030s, according to a report on BreakingDefense.com.

The move would save the Pentagon upward of $30 billion over 25 years in refueling costs, personnel costs, and operating expenses. But it would also face severe opposition from Congress and is far from certain to occur even if naval leaders believe it is the best path forward.

A big-ticket budget casualty?

The Truman overhaul, scheduled to begin in 2024 at Huntington Ingalls' Newport News shipyard, would generate about $6.5 billion in revenue for the company over a four-year period. Truman was built and launched from Newport News with an expected 50-year service life, but that was assuming periodic maintenance, upgrades, and a mandatory midlife restocking of the reactor's core.

The USS Harry S. Truman at sea. Image source: Huntington Ingalls.

The push to skip the overhaul was reportedly part of a deal inside the Pentagon that includes the Navy ordering its next two carriers simultaneously, a big win for Huntington Ingalls and the result of a long-term lobbying push by the company. But given the long lead time required to build a carrier, retiring the Truman early would shrink the Navy's carrier fleet from 11 to 10 in the mid-2020s.

There's more at stake for Huntington Ingalls and fellow shipbuilder General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) beyond the $6.5 billion in lost refueling revenue. A modern aircraft carrier does not sail alone but rather relies on a large number of escorts and affiliated ships that also need to be acquired and staffed. There is also the expense of finding pilots for the large number of planes that are housed on a carrier.

In 1991, when the Navy sailed 15 carriers, it had a fleet of 529 ships, according to data compiled by the Center for a New American Security. By comparison, in 2002, with 12 carriers, the fleet was 313 ships.

Investors have been enthusiastic about the prospects of the Navy growing its fleet to 355 ships in the years to come. But it is possible that given the procurement, personnel, and maintenance costs associated with more warships, coupled with advances in lower-cost autonomous ship and submarine technologies, the Navy is rethinking its strategy.

Opposition will be intense

If the Navy wishes to retire the Truman early, it's in for a fight. By law, the Pentagon is required to have at least 11 operational carriers, and the White House has publicly pushed for that number to increase instead of shrink. The last proposal to retire a carrier early -- in 2014, the USS George Washington was earmarked to skip an overhaul -- was blocked by Congress.

Indeed, the talk of retiring the Truman is likely at least partially motivated by budget negotiations, with the Navy using a ship that is popular with Congressional leaders as a bargaining chip to win a greater share of military funding in the upcoming fiscal 2020 budget.

But the economics behind the move do point to the challenges to the long-term plan to grow the fleet. In addition to carriers, the Navy has priorities including the Columbia-class ballistic submarine to pay for before any additional smaller surface ships are considered.

Factor in growing concerns by some military experts -- including former Secretary of Defense James Mattis -- that new advanced missile technology being developed by potential adversaries Russia and China could make carriers vulnerable to attacks, and there is some logic to allocating resources elsewhere instead of going full throttle into expanding the carrier fleet.

Keep expectations realistic

It's hard to imagine lawmakers letting the Truman die, but given the planned refueling isn't to begin until 2024 and can be delayed by a few years, it is possible that the issue will be left unresolved in the current year's budget negotiations. Whatever happens, the threat is a shot across the bow at Navy expansion plans and should be taken seriously by investors in shipbuilders.

There is no risk that business will dry up on Huntington Ingalls. In the fourth quarter, the company received $3.3 billion in new contracts, ending the year with a total backlog of $23 billion. The two-ship carrier award came after the quarter ended, giving Huntington Ingalls visibility into future revenue streams nearly a decade out.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the lead ship in a new class of carriers now being manufactured by Huntington Ingalls. Image source: Huntington Ingalls.

But the best-case scenario for the shares, a surge in orders by the Navy to try to hit the 355-ship fleet objective, appears to be crashing into harsh economic realities. The Congressional Budget Office last October estimated it would cost $28.9 billion annually over the next 30 years to implement that expansion plan, nearly 80% more per year than the funding for shipbuilding that the Navy has received in recent decades.

There's still a case to buy Huntington Ingalls. But that case is based on the slow but predictable revenue growth well into the middle of the next decade from the orders already in place and not based on the potential for much faster growth from a supercharged Pentagon budget.

The Navy fleet will grow, and Huntington Ingalls will benefit from it. But as the battle over the Truman illustrates, there will be trade-offs along the way.

National Beverage Corp. (FIZZ) Position Increased by Rhumbline Advisers

Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) by 24.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 26,262 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,119 shares during the quarter. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in National Beverage were worth $1,885,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of National Beverage by 40.0% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 840 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Intercontinental Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at about $74,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Beverage in the third quarter valued at about $167,000. Essex Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of National Beverage in the third quarter valued at about $202,000. Finally, Quantamental Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National Beverage in the fourth quarter valued at about $130,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 23.75% of the company’s stock.

Get National Beverage alerts:

FIZZ has been the subject of several recent research reports. BidaskClub downgraded shares of National Beverage from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, December 21st. Susquehanna Bancshares dropped their target price on shares of National Beverage from $138.00 to $118.00 in a report on Thursday, November 15th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of National Beverage in a report on Thursday, December 13th. They set a “sell” rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Maxim Group restated a “sell” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of National Beverage in a report on Friday, December 7th. Finally, Guggenheim upgraded shares of National Beverage from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $86.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, December 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. National Beverage has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $95.80.

NASDAQ:FIZZ opened at $68.27 on Friday. National Beverage Corp. has a twelve month low of $65.68 and a twelve month high of $127.32. The stock has a market cap of $3.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.48 and a beta of 1.39.

National Beverage (NASDAQ:FIZZ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 6th. The company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.01. National Beverage had a net margin of 16.33% and a return on equity of 47.17%. The firm had revenue of $260.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $273.40 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that National Beverage Corp. will post 3.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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About National Beverage

National Beverage Corp., through its subsidiaries, develops, produces, markets, and sells a portfolio of waters, juices, energy drinks, and carbonated soft drinks primarily in the United States and Canada. The company offers beverages to the active and health-conscious consumers, including sparkling waters, energy drinks, and juices under the LaCroix, LaCroix Cúrate, LaCroix NiCola, Shasta Sparkling Water, the Rip It, Everfresh, Everfresh Premier Varietals, and Mr.

Further Reading: How to use beta for portfolio diversification

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

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019

tags:HTHIF,BBRY,ABY,

Champions Oncology (NASDAQ:CSBR) is scheduled to be posting its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, September 13th. Analysts expect Champions Oncology to post earnings of $0.01 per share for the quarter.

Champions Oncology (NASDAQ:CSBR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 27th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, hitting the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.04). Champions Oncology had a negative return on equity of 531.69% and a negative net margin of 7.44%. The company had revenue of $4.92 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.05 million. On average, analysts expect Champions Oncology to post $0 EPS for the current fiscal year and $0 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Hitachi Ltd (HTHIF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  The vast dealer network, built up over the more than 90 years that Caterpillar has been in operation, is the key competitive advantage that the company possesses. While Caterpillar's products are renowned for quality and low downtime, it is the availability of the support service on an international level in tandem with a reputation for product quality is what gives Caterpillar its edge, and has given it pole position among the world's construction machinery manufacturers in 2017 based on construction equipment sales, outranking Komatsu Ltd. (OTCPK:KMTUF) (OTCPK:KMTUY), Hitachi Ltd. (OTCPK:HTHIF) (OTCPK:HTHIY), Volvo (OTCPK:VOLVF) (OTCPK:VOLVY), the privately-held Liebherr group, the Chinese government-owned XCMG Group, the Doosan Infracore subsidiary of the Doosan Group conglomerate, Sany (OTCPK:SNYYF) (OTC:SNYYY), and John Deere & Co.

• [By ]

  Some of the larger companies that have begun incorporating blockchain into their industries include:

  Overstock.com (OSTK) , once a retail company, has become one of the biggest blockchain options on the stock market. The company has developed tZERO, a cryptocurrency and blockchain-based registry that complies with the regulations of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. IBM (IBM) has developed blockchain technology that they are using with a large variety of partners in a large variety of industries. One example is their partnership with food retailers, most notably Walmart, to help quickly, efficiently, and securely track the supply chain to help ensure ideal food safety. They have also partnered with Maersk to work on a blockchain platform for global trade. Hitachi (HTHIF) , the Japanese conglomerate that has worked on social infrastructure and IT systems, among other industries, has begun dabbling in blockchain. It has released reports about how it believes the technology can positively impact the financial sector, and how it could potentially be used to create new services for businesses.

  There are also ETFs that one can invest in that hold a number of stocks related to blockchain. For example, the Reality Shares Nasdaq NextGen Economy ETF (BLCN) holds stocks in all of the examples above, as well as Intel (INTC) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) .

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: BlackBerry Limited(BBRY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  BlackBerry (TSE:BB) (NASDAQ:BBRY)‘s stock had its “in-line” rating reiterated by analysts at Imperial Capital in a report issued on Wednesday.

Top Biotech Stocks To Own For 2019: Abengoa Yield plc(ABY)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ArtByte (CURRENCY:ABY) traded down 8% against the dollar during the 1 day period ending at 17:00 PM Eastern on September 6th. During the last week, ArtByte has traded 11.3% higher against the dollar. One ArtByte coin can currently be purchased for about $0.0029 or 0.00000045 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including LiteBit.eu, Bittrex and Cryptopia. ArtByte has a total market cap of $2.31 million and approximately $4,225.00 worth of ArtByte was traded on exchanges in the last day.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  ArtByte (ABY) is a proof-of-work (PoW) coin that uses the Scrypt hashing algorithm. It was first traded on May 1st, 2014. ArtByte’s total supply is 792,537,250 coins. ArtByte’s official website is www.artbyte.me. ArtByte’s official Twitter account is @artbyteme and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for ArtByte is /r/ArtByte and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ArtByte (CURRENCY:ABY) traded up 10.8% against the dollar during the 1-day period ending at 20:00 PM ET on June 14th. ArtByte has a market capitalization of $3.84 million and approximately $13,004.00 worth of ArtByte was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours. One ArtByte coin can currently be purchased for $0.0048 or 0.00000073 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges including Bittrex, Cryptopia and LiteBit.eu. Over the last week, ArtByte has traded 16.9% lower against the dollar.

Fitbit Turns a Corner to End 2018… Sort Of

The most patient investors in wearable-fitness-device company Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) finally witnessed the long-promised turnaround. Revenues started to rise once again for the first time in a couple of years during the final quarter of 2018, driven by an annual increase in devices sold. It was a good holiday shopping season for the health-technology outfit, but progress on the services side of the business remains barely large enough to deserve its own callout. Ultimately, that means Fitbit's turnaround is left in a precarious position headed into 2019.

First, a full-year rundown

Total device shipments in the fourth quarter of 2018 were 5.6 million, a 3% year-over-year rise. That equated to flat year-over-year revenue at $571 million due to lower average selling prices, but a return to profitability at $0.06 per share. This was due to the company's cost-cutting throughout the year.

The fourth quarter was good news, especially as the company logged its second-straight year of falling sales and a third-straight year of losses.

Metric

Full-Year 2018

Full-Year 2017

YOY Change

Revenue	$1.51 billion	$1.62 billion	(7%)
Gross profit margin	39.9%	42.8%	(2.9 p.p.)
Operating expenses	$793 million	$892 million	(11%)
Earnings (loss) per share	($0.76)	($1.19)	N/A
Adjusted earnings (loss) per share	($0.20)	($0.26)	N/A

Data source: Fitbit. YOY = year over year. p.p. = percentage point.

Fitbit's positive traction to end 2018 was built on the back of new devices, especially the Versa smartwatch, Ace for kids, and Charge 3 fitness tracker. Together, the three made up 79% of all sales. The success of those wristband trackers is expected to carry into the new year: The company has forecast first-quarter sales up 1% to 8% and full-year 2019 sales growth of 1% to 4%. Additionally, earnings for the full year are expected to approach breakeven.

It's good to see Fitbit forecast growth, once again. However, that growth is expected to be meager after several years of declines, so the wearable maker remains in a tough position. Competition remains heavy from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, making a business based on hardware sales not exactly a lucrative one. That's where health and other premium services were supposed to come in, but progress there remains slow.

Where's the service?

On the software and service side, Fitbit acquired health coaching service Twine Health last year (now part of Fitbit Care), which feeds into the Health Solutions platform. Fitbit's overall goal is to pair its devices -- including the Inspire and Inspire HR, available only through insurers and employers utilizing the Health Solutions platform -- with services to create recurring revenue. Health Solutions apparently grew by 8% in 2018.

The Fitbit Versa smartwatch. Image source: Fitbit.

Speaking to the segment's progress, CEO James Park had this to say:

Looking forward, we believe Fitbit Care will enable us to transition our business from device sales only to per-member-per-month pricing, per-employee-per-month pricing, and shared risk models. In fact, just recently we signed a $2 million software and services deal for Fitbit Care with a large national plan on a per-member-per-month model. In addition, we continue to collect clinical data to develop and test FDA-grade systems for health conditions, which include AFib and sleep apnea. We expect the growth of our Health Solutions business to accelerate, driven by global growth and the addition of solutions-based software revenue. As a result, we anticipate that there will be double-digit revenue growth for Fitbit Health Solutions to approximately $100 million in 2019."

Again, more good news as Fitbit tries to get in on the health industry rather than rely solely on tracker and smartwatch sales. At $100 million in annual revenue, though, Health Solutions would still be less than 10% of the total. Plus, the majority of deals within Health Solutions still rely on devices sold. Thus, Fitbit remains highly reliant on the fickle consumer market. Its aspirations to make recurring revenues from software and services is still a long ways off.

Of course, the upshot is that growth is back on the table and the company continues to make progress toward profitability. At least a few Wall Street analysts felt upbeat about Fitbit's prospects as a result. Nevertheless, the wild ride is likely not over yet. Investors should tread lightly with the stock.

Nordstrom's Q4 Earnings Report Was Better Than It Looked

Over the past decade, Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) has been one of the most forward-thinking department stores in terms of rolling out new technology and testing innovative ways to serve customers. However, you wouldn't know it from the company's financial results.

On Thursday, the upscale retailer reported disappointing sales results for the final quarter of fiscal 2018. As a result, Nordstrom's full-year operating margin declined, extending its streak of margin erosion to seven consecutive years. Nevertheless, there were several bright spots in the company's earnings report, and its outlook for fiscal 2019 and beyond that should give investors confidence about the future.

A disappointing end to the year

Nordstrom stock rallied to a multiyear high last fall, after the company reported that comp sales rose 4% in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, giving investors hope that sales growth was finally accelerating. However, comp sales increased just 2.3% in the third quarter, as full-line sales growth slowed to a crawl.

This trend has worsened in recent months. In January, Nordstrom reported a 1.3% comp sales gain for the November-December holiday period, including tepid 0.3% comp growth for its full-line business.

Nordstrom Rack is growing much faster than Nordstrom's full-line business. Image source: Nordstrom.

Nordstrom's Q4 earnings report revealed that the full-line sales slowdown worsened in January. For the quarter as a whole, full-line comp sales fell 1.6%, almost completely offsetting the comp sales growth generated by Nordstrom's off-price business.

Despite the subpar sales results, Nordstrom beat analysts' estimates and its most recent forecast with earnings per share of $1.48 last quarter. That brought its full-year adjusted EPS to $3.60. A favorable income tax adjustment added $0.05 to EPS, driving much of the outperformance.

Nordstrom Rack is still on track

One piece of good news for investors is that the Nordstrom Rack chain, along with Nordstrom's online off-price business, is performing well again. Nordstrom has reported comp sales growth of at least 4% in its off-price business for three consecutive quarters now, following bumpy results over the previous several quarters.

Nordstrom's off-price operations have consistently produced higher growth than its full-line business. Off-price accounted for just over a third of the company's revenue in fiscal 2018, up from less than a quarter of its business five years earlier.

Nordstrom Rack and the online off-price business will probably continue to outgrow the full-price business over the long term. As Nordstrom's sales mix shifts toward this higher-growth channel, its total sales growth should accelerate.

Some stores are a lot better than others

Nordstrom's full-line business is also in better shape than it may seem. While comp sales growth has ranged from slow to nonexistent in recent years, performance varies quite widely from store to store.

For example, the Nordstrom store in Norfolk, Virginia -- one of three that will close in 2019 -- has seen sales crash from $26 million in 2012 to just $11 million in 2017. Nordstrom will need to continue paring down its full-line store fleet in the coming years to rid itself of other locations that are serial underperformers.

By contrast, Nordstrom's new "local market" strategy in Los Angeles appears to be off to a great start. The company has opened several small-format "Nordstrom Local" service hubs in the Los Angeles area since late 2017 to improve customer service. It is also deploying enhanced e-commerce functionality, including faster deliveries, in this key region. The result has been "outsize market share gains in this market," according to management. Nordstrom is likely to bring a similar approach to New York when it opens its Manhattan flagship store this fall.

Nordstrom's Manhattan flagship store is scheduled to open in late October. Image source: Nordstrom.

Furthermore, the Nordstrom.com e-commerce site is extremely successful, generating perhaps a third of the company's full-line sales, including buy-online, pick-up-in-store orders. As online sales, top-performing stores, and big cities where Nordstrom can deploy its local market strategy start to represent a bigger proportion of the full-price business, overall sales trends will likely improve.

Investments will really pay off after 2019

A third reason for optimism is that Nordstrom is finally reaching the end of a long investment cycle this year. Since 2012, Nordstrom has incurred hundreds of millions of dollars of losses -- not to mention investing over $1 billion -- to enter new lines of business that are expected to drive long-term sales and earnings growth.

In fiscal 2018, Nordstrom got $1.9 billion in revenue from its online off-price business, the Trunk Club clothing subscription box service, Nordstrom Canada, and the first phase of its Manhattan flagship. However, these "generational investments" collectively lost $140 million before taxes.

In 2019, Nordstrom expects to spend $900 million on capex as it completes its main flagship store in Manhattan and continues the rollout of its local market strategy in Los Angeles. Going forward, annual capex will recede to $600 million or less. Meanwhile, Nordstrom's generational investments are expected to produce a $125 million pre-tax loss this year, but these losses should recede quickly in the next few years, with breakeven coming by 2022 and profitability thereafter.

Lots of long-term upside

Nordstrom expects its adjusted operating profit to increase modestly in fiscal 2019, even with sales growth of just 1% to 2%. Sales growth and profit growth should accelerate starting in fiscal 2020 -- when Nordstrom will get the full-year benefit of its new Manhattan flagship store and ongoing West Coast supply chain investments -- with further gains in the following years as its generational investments mature.

Nordstrom has also started to ramp up its buyback program again, spending $678 million on share repurchases last year. This allowed it to reduce its share count by more than 5% by year end. The pace of buybacks will probably slow in 2019 because of higher capex this year, but free cash flow is set to leap higher after 2019, paving the way for more spending on share repurchases.

Between buybacks and organic sales and earnings growth, Nordstrom has a good chance to grow earnings per share at a double-digit annual rate over the next several years. That makes Nordstrom stock -- which currently trades for less than 13 times forward earnings -- look like a steal right now.

This falling market offers an opportunity to cut your taxes in retirement

Recent market declines don't have to be all bad news for investors: They may provide you an opportunity to cut your taxes in retirement.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average swooned on Monday, plummeting by nearly 500 points that morning and then rallying in the afternoon to close 34.31 points higher at 24,423.26.

In all, market volatility has been the norm since October.

However, there may be an upside to the mayhem in the form of a tax-savings strategy. If your traditional individual retirement account has declined in value due to stock market fluctuations, it might be time to consider converting to a Roth IRA.

With a Roth conversion, you pay income taxes in the present on the amount converted from the traditional IRA, but you benefit from future tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement.

"If the market is tanking and you think it's going to go back up, right now is the time to do it," said Ed Slott, CPA and founder of Ed Slott and Co. "You have low tax rates and lower values."

Here's who might benefit from a Roth conversion amid a falling market.

Upside of downturns Sam Edwards | Getty Images

There are two factors that might make a Roth conversion a good deal in the near term.

First, there are the declining share values. This means you can transfer a greater portion of your IRA portfolio — more shares — to the Roth for potential tax free growth and withdrawals in retirement.

"Let's say we were going to convert $50,000, now we can do it with a greater number of shares," said David Oransky, a CPA and member of the American Institute of CPAs' Personal Financial Planning Executive Committee.

"This is the CPA getting excited about the market dip," he said.

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Second, there are the lower income tax rates that are now in effect due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

This tax overhaul trimmed the individual income tax rates, so if you're converting in 2018, you're likely paying a lower income tax rate than you would have in previous years.

See below for next year's brackets.

#dw-chart{width: 100%;height: 500px;border: none;padding-top: 32px;box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;} No Roth do-overs

Before you break out the bubbly, know that this strategy isn't necessarily for everyone.

For instance, prior to the tax overhaul, financial planners and CPAs used to recommend Roth conversions early in the year. Investors would then see how their Roth accounts performed over subsequent months.

If any of the converted accounts didn't perform well, they might undo — or recharacterize — the transaction.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act took that tool away, so any Roth conversions you do now are permanent.

It's something to bear in mind in the event you convert some of your savings now and the market tanks in 2019.

"You can't play both ends like you used to do," Slott said. "There are no do-overs anymore."

Income hurdles Paul Viant | Getty Images

Perhaps the best contenders for a Roth conversion might be young retirees who have deferred on Social Security but haven't yet reached 70½ — the age at which they must begin taking required minimum distributions from their traditional IRA and 401(k) plans, Oransky said.

"These are gap years in which they will be in the lowest tax brackets," he said.

Retirees should also make sure that the conversion amount doesn't inadvertently raise their Medicare Part B (medical insurance) and Part D (prescription drug) premiums in future years.

That's because the amount you pay for these premiums in a given year is based on your modified adjusted gross income from two years prior.

See below for details on Medicare Part B premiums in 2019, which will be based on MAGI for 2017.

Here are the premiums for Medicare Part D premiums in 2019.

Finally, be sure that you have the money available to pay the taxes owed on the conversion. Ideally, this should be money that you have in a taxable account or someplace other than the amount you're converting.

"If you pay the taxes out of the conversion, it reduces the efficacy," said Oransky. "The full amount should go into the Roth IRA."

More from Fixed Income Strategies
How to play rising bond rates without losing your shirt
Why investors near retirement should fear the big yield curve inversion
Many Americans dream of retirement but lack a real game plan

Bristol meets with investors as $74 billion Celgene deal risks unraveling

Bristol-Myers Squibb has been meeting with shareholders in Boston and New York over the last two weeks to try to salvage its $74 billion purchase of cancer drugmaker Celgene, the biggest acquisition announced so far this year.

The deal, announced in January, was hard sell to Bristol shareholders from the start. The acquisition adds about $32 billion in fresh debt to Bristol's balance sheet while assuming $20 billion in Celgene's debt, the companies said at the time. After factoring in debt, the acquisition was the largest health-care deal on record, according to data compiled by Refinitiv.

Now, hedge funds Wellington Management and Starboard Value say the deal doesn't sit well with them. Bristol has sent executives to New York to meet with institutional investors several times over the last two weeks and met with investors in Boston on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a person who briefed on the meetings.

Bristol-Myers declined to comment.

Wellington — which is Bristol's largest institutional holder with 135.3 million shares, or 8 percent, of its common stock — said Wednesday the Celgene deal asks Bristol shareholders to accept too much risk. Starboard,which holds about 1 million shares, cited similar concerns in an open letter to shareholders Thursday, saying the Celgene deal was "poorly conceived and ill-advised."

Brian Skorney, senior research analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co, said it's unusual for an investment firm like Wellington, which has some gravitas with shareholders, to come out against such a deal.

"Wellington in of itself is huge in the bio-pharmaceutical space. They're a major voice in terms of long-term shareholders," Skorney told CNBC. "Now the question is does [Wellington's opposition] bring more shareholders away who would otherwise vote with Bristol?"

Buying Celgene was seen as giving Bristol more cancer drugs at a time when its immuno-oncology portfolio struggles to keep up with rival Merck's. Bristol's blockbuster Opdivo, which boosts the immune system to attack cancer, has fallen behind its leading competitor, Merck's Keytruda.

Brad Loncar, CEO of Loncar Investments, said there was a feeling among investors that Bristol's management and stock performance aren't strong enough to execute a deal as big as Celgene. Bristol's shares have slid 21 percent over the last 12 months. Shares of Merck, which he said has managed to "outclass" Bristol, have soared almost 50 percent in the same period.

"I talked to a lot of people and I'm not aware of any Bristol shareholders who were excited and even for the deal. Literally, not one," Loncar said.

Shares of Bristol rose by about 1.4 percent Thursday, following the opposition from Wellington and Starboard, while Celgene shares fell by about 8.7 percent.

On Thursday, following Starboard's announced opposition, Bristol said that it "welcomes the opinions of all of its stockholders and will review Starboard's letter and respond in due course."

"The Bristol-Myers Squibb Board and management team are confident that our combination with Celgene will create a premier biopharma company and deliver substantial benefits to our stockholders," they added.

Starboard Value says it will oppose $74 billion Bristol-Myers-Celgene deal

Activist investor Starboard Value said Thursday it intends to use its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb to oppose the drugmaker's $74 billion acquisition of Celgene.

"Bristol-Myers is deeply undervalued and the recent announcement of the Company's proposed acquisition of Celgene Corporation is poorly conceived and ill-advised," Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote in a letter to Bristol-Myers shareholders. "There is a better path forward for Bristol-Myers, either as a more profitable standalone company with a more focused, lower-risk strategy, or in a potential sale of the whole Company."

The activist fund has also nominated a slate of director candidates that it hopes to elect at Bristol's 2019 annual shareholder meeting.

Smith argued that Starboard was "surprised" to hear of the proposed acquisition on the heels of what he characterized as poor financial and stock price performances over the last few years. Bristol-Myers announced in January the deal to buy Celgene valued for a record $74 billion.

"The actions we are taking — specifically, our intent to solicit shareholders to block the proposed acquisition of Celgene — are not taken lightly," Smith added. "This view has been solidified by the numerous other large, long-term shareholders who appear to likewise believe this deal is not in the best interest of shareholders."

Bristol-Myers said in response to Starboard's letter that it "welcomes the opinions of all of its stockholders and will review Starboard's letter and respond in due course. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Board and management team are confident that our combination with Celgene will create a premier biopharma company and deliver substantial benefits to our stockholders."

Investment firm Wellington Management on Wednesday also announced its opposition. Wellington said it "does not believe that the Celgene transaction is an attractive path towards" business that "secures differentiated science and broadens the future revenue base."

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Jeffrey Smith, chief executive officer and chief investment officer at Starboard Value LP.

Bristol-Myers stock was up 0.6 percent and Celgene sank 7.6 percent following the release of Starboard's letter. Brisol-Myers told CNBC on Wednesday that "since announcing the Celgene transaction on January 3, our Board and management team have had numerous conversations and meetings with our stockholders across our ownership base, including Wellington."

"We believe that we are acquiring Celgene at an attractive price, and that this transaction presents an important and unique opportunity to create sustainable value," the company said.

— CNBC's Lauren Hirsch contributed reporting.

Vermilion Energy Inc (VET) Announces $0.23 Monthly Dividend

Vermilion Energy Inc (TSE:VET) (NYSE:VET) announced a monthly dividend on Wednesday, February 27th, TickerTech reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.23 per share on Friday, March 15th. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.29%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 27th.

Shares of TSE:VET traded down C$0.02 on Tuesday, reaching C$33.29. 939,529 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 825,244. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of -102.43. Vermilion Energy has a fifty-two week low of C$26.67 and a fifty-two week high of C$49.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.75, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.52.

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In other news, Director Catherine L. Williams acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$30.40 per share, with a total value of C$60,800.00. Also, Senior Officer Mona Jean Jasinski acquired 2,830 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$31.13 per share, for a total transaction of C$88,108.65. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 33,771 shares in the company, valued at C$1,051,419.56.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity dropped their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$55.00 to C$43.00 in a report on Thursday, January 10th. National Bank Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$58.00 to C$41.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 10th. Finally, Raymond James raised shares of Vermilion Energy from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a C$51.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of C$53.17.

COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Vermilion Energy Inc (VET) Announces $0.23 Monthly Dividend” was first posted by Ticker Report and is owned by of Ticker Report. If you are accessing this news story on another site, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of U.S. & international copyright & trademark legislation. The correct version of this news story can be read at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4181672/vermilion-energy-inc-vet-announces-0-23-monthly-dividend.html.

Vermilion Energy Company Profile

Vermilion Energy Inc acquires, explores, develops, and produces crude petroleum and natural gas. As of December 31, 2017, it owned 74% interest in 330,900 net acres of developed land and 87% interest in 376,400 net acres of undeveloped land, as well as 375 net producing natural gas wells and 475 net producing oil wells in Canada; and 96% interest in 208,900 net acres of developed land and 99% interest in 379,800 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins, as well as 332 net producing oil wells and 3 net producing gas wells in France.

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Heska (HSKA) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Tuesday

Heska (NASDAQ:HSKA) is scheduled to be announcing its earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 26th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.75 per share for the quarter.

NASDAQ HSKA opened at $98.56 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $747.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.61 and a beta of 0.91. Heska has a fifty-two week low of $57.15 and a fifty-two week high of $114.50.

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In other Heska news, Director G Irwin Gordon sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.00, for a total value of $408,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 25,074 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,557,548. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin S. Wilson sold 1,631 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.00, for a total transaction of $169,624.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 36,141 shares of company stock valued at $3,547,787 over the last quarter. 15.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on HSKA shares. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Heska from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $101.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 10th. Canaccord Genuity reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $118.00 target price on shares of Heska in a report on Wednesday, February 20th. Finally, BidaskClub downgraded Heska from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.50.

TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: “Heska (HSKA) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Tuesday” was originally reported by Ticker Report and is the sole property of of Ticker Report. If you are reading this article on another site, it was illegally copied and republished in violation of US and international copyright and trademark law. The correct version of this article can be viewed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4177338/heska-hska-scheduled-to-post-earnings-on-tuesday.html.

About Heska

Heska Corporation manufactures, sells, and markets veterinary diagnostic and specialty products for canine and feline healthcare markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company's Core Companion Animal Health segment offers Element DC and DRI-CHEM 7000 veterinary chemistry analyzers for blood chemistry and electrolyte analysis; HT5 and HEMATRUE veterinary hematology analyzers to measure blood cell and platelet count, and hemoglobin levels; Element POC blood gas and electrolyte analyzers; COAG veterinary analyzers; Element i immunodiagnostic analyzers; and IV infusion pumps.

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$0.06 EPS Expected for Enphase Energy Inc (ENPH) This Quarter

Equities analysts expect that Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:ENPH) will announce earnings per share of $0.06 for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have issued estimates for Enphase Energy’s earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $0.07 and the lowest is $0.05. Enphase Energy reported earnings of $0.01 per share in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year over year growth rate of 500%. The firm is expected to announce its next earnings report after the market closes on Tuesday, February 26th.

On average, analysts expect that Enphase Energy will report full year earnings of $0.11 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.09 to $0.12. For the next year, analysts forecast that the business will report earnings of $0.28 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $0.20 to $0.33. Zacks Investment Research’s earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Enphase Energy.

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Several research firms recently weighed in on ENPH. Cowen reiterated an “in-line” rating and set a $8.50 price objective (up previously from $6.75) on shares of Enphase Energy in a research note on Thursday. BidaskClub lowered shares of Enphase Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Enphase Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 4th. HC Wainwright set a $9.00 price objective on shares of Enphase Energy and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 29th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Enphase Energy from a “d+” rating to a “c-” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.57.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Enphase Energy by 28.4% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,986 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,986 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Enphase Energy by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 930,434 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,402,000 after purchasing an additional 2,423 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Enphase Energy by 24.7% in the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 12,605 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in shares of Enphase Energy by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 418,709 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,980,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the period. Finally, CoreCommodity Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Enphase Energy by 27.2% in the fourth quarter. CoreCommodity Management LLC now owns 24,381 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 5,214 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 39.74% of the company’s stock.

ENPH traded up $0.15 on Thursday, hitting $7.38. 76,111 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,708,329. The firm has a market cap of $768.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13.67 and a beta of 1.39. Enphase Energy has a twelve month low of $2.37 and a twelve month high of $7.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 21.18.

Enphase Energy Company Profile

Enphase Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and sells microinverter systems for residential and commercial markets in the United States and internationally. The company's semiconductor-based microinverter system converts direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity at the individual solar module level.

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Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:CLF,MPC,CVRR,RRC,SUN,

It's no coincidence that stocks sold off in the beginning of February, right as the market's level of confidence about the Federal Reserve's upcoming rate increases has grown. The inflation outlook and the outlook for stronger economic growth taken together do point to several rate increases this year.

The latest FOMC minutes revealed that Fed officials are now positive on the economic outlook, with some having "marked up their forecasts for economic growth in the near term relative to those made for the December meeting." Translation: More rate hikes this year. If interest rates rise, they will take a further toll on bonds' market prices down the road.

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The good news is that these rate hikes are conditional on further economic growth. Stronger growth is generally good for stocks, whose valuations depend on the outlook for future earnings. This is why I think higher rates won't necessarily spell doom for equities. With growing profits and higher dividends a distinct possibility, dividend-paying stocks offer the potential for both income and capital gains.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.(CLF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  An issue of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF) bonds fell 1.1% as a percentage of their face value during trading on Wednesday. The high-yield issue of debt has a 5.75% coupon and will mature on March 1, 2025. The debt is now trading at $95.44 and was trading at $97.00 one week ago. Price changes in a company’s bonds in credit markets often anticipate parallel changes in its stock price.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  For years, iron ore producer Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF) has been in the midst of a turnaround plan that has completely transformed the company from a debt-laden business suffering from di-worsification to a much leaner miner focused solely on serving North American steel mills. At times, it looked like a company on the brink of bankruptcy, but those days are behind it, as it has produced some impressive earnings results lately.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

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

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Marathon Petroleum Corporation(MPC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jason Hall, Tyler Crowe, and John Bromels]

  If you're shopping for great buys in the oil patch right now, three Motley Fool contributors think you should take a close look at tech-heavy but asset-light oilfield services provider Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB), value-priced independent oil producer Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA), and refining giant Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC). 

• [By Tyler Crowe, Matthew DiLallo, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  Fortunately for those looking at these attractive valuations, oil's end-of-days scenario is likely a ways down the road. So we asked three Fool.com contributors to highlight a stock they see in the oil industry right now that looks attractive. Here's why they picked Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA), Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC), and Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP). 

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Ever since Marathon Petroleum's (NYSE:MPC) IPO back in 2012, the company has gone from being a mid-sized independent oil refiner with some retail holdings to becoming the nation's largest refiner with an extensive network of retail stations and two large logistics subsidiaries. This past quarter was the culmination of that work, as the company completed the acquisition of Andeavor -- formerly Tesoro, Western Refining, and Northern Tier Refining. Based on the most recent results, investors should be pleased that management decided to do this deal.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  On top of that, MPLX's parent company, oil refiner Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC), announced that it plans to acquire fellow refiner Andeavor (NYSE:ANDV), which owns not only some midstream assets but MLP Andeavor Logistics (NYSE:ANDX). While Marathon currently plans to operate Andeavor Logistics as a stand-alone entity, it makes sense to eventually merge that company into MPLX. If that happens, it would further enhance MPLX's income stream and growth prospects, increasing the likelihood that the company can continue boosting its 7.1%-yielding payout each quarter.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: CVR Refining, LP(CVRR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  CVR Refining LP (NYSE:CVRR) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, July 25th, NASDAQ reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 6th will be given a dividend of 0.66 per share by the oil and gas company on Monday, August 13th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 3rd. This is a positive change from CVR Refining’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Finally, shares of CVR Energy fell 9%. The holding company agreed to exchange its stock to investors in related entity CVR Refining (NYSE:CVRR), accepting as many as 37.1 million units at a ratio of 0.6335 shares of CVR Energy for every unit of CVR Refining exchanged. In a release, CVR Energy said that "many CVR Refining unitholders may wish to hold their investment in the form of common stock rather than partnership interests" after recent tax reform legislation. But it's unclear why CVR Energy would make an offer at a 25% premium rather than simply having CVR Refining convert to a corporate entity or use similar steps that wouldn't adversely affect CVR Energy shareholders for the benefit of CVR Refining unitholders. CVR Refining finished the session 8% higher.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) shares rose 18.3 percent to $37.25 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.74 percent on Friday. Kitov Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ: KTOV) rose 12.1 percent to $2.69 in pre-market trading after surging 4.80 percent on Friday. NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) rose 10.9 percent to $109.75 in pre-market trading after Bloomberg reported that the China’s Commerce Ministry has restarted its review of QUALCOMM Incorporated’s (NASDAQ: QCOM) proposed takeover of NXP Semiconductors. Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) rose 10.6 percent to $15.20 in pre-market trading. Renewable Energy will replace Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 on Tuesday, May 15. NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN) rose 10 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading. Vaxart, Inc. (NASDAQ: VXRT) shares rose 8 percent to $5.54 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.19 percent on Friday. Profire Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFIE) rose 7.3 percent to $4.58 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.22 percent on Friday. Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) rose 7 percent to $22.49 in pre-market trading after falling 1.96 percent on Friday. Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) shares rose 6.9 percent to $9.16 in pre-market trading. TransEnterix, Inc. (NYSE: TRXC) rose 5.7 percent to $2.24 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.92 percent on Friday. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) rose 5.4 percent to $19.70 in pre-market trading. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: AGM) rose 5.2 percent to $92.95 in pre-market trading. International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) rose 5.2 percent to $29.94 in pre-market trading. Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LITE) shares rose 5.1 percent to $66.30 in the pre-market trading session. Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: UEPS) shares rose 5 percent to $10.70 in pre-market trading after climbing 15.66 percent on Friday. Finisar
• [By ]

  The Big Boys' Pick
  Of the group, CVRR (NYSE: CVRR) is in the best position. Apparently, Mr. Icahn agrees, which is why he owns 5.7 million shares, a stake worth more than $100 million. Other big institutional owners include the likes of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CVR Refining (CVRR)

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

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Range Resources Corporation(RRC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Lange]

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

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Companies in this region have had more measured growth plans because of the lack of pipelines. As Miller mentioned, though, improved efficiency has resulted in most companies outpacing their production growth plans. The lack of takeaway capacity has led to much lower prices for in-basin production. Range Resources (NYSE:RRC), one of the larger producers in the region, has noted that its price realizations were 10% below benchmark prices because of a lack of takeaway capacity. 

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) fell about 4.4% Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $14.43 after closing at $15.09 on Monday. The 52-week high is $34.93. Volume of about 15 million was nearly double the daily average of around 7.7 million shares traded. The company had no specific news.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) fell about 3.6% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $14.77 after closing at $15.30 on Friday. The 52-week high is $35.64. Volume of about 9.4 million was about 20% higher than the daily average of around 7.7 million shares traded. The company had no specific news.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Media headlines about Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) have been trending somewhat positive on Saturday, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Range Resources earned a daily sentiment score of 0.07 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media headlines about the oil and gas exploration company an impact score of 46.3371462950661 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

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

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sunoco LP(SUN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  That's the case for Sunoco (NYSE: SUN). After posting a net loss of $0.09 per share in 2017, the gas station owner is expected to swing to a hefty profit of $2.35 per share in 2018. But of the 14 analysts who follow the company, earnings estimates range as low as $1.22 and as high as $3.35 -- so there is a high degree of uncertainty. 

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Around this time last year, Sunoco LP (NYSE:SUN) announced a transformative divestment. The sale of its extensive retail filling station network to convenience store specialist 7-Eleven was going to give management the cash it needed to clean up its balance sheet and provide it with a much more stable revenue source. One would have assumed that when the company made this transaction, Wall Street would reward the stock with a higher valuation. That hasn't been the case, though, as Sunoco's stock is still languishing with a sky-high distribution yield north of 12%.

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  President Donald Trump hinted he may intervene in the Justice Department’s Russia investigation, as a Senate panel advanced a measure to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller: Link

  ECONOMIC DATA USA GDP (QoQ) for Q1 2.30% vs 2.00% Est; Prior 2.90% The University of Michigan's consumer confidence index for April is schedule for release at 10:00 a.m. ET. The Baker Hughes North American rig count report for the latest week will be released at 1:00 p.m. ET. Data on farm prices for the recent week will be released at 3:00 p.m. ET. ANALYST RATINGS Stifel upgraded Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) from Hold to Buy Morgan Stanley upgraded Acacia Communications (NASDAQ: ACIA) from Underweight to Equal-Weight Jefferies downgraded Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) from Hold to Underperform KBW downgraded Oaktree Capital (NYSE: OAK) from Outperform to Market Perform

  This is a tool used by the Benzinga News Desk each trading day — it's a look at everything happening in the market, in five minutes. To get the full version of this note every morning, click here.