Sell USDINR; target of 68.48 - 68.40: ICICI Direct

ICICI Direct's currency report on USDINR

Spot Currency� �

The rupee extended gains even as the RBI moved to raise interest rates for a second time in 2018. The RBI increased benchmark rates by 25 bps as expected, which will help the rupee as it could contain the widening rate differential between RBI and other major central banks, especially the Federal Reserve �� US $ rose mildly vs. major currencies even as Fed maintained the benchmark interest rates as expected . Fed emphasised on strength in the US economy that has cemented the prospects of a September rate hike and kept alive the possibility of a fourth rate hike in December.

Benchmark yield �

Sovereign bonds rose sharply tracking the decline in yields even as RBI raised interest rates by 25 bps as expected �� US bonds declined sharply as benchmark yields ended above 3 . 0 %. However, the US $ witnessed muted action as investors remain cautious in the backdrop of simmering trade tensions between the US and its major trading partners.

Currency futures on NSE The dollar - rupee August contract on the NSE was at 68. 67 in the previous session. August contract open interest declined 0.51 % in the previous day �� We expect the US$INR to meet supply pressure at higher levels. Utilise upsides in the pair to initiate short positions.

Intra-day strategy

related news EURINR is expected to trade appreciate today: Angel Broking Hold HCL Technologies; target of Rs 1050: ICICI Direct Hold NTPC; target of Rs 160: ICICI Direct

US$INR August futures contract (NSE)	View: Bearish on US$INR
Sell US$INR in the range of 68.65-68.71	Market Lot: US$1000
Target: 68.48 / 68.40	Stop Loss: 68.83
Support	Resistance
S1/ S2: 68.55 / 68.40	R1/R2:68.70 /68.85

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More First Published on Aug 2, 2018 10:31 am

New Chrysler CEO looks to repeat Jeep magic

DETROIT �� Jeep rides to the rescue again, as brand boss�Mike Manley takes the reins�of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, following a�post-op health crisis�for legendary CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Manley has led Jeep to an unprecedented period of success, broadening the iconic brand��s product line, adding sales and production around the world and generating profits beyond analysts�� wildest expectations.

A lanky Brit with a dry wit, the 54-year-old Manley is beloved by Jeep engineers and trusted by the brand��s famously demanding customers.

Leading the brand since 2009, Manley internalized Jeep��s values as it added new models and soared to record sales. Accepting a Free Press Automotive Leadership Award for Jeep��s success in 2016, Manley led a cadre of tieless Jeep designers and engineers into the banquet room with a shrug and a grin: ��It��s a Jeep thing.��

He added responsibility for FCA��s other money machine, Ram trucks in 2015.

More: FCA recommends Jeep exec Mike Manley to replace CEO Sergio Marchionne

More: Marchionne out as CEO, but Fiat Chrysler is well positioned for what comes next

More: Who will succeed Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne?

Global success

Manley also led FCA��s Asia-Pacific business and ran the Chrysler Group��s international operations, experience that will stand him in good stead as the company looks to make up for lost time in China and other developing markets.

Equally at home at a black-tie dinner or a Jeep event in rugged wilderness, Manley will have to execute the�ambitious five-year business plan�Marchionne laid out June 1. Fortunately, he was one of the plan��s architects.

Jeep and Ram are pillars of the strategy, ensuring that Chrysler��s Auburn Hills tech center and offices will remain a linchpin of the company.

Challenges include speeding up the company��s development and introducing new vehicles. Marchionne regularly canceled and delayed new models as he concentrated on eliminating a heavy debt load and feeding the brands he believed had the most potential.

That worked, but left FCA far behind the competition in sales hotbeds like China, and largely absent from fast-growing market segments like city-oriented urban utility vehicles.

Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand talks with journalists the Design Dome in Auburn Hills on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. (Photo: Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)

Alfa Romeo must carry its weight

Despite those delays, FCA replaced two of its most important and profitable vehicles this year. The all-new Jeep Wrangler and Ram 1500 pickup should be rolling ATMs spitting out cash to finance vehicles like the oft-delayed Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer and a replacement for the Grand Cherokee.

FCA is ahead of other automakers because Marchionne shifted production and investment away from slow-selling sedans and toward SUVs and pickups faster than other automakers, but it still lacks entries in a number of profitable segments.

More daunting, the Alfa Romeo luxury brand has been all but sales-proof in the United States. Marchionne delayed new vehicles for volume brands in favor of developing sport sedans and luxury SUVs for Alfa.

The resulting vehicles �� the Giulia compact sport sedan and Stelvio SUV �� have style and sparkling performance, but Alfa��s thin model line, low customer awareness and a history of poor quality have kept the brand from generating the cash flow Marchionne expected. The Giulia and Stelvio have yet to repay that faith.

In this Friday, May 21, 2010 file photo, Chrylser CEO Sergio Marchionne, left, is seen with Jeep brand President and CEO Mike Manley at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant, in Detroit. (Photo: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press)

Fiat Chrysler's�next challenges

There��s no turning back, though. FCA has bet the future on its ability to build and sell high numbers of �Alfas and the pricier Maserati luxury cars and SUVs. The company is heavily invested in the brands, and its ambitious plans for new technologies like electric and self-driving cars depend on the fat profits luxury brands generate.

Meanwhile, the Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat volume brands seem to have little future. Manley��s team may also have to find a way to wind them down without alienating aficionados, always a tricky task for brands with a long history.

Despite its surprising financial and sales success, FCA remains a small company, expected to seek alliances or mergers with other automakers.

Marchionne, a dual Italian-Canadian citizen with an MBA from the University of Windsor and a career mostly in Europe, was picked to lead Fiat in 2004. The company was paired with Chrysler as the smallest of the Detroit 3 automakers emerged from bankruptcy and government bailout in 2009. Fiat completed its deal for Chrysler in 2014, and in 2017, Fiat Chrysler reported a pretax profit of $4.4 billion (3.5 billion euro).

Fiat Chrysler has exceeded expectations so far, generating consistent profits and avoiding acquisition by a foreign giant, but as Manley takes over, the future looks more challenging, not less.

Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com or 313-222-6731. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.

Top Dividend Stocks For 2019

tags:LFUS,SSBI,CEL,NYMT,

Nexeo Solutions (NASDAQ: NXEO) is one of 24 public companies in the “Chemicals & allied products” industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Nexeo Solutions to similar companies based on the strength of its profitability, earnings, dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation.

Risk & Volatility

Get Nexeo Solutions alerts:

Nexeo Solutions has a beta of 0.35, suggesting that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Nexeo Solutions’ competitors have a beta of 1.08, suggesting that their average stock price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Nexeo Solutions and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Nexeo Solutions 0 2 2 0 2.50 Nexeo Solutions Competitors 106 481 714 27 2.50

Nexeo Solutions presently has a consensus target price of $11.17, suggesting a potential upside of 16.68%. As a group, “Chemicals & allied products” companies have a potential upside of 7.82%. Given Nexeo Solutions’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Nexeo Solutions is more favorable than its competitors.

Top Dividend Stocks For 2019: Littelfuse Inc.(LFUS)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ:LFUS) by 72.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,391 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Littelfuse were worth $914,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS) and ABB Group (NYSE:ABB) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and earnings.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ:LFUS) was upgraded by stock analysts at ValuEngine from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday.

Top Dividend Stocks For 2019: Summit State Bank(SSBI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

Top Dividend Stocks For 2019: Cellcom Israel Ltd.(CEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Thursday afternoon, the telecommunication services shares surged 0.58 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), up 5 percent, and Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) up 2.5 percent.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Thursday afternoon, the health care shares rose 1.79 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR), up 8 percent, and Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) up 7 percent.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

  Losers Natural Health Trends Corp (NASDAQ: NHTC) fell 7.8 percent to $19.80 in pre-market trading after rising 1.46 percent on Friday. Endocyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECYT) shares fell 6.6 percent to $11.41 in pre-market trading after climbing 4.18 percent on Friday. Quorum Health Corporation (NYSE: QHC) shares fell 6.2 percent to $5.15 in pre-market trading after tumbling 11.45 percent on Friday. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: RKDA) fell 6.1 percent to $7.31 in pre-market trading after declining 3.35 percent on Friday. Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) fell 5.6 percent to $28.30 in pre-market trading. Evofem Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVFM) fell 5.3 percent to $6.06 in pre-market trading after gaining 2.73 percent on Friday. Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) shares fell 5.2 percent to $28.60 in pre-market trading. Xerox terminated its transaction agreement with Fujifilm and entered into a new agreement with Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason. JP Morgan downgraded Xerox from Overweight to Neutral. Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) fell 5.2 percent to $7.02 in pre-market trading. Cellcom is expected to release Q1 results on May 30, 2018. Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) fell 4.5 percent to $74 in pre-market trading. Nabriva Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ: NBRV) shares fell 4 percent to $4.66 in pre-market trading
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Millicom (OTCMKTS: MIICF) and Cellcom Israel (NYSE:CEL) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings and profitability.

Top Dividend Stocks For 2019: New York Mortgage Trust Inc.(NYMT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of NY Mtg Tr Inc/SH (NASDAQ:NYMT) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $6.06.

GAIL Q1 PAT seen up 25.2% YoY to Rs. 569 cr: HDFC

HDFC has come out with its first quarter (April-June�� 18) earnings estimates for the Materials sector. The brokerage house expects GAIL to report net profit at Rs. 569 crore up 25.2% year-on-year (up 28.1% quarter-on-quarter).

Net Sales are expected to increase by 36.8 percent Y-o-Y (up 1.1 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 15,601 crore, according to HDFC.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) are likely to rise by 19.4 percent Y-o-Y (up 33.8 percent Q-o-Q) to Rs. 2,269 crore.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read More First Published on Jul 19, 2018 06:11 pm

J.C. Penney's New Brooklyn Store Is an Interesting Move

J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) has spent most of the past two years in defense mode. Comp sales growth has slowed to a crawl, and a combination of competitive pressures and inventory management missteps has pressured profitability despite the company's deep cost cuts.

In response to these headwinds, J.C. Penney closed about 140 stores last year, and has shuttered about 200 stores since the beginning of 2015. Nevertheless, the company plans to open at least one new store this year. Last week, J.C. Penney announced that it will open its second location in Brooklyn on Aug. 10 at the Kings Plaza Shopping Center. This store may enable the company to test new retail concepts that could help power a broader recovery.

A new store is set to open

Kings Plaza is the largest mall in Brooklyn. For many years, it was anchored by Macy's and Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD). However, in 2016, the Sears store fell victim to one of that chain's many rounds of downsizing.

Over the past two years, mall owner Macerich has been redeveloping the massive Sears store for a handful of somewhat smaller tenants. J.C. Penney will join Primark, Zara, and Burlington Stores as one of four major tenants replacing Sears.

J.C. Penney will be one of the new anchors of Kings Plaza in Brooklyn. Image source: J.C. Penney.

The Kings Plaza store opening will come nearly four years after J.C. Penney first entered the borough with a store at Brooklyn's Gateway Center. The Gateway Center store has been one of the chain's top performers since it opened, according to management. Thus, it's no surprise that J.C. Penney was eager to open another Brooklyn location, particularly because Kings Plaza is somewhat more accessible to public transit than the Gateway Center.

Making the most of a smaller space

One slightly unusual thing about the Kings Plaza store is its size: 75,000 square feet. That is significantly smaller than the company average of about 110,000 square feet. Many J.C. Penney stores are even larger than that. For example, the Gateway Center location has 124,000 square feet of space.

Despite the new location's small footprint, it will have room for two of the company's signature sales-driving attractions. First, there will be a 2,000-square-foot Sephora boutique in the center of the store, building on J.C. Penney's incredibly successful partnership with the beauty specialty retailer. Second, the store will feature a small-format appliance department.

J.C. Penney's management has indicated that Sephora and appliances are critical for boosting sales per square foot. Many of the J.C. Penney stores that closed last year were targeted because they were too small to support Sephora shops and appliance departments.

By contrast, it seems inevitable that J.C. Penney will devote a lot less space to apparel in its Kings Plaza store. This makes sense, given that J.C. Penney's apparel departments have been struggling with sales declines in recent years.

A learning opportunity

J.C. Penney currently has appliance showrooms in about 600 of its more than 860 stores. The company has a chance to gain market share in appliances over the next couple of years as Sears is closing full-line stores faster than ever. However, to capture the full sales opportunity, J.C. Penney would need to put appliance departments in even more of its stores: ideally all of them.

The main constraint is space. J.C. Penney has been working to create a viable small-format appliance showroom that it could install in smaller stores. The Kings Plaza location will test that concept and should provide insights on whether it makes sense to add appliances to some of J.C. Penney's other smaller stores. The company may also discover that its apparel departments can become more productive with less space and a more curated assortment.

If the new store is successful, it could also pave the way for further store openings in urban markets where 100,000-plus-square-foot spaces are hard to come by. Thus, J.C. Penney has a lot riding on its Kings Plaza store opening next month.

Why Twitter, Papa John's International, and Zogenix Jumped Today

Major benchmarks resumed climbing on Thursday, effectively recouping yesterday's losses as investors shifted their focus away from trade-war tensions and back toward the start of corporate earnings season.

But several individual stocks climbed more than most, including Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), Papa John's�International�(NASDAQ:PZZA), and Zogenix (NASDAQ:ZGNX). Here's why they did so well.

Image source: Twitter.

When account deletions are a�good�thing

Shares of Twitter jumped 3.2% after multiple analysts weighed in with positive notes on the social media leader.

The timing of the calls is no coincidence; Twitter stock plunged early this week�on reports that the company deleted over 70 million fake and suspicious accounts in May and June, spurring concerns over its growth and the overall size of its actual monthly active user base.

Today, however,�Goldman Sachs analyst Heath Terry reiterated his buy rating and increased his per-share price target on Twitter stock from $40 to $55 -- or a roughly 25% premium from yesterday's close -- arguing that Twitter's "information quality" initiatives have been well-received by advertisers and should drive incremental top-line growth.

Meanwhile, MKM Partners analyst Rob Sanderson voiced a similar sentiment and reiterated his own buy rating on Twitter stock.

Papa John's positive leadership change

Papa John's stock surged 11.1% today in the wake of the resignation of the pizza chain's founder, John Schnatter, as chairman of the board. Schnatter will remain on the company's board of directors, and Papa John's will appoint a new chairman in the coming weeks.

In most situations, such a prominent executive change wouldn't be considered a good thing. But shares fell yesterday after Forbes reported that Schnatter had used a racial slur during a conference call in May -- albeit in the context of criticizing KFC spokesman Colonel Sanders for using the term without facing public backlash. Still, Schnatter apologized for the incident this morning, calling his choice of language "inappropriate and hurtful."�

It certainly doesn't help that, only a few months ago, Schnatter stepped down as CEO of Papa John's after condemning NFL anthem protests and partly blaming the league for slowing sales at his namesake chain. The NFL ended its sponsorship with the company in response.

Zogenix positive trial results

Finally, shares of Zogenix jumped 20.7%�following the pharmaceutical company's announcement of encouraging top-line results from its second phase 3 clinical trial of ZX008, a drug candidate for the treatment of children and young adults with Dravet syndrome.

The study met its primary end point, with ZX008 achieving a 54.7% greater reduction in monthly convulsive seizures compared to a placebo. The study also met all key secondary endpoints, with ZX008 demonstrating a greater-than-50% reduction in seizure frequency and longest seizure-free intervals in patients as compared to those using placebo.

"These impressive study results show the significant impact the addition of ZX008 made in reducing the burden of convulsive seizures for patients who are not adequately controlled using stiripentol, the standard of care for the treatment of Dravet syndrome in Europe," stated Dr. Rima Nabbout, the principal investigator of the study. Nabbout further suggested that, if approved, ZX008 could be a "transformative treatment" for the syndrome, which has few available treatment options today.

PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh (PBR.A) Shares Gap Up to $8.95

PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh (NYSE:PBR.A) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $8.74, but opened at $8.95. PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh shares last traded at $9.26, with a volume of 5181313 shares.

The company has a market capitalization of $60.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.83 and a beta of 2.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh (NYSE:PBR.A) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 8th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $22.96 billion for the quarter. PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh had a net margin of 0.71% and a return on equity of 5.10%.

About PETROLEO BRASIL/RED PFD sh

Petroleo Brasileiro SA-Petrobras specializes in the oil, natural gas and energy industry. The Company is engaged in prospecting, drilling, refining, processing, trading and transporting crude oil from producing onshore and offshore oil fields and from shale or other rocks. Its segments include Exploration and Production, which covers the activities of exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas liquid and natural gas; Refining, Transportation and Marketing, which covers the refining, logistics, transport and trading of crude oil and oil products activities, exporting of ethanol, and extraction and processing of shale; Gas and Power, which is engaged in transportation and trading of natural gas produced in Brazil and imported natural gas; Biofuels, which covers the activities of production of biodiesel and its co-products, and ethanol-related activities; Distribution, which includes the activities of its subsidiary Petrobras Distribuidora SA, and Corporate.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue Has $40.94 Million Holdings in Walmart Inc (WMT)

State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its stake in Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) by 22.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 478,036 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 86,440 shares during the period. Walmart makes up about 0.7% of State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in Walmart were worth $40,942,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WMT. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 12,967 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,280,000 after buying an additional 1,488 shares in the last quarter. Iberiabank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Iberiabank Corp now owns 90,910 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $8,979,000 after buying an additional 6,571 shares in the last quarter. Gabalex Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Gabalex Capital Management LLC now owns 400,000 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,500,000 after buying an additional 100,000 shares in the last quarter. HL Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. HL Financial Services LLC now owns 142,110 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $14,033,000 after buying an additional 4,571 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in shares of Walmart during the 4th quarter worth $1,043,000. 29.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Get Walmart alerts:

In related news, Director S Robson Walton sold 1,190,271 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.65, for a total transaction of $100,756,440.15. Following the sale, the director now owns 3,347,254 shares in the company, valued at approximately $283,345,051.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Jim C. Walton sold 592,155 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.64, for a total value of $50,119,999.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 10,507,224 shares in the company, valued at approximately $889,331,439.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 8,792,256 shares of company stock worth $740,486,626. 51.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of Walmart traded up $1.24, reaching $87.17, during trading on Tuesday, according to MarketBeat.com. The company had a trading volume of 455,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,110,855. Walmart Inc has a 12 month low of $73.13 and a 12 month high of $109.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $250.35 billion, a PE ratio of 19.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 17th. The retailer reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.02. Walmart had a return on equity of 17.16% and a net margin of 1.77%. The firm had revenue of $122.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $119.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.00 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. analysts forecast that Walmart Inc will post 4.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WMT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $99.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 2nd. Loop Capital initiated coverage on Walmart in a report on Thursday, April 5th. They set a “hold” rating and a $92.00 price target for the company. Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $99.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 16th. Argus raised Walmart from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $87.57 to $100.00 in a report on Thursday, April 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, April 30th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.53.

Walmart Company Profile

Walmart Inc engages in the retail and wholesale operations in various formats worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, discount stores, drugstores, and convenience stores; membership-only warehouse clubs; e-commerce Websites, such as walmart.com, jet.com, hayneedle.com, shoes.com, moosejaw.com, modcloth.com, bonobos.com, and samsclub.com; and mobile commerce and voice-activated commerce applications.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT).

Aldi shoppers won't want to miss this new item

For some shoppers, the days of digging around for a quarter before heading to Aldi are�over.

Don��t get too excited though. The discount grocer isn��t getting rid of its system for renting carts, which�company officials say is one way it keeps prices low.

For a limited time, Aldi is selling a special keychain quarter holder for 99 cents plus tax.

"The quarter holder ties to our cart policy and ensures you are never without a quarter when shopping at Aldi,"�said Chris Hewitt, the company's Royal Palm Beach division vice president in a statement. The 25-cent deposit for a grocery cart saves customers money, Hewitt explained.

First, the frugal company doesn't have to have employees�spend�time retrieving carts. It also helps protects against cart theft.

More: A new Amazon Go store will open in Seattle. San Francisco and Chicago are next

More: Seriously, save money on gas, hotels and shopping with these 8 apps

More: Making cheeseburgers at home will cost you, data shows

A new Aldi product will make shopping at the discount grocer a little easier. (Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM ALDI)

��A missing cart costs about $300 to replace, and we��d rather not pass those costs on to shoppers,�� Hewitt said. ��The system is simple. Shoppers deposit a quarter to use a cart at Aldi, and when they return the cart to the corral, they get their quarter back.��

The quarter holders are�being introduced through Aldi Finds, where the company features limited-time items. Products in this section vary by week and�can sell out quickly, Hewitt said.

"We bring in new items each week so people can always find unique and exciting items," Hewitt said. "These premium food and household products, often themed and tied to the season, are in stores for a limited time and keep our shoppers coming back to see what's new."

Aldi is selling different designs of the quarter holders, which can vary by location.

Similar quarter holders also are available on websites like�Etsy�and�eBay�but are a little more costly.

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Aldi products may be cheaper than brand names, but the bigger question is how they compare in taste. USA TODAY

All about Aldi

Here's what makes Aldi different from the typical grocery store:

Shopping carts:�You'll need a quarter to use a shopping cart at Aldi, but you'll get your money back as long as you return the cart.

Payment:�Aldi accepts cash, credit cards, most debit cards and food stamps, but not checks.

Bags:�Bring your own reusable bags or pay for plastic or paper bags. Customers also bag their groceries on the long counter at�the front of the store.

Size and selection:�Aldi stores�are smaller than your average Publix or Winn-Dixie and carry about 1,300 of the most commonly purchased grocery items through its private label.

Prices:�Shoppers save up to 50 percent on many items compared to the cost of like items at other stores.

Double guarantee:�If you're not 100 percent satisfied with a product, bring it back and Aldi will replace the product and refund your money.

Hours:�Stores are usually open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Kelly Tyko is a consumer columnist and retail reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers and�TCPalm.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Read her Bargainista tips at�TCPalm.com/Bargainista,�follow her on Twitter�@KellyTyko�and email her at�kelly.tyko@tcpalm.com.�Sign up for her weekly newsletter at�www.tcpalm.com/featured-newsletter/bargainistabest.�

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Walmart unveiled a new virtual reality shopping experience that allows shoppers to see what furniture looks like in a staged home. USA TODAY

�

Sainsbury's sales growth slows

(Adds sales numbers from last year and share price)

J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN) said Wednesday that sales growth slowed in the first quarter as it cut prices on key products due to a competitive U.K. grocery market.

Britain's second-largest grocer by market share also said that it has agreed to a 3.50 billion pounds ($4.61 billion) financing package with its existing banks and new institutions for its proposed merger with Asda Group Ltd. Sainsbury's current line of credit will increase to GBP2 billion from GBP1.5 billion, providing further financial flexibility to the combined group.

On April 30, Walmart Inc. WMT, +0.52% said it will sell its U.K. business, Asda, to Sainsbury in a deal worth GBP7.30 billion. If the tie-up is approved by Britain's Competition & Market Authority it would create the largest grocer in the U.K.

For the 16 weeks to June 30, Sainsbury said like-for-like retail sales rose 0.2% compared with 2.3% growth in the same period a year earlier. Total retail sales increased 0.8% verses a 2.7% growth last year.

Grocery sales also slowed with the group recording growth of 0.5% in the first quarter, compared with 3% the previous year and Sainsbury said it has invested GBP150 million to lower prices.

The bright spot in Sainbsury's first quarter was general merchandise, which saw sales rise 1.7% against 1% last year. However, clothing sales grew 0.8%, below the 7.2% growth reported a year earlier.

Sainsbury is losing out to rivals in its core grocery business, according to Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, following data from Kantar Worldwide that said Sainsbury's sales and market share fell in the 12 weeks to June 17, in contrast with its peers. Sainsbury's sales fell 0.2%, while sales for Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN), Asda and Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC (MRW.LN) rose between 1.4% and 1.9% in the period. Meanwhile, sales at discount grocers Aldi increased 8.2% and grew 10% at Lidl.

Chief Executive Mike Coupe said general merchandise and clothing, including sales from the Argos catalogue business, "continue to outperform a very challenging market and we are well placed to further grow market share."

Mr Coupe said first-quarter headline numbers reflect price reductions the company made in key areas like fresh meat, fruit and vegetables since March. He said the market remains competitive, but the company has the right strategy in place and the Asda proposed merger will "create a dynamic new player in U.K. retail".

At 1030 GMT, Sainsbury shares were up 6.40 pence, or 2%, at 325 pence.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (ARWR) Expected to Post Earnings of -$0.19 Per Share

Equities analysts predict that Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ARWR) will post earnings of ($0.19) per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Four analysts have issued estimates for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals’ earnings. The highest EPS estimate is ($0.18) and the lowest is ($0.21). Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals posted earnings per share of ($0.07) in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year-over-year growth rate of 171.4%. The company is expected to report its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, August 2nd.

On average, analysts expect that Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals will report full-year earnings of ($0.74) per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.78) to ($0.69). For the next year, analysts anticipate that the firm will report earnings of ($0.55) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.92) to $0.89. Zacks’ EPS calculations are an average based on a survey of research firms that follow Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals.

Get Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals alerts:

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARWR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 8th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by $0.01. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 199.55% and a negative return on equity of 50.05%. The business had revenue of $0.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.04 million.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BidaskClub raised shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $13.00 price objective on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, May 30th. ValuEngine raised shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Piper Jaffray Companies boosted their target price on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals to $11.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $10.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $9.45.

In other Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals news, CFO Kenneth Allen Myszkowski sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.01, for a total transaction of $280,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 330,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,634,718.15. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Douglas B. Given sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.63, for a total transaction of $165,750.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 79,000 shares of company stock valued at $759,950. Company insiders own 4.60% of the company’s stock.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ARWR. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 186,381 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $686,000 after purchasing an additional 15,132 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 237.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 69,997 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 49,246 shares during the period. OppenheimerFunds Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 110.0% during the 4th quarter. OppenheimerFunds Inc. now owns 6,300,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $23,184,000 after purchasing an additional 3,300,000 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 462,105 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,701,000 after purchasing an additional 9,985 shares during the period. Finally, BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth about $275,000. Institutional investors own 46.31% of the company’s stock.

ARWR stock opened at $13.26 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 10.16 and a quick ratio of 10.16. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $1.48 and a 1 year high of $14.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of -28.21 and a beta of 2.57.

About Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc develops medicines for the treatment of intractable diseases in the United States. Its pre-clinical stage medicines include ARO-HBV to treat chronic hepatitis B virus infection; ARO-AAT for the treatment of liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency; ARO-APOC3 and ARO-ANG3 to treat hypertriglyceridemia; ARO-Lung1 for the treatment of an undisclosed pulmonary target; ARO-HIF2 to treat renal cell carcinoma; ARO-F12 for hereditary angioedema and thromboembolic disorders; and ARO-AMG1 for the treatment of an undisclosed genetically validated cardiovascular target.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR)

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

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:CVTI,TRIB,UTL,MYRG,GLPG,RCI,

In the debate between growth and value, some may argue value can prevail.

After all, "value" stocks typically boast low price-earnings ratios and other traditional assessment metrics, often looked upon as undervalued relative to its underlying fundamentals. "Growth" stocks are often considered those whose earnings are expected to increase at an above-average rate but don't necessarily boast the same strong fundamental backdrop.

Chad Morganlander, portfolio manager with Washington Crossing Advisors, recently went overweight value stocks over growth stocks. Here are his reasons why.

�� Though earnings are coming in quite nicely for growth stocks this quarter, valuations are stretched.

�� Outsized gains in technology shares, specifically, reduce the relative attractiveness of growth over value at this juncture.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Covenant Transportation Group, Inc.(CVTI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ: ODFL) and Covenant Transport (NASDAQ:CVTI) are both transportation companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends, valuation, risk and institutional ownership.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of Covenant Transport (NASDAQ:CVTI) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Trinity Biotech plc(TRIB)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Trinity Biotech (NASDAQ: TRIB) is one of 25 publicly-traded companies in the “Diagnostic substances” industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Trinity Biotech to related businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, valuation, risk, earnings, dividends, profitability and institutional ownership.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Trinity Biotech (NASDAQ: TRIB) and Neogen (NASDAQ:NEOG) are both medical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: UNITIL Corporation(UTL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Pacific Gas and Electric (NYSE: PCG) and Unitil (NYSE:UTL) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: MYR Group Inc.(MYRG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) surged 73.3 percent to $3.90. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares gained 51 percent to $33.1365. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Monaker Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKGI) shares jumped 34 percent to $3.00. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares rose 28.2 percent to $4.51 after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares jumped 27.8 percent to $21.40 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Boxlight Corporation (NASDAQ: BOXL) rose 20.5 percent to $8.920 after climbing 107.87 percent on Wednesday. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) gained 19.5 percent to $ 5.97. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) rose 18.9 percent to $10.035 following upbeat quarterly earnings. ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) gained 18.3 percent to $3.0177. ENDRA Life Sciences is expected to report Q1 results on May 15. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) rose 18.1 percent to $35.85 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares jumped 16 percent to $30.75 following upbeat quarterly earnings. TTM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTMI) gained 13.7 percent to $16.53 after reporting Q1 results. Insight Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT) shares surged 12 percent to $40.06 following better-than-expected Q1 earnings. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE: THS) rose 11.8 percent to $40.93 following Q1 results. Engility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EGL) surged 11.2 percent to $27.36. Engility reported upbeat quarterly earnings. Synalloy Corporation (NASDAQ: SYNL) rose 10.7 percent to $19.10 following Q1 results. Logitech International S.A. (NASDAQ: LOGI)
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  MYR Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYRG) Director William A. Koertner sold 11,768 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.15, for a total transaction of $460,717.20. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 315,012 shares in the company, valued at $12,332,719.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) shares jumped 155.56 percent to close at $5.75 on Thursday. Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: INSP) shares gained 56.12 percent to close at $24.98. Inspire Medical went public Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company issued 6.75 million shares priced at $16 each. Presbia PLC (NASDAQ: LENS) shares rose 53.02 percent to close at $3.55. Integrated Media Technology Limited (NASDAQ: IMTE) shares rose 46.29 percent to close at $32.11. The nano-cap low-float stock skyrocketed over 1,300 percent on Wednesday on no company specific news which would support the surge. The move higher is consistent with what was seen in other low-float stocks over the past few months. Technical Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: TCCO) climbed 27.78 percent to close at $5.75. STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) shares gained 26.27 percent to close at $21.15 after reporting upbeat Q1 results. Sharing Economy International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEII) shares jumped 22.16 percent to close at $4.30 on Thursday after gaining 9.32 percent on Wednesday. China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CADC) rose 20.45 percent to close at $2.65 on Thursday. YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) surged 18.36 percent to close at $9.99 following upbeat quarterly earnings. MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG) jumped 17.68 percent to close at $35.74 after the company posted strong Q1 earnings. Xspand Products Lab Inc (NASDAQ: XSPL) jumped 17.4 percent to close at $5.87. Xspand Products priced its IPO at $5 per share. Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHRS) shares rose 17.32 percent to close at $14.90. Coherus BioSciences reported resubmission of BLA for CHS-1701. Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: RTEC) shares gained 17.17 percent to close at $31.05 following upbeat quarterly earnings. The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET) gained 16.02 percent to close at $2.68 following Q1 earnings. Ca
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on MYR Group (MYRG)

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Shares of MYR Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYRG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the ten analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $35.83.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Galapagos NV(GLPG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Mack]

  Our investing experts have made some tremendous picks over the last several years, outperforming the S&P 500 by 100%, 200%, or even as much as 700% in the case of Money Morning Executive Editor Bill Patalon's 2012 pick of Galapagos NV (Nasdaq: GLPG).

• [By Todd Campbell, Sean Williams, and Brian Feroldi]

  There have been more stock market pops and drops lately and that might have you wondering what healthcare stocks can be bought to take advantage of this volatility. Buying healthcare stocks during periods of volatility can be smart because demand for healthcare products and services usually isn't discretionary. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it makes sense to buy every healthcare stock out there. To find out what healthcare stocks it might make sense to buy this month, we asked top Motley Fool investors what companies are on their radar. In their view,�Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA), Novacure (NASDAQ:NVCR), and Galapagos (NASDAQ:GLPG)�should be at the top of your idea list right now. Read on to find out why.

• [By Brian Feroldi, Keith Speights, and Sean Williams]

  Around 44,000 CF patients have gene mutations that are addressable by Vertex's current drugs. The company is moving forward with several late-stage studies of new triple-drug combinations that hold the potential to treat another 24,000 CF patients.�While AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) and Galapagos (NASDAQ:GLPG) are also developing triple-drug CF combos, Vertex has a clear head start.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Rogers Communication, Inc.(RCI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its stake in shares of Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI) (TSE:RCI.B) by 346.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,294 shares of the Wireless communications provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,691 shares during the quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.’s holdings in Rogers Communications were worth $3,239,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Intergroup (INTG) Given Daily Media Sentiment Rating of 0.03

News coverage about Intergroup (NASDAQ:INTG) has trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. Accern identifies negative and positive press coverage by monitoring more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Intergroup earned a coverage optimism score of 0.03 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the financial services provider an impact score of 47.3539812150411 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.

These are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment’s scoring:

Get Intergroup alerts: Int’l trade fair opens in Beijing (xinhuanet.com) Jordan, Russia to hold regular meetings on cooperation (jordantimes.com) 7 Reasons Why Your Marketing Department Should Have Regular Off-Site Meetings (business.linkedin.com) Committee on Enforced Disappearances holds separate meetings with states and with civil society (reliefweb.int) Trump: Meetings on potential North Korea summit going ‘very well’ (msn.com)

Shares of Intergroup stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $26.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,360 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,785. Intergroup has a twelve month low of $21.30 and a twelve month high of $28.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of -2.37.

About Intergroup

The InterGroup Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates a hotel under the Hilton San Francisco Financial District name located in San Francisco, California. It operates through three segments: Hotel Operations, Real Estate Operations, and Investment Transactions. The company's hotel consists of 543 guest rooms and luxury suites with approximately 22,000 square feet of meeting room space, grand ballroom, five level underground garage parking, pedestrian bridge, and Chinese culture center.

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019

tags:SUN,HP,CVRR,NG,TGA, &l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-900578770&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/900578770/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The S&a;amp;P 500 closed Tuesday up 3.8% year-to-date, setting an all-time intraday high of 2,807.54, failing to hold my weekly pivot of 2,800.1. The S&a;amp;P 500 is divided into 11 sectors and each sector can be traded using its own exchange-traded fund.

Seven sector ETFs are outperforming the average led by consumer discretionary, energy, health care and transportation. The laggards are REITS and utilities.

Materials, industrial, energy and transports ended Tuesday with daily &q;key reversals,&q; where the closes were below Friday&a;rsquo;s lows after setting new highs.

&l;strong&g;Here&a;rsquo;s The Scorecard For The 11 Sector ETFs&l;/strong&g;

&l;img class=&q;size-full wp-image-55946&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/investor/files/2018/01/ScorecardSectors011618.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;455&q; data-width=&q;915&q;&g; Scorecard For The 11 S&a;amp;P Sector ETFs

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: 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 Matthew DiLallo]

  The only segment where earnings declined was the catch-all one labeled "all other," which houses different investments such as its stake in Sunoco L.P. (NYSE:SUN) and PES, a refining joint venture. PES has struggled due to higher costs, and recently declared bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Energy Transfer's earnings from Sunoco L.P. declined because that entity sold the bulk of its retail assets and then used that cash to repurchase a portion of Energy Transfer's investment.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) and Macquarie Infrastructure (NYSE:MIC) are both mid-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

• [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.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Sunoco (NYSE:SUN) released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The oil and gas company reported ($3.74) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($4.31), Briefing.com reports. Sunoco had a return on equity of 17.06% and a net margin of 1.27%. The firm had revenue of $3.75 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.22) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 33.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Helmerich & Payne, Inc.(HP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Johnson]

  Let me show you…

  I Love Helmerich & Payne Inc. (NYSE: HP) for This Coming Week

  My trading model is practically screaming to recommend this contract petroleum drilling company.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP) CFO Juan Pablo Tardio sold 52,781 shares of Helmerich & Payne stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total value of $3,823,455.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 25,628 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,856,492.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

• [By ]

  Only 10% of the companies on the list had female CEOs at the helm, four of which -- Hewlett Packard (HP) , Lockheed Martin (LMT) , General Motors (GM) , and General Dynamics (GD) -- grew significant revenue in five years or less. 

• [By ]

  The third caller had Boeing (BA) , Helmerich & Payne (HP) , Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) , LAM Research (LRCX) and Steel Dynamics (STLD)  as her top five stocks.

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: CVR Refining, LP(CVRR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN) shares climbed 23.2 percent to $155.19 after Elliott Management confirmed a $160 per share cash offer for athenahealth. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) gained 21.3 percent to $8.83. Evolus named David Moatazedi as new CEO. VivoPower International PLC (NASDAQ: VVPR) climbed 18.2 percent to $3.12 after falling 39.86 percent on Friday. Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) rose 15.6 percent to $27.53 after the company agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) for $27.50 per share. EP Energy Corporation (NYSE: EPE) rose 13 percent to $2.26. Energy XXI Gulf Coast, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGC) gained 11.9 percent to $7.35. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) surged 11.8 percent to $6.24 after the company posted upbeat quarterly profit. Sanchez Energy Corporation (NYSE: SN) shares gained 11.3 percent to $3.56. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) shares rose 8.8 percent to $18.875. Monaker Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKGI) rose 8.7 percent to $2.9683. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE: KOS) shares rose 7.4 percent to $7.40. Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) rose 7 percent to $2.88 after climbing 1.89 percent on Friday. Cloudera, Inc. (NYSE: CLDR) surged 6 percent to $15.93. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Cloudera with a Buy rating. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) rose 5.1 percent to $257.35. Barclays upgraded Illumina from Equal-Weight to Overweight.

  Check out these big penny stock gainers and losers

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Twin Disc, Incorporated (NASDAQ: TWIN) shares surged 24.34 percent to close at $28.86 following Q3 earnings. Bioblast Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ: ORPN) rose 21.89 percent to close at $2.45. Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ: EOLS) gained 20.19 percent to close at $8.75. Evolus named David Moatazedi as new CEO. VivoPower International PLC (NASDAQ: VVPR) rose 18.56 percent to close at $3.13 on Monday after falling 39.86 percent on Friday. CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE: CVM) gained 17.09 percent to close at $2.74. athenahealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN) shares jumped 16.39 percent to close at $146.75 on Monday after Elliott Management confirmed a $160 per share cash offer for athenahealth. Gramercy Property Trust (NYSE: GPT) rose 15.45 percent to close at $27.50 after the company agreed to be acquired by Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) for $27.50 per share. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) surged 15.23 percent to close at $6.43 after the company posted upbeat quarterly profit. Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR) rose 14.53 percent to close at $7.33 CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR) gained 14.36 percent to close at $6.29. Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTPH) gained 12.69 percent to close at $3.64. Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) gained 12.27 percent to close at $10.89 following Q1 results. CVR Refining, LP (NYSE: CVRR) shares climbed 9.8 percent to close at $19.05. Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) rose 4.93 percent to close at $256.89. Barclays upgraded Illumina from Equal-Weight to Overweight. Cloudera, Inc. (NYSE: CLDR) surged 3.92 percent to close at $15.63. Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on Cloudera with a Buy rating.

   

• [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

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Natural Gas(NG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Money Morning News Team]

  Canadian gold mining company NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSE: NG) shows an even starker change in sentiment. In the last six months, the volume of short bets on the stock declined 32.75%, from 19.05 million shares to 12.81 million.

• [By Money Morning Staff Reports]

  Canadian gold mining company NovaGold Resources Inc. (NYSE: NG) shows an even starker change in sentiment. In the last 12 months, the volume of short bets on the stock declined 79%, to 522,400.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  JPMorgan Chase set a GBX 870 ($11.80) target price on National Grid (LON:NG) in a research note released on Monday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Top Energy Stocks To Buy For 2019: Transglobe Energy Corp(TGA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Atlas Energy Group (OTCMKTS: ATLS) and Transglobe Energy (NASDAQ:TGA) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends and earnings.

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

Asian markets cautious after Trump cancels North Korea summit

Asian markets were mixed in cautious early trading Friday, after President Donald Trump canceled his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japan��s Nikkei NIK, +0.11% � was off 0.1%, after initially dropping 0.5%, as the dollar JPYUSD, -0.294770% � pushed above 楼109.50 to session highs from 楼109.30. Commodity-related names were leading the way lower for Japanese stocks as they were poised to notch their first down week in two months. The marine-transportation sector was off 1.6%, the weakest performer in the Topix. Mining was off 1.1% following a sizable drop overnight in oil prices LCON8, -0.18% �. But that had the airline sector up 1%. Meanwhile, auto stocks were extending Thursday��s sharp selloff, with Honda 7267, -0.68% � and Toyota 7203, -1.25% � off nearly 1% more.

Hong Kong stocks started modestly weaker, with the Hang Seng Index HSI, -0.26% � off 0.4%, with energy stocks again a sore spot.

After a strong rebound Thursday, Singapore��s Straits Times Index STI, -0.03% � was down 0.3%, on the way to a second-straight weekly decline, which hasn��t happened since early February. Telecom stocks were down, with StarHub CC3, -1.89% � off nearly 1%. Weakness was also seen in bank and property names.

Malaysian stocks FBMKLCI, +1.04% � started strongly higher after two days of heavy selling.

Stocks in South Korea SEU, +0.01% � and Taiwan Y9999, +0.23% � were up modestly, while Australian stocks XJO, -0.06% � dipped lower.

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Comment Related Topics Asia Markets China Japan Australia Singapore Foreign Investment Quote References NIK +23.94 +0.11% JPYUSD -0.000027 -0.294770% LCON8 -0.14 -0.18% 7267 -24.00 -0.68% 7203 -90.00 -1.25% HSI -78.81 -0.26% STI -1.08 -0.03% CC3 -0.04 -1.89% FBMKLCI +18.39 +1.04% SEU +0.27 +0.01% Y9999 +24.96 +0.23% XJO -3.80 -0.06% Show all references MarketWatch Partner Center Most Popular GE��s stock suffers worst day in 9 years after CEO John Flannery starts talking If its ratings don��t really matter, why is Netflix suddenly canceling so many shows? Why early retirement is all it��s cracked up to be The fate of the S&P hangs in the balance �� and these 3 factors should decide it What to do in your 50s to build wealth for your retirement Community Guidelines �� FAQs BACK TO TOP MarketWatch Site Index Topics Help Feedback Newsroom Roster Media Archive Premium Products Mobile Company Company Info Code of Conduct Corrections Advertising Media Kit Advertise Locally Reprints & Licensing Your Ad Choices Dow Jones Network WSJ.com Barron's Online BigCharts Virtual Stock Exchange Financial News London WSJ.com Small Business realtor.com

5 Cannabis Stocks That Have Been Outperforming

A slew of positive headlines in recent weeks seems to have turned the tide for cannabis. Between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announcing plans to introduce legislation that would decriminalize cannabis on a federal level, and Michigan adding recreational cannabis to its November ballot, things have been looking up for the industry.

Of course with a market as speculative as cannabis, there are always going to be outperformers and underperformers, regardless of the macro picture. That said, let’s take a look at some of the recent outperformers.

The charts below are courtesy of VantagePoint, a platform that uses Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to forecast future price movements 1-3 days in advance with up to 86 percent accuracy. The blue line represents a predictive moving average that shows what’s going to happen three days in advance, and the black line is a simple 10-day moving average. A crossover of the blue line over the black line indicates a bullish signal from the software, and vice versa for a bearish signal.

iAthus Capital Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ITHUF)

Up 94 percent YTD

The cannabis dispensary operator saw a 615 percent increase in revenue in 2017 while also expanding its operations to New York and Florida, and investors have certainly rewarded the stock. On a technical basis, ITHUF has broken above $4 for the first time since it gapped down on February 2. Though the stock has seen some red days of late, the upward trend still appears to be intact.

GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: GWPH)

Up 18 percent YTD

Arguably the most well-known cannabis play, GWPH has exploded in the last month to all-time highs following a crossover to the upside on April 12. Though the trend came close to ending in early May, the fact that the two moving averages have not crossed over again tells us that the stock is still in an uptrend.

Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. (NYSE: IIPR)

Up 3.5 percent YTD

Like a lot of cannabis stocks, IIPR sold off in January and February. Unlike most of them, it has gained back all its recent losses.

Though VantagePoint's two moving averages crossed over during the second week of May—indicating a downtrend—the two lines appear to have crossed over again, signalling the beginning of an uptrend. 

MedReleaf Corp.(OTC: MEDFF)

Up 0.7 percent YTD

Like the others on this list, cannabis producer MedReleaf was very strong the last three weeks of April. The stock looks to have hit some technical resistance around the $20 handle, but according to VantagePoint’s indicators, the uptrend is still alive thanks to a rising blue predicted moving average and mostly green Neural Index.

AmeriCann, Inc. (OTC: ACAN)

Flat YTD

Despite being flat in 2018, Americann has been in a strong uptrend since April 5, more than doubling in the six weeks since. Despite some red days sprinkled in, the uptrend has only gotten stronger according to VantagePoint

The cannabis sector is one of the most volatile sectors in the equities market, and a stream of upcoming legislation decisions promises even more volatility. This is not a sector for the faint of heart, and many cannabis plays still have to prove viable business models. But for some companies, there are trades to be made.

VantagePoint is a content partner of Benzinga. For a free live demo or market forecast, click here

Is Walmart (WMT) Stock Cheap Right Now?

Shares of Walmart (WMT ) opened higher on Monday just a few trading days after the company reported solid first-quarter earnings results. With that said, Walmart’s stock price had sunk over the last few months, which means now might be a great time to consider buying the retail giant at a relatively cheap price.

Walmart’s overall revenues climbed roughly 4.4% from the year-ago period to hit $122.7 billion in the first quarter, with comp sales up 2.1%. Meanwhile, the company’s adjusted earnings surged by 14% to reach $1.14 per share, which also topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 per share.

Investors should also have been pleased to see that Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce sales popped by 33%, despite increased competition from Amazon (AMZN ) and other online sellers. Now, let’s take a look at Walmart’s price movement before we dive into why the company’s current valuation looks rather enticing.

Recent Price Movement

Walmart stock was up roughly 8% over the last year before Monday’s gains. However, shares of Walmart had sunk 9.8% during the last 12 weeks and 4.8% over the last four weeks as investors reacted negatively to the company’s slower fourth-quarter e-commerce growth.   

Furthermore, shares of Walmart sat at their 52-week high of $109 per share in late January. Walmart stock opened Monday at $84.14 per share, which means shares of Walmart are much cheaper than they were to start the year just based on price alone.

Still, investors need to know a little more before they can say that Walmart stock is currently offering a ton of value.

Valuation

Coming into Monday, Walmart stock was trading at 16.9X forward 12-months earnings estimates. Walmart stock has traded as high as 23.8X over the past year, with its median resting at 17.9X. The company is also currently trading just slightly above its year-long low of 16.4X, which it rested at briefly in early July of last year.

Walmart stock is also trading directly in line with the S&P 500’s average of 16.9X. Furthermore, the company compares favorably to the “Retail – Supermarkets” industry’s current average forward P/E ratio of 16.3. This industry includes the likes of Kroger (KR ) other large U.S. grocery chains.

 

Based on the last year alone, investors should be able to say with some conviction that Walmart stock is rather attractive at its current valuation, and pretty cheap compared to where it has traded recently.

Growth Outlook

Lastly, it is worth considering Walmart’s current growth prospects. The company is projected to see its second-quarter earnings climb by 12.9% to touch $1.22 per share, based on our current Zacks Consensus Estimates. For the full-year, Walmart is expected to hit $4.86 per share, which would mark a nearly 10% surge from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Walmart’s revenues are only projected to pop by 1.8% in Q2, while full-year revenues are projected to climb by 2.08% to reach $510.74 billion. Investors might be a bit less pleased to see these top-line projections, but it is worth considering just how hard it is to post massive top-line growth when the company is expected to pull in over $510 billion.

Our 2% full-year growth estimate would mean Walmart expanded its top line by $10 billion.

Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?

Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.

Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.

See the pot trades we're targeting>>

Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $541.79 Million

Equities research analysts predict that Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTEK) will announce sales of $541.79 million for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have issued estimates for Tetra Tech’s earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $538.54 million and the highest is $545.00 million. Tetra Tech reported sales of $498.48 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 8.7%. The firm is expected to report its next earnings results on Wednesday, August 1st.

On average, analysts expect that Tetra Tech will report full year sales of $2.20 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $2.17 billion to $2.21 billion. For the next year, analysts anticipate that the company will report sales of $2.30 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $2.28 billion to $2.31 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that that provide coverage for Tetra Tech.

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Tetra Tech (NASDAQ:TTEK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.03. Tetra Tech had a net margin of 4.83% and a return on equity of 14.38%. The company had revenue of $532.79 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $509.14 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. Tetra Tech’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Tetra Tech in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. BidaskClub upgraded shares of Tetra Tech from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 11th. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Tetra Tech from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. Boenning Scattergood reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Tetra Tech in a research report on Thursday, March 15th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Tetra Tech from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $56.83.

In related news, SVP Mark A. Rynning sold 660 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.44, for a total transaction of $33,290.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 3,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $169,377.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.01, for a total transaction of $400,080.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 131,581 shares of company stock worth $6,733,486. 3.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TTEK. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Tetra Tech during the fourth quarter worth $111,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of Tetra Tech by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 3,054 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $147,000 after buying an additional 1,019 shares in the last quarter. We Are One Seven LLC bought a new position in shares of Tetra Tech in the fourth quarter valued at $184,000. Global X Management Co. LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tetra Tech by 75.2% in the fourth quarter. Global X Management Co. LLC now owns 3,985 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $192,000 after buying an additional 1,710 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CAPROCK Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Tetra Tech in the fourth quarter valued at $200,000. 87.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Shares of TTEK traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $53.20. 426,430 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 271,696. Tetra Tech has a fifty-two week low of $39.95 and a fifty-two week high of $53.40. The company has a quick ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The stock has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a PE ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.00.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Tetra Tech’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. Tetra Tech’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.54%.

Tetra Tech Company Profile

Tetra Tech, Inc provides consulting and engineering services worldwide. It operates through two segments, Water, Environment and Infrastructure (WEI); and Resource Management and Energy (RME). The WEI segment offers early data collection and monitoring, data analysis and information technology, science and engineering applied research, engineering design, construction management, and operations and maintenance services; and climate change and energy management consulting, as well as greenhouse gas inventory assessment, certification, reduction, and management services.

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