Energy Transfer Partners LP (ETP) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Energy Transfer Partners LP (NYSE:ETP) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $23.60.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ETP shares. Robert W. Baird set a $21.00 price target on shares of Energy Transfer Partners and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 6th. ValuEngine raised shares of Energy Transfer Partners from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 24th. Finally, Mizuho set a $25.00 price target on shares of Energy Transfer Partners and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 11th.

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A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in Energy Transfer Partners by 14.2% during the second quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 22,588 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $430,000 after buying an additional 2,816 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its stake in Energy Transfer Partners by 32.2% during the second quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 13,231 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $253,000 after buying an additional 3,221 shares in the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Energy Transfer Partners by 3.8% during the first quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC now owns 101,029 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $1,639,000 after buying an additional 3,708 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Energy Transfer Partners by 7.4% during the first quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 55,767 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $905,000 after buying an additional 3,825 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co. lifted its stake in Energy Transfer Partners by 72.6% during the first quarter. Smithfield Trust Co. now owns 9,350 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $152,000 after buying an additional 3,934 shares in the last quarter. 62.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Energy Transfer Partners traded up $2.97, reaching $24.18, on Friday, according to MarketBeat Ratings. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 41,542,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,704,910. Energy Transfer Partners has a twelve month low of $15.06 and a twelve month high of $24.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $24.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.69, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.15.

Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The pipeline company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.11). Energy Transfer Partners had a net margin of 8.24% and a return on equity of 7.22%. The business had revenue of $8.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.03 earnings per share. Energy Transfer Partners’s revenue was up 20.1% compared to the same quarter last year. research analysts predict that Energy Transfer Partners will post 1.05 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.565 per share. This represents a $2.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 3rd. Energy Transfer Partners’s dividend payout ratio is presently 313.89%.

Energy Transfer Partners Company Profile

Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. engages in the natural gas midstream, and intrastate transportation and storage businesses in the United States. The company's Intrastate Transportation and Storage segment transports natural gas from various natural gas producing areas through connections with other pipeline systems, as well as through its ET Fuel System and HPL System.

See Also: Investing in Dividend Stocks

The Most Misunderstood Day Job

Day trading is one of the most-hyped �� yet misunderstood �� trading styles. There��s a lot of bogus information out there and plenty of misconceptions about what it takes to be successful as a day trader.

I��ve been a consistently profitable day trader for over 15 years and use my experience to teach the students in my trading challenge how to trade penny stocks and more.

Based on the knowledge I��ve gained over my career, here are some day trading tips and strategies to succeed in the stock market. Later on, I��ll show you nine mistakes I��ve made in my career, so you don��t have to make them yourself.

First off, what is day trading?

The term ��day trading�� is often tossed around and used incorrectly, so let��s set the record straight on what it is �� and what it isn��t.

Day trading refers to the purchase and sale of a stock within the same day. If a position is held overnight or longer, it��s not day trading.

Day trading isn��t exclusive to just one market, but it��s perhaps most commonly known as a method for trading in the stock market.

Since I��m a day trader of penny stocks and that��s the focus of my teachings, here I��ll stick with day trading tips and strategies to succeed in this market.

Of course, day trading could involve buying and selling in other markets, such as the foreign exchange market (aka forex trading). But that��s not my beat.

How can you profit from day trading?

As a day trader in the stock market, you��ll use various short-term trading methods, setups and strategies to help you profit by capitalizing on the price fluctuations of stocks.

Can you profit from day trading? Of course you can. I��ve built my entire career on it. Plenty of traders are quick to say you can��t �� but these are usually people who have tried it and lost money because they didn��t bother to learn the basics before they started trading.

If you put in the time to learn before jumping in with both feet, you don��t have to be one of them.

Is day trading risky? Yes, it can be. There are plenty of scammers out there who want to take advantage of you. Some brand themselves as teachers and make false promises, claiming they can teach you the ��secrets�� of the market and help make you a millionaire in a matter of weeks.

Others will try to take advantage of you as a new investor with pump-and-dump schemes. If you fall for the hype, you��ll likely end up as one of the infamous 90%-plus percent of traders who fail. But if you seek out a real trading education, you��ll learn to spot these scams a mile away.

Fortunately, I know how to spot the scammers a mile away. And I can help you avoid them.

And just to be clear, the risk inherent to day trading is largely what makes it possible to be profitable.

Good luck making overnight double- or triple-digit gains from Coca-Cola or Boeing or any other large stock.

Since it carries a high risk level, many traders with large accounts or financial advisers tend to steer clear of day trading. That��s why they scoff at day trading. Fine by me, because it��s less competition!

One of the big benefits of day trading is that it doesn��t require a lot of money to get started, so you can reap opportunities even if you have a small account. But you must learn how to mitigate risk.

To truly become a profitable day trader, it��s critical to learn the mechanics of the market and how to identify patterns and to master short-term trading strategies that can deliver profits.

It also means avoiding costly mistakes.

Regards,

Tim Sykes
for The Daily Reckoning

How Important Are Intelligent Cloud & Azure to Microsoft?

Shares of Microsoft (MSFT ) have climbed 41% over the last year as it impresses investors with strong top and bottom line growth and a keen eye for the future. Microsoft reported its Q4 financial results after the closing bell Thursday. So let’s see how the company performed and how vital its much talked about Intelligent Cloud and Azure businesses are.

Microsoft posted adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.13 per share up from $0.98 per share in the year-ago period, which also beat our Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.07 per share. The historic tech giant’s top line expanded by roughly 17% to reach $30.09 billion, topping our $29.21 billion estimate.

 

One of the biggest reasons for the uptick was the continued growth of Microsoft’s cloud computing segment, which will likely prove key as it takes on Amazon (AMZN ) , Oracle (ORCL ) , Google (GOOGL ) , and others in this growing market. “Our early investments in the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge are paying off, and we will continue to expand our reach in large and growing markets with differentiated innovation,” CEO Satya Nadella said in a company statement.

Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud unit contains its server and enterprise products. The company’s enterprise services unit saw its revenues pop by 8%. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s server products and cloud services revenue surged 26%, with its Azure business up 89%.

Overall, the firm’s Intelligent Cloud revenues jumped 23%—the biggest of its three key business units—from $7.82 billion in the year-prior period to hit $9.61 billion. Investors should note that this topped our exclusive non-financial metrics consensus estimate of $9.08 billion. In the previous quarter, Azure revenues soared 93%, with Intelligent Cloud revenues up 17% to $7.89 billion.

For the year, cloud revenues climbed from $27.41 billion to $32.22 billion. Intelligent Cloud revenues accounted for over 29% of Microsoft’s total fiscal 2018 revenues of $110.36 billion, up from 28% in fiscal 2017. Microsoft boasts that the 54 regions Azure is available in around the world are more than any other cloud provider. Furthermore, the company claims that 90% of all Fortune 500 companies use Microsoft could.

Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?

Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.

With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.

It's not the one you think.

See This Ticker Free >>

Should GE Get More Praise for Q2 Earnings?

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) released its second-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Friday. The company said that it had $0.19 in earnings per share (EPS) and $30.1 billion in revenue, while consensus estimates had called for $0.18 in EPS and revenue of $29.31 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.28 and $29.56 billion in revenue.

With this quarter it seems that GE is progressing on the plans to make the company simpler and stronger. So far it has closed the Industrial Solutions and Value-Based Care transactions; announced plans to separate GE Healthcare into a standalone company over 12 to 18 months, pursue an orderly separation of Baker Hughes�over two to three years and combine GE Transportation with Wabtec; and announced the sale of Distributed Power to Advent International for $3.25 billion.

In terms of its segments, GE reported quarterly numbers as:

Power revenues decreased 19% year over year to $7.58 billion. Renewable Energy revenues decreased 29% to $1.65 billion Oil & Gas revenues increased 85% to $5.55 billion Aviation revenues increased 13% to $7.52 billion. Healthcare revenues increased 6% to $4.98 billion. Transportation revenues decreased 13% to $942 million. Lighting revenues decreased 9% to $431 million.

Looking ahead to the full year, the company expects to see EPS in the range of $1.00 to $1.07. The consensus estimates call for $0.95 in EPS and $121.07 billion in revenue for the full year as well.

John Flannery, GE board chair and chief executive, commented:

With our strategic review now complete, GE is moving forward to implement the strategy and structure we laid out in June. Our focus is on unrelenting execution of this plan to improve operating results, strengthen our balance sheet, accelerate growth across our businesses, and increase shareholder value.

Shares of GE closed Thursday at $13.73, with a consensus analyst price target of $17.21 and a 52-week range of $12.61 to $26.01. Following the announcement, the stock was up about 1% at $13.88 in early trading indications Friday.

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Jefferies Makes Huge Media & Entertainment Addition to Franchise Picks List

Protect Yourself From the "Crazy Man Theory"

One topic that has received a lot of attention lately is what some call the crazy man theory of negotiation.

This theory says that a rational actor trying to optimize the outcome of a negotiation can benefit from making the other party to the negotiation believe he��s mentally unstable. This perceived instability by one side throws the other side off-guard and confuses their analysis. This confusion can then be exploited to optimize the outcome for the presumed crazy man.

A simple illustration is a chess game, the ultimate in rational calculation and decision-making.

The two sides in chess are white and black; white goes first. White might open with queen��s pawn to queen��s pawn 4, a traditional opening. Black sees this traditional opening and immediately eliminates 19 other possible openings and thousands of possible second moves by white from his calculations.

White has chosen a path but ultimately has given up millions of other paths. Black makes his first move accordingly. White assesses black��s gambit and either proceeds with his original plan of attack or adjusts as needed.

The game proceeds from there, rational move followed by rational move until the endgame.

But suppose instead black simply raises his forearm and wipes all the pieces off the board onto the floor, looks up at white and says, ��Your move, pal.�� That��s the crazy man theory in action.

I��ve encountered many crazy man negotiators in my four-decade career as a lawyer. I don��t negotiate that way myself, but I��ve seen it in action. Goldman Sachs infamously threw spitballs as I was negotiating the rescue of LTCM in 1998.

At one point Goldman lobbed in an offer to buy LTCM, signed by Warren Buffett and Jon Corzine, while Corzine��s people were at the Fed simultaneously pretending to play nice with the Wall Street consortium.

That crazy man tactic almost worked until Buffett��s lawyer failed to get Buffett on the phone to approve my required changes (Buffett was on a fishing trip in Alaska with Bill Gates at the time and out of cellphone range). So I told Buffett��s lawyer, ��Nothing done�� and went back to the Fed��s plan.

Still, crazy man tactics can be productive. If you have a specific goal in mind and a crazy man is in action, you might say to yourself, ��OK, this guy is nuts. What will it take to settle him down, get him back to the table and get a deal done we can both live with?��

The crazy man also burns up time and energy because your calculations and prior progress are often thrown in the trash. The crazy man literally wears you down.

The key attribute for dealing with a crazy man negotiator is patience. Your most powerful weapon is just walking away from the table. That��s how you turn the tables and wear out the crazy man. Still, it��s not easy.

One of the greatest challenges for investors today is that there are several crazy man negotiators on the loose.

First and foremost are U.S. President Trump, North Korea��s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, Israel��s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iran��s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

I would put other world leaders in the rational camp (more my style) including Russian President Vladimir Putin, China��s President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Of course, the difficulty with this mix of crazy men and rational actors is that you never know when all of the chess pieces will end up on the floor.

President Richard M. Nixon and President Donald J. Trump have both exhibited what some call the crazy man style of negotiation. The idea is to act in unexpected ways to keep opponents off balance and to leave the impression they may resort to extreme measures if they do not get what they want.

Crazy-man negotiating tactics have a long pedigree. President John F. Kennedy took the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation with a credible threat to attack Russia during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

President Nixon shocked the world with his 1972 visit to China, after decades of U.S. isolation of China and Nixon��s long career as a communist baiter.

President Reagan literally got up and walked out of the room at his 1986 nuclear summit with Russia��s Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland. A shocked world was unsure whether Reagan was on his way back to Washington to order a first strike.

All of these crazy man tactics worked. Russia did remove its missiles from Cuba in 1962. The U.S. did use its new relationship with China after 1972 to isolate Russia and win the Cold War. Gorbachev and Reagan did return to the negotiating table with Russia more willing to sign substantive treaties once they understood U.S. resolve not to be disadvantaged.

Yet there��s one crucial difference between the crazy men of yesterday and those today.

Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan were all highly intelligent and seasoned negotiators (Kennedy less so than the others), advised by the top strategists at the time including Dean Rusk, Henry Kissinger and James Baker among others. They were highly rational on the inside but found the crazy man posture tactically useful on limited occasions. In short, they weren��t too crazy.

Today, it��s hard to tell. Trump and the other new crazy men use irrational posturing almost full time. They are impulsive and don��t seem to listen to expert advice. This makes it harder to see the endgame and harder for the rational players to see through the pose. The chess pieces don��t just end up on the floor occasionally; they more or less stay there.

Trump called Kim Jong Un ��little rocket man�� and threatened ��fire and fury.�� Kim called Trump a ��dotard�� and threatened nuclear annihilation of the United States. The Ayatollah Khamenei shouts, ��Death to America,�� while Netanyahu threatens to destroy Iran��s uranium enrichment capability the minute one centrifuge is turned on.

The Iran nuclear deal involving the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China and Germany took two years to negotiate and was ended in two seconds with Trump��s signature on an executive order. The U.S.-North Korean nuclear talks were on again, off again and on again in a matter of weeks. U.S. sanctions on China��s steel, aluminum and automobile exports are announced, delayed, withdrawn and re-imposed also in a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile Xi, Putin and Merkel are biding their time, considering their national interests and occasionally suggesting that maybe it��s time to pick up the pieces and get on with the game.

There are many more examples of crazy men on the loose than those given above. Perhaps this posturing will produce beneficial results. Denuclearization in North Korea and Iran and an end to unfair trade practices by China would make the world a safer and more prosperous place.

Still, the risks are huge. Any game theorist can explain that the easiest scenarios to analyze are those with two rational players, clear rules and good lines of communication between the players. Each move has a perceptible logic. Chess is an example but so is a nuclear arms limitation treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

When one of the players gets crazy, analyzing the game gets harder. The same is true when the rules start to change or when communication starts to break down.

Communication is critical; that��s why the ��hotline�� was installed between the Kremlin and the White House after the Cuban Missile Crisis. In circumstances where rules or communication are degraded, the chance for error and miscalculation spikes.

Simple math tells you that the biggest risk of error comes not from one defect in a two-player game but from the shift to a multiplayer game.

Negotiations underway today are not just a set of bilateral negotiations but one vast web of multilateral confrontation. What happens with North Korean missiles affects Iran. What happens with U.S.-China trade affects North Korea, and so on. It��s all one game.

When the number of players grows from two to three, four or five, the risks of miscalculation don��t grow in a linear fashion; they grow exponentially. When you introduce crazy man tactics into a multiplayer game, the risks of disastrous outcomes are off the charts.

This is the world we live in; get used to it. Volatility and geopolitical shocks, if not worse, are here to stay. An investor cannot outguess all of the outcomes. The best path is to allocate your portfolio so it��s robust to every outcome.

One of the best ways to do that is with cash and gold. Here��s another, much more direct way to prepare for the unfolding trade war.

Regards,

Jim Rickards
for The Daily Reckoning

Why Blue Apron Holding Inc Stock Popped Today

What happened

Shares of meal-kit service�Blue Apron Holding Inc�(NYSE:APRN) were on the rise again today even though there was no direct news out on the company. Instead, the stock seemed to be gaining because of a short squeeze and ongoing rumors that it could be acquired. As of 11:58 a.m. EDT, the stock was up 7.9%.

Image source; Blue Apron.

So what

Today was the second day of the last three that Blue Apron posted sizable gains. The stock jumped 11% on Tuesday, which could have been the result of former�Goldman Sachs�Will Meade's saying that Costco could take over Blue Apron.

Hearing rumors that $COST #Costco could buy $APRN @blueapron

�� Will Meade (@realwillmeade) July 10, 2018

Following a brief pullback yesterday, the stock has resumed its rise again today. Costco and Blue Apron have already partnered up to sell Blue Apron meal kits inside Costco's warehouses in a pilot program, but there have been no other signs of a possible acquisition or tie-up between the two.

Separately, with nearly 30% of Blue Apron's stock sold short, the meal-kit service is a good candidate for a short squeeze, or a rise in a share price when short sellers rush in to cover their bets.

Now what

With today's gains, Blue Apron has now more than doubled over the last three months as the company's prospects appear to be improving under new CEO Brad Dickerson. In other words, short sellers who have bet against the stock recently have gotten badly burnt.�

Blue Apron is down more than 60% since its IPO a year ago, so the company still has a lot to prove. While an acquisition remains a possibility, Costco seems to be an unlikely buyer as the warehouse giant rarely buys other companies and its focus is on its stores, rather than e-commerce.

2 Companies With a Secret Weapon in the Streaming-Media Space

The rise of streaming-video platforms has been one of the biggest shifts in the entertainment space in the past decade. Within the industry, the key to success is often boiled down to one thing: content. That's sensible -- as the movies, television shows, and other multimedia available on a given platform will naturally play the biggest role in whether people are engaged with a particular service.

However, there's also a lot that goes on behind the scenes, and the role that technology will play in shaping the future of the streaming space is sometimes underappreciated. Like many areas of the technology world, the streaming-media space looks like it will be hugely affected by the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.�Here's a look at why artificial intelligence applications could be a secret weapon of sorts for iQiyi (NASDAQ:IQ) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG)(NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Image source: Getty Images.

iQiyi's AI-derived advantages

iQiyi has the advantage of being backed by one of the world's most advanced AI leaders. The company was spun off in March from Baidu�(NASDAQ:BIDU), China's largest internet search engine and a world leader in AI. Baidu, which retains a roughly 70% stake in its streaming offshoot, is already providing the company with AI and data analytics services, and has plans to continue providing its subsidiary with more support in these fields.�

In addition to using AI in advertising applications and its own version of the recommendation systems found on other streaming platforms, iQiyi is implementing AI in some ways you might not expect. The company is using self-adjusting algorithms to estimate which concepts, actors, actresses, and other production talent are most likely to help create content that users will fall in love with. For example, the streaming platform used an AI-based system to help select the cast and shape the content of its hit reality television program Hot Blood Dance Crew. It's also employing AI-generated suggestions to help with the editing of its programs.

If artificial intelligence can reliably provide formulas that improve the success rates of creative projects, the companies with the best access to data and algorithms should gain a major competitive advantage. Artificial intelligence could also help pave the way for streaming-based video games to go mainstream by improving information delivery -- an appealing prospect because iQiyi has signaled it aims to be a bigger player in gaming.

At present, the company's relationship with Baidu and innovative efforts to incorporate AI into content production, delivery, and marketing appear to provide significant differentiation for the company in the Chinese streaming space.

Alphabet's AI at multiple levels

As with iQiyi and Baidu, Alphabet's leadership position in the search engine market gives it incredible access to data.�The company is also behind Android -- the world's most used mobile operating system -- and strength in these two categories gives it a natural edge in the AI space.

Alphabet is leveraging these advantages across its businesses -- and in the streaming space on multiple levels. The company owns video platform YouTube, and is making a big push to improve its standing in the cloud infrastructure and platform services space and take market share from chief rivals Amazon.com and Microsoft. The Google parent's strength in artificial intelligence seems to be helping it gain ground on that front.

Case in point:�Netflix,�which hosts its streaming services on Amazon Web Services is rumored to be testing the waters to potentially shift at least some of its workload to Google Cloud. The reason? Netflix sees the Google platform as offering superior AI features, at least according to the early rumblings.

Alphabet will also be able to use its strength in AI to bolster its own streaming platforms. In addition to tracking what users view on its YouTube platform and serving up tailored recommendations, the company will continue feeding search history and data from its online software suites into improving algorithms to deliver better content suggestions.

YouTube also positions Alphabet as a major player in esports, and artificial intelligence will likely play a significant role in supporting the growth of this emerging content category. Whether through having an automated system for choosing the best camera angles to broadcast to a particular viewer or delivering personalized content recommendations or improving stream quality, artificial intelligence will help Alphabet weave the experience together. Further down the line, it's not unreasonable to expect that AI will enable the type of highly responsive streaming technology that will allow players to operate a fully panoramic in-game camera or navigate live-streamed playing fields on the fly.�

According to recent reports, Alphabet also has ambitions to become a much bigger player in the video game industry, and is readying the debut of its own streaming-based gaming platform. The company will likely make use of artificial intelligence in video game content recommendations as YouTube does. More importantly, the company's strength in the AI space and experience in streaming video�give it big advantages when it comes to delivering the technology that will be needed to make streamed games responsive for players.

Between paving the way for wins at the cloud services level, supporting the ongoing evolution of the YouTube platform, and helping the company expand its presence in gaming, artificial intelligence is giving Alphabet a big advantage in the streaming-media space.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:PINC,BKHU,WRES,CSTR,UDR, &l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-42181805&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/42181805/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Photgrapher: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg

The stock market is trading all over the map. After a two year sprint higher, with virtually no downside volatility to speak of, volatility has returned with a vengeance over the last eight weeks and stocks are actually going down (not just straight up). Here are two ways to stay calm when markets are trading all over the map:

&l;strong&g;1. Earnings &a;amp; Economic Outlook&l;/strong&g;

First, look at the macro landscape: how are earnings and the economy performing? Based on the latest data, the answer is good on both fronts. Earnings are projected to grow nicely and so is the economy. John Bartleman, President of TradeStation Group, Inc, told me, &q;The Fed chair, at his March 21 press conference, appeared to see no imminent recession and actually raised his GDP estimate going forward.&q; The Fed looked at the current data: employment numbers, inflation and other relevant indicators, and determined that the economy is relatively stable and will most likely grow faster in 2018 and 2019. So, at this juncture, earnings are strong and we are not headed for a recession anytime soon.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Premier, Inc.(PINC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Premier Inc (NASDAQ:PINC) by 59.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,672 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,712 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp’s holdings in Premier were worth $397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

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

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in shares of Premier Inc (NASDAQ:PINC) by 13.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 152,781 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,115 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned approximately 0.11% of Premier worth $4,783,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of Premier Inc (NASDAQ:PINC) have earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the seventeen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.32.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Black Hills Corporation(BKHU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Media headlines about BLACK HILLS Cor/EQUITY Ut (NYSE:BKHU) have trended positive recently, Accern reports. The research firm identifies positive and negative news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million blog and news sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. BLACK HILLS Cor/EQUITY Ut earned a daily sentiment score of 0.30 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the company an impact score of 44.7211950698084 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Warren Resources Inc.(WRES)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Northland Securities restated their corporate rating on shares of W Resources (LON:WRES) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

  Shares of LON WRES opened at GBX 0.43 ($0.01) on Wednesday. W Resources has a 52 week low of GBX 0.25 ($0.00) and a 52 week high of GBX 0.72 ($0.01).

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Coinstar Inc.(CSTR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Capstar Financial (NASDAQ: CSTR) and Mercantile Bank (NASDAQ:MBWM) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends and risk.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Shares of Capstar Financial Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:CSTR) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the five research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $19.75.

Best Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.(UDR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benzinga News Desk]

  Trump to grant lifeline to money-losing coal power plants: Link $

  ECONOMIC DATA Nonfarm Payrolls for May 223.0K vs 189.0K Est; Prior 164.0K. Private Payrolls for May 218.0K vs 183.0K Est; Prior 168.0K US Unemployment Rate for May 3.80% vs 3.90% Est; Prior 3.90% The manufacturing PMI for May is schedule for release at 9:45 a.m. ET. Data on construction spending for April will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET. The ISM manufacturing index for May 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. ANALYST RATINGS Stifel Upgrades UDR (NYSE: UDR) from Hold to Buy Imperial Upgrades American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) from In-Line to Outperform Imperial Downgrades Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) from Outperform to In-Line JPMorgan Downgrades Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE: SMG) from Neutral to Underweight

  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 Stephan Byrd]

  News articles about United Dominion Realty Trust (NYSE:UDR) have trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group identifies positive and negative news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. United Dominion Realty Trust earned a news sentiment score of 0.16 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the real estate investment trust an impact score of 47.5630416063411 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now

tags:LPI,DNOW,CAPL,SJT,GEL,MPC,CVRR,PER,E,IMO,

Between July of 2017 and July of 2018, U.S. crude oil production from seven major shale regions is forecast to rise by 1.7 million barrels of oil per day to 7.34 million barrels a day. The month-over-month increase from June to July is expected to total 141,000 barrels a day.

The forecast was published Monday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its monthly Drilling Productivity Report. Total production in June is forecast to reach 7.2 million barrels a day, an increase of 164,000 barrels a day compared with previously estimated May production.

In March the number of drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells rose by 94 to a total of 7,622 including 122 new wells in the Permian basin.

In April the number of DUC wells rose by 55 to a total of 7,677 including 111 new wells in the Permian basin.

In May the number of DUC wells rose by 31 to a total of 7,772 including 100 new wells in the Permian basin.

No overall oil production declines are forecast either for June or July, and production from new wells is expected to increase by 2 barrels per day per rig to 677 month over month in July.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Laredo Petroleum, Inc.(LPI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

   

  Losers Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) shares tumbled 48.59 percent to close at $1.275 on Thursday after the company priced its $18,000,000 public offering. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: NVIV) fell 38.77 percent to close at $8.26 on Thursday. Check-Cap Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHEK) shares tumbled 27.43 percent to close at $8.81. Achaogen, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAO) dropped 24.76 percent to close at $11.06 in reaction to a disappointing update from an FDA AdCom panel. The FDA panel voted favorably for the company's Plazcomicin for treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections, but also voted against the therapy to be used as a treatment for bloodstream infections. Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK) shares declined 24.68 percent to close at $34.80 after the company posted downbeat quarterly results. LSC Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LKSD) shares fell 24.22 percent to close at $12.64 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) fell 21.42 percent to close at $50.80 following downbeat quarterly profit. Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) dropped 20.42 percent to close at $6.00 following downbeat quarterly earnings. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) slipped 20.11 percent to close at $2.90 following wider-than-expected Q1 loss. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) fell 19.28 percent to close at $36.93. Esperion Therapeutics stock lost roughly a third of its value Wednesday after the company reported mixed Phase III results for its leading drug candidate, bempedoic acid. JP Morgan downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from Neutral to Underweight. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) declined 17.77 percent to close at $8.98 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 earnings. The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: HABT) dipped 16.1 percent to close at $8.60 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results. Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (N
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  These are some of the news headlines that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s scoring:

  Get Laredo Petroleum alerts: Q2 2018 EPS Estimates for Laredo Petroleum Inc (LPI) Reduced by Analyst (americanbankingnews.com) Laredo Working to Restart Permian Production Shuttered Following Tank Fire (naturalgasintel.com) OPEC Losing Control After Libya Outages (finance.yahoo.com) Laredo Petroleum reaffirms FY 2018 production view after storage tank fire (seekingalpha.com) Laredo Petroleum (LPI) Provides Update on Fire Reported at Tank Battery in Glasscock County, Texas (streetinsider.com)

  LPI stock traded down $0.15 during trading on Thursday, reaching $9.37. 204,560 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,884,005. Laredo Petroleum has a twelve month low of $7.41 and a twelve month high of $13.46. The company has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Laredo Petroleum (LPI)

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

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: NOW Inc.(DNOW)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) and DistributionNOW (NYSE:DNOW) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

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

  Get Alaska Air Group alerts: 68 percent of flight attendants say they have experienced sexual harassment on the job (finance.yahoo.com) ValuEngine Lowers Alaska Air Group (ALK) to Sell (americanbankingnews.com) Enamoring Five Stocks: Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE:FIT), Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK), NOW Inc. (NYSE:DNOW), Leidos … (thestreetpoint.com) Average True Range under Trader’s Radar �� Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK) (stocktradingdesk.com) Undertaking Stocks: Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY), Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK), Innoviva, Inc. (NASDAQ … (journalfinance.net)

  ALK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $78.00 price objective on Alaska Air Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price objective (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Buckingham Research dropped their price objective on Alaska Air Group from $90.00 to $88.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 26th. TheStreet lowered Alaska Air Group from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, April 2nd. Finally, Barclays lowered Alaska Air Group from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $90.00 to $80.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $85.00.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Shares of DistributionNOW (NYSE:DNOW) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the fourteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $12.50.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  ValuEngine upgraded shares of DistributionNOW (NYSE:DNOW) from a strong sell rating to a sell rating in a report published on Friday.

  A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. TheStreet upgraded DistributionNOW from a d+ rating to a c rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 16th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on DistributionNOW from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Cowen restated a market perform rating and set a $11.00 price objective (up previously from $9.00) on shares of DistributionNOW in a research note on Thursday, May 3rd. Susquehanna Bancshares set a $11.00 price objective on DistributionNOW and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, April 13th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group restated a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price objective (down previously from $12.00) on shares of DistributionNOW in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.00.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CrossAmerica Partners LP(CAPL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  CrossAmerica Partners (NYSE:CAPL) – Research analysts at Jefferies Group reduced their FY2018 earnings estimates for CrossAmerica Partners in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 9th. Jefferies Group analyst C. Mandeville now forecasts that the oil and gas company will earn $0.24 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $0.32. Jefferies Group currently has a “Buy” rating and a $28.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Group also issued estimates for CrossAmerica Partners’ Q1 2019 earnings at $0.07 EPS, Q2 2019 earnings at $0.13 EPS, Q4 2019 earnings at $0.14 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $0.42 EPS.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  CrossAmerica Partners (NYSE:CAPL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 26th. The oil and gas company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.06. CrossAmerica Partners had a return on equity of 4.73% and a net margin of 0.84%. The company had revenue of $552.66 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $572.48 million. sell-side analysts anticipate that CrossAmerica Partners will post 0.24 EPS for the current year.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CrossAmerica Partners (CAPL)

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

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: San Juan Basin Royalty Trust(SJT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Media stories about San Juan Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:SJT) have trended positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm scores the sentiment of press coverage by reviewing 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. San Juan Basin Royalty Trust earned a media sentiment score of 0.34 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the oil and gas producer an impact score of 48.2365151407757 out of 100, meaning that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Genesis Energy, L.P.(GEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Stifel Financial Corp cut its stake in shares of Genesis Energy, L.P. common stock (NYSE:GEL) by 1.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 450,749 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 7,788 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp owned about 0.37% of Genesis Energy, L.P. common stock worth $8,884,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Blair William & Co. IL cut its stake in Genesis Energy, L.P. common stock (NYSE:GEL) by 21.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 55,817 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 15,409 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL’s holdings in Genesis Energy, L.P. common stock were worth $1,100,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.96 per share on revenue of $3.46 billion. Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $2.8 per share on revenue of $2.93 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AXL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.81 per share on revenue of $1.75 billion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.88 per share on revenue of $9.27 billion. LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.13 per share on revenue of $1.62 billion. V.F. Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.65 per share on revenue of $2.90 billion. Newell Brands Inc. (NYSE: NWL) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.26 per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. Titan International, Inc. (NYSE: TWI) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $407.27 million. Boise Cascade Company (NYSE: BCC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.45 per share on revenue of $1.09 billion. Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSE: LNG) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.39 per share on revenue of $1.59 billion. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.24 per share on revenue of $308.05 million. ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.73 per share on revenue of $683.96 million. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.19 per share on revenue of $551.00 million. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $288.31 million. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: CQP) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $1.38 billion. Genesis Energy, L.P
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Genesis Energy, L.P. common stock (GEL)

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

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Marathon Petroleum Corporation(MPC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) rose 34.7 percent to $45.50 in pre-market trading following news that the FDA has approved Andexxa for the reversal of factor Xa inhibitors. Euro Tech Holdings Company Limited (NASDAQ: CLWT) rose 15.7 percent to $6.65 in pre-market trading after climbing 155.56 percent on Thursday. China Recycling Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: CREG) rose 14.7 percent to $2.75 in pre-market trading after climbing 57.89 percent on Thursday. Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) rose 11 percent to $6.40 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly results. Fred's, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRED) rose 9.2 percent to $1.90 in pre-market trading following Q4 results. Shake Shack Inc (NYSE: SHAK) rose 9.1 percent to $51.70 in pre-market trading after the company reported upbeat results for its first quarter and raised its FY18 guidance. Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDRX) rose 9 percent to $12.55 in pre-market trading after the company posted Q1 results and agreed to acquire HealthGrid. Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE: WTW) rose 7.6 percent to $75 in pre-market trading after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter. The company also raised its FY18 earnings outlook from $2.40-$2.70 to $3-$3.20. Viavi Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAV) rose 7.5 percent to $10.15 in pre-market trading following Q3 results. Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO) rose 4.5 percent to $11.83 in pre-market trading after reporting strong quarterly earnings. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) shares rose 4.4 percent to $190.50 in the pre-market trading session as the company posted upbeat Q4 results. Aqua Metals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQMS) shares rose 3.9 percent to $4.30 in pre-market trading after gaining 6.98 percent on Thursday. Newell Brands Inc (NYSE: NWL) shares rose 3.6 percent to $27.65 in pre-market trading after reporting upbeat quarterly earnings. HMS Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: H
• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Strategic Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC) by 38.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,244 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,480 shares during the quarter. Strategic Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $1,188,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Traders sold shares of Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC) on strength during trading hours on Tuesday. $81.08 million flowed into the stock on the tick-up and $105.65 million flowed out of the stock on the tick-down, for a money net flow of $24.57 million out of the stock. Of all companies tracked, Marathon Petroleum had the 0th highest net out-flow for the day. Marathon Petroleum traded up $0.61 for the day and closed at $77.61

• [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 Chris Lange]

  The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Thursday was Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) which rose about 5% to $80.85. The stock��s 52-week range is $49.30 to $83.27. Volume was about 9 million compared to the daily average volume of 5 million.

• [By Matthew DiLallo]

  MPLX (NYSE:MPLX) has undergone a significant transformation over the past year and a half. The master limited partnership (MLP) completed several transactions with its oil refining parent Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC), which diversified its midstream portfolio and eliminated costly management fees. Those moves position MPLX to continue growing its rock-solid 6.8%-yielding payout at a healthy clip for the next several years, making it an excellent option for income-seeking investors to consider buying.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CVR Refining, LP(CVRR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of�CVR Energy (NYSE:CVI) dropped over 12% today after the holding company announced an interesting stock exchange offer for unitholders of its subsidiary,�CVR Refining (NYSE:CVRR). The transaction will allow for up to 37.1 million units of the refiner to be exchanged for up to 23.5 million shares of the parent company, or at a 0.6335-to-1 ratio.�

• [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 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 ]

  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.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: SandRidge Permian Trust(PER)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  Media coverage about SandRidge Permian Trust (NYSE:PER) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern. Accern rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing 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. SandRidge Permian Trust earned a coverage optimism score of 0.04 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news headlines about the oil and gas producer an impact score of 46.3601951962152 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ENI S.p.A.(E)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks]

  Following the reform, Mexico drew multi-billion dollars' investment. It could lead up to an output of 3 MMBbl/d by the end of the planned period, as predicted by the supporters of the reform. The reform could also bring down electricity rates in the country. So far, Mexico has awarded around 90 contracts, both onshore and offshore. The country raised about $100 billion from the auctions by the end of January. With nine oil and gas blocks, Shell has emerged as the leading player in the auctions held so far. Other winners in the bidding processes include Eni S.p.A. (NYSE: E)of Italy, Inpex of Japan, France's TOTAL S.A. (NYSE: TOT), Chevron and more.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Imperial Oil Limited(IMO)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Swiss National Bank cut its position in shares of Imperial Oil (NYSEAMERICAN:IMO) (TSE:IMO) by 6.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,066,300 shares of the energy company’s stock after selling 76,100 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.13% of Imperial Oil worth $28,203,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Imperial Oil Ltd (NYSEAMERICAN:IMO) (TSE:IMO) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 11,491,321 shares, an increase of 1.1% from the May 31st total of 11,363,187 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 400,912 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 28.7 days.

D-Street Buzz: Auto, midcap stocks rally led by Ashok Leyland, CG Power; HPCL, BEL jump 4%

Continuing the uptrend,�the Indian benchmark indices are trading on a positive note this Friday�afternoon with the Nifty�adding�60�points trading at 10,809�mark.�The Sensex is trading higher by�204�points at 35,779.

Nifty Auto gained the most�led by�Ashok Leyland�has jumped over�6�percent followed by Hero MotoCorp,�Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor and Tata Motors.

Nifty Energy is�up�over�1 percent led by BPCL and HPCL which jumped 2-4�percent followed by Reliance Industries which�is up over�1.5�percent. Indian Oil Corporation is the other oil & gas stock which added 1.5 percent in the afternoon trade.

Nifty midcap is also up over a percent with gains from CG Power, GMR Infra, IFCI, Jain Irrigation, JP Associates, Just Dial, SAIL and Sun TV Network among others.

related news PNB stock rises 3% as co puts 3 NPAs worth Rs 136cr on sale TCS hits fresh record high; brokerages betting on strong Q1 earnings growth

The top gainers among Nifty constituents were HPCL, Tata Motors and�Hero�Motor, Grasim Industries and�Bajaj Auto�which added 2-4 percent.

The most actively traded stocks on the NSE are Varroc Engineering which is up 2.5 percent followed by Reliance Industries,�TCS, Yes Bank and Infosys.

The top NSE losers included Tech Mahindra, Zee Entertainment, Bharti Infratel, Titan Company and ICICI Bank, each trading lower by over 1 percent.

Some of the top gainers on BSE are Bharat Electronics which jumped over 8 percent followed by Adani Power, Jain Irrigation Systems,�Engineers India�and Ashok Leyland.

The top losers included Hathway Cable which tanked�12�percent followed by DEN Networks�and Vakrangee�which are down�4-7 percent. Kwality�and Shriram�City Union are the other losers.

Asian Paints, Hindustan Unilever�and Alok Industries�are�the�few NSE stocks that hit fresh 52-week high in the�afternoon trade.

On the other hand,�143�stocks have hit new 52-week low including Amtek Auto, DEN Networks, Dena Bank, Hathway Cable, HDIL, INOX Wind, Kwality, Reliance Naval, Tata Power, Capital First and Vedanta among others.

The breadth of the market favoured�advances, with�1082�stocks advancing, 628�declining and�358�remaining unchanged. On BSE,�1449�stocks advanced, 1071�declined and�126�remained unchanged.

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. First Published on Jul 6, 2018 02:37 pm

WPX Energy (WPX) Research Coverage Started at US Capital Advisors

US Capital Advisors initiated coverage on shares of WPX Energy (NYSE:WPX) in a research note issued to investors on Monday. The firm issued a buy rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on WPX. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of WPX Energy from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, March 8th. Citigroup set a $20.00 price target on shares of WPX Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 9th. Johnson Rice started coverage on shares of WPX Energy in a research report on Wednesday, March 21st. They issued a buy rating and a $23.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $29.00 price target on shares of WPX Energy and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 28th. Finally, National Alliance Securities upgraded shares of WPX Energy from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $15.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $20.05.

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WPX Energy opened at $18.49 on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. WPX Energy has a 1 year low of $8.87 and a 1 year high of $19.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of -44.02 and a beta of 2.25.

WPX Energy (NYSE:WPX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $374.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $367.86 million. WPX Energy had a negative net margin of 17.85% and a negative return on equity of 2.99%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.15) earnings per share. research analysts forecast that WPX Energy will post 0.02 EPS for the current year.

In other news, VP Stephen L. Faulkner, Jr. sold 8,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.87, for a total transaction of $152,847.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.19, for a total transaction of $181,900.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 172,104 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,130,571.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 138,100 shares of company stock valued at $2,518,797 over the last ninety days. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in WPX Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $114,000. Avestar Capital LLC bought a new position in WPX Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $131,000. Bayesian Capital Management LP bought a new position in WPX Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $171,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in WPX Energy by 132.5% during the 1st quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 13,219 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 7,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in WPX Energy by 110.1% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 15,324 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $226,000 after purchasing an additional 8,031 shares during the last quarter. 99.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

WPX Energy Company Profile

WPX Energy, Inc, an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, engages in the exploitation and development of unconventional properties in the United States. The company's principal areas of operation include the Delaware Basin in Texas and New Mexico; the Williston Basin in North Dakota; and the San Juan Basin in New Mexico and Colorado.

2 Stocks That Turned $5,000 Into More Than $85,000

Most investors don't get too excited about pipeline stocks. Maybe it's because they're not changing the world like tech or healthcare companies. However, while they might not generate exciting headlines, they can produce jaw-dropping returns if investors hold on for the long haul.

Several pipeline stocks have produced market-beating returns since their formation. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) and ONEOK (NYSE:OKE) stand out because they have turned a relatively small up-front investment into a massive windfall over the past two decades.

Image source: Getty Images.

Generating a return like clockwork every single quarter

Enterprise Products Partners came public nearly 20 years ago to little fanfare. The master limited partnership (MLP) raised a little under $250 million at the time to fund development projects and acquisitions. That seed money jump-started the company's growth journey, which has seen it become an energy infrastructure powerhouse over the years. As a result, initial investors have done quite well. Overall, Enterprise has generated a total return of more than 1,730%, which would have turned a $5,000 investment at its IPO into more than $86,500. For comparison's sake, the S&P 500's total return over that time frame is 268%, which would have turned $5,000 into just $13,400.

A main driver of that return has been Enterprise's spectacular ability to increase its distribution to investors. Since its IPO, the MLP has increased its payout 64 times, including in each of the last 55 consecutive quarters. That growing income stream has generated the lion's share of the company's total return.

�

EPD data by YCharts.

While Enterprise Products Partners might not repeat that performance over the next 20 years, it still has plenty left in the tank. The company recently put the finishing touches on $5.3 billion of growth projects and has another $4.9 billion under construction. Those expansions should fuel continued distribution increases so that it can create more value for investors in the coming years.

In a league of its own

ONEOK got its start more than a century ago as an interstate natural gas pipeline business in Oklahoma. Today, it's one of the largest midstream energy companies in the U.S., operating more than 38,000 miles of pipelines. A significant portion of that expansion has come in the past two decades, which has generated a windfall for investors. Overall, the pipeline giant has produced a total return of more than 1,890% in the last 20 years, which would have turned a $5,000 investment into more than $94,500. Like Enterprise, the bulk of that return came via the company's lucrative dividend.

OKE data by YCharts.

ONEOK expects to continue growing shareholder value in the coming years. It currently has about $4 billion of high-return expansion projects underway, which positions it to increase its high-yielding dividend at a 9% to 11% annual pace through 2021 and puts it in a class of its own. The company's ability to grow its high yield at a high rate has the potential to generate top-tier total returns for investors over the next few years.

Dividends can fuel outsized returns

While exciting growth stocks grab most of the headlines, dividend growth stocks have historically outperformed their stingier peers over the long term. That has certainly been the case for these two pipeline companies for the last two decades. Meanwhile, with ample fuel to continue growing their dividends in the coming years, both of these pipeline companies appear poised to outperform in the future, making them excellent stocks to consider buying for the long run.

$155.99 Million in Sales Expected for Scorpio Tankers Inc. (STNG) This Quarter

Brokerages expect Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG) to announce sales of $155.99 million for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Five analysts have provided estimates for Scorpio Tankers’ earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $159.34 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $150.59 million. Scorpio Tankers reported sales of $118.42 million during the same quarter last year, which indicates a positive year over year growth rate of 31.7%. The business is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Monday, September 17th.

On average, analysts expect that Scorpio Tankers will report full year sales of $678.08 million for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $624.51 million to $723.00 million. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the business will report sales of $734.69 million per share, with estimates ranging from $656.72 million to $837.62 million. Zacks’ sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that cover Scorpio Tankers.

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Scorpio Tankers (NYSE:STNG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The shipping company reported ($0.10) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by ($0.02). Scorpio Tankers had a negative return on equity of 7.61% and a negative net margin of 32.67%. The business had revenue of $156.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $154.72 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.07) EPS. Scorpio Tankers’s quarterly revenue was up 27.4% on a year-over-year basis.

STNG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America cut their target price on Scorpio Tankers from $3.85 to $2.75 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Scorpio Tankers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 3rd. Deutsche Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of Scorpio Tankers in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. DNB Markets upgraded Scorpio Tankers from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Scorpio Tankers from $3.50 to $3.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $4.21.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 14.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 21,792,389 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $42,713,000 after acquiring an additional 2,743,205 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 232.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,105,736 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $49,123,000 after acquiring an additional 11,255,133 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,131,850 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $23,779,000 after acquiring an additional 993,468 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 40.6% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 7,339,738 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $14,385,000 after acquiring an additional 2,121,265 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 6,184,122 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $12,121,000 after acquiring an additional 80,911 shares during the period. 57.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE STNG traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $3.03. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 9,255,893 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,591,684. Scorpio Tankers has a 12-month low of $1.85 and a 12-month high of $4.20. The company has a market capitalization of $961.73 million, a PE ratio of -6.45 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 6th will be issued a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 5th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.32%. Scorpio Tankers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -8.51%.

Scorpio Tankers Company Profile

Scorpio Tankers Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the seaborne transportation of refined petroleum products worldwide. As of March 22, 2018, its fleet consisted of 109 tankers, including 38 LR2, 12 LR1, 45 MR, and 14 Handymax tankers with an average age of approximately 2.6 years; and 20 time or bareboat chartered-in tankers, which include 2 LR2, 10 MR, and 8 Handymax tankers.

Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Scorpio Tankers (STNG)

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

Top Cheap Stocks To Own Right Now

tags:USG,IBM,UNH,SIRI, &l;p&g;Bitcoin&a;rsquo;s advocates claim that it is immune from government control. &a;rdquo;It can&a;rsquo;t be shut down,&a;rdquo; they say. This might have been true in the early days, when Bitcoin could be mined on an ordinary laptop. But in these days of giant mining farms, Bitcoin desperately needs abundant cheap electricity supplies. Without access to abundant electricity, Bitcoin mining can&a;rsquo;t continue, and without mining, Bitcoin is dead. And ultimately, electricity supply is controlled by governments.

Bitcoin&a;rsquo;s desperate need for electricity arises from its Proof of Work (POW) protocol. POW is often described as &a;ldquo;complicated puzzles&a;rdquo; that Bitcoin miners must solve in order to earn the right to verify a block of transactions and claim the mining reward of (currently) 12.5 new bitcoins plus transaction fees. In &l;a href=&q;https://coinsutra.com/hash-rate-or-hash-power/&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;this article&l;/a&g;, for example, the author explains POW thus: &a;ldquo;These computations for finding the blocks are basically mathematical puzzles that a miner cannot just guess without a lot of computation.&a;rdquo;

Top Cheap Stocks To Own Right Now: 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 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).�

• [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 Jordan Wathen]

  As USG Corporation (NYSE:USG) drags its feet on an offer to sell the company for $42 per share, Berkshire intends to use its 30.8% ownership stake to motivate its top brass to make a deal. Berkshire told Bloomberg it intends to vote its shares against USG's board members who are up for re-election at this year's annual meeting, a clear message that Buffett is ready to cash in, even if USG's management and board are not.

Top Cheap Stocks To Own Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wayne Duggan]

  In 1983, IBM Common Stock (NYSE: IBM) released the IBM PC XT. Hurricane Alicia hit the Gulf Coast of Texas, killing 21 people. Federal Reserve interest rates were 11 percent.

• [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) .

• [By ]

  IBM (IBM) reports earnings on Tuesday night, but the charts tell us to approach Big Blue with caution here.

  It's true that the firm has beaten analysts' earnings-per-share expectations for a whopping 13 consecutive quarters. And while EPS beats are nice, IBM also posted 3.5% year-over-year revenue growth back in January. That broke a nearly six-year string of year-over-year revenue contraction.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) traded up 1.85% at $153.36 in a 52-week range of $139.13 to $172.56. Volume of about 3 million shares was about 40% below the daily average. The company had no specific news.

• [By ]

  IBM (NYSE: IBM) for example, has exactly what I��m looking for in a big name blockchain play.

  The company is currently working on an improved blockchain foundation based of the popular Ethereum blockchain.

Top Cheap Stocks To Own Right Now: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By JJ Kinahan]

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

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Here are some of the news stories that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s rankings:

  Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: Medical Software Rallies As Health Care’s Tech Conversion Accelerates (investors.com) What Are UnitedHealth��s Key Sources of Revenue? (trefis.com) Humana (HUM) and Monida Ink Deal, Enhances In-Network Access (finance.yahoo.com) Is UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Outperforming Other Medical Stocks This Year? (finance.yahoo.com) UnitedHealth Group (UNH) Price Target Increased to $285.00 by Analysts at BMO Capital Markets (americanbankingnews.com)

  A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of UnitedHealth Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $278.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $275.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. Twenty-seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.58.

• [By Chris Lange]

  UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) is scheduled to share its quarterly report on Tuesday as well. The consensus estimates are $2.91 in EPS on $54.8 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $224.28. The stock has a 52-week range of $164.96 to $250.79, and the consensus price target is $271.67.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) traded down 0.80% at $224.07. The stock’s 52-week range is $156.09 to $231.77. Volume was about 40% below the daily average of around 3 million shares. The company had no specific news Wednesday

• [By Paul Ausick]

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

• [By ]

  The market, led by the Nasdaq, showed strong gains on Tuesday, following significant earnings results from Netlix (NFLX)  reported after Monday's close. This morning, Goldman Sachs (GS)  , UnitedHealth (UNH) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) also reported strong results as the earnings season heats up.

Top Cheap Stocks To Own Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Swiss National Bank cut its position in Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI) by 13.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,157,758 shares of the company’s stock after selling 818,600 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.11% of Sirius XM worth $32,184,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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

  Berkshire's biggest winners in the stock market so far this year are MasterCard Inc. (MA) , up 23%; Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (SIRI) , up 18%; Phillips 66 (PSX) , up 14%; Visa Inc. (V) , up 11%; and Moody's Corp. (MCO) , also up 11%, according to FactSet.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Shares of Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ:SIRI)�hit another 12-year high on Monday. The country's lone satellite radio provider would go on to improve its fundamentals, announcing that it's laying to rest a pending legal matter by settling with SoundExchange.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

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

• [By ]

  Remember, Apple (AAPL) had run because its service-revenue stream made the tech giant part of an elite group of companies. It joined Costco (COST) , Netflix (NFLX) , and SiriusXM (SIRI) , Spotify (SPOT) and Amazon (AMZN) (home of Amazon Prime) as companies that charge you recurring fees that you don't seem to notice or care about. So, Apple's stock no longer represents the tug to the group, and each company has to develop a separate power base away from Cupertino.