Somewhat Positive Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) Stock Pri

Headlines about Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE:AXTA) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research group rates the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than twenty million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Axalta Coating Systems earned a news impact score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media coverage about the specialty chemicals company an impact score of 46.6834599169324 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

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

Get Axalta Coating Systems alerts: Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) Set to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Thursday (americanbankingnews.com) Axalta, the Philadelphia Eagles and Stroud Water Research Center Celebrate All-Pro Teachers with a Day of STEM in the Stream (finance.yahoo.com) Axalta Coating Systems Ltd (AXTA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages (americanbankingnews.com) Insider Selling: Axalta Coating Systems Ltd (AXTA) EVP Sells 15,332 Shares of Stock (americanbankingnews.com) Axalta Announces Price Increase on Industrial Coating Technologies in North America (finance.yahoo.com)

A number of research firms have weighed in on AXTA. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Axalta Coating Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Axalta Coating Systems from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 26th. Nomura reduced their price objective on shares of Axalta Coating Systems from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 11th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Axalta Coating Systems in a research report on Tuesday, March 27th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $33.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Seaport Global Securities cut shares of Axalta Coating Systems from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $34.14.

Axalta Coating Systems opened at $30.27 on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Axalta Coating Systems has a 52-week low of $27.77 and a 52-week high of $38.20. The firm has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57.

Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE:AXTA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.04. Axalta Coating Systems had a net margin of 0.94% and a return on equity of 20.56%. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.26 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. equities research analysts anticipate that Axalta Coating Systems will post 1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, EVP Steven R. Markevich sold 88,479 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.32, for a total transaction of $2,771,162.28. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 323,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,143,765. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Steven R. Markevich sold 15,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.81, for a total transaction of $457,046.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 190,529 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,679,669.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 619,920 shares of company stock valued at $19,367,798 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., through its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes high performance coatings primarily for the transportation industry. It operates in two segments, Performance Coatings and Transportation Coatings. The Performance Coatings segment offers various specially-formulated water and solvent borne products and systems that are used to refinish damaged vehicles for independent body shops, multi-shop operators, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) dealership body shops.

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AJ Wealth Strategies LLC Boosts Position in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCLT)

AJ Wealth Strategies LLC increased its stake in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCLT) by 31.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,442 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,554 shares during the quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC’s holdings in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF were worth $564,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. NYL Investors LLC bought a new stake in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF during the 1st quarter valued at $40,701,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $20,453,000. State of Tennessee Treasury Department raised its holdings in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 775,100 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $70,813,000 after acquiring an additional 54,400 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 251,235 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $24,055,000 after acquiring an additional 53,221 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 396,129 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $36,190,000 after acquiring an additional 42,752 shares during the period.

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VCLT stock traded up $0.44 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $88.95. 286,320 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 255,107. Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $86.70 and a 52 week high of $96.52.

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.305 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.11%.

About Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF

Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted corporate bond index with a long-term, dollar-weighted average maturity. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VCLT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCLT).

Northwest Natural Gas (NWN) Downgraded by Zacks Investment Research to “Hold”

Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Tuesday morning.

According to Zacks, “NorthWest Natural Gas Company is headquartered in Portland, OR, and provides natural gas service to the residential, commercial and industrial customers in western Oregon and southwestern Washington. NW Natural and its subsidiaries currently own and operate Bcf of underground gas storage capacity in Oregon and California. “

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NWN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. ValuEngine upgraded Northwest Natural Gas from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 27th. TheStreet upgraded Northwest Natural Gas from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Tuesday, May 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Northwest Natural Gas presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $61.00.

NWN opened at $63.45 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.05, a PEG ratio of 6.62 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.76. Northwest Natural Gas has a 1-year low of $51.50 and a 1-year high of $69.50.

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $264.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $296.20 million. Northwest Natural Gas had a positive return on equity of 8.14% and a negative net margin of 7.46%. The company’s revenue was down 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.40 EPS. equities research analysts forecast that Northwest Natural Gas will post 2.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 31st will be paid a $0.4725 dividend. This represents a $1.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.98%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 30th. Northwest Natural Gas’s payout ratio is currently 84.38%.

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,848,376 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $221,861,000 after buying an additional 100,659 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 888,223 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $51,206,000 after buying an additional 4,169 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 579,421 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,403,000 after buying an additional 51,721 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 450,700 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,884,000 after buying an additional 34,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OLD Republic International Corp lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Gas by 15.7% in the 1st quarter. OLD Republic International Corp now owns 384,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $22,138,000 after buying an additional 52,000 shares in the last quarter. 67.47% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Northwest Natural Gas

Northwest Natural Gas Company engages in gas distribution and storage businesses in the United States. It operates in two segments, Local Gas Distribution and Gas Storage. The Local Gas Distribution segment engages in the purchase, sale, and delivery of natural gas and related services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon and southwest Washington.

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3 Principles For A Successful Family Legacy

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image shutterstock size-large wp-image-1057866425&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1057866425/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Shutterstock

With the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in recent history set to take place over the next few decades, legacy planning is becoming an increasingly important topic of conversation among high net worth families. Beyond traditional estate planning, legacy planning is an opportunity to define, reflect on, and express what wealth really means to a family so that not only financial wealth, but also a family&a;rsquo;s core values, are passed on to future generations.

Preserving and managing tangible wealth in a complex and uncertain world can undoubtedly be a challenge. However, most often, failure to maintain wealth through the generations is due to lack of communication, education and trust among generations, rather than a poor investment strategy or a series of economic downturns. In working with our clients, we have learned that families who are successful at transitioning wealth from generation to generation adhere to three core legacy planning principles.

&l;strong&g;Integrate planning.&l;/strong&g; Legacy planning is a collaborative effort that requires open discussion not only with your wealth advisor, but also with family members and other trusted specialists. The first step is to define your goals&a;mdash;that is, how you wish to enjoy your wealth and how you want it to benefit your family members and your community. If you have philanthropic aspirations, consider the organizations and causes that are important to you and how you would like to support them. Your legacy is as much about providing financially for future generations as it is about how you wish to be remembered. Communicating your values and ambitions to trusted advisors and those important to you can help you develop a detailed wealth plan that aligns with your legacy goals.

&l;strong&g;Evolve a healthy family wealth culture.&l;/strong&g; Creating a healthy culture&a;mdash;a shared set of attitudes, values, goals and behaviors that characterize you as a family&a;mdash;is critically important for legacy planning. Often, the families who are most successful in developing a healthy family wealth culture preserve stories and history, articulate a common purpose and foster communication. Families who develop a healthy attitude toward their wealth through open and honest discussion are typically more likely to see that wealth preserved from generation to generation. Consider the elements that define your family&a;rsquo;s culture, and keep them in mind as you designate goals for your wealth.

&l;strong&g;Develop the rising generation.&l;/strong&g; Younger generations often have difficulty distinguishing between wealth and money, and their attitude toward each can be very different. When developing your legacy, it is important to help younger generations understand how thoughtful spending, investing and charitable giving contribute to a sense of purpose. As you involve your children in your wealth management plans, providing age-appropriate transparency and creating a positive learning environment often put them in the best position to successfully preserve your family&a;rsquo;s wealth and legacy.

Legacy planning is a process, a journey, a way of thinking in a long-term way about what &a;ldquo;family wealth&a;rdquo; really means. For high net worth families, it can also be an important component of the overall wealth management process. If you are just beginning, consider how these principles align with your long-term wealth goals. Then, open up the conversation to family members and trusted advisors. In most cases, successful planning hinges on identifying objectives, communicating them effectively, and developing a strategy that closely aligns with your goals.&l;/p&g;

SEI Investments (SEIC) Expected to Announce Earnings of $0.75 Per Share

Equities research analysts expect SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC) to report earnings of $0.75 per share for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Three analysts have made estimates for SEI Investments’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.74 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.76. SEI Investments posted earnings per share of $0.57 during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 31.6%. The company is scheduled to announce its next earnings results on Wednesday, July 25th.

On average, analysts expect that SEI Investments will report full year earnings of $3.14 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.11 to $3.19. For the next year, analysts forecast that the firm will post earnings of $3.31 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.20 to $3.45. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that that provide coverage for SEI Investments.

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SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 25th. The asset manager reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $405.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $408.10 million. SEI Investments had a return on equity of 29.07% and a net margin of 28.97%. SEI Investments’s quarterly revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share.

A number of analysts recently commented on SEIC shares. William Blair lowered SEI Investments from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 12th. Zacks Investment Research lowered SEI Investments from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 11th. BidaskClub lowered SEI Investments from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 12th. Finally, Sandler O’Neill set a $81.00 target price on SEI Investments and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. SEI Investments currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.40.

SEI Investments traded down $0.29, reaching $63.85, during mid-day trading on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. 639,900 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 700,992. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.24. SEI Investments has a one year low of $52.59 and a one year high of $78.35. The company has a current ratio of 6.43, a quick ratio of 6.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

The company also recently announced a semiannual dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 14th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 13th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.94%. SEI Investments’s payout ratio is presently 25.86%.

SEI Investments announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, May 30th that permits the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the asset manager to purchase up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

In other SEI Investments news, insider Joseph P. Ujobai sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.52, for a total value of $1,330,400.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 17.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. OLD Mutual Customised Solutions Proprietary Ltd. grew its position in shares of SEI Investments by 73.5% in the fourth quarter. OLD Mutual Customised Solutions Proprietary Ltd. now owns 5,900 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares in the last quarter. Amundi Pioneer Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of SEI Investments in the fourth quarter valued at $2,941,000. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in shares of SEI Investments by 11.8% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 27,624 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $1,985,000 after purchasing an additional 2,916 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of SEI Investments by 9.1% in the fourth quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 80,246 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $5,767,000 after purchasing an additional 6,662 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of SEI Investments in the fourth quarter valued at $411,000. Institutional investors own 70.02% of the company’s stock.

SEI Investments Company Profile

SEI Investments Co is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides wealth management, retirement and investment solutions, asset management, asset administration, investment processing outsourcing solutions, financial services, and investment advisory services to its clients.

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With A Whopping Yield Of 11.8%, Energy Transfer Partners Is One Of The Top Dividend Paying Stocks

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-687534966&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/687534966/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;638&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; Trans-Alaska Pipeline (Alyeska pipleline) running through landscape with Mountain range in the distance in Alaska.. (Photo by: Edwin Remsburg/VW Pics via Getty Images)

CressCap grades Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) &a;nbsp;an A+ based on its high yield, vibrant forward growth and impressive payout ratio. Based on our scoring system, ETP currently ranks 9 out of 523 stocks in the industrial sector. The foundation of our recommendations is to identify companies that perform best and worst on the collective basis of value, growth, EPS revisions, profitability, and LT momentum. The CressCap systematic trading model gathers data daily on 6,500 companies globally and assigns academic grades (A - F) for each financial metric. These grades are scored relative to its region/sector. ETP&a;rsquo;s strong position in pipelines and oil/gas production coupled with an attractive yield &a;nbsp;make it one of CressCap&a;rsquo;s top picks.

&l;img class=&q;size-large wp-image-227&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/richardtrefzwilliams/files/2018/07/ETP-Chart-1200x335.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;335&q; data-width=&q;1200&q;&g; ETP is currently sitting at the top of CressCap&s;s Equity Yield Hunter list and is worth taking a look at if you&s;re on the hunt for dividends.

ETP is in the oil and gas transmission and storage business. It makes money from royalties rather than operating profits, enabling management to lever its operating model by shifting the production aspects to partners and keeping the high margin cash flows from royalties. The company owns 11,800 miles of pipelines and processes natural gas into liquids (NGL) that can be exported at high margins.

Benefits resulting from the tax reform package, providing for full up-front depreciation of capex, better cash flow and higher EPS, suggest that the stock is positioned for potential upside in addition to the yield. Notably, the company has a very good payout ratio of 233.33% relative to the sector at 25.26% accompanied by an A+ CressCap grade. The value of this company, given an A+ rank, is shown through its P/B ratio at 0.84x vs. sector 2.56x and its P/S ratio at 0.68x compared to the sector 1.33x. ETP had $1.77 billion in 1Q18 OCF and spent 97% of it or $1 billion on capex and 38% on dividends. Incentive distribution rights (IDR) expired at the end of 2017, cleaning up the model and supporting the notion that the payout ratio is sustainable. Management believes completion of its $4 billion plus worth of new projects, that have been taxing the financial model with high capex, will balance out cash flows and maintain a coverage ratio of over 1.0. Management has expressed ETP can support its distribution rate - making the stock an attractive yield alternative for investors.

The stock continues to recover since its 2014 ABC decline. The stock should rebound towards 50-62% or $24-28 over time. Since May, the stock has been in a consolidation pattern that may be about done. One concern is the threat of inflation and higher US rates, but with such an attractive yield we think a spot protected position makes sense. Support is about $18 and then $15 below it.

&l;/p&g;&l;div class=&q;article-container color-body font-body&q;&g; &l;div&g; &l;em&g;&l;strong&g;For additional information, feel free to send questions to&a;nbsp;&l;a href=&q;mailto:info@cresscap.com&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;nofollow noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;info@cresscap.com&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;or view our website&l;a href=&q;http://www.cresscap.com/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;nofollow noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;&a;nbsp;www.cresscap.com&l;/a&g;. Please&a;nbsp;click&l;span&g;&a;nbsp;&l;/span&g;&l;a href=&q;https://cresscap.com/disclaimer/&q; target=&q;_blank&q; rel=&q;nofollow noopener noreferrer&q; target=&q;_blank&q;&g;here&l;/a&g;&a;nbsp;to view CressCap Investment Research&a;rsquo;s full disclaimer.&l;/strong&g;&l;/em&g; &l;/div&g;

&l;/div&g;

The World's Biggest Companies Are Set To Decarbonize Their Products

&l;p&g;&l;img class=&q;dam-image bloomberg size-large wp-image-41140288&q; src=&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/41140288/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q; data-height=&q;640&q; data-width=&q;960&q;&g; A wind turbine in Yokohama, Japan. Low-carbon electricity is one way companies will decarbonize their products. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Low-carbon products will make up at least half of the products and services of many of the world&a;rsquo;s biggest companies within a decade, a new survey has revealed, while a fifth of those questioned said that every single one of their products would be low-carbon by 2028.

The survey defined low-carbon as &a;ldquo;causing only a relatively small net release of CO2 into the atmosphere.&a;rdquo;

The survey, on behalf of the Science Based Targets Initiative, shows that most businesses that have signed up to the initiative expect to decarbonize their products or the services they offer by 2028.

The Science Based Targets initiative mobilizes companies to set targets based on the targets agreed in the Paris climate change agreement that was agreed in the French capital in December 2015, in which 195 countries agreed to work to keep average temperature rises below 2&a;deg;C to prevent dangerous climate change. &a;ldquo;This signalled an acceleration in the transition to a low carbon economy,&a;rdquo; the initiative says, and companies that want to gain a competitive advantage, avoid falling foul of more burdensome regulations and make their companies more resilient to the physical impacts of climate change and the switch to a low-carbon economy are signing up to the initiative.

Targets adopted by companies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are considered &a;ldquo;science-based&a;rdquo; if they are in line with the level of decarbonization required to keep global temperature increase below 2&a;deg;C compared to pre- industrial temperatures, as described in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The initiative defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies&a;rsquo; targets.

At the time of writing, 428 of the world&a;rsquo;s biggest companies have committed to a science-based approach to cutting emissions. They include AB InBev, the world&a;rsquo;s largest brewer, cereal maker Kellogg, fast food chain McDonald&a;rsquo;s and retailers Target and Wal-Mart. Because of their size and global reach, the companies signing up to the initiative are expected to have a huge impact because they will focus not just on emissions from their own operations but on those from their suppliers as well.

The survey, which had responses from 185 corporations in 37 countries, suggests that almost a third of companies that set ambitious targets on cutting GHG emissions expect to see bottom line savings, with environmental issues seen as one of the biggest factors set to influence business growth over the next five years, ahead of economic policy and second only to technological change.

In total, 79% of the companies surveyed said brand reputation is one of the biggest benefits of setting science-based targets, while 63% said the commitment helps to drive innovation.

Dexter Galvin, global director of Corporations &a;amp; Supply Chains at CDP, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners, commented: &a;ldquo;Companies are increasingly aware of the risks of dangerous climate change and the business opportunities in taking action. The fact that one in five executives with science-based targets expect 100% of their products and services to be low carbon within a decade is remarkable &a;ndash; and suggests a tipping point is in reach.

&a;ldquo;This study shows that companies putting science at the heart of their environmental ambitions are already feeling the benefits. A science-based target should be part of every company roadmap. Those without one will struggle to see around the next corner, posing material risk to their business, while losing significant ground to their competitors,&a;rdquo; he added.

At the World Economic Forum in January 2018, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of India&s;s giant Mahindra Group, which sells everything from military vehicles to solar panels, called on companies worldwide to commit to the Science Based Targets initiative ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit hosted in California in September 2018.

&a;ldquo;By anchoring targets in science, companies are able to move beyond incremental improvements and focus on what&a;rsquo;s necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the scale that is needed,&a;rdquo; said Kevin Rabinovitch, global vice-president Sustainability at food producer Mars. &a;ldquo;If every company, community and government set science-based targets the cumulative result would enable us to live within the planet&a;rsquo;s boundaries.&a;rdquo;&l;/p&g;

RChain (RHOC) Tops 1-Day Volume of $505,108.00

RChain (CURRENCY:RHOC) traded down 4.5% against the US dollar during the 1-day period ending at 11:00 AM Eastern on July 6th. During the last seven days, RChain has traded 1.5% lower against the US dollar. One RChain token can currently be bought for $0.75 or 0.00011452 BTC on major exchanges including IDEX, Token Store, OOOBTC and Kucoin. RChain has a market capitalization of $271.29 million and approximately $505,108.00 worth of RChain was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Here is how other cryptocurrencies have performed during the last day:

Get RChain alerts: XRP (XRP) traded 2.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.47 or 0.00007193 BTC. Stellar (XLM) traded down 0.3% against the dollar and now trades at $0.21 or 0.00003149 BTC. IOTA (MIOTA) traded down 10.4% against the dollar and now trades at $1.05 or 0.00015939 BTC. Tether (USDT) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $1.01 or 0.00015326 BTC. NEO (NEO) traded 10% lower against the dollar and now trades at $37.58 or 0.00572213 BTC. TRON (TRX) traded 4.9% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0366 or 0.00000558 BTC. Binance Coin (BNB) traded down 3.4% against the dollar and now trades at $13.39 or 0.00203942 BTC. VeChain (VET) traded 6.4% lower against the dollar and now trades at $2.45 or 0.00037297 BTC. Ontology (ONT) traded down 7.6% against the dollar and now trades at $4.67 or 0.00071127 BTC. Zilliqa (ZIL) traded 1.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0849 or 0.00001292 BTC.

RChain Token Profile

RChain’s genesis date was March 20th, 2017. RChain’s total supply is 870,663,574 tokens and its circulating supply is 360,710,406 tokens. RChain’s official website is www.rchain.coop. The Reddit community for RChain is /r/RChain and the currency’s Github account can be viewed here. RChain’s official Twitter account is @rchain_coop. RChain’s official message board is medium.com/rchain-cooperative.

Buying and Selling RChain

RChain can be bought or sold on these cryptocurrency exchanges: IDEX, OOOBTC, Kucoin, Abucoins, Token Store and ChaoEX. It is usually not currently possible to purchase alternative cryptocurrencies such as RChain directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to acquire RChain should first purchase Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Gemini, Coinbase or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to purchase RChain using one of the exchanges listed above.

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Hot Small Cap Stocks For 2019

tags:TYEKF,USFD,CIR, Related LGCY Marathon Oil Shares, Other Peers Fall After Capex Cut JPMorgan: More MLP Distribution Cuts Coming In 2016 Related GOOGL Mid-Day Market Update: Microsoft Drops On Earnings Miss; NGL Energy Partners Shares Surge Alphabet Crushed After Q1 Report Big Tech Stocks Down Hard, But Small Caps Up; Hawaiian Air Hits "Eject" Button (Investor's Business Daily)

Toward the end of trading Friday, the Dow traded up 0.10 percent to 18,001.14 while the NASDAQ declined 0.90 percent to 4,901.21. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.01 percent to 2,091.31.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

On Friday, the energy sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from NGL Energy Partners LP (NYSE: NGL) and Legacy Reserves LP (NASDAQ: LGCY).

In trading on Friday, technology shares fell by 1.73 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), down 7 percent, and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL), down 5 percent.

Hot Small Cap Stocks For 2019: ThyssenKrupp AG (TYEKF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  United Technologies' Otis division manufactures and services elevators, escalators, and other people moving devices. The business is reasonably attractive since there is a fair degree of concentration. Four major companies, Kone Oyj (OTCPK:KNYJF) (OTCPK:KNYJY), ThyssenKrupp (OTCPK:TYEKF) (OTCPK:TKAMY), Schindler (OTCPK:SHLAF) (OTC:SHNDY), and Otis, account for over 50% market share. The main long-term drivers of the industry are urbanization. As you might guess, elevator demand is strongest in dense urban environments where almost every building is multi-story.

Hot Small Cap Stocks For 2019: US Foods Holding Corp. (USFD)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey, Matthew Frankel, and George Budwell]

  We asked three Motley Fool investors to identify a stock they felt was absurdly cheap compared to its prospects, and they picked Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (NYSE:SKT), and US Foods Holdings�(NYSE:USFD). Let's find out why these companies represent unusual opportunities that we might not see again.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of US Foods (NYSE:USFD) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report published on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $43.00 price objective on the stock.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:

  Wall Street expects Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) to report quarterly earnings at $0.44 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion before the opening bell. Discovery shares rose 0.47 percent to $23.50 in pre-market trading. Analysts expect Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) to post quarterly earnings at $1.22 per share on revenue of $5.72 billion after the closing bell. Marriott shares gained 0.08 percent to $136.75 in pre-market trading. Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) reported stronger-than-expected earnings for its first quarter. Veeco Instruments shares surged 14.04 percent to $19.50 in the after-hours trading session. Before the markets open, DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $3.50 billion. DISH shares gained 1.53 percent to close at $33.90 on Monday. Analysts are expecting US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) to have earned $0.32 per share on revenue of $5.98 billion in the latest quarter. US Foods will release earnings before the markets open. US Foods shares rose 0.57 percent to close at $33.72 on Monday. Snap Inc (NYSE: SNAP) disclosed that its CFO Andrew Vollero will leave the company and Amazon.com's VP Of Finance Tim Sloan will assume the role. Snap shares gained 1.3 percent to $10.88 in pre-market trading.

  Find out what's going on in today's market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga's PreMarket Prep.

• [By Lisa Levin] Companies Reporting Before The Bell Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.44 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $3.63 billion. Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.92 per share on revenue of $3.17 billion. Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.57 per share on revenue of $926.18 million. The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $2.98 billion. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.64 per share on revenue of $1.71 billion. US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $5.98 billion. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.7 per share on revenue of $3.50 billion. Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $2.06 per share on revenue of $936.98 million. Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.42 per share on revenue of $1.06 billion. Perrigo Company plc (NYSE: PRGO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $1.14 per share on revenue of $1.21 billion. Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras (NYSE: PBR) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $23.80 billion. JD.com, Inc. (NYSE: JD) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $15.65 billion. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.6 per share o
• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Shares of US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) reached a new 52-week high and low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $35.82 and last traded at $35.76, with a volume of 54880 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.43.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  US Foods Holding Corp (NYSE:USFD)’s share price reached a new 52-week high and low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $37.08 and last traded at $36.81, with a volume of 151249 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.45.

Hot Small Cap Stocks For 2019: CIRCOR International, Inc.(CIR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CIRCOR International (CIR)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on CIRCOR International (CIR)

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

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Peel Hunt reaffirmed their hold rating on shares of Circassia Pharmaceuticals (LON:CIR) in a report published on Thursday.

  A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Numis Securities decreased their price target on Circassia Pharmaceuticals from GBX 180 ($2.42) to GBX 140 ($1.88) and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating on shares of Circassia Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, April 24th.

MYR Group (MYRG) Raised to “Hold” at BidaskClub

MYR Group (NASDAQ:MYRG) was upgraded by equities researchers at BidaskClub from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on MYRG. ValuEngine raised shares of MYR Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 17th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded MYR Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $39.00 price objective on MYR Group and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 9th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity lifted their price objective on MYR Group from $35.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 9th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. MYR Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $35.83.

Get MYR Group alerts:

Shares of MYRG opened at $37.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $592.34 million, a PE ratio of 46.07 and a beta of 0.58. MYR Group has a 12-month low of $23.00 and a 12-month high of $40.81. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

MYR Group (NASDAQ:MYRG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $345.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $320.64 million. MYR Group had a net margin of 1.77% and a return on equity of 6.06%. The business’s revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.07 earnings per share. analysts predict that MYR Group will post 1.99 EPS for the current year.

In related news, Director William A. Koertner sold 39,601 shares of MYR Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $1,386,035.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Jeffrey J. Waneka sold 993 shares of MYR Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total value of $37,734.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 10,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $394,098. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 63,194 shares of company stock valued at $2,303,576 over the last 90 days. 4.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MYRG. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in MYR Group in the fourth quarter worth about $201,000. Raymond James & Associates bought a new position in MYR Group in the fourth quarter worth about $236,000. MetLife Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in MYR Group in the fourth quarter worth about $246,000. Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in MYR Group by 34.1% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 8,228 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $254,000 after purchasing an additional 2,091 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global X Management Co. LLC raised its holdings in MYR Group by 319.3% in the first quarter. Global X Management Co. LLC now owns 8,512 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $262,000 after purchasing an additional 6,482 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.23% of the company’s stock.

MYR Group Company Profile

MYR Group Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides electrical construction services in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Transmission and Distribution, and Commercial and Industrial. The Transmission and Distribution segment offers a range of services on electric transmission and distribution networks, and substation facilities, including design, engineering, procurement, construction, upgrade, maintenance, and repair services with primary focus on construction, maintenance, and repair to customers in the electric utility and the renewable energy industries.

Trilogy International Partners (TRL) Reaches New 12-Month Low at $4.09

Trilogy International Partners Inc (TSE:TRL) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as C$4.09 and last traded at C$4.16, with a volume of 1600 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$4.30.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Securities raised shares of Trilogy International Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a C$7.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 7th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on shares of Trilogy International Partners from C$9.50 to C$8.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Trilogy International Partners from C$9.00 to C$8.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 11th.

Trilogy International Partners Company Profile

Trilogy International Partners Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless voice and data communications services to customers and international visitors roaming on its networks in the United States, Bolivia, and New Zealand. Its wireless voice and data communications services include local, international long distance, and roaming services.

Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) Given Daily Media Impact Rating of 0.21

News headlines about Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM) have trended somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment reports. The research firm rates the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Cal-Maine Foods earned a news sentiment score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media stories about the basic materials company an impact score of 45.5279430715424 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the immediate future.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BidaskClub upgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 6th. TheStreet upgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. ValuEngine upgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Cal-Maine Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $54.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, April 13th. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on Cal-Maine Foods from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $54.50.

Get Cal-Maine Foods alerts:

Cal-Maine Foods stock opened at $51.35 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.48 billion, a PE ratio of -33.34 and a beta of 0.59. Cal-Maine Foods has a 1 year low of $33.40 and a 1 year high of $51.65.

Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 2nd. The basic materials company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $435.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $404.33 million. Cal-Maine Foods had a return on equity of 5.62% and a net margin of 2.23%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.09 EPS. equities research analysts predict that Cal-Maine Foods will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, VP Charles Jeff Hardin sold 2,036 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.39, for a total value of $96,486.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $180,082. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 33.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Cal-Maine Foods Company Profile

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc produces, grades, packages, markets, and distributes shell eggs. It offers specialty shell eggs, such as nutritionally enhanced, cage free, organic, and brown eggs under the Egg-Land's Best, Land O' Lakes, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain brand names, as well as under private labels.

Exelon, First Solar Bankroll Campaign to Push for a U.S. Carbon Tax

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Major energy companies, including the largest U.S. nuclear power generator, are putting millions of dollars into a new political campaign to push for a tax on carbon dioxide emissions -- a measure President Donald Trump has said he opposes.

Exelon Corp., is giving $1 million toward the cause, joining renewable power manufacturer First Solar Inc. and the American Wind Energy Association in helping underwrite the nonprofit organization. Top Washington strategists and aides to former President George W. Bush are guiding the initiative.

The campaign, dubbed Americans for Carbon Dividends, aims to bolster a carbon tax-and-dividend plan advanced by prominent Republicans a year ago, using more aggressive lobbying and advertising to line up support.

The initiative will be run by two former senators: Democrat John Breaux and Republican Trent Lott, who was the Senate majority leader for more than four years. Top political consultants and strategists, including White House veterans Mark McKinnon, Karen Hughes and Joe Lockhart, are advising the campaign.

Two former Federal Reserve chairmen, Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke, also are signing on as members of the Climate Leadership Council, the not-for-profit advocacy group that developed the underlying carbon tax-and-dividend plan.

The new group represents the most serious effort in years to influence the U.S. debate over climate policy and appeal to Republicans who have opposed putting a price on the carbon dioxide emissions that drive global warming.

Read More: How Countries Cut Carbon by Putting a Price on It

Trump said he opposed taxing greenhouse gas emissions while campaigning for the White House. And the Republican-led House approved a resolution condemning the very idea in June 2016. Still, it aligns with the desires of some oil companies that favor a carbon fee as a predictable way to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.

It also dovetails with Exelon’s policy priorities. As the nation’s largest generator of carbon-free nuclear power, the company stands to benefit from policies encouraging low- and no-emission energy. Exelon was one of the members of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, the last big broad corporate push for legislation capping carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon Capture, the Vacuum Cleaner the Climate Needs: QuickTake

"Our customers want action," said Kathleen Barron, Exelon’s senior vice president of federal regulatory affairs and wholesale market policy. The carbon tax campaign presents an enticing legislative solution to an issue that has gridlocked on Capitol Hill, Barron said.

The political group is organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, freeing it to run paid advertising, lobby policy makers and conduct aggressive social and digital campaigns with the aim of building support for the carbon tax plan. The group does not plan to be active in this November’s elections but organizers envision doing so in 2020.

The proposed carbon tax aims to increase the cost of energy derived from oil, natural gas and coal, thereby discouraging the use of those fossil fuels and encouraging the free market to develop low-carbon power alternatives.

Under the Climate Leadership Council’s blueprint, every ton of carbon dioxide would be hit with a $40 tax, with the price rising over time and revenue redistributed to households in the form of quarterly dividend checks. In exchange, regulations aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions -- and much of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate them -- would be eliminated.

Companies that emit greenhouse gas emissions also could win liability protection, helping to insulate them from mounting lawsuits over the costs of climate change.

The Latest From BI: Energy Sector May See State Level Carbon Taxes

Products imported from countries that don’t have similar plans would face border adjustments to increase their price -- levies intended to protect American competitiveness and encourage other nations to follow the U.S. lead.

Squads of top political consultants and operatives are pushing the plan. Dewey Square Group has been tapped to run grassroots political operations, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies will spearhead public relations. Breaux and Lott, with Squire Patton Boggs, are the campaign’s top lobbyists.

Bush Connections

The campaign has enlisted former Bush aides as senior advisers, including political strategist McKinnon and the former president’s onetime counselor, Hughes, now a worldwide vice chair at Burson-Marsteller LLC. Lockhart, who served as White House press secretary for President Bill Clinton, also has joined as a senior adviser. Veteran Republican fundraiser Margaret Lauderback will seek more underwriters.

Read More: Exxon Mobil Says It Has Seen the Future, and It Runs on Oil

Supporters tout the proposal as a market-based approach to combat climate change that would replace an onerous, unpredictable regulatory regime -- and could drive even more robust carbon dioxide reductions. Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA publicly backed the plan last June, joining consumer products companies and General Motors Co.

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, which operates Bloomberg News, is an individual founding member of the Climate Leadership Council but neither he nor Bloomberg Philanthropies has provided any funding to the organization.

Republican ‘Rich Kids’

Critics say the proposed tax would punish users of natural gas, oil and coal that make up the vast majority of the energy consumed in the U.S. today.

"Nothing would slam the brakes on this economy faster than a carbon tax," said Dan Eberhart, the chief executive officer of Canary LLC, a Colorado-based drilling-services company. "We need affordable and reliable energy, and the tax structure is already set up to penalize oil and gas and promote renewable energy."

Mike McKenna, a Republican energy strategist, said "this effort to tax energy will make people poorer, diminish the nation and have no material effect on the purported problem."

"But," he added, "the rich kids who used to run the Republican Party don’t really care about that."

Exelon’s involvement is striking because in other major carbon policy fights, it has been at odds with oil companies that favor the carbon tax plan. For instance, Exelon has lobbied for state subsidies for nuclear power. And because those subsidies could disadvantage natural gas, the American Petroleum Institute has opposed them.

The effort comes as energy companies face mounting litigation risks over climate change, with lawsuits from California, Colorado and New York City.

Ekso Bionics (EKSO) Director Steven Sherman Buys 200,000 Shares of Stock

Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) Director Steven Sherman bought 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $1.51 per share, for a total transaction of $302,000.00. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Ekso Bionics traded up $0.02, hitting $1.52, during trading on Friday, according to Marketbeat Ratings. The stock had a trading volume of 120,559 shares, compared to its average volume of 339,177. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.71 and a beta of -0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 2.50 and a current ratio of 2.79. Ekso Bionics has a 12 month low of $0.99 and a 12 month high of $4.77.

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Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ:EKSO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 13th. The company reported ($0.15) EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.10) by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $2.45 million during the quarter. Ekso Bionics had a negative net margin of 340.49% and a negative return on equity of 184.66%. equities research analysts forecast that Ekso Bionics will post -0.48 EPS for the current year.

Separately, ValuEngine upgraded Ekso Bionics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd.

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EKSO. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Ekso Bionics by 97.3% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 110,840 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 54,663 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Ekso Bionics by 3,586.7% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Inc. now owns 114,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 111,223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ekso Bionics by 68.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 233,301 shares of the company’s stock worth $496,000 after purchasing an additional 94,923 shares during the last quarter. 38.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ekso Bionics

Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc designs, develops, and sells exoskeletons for use in the healthcare, industrial, and military markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through Medical Devices, Industrial Sales, and Engineering Services segments. It primarily offers Ekso GT, a bionic suit that provides the ability to stand and walk over ground with a reciprocal gait using a cane, crutches, or a walker to individuals with spinal cord injuries, hemiplegia due to stroke, and lower limb paralysis or weakness.

3 Stocks That Could Put Tesla's Returns to Shame

Despite the recent struggles Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)�has faced with the manufacturing of its Model 3, it's hard to ignore the�fact that this has been a fantastic stock to own this decade. Finding stocks that can produce a 1,000% return in less than 10 years is absolutely fantastic for one's portfolio.

It's not an easy task finding these kinds of stocks. For every Tesla, there are numerous stocks that have no shot at that kind of return. So we put the question to three of our Motley Fool investors: What stock do you see having a future that could meet or beat Tesla's performance? Here's why they picked SolarEdge Technologies (NASDAQ:SEDG), A.O. Smith (NYSE:AOS), and Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO).

Image source: Getty Images.

The behind-the-scenes investment in solar energy

Tyler Crowe (SolarEdge Technologies): Investing in solar power isn't the slam dunk investment that one might think. Even though the solar industry has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past several years, the economics of solar panel producers and residential installers haven't been great for investors. Pricing pressure and the constant need to reinvest in new technology means margins in these businesses have been razor thin. One part of the solar industry that has done spectacularly well, though, are component suppliers. That's why SolarEdge Technologies' stock is up 273% over the past year and there is a chance that there is still room to run.

SolarEdge doesn't make panels. Rather, it makes the electrical components that make solar power a viable power source such as inverters and power optimizers. The benefit of these kinds of products is that they are panel agnostic -- they can be installed on any manufacturers' panels -- and they improve the economics of an installation, which gives it some pricing power when selling products. This position in the solar value chain has allowed SolarEdge to grow revenue by more than 50% annually while maintaining a gross margin of 29% or higher over the past three years.�

Even though the stock has grown incredibly over the past year, there is still room for it to run. Revenue shows little sign of slowing down, margins are expanding, and the recent ruling that all new homes need to have a solar power installation on them�make a price to earnings ratio of 35 for a stock growing this fast seem more than reasonable. If you want a stock that has a chance to outpace Tesla for a while, take a look at SolarEdge Technologies.�

Building off of a solid foundation

Reuben Gregg Brewer (A.O. Smith Corporation): Tesla has helped to change the way we look at automobiles, with investors jumping aboard the exciting potential electric cars offer. The stock is up 240% over the past five years. Boring old water heater maker A.O. Smith, meanwhile, has seen its stock rise 220% over that span... and it's on much stronger financial ground to keep that run going.

Water heaters may not be as exciting as electric cars in mature markets, but in emerging markets hot water is in high demand and is a lot more affordable than a Tesla automobile. Over the past decade A.O. Smith has grown revenue in China by 21% a year! Now the company is focusing on the equally compelling long-term opportunity in India, where management expects its target customer population to expand by over 250% between 2020 and 2030.� �

Data source: AOS Total Long Term Debt (Quarterly) data by YCharts.

That's a great opportunity for A.O. Smith and it shouldn't have any problems supporting the spending to tap it; Long-term debt makes up just 15% of the company's capital structure, with the dollar amount of debt lower than it was a decade ago. Tesla has a huge opportunity in electric cars, but it may not live up to its potential because of its much discussed debt issues. It has four times more long-term debt than it did just three years ago, with long-term debt now accounting for two-thirds of its capital structure. Worse, there's legitimate concern that it won't be able to raise more cash if it needs it. In the end, A.O. Smith has both good growth prospects and a solid financial foundation, a combination that could easily allow it to beat Tesla's stock performance in the future.� � �

A video game stock with home run potential

Travis Hoium (Take-Two Interactive): Video games have become a massive business as games have spread from gaming consoles to computers and mobile devices. The industry is dominated by three companies, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive. Of the three, Take-Two Interactive is by far the smallest and least developed game-maker, but that's why I think it could be set up for huge returns for investors.�

Until now, Take-Two Interactive has primarily been a console or PC gaming company with titles like Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K�being its leading revenue drivers. That's limited growth markets like mobile and esports, which are now drawing millions of fans viewing league play.�

Take-Two Interactive acquired Social Point last year to expand its mobile presence and management said the company's games "contributed meaningfully" to net bookings with Dragon City and Monster Legends. Updates to both games are expected in the near future and management has high hopes for this segment. �

On the esports side, Take-Two Interactive launched the NBA 2K league earlier this year to mixed reviews, but it's a toe in the esports water for the company. Activision Blizzard has shown that esports league franchise values can be worth tens of millions of dollars and advertising deals can reach over $100 million in aggregate, so there's a lot of potential. One positive point for NBA 2K league is the 37 million registered users in China, which could make this a league that can go worldwide very quickly.�

Take-Two Interactive isn't as valuable or mature in building out mobile and esports as Activision Blizzard or Electronic Arts, but that's why it could be a home run stock. The company needs a hit like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption to take the gaming industry by storm while pushing its business model further into mobile and esports. If it can do that long-term it'll be a big winner for investors.�

The General Electric and Wabtec Merger: What It Means to Investors

Just as promised on its first-quarter earnings call,�General Electric Company (NYSE:GE)�has announced a deal to exit its transportation business as part of a wider plan to unload $20 billion worth of assets. The deal to merge GE transportation with�Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies�(NYSE:WAB), or Wabtec, is somewhat complicated, but in general can be seen as a near-term positive for shareholders. However, it will do little to appease dyed-in-the-wool bears worried about the sustainability of the company's dividend and restructuring prospects. Let's take a look at both sides of the story.

GE has decided to merge GE Transportation with Wabtec. Image source: Getty Images.

Near-term positive for shareholders

Let's start by breaking out who will own what after the merger. As you can see below, existing shareholders will be rewarded with stock, as well as future cash flow and dividends from the new Wabtec. So if you are a GE shareholder, you should have a keen interest in the rationale for the deal because you will be owning stock in Wabtec.`

Entity/Group

After the Merger...

GE shareholders	Receives 40.2% of shares in new Wabtec.
GE Company	Receives 9.9% of shares in new Wabtec and $2.9 billion in cash.
Wabtec shareholders	Retains 49.9% of shares in new Wabtec.

Data source: Wabtec presentations.

In a nutshell, you could look at this deal as a kind of near-term "reward" for long-suffering GE shareholders, as GE's management is returning capital from GE Transportation via stock in the new Wabtec.�

What's more, the deal has been structured in a tax-efficient manner. Specifically, GE Transportation will be first distributed to GE shareholders in a "tax-free spin- or split-off; then immediately merged with Wabtec," according to the deal presentation. Furthermore, the deal structure should accrue a net tax benefit of $1.1 billion to Wabtec.

A good deal for Wabtec

Wabtec's management certainly thinks it got a great deal. Aside from the tax benefit, the merged company is expected to generate $250 million in run-rate synergies by the fourth year after the deal, or around 3.2% of the combined 2017 revenue of GE Transportation and Wabtec. Although this figure is lower than the 5% many analysts assume for mergers, there are a couple of things to consider that suggest Wabtec is onto a good thing.

First, Wabtec's management estimates that the existing company currently trades on a 2019 EV-to-adjusted EBITDA multiple of 14, but the new Wabtec (which will roughly double in size) will trade on a 2019 EV-to-adjusted EBITDA multiple of just 9, after the tax benefits and synergies start to kick in.

Second, it's worth noting that Wabtec is merging with GE Transportation at a cyclical low point. For example, GE Transportation is expected to deliver around 300 locomotives in 2018; that compares with an average of around 670 over the last decade.

Since GE Transportation is only expected to start to rebound from a cyclical low in 2018, even the EV/EBITDA multiple for 2019 is still likely to reflect cyclically�low earnings. In other words, in future years, earnings should rebound strongly -- and, all things being equal, the EV/EBITDA multiple will decline.�

All told, it looks like a good deal for Wabtec.

Why GE bears won't be appeased, much

The bearish case for GE stock, for the most part, focuses on the deterioration in free cash flow (FCF) and the ongoing problems in the power segment. The influx of $2.9 billion in cash from Wabtec won't impress the bears much. Moreover, transportation is a highly cash-generative business for GE, and exiting it will trim FCF generation in the future.

Management has already told investors to expect earnings and, by implication, cash flow to be at the lower end of 2018 guidance -- its most recent guidance implies a $500 million cut in power segment profit, which will be hard to make up elsewhere.

As it stands, GE expects $6 billion to $7 billion in industrial FCF in 2018, which is intended to fund a $4.2 billion dividend payment. However, GE is pre-funding its pension plan to the tune of $6 billion in 2018 by borrowing the same amount. In a sense, GE is covering its 2018 dividend by borrowing money and relying on asset sales. In short, GE needs cash, and many investors may have preferred a deal with a higher cash component rather than the one outlined above.�

The bottom line

An analyst with a glass-half-full approach would see the deal as progress on GE's restructuring plans and note that the cash flow will give the company more leeway to restructure the power segment before a bounce-back in total FCF generation in 2019. Meanwhile, the structure of the deal is a nice way to return capital to GE shareholders.

An analyst with a more pessimistic approach would worry about continued deterioration in the power segment and therefore see the cash from Wabtec as small potatoes compared to what GE could need to realize its restructuring plans while maintaining its current dividend.

All told, if GE can maintain its full-year 2018 cash flow guidance and FCF can improve markedly in 2019, then the Wabtec deal will turn out to have been a smart move. If not, it would represent a missed opportunity to possibly bring in some more much-needed cash. It's too early to tell right now, but what's undeniable is that the GE-Wabtec deal marks progress on GE management's strategic aims, and that can't be seen as anything but a plus.�

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019

tags:AON,PRU,AIG,PFG,

XL Group Ltd (NYSE:XL) files its latest 10-K with SEC for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2017. XL Group Ltd provides insurance and reinsurance service. It provides property, casualty and specialty products to industrial, commercial and professional firms, insurance companies and other enterprises. XL Group Ltd has a market cap of $11.12 billion; its shares were traded at around $43.45 with and P/S ratio of 1.03. The dividend yield of XL Group Ltd stocks is 2.03%.

For the last quarter XL Group Ltd reported a revenue of $2.9 billion, compared with the revenue of $2.9 billion during the same period a year ago. For the latest fiscal year the company reported a revenue of $11.3 billion, an increase of 7.4% from last year. For the last five years XL Group Ltd had an average revenue growth rate of 10.8% a year.

The reported loss per diluted share was $2.16 for the year, compared with the earnings per share of $4.15 in the previous year. The XL Group Ltd had an operating margin of -4.37%, compared with the operating margin of 5.38% a year before. The 10-year historical median operating margin of XL Group Ltd is 7.58%. The profitability rank of the company is 5 (out of 10).

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Aon Corporation(AON)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Max Byerly]

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

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jason Hall, Chuck Saletta, and Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  But that doesn't mean you need to make risky bets to capture solid returns, either, and buying solid companies at reasonable prices can help create a margin of safety and improve your returns, while also decreasing your risk of permanent losses. Three stocks that meet these criteria are small healthcare real-estate specialist�Caretrust REIT Inc�(NASDAQ:CTRE), financial services giant�Prudential Financial Inc�(NYSE:PRU), and energy behemoth�ExxonMobil Corporation�(NYSE:XOM).�

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) takes such pride in its rock-solid financial condition that it uses an actual rock -- the Rock of Gibraltar�-- as its corporate symbol. Prudential Financial backs up that claim with a balance sheet that has more cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments�than total debt on it. It also claims a debt-to-equity ratio around 0.6 and a current ratio around 1.0�, which are further signs of a solid financial condition.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU) by 2.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,363 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Flippin Bruce & Porter Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $6,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: American International Group Inc.(AIG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Sentry Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in American International Group (NYSE:AIG) by 8.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 64,968 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 6,147 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in American International Group were worth $3,536,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [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 ]

  Insurance company American International Group Inc. (AIG) stock fell 5.3% as harsh winter weather weighed on profits. But the company's long-term care exposure is relatively minimal.

• [By Max Byerly]

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

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

Best Insurance Stocks To Watch For 2019: Principal Financial Group Inc(PFG)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

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

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

  ING Groep NV boosted its stake in Principal Financial Group Inc (NYSE:PFG) by 7.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 27,524 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the period. ING Groep NV’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,676,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

• [By Shane Hupp]

  These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern’s scoring:

  Get Principal Financial Group alerts: Principal Financial Group (PFG) Approves New $300M Buyback (streetinsider.com) Principal Financial Group (PFG) Announces Share Repurchase Plan (americanbankingnews.com) Is Principal Large Cap Growth I Institutional (PLGIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? (finance.yahoo.com) Principal Financial Group is Oversold (nasdaq.com) Principal Names New Chief Human Resources Officer (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several equities analysts have recently commented on PFG shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Principal Financial Group from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $76.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Monday, March 26th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS started coverage on Principal Financial Group in a research report on Friday, March 2nd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.18.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:TEN,TLT,OLLI,VPV,VTR,Z,

HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) stock price has come under pressure, reaching 52-week lows in the past week, which has sparked my interest to evaluate the company. HanesBrands reported revenue and earnings in-line with analyst consensus estimates for the third quarter; however, the company provided slightly lower than expected guidance for the fourth quarter which was one of the perceived reasons for the sell-off. In this article, I dive further into the financial statements to evaluate the company's financial health and growth, address investor concerns, and provide my perspective on the company moving forward. In my opinion, and from my findings described in the article below, HanesBrands appears to be undervalued and the stock price is fairly attractive at these levels. I have started adding to a new position in the company at $19 a share, seeing the recent sell-off as a reasonable buying opportunity.

Snapshot of HanesBrands Stock Price Year-to-Date

With the release of third quarter financial results and fourth quarter guidance, the company's stock price has further declined by 15%. In the past week, the stock has traded around 52-week lows of $19 per share.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tenneco Inc.(TEN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Tenneco (NYSE: TEN) and China Automotive Systems (NASDAQ:CAAS) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and valuation.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks,�Verifone Systems (NYSE:PAY) is being acquired by a group of private investors, and Tenneco (NYSE:TEN) is buying an auto parts business before splitting into two public companies.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Gentex (NASDAQ: GNTX) and Tenneco (NYSE:TEN) are both mid-cap auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk, earnings and dividends.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Tokenomy (CURRENCY:TEN) traded 0.7% lower against the dollar during the one day period ending at 23:00 PM ET on May 13th. In the last seven days, Tokenomy has traded down 18.2% against the dollar. One Tokenomy token can now be purchased for approximately $0.26 or 0.00003099 BTC on major cryptocurrency exchanges. Tokenomy has a market capitalization of $32.49 million and approximately $411,692.00 worth of Tokenomy was traded on exchanges in the last day.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond (TLT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Kawa]

  All of these low-duration ETFs are trouncing their peers that carry a high degree of interest rate risk -- like Vanguard’s Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) and the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) -- out of the gate in 2018.

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

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

  These are the top 5 holdings of Nationwide Fund AdvisorsiShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets (IEMG) - 4,698,924 shares, 74.25% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 119.53%iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) - 536,574 shares, 17.7% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 79.94%iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond (HYG) - 347,518 shares, 8.05% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.57%
• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In general, the longer a bond has until maturity, the more sensitive it is to interest rate movements. That has generally held true for Treasuries in 2018. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:TLT), which holds Treasury bonds with the longest maturities available, has seen its price fall 8% so far this year. Even when you take into account the income that bond ETFs provide, the iShares fund's total return is still -7%.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.(OLLI)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  "There only a handful of companies that can beat Amazon at its own retail game," Cramer said. The only ones he sees are Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR) , Dollar General Corp. (DG) , TJX Cos.  (TJX) , Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) , Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) Home Depot Inc. (HD) and Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. (OLLI) .

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Invesco Pennsylvania Value Municipal Income Trust(VPV)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  News stories about Invesco Pennsylvania Value Mncpl Incm Tr (NYSE:VPV) have been trending very positive recently, Accern reports. The research group scores the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Invesco Pennsylvania Value Mncpl Incm Tr earned a news impact score of 0.65 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news articles about the financial services provider an impact score of 48.6094961265878 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near future.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ventas, Inc.(VTR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL boosted its position in Ventas (NYSE:VTR) by 10.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 204,186 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,200 shares during the quarter. Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL owned 0.06% of Ventas worth $10,113,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

• [By Reuben Gregg Brewer]

  My timing, however, isn't always so good, and I sometimes get in too early. But owning a great dividend-paying company at a fair price is better than owning a bad company at any price. Which is why I'm happy to have bought U.S. utility giant The Southern Company (NYSE:SO) and healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR). And I'll be just as happy if they fall further from here.

Hot Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Zillow Group, Inc.(Z)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Shares of Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:Z) (NASDAQ:ZG) sold off last month as the market expressed dissatisfaction with the company's plan to flip houses. As a result, both classes of stock closed April down around 10%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

• [By Anders Bylund]

  Shares of Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z) (NASDAQ:ZG) fell hard on Friday morning. Class A shares fell as much as 11.1% and the non-voting Class C stock dropped 10.4% lower at most. As of 3 p.m. EDT, both stock classes had recovered somewhat to a daily loss of approximately 7.5%.

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

  Zillow Group (C shares) (NASDAQ:Z) Q1 2018 Earnings Conference CallMay. 7, 2018 5:00 p.m. ET

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

  Operator

• [By Paul Ausick]

  After markets closed on Monday, rental car company Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) and real-estate firm Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ: Z) reported quarterly results. Before markets opened Tuesday morning Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) and Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH) also released earnings reports. Here’s a quick look at the reports and the reactions to them.

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Zillow (NASDAQ:Z) CMO Jeremy Wacksman sold 47,788 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.64, for a total value of $2,658,924.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 48,489 shares in the company, valued at $2,697,927.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

• [By Jim Crumly]

  As for individual stocks, Zillow (NASDAQ:Z) (NASDAQ:ZG) fell slightly after the company reported earnings, while Camping World Holdings (NYSE:CWH)�plunged on first-quarter results.