Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now

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

Foxconn Industrial Internet Co., is seeking to use proceeds from an initial public offering in China to bankroll 27.3 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) investment in next generation projects.

A unit of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the Taiwanese manufacturing giant responsible for making Apple iPhones and Amazon fire tablets, Foxconn Industrial is looking to fund eight new technology projects, the firm said in an application prospectus on the China Securities Regulatory Commission website.

Led by billionaire Terry Gou, Hon Hai is moving into sectors beyond pure electronics assembly as growth in the global smartphone industry sputters. Floating Foxconn Industrial is one part of this strategy with proceeds to be used to support research into next-generation telecommunications and the Internet of Things. The firm is also building a $10 billion display factory in the U.S. that’s won endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Foxconn Industrial had sales of 354.5 billion yuan in 2017, up from 272.7 billion yuan a year earlier, according to the prospectus. Net income climbed to 15.9 billion yuan from 14.4 billion.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) , struggling to recover from a series of regulatory penalties over allegedly aggressive sales practices, posted a 5.5% profit increase on a preliminary basis, noting that legal costs might have to be revised higher pending discussions with regulators over as much as $1 billion of new penalties related to auto insurance and mortgage-related violations.

• [By ]

  2. Low Debt Levels
  By looking through his previous success stories like Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), American Express (NYSE: AXP), and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), it is clear that Buffett carefully examines a company's balance sheet, and prefers to invest in those with relatively modest debt burdens.

• [By ]

  JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) , Citigroup Inc. (C) and Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) each reported strong earnings beats Friday, April 13, kicking off what analysts expect to be a solid quarter for the sector.

• [By ]

  Men led Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) into the biggest corporate debacle of the U.S. bank's 166-year history. Now, women are taking over.

  Over the past two years, the San Francisco-based bank has been pressured by regulators and shareholders to overhaul its board of directors following a series of scandals that have collectively cost the bank at least $1.6 billion, sending its stock price plunging.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Wells Fargo & Co (WFC)

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

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ]

  This photo provided by Tesla shows a 2017 Tesla Model 3, a vehicle that has a semiautonomous driving system called Autopilot. Tesla can update the Autopilot software over the air, not necessitating a trip to a service center. Tesla offers Autopilot on its Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles. (Photo: AP)

• [By ]

  The 2018 Subaru Outback, one of the original SUV alternatives. Subaru is well-known for offering cars that can handle themselves when the going gets rough, and its Outback lies squarely in that tradition. (Photo: AP)

• [By ]

  This 2011 photo provided by Russell Investments shows Steve Wood, chief market strategist for Russell Investments. Investors are fearful of runaway inflation, and they keep waiting for signs inflation is about to pick up. Most experts agree that inflation is going to speed up, and that the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates in order to keep inflation pressures from getting out of control. While the timing is unclear, Wood says it��s not too soon to prepare. (Photo: AP)

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce(CM)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

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

• [By Motley Fool Staff]

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

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

  Operator

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: HSBC Holdings PLC (HSBA)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation(FCF)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

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

• [By Logan Wallace]

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

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

• [By Joseph Griffin]

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

Cramer: Facebook would no longer be a growth stock if its disastrous guidance becomes the new normal

Facebook should not be considered a growth stock anymore if the social network's disastrous revenue guidance were to become to the new normal, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Monday.

"You have a company that has expenses going up dramatically ... [and] revenues are decelerating dramatically," said Cramer, whose charitable trust had previously cut its Facebook holdings in half. "That's the prescription for a short sale."

Short selling is a practice in which traders can bet against a company by selling shares they don't own and buying them back at a lower price.

Cramer popularized the term FANG, referring to the technology powerhouses Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet's Google.

Monday on "Squawk on the Street," Cramer said Facebook's management was "buying the heck out of the stock" in June when the price was much higher. "Are you telling me they had no knowledge and could they really have burned that much money?" he asked.

Facebook on Thursday lost about $119 billion in stock market value, the largest one-day market-cap loss by any company in U.S. stock market history. The name plummeted nearly 19 percent that day, with losses continuing on Friday and early Monday.

During the earnings call after the bell Wednesday, Facebook CFO David Wehner said shareholders can expect "revenue growth rates to decline by high single-digit percentages from prior quarters" for the third and fourth quarters. Revenue of $13.23 billion for the second quarter came in short of analyst expectations as the company struggled with the fallout from privacy and fake news scandals.

"When things are good, these people are champs," Cramer said Monday of Facebook management. "When things were bad, they were completely helpless and out of their element."

Cramer, host of "Mad Money," had previously called out co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg for being notably silent for days after reports on March 17 of the massive Cambridge Analytica data harvesting.

However, even with a three-session drubbing developing, Facebook still had a market value of $490 billion on Monday.

Facebook had no comment.

Disclaimer

Somewhat Favorable Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect AMERCO (UHAL) Stock Price

Media headlines about AMERCO (NASDAQ:UHAL) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, according to Accern. The research firm ranks the sentiment of media coverage by reviewing more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. AMERCO earned a media sentiment score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the transportation company an impact score of 45.3940939049571 out of 100, meaning that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near future.

Several brokerages have commented on UHAL. ValuEngine downgraded AMERCO from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. BidaskClub raised AMERCO from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 19th. Finally, CL King began coverage on AMERCO in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock.

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Shares of NASDAQ UHAL opened at $371.90 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $7.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.69 and a beta of 0.91. AMERCO has a 12 month low of $317.42 and a 12 month high of $400.99.

AMERCO (NASDAQ:UHAL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 30th. The transportation company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.85 by ($0.29). The business had revenue of $757.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $732.98 million. AMERCO had a return on equity of 9.40% and a net margin of 21.95%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.49 earnings per share. research analysts forecast that AMERCO will post 15.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a special dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 21st were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 20th.

In other AMERCO news, insider Carlos Vizcarra sold 2,419 shares of AMERCO stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.51, for a total value of $862,397.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 42.60% of the company’s stock.

AMERCO Company Profile

AMERCO operates as a do-it-yourself moving and storage operator for household and commercial goods in the United States and Canada. The company's Moving and Storage segment rents trucks, trailers, portable moving and storage units, specialty rental items, and self-storage spaces primarily to the household movers; and sells moving supplies, towing accessories, and propane.

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WD-40 Company Continues to Grow, but Perhaps Not Fast Enough

The message you get when you read through an investor presentation deck for the WD-40 Company (NASDAQ:WDFC) is growth. The North Star for management is to grow its revenue to $700 million annually by 2025 while maintaining its current margins. So when looking at the company's earnings reports, the first thing that any investor is going to look at is the revenue growth rate.

This past quarter, the WD-40 Company was able to post a significant uptick in sales from the prior quarter, but it is still well off the pace it needs to be at to meet management's goals. Here's a brief look at the company's most recent earnings numbers and how investors in this company may want to view the possibility of management not meeting this lofty sales goal.

Image source: The WD-40 Company

By the numbers Metric Q3 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2017

Revenue	$107.0 million	$101.2 million	$98.1 million
Operating income	$22.3 million	$19.3 million	$20.6 million
Net income	$16.1 million	$14.8 million	$14.4 million
EPS	$1.15	$1.05	$1.02

Data source: WD-40 Company earnings release. EPS = Earnings per share.

I think it's fair to say that WD-40 is posting relatively healthy revenue growth. 9% year-over-year growth is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially for a business as mature and selling something as simple as WD-40. A lot of that gain, however, came from beneficial foreign currency exchange rates. Over the long haul, currency exchange rates tend to become a wash, so it's not great to rely on them for continued growth. Backing out the foreign exchange gain, revenue for the quarter was up 5% year over year. It's certainly better than the prior quarter's tepid growth numbers, but it is still well short of the numbers it has to put up if it wants to meet management's stated goal of $700 million in annual sales by 2025.

The one thing that has remained�consistent for some time is management's ability to generate earnings-per-share growth that outpaces revenue growth thanks to share repurchases. While the amount of stock repurchased in the quarter was rather low, the board approved another $75 million in purchases that will allow management to continue its trend of reducing its share count.�

WDFC Average Diluted Shares Outstanding (Quarterly). Data source:�YCharts.

What management had to say�

One of WD-40s most effective levers to pull when it comes to driving sales is to leverage the WD-40 brand into other products, which so far has been one of the more successful�aspects of the business. Here's CEO Garry Ridge discussing some of the high points in the company's sales numbers and some of the challenges it will face in the upcoming quarters. (You can check out a full transcript of the company's conference call here).

Our maintenance products delivered solid sales increases in the third quarter including 10 percent growth of WD-40 Multi-Use Product and 16 percent growth of WD-40 Specialist. Though fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates favorably impacted our sales results in the current quarter, we still saw a currency adjusted sales growth rate of 5 percent period-over-period.

Unfortunately, we are continuing to see the impact of higher commodity prices which have begun to deteriorate our gross margins in all three of our operating segments. To combat this margin pressure we have made some price increases to ensure our gross margin remains in-line with our 55/30/25 business model.

A quick note, the 55/30/25 refers to a management initiative that means a 55% gross margin, 30% cost of doing business, and 25% EBITDA margin.

WDFC price change. Data source:�YCharts.

Ten-second takeaway

There is an awful lot to like about WD-40 as a business. High margins, high rates of return, it's an asset-light business that doesn't require constant investment, and management has been adept at increasing shareholder value with regular dividend hikes and a reduced share count.�

One does have to wonder, though, if management is going to be able to meet these lofty revenue goals, and how much does it matter to the investment thesis for the company? While it isn't ideal that its growth lags the pace it needs to meet that revenue goal, maintaining a pace of 5%-6% sales growth paired with persistent share repurchases�should continue to produce double-digit earnings per share gains. For a mature business and product like WD-40, how much more can you really ask for?�

3 Marijuana Stocks With Strong Ties to California

This has been a year of big changes for the marijuana industry. Namely, our neighbor to the north passed bill C-45 on June 19, which also is known as the Cannabis Act. It will allow Canada to become the first industrialized nation in the world and second, overall, to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.

As you may have guessed, the possibility of adding $5 billion in annual sales has caused quite a stir with growers and investors. Canadian growers have been expanding their capacities as quickly as their balance sheets will allow, while investors have pushed marijuana stock valuations into the stratosphere on the expectation of strong top- and bottom-line growth.

Image source: Getty Images.

California's cannabis market could eclipse all of Canada

No one can argue against the idea that Canada's legalization is groundbreaking or could create a lifetime of wealth for select investors. But what's often overlooked is that another legal market could offer even higher annual sales than Canada: the state of California.

Back in November 2016, residents of the Golden State voted overwhelmingly (57% in favor to 43% against) to approve Prop 64, legalizing recreational marijuana. The sale of adult-use weed commenced in approved dispensaries on Jan. 1, 2018 and is expected to top $5 billion in 2019 once new dispensaries are licensed and begin selling cannabis.�

Ultimately, California is the fifth-largest economy in the world by gross domestic product (GDP), eclipsing all of Canada. Even with the U.S. federal government standing firm on marijuana being an illicit substance (Schedule I drug), the California market has a genuine opportunity to be larger, and potentially more profitable, than Canada.

Yet truth be told, most marijuana stocks with a key focus on California largely go unnoticed. Much of the reason for that likely has to do with the disadvantages pot-based businesses face when operating in the U.S. as a result of its federal scheduling. But if this federal scheduling were to be altered, or if the California weed industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, this scheduling may not have a long-term impact on marijuana stocks with strong ties to California.

Image source: Getty Images.

These pot stocks have a keen focus on California

With this in mind, here are three marijuana stocks that clearly have California's cannabis market in focus.

CannaRoyalty

Few, if any, pot stocks have more skin in the game in California than Canadian-based CannaRoyalty (NASDAQOTH:CNNRF). Though it has its foot in the door in six U.S. states and Canada, this royalty company primarily focuses on California.

Similar to the better-known Auxly Cannabis Group, CannaRoyalty provides equity or debt financing for growers looking to expand their capacity and/or product lines. In return, it receives a royalty on net sales of a product or group of products. It also has about 10 wholly-owned subsidiaries. Combined, this diversity of CannaRoyalty's portfolio offers it the ability to operate without the fear that struggles at one or two of its businesses will sink the ship, so to speak.

CannaRoyalty also aims to become one of California's leading distributors. There could be thousands of brands competing for shelf space and hundreds of licensed dispensaries when all is said and done. Yet there are only a select few distributors that act as middlemen. CannaRoyalty, through investments and acquisitions, is angling to find its niche in what could be a very profitable distribution space.�

Keep in mind, of course, that this is a work in progress. Despite more than doubling sales in the first quarter from the prior-year period, CannaRoyalty's per-share net loss doubled to 0.10 Canadian dollars from the year-ago quarter.�

Image source: Getty Images.

MedMen Enterprises

Another marijuana stock putting California first is MedMen Enteprises (NASDAQOTH:MMNFF). MedMen, which was the largest U.S.-based cannabis initial public offering in history in Canada, operates high-end weed dispensaries in three states. It currently has four locations in New York, another four in Nevada, and eight locations in Southern California, including four in Los Angeles.�

The money raised from its recent IPO should allow the company to rapidly expand its storefront presence within its key markets, as well as introduce its brand to Canada via a partnership with Cronos Group. MedMen has a focus on normalizing cannabis for personal use and higher-end products and branding, and there's a real possibility that MedMen could escape or lessen the hiccups that occur during economic contractions and recessions.

But before you go gung-ho into MedMen and its rapidly growing dispensary business, understand that its expansion is leading to a lot of cash outflow. The company's prospectus shows that its business generated only $8.4 million in revenue for the six-month period ending Dec. 31, 2017. Meanwhile, it lost about $43 million over this same time frame. Ouch!�

It could be years before MedMen has an opportunity to generate recurring profits, and I'm not entirely certain investors will be that patient given the company's already lofty $1.6 billion valuation.

Image source: Getty Images.

Sunniva

Though anything but a household name in the marijuana industry, North American grower Sunniva (NASDAQOTH:SNNVF) has devoted just as much attention to its Cathedral City, California assets as it has to its facility in British Columbia.

To date, Sunniva's biggest deal is its two-year supply agreement with Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE:CGC), which is also based in British Columbia. This agreement with Sunniva Medical allows Canopy Growth to purchase up to 90,000 kilograms of Sunniva's wholesale production (in total) over two years. That's about 45% of its annual peak capacity.�

But what might be an even more intriguing opportunity is the company's Sunniva California Campus, which spans 489,000 square feet. Currently under construction, this greenhouse facility also has a dispensary on-site. More important, it also operates an extraction facility in Cathedral City, which opened last month.

Alternatives to dried cannabis aren't as susceptible to the threat of commoditization over time and should therefore lead to considerably beefier margins for select growers. Sunniva's decision to focus on extracts could prove to be a smart one.

It also should be noted that big changes are expected for Sunniva's stock. On Tuesday, July 10, the company announced its intent to spin off its Canadian assets into a separate publicly-traded listing before year's end. This suggests that even more attention will be paid to California's burgeoning cannabis industry.�

While it's tough to tell if these California-focused pot stocks will ultimately succeed in growing their businesses and bottom lines, there are no shortage of California marijuana stocks for investors to keep their eyes on.

OpGen (OPGN) Shares Up 6.8%

Shares of OpGen Inc (NASDAQ:OPGN) shot up 6.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $2.30 and last traded at $2.20. 537,199 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 21% from the average session volume of 445,546 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.06.

A number of research firms have issued reports on OPGN. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of OpGen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 13th. HC Wainwright set a $9.00 price objective on shares of OpGen and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 16th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of OpGen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday.

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The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.45. The company has a market capitalization of $11.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 1.41.

OpGen (NASDAQ:OPGN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 8th. The medical research company reported ($0.75) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.84) by $0.09. OpGen had a negative net margin of 409.83% and a negative return on equity of 437.11%. The business had revenue of $0.85 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $0.74 million. equities research analysts forecast that OpGen Inc will post -2.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

OpGen Company Profile

OpGen, Inc, a precision medicine company, engages in developing molecular information products and services to combat infectious diseases in the healthcare industry worldwide. The company utilizes molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics to help combat infectious diseases. It also helps clinicians with information about life threatening infections, enhance patient outcomes, and decrease the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms.

Reviewing Charles River Laboratories Intl. (CRL) and Iqvia (IQV)

Charles River Laboratories Intl. (NYSE: CRL) and Iqvia (NYSE:IQV) are both medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and institutional ownership.

Profitability

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This table compares Charles River Laboratories Intl. and Iqvia’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Charles River Laboratories Intl.	6.78%	24.96%	9.02%
Iqvia	13.07%	13.35%	4.75%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Charles River Laboratories Intl. and Iqvia’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Charles River Laboratories Intl.	$1.86 billion	2.99	$123.35 million	$5.27	22.03
Iqvia	$9.74 billion	2.18	$1.31 billion	$4.36	23.57

Iqvia has higher revenue and earnings than Charles River Laboratories Intl.. Charles River Laboratories Intl. is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Iqvia, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Charles River Laboratories Intl. and Iqvia, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Charles River Laboratories Intl.	0	6	7	0	2.54
Iqvia	0	5	12	1	2.78

Charles River Laboratories Intl. presently has a consensus price target of $117.77, indicating a potential upside of 1.44%. Iqvia has a consensus price target of $110.38, indicating a potential upside of 7.42%. Given Iqvia’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Iqvia is more favorable than Charles River Laboratories Intl..

Volatility & Risk

Charles River Laboratories Intl. has a beta of 0.67, meaning that its stock price is 33% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Iqvia has a beta of 0.62, meaning that its stock price is 38% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

97.2% of Charles River Laboratories Intl. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.8% of Iqvia shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.1% of Charles River Laboratories Intl. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.0% of Iqvia shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Iqvia beats Charles River Laboratories Intl. on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Charles River Laboratories Intl.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., an early-stage contract research company, provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Support (Manufacturing). The RMS segment produces and sells research model strains primarily genetically and microbiologically defined purpose-bred rats and mice for use by researchers. This segment also provides a range of services to assist its clients in supporting the use of research models in research and screening non-clinical drug candidates comprising genetically engineered models and services, insourcing solutions, and research animal diagnostic services. The DSA segment offers early and in vivo discovery services for the identification of a druggable target through delivery of non-clinical drug and therapeutic candidates ready for safety assessment; and safety assessment services, which comprise bioanalysis, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, toxicology, and pathology services. The Manufacturing segment provides in vitro methods for conventional and rapid quality control testing of sterile and non-sterile biopharmaceuticals, and consumer products. It also offers specialized testing of biologics and devices that are outsourced by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; and avian vaccine services that provide specific-pathogen-free fertile chicken eggs, SPF chickens, and diagnostic products used to manufacture vaccines. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology, agricultural and chemical, life science and veterinary medicine, and medical device companies; and contract research and contract manufacturing organizations, diagnostic and other commercial entities, hospitals, academic institutions, and government agencies. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

About Iqvia

IQVIA Holdings Inc. provides integrated information and technology-enabled healthcare services in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Commercial Solutions, Research & Development Solutions, and Integrated Engagement Services. The Commercial Solutions segment offers a range of cloud-based applications and related implementation, real-world insights, and reference information services; and strategic and implementation consulting services, such as advanced analytics and commercial processes outsourcing services. This segment also provides country level performance metrics related to sales of pharmaceutical products, prescribing trends, medical treatment, and promotional activity across various channels, including retail, hospital, and mail order to life science companies, and investment and financial sectors that deal with life science companies; and measurement of sales or prescribing activity at the regional, zip code, and individual prescriber level to pharmaceutical sales organizations. The Research & Development Solutions segment offers biopharmaceutical development services comprising project management and clinical monitoring, clinical trial support, and strategic planning and design services, as well as clinical trial, genomic, and bioanalytical laboratory services. The Integrated Engagement Services segment provides health care provider and patient engagement services, and scientific strategy and medical affairs services. The company serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, device and diagnostic, and healthcare companies. IQVIA Holdings Inc. has a strategic alliance with MuleSoft, Inc. The company was formerly known as Quintiles IMS Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to IQVIA Holdings Inc. in November 2017. IQVIA Holdings Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

Top Cheap Stocks To Buy Right Now

tags:LION,WPRT,ACN,

Thesis: Twitter is relatively cheap at just over $16 per share and could see continued buyout interest in 2017. There is also some level of hope for the company as a standalone entity with its developing monetization initiatives.

Overview

As of the time I write this, Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) is priced at just $16.38 per share, the cheapest it's been in nearly six months.

Is TWTR a viable long on the basis of a prospective sale versus its potentially more muted downside as growth-stagnating enterprise? Monthly active user ("MAU") growth has been flattening recently, although it has managed to meaningfully break above the 300 million barrier, with successive growth in the first three quarters of 2016.

Click to enlarge

Top Cheap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Fidelity Southern Corporation(LION)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Byerly]

  ValuEngine cut shares of Fidelity Southern (NASDAQ:LION) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  RMB Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Fidelity Southern Co. (NASDAQ:LION) by 10.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 684,220 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 83,927 shares during the period. RMB Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.53% of Fidelity Southern worth $15,785,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Fidelity Southern Co. (NASDAQ:LION) by 6.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,680,359 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 105,499 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 0.06% of Fidelity Southern worth $38,766,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Top Cheap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Westport Innovations Inc(WPRT)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  The near-zero natural gas engines were created by a joint venture between Cummins�(NYSE:CMI) and Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT), called Cummins Westport. Unveiled on May 1, the engine lineup can be used in medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including buses, refuse vehicles, and long-haul trucks. In fact, the ISX 12N engine, as it is called, is the world's first Class 8�on-highway truck engine to be certified near-zero by the California Air Resources Board, which sets emission standards that are followed by 16 other states. The Tesla Semi and Nikola One are both Class 8 vehicles, or what most people refer to as semis.

• [By Daniel Miller]

  Shares of Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT), a provider of high-performance, low-emission engine and fuel systems, are down 10% as of 11:20 a.m. EDT after the company reported its first-quarter results.

• [By Joseph Griffin]

  Westport Fuel Systems Inc (NASDAQ:WPRT) (TSE:WPRT) has earned an average rating of “Buy” from the nine analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $3.86.

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Shares of Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT) jumped 11.9% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. But it wasn't a smooth ride for shareholders.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  News headlines about Westport Fuel Systems (NASDAQ:WPRT) (TSE:WPRT) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, Accern Sentiment reports. Accern ranks the sentiment of press coverage by analyzing more than twenty million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Westport Fuel Systems earned a news impact score of 0.11 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news stories about the auto parts company an impact score of 47.9209173885936 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the next several days.

• [By Jason Hall]

  Furthermore, having a strong financial partner in Total to help it drive adoption of heavy-duty natural gas vehicles at this time could be a huge win. Prices of oil (and therefore diesel) have been steadily climbing over the past year, and the highly anticipated near-zero-emissions natural gas engine from�Cummins�(NYSE:CMI) and�Westport Fuel Systems�(NASDAQ:WPRT) is now being shipped to customers.�

Top Cheap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Accenture plc.(ACN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Avoncoin (CURRENCY:ACN) traded down 1.5% against the U.S. dollar during the 24-hour period ending at 23:00 PM Eastern on June 21st. Avoncoin has a market cap of $0.00 and $9.00 worth of Avoncoin was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Avoncoin coin can currently be bought for about $0.0003 or 0.00000004 BTC on exchanges. In the last seven days, Avoncoin has traded 19.4% lower against the U.S. dollar.

• [By ]

  But the segment revenue figures make it clear that momentum in areas such as cloud apps/services and security is being offset by pressures within older, non-cloud, software and services businesses in fields such as databases, operating systems, consulting, tech support and business process outsourcing (BPO). And that when one combines the good and the bad, the end-result is a company whose forex-adjusted growth remains noticeably below that of peers such as Microsoft (MSFT) , Accenture (ACN) , SAP (SAP) and Dell Technologies, and for which growing FCF remains a challenge.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Here are some of the media stories that may have impacted Accern’s rankings:

  Get Accenture alerts: Sizzling stock Alert- Accenture plc (ACN) (nasdaqfortune.com) Wittiest Stocks: Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HA), Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), RGC Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ … (thestreetpoint.com) Popular Mover to Observe�� Accenture plc (ACN) (stockmarketstop.com) Charming Stocks: Accenture plc, (NYSE: ACN), Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., (NYSE: DPS) (globalexportlines.com) Successful Companies Pivot to New Opportunities by Revitalizing �� Not Neglecting �� Their Core Businesses, Accenture Report Finds (finance.yahoo.com)

  Several brokerages have weighed in on ACN. Pivotal Research set a $180.00 target price on Accenture and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 11th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (up from $165.00) on shares of Accenture in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Accenture from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 5th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Accenture from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Accenture currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.37.

• [By Logan Wallace]

  Smith Asset Management Group LP lifted its position in shares of Accenture (NYSE:ACN) by 2.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,628 shares of the information technology services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,398 shares during the quarter. Smith Asset Management Group LP’s holdings in Accenture were worth $10,381,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Shares of Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the twenty-seven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $160.70.

• [By Money Morning News Team]

  The companies that participated in the demo included Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), Accenture Plc. (NYSE: ACN), Fujitsu Ltd. (OTCMKTS: FJTSY), and Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCMKTS: DTEGY).

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: NOC, LMT, SATS, F, TSLA, BIIB, BA & more

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:

Northrop Grumman �� Northrop is pursuing a Japanese jet fighter contract that may put it in competition with US rival Lockheed Martin, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. Northrop had lost a competition against Lockheed for an Air Force stealth fighter jet nearly three decades ago.

Echostar �� Echostar is now seeking talks with Immarsat after its $3.2 billion bid to buy the British satellite firm was rebuffed. Immarsat said the offer significantly undervalues the company, as it had when it rejected a prior offer from its U.S. rival last month.

Ford Motor �� Ford reported a 38 percent drop in China vehicle sales in June, capping a first half sales slump. For the first six months of the year, sales were down 25 percent, the biggest decline since Ford started China operations in 2001.

Tesla �� The automaker��s Fremont, California factory is the subject of another probe by California regulators, following a safety-related complaint. California��s Occupational Safety and Health Administration acknowledged opening the case on June 21, but has not given specific details on the investigation.

Biogen �� Biogen said a new Alzheimer��s drug succeeded in a mid-stage trial for patients receiving the highest dose. Biogen is developing the drug in partnership with Japan��s Eisai Co., whose shares surged in Tokyo trading.

Boeing �� Boeing could get a boost after European rival Airbus raised its 20-year forecast for aircraft demand by more than seven percent.

Wynn Resorts �� Wynn Resorts announced the departure of long time general counsel Kim Sinatra, effective July 15. The hotel and casino operator said it had not yet finalized the terms of Sinatra��s transition and departure.

Deutsche Bank �� A German magazine reports that JPMorgan Chase and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China may both be interested in taking a stake in Deutsche Bank. JPMorgan subsequently denied that it was interested, and the German government denied it had privately expressed concerns about the bank.

Kraft Heinz, Conagra �� Shares of the two food makers could be impacted after a Financial Times report that American ketchup could be next on a list of EU trade targets. Kraft Heinz makes the popular Heinz ketchup brand, while Conagra is the maker of Hunt��s.

PriceSmart �� PriceSmart reported quarterly earnings of 61 cents per share, 2 cents below forecasts, though the retailer��s revenue did exceed forecasts. The warehouse retailer��s costs following several recent acquisitions.

Square �� Square withdrew its application with the FDIC to open a depository bank, which would allow it to collect government-insured deposits. The mobile payments company plans to refile after it strengthens its application.

Arch Coal (ARCH) Stock Rating Upgraded by ValuEngine

ValuEngine upgraded shares of Arch Coal (NYSE:ARCH) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on ARCH. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Arch Coal in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. They set a hold rating and a $83.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Arch Coal from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $89.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. MKM Partners set a $106.00 price objective on shares of Arch Coal and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 6th. B. Riley dropped their price objective on shares of Arch Coal from $115.00 to $97.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 27th. Finally, Seaport Global Securities set a $112.00 price objective on shares of Arch Coal and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $97.89.

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Shares of NYSE:ARCH opened at $79.59 on Monday. Arch Coal has a 12 month low of $67.97 and a 12 month high of $102.61. The company has a current ratio of 2.89, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The firm has a market cap of $1.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.01 and a beta of 0.07.

Arch Coal (NYSE:ARCH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The energy company reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $4.30 by ($1.35). Arch Coal had a return on equity of 39.10% and a net margin of 10.73%. The company had revenue of $575.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $594.04 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.55 earnings per share. Arch Coal’s revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. equities analysts expect that Arch Coal will post 8.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 31st were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 30th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.01%. Arch Coal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.08%.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ARCH. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of Arch Coal by 4,086.5% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 217,700 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $20,281,000 after acquiring an additional 212,500 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Arch Coal by 20.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 893,722 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $82,115,000 after acquiring an additional 153,520 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Arch Coal by 57.6% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 345,625 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $31,756,000 after acquiring an additional 126,353 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Arch Coal during the first quarter worth about $10,146,000. Finally, Encompass Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Arch Coal during the fourth quarter worth about $9,316,000. Institutional investors own 92.61% of the company’s stock.

Arch Coal Company Profile

Arch Coal, Inc produces and sells thermal and metallurgical coal from surface and underground mines. As of December 31, 2017, the company operated 9 active mines located in Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Colorado, and Illinois. It also owned or controlled, primarily through long-term leases, approximately 28,292 acres of coal land in Ohio; 1,060 acres of coal land in Maryland; 10,108 acres of coal land in Virginia; 359,160 acres of coal land in West Virginia; 98,488 acres of coal land in Wyoming; 267,857 acres of coal land in Illinois; 34,446 acres of coal land in Kentucky; 9,840 acres of coal land in Montana; 21,802 acres of coal land in New Mexico; 358 acres of coal land in Pennsylvania; and 20,165 acres of coal land in Colorado, as well as owned or controlled through long-term leases smaller parcels of property in Alabama, Indiana, Washington, Arkansas, California, Utah, and Texas.

To view ValuEngine’s full report, visit ValuEngine’s official website.

Stericycle (SRCL) Rating Increased to Buy at BidaskClub

Stericycle (NASDAQ:SRCL) was upgraded by stock analysts at BidaskClub from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

SRCL has been the subject of several other research reports. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Stericycle from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Stericycle from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 4th. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Stericycle in a report on Friday, June 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $78.63.

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Shares of SRCL stock traded down $0.22 on Tuesday, hitting $64.87. The stock had a trading volume of 4,323 shares, compared to its average volume of 674,923. The company has a market cap of $5.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Stericycle has a 12-month low of $56.64 and a 12-month high of $83.25.

Stericycle (NASDAQ:SRCL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 3rd. The business services provider reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $895.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $880.48 million. Stericycle had a net margin of 0.19% and a return on equity of 14.14%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.09 earnings per share. research analysts expect that Stericycle will post 4.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CEO Charles A. Alutto sold 13,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.68, for a total transaction of $814,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 17,026 shares in the company, valued at $1,067,189.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Charles A. Alutto sold 14,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.02, for a total transaction of $896,280.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 18,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,154,024.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 46,834 shares of company stock valued at $2,966,543. 3.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Zions Bancorporation bought a new position in Stericycle during the first quarter valued at about $122,000. Federated Investors Inc. PA grew its position in Stericycle by 129.5% during the first quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA now owns 2,088 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 1,178 shares during the period. Investors Research Corp bought a new position in Stericycle during the fourth quarter valued at about $212,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in Stericycle during the fourth quarter valued at about $229,000. Finally, Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new position in Stericycle during the fourth quarter valued at about $244,000. Institutional investors own 97.56% of the company’s stock.

About Stericycle

Stericycle, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides regulated and compliance solutions to the healthcare, retail, and commercial businesses in the United States and internationally. It collects and processes regulated and specialized waste for disposal services; and collects personal and confidential information for secure destruction, as well as offers training, consulting, recall/return, communication, and compliance services.

Apollo Is Buying an HCP Senior-Housing Portfolio

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Apollo Global Management LLC is the mystery buyer that’s under contract to purchase a $428 million portfolio from HCP Inc., according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The New York firm is buying 22 properties managed by Brookdale Senior Living Inc., said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. HCP said on June 5 that it was under contract to sell the portfolio, which comprises for 2,781 units, to a third party without revealing its identity. The deal has yet to close.

Representatives for Apollo and HCP didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

HCP -- which also owns medical-office buildings and life-science properties -- has been selling chunks of senior housing in an attempt to bolster its balance sheet and reduce its lease exposure to Brookdale.

In two separate transactions over the past 18 months, the Irvine, California-based real estate investment trust generated $812 million by selling a portfolio of 49 senior housing assets to a group led by Columbia Pacific Advisors LLC. HCP also sold six properties back to Brookdale for $275 million in a deal that closed in April, and separately sold 64 Brookdale communities comprising 5,697 units to Blackstone Group LP in a $1.13 billion transaction completed last year.

HCP has fallen 26 percent in the past 12 months, under-performing the Bloomberg REIT Healthcare Index, which has dropped 19 percent in the same period, mostly due to the rising interest-rate environment.

“We believe HCP is strategically in a solid position in the more challenging health-care REIT sector, or ‘like a good house in a rough neighborhood,’” Evercore ISI analysts said in a recent research note.

Emerging Asia to Suffer Most From Strong Dollar, Macquarie Says

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Asia’s emerging-market currencies may be the biggest casualties of dollar strength this year, Macquarie Bank Ltd. says.

The risk-off mood prevailing in global markets caused by the U.S.-China trade dispute is likely to persist and amplify the dollar’s traditional haven role, said Gareth Berry, senior vice president FX and rates strategy at Macquarie.

“For the last three months or so most of the dollar strength was concentrated against the euro because people were selling euro-dollar and that filtered through the whole system,” he said in Sydney. “The next phase of dollar strength probably won’t be against the euro. We see scope for the dollar to strengthen more against EM Asia in particular, and perhaps the whole EM world rather than other developed markets.”

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The Bloomberg JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against eight developing Asian currencies and those of Singapore and Hong Kong, has dropped more than 3 percent from this year’s high set in January. The gauge fell on Tuesday to the lowest since November.

The beleaguered Australian dollar is also poised to suffer as the greenback strengthens, Berry said. The Aussie will probably test 71.80 U.S. cents in the next two-to-three months as it becomes an indirect victim of capital flight from emerging-market Asian currencies, which make up more than half of a basket representing Australia’s trading partners, he said.

Relative Value Partners Group LLC Acquires New Stake in Trupanion Inc (TRUP)

Relative Value Partners Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Trupanion Inc (NASDAQ:TRUP) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 24,243 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $725,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nine Ten Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Trupanion by 55.7% during the first quarter. Nine Ten Capital Management LLC now owns 2,156,419 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $64,455,000 after buying an additional 771,552 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Trupanion by 1.9% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,335,808 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $39,927,000 after buying an additional 24,927 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its position in shares of Trupanion by 10.0% during the first quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 1,171,305 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,010,000 after buying an additional 106,434 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D acquired a new position in shares of Trupanion during the first quarter worth about $11,956,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Trupanion by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 392,900 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,500,000 after buying an additional 11,616 shares during the period. 87.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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In other news, Director Murray B. Low sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.97, for a total value of $83,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 192,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,371,107.07. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Darryl Rawlings sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.93, for a total transaction of $111,755.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,375,976 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $43,934,913.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 24,500 shares of company stock valued at $690,365. Company insiders own 20.70% of the company’s stock.

Shares of NASDAQ TRUP opened at $31.65 on Tuesday. Trupanion Inc has a 52 week low of $17.05 and a 52 week high of $37.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $987.07 million, a P/E ratio of -452.14 and a beta of 0.59.

Trupanion (NASDAQ:TRUP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.01). Trupanion had a negative net margin of 0.58% and a negative return on equity of 6.54%. The business had revenue of $69.76 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.12 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.05) EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 27.5% compared to the same quarter last year. equities research analysts anticipate that Trupanion Inc will post -0.12 EPS for the current year.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on TRUP shares. Zacks Investment Research cut Trupanion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Lake Street Capital increased their price target on Trupanion from $32.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Canaccord Genuity reissued a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Trupanion in a research report on Wednesday, May 2nd. BidaskClub raised Trupanion from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price target (up from $33.00) on shares of Trupanion in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.29.

About Trupanion

Trupanion, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides medical insurance for cats and dogs on monthly subscription basis in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company operates through Subscription Business and Other Business segments. It serves pet owners and veterinarians through third-party referrals and online member acquisition channels.

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

Dunkin’ Brands (DNKN) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $342.67 Million

Equities analysts expect that Dunkin’ Brands (NASDAQ:DNKN) will report sales of $342.67 million for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Six analysts have provided estimates for Dunkin’ Brands’ earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $348.90 million and the lowest estimate coming in at $334.91 million. Dunkin’ Brands posted sales of $218.52 million during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year over year growth rate of 56.8%. The business is scheduled to announce its next quarterly earnings report on Thursday, July 26th.

On average, analysts expect that Dunkin’ Brands will report full year sales of $1.32 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $1.31 billion to $1.33 billion. For the next financial year, analysts expect that the firm will post sales of $1.37 billion per share, with estimates ranging from $1.36 billion to $1.39 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are an average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that follow Dunkin’ Brands.

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Dunkin’ Brands (NASDAQ:DNKN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 26th. The restaurant operator reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $301.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $303.72 million. Dunkin’ Brands had a net margin of 36.40% and a negative return on equity of 75.12%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.54 earnings per share.

A number of research firms have issued reports on DNKN. ValuEngine raised shares of Dunkin’ Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 7th. BidaskClub raised shares of Dunkin’ Brands from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 9th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Dunkin’ Brands in a report on Sunday, April 29th. Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $62.00 price target (up previously from $59.00) on shares of Dunkin’ Brands in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on shares of Dunkin’ Brands from $54.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “weight” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Dunkin’ Brands currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.37.

In related news, insider John L. Clare sold 13,388 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.02, for a total transaction of $830,323.76. Following the sale, the insider now owns 29,772 shares in the company, valued at $1,846,459.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Katherine D. Jaspon sold 1,530 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.84, for a total transaction of $99,205.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 280,583 shares of company stock valued at $17,414,472. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its position in Dunkin’ Brands by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 887,675 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $57,229,000 after buying an additional 75,975 shares during the period. American International Group Inc. grew its position in Dunkin’ Brands by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 198,566 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $12,802,000 after buying an additional 2,405 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Dunkin’ Brands during the fourth quarter valued at $13,251,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in Dunkin’ Brands by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 530,470 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,196,000 after buying an additional 33,383 shares during the period. Finally, Fred Alger Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Dunkin’ Brands by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Fred Alger Management Inc. now owns 61,043 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,935,000 after purchasing an additional 2,967 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.94% of the company’s stock.

Shares of NASDAQ DNKN traded down $0.90 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $65.16. The company had a trading volume of 1,088,489 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,137,161. The stock has a market cap of $5.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.30. Dunkin’ Brands has a 1 year low of $50.89 and a 1 year high of $68.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of -3.54.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.3475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 25th. This represents a $1.39 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.13%. Dunkin’ Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.20%.

About Dunkin’ Brands

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, franchises, and licenses quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Dunkin' Donuts U.S., Dunkin' Donuts International, Baskin-Robbins International, and Baskin-Robbins U.S. Its restaurants offer hot and cold coffee, baked goods, donuts, bagels, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, hard and soft serve ice creams, frozen yogurts, shakes, malts, floats, and cakes.

Innovative Industrial Properties: Betting On Medical Cannabis

Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR) is breaking out higher following continued expansion in the company's operations. As the medical cannabis industry grows in the U.S., IIPR is at the forefront of providing cultivation and processing facilities to such companies. As regulation is rolled back on medical cannabis, its share price has trended higher, currently trading near record levels. I am buying stock in this name as it presents a first mover advantage in the burgeoning industry.

Fundamental Narrative

IIPR is an attractive buy at current levels due to the expanding scope of the legalized medical cannabis industry in the U.S., as well as the company being at the forefront of the REIT industry in this category.

The company is a self-advised Maryland corporation focused on the acquisition, ownership and management of specialized industrial properties leased to experienced, state-licensed operators for their regulated medical-use cannabis facilities.

At the end of the most recent quarter, IIPR owned five properties in four states, totaling approximately 617,000 square feet, which were 100% leased on a long-term basis to high quality licensed, medical-use cannabis operators, according to its earnings call. Its initial blended yield on these properties is 15.8% with each lease providing minimum annual escalations ranging from 3.25% to 4%.

The company is very active in terms of acquisitions as they continuously look for opportunities in this growing industry. In December, they closed on a sale-leaseback transaction for a 358,000 square-foot medical-use cannabis cultivation and processing facility with a farm in Arizona and closed on two other sale-leaseback transactions with Vireo in the state of New York, as well as Minnesota in October and November, according to its earnings call.

The medical-use cannabis industry is constantly evolving, including strong growth of existing state markets and the rollout of new programs passed to numerous states by popular vote or legislation in recent years.

Within the nascent industry, management is witnessing amazing growth with state regulated medical-use cannabis markets now comprising a large majority of the United States. Congress has enacted spending bills since 2014 with a provision that has been interpreted by courts as preventing the Department of Justice from using funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical-use cannabis laws, aiding IIPR's ultimate growth effort.

The provision was again included in the congressional spending bill enacted on March 23rd, which carry through September 30 of 2018, according to management. This signals that the Federal Government is largely stepping out of the way of the industry as many of the medical cannabis studies have shown to address the needs of a number of important ailments.

The company's current markets are in New York, Arizona, Maryland, and Minnesota, where they have five properties located, with continued potential in each. IIPR is seeing a lot of encouraging signs with both growth and regulation rollback in New York.

The company purchased its first New York property in December 2016 with PharmaCann for a 15-year initial term and are all in initial yield of about 17% on a triple net basis, according to its earnings call. PharmaCann is a multistate operator with two cultivation facilities and four medical-use cannabis dispensers in Illinois, as well as IIPR's cultivation facility in four medical-use cannabis dispensaries in New York.

In order to enable broader access to treatment, New York has taken several positive steps including expansion of the pool of potential recommending health professionals to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants, allowing for home delivery of the medicine, the streamlining of the registration process for practitioners and certification process for patients and perhaps most importantly the introduction of chronic pain and PTSD as additional qualifying condition, according to its earnings call.

The market potential and estimated overall size of the illicit market in New York is nearly $3 billion, with an estimated $254 million of sales in New York's legal market by 2021, representing a compounded annual growth rate from 2016 of 48%, signaling the large growth potential for IIPR and its partners.

Its partner in Arizona, Pharma, is one of the largest wholesalers of medical-use cannabis in the Arizona market, with a highly experienced multidisciplinary management team that is well positioned to grow the Pharma's market share in Arizona and facilitate expansion into other states, according to its earnings call. Arizona's medical-use cannabis program is further along and mature than New York, having commenced medical-use cannabis sales in 2010.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are over 150,000 qualifying patients in the Arizona's medical cannabis program as of February 2018, representing an increase of over 30% year-over-year with over 85% of registered patients utilizing medical cannabis to treat chronic pain, according to its earnings call.

Moreover, in Maryland, although it's still in its very early stages with the first dispensary opened in late 2017, management is optimistic regarding the development of the legal medical-use cannabis market, driven by Maryland's population size and anticipated demand, the inclusion of PTSD in chronic pain among the initial qualifying conditions and the general view from regulators and policymakers that the industry represents an economic development opportunity, according to management.

Within its acquisition pipeline, IIPR is focused on investing the proceeds from its recently completed follow-on common stock offering in high quality assets and top tiered tenants. In the first quarter, management executed agreements to purchase two properties for a total investment of $10.5 million.

In addition, they executed two nonbinding letters of intent for two properties representing a total expected additional investment of approximately $25 million to $30 million with final amounts determined after they complete its review, signaling the growth prospects for the company. Management is actively evaluating its pipeline of approximately $100 million in additional acquisitions spanning numerous states that have approved medical-use cannabis programs.

With regards to California, management is engaged in numerous discussions with high-quality cultivators there. As with any emerging dynamic high growth industry, IIPR is developing its acquisition strategy and criteria accordingly.

Below is a chart of the company's revenue and earnings per share. Over the last few months, IIPR's revenue has risen substantially, while its EPS is in positive territory. With management's continued focus of expansion alongside more states legalizing medical cannabis, the company's operations look primed to continue growing both on the top and bottom line.

Price Action

The company's share price has traded higher since its IPO, with recent strength on its strong earnings announcement. Advancements in the medical cannabis industry, as well as deregulation in many states have aided the company's share price in recent months. The company is actively looking to expand into new properties as opportunities arise.

Its share price is breaking out to record highs, following a recent consolidation over the last few months. Breaking above the $34 level is significant as it had acted as strong resistance in recent months. The continued expansion of this industry should fuel the company's share price higher in coming quarters.

Conclusion

IIPR is breaking out higher following continued expansion in the company's operations. As the medical cannabis industry grows in the U.S., IIPR is at the forefront of providing cultivation and processing facilities to such companies. As regulation is rolled back on medical cannabis, its share price has trended higher, currently trading near record levels. I am buying stock in this name as it presents a first mover advantage in the burgeoning industry.

Disclosure: I am/we are long IIPR.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

U.K. stocks rebound from 2-day losing run as Brexit jitters drive pound lower

U.K. stocks advanced on Friday, set to break a two-day losing streak, as the pound selloff resumed on signs Brexit discussions between Brussels and London are close to a painful breakdown.

Traders reacted little to data confirming the U.K. economy expanded at its slowest pace in five years in the first quarter.

What are markets doing?

The FTSE 100 index UKX, +0.27% �gained 0.3% to 7,739.78, trimming its weekly loss to 0.4%. The London benchmark has moved sharply lower over the last two days on increasing concerns about trade talks between the U.S. and China, and on worries over President Donald Trump��s decision to pull out of a historic summit with North Korea.

The pound GBPUSD, -0.1794% �fell to $1.3355, from $1.3379 late Thursday in New York. Sterling touched a fresh 2018 low earlier this week wound $1.3305.

What is driving the market?

The fall in sterling provided a lift to the FTSE 100 on Friday. A weaker pound tends to boost the FTSE 100, as the index��s components conduct the bulk of their business overseas and a softening in sterling lifts revenue when converted back into the U.K. currency.

Sterling was hit by concerns over the Brexit negotiations after European Union officials said the British government was ��chasing a fantasy�� in the talks, according to the Guardian newspaper. The comment came after a tense week of discussions, with the two sides fighting over the future security relationship. Fears are the lack of agreement could lead to a complete breakdown in negotiations.

Headline of the day... pic.twitter.com/7mpPA9xAv1

— Ryan Sabey (@ryansabey) May 25, 2018

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned in a speech late Thursday that a ��disorderly�� Brexit could trigger another interest rate cut to support the British economy.

Carney will speak again on Friday at the Swedish Riksbank Anniversary Conference in Stockholm at 2:20 p.m. London time, or 9:20 a.m. Eastern Time.

Meanwhile, calm appeared to be returning to the market after a week of geopolitical ups and downs, as North Korea made a restrained response to Trump��s withdrawal from a planned June meeting with Kim Jong Un. A senior foreign ministry official said North Korea was still willing to meet and ��sit down face-to-face with the U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format.��

The session may see thin volumes as traders head out for a long weekend, as the market will close Monday for the late May bank holiday.

What data are in focus?

The U.K. economy expanded at 0.1% in the first-quarter, confirming a previous estimate from the Office for National Statistics. The reading was in line with expectations.

The slow growth rate marks period since the fourth quarter of 2012 and has largely been attributed to exceptionally cold weather in February and March.

When the first GDP reading came out in late April, it shocked investors with how weak it was. At the time, it sent the pound sharply lower, as it was seen as completely ruling out a BOE rate hike in May.

At the May BOE meeting, the central bank kept rates on hold, with Carney citing temporary weakness in the economy as the reason to stay put.

What are strategists saying?

��If Bank of England Governor Mark Carney was hoping for a surprise uplift in the latest GDP estimate this morning, he was dealt yet another blow,�� said Anthony Kurukgy, senior sales trader at Foenix Partners, in a note.

��The latest reading, which came in line with market expectations (0.1%) reaffirms the U.K. central bank��s views that a combination of stagnated growth and ��softer�� data will only keep the likelihood of U.K. interest rate hikes on hold. With the ��unreliable boyfriend�� at the helm, there��s an argument to say that one interest rate rise in 2018 isn��t exactly a forgone conclusion,�� he added.

Stock movers

Shares of GVC Holdings PLC GVC, +2.95% �rose 1.9% after the sports-betting and gaming group said revenue increased in the 20-week period ending May 20 even as U.K. sales were hit by adverse weather.

AstraZeneca PLC AZN, +0.64% AZN, +0.11% �added 1% after the drug giant reported positive results for its Imfinzi cancer drug.

Royal Mail PLC RMG, -3.37% �dropped 2.9% after Berenberg cut the delivery company to sell from hold, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Berenberg said Royal Mail faces little profit growth in coming years, as its customers are likely to scale back on sending out marketing materials due to the EU��s new General Data Protection Regulation. The GDPR privacy rules come into effect on Friday.

Read: 5 things to know about the GDPR rules taking effect Friday �� which could cost big, bad tech billions

Sara Sjolin

Sara Sjolin is a MarketWatch reporter based in London. Follow her on Twitter @sarasjolin.

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Comment Related Topics United Kingdom London Stock Exchange London Markets Bank of England Europe European Markets Quote References UKX +20.79 +0.27% GBPUSD -0.0024 -0.1794% GVC +29.00 +2.95% AZN +35.00 +0.64%