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.

Get AMERCO alerts:

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.

Featured Story: What is a closed-end mutual fund (CEF)?

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.

Get OpGen alerts:

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

Get Charles River Laboratories Intl. alerts:

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.

Get Arch Coal alerts:

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.

Get Stericycle alerts:

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.